# Russian prosecutors seek lengthy prison terms for suspects in cases linked to the war in Ukraine
By **EMMA BURROWS** and **DASHA LITVINOVA**
January 19, 2024. 5:30 PM EST

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A Russian court in Siberia on Friday sentenced a man to 19 years in prison for shooting a military enlistment officer, while prosecutors in St. Petersburg asked for a 28-year sentence for a woman charged in the bombing of a cafe last April that killed a prominent military blogger, reports said.

Both cases underscore the tensions in the Russian society heightened by President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, with some of those opposing it turning to violent acts.

In the Siberian city of Irkutsk, 26-year-old timber truck driver Ruslan Zinin was sentenced Friday to 19 years after opening fire in September 2022 at the military enlistment office in Ust-Ilimsk, a town 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north of Irkutsk, the state-run Tass news agency reported.

The shooting came a few days after Putin ordered a partial military mobilization to boost his forces fighting in Ukraine, sparking rare protests across Russia that were shut down, sometimes brutally.

Men with no military experience or with previous exemptions to service were summoned and conscripted. Police rounded up men on the streets of Moscow and other cities, or raided hostels and warehouses to find men of fighting age.

Zinin reportedly walked into the enlistment office, saying that "no one will go to fight" and opened fire, seriously wounding an officer. The independent Telegram messaging channel Solidarity Zone said he wanted to prevent his younger brother from being conscripted.

In St. Petersburg, Tass said prosecutors on Friday asked for a 28-year sentence for Darya Trepova, 26, over the cafe bombing that killed Vladlen Tatarsky, a pro-war military blogger who regularly reported from the front lines in Ukraine.

Trepova was arrested after being seen in a video presenting Tatarsky with a bust of himself, moments before the explosion at a riverside cafe where he was leading a discussion. The blast killed him and wounded 50 others.

She later claimed in court that she didn't know the bust contained a bomb, according to reports in Russian media, and said she was acting upon instructions from two men who told her there was a listening and tracking device inside.

Russian authorities have blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for orchestrating the bombing. Kyiv has not directly responded to the accusation, but an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the bombing as part of Russia's internal turmoil.

Russia's Federal Security Service, the FSB, charged that a Ukrainian citizen identified as Yuriy Denysov had supplied Trepova with explosives through a courier service, acting on orders from the Ukrainian security services.

Tatarsky was the pen name of Maxim Fomin, who had hundreds of thousands of followers on his Telegram messaging app channel. He had joined separatists in eastern Ukraine after a Moscow-backed insurgency erupted there in 2014 and fought on the front lines for years before turning to blogging.

Military bloggers have played an increasingly prominent role in Russia amid the fighting in Ukraine, supporting the Kremlin but often criticizing Russia's military leadership for perceived flaws. Unlike independent media or opposition figures, they have not faced punishment for that criticism.

On Thursday, another court in St. Petersburg sentenced a nurse, Maxim Asriyan, to eight years in prison on terror and treason charges for plotting to torch an army enlistment office in 2022, the Russian SotaVision Telegram channel said.

The prosecution had initially asked the court to sentence Asriyan to 14 years, even though he did not carry out the attack, the channel reported.


# Tens of thousands pack into a protest in Hamburg against Germany's far right
January 19, 2024. 1:30 PM EST

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**BERLIN (AP)** - Tens of thousands of people gathered Friday in Hamburg for a demonstration against the far right, and organizers said the protest was ended early because the mass of people led to safety concerns.

The event in Germany's second-biggest city appeared to be the biggest yet in a string of protests that has grown over the past week. They follow a report that extremists recently met to discuss the deportation of millions of immigrants, including some with German citizenship.

Media outlet Correctiv last week reported on the alleged far-right meeting in November, which it said was attended by figures from the extremist Identitarian Movement and from the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD. A prominent member of the Identitarian Movement, Austrian citizen Martin Sellner, presented his "remigration" vision for deportations.

Some demonstrations in cities around Germany, including one in Cologne on Tuesday, already have drawn far more participants than initially expected.

In Hamburg, police said that some 50,000 gathered on a lakeside promenade Friday afternoon, while organizers put the figure at 80,000 and said many people weren't able to squeeze into the venue, German news agency dpa reported.

Kazim Abaci of Unternehmer ohne Grenzen (Businesspeople without Borders), a group that was one of the organizers, said that "we have to end the demonstration early," citing safety concerns and saying that the fire service was unable to get through the crowd.

"The message to AfD and its right-wing networks is: We are the majority and we are strong because we are united and we are determined not to let our country and our democracy be destroyed for a second time after 1945," the year of Nazi Germany's defeat, Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher told the crowd.

AfD has sought to distance itself from the extremist meeting, saying it had no organizational or financial links to the event, that it wasn't responsible for what was discussed there and members who attended did so in a purely personal capacity. Still, one of AfD's co-leaders has parted company with an advisor who was there, while also decrying the reporting itself.

National polls currently show AfD in second place behind the main center-right opposition bloc and ahead of the parties in the unpopular government.

More demonstrations against the far right are planned in German cities over the weekend.


# An ally of Slovakia's populist prime minister is preparing a run for president
January 19, 2024. 11:17 AM EST

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**BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP)** - The speaker of Slovakia's Parliament, Peter Pellegrini, a close ally of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, announced on Friday he will run for president.

Pellegrini, 48, is considered a favorite in the race for the largely ceremonial post, according to public polls. Zuzana Čaputová, the country's first female president, decided not to seek reelection.

The first round of the election is scheduled for March 23.

Pellegrini, who favors a strong role for the state in society, heads the left-wing Hlas (Voice) party that finished third in the Sept 30 parliamentary election. His party formed a ruling coalition with Fico's leftist Smer (Direction) party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party.

Pellegrini, who was Fico's former deputy in Smer, became prime minister in 2018 after Fico was forced to resign following major anti-government street protests resulting from the 2018 killing of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancee.

Pellegrini parted ways with Fico after the scandal-tainted Smer lost the previous election in 2020.

He previously served as deputy prime minister (2016-18) and education minister (2014) in Fico's previous governments and was speaker in the Slovak Parliament, also known as the National Council, in 2014-16.

Former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok, a pro-Western career diplomat, is expected to be Pellegrini's main rival in the presidential vote.

The other notable candidates include another former foreign minister, Jan Kubiš; the head of the Slovak National Party, Andrej Danko; and far-right politician Marian Kotleba.

Čaputová has been a clear pro-Western voice in Slovak politics and a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion.

But Pellegrini's party is part of Fico's coalition that ended the country's military aid for Ukraine.


# Moldovan man arrested in Croatia after rushing a van with migrants through Zagreb to escape police
January 19, 2024. 10:32 AM EST

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**ZAGREB, Croatia (AP)** - The Moldovan driver of a van packed with migrants was arrested in Croatia following a chase in the capital, Zagreb, early on Friday, police said.

A police patrol tried to stop the van on the highway outside the city but the 31-year-old driver instead rushed through the pay toll ramp, said a statement.

Police called in reinforcements while following the van safely through Zagreb, they said. They set up a roadblock where the van eventually slammed into a police car and stopped.

It was not clear how long the chase lasted. The van was carrying 32 foreign nationals, two of whom were slightly injured in the accident, police said.

Migrants from the Middle East, Africa or Asia come to Croatia while trying to reach Western Europe along the so-called Balkan land route that leads from Turkey to Greece or Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia.

On their journeys, which often last for months or even years, migrants cross borders without authorization and often with the help of people smugglers.


# Protests by farmers and others in Germany underline deep frustration with the government
By **GEIR MOULSON**
January 19, 2024. 9:48 AM EST

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**BERLIN (AP)** - This week began and ended with the long road in front of Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate thronged by heavy vehicles tooting their horns in protest - farmers on Monday and truckers on Friday.

Such demonstrations underline deep frustration in Germany with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government, which came to power just over two years ago with a progressive, modernizing agenda but has come to be viewed by many as dysfunctional and incapable.

It is struggling to juggle multiple crises and reconcile lofty aims, such as transforming Europe's biggest economy to meet climate targets and investing in neglected infrastructure while also meeting Germany's tight self-imposed rules on running up debt.

Scholz acknowledges concerns that go beyond cuts to tax breaks on farmers' diesel fuel.

"I think crises and conflicts are creating overall uncertainty," he said in a video message last weekend. "Many worry: what will happen next? What will the future bring for me? All this is leading to some expressing this loudly."

Still, the chancellor himself faces criticism for his management of an unwieldy three-party alliance and poor communication. While his government doesn't appear to be in danger at present and Germany's next parliamentary election isn't due until the fall of 2025, it isn't clear how it can turn around a slump in polls.

The government points to successes including preventing an energy crunch after Russia cut off its gas supplies to Germany.

But all too often, the combination of two center-left parties with a pro-business rival has angered Germans by bickering at length over poorly explained projects that sometimes raise fears of new costs - notably a plan to replace fossil-fuel heating systems with greener alternatives. On top of that comes frustration with inflation over the past two years.

Polls show little faith in Scholz and his government and widespread sympathy for the farmers' protests against cuts to tax breaks on the diesel they use - which stem from the latest major woe to hit the embattled coalition.

A November court ruling struck down a major pillar of the government's financing and left it scrambling to fill a big hole in this year's budget. It had sought to bypass Germany's debt rules by repurposing 60 billion euros ($65.3 billion) originally meant to cushion the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic for measures to help combat climate change and modernize the country.

As part of its plan to fill the gap, coalition leaders said the government would abolish a car tax exemption for farming vehicles and tax breaks on diesel used in agriculture. Amid pushback even from the agriculture minister, it watered that down, saying the car tax exemption would be retained and the cuts in the the tax breaks staggered over three years.

That didn't satisfy Germany's well-organized farmers, who pressed ahead with a week of protests that culminated in Berlin on Monday. And more appear likely.

"Our farmers are disappointed, they are disappointed that they haven't been listened to, and they can't understand why they should be further burdened in European competition," Joachim Rukwied, the head of the German Farmers' Association, said Friday.

Rukwied said his organization will attempt to win over lawmakers in talks over the next two weeks, but there will be still be smaller-scale "actions" by farmers to press their point.

Other groups facing their own challenges have sympathized with or joined in some farmers' demonstrations. They have included road transport and hospitality associations, the latter facing a hike in value-added tax on eating out from the 7% rate it was reduced to during the pandemic to the full 19%.

Organizers of Friday's demonstration by truck drivers called for an increase in highway tolls for trucks to be reversed and protested against carbon pricing. Germany's levy on carbon dioxide emissions from fuel was increased by more than previously planned this month, another result of the budget crisis.

Critics say Scholz, a self-confident but often taciturn leader, isn't helping with his style.

"Why the chancellor thinks he can convince people through dogged silence is not clear to me," former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer remarked in an interview with the Augsburger Allgemeine daily, arguing that Scholz "is damaging himself."

One beneficiary of the sour mood has been the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which has gained over the past year. It is currently second in national polls - behind the main center-right opposition bloc but ahead of the parties in Scholz's coalition. European Parliament elections are scheduled for June, and three state elections in September.

There has been some concern over the far right taking advantage of the demonstrations.

The far right itself has drawn a string of protests this week following a report that extremists recently met to discuss the deportation of millions of immigrants, including some with German citizenship.

"Everyone is called on now to take a clear stand for solidarity, for tolerance, for our democratic Germany," Scholz said Friday.


# EU official praises efforts by Poland's new government to restore the rule of law
January 19, 2024. 9:33 AM EST

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**WARSAW, Poland (AP)** - European Union Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders on Friday praised efforts by Poland's new pro-EU government to restore the rule of law and said they may lead to the release of billions of euros in EU funds for the country that were frozen under the previous government.

Reynders was holding talks in Warsaw with new Justice Minister Adam Bodnar, the foreign and European affairs ministers and parliament speakers about the steps that Poland's month-old government is taking to reverse the controversial judicial policies of the previous administration that the EU had criticized as undemocratic.

Reynders said at a news conference that he was pleased by the determination of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Cabinet in restoring the rule of law, in line with Poland's Constitution and the requirements of the EU and the European Convention on Human Rights.

He said the European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-member bloc, was supporting the government's efforts.

He expressed hope that the steps would soon allow the approval of Poland's request for the release of about 7 billion euros ($7.6 billion) from the post-pandemic recovery funds earmarked for the country. The EU froze the money as a result of rule-of-law disputes with Poland's previous right-wing government of the Law and Justice party.

Among its key steps, Tusk's government has imprisoned two members of the previous government who were convicted of abuse of power and document forging and is making personnel changes in vital judicial bodies and some courts where rule-of-law principles had been questioned.

Bodnar's steps have been harshly criticized by the opposition which lost power in October elections, but he told the news conference that they were well thought-out and necessary.


# More than 1,000 rally in Russian region in continuing protests over activist's jailing
By **THE ASSOCIATED PRESS**
January 19, 2024. 9:10 AM EST

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**MOSCOW (AP)** - More than 1,000 people rallied in the Russian region of Bashkortostan on Friday, continuing a series of protests triggered by the conviction and sentencing of a local activist and handing a new challenge to the Kremlin.

People gathered in the main square of Ufa, the main city of Bashkortostan, a region spread between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains, dancing and singing folk songs. Police initially didn't intervene, but later rounded up about 10 participants as the crowd thinned in freezing temperatures, according to the independent Vyorstka and SOTAvision news outlets.

Protesters shouting "Shame!" tried to block a police bus carrying the detainees in the city of 1.1 million about 1,150 kilometers (700 miles) east of Moscow.

The rally followed clashes on Wednesday in the town of Baymak in which hundreds of protesters faced off with police following the trial of Fail Alsynov, a local activist who was convicted of inciting hatred and sentenced to four years in prison. Police used batons, tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the protesters, who chanted "Freedom!" and "Disgrace!" and demanded the ouster of Bashkortostan's regional leader.

At least 17 people accused of involvement in the clashes were given jail terms ranging from 10 to 13 days.

The unrest was one of the largest reported demonstrations since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, and raised the threat of instability in the region of 4 million.

Asked whether the Kremlin was worried about the demonstrations in Bashkortostan, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, downplayed their significance.

"I would disagree with the formulation 'mass riots' and 'mass demonstrations.' There are no mass riots and mass demonstrations there," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters, even though the country's top criminal investigation agency launched a probe into the clashes on charges of inciting mass riots.

The tensions in Bashkortostan come as Putin is seeking another six-year term in March's presidential election.

Indigenous people, mostly Muslim Bashkirs, a Turkic ethnic group, make up just under a third of the region's population. Ethnic Russians account for about 38% and ethnic Tatars about 24%, with some smaller ethnic groups also present.

The region's Kremlin-appointed head, Radiy Khabirov, denounced the protests, alleging they had been instigated by a group of "traitors," some living abroad, to call for the region's secession from the Russian Federation.

Bashkortostan, Tatarstan and other regions with a strong presence of indigenous ethnic groups enjoyed greater autonomy than other provinces during Soviet times. They won even broader rights after the 1991 Soviet collapse, fueling fears that the federal authority could weaken and the country could eventually break up along ethnic lines.

Putin, who spearheaded a second war in Russia's region of Chechnya to crush its separatist bid in the early 2000s, has methodically curtailed the degree of independence in Russia's regions to strengthen the Kremlin's authority. He has repeatedly accused the West of trying to foment unrest in Russia.

Alsynov, the convicted activist, was a leader of a group that advocated the preservation of the Bashkir language and culture and protested against limestone and gold mining operations in the region. The group, called Bashkort, was outlawed as extremist in 2020.

The authorities accused him of denigrating other ethnic groups in a speech he gave at a rally in April 2023, a charge he denied.

Putin, 71, is able to run again after 24 years in power due to a constitutional amendment he orchestrated in 2020 to reset presidential term limits. His reelection appears all but assured after a relentless crackdown on the opposition and independent media.


# German parliament approves easing rules to get citizenship, dropping restrictions on dual passports
By **GEIR MOULSON**
January 19, 2024. 11:04 AM EST

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**BERLIN (AP)** - German lawmakers on Friday approved legislation easing the rules on gaining citizenship and ending restrictions on holding dual citizenship. The government argues the plan will bolster the integration of immigrants and help attract skilled workers.

Parliament voted 382-234 for the plan put forward by center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz's socially liberal coalition, with 23 lawmakers abstaining. The main center-right opposition bloc criticized the project vehemently, arguing that it would cheapen German citizenship.

The legislation will make people eligible for citizenship after five years in Germany, or three in case of "special integration accomplishments," rather than eight or six years at present. German-born children would automatically become citizens if one parent has been a legal resident for five years, down from eight years now.

Restrictions on holding dual citizenship will also be dropped. In principle, most people from countries other than European Union members and Switzerland now have to give up their previous nationality when they gain German citizenship, though there are some exemptions.

The government says that 14% of the population - more than 12 million of the country's 84.4 million inhabitants - doesn't have German citizenship and that about 5.3 million of those have lived in Germany for at least a decade. It says that the naturalization rate in Germany is well below the EU average.

In 2022, about 168,500 people were granted German citizenship. That was the highest figure since 2002, boosted by a large increase in the number of Syrian citizens who had arrived in the past decade being naturalized, but still only a fraction of long-term residents.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the reform puts Germany in line with European neighbors such as France and pointed to its need to attract more skilled workers. "We also must make qualified people from around the world an offer like the U.S., like Canada, of which acquiring German citizenship is a part," she told reporters ahead of the vote.

The legislation stipulates that people being naturalized must be able to support themselves and their relatives, though there are exemptions for people who came to West Germany as "guest workers" up to 1974 and for those who came to communist East Germany to work.

The existing law requires that would-be citizens be committed to the "free democratic fundamental order," and the new version specifies that antisemitic and racist acts are incompatible with that.

Scholz said in a video message that, at a time of mounting concern over the far right's intentions toward immigrants, "we are telling all those who often have lived and worked for decades in Germany, who keep to our laws: You belong in Germany."

The reform means that no one will have to "deny his roots," he added.

The conservative opposition asserted that Germany is loosening citizenship requirements just as other countries are tightening theirs.

"This isn't a citizenship modernization bill - it is a citizenship devaluation bill," center-right Christian Democrat Alexander Throm told lawmakers.

People who have been in Germany for five or three years haven't yet grown roots in the country, he said. And he argued that dropping restrictions on dual citizenship will "bring political conflicts from abroad into our politics."

The citizenship law overhaul is one of a series of social reforms that Scholz's three-party coalition agreed to carry out when it took office in late 2021. Those also include plans to liberalize rules on the possession and sale of cannabis, and make it easier for transgender, intersex and nonbinary people to change their gender and name in official registers. Both still need parliamentary approval.

In recent months, the government - which has become deeply unpopular as a result of persistent infighting, economic weakness and most recently a home-made budget crisis that resulted in spending and subsidy cuts - also has sought to defuse migration by asylum-seekers as a political problem.

The citizenship reform was passed the day after lawmakers approved legislation that is intended to ease deportations of unsuccessful asylum-seekers.


# Sami rights activists in Norway charged over protests against wind farm affecting reindeer herding
January 19, 2024. 6:39 AM EST

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**COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)*** - Some 20 activists have been charged after they blocked several entrances to Norwegian government offices over a wind farm that they say hinders the rights of the Sami Indigenous people to raise reindeer, their lawyer said Friday.

The exact charge was not known. The VG newspaper said they were charged because they did not accept the fines they had been given after having been forcefully removed by police. They face trial in March in Oslo.

At the center of the dispute are the 151 turbines of Europe's largest onshore wind farm, which is located in central Norway's Fosen district, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) north of the capital, Oslo.

The activists say a transition to green energy shouldn't come at the expense of the rights of Indigenous people.

They have demonstrated repeatedly against the wind farm's continued operation since the Supreme Court of Norway ruled in October 2021 that the construction of the turbines had violated the rights of the Sami, who have used the land for reindeer for centuries.

"Punishing the Sami youth and their supporters will be yet another violation of their human rights - violation of their freedom of speech and demonstration," lawyer Olaf Halvorsen Rønning said.

Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen, one of the activists, said "it is the state that is responsible for the situation at Fosen, while the Fosen actions, by all accounts, have only contributed to solving it."

In October, activists - many dressed in traditional Sami garments - blocked the entrance to one of the main operators of a wind farm to prevent employees from entering.

In June, they protested outside Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre's office, and they occupied the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy for four days in February, and later blocked the entrances to 10 ministries.

Sami, who mostly live in the Arctic, came from neighboring Sweden and Finland to join the protest. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg was among the protesters. It was unclear whether she was among those charged.

Gahr Støre has acknowledged "ongoing human rights violations" and the government has repeatedly apologized for failing to act despite the Supreme Court ruling. Energy Minister Terje Aasland has said that the demolition of all wind turbines at Fosen - as the protesters demand - is not being considered.


# A Ukrainian drone attack on an oil depot inside Russia causes a massive blaze, officials say
By **THE ASSOCIATED PRESS**
January 19, 2024. 8:09 AM EST

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A Ukrainian drone struck an oil storage depot in western Russia on Friday, causing a massive blaze, officials said, as Kyiv's forces apparently extended their attacks on Russian soil ahead of the war's two-year anniversary.

Four oil reservoirs with a total capacity of 6,000 cubic meters (1.6 million gallons) were set on fire when the drone reached Klintsy, a city of some 70,000 people located about 60 kilometers (40 miles) from the Ukrainian border, according to the local governor and state news agency Tass.

The strike apparently was the latest in a recently intensified effort by Ukraine to unnerve Russians and undermine President Vladimir Putin's claim that life in Russia is going on as normal before its March 17 presidential election.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to hit more targets inside Russian border regions this year. Russia's air defenses are concentrated in occupied regions of Ukraine, Kyiv officials say, leaving more distant targets inside Russia more vulnerable as Ukrainian forces develop longer-range drones.

The Russian city of Belgorod, also near the Ukrainian border, canceled its traditional Orthodox Epiphany festivities on Friday due to the threat of Ukrainian drone strikes. It was the first time major public events were known to have been called off in Russia due to the drone threat.

Ukrainian national media, quoting an official in Ukraine's Intelligence Service, said Ukrainian drones on Friday also attacked a gunpowder mill in Tambov, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) south of Moscow.

But Tambov Gov. Maxim Yegorov said the plant was working normally, according to Russia's RBC news outlet. The Mash news outlet had earlier reported that a Ukrainian drone fell on the plant's premises Thursday but caused no damage.

In another strike fitting the pattern, the Russian Defense Ministry said a Ukrainian drone was downed on the outskirts of St. Petersburg on Thursday.

The drone wreckage fell on the premises of the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal on the city's southern edge, according to Vladimir Rogov, who is in charge of coordination of the Russian-annexed regions of Ukraine. Mikhail Skigin, the terminal co-owner, confirmed that the drone was targeting the terminal.

St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, is about 900 kilometers (560 miles) north of the border with Ukraine.

In Klintsy, air defenses electronically jammed the drone but it dropped its explosive payload on the facility, Bryansk regional Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said. There were no casualties, he added.

Russian telegram channels shared videos of what they said was the blaze at the depot, which sent thick black plumes of smoke into the air.

The fire is hard to put out and requires specialist equipment, Bogomaz said, adding that 32 people were evacuated from their homes near the depot.

The same depot was struck by a Ukrainian drone in May last year, but the damage apparently was less significant.

Meanwhile, Russian shelling in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region killed a 57-year-old woman and a land mine there killed a man, the Ukrainian president's office reported Friday.


# EU, AU, US say Sudan war and Somalia's tension with Ethiopia threaten Horn of Africa's stability
By **TOM ODULA**
January 18, 2024. 8:14 PM EST

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**NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)** - The African Union, European Union, and United States called Thursday for an immediate cease-fire and constructive dialogue between warring factions in Sudan.

The groups also called for an end to tension between Somalia and Ethiopia over an agreement signed between Ethiopia and Somalia's breakaway region Somaliland.

Representatives of the groups, who spoke in Kampala, Uganda, after the meeting of an East African regional bloc, said that the two crises are threatening regional stability in the Horn of Africa.

Sudan's armed forces and the rival Rapid Support Forces have been fighting for control of Sudan since April. Long-standing tensions erupted into street battles in the capital and other areas including the western Darfur region.

The AU, EU and U.S. and U.N noted that the fighting has displaced 7 million people and kept 19 million children out of school.

Michael Hammer, U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa, called on Sudan's factions to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and to fulfill recent commitments to stop fighting.

"It's time for them to take action consistent with their stated claims that they want to stop the fighting and meet the needs of the people," Hammer said.

He spoke after the regional bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, held an emergency meeting of heads of states in Kampala to discuss the Sudan war and rising tension between Somalia and Ethiopia.

Hammer said the leader of Sudan's army, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who is known as Hemedti, must follow through on their promise at a Dec. 9 IGAD summit to reach an unconditional cease-fire.

"They will be responsible for the break up of Sudan if this conflict continues," Hammer said.

The first step is an enforceable cease-fire that can be closely monitored, said Ramtane Lamamra, the U.N. envoy for Sudan.

"Guns must be silenced," he said, adding that the war endangers "stability of the entire region and beyond."

On Tuesday, the Sudanese government suspended ties with the east African regional bloc, accusing it of violating Sudan's sovereignty by inviting the paramilitary leader to a summit. Hemedti attended Thursday's summit in Kampala but did not speak.

Amid the renewed calls for a ceasefire, the United Nations announced Thursday that the U.N. Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, which is charged with investigating violations of human rights and international humanitarian law since April 15, began its work this week.

Mohamed Chande Othman, the fact-finding mission's chair, said investigations of alleged violations by the Sudanese Armed Forces, Rapid Support Forces and other warring parties are under way, and particular attention will be paid to sexual violence and other violations against women and children, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council established the fact-finding mission in October 2023 with the aim of ensuring that those responsible for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law are brought to justice. Dujarric said the mission will present an oral report on its initial findings at the council's session that starts in June.

Regarding Somalia, the AU, EU and U.S. said they recognize the country's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, including the breakaway region of Somaliland.

Tension has been rising after land-locked Ethiopia signed an agreement on Jan. 1 with Somaliland to give it access to the sea. Somaliland in return expects Ethiopia soon to recognize the region as an independent state, which angers Somalia.

Hammer said the U.S. is particularly concerned that the tensions could undermine international-backed efforts to combat al-Qaida-linked militants in Somalia.

Annette Weber, the EU special envoy for the Horn of Africa, said the two crises have a common link with Red Sea, which she called a critical waterway carrying 10 percent of global cargo.

Weber also said there needs to be a collective response among Horn of Africa countries against attacks on ships by Yemen-based Houthi rebels.


# German parliament approves legislation easing deportations of rejected asylum seekers
January 18, 2024. 1:16 PM EST

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**BERLIN (AP)** - The German parliament on Thursday approved legislation that is intended to ease deportations of unsuccessful asylum-seekers as Chancellor Olaf Scholz seeks to defuse migration as a political problem.

The legislation foresees increasing the maximum length of pre-deportation custody from 10 to 28 days and specifically facilitating the deportation of people who are members of a criminal organization.

It also authorizes residential searches for documentation that enables officials to firmly establish a person's identity, as well as remove authorities' obligation to give advance notice of deportations in some cases.

Germany's shelters for migrants and refugees have been filling up in recent months as significant numbers of asylum-seekers add to more than 1 million Ukrainians who have arrived since the start of Russia's war in their homeland.

The majority of rejected asylum-seekers in Germany will still have at least temporary permission to stay for reasons that can include illness, a child with residency status or a lack of ID.

It remains to be seen how much difference the new rules will make. Deportations can fail for a variety of reasons, including those the legislation addresses but also a lack of cooperation by migrants' home countries. Germany is trying to strike agreements with various nations to address that problem while also creating opportunities for legal immigration.

The parliament's vote Thursday comes at a time when tens of thousands of people in Germany have protested against alleged far-right plans to deport millions of immigrants, including some with German citizenship, as reported by an investigative media outlet last week. Scholz sharply condemned the plot drawn at the meeting in November, which allegedly also included members of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party.

The German parliament is set to vote Friday on legislation that would ease citizenship rules - a project that the government contends will bolster the integration of immigrants and help an economy that is struggling with a shortage of skilled workers.


# Slovenia to set up temporary facilities for migrants at Croatia border, citing surge in arrivals
January 18, 2024. 12:53 PM EST

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**LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP)** - Slovenia will set up temporary facilities for handling migrant arrivals at the border with Croatia, citing a surge in arrivals, the government announced Thursday.

Authorities will put up a fence, two accommodation containers, tents and sanitary facilities at the former border crossing in Obrezje, state-owned STA news agency reported.

The official border checkpoint with Croatia was removed last year when Slovenia's eastern neighbor joined Europe's free-travel Schengen area. But some border control has been reintroduced because of increased migration through the region.

Slovenia has reported a surge in crossings of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa looking for ways to reach Western Europe. Italy, Slovenia and Croatia have agreed to cooperate to curb migration through the three neighboring countries.

Slovenia's government said the temporary facilities for migrants will be set up because local police stations in the area lack the capacity to deal with the influx of migrants.

The arrangement will last for no longer than three years, the government said.

Migrants come to Slovenia from Croatia after passing along the so-called Balkan land route that leads from Turkey to Greece or Bulgaria and then on toward North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia.


# Belarus rights group calls on UN to push for proper treatment of cancer-stricken opposition prisoner
January 18, 2024. 12:06 PM EST

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**TALLINN, Estonia (AP)** - The most prominent human rights group in Belarus is calling on the United Nations' special rapporteur for human rights in the repressive country to pressure officials to give adequate medical treatment to an imprisoned opposition leader suffering from severe cancer.

The appeal Wednesday by the Viasna group said Ryhor Kostusiou is being denied proper medical care in the prison where he is serving a 10-year sentence on a conviction of attempting to unlawfully seize power.

Kostusiou, head of the Belarusian Popular Front party, was arrested in 2021 as part of a harsh crackdown on opposition that began after mass protests shook the country following the 2020 presidential election. The election's disputed results gave another term to President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in office since 1994 and suppressed opposition and independent news media.

About 35,000 people were detained in and after the protests. More than 1,400 political prisoners remain behind bars, including Viasna founder Ales Bialiatski, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

Viasna said Monday that another political prisoner had died of pneumonia after authorities ignored his pleas for help.

The 67-year-old Kostusiou's "health condition has seriously deteriorated," Viasna said in its appeal to special rapporteur Anais Marin. "The conditions for serving a criminal sentence do not take into account his serious health condition, do not allow him to receive quality treatment and endanger his life."

The group asked the rapporteur to send "an urgent appeal to the authorities asking them to provide Kostusiou with proper treatment."


# German far-right party assailed over report of extremist meeting
January 18, 2024. 11:47 AM EST

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**BERLIN (AP)** - Germany's governing parties assailed a resurgent far-right opposition party on Thursday over a report that extremists recently met to discuss the deportation of millions of immigrants, including some with German citizenship, which has led to a string of protests in recent days.

Media outlet Correctiv last week reported on the alleged far-right meeting in November, which it said was attended by figures from the extremist Identitarian Movement and from the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD. A prominent member of the Identitarian Movement, Austrian citizen Martin Sellner, presented his "remigration" vision for deportations.

National polls currently show AfD in second place with support of over 20% - behind the mainstream opposition center-right bloc, but ahead of the parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's unpopular center-left governing coalition. The party is even stronger in three regions in the formerly communist east that will hold state elections in September.

AfD has sought to distance itself from the meeting, saying it had no organizational or financial links to the event, that it wasn't responsible for what was discussed there and members who attended did so in a purely personal capacity. Still, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel has parted company with an advisor, Roland Hartwig, who was there - while also decrying the reporting itself.

In recent days, "we have heard fears and concerns; we have seen that, at kitchen tables in Germany, German citizens are discussing the question of whether they must flee their own country," Lars Klingbeil, the co-leader of Scholz's Social Democrats, told parliament on Thursday.

"You are a wolf in sheep's clothing, but I'm telling you that your facade is beginning to crumble," he told AfD lawmakers.

Konstantin Kuhle, a senior lawmaker with the Free Democrats, one of Scholz's coalition partners, said the reported meeting showed that AfD is working to serve as "civic proxies" to right-wing extremists.

There have been repeated demonstrations against the far-right in German cities in recent days, including one in Cologne on Tuesday that attracted tens of thousands of participants.

AfD chief whip Bernd Baumann complained that mainstream parties are "falsifying our demands, particularly on the issue of 'remigration'" and asserted that his party faces a "devious campaign by politicians and journalists from the ruined left-green class."

"Little private debating clubs are being blown up into secret meetings that are a danger to the public," he said.

The furor has prompted calls for Germany to consider seeking to ban AfD, which has moved steadily to the right since its founding in 2013. Many of its opponents have spoken out against the idea, arguing that the process would be lengthy, success is highly uncertain and it could benefit the party by allowing it to portray itself as a victim.


# NATO holds its biggest exercises in decades next week, involving around 90,000 personnel
January 19, 2024. 5:08 AM EST

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**BRUSSELS (AP)** - NATO will launch its biggest military exercises in decades next week with around 90,000 personnel set to take part in months of drills aimed at showing the alliance can defend all of its territory up to its border with Russia, top officers said Thursday.

The exercises come as Russia's war on Ukraine bogs down. NATO as an organization is not directly involved in the conflict, except to supply Kyiv with non-lethal support, although many member countries send weapons and ammunition individually or in groups, and provide military training.

In the months before President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022, NATO began beefing up security on its eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine. It's the alliance's biggest buildup since the Cold War. The war games are meant to deter Russia from targeting a member country.

The exercises - dubbed Steadfast Defender 24 - "will show that NATO can conduct and sustain complex multi-domain operations over several months, across thousands of kilometers (miles), from the High North to Central and Eastern Europe, and in any condition," the 31-nation organization said.

Troops will be moving to and through Europe until the end of May in what NATO describes as "a simulated emerging conflict scenario with a near-peer adversary." Under NATO's new defense plans, its chief adversaries are Russia and terrorist organizations.

"The alliance will demonstrate its ability to reinforce the Euro-Atlantic area via transatlantic movement of forces from North America," NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, U.S. General Christopher Cavoli, told reporters.

Cavoli said it will demonstrate "our unity, our strength, and our determination to protect each other."

The chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said that it's "a record number of troops that we can bring to bear and have an exercise within that size, across the alliance, across the ocean from the U.S. to Europe."

Bauer described it as "a big change" compared to troop numbers exercising just a year ago. Sweden, which is expected to join NATO this year, will also take part.

U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps has said that the government in London would send 20,000 troops backed by advanced fighter jets, surveillance planes, warships and submarines, with many being deployed in eastern Europe from February to June.


# Northern Ireland sees biggest strike in years as workers walk out over pay and political deadlock
January 19, 2024. 1:45 AM EST

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**BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP)** - Tens of thousands of public sector workers walked off the job across Northern Ireland on Thursday to protest political deadlock that has left them without pay increases, and the region without a functioning government.

Schools were closed, hospitals offered a skeleton service and authorities warned people not to travel unless it was essential as road-gritting crews joined the strike in the middle of a bitterly cold snap.

The 24-hour strike by about 150,000 teachers, nurses, bus drivers and others is the biggest walkout in years in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom with its own regional government. That government has not functioned for almost two years since one of the two power-sharing parties walked out in a dispute over post-Brexit trade rules.

The Democratic Unionist Party has refused to return to government with Irish nationalists Sinn Fein. Under power-sharing rules established under Northern Ireland's peace process, the administration must include both British unionists and Irish nationalists.

Thousands of striking workers held a rallies in Belfast and other cities, calling for the DUP to return to government and for U.K. officials to give public sector workers in Northern Ireland the same pay raises that employees in other parts of the country have received.

the U.K.'s Northern Ireland Secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris, said the British government had agreed on a 3 billion pound ($3.8 billion) financial package, but that it could only be delivered if Northern Ireland's government was back up and running.

"This package has been on the table since before Christmas and will remain there, available on day one for an incoming Northern Ireland Executive," he said.

Workers said politicians in both Belfast and London were using them as political pawns.

Teacher Linda Millar said she just wanted pay parity with the rest of the U.K.

"We are losing teachers left, right and center to Doha, Dubai, everywhere," she said. "The education system is crumbling. Our buildings are crumbling."


# EU Parliament adopts resolution calling for permanent cease-fire in Gaza but Hamas must go
January 18, 2024. 9:48 AM EST

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**BRUSSELS (AP)** - European lawmakers on Thursday adopted a resolution calling for a permanent cease-fire in Israel's war against Hamas, on the condition that the Palestinian militant group in Gaza be dismantled and that all hostages it holds be released.

The conflict has divided European Union countries and political groups at the legislature, and reaching a consensus on the wording of the resolution was not an easy task.

The original text underlined the need for a permanent cease-fire. It was adopted after an amendment tabled by conservative lawmakers was passed, insisting that Hamas needed to be dismantled for a cease-fire to happen and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages.

The resolution, which is non-binding and highly symbolical, was adopted by 312 votes in favor, 131 against and 72 abstentions. It was the first time the Parliament called for a cease-fire after lawmakers in October agreed on a call for a "humanitarian pause."

The amendment insisted that all the hostages be "immediately and unconditionally released and (that) the terrorist organization Hamas is dismantled."

Palestinian militants are still putting up resistance across Gaza in the face of one of the deadliest military campaigns in recent history. More than 24,400 Palestinians have been killed. Some 85% of the narrow coastal territory's 2.3 million people have fled their homes, and the United Nations says a quarter of the population is starving.

Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas to ensure it can never repeat an attack like the one on Oct. 7 that triggered the war. Militants burst through Israel's border defenses and stormed through several communities that day, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing around 250, taking them back to Gaza as hostages.

Since the attack, the bloc has struggled to strike a balance between condemning Hamas, supporting Israel's right to defend itself and ensuring that the rights of civilians on both sides are protected under international law.

Hamas is on the EU's list of terrorist groups.

European lawmakers also expressed their "deep concern at the dire and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip" and asked for the moribund "two-state solution" between Israel and Palestinians to be revived, and for the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.


# European Union institutions gear up for a fight over Orbán's rule of law record, funds for Hungary
By **RAF CASERT**
January 18, 2024. 9:12 AM EST

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**BRUSSELS (AP)** - The European Union's institutions are gearing up for a fight over Hungary and a contentious transfer of 10 billion euros (nearly $11 billion) in funds to Budapest.

The European Parliament decided to assess Thursday whether to take the bloc's executive branch, the European Commission, to court over allegations that it gave into blackmail from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to get his approval to start membership talks with Ukraine.

The European Parliament made the decision in a 345-104 vote and tasked its legal department to prepare the groundwork for a possible challenge at the EU's highest court. It wants to see whether the European Commission took all measures "to protect the EU's financial interests" in its dealings with Orbán. They said that Hungary didn't meet the rule of law requirements to get the money.

The vote followed a bruising debate in the plenary during which legislators of major center-right and center-left groups all criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for making sure the money was approved just before Orbán unexpectedly and crucially abstained from the Ukraine vote at a summit in December.

The funds were only supposed to be released if Hungary had shown enough effort to force through some rule of law reforms on judicial independence and political interference, and during Wednesday's plenary, von der Leyen said that the country had pushed through measures to earn the release of funds.

She said the European Commission had no option but to approve the funds and strongly denied the two issues were linked.

"These are the rules we have all agreed to," she said. "We will follow them. This is what makes the rule of law stand out from arbitrary power.

Many parliamentarians disagreed, however.

"Once again the Parliament is having to step in," said parliamentary rapporteur Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield of the Greens group, complaining that the European Commission and the member states "seem happy to give a carte blanche to Viktor Orbán to continue his bullying tactics and attacks on the rule of law."

The EU is still blocking around 20 billion euros (nearly $22 billion) in funds over similar rule of law concerns, and the parliament doesn't want to see them fall prey to political brinkmanship. On Feb. 1, EU leaders will have another summit, hoping to approve 50 billion euros (nearly $55 billion) in much-needed financial aid to Ukraine, which Orbán did block at the last summit in December.

It wasn't the first time Orbán had derailed EU plans to provide funding to Ukraine. The nationalist leader is widely considered to be Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in the EU, and has been accused by his critics of promoting Moscow's interests over those of his EU and NATO allies.

Orbán has advocated for an immediate end to the fighting and pushed for peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv, though he hasn't detailed what such a step would entail for Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Orbán has been at odds with his fellow EU leaders, top officials and legislators for years, ranging from fights over COVID-19 recovery money to his declining respect for the Western democratic principles that are the essence of the EU. Yet as the longest-serving EU leader, he knows the EU rules inside out and has been able to extract financial concessions time and again to shore up his struggling economy.


# A Russian border city cancels Orthodox Epiphany events due to the threat of Ukrainian attacks
By **THE ASSOCIATED PRESS**
January 18, 2024. 10:57 AM EST

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A Russian city near the Ukrainian border canceled its traditional Orthodox Epiphany festivities on Friday due to the threat of attacks as Kyiv's forces pursue a new strategy with the war approaching its two-year milestone.

The city of Belgorod has scrapped events in which the faithful plunge into ponds and pools through holes in the ice on the feast of Epiphany every Jan. 19, the state news agency Tass reported, citing the regional emergencies ministry. The annual celebrations are widespread in Russia.

Cross-border attacks have become increasingly frequent in recent weeks in Belgorod, the largest Russian city near the border with about 340,000 people, and can be reached by relatively simple and movable weapons such as multiple rocket launchers. It is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

On Dec. 30, shelling in the center of Belgorod killed 21 people and wounded 110, regional officials said, in what was one of the deadliest attacks on Russian soil since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Border villages have been targeted sporadically during the war by Ukrainian artillery fire, rockets, mortar shells and drones launched from dense forests, where they are hard to detect. But until Thursday, no major public events were known to have been called off.

In Moscow, meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed a U.S. proposal to resume a dialogue on nuclear arms control, saying it's impossible while Washington offers military support to Ukraine.

Speaking at an annual news conference, Lavrov accused the West of fueling global security risks by encouraging Ukraine to ramp up strikes on Russian territory and warned that Moscow will achieve its goals in the conflict despite Western assistance to Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged to hit more targets inside Russian border regions this year. The goal is to disrupt life and unsettle Russians, especially ahead of a March 17 election in Russia when President Vladimir Putin is seeking another six years in power.

Ten rockets fired from Ukraine were shot down, with one woman injured by falling wreckage, Belgorod regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said Thursday.

Long-range cross-border missile, drone and artillery strikes have been a feature of the war, especially when fighting on the front line eases off during winter.

Russian forces have repeatedly blasted civilian areas of Ukraine. On Thursday, a multistory building was hit in Kupiansk, in the eastern Kharkiv region, killing a 57-year-old woman and wounding two men, according to regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov.

Near Kupiansk, Russian troops also shelled the village of Maly Burluk, killing an elderly woman, Ukraine's presidential office said. A 10-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were wounded, it said.

In the southern city of Kherson, shelling killed a driver in his car and a passerby on the street. Seven people were wounded in the region, including an 81-year-old woman, according to the presidential office.

It was not possible to independently verify either side's battlefield claims.

Ukraine's air force said it intercepted 22 out of 33 Shahed drones launched by Russia overnight. The Kremlin's forces also fired two S-300 missiles at the Kharkiv region for the second night in a row, officials said.

Ukraine has urged its Western allies to step up its weapon and ammunition supplies so it can keep up the battlefield pressure on Moscow.

France on Thursday announced more planned deliveries of its Caesar artillery system to Ukraine and said it is speeding up weapons manufacturing as it seeks to avoid depleting its own military stocks while continuing to support Kyiv.

"The logic of ceding materiel taken from the armies' stocks is reaching its end," French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu told Le Parisien. "From now on, the solution is to directly connect French defense industries with the Ukrainian army."

France also launched a drive to fund the delivery of 78 Caesar self-propelled 155 mm howitzers to Ukraine this year. Ukraine has already paid for six of the guns itself and France will provide 50 million euros ($54 million) to deliver 12 more, Lecornu said separately in a speech. France is also seeking 280 million euros ($305 million) from other allies of Ukraine to pay for the 60 other Caesars, he said.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Russian forces are firing five times more artillery shells - 10 times more in some places - than Kyiv's forces along the front lines, and stronger artillery "is one of our key needs to win this war."

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, meanwhile, toured a plant near Moscow that designs and manufactures cruise missiles as part of an effort to bolster the Kremlin's long-range arsenal.

Shoigu told factory managers who reported increasing the range of one type of missile to 250 kilometers (150 miles) that it should be increased even more, according to the Defense Ministry.

Boris Obnosov, the head of the state corporation overseeing the production of tactical missiles, said a new variant of the weapon has a range of 310 kilometers (190 miles).

"Now we need to make sure we have enough of such missiles," Shoigu said, according to the ministry. "We spend them and score hits daily."


# British leader Sunak urges Parliament's upper house to swiftly pass Rwanda migration plan
By **PAN PYLAS**
January 18, 2024. 8:25 AM EST

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**LONDON (AP)** - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak laid out a challenge Thursday to members of Parliament's unelected upper chamber to swiftly pass his controversial plan to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda

Sunak said any attempt by the House of Lords to soften or delay the policy, which elected lawmakers in the House of Commons backed Wednesday, would "frustrate the will of the people."

"There is now only one question," Sunak said at a news conference in his Downing Street headquarters. "Will the opposition in the appointed House of Lords try and frustrate the will of the people as expressed by the elected House? Or will they get on board and do the right thing?"

Sunak's governing Conservatives do not have a majority in the House of Lords, which is made up of representatives from political parties as well as non-aligned appointees. The Lords can delay and amend legislation but ultimately can't overrule the elected House of Commons.

Already, many members of the Lords have voiced concerns over the Rwanda plan, with one, Alex Carlile, describing it as "a step towards totalitarianism."

A long delay would jeopardize Sunak's ambition to have removal flights leaving by the spring, possibly timed to coincide with a general election.

With polls consistently showing the Conservatives trailing far behind the main Labour opposition, Sunak has made the controversial - and expensive - immigration policy central to his attempt to win an election later this year.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill, which was backed on Wednesday, is intended to overcome a U.K. Supreme Court block on the policy and give authorities the power to send migrants arriving in small boats to Rwanda rather than being allowed to seek asylum in Britain.

More than 29,000 people arrived in the U.K. in small boats across the Channel in 2023, down from 42,000 the year before.

On Wednesday, another 358 migrants made the treacherous journey, a week after five people died while trying to launch a boat from northern France in the dark and winter cold.

"I'm fighting every day to get the flights off to Rwanda," Sunak said. "This is an urgent national priority."

However, there is deep skepticism that the plan will work, both within Sunak's party and among political opponents. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has described the policy as a "gimmick" and said he will reverse it if it comes into power.

Moderates in the Conservative Party worry the policy is too extreme, concerns underscored when the United Nations' refugee agency said this week the Rwanda plan "is not compatible with international refugee law." However, many on the party's powerful right wing think the bill doesn't go far enough and will be vulnerable to court rulings.

Sunak won the vote comfortably on Wednesday. But the victory came only after scores of Conservative lawmakers rebelled on earlier votes to make the policy even tougher.

Despite the clear divisions over the issue, Sunak insisted that his party was "completely united."


# Russia's foreign minister rejects a US proposal to resume talks on nuclear arms control
By **VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV**
January 18, 2024. 9:32 AM EST

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**MOSCOW (AP)** - Russia's top diplomat on Thursday dismissed a U.S. proposal to resume a dialogue on nuclear arms control, saying it's impossible while Washington offers military support to Ukraine.

Speaking at his annual news conference, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of fueling global security risks by encouraging Ukraine to ramp up strikes on Russian territory and warned that Moscow will achieve its goals in the conflict despite Western assistance for Kyiv.

Commenting on a U.S. proposal to resume contacts in the sphere of nuclear arms control, Lavrov described it as "unacceptable," saying that Moscow has put forward its stance in a diplomatic letter last month. He argued that for such talks to be held, Washington first needs to revise its current hostile policy toward Russia.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in June the Biden administration is ready to talk to Russia without conditions about a future nuclear arms control even as Russia-U.S. ties are at their lowest point since the Cold War, noting "it is in neither of our countries' interest to embark on opening the competition in the strategic nuclear forces."

But Lavrov charged that Washington's push for the revival of nuclear talks has been driven by a desire to resume inspections of Russia's nuclear weapons sites. He described such U.S. demands as "indecent" and cynical in view of Ukraine's attacks on Russian nuclear-capable bomber bases during the conflict.

He mocked the U.S. offer to resume nuclear arms dialogue, arguing that Washington's position amounts to saying, "we have declared you an enemy, but we're ready to talk about how we could look at your strategic nuclear arsenal again, that's something different."

Extensive mutual inspections of nuclear weapons sites were envisaged by the New START treaty, which then-presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev signed in 2010. The inspections were halted in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and never resumed.

In February 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Moscow's participation in the treaty, saying Russia could not allow U.S. inspections of its nuclear sites at a time when Washington and its NATO allies have openly declared Moscow's defeat in Ukraine as their goal. Moscow emphasized, however, that it wasn't withdrawing from the pact altogether and would continue to respect the caps on nuclear weapons the treaty set.

The New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control pact between Russia and the United States, limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. It's set to expire in 2026, and the lack of dialogue on anchoring a successor deal has worried arms control advocates.

"Amid a 'hybrid war' waged by Washington against Russia, we aren't seeing any basis, not only for any additional joint measures in the sphere of arms control and reduction of strategic risks, but for any discussion of strategic stability issues with the U.S.," he said. "We firmly link such possibility to the West fully renouncing its malicious course aimed at undermining Russia's security and interests."

The minister said Washington's push for restarting nuclear arms talks is rooted in a desire to "try to establish control over our nuclear arsenal and minimize nuclear risks for itself," but added that "those risks are emerging as a result of forceful pressure on our country."

He accused the West of blocking any talks on ending the conflict and inciting the ramping up of attacks on Russia.

"Such encouragement and the transfer of relevant weapons shows that the West doesn't want any constructive solution," Lavrov said. "The West is pushing toward the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, and that raises new strategic risks."

Asked if tensions with the West over Ukraine could spiral into a showdown resembling the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis - when the U.S. and the Soviet Union found themselves on the edge of nuclear war - Lavrov sternly warned against encouraging Ukraine to strike targets in Russia.

He specifically accused Britain of inciting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to order such attacks, although he didn't offer any proof to back the claim.

"London is literally egging on Zelenskyy to bomb any facilities anywhere in Russia," Lavrov said.

He reaffirmed that Russia will pursue what it calls the "special military operation" regardless of Western pressure.

"We will consistently and persistently press the goals of the special military operation and we will achieve them," he said. "They should have no hope that Russia could be defeated in any way. Those in the West who fantasize about it have failed to learn history lessons."

On other foreign policy issues, Lavrov talked at length about growing influence of the Global South and argued that Western sway in international affairs was waning.

He hailed Russia-China ties, saying they are going through their "best period in history" and are stronger than a conventional military union.

Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow's call for the creation of an independent Palestinian state, describing it as the only way to ensure security for both Palestinians and Israel. He also criticized the U.S.-led attacks on Yemen, saying that "the more the Americans and the British bomb, the less desire to talk the Houthis have."


# AI is the buzz, the big opportunity and the risk to watch among the Davos glitterati
By **KELVIN CHAN** and **JAMEY KEATEN**
January 18, 2024. 3:07 PM EST

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**DAVOS, Switzerland (AP)** - Artificial intelligence is easily the biggest buzzword for world leaders and corporate bosses diving into big ideas at the World Economic Forum's glitzy annual meeting in Davos. Breathtaking advances in generative AI stunned the world last year, and the elite crowd is angling to take advantage of its promise and minimize its risks.

In a sign of ChatGPT maker OpenAI's skyrocketing profile, CEO Sam Altman made his Davos debut to rock star crowds, with his benefactor, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, hot on his heels.

Illustrating AI's geopolitical importance like few other technologies before it, the word was on the lips of world leaders from China to France. It was visible across the Swiss Alpine town and percolated through afterparties.

Here's a look at the buzz:

## OPENAI OPENING BIG AT DAVOS
The leadership drama at the AI world's much-ballyhooed chatbot maker followed Altman and Nadella to the swanky Swiss snows.

Altman's sudden firing and swift rehiring last year cemented his position as the face of the generative AI revolution but questions about the boardroom bustup and OpenAI's governance lingered. He told a Bloomberg interviewer that he's focused on getting a "great full board in place" and deflected further questions.

At a Davos panel on technology and humanity Thursday, a question about what Altman learned from the upheaval came at the end.

"We had known that our board had gotten too small, and we knew that we didn't have a level of experience we needed," Altman said. "But last year was such a wild year for us in so many ways that we sort of just neglected it."

Altman added that for "every one step we take closer to very powerful AI, everybody's character gets, like, plus 10 crazy points. It's a very stressful thing. And it should be because we're trying to be responsible about very high stakes."

## WORLD LEADERS WANT TO LEAD THE WORLD ON AI
From China to Europe, top officials staked their positions on AI as the world grapples with regulating the rapidly developing technology that has big implications for workplaces, elections and privacy.

The European Union has devised the world's first comprehensive AI rules ahead of a busy election year, with AI-powered misinformation and disinformation the biggest risk to the global economy as it threatens to erode democracy and polarize society, according to a World Economic Forum report released last week.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang called AI "a double-edged sword."

"Human beings must control the machines instead of having the machines control us," he said in a speech Tuesday.

"AI must be guided in a direction that is conducive to the progress of humanity, so there should be a redline in AI development - a red line that must not be crossed," Li said, without elaborating.

China, one of the world's centers of AI development, wants to "step up communication and cooperation with all parties" on improving global AI governance, Li said.

China has released interim regulations for managing generative AI, but the EU broke ground with its AI Act, which won a hard-fought political deal last month and awaits final sign-off.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said AI is "a very significant opportunity, if used in a responsible way."

She said "the global race is already on" to develop and adopt AI, and touted the 27-nation EU's efforts, including the AI Act and a program pairing supercomputers with small and midsized businesses to train large AI models.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he's a "strong believer" in AI and that his country is "an attractive and competitive country" for the industry. He played up France's role in helping coordinate regulation on deepfake images and videos created with AI as well as plans to host a follow-up summit on AI safety after an inaugural gathering in Britain in November.

## IT'S ALL IN WHAT THE GLITTERATI SEES
The letters "AI" were omnipresent along the Davos Promenade, where consulting firms and tech giants are among the groups that swoop onto the main drag each year, renting out shops and revamping them into showcase pavilions.

Inside the main conference center, a giant digital wall emanated rolling images of AI art and computer-generated conceptions of wildlife and nature like exotic birds or tropical streams.

Davos-goers who wanted to delve more deeply into the technical ins and outs of artificial intelligence could drop in to sessions at the AI House.

## THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE
Generative AI systems like ChatGPT and Google's Bard captivated the world by rapidly spewing out new poems, images and computer code and are expected to have a sweeping impact on life and work.

The technology could help give a boost to the stagnating global economy, said Nadella, whose company is rolling out the technology in its products.

The Microsoft chief said he's "very optimistic about AI being that general purpose technology that drives economic growth."

Business leaders predicted AI will help automate mundane work tasks or make it easier for people to do advanced jobs, but they also warned that it would threaten workers who can't keep up.

A survey of 4,700 CEOs in more than 100 countries by PwC, released at the start of the Davos meetings, said 14% think they'll have to lay off staff because of the rise of generative AI.

"There isn't an area, there isn't an industry that's not going to be impacted" by AI, said Julie Sweet, CEO of consulting firm Accenture.

For those who can move with the change, AI promises to transform tasks like computer coding and customer relations and streamline business functions like invoicing, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said.

"If you embrace AI, you're going to make yourself a lot more productive," he said. "If you do not ... you're going to find that you do not have a job."

## ALSO, IT'S SEXY?
During a session featuring Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun, talk about risks and regulation led to the moderator's hypothetical example of "infinitely conversant sexbots" that could be built by anyone using open source technology.

Taking the high road, LeCun replied that AI can't be dominated by a handful of Silicon Valley tech giants if it's going to serve people around the world with different languages, cultures and values.

"You do not want this to be under the control of a small number of private companies," he said.


# Hungary won't back down and change LGBTQ+ and asylum policies criticized by EU, minister says
By **JUSTIN SPIKE**
January 18, 2024. 5:49 AM EST

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**BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)** - Hungary's government will not change policies the European Union believes infringe on LGBTQ+ rights and those of asylum seekers, even if doing so would unfreeze billions in funding the bloc has withheld from Budapest, a government minister said Thursday.

The EU has frozen funding to Hungary over concerns its right-wing nationalist government has trampled on minority rights and academic freedoms, failed to rein in official corruption and undermined democratic values.

The release of those funds has been tied to Hungary carrying out reforms to bring it into line with the EU's democratic standards.

Gergely Gulyas, chief of staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, told a news conference on Thursday there were "limits" to reaching an agreement with the bloc's executive, since modifying policies on LGBTQ+ and asylum rights would contradict the will of Hungarian voters.

"The Hungarian government is willing to reach an agreement with the Commission, but in cases where people have expressed a clear opinion, it would be undemocratic and unacceptable," Gulyas said in Budapest, adding that there are "red lines" when it comes to reforms Hungary is willing to make.

"For Hungary, even despite the will of the European Commission, it is unacceptable to spread LGBTQ propaganda among children, and we also cannot abandon our position on migration issues," Gulyas said.

The EU takes issue with a Hungarian law passed in 2021, which forbids the display of homosexual content to minors in media, including television, films, advertisements and literature.

The law, which has been decried by rights groups and foreign governments as discriminatory, also prohibits the discussion of LGBTQ+ topics in school education programs and forbids public display of products depicting or promoting gender deviation.

Hungary's government has also implemented a policy of turning away asylum seekers at its borders and requiring them to begin their asylum process at Hungarian embassies in Serbia and Ukraine - a practice that was declared unlawful last year by the EU's top court.

The EU in December released more than 10 billion euros ($10.9 billion) to Hungary after it undertook reforms to ensure the independence of its judicial system, but more than 20 billion euros remain frozen pending further legal changes.

On Wednesday, European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said those funds "will remain blocked until Hungary fulfills all the necessary conditions."


# France ramps up weapons production for Ukraine and says Russia is scrutinizing the West's mettle
By **JOHN LEICESTER**
January 18, 2024. 7:48 AM EST

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**PARIS (AP)** - France announced more planned deliveries of its Caesar artillery system to Ukraine on Thursday and accelerating weapons manufacturing as it seeks to avoid depleting its own military stocks while continuing to support the war effort against Russia's invasion.

"The logic of ceding materiel taken from the armies' stocks is reaching its end," the French defense minister, Sébastien Lecornu, said in an interview with Le Parisien. "From now on, the solution is to directly connect French defense industries with the Ukrainian army."

France also launched a drive to fund the delivery of 78 Caesar self-propelled 155 mm howitzers to Ukraine this year. Ukraine has already paid for six of the guns itself and France will provide 50 million euros (US$ 54 million) to deliver 12 more, Lecornu said separately in a speech. France is also seeking 280 million euros ($305 million) from other allies of Ukraine to pay for the 60 other Caesars, the minister said.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, speaking by video link, said Russian forces are firing five times more artillery shells, even 10 times more in some places, than Ukrainian forces along the front lines and that stronger artillery "is one of our key needs to win this war."

"Shortage of ammunition, shell hunger, is a very real and pressing problem," he said.

Lecornu said increased supplies of shells for Ukraine are on their way. From this month, France will supply 3,000 shells for 155 mm guns per month, up from 1,000 shells per month at the start of the war and 2,000 per month since last April, Lecornu said

The production of other hardware is also increasing.

French manufacturer Nexter used to take 30 months to make one Caesar but now requires half that time, Lecornu told Le Parisien. Caesars are among an array of Western-supplied artillery systems that have given Ukrainian gun crews an edge, especially when paired with high-precision munitions, against Russian artillery batteries using older Soviet-designed systems.

Thales now takes six months - down from 18 months - to deliver one of its GM200 radars that have been provided to Ukraine for its air defenses, and MBDA's production time for the Mistral short-range air-defense missile has also been substantially reduced, the minister said.

Following Russia's Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine, France was among countries that quickly released weapons from its own armories to help shore up Ukrainian defenses. As well as Caesars, France has supplied light tanks, long-range cruise missiles, air defense systems and other hardware, support and military training. Combined, French aid is estimated to be worth billions of euros (dollars).

Lecornu said 49 previously delivered Caesars are in operation in Ukraine. Based on battlefield feedback, the system is being improved to enable Ukrainian gunners to better target Russian tanks, the minister said.

More deliveries are promised. French President Emmanuel Macron this week announced plans to supply about 40 additional long-range Storm Shadow missiles and "several hundred bombs." He also announced his intention to travel again to Ukraine next month, saying, "We cannot let Russia win."

But because of concerns about depleting their own defenses with Russia increasingly gearing up for protracted war, France and other backers of Ukraine are seeking other ways to continue supplying Kyiv's defense needs for the long haul.

"In this phase of the war, we need endurance in our military aid for Kyiv," Lecornu said. "Russia is betting that time is on its side."

He said Russia, Iran and North Korea are scrutinizing the mettle of Ukraine's partners.

"Our capacity to show endurance and reliability is being watched in Moscow, and Pyongyang or Tehran for that matter," he said.


# Nearly two years after invasion, West still seeking a way to steer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine
By **FATIMA HUSSEIN**
January 18, 2024. 12:07 AM EST

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**WASHINGTON (AP)** - It's been nearly two years since the United States and its allies froze hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian foreign holdings in retaliation for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. That roughly $300 billion in Russian Central Bank money has been sitting untapped as the war grinds on, while officials from multiple countries have debated the legality of sending the money to Ukraine.

The idea of using Russia's frozen assets is gaining new traction lately as continued allied funding for Ukraine becomes more uncertain and the U.S. Congress is in a stalemate over providing more support. But there are tradeoffs since the weaponization of global finance could harm the U.S. dollar's standing as the world's dominant currency.

At this week's World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, Switzerland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a "strong" decision this year for the frozen assets in Western banks to "be directed towards defense against the Russian war and for reconstruction" of Ukraine.

"Putin loves money above all," he said. "The more billions he and his oligarchs, friends and accomplices lose, the more likely he will regret starting this war."

Biden administration officials who previously dismissed the idea as legally cumbersome are showing growing openness to the idea.

Penny Pritzker, the U.S. special representative for Ukraine's economic recovery, said at the Davos forum that the U.S. and Group of Seven allies are still looking for an adequate legal framework to pursue the plan.

"Get all the lawyers and all the various governments and all the parties really to come together to sort that through," she said. "It's hard, it's complicated, it's difficult, and we need to work."

Administration officials caution that even if a legal way can be found to transfer the frozen dollars to Ukraine, the war-torn nation has immediate needs for funds that must be met by other means since U.S. assistance to Ukraine's military has ground to a halt.

Bipartisan legislation circulating in Washington called the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act would use assets confiscated from the Russian Central Bank and other sovereign assets for Ukraine.

A senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity to relay internal discussions said the administration was generally supportive of legislation to give the U.S. more flexibility in making sure Russia pays for the damage it has caused and is in "active conversations" with allies on how best to do that.

But even if legislation were enacted, Nicholas Mulder, a sanctions expert at Cornell University, cautioned that seizing frozen assets could have the unintended effect of undermining efforts to ensure longer-term funding for Ukraine.

"Right now it is being advanced by Washington as a substitute rather than a complement to long-term Western support for Ukraine," he said. "If the assets are transferred, these funds too will run out sooner or later. But by that time Western leaders will have ceased to make any political case for supporting Ukraine, and getting support back up will be much harder."

The U.S. announced at the start of Russia's invasion that America and its allies had blocked access to more than $600 billion that Russia held outside its borders - including roughly $300 billion in funds belonging to Russia's Central Bank. Since then, the U.S and its allies have continued to impose rounds of targeted sanctions against companies and the wealthy elite with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The World Bank's latest damage assessment of Ukraine, released in March 2023, estimates that costs for reconstruction and recovery of the nation stand at $411 billion over the next 10 years, which includes needs for public and private funds.

Since the war began in February 2022, the United States has given Ukraine roughly $111 billion in weapons, equipment, humanitarian assistance and other aid. Other countries also have provided Ukraine with substantial support - the U.K. announced a $3 billion assistance package on Friday.

At the White House, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young this month told a group of reporters that while the possibility of seizing Russian assets is being studied, it would not have an immediate impact on Ukraine's financial needs.

"That does not absolve the need to provide funding now," Young said. "That is a future benefit to Kyiv I think we should look at and take seriously."

Sergey Aleksashenko, a former Russian Central Banker who is now a member of the Russian Antiwar Committee with other dissidents, said that while he strongly believes Russia should be forced to compensate Ukraine, "I do not believe that there is any way to confiscate assets of the Russian Central Bank without a court deciding on the matter."

"Because if there is no legal basis to confiscate Russian assets, and if it is done by the decision of the administration, that means that there is no rule of law in the U.S. and there is no protection of private property."

He said an administrative decision to confiscate Russia's assets could prompt nations like China - the biggest holder of U.S. Treasuries - to determine that it is not safe to keep its reserves in U.S. dollars.

There are some efforts under way to seize Russian funds and those of sanctioned oligarchs under limited circumstances. Last May, the Justice Department announced that it had transferred $5.4 million seized from Russian tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev to a State Department fund for rebuilding Ukraine.

And in December, Germany's federal prosecutor filed a motion for asset forfeiture concerning more than 720 million euros ($789 million) deposited by a Russian financial institution in a Frankfurt bank account because of a suspected attempt to violate embargo regulations.

Belgium, which is holding the rotating presidency of the European Union bloc for the next six months, is now leading the talks on whether to seize Russia's assets. Belgium is also the country where most frozen Russian assets under sanctions are being held.

The country is collecting taxes on the assets. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in October that 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in tax collections was already available and that the money would be used to buy military equipment, humanitarian aid and help with the rebuilding of the war-torn country.

But EU countries are worried that going further by confiscating the assets could pave the way for serious legal problems and could also destabilize the financial system.

De Croo said this week he is hearing "a lot of prudence" when the issue of seizing assets is raised.

"It's crucial that we stay within a legal framework," he said.

Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cautioned that if Ukraine's immediate needs aren't met, "no amount of seized Russian assets is unfortunately going to compensate for what may happen."

"And by then it is going to be very overwhelming."


# Egypt's leader el-Sissi slams Ethiopia-Somaliland coastline deal and vows support for Somalia
By **SAMY MAGDY**
January 21, 2024. 2:02 PM EST

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**CAIRO (AP)** - Egypt's leader said Sunday his country stands shoulder to shoulder with Somalia in its dispute with landlocked Ethiopia, which struck a deal with Somaliland to obtain access to the sea and establish a marine force base.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi slammed Ethiopia's agreement with the breakaway region. He called on Ethiopia to seek benefits from seaports in Somalia and Djibouti "through transitional means," rather than through attempts to "control another (country's) territory."

"We will not allow anyone to threaten Somalia or infringe upon its territory," el-Sissi told a joint news conference in Cairo with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud. "No one should attempt to threaten Egypt's brothers, especially if our brothers asked us to stand with them."

Somaliland, a region strategically located by the Gulf of Aden, broke away from Somalia in 1991 as the country collapsed into a warlord-led conflict. The region has maintained its own government despite its lack of international recognition.

Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi signed a memorandum of understanding with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed earlier this month to allow Ethiopia to lease a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) stretch of coastline to establish a marine force base.

Sheikh Mohamud, the Somali president, rejected the deal as a violation of international law, saying: "We will not stand idly by and watch our sovereignty being compromised."

He arrived in Egypt this weekend to rally support for his government. He met with the Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Al-Azhar mosque's Grand Imam, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb.

Egypt is at odds with Ethiopia over a controversial hydroelectric dam Ethiopia has built on the Nile river's main tributary. The two countries - along with Sudan - have been trying for over a decade to reach a negotiated agreement on the filling and operation of the $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam.

The latest round of talks last month ended without a deal and Cairo and Addis Ababa traded blame for the failure.

Negotiators have said key questions remain about how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs, and how the countries will resolve any future disputes. Ethiopia rejects binding arbitration at the final stage.

The dam is on the Blue Nile near the Sudan border and Egypt fears it will have a devastating effect on its water and irrigation supply downstream unless Ethiopia takes its needs into account.

The dam began producing power last year and Ethiopia said it had completed the final phase of filling the dam's reservoir in September.


# South African government says it wants to prevent an auction of historic Mandela artifacts
By **MOGOMOTSI MAGOME**
January 19, 2024. 1:16 PM EST

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**JOHANNESBURG (AP)** - South Africa's government announced Friday it will challenge the auctioning of dozens of artifacts belonging to the nation's anti-apartheid stalwart Nelson Mandela, saying the items are of historical significance and should remain in the country.

The 75 artifacts belonging to Mandela, the country's first democratically elected president who spent 27 years in jail for his anti-apartheid struggle against the white minority government, are to go under the hammer on Feb. 22 in a deal between New York-based auctioneers Guernsey's and Mandela's family, mainly his daughter Dr. Makaziwe Mandela.

The items include Nelson Mandela's iconic Ray-Ban sunglasses and "Madiba" shirts, personal letters he wrote from prison, as well as a blanket gifted to him by former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

A champagne cooler that was a present from former President Bill Clinton is also on the list, with bidding for it starting at $24,000. Also among the items is Mandela's ID "book," his identification document following his 1993 release from prison.

Last month, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria gave the go-ahead for the auction after dismissing an interdict by the South African Heritage Resources Agency, which is responsible for the protection of the country's cultural heritage.

The government said Friday it will back an appeal by the agency.

South African minister of arts and culture, Zizi Kodwa, said the government wants to "preserve the legacy of former President Mandela and ensure that his life's work" remains in the country.

On its website, Guernsey's says the auction "will be nothing short of remarkable," and that proceeds will be used for the building of the Mandela Memorial Garden in Qunu, the village where he is buried.

"To imagine actually owning an artifact touched by this great leader is almost unthinkable," it says.

In an interview with the New York Times published Thursday, Makaziwe Mandela said her father wanted the former Transkei region where he was born and raised to benefit economically from tourism.

"I want other people in the world to have a piece of Nelson Mandela - and to remind them, especially in the current situation, of compassion, of kindness, of forgiveness," she told the Times.

Reports of the auction have sparked heated debates on social media platforms in South Africa, with many criticizing the auctioning of what they consider to be the nation's cultural heritage.

The planned auction comes as many African countries seek to have treasured African artworks and artifacts that were removed from the continent during colonial years returned to Africa.

Most recently, Nigeria and Germany signed a deal for the return of hundreds of artifacts known as the Benin Bronzes. The deal followed French President Emmanuel Macron's decision in 2021 to sign over 26 pieces known as the Abomey Treasures, priceless artworks of the 19th century Dahomey kingdom in present-day Benin.


# Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi is sworn into office following his disputed reelection
By **JEAN-YVES KAMALE**
January 20, 2024. 11:19 AM EST

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**KINSHASA, Congo (AP)** - Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in Saturday following a disputed December election, promising to unite the Central African country during his second five-year term and to protect lives in the conflict-hit eastern region.

"I am taking back the baton of command that you entrusted to me. We want a more united, stronger and prosperous Congo," Tshikedi, 60, said during the inauguration ceremony in Kinshasa attended by several heads of state. His first inauguration in 2019 marked Congo's first democratic transfer of power since the country's independence from Belgium in 1960.

Tshisekedi won reelection with more than 70% of the vote, according to the election commission. However, opposition candidates and their supporters questioned the validity of the election, which was mired in logistical problems.

Many polling stations were late in opening or didn't open at all while some lacked materials. Voter turnout was 40%, the election commission said.

Congo's constitutional court earlier this month rejected a petition by an opposition candidate to annul the election. The court ruled that malpractice allegations were unfounded and that Tshisekedi secured "a majority of votes cast."

Opposition candidates asked their supporters to protest the president's inauguration, though there were no signs of protests in the capital on Saturday.

None of the opposition candidates attended the inauguration ceremony at the Stade des Martyrs stadium as Tshisekedi appealed to them to work with his government for a "more united, stronger and prosperous" Congo.

"I have a challenge to overcome: unemployment, job creation, empowerment of women in Congolese society and people living with disabilities." the Congolese leader said.

Congo, a country of more than 100 million people, is blessed with sprawling mineral resources, but economic and security challenges have stifled its developments. One in four citizens faces crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity, according to U.N. statistics.

Eastern Congo continues to be ravaged by more than 120 armed groups seeking a share of resources such as gold and trying to protect their communities, some of them quietly backed by Congo's neighbors. The violence, which has displaced nearly 7 million people, has included mass killings.

Analysts say peace and stability in eastern Congo is one of the country's most pressing needs. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country is ending after more than two decades. Troops from an East African regional force are also departing.

"We expect from President Félix Tshisekedi, during his second term, many changes, particularly in the east, where thousands of citizens are still dying, to improve the situation of people and the functions of the state, and above all to improve the well-being and better being of Congolese," Patrick Mbembe, 48, said in the capital.

Tshisekedi became president in 2019 after emerging from the shadow of his father, who was one of Congo's most population figures. The presidency eluded Etienne Tshisekedi, but his 2017 death helped catapult his son into the limelight.

Critics say he failed to deliver on earlier promises of improving security, access to education and infrastructure. Political analyst Francis Loko said that during the president's second term, Tshisekedi should prioritize economic and security reforms to improve the quality of life for Congo's citizens, many of whom have not benefited from the country's rich resources.

The president must "improve the living conditions of the Congolese in terms of creating jobs and peace in the east, and that Congo regains its place in the committee of nations," Loko said.