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There is still a place for neutrality in Ukraine

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:48:48 GMT

Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe. Speaking before the United States Congress 11 days after the terror attacks on New York and Washington in 2001, then President George W. Bush made clear it was time to choose. “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”From the perspective of an aggrieved nation, such a black-and-white ultimatum seemed reasonable — although less so when the war against al-Qaeda morphed into a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that didn’t have the approval of the United Nations. And that expansion of the war against terror goes some way to explaining why some Global South nations, troubled by Western double standards, are now reluctant to choose a side in Russia’s war on Ukraine.However, along with its Western partners, Ukraine — a grievously wronged nation — is now likewise arguing that this is no time for niceties, and to them, this includes neutrality. Yet, for some organ...

Ukraine expels pro-Russian clergy from Kyiv cave monastery complex

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:48:48 GMT

KYIV — Near the entrance to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, an 11th-century Orthodox cave monastery complex in the heart of the city, police stop every car for a brief check. Wednesday is the deadline for the monastery’s 1,000 inhabitants to leave what was their home amid heightened political concerns that some of them were too close to Moscow, and were Russian fifth columnists. The police inspected the departing vehicles to ensure that none was loaded with the more than 800 icons, crosses and other priceless artifacts stored within the religious complex. Three women — all inhabitants of the Lavra — sat on a bench not far from the lower caves of the monastery, watching monks load bags into a car.One asked her comrades: “Where are we going to sleep, do you happen to know?”“It’s as if they are taking our home,” another of the women told POLITICO, refusing to say her name. “God will punish you, and others like you for playing with his will,” she said angrily.The high-profile evict...

The headache-inducing in-tray facing Scotland’s new leader Humza Yousaf

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:48:48 GMT

LONDON — Elected leader of the Scottish National Party on Monday, Humza Yousaf will formally replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland’s first minister Wednesday. It won’t be an easy ride.The 37-year-old becomes the youngest and only Muslim first minister in the short history of Scottish devolution. He faces a number of lingering policy sores left by the departing Sturgeon — as well as the task of repairing his party after a bitter leadership contest. POLITICO runs through the in-tray that greets Yousaf as he takes on the seat of power in Scotland.Bringing the family back togetherYousaf will have to balance his responsibilities as first minister with those he holds as SNP leader. He has spoken of the need to “heal” divisions exposed during the contest, when the leadership candidates and their supporters traded personal attacks.His narrow victory added to the need to unify his party and convince those who backed his fellow leadership contenders. On Tuesday he offere...

SNP lawmaker cleared of bullying Tory MP Nadine Dorries after six-month inquiry

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:48:48 GMT

LONDON — An SNP MP has been cleared of bullying the TV presenter and former Tory Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries following a six-month parliamentary investigation.John Nicolson, the SNP’s culture spokesperson, was cleared following an extended probe by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) into a series of tweets about Dorries while she was culture secretary in Boris Johnson’s government.Nicolson had posted multiple tweets criticizing Dorries, and liked others describing her as “disgusting” and “a Tory goon.” It marks the first known case of a British lawmaker making a formal complaint of cyberbullying against a fellow MP via the ICGS, an independent watchdog set up in 2018 to clamp down on misconduct within the U.K. parliament.Dorries must now decide whether to appeal to the Independent Expert Panel, which considers challenges to ICGS decisions.Nicolson and Dorries are both known for their combative political styles, and both have been...

Relations with Africa, Asia are on brink of collapse — to Russia’s benefit

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:48:48 GMT

Jérémy Lissouba is a member of parliament for the main opposition party in the Republic of Congo. He’s also a deputy judge in the country’s High Court of Justice and an alumnus of the Obama Foundation’s 2018 Africa Leaders Program.Over a year since the war in Ukraine began, the world remains caught in the middle. And against a backdrop of high energy and food prices, ravaging inflation, social unrest and fears of another global recession, the Western and Russian blocs are once again vying for support from the nations of the developing world.Leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are just some of the names who have made high-profile visits to Africa in the last 12 months, all largely focused on cooperation and trade.Yet, the discourse of each has reflected a kind of Cold War redu...

Germany’s e-fuel fetish ain’t new. Just ask the Führer.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:48:48 GMT

BERLIN — Hitler had a problem.It was early June in 1942 and though the diabolical German leader’s plan to whip his Volk into a frenzy and rape and pillage the rest of Europe showed early success, his army had run into a wall in Stalingrad and was running on empty — literally. “We have significant German production, but what the Luftwaffe and our Panzer divisions swallow is unbelievable,” he said during a meeting with the Finnish army’s top commander that was secretly recorded. “The consumption goes well beyond any expectations. My country depends on imports.”The Führer and his henchmen knew from the outset that Germany’s limited crude reserves could not sate a Blitzkrieg. A cutting-edge German invention known as ersatz, or synthetic fuel, offered what they’d hoped would be the perfect solution. It proved elusive. Fast forward 90 years and Germany is once again chasing the synthetic-fuel dream. Berlin’s battle this time isn’t to subjugate a continent, but rather to save t...

One dead, two unaccounted for in New Bedford fire

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:48:48 GMT

Two people remained unaccounted for Tuesday night in connection with a fire at a rooming house in New Bedford that killed one person, hurt several others and displaced more than two dozen people, according to local officials. Firefighters remained on scene around 10 p.m., hours after they were first called to the scene around 3 p.m. and hours after witnesses said some people jumped out of windows to escape the building. Firefighters could be seen pouring water on the four-story structure on the corner of Tallman Street and Acushnet Avenue around 9 p.m., waiting for smoke to settle to allow them to search the building for people who may be trapped. Officials announced earlier Tuesday afternoon that at least one person had died. Five other people were taken to the hospital, with three in serious condition. Officials later said the person who died was an adult male. New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger said the building was rendered structurally unsafe when part...

‘A great guy’: Man who died after attack in Downtown Crossing remembered as gentle soul

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:48:48 GMT

A man who was attacked on Saint Patrick’s Day in Downtown Crossing in Boston has died, police announced on Monday. Speaking this week, those who knew Barry Whelan, 46, of Woburn described him as a gentile soul and called for justice as the investigation into his death continues.“They’ve taken someone’s life that did not deserve to be taken,”  Whelan’s boss, John Marsoobian said. Police said Whelan was beaten into unconsciousness on St. Patrick’s Day. He was rushed to the hospital before being taken off life support one week later. The medical examiner later determined his cause of death to be blunt force trauma. Marsoobian said Whelan was “a great guy.” “And he never had a bad thing to say about anybody,” Marsoobian said. Marsoobian said Whelan moved to the US from Ireland a few decades ago and worked as a lead carpenter for Twin Peaks Construction. In the aftermath of his death, his friends and family are still processing this tragic l...

Bruins aren’t sharp, drop 2-1 decision to Nashville

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:48:48 GMT

The table was set for celebration on Tuesday night at the Garden, but the Bruins didn’t show up for dinner.With the Tampa Bay Lightning beating the Carolina Hurricanes, the B’s had a chance to clinch the Presidents’ Trophy while simultaneously recording a Bruins’ record for wins in a season. But the B’s shot blanks all night and absorbed just their fourth regulation loss at home, a 2-1 decision to the Nashville Predators.Cody Glass scored late in the second period and it held up until old friend Jeremy Lauzon scored an empty-netter from 180 feet wiht 1:01 to go. David Pastrnak scored with less than a second left to avoid the shutout, but the B’s would have to wait another night to secure first overall. The Preds’ win, accomplished without their top two offensive players in Matt Duchene and Ryan Joehansen as well as D-man Roman Josi, kept their faint playoff hopes alive.Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) takes down Nashville Predators cent...

US tourist shot in leg at Mexican resort of Puerto Morelos

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:48:48 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A U.S. tourist was shot in the leg by unidentified assailants at a resort town on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, prosecutors in the coastal state of Quintana Roo said Tuesday.They said the shooting occurred in the low-key town of Puerto Morelos, just south of Cancun. Prosecutors said the American was approached by several suspects near midnight Monday and they shot him in the leg. The motive remains under investigation. The wounded man was taken to a hospital in Cancun for treatment, and his injury was judged to be not life-threatening.The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert earlier this month warning travelers to “exercise increased caution,” especially after dark, at Mexico’s Caribbean beach resorts like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, which have been plagued by drug gang violence in the past.There have been a series of brazen acts of violence along the Caribbean coast, the crown jewel of Mexico’s tourism industry.In 2022, two Canadians were killed ...