By Adam Liptak from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2Jm0QYw
Monday, November 30, 2020
Supreme Court Skeptical of Trump’s Plan to Not Count Unauthorized Immigrants in Redistricting
By Adam Liptak from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2Jm0QYw
A Gymnastics Coach Accused of Emotional Abuse Speaks Out
By Juliet Macur from NYT Sports https://nyti.ms/3fU81TH
Moderna Applies for Emergency F.D.A. Approval for Its Coronavirus Vaccine
By Denise Grady from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/36pkonF
Dear Joe, It’s Not About Iran’s Nukes Anymore
By Thomas L. Friedman from NYT Opinion https://nyti.ms/2KWyk0b
Nike and Coca-Cola Lobby Against Xinjiang Forced Labor Bill
By Ana Swanson from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/2HVckS9
Covid: Dr Scott Atlas - Trump's controversial coronavirus adviser - resigns
Dr Atlas clashed with other scientists after questioning the need for masks and other measures.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2JoijzF
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2JoijzF
India builds bridge to help reptiles cross road
The unique bridge is constructed over a busy highway to protect animals from being run over.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36pkkUT
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36pkkUT
Justice Barrett’s Vote Could Tilt the Supreme Court on Gun Rights
By Adam Liptak from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2Vo01Ro
Facebook and Google 'complicit' in Vietnam censorship
Rights group Amnesty has accused Facebook and Google of increasingly blocking criticism and dissent.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3mtGVFm
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3mtGVFm
China-US trade war: Beijing escalates tit-for-tat with Washington
Beijing has introduced tough new laws which restrict the export of "controlled items".
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VlZv6I
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VlZv6I
New world news from Time: How Youth Climate Activists Are Empowering Campaigners From Countries Suffering Most From Global Warming
Gladys Habu knows first-hand the devastation climate change is already visiting on the world. The 25-year-old has vivid memories of Kale Island, a tiny islet in the Solomon Islands archipelago where she used to swim and barbecue on the white sand beaches. It’s also where her grandparents used to live, decades back.
But Kale Island no longer exists. It was declared lost in 2016 after it fully submerged beneath the water, a victim of rising sea levels. She worries more of her home in the South Pacific could share the same fate if global temperatures continue to rise at the same pace.
“In just decades, my country’s map has changed drastically,” she says.
Habu and others who have personally experienced the worst effects of climate change took center stage at a two-week summit for young climate activists. The virtual event was organized out of frustration at the postponement of the 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also called COP26, meeting between nations. Called Mock COP26, the summit was attended by more than 350 delegates from 118 countries and included speeches from activists and stakeholders from around the world, including the U.K. government minister in charge of the original COP26. In a year dominated by pandemic-related disruptions, the Mock COP26 may be one of the largest international meetings focused on climate change—even if it lacked official status.
But another goal of the event was to elevate the voices of those most affected by climate change. It’s a conscious decision based on consensus among youth activists that people in the developing world and other marginalized voices are not being represented in the climate movement, which has largely focused on activists from developed nations — be they Greta Thunberg’s “Fridays for Future” or Extinction Rebellion, which was established in the U.K.
“The climate movement has been often inaccessible and is generally dominated by middle-class, white people in the global north,” says Aoife Mercedes Rodriguez-Uruchurtu, an activist from the UK Student Climate Network. “We can’t stand up to this challenge without listening to the people whose voices matter the most.”
In an attempt to be more inclusive, the virtual conference has granted more delegates to what organizers call Most Affected People and Areas (MAPA), including Kenya, the Philippines and Bangladesh. These countries, and others, were granted five delegates as opposed to three allowed from most developed nations, giving them more speaking time. More than 70% of the delegates represented at the summit were from developing countries. Having more delegates also gave these countries more representation and say in the wording of the final statement from Mock COP26.
Read more: World Remains Sharply Divided on Climate Change Targets Ahead of ‘Crucial 12 Months’
Many behind Mock COP26 see this as a first step toward changing the emphasis of the youth climate movement. Several studies have shown that a warming planet will disproportionately affect developing countries more than developed nations. However, mainstream climate movements have often faced criticism for not being inclusive of the most vulnerable nations.
Earlier this year, Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan climate activist, was cropped out of a photo in which she posed with four activists from Europe, including Greta Thunberg. “It felt like I had been robbed of my space,” Nakate told TIME in July. “If climate justice does not involve the most affected communities, then it is not justice at all.” The photo was later replaced by the new agency that published it.
“When we include everyone, you realize how a lot of the problems are common across countries,” says Mitzi Jonelle Tan, a 22-year-old activist from the Philippines who has been volunteering at the summit and is one of the speakers representing her country. Tan has lived through extreme weather events in her native Manila, which has witnessed progressively more powerful typhoons with each passing year. She says activists like her, who have seen the life-altering damage climate change is already inflicting, can go beyond being “just sad stories and statistics” and take an active role in creating a global solution.
Read more: A Revolution’s Evolution: Inside Extinction Rebellion’s Attempt to Reform Its Climate Activism
There’s evidence this approach might result in more effective action, too. A 2019 report by the United Nations Development Programme found that vulnerable developing countries are leading the world by enacting ambitious pledges on emissions and climate resilience. “So the narrative necessarily isn’t ‘We are drowning, we need help,’” says Sameera Savarala, a climate change policy expert at the United Nations Development Programme. “But rather, ‘Look how we have seen the consequences and taken the destiny into our own hands.’
Habu, the activist from Solomon Islands, feels that amplifying stories like hers will help people understand that the climate crisis is already a reality for people in many parts of the world. “When people who don’t believe in climate change listen to our stories, they will hopefully empathize and engage,” she says.
Teaching in the Pandemic: ‘This Is Not Sustainable’
By Natasha Singer from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2KYE3CR
New world news from Time: French Lawmakers Will Rewrite a Proposed Bill on Filming Police After Major Protests
PARIS (AP) — Lawmakers from French President Emmanuel Macron’s party will rewrite the most criticized article of a proposed security law, involving a measure aimed at banning the publication of images of police officers with intent to cause them harm.
The move comes after tens of thousands of protesters marched Saturday in Paris and across the country to reject the draft law.
In an apparent effort to quell criticism, the head of Macron’s party at the National Assembly, Christophe Castaner, said Monday “there is a need to clarify the measure.”
“We are going to propose a new, complete rewrite of the article 24,” he added.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin refused to simply withdraw the controversial Article 24, saying that events haven’t changed his position.
“I don’t have a fetish for numbers … but I do have a fetish for protecting police and gendarmes,” Darmanin said Monday before a parliamentary commission. Police on special operations “are not protected enough … We must absolutely keep it.”
For him, the controversial article isn’t a hindrance to the media.
“Protecting the police and protecting the press are not in competition,” said the interior minister, who is responsible for the measure. “There is no victory of one without the other.”
In its current version, the article of the proposed law criminalizes the publishing of images of police officers with the intent of harming their “physical or psychological integrity.” Anyone found guilty could be sentenced to up to a year in jail and fined 45,000 euros ($53,000).
The bill, championed by Macron’s party, was first voted on at the National Assembly last week. It is expected to be debated in the Senate early next year.
The government said the measure is needed to better protect police officers from online calls from violence.
Critics fear that if enacted, the law would impinge on freedom of information and media rights. They also say that it could restrict the public from filming police in cases that could be considered abuse or police brutality.
Missing Florida sailor found clinging to capsized vessel
The man, 62, was rescued by a passing container ship, more than 80 miles off the Florida coast.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qcBJbk
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qcBJbk
Canada unveils largest economic relief package since WW2
Opposition Conservatives say the historic spending plan is "startling".
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3momtFW
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3momtFW
Covid vaccine: Rumours thrive amid trickle of pandemic facts
Social media is full of coronavirus vaccine information - but how can you tell which is reliable?
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2JsG75h
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2JsG75h
Trump presidency's final days: 'In his mind, he will not have lost'
West Wing aides are keeping a low profile as the presidency slowly comes to terms with his loss.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36mgJHi
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36mgJHi
A police officer with a conscience who left Belarus
Andrei Ostapovich quit his job as a Belarusian police officer, was detained in Russia, then escaped to Poland.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3momx8E
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3momx8E
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: Iran mulls its responses to an assassination
Frank Gardner looks at Iran's options were it to try to avenge Mohsen Fakhrizadeh's assassination.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VnlutH
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VnlutH
France Islam: Muslims face state pressure to embrace values
A "charter of values" is the latest effort by the French state to win Muslim hearts and minds.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fRXVmk
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fRXVmk
End Sars protests: The Nigerian women leading the fight for change
The feminists who were the backbone of the EndSars protests, which threaten Nigeria's status quo.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qi2aMX
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qi2aMX
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Japan's crown prince 'approves' daughter's wedding
Princess Mako had postponed her marriage to Kei Komuro after reports of his mother's money troubles.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fRUdt4
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fRUdt4
Indonesia: Thousands flee poisonous gas after volcano erupts
Authorities have warned people against poisonous gas after Indonesia's Ile Lewotolok volcano erupted.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36m3Oow
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36m3Oow
The King of Trump TV Thinks You’re Dumb Enough to Buy It
By Ben Smith from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/2VikaZ6
Australia demands China apologise for posting 'repugnant' fake image
A fake image posted by a Chinese government official depicts an Australian soldier murdering a child.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3lljUTQ
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3lljUTQ
12 Stunning Cookies That Will Impress Everyone You Know
By Unknown Author from NYT Food https://nyti.ms/2DLSHq2
The Lost Days That Made Bergamo a Coronavirus Tragedy
By Jason Horowitz and Fabio Bucciarelli from NYT World https://nyti.ms/37ngA5J
The College Athletes Who Are Allowed to Make Big Bucks: Cheerleaders
By Tess DeMeyer and Ilana Panich-Linsman from NYT Sports https://nyti.ms/36kCzuT
Should Isolation Periods Be Shorter for People With Covid-19?
By Apoorva Mandavilli from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/39plm59
Watch a Lunar Eclipse, or at Least Try To
By Nicholas St. Fleur from NYT Science https://nyti.ms/2HQJ3YX
Sri Lanka: Six die in prison riot over Covid panic
Pandemic-related unrest has been growing in Sri Lanka's prisons as the number of virus cases surge.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39nHsVT
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39nHsVT
Biden announces all-female senior press team
Joe Biden has pledged to shape one of the most diverse US presidential cabinets ever.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3q9M9IF
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3q9M9IF
White Island volcano: NZ officials charge 13 parties over tragedy
Some 22 people died when the volcano suddenly erupted last December with tourists on it.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HQrKHt
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HQrKHt
Covid: Fauci warns of 'surge in cases' post Thanksgiving
Millions of people are returning home following the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2JofjDc
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2JofjDc
Italy's Calabria has two pandemics: Covid and the Mafia
Calabria was not hit by the first wave of the pandemic but its fragile health system is buckling now.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36k6tzm
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36k6tzm
Why India can't stop farmers burning stubble
The toxic fumes from stubble burning affects hundreds of millions - but curbs to stop it keep failing.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Jruonv
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Jruonv
Viewpoint: Why Kenya's giant fig tree won over a president
The campaign to save a 100-year-old tree shows cultural fears can make politicians listen in Kenya.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36goVJ4
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36goVJ4
A 70-year-old photographic mystery
Collector William Fagan finds 70-year-old photographs in a camera.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39qXgHt
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39qXgHt
The tech allowing thousands of students to sit exams at home
Machine learning is helping firms across many industries more quickly solve difficult challenges.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3mkkN05
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3mkkN05
Coronavirus: How do you vaccinate 7.7 billion people?
Five challenges of distributing a Covid-19 vaccine to billions of people.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HOYhNY
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HOYhNY
Nagorno-Karabakh: The boy who swapped his piano for a gun
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is over, but some are still waiting for news of missing relatives.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KUYmRD
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KUYmRD
Black Lives Matter founders: We fought to change history and we won
The founders of the Black Lives Matter movement tell the BBC's 100 Women season they are optimistic.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qbGT7j
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qbGT7j
Saturday, November 28, 2020
That Mysterious Monolith in the Utah Desert? It’s Gone, Officials Say
By Bryan Pietsch from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3mjg5jk
A Cat Is Said to Be Joining the Bidens in the White House
By Allyson Waller from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3o9u7Vl
Canada bans mass exports of prescription drugs
The new policy comes in response to a US plan to import drugs from Canada.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fNjsfZ
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fNjsfZ
In Key States, Republicans Were Critical in Resisting Trump’s Election Narrative
By Peter Baker and Kathleen Gray from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3mhAoxG
How Democrats Suffered Crushing Down-Ballot Losses Across America
By Trip Gabriel from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2Jt01x2
Gunmen Assassinate Iran’s Top Nuclear Scientist in Ambush, Provoking New Crisis
By David E. Sanger, Eric Schmitt, Farnaz Fassihi and Ronen Bergman from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2KLD0Wx
Beijing Takes Its South China Sea Strategy to the Himalayas
By Steven Lee Myers from NYT World https://nyti.ms/33pwKu9
Some Movies Actually Understand Poverty in America
By Joshua Rothkopf from NYT Movies https://nyti.ms/2HNOjwp
Biden’s Education Department Will Move Fast to Reverse Betsy DeVos’s Policies
By Erica L. Green from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/32KyzBr
Sydney records hottest November night on record
The Australian city recorded a minimum overnight temperature of 25.4C.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/33pkdab
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/33pkdab
Tony Hsieh, Longtime Chief of Zappos, Is Dead at 46
By Glenn Rifkin from NYT Obituaries https://nyti.ms/2J91lW4
In Harsh Rebuke, Appeals Court Rejects Trump’s Election Challenge in Pennsylvania
By Alan Feuer from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2VbekZF
Viewpoint: How Ethiopia is undermining the African Union
The country has rebuffed African efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the Tigray conflict.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3mlWhf2
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3mlWhf2
Serbia coronavirus: The Church losing its leaders to the pandemic
Few organisations have taken a bigger hit from coronavirus than the Serbian Orthodox Church
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39qiViH
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39qiViH
In pictures: Hurricanes leave Hondurans homeless and destitute
Hurricanes Eta and Iota left more than 150,000 people in Honduras homeless and many lost everything.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3nXywdQ
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3nXywdQ
The battle to save a biodiversity hotspot in India
Environmentalists in India's Goa state are fighting projects they say will turn it into a coal hub.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HSPxqg
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HSPxqg
Conjoined twins: 'We always knew we were different'
They made headlines when surgeons separated them - now Sanchia and Eman Mowatt are at university.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3mvEWRf
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3mvEWRf
Afghanistan, home to the heroin trade, moves into meth
A new report warns Afghanistan is becoming a major methamphetamine producer, leaving addicts in its wake.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3kV7tOt
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3kV7tOt
Why Bhutan's Sakteng wildlife sanctuary is disputed by China
Tiny Bhutan is feeling the squeeze as its giant neighbours China and India vie for territory.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39cAnHu
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39cAnHu
Serbia and Montenegro expel respective ambassadors
The two nations have expelled each other's envoys over a historical dispute dating back a century.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VafSDf
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VafSDf
Khachaturyan sisters: A murder trial that shocked Russia
The case of the three Khachaturyan sisters accused of killing their father sent shockwaves through Russia.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qbKO44
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qbKO44
Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: What does it mean for the east Africa region?
BBC correspondents across the east Africa region explain the impact for Ethiopia and its neighbours.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/33pZQJQ
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/33pZQJQ
Friday, November 27, 2020
Biden’s Plan for Seniors Is Not Just a Plan for Seniors
By Paula Span from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2J93xwK
E.P.A.’s Final Deregulatory Rush Runs Into Open Staff Resistance
By Lisa Friedman from NYT Climate https://nyti.ms/36eOFFO
McKinsey Proposed Paying Pharmacy Companies Rebates for OxyContin Overdoses
By Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/39jUfsk
U.S. Border Agency Settles With 2 Americans Detained for Speaking Spanish
By Allyson Waller from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3ljybQS
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: Iran vows to avenge scientist's assassination
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top nuclear scientist, died on Friday after an attack on his car.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HOfyXI
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HOfyXI
Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Army claims advance on several towns
Ethiopia's army says it has seized control of several towns in the northern region of Tigray.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KNIAYA
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KNIAYA
Polar scientists wary of impending satellite gap
The key missions recording the loss of thickness in glaciers and sea-ice won't last the decade.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qa4Qfx
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qa4Qfx
Maradona: Funeral worker apologises over coffin photos
The Argentine funeral worker took photos next to the open casket of football legend Diego Maradona.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fUgK8F
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fUgK8F
Swiss vote on making firms liable for rights abuse
Many in government and business are wary, but campaigners say politicians are out of touch.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/33p0pDB
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/33p0pDB
The Donut King who went full circle - from rags to riches, twice
Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy made a fortune in doughnuts then lost it all to gambling.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fK1qLB
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fK1qLB
Tigray crisis: Ethiopian soldiers accused of blocking border with Sudan
Families fleeing the conflict in Tigray tell the BBC they have been cut off from relatives.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3mhKqPb
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3mhKqPb
Kaavan, the world's loneliest elephant, is finally going free
For decades, Kaavan performed from his lonely enclosure. Now, with a hand from Cher, he's retiring.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3miWIqs
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3miWIqs
Getting 'crushed' on Melbourne's path to coronavirus success
By one measure the city has just eliminated the virus, but relieved locals also fear a hidden cost.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3q9qIrm
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3q9qIrm
Coronavirus lockdown sees share of women on India's stock market rise
With more time and flexibility, thousands of women are trading in the stock market for the first time.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fGtcbT
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fGtcbT
The Kraken: What is it and why has Trump's ex-lawyer released it?
How a lawsuit from an ex-Trump lawyer full of baseless voter fraud claims went viral.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2JpLKAQ
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2JpLKAQ
Life after al-Shabab: Driving a school bus instead of an armed pickup truck
The Somali government retrains defectors from the al-Shabab militant group as barbers, drivers, mechanics and tailors.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2UQjie5
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2UQjie5
Karl Edwards: The 'bronzed Aussie' who knew life was for living
The story behind the plaque: the fast life and freakishly unlucky death of Karl Edwards.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fuuDtC
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3fuuDtC
The Indian bride who wore a pantsuit to her wedding
In a country where marriages are steeped in tradition, Sanjana Rishi's wedding outfit drew criticism.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3kZhQke
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3kZhQke
Is the era of the Hollywood blockbuster over?
Has Covid put an end to big budget film-making, or will busy cinemas in Asia give Hollywood hope?
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36iU3rz
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36iU3rz
Climate change: The woman watching the ice melt from under her feet
For thousands of years Inupaiq people have relied on the land in Alaska but now climate change is threatening their entire way of life.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HIwoHh
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HIwoHh
Losing Cinema Park: Tears over demolition of Kabul's iconic cinema
Why the demolition of a 70-year old cinema hall in Kabul went viral in Afghanistan.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39mLAVW
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39mLAVW
Jane Fonda: 'It's much harder to be young than it is old'
As an 82-year-old Jane Fonda is still protesting - this time about climate change - and getting arrested.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3lidJjg
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3lidJjg
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Chinese doctors jailed for illegal organ harvesting
The four men were part of an organ trafficking ring that targeted accident victims.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3q6ZHVi
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3q6ZHVi
Citgo 6: US oil executives convicted of corruption in Venezuela
The men, who worked for a US company owned by Venezuela, were arrested in 2017.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2V9asYU
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2V9asYU
Cuomo Attacks Supreme Court, but Virus Ruling Is Warning to Governors
By Jesse McKinley and Liam Stack from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/3qfIqcO
Their Teeth Fell Out. Was It Another Covid-19 Consequence?
By Wudan Yan from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/3mgDP7G
Trump Brought Back Michael Flynn for the Finale, Fallon Says
By Trish Bendix from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/3nSxkIG
Saudi Activist Who Fought For Women’s Right to Drive Is Sent to Terrorism Court
By Ben Hubbard from NYT World https://nyti.ms/3fGrozn
New world news from Time: Families of Six American Oil Executives Convicted in Venezuela Cry Foul
CARACAS, Venezuela — Hopes of families for a quick release for six American oil executives detained in Venezuela for three years over an alleged corruption scheme have evaporated, with a judge finding them all guilty and quickly sentencing them to prison.
Attorneys and relatives of the so-called Citgo 6 said the men were wrongly convicted, and the defense lawyers vowed to appeal Thursday’s verdicts.
Alirio Rafael Zambrano, whose two brothers were among the defendants, said they were “undeniably innocent” and victims of “judicial terrorism.” No evidence presented in the case supports a guilty conviction, he said.
“We, the family, are heartbroken to be separated even further from our loved ones,” Zambrano said by phone from New Jersey. “We pray that the leaders of our nation step forward and continue to fight unceasingly for their freedom and human rights.”
Attorney María Alejandra Poleo, who helped represent three of the men, said the case was “void of evidence.” “Of course, the defense will appeal the decision,” she said.
The so-called Citgo 6 are employees of Houston-based Citgo refining company, which is owned by Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA. They had been lured to Venezuela three years ago for a business meeting and were arrested on corruption charges.
Their arrest launched a purge by President Nicolás Maduro’s government of PDVSA and at a time when relations between Caracas and Washington were crumbling as Venezuela plummeted into economic and social crisis.
Five of the men were sentenced to prison terms of 8 years and 10 months, while one of them received a 13-year sentence. Defense attorney Jesus Loreto said the five with lesser terms could be released on parole in a couple of years.
Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice announced the verdicts and prison sentences but offered no other comment on the trial’s outcome.
One of the men, Tomeu Vadell, had said in a letter written in a Caracas jail and provided exclusively to The Associated Press before the verdict that he hoped for a fair trial so he could walk free with his name cleared and go home to his family in the United States.
In a statement after the verdict, Vadell’s family said: “We are sad to see that justice did not prevail today. But we are hopeful that the truth will set our loved one, Tomeu, free and home to us soon.”
Despite his circumstances, Vadell had expressed hopefulness.
“During the trial, the truth has proven undeniable,” Vadell said in the four-page hand-written letter. “It proves that I am innocent.”
“I’m now reaching an intersection where if justice is done, I will be able to rebuild my life and try to compensate my family for all the lost moments,” he added. “The light is intense — the hope is great — give me freedom.”
It was the first time Vadell, or any of the so-called Citgo 6, had spoken publicly since being arrested and charged with in a purported big corruption scheme. He has been held at a feared Caracas jail called El Helicoide.
The others convicted are Gustavo Cárdenas, Jorge Toledo, brothers Jose Luis Zambrano and Alirio Zambrano, all now U.S. citizens. Jose Pereira, a permanent resident, received the longest sentence.
They were also charged with embezzlement stemming from a never-executed proposal to refinance some $4 billion in Citgo bonds by offering a 50% stake in the company as collateral. Maduro at the time accused them of “treason.”
They all pleaded innocence.
The men were summoned to the headquarters of PDVSA for what they were told was a budget meeting on Nov. 21, 2017. A corporate jet shuttled them to Caracas and they were told they would be home for Thanksgiving. Instead, military intelligence officers swarmed into the boardroom and hauled them off to jail.
Their trial started four months ago and closing arguments took place Thursday. The judge immediately announced her verdict.
The proceeding played out one day a week in a downtown Caracas court. Due to the pandemic, sessions were held in front of a bank of dormant elevators in a hallway, apparently to take advantage of air flowing through open windows.
News media and rights groups were denied access to the hearings. There was no response to a letter addressed to Judge Lorena Cornielles seeking permission for AP to observe.
The office of Venezuela’s chief prosecutor said prior to the verdict in a statement to AP that investigators found “serious evidence” that corroborated financial crimes potentially damaging to the state-run company.
“The Citgo case has developed normally during all the stages established by the Venezuelan criminal process,” the statement said.
Loreto said his client appeared to have been caught up in a “geopolitical conflict” of which he was not a part. He said Vadell’s name never appeared on any of the documents prosecutors read into evidence.
“There’s nothing that refers to Tomeu in any way — directly or indirectly,” the lawyer said. “This is the story of a good guy being held against his will for all the wrong reasons.”
Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who has negotiated the release of other Americans held by hostile governments, traveled to Caracas in July and met with Maduro.
He didn’t win their freedom, but days later two of them — Cárdenas and Toledo — were freed from jail and put in house detention. Two weeks later, the long-delayed trial began.
Richardson told AP that conversations with the Venezuelan government continue despite his meeting with Maduro being “a little stormy.” He said he he believes there is an opening tied to President-elect Joe Biden and a desire by Maduro to improve relations with Washington.
“I think the Venezuelans have been straight with me, but more progress needs to be made,” Richardson said before the verdict. “My hope is to have something positive by Christmas.”
It is not clear what approach Biden will take toward Maduro. Trump aggressively pressed to remove Maduro through sweeping financial sanctions and the U.S. Justice Department has indicted Maduro as a “narcoterrorist,” offering a $15 million reward for his arrest.
Vadell’s letter steered clear of politics. He didn’t mention Maduro or speak about his jailers, though he did express concern about the “consequences of repercussions” of speaking out.
With encouragement from his family, Vadell broke his silence, taking a risk relatives said was necessary.
“I believe it’s more important that the light of hope illuminates us,” Vadell wrote. “May the light of hope put an end to the sadness of my family.”
The five other men did not respond to invitations AP made through their lawyers to comment.
Vadell’s daughter, Cristina Vadell, said in a phone interview from Lake Charles, Louisiana, that her father isn’t the kind of person who seeks attention. Rather, he prefers to focus on work and his family.
During his 35-year career with PDVSA and Citgo, Vadell ended up running a refinery in Lake Charles and then became vice president of refining. The letter attempts to expose this side of his life, she said.
“I think he was willing to take some risks and open some hearts to allow him to come home,” she said. “I think he’s still wondering ‘What happened?’ He went to a work meeting and never came home.”
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