Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Amman, 1 February 2025 — During her visit to Jordan today, IOM Director General Amy Pope met with Prince Rashid bin Hassan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO), Jordan’s Minister of Interior, Mazen Al-Faraya, the director of the Border Security Directorate, and representatives of the Jordanian Armed Forces to highlight IOM’s critical humanitarian work in Syria and Gaza.
“With vital and continued funding from the United States, IOM is able to work in close partnership with various stakeholders and partners, including the Jordanian government and JHCO, to deliver life-saving assistance to those in urgent need in Gaza and to support displaced Syrians,” she said.
Through close collaboration with the Jordanian government, as well as the support of the United States government and other humanitarian partners, IOM is delivering life-saving assistance to those most in need while facilitating safe voluntary returns for populations displaced by conflict in the region.
The visit began at the Jaber-Nassib border crossing, a key gateway between Jordan and Syria, where the Minister of Interior accompanied DG Pope. They discussed ongoing efforts to support returning Syrians and manage the border effectively.
Minister Al-Faraya stressed the importance of continued international cooperation, stating, “Jordan has demonstrated long-standing solidarity by hosting large numbers of refugees. We remain committed to our humanitarian responsibilities, but stronger international support is essential to sustain these efforts. Jordan has been a meeting point for Syrians and their families coming from all over the world.”
At the Border Security Directorate, DG Pope received a briefing on the Civil-Military Coordination Center’s role in facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid through the Jordanian corridor, commending the coordination efforts to ensure timely delivery to those in need.
DG Pope also visited IOM’s warehouse operations, which are crucial for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. The warehouse contains nearly four million life-saving supplies, including tents, tarps, hygiene kits, and latrines, all ready for immediate dispatch to support displaced communities in Gaza.
In her meeting with HRH Prince Rashid bin Hassan, DG Pope reaffirmed the importance of continued collaboration between IOM and the JHCO in regional humanitarian efforts.
IOM has been active in Jordan since 1994, working with the government, international partners, and local communities to support migrants, refugees, and host populations. Since October 2023, IOM has utilized its global expertise in emergency response to internal displacement, drawing on its experience from major humanitarian crises in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ukraine to deliver life-saving aid and shelter to displaced people in Gaza, in collaboration with UN and humanitarian partners.
UN Special Rapporteur to the Occupied Palestinian Territory Francesca Albanese has hailed the formation of The Hague Group, describing it as the “best news” from a coalition of policymakers “in a long time”.
Formed on Friday in the city of its namesake, The Hague Group’s members — Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa — have joined together to “end Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine”.
The groups said in a joint statement that they could not “remain passive in the face of such international crimes” committed by Israel against the Palestinians.
They said they would work to see the “realisation of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine”.
Albanese said on social media: “Let’s make it real. And let’s keep growing.”
“The Hague Group’s formation sends a clear message — no nation is above the law, and no crime will go unanswered,” said the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola.
South Africa filed a case before the International Court of Justice alleging genocide in 2023 and an interim ruling in January 2024 said that there was “plausible genocide” and accepted the case for substantive judgment. Since then, 14 countries have joined the proceedings in support of South Africa and Palestine.
Joyful scenes erupted today as buses carrying Palestinian prisoners released under last month’s Gaza ceasefire deal arrived in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. A total of 183 prisoners were due to be freed today.
Three captives — Keith Siegel, Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas– were earlier released in two separate locations in southern and northern Gaza.
Samoan artist Michel Mulipola with his characteristic clutch of protest flags at the “march of the martyrs” in Auckland today . . . latest addition is the flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo to acknowledge a brutal war being waged by M23 rebels. Image: David Robie/APR
NZ ‘march of the martyrs’ protest In New Zealand’s largest city Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau today, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters staged a vigil and march for the more than 47,000 Palestinians killed in Israel’s war on Gaza — mostly women and children.
Hamas released three more hostages from Gaza today – a total of 14 since the ceasefire. Image: Al Jazeera screenshot APR
More than 44,500 names of the victims of the genocidal war were spread out on the pavement of Te Komititanga Square in the heart of Auckland and one of the organisers, Dr Abdallah Gouda, said: “It is important to honour the names, they are people, families — they are not just numbers, statistics.”
A canvas with an outline of Palestine flag was also spread out and protesters invited to dip their fingers in black, red and green paint — the colours of the Palestinian flag — and daub the ensign with their collective fingerprints.
This was part of a global campaign to “stamp my imprint” for the return to Palestine.
“Each mark represents solidarity and remembrance for those who have lost their lives in the struggle for justice,” said the campaign.
“As you add your fingerprint, please take a moment to reflect on their sacrifice and the collective desire for peace and freedom.
“This canvas will become a living tribute with each fingerprint contributing to a powerful symbol of unity and support.”
Today’s Palestinian and decolonisation “march of the martyrs” in Auckland. Image: David Robie/APR
The protesters followed with a “march for the martyrs” through central streets of Auckland past the consulate of the United States, main backer and arms supplier to Israel, and beside the city’s iconic harbourside.
A young girl keeps vigil over more than 44,000 names from the 47,000 people killed in Israel’s war on Gaza at today’s pro-Palestinian demonstration in Auckland today. Image: David Robie/APR
UNRWA chief “salutes’ aid staff defying Israeli ban Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reports that the head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has hailed staff for continuing to work despite an Israeli ban on their operations coming into force on Thursday.
In a post on social media, Philippe Lazzarini said: “I salute the commitment of UNRWA staff”.
“We remain committed to upholding the humanitarian principles and fulfil our mandate,” Lazzarini said.
He noted that nearly 500,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, continued to access healthcare provided by UNRWA.
Since the start of the ceasefire in Gaza, UNRWA has ensured that humanitarian food supplies entering the territory under bombardment have reached more than 600,000 people, he said.
“UNRWA must be allowed to do its work until Palestinian institutions are empowered and capable within a Palestine State,” he added.
Israel passed a law in October that came into effect this week, banning UNRWA from operating on Israeli territory — including in East Jerusalem where its headquarters is located — and prohibiting contact with Israeli authorities.
However, Israel is occupying the Palestinian territories illegally in defiance of many UN resolutions ordering it to leave.
UNRWA has said that it is mandated by the UN General Assembly and is committed to staying open and delivering services to Palestinians despite Israel’s prohibitions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he was portrayed on a banner at the Palestinian “march of the martyrs” in Auckland today . . . he is “wanted” by the International Criminal Court to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Image: APR
At 9.00 this morning, in the Paul VI Hall, the Jubilee Audience took place in which the Holy Father Francis met with groups of pilgrims and faithful.
In his catechesis, the Pope focused on the theme To hope is to turn around: Mary Magdalene (Reading: Jn 20:14-16).
The Holy Father then greeted the faithful present in the Paul VI Hall and those in connection from the Vatican Basilica.
The Jubilee Audience concluded with the recitation of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
To hope is to turn around: Mary Magdalene
Dear brothers and sisters!
The Jubilee is for people and for the Earth a new beginning; it is a time when everything must be rethought within the dream of God. And we know that the word “conversion” indicates a change of direction. Everything can be seen, at last, from another perspective, and so our steps also go towards new goals. This is how hope, which never disappoints, arises. The Bible tells of this in many ways. And for us too, the experience of faith has been stimulated by encounters with people who have been able to change in life and have, so to speak, entered into God’s dreams. For even though there is much evil in the world, we can distinguish who is different: their greatness, which often coincides with littleness, wins us over.
In the Gospels, the figure of Mary Magdalene stands out above all others for this. Jesus healed her with mercy (cf. Lk 8:2), and she changed: sisters and brothers, mercy changes, mercy changes the heart, and for Mary Magdalene, mercy brought her into God’s dreams and gave new purpose to her journey.
The Gospel of John tells of her encounter with the Risen Jesus in a way that makes us think. It is repeated several times that Mary turned around. The Evangelist chooses his words well! In tears, Mary looks first inside the tomb, then she turns around: the Risen one is not on the side of death, but on the side of life. He can be mistaken for one of the people we encounter every day. Then, when she hears her name spoken, the Gospel says that again Mary turns around. And this is how her hope grows: now she sees the tomb, but not like before. She can dry her tears, because she has heard her own name: only the Master pronounces it in this way. The old world still seems to be there, but it is no more. When we feel that the Holy Spirit is acting in our heart, and we feel that the Lord is calling us by name, do we know how to distinguish the voice of the Master?
Dear brothers and sisters, from Mary Magdalene, whom tradition calls “the apostle of the apostles”, we learn hope. One enters the new world by converting more than once. Our journey is a constant invitation to change perspective. The Risen One takes us into His world, step by step, on the condition that we do not claim to know everything already.
Let us ask ourselves today: do I know how to turn around to see things differently, with a different outlook? Do I have the desire for conversion?
An overconfident ego that is too proud prevents us from recognizing the Risen Jesus. Even when we weep and despair, we turn our back on Him. Instead of looking into the darkness of the past, into the emptiness of a tomb, from Mary Magdalene we learn to turn towards life. There our Master awaits us. There our name is spoken. For in real life there is a place for us, always and everywhere. There is a place for you, for me, for everyone. No one can take it, because it has always been meant for us. It is bad, as they say in the common parlance, it is bad to leave an empty seat: “This place is for me; if I don’t go…”. Everyone can say: I have a place, I am a mission! Think about this: what is my place? What is the mission that the Lord gives us? May this thought help us to take a courageous attitude in life. Thank you.
____________________
Greeting
I address a cordial welcome to the pilgrims present in this Hall and to those linked up from the Vatican Basilica. Today there are many of them and we have to do this in two places, but connected.
I am pleased to welcome the faithful of the dioceses of Capua and Caserta. They have come to Rome, with their pastor Archbishop Pietro Lagnese, also to return the visit I had the joy of making to Caserta on 26 July 2014. I affectionately greet the pastor Giovanni Traettino, a good friend; I greet the priests, the consecrated persons, the pastoral workers, the families and all of you, with a respectful thought for the civil authorities. I wish to reiterate my thanks for the warm welcome you gave me on that occasion. May the memory of that event, full of ecclesial and spiritual significance, revive in everyone the will to deepen the life of faith and always to be witnesses of hope and workers for peace.
My thoughts now turn to the pilgrimage of the diocese of Sulmona-Valva, with Bishop Michele Fusco, and the seminarians of Bergamo. Dear brothers and sisters, I encourage you increasingly to understand and welcome God’s love, the source and motive of our true joy. I also greet the Seminarians of Bergamo and urge them to always place Jesus at the centre of their lives.
My blessing to you all!
Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)
Washington, D.C. — Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) released the following statement after North Carolina native Keith Siegel was released from Gaza:
“We are overjoyed for Keith Siegel and his loved ones that the long nightmare that began on October 7, 2023 is finally over. Keith is now reunited with his wife and family, fulfilling the prayers of millions across the United States and around the world. Thank you to President Trump for delivering the decisive pressure that brought us to this day. I would also like to thank the U.S. State Department and Intelligence community, as well as the governments of Israel, Egypt, and Qatar for their efforts.
“I remain committed to securing the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, especially the six Americans. They must not–and will not–be forgotten. I will continue to work to bring the terrorists who committed these acts to justice for their heinous crimes.”
Senator Budd has been working for the release of American hostages since October 2023:
On October 25, 2023, Senator Budd first spoke about the hostage situation in Gaza on the Senate floor, where he announced his intention “to hold all humanitarian aid to Gaza until each and every American hostage is home and is safe.”
On November 6, 2023, Senator Budd met with Qatari Ambassador Meshal Al Thani in Senator Budd’s Washington, D.C. office. In that meeting, he strongly urged the Qatari government to use their leverage on Hamas leaders currently residing in Doha to immediately release all hostages, and hold those same Hamas leaders accountable once the hostage situation is fully resolved.
On November 26, 2023, Senator Budd reacted to the release of Keith Siegel’s wife, Aviva, saying, “While we are encouraged by the government of Qatar’s efforts to mediate the release of some of the hostages, we renew our call to their government to exert pressure on Hamas leadership to release each and every hostage immediately and unconditionally.”
On November 28, 2023, Senator Budd spoke on the Senate floor and called out Qatar for its continued hosting of Hamas terrorist leaders, saying, “We need to tell our friends in Doha loudly and clearly: Qatar is accepting a significant liability with its pro-Hamas policy.”
On December 13, 2023, Senator Budd sent a holiday message of support to the hostages and their families in a speech on the Senate floor, saying, “I want every one of these family members to know that our country is behind them, we support them, and we are praying for them.”
On January 10, 2024, Senator Budd returned from a congressional delegation (CODEL) to the Middle East, which included stops in Israel, Egypt, Qatar, and Bahrain. The focus of the delegation’s meetings across the region was on securing the release of hostages.
On the trip, Senator Budd and his colleagues toured one of the communities devastated by the October 7th massacre by Hamas terrorists. He personally spoke with former hostage Aviva Siegel, and met with top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea.
Senator Budd then met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Prime Minister of Qatar, to whom Senator Budd sent a strong message that Qatar must do more to secure the immediate and safe release of all of the hostages.
On January 15, 2024, Senators Budd and Joni Ernst (R-IA) published an op-ed marking the 100th day of captivity for the hostages, writing, “As long as Americans remain captive to these barbaric thugs, the latter is the victor. Allowing Americans to suffer under the yoke of terrorists is a win for evil around the world and a boon for Iran’s proxies.”
On January 25, 2024, Senator Budd spoke on the Senate floor and delivered a sharp message to the government of Qatar: “Our patience has run out. Time is up. Either pressure Hamas leaders to release the hostages now, or expel them from your land. It’s that simple. The United States of America will be watching.”
On March 7, 2024, Senators Budd and Tillis invited the family of Keith Siegel to be their guests at the president’s State of the Union Address. Keith’s sister Lucy and niece Hanna accepted the Senators’ invitation.
On March 15, 2024, Senator Budd joined a joint statement from Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as five other Senators stating, “If Hamas refuses reasonable negotiations, there is no reason for Qatar to continue hosting Hamas’ political office or any of its members in Doha.”
On March 26, 2024, Senator Budd and Senator Ernst issued a joint statement calling on the State of Qatar to immediately expel all members of Hamas’ political office currently residing in Doha.
On April 9, 2024, Senator Budd introduced the ‘Reviewing Qatar’s Major Non- NATO Ally Status Act’, which would require the Secretary of State to formally certify that Qatar has expelled or agreed to extradite to the United States any individuals bearing responsibility for the terror attack on October 7, 2023. If the Secretary of State cannot make this certification in good faith, then the President is required to immediately terminate the designation of the State of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.
On April 10, 2024, Senator Budd attempted to invoke unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the ‘Reviewing Qatar’s Major Non- NATO Ally Status Act’, but was blocked. He said, “The time for talking is over, and the time for action is now. If we don’t see action, then Qatar must face consequences. At the end of the day, this bill represents another step towards securing the freedom of our fellow Americans.”
On May 7, 2024, Senators Budd and Ernst returned from a congressional delegation (CODEL) to the Middle East, which included stops in Israel, Iraq, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
On the trip, Senators Budd and Ernst received first-hand updates on the state of the hostage negotiations from top U.S. and Israeli officials including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They also hosted the families of American hostages, including the family of North Carolina native, Keith Siegel.
On July 31, 2024, Senator Budd released a statement after Hamas’s political leader was killed, saying that it “sends a clear and resounding message to terrorists that those who kill and kidnap Americans will ultimately face justice.”
On September 1, 2024, Senator Budd released a statement condemning the Hamas murder of American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin along with five other Israeli hostages, saying, “This is yet another act of cold-blooded barbarism from Hamas terrorists. It must not be excused or downplayed. The U.S. government must leave no stone unturned until all those responsible for Hersh’s kidnapping and murder are brought to justice, and until we bring every American hostage home.”
On October 7, 2024, Senator Budd disclosed that the Biden administration had ignored a bipartisan request from Senator Budd and 11 other Senators to authorize a reward of up to $25 million for information that brings Hamas leaders to justice.
On October 17, 2024, Senator Budd released a statement after Israeli Defense Forces killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas and the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 attacks, saying, “[Sinwar] was a terrorist leader who had American blood on his hands. To the remaining Hamas leaders: release the hostages, renounce terrorism, and recognize Israel’s right to exist. There is no future for Hamas or its ideology.”
On November 8, 2024, Senator Budd joined a letter to the Department of Justice and Department of State requesting an immediate freeze on the assets of Hamas officials living in Qatar, the extradition of several senior Hamas officials currently residing in Qatar, and that Qatar end its hospitality of Hamas’ senior leadership.
On November 8, 2024, Senator Budd released a statement after the State of Qatar decided to expel the remaining Hamas terrorist leadership from Doha, calling the move, “welcome, but long overdue.”
On November 22, 2024, Senator Budd, along with Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker and Senator Joni Ernst, released a statement calling on Turkey to extradite the Hamas terrorist leaders who fled there after being expelled from Qatar.
On December 2, 2024, Senator Budd released a statement after the Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that U.S.-Israeli citizen Omer Neutra was killed by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023 attacks. His body remains in Gaza, saying in-part, “this news is further proof of the true evil of Hamas terrorists. The U.S. government must not relent until all those responsible for Omer’s murder are brought to justice, and until we bring every American hostage home.”
The Scottish Greens are calling on the UK Government to lift the anti-democratic veto and unblock the Gender Recognition Reform Bill that Holyrood voted overwhelmingly for in 2022.
The call comes at the start of LGBT+ History Month. If enacted, this bill would allow self-identification for trans people, legally recognising their gender if different from their sex assigned at birth. It would give life-affirming autonomy without trans people having to wait years for an intrusive medical diagnosis.
Scottish Greens spokesperson for Equalities Maggie Chapman said:
“The theme of this year’s LGBT+ History Month is Activism and Social Change. I urge the Secretary of State for Scotland and his Labour colleagues at Westminster to live up to these values and undo the unfair and undemocratic veto on gender recognition reform.
“Gender recognition reform was supported by MSPs from all parties, including the Scottish Labour leadership. Upholding the Tory veto undermines the cross-party support that it received and the backing by almost every reputable equalities organisation.
“Most importantly, it highlights the lack of respect offered to some of the most marginalised and frequently targeted communities across Scotland.
“Self-identification is a normal process that is used in countries across the world. Finally allowing it to be implemented would be a small change that would offer more hope and support for trans people.
“What Labour must realise is the precedent that the Tory veto set. It has had real consequences, denying hard-won rights, fanning the flames of a reactionary culture war and paving the way for other rights to be reversed in other areas.”
Ms Chapman added: “LGBT+ History Month is about celebrating the diversity that exists in our communities and the activism and struggle of those who have stood up for equality and against prejudice. It is only right that we recognise that diversity in law too.
“Human rights are non-negotiable and are at the heart of the fairer, greener Scotland that I want us to build.”
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Dmitry Grigorenko held a meeting with the heads of regulatory authorities
February 1, 2025
Dmitry Grigorenko held a meeting with the heads of regulatory authorities
February 1, 2025
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Dmitry Grigorenko held a meeting with the heads of regulatory authorities
Expanding the forms of remote control and developing a feedback system will become the main areas of improvement in the sphere of control in 2025. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister – Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko at a meeting with the heads of control and supervisory bodies.
According to him, thanks to digital technologies, which are increasingly being introduced into the activities of control bodies, direct interaction between the inspector and the entrepreneur is currently not always assumed. In particular, using the Inspector mobile application in 2024, it was possible to carry out events on 43 types of control (for example, fire supervision, construction supervision, technical supervision, health supervision). As part of the pilot project (since May 2024), about 3 thousand remote events were carried out. In 2025, the scope of the mobile application will be extended to a number of other types of control.
“This form of control has a number of advantages. First of all, it saves time and simplifies supervisory procedures. Also, remote formats of control measures using digital solutions eliminate direct contact between the inspector and the entrepreneur. On January 1, a new legislative norm came into force, with which we secured the legal basis for using the Inspector mobile application. We expect that this mechanism will be used in at least 10% of events this year,” said Dmitry Grigorenko.
In addition, it will be possible to appeal 100% of control and supervisory activities through the public services portal in a pre-trial manner. In particular, it is planned to expand the functionality of the service for appealing the results of activities without interacting with the inspector. In 2024, about 36 thousand requests were received through the pre-trial appeal service, most of which are related to petitions to extend the deadlines for the execution of orders issued following inspections. Information received from the business community through this service as feedback is used to further improve the supervisory sphere.
In total, about 390 thousand inspections were carried out in the country in 2024, less than half of which were business inspections. This is four times less than in 2019, when the reform of control and supervisory activities was launched. The most effective inspections are those carried out on the basis of a risk-oriented approach. Their efficiency is about 90%. The most effective agencies in working with risks are Rosselkhoznadzor (efficiency – 94%) and Roszdravnadzor (efficiency – 90%).
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
A man learns to perform Ansai waist drum during the Spring Festival temple fair in Frankfurt, Germany, on Jan. 31, 2025. The first Spring Festival temple fair in Frankfurt kicked off on Friday. The fair celebrates Chinese New Year with a wide range of festive events, and will run until Feb. 2. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)
The first Spring Festival temple fair in Frankfurt kicked off on Friday. The fair celebrates Chinese New Year with a wide range of festive events, and will run until Feb. 2.
It features authentic Chinese national intangible cultural heritage, such as Chaoyang Yingge dance from Guangdong, Ansai waist drumming from Shaanxi, traditional folk crafts like sugar painting, and performances by Chinese robots and robotic dogs.
Last December, the Spring Festival was officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Chinese Consul General in Frankfurt Huang Yiyang said: “The Spring Festival originates from China but belongs to the world. The Frankfurt Spring Festival temple fair is not only an event for the Chinese compatriots in Germany to celebrate their traditional festival but also an important platform for promoting the Global Civilization Initiative and fostering cultural exchange and mutual understanding between China and Germany, bringing our peoples closer together.”
Turgut Yueksel, a member of the Hessian State Parliament, said at the opening ceremony of the first temple fair for Spring Festival in Frankfurt that this event is very precious. It conveys Chinese cultural characteristics and brings a unique style to the local residents of Frankfurt, Yueksel said.
Chen Tanpeng, coach of the Ximen Yingge Team from Shantou, Guangdong province, told Xinhua that the performers will offer a rich cultural feast to friends from all over the world through their Chaoyang Yingge dance, a unique art form combining drama, dance, and martial arts.
“I find the environment in Germany to be excellent, the people incredibly warm, and the food absolutely delightful. We are very happy to be here and are thrilled to celebrate the New Year in such a wonderful place,” Chen said.
Two men have pleaded guilty to burgling a Camden restaurant after police arrested them outside the venue trying, and failing, to open entirely empty cash registers.
Detective Constable Michelle Andersen, the Islington based CID officer who led the investigation, said: “Officers were very quick to get to the scene of the burglary, and were able to arrest both suspects before they could make off.
“But even before police arrived on scene, their criminal plan wasn’t going well. CCTV shows them trying and failing to open the drawers of the cash registers. But even if they had have managed that, they’d have found them to be completely empty.”
At around 06:00hrs on Saturday, 25 January, police responded to an alert from London Borough of Camden CCTV operators to a break-in at a restaurant in Camden High Street.
Officers arrived a short time later. Paul Haughey, 40, (03/09/1984) of Camden Road, NW1 and Jayvan Burton, 41, (19/10/1983) of no fixed address but from the Camden area, were caught red-handed.
Both men were charged with non-residential burglary for stealing the empty tills, to which they pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 27 January.
Haughey will be sentenced at the same court on 18 February. A date is yet to be arranged for Burton’s sentencing at Wood Green Crown Court.
The interconnectivity of all health concerns could offer food and beverages brands innovation opportunities in 2025 by addressing multiple wellness concerns at once.
Several key trends are set to influence consumer purchasing behavior in 2025, including personalized health and wellness with a focus on women, health longevity, personalized products and experiences, and sustainability solutions aided by new technologies. GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, highlights four food and beverages trends that are set to offer consumer packaged goods brands innovation opportunities in 2025:
Personalized Health and Wellness: Women’s Health
Women’s health has long been under-researched, presenting an opportunity for brands to create new products and new marketing initiatives to meet women’s unique health needs.
In the supplements market, product ranges catering to reproductive and hormonal health concerns are now expanding into women’s fitness, digestion, and sleep – all of which require different supplements to men. Brands like Women Best recognize this and solely target women, providing them with supplements to support their dietary needs with functional benefits such as energy, focus, and stress relief. Unilever’s SmartyPants Vitamins range also offers multivitamins and pre and probiotic supplements that cater specifically to women’s health needs. In line with this, the women’s supplement market has seen double-digit value growth over the last two years, according to GlobalData Market Analyzers.
Fahima Omer, Food Consultant and analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Whilst the health benefits of supplements are harnessed in products such as vitamins and protein bars, consumer packaged goods manufacturers could explore opportunities to develop new food and beverages products using supplement ingredients. One such opportunity is to recognize the interconnectivity of all health concerns and release more products aimed at addressing multiple wellness concerns at once.”
Sustainability solutions based on new technologies
Cell-based foods first emerged in 2013 when a scientist in the Netherlands managed to cultivate a burger patty. With new technological advancements and the use of molecular biology, brands such as GoodMeat create meat simply by feeding cells in a sterile environment. Widespread adoption of cell-based meat products has been slow thus far, but this developing technology offers the potential to produce meat products at scale in a more sustainable way. This is becoming increasingly important as The Food and Agricultural Organization at the United Nations* revealed in its 2017 report, “Tackling Climate Change Through Livestock”, that livestock is a significant contributor to climate change with emissions estimated at 7.1 gigatonnes CO2, representing 14.5% of human-induced GHG emissions.
According to GlobalData’s consumer survey (Q3 2024), this kind of sustainability initiative resonates with 74% of global consumers who say that ‘sustainable/environmentally friendly’ is an ‘essential’ or ‘nice to have’ feature when deciding to make a product purchase.
Cell-based foods could also address food insecurity. In a UN/WHO** joint report from 2022, the organization estimated that 11% of people globally suffer from undernourishment despite the planet being able to produce enough food.
Health Longevity: An aging population and the rise of personalization
With 22% of the world’s population expected to be over 60 years old by 2050, according to WHO***, there will be growing demand for food and beverage products that support this cohort’s desire for a long, healthy, and active life. Meal kits with claims around health management have grown in value by 67% during 2016-23, according to GlobalData Market Analysers’ health and wellness data on prepared meals.
As older adults become more proactive about their health, they are choosing products that align with their wellness goals, including dietary supplements and foods rich in vitamins and nutrients that support longevity. Food manufacturer Chin Huay has responded to this demand with a selection of snacks formulated with probiotics, which support senior consumers’ dietary needs, and coffee brand UDA infuses several longevity-centric supplements to help fight aging. These include NMN, which increases metabolism and aids DNA repair; cognitive enhancer L-Theanine; quercetin, an anti-senescence and anti-inflammatory; and ashwagandha, to reduce fatigue and stress.
This trend reflects a broader societal shift towards preventative health measures and lifestyle improvements, which have gained traction following the pandemic. Personalized health and wellness solutions from companies that provide health advice from the analysis of personal health data are growing in popularity. Everlywell provide at-home test kits that check age and gender-related conditions with the aim of providing consumers with specific lifestyle recommendations.
Flavor expansion in Foods and Foodservice
The ubiquity of foreign travel and the rise in social media usage have exposed consumers to global cuisines and flavors, which they have embraced, providing companies with the opportunity to expand their product and flavor choices beyond core brands and gain awareness for them through social media.
According to GlobalData’s Consumer Survey (Q1 2024), 56% of 25-34-year-olds, globally, use social media to discover products and new flavors. A further 51% of the same age group agree with the statement ‘when I find a product in a new flavor I like, I enjoy sharing this knowledge on social media’.
Foodservice operators such as UK-based Los Mochis have been successful in merging Japanese and Mexican cuisines using ingredients such as chipotle and kombu broth to create a chipotle miso soup, exposing their customers to bold new flavor choices.
Omer adds: “Food and beverages trends in 2025 will reflect a complex interplay of functional health & wellness, sustainability, digitalization, and flavor choice. Innovation will not only cater to consumers’ immediate health needs but also prioritize health longevity. There could be a renewed focus on lab-grown meat which has the potential to address food insecurity whilst also combatting climate change. These trends will also present opportunities for brands to sell more value-added and premium products to meet the evolving expectations of consumers in a rapidly changing marketplace.”
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Washington’s latest decisions on the development of a new missile defense system won’t help reduce tensions with Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday on the development of a new missile defense system for the country. The Iron Dome missile defense shield would protect against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles and other aerial attacks.
During her weekly briefing, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that this initiative essentially reaffirms the U.S. intension to pursue the militarization of space, noting that the decision involves a significant expansion of the American nuclear arsenal.
“It directly envisages a significant strengthening of the American nuclear arsenal and means for conducting combat operations in space, including the development and deployment of space-based interception systems,” she said.
“We consider this as yet another confirmation of the U.S. focus on turning space into an arena for armed confrontation,” she further said.
Zakharova warned that the initiative would also hinder potential dialogue on strategic offensive arms, noting that this measure is the first sign of Washington’s destabilizing plans for the development of its military-technical programs.
Dai Mo, co-director of “Detective Chinatown 1900,” spoke with China.org.cn about the film’s latest installment, highlighting its exploration of Chinatown’s origins in San Francisco and the historical challenges faced by the overseas Chinese communities in the United States.
Director Dai Mo. [Photo courtesy of As One Production]
The first three “Detective Chinatown” films have grossed more than 8.7 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) since the series launched 10 years ago. The films follow the boisterous private investigator Tang Ren, played by Wang Baoqiang, and his introverted, highly intelligent nephew Qin Feng, portrayed by Liu Haoran, as they tackle mystery cases in cities like Bangkok, New York and Tokyo.
“This time, we wanted to offer audiences a story that feels both familiar and fresh, so we chose a different longitudinal time period to offer a unique perspective,” Dai said. He added that the film not only explores Chinatown’s historical roots but also illustrates the prejudices overseas Chinese faced in 1900.
For the creative team, the year 1900 is a significant intersection in history. It was the Year of Gengzi in the lunar calendar, a year associated with misfortune in Chinese folklore. The year saw the peak of the Boxer Rebellion amid widespread chaos in China. The Qing dynasty also declared war on foreign powers but was ultimately defeated by the Eight-Nation Alliance, resulting in forced war indemnities.
In stark contrast, the U.S. was experiencing modernization and prosperity. Chinese immigrants moved to America in search of work, including jobs in railroad construction, but faced severe discrimination, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act. At the same time, the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes gained prominence as a cultural icon. “There were many stories and inspirations from that period for us,” Dai said.
A poster for “Detective Chinatown 1900.” [Image courtesy of As One Production]
The leading characters are once again portrayed by Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran, but their new roles are entirely different from those in previous installments. Wang plays Ah Gui, a versatile Chinese descendant adopted by an Indigenous American tribe, while Liu takes on the role of Qin Fu, an extroverted practitioner of Chinese medicine. Set in San Francisco in the 1900s, the story centers on the murder of a white woman in Chinatown, for which a Chinese man is the main suspect. This shocking crime ignites public outrage, leading to demands to shut down Chinatown. The duo gets caught up in the investigation, racing against time to reveal the true murderer in a tense battle of wits and bravery.
As a long-time collaborator with Chen Sicheng, the mastermind behind the “Detective Chinatown” franchise, Dai — director of hits like “Endless Journey” and “Fireflies in the Sun” — described their collaboration in co-directing the film as seamless, owing to the deep mutual understanding they have cultivated over the years. He fondly recalled how Chen would frequently laugh and cry behind the camera during the shoot, describing him as a deeply sensitive person.
The most ambitious and challenging aspect of the film was constructing a 1:1 replica of San Francisco’s landmarks from over a century ago in just seven months. This replica spans 200,000 square meters at Laoling Film Studio in Shandong province. Supported by the local government and enterprises, the project showcases China’s remarkable construction capabilities. The replica is open to the public during the Spring Festival, giving visitors the chance to explore it after viewing the film.
A replica of 1900s San Francisco at Laoling Film Studio in Laoling, Shandong province. [Photo courtesy of As One Production]
Dai noted that the set is incredibly realistic, as the film’s production design department conducted extensive research and collected historical documents to authentically replicate every detail of the props and the set from that era. This included constructing slopes that mirrored the actual geographical features of San Francisco. He added that foreign actors, including Hollywood veteran John Cusack, who stars in the film, were in awe of the replica town during filming.
The director expressed his hope that the film could serve as an important vehicle for promoting Chinese culture and also bring more resonance to overseas Chinese, while calling for the solidarity of Chinese communities abroad. Additionally, he hopes the film will inspire audiences to explore the history of China during that era. “When audiences engage with this history, they will see how strong we are today and gain a sense of confidence, perseverance and a commitment to continuous self-improvement,” he said.
Dai said he was excited about the potential for future expansions in the “Detective Chinatown” universe, which could explore different timelines. “Anything is possible,” he laughed. “As long as audiences continue to enjoy their adventures, we are eager to create more.”
A still from “Detective Chinatown 1900,” featuring the iconic actor Chow Yun-fat. [Photo courtesy of As One Production]
“Detective Chinatown 1900,” featuring a star-studded cast that includes legendary actor Chow Yun-fat along with comedians Bai Ke, Wei Xiang and Yue Yunpeng, was released on Jan. 29, the first day of the Chinese New Year. The film premiered simultaneously in major markets worldwide, including North America, Australia, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. The film is a notable addition to China’s profitable Spring Festival film season, which has seen record-breaking box office performances this year, bolstered by a strong lineup of releases.
The European Commission on Wednesday presented the Competitiveness Compass, a strategic blueprint aimed at restoring the European Union (EU)’s economic edge and driving technological leadership as it seeks to close the gap with the United States (U.S.) and China.
Acknowledging a two-decade lag in productivity growth compared to other major economies, the Compass focuses on boosting innovation, advancing decarbonization, and strengthening security, according to the Commission’s statement.
This photo taken on Jan. 29, 2025 shows the Berlaymont Building, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium. TO GO WITH “EU unveils plan to boost competitiveness” (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)
“Europe has everything it needs to succeed in the race to the top. But, at the same time, we must fix our weaknesses to regain competitiveness,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the statement.
The Compass builds on a strategic report released last year by Mario Draghi, the former Italian prime minister and former president of the European Central Bank (ECB), which calls for an additional annual investment of between 750 billion euros (779 billion U.S. dollars) and 800 billion euros to counteract Europe’s decline in competitiveness.
The Commission will launch “AI Gigafactories” and “Apply AI” initiatives to accelerate AI development and adoption across key industries, the Compass says. It also promises actions for advanced materials, quantum, biotech, robotics, and space technologies.
A separate report released by the Commission on Wednesday highlighted the EU’s ongoing struggles in scaling up its businesses. This report provides the analytical context for the Competitiveness Compass.
In this regard, the Compass outlines a strategy to remove barriers to facilitate startup growth, and legislative changes to simplify rules.
It also noted the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal to drive decarbonization, a plan for affordable energy to reduce costs, and targeted strategies for high-risk sectors like steel, metals, and chemicals.
To reduce dependencies, the bloc plans to prioritize European companies in critical sectors and technologies under reviewed public procurement rules.
To further underpin the competitiveness, the Compass sets a target of cutting the administrative burden for firms by at least 25 percent and by at least 35 percent for SMEs.
It also proposes measures to lower the barriers to the functioning of the EU Single Market, which has struggled with regulatory fragmentation for decades, and to advance the European Savings and Investments Union project to enhance the EU’s financing competitiveness, despite its slow progress over the years.
Moscow unveiled a themed metro train on Wednesday to mark the start of the Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar.
Speaking at a ceremony dedicated to the launch of the train, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui noted that the Spring Festival is gaining popularity in Russia, becoming an important part of Moscow’s cultural life and a bright symbol of the friendship between the two countries.
“The train, decorated with elements of the Chinese Spring Festival, will attract the attention of Muscovites and tourists from all over the world,” the Chinese ambassador said.
“They will be able to experience the culture of this wonderful holiday in a new way and share the joy and good fortune that it brings to the Chinese people,” he added.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said this joint project is implemented within the framework of the China-Russia Years of Culture in 2024 and 2025.
“The photographs and symbols featured on the train will help our citizens learn more about China in a natural setting,” she said.
According to Moscow Deputy Mayor Maxim Liksutov, this unique metro train serves as a symbol of the good relations between the two countries and a tribute to the Chinese people. It will give Muscovites and visitors to the Russian capital an opportunity to learn more about the Chinese culture and the traditions of the Chinese New Year.
The train is decorated in red, a color that symbolizes happiness, joy, good luck and prosperity in Chinese culture. The exterior is decorated with a snake, the zodiac of the new year, as well as a Chinese dragon.
Inside, passengers can enjoy photographs of New Year celebrations in China.
The Russian capital kicked off “Chinese New Year in Moscow” festival on Manezhnaya Square on Tuesday.
The event, comprising many cultural activities with Chinese characteristics, will last until Feb. 9, and will be held at two dozen locations in the capital.
“Guonian,” which means “crossing the year,” is more than just a festival marking the arrival of the new year for the Chinese people. Though the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is now celebrated in many places worldwide, the true meaning of “Guonian” can only be fully understood by experiencing it in China. “The celebration is big, stretching for a month with a lot of food, fireworks and cultural events,” said Kayleen Fangbi from Belgium. “I love it.” Lanterns and fairy lights adorn every corner, while shops bustle with people laden with large shopping bags, as observed by a Spanish couple traveling in Beijing just days before the Spring Festival, which fell on Jan. 29 this year. Spotting the snake-themed decorations, they decided to look up the meanings of the Chinese zodiac online and discovered that this year is the Year of the Snake. “One of us is a Horse, and the other is a Sheep,” they noted, clearly finding it all quite fascinating. Invitations to join in the celebration were shared via the Chinese lifestyle app rednote, with many Chinese netizens offering tips and local authorities promoting festive activities. The surge in activity comes as the app gains many users from the United States and other countries, following the U.S. government’s threat to ban TikTok. With the trending hashtag “Chinese New Year,” many foreigners shared about their Spring Festival celebrations virtually from wherever they were, with some expressing the joy of savoring an authentic experience of the holiday in China. Beyond the traditional fireworks, decorations, dragon dances, and lion dances, Spring Festival celebrations across China feature distinct local traditions, each adding its unique flavor to the holiday. They all share common themes: family reunions and hope for good fortune in the year ahead. The diverse social practices throughout the Chinese New Year celebrations, recently listed as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO, offer international visitors a rich array of experiences during this period.
Artists perform the traditional Yingge dance in Chaoyang District of Shantou City, south China’s Guangdong Province, Jan. 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) In the Chaoshan region of south China’s Guangdong Province, the traditional Yingge dance adds a vibrant New Year atmosphere to the celebrations. Videos showcasing the dance have garnered millions of views, drawing many travelers to spend the Spring Festival in the area. The dancers, dressed in colorful costumes that represent ancient heroes and heroines, hold short wooden sticks and perform rhythmic movements, such as swinging the sticks, striking them together, and stamping their feet. “I was completely captivated by the strength and precision of their movements, the rhythmic sounds of their stomping and sticks clashing, and their powerful shouts of encouragement,” said Thanita Raemee from Thailand, after watching Yingge Dance performances. It’s said that when the lanterns in Yuyuan Garden light up, the Spring Festival begins in Shanghai, one of the top destinations for foreign visitors in China.
Tourists from the Republic of Korea visit the Yuyuan Garden Mall in east China’s Shanghai, Dec. 4, 2024. (Photo by Chen Haoming/Xinhua) After strolling through the winding corridors and pavilions, a German tourist bought numerous Chinese New Year-themed souvenirs in Yuyuan Garden. “I want to bring the festive blessings to my friends back home,” she said. “A major change is that foreign tourists mostly just walked around in the past, but now they bring real spending power,” said Hu Junjie, vice president of Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart (Group) Co., Ltd., adding that they are particularly interested in the lantern displays, traditional Chinese makeup and costumes, special cuisine, and cultural products. Tatiana, 70, a visitor from Russia on a trip to the city of Sanya in the southern island province of Hainan, said that she and her daughter came specifically to experience the Spring Festival. At a local event, she eagerly took part in interactive activities. “Writing the Chinese character ‘Fu (meaning blessing)’ with a calligraphy brush was such a unique experience,” she said. They also enjoyed watching traditional Chinese cultural performances, including the unique Li and Miao ethnic folk dances of Hainan. Russia remains Hainan’s largest source of international tourists and a key market for Sanya’s inbound tourism. The resumption and opening of international flight routes and visa-free policy have attracted more Russian tourists to the island. China expects a boom in international visitors during this Spring Festival holiday. Data from Trip.com Group shows that inbound tourism orders for the 2025 Spring Festival rose over 30 percent year on year. Data released by the Chinese travel services platform Qunar showed that as of Jan. 28, the number of domestic flights booked during the Spring Festival by travelers with non-Chinese passports has increased by 70 percent year on year. This surge is driven by a series of visa-free entry and transit policies China introduced in 2024, along with continuously upgraded payment, transportation, and tourism facilities. Besides, the growing popularity of China as a travel destination on social media, fueled by early travelers sharing their experiences, has contributed to the increase. In 2024, cross-border trips to China by foreigners surged by 82.9 percent from the previous year, reaching 64.88 million. Of these, more than 20 million inbound foreign trips were made visa-free, marking an impressive increase of 112.3 percent year on year, according to the National Immigration Administration.
Tourists from Vietnam wait for entry inspection at the immigration area at Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) To meet an increase in visitors from neighboring countries, such as Japan and the Republic of Korea, the Beijing tourism bureau and leading tourism companies launched special itineraries offering these travelers an opportunity to experience a Beijing-style New Year celebration in just two to three days. These short-haul itineraries took visitors to vibrant temple fairs and traditional performances, while also giving them the chance to savor Beijing’s winter delicacies and iconic dishes, such as dumplings, hotpot, and Peking Duck. “The Spring Festival is a window to understand China, especially its traditional culture,” said Jiang Yiyi, an expert on leisure sports and tourism at the Beijing Sport University. The inscription of the Spring Festival onto the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list has significantly boosted its global profile. The numerous traditional cultural activities held across China provide foreign visitors with an immersive experience, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese traditional culture, according to Jiang. Through these diverse activities, foreign visitors can truly experience what British online influencer Shaun Gibson described in his video as a Spring Festival in China that is “warm, lively, delicious, and happy.”
With only a few weeks until Germany’s election, Elon Musk has unambiguously thrown his support behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. In a video address to a party rally last week, he appeared to urge Germans to “move on” from any “past guilt” related to the Holocaust.
It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything.
Troublingly, the AfD is now firmly entrenched as Germany’s second-most popular political party, behind the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Like all parties in German elections, however, it cannot win an outright majority. It is also unlikely to be invited to join any ruling coalition that emerges from the February 23 election.
But the AfD’s anti-migrant, anti-government sloganeering has already seriously distorted Germany’s public debate and democratic culture, leaving many to ask whether it even needs to win elections to see its policies implemented.
This was evident following a dramatic week in Germany’s Bundestag.
First, in a radical break with Germany’s political norms, opposition leader Friedrich Merz deliberately drew on the votes of the AfD on Wednesday to ram a radical anti-asylum seeker motion through the parliament.
It was the first time in the history of the Bundestag that a parliamentary majority was reached with the help of the far right. Merz’s action was widely condemned as a “taboo-breaking” step towards legitimising the AfD.
Merz tried to take this a step further with a far-reaching bill to tighten immigration controls on Friday. Although the bill narrowly failed, all of the AfD voted with Merz. Twelve members of his own CDU party refused to back him.
Merz’s courting of the far right is widely seen as politically unnecessary, given his conservative CDU is already leading the national polls, making him the favourite to succeed the Social Democratic Party (SDP)‘s Olaf Scholz as chancellor.
This raises a couple crucial questions heading into the election. Is it insiders or outsiders that are playing the biggest role in bringing the far right into the mainstream? And just how big a role will the AfD play after the election?
The Musk effect
Musk’s embrace of the AfD should come as no surprise, given the integral part he played in Donald Trump’s election victory in the United States. In the German context, however, his behaviour and statements have taken on darker hues.
Germans know only too well what is at stake when democracy is eroded by those who abuse its freedoms to attack it. Had Musk’s now notorious Nazi salutes following Trump’s inauguration been performed in Berlin, for example, he might have faced up to three years in prison.
The catchphrase “never again” has underpinned German politics since the second world war. Yet, the response to Musk’s recent provocations was oddly muted in some sections of the German media.
With a few notable exceptions, it was left to activists to remind Germans of the severity of this gesture – projecting an image of Musk’s salute on a German Tesla plant, alongside the word “heil”.
Given the seriousness with which Germany patrols representations of its Nazi past, it was surprising just how few journalists were prepared to state without equivocation that “a Hitler salute is a Hitler salute is a Hitler salute”.
Merz’s embrace of the far right
Initially, there were some signs Germany’s main political leaders would decry Musk’s attempts to normalise far-right politics in the country.
Scholz has continued to label Musk’s blatant attempts to influence German politics as “unacceptable” and “disgusting”.
Merz claims to be keeping his distance from Musk. But it appears his strategy for winning the election is not far from what Musk is suggesting – mimicking AfD policies and collaborating with the party on anti-immigration votes.
In his most radical break with the centrism that characterised the CDU under former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Merz cracked the “firewall” against working with the far-right this week. Knowing just what it meant, he used the AfD’s support to pass the starkly worded nationalist border protection motion in the Bundestag.
Democratic party leaders, meanwhile, registered their shock and dismay. Merkel herself spoke out against Merz, saying it was “wrong” to “knowingly” work with the AfD.
Her intervention appears to have been critical to the immigration bill failing on Friday, with many of her former supporters in the CDU withholding their votes.
What AfD’s rise could mean
Given the two votes in the past week and Musk’s high-profile intervention, many in Germany now fear a CDU victory in the election could signal more collaboration with the AfD.
The Greens’ Robert Habeck, Germany’s vice chancellor, has said Merz’s nationalist coalition would “destroy Europe”. He has also warned Musk to keep his “hands off our democracy”, prompting Musk to label Habeck “a traitor to the German people”.
Musk is by no means the cause of the AfD’s popularity, but his embrace of the extremist party has given it a global profile and credibility in circles that might not have otherwise considered supporting it.
As some commentators have suggested, it is probably not coincidental the AfD’s plans for the German economy would benefit Musk’s business interests. Economic self-interest alone seems insufficient, however, to explain why Musk has gravitated to the extreme right.
The same might be said of Merz. Electoral calculations alone cannot explain his risky courting of the far right. He has long been the frontrunner to win the next election. Cosying up to the AfD will only make it harder to form a coalition with either Scholz’s Social Democratic Party or the Greens.
If these two parties refuse to deal with Merz, the only other bloc large enough to deliver his party control of the government would be the AfD. Would he go so far?
Whether it is formally part of the next government or not, the AfD and its camp followers (such as Musk) could be set to have a much bigger influence on German politics. How this will change Germany in the long term remains to be seen.
Matt Fitzpatrick receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
It’s official. On February 1, US President Donald Trump will introduce a sweeping set of new 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. China will also face new tariffs of 10%.
During the presidential campaign, Trump threatened tariffs against all three countries, claiming they weren’t doing enough to prevent an influx of “drugs, in particular fentanyl” into the US, while also accusing Canada and Mexico of not doing enough to stop “illegal aliens”.
There will be some nuance. On Friday, Trump said tariffs on oil and gas would come into effect later, on February 18, and that Canadian oil would likely face a lower tariff of 10%.
This may only be the first move against China. Trump has previously threatened the country with 60% tariffs, asserting this will bring jobs back to America.
But the US’ move against its neighbours will have an almost immediate impact on the three countries involved and the landscape of North American trade. It marks the beginning of what could be a radical reshaping of international trade and political governance around the world.
What Trump wants from Canada and Mexico
While border security and drug trade concerns are the official rationale for this move, Trump’s tariffs have broader motivations.
The first one is protectionist. In all his presidential campaigning, Trump portrayed himself as a champion of US workers. Back in October, he said tariff was “the most beautiful word in the dictionary”.
Trump hasn’t hidden his fondness for protectionist trade measures.
This reflects the ongoing scepticism toward international trade that Trump – and politicians more generally on both ends of the political spectrum in the US – have held for some time.
It’s a significant shift in the close trade links between these neighbours. The US, Mexico and Canada are parties to the successor of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Trump has not hidden his willingness to use tariffs as a weapon to pressure other countries to achieve unrelated geopolitical goals. This is the epitome of what a research project team I co-lead calls “Weaponised Trade”.
This was on full display in late January. When the president of Colombia prohibited US military airplanes carrying Colombian nationals deported from the US to land, Trump successfully used the threat of tariffs to force Colombia to reverse course.
The volume of trade between the US, Canada, and Mexico is enormous, encompassing a wide range of goods and services. Some of the biggest sectors are automotive manufacturing, energy, agriculture, and consumer goods.
In 2022, the value of all goods and services traded between the US and Canada came to about US$909 billion (A$1.46 trillion). Between the US and Mexico that same year, it came to more than US$855 billion (A$1.37 trillion).
One of the hardest hit industries will be the automotive industry, which depends on cross-border trade. A car assembled in Canada, Mexico or the US relies heavily on a supply of parts from throughout North America.
Tariffs will raise costs throughout this supply chain, which could lead to higher prices for consumers and make US-based manufacturers less competitive.
There could also be ripple effects for agriculture. The US exports billions of dollars in corn, soybeans, and meat to Canada and Mexico, while importing fresh produce such as avocados and tomatoes from Mexico.
Tariffs may provoke retaliatory measures, putting farmers and food suppliers in all three countries at risk.
Trump’s decision to delay and reduce tariffs on oil was somewhat predictable. US imports of Canadian oil have increased steadily over recent decades, meaning tariffs would immediately bite US consumers at the fuel pump.
We’ve been here before
This isn’t the first time the world has dealt with Trump’s tariff-heavy approach to trade policy. Looking back to his first term may provide some clues about what we might expect.
In his first term, Trump imposed major tariffs on US steel imports. ABCDstock/Shutterstock
Canada and Mexico imposed retaliatory tariffs. Ultimately, all countries removed tariffs on steel and aluminium in the process of finalising the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
This signalled a bipartisan scepticism of unfettered trade and a shift toward on-shoring or re-shoring in US policy circles.
The options for Canada and Mexico
This time, Canada and Mexico’s have again responded with threats of retaliatorytariffs.
But they’ve also made attempts to mollify Trump – such as Canada launching a “crackdown” on fentanyl trade.
Generally speaking, responses to these tariffs could range from measured diplomacy to aggressive retaliation. Canada and Mexico may target politically sensitive industries such as agriculture or gasoline, where Trump’s base could feel the pinch.
There are legal options, too. Canada and Mexico could pursue legal action through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s dispute resolution mechanisms or the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Both venues provide pathways for challenging unfair trade practices. But these practices can be slow-moving, uncertain in their outcomes and are susceptible to being ignored.
A more long-term option for businesses in Canada and Mexico is to diversify their trade relationships to reduce reliance on the US market. However, the facts of geography, and the large base of consumers in the US mean that’s easier said than done.
The looming threat of a global trade war
Trump’s latest tariffs underscore a broader trend: the widening of the so-called “Overton window” to achieve unrelated geopolitical goals.
The Overton Window refers to the range of policy options politicians have because they are accepted among the general public.
Arguments for bringing critical industries back to the US, protecting domestic jobs, and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains gained traction after the ascent of China as a geopolitical and geoeconomic rival.
These arguments picked up steam during the COVID-19 pandemic and have increasingly been turned into actual policy.
The potential for a broader trade war looms large. Trump’s short-term goal may be to leverage tariffs as a tool to secure concessions from other jurisdictions.
Trump’s threats against Denmark – in his quest to obtain control over Greenland – are a prime example. The European Union (EU), a far more potent economic player, has pledged its support for Denmark.
A North American trade war – foreshadowed by the Canadian and Mexican governments – might then only be harbinger of things to come: significant economic harm, the erosion of trust among trading partners, and increased volatility in global markets.
Markus Wagner receives funding from the Department of Defence, Australia as a Chief Investigator on a project titled Weaponised Trade.
With only a few weeks until Germany’s election, Elon Musk has unambiguously thrown his support behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. In a video address to a party rally last week, he appeared to urge Germans to “move on” from any “past guilt” related to the Holocaust.
It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything.
Troublingly, the AfD is now firmly entrenched as Germany’s second-most popular political party, behind the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Like all parties in German elections, however, it cannot win an outright majority. It is also unlikely to be invited to join any ruling coalition that emerges from the February 23 election.
But the AfD’s anti-migrant, anti-government sloganeering has already seriously distorted Germany’s public debate and democratic culture, leaving many to ask whether it even needs to win elections to see its policies implemented.
This was evident following a dramatic week in Germany’s Bundestag.
First, in a radical break with Germany’s political norms, opposition leader Friedrich Merz deliberately drew on the votes of the AfD on Wednesday to ram a radical anti-asylum seeker motion through the parliament.
It was the first time in the history of the Bundestag that a parliamentary majority was reached with the help of the far right. Merz’s action was widely condemned as a “taboo-breaking” step towards legitimising the AfD.
Merz tried to take this a step further with a far-reaching bill to tighten immigration controls on Friday. Although the bill narrowly failed, all of the AfD voted with Merz. Twelve members of his own CDU party refused to back him.
Merz’s courting of the far right is widely seen as politically unnecessary, given his conservative CDU is already leading the national polls, making him the favourite to succeed the Social Democratic Party (SDP)‘s Olaf Scholz as chancellor.
This raises a couple crucial questions heading into the election. Is it insiders or outsiders that are playing the biggest role in bringing the far right into the mainstream? And just how big a role will the AfD play after the election?
The Musk effect
Musk’s embrace of the AfD should come as no surprise, given the integral part he played in Donald Trump’s election victory in the United States. In the German context, however, his behaviour and statements have taken on darker hues.
Germans know only too well what is at stake when democracy is eroded by those who abuse its freedoms to attack it. Had Musk’s now notorious Nazi salutes following Trump’s inauguration been performed in Berlin, for example, he might have faced up to three years in prison.
The catchphrase “never again” has underpinned German politics since the second world war. Yet, the response to Musk’s recent provocations was oddly muted in some sections of the German media.
With a few notable exceptions, it was left to activists to remind Germans of the severity of this gesture – projecting an image of Musk’s salute on a German Tesla plant, alongside the word “heil”.
Given the seriousness with which Germany patrols representations of its Nazi past, it was surprising just how few journalists were prepared to state without equivocation that “a Hitler salute is a Hitler salute is a Hitler salute”.
Merz’s embrace of the far right
Initially, there were some signs Germany’s main political leaders would decry Musk’s attempts to normalise far-right politics in the country.
Scholz has continued to label Musk’s blatant attempts to influence German politics as “unacceptable” and “disgusting”.
Merz claims to be keeping his distance from Musk. But it appears his strategy for winning the election is not far from what Musk is suggesting – mimicking AfD policies and collaborating with the party on anti-immigration votes.
In his most radical break with the centrism that characterised the CDU under former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Merz cracked the “firewall” against working with the far-right this week. Knowing just what it meant, he used the AfD’s support to pass the starkly worded nationalist border protection motion in the Bundestag.
Democratic party leaders, meanwhile, registered their shock and dismay. Merkel herself spoke out against Merz, saying it was “wrong” to “knowingly” work with the AfD.
Her intervention appears to have been critical to the immigration bill failing on Friday, with many of her former supporters in the CDU withholding their votes.
What AfD’s rise could mean
Given the two votes in the past week and Musk’s high-profile intervention, many in Germany now fear a CDU victory in the election could signal more collaboration with the AfD.
The Greens’ Robert Habeck, Germany’s vice chancellor, has said Merz’s nationalist coalition would “destroy Europe”. He has also warned Musk to keep his “hands off our democracy”, prompting Musk to label Habeck “a traitor to the German people”.
Musk is by no means the cause of the AfD’s popularity, but his embrace of the extremist party has given it a global profile and credibility in circles that might not have otherwise considered supporting it.
As some commentators have suggested, it is probably not coincidental the AfD’s plans for the German economy would benefit Musk’s business interests. Economic self-interest alone seems insufficient, however, to explain why Musk has gravitated to the extreme right.
The same might be said of Merz. Electoral calculations alone cannot explain his risky courting of the far right. He has long been the frontrunner to win the next election. Cosying up to the AfD will only make it harder to form a coalition with either Scholz’s Social Democratic Party or the Greens.
If these two parties refuse to deal with Merz, the only other bloc large enough to deliver his party control of the government would be the AfD. Would he go so far?
Whether it is formally part of the next government or not, the AfD and its camp followers (such as Musk) could be set to have a much bigger influence on German politics. How this will change Germany in the long term remains to be seen.
Matt Fitzpatrick receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
One of the key early leaders of a national Palestinian solidarity network in Aotearoa New Zealand today praised the “heroic” resilience and sacrifice of the people of Gaza in the face of Israel’s ruthless attempt to destroy the besieged enclave of more than 2 million people.
Speaking at the first solidarity rally in Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau since the fragile ceasefire came into force last Sunday, Janfrie Wakim of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) also paid tribute to New Zealand protesters who have supported the Palestine cause for the 68th week.
“Thank you all for coming to this rally — the first since 7 October 2023 when no bombs are dropping on Gaza,” she declared.
“The ceasefire in Gaza is fragile but let’s celebrate the success of the resistance, the resilience, and the fortitude — the sumud [steadfastness] — of the heroic Palestinian people.”
Wakim was formerly a member of Palestine Human Rights Campaign (PHRC) in Auckland which began in the 1970s. This was later absorbed into the nationwide movement PSNA at a conference in 2013.
“Israel has failed,” she continued. “It has not achieved its aims — in the longest war [15 weeks] in its history — even with $40 billion in aid from the United States.
“It has failed to depopulate the north of Gaza, it has a crumbling economy, and 1 million Israelis [out if 9 million] have left already.”
Wakim said that the resistance and success in defeating Israel’s “deadly objectives” had come at a “terrible cost”.
“We mourn those with families here and in Gaza and now in the West Bank who made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives — 47,000 people killed, 18,000 of them children, thousands unaccounted for in the rubble and over 100,000 injured.
Grieving for journalists, humanitarian workers “We grieve for but salute the journalists and the humanitarian workers who have been murdered serving humanity.”
Janfrie Wakim speaking at today’s Palestine rally in Tamaki Makaurau. Video: APR
She said the genocide had been enabled by the wealthiest countries in the world and the Western media — “including our own with few exceptions”.
“Without its lies, its deflections, its failure to report the agonising reality of Palestinians suffering, Israel would not have been able to commit its atrocities,” Wakim said.
“And now while we celebrate the ceasefire there’s been an escalation on the West Bank — air strikes, drones, snipers, ethnic cleansing in Jenin with homes and infrastructure being demolished.
“Checkpoints have doubled to over 900 — sealing off communities. And still the Palestinians resist.
“And we must too. Solidarity. Unity of purpose is all important. Bury egos. Let humanity triumph.”
Palestinian liberation advocate Janfrie Wakim . . . “Without its lies, its deflections, its failure to report the agonising reality of Palestinians suffering, Israel could not have been able to commit its atrocities.” Image: David Robie/APR
90-year-old supporter During her short speech, Wakim introduced to the crowd the first Palestinian she had met in New Zealand, Ghazi Dassouki, who is now aged 90.
She met him at a Continuing Education seminar at the University of Auckland in 1986 that addressed the topic of “The Palestine Question”. It shocked the establishment of the time with Zionist complaints and intimidation of staff which prevented any similar academic event until 2006.
Wakim called for justice for the Palestinians.
“Freedom from occupation. Liberation from apartheid. And peace at last after 76 years of subjugation and oppression by Israel and its allies,” she said
She called on supporters to listen to what was being suggested for local action — “do what suits your situation and energy. Our task is to persist, as Howard Zinn put it”.
“When we organise with one another, when we get involved, when we stand up and speak out together, we can create a power no government can suppress,” she said.
“We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”
Introduced to the Auckland protest crowd today . . . Ghazi Dassouki, who is now aged 90.
As a symbol for peace and justice in Palestine, slices of water melon and dates were handed out to the crowd.
Calls to block NZ visits by IDF soldiers Among many nationwide rallies across Aotearoa New Zealand this weekend, were many calls for the government to suspend entry to the country from soldiers in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
“New Zealand should not be providing rest and recreation for Israeli soldiers fresh from the genocide in Gaza,” said PSNA national chair John Minto.
“We wouldn’t allow Russian soldiers to come here for rest and recreation from the invasion of Ukraine so why would we accept soldiers from the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel?”
As well as the working holiday visa, since 2019 Israelis have been able to enter New Zealand for three months without needing a visa at all.
This visa-waiver is used by Israeli soldiers for “rest and recreation” from the genocide in Gaza.
Minto stressed that IDF soldiers had killed at least 47,000 Palestinians — 70 percent of them women and children.
“All these red flags for genocide have been visible for months but the government is still giving the green light to those involved in war crimes to enter New Zealand,” Minto said.
Last month, PSNA again wrote to the government asking for the suspension of travel to New Zealand for all Israeli soldiers and reservists.
Meanwhile, 200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails have been set free under the terms of the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Seventy of them will be deported to countries in the region, reports Al Jazeera.
Masses of people have congregated in Ramallah, celebrating the return of the released Palestinian prisoners.
A huge crowd waved Palestinian flags, shouted slogans and captured the joyful scene with their phones and live footage shows.
The release came after Palestinian fighters earlier handed over four female Israeli soldiers who had been held in Gaza to the International Red Cross in Palestine Square.
The smiling and waving soldiers appeared to be in good health and were in high spirits.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Markus Wagner, Professor of Law and Director of the UOW Transnational Law and Policy Centre, University of Wollongong
It’s official. On February 1, US President Donald Trump will introduce a sweeping set of new 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. China will also face new tariffs of 10%.
During the presidential campaign, Trump threatened tariffs against all three countries, claiming they weren’t doing enough to prevent an influx of “drugs, in particular fentanyl” into the US, while also accusing Canada and Mexico of not doing enough to stop “illegal aliens”.
There will be some nuance. On Friday, Trump said tariffs on oil and gas would come into effect later, on February 18, and that Canadian oil would likely face a lower tariff of 10%.
This may only be the first move against China. Trump has previously threatened the country with 60% tariffs, asserting this will bring jobs back to America.
But the US’ move against its neighbours will have an almost immediate impact on the three countries involved and the landscape of North American trade. It marks the beginning of what could be a radical reshaping of international trade and political governance around the world.
What Trump wants from Canada and Mexico
While border security and drug trade concerns are the official rationale for this move, Trump’s tariffs have broader motivations.
The first one is protectionist. In all his presidential campaigning, Trump portrayed himself as a champion of US workers. Back in October, he said tariff was “the most beautiful word in the dictionary”.
Trump hasn’t hidden his fondness for protectionist trade measures.
This reflects the ongoing scepticism toward international trade that Trump – and politicians more generally on both ends of the political spectrum in the US – have held for some time.
It’s a significant shift in the close trade links between these neighbours. The US, Mexico and Canada are parties to the successor of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Trump has not hidden his willingness to use tariffs as a weapon to pressure other countries to achieve unrelated geopolitical goals. This is the epitome of what a research project team I co-lead calls “Weaponised Trade”.
This was on full display in late January. When the president of Colombia prohibited US military airplanes carrying Colombian nationals deported from the US to land, Trump successfully used the threat of tariffs to force Colombia to reverse course.
The volume of trade between the US, Canada, and Mexico is enormous, encompassing a wide range of goods and services. Some of the biggest sectors are automotive manufacturing, energy, agriculture, and consumer goods.
In 2022, the value of all goods and services traded between the US and Canada came to about US$909 billion (A$1.46 trillion). Between the US and Mexico that same year, it came to more than US$855 billion (A$1.37 trillion).
One of the hardest hit industries will be the automotive industry, which depends on cross-border trade. A car assembled in Canada, Mexico or the US relies heavily on a supply of parts from throughout North America.
Tariffs will raise costs throughout this supply chain, which could lead to higher prices for consumers and make US-based manufacturers less competitive.
There could also be ripple effects for agriculture. The US exports billions of dollars in corn, soybeans, and meat to Canada and Mexico, while importing fresh produce such as avocados and tomatoes from Mexico.
Tariffs may provoke retaliatory measures, putting farmers and food suppliers in all three countries at risk.
Trump’s decision to delay and reduce tariffs on oil was somewhat predictable. US imports of Canadian oil have increased steadily over recent decades, meaning tariffs would immediately bite US consumers at the fuel pump.
We’ve been here before
This isn’t the first time the world has dealt with Trump’s tariff-heavy approach to trade policy. Looking back to his first term may provide some clues about what we might expect.
In his first term, Trump imposed major tariffs on US steel imports. ABCDstock/Shutterstock
Canada and Mexico imposed retaliatory tariffs. Ultimately, all countries removed tariffs on steel and aluminium in the process of finalising the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
This signalled a bipartisan scepticism of unfettered trade and a shift toward on-shoring or re-shoring in US policy circles.
The options for Canada and Mexico
This time, Canada and Mexico’s have again responded with threats of retaliatorytariffs.
But they’ve also made attempts to mollify Trump – such as Canada launching a “crackdown” on fentanyl trade.
Generally speaking, responses to these tariffs could range from measured diplomacy to aggressive retaliation. Canada and Mexico may target politically sensitive industries such as agriculture or gasoline, where Trump’s base could feel the pinch.
There are legal options, too. Canada and Mexico could pursue legal action through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s dispute resolution mechanisms or the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Both venues provide pathways for challenging unfair trade practices. But these practices can be slow-moving, uncertain in their outcomes and are susceptible to being ignored.
A more long-term option for businesses in Canada and Mexico is to diversify their trade relationships to reduce reliance on the US market. However, the facts of geography, and the large base of consumers in the US mean that’s easier said than done.
The looming threat of a global trade war
Trump’s latest tariffs underscore a broader trend: the widening of the so-called “Overton window” to achieve unrelated geopolitical goals.
The Overton Window refers to the range of policy options politicians have because they are accepted among the general public.
Arguments for bringing critical industries back to the US, protecting domestic jobs, and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains gained traction after the ascent of China as a geopolitical and geoeconomic rival.
These arguments picked up steam during the COVID-19 pandemic and have increasingly been turned into actual policy.
The potential for a broader trade war looms large. Trump’s short-term goal may be to leverage tariffs as a tool to secure concessions from other jurisdictions.
Trump’s threats against Denmark – in his quest to obtain control over Greenland – are a prime example. The European Union (EU), a far more potent economic player, has pledged its support for Denmark.
A North American trade war – foreshadowed by the Canadian and Mexican governments – might then only be harbinger of things to come: significant economic harm, the erosion of trust among trading partners, and increased volatility in global markets.
Markus Wagner receives funding from the Department of Defence, Australia as a Chief Investigator on a project titled Weaponised Trade.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Joint statement by Australia, Canada, the European Union, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States
Today marks four years since the Myanmar military regime overthrew the democratically elected government in Myanmar, creating one of the largest crises in the Indo-Pacific. Since the coup, the people of Myanmar remain subject to military rule that has deprived many of their rights, democratic aspirations and, for thousands, their liberty and their lives.
We condemn in the strongest terms the Myanmar military regime’s escalating violence harming civilians, including human rights violations, sexual and gender-based violence, and systematic persecution and discrimination against all religious and ethnic minorities. The military’s airstrikes are killing civilians, destroying schools, markets, places of worship and medical facilities; with almost a 25-fold increase since 2021 this represents an average of three airstrikes per day. The rise in airstrikes in areas with no active conflict has marked a clear escalation by the military.
We call on the Myanmar military regime to immediately de-escalate violence, ensure unhindered and safe humanitarian access across the country, and we urge all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians and fully adhere to International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.
As of 2025, humanitarian needs have increased twenty-fold since the coup. Over one-third of the population,19.9 million people, are now in need of humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs. An estimated 15.2 million people are in need of food assistance and cases of preventable diseases are on the rise.
Increasing needs and ongoing conflict have displaced up to 3.5 million people internally – an increase of nearly one million in the last year. Many more people are forced to flee across Myanmar’s borders. Rising transnational crime, including narcotics production and trafficking, scam centres and human trafficking, harm the people of Myanmar and affect neighbouring countries, risking instability in the broader region.
The current trajectory is not sustainable for Myanmar or the region. Now is the time for the Myanmar military regime to immediately change course. We strongly urge the Myanmar military regime to cease violence, including harming civilians and civilian infrastructure, release all political prisoners, and engage in genuine and inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders. These are essential first steps towards any peaceful, democratic transition, reflecting the will of Myanmar’s people.
We reiterate our support for the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Five Point Consensus, including the ASEAN Chair’s Special Envoy, in addressing the Myanmar and resultant refugee crisis. We strongly welcome collaboration between the ASEAN and United Nations (UN) Special Envoys. We call on the international community to continue to support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2669 (2022). We underline the need for accountability for all atrocities committed in Myanmar, human rights must be safeguarded, violations and abuses must be prevented.
We will continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and support their vision for an inclusive, peaceful and prosperous future.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Four years on from military coup, additional UK humanitarian funding delivers healthcare to one million people in Myanmar
Uplift in support announced four years on from the military coup, as humanitarian needs reach record levels
Despite the ongoing conflict, healthcare will be delivered to nearly one million people across Myanmar in the first half of 2025 including maternal care, nutrition support and disease treatment
New climate resilience funding will help rural communities tackle extreme weather, improve water management and strengthen food security
Almost one million vulnerable people in Myanmar will receive essential medical care through UK aid support in the first six months of 2025, helping communities access vital healthcare services despite ongoing conflict.
The UK is announcing an uplift of £22.45 million in humanitarian support for 2024/25 to deliver this support, four years on from the military coup. On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military overthrew the democratically elected government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and installed a military regime. Since then, they have used violence and atrocities to maintain power and suppress opposition voices. The UK has consistently called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all those arbitrarily detained in Myanmar.
UK funding will provide maternal and child health services to around 107,000 women and children, while 86,000 people will be reached with crucial nutrition support. It is expected that a further 142,000 people will be able to access sexual and reproductive health services and treatment for diseases like tuberculosis and malaria.
The life-saving assistance comes as Myanmar faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with nearly 20 million people now requiring aid – a twenty-fold increase since the military coup four years ago.
Minister for Development, Anneliese Dodds, said:
While global attention may shift, the UK will not forget the millions in Myanmar still living through a brutal conflict, creating a humanitarian crisis in a country already vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis.
Four years on from the military coup and amid ongoing violence, the UK is matching words with action – providing additional support to meet urgent health needs and tackle long-term climate challenges.
Over 3.5 million people are now displaced from their homes due to the fighting, 19.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and Myanmar is now seeing a proliferation in serious and organised crime.
Typhoon Yagi caused devastation across South-East Asia in September 2024, severely affecting over one million people across Myanmar. Additional funding will help rural communities prepare for future climate-related disasters, through improved food systems and early warning mechanisms, including support for areas recovering from recent typhoons.
Agriculture is vital to Myanmar’s economy and without it, the country will find it difficult to rebuild and grow when the conflict finally ends. UK support is planting the seeds for Myanmar’s long-term recovery, restoring security and stability to make the world safer for all of us.
The UK continues to support ASEAN’s central role in addressing the crisis. The UK convened a UN Security Council meeting on 30 January, calling for full humanitarian access across Myanmar to help protect civilians and pressed for further action to secure a peaceful democratic future for the Myanmar people. As penholder on Myanmar at the UNSC, the UK will continue to take action to bring stability to Myanmar and the wider region, maintaining our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific in the interests of UK national security.
Notes to editors
UK humanitarian support to Myanmar in the financial year 2024 to 2025 has increased to £66.45 million from an initial allocation of £44 million (excluding support from the UK’s Integrated Security Fund), following a decision to uplift funding due to increasing humanitarian need. By comparison, support in the 2023 to 2024 financial year began at £30.1 million and concluded at £38.83 million.
The former Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) commander who defied a government decision to send mercenaries to Bougainville during the civil war in the late 1990s has paid tribute to Sir Julius Chan, prime minister at the time.
Retired Major-General Jerry Singirok, who effectively ended the Bougainville War and caused Sir Julius to step aside as Prime Minister in 1997, expressed his condolences, saying he had the highest respect for Sir Julius — who died on Thursday aged 85 — for upholding the constitution when the people demanded it.
“Today, I mourn with his family, the people of New Ireland and the nation for his loss. We are for ever grateful for such a selfless servant as Sir Julius Chan,” he said.
Retired Major-General Jerry Singirok . . . “We are for ever grateful for such a selfless servant as Sir Julius Chan.” Image: PNG Post-Courier
As a captain, Jerry Singirok had served on the PNGDF’s first-ever overseas combat deployment in Vanuatu to quell an independence rebellion.
The decision to send PNGDF forces to Vanuatu was made when Sir Julius was prime minister in 1980.
Seventeen years later, again under Sir Julius’ leadership, the 38-year-old Singirok was elevated to be the PNGDF commander as the government struggled to put an end to the decade-long Bougainville War.
Under the arrangement, 44 British, South African and Australian mercenaries supported by the PNGDF, would be sent in to Bougainville to end the conflict.
Singirok disagreed with the decision, disarmed and arrested the mercenaries during the night of 16 March 1997, and with the backing of the army he called for Sir Julius to step aside as prime minster. Sir Julius’ defiance triggered violent protests.
“Yes, I disagreed with him and opposed the use of mercenaries on Bougainville and the nation mobilised and expelled Sandline mercenaries,” he said.
“But it did not once dampen my respect for him.”
Under immense public pressure, Sir Julius stepped aside.
Throughout the period of unrest, Singirok maintained that the military operation called “Opareisen Rausim Kwik” (Tok Pisin for “Get rid of them quickly”), was aimed at expelling mercenaries and was not a coup against the government.
His book about the so-called Sandline affair, A Matter of Conscience, was published in 2023.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) sat down with The Counteroffensive’s Tim Mak to encourage continued western support for Romania and Moldova, both of which are victims of intensive Russian coercion campaigns in eastern Europe amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Last month, Senator Coons led a congressional delegation to Moldova and Romania, where he saw firsthand Russia’s attempts to undermine the independence and democracy of both countries. Romania, a crucial NATO ally, faced widespread Russian interference in their November presidential election that propelled pro-Russia NATO-skeptic candidate Calin Georgescu to first place before the election was annulled. Meanwhile, Moldova also faced intensive Russian interference, including disinformation and vote-buying campaigns, in its October presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union, which ultimately passed despite Russia’s efforts. The country is also dealing with an energy crisis, as Russia started off the year by cutting off gas supplies to Moldova’s only power plant, with devastating consequences for Moldovan civilians now struggling through the winter.
In the interview, Senator Coons also encouraged President Trump and Republicans not to abandon Ukraine nearly three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.
The Counteroffensive: TOP DEM SENATOR: DON’T TAKE EYES OFF MOLDOVA, ROMANIA
As violent as the war in Ukraine is, there are broader Russian threats that the United States needs to pay attention to, said Sen. Chris Coons, a senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Coons recently returned from a Congressional delegation to Moldova and Romania, and gave an exclusive interview with The Counteroffensive to share lessons learned.
“Russia has a playbook, and it has a set of plays that it’s running,” and not just in Ukraine, he said, referring to hybrid warfare techniques that include threats to Moldova’s energy security and influence operations in Romania.
“Their sabotage operations are continuing right now across Central and Western Europe: fires and attacks and assassinations; and that their influence operations using social media; cyber attacks; good old fashioned bribery – are actually having an influence on politics,” he warned. “These are not isolated.”
Read the full article here.
The 2025 Legislative Session is officially underway! On Monday, January 13, the Georgia General Assembly reconvened under the Gold Dome, marking the start of this year’s legislative session and the beginning of a new biennium.
This legislative biennium, I am honored to continue serving on the Senate Committee on Education and Youth as Secretary and on the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities as an Ex-Officio. I am similarly honored to serve as a member on the Senate Committees on, Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Appropriations, Interstate Cooperation, Natural Resources and the Environment, and Urban Affairs.
During our first week of session, Governor Brian Kemp delivered his annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Senate and House chambers. I look forward to supporting some of his proposals, including pay raises for teachers, state employees, and first responders and efforts to strengthen our healthcare workforce. We must ensure every Georgian has access to affordable healthcare, expand opportunities for quality public education, invest in renewable energy solutions, and tackle the growing need for affordable housing across the state. These priorities are essential for creating a Georgia where every family can thrive.
The past two weeks have been busy at the Capitol. Despite the ice and snow that significantly affected Senate District 12 last week, we still have accomplished a great deal. While “Budget Week” was officially postponed, we have continued to hold crucial joint committee meetings to make up for lost time.
On Tuesday, I recognized the Albany Chamber of Commerce and delegates from Southwest Georgia to the Senate Chamber. The Chamber’s dedication to bolstering the economy and employing numerous Southwest Georgians across District 12 has not gone unnoticed. I commend the Chamber for their work and thank them for making the long drive to spend the day at the Capitol.
I am proud to have co-sponsored several pieces of legislation since the beginning of the Legislative Session, including Senate Bills (SB) 53 and 54. SB 53, sponsored by Sen. Emanuel Jones (D – Decatur), would increase public education on safe firearm storage for citizens. Senate Bill 54, also sponsored by Sen. Emanuel Jones, would establish a state-wide database for schools to use to report safety threats made to schools. Addressing gun violence is vital not only to the well-being of our students but to all Georgians. We must provide all students with the safest possible learning environment. It continues to be my honor and privilege to represent you under the Gold Dome. Your voice matters, and I encourage you to share your ideas and concerns as we work together to build a stronger, fairer Georgia.
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Sen. Freddie Powell Sims represents the 12th Senate District which includes Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Dougherty, Early, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell and Webster County. She may be reached at (404) 463-5259 or by email atfreddie.sims@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out toSenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.
The Georgia General Assembly is back in session and it is a privilege to return to work under the Gold Dome, where I remain steadfast in my commitment to addressing the issues that matter most to Georgians across our great state.
This legislative session is already off to a strong start. Governor Kemp has laid out a bold vision, focusing on initiatives that include increasing funding for school safety, enhancing our skilled workforce, announcing 100,000 million dollars in relief for families and businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene, and continuing to expand access to affordable healthcare for hardworking Georgians. By investing in high-demand, high-skill, and high-wage career opportunities, we are taking critical steps to secure Georgia’s economic future.
After an uneventful week due to the snowfall in Atlanta and South Georgia, this week concludes the third week of the 2025 Legislative Session, and we’re staying focused on passing commonsense legislation that puts Georgia families, businesses and communities first.
Last week’s snowstorm may have delayed budget hearings for a few days, but it didn’t slow us down. The General Assembly has been hard at work in joint sessions, carefully reviewing budget requests to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. Passing a balanced budget is not only our constitutional duty—it’s the foundation of a responsible government that serves its people.
One of the most crucial budget proposals this session is Governor Brian P. Kemp’s plan to return $1 billion in surplus funds directly to taxpayers. Thanks to years of conservative budgeting and fiscal responsibility, we’re in a position to give back to the hardworking Georgians who keep our state running. This is just part of the $2.2 billion in statewide allocations designed to benefit families, businesses and communities across Georgia. I’m proud to support Gov. Kemp’s efforts to strengthen our economy by putting more money back in your pockets.
Another key priority is ensuring communities hit hardest by Hurricane Helene have the resources they need to rebuild. Gov. Kemp has proposed $614.72 million in recovery funding, including $150 million for the Governor’s Emergency Fund to help with debris removal and housing assistance. Another $300 million will go to the Georgia Department of Transportation to restore roads and infrastructure. Many rural counties are still reeling from this storm, and we’re committed to making sure they get the support they need to recover and move forward.
Back at the Capitol, we hit the ground running this week, advancing legislation that reflects our values and priorities. I’m especially proud to sponsor Senate Bill 34. I introduced Senate Bill 34 in anticipation of technology companies building AI databases in Georgia. AI databases use exorbitant amounts of electricity, and I have introduced this bill to prevent electric providers from including the electric fees of these databases in typical Georgia consumer rates.
I am honored to be re-appointed as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and Ex-Officio of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, in addition to serving as a member on the Senate Committees on Health and Human Services, Higher Education and Rules. I thank Lt. Governor Jones for these appointments, and I look forward to serving District 52 and Georgia on these committees
Finally, I encourage students ages 12 to 18 to apply for the Senate Page Program. This is an excellent way for young people to see firsthand how the General Assembly works. If you know a student who might be interested, they can apply on the Senate website here.
As always, I’m here to listen. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about our work at the Capitol, please don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s an honor to serve you, and I appreciate your trust as we work together throughout the remainder of the 2025 legislative session.
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Sen. Chuck Hufstetler serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance. He represents the 52nd Senate District which includes portions of Bartow, Floyd, and Gordon counties. He can be reached at (404) 656-0034 or via email atchuck.hufstetler@senate.ga.gov. For all media inquiries, please reach out toSenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.
Source: US Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the selection of four projects totaling $7.1 million to expand a program that improves planning, siting, and permitting processes for large-scale renewable energy and energy storage facilities across the United States. The collaborative teams formed through these projects, as well as 12 previously selected under the Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEP™) program, will develop and expand statewide initiatives that provide expertise, trainings, and technical resources to local governments, Tribal governments, and communities as they plan for and evaluate large-scale renewable energy and energy storage projects. A significant portion of large-scale renewable energy and energy storage projects built in the coming years are likely to be built on private lands, where state and local authorities make permitting decisions. The state-based R-STEP collaboratives will evaluate the needs of stakeholders in their regions and develop tailored educational materials and technical assistance programs to improve planning and streamline project reviews and permit decisions. This will result in renewable energy and energy storage projects that contribute to strong local economies, resilient energy systems, and lower energy costs for households and businesses, especially in rural or underserved communities. The R-STEP collaboratives bring together stakeholders from all sides of the energy planning process, including state and regional agencies, universities, developers, technical experts, public service commissions, farmers unions, tribes, community organizations, and other trusted entities.
The four newly selected collaboratives are:
Illinois: Led by University of Illinois Extension, the collaborative will build and maintain a cohort of trusted technical assistance providers in each county to help communities make informed decisions about renewable energy projects. The work will focus on developing education and outreach materials to support proactive decision-making by communities and local government officials. (Award amount: $1.9 million) Louisiana: Led by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, the collaborative will engage a diverse array of community partners in Louisiana to inform state agencies’ planning and decision-making for offshore wind facilities in state waters. (Award amount: $1.9 million) Minnesota: Led by University of Minnesota Extension, the collaborative will engage diverse stakeholders to assess needs, expand technical assistance services, and maintain training and educational resources to expand local officials’ capacity to engage constructively in planning, siting, and permitting for large-scale renewable energy projects. (Award amount: $1.2 million) Virginia: Led by the Virginia Department of Energy, the collaborative will create a centralized, stakeholder-informed hub to provide resources and access to trusted experts to increase knowledge about energy fundamentals, economic development, environmental regulations and best practices, and planning for large-scale renewable energy development. (Award amount: $1.9 million)
DOE is currently seeking experts to provide technical assistance to the R-STEP collaboratives. Organizations with expertise on key renewable energy and energy storage planning, siting, and permitting topics are encouraged to learn more and apply by Jan. 9, 2025, at 3 p.m. ET. Learn more about the selected state-based collaboratives. Learn more about large-scale renewable energy siting. R-STEP is funded by DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office and Wind Energy Technologies Office. The R-STEP program is administered by ENERGYWERX. This funding mechanism is made possible through the innovative Partnership Intermediary Agreement set up by DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions. Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicant will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time. DOE award amounts are subject to change pending negotiations.
The R-STEP program has announced state-based collaborations supporting: Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Source: US Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $32 million for six selected pilot projects that will support new load growth through grid-edge innovations and the ability of energy providers to right-size grid investments for future load growth. These Connected Communities projects in eight states will also provide new strategies and tools for utilities, grid planners and operators, automakers, electric vehicle (EV) smart charge management service providers, and the communities they serve to improve resilience and reduce costs. “Providing low-cost, resilient, and reliable energy to all Americans is a top priority for the DOE,” said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “As our nation’s energy system faces unprecedented demand growth, it’s more important than ever to deploy solutions that maximize all our energy resources and deliver the most efficient, reliable, and affordable electricity possible. These pilot projects will leverage the latest grid-edge solutions—like energy efficiency, demand-responsive building systems, energy storage, EV smart charging, and advanced grid-planning strategies—to equip communities and utilities with the tools and data they need to confidently manage our evolving electric grid.” DOE continues to evaluate applications for this funding opportunity and intends to award additional projects up to a total of $65 million, as originally announced, with additional selections as reviews are completed. Connected Communities 2.0 builds on the successes and lessons learned from the first cohort of Connected Communities, launched in 2020, and DOE’s original smart neighborhoods in Georgia and Alabama. The first Connected Communities projects focused on integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) to support a more variable grid. The 2.0 version aims to address growing challenges to the grid head-on, ensuring that necessary upgrades are sized correctly to accommodate increasing loads at vehicle charging locations, data centers, buildings, and industrial sites in a way that leverages the flexibility of these new loads. In the process, DOE is selecting a cohort and collecting data needed to build confidence that the grid is highly flexible and resilient. Connected Communities 2.0 centers on two major areas:
Connected Communities (topic 1), focused on integrated grid-edge technical measures in buildings, industry, and transportation to prepare the electric grid for new loads and improve customer benefits and grid resilience. Smart Charge Management (subtopic 1A), focused on various unique urban, suburban, and rural-use cases to build confidence in smart charge management as an effective approach for EVs to provide flexibility and value to the electric grid.
Three projects have been selected in each area. The Connected Communities selectees are:
The Accelerating Community-wide Connected Electric Loads & Energy Reliability Achieved Through Integration with Nationwide Grid (ACCELERATING) Connectivity initiative (Minnesota), led by the Beneficial Electrification League, will advance a nationally scalable approach for building load management. The project will prioritize partnerships with electric cooperatives in Minnesota that advance communications to optimize residential thermal loads as grid assets. (Award amount: $5.3 million) Purdue University (Indiana) will demonstrate pathways for rural electric membership cooperatives to improve energy efficiency and resilience in the face of new load growth in collaboration with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Pathways include engaging with rural communities, piloting financial programs, coordinating DERs through systems, and scaling up lessons learned. (Award amount: $5.9 million) The Responsive Energy Communities Harnessing Advanced Grid Efficiency (RECHARGE) initiative (California), led by Pacific Gas & Electric, will target residential units, businesses and industry in the city of San Jose and in the Fresno County. RECHARGE will address the growing electric demand and distribution capacity challenges in these communities. (Award amount: $6 million)
The Smart Charge Management selectees are:
One Energy Enterprises (Ohio) will pioneer a community charging depot for medium- and heavy-duty truck fleets, which will integrate advanced microgrid technology and DERs to minimize charging investments, while optimizing the grid. The site will be located in Findlay, Ohio, with plans for expansion to support a larger number of class 6–8 electric trucks. (Award amount: $3.2 million) Baltimore Gas & Electric Company (Maryland) will use a multi-faceted distributed energy resource management system to unlock grid-aware managed charging functionality. The project will feature technology that reduces residential EV charging peak loads, decreases infrastructure upgrade costs, and adjusts charging schedules to alleviate grid congestion. (Award amount: $5.9 million) EV.Energy (California, Florida, Alaska, Rhode Island, and Hawaii) will demonstrate and validate smart charge management solutions in five diverse utility territories across five different states. Smart charge management approaches will include optimization for renewable energy matching, reduced grid congestion, timer peak smoothing, expanded charging access for multifamily housing, and both vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid technologies. (Award amount: $6 million)
The six projects selected today will demonstrate the capabilities of grid-edge technologies and integrated power systems that are efficient, resilient, flexible, and affordable, along with distribution and grid-planning strategies that can be replicated across the United States. Integration is essential to Connected Communities, and DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and Office of Electricity are collaborating to support integrated energy system planning with a network of technology offices and industry partners. The Connected Communities 2.0 funding announcement is led by EERE’s Building Technologies Office and Vehicle Technologies Office in collaboration with the Solar Energy Technologies Office, Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office, and Geothermal Technologies Office.
The head of UN Peace Operations has underscored the need for continued diplomatic efforts to end the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and avert the potential for wider conflict.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed journalists at UN Headquarters on Friday, as the M23 rebel group and Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) continued their march toward the city of Bukavu, having taken control of the provincial capital, Goma, earlier this week.
“We are concerned not only as far as the eastern DRC is concerned, but if you look at the past, this has the potential of triggering a wider regional conflict,” he said.
“Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that all diplomatic efforts should be geared towards avoiding this and bringing about a cessation of hostilities.”
Protection a priority
Mr. Lacroix was speaking as the M23 were some 60 kilometres north of Bukavu and “seem to be moving quite fast.”
He provided an update on Goma, where the situation remains tense and volatile but calm is gradually being restored. Water and electricity are also up and running, though unexploded ordnance continue to present “a very serious obstacle to freedom of movement”.
The UN has a peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known by the French acronym MONUSCO, and several of its bases have been re-supplied which he said is critical as a “significant number” of people are also sheltering in these locations.
“The priority of the mission remains the protection of its personnel, assets, and, of course, the many civilians sheltering within its premises – civilians and disarmed combatants. All are being protected by MONUSCO in accordance with international humanitarian law,” he said.
He reported that the bases “are under significant pressure” when it comes to providing water rations, sanitation and other support to those inside.
Political engagement ongoing
Meanwhile, the MONUSCO leadership is increasing political engagement with the Congolese authorities. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the mission, Bintou Keita, has held discussions with top officials, including the Prime Minister and the leaders of the army and police.
A joint Government-MONUSCO group has been established to coordinate on various issues, including in the security, human rights, humanitarian and communications spheres, as well as the legal status of the territories under the control of the M23 and the RDF.
Mr. Lacroix highlighted the “florescence” of diplomatic activities in response to the crisis, which includes two UN Security Council meetings, a summit by the East African Community (EAC), another by the Southern African bloc SADC, and a meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
The European Union, along with the United Kingdom, the United States and others, have also weighed in.
“Up to now, this has not resulted in cessation of hostilities,” he remarked, noting that “the M23 and the RDF are currently progressing towards the south, towards Bukavu, and that is of course a matter of concern.”
Respect UN premises
The peacekeeping chief emphasized the need to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and civilians, including those sheltering in MONUSCO bases, and respect for UN premises which are inviolable.
“We cannot stress this enough in the current circumstances where MONUSCO bases are under stress, but also in some cases they have been under threat,” he said.
He stated that “diplomatic engagement and activities need to continue” towards the ultimate objective of ending the violence.
The 2025 Legislative Session is officially underway! On Monday, January 13, the Georgia General Assembly reconvened under the Gold Dome, marking the start of this year’s legislative session and the beginning of a new biennium. Over the next 40 legislative days, I’m committed to fighting for policies that create a more equitable and inclusive Georgia for all its residents.
I am honored to continue serving on the Senate Committees on Government Oversight, Health and Human Services, Insurance and Labor, Natural Resources and the Environments and Urban Affairs where we will address pressing issues such as healthcare reform, firearm violence, and increasing literacy.
As we enter the heart of the legislative session this week, the work under the Gold Dome is moving full speed ahead. Even as ice and snow swept across South Georgia and Atlanta last week, our commitment to serving the people of Georgia never wavered.
When we returned to the Capitol this past Monday, we hit the ground running. Some highlights included Chamber of Commerce Day. I want to thank the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce for joining Tuesday’s General Assembly at the Capitol. I appreciate all the Chamber does for Gwinnett County’s economy, small businesses, and emerging business leaders and entrepreneurs. These events are always exciting, and it’s refreshing to see so many Georgians getting involved in our state government.
As budget hearings for the next fiscal year continue over the remainder of the legislative session in the form of committee meetings, we have a critical opportunity to shape investments that will directly impact our communities. Governor Brian Kemp’s proposed budget includes $50 million in security grants for individual schools—an essential step toward keeping students safe. However, proper school safety goes beyond physical security; it requires a commitment to addressing the broader issues affecting student well-being. I will continue advocating for a budget that supports working families, invests in underserved communities, and ensures every Georgian has the opportunity to succeed at every turn.
My fellow Senators and I recognize that our constituents and families deserve to send their children to school without fear, and that is why we are introducing legislation to tackle school gun violence in Georgia. I am proud to co-sponsor SB 49, introduced by Sen. Elena Parent, which aims to address gun violence by making it a punishable offense in Georgia to allow children access to firearms. This legislation would require parents to take greater responsibility for securely storing their firearms, reducing children’s exposure to guns and helping keep our schools safe.
On Tuesday, Senate Democrats announced several key legislative priorities for this session. We introduced SB 50, a bipartisan effort to close health insurance gaps, expand access to mental health and maternal care and ensure working families can afford quality healthcare. Too many Georgians rely on emergency rooms for primary care because they lack affordable insurance. We believe every Georgian deserves reliable, accessible healthcare, and we will continue pushing for solutions that lower costs and expand coverage. In the coming weeks, we will introduce bills to raise the state minimum wage, improve public schools, and expand access to affordable childcare. Our focus remains on legislation that puts people first, and I am proud to sponsor legislation that does just that.
I encourage students between the ages of 12 and 18 to apply to spend a day as a Senate Page. This program allows students to participate actively in the legislative process at our State Capitol for a day during the legislative session. This program is an invaluable experience, and I encourage my younger constituents to participate. Interested students may apply for the program here.
The weeks ahead will be eventful, with key debates and legislation shaping Georgia’s future. I’m committed to keeping you informed and ensuring your voice is heard. Thank you for your trust—I encourage you to stay engaged as we work toward a stronger, fairer Georgia.
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Sen. Nikki Merritt represents the 9th Senate District which includes portions of Gwinnett County. She may be reached at (404) 463-2260 or via email atnikki.merritt@senate.ga.gov
For all media inquiries, please reach out toSenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.
The third week of the 2025 Legislative Session has wrapped up, and we’re staying focused on passing commonsense legislation that puts Georgia families, businesses and communities first.
Last week’s snowstorm may have delayed budget hearings for a few days, but it didn’t slow us down. The General Assembly has been hard at work in joint sessions, carefully reviewing budget requests to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. Passing a balanced budget is not only our constitutional duty—it’s the foundation of a responsible government that serves its people.
One of the most crucial budget proposals this session is Governor Brian P. Kemp’s plan to return $1 billion in surplus funds directly to taxpayers. Thanks to years of conservative budgeting and fiscal responsibility, we’re in a position to give back to the hardworking Georgians who keep our state running. This is just part of the $2.2 billion in statewide allocations designed to benefit families, businesses and communities across Georgia. I’m proud to support Gov. Kemp’s efforts to strengthen our economy by putting more money back in your pockets.
Another key priority is ensuring communities hit hardest by Hurricane Helene have the resources they need to rebuild. Gov. Kemp has proposed $614.72 million in recovery funding, including $150 million for the Governor’s Emergency Fund to help with debris removal and housing assistance. Another $300 million will go to the Georgia Department of Transportation to restore roads and infrastructure. Many rural counties are still reeling from this storm, and we’re committed to making sure they get the support they need to recover and move forward.
Back at the Capitol, we hit the ground running this week, advancing legislation that reflects our values and priorities. One of the bills I’m proud to sponsor, Senate Bill (SB) 35, would increase the number of days’ notice that a policyholder must be given before his or her homeowners’ insurance policy is not renewed. The previous 30 days’ notice of nonrenewal is not enough time for the homeowner to avoid any lapses in coverage or properly address concerns with their insurance company. With this in mind, SB 35’s proposed 60 days’ notice will give Georgians and their insurance agent sufficient time to find replacement coverage and make sure that their home is protected.
I’m also proud to support Senate Bill (SB) 52. This legislation, also known as the Timberlands Recovery, Exemption and Earnings Stability (TREES) Act, would allow local governments to provide tax relief for the timber industry. Timber is one of Georgia’s most important industries, and communities like those in the 20th Senate District depend on timber as an agricultural investment and a source of tax revenue. The devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene has left that industry in desperate need of relief, and with the TREES Act, we will waive the timber harvest tax in hurricane ravaged counties to help these communities recover from the catastrophe of this unprecedented storm.
As committee meetings pick up, we’re working hard on issues that matter most to our communities, from protecting our schools to strengthening local infrastructure. I chaired the first meeting of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor this week, and I look forward to the committee’s regular meetings in the coming weeks.
Finally, I encourage students ages 12 to 18 to apply for the Senate Page Program. This is an excellent way for young people to see firsthand how the General Assembly works. If you know a student who might be interested, they can apply on the Senate website here.
As always, I’m here to listen. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about our work at the Capitol, please don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s an honor to serve you, and I appreciate your trust as we work together throughout the remainder of the 2025 legislative session.
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Sen. Larry Walker serves as Secretary of the Majority Caucus and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Treutlen, Pulaski and Wilcox counties, as well as portions of Houston County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email atLarry.Walker@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out toSenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.