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Pope calls for ‘arms to be silenced’ across world

Pope Francis waves as he delivers his traditional Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi speech to the city and the world from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, December 25, 2024. (Reuters)
Pope Francis waves as he delivers his traditional Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi speech to the city and the world from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, December 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 25 December 2024
AFP
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Pope calls for ‘arms to be silenced’ across world

Pope Francis waves as he delivers his traditional Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi speech to the city and the world.
  • “I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave,” Pope Francis said
Updated 25 December 2024
AFP
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VATICAN: Pope Francis called Wednesday for “arms to be silenced” around the world in his Christmas address, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan as he denounced the “extremely grave” humanitarian situation in Gaza.
He used his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and the world“) message to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics to call for talks for a just peace in Ukraine as the country was pummelled by 170 Russian missiles and drones on Christmas morning.
“May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine,” the 88-year-old pontiff said, his voice strained and breathless. “May there be the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation and to gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
In front of thousands of the faithful gathered in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, also appealed for a ceasefire in Gaza and for the freeing of Israeli hostages held there by Hamas.
“I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave. May there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released and aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war,” he added.
Francis extended his call for a silencing of arms to the whole Middle East and to Sudan, which has been ravaged by a ravaged by 20 months of brutal civil war where millions are under the threat of famine.
“May the Son of the Most High sustain the efforts of the international community to facilitate access to humanitarian aid for the civilian population of Sudan and to initiate new negotiations for a ceasefire,” he said.

Topics: xmas2024 Pope Francis

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Several dead in fiery plane crash on California neighborhood

Several dead in fiery plane crash on California neighborhood
Updated 7 sec ago
AFP
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Several dead in fiery plane crash on California neighborhood

Several dead in fiery plane crash on California neighborhood
Updated 7 sec ago
AFP

SAN DIEGO: Several people were killed when a small plane crashed onto a California neighborhood before dawn Thursday, destroying a home and setting more than a dozen cars on fire.
At least 10 houses were hit by debris and vehicles on both sides of one street went up in flames when the Cessna 550 slammed into the ground, spewing burning jet fuel in a part of San Diego that is home to military families.
San Diego Fire Department Assistant Chief Dan Eddy told reporters one house had been badly damaged, but that no one on the ground had been seriously hurt.
“When (the plane) hit the street, as the jet fuel went down, it took out every single car that was on both sides of the street,” he said.
“We have jet fuel all over the place.”
One of the dead was named as Dave Shapiro, a music agent who founded San Diego-based Sound Talent Group (STG).
The company said two other members of staff who were aboard the plane had also died.
“We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends,” an STG spokesperson told US media.
“Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today’s tragedy.”
There was no official confirmation of the death toll, but first responders at the scene said the plane — versions of which can carry up to 10 people, including the pilots — had been totally destroyed and they expected the toll to rise.
Yasmine Sierra told AFP how she had helped her neighbors escape their burning house in the middle of the night after being awakened by what she initially thought was an earthquake.
“It looked like all the homes were on fire because I could see the smoke and the flames, it looked like the trees were on fire,” she said.
Moments later she heard screams from her neighbors who were trapped in their back garden.
“Me and my son grabbed the ladder, we jumped on our trampoline, and we tried to bounce as much as we possibly could, to throw that ladder over so that they can climb onto the ladder into our backyard,” said Sierra, 35.
A woman, two children and two small dogs climbed to safety over the ladder.
“She was very distraught when she came over. I brought her to the front of the house, and I told her that, you know, we needed to leave.”
Jeremy Serna, 31, who is in the Navy, said he and his wife had been awoken by a loud bang.
“We looked outside, and the sky was orange. And then I came running outside to see what it was, and everything was on fire over here,” he told AFP.
“I saw the corner house was just engulfed in flames. And then came back over here and told my wife, hey, we have to get out of here.”
Investigators were combing the scene Thursday, picking through the scattered debris of the plane, which appeared to have broken into hundreds of pieces.
Bits of fiberglass were scattered among the twisted and charred remains of cars, and the smell of fuel hung in the air.
The accident happened in thick fog when the plane, which had come via Kansas, was nearing the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
It was not immediately clear what had happened, but the fire department’s Eddy said a nearby power line appeared to have been clipped.
The plane went down around 3:45 am (1045 GMT), according to the Federal Aviation Administration, striking the Murphy Canyon neighborhood.
The residential area is largely military housing. San Diego is home to US Navy facilities, Marine Corps bases and Coast Guard stations.
The accident came at a time of heightened tension in the skies above America.
Air traffic control outages have struck the busy Newark airport on the East Coast at least twice in recent weeks, and in January there was a mid-air collision over Washington between a passenger plane and a military helicopter.
This month two people died when their small plane crashed into a residential neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles.

Topics: US California

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Judge suspends dismantling of US Education Department

Judge suspends dismantling of US Education Department
Updated 38 min 55 sec ago
AFP
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Judge suspends dismantling of US Education Department

Judge suspends dismantling of US Education Department
Updated 38 min 55 sec ago
AFP

WASHINGTON:  A US federal judge on Thursday suspended President Donald Trump’s executive order that effectively eliminates the country’s Education Department and ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of fired employees.
In March, the department announced that it was slashing staff numbers by nearly half, shortly after Trump issued an executive order instructing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “put herself out of a job.”
That move was hailed by Trump’s supporters on the right, but by law, the department created in 1979 cannot be shuttered without the approval of Congress.
Around 20 states, along with teachers’ unions have challenged the decisions in court, arguing that the government is violating the principle of separation of powers by encroaching on Congress’s prerogatives.
A federal judge in the northeastern city of Boston agreed with the plaintiffs, suspending the executive order and ordering the reinstatement of hundreds of dismissed employees.
“This court cannot be asked to cover its eyes while the Department’s employees are continuously fired and units are transferred out until the Department becomes a shell of itself,” Judge Myong Joun said in his ruling.
Traditionally, the federal government has had a limited role in education in the United States, with only about 13 percent of funding for primary and secondary schools coming from federal coffers, the rest being funded by states and local communities.
But federal funding is invaluable for low-income schools and students with special needs. And the federal government has been essential in enforcing key civil rights protections for students.
The Education Department cannot be completely dismantled without Congress’s approval, including 60 votes in the Senate where the ruling Republicans currently hold 53 seats.

Topics: US Trump Returns

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G7 to ‘maximize pressure’ on Russia if it resists Ukraine ceasefire

G7 to ‘maximize pressure’ on Russia if it resists Ukraine ceasefire
Updated 22 May 2025
AFP
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G7 to ‘maximize pressure’ on Russia if it resists Ukraine ceasefire

G7 to ‘maximize pressure’ on Russia if it resists Ukraine ceasefire
  • Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have stepped up in recent weeks
  • The Kremlin said Thursday that new peace talks with Ukraine had “yet to be agreed“
Updated 22 May 2025
AFP

BANFF, Canada: G7 finance ministers agreed Thursday to “maximize pressure” on Russia, including through further sanctions, if it resists efforts toward a ceasefire in Ukraine.

“If such a ceasefire is not agreed, we will continue to explore all possible options, including options to maximize pressure such as further ramping up sanctions,” a final communique following the group’s meeting in Canada said.

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have stepped up in recent weeks, with Russian and Ukrainian officials holding their first face-to-face talks in more than three years last week in Istanbul.

But the Kremlin said Thursday that new peace talks with Ukraine had “yet to be agreed,” disputing reports the two nations would soon hold negotiations at the Vatican.

US President Donald Trump spoke with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday in a call aimed at ending the “bloodbath,” but neither his contact nor the earlier talks in Istanbul resulted in Russia offering any concessions.

The communique from the Group of Seven advanced economies condemned “Russia’s continued brutal war against Ukraine” and said any entity that supported Russia during the conflict would be barred from Ukrainian reconstruction contracts.

“We agree to work together with Ukraine to ensure that no countries or entities, or entities from those countries that financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be eligible to profit from Ukraine’s reconstruction,” it said.

Topics: Russia-Ukraine Conflict G7 sanctions

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Federal judge blocks immigration authorities from revoking international students’ legal status

Federal judge blocks immigration authorities from revoking international students’ legal status
Updated 22 May 2025
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Federal judge blocks immigration authorities from revoking international students’ legal status

Federal judge blocks immigration authorities from revoking international students’ legal status
  • Students could still be arrested for other reasons and their legal status can still be revoked
  • Most courts hearing these types of cases have granted protections to the person suing
Updated 22 May 2025

SAN FRANCISCO: A judge in California blocked the Trump administration Thursday from terminating the legal status of international students nationwide while a court case challenging previous terminations is pending.

The order by US District Judge Jeffrey S. White in Oakland bars the government from arresting, incarcerating or moving students elsewhere based on their legal status until the case is resolved.

Students could still be arrested for other reasons and their legal status can still be revoked if they are convicted of a violent crime carrying a prison term of more than a year.

Most courts hearing these types of cases have granted protections to the person suing, but White said the government’s actions “wreaked havoc” not only on the lives of plaintiffs but other nonimmigrants in the US on student visas.

White, who was nominated by President George W. Bush, a Republican, issued the nationwide injunction sought by attorneys for about two dozen students who sued after their legal status was abruptly terminated in early April by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

More than 4,700 international students had their permission to study in the US canceled this spring, with little notice or explanation, as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrants and foreign nationals. In court hearings, Department of Homeland Security officials said they ran the names of student visa holders through an FBI-run database that contains the names of suspects and people who have been arrested, even if the charges were dropped or they were never charged with a crime.

Some students left the US rather than risk being deported to a third country.

Government lawyers say the administration is exercising its prerogative to administer the Immigration and Nationality Act. They say students do not need the court’s protections because ICE reinstated legal status and was mailing status reactivation letters to affected students.

But White found those actions insufficient. He said that the erroneous revocation remained in the students’ record, impacting their ability to obtain a new visa or change their nonimmigrant status. Some students are still dealing with fallout from the previous terminations and there is no guarantee they won’t have their legal status revoked again on a whim.

He also chastised the administration for unveiling new policies or new actions in an apparent attempt to satisfy the courts’ concerns.

“It is unclear how this game of whack-a-mole will end unless Defendants are enjoined from skirting their own mandatory regulations,” White wrote.

A survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs research found that even the visa revocations for students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests are more unpopular than popular. About half of US adults oppose this policy, and only 3 in 10 are in support.

Among college educated adults, 6 in 10 strongly oppose, compared with 4 in 10 who aren’t college graduates.

Topics: Trump Returns international students Immigration and Customs Enforcement federal judge

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Panama resumes flights to Venezuela, allowing for migrant returns

Panama resumes flights to Venezuela, allowing for migrant returns
Updated 22 May 2025
AFP
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Panama resumes flights to Venezuela, allowing for migrant returns

Panama resumes flights to Venezuela, allowing for migrant returns
  • Venezuela suspended air links with Panama in July 2024
  • The resumption of flights is expected to facilitate the repatriation from Panama of Venezuelan migrants deported from the US
Updated 22 May 2025
AFP

PANAMA CITY: Panama’s civil aviation authority on Thursday announced that it would resume flights with Venezuela after nearly a year, facilitating the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants expelled from the United States.

Venezuela suspended air links with Panama in July 2024 over its refusal to recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s victory in presidential elections.

The two countries at the time also suspended diplomatic relations.

The resumption of flights is expected to facilitate the repatriation from Panama of Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said earlier he had received a proposal from Caracas to resume flights between the two countries.

“I will evaluate it very carefully right away,” he told his weekly press conference, adding “it is in Panama’s best interest to open commercial flights to Venezuela.”

Mulino however ruled out restoring diplomatic relations with the Caribbean nation.

Panama is one of a handful of countries that has agreed to act as a stopover for migrants expelled from the United States by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Under the plan, Panama holds the migrants in closed shelters while waiting for them to be repatriated to their homelands.

Many of those expelled so far have been from Venezuela and other South American countries.

Panama has also been grappling with a reverse flow of thousands of migrants returning home through Central America after failing to gain entry to the Untied States.

In the absence of flights between Panama and Venezuela, many of the migrants were left to organize their own transport home, either by boat or overland through the treacherous Darien jungle on Panama’s border with Colombia.

Topics: Trump Returns Venezuela Panama migrants US

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