Unfiltered Archives – GV Wire https://gvwire.com/category/unfiltered/ Fresno News, Politics & Policy, Education, Sports Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:03:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8 https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20110803/cropped-GVWire-Favicon-32x32.png Unfiltered Archives – GV Wire https://gvwire.com/category/unfiltered/ 32 32 234594977 Israeli Ambassador to US Says Hezbollah Ceasefire Deal Could Come ‘Within Days’ https://gvwire.com/2024/11/25/israeli-ambassador-to-us-says-hezbollah-ceasefire-deal-could-come-within-days/ Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:31:32 +0000 https://gvwire.com/?p=157134 The Israeli ambassador to Washington says a ceasefire deal to end fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants could be reached “within days.” Ambassador Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio on Monday there remain “points to finalize” and any deal requires agreement from the government. But he said “we are close to a deal” and […]

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The Israeli ambassador to Washington says a ceasefire deal to end fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants could be reached “within days.”

Ambassador Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio on Monday there remain “points to finalize” and any deal requires agreement from the government. But he said “we are close to a deal” and “it can happen within days.”

Israeli officials said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet is set to convene on Tuesday to discuss a proposed ceasefire.

Among the issues that remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon.

Israel accuses Hezbollah of not adhering to a U.N. resolution that ended the 2006 war between the sides that made similar provisions, and Israel has concerns that Hezbollah could stage a Hamas-style cross-border attack from southern Lebanon if it maintains a heavy presence there. Lebanon says Israel also violated the 2006 resolution. Lebanon complains about military jets and naval ships entering Lebanese territory even when there is no active conflict.

It is not clear whether Lebanon would agree to the demand.

The optimism surrounding a deal comes after a top U.S. envoy held talks between the sides last week in a bid to clinch a deal.

Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas’ raid on southern Israel, setting off more than a year of fighting. That escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and later an Israeli ground incursion into the country’s south.

Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets into Israeli cities and towns, including some 250 on Sunday.

Israeli Officials Say Security Cabinet to Meet Tuesday on Lebanon Ceasefire Deal

JERUSALEM — Israeli officials say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet is set to convene on Tuesday to discuss a proposed ceasefire in the war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Officials have said the sides are close to a deal that would include withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and a pullback of Hezbollah forces from the Israeli border. But several sticking points remain.

Two officials confirmed the Cabinet meeting is set for Tuesday, but they said it is still not clear whether the decision-making body will vote to approve the deal.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations.

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Russia Reportedly Captures a Briton Fighting for Ukraine as Russian Troops Advance https://gvwire.com/2024/11/25/russia-reportedly-captures-a-briton-fighting-for-ukraine-as-russian-troops-advance/ Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:22:56 +0000 https://gvwire.com/?p=157131 Russia’s military captured a British national fighting with Ukrainian troops who have occupied part of Russia’s Kursk region, according to reports Monday, as Moscow began daylight drone attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine and its ground forces accelerated gains along parts of the front line. The Briton was identified by state news agency Tass and […]

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Russia’s military captured a British national fighting with Ukrainian troops who have occupied part of Russia’s Kursk region, according to reports Monday, as Moscow began daylight drone attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine and its ground forces accelerated gains along parts of the front line.

The Briton was identified by state news agency Tass and other media as James Scott Rhys Anderson. Tass quoted him as saying that he had served as a signalman in the British army for four years and then joined the International Legion of Ukraine, formed early on in Russia’s nearly 3-year-old war against its neighbor.

On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces are straining to hold at bay a push by Russia’s bigger army at places in the eastern Donetsk region. Russian forces recently have gained ground at “a significantly quicker rate” than they did in the whole of last year, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.

The Russians have detected and are exploiting weaknesses in the Ukrainian defenses, it said in an analysis late Sunday.

The war surpassed 1,000 days last week, and the milestone coincided with a significant escalation in hostilities.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said Russia is adapting its drone tactics, as it fired 145 Shahed drones at Ukraine.

Russia has started launching drones during the day, whereas in the past most drone attacks occurred during the night, the air force said.

Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the National Security Council’s Counter-disinformation Center, said earlier this month that the Russians were looking to conserve their stocks of more destructive but more expensive missiles and also terrorize civilians.

The air force said it stopped almost all the drones before they struck.

But a morning missile attack on downtown Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city in the northeast, injured at least 23 people, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov. He said the attack on a densely populated residential area was carried out by a modified surface-to-air S-400 missile.

A Russian ballistic missile also struck the southern Ukraine city of Odesa in the middle of the day, injuring 10 people as it landed in the downtown area, officials said.

Ukraine, meantime, continued its attacks on logistical targets inside Russia that support the Kremlin’s war effort.

Ukrainian drones set off explosions and a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s Kaluga region overnight, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the border, a military intelligence official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the rules of his job do not allow him to be quoted by name.

Russia made no comment about the alleged strike. It was not possible to independently verify Ukraine’s claim.

The Father of the British Man Says He Was Told by a Ukrainian Commander of His Capture

The captured Briton reportedly served as an instructor for Ukrainian troops and was deployed to the Kursk region against his will. Tass published a video of the man saying in English that he doesn’t want to be “here.”

The report couldn’t be independently verified, but if confirmed it could be one of the first publicly known case of a Western national captured on Russian soil while fighting for Ukraine.

The U.K. Embassy in Moscow said officials were “supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention” but provided no further details.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The soldier’s father, Scott Anderson, told Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper that his son’s Ukrainian commander had informed him that the young man had been captured.

Scott Anderson said his son had served in the British military for four years, then briefly worked as a police custody officer before going to Ukraine to fight. He said he tried to convince his son not to join the Ukrainian military, and now he fears for his safety.

“I’m hoping he’ll be used as a bargaining chip, but my son told me they torture their prisoners and I’m so frightened he’ll be tortured,” he told the newspaper.

The International Legion for Defense of Ukraine was created at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The Legion is a unit of Ukraine’s Ground Forces that consists mostly of foreign volunteers. Apart from the Legion, Ukraine recruits foreigners to other units of its army, filling squads, companies, or even battalions.

Early on in the war, Ukraine’s authorities said over 20,000 people from 52 countries came to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia’s aggression. Ever since, the numbers of foreign fighters in the ranks of the Ukrainian military have been classified.

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G7 Foreign Ministers Meet in Italy With Hopes of Progress Toward Mideast Ceasefire https://gvwire.com/2024/11/25/g7-foreign-ministers-meet-in-italy-with-hopes-of-progress-toward-mideast-ceasefire/ Mon, 25 Nov 2024 15:46:40 +0000 https://gvwire.com/?p=157104 FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world’s leading industrialized nations met Monday as signs emerged of progress on a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and a certain pressure to advance diplomatic efforts in both the Mideast and Ukraine wars ahead of the new U.S. administration taking office. Progress on brokering a ceasefire in Gaza […]

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FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world’s leading industrialized nations met Monday as signs emerged of progress on a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and a certain pressure to advance diplomatic efforts in both the Mideast and Ukraine wars ahead of the new U.S. administration taking office.

Progress on brokering a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon were foremost on the agenda of the Group of Seven meeting outside Rome that gathered ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, in the last G7 encounter of the Biden administration.

As the G7 ministers arrived in Italy, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Mike Herzog, told Israeli Army Radio on Monday a ceasefire deal to end fighting between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah could be reached “within days.”

Middle East Ministers Meet With G7

Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as the Secretary General of the Arab League, were joining the G7 in the afternoon. Several intervened on a sideline event in Rome to call for an urgent end to Israel’s strikes in Gaza and Lebanon, following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

“We need a ceasefire, a permanent ceasefire. That will stop the killings and stop the destruction and restore a sense of normalcy to life,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told the “Mediterranean Dialogues” conference organized by the Italian foreign ministry and the ISPI think tank.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, for his part, reaffirmed that Cairo would host a minister-level conference next Monday on mobilizing international aid for Gaza.

The so-called “Quintet” grouping of the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and the UAE will formally meet with the G7 ministers later in the day, and has been working to finalize a “day after” plan for Gaza. There is some urgency to make progress before the Trump administration takes over in January. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to pursue a policy that strongly favors Israel over the aspirations of the Palestinians.

“Dialogue with partners is essential,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said as he opened the G7 meeting and announced all the non-G7 ministers participating.

Tajani added another item to the G7 agenda last week after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief.

Italy is a founding member of the court and hosted the 1998 Rome conference that gave birth to it. But Italy’s right-wing government has been a strong supporter of Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, while also providing humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.

Italian Government Cautious of Political Motivated Moves

The Italian government has taken a cautious line, reaffirming its support and respect for the court but expressing concern that the warrants were politically motivated.

Nathalie Tocci, director of the Rome-based Institute for International Affairs think tank, said Italy would be seeking to forge a united front on the ICC warrants, at least among the six G7 countries that are signatories of the court: all but the U.S.

But in an essay this weekend in La Stampa newspaper, Tocci warned it was a risky move, since the U.S. tends to dictate the G7 line and has blasted the ICC warrants against Netanyahu as “outrageous.”

“If Italy and the other (five G7) signatories of the ICC are unable to maintain the line on international law, they will not only erode it anyway but will be acting against our interests,” Tocci wrote, recalling Italy’s recourse to international law in demanding protection for Italian U.N. peacekeepers who have come under fire in southern Lebanon.

G7 Addresses the Ukraine-Russia Conflict

The other major talking point of the G7 meeting is Ukraine, and tensions have only heightened since Russia attacked Ukraine last week with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strike was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory.

The G7 has been at the forefront of providing military and economic support for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 and G7 members are particularly concerned about how a Trump administration will change the U.S. approach.

“It’s hugely important that this G7, that all colleagues across the G7 continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it lasts,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said as he arrived. He announced new sanctions on vessels of Russia’s “shadow fleet” of ships that are evading sanctions to export Russian oil.

“And we are confident that Ukraine can have the funds and the military equipment and kit to get through 2025,” Lammy said.

Trump has criticized the billions of dollars that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine and has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies.

The G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, the second of the Italian presidency after ministers gathered in Capri in April, is being held in the medieval town of Fiuggi southeast of Rome, best known for its thermal spas.

On Monday, which coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, ministers will attend the inauguration of a red bench meant to symbolize Italy’s focus on fighting gender-based violence.

Over the weekend, tens of thousands of people marched in Rome to protest gender-based violence, which in Italy so far this year has claimed the lives of 99 women, according to a report last week by the Eures think tank.

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UN Expert: Myanmar’s Desperate Military Ramps Up Attacks Including Beheadings, Rapes and Torture https://gvwire.com/2024/11/22/un-expert-myanmars-desperate-military-ramps-up-attacks-including-beheadings-rapes-and-torture/ Fri, 22 Nov 2024 23:28:03 +0000 https://gvwire.com/?p=156919 UNITED NATIONS — Myanmar’s desperate military junta is ramping up attacks on villages that have fallen to opposition groups, carrying out beheadings, gang rapes and torture, with women, children and the elderly among the victims, the U.N. independent human rights investigator for Myanmar said in a new report. Thomas Andrews, a former U.S. congressman from […]

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UNITED NATIONS — Myanmar’s desperate military junta is ramping up attacks on villages that have fallen to opposition groups, carrying out beheadings, gang rapes and torture, with women, children and the elderly among the victims, the U.N. independent human rights investigator for Myanmar said in a new report.

Thomas Andrews, a former U.S. congressman from Maine, said in the report to the U.N. General Assembly circulated Friday that the junta has responded to military defeats and the loss of territory by using sophisticated weapons against civilians and seeking to destroy towns that it cannot control.

Myanmar: An Invisible Crisis

Calling Myanmar “an invisible crisis” because the world’s attention is focused elsewhere, he said, “Escalating atrocities against the people of Myanmar are being enabled by governments that allow, or actively support, the transfer of weapons, weapons materials, and jet fuel to junta forces.”

Andrews didn’t name the governments. But he praised Singapore for cracking down on weapons transfers that has led to a 90% reduction by Singapore-registered companies, and said sanctions imposed by the United States on junta-controlled, state-owned banks have disrupted military supply chains.

The U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar lamented, however, that their actions remain an exception.

He called on all countries to address Myanmar’s “devastating human rights and humanitarian crisis” by stopping the flow of weapons to the junta, stepping up humanitarian aid to millions in need, and supporting efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for human rights violations.

Escalating Violence and Humanitarian Crisis

Myanmar is racked by violence that began when the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and brutally suppressed nonviolent protests. That triggered armed resistance and combat across the country, with the military increasingly using airstrikes to counter the opposition and secure territory.

The army is on the defensive against ethnic militias in much of Myanmar as well as hundreds of armed guerrilla groups collectively called the People’s Defense Forces, formed to fight to restore democracy.

The military has said in the past that it only attacks legitimate targets of war and has accused the resistance forces of being terrorists.

Andrews called the military junta’s plan to hold an election in late 2025 “a farcical parody” and “thinly veiled attempt to create an impression of legitimacy and relieve international pressure.” He warned, “Not only is this fraudulent attempt outrageous, it is dangerous, as it could lead to even greater levels of instability and violence.”

He ticked off grim statistics: Over 3.1 million people are displaced by conflict and the junta’s human rights violations, and 18.6 million people need humanitarian assistance, including 13.3 million facing emergency levels of food insecurity.

He said the junta’s military forces have killed more than 5,800 civilians, destroyed over 100,000 homes and other civilian structures, and have kept more than 21,000 political prisoners languishing behind bars.

“Junta troops have killed civilians in ground assaults, including the mass killing of individuals already in the custody of junta forces,” Andrews said. “Victims have been tortured, raped and beheaded, and their bodies burned.”

Desperate Situation in Rakhine State

Andrews, a human rights fellow at Yale Law School who was appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, said the situation was most “desperate and dangerous” in Rakhine state in western Myanmar.

Last November, the Arakan Army, which is seeking autonomy from Myanmar’s central government, began an offensive against the military in Rakhine and has gained control of more than half of its townships. The Arakan Army, which is the well-armed wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, is also a member of the armed ethnic group alliance trying to topple the military.

In the report, Andrews said: “The Arakan Army has been implicated in grave human rights abuses, including indiscriminate attacks, killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrests.”

He also said the military has responded to the Arakan Army’s steady losses in Rakhine by attacking civilians and raising tensions between the ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya communities.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long considered the Rohingya Muslim minority to be “Bengalis” from Bangladesh even though their families have lived in the country for generations. Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982.

In August 2017, attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group on Myanmar security personnel triggered a brutal campaign by the military, which drove at least 740,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh. The military is accused of mass rape, killings and burning thousands of homes.

Meanwhile, the military junta has conscripted thousands of Rohingya men and deployed them to the front lines to fight the Arakan Army, he said. And Rohingya militant groups have “cynically aligned with the junta” and committed human rights abuses against the ethnic Rakhine population.

“Hundreds of thousands of people in Rakhine State are completely cut off from humanitarian assistance and threatened by exposure, starvation and disease,” Andrews warned. “Failure to act immediately to provide emergency humanitarian aid will be a death sentence for untold numbers of innocent men, women and children.”

A month ago, he said, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh where 1 million Rohingya refugees live, called on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to convene a conference with all key players in the Rohingya crisis. Yunus has pressed for their repatriation to Myanmar.

Andrews urged Guterres to call a conference that could help “seize the attention of a distracted world and mobilize the resources and action necessary to save the many lives that hang in the balance.”

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A Proposed Deal on Climate Cash at UN Summit Highlights Split Between Rich and Poor Nations https://gvwire.com/2024/11/22/a-proposed-deal-on-climate-cash-at-un-summit-highlights-split-between-rich-and-poor-nations/ Fri, 22 Nov 2024 16:42:18 +0000 https://gvwire.com/?p=156664 BAKU, Azerbaijan — A new draft of a deal on cash to curb and adapt to climate change released Friday afternoon at the United Nations climate summit pledged $250 billion by 2035 from wealthy countries to poorer ones. The amount pleases the countries who will be paying, but not those on the receiving end. The […]

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BAKU, Azerbaijan — A new draft of a deal on cash to curb and adapt to climate change released Friday afternoon at the United Nations climate summit pledged $250 billion by 2035 from wealthy countries to poorer ones. The amount pleases the countries who will be paying, but not those on the receiving end.

The amount is more than double the previous goal of $100 billion a year set 15 years ago, but it’s less than a quarter of the number requested by developing nations struck hardest by extreme weather. But rich nations say the number is about the limit of what they can do, say it’s realistic and a stretch for democracies back home to stomach.

It struck a sour note for developing countries, which see conferences like this one as their biggest hope to pressure rich nations because they can’t attend meetings of the world’s biggest economies.

“Our expectations were low, but this is a slap in the face,” said Mohamed Adow, from Power Shift Africa. “No developing country will fall for this. They have angered and offended the developing world.”

Nations Still Far Apart on Reaching a Deal

The proposal came down from the top: the presidency of the climate talks — called COP29 — in Baku, Azerbaijan.

COP29 lead negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev, Azerbaijan’s deputy foreign minister, said the presidency hopes to push countries to go higher than $250 billion, saying “it doesn’t correspond to the our fair and ambitious goal. But we will continue to engage with the parties.”

This proposal, which is friendly to the viewpoint of Saudi Arabia, is not a take-it-or-leave-it option, but likely only the first of two or even three proposals, said Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare, a veteran negotiator.

“We’re in for a long night and maybe two nights before we actually reach agreement on this,” Hare said.

Just like last year’s initial proposal, which was soundly rejected, this plan is “empty” on what climate analysts call “mitigation” or efforts to reduce emissions from or completely get off coal, oil and natural gas, Hare said.

Anger at ‘Meagre’ Figure for Climate Cash

The frustration and disappointment at the proposed $250 billion figure was palpable on Friday afternoon.

Tina Stege, Marshall Islands’ climate envoy, called the drafts “shameful.”

“It is incomprehensible that … (we) receive only sympathy and no real action from wealthy nations,” she said.

“It is a disgrace that despite full awareness of the devastating climate crises afflicting developing nations and the staggering costs of climate action — amounting to trillions — developed nations have only proposed a meagre $250 billion per year,” said Harjeet Singh of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

That amount, which goes through the year 2035, is basically the old $100 billion year goal with 6% annual inflation, said Vaibhav Chaturvedi a climate policy analyst with New Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment and Water.

Experts put the need at $1.3 trillion for developing countries to cover damages resulting from extreme weather, help those nations adapt to a warming planet and wean themselves from fossil fuels, with more generated by each country internally.

The amount in any deal reached at COP negotiations — often considered a “core” — will then be mobilized or leveraged for greater climate spending. But much of that means loans for countries drowning in debt.

Singh said the proposed sum — which includes loans and lacks a commitment to grant-based finance — adds “insult to injury.”

Iskander Erzini Vernoit, director of Moroccan climate think-tank Imal Initiative for Climate and Development, said “the EU and the U.S. and other developed countries cannot claim to be committed to the Paris Agreement while putting forward such amounts.”

Countries reached the Paris Agreement in 2015, pledging to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times. The world is now at 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the U.N.

Rich Countries Call for Realism

Switzerland environment minister Albert Rösti said it was important that the climate finance number is realistic.

“I think a deal with a high number that will never be realistic, that will never be paid… will be much worse than no deal,” he said.

The United States’ delegation offered a similar warning.

“It has been a significant lift over the past decade to meet the prior, smaller goal” of $100 billion, said a senior U.S. official. “$250 billion will require even more ambition and extraordinary reach” and will need to be supported by private finance, multilateral development banks — which are large international banks funded by taxpayer dollars — and other sources of finance, the official said.

A lack of a bigger number from European nations and the U.S. means that the “deal is clearly moving toward the direction of China playing a more prominent role in helping other global south countries,” said Li Shou of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

German delegation sources said it will be important to be in touch with China and other industrialized nations as negotiations press on into the evening.

“We think this is at least a text we can work with. Now we have a map on the way forward instead of nowhere where we don’t know where we are going,” said German climate envoy Jennifer Morgan.

Analysts said the proposed deal is the start of what could likely be more money.

“This can be a good down payment that will allow for further climate action in developing countries,” said Melanie Robinson, global climate program director at the World Resources Institute. “But there is scope for this to go above $250 billion.”

Rob Moore, associate director at E3G, said that whatever figure is agreed “will need to be the start and not the end” of climate cash promises.

“If developed countries can go further they need to say so fast to make sure we get a deal at COP29,” he said.

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North Korean Leader Says Past Diplomacy Only Confirmed US Hostility https://gvwire.com/2024/11/21/north-korean-leader-says-past-diplomacy-only-confirmed-us-hostility/ Fri, 22 Nov 2024 01:49:54 +0000 https://gvwire.com/?p=156610 SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his past negotiations with the United States only confirmed Washington’s “unchangeable” hostility toward Pyongyang and described his nuclear buildup as the only way to counter external threats, state media said Friday. Kim spoke Thursday at a defense exhibition where North Korea displayed some of […]

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SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his past negotiations with the United States only confirmed Washington’s “unchangeable” hostility toward Pyongyang and described his nuclear buildup as the only way to counter external threats, state media said Friday.

Kim spoke Thursday at a defense exhibition where North Korea displayed some of its most powerful weapons systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to target the U.S. mainland, the North’s Korean Central News Agency said. While meeting with army officers last week, he had pledged a “limitless” expansion of his military nuclear program.

Kim’s Silence on Trump’s Reelection

Kim has yet to comment directly on Donald Trump’s reelection as U.S. president. During his first term, Trump held three highly orchestrated summits with the North Korean leader in 2018 and 2019, before the diplomacy collapsed over disagreements in exchanging the release of U.S.-led economic sanctions and the North’s steps to wind down its nuclear program.

During the speech at the exhibition, Kim touched on the failed summits without naming Trump.

“We have already gone as far as possible with the United States with negotiations, and what we ended up confirming was not a superpower’s will for coexistence, but a thorough position based on force and an unchangeable invasive and hostile policy,” toward North Korea, Kim said.

Accusations Against the US and Call for Nuclear Advancement

Kim accused the United States of raising military pressure on North Korea by strengthening its military cooperation with regional allies and increasing the deployment of “strategic strike means,” apparently a reference to major U.S. assets like long-range bombers, submarines and aircraft carriers. He called for accelerated efforts to advance the capabilities of his nuclear-armed military, saying the country’s only guarantee of security to build up the “strongest defense power that can overwhelm the enemy.”

Kim’s expanding nuclear weapons and missile program includes various weapons targeting South Korea and Japan and longer range missiles that have demonstrated the range to reach the U.S. mainland. Analysts say Kim’s nuclear push is aimed at eventually pressuring Washington into accepting the North as a nuclear power and to negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

North Korea’s Alignment with Russia

In recent months, the priority of Kim’s foreign policy has been Russia, as he tries to strengthen his international footing, embracing the idea of a “new Cold War” and aligning with President Vladimir Putin’s broader conflicts with the West.

Washington and its allies have accused North Korea of providing Russia with thousands of troops and huge amounts of military equipment, including artillery systems and missiles, to help sustain its fighting in Ukraine. Kim in return could possibly receive badly needed economic aid and possible Russian technology transfers that would possibly enhance the threat posed by his nuclear-armed military, according to outside officials and experts.

Even with Trump returning to the White House, a quicky resumption of diplomacy with Pyongyang could be unlikely, according to some experts. North Korea’s deepening alliance with Russia and the weakening sanctions enforcement against Pyongyang are presenting further challenges in the diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with Kim, who also would have a greater perception of his bargaining powers following a rapid expansion of his arsenal in recent years.

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Unfiltered Clip: Insights from Dr. Trita Parsi on Navigating the Israel-Palestine Conflict https://gvwire.com/2024/05/02/unfiltered-clip-insights-from-dr-trita-parsi-on-navigating-the-israel-palestine-conflict/ Thu, 02 May 2024 23:07:32 +0000 https://gvwire.com/?p=110574 The post Unfiltered Clip: Insights from Dr. Trita Parsi on Navigating the Israel-Palestine Conflict appeared first on GV Wire.

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Looking Ahead to a Healthy 2024? Try These Tips from Fresno’s Dr. Sohrabi https://gvwire.com/2024/01/03/looking-ahead-to-a-healthy-2024-try-these-tips-from-fresnos-dr-sohrabi/ Wed, 03 Jan 2024 18:44:40 +0000 https://gvwire.com/2024/01/03/looking-ahead-to-a-healthy-2024-try-these-tips-from-fresnos-dr-sohrabi/ Dr. Sohrab Sohrabi, an Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery specialist practicing in Fresno, appeared on the Unfiltered show on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Check out the Unfiltered show in which Dr. Sohrabi speaks on staying healthy in 2024 or check out his tips below: About Unfiltered Tune in for “Unfiltered” every Tuesday at 6 p.m. live on […]

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Dr. Sohrab Sohrabi, an Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery specialist practicing in Fresno, appeared on the Unfiltered show on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Check out the Unfiltered show in which Dr. Sohrabi speaks on staying healthy in 2024 or check out his tips below:

About Unfiltered

Tune in for “Unfiltered” every Tuesday at 6 p.m. live on gvwire.com and Youtube.

Download the Unfiltered Podcast here or on your favorite mobile app.

The post Looking Ahead to a Healthy 2024? Try These Tips from Fresno’s Dr. Sohrabi appeared first on GV Wire.

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UNFILTERED – Court Decisions Reignite Gun Rights Debate https://gvwire.com/2023/03/29/unfiltered-court-decisions-reignite-gun-rights-debate/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 03:49:52 +0000 https://gvwire.com/2023/03/29/unfiltered-court-decisions-reignite-gun-rights-debate/ In this week’s episode of UNFILTERED, we discuss the gun rights debate in the state of California and federal government. Special Guests: Konstadinos T. Moros, Attorney, Michel & Associates, Representing CRPA Tune in for “Unfiltered” Tuesdays at 6 p.m. live on gvwire.com. Download the Unfiltered Podcast here or on your favorite mobile app. “Unfiltered” is hosted by GV […]

The post UNFILTERED – Court Decisions Reignite Gun Rights Debate appeared first on GV Wire.

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In this week’s episode of UNFILTERED, we discuss the gun rights debate in the state of California and federal government.

Special Guests:
Konstadinos T. Moros, Attorney, Michel & Associates, Representing CRPA

Tune in for “Unfiltered” Tuesdays at 6 p.m. live on gvwire.com.

Download the Unfiltered Podcast here or on your favorite mobile app.

“Unfiltered” is hosted by GV Wire Publisher Darius Assemi, Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau, and Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi.

Full Episode 3/28

The post UNFILTERED – Court Decisions Reignite Gun Rights Debate appeared first on GV Wire.

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UNFILTERED – Banks are Failing! Is Your Money Safe? https://gvwire.com/2023/03/22/unfiltered-banks-failing-money-safe/ Wed, 22 Mar 2023 04:16:38 +0000 https://gvwire.com/2023/03/22/unfiltered-banks-failing-money-safe/ In this week’s episode of UNFILTERED, we discuss current bank failures and where to keep your money to keep it safe. We also look back at the Iraq war on the 20th anniversary of the  invasion by the U.S. and its allies, and dive into the costs – financial and beyond. Special Guests: Steve Miller, […]

The post UNFILTERED – Banks are Failing! Is Your Money Safe? appeared first on GV Wire.

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In this week’s episode of UNFILTERED, we discuss current bank failures and where to keep your money to keep it safe. We also look back at the Iraq war on the 20th anniversary of the  invasion by the U.S. and its allies, and dive into the costs – financial and beyond.

Special Guests:
Steve Miller, President & CEO, Fresno First Bank
Sepehr Mansuri, Registered Representative, Transamerica Financial Advisors
Ryan Toncheff, Vice President, California Bank & Trust

Tune in for “Unfiltered” Tuesdays at 6 p.m. live on gvwire.com.

Download the Unfiltered Podcast here or on your favorite mobile app.

“Unfiltered” is hosted by GV Wire Publisher Darius Assemi, Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau, and Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi.

Full Episode 3/21

The post UNFILTERED – Banks are Failing! Is Your Money Safe? appeared first on GV Wire.

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