Trump signs executive orders slapping 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports
By Agence France-Presse
US President Donald Trump on Monday made good on a promise to slap 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, stepping up a long-promised trade war despite warnings from China and Europe.
“Today I’m simplifying our tariffs on steel and aluminium,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he signed executive orders. “It’s 25 per cent without exceptions or exemptions.”
Trump also signalled that he would look at imposing additional tariffs on automobiles, pharmaceuticals and computer chips.
Canada and Mexico – which Trump has already threatened with tariffs – are the biggest steel importers to the United States, according to US trade data. Brazil and South Korea are also major steel providers.
The US leader also confirmed that he was considering an exemption for Australia from the steel tariffs.
“We have a [trade] surplus to Australia, one of the few. And the reason is they buy a lot of airplanes. They are rather far away and need lots of airplanes,” he said.
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By Agence France-Presse
US President Donald Trump on Monday made good on a promise to slap 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, stepping up a long-promised trade war despite warnings from China and Europe.
“Today I’m simplifying our tariffs on steel and aluminium,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he signed executive orders. “It’s 25 per cent without exceptions or exemptions.”
Trump also signalled that he would look at imposing additional tariffs on automobiles, pharmaceuticals and computer chips.
Canada and Mexico – which Trump has already threatened with tariffs – are the biggest steel importers to the United States, according to US trade data. Brazil and South Korea are also major steel providers.
The US leader also confirmed that he was considering an exemption for Australia from the steel tariffs.
“We have a [trade] surplus to Australia, one of the few. And the reason is they buy a lot of airplanes. They are rather far away and need lots of airplanes,” he said.
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Steve Bannon’s lawyers, prosecutors ‘discussed potential plea’ deal in border wall case
By Reuters
Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s lawyers and New York state prosecutors have discussed a potential plea deal to resolve charges over a push to fund the US president’s wall along the US-Mexico border, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday.
Bannon, 71, was charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office with money laundering and conspiracy for allegedly deceiving donors in 2019 who contributed more than US$15 million to a private fundraising drive, known as “We Build the Wall”, during Trump’s first term.
Bannon had previously pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for March 4, and a pre-trial conference is set for Tuesday before Justice April Newbauer in New York state criminal court.
Legal trade publication Law360 reported earlier on Monday that Bannon plans to plead guilty, citing his defence lawyer John Carman.
“It is anticipated that Mr Bannon will plead guilty tomorrow under an agreement with the district attorney and the court that he will not receive a sentence that includes any jail time,” Carman was quoted as saying.
Neither Carman nor a spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney’s office immediately responded to requests for comment.
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By Reuters
Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s lawyers and New York state prosecutors have discussed a potential plea deal to resolve charges over a push to fund the US president’s wall along the US-Mexico border, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday.
Bannon, 71, was charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office with money laundering and conspiracy for allegedly deceiving donors in 2019 who contributed more than US$15 million to a private fundraising drive, known as “We Build the Wall”, during Trump’s first term.
Bannon had previously pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for March 4, and a pre-trial conference is set for Tuesday before Justice April Newbauer in New York state criminal court.
Legal trade publication Law360 reported earlier on Monday that Bannon plans to plead guilty, citing his defence lawyer John Carman.
“It is anticipated that Mr Bannon will plead guilty tomorrow under an agreement with the district attorney and the court that he will not receive a sentence that includes any jail time,” Carman was quoted as saying.
Neither Carman nor a spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney’s office immediately responded to requests for comment.
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Fight over USAID underscores fracturing of bipartisan China-hawk stance in Washington
By Bochen Han
The increasingly bitter fight over the United States Agency for International Development is testing Washington’s bipartisan consensus on China, in one of the first clear signs of its limits in the second Trump administration.
Last week, US President Donald Trump appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting administrator of the decades-old agency and its US$40-plus billion a year in development assistance, following a January executive order to pause and review foreign aid for 90 days, and a stop-work order from Rubio.
The fate of USAID – whether it will be retooled, dismantled or subsumed – remains up in the air. For one thing, it’s far from clear that the president has the authority to unilaterally close an agency that Congress has created.
On Friday, hours before over 2,000 USAID staff were poised to be put on administrative leave, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order halting the move. For weeks, the new administration, driven by a cost-cutting campaign of Trump adviser Elon Musk, had been putting senior staff on leave and signalling that it could shut the agency down.
USAID, the main US agency for humanitarian aid and disaster relief, was originally set up in 1961 via executive order by President John F. Kennedy as a means to consolidate US foreign aid programmes, expand American soft power, and counter the Soviet Union’s influence.
In 1998, Congress established USAID as an independent agency, operating under the State Department’s policy guidance. With the end of the Cold War, its supporters from both the left and right have increasingly invoked countering China’s influence as a justification to keep it funded.
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By Bochen Han
The increasingly bitter fight over the United States Agency for International Development is testing Washington’s bipartisan consensus on China, in one of the first clear signs of its limits in the second Trump administration.
Last week, US President Donald Trump appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting administrator of the decades-old agency and its US$40-plus billion a year in development assistance, following a January executive order to pause and review foreign aid for 90 days, and a stop-work order from Rubio.
The fate of USAID – whether it will be retooled, dismantled or subsumed – remains up in the air. For one thing, it’s far from clear that the president has the authority to unilaterally close an agency that Congress has created.
On Friday, hours before over 2,000 USAID staff were poised to be put on administrative leave, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order halting the move. For weeks, the new administration, driven by a cost-cutting campaign of Trump adviser Elon Musk, had been putting senior staff on leave and signalling that it could shut the agency down.
USAID, the main US agency for humanitarian aid and disaster relief, was originally set up in 1961 via executive order by President John F. Kennedy as a means to consolidate US foreign aid programmes, expand American soft power, and counter the Soviet Union’s influence.
In 1998, Congress established USAID as an independent agency, operating under the State Department’s policy guidance. With the end of the Cold War, its supporters from both the left and right have increasingly invoked countering China’s influence as a justification to keep it funded.
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China dreams of building a world-class jumbo jet. Can it do it without the West?
By Frank ChenRalph Jennings
China has long held ambitions of turning global aviation into an “ABC” market: breaking the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing with the entry of world-class Chinese jets.
That strategy is already well under way, with the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) having already received orders for hundreds of its regional and narrowbody planes, the C909 and C919.
Now, the Chinese aircraft manufacturer is doubling down on plans to expand its fleet to include widebody models – including a self-developed answer to Boeing’s iconic 747 jumbo jet.
Enter the C929 and C939.
Comac appears laser-focused on producing its own liners capable of undertaking long-haul flights, an endeavour that is not only being driven by market demand but also political and strategic factors.
“There are not too many other engineering products other than big planes that are so visible, so recognisable,” said David Yu, a professor at New York University Shanghai specialising in aviation financing.
“Just like America and Europe, China has many reasons to develop and fly home-grown widebodies that reflect its status and ambitions.”
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By Frank ChenRalph Jennings
China has long held ambitions of turning global aviation into an “ABC” market: breaking the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing with the entry of world-class Chinese jets.
That strategy is already well under way, with the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) having already received orders for hundreds of its regional and narrowbody planes, the C909 and C919.
Now, the Chinese aircraft manufacturer is doubling down on plans to expand its fleet to include widebody models – including a self-developed answer to Boeing’s iconic 747 jumbo jet.
Enter the C929 and C939.
Comac appears laser-focused on producing its own liners capable of undertaking long-haul flights, an endeavour that is not only being driven by market demand but also political and strategic factors.
“There are not too many other engineering products other than big planes that are so visible, so recognisable,” said David Yu, a professor at New York University Shanghai specialising in aviation financing.
“Just like America and Europe, China has many reasons to develop and fly home-grown widebodies that reflect its status and ambitions.”
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Musk-led group makes US$97.4 billion bid for control of OpenAI
By Reuters
A consortium led by Elon Musk offered US$97.4 billion to buy the non-profit that controls OpenAI, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, months after the billionaire sued the artificial intelligence start-up to block it from transitioning to a for-profit firm.
Musk’s bid could ratchet up long-standing tensions between himself and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the future of the start-up at the heart of a boom in generative AI technology.
The two are already embroiled in a continuing lawsuit. Musk criticised a massive, US$500 billion OpenAI-led project called Stargate announced with great fanfare at the White House just after US President Donald Trump returned to office, suggesting the investors involved lacked the funding for the project.
Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, said he submitted the bid to OpenAI’s board on Monday, according to the report.
“It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” the WSJ cited Musk as saying in a statement provided by Toberoff. “We will make sure that happens.”
OpenAI, Musk, Toberoff and OpenAI backer Microsoft did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
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By Reuters
A consortium led by Elon Musk offered US$97.4 billion to buy the non-profit that controls OpenAI, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, months after the billionaire sued the artificial intelligence start-up to block it from transitioning to a for-profit firm.
Musk’s bid could ratchet up long-standing tensions between himself and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the future of the start-up at the heart of a boom in generative AI technology.
The two are already embroiled in a continuing lawsuit. Musk criticised a massive, US$500 billion OpenAI-led project called Stargate announced with great fanfare at the White House just after US President Donald Trump returned to office, suggesting the investors involved lacked the funding for the project.
Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, said he submitted the bid to OpenAI’s board on Monday, according to the report.
“It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” the WSJ cited Musk as saying in a statement provided by Toberoff. “We will make sure that happens.”
OpenAI, Musk, Toberoff and OpenAI backer Microsoft did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
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Despite the Trump threat, China-EU alignment remains a challenge
By Emanuele Scimia
US President Donald Trump appears to be doing his best to make an alignment between the European Union and China possible. It is a paradox, given that Washington and Europe have a long-standing alliance but that, essentially, is what is emerging.
Trump has slapped fresh US trade tariffs on China and promised the EU would be next in the firing line, prompting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to respond that the bloc would retaliate if targeted.
Like the Chinese leadership, EU institutions, member countries and leaders are trying to understand how to cope with an increasingly aggressive Trump. Setting aside trade quarrels and joining hands can be a realistic option for Beijing and Brussels. At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, von der Leyen said the EU was ready to “engage constructively” with China.
The EU has never been Trump’s darling, and as von der Leyen pointed out in Davos, Europe “must look for new opportunities wherever they arise”, engaging new friends beyond blocs.
This should be music to Chinese ears. But at this stage of the EU-Trump confrontation, the European bloc might simply be using the possibility of a rapprochement with China as a ploy to soften the US president’s tariff threat – seeing as its primary choice the working out of a modus vivendi with the new administration in Washington.
During the Biden’s administration, von der Leyen fundamentally aligned Brussels with Washington’s attempts to tackle what the two sides denounced as China’s persistent market and trade distortions – though Europe has so far failed to effectively “de-risk” from China. The European Commission continued along this line even after Trump’s election. In mid-December, under its Digital Services Act, the EU executive body opened an investigation into Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok for suspected election interference in Romania.
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By Emanuele Scimia
US President Donald Trump appears to be doing his best to make an alignment between the European Union and China possible. It is a paradox, given that Washington and Europe have a long-standing alliance but that, essentially, is what is emerging.
Trump has slapped fresh US trade tariffs on China and promised the EU would be next in the firing line, prompting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to respond that the bloc would retaliate if targeted.
Like the Chinese leadership, EU institutions, member countries and leaders are trying to understand how to cope with an increasingly aggressive Trump. Setting aside trade quarrels and joining hands can be a realistic option for Beijing and Brussels. At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, von der Leyen said the EU was ready to “engage constructively” with China.
The EU has never been Trump’s darling, and as von der Leyen pointed out in Davos, Europe “must look for new opportunities wherever they arise”, engaging new friends beyond blocs.
This should be music to Chinese ears. But at this stage of the EU-Trump confrontation, the European bloc might simply be using the possibility of a rapprochement with China as a ploy to soften the US president’s tariff threat – seeing as its primary choice the working out of a modus vivendi with the new administration in Washington.
During the Biden’s administration, von der Leyen fundamentally aligned Brussels with Washington’s attempts to tackle what the two sides denounced as China’s persistent market and trade distortions – though Europe has so far failed to effectively “de-risk” from China. The European Commission continued along this line even after Trump’s election. In mid-December, under its Digital Services Act, the EU executive body opened an investigation into Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok for suspected election interference in Romania.
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Venezuela sends planes to fetch irregular migrants from US
By Agence France-Presse
Venezuela said Monday it had sent two planes to bring undocumented migrants back from the United States, days after it came to an agreement with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
The planes were on their way home, a foreign ministry statement said, after President Nicolas Maduro – keen for an end to crippling US sanctions – agreed with a visiting Trump envoy to accept the return of deported migrants and offered to provide the transport.
The government had been notified by the United States, the statement added, that some of the deportees were suspected of having ties to the Tren de Aragua gang or other criminal groups.
It did not specify how many Venezuelans were being brought home.
The day after Maduro met US envoy Richard Grenell in Caracas on January 31, Trump announced the South American country “has agreed to receive, back into their country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the US, including gang members of Tren de Aragua”.
“Venezuela has further agreed to supply the transportation back,” Trump wrote on social media.
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By Agence France-Presse
Venezuela said Monday it had sent two planes to bring undocumented migrants back from the United States, days after it came to an agreement with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
The planes were on their way home, a foreign ministry statement said, after President Nicolas Maduro – keen for an end to crippling US sanctions – agreed with a visiting Trump envoy to accept the return of deported migrants and offered to provide the transport.
The government had been notified by the United States, the statement added, that some of the deportees were suspected of having ties to the Tren de Aragua gang or other criminal groups.
It did not specify how many Venezuelans were being brought home.
The day after Maduro met US envoy Richard Grenell in Caracas on January 31, Trump announced the South American country “has agreed to receive, back into their country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the US, including gang members of Tren de Aragua”.
“Venezuela has further agreed to supply the transportation back,” Trump wrote on social media.
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France in advanced talks to buy Indian rocket launcher system, Indian official says
By Reuters
France is in advanced talks with India to buy a multi-barrel rocket launcher system, a top Indian official said on Monday, a potential deal that would be the first time India’s second-largest arms supplier buys weapons from New Delhi.
India is the world’s biggest arms importer, but has been trying to boost local production to meet its defence requirements and has been steadily raising its defence exports.
The domestically made Pinaka rocket system with a range of up to 90km (56 miles) was shown to a French delegation in India around three months ago and was found to be satisfactory, a second official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“France is in active talks for Pinaka,” Ummalaneni Raja Babu, the director general of missiles and strategic systems at India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, said on the sidelines of the Aero India aerospace exhibition in the southern city of Bengaluru.
“A deal has not been reached yet, but the talks are continuing,” said Babu.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to France on Monday to co-chair an artificial intelligence summit in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and both leaders are expected to hold bilateral talks on Tuesday.
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By Reuters
France is in advanced talks with India to buy a multi-barrel rocket launcher system, a top Indian official said on Monday, a potential deal that would be the first time India’s second-largest arms supplier buys weapons from New Delhi.
India is the world’s biggest arms importer, but has been trying to boost local production to meet its defence requirements and has been steadily raising its defence exports.
The domestically made Pinaka rocket system with a range of up to 90km (56 miles) was shown to a French delegation in India around three months ago and was found to be satisfactory, a second official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“France is in active talks for Pinaka,” Ummalaneni Raja Babu, the director general of missiles and strategic systems at India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, said on the sidelines of the Aero India aerospace exhibition in the southern city of Bengaluru.
“A deal has not been reached yet, but the talks are continuing,” said Babu.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to France on Monday to co-chair an artificial intelligence summit in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and both leaders are expected to hold bilateral talks on Tuesday.
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Ukraine’s Zelensky to meet Vance in Munich on Friday to discuss ending war with Russia
By Agence France-Presse
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet US Vice-President J.D. Vance on Friday at the Munich Security Conference, where they are set to discuss Washington’s push for an end to the three-year war with Russia.
US President Donald Trump will also send his special envoy Keith Kellogg, who is tasked with drawing up a proposal to halt the fighting, to Ukraine a week later, a source in the Ukrainian presidency told Agence France-Presse.
Trump is pushing for a swift end to the war, while Zelensky is calling for tough security guarantees from Washington as part of any deal with Russia.
Kyiv fears that any settlement that does not include hard military commitments – such as Nato membership or the deployment of peacekeeping troops – will just allow the Kremlin time to regroup and rearm for a fresh attack.
Zelensky’s spokesman Sergiy Nikiforov told Agence France-Presse the meeting with Vance would take place on Friday on the sidelines of the Munich conference.
Meanwhile a source in the Ukrainian president’s office said Kellogg would arrive in Ukraine on February 20.
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By Agence France-Presse
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet US Vice-President J.D. Vance on Friday at the Munich Security Conference, where they are set to discuss Washington’s push for an end to the three-year war with Russia.
US President Donald Trump will also send his special envoy Keith Kellogg, who is tasked with drawing up a proposal to halt the fighting, to Ukraine a week later, a source in the Ukrainian presidency told Agence France-Presse.
Trump is pushing for a swift end to the war, while Zelensky is calling for tough security guarantees from Washington as part of any deal with Russia.
Kyiv fears that any settlement that does not include hard military commitments – such as Nato membership or the deployment of peacekeeping troops – will just allow the Kremlin time to regroup and rearm for a fresh attack.
Zelensky’s spokesman Sergiy Nikiforov told Agence France-Presse the meeting with Vance would take place on Friday on the sidelines of the Munich conference.
Meanwhile a source in the Ukrainian president’s office said Kellogg would arrive in Ukraine on February 20.
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Judge finds Trump administration has not fully followed order to unfreeze federal spending
By Associated Press
A federal judge found on Monday that the Trump administration has not fully followed his order to unfreeze federal spending and told the White House to release all the money.
US District Court Judge John McConnell found there is evidence that some federal grants and loans are still not going out to the recipients and ordered that the cash be released.
McConnell ordered a halt to Trump administration plans for a sweeping freeze of federal funding in late January. The Republican administration has said the pause was necessary to ensure federal spending fits with the president’s agenda.
The judge said his temporary restraining order also blocks the administration from making billions of dollars in cuts to the National Institutes of Health that were announced on Friday.
“These pauses in funding violate the plain text of the [temporary restraining order],” he wrote. “The broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is, as the Court found, likely unconstitutional and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
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By Associated Press
A federal judge found on Monday that the Trump administration has not fully followed his order to unfreeze federal spending and told the White House to release all the money.
US District Court Judge John McConnell found there is evidence that some federal grants and loans are still not going out to the recipients and ordered that the cash be released.
McConnell ordered a halt to Trump administration plans for a sweeping freeze of federal funding in late January. The Republican administration has said the pause was necessary to ensure federal spending fits with the president’s agenda.
The judge said his temporary restraining order also blocks the administration from making billions of dollars in cuts to the National Institutes of Health that were announced on Friday.
“These pauses in funding violate the plain text of the [temporary restraining order],” he wrote. “The broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is, as the Court found, likely unconstitutional and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
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Canada’s opposition chief says he will slash foreign aid to build Arctic military base
By Reuters
The head of Canada’s official opposition party, on track to win an election in the coming months, said on Monday he would slash foreign aid to help build a base in the Arctic and boost regional security.
US President Donald Trump, who is threatening to impose tariffs on Canada, often complains Ottawa does not spend enough on defence. Canada only has a handful of military bases and 2,000 local Inuit rangers to watch over a vast deserted frozen landscape that covers more than 4.4 million square km (2.73 million square miles).
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, noting the Pentagon had warned of potential Russian action in the Arctic, said he would build at least one new military base, double the number of rangers to 4,000 and buy two more polar icebreakers.
“All of these improvements will be funded by dramatically cutting foreign aid, a lot of which goes to dictators, terrorists and global bureaucracies,” he told reporters in Iqaluit, capital of the Nunavut Arctic territory.
“I will be bringing our money home with massive cuts to these wasteful and corrupt foreign aid grants,” he added, but did not give details.
The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), shutting down life-saving programmes across the globe. In the 2023 financial year, the United States disbursed, partly via USAID, US$72 billion of aid.
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By Reuters
The head of Canada’s official opposition party, on track to win an election in the coming months, said on Monday he would slash foreign aid to help build a base in the Arctic and boost regional security.
US President Donald Trump, who is threatening to impose tariffs on Canada, often complains Ottawa does not spend enough on defence. Canada only has a handful of military bases and 2,000 local Inuit rangers to watch over a vast deserted frozen landscape that covers more than 4.4 million square km (2.73 million square miles).
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, noting the Pentagon had warned of potential Russian action in the Arctic, said he would build at least one new military base, double the number of rangers to 4,000 and buy two more polar icebreakers.
“All of these improvements will be funded by dramatically cutting foreign aid, a lot of which goes to dictators, terrorists and global bureaucracies,” he told reporters in Iqaluit, capital of the Nunavut Arctic territory.
“I will be bringing our money home with massive cuts to these wasteful and corrupt foreign aid grants,” he added, but did not give details.
The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), shutting down life-saving programmes across the globe. In the 2023 financial year, the United States disbursed, partly via USAID, US$72 billion of aid.
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Hamas to delay next Israeli hostage release ‘until further notice’
By Agence France-Presse
Palestinian militant group Hamas announced on Monday it would indefinitely postpone the next hostage-prisoner exchange under a fragile truce agreement with Israel, accusing it of failing to comply with its terms.
“The release of the prisoners [Israeli hostages], which was scheduled for next Saturday, February 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, pending the occupation’s compliance and retroactive fulfilment of the past weeks’ obligations,” Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them,” he added.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hamas’ announcement is “a violation of the ceasefire deal”.
He said he had ordered the military to be at the highest level of readiness in Gaza.
Under the terms of the deal between Hamas and Israel, the first phase of which came into effect on January 19, 33 Israeli hostages were to be released in exchange for around 1,900 prisoners, most of them Palestinian, being held in Israeli jails.
On Saturday they completed their fifth hostage-prisoner exchange, with three Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners released.
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By Agence France-Presse
Palestinian militant group Hamas announced on Monday it would indefinitely postpone the next hostage-prisoner exchange under a fragile truce agreement with Israel, accusing it of failing to comply with its terms.
“The release of the prisoners [Israeli hostages], which was scheduled for next Saturday, February 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, pending the occupation’s compliance and retroactive fulfilment of the past weeks’ obligations,” Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them,” he added.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hamas’ announcement is “a violation of the ceasefire deal”.
He said he had ordered the military to be at the highest level of readiness in Gaza.
Under the terms of the deal between Hamas and Israel, the first phase of which came into effect on January 19, 33 Israeli hostages were to be released in exchange for around 1,900 prisoners, most of them Palestinian, being held in Israeli jails.
On Saturday they completed their fifth hostage-prisoner exchange, with three Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners released.
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New York jury hears attacker repeatedly stabbed Salman Rushdie
By Agence France-Presse
Prosecutors in the trial of the man accused of attacking Salman Rushdie described to jurors on Monday how the author of The Satanic Verses was stabbed repeatedly in a frenzied assault that left him blind in one eye.
Hadi Matar, a 27-year-old Lebanese-American who said “free Palestine” as he was led into court, is charged with attempted murder and assault over the August 12, 2022 attack at an arts event in the west of New York state.
Matar is accused of stabbing Rushdie about 10 times, leaving him in grave condition and without sight in his right eye.
Prosecutor District Attorney Jason Schmidt told how Rushdie had just taken his seat in the amphitheatre in front of about 1,000 people.
“A young medium build man wearing dark coloured face mask … appeared from the rear of the theatre,” Schmidt said. “Once on the stage he rapidly, accelerated into a full-out run.
“[Matar] forcefully and efficiently and with speed plunged the knife into Mr Rushdie over and over and over again … swinging, slashing into Mr Rushdie’s head, neck, abdomen, upper thigh.”
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By Agence France-Presse
Prosecutors in the trial of the man accused of attacking Salman Rushdie described to jurors on Monday how the author of The Satanic Verses was stabbed repeatedly in a frenzied assault that left him blind in one eye.
Hadi Matar, a 27-year-old Lebanese-American who said “free Palestine” as he was led into court, is charged with attempted murder and assault over the August 12, 2022 attack at an arts event in the west of New York state.
Matar is accused of stabbing Rushdie about 10 times, leaving him in grave condition and without sight in his right eye.
Prosecutor District Attorney Jason Schmidt told how Rushdie had just taken his seat in the amphitheatre in front of about 1,000 people.
“A young medium build man wearing dark coloured face mask … appeared from the rear of the theatre,” Schmidt said. “Once on the stage he rapidly, accelerated into a full-out run.
“[Matar] forcefully and efficiently and with speed plunged the knife into Mr Rushdie over and over and over again … swinging, slashing into Mr Rushdie’s head, neck, abdomen, upper thigh.”
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Jimmy Lai denies trying to spread fear Beijing would take over Hong Kong
By Fiona Chow
Ex-media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying denied on Monday that he had tried to spread fear by suggesting Beijing would take over Hong Kong if an extradition bill was passed in 2019 but conceded he went too far with claims central authorities could destroy the “one country, two systems” governing principle.
Prosecutors grilled Lai on Monday about articles published by his now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid newspaper months before large-scale protests broke out over the later-withdrawn extradition bill in June 2019.
The bill, proposed by then leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s administration, would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions that Hong Kong lacked an extradition deal with, including mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.
In one article, Lai urged the public to stand against authorities if they did not wish to become “a lamb to the slaughter”.
Lai, 77, is contesting two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.
The court heard on Monday that Lai wrote an article dated April 2019 that said the bill would damage Hong Kong’s judicial system and turn the city’s business environment into a “lawless” place similar to his view of mainland China.
He claimed Hongkongers would be ruled over and monitored by central authorities under the proposed law, with the resulting climate of fear making people irrational and subservient.
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By Fiona Chow
Ex-media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying denied on Monday that he had tried to spread fear by suggesting Beijing would take over Hong Kong if an extradition bill was passed in 2019 but conceded he went too far with claims central authorities could destroy the “one country, two systems” governing principle.
Prosecutors grilled Lai on Monday about articles published by his now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid newspaper months before large-scale protests broke out over the later-withdrawn extradition bill in June 2019.
The bill, proposed by then leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s administration, would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions that Hong Kong lacked an extradition deal with, including mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.
In one article, Lai urged the public to stand against authorities if they did not wish to become “a lamb to the slaughter”.
Lai, 77, is contesting two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.
The court heard on Monday that Lai wrote an article dated April 2019 that said the bill would damage Hong Kong’s judicial system and turn the city’s business environment into a “lawless” place similar to his view of mainland China.
He claimed Hongkongers would be ruled over and monitored by central authorities under the proposed law, with the resulting climate of fear making people irrational and subservient.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong meets 8 top officials to hear economic plans
By Jeffie Lam
Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has met the finance chief and seven other senior officials to hear their plans on the economy and financial services as he inspected two special cooperation zones operated by the city and neighbouring Shenzhen.
The government said on Monday that Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), had hosted a discussion session in Qianhai the previous day in which Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po had introduced the administration’s work and focus this year to advance the economy.
“The session lasted for nearly four hours, with in-depth discussions about how Hong Kong could further understand, respond to and embrace changes under the new circumstances, accelerate reforms to foster progress, enhance cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong, and better integrate into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area,” a government spokesman said.
The meeting, also attended by seven other Hong Kong ministers in charge of areas such as transport, development and innovation, was held just two weeks before Chan unveils his annual budget blueprint.
Chan previously pledged to focus on curbing growth in recurring expenses and prioritising public works to rebalance the city’s finances with the city’s deficit expected to hit nearly HK$100 billion in the current financial year.
Xia, who was spending three days on a fact-finding trip in Shenzhen, visited the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone and Yantian port.
He was accompanied by acting chief executive Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Chan as he visited the Hong Kong park in the Hetao I&T hub.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Jeffie Lam
Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has met the finance chief and seven other senior officials to hear their plans on the economy and financial services as he inspected two special cooperation zones operated by the city and neighbouring Shenzhen.
The government said on Monday that Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), had hosted a discussion session in Qianhai the previous day in which Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po had introduced the administration’s work and focus this year to advance the economy.
“The session lasted for nearly four hours, with in-depth discussions about how Hong Kong could further understand, respond to and embrace changes under the new circumstances, accelerate reforms to foster progress, enhance cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong, and better integrate into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area,” a government spokesman said.
The meeting, also attended by seven other Hong Kong ministers in charge of areas such as transport, development and innovation, was held just two weeks before Chan unveils his annual budget blueprint.
Chan previously pledged to focus on curbing growth in recurring expenses and prioritising public works to rebalance the city’s finances with the city’s deficit expected to hit nearly HK$100 billion in the current financial year.
Xia, who was spending three days on a fact-finding trip in Shenzhen, visited the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone and Yantian port.
He was accompanied by acting chief executive Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Chan as he visited the Hong Kong park in the Hetao I&T hub.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
German couple get life in prison for killing Ukrainians to take baby
By dpa
A German couple who confessed to killing a Ukrainian refugee and her mother last year to steal a newborn baby were sentenced to life in prison on Monday.
The Mannheim District Court in southwestern Germany determined the incident involved a particular severity of guilt, meaning the pair are unlikely to be released even after 15 years in prison.
Last month, on the first day of the trial, the couple admitted to killing the 27-year-old Ukrainian woman and her 51-year-old mother to abduct the younger woman’s 5-week-old baby.
The accused told the court that after suffering a number of miscarriages and failed fertility treatment, they hatched a plan to kidnap a newborn girl and pass her off as their daughter.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the couple have a total of four children, including one son together. The 45-year-old woman and her 43-year-old husband are from Sandhausen, near Heidelberg.
“I regret everything I have done,” the man said in a statement read out by lawyers on January 7. His wife added, “I made a big mistake.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By dpa
A German couple who confessed to killing a Ukrainian refugee and her mother last year to steal a newborn baby were sentenced to life in prison on Monday.
The Mannheim District Court in southwestern Germany determined the incident involved a particular severity of guilt, meaning the pair are unlikely to be released even after 15 years in prison.
Last month, on the first day of the trial, the couple admitted to killing the 27-year-old Ukrainian woman and her 51-year-old mother to abduct the younger woman’s 5-week-old baby.
The accused told the court that after suffering a number of miscarriages and failed fertility treatment, they hatched a plan to kidnap a newborn girl and pass her off as their daughter.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the couple have a total of four children, including one son together. The 45-year-old woman and her 43-year-old husband are from Sandhausen, near Heidelberg.
“I regret everything I have done,” the man said in a statement read out by lawyers on January 7. His wife added, “I made a big mistake.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Tech war: after DeepSeek AI shock, how far can China go to nurture and keep top talent?
By Meredith Chen
Among the many storylines emerging in the wake of the sudden rise of Chinese AI development firm DeepSeek has been the importance of talent retention, which has taken on a new sense of urgency in light of the country’s growing tech race with the United States, according to analysts.
The debut of the little known start-up has continued to make global headlines with its low-cost, open-source large language models (LLMs) that rival US-based OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
The success of the Hangzhou-based company, fuelled by a group of young, domestically trained engineers, has shown that Chinese teams can make the leap from replication to innovation, suggesting that the nation’s decades of effort to nurture its own talent has started to pay off, analysts said.
The US-China talent competition would “ultimately depend more on the battle of institutional conditions and innovation environments for talent development”, according to Dai Mingjie, an associate researcher with the Institute of Public Policy, an independent think tank under South China University of Technology.
But the risks of a significant tech brain drain – the outflow of Chinese tech talent and enterprises – rise depending on potential shifts in US policy to attract more global capital and technology industry resources, according to an article published by the institute earlier this month, co-authored by Dai.
To accelerate artificial intelligence research and development in Silicon Valley, the US is moving to deregulate artificial intelligence, the article said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Meredith Chen
Among the many storylines emerging in the wake of the sudden rise of Chinese AI development firm DeepSeek has been the importance of talent retention, which has taken on a new sense of urgency in light of the country’s growing tech race with the United States, according to analysts.
The debut of the little known start-up has continued to make global headlines with its low-cost, open-source large language models (LLMs) that rival US-based OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
The success of the Hangzhou-based company, fuelled by a group of young, domestically trained engineers, has shown that Chinese teams can make the leap from replication to innovation, suggesting that the nation’s decades of effort to nurture its own talent has started to pay off, analysts said.
The US-China talent competition would “ultimately depend more on the battle of institutional conditions and innovation environments for talent development”, according to Dai Mingjie, an associate researcher with the Institute of Public Policy, an independent think tank under South China University of Technology.
But the risks of a significant tech brain drain – the outflow of Chinese tech talent and enterprises – rise depending on potential shifts in US policy to attract more global capital and technology industry resources, according to an article published by the institute earlier this month, co-authored by Dai.
To accelerate artificial intelligence research and development in Silicon Valley, the US is moving to deregulate artificial intelligence, the article said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
