csmonitor--2020-12-21--Bans on British travelers spawn crisis talks, traffic jams

Trucks waiting to get out of Britain backed up for miles and people were left stranded at airports Monday as countries around the world imposed stringent travel restrictions on the United Kingdom because of a new and seemingly more contagious strain of the coronavirus in England .
A growing number of countries halted air travel from Britain , while France banned British trucks for 48 hours while the new variant is assessed .
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the strain is “ out of control ” around London and southeastern England , though experts have said it is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they expressed confidence that the vaccines now being rolled out would still be effective against it .
There were rising hopes that France would soon allow traffic to flow again , if truck drivers took coronavirus tests on arrival .
Meanwhile , the European Union ’ s drug regulatory agency recommended use of Pfizer-BioNTech ’ s vaccine , setting the stage for the first COVID-19 shots across the 27-nation bloc .
The vaccine is already being dispensed in Britain and the United States .
The EU was expected to give final approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Germany and several other European countries said they hope to begin vaccinating people on Dec. 27 .
While the French ban does not prevent trucks from heading for Britain , the move stoked worries about shortages at a time of year when Britain produces very little of its food and relies heavily on produce delivered from Europe by truck .
In a sign of the British government ’ s concern , Prime Minister Boris Johnson called a meeting of the government ’ s emergency committee .
The ban caused chaos in Kent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home to many of Britain ’ s English Channel ports .
The government urged against travel to the county , but trucks snaked along the shoulders of the main highways to the ports anyway .
Around 10,000 trucks pass through Britain ’ s port of Dover every day , accounting for about 20 % of the country ’ s trade in goods .
British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said France ’ s ban was “ slightly surprising ” but insisted that the public won ’ t notice any shortages “ for the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transport Jean-Baptiste Djebbari indicated that a solution was coming .
In a tweet , he said that “ in the coming hours , at a European level , we will put a solid health protocol in place so that the flow from the United Kingdom can resume.
” French President Emmanuel Macron , who is working from the Élysée Palace as he recovers from COVID-19 , told a Cabinet meeting by video : “ We are looking at systematic testing upon arrival.
” Canada , India , France , Germany , Italy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries that halted flights from Britain .
In the U.S. , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said he wanted a ban on flights from Britain to New York City .
Eurotunnel , the rail service that links Britain with mainland Europe , also suspended outbound service from Britain .
At Germany ’ s Berlin and Frankfurt airports , passengers arriving from Britain had to spend Sunday night in the terminals as they awaited test results .
The moves come in the wake of Mr. Johnson ’ s announcement on Saturday that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England in a newly created high level of restrictions after a warning from scientific advisers – using what is widely considered one of the world ’ s most sophisticated genome sequencing regimes – that they had detected a new variant of the virus that may be more contagious .
Mr. Johnson said early indications are that the variant is 70 % more transmissible and is driving the rapid spread of infections in the capital and surrounding areas .
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that while preliminary analysis suggests the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” there is no indication that infections are more severe .
Experts , however , have stressed that even if the new strain is not more lethal , it is inevitable that more infections will lead to more hospitalizations and deaths .
The Stockholm-based agency said a few cases of the variant have been reported by Iceland , Denmark , and the Netherlands .
It also cited news reports of cases in Belgium and Italy .
The chaos at the border comes at a time of huge uncertainty for Britain , less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country ’ s exit from the EU .
Though Britain left the bloc on Jan. 31 , it is in a transition period during which it effectively abides by EU rules until the end of this year .
Talks on a post-Brexit trade relationship were deadlocked but set to resume on Monday .
Retailers played down fears of food shortages in the short term but warned that there could be problems if the travel bans last for a while and if Britain and the EU fail to reach a trade deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goods ahead of Christmas , which should prevent immediate problems , ” said Andrew Opie , director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium .
“ However , any prolonged closure of the French border would be a problem as the U.K. enters the final weeks before the transition ends.
” Trade association Logistics U.K. urged people to stay calm and not to rush to supermarkets to stockpile goods .
“ Shoppers should not panic buy , ” said Kevin Green , director of marketing and communications .
“ If freight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall impact on fresh produce arriving to supermarkets should be fairly minimal.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Frank Jordans and Geir Moulson in Berlin ; Thomas Adamson in Paris ; and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Trucks waiting to get out of Britain backed up for miles and people were left stranded at airports Monday as countries around the world imposed stringent travel restrictions on the United Kingdom because of a new and seemingly more contagious strain of the coronavirus in England.
A growing number of countries halted air travel from Britain, while France banned British trucks for 48 hours while the new variant is assessed.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the strain is “out of control” around London and southeastern England, though experts have said it is not clear whether it is more lethal, and they expressed confidence that the vaccines now being rolled out would still be effective against it.
There were rising hopes that France would soon allow traffic to flow again, if truck drivers took coronavirus tests on arrival.
Meanwhile, the European Union’s drug regulatory agency recommended use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine, setting the stage for the first COVID-19 shots across the 27-nation bloc. The vaccine is already being dispensed in Britain and the United States.
The EU was expected to give final approval to the recommendation within hours. Authorities in Germany and several other European countries said they hope to begin vaccinating people on Dec. 27.
While the French ban does not prevent trucks from heading for Britain, the move stoked worries about shortages at a time of year when Britain produces very little of its food and relies heavily on produce delivered from Europe by truck. In a sign of the British government’s concern, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called a meeting of the government’s emergency committee.
The ban caused chaos in Kent, the southeastern English county that is home to many of Britain’s English Channel ports. The government urged against travel to the county, but trucks snaked along the shoulders of the main highways to the ports anyway.
Around 10,000 trucks pass through Britain’s port of Dover every day, accounting for about 20% of the country’s trade in goods. British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said France’s ban was “slightly surprising” but insisted that the public won’t notice any shortages “for the most part.”
France’s Minister of Transport Jean-Baptiste Djebbari indicated that a solution was coming. In a tweet, he said that “in the coming hours, at a European level, we will put a solid health protocol in place so that the flow from the United Kingdom can resume.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is working from the Élysée Palace as he recovers from COVID-19, told a Cabinet meeting by video: “We are looking at systematic testing upon arrival.”
Canada, India, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland were among the countries that halted flights from Britain. In the U.S., New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he wanted a ban on flights from Britain to New York City. Eurotunnel, the rail service that links Britain with mainland Europe, also suspended outbound service from Britain.
At Germany’s Berlin and Frankfurt airports, passengers arriving from Britain had to spend Sunday night in the terminals as they awaited test results.
The moves come in the wake of Mr. Johnson’s announcement on Saturday that he was placing London and the southeast of England in a newly created high level of restrictions after a warning from scientific advisers – using what is widely considered one of the world’s most sophisticated genome sequencing regimes – that they had detected a new variant of the virus that may be more contagious.
Mr. Johnson said early indications are that the variant is 70% more transmissible and is driving the rapid spread of infections in the capital and surrounding areas.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that while preliminary analysis suggests the new variant is “significantly more transmissible,” there is no indication that infections are more severe. Experts, however, have stressed that even if the new strain is not more lethal, it is inevitable that more infections will lead to more hospitalizations and deaths.
The Stockholm-based agency said a few cases of the variant have been reported by Iceland, Denmark, and the Netherlands. It also cited news reports of cases in Belgium and Italy.
The chaos at the border comes at a time of huge uncertainty for Britain, less than two weeks before the final stage of the country’s exit from the EU.
Though Britain left the bloc on Jan. 31, it is in a transition period during which it effectively abides by EU rules until the end of this year. Talks on a post-Brexit trade relationship were deadlocked but set to resume on Monday.
Retailers played down fears of food shortages in the short term but warned that there could be problems if the travel bans last for a while and if Britain and the EU fail to reach a trade deal.
“Retailers have stocked up on goods ahead of Christmas, which should prevent immediate problems,” said Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium. “However, any prolonged closure of the French border would be a problem as the U.K. enters the final weeks before the transition ends.”
Trade association Logistics U.K. urged people to stay calm and not to rush to supermarkets to stockpile goods.
“Shoppers should not panic buy,” said Kevin Green, director of marketing and communications. “If freight gets moving again today, then the overall impact on fresh produce arriving to supermarkets should be fairly minimal.”
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Frank Jordans and Geir Moulson in Berlin; Thomas Adamson in Paris; and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-12-21--Al-Jazeera reporters' phones hacked using Israeli firm's spyware

Dozens of journalists at Al-Jazeera , the Qatari state-owned media company , have been targeted by advanced spyware in an attack likely linked to the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates , a cybersecurity watchdog said Sunday .
Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto said it traced malware that infected the personal phones of 36 journalists , producers , anchors , and executives at Al-Jazeera back to the Israel-based NSO Group , which has been widely condemned for selling spyware to repressive governments .
Most unnerving to the investigators was that iMessages were infecting targeted cellphones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s known as a zero-click vulnerability .
Through push notifications alone , the malware instructed the phones to upload their content to servers linked to the NSO Group , Citizen Lab said , turning journalists ’ iPhones into powerful surveillance tools without even luring users to click on suspicious links or threatening texts .
The coordinated attacks on Qatari-funded Al-Jazeera , which Citizen Lab described as the largest concentration of phone hacks targeting a single organization , occurred in July , just weeks before the Trump administration announced the normalization of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the archival to Qatar .
The breakthrough deal took public what had been a long-secret alliance .
Analysts say normalization likely will lead to stronger cooperation in digital surveillance between Israel and Persian Gulf sheikhdoms .
Apple said it was aware of the Citizen Lab report and said the latest version of its mobile operating system , iOS 14 , “ delivered new protections against these kinds of attacks.
” It sought to reassure users that NSO doesn ’ t target the average iPhone owner , but rather sells its software to foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple said it has not been able to independently verify Citizen Lab ’ s analysis .
Citizen Lab , which has been tracking NSO spyware for four years , tied the attacks “ with medium confidence ” to the Emirati and Saudi governments , based on their past targeting of dissidents at home and abroad with the same spyware .
The two countries are embroiled in a bitter geopolitical dispute with Qatar in which hacking and cyber surveillance have increasingly become favored tools .
In 2017 , the two Gulf nations and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its alleged support for extremist groups , a charge Doha denies .
The UAE and Saudi Arabia served the tiny country with a list of demands , among them shutting down its influential Arabic-language TV network , which the UAE and Saudi Arabia see as promoting a political agenda at odds with their own .
The feud continues to fester , although officials recently have indicated a resolution may be within reach .
Emirati and Saudi authorities did not respond to requests for comment .
The NSO Group cast doubt on Citizen Lab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it was “ unable to comment on a report that we have not yet seen.
” The firm said it provides technology for the sole purpose of enabling “ governmental law enforcement agencies to tackle serious organized crime and counterterrorism.
” Nevertheless , it added , “ when we receive credible evidence of misuse … we take all necessary steps in accordance with our product misuse investigation procedure in order to review the allegations.
” NSO does not identify its customers .
Prior to Sunday ’ s report , NSO ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hack journalists , lawyers , human rights defenders , and dissidents .
Most notably , the spyware was implicated in the gruesome killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi , who was dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 and whose body has never been found .
Several alleged targets of the spyware , including a close friend of Mr. Khashoggi and several Mexican civil society figures , sued NSO in an Israeli court over the hacking .
The NSO Group ’ s surveillance software , known as Pegasus , is designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The malware infiltrates phones to vacuum up personal and location data and surreptitiously control the smartphone ’ s microphones and cameras , allowing hackers to spy on reporters ’ face-to-face meetings with sources .
“ It ’ s not only very scary , but it ’ s the holy grail of phone hacking , ” said Bill Marczak , a senior researcher at Citizen Lab .
“ You can be using your phone normally , completely unaware that someone else is looking at everything you ’ re doing.
” The Citizen Lab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pegasus operators in attacks attributed to Saudi Arabia and the UAE over the last four years .
Rania Dridi , a newscaster at the London-based satellite channel Al Araby , never noticed anything amiss .
Although she said she ’ s accustomed to Emirati and Saudi criticism over her reporting on human rights and the UAE ’ s role in wars in Libya and Yemen , she was shocked to learn her phone had been infected with invasive spyware on several occasions starting October 2019 .
“ It ’ s a horrible feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my private life wasn ’ t private this whole time , ” she said .
The zero-click vulnerability is increasingly being used to hack cellphones without a trace , said Ms. Marczak .
Last year , WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook filed an unprecedented lawsuit against the NSO Group , accusing the Israeli firm of targeting some 1,400 users of its encrypted messaging service with highly sophisticated spyware through missed calls .
Earlier this month , an Al-Jazeera anchor filed another lawsuit in the United States , alleging that the NSO Group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting on Saudi Arabia ’ s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman .
With the UAE and Bahrain normalizing ties with Israel , the use of Israeli spyware in the region may accelerate , Ms. Marczak added , encompassing a “ much wider range of government agencies and customers across the Gulf.
” The Al-Jazeera attack represents the tip of the iceberg , said Yaniv Balmas , head of cyber research at Check Point , an Israeli security company .
“ These hacks are not supposed to be public , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re happening all the time , everywhere.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .

Dozens of journalists at Al-Jazeera, the Qatari state-owned media company, have been targeted by advanced spyware in an attack likely linked to the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a cybersecurity watchdog said Sunday.
Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto said it traced malware that infected the personal phones of 36 journalists, producers, anchors, and executives at Al-Jazeera back to the Israel-based NSO Group, which has been widely condemned for selling spyware to repressive governments.
Most unnerving to the investigators was that iMessages were infecting targeted cellphones without the users taking any action – what’s known as a zero-click vulnerability. Through push notifications alone, the malware instructed the phones to upload their content to servers linked to the NSO Group, Citizen Lab said, turning journalists’ iPhones into powerful surveillance tools without even luring users to click on suspicious links or threatening texts.
The coordinated attacks on Qatari-funded Al-Jazeera, which Citizen Lab described as the largest concentration of phone hacks targeting a single organization, occurred in July, just weeks before the Trump administration announced the normalization of ties between Israel and the UAE, the archival to Qatar. The breakthrough deal took public what had been a long-secret alliance. Analysts say normalization likely will lead to stronger cooperation in digital surveillance between Israel and Persian Gulf sheikhdoms.
Apple said it was aware of the Citizen Lab report and said the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 14, “delivered new protections against these kinds of attacks.” It sought to reassure users that NSO doesn’t target the average iPhone owner, but rather sells its software to foreign governments to target a limited group. Apple said it has not been able to independently verify Citizen Lab’s analysis.
Citizen Lab, which has been tracking NSO spyware for four years, tied the attacks “with medium confidence” to the Emirati and Saudi governments, based on their past targeting of dissidents at home and abroad with the same spyware. The two countries are embroiled in a bitter geopolitical dispute with Qatar in which hacking and cyber surveillance have increasingly become favored tools.
In 2017, the two Gulf nations and their allies imposed a blockade on Qatar over its alleged support for extremist groups, a charge Doha denies. The UAE and Saudi Arabia served the tiny country with a list of demands, among them shutting down its influential Arabic-language TV network, which the UAE and Saudi Arabia see as promoting a political agenda at odds with their own. The feud continues to fester, although officials recently have indicated a resolution may be within reach.
Emirati and Saudi authorities did not respond to requests for comment.
The NSO Group cast doubt on Citizen Lab’s accusations in a statement but said it was “unable to comment on a report that we have not yet seen.” The firm said it provides technology for the sole purpose of enabling “governmental law enforcement agencies to tackle serious organized crime and counterterrorism.” Nevertheless, it added, “when we receive credible evidence of misuse … we take all necessary steps in accordance with our product misuse investigation procedure in order to review the allegations.” NSO does not identify its customers.
Prior to Sunday’s report, NSO’s spyware has repeatedly been found deployed to hack journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, and dissidents. Most notably, the spyware was implicated in the gruesome killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 and whose body has never been found. Several alleged targets of the spyware, including a close friend of Mr. Khashoggi and several Mexican civil society figures, sued NSO in an Israeli court over the hacking.
The NSO Group’s surveillance software, known as Pegasus, is designed to bypass detection and mask its activity. The malware infiltrates phones to vacuum up personal and location data and surreptitiously control the smartphone’s microphones and cameras, allowing hackers to spy on reporters’ face-to-face meetings with sources.
“It’s not only very scary, but it’s the holy grail of phone hacking,” said Bill Marczak, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab. “You can be using your phone normally, completely unaware that someone else is looking at everything you’re doing.”
The Citizen Lab researchers connected the hacks to previously identified Pegasus operators in attacks attributed to Saudi Arabia and the UAE over the last four years.
Rania Dridi, a newscaster at the London-based satellite channel Al Araby, never noticed anything amiss. Although she said she’s accustomed to Emirati and Saudi criticism over her reporting on human rights and the UAE’s role in wars in Libya and Yemen, she was shocked to learn her phone had been infected with invasive spyware on several occasions starting October 2019.
“It’s a horrible feeling to be so insecure, to know my private life wasn’t private this whole time,” she said.
The zero-click vulnerability is increasingly being used to hack cellphones without a trace, said Ms. Marczak. Last year, WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook filed an unprecedented lawsuit against the NSO Group, accusing the Israeli firm of targeting some 1,400 users of its encrypted messaging service with highly sophisticated spyware through missed calls. Earlier this month, an Al-Jazeera anchor filed another lawsuit in the United States, alleging that the NSO Group hacked her phone through WhatsApp over her reporting on Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
With the UAE and Bahrain normalizing ties with Israel, the use of Israeli spyware in the region may accelerate, Ms. Marczak added, encompassing a “much wider range of government agencies and customers across the Gulf.”
The Al-Jazeera attack represents the tip of the iceberg, said Yaniv Balmas, head of cyber research at Check Point, an Israeli security company.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“These hacks are not supposed to be public,” he said. “We should assume they’re happening all the time, everywhere.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-12-21--Democrats' challenge: Fill cabinet amid slim House majority

President-elect Joe Biden ’ s decision to tap several House Democrats for administrative positions is putting Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a politically tough spot , having chiseled away at the party ’ s already slimming majority and leaving her potentially without enough votes to pass his legislative agenda .
Democrats already were heading into the new Congress with a razor-thin margin over Republicans .
But Mr. Biden ’ s overture to a third lawmaker , Rep. Deb Haaland , D-N.M. , as the history-making first Native American interior secretary , set off a fresh round of pained conversations on what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Biden era with a narrow majority , 222-211 , with a few races still undecided .
At 222-211 , a majority would be 218 votes .
That number would fluctuate amid vacancies , but Democrats ’ challenge is to not only keep their majority , but also give themselves wiggle room to pass a bill in case their caucus isn ’ t completely united behind it .
“ We need to manage something like this , ” Rep. James Clyburn , of South Carolina , the Democratic whip and a top Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press this week .
According to Mr. Clyburn , an emerging strategy is to stagger the confirmations : Mr. Biden would hold off on formally submitting the nominations all at once so the House numbers don ’ t immediately drop .
Under the plan , timing would unfold over the first several months of the new Congress , ample time for the House to pass the 100-days agenda , a typically important but symbolic legislative sprint that through the beginning of Mr. Biden ’ s presidency .
Mr. Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cedric Richmond , D-La.
, would join the administration quickly once the president-elect is inaugurated Jan. 20 , Mr. Clyburn said .
Mr. Richmond is poised to become a senior adviser , a position that doesn ’ t require confirmation by the Senate .
Mr. Biden would then wait to submit the other two nominees , Ms. Haaland and Rep. Marcia Fudge , D-Ohio , who was tapped as housing secretary , until after the March special election in Louisiana to fill Mr. Richmond ’ s seat .
The lawmakers can remain in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until they are Senate confirmed .
Their nominations could be sent one after the other , in the months that follow .
The three House seats are in Democratic strongholds and expected to be off-limits to Republicans .
But special elections can throw curveballs , and the staggered timing would also give the campaigns ample running room to shore up the candidates and races .
Democrats are already deep into political soul-searching after a dismal November outcome for House Democrats .
Mr. Biden ’ s victory had short coattails as they lost seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers and strategists blamed progressives for pushing the party ’ s message too far leftward ; progressives complained it was centrists who ran timid campaigns without a bold message to attract voters .
Ms. Pelosi is a master vote counter on the House floor , but even her skills will be tested in the new Congress , starting with her own election for another term as speaker .
If even a few Democratic lawmakers object or peel off , passing bills in the new Congress could be difficult .
In an extreme scenario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control of the gavel and the majority .
If the numbers dipped so low – with illnesses or other absences , which are likely during the COVID-19 crisis – Republicans could try to force a floor vote on the issue .
Rep. Tom Cole , R-Okla. , said Friday that the departures of the three lawmakers would combine with existing divisions among Democrats to make governing “ very hard ” for Ms. Pelosi .
“ On any given vote when your margin is as narrow as this , a few people can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote and just take it out on you , ” Mr. Cole said .
The danger zone was close enough that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer warned Mr. Biden last month off taking any more Democrats from his ranks .
“ I thought it would be difficult if , in fact , members of the Congress were selected , ” Mr. Hoyer told reporters this week .
“ The margin was very close.
” A similar scenario has played out in the Senate , where Mr. Biden has refrained from naming senators to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold .
The Senate breakdown will be 51-48 when the new Congress is sworn in Jan. 3 , with the majority not yet decided until two Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia .
One of the runoffs involves a sitting Republican senator .
In some ways , the closely split House could provide an opportunity for Mr. Biden to reach across the aisle and try to cut bipartisan deals with a centrist agenda that could attract some Republicans .
But so far , House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has signaled movement in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floor procedures as political weaponry to gum up the bills with Republican priorities and force vulnerable Democrats into tough votes .
Republicans used the strategy with some success in the current session of Congress , producing campaign ads against Democrats seeking reelection .
Mr. McCarthy , his own shot at seizing the majority for Republicans in 2022 now within reached , warned shortly after the November election there would be more floor battles to come .
Mr. McCarthy said while Republicans won ’ t have the majority in the new year , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block those efforts , Democrats are considering rules changes proposed by Rep. Stephanie Murphy , D-Fla. , that would raise the threshold on those votes to a two-thirds majority to make it more difficult for Republicans to change the bills .
Yet the first legislation of the new Congress may not be too difficult for Ms. Pelosi to pass , even with a slimmer majority .
The agenda is likely to be rooted in H.R .
1 through H.R.9 - the first nine bills of the last Congress – popular Democratic measures on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , raising the minimum wage , and requiring background checks for gun purchases – measures that most Democrats have already voted for .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writer Alan Fram contributed to this report .

President-elect Joe Biden’s decision to tap several House Democrats for administrative positions is putting Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a politically tough spot, having chiseled away at the party’s already slimming majority and leaving her potentially without enough votes to pass his legislative agenda.
Democrats already were heading into the new Congress with a razor-thin margin over Republicans. But Mr. Biden’s overture to a third lawmaker, Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., as the history-making first Native American interior secretary, set off a fresh round of pained conversations on what to do. Ms. Pelosi will start the Biden era with a narrow majority, 222-211, with a few races still undecided.
At 222-211, a majority would be 218 votes. That number would fluctuate amid vacancies, but Democrats’ challenge is to not only keep their majority, but also give themselves wiggle room to pass a bill in case their caucus isn’t completely united behind it.
But Ms. Pelosi’s leadership team has a plan.
“We need to manage something like this,” Rep. James Clyburn, of South Carolina, the Democratic whip and a top Biden ally, said in an interview with The Associated Press this week.
According to Mr. Clyburn, an emerging strategy is to stagger the confirmations: Mr. Biden would hold off on formally submitting the nominations all at once so the House numbers don’t immediately drop.
Under the plan, timing would unfold over the first several months of the new Congress, ample time for the House to pass the 100-days agenda, a typically important but symbolic legislative sprint that through the beginning of Mr. Biden’s presidency.
Mr. Biden’s first pick from the House, Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., would join the administration quickly once the president-elect is inaugurated Jan. 20, Mr. Clyburn said. Mr. Richmond is poised to become a senior adviser, a position that doesn’t require confirmation by the Senate.
Mr. Biden would then wait to submit the other two nominees, Ms. Haaland and Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, who was tapped as housing secretary, until after the March special election in Louisiana to fill Mr. Richmond’s seat.
The lawmakers can remain in the House, voting as members, until they are Senate confirmed. Their nominations could be sent one after the other, in the months that follow.
“Just manage it,” Mr. Clyburn said.
The three House seats are in Democratic strongholds and expected to be off-limits to Republicans. But special elections can throw curveballs, and the staggered timing would also give the campaigns ample running room to shore up the candidates and races.
Democrats are already deep into political soul-searching after a dismal November outcome for House Democrats. Mr. Biden’s victory had short coattails as they lost seats and saw their majority shrink.
Moderate lawmakers and strategists blamed progressives for pushing the party’s message too far leftward; progressives complained it was centrists who ran timid campaigns without a bold message to attract voters.
Ms. Pelosi is a master vote counter on the House floor, but even her skills will be tested in the new Congress, starting with her own election for another term as speaker. If even a few Democratic lawmakers object or peel off, passing bills in the new Congress could be difficult.
In an extreme scenario, Republicans could even try to wrest control of the gavel and the majority. If the numbers dipped so low – with illnesses or other absences, which are likely during the COVID-19 crisis – Republicans could try to force a floor vote on the issue.
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said Friday that the departures of the three lawmakers would combine with existing divisions among Democrats to make governing “very hard” for Ms. Pelosi.
“On any given vote when your margin is as narrow as this, a few people can be mad about something totally unrelated to the vote and just take it out on you,” Mr. Cole said.
The danger zone was close enough that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer warned Mr. Biden last month off taking any more Democrats from his ranks.
“I thought it would be difficult if, in fact, members of the Congress were selected,” Mr. Hoyer told reporters this week. “The margin was very close.”
A similar scenario has played out in the Senate, where Mr. Biden has refrained from naming senators to administrative positions because of the narrow GOP hold.
The Senate breakdown will be 51-48 when the new Congress is sworn in Jan. 3, with the majority not yet decided until two Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia. One of the runoffs involves a sitting Republican senator.
In some ways, the closely split House could provide an opportunity for Mr. Biden to reach across the aisle and try to cut bipartisan deals with a centrist agenda that could attract some Republicans.
But so far, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has signaled movement in the opposite direction. He wants to use floor procedures as political weaponry to gum up the bills with Republican priorities and force vulnerable Democrats into tough votes.
Republicans used the strategy with some success in the current session of Congress, producing campaign ads against Democrats seeking reelection. Mr. McCarthy, his own shot at seizing the majority for Republicans in 2022 now within reached, warned shortly after the November election there would be more floor battles to come.
Mr. McCarthy said while Republicans won’t have the majority in the new year, they will “run the floor.”
To block those efforts, Democrats are considering rules changes proposed by Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., that would raise the threshold on those votes to a two-thirds majority to make it more difficult for Republicans to change the bills.
Yet the first legislation of the new Congress may not be too difficult for Ms. Pelosi to pass, even with a slimmer majority.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
The agenda is likely to be rooted in H.R. 1 through H.R.9 - the first nine bills of the last Congress – popular Democratic measures on voting rights, lowering prescription drug prices, raising the minimum wage, and requiring background checks for gun purchases – measures that most Democrats have already voted for.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-12-21--‘We have been re-written into history’: Tribes cheer Interior secretary pick

“ It ’ s who we are to take care of these places , to be the best stewards we can for future generations , ” she continues .
“ Those are our American lands .
It ’ s our American water .
... Indigenous issues are American issues.
” And after a year marked by natural disaster and pandemic , adds Dr. Morris , it ’ s the perfect time for a Native woman to take control of the agency that “ manages the physical manifestation of America.
” “ The excitement is palpable in Indian Country , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American Indian Policy Institute .
“ It makes us part of the present , not just part of the history.
” And it would represent an unprecedented shift in U.S.-tribal relations , giving tribes an access to power they haven ’ t enjoyed since they began signing treaties in 1778 .
A sign of growing political power and organization in Indian Country , Representative Haaland taking lead of the sprawling Department of the Interior would put Native Americans at the forefront of the Biden administration ’ s efforts to take sweeping action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Deb Haaland ’ s nomination last week to become secretary of the Interior uncorked waves of emotion from the Great Lakes to California ’ s Redwood forests to the Oklahoma plains .
Nature is not something you inherit from your ancestors but something you steward for your descendants .
At least that ’ s the Indigenous view .
In recent centuries , that view hasn ’ t carried much weight beyond tribal boundaries .
Over the history of tribes ’ government-to-government relationship with Washington – formalized after centuries of exploitation and bloodshed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take than give from Uncle Sam .
That could soon change .
Following weeks of grassroots campaigning , Democratic Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico , a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe , has been nominated for Secretary of the Interior by President-elect Joe Biden .
If confirmed she would become the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history .
A victory for progressives , and a sign of growing political power and organization in Indian Country , Representative Haaland taking lead of the sprawling Department of the Interior ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the forefront of the Biden administration ’ s efforts to take sweeping action on climate change .
But her appointment would represent much more than policy shifts .
Especially for Native Americans , it would mark an unprecedented shift in U.S.-tribal relations , giving tribes an access to power they haven ’ t enjoyed since they began signing treaties in 1778 .
“ The excitement is palpable in Indian Country , ” says Traci Morris , executive director of the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University .
“ It makes us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the history.
” And after a year marked by natural disasters and pandemic-induced quarantines , adds Dr. Morris , it ’ s the perfect time for a Native woman to be taking control of the agency that “ manages the physical manifestation of America.
” “ It ’ s who we are to take care of these places , to be the best stewards we can for future generations , ” she continues .
“ Those are our American lands .
It ’ s our American water .
... Indigenous issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been the principal point of contact between the federal government and tribal communities – from managing lands and resources , to education and economic development – since it was formed in the mid-19th century .
That relationship has typically been sour , if not outright hostile .
From allotment policies in the 19th century that saw millions of acres of land taken from tribes , to forcibly sending their children to residential schools designed to assimilate them into white culture , even to the modern era of self-determination where tribes have had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native Americans say the DOI has more often been seen as an adversary than a co-equal government partner .
Native Americans have had prominent positions in the agency , including leading the Bureau of Indian Affairs , but having a Native woman in the top position would be a quantum leap .
Not just progress , but a wholesale rebalancing of the relationship .
“ It ’ s resetting the relationship with the first peoples of this land , ” says Crystal Echo Hawk , founder and CEO of IllumiNatives , a nonprofit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we trust Deb , and that ’ s never been had before.
” The announcement of Representative Haaland ’ s nomination last week uncorked waves of emotion from the Great Lakes to California ’ s Redwood forests to the Oklahoma plains .
After a year in which Native communities have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic and by unprecedented , climate change-fueled wildfires across the western U.S. , they voted in droves to help Mr. Biden win key states like Arizona and Wisconsin .
Once that had been achieved , they turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s nomination for Interior secretary .
Ms. Echo Hawk , a member of the Cherokee Nation , cried after she heard .
So did her daughter , her nieces , and her friend , who broke the news to her .
“ This is more than just checking a box for diversity in the Cabinet , ” she says .
“ Native people have been made to think we ’ re less than human , that things aren ’ t possible for us , and [ Representative Haaland ] once again shattered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t the first trail the New Mexico politician has blazed .
Two years ago she became one of the first two Native women to be elected to Congress .
But in that capacity she had the companionship of Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas , a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation .
If she is confirmed by the Senate next year she will be taking on a much more challenging – and lonely – position .
If anyone has an idea of what she ’ s in for , it ’ s Judge Abby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass the California bar and be a state judge .
“ This is going to take and take and take from her , ” says Judge Abinanti , who has spoken occasionally with Representative Haaland .
“ You just have to realize , and she will , it ’ s not about me , it ’ s about what our role is , ” she adds .
“ You just reach back into yourself .
She was raised with that strength , and she can do this.
” A single mom who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student debt from law school when she entered Congress in 2018 , Representative Haaland has developed a reputation as a productive and progressive lawmaker capable of working across the aisle .
Bipartisanship and pragmatism have been common traits among the few Native lawmakers who ’ ve worked on Capitol Hill .
They ’ ve frequently been members of both parties , and tribal issues themselves have historically been nonpartisan .
Whichever party is in power , tribes have had to work with them .
“ Tribes will find friends where they can find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of Cherokee Nation and the first Native American to represent the U.S. on the U.N. Human Rights Council .
Representative Haaland “ has a deep commitment to certain values , but she also knows how to work with others , ” he adds .
“ It ’ s an inspired and visionary choice tailor-made for this precise moment.
” From Republicans to progressive Democrats – including Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York – many in Congress agree .
And she is now poised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a portfolio that reaches far beyond Indian Country .
With 70,000 employees and a budget of about $ 12 billion , Representative Haaland would take charge of not only the Bureau of Indian Education but also the U.S. Geological Survey and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization .
The DOI manages not just federal lands , water , and wildlife but also natural resources .
That balance between Native issues , conservation , and energy and economic development is a challenging balance for any Interior secretary to strike .
What Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike that balance in a way no other Interior secretary has before .
“ She understands the balance between energy needs and jobs and a decent life for all people , including ours , ” says Judith Le Blanc , director of the Native Organizers Alliance and a member of the Caddo Tribe of Oklahoma .
“ No doubt it will be a very tough road , ” she adds .
But “ she will be able to balance the needs of Mother Earth and of people.
” Representative Haaland ’ s work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have been re-written into history.
” “ I ’ m feeling a little emotional , ” she continues .
“ For democracy to be full and complete and meet the expectations people have for democracy , we need more Debs.
” Indeed , Indigenous approaches and philosophies have been marginalized for so long in the U.S. that they represent an untapped well of solutions for the country , says Judge Abinanti .
The Yurok tribe live in a secluded corner of the Northern California coast , and this year she has watched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad salmon run .
River and forest management are two areas where the Yurok – and tribes across the country – have seen their generations of expertise go unheeded by Washington .
“ We have said forever , ‘ Do controlled burns.
’ Now people are saying , ‘ We should do controlled burns , ’ ” says Judge Abinanti .
“ It just makes you want to hit yourself in the head with a rock.
” But tribes have also , historically , not engaged enough with the world , Native activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a focus on tribal government and preserving cultures brought near the brink of extinction , but with the political activism of 2020 that era of insularity seems to be ending .
Representative Haaland is leading it .
“ They need to know things that we know , and we ... need to implement them , ” says Judge Abinanti , “ or everybody ’ s going to go down on this ship.
” “ We were never the kind of people who ran and hid .
... We did that to survive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re [ realizing ] that ’ s not how this place is going to survive .
We need to engage .
”

“It’s who we are to take care of these places, to be the best stewards we can for future generations,” she continues. “Those are our American lands. It’s our American water. ... Indigenous issues are American issues.”
And after a year marked by natural disaster and pandemic, adds Dr. Morris, it’s the perfect time for a Native woman to take control of the agency that “manages the physical manifestation of America.”
“The excitement is palpable in Indian Country,” says Traci Morris, executive director of the American Indian Policy Institute. “It makes us part of the present, not just part of the history.”
And it would represent an unprecedented shift in U.S.-tribal relations, giving tribes an access to power they haven’t enjoyed since they began signing treaties in 1778 .
A dedication to protecting the land has been a hallmark of Native American leaders – but so also have bipartisanship and pragmatism. Whichever party is in power, tribes have had to work with them. In an era of deeply divided government, those tools are needed.
A sign of growing political power and organization in Indian Country, Representative Haaland taking lead of the sprawling Department of the Interior would put Native Americans at the forefront of the Biden administration’s efforts to take sweeping action on climate change.
The announcement of Rep. Deb Haaland’s nomination last week to become secretary of the Interior uncorked waves of emotion from the Great Lakes to California’s Redwood forests to the Oklahoma plains.
Nature is not something you inherit from your ancestors but something you steward for your descendants. At least that’s the Indigenous view.
In recent centuries, that view hasn’t carried much weight beyond tribal boundaries. Over the history of tribes’ government-to-government relationship with Washington – formalized after centuries of exploitation and bloodshed – there has been a lot more take than give from Uncle Sam.
That could soon change.
Why We Wrote This A dedication to protecting the land has been a hallmark of Native American leaders – but so also have bipartisanship and pragmatism. Whichever party is in power, tribes have had to work with them. In an era of deeply divided government, those tools are needed.
Following weeks of grassroots campaigning, Democratic Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe, has been nominated for Secretary of the Interior by President-elect Joe Biden. If confirmed she would become the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
A victory for progressives, and a sign of growing political power and organization in Indian Country, Representative Haaland taking lead of the sprawling Department of the Interior (DOI) would put Native Americans at the forefront of the Biden administration’s efforts to take sweeping action on climate change.
But her appointment would represent much more than policy shifts. Especially for Native Americans, it would mark an unprecedented shift in U.S.-tribal relations, giving tribes an access to power they haven’t enjoyed since they began signing treaties in 1778.
“The excitement is palpable in Indian Country,” says Traci Morris, executive director of the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University. “It makes us part of the present, not just part of the history.”
And after a year marked by natural disasters and pandemic-induced quarantines, adds Dr. Morris, it’s the perfect time for a Native woman to be taking control of the agency that “manages the physical manifestation of America.”
“It’s who we are to take care of these places, to be the best stewards we can for future generations,” she continues. “Those are our American lands. It’s our American water. ... Indigenous issues are American issues.”
Beyond box-checking
The Interior Department has been the principal point of contact between the federal government and tribal communities – from managing lands and resources, to education and economic development – since it was formed in the mid-19th century. That relationship has typically been sour, if not outright hostile.
From allotment policies in the 19th century that saw millions of acres of land taken from tribes, to forcibly sending their children to residential schools designed to assimilate them into white culture, even to the modern era of self-determination where tribes have had more control of their own affairs, Native Americans say the DOI has more often been seen as an adversary than a co-equal government partner.
Native Americans have had prominent positions in the agency, including leading the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but having a Native woman in the top position would be a quantum leap. Not just progress, but a wholesale rebalancing of the relationship.
“It’s resetting the relationship with the first peoples of this land,” says Crystal Echo Hawk, founder and CEO of IllumiNatives, a nonprofit advocacy group.
Ann Hermes/Staff/File View caption Hide caption “You just have to realize ... it’s not about me, it’s about what our role is. You just reach back into yourself. She was raised with that strength, and she can do this.” – Judge Abby Abinanti, chief judge of the Yurok Tribal Court and the first Native woman to be a state judge, on Rep. Deb Haaland’s nomination as Interior secretary.
“We know Deb, we trust Deb, and that’s never been had before.”
The announcement of Representative Haaland’s nomination last week uncorked waves of emotion from the Great Lakes to California’s Redwood forests to the Oklahoma plains.
After a year in which Native communities have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic and by unprecedented, climate change-fueled wildfires across the western U.S., they voted in droves to help Mr. Biden win key states like Arizona and Wisconsin. Once that had been achieved, they turned their attention to campaigning for Representative Haaland’s nomination for Interior secretary.
Ms. Echo Hawk, a member of the Cherokee Nation, cried after she heard. So did her daughter, her nieces, and her friend, who broke the news to her.
“This is more than just checking a box for diversity in the Cabinet,” she says.
“Native people have been made to think we’re less than human, that things aren’t possible for us, and [Representative Haaland] once again shattered that glass ceiling.”
A lonely path
This isn’t the first trail the New Mexico politician has blazed. Two years ago she became one of the first two Native women to be elected to Congress.
But in that capacity she had the companionship of Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation. If she is confirmed by the Senate next year she will be taking on a much more challenging – and lonely – position.
If anyone has an idea of what she’s in for, it’s Judge Abby Abinanti, the first Native woman to pass the California bar and be a state judge.
“This is going to take and take and take from her,” says Judge Abinanti, who has spoken occasionally with Representative Haaland.
“You just have to realize, and she will, it’s not about me, it’s about what our role is,” she adds. “You just reach back into yourself. She was raised with that strength, and she can do this.”
A single mom who has lived off food stamps and still had student debt from law school when she entered Congress in 2018, Representative Haaland has developed a reputation as a productive and progressive lawmaker capable of working across the aisle.
Bipartisanship and pragmatism have been common traits among the few Native lawmakers who’ve worked on Capitol Hill. They’ve frequently been members of both parties, and tribal issues themselves have historically been nonpartisan. Whichever party is in power, tribes have had to work with them.
“Tribes will find friends where they can find friends,” says Keith Harper, a member of Cherokee Nation and the first Native American to represent the U.S. on the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Representative Haaland “has a deep commitment to certain values, but she also knows how to work with others,” he adds. “It’s an inspired and visionary choice tailor-made for this precise moment.”
From Republicans to progressive Democrats – including Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York – many in Congress agree. And she is now poised to take control of an agency with a portfolio that reaches far beyond Indian Country.
“We need to engage”
With 70,000 employees and a budget of about $12 billion, Representative Haaland would take charge of not only the Bureau of Indian Education but also the U.S. Geological Survey and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. The DOI manages not just federal lands, water, and wildlife but also natural resources. That balance between Native issues, conservation, and energy and economic development is a challenging balance for any Interior secretary to strike.
What Indian Country expects is that Representative Haaland would strike that balance in a way no other Interior secretary has before.
“She understands the balance between energy needs and jobs and a decent life for all people, including ours,” says Judith Le Blanc, director of the Native Organizers Alliance and a member of the Caddo Tribe of Oklahoma.
“No doubt it will be a very tough road,” she adds. But “she will be able to balance the needs of Mother Earth and of people.”
Representative Haaland’s work would make Indian Country “feel that we have been re-written into history.”
“I’m feeling a little emotional,” she continues. “For democracy to be full and complete and meet the expectations people have for democracy, we need more Debs.”
Indeed, Indigenous approaches and philosophies have been marginalized for so long in the U.S. that they represent an untapped well of solutions for the country, says Judge Abinanti.
The Yurok tribe live in a secluded corner of the Northern California coast, and this year she has watched her community grapple with wildfires and a bad salmon run. River and forest management are two areas where the Yurok – and tribes across the country – have seen their generations of expertise go unheeded by Washington.
“We have said forever, ‘Do controlled burns.’ Now people are saying, ‘We should do controlled burns,’” says Judge Abinanti. “It just makes you want to hit yourself in the head with a rock.”
But tribes have also, historically, not engaged enough with the world, Native activists say. This is in part due to a focus on tribal government and preserving cultures brought near the brink of extinction, but with the political activism of 2020 that era of insularity seems to be ending. Representative Haaland is leading it.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“They need to know things that we know, and we ... need to implement them,” says Judge Abinanti, “or everybody’s going to go down on this ship.”
“We were never the kind of people who ran and hid. ... We did that to survive,” she adds. “Now we’re [realizing] that’s not how this place is going to survive. We need to engage.”


csmonitor--2020-12-21--Dual kidnappings show shifting security situation in Nigeria

Joyous , tearful Nigerian parents tightly hugged their sons , upon being reunited with them following their week-long abduction in the country ’ s northwestern state of Katsina .
The boys , however , appeared traumatized and exhausted .
After their days of captivity , including forced marches and hiding from gunfights , they were then paraded barefoot in front of officials and the press .
Usman Garuba , one of the freed boys , described the horror of their six days walking through the forest and being beaten .
“ I feel so bad , honestly , at that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was a terrible experience and I felt I was better not to be alive at all , ” he told The Associated Press .
Boko Haram , Nigeria ’ s jihadist rebels , claimed responsibility for the Dec. 11 kidnappings , which took place in Kankara , in Katsina state , but the government later said the abduction was carried out by bandit groups rampant in the northwest .
Just two days after the freed boys were brought to the city of Katsina , 80 other students were kidnapped in a nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by police and local self-defense groups .
While President Muhammadu Buhari ’ s government is credited with quick action that succeeded in getting the boys released , many in Nigeria are criticizing the government ’ s ineffective response to the deepening insecurity in the northwest and failure to protect civilians from the insurgency as well as criminal violence .
“ This incident shows the security deficit in the region as communities , schools , hospitals , and government infrastructures are still very vulnerable , ” said Nnamdi Obasi of the International Crisis Group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move hundreds of boys through the night without challenge shows security in the area is inadequate , Mr. Obasi said .
He warned that the successful negotiation resulting in the release of the boys may not be easy to repeat if there are more abductions in the future .
“ The northeast has so many armed groups , reaching an agreement of good conduct with one of them does not guarantee that others may not embark on such a venture in the future especially when certain concessions are made , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the boys ’ release when his government has allowed the insecurity in the northwest , creating the conditions for the boys ’ abduction , former Minister of Education , Obiageli Ezekwesili , told Channels TV in Nigeria .
“ For us to congratulate a government that created a problem and said it solved it ?
We shouldn ’ t be doing that , ” she said .
“ Society should learn how to hold people accountable .
The president should be disgusted with what happened , not commending himself.
” Ms. Ezekwesili @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2014 kidnapping of more than 276 girls from their school in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria .
About 100 of those girls are still missing .
“ He needs to tell us exactly what happened with the Kankara kids , ” she said .
“ There is a problem .
This country should not be taken for a ride.
” Mr. Buhari began his time as president in 2015 by concentrating on combatting the country ’ s jihadist rebels .
He declared victory against Boko Haram in 2016 , but many say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues .
There are many reasons the government has failed to stem the insecurity in Nigeria ’ s north , ranging from overstretched and under-equipped security forces to failed strategies and a weakening multinational force , said Bulama Bukarti , a sub-Saharan Africa analyst at the Tony Blair Institute .
Nigeria ’ s military and police forces , with the backing of local self-defense groups , are outgunned , outnumbered , underfunded , and underpaid , he said .
Katsina state ’ s government , where the kidnapping took place , in August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were only 30 police officers for every 100 villages .
“ Soldiers have lost morale , defending themselves in impossible scenarios , ” Mr. Bukarti said .
Many soldiers say they are exhausted after being in the north for nearly six years , with no rotation out , he said .
Many also complain the shoes issued to them are not replaced for years .
Many in Nigeria and abroad charge that rampant corruption in the country means that funds allocated to the military do not reach the troops on the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast , ungoverned territories that they do not know , but which are familiar ground to the criminal gangs and insurgents living there .
More than 800 members of Nigeria 's security forces were killed in 2019 , one of the deadliest years since Boko Haram ’ s establishment more than 10 years ago .
The military responded by creating super camps – gathering about 1,000 soldiers together in a large camp .
“ It succeeded in reducing military fatalities , but it gave Boko Haram freedom of movement , ” Mr. Bukarti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The joint regional force in which neighboring countries sent troops to help Nigeria combat the jihadists , has also weakened .
Chad , a key partner which once had more than 1,000 soldiers on Nigerian soil , withdrew its troops early this year , saying the mission wasn ’ t renewed by Nigeria .
While focusing on the insurgencies in the northeast , Nigeria ’ s government paid little attention to the deteriorating situation in the northwest , where armed gangs killed more than 1,000 in the first six months of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Seeing an opening , Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau formed alliances with the bandit groups , potentially including the gunmen who staged last week ’ s attack on the boarding school .
Mr. Buhari was in his northern hometown of Daura , when the boys were abducted , which some said highlighted the growing assertiveness of the bandit groups .
Meeting with the freed schoolboys in Katsina Friday , before they were reunited with their families , Mr. Buhari seemed to downplay the trauma they suffered .
“ This little difficulty you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , ” he said , encouraging them to continue their education .
A mother of one of the boys , Bilikisu Abdulrazak , wishes her son never had to experience what he did .
“ He has never suffered like this before in his life ... he had to trek … in the bush , ” she told AP .
“ He had to depend on leaves , on seeds and drink from the pond water .
It is really disturbing.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Sam Olukoya in Lagos , Nigeria , contributed .

Joyous, tearful Nigerian parents tightly hugged their sons, upon being reunited with them following their week-long abduction in the country’s northwestern state of Katsina.
The boys, however, appeared traumatized and exhausted. After their days of captivity, including forced marches and hiding from gunfights, they were then paraded barefoot in front of officials and the press.
Usman Garuba, one of the freed boys, described the horror of their six days walking through the forest and being beaten.
“I feel so bad, honestly, at that moment I preferred to be killed because it was a terrible experience and I felt I was better not to be alive at all,” he told The Associated Press.
Boko Haram, Nigeria’s jihadist rebels, claimed responsibility for the Dec. 11 kidnappings, which took place in Kankara, in Katsina state, but the government later said the abduction was carried out by bandit groups rampant in the northwest.
Just two days after the freed boys were brought to the city of Katsina, 80 other students were kidnapped in a nearby area, but then were quickly rescued by police and local self-defense groups.
While President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is credited with quick action that succeeded in getting the boys released, many in Nigeria are criticizing the government’s ineffective response to the deepening insecurity in the northwest and failure to protect civilians from the insurgency as well as criminal violence.
“This incident shows the security deficit in the region as communities, schools, hospitals, and government infrastructures are still very vulnerable,” said Nnamdi Obasi of the International Crisis Group.
That the gunmen were able to move hundreds of boys through the night without challenge shows security in the area is inadequate, Mr. Obasi said. He warned that the successful negotiation resulting in the release of the boys may not be easy to repeat if there are more abductions in the future.
“The northeast has so many armed groups, reaching an agreement of good conduct with one of them does not guarantee that others may not embark on such a venture in the future especially when certain concessions are made,” he said.
Mr. Buhari should not be congratulated for the boys’ release when his government has allowed the insecurity in the northwest, creating the conditions for the boys’ abduction, former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, told Channels TV in Nigeria.
“For us to congratulate a government that created a problem and said it solved it? We shouldn’t be doing that,” she said. “Society should learn how to hold people accountable. The president should be disgusted with what happened, not commending himself.”
Ms. Ezekwesili helped lead the #BringBackOurGirls movement after the 2014 kidnapping of more than 276 girls from their school in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria. About 100 of those girls are still missing.
“He needs to tell us exactly what happened with the Kankara kids,” she said. “There is a problem. This country should not be taken for a ride.”
Mr. Buhari began his time as president in 2015 by concentrating on combatting the country’s jihadist rebels. He declared victory against Boko Haram in 2016, but many say that was a premature announcement as the insurgency continues.
There are many reasons the government has failed to stem the insecurity in Nigeria’s north, ranging from overstretched and under-equipped security forces to failed strategies and a weakening multinational force, said Bulama Bukarti, a sub-Saharan Africa analyst at the Tony Blair Institute.
Nigeria’s military and police forces, with the backing of local self-defense groups, are outgunned, outnumbered, underfunded, and underpaid, he said.
Katsina state’s government, where the kidnapping took place, in August had appealed for more forces, saying there were only 30 police officers for every 100 villages.
“Soldiers have lost morale, defending themselves in impossible scenarios,” Mr. Bukarti said. Many soldiers say they are exhausted after being in the north for nearly six years, with no rotation out, he said. Many also complain the shoes issued to them are not replaced for years.
Many in Nigeria and abroad charge that rampant corruption in the country means that funds allocated to the military do not reach the troops on the ground.
Security forces also must contend with vast, ungoverned territories that they do not know, but which are familiar ground to the criminal gangs and insurgents living there.
More than 800 members of Nigeria's security forces were killed in 2019, one of the deadliest years since Boko Haram’s establishment more than 10 years ago. The military responded by creating super camps – gathering about 1,000 soldiers together in a large camp.
“It succeeded in reducing military fatalities, but it gave Boko Haram freedom of movement,” Mr. Bukarti said, calling it a failed strategy.
The joint regional force in which neighboring countries sent troops to help Nigeria combat the jihadists, has also weakened. Chad, a key partner which once had more than 1,000 soldiers on Nigerian soil, withdrew its troops early this year, saying the mission wasn’t renewed by Nigeria.
While focusing on the insurgencies in the northeast, Nigeria’s government paid little attention to the deteriorating situation in the northwest, where armed gangs killed more than 1,000 in the first six months of this year alone, according to Amnesty International. Seeing an opening, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau formed alliances with the bandit groups, potentially including the gunmen who staged last week’s attack on the boarding school.
Mr. Buhari was in his northern hometown of Daura, when the boys were abducted, which some said highlighted the growing assertiveness of the bandit groups.
Meeting with the freed schoolboys in Katsina Friday, before they were reunited with their families, Mr. Buhari seemed to downplay the trauma they suffered.
“This little difficulty you have faced in life should not deter you,” he said, encouraging them to continue their education.
A mother of one of the boys, Bilikisu Abdulrazak, wishes her son never had to experience what he did.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“He has never suffered like this before in his life ... he had to trek … in the bush,” she told AP. “He had to depend on leaves, on seeds and drink from the pond water. It is really disturbing.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP journalists Lekan Oyekanmi in Katsina, Nigeria, and Sam Olukoya in Lagos, Nigeria, contributed.


csmonitor--2020-12-21--Why India’s protesting farmers aren’t going home

“ Farmers have a powerful symbolic place in Indian society , ” says Irfan Nooruddin , director of the Atlantic Council ’ s South Asia Center , “ and can not be as easily dismissed as ‘ elites ’ who are out of touch with the general national mood.
” As Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s administration veers right , fellow Hindu nationalists have often dismissed critics as “ anti-national.
” But agriculture employs half of India ’ s workforce , making the farmers ’ protests one of the most serious challenges yet to his populist image .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wider kind of discontent , about democratic ideals and room for dissent in India today .
“ More farmers are joining us next week , ” says farmer Ram Singh , who traveled 140 miles to join .
“ Most of our wives and children are back home for now , but they ’ ll join us , too , if needed.
” For three weeks , mile after mile of trucks and tractor-trailers have been piled up just north of New Delhi .
The farmers who drove them here are protesting agricultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and benefit tycoons .
And there is no sign of a retreat .
Trucks hand out oranges , and stalls distribute hot tea and pudding to passersby .
Temporary salons have sprung up .
For now , these roads and trailers are their home , despite the cold .
At a certain point at the northern edge of India ’ s capital , New Delhi , the highway abruptly gives way to police barricades .
Usually busy with vehicles making their way to the neighboring state of Haryana , traffic now comes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after that are trucks and tractor-trailers that thousands of farmers used to get here , now parked to block the so-called Singhu border between states in protest .
Huddled with a few others in the rear of one of these tractor-trailers on a chilly December evening is Ram Singh , a wheat and rice farmer from Bhodi village in Haryana .
He traveled about 140 miles to join this weekslong protest , demanding that the government rescind three hastily enacted agricultural laws .
Like others gathered here , he believes that the laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporations .
The legislation effectively deregulates the marketing of produce , limiting the role of government-run markets and price support systems .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed this as a landmark reform that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell directly to large institutional buyers and retailers .
Critics argue that farmers will not have the negotiating power to do so , and could be at the mercy of two billionaires who own large conglomerates .
Additionally , one of the laws restrains citizens from taking disputes under it to regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What is 10 rupees a kilo today they [ corporates ] will sell for 100 rupees a kilo tomorrow with their profits in mind .
Along with farmers , this will affect laborers , shopkeepers , even city residents who ’ ll have to pay a hefty price , ” Mr. Singh says .
“ This is everyone ’ s loss – marginal farmers , landowners , laborers .
We are all in this together.
” Since Prime Minister Modi took office in 2014 , his administration has veered to the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissent and diversity – criticism that Hindu nationalists in his Bharatiya Janata Party often dismiss as “ anti-national.
” But agriculture employs half of India ’ s workforce , making the farmers ’ protests one of the most serious challenges yet to Mr. Modi ’ s populist image .
Farmers at the Singhu border have been here for over 20 days , and there is no sign of a retreat .
Support has been pouring in from different parts of the country .
“ More farmers are joining us next week , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our wives and children are back home for now , but they ’ ll join us , too , if needed.
” At least 25 protesters have died , many of them due to the cold .
A large stage has been set up for speeches , and open-air kitchens serve meals throughout the day .
There are trucks handing out oranges , and stalls distributing hot cups of tea and bowls of kheer , an Indian pudding .
Temporary salons have sprung up , as have several shaded areas lined with cushions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them , young Sikh men carefully wrap turbans around the heads of fellow protesters .
Medical students and doctors offer free checkups and medicines .
A few waterproof tents offer some protection from the cold .
For now , these roads and trailers are their home .
While the agricultural laws served as an immediate trigger , experts say it ’ s important to not look at them in a vacuum .
The agricultural sector faces a deepening crisis , with a large percentage of farmers carrying mounting debts .
Over 10,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As Indians reel amid the ongoing pandemic , its economic consequences have also fed frustration .
“ There is a lot of simmering discontent among migrant and other workers , and this will grow because the economic conditions continue to deteriorate and people are losing livelihoods and lakhs [ hundreds of thousands ] of small enterprises are going under , ” says Jayati Ghosh , a development economist .
“ Also , the idea that these laws were passed to benefit cronies has taken root.
” In the face of erratic weather patterns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and insufficient government support , farmers from across the country have taken to the streets numerous times in the past few years .
This time , however , their anger is directed at Modi ’ s government and its business allies .
Across the country , farmers ’ groups echo similar sentiments : They can not trust the government .
Parliament passed the trio of laws in September over vehement protest by opposition parties .
Outside , farmers in Punjab and Haryana states had already begun to demonstrate , arguing that the laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had not been sufficiently consulted .
“ This government has developed a reputation for making big decisions with little to no consultation with other stakeholders , ” says Irfan Nooruddin , director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council in Washington , D.C. From demonitization of Indian bank notes in 2016 , to revoking Kashmir ’ s statehood last year , or the Citizenship Amendment Act last winter , major decisions have been “ dropped on the Indian public in surprise.
” Each time , the government has justified these decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been lingering for a long time and needed tough , decisive actions .
“ The consequence is that affected groups feel little recourse to influence the government other than by protests and demonstrations after the fact since the government shows little appetite for consensus-building , ” Mr. Nooruddin says .
Posters at the Singhu border declare , “ We are farmers .
We are not terrorists.
” It ’ s a reference to how the government responded to those marching toward Delhi last month : barbed-wire fences , tear gas , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the farmers of being “ brainwashed ” by misinformation about the bill .
In such turbulent times , the farmers ’ protest has become a symbol of a larger kind of dissent , reflecting concerns about democratic ideals and human rights .
At Tikri border , another protest site , farmers raised pictures of human rights activists and intellectuals detained under an anti-terror law and called for their release .
The images of the protests create a public relations dilemma for the government , Mr. Nooruddin says .
“ Farmers have a powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be as easily dismissed as ‘ elites ’ who are out of touch with the general national mood.
” During India ’ s last mass protests , against the citizenship law for refugees that excluded Muslims , the government portrayed protesters as unpatriotic radicals .
But this time , officials are willing to talk .
Six rounds of discussions with farm union leaders , however , have failed to bear any results .
Farmers are adamant that the laws be revoked , not amended .
In Singhu border , Sher Singh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unload vegetables and takes a minute to step aside and talk .
“ Those in power , they dream of a Hindu nation , ” he says , referring to the ruling party ’ s Hindu nationalist agenda .
“ What nation ?
When ordinary citizens like us are hurting so much , what is the point of all this nation-building ?
”

“Farmers have a powerful symbolic place in Indian society,” says Irfan Nooruddin, director of the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, “and cannot be as easily dismissed as ‘elites’ who are out of touch with the general national mood.”
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration veers right, fellow Hindu nationalists have often dismissed critics as “anti-national.” But agriculture employs half of India’s workforce, making the farmers’ protests one of the most serious challenges yet to his populist image. And the demonstrations have come to symbolize a wider kind of discontent, about democratic ideals and room for dissent in India today.
Agriculture employs hundreds of millions in India. But that’s not the only reason farmers’ protests have resonated so widely. They tap into concern over shrinking space for consultation, debate, and dissent.
“More farmers are joining us next week,” says farmer Ram Singh, who traveled 140 miles to join. “Most of our wives and children are back home for now, but they’ll join us, too, if needed.”
For three weeks, mile after mile of trucks and tractor-trailers have been piled up just north of New Delhi. The farmers who drove them here are protesting agricultural laws they worry will hurt their earnings and benefit tycoons. And there is no sign of a retreat. Trucks hand out oranges, and stalls distribute hot tea and pudding to passersby. Temporary salons have sprung up. For now, these roads and trailers are their home, despite the cold.
At a certain point at the northern edge of India’s capital, New Delhi, the highway abruptly gives way to police barricades. Usually busy with vehicles making their way to the neighboring state of Haryana, traffic now comes to a dead stop. Stretching for miles after that are trucks and tractor-trailers that thousands of farmers used to get here, now parked to block the so-called Singhu border between states in protest.
Huddled with a few others in the rear of one of these tractor-trailers on a chilly December evening is Ram Singh, a wheat and rice farmer from Bhodi village in Haryana. He traveled about 140 miles to join this weekslong protest, demanding that the government rescind three hastily enacted agricultural laws. Like others gathered here, he believes that the laws will reduce his earnings while benefiting large corporations.
The legislation effectively deregulates the marketing of produce, limiting the role of government-run markets and price support systems. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed this as a landmark reform that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell directly to large institutional buyers and retailers. Critics argue that farmers will not have the negotiating power to do so, and could be at the mercy of two billionaires who own large conglomerates. Additionally, one of the laws restrains citizens from taking disputes under it to regular courts.
Why We Wrote This Agriculture employs hundreds of millions in India. But that’s not the only reason farmers’ protests have resonated so widely. They tap into concern over shrinking space for consultation, debate, and dissent.
“There will be hoarding. What is 10 rupees a kilo today they [corporates] will sell for 100 rupees a kilo tomorrow with their profits in mind. Along with farmers, this will affect laborers, shopkeepers, even city residents who’ll have to pay a hefty price,” Mr. Singh says. “This is everyone’s loss – marginal farmers, landowners, laborers. We are all in this together.”
Sarita Santoshini View caption Hide caption Ram Singh (center, in a pink turban), a farmer from Bhodi village in Haryana state, sits in a truck with fellow protesters at Singhu border near New Delhi. Mr. Singh traveled 140 miles to participate in the demonstration.
Since Prime Minister Modi took office in 2014, his administration has veered to the right, prompting complaints about shrinking space for dissent and diversity – criticism that Hindu nationalists in his Bharatiya Janata Party often dismiss as “anti-national.” But agriculture employs half of India’s workforce, making the farmers’ protests one of the most serious challenges yet to Mr. Modi’s populist image.
Farmers at the Singhu border have been here for over 20 days, and there is no sign of a retreat. Support has been pouring in from different parts of the country. “More farmers are joining us next week,” Mr. Singh adds. “Most of our wives and children are back home for now, but they’ll join us, too, if needed.” At least 25 protesters have died, many of them due to the cold.
A large stage has been set up for speeches, and open-air kitchens serve meals throughout the day. There are trucks handing out oranges, and stalls distributing hot cups of tea and bowls of kheer, an Indian pudding. Temporary salons have sprung up, as have several shaded areas lined with cushions where farmers can rest. In one of them, young Sikh men carefully wrap turbans around the heads of fellow protesters. Medical students and doctors offer free checkups and medicines. A few waterproof tents offer some protection from the cold. For now, these roads and trailers are their home.
Rising public distrust
While the agricultural laws served as an immediate trigger, experts say it’s important to not look at them in a vacuum. The agricultural sector faces a deepening crisis, with a large percentage of farmers carrying mounting debts. Over 10,000 farmers died by suicide in 2019. As Indians reel amid the ongoing pandemic, its economic consequences have also fed frustration.
“There is a lot of simmering discontent among migrant and other workers, and this will grow because the economic conditions continue to deteriorate and people are losing livelihoods and lakhs [hundreds of thousands] of small enterprises are going under,” says Jayati Ghosh, a development economist. “Also, the idea that these laws were passed to benefit cronies has taken root.”
In the face of erratic weather patterns, water scarcity, rising debts, and insufficient government support, farmers from across the country have taken to the streets numerous times in the past few years. This time, however, their anger is directed at Modi’s government and its business allies. Across the country, farmers’ groups echo similar sentiments: They cannot trust the government.
Parliament passed the trio of laws in September over vehement protest by opposition parties. Outside, farmers in Punjab and Haryana states had already begun to demonstrate, arguing that the laws did not serve their interests and they had not been sufficiently consulted.
“This government has developed a reputation for making big decisions with little to no consultation with other stakeholders,” says Irfan Nooruddin, director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. From demonitization of Indian bank notes in 2016, to revoking Kashmir’s statehood last year, or the Citizenship Amendment Act last winter, major decisions have been “dropped on the Indian public in surprise.”
Each time, the government has justified these decisions as beneficial policies on major issues that have been lingering for a long time and needed tough, decisive actions.
“The consequence is that affected groups feel little recourse to influence the government other than by protests and demonstrations after the fact since the government shows little appetite for consensus-building,” Mr. Nooruddin says.
Bikas Das/AP View caption Hide caption Supporters block a train track during a nationwide shutdown called by thousands of Indian farmers protesting new agricultural laws, in Kolkata, India, Dec. 8, 2020. The farmers say the laws will lead to exploitation by corporations that will push down prices.
Long road ahead
Posters at the Singhu border declare, “We are farmers. We are not terrorists.” It’s a reference to how the government responded to those marching toward Delhi last month: barbed-wire fences, tear gas, and water cannons. Pro-government media have accused the farmers of being “brainwashed” by misinformation about the bill.
In such turbulent times, the farmers’ protest has become a symbol of a larger kind of dissent, reflecting concerns about democratic ideals and human rights. At Tikri border, another protest site, farmers raised pictures of human rights activists and intellectuals detained under an anti-terror law and called for their release.
The images of the protests create a public relations dilemma for the government, Mr. Nooruddin says. “Farmers have a powerful symbolic place in Indian society and cannot be as easily dismissed as ‘elites’ who are out of touch with the general national mood.”
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During India’s last mass protests, against the citizenship law for refugees that excluded Muslims, the government portrayed protesters as unpatriotic radicals. But this time, officials are willing to talk. Six rounds of discussions with farm union leaders, however, have failed to bear any results. Farmers are adamant that the laws be revoked, not amended.
In Singhu border, Sher Singh, a farmer from Punjab, is helping to unload vegetables and takes a minute to step aside and talk. “Those in power, they dream of a Hindu nation,” he says, referring to the ruling party’s Hindu nationalist agenda. “What nation? When ordinary citizens like us are hurting so much, what is the point of all this nation-building?”