Trump barred from Colorado ballot for role in attack on US Capitol - CNA

One of the dissenting justices, Carlos Samour, said in a lengthy opinion that a lawsuit is not a fair mechanism for determining Trump’s eligibility for the ballot because it deprives him of his right to due process, noting that a jury has not convicted him of insurrection.

“Even if we are convinced that a candidate committed horrible acts in the past - dare I say, engaged in insurrection - there must be procedural due process before we can declare that individual disqualified from holding public office,” Samour said.

VICTORY FOR ADVOCACY GROUPS

The ruling applies only to the state's Mar 5 Republican primary, but its conclusion would likely also affect Trump’s status for the Nov 5 general election.

Nonpartisan US election forecasters view Colorado as safely Democratic, meaning that President Joe Biden will likely carry the state regardless of Trump's fate.

The case was brought by a group of Colorado voters, aided by the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, who argued that Trump should be disqualified for inciting his supporters to attack the Capitol in a failed attempt to obstruct the transfer of presidential power to Biden after the 2020 election.

CREW President Noah Bookbinder said in a statement that the court’s decision is "not only historic and justified, but is necessary to protect the future of democracy in our country".

Trump's campaign has condemned 14th Amendment challenges as an attempt to deny millions of voters their preferred choice for president.

The decision is a victory for advocacy groups and anti-Trump voters who have mounted several similar legal challenges to Trump’s candidacy under section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which was enacted after the Civil War.

Courts have rejected several lawsuits seeking to keep Trump off the primary ballot in other states.

The decision reverses a ruling by a lower court judge who found Trump engaged in insurrection by inciting his supporters to violence, but, as president, Trump was not an “officer of the United States” who could be disqualified under the amendment.

A lawyer for Trump argued that the riot at the Capitol was not serious enough to qualify as an insurrection and that Trump’s remarks to his supporters in Washington that day were protected by his right to free speech.

The lawyer contended that courts do not have the authority to order Trump removed from the ballot.

Advocates have hoped to use the case to boost a wider disqualification effort and potentially put the issue before the US Supreme Court.

The US Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative majority includes three Trump appointees.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvZG9uYWxkLXRydW1wLXJlcHVibGljYW4tdm90ZS1iYXJyZWQtY29sb3JhZG8tYXR0YWNrLXVzLWNhcGl0b2wtZWxlY3Rpb24tNDAwMDYwMdIBAA?oc=5

2023-12-20 00:55:00Z
CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvZG9uYWxkLXRydW1wLXJlcHVibGljYW4tdm90ZS1iYXJyZWQtY29sb3JhZG8tYXR0YWNrLXVzLWNhcGl0b2wtZWxlY3Rpb24tNDAwMDYwMdIBAA

'Don't make use of us': Operators of children's shelters in Malaysia lament some parents who leave kids behind - CNA

Parents who intend to send a child to House of Love are first interviewed to determine if they are really incapable of caring for the kid, said Dr Pang.

“If I sense an attitude problem (with the parents), I will tell them straight away that I won’t take in the child,” he said.

Sometimes, he urges parents to take back their children earlier than expected if he sees signs that they actually have the means to raise their kids.

“I help the children, but they’re (the parents) not helping themselves. They go to nightclubs, they don’t save the money they earn. You can see it,” he told CNA.

In one case, Dr Pang instructed a mother to take back her 10-year-old daughter after the girl spent three years at House of Love as he saw that the mother had enough free time.

The daughter, now 16, has matured well, Dr Pang said. She helps her mother with the housework and is doing fine in her studies.

“Of course, we got the experience to see the parents’ attitude and intention. If the intention isn’t good, I wouldn’t allow the kid to go back,” he said.

This is also why Dr Pang is wary of easily rejecting applications to send kids to his home, fearing that the children would suffer if he insists on parental responsibility.

He estimated that he has rejected about 30 to 40 applications since House of Love started operations.

“If not because of protecting kids' rights, I would not have started this orphanage,” he added.

ORPHANAGES SEEING MORE KIDS

Ms Jennifer Arokiam, chairman of the Rainbow Children's Home in Ipoh, said she gets about four to five cases each year of parents trying to send their children to her home for reasons that are not justifiable.

“We don’t help them; we only help those who really need help with caring for their children. Like those who are needy, or those who cannot be cared for by any party, including grandparents,” she told CNA.

“Some come to us and merely say their child is naughty. We tell them this is not a home for naughty children. If I help everyone, I won’t have enough space.”

Ms Arokiam said her home currently has 20 girls, a 20 per cent increase since last year. The girls - aged four to 19 - mainly came from parents who separated or lost a spouse to prison or death.

When asked if these parents also have financial difficulties, Ms Arokiam said some of them have jobs but still send their child away.

“They don’t even help us and visit their children. Even when their children go to school, they don’t give us any (monetary) assistance even though they are working,” she said.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9tYWxheXNpYS1jaGlsZHJlbi1vcnBoYW5hZ2UtaW5jcmVhc2UtcGFyZW50cy1zb2NpYWwtd2VsZmFyZS0zOTk4NzEx0gEA?oc=5

2023-12-19 22:00:00Z
CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9tYWxheXNpYS1jaGlsZHJlbi1vcnBoYW5hZ2UtaW5jcmVhc2UtcGFyZW50cy1zb2NpYWwtd2VsZmFyZS0zOTk4NzEx0gEA

Yemen rebels vow to keep up Red Sea attacks despite new task force - CNA

SANAA: Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Tuesday (Dec 19) they would not halt attacks on Red Sea shipping in solidarity with Gaza despite the announcement by the United States of a new maritime protection force.

The flurry of drone and missile attacks by the rebels, the latest of which targeted two vessels on Monday, threaten to upend global trade flows, with major shipping firms halting traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

"Even if America succeeds in mobilising the entire world, our military operations will not stop ... no matter the sacrifices it costs us," senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said on X, formerly Twitter.

Rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam said the "US-formed coalition aims to protect Israel and militarise the sea", adding that "whoever seeks to expand the conflict must bear the consequences of those actions".

The two officials spoke after Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin announced a 10-nation coalition on Monday to quell Houthi missile and drone attacks on shipping passing through the Red Sea, with Britain, France and Italy among countries joining the "multinational security initiative".

Austin said the force would operate "with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity".

Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched a flurry of drone and missile attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea, aimed at pressuring Israel over its devastating war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

On Monday, they claimed attacks on two vessels in the vital shipping lane between Asia and Europe, including the Norwegian-owned Swan Atlantic.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQveWVtZW4tcmViZWxzLXZvdy1rZWVwLXJlZC1zZWEtYXR0YWNrcy1kZXNwaXRlLW5ldy10YXNrLWZvcmNlLTM5OTkwNjHSAQA?oc=5

2023-12-19 10:53:00Z
CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQveWVtZW4tcmViZWxzLXZvdy1rZWVwLXJlZC1zZWEtYXR0YWNrcy1kZXNwaXRlLW5ldy10YXNrLWZvcmNlLTM5OTkwNjHSAQA

More than 110 killed in north-western China, as 6.2-magnitude quake strikes Gansu near midnight - The Straits Times

BEIJING - Rescue work is under way in north-western China, one of the country’s poorest regions, after an earthquake struck Gansu province at 11.59pm on Dec 18, killing at least 118 people.

Electricity, water, transport and communication have been cut off in some areas due to the 6.2-magnitude earthquake, state media reported.

The quake struck in Gansu’s Jishishan autonomous county, which is near the border with Qinghai province. Tremors were felt as far as Xi’an in Shaanxi province, some 570km away.

A total of 4,782 homes have been damaged or destroyed, with hundreds of people injured. 

In Gansu, 105 people have died and 397 are injured, the provincial authorities told a news conference on Tuesday morning.

At least 13 have died in Qinghai and another 182 injured, with 20 people still missing.

Mr Ma Zhongying, who lives in Dongjiagou village in Jishishan, said he was awakened by the quake and woke up his family of six.

“We rushed out of our house within seconds. Some family members had a few scrapes here and there amid the tumbling and shaking, but we are very lucky already, considering the damage that the earthquake has caused,” Mr Ma, the county representative of a Chinese logistics company, told The Straits Times over the phone.

He sent ST pictures showing the damage to his two-storey home: roof tiles had fallen off, while parts of the ceiling in his kitchen had also collapsed. There were cracks in the walls of his bedroom and the exterior of the house.

A security video of his company warehouse he provided to ST showed violent tremors occurring around midnight on Dec 18.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHJhaXRzdGltZXMuY29tL2FzaWEvZWFzdC1hc2lhL21vcmUtdGhhbi0xMTAta2lsbGVkLWluLWdhbnN1LW5vcnRoLXdlc3Rlcm4tY2hpbmEtYXMtNjItbWFnbml0dWRlLXF1YWtlLXN0cmlrZXMtbmVhci1taWRuaWdodNIBAA?oc=5

2023-12-19 07:49:04Z
CBMiiQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHJhaXRzdGltZXMuY29tL2FzaWEvZWFzdC1hc2lhL21vcmUtdGhhbi0xMTAta2lsbGVkLWluLWdhbnN1LW5vcnRoLXdlc3Rlcm4tY2hpbmEtYXMtNjItbWFnbml0dWRlLXF1YWtlLXN0cmlrZXMtbmVhci1taWRuaWdodNIBAA

More than 110 killed in Gansu, north-western China, as 6.2-magnitude quake strikes near midnight - The Straits Times

BEIJING - Rescue work is under way in north-western China, one of the country’s poorest regions, after an earthquake struck Gansu province at 11.59pm on Dec 18, killing at least 116 people.

Electricity, water, transport and communication have been cut off in some areas due to the 6.2-magnitude earthquake, official state media Xinhua reported on the morning of Dec 19.

The quake struck in Gansu’s Haidong city, which is near the border with Qinghai province. Tremors were felt as far as Xi’an in Shaanxi province, some 570km away.

A total of 4,782 homes have been damaged or destroyed, with hundreds of people injured. 

Videos and images of collapsed buildings, shaken residents and emergency rescue operations flooded Chinese social media right after the deadly tremors.

When the earthquake first hit at around midnight, people posted videos of home chandeliers and hanging light bulbs swinging wildly. Buildings were also shaking, as seen on videos on Douyin, the Chinese TikTok, as well as Kuaishou, another short-video streaming platform.

As the tremors intensified during the night, people were seen rushing down staircases and going out onto the streets to seek safety, amid the blasting of sirens in the affected areas.

A visibly shocked Gansu resident, still in pyjamas and clutching a blanket outside her home, told local media: “The whole house was trembling and my hands and legs are still shaking from the fear. I don’t think I can sleep at all tonight.”

On social media, residents posted videos showing fallen ceilings and other collapsed structures, together with clips showing rescue workers searching for survivors amid the debris and rescued residents warming themselves by fires. Temperatures have fallen to sub-zero in the northern part of China amid a harsh winter.

About 1,440 national firefighters were dispatched to the disaster area for rescue operations, with an additional 1,603 firefighters from Gansu and neighbouring provinces on standby.

Roads that were blocked due to landslides triggered by the earthquake have since been cleared, with electricity and communications also restored, Xinhua reported on the morning of Dec 19.

Officials are watching out for after-shocks of a magnitude of at least 5.0. At least 32 aftershocks had been recorded as of 8am on Dec 19, with the largest at a scale of 4.0.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “all-out efforts” in the search and relief work, as well as in ensuring the safety of survivors and their property.

China’s deadliest earthquake in recent decades struck in 2008, when an 8.0-magnitude earthquake left about 87,000 people dead or missing in south-western Sichuan province, which is south of Gansu. In 2014, an earthquake in Yunnan, also in south-western China, killed at least 600 people.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHJhaXRzdGltZXMuY29tL2FzaWEvZWFzdC1hc2lhL21vcmUtdGhhbi0xMTAta2lsbGVkLWluLWdhbnN1LW5vcnRoLXdlc3Rlcm4tY2hpbmEtYXMtNjItbWFnbml0dWRlLXF1YWtlLXN0cmlrZXMtbmVhci1taWRuaWdodNIBAA?oc=5

2023-12-19 04:52:00Z
CBMiiQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHJhaXRzdGltZXMuY29tL2FzaWEvZWFzdC1hc2lhL21vcmUtdGhhbi0xMTAta2lsbGVkLWluLWdhbnN1LW5vcnRoLXdlc3Rlcm4tY2hpbmEtYXMtNjItbWFnbml0dWRlLXF1YWtlLXN0cmlrZXMtbmVhci1taWRuaWdodNIBAA

United Nations warns Myanmar stands on humanitarian 'precipice' - CNA

UNITED NATIONS: One-third of the population of Myanmar, or more than 18 million people, now require humanitarian aid, the United Nations warned on Monday (Dec 18) seeking a billion dollars in donations next year to combat the need. 

The humanitarian situation in the country has worsened since the coup there nearly three years ago, the global body said. 

"Myanmar stands at the precipice in 2024 with a deepening humanitarian crisis that has spiralled since the military takeover in February 2021 with the civilian population that is now living in fear," said a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) published on Monday. 

The 18.6 million people who are currently in need of humanitarian assistance is 1 million more than a year ago and 19 times as many as in 2020, before the coup. 

"Children are bearing the brunt of the crisis with 6 million children in need as a result of displacement, interrupted health care and education, food insecurity and malnutrition, and protection risks including forced recruitment and mental distress," warned Marcoluigi Corsi, the UN's interim humanitarian coordinator for Myanmar.

MASS DISPLACEMENT IN CONFLICT

The report highlighted the particular concern of mass displacement, with nearly 2.6 million people pushed out of their homes as of Dec 11 - an increase of 1.1 million since the same time last year - including more than 660,000 people who have been displaced since late October amid the escalating conflict between the military and ethnic minority fighters in the country's north. 

Further exacerbating the situation, "conflicts and violence are expected to worsen in 2024", the report said, while denouncing "systematic military violence against civilians".

Given the dire circumstances, OCHA called on Monday for US$994 million in donations to help the 5.3 million people that have been identified as priorities for aid in Myanmar in 2024. 

"We cannot afford a repeat of the gross underfunding seen in 2023," when only 29 per cent of required funding was met, Corsi said, pointing out that an estimated 1.9 million people who had been prioritised for aid in 2023 were not reached. 

"Millions of lives are at stake and we all must do everything we can to prevent Myanmar becoming a forgotten emergency," he said, even as the majority of UN international aid programmes remain underfunded. 

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS91bml0ZWQtbmF0aW9ucy13YXJucy1teWFubWFyLXN0YW5kcy1odW1hbml0YXJpYW4tcHJlY2lwaWNlLTM5OTc4MDHSAQA?oc=5

2023-12-18 21:43:00Z
CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS91bml0ZWQtbmF0aW9ucy13YXJucy1teWFubWFyLXN0YW5kcy1odW1hbml0YXJpYW4tcHJlY2lwaWNlLTM5OTc4MDHSAQA

Evergreen shipping line to stop accepting Israeli cargo, suspend Red Sea route - CNA

LONDON : Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen said on Monday that it has decided to temporarily stop accepting Israeli cargo with immediate effect and instructed its container ships to suspend navigation through the Red Sea until further notice.

Evergreen added that ships on regional services to Red Sea ports will sail to safe waters nearby and wait for further notification, while container ships which are scheduled to pass through the Red Sea will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope to continue their voyages to destination ports.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMie2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvZXZlcmdyZWVuLXNoaXBwaW5nLWxpbmUtc3RvcC1hY2NlcHRpbmctaXNyYWVsaS1jYXJnby1zdXNwZW5kLXJlZC1zZWEtcm91dGUtMzk5Njk3MdIBAA?oc=5

2023-12-18 13:14:52Z
CBMie2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvZXZlcmdyZWVuLXNoaXBwaW5nLWxpbmUtc3RvcC1hY2NlcHRpbmctaXNyYWVsaS1jYXJnby1zdXNwZW5kLXJlZC1zZWEtcm91dGUtMzk5Njk3MdIBAA