‘Stand by our Syrian brothers’, says Jordan FM after meeting al-Sharaa
Jordan’s foreign minister has held talks with Syria’s de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus as regional leaders move to engage with the new administration following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad two weeks ago. “We stand by our Syrian brothers as they start the rebuilding process,” Ayman Safadi told Al Jazeera on Monday. “We want a stable, secure, safe Syria that guarantees the rights of its people through a transitional process consistent with the aspirations of Syrian people,” Safadi added. Mohammed al-Khulaifi, minister of state at Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also arrived in the Syrian capital, days after Doha opened its embassy in Damascus after 13 years. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said al-Khulaifi will hold a series of meetings with Syrian officials “to embody Qatar’s firm position in providing all the support to the Syrian people”. Monday’s high-profile diplomatic visit came a day after Turkiye’sr foreign minister promised help with the political transition and rebuilding the war-torn country after meeting the new administration. Advertisement Hakan Fidan and al-Sharaa on Sunday stressed the need for unity and stability in Syria, as they called for the lifting of all international sanctions against the war-ravaged country. Turkiye backed the Syrian opposition fighters led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s 54-year rule. Safadi also pointed out that the security and stability of Syria are key to Jordan and the region. “We share a 375km [230-mile] border with Syria. We want that border to be stable, free from terrorist organisations, free from drugs and weapon smuggling,” he told Al Jazeera. In recent years, Jordan has tightened border controls in a crackdown on drug and weapon smuggling along its border with Syria. One of the main drugs smuggled is the amphetamine-like stimulant Captagon, for which there is huge demand in the oil-rich Gulf. “We are working out the challenges and discussed the security of our common border with Mr Sharaa today,” Safadi said. The Jordanian foreign minister also condemned Israel’s attacks on Syria in recent days and said, “It’s an encroachment of Syria’s sovereignty.” “Israel should withdraw from Syrian territory respecting the 1974 agreement,” he added. Jordan also hosted a summit earlier this month where top Arab, Turkish, EU and US diplomats and called for an inclusive and peaceful transition after more than a decade of war. Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra said the new authorities in Syria are eager for more recognition from neighbouring countries. Advertisement “As far as [the meeting with] Jordan is concerned, this is going to be a significant boost for al-Sharaa. He wants to build bridges with Jordan. There are many tribal connections along the border between Jordan and Syria,” Ahelbarra said. Jordan also hosted hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, some of whom have returned home after al-Assad’s fall. Jordan claims it hosts some 1.3 million refugees but the United Nations says 680,000 Syrian refugees were registered with it. Al-Sharaa has hosted Arab, as well as Western diplomats, as he aims for formal diplomatic recognition. Al Jazeera’s Ahebarra noted that al-Sharaa met Turkiye’s foreign minister yesterday and later met with a top adviser of Saudi Arabia’s king, to discuss the future of Syria. Regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia is expected to send a delegation soon, according to Syria’s ambassador in Riyadh. Besides neighbouring Arab countries, al-Sharaa has also received a host of foreign delegations since coming to power. On Friday, the United States’s top diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, had a meeting with Syria’s de facto leader. Leaf said she expected Syria would completely end any role for Iran in its affairs. A handful of European delegations have also visited in recent days. Sultan Barakat, from the Hamad bin Khalifa University based in Doha, told Al Jazeera: “I think the Jordanians, as well as the neighbouring countries, have been encouraged by Americans visiting [Syria] first … Practically all the regional forces, aside from Iran are very happy the regime change has taken place.” Advertisement “They understand the Syrian people have been suffering for over 50 years, particularly the last 13 years it has caused a lot of instability in the region. So everyone is welcoming the stability in Syria,” he said. Separately, on Monday, Iran affirmed its support for Syria’s sovereignty and said the country should not become “a haven for terrorism” after the fall of President al-Assad, whom Tehran backed militarily. “Our principled position on Syria is very clear: preserving the sovereignty and integrity of Syria and for the people of Syria to decide on its future without destructive foreign interference,” Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a weekly news briefing. Adblock test (Why?)
Germany debates migration and motives after deadly Christmas market attack
Magdeburg has been enveloped in grief since an attack that killed a nine-year-old boy and four women at a Christmas market on Friday evening. About 200 people were also injured when a car rammed into the busy market in the eastern German city. Authorities have charged Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year old, Saudi-born psychiatrist who has lived in Germany since 2006, with murder and attempted murder. Political parties across the spectrum have expressed sorrow for the victims and promised to step up security. In a statement shared with Al Jazeera, Greens party leader Robert Habeck said he wished the city “comfort, strength and confidence”. Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the incident a “terrible and insane” act. Nicole Anger, a lawmaker and co-chairwoman of Die Linke (The Left) party in Magdeburg, said the city remains quiet and people are still stunned. “There are candlelight vigils, services and just a lot of moments of people standing together in solidarity. The salesmen from the Christmas market, which is closed for the rest of the year, have been giving away fruits and vegetables for free,” she told Al Jazeera. Advertisement But while many are united in grief, tensions are growing. Alongside vigils, more than 2,000 far-right supporters bearing banners and chanting slogans against migration gathered in the city on Saturday. Further rallies are reportedly planned for Monday. Anger, who was born and raised in Magdeburg, said the atmosphere reminded her of the mid-1990s when one man was killed after far-right agitators chased a group of Black men through the city in what has come to be known as Himmelfahrtskrawalle, or the Magdeburg Ascension Day riots. “At the moment, children and people with a migration background are scared to be out on the streets,” she said. The attack took place as Germans prepared to close off a heated political year. After the coalition led by Scholz collapsed in November, the chancellor then lost a confidence vote in mid-December, triggering snap elections. Germans will head to the polls on February 23. Meanwhile, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party continues to gain political ground after successes in state elections this year. The day before the attack, US billionaire Elon Musk stirred controversy by posting on the X social media platform he owns: “Only the AfD can save Germany.” Observers have described a sense of fear and concern, saying a blame game over the Magdeburg attack could distract from the main issues facing the German electorate. “We still have to be very cautious about what the attacker’s real motives were. But what is obvious is that if there is an extremist force in the political discourse which is actually not only Islamophobic but generally phobic against any foreigners, if this is articulated in this strong way as the AfD is constantly doing, it trickles down,” said Justus von Daniels, editor of the German publication Correctiv, which in January broke the news of a meeting between the AfD and neo-Nazi activists to discuss a migrant deportation “master plan”. Advertisement He said how Germany acts now in terms of increasing security will be telling. In the run-up to the elections, political parties should avoid playing into the hands of the AfD’s antimigration narrative and focus on issues affecting the electorate, von Daniels said. “The economy is a big part of this election, and a case like Magdeburg shifts the public discourse to migration issues. If the AfD will try to push the migration issue further, I worry that the other political parties will respond to that, and this is not healthy to the political debate.” The suspect and his possible motives have puzzled authorities and the public. Al-Abdulmohsen described himself as an ex-Muslim activist on social media. His posts showed disdain for Islam and support for right-wing ideologies. He said he supported women fleeing Saudi Arabia, but a journalist at Correctiv who was in contact with him has challenged that claim, reporting that several women blocked him because he was “behaving problematically”. Some alleged they felt sexually harassed by him. Saudi Arabia said it had warned Germany about the doctor in November 2023. Germany has acknowledged receiving the tip but ultimately decided al-Abdulmohsen did not appear to be a threat at that time. Tahir Abbas, an associate professor in Islamophobia and political violence at Leiden University in the Netherlands, said the suspect seems to have become “a bit of a fanboy of populist ethno-nationalist ideals”. “What I think this does is align this particular perpetrator’s motivations more broadly with far-right practices and ideologies, including in relation to the treatment of women,” he said. Advertisement “The far right is so hypernormalised across Europe and North America at the moment that there are tremendous challenges that have emerged and will continue to emerge, particularly as President Donald Trump takes the helm in the US again.” The suspect made clear on social media his admiration for Europe’s hard-right leaders, such as the Dutch politician Geert Wilders. Since the attack, the far right in Germany and across Europe has been quick to weaponise the attack to promote their antimigrant agenda, observers said. Jorinde Schulz, an activist and member of The Left party, said the “extreme right is allowed to mobilise almost unhindered”. “For them, this attack is a stepping stone to gain more support, which is all the more disturbing since they are the ones who are going to attack people of colour in the street and intimidate political activists.” On Sunday, police in Bremerhaven, a port city in northern Germany, detained a man who took to TikTok to threaten violence. The man is alleged to have warned he would stab any person of Arabic appearance in the city on Christmas Day, the German news agency dpa reported. Adblock test (Why?)
Millions in bonds for Israel put US states at odds with investment policies
The United States has long been Israel’s primary international backer, lending it vast political, diplomatic and financial support. This has only increased since Israel began its assault on Gaza last October, even as it gradually expanded the parameters of its war, in which it is widely accused by human rights groups of committing genocide. According to Brown University’s Watson Institute, the US government provided Israel with almost $18bn in weapons and military aid in the first year of Israel’s war. But Israel is also increasingly dependent on another source of funds: bonds, bought by states and municipalities across the US. Between October 7, 2023 – when the Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel and the latter subsequently began its war on Gaza – and April 18 this year, nearly three dozen states and counties have bought $1.7bn worth of bonds, according to Israel Bonds, a US-based company that raises foreign funds for Israel. This money has gone straight into Israel’s general fund, where it can then be funnelled into Israel’s ballooning military budget. An email from Israel Bonds to an Ohio county treasurer noted the bonds were used in part to “refund the United States Government for security equipment”. Advertisement The world’s single largest purchaser of Israel’s war bonds is Palm Beach County – the wealthy Florida county home to President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Palm Beach holds a startling $700m worth of Israel bonds – a loan large enough to cover the purchase of multiple F-15 fighter jets. But now, after more than a year of an escalating and internationally condemned conflict, Israel’s economy is stumbling. Tens of thousands of Israeli firms are predicted to shut this year, the budget deficit has ballooned from 4 percent to 8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), direct investment has fallen about 30 percent and US rating agencies have downgraded Israel’s credit. All this means that when local treasurers buy Israeli bonds, they increasingly risk violating their own policies, which require them to invest taxpayer money in a responsible way. In fact, a review by Al Jazeera found that at least two states appear to face violating their state treasury investment policies if they buy more Israeli bonds. At least four other states that have bought Israeli bonds since October 2023 could also face non-compliance if Israel’s credit is lowered further. A risky investment When a state or county buys Israeli bonds, they essentially loan the Israeli government money with an agreement that they will get those funds back in an agreed-upon number of years, plus interest. After October 7, the staff of the underwriter for Israel Bonds directly contacted treasurers in Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, and other states. Those treasurers quickly bought tens of millions of dollars worth of Israeli bonds. Advertisement But as Israel’s economy weakens, it appears increasingly difficult to justify these investments. In April, Fitch, one of the three leading US credit rating agencies, warned that the conflict could “lead to a large deterioration of Israel’s credit metrics”. By August, Fitch had downgraded Israel’s credit. The next month, another agency, Moody’s, also downgraded Israel’s credit rating to Baa1 for the first time in its history, and in October, the third agency, S&P, downgraded Israel as well. Moody’s even warned of further downgrades in light of Israel’s conflict with the Lebanese group Hezbollah. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was agreed to in late November, but Fitch warned “the ceasefire is likely to be fragile”, and predicted a rise in Israel’s 2025 budget deficit. All three major credit rating agencies project a negative outlook for Israel’s credit. All together, it indicates Israel is less able to pay back its loans. This places some US states in a precarious position, as some state investment policies specify that treasurers can only invest in foreign entities if they are above specific credit ratings. Al Jazeera has found that two states – Florida and Nevada – may face violating their investment policies if they buy more Israel bonds. The Treasury policies of both states require foreign obligations to have ratings of AA- or higher from at least one credit rating agency. Israel Bonds stopped meeting that standard in April. Florida’s Chief Financial Officer last announced purchases of Israeli bonds in March, bringing the state’s holdings to $250m. Nevada bought Israeli bonds last October, according to the CEO of Israel Bonds. Advertisement Neither the Florida nor Nevada Treasury office responded to requests for comment. If Israel’s credit is further downgraded, at least four other US states may also have to halt purchases of Israeli bonds: Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Rachel Ziemba, a geo-economic and country risk expert and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said that further purchases of Israeli bonds would appear to violate these states’ policies after she reviewed the policy documents. “Reading their guidelines suggests that it’s in violation… they would have to sell their Israeli bonds especially if there are further downgrades,” Ziemba said, though she added that state investment committees could also decide to make exceptions. “Ultimately I think they’re doing it [buying Israeli bonds] for political and what they believe are moral reasons [but] given the credit rating outlook, it’s probably something that will come up more and more, and probably there will be more legal cases around this issue.” Daniel Garrett, an assistant professor of finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, was more cautious. He noted that Florida had multiple portfolios, some of which have higher rating requirements, and that it was unclear which portfolio the Israeli bonds sit in. Garrett added that all state policies tend to give investment managers flexibility when a security falls out of compliance, and “getting your credit downgraded doesn’t lead to immediate divestment, even if it doesn’t meet these portfolio standards any more”. Advertisement Still, he added, “If I saw increasing investments in a security that has a declining and no longer complying credit rating, that would be out of line with
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TikTok divestment could be ‘deal of the century’ for Trump, House China Committee chair says
EXCLUSIVE: House China Committee Chairman John Moolenaar told Fox News Digital that President-elect Donald Trump is the “perfect leader” to negotiate and deliver the “deal of the century” to keep TikTok available in the U.S. The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments on Jan. 10, 2025 on the law that requires a divestment of TikTok from foreign adversary control. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a company based in Beijing and connected to the Chinese Communist Party. TIKTOK: MCCAUL SAYS HE ‘CAN’T THINK OF A GREATER PROPAGANDA TOOL’ FOR CHINA That legislation, which was signed into law in the spring, requires a sale of TikTok from ByteDance by Jan. 19. If ByteDance does not divest by the deadline, Google and Apple are no longer able to feature TikTok in their app stores in the U.S. Supreme Court Justices said they will hold a special session on Jan. 10 to hear oral arguments in the case — an expedited timeline that will allow them to consider the case just nine days before the Jan. 19 ban is slated to take effect. The law allows the president to extend the deadline by up to 90 days if ByteDance is in the process of divesting. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Moolenaar, R-Mich., said he has been meeting with top investors, and that he has “full confidence” that Trump “will be able to make a great deal for America.” “It will be the deal of the century,” Moolenaar said, noting that the divestment “could happen in phases.” “First with a buyout and then a massive IPO—probably the largest IPO in history,” he said. “And I believe President Trump is the perfect leader to negotiate and deliver this win.” He added: “President Trump has the opportunity to make the deal of the century because of the leverage of the TikTok legislation passed by Congress.” SUPREME COURT TO TAKE UP CHALLENGE TO TIKTOK BAN Moolenaar predicted that the sale of TikTok could be completed quickly after it exhausts its appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court decides the case. He said a “massive” IPO could occur “later, as one piece of the solution.” “I think TikTok and ByteDance have been dragging their feet,” Moolenaar said. “Once they realize they’re required to follow U.S. law, I believe this will move forward fairly quickly.” TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency application to the high court earlier this month asking justices to temporarily block the law from being enforced while it appealed a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Lawyers for TikTok have argued that the law passed earlier this year is a First Amendment violation, noting in their Supreme Court request that “Congress’s unprecedented attempt to single out applicants and bar them from operating one of the most significant speech platforms in this nation” and “presents grave constitutional problems that this court likely will not allow to stand.” But Moolenaar warned that without divestment, the CCP could attempt to “manipulate perceptions in the United States,” and said they have “access to Americans’ data” through TikTok. “It is very profitable, very popular, and it is a major inroad for the CCP to influence American culture,” said Moolenaar. But as for CCP access to the data of U.S. citizens, TikTok created its “Project Texas” initiative, which is dedicated to addressing concerns about U.S. national security. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew says “Project Texas” creates a stand-alone version of the TikTok platform for the U.S. isolated on servers in Oracle’s U.S. cloud environment. It was developed by CFIUS and cost the company approximately $1.5 billion to implement. Chew has argued that TikTok is not beholden to any one country, though executives in the past have admitted that Chinese officials had access to Americans’ data even when U.S.-based TikTok officials did not. TikTok claims that the new initiative keeps U.S. user data safe, and told Fox News Digital that data is managed “by Americans, in America.” But Moolenaar says that even “Project Texas” “really is not enough.” TECH LEADERS BEZOS, ZUCKERBERG, COOK AND PICHAI LOOK FOR FACE TIME WITH TRUMP “When you consider that ByteDance is affiliated with the CCP, and they call the shots for TikTok, the TikTok algorithm is very different in the U.S. than it is in China,” he explained. “There needs to be a divestment, and we need to know either an American company or a company affiliated with like-minded nations, friendly nations, not adversarial nations, is in charge of this app.” He added: “Only that will satisfy the law and protect our national security.” Moolenaar said that, until now, the Chinese Communist Party “didn’t have a reason to allow the sale of TikTok.” “But that has changed, and President Trump knows from experience that the only language the CCP speaks is hardball,” Moolenaar said. “He is an incredible negotiator, and our legislation is giving him the leverage he needs to make this historic deal.” Yet, Trump has signaled support for TikTok. Earlier this month, he met with Chew at Mar-a-Lago, telling reporters during a press conference ahead of the meeting that his incoming administration will “take a look at TikTok” and the looming U.S. ban. “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” Trump told reporters.
Panama’s president hits back at Trump idea to reclaim key canal
Panama’s president has responded to President-elect Trump’s idea that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal. After Trump said Sunday that the United States “foolishly gave it away” and is now “being ripped off” at the waterway, Panama’s conservative President José Raúl Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country. Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed Trump’s complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors. “The tariffs are not set on a whim,” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements. TRUMP FLOATS IDEA OF US RECLAIMING PANAMA CANAL: ‘FOOLISHLY GAVE IT AWAY’ “Panamanians may have different views on many issues,” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.” Trump then took to his social media site to offer in response, “We’ll see about that!” He also posted a picture of a U.S. flag planted in the canal zone under the phrase, “Welcome to the United States Canal!” FETTERMAN: THOSE HOPING TRUMP FAILS ARE ‘ROOTING AGAINST THE NATION’ Trump had previously addressed the canal in a Saturday Truth Social post, where he complained at length about the fees levied on U.S. ships going through the Big Ditch. The Panama Canal’s tolls can range from three to six figures depending on how large a vessel is and how much cargo it carries, with the largest ships being charged as much as $500,000. The United States built the canal in the early 1900s as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter. The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by 2023 Central American drought that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot. With the weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized, but price increases are still expected for next year. Fox News’ Andrea Margolis and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Retiring GOP congresswoman’s decline has been ‘very rapid,’ son says
Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, experienced a “very rapid” decline since moving into a retirement facility, her son said, after it was discovered over the weekend that the congresswoman had been absent from her duties in the Capitol for nearly six months. Brandon Granger told the New York Post that his mother made the decision to move into the retirement community on her own, though she has since shown signs of dementia over the past three months. The 81-year-old congresswoman, who did not seek re-election and is retiring at the end of this congressional term, has largely remained absent from the Capitol in recent months, having last cast votes on July 24. She was not present for over 54% of votes this year. Granger’s absence was first reported by the Dallas Express on Friday in a piece that quoted a constituent of her district who said that Granger was residing in a memory care facility in Texas. HOUSE PASSES FUNDING BILL WITH JUST HOURS UNTIL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN A source in Granger’s office spoke to Fox News on Sunday, denying that the congresswoman was in the facility’s memory care unit. The source said Granger was residing in the retirement facility where memory care is provided, though not in the memory care unit itself. Brandon Granger excoriated the reports that said his mother was in the memory care unit after she was found wandering as “a load of bulls–t.” “They have a memory care facility there, but she’s in [an] independent living facility,” Brandon Granger told The Post. “It’s a nice condo. I helped her move in.” Brandon Granger added that his mother’s decline has been “very rapid and very difficult,” though he did not say whether she had received treatment at the memory facility, the Post reported. GOP REP-ELECT OUTLINES HOW DOGE, TRUMP AGENDA WILL GET COUNTRY ‘BACK ON TRACK’: ‘NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL’ Granger released a statement Sunday saying that she has faced “health challenges” and is “deeply grateful for the outpouring of care and concern” over the weekend. “As many of my family, friends, and colleagues have known, I have been navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year,” Granger said in the statement. “However, since early September, my health challenges have progressed making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable. During this time, my incredible staff has remained steadfast, continuing to deliver exceptional constituent services, as they have for the past 27 years.” While Granger appears to not have cast a vote since July, she did return to the Capitol in November for the unveiling of her portrait as Appropriations Committee Chairwoman, and a reception that followed. House Speaker Johnson, R-La., and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., were both present at the event. Granger has served in the House since 1997. She previously served as the first female mayor of Fort Worth, Texas. Republican congressman-elect Craig Goldman will succeed Granger in January. Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.