White House plans to remove Cuba’s state sponsor of terrorism designation: report
The Biden administration reportedly plans to lift Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism on Tuesday, reversing a move made by the Trump administration in 2021. The Associated Press reported the news on Tuesday afternoon, though the White House has not yet denied or confirmed the reports. The move is reportedly part of a Catholic Church-sponsored deal to free political prisoners in Cuba. Cuba was given the designation in January 2021, shortly before Biden took office. At the time, the U.S. Embassy of Cuba accused the country of “repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists.” “The Trump Administration has been focused from the start on denying the Castro regime the resources it uses to oppress its people at home, and countering its malign interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere,” the statement read. “With this action, we will once again hold Cuba’s government accountable and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of U.S. justice.” BIDEN WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES ‘FINAL RULE’ ON AI CHIP EXPORTS BEFORE TRUMP HAND-OFF, DRAWING INDUSTRY BLOWBACK The statement referenced Raul Castro, the then-first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and the brother of notorious dictator Fidel Castro. According to the State Department, Cuba was first named a state sponsor of terrorism in 1982, and the designation was rescinded in 2015. “Cuba maintains close and collaborative ties with designated state sponsors of terror such as Iran and North Korea,” the State Department’s 2019 report read. “The Cuban regime continues to host ELN leaders associated with now-defunct peace talks to reside in Cuba, despite Colombia’s repeated requests for their extradition. Cuba also continues to harbor multiple fugitives who committed or supported acts of terrorism in the United States.” Trump, who will be inaugurated for his second presidential term next week, is expected to reverse Biden’s move. His incoming secretary of state, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, is of Cuban descent and has vocally criticized Cuba’s communist leaders. In 2021, Rubio sponsored legislation that supported “courageous Cuban people as they lead historic protests throughout the island against six decades of repression and tyranny from the Castro and Díaz-Canel regime.” SULLIVAN CLAIMS BIDEN ADMIN LEAVES RUSSIA, CHINA AND IRAN ‘WEAKER,’ AMERICA ‘SAFER’ BEFORE TRUMP HANDOFF “The Cuban people are courageously standing up for their freedoms after 62 years of subjugation under a communist dictatorship,” Rubio said of the 2021 protests. “This is truly a historic moment, and one that as a Cuban American I’m proud to witness. The people of Cuba have made their voices clear. We must stand in support of the Cuban people’s ongoing efforts to live in a nation free from tyranny and censorship.” Before Tuesday’s announcement was made, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz denounced the Biden administration’s move, calling it “unacceptable on its merits.” “The terrorism advanced by the Cuban regime has not ceased,” Cruz said in a statement. “I will work with President Trump and my colleagues to immediately reverse and limit the damage from the decision.” Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment, but officials declined to comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to the White House for confirmation.
The top 5 moments from Pete Hegseth’s Senate confirmation hearing
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, faced a Senate grilling on Tuesday as lawmakers determine whether they will vote in support of the nominee. Hegseth faced intense questioning from Democrats in his Armed Services Committee hearing, including regarding his previous comments related to women serving in military combat roles, and was also interrupted by protesters who disturbed the hearing at some points. Trump nominated Hegseth back in November, just days after his decisive election win over Vice President Kamala Harris, lauding him “as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country.” After Hegseth wrapped up his hours-long hearing, Fox News Digital compiled the top five moments. PETE HEGSETH DELIVERS OPENING STATEMENT AT SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING Hegseth became emotional during his opening remarks on Tuesday morning while thanking his wife and other family members for supporting him through the nomination process. “Thank you to my incredible wife, Jennifer, who has changed my life and been with me throughout this entire process. I love you, sweetheart, and I thank God for you,” he said, beginning to choke up. “And as Jenny and I pray together every morning, all glory, regardless of the outcome, belongs to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” he said. “His grace and mercy abounds each day. May His will be done.” HEGSETH WAS ‘INCREDIBLY TALENTED, BATTLE-PROVEN LEADER,’ MILITARY EVALUATIONS SHOW Hegseth, a former Fox News host, married his wife Jennifer in 2013, with the couple sharing a blended family of seven children. “Thank you to my father, Brian and Mother Penny, as well as our entire family, including our seven wonderful kids: Gunner, Jackson, Peter Boone, Kensington, Luke, Rex…Gwendolyn, their future safety and security is in all of our hands,” he said. Democratic Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono was slammed on social media Tuesday during the hearing for asking Hegseth if he would lead a military invasion of Greenland if confirmed as the secretary of defense. “[The] President elect has attacked our allies in recent weeks, refusing to rule out using military force to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal and threatening to take to make Canada the 51st state. Would you carry out an order from President Trump to seize Greenland, a territory of our NATO ally Denmark, by force? Or would you comply with an order to take over the Panama Canal?” Hirono asked on Tuesday. Trump has said in recent weeks that he hopes to purchase Greenland from Denmark, referred to Canada as the U.S.’s “51st state” and outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Canada’s “governor,” and has also vowed to”demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America in full, quickly and without question.” DEM SENATOR’S ‘LIES AND STUPIDITY’ AT HEGSETH HEARING ROASTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘CLOWN SHOW’ Hegseth brushed off Hirono’s question during the hearing, saying, “Trump never strategically tips his hand.” “I would never publicly state one way or another to direct the orders of the president,” Hegseth responded. Viewers of the exchange erupted on social media following Hirono’s question, including labeling her the “least intelligent Member of Congress” and others calling the grilling a “clown show.” “Hirono was playing judge, jury, and executioner based on lies and stupidity,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote in a post on X. Hegseth’s opening remarks during the hearing were interrupted by a handful of protesters, as they shouted at the nominee about the war in Israel, and called him both a “Christian Zionist” and a “misogynist.” “Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza,” one female protester wearing fatigues shouted as she was escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows. At least three protesters were seen being hauled out of the hearing in zipties or with their hands behind their backs. “You are a misogynist,” one protester shouted at Hegseth. HEGSETH INTERRUPTED BY MULTIPLE PROTESTERS DURING SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING “Thank you for figuratively and literally having my back,” Hegseth said after he was interrupted, returning to his opening statement. “I pledge to do the same for all of you.” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Hegseth about the protesters during his hearing, including regarding the war in Israel that has been ongoing since 2023. “Another protester, and I think this one was a member of Code Pink, which, by the way, is a Chinese communist front group these days, said that you support Israel’s war in Gaza. I support Israel’s existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well,” Cotton said. “I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas,” Hegseth responded. “And the third protester said something about 20 years of genocide. I assume that’s our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think our troops are committing genocide in Iraq and Afghanistan?” Cotton continued. “Senator, I do not. I think … our troops, as you know, as so many in this committee know, did the best they could with what they had. … And tragically, the outcome we saw in Afghanistan under the Biden administration put a stain on that, but it doesn’t put a stain on what those men and women did in uniform, as you know full well, Senator,” Hegseth responded. PETE HEGSETH HEADS TO CAPITOL HILL FOR FIERY HEARING ON HIS RECORD, PLANS TO SHAKE UP PENTAGON The nominee was repeatedly grilled by senators regarding his previous comments on women serving in combat roles, including by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Joni Ernst. “You say we need moms, but not in the military, especially in combat units. So specific to Senator Cotton’s question, because Senator Cotton was giving you layups to differentiate between different types of combat. Specifically as secretary, would you take any action to reinstitute the combat arms exclusion for female service members knowing full well you have hundreds of women doing that job right now,” Gillibrand asked. Her question referred to Hegseth’s 2024 book, which states: “Dads push us
GOP senator flips script on Dems for ‘hypocritical’ grilling of Hegseth: ‘So ridiculous’
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., called out Democratic senators’ “hypocritical” line of questioning of Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth during his confirmation hearing. Hegseth, who President-elect Trump nominated to lead the Pentagon during his upcoming administration, faced a series of intense questions from Democrat senators on the Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. “I think it’s so hypocritical of senators, especially on the other side, to be talking about his qualifications,” Mullin said of his Democratic colleagues before starting his line of questioning for Hegseth. “And yet your qualifications aren’t any better.” DEM SENATOR’S ‘LIES AND STUPIDITY’ AT HEGSETH HEARING ROASTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘CLOWN SHOW’ The Oklahoma Republican then pointed to Democrats questioning Hegseth on claims, which he has denied, that the defense nominee had showed up to work intoxicated. Mullin hit back on the claims about Hegseth’s character, charging that elected members of the Senate had previously shown up intoxicated to cast votes. SEN. WARREN PRESSES PETE HEGSETH ON ‘WOMEN IN COMBAT’ DURING CONFIRMATION HEARING “Senator Kaine, or I guess I better use the senator from Virginia, starts bringing up the fact that, what if you showed up drunk to your job? How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night?” Mullin charged, prompting some audible laughter from individuals in the room. “Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from their job? And don’t tell me you haven’t seen it because I know you have.” The senator continued calling out Democratic members as Hegseth underwent his third hour of questioning. “And then how many senators do you know have got a divorce for cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down? No,” Mullin said. “You guys make sure you make a big show and point out the hypocrisy because a man’s made a mistake, and you want to sit there and say that he’s not qualified. Give me a joke. It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourself as this higher standard. You forget you got a big plank in your eye.” Before beginning his questioning, Mullin thanked Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, for “loving him through that mistake.” “The only reason why I’m here and not in prison is because my wife loved me too. I have changed, but I’m not perfect,” he said.
Global health agency on chopping block as Republicans threaten to cut off funds
FIRST ON FOX: A group of House Republicans is pushing to completely block U.S. funding for the World Health Organization (WHO). Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, policy chair for the conservative House Freedom Caucus, introduced the bill on Tuesday and argued the international health body “doesn’t serve our interests and doesn’t deserve our money.” He also attacked WHO member countries’ current effort to draft an international pandemic preparedness treaty, accusing the organization of a bid to consolidate and further its own influence. “Taking money from hardworking families struggling with the aftermath of Biden’s inflation crisis to send it to a bunch of leftist ‘public health’ tyrants in Geneva is unacceptable,” Roy told Fox News Digital. LASSA FEVER DEATH REPORTED IN MIDWESTERN STATE, CONTACT TRACING BEGINS “I am confident that President Trump will cut the WHO’s funding off — as he did last time — but this legislation will ensure that no future administration can restart it.” At least a dozen GOP lawmakers are backing the bill. A significant number of Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, have been critical of the WHO, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. E. COLI OUTBREAK LINKED TO MCDONALD’S BURGERS: HOW TO SPOT THE SYMPTOMS Trump announced he was halting funding to the WHO during his first term in April 2020, a move that drew blowback from the U.S. medical community, Politico reported at the time. “Fighting a global pandemic requires international cooperation and reliance on science and data,” Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, told the outlet. However, conservatives in Congress have viewed the organization as a power-hungry group that did not take U.S. interests into account. The U.S. is currently the biggest contributor to the WHO, according to World Population Review. The organization’s website states that 60% of its funding comes from member states. Roy’s “No Taxpayer Funding for the World Health Organization Act” would stop all contributions to WHO, both committed and other voluntary funding. WHO DIRECTOR CALLS FOR WORLD PANDEMIC TREATY TO PREPARE FOR DISEASE X A spokesperson for WHO said the body was focused on maintaining its relationship with the U.S. when reached for comment on Roy’s bill. “The WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in December, at a press conference, that the new U.S. administration has not yet taken office and it requires time, like any new government, to do so. As Dr Tedros has said, WHO will do everything to cooperate with the incoming U.S. administration to continue to strengthen global health security,” the spokesperson said. “I would add that the WHO-US partnership, and America’s contribution to global health security more broadly, has protected and saved millions of lives in America and around the world. WHO values greatly its relationship with the US and is committed to maintaining and strengthening it.”
Two House Dems join GOP to ban biological males from girls’ school sports
Two House Democrats have voted alongside Republican lawmakers to ban athletes born male from participating on girls’ school sports teams. The Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act, led by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., would amend federal law to specify that student athletes must participate in school sports teams that coincide with their gender at birth. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Vicente Gonzales, D-Texas, were the lone Democrats to vote for the bill when it passed 218 to 206. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., voted “present.” All three won re-election on razor-thin margins in districts that have trended redder over the years. Senate Republicans have already signaled they are aiming to take up the bill soon. TRANS VOLLEYBALL PLAYER ACCUSED OF PLAN TO HARM TEAMMATE AFTER TAKING SCHOLARSHIPS FROM FEMALE PLAYERS The change would apply to all federally funded schools from kindergarten through high school, as well as colleges and universities that receive federal dollars. It comes after several Democrats spoke out against their own party’s laser focus on inclusivity and progressivism, arguing that the far-left did not leave any room for dissent on issues like transgender youth. Notably, however, some Democrats who raised such issues – like Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., and Seth Moulton, D-Mass. – voted against the bill. Republicans have championed the bill as a bid to protect women and girls from unfair athletic standards. HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., challenged Democrats on the bill during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “Everyone’s talking about their children today. I’ve got two sons and two daughters, and we see the difference. Of course everyone does. And it’s kind of silly to deny it,” Johnson said. “The American people sent a clear message in November. They want us to return to common sense, and we’re going to see if Democrats have heard that message.” Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., said during debate on the bill, “Why are we even having to discuss this? It’s amazing to me that the idea that we would have XY chromosome males competing and taking the place of women and girls in sports is just mind-blowing.” “Where are we in society that we’re doing this? Where are the feminists? Where are the people who fought so hard to get rights for women?” LaMalfa asked. TRANSGENDER BILL BARRING MEN FROM WOMEN’S SPORTS TO GET FLOOR VOTE IN NEWLY GOP-LED SENATE But the majority of Democrats were vehemently opposed to the bill, with Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., and others dubbing it “The GOP Child Predator Empowerment Act.” Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Ore., argued, “This bill sets an unfair playing field that any parent can raise a concern that a transgender girl is playing on a girls’ team,” while noting such cases were rare. “These decisions should be left to parents, coaches, teachers, and families – not D.C. politicians. In addition, this bill could open the door to young girls experiencing intrusive questioning, or worse. I will not rubber stamp bad policy. Republicans should stop focusing on culture wars and start getting to work on lowering costs, investing in public education, and increasing access to affordable health care,” freshman Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., said after the bill passed. The bill previously passed the House in 2023 in a 219 to 203 vote, but it was never taken up in the formerly Democratic-controlled Senate.
Elon Musk poised to occupy White House office space: report
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will likely claim office space at the White House as he prepares to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a new report. Musk may occupy space in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building right next to the West Wing that houses the bulk of office space for White House staffers, the New York Times reports. Musk and transition officials have talked about what Musk’s access to President-elect Trump will look like after the inauguration, but solidified plans are pending, according to the outlet, which noted that usually special passes are required for those to freely visit the West Wing. Musk is heading up DOGE with tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as they target ways to eliminate government spending, waste and streamline efficiency and operations. However, the paper reported that it’s uncertain whether Ramaswamy is also expected to occupy White House office space. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOGE AND ITS QUEST TO SLASH GOVERNMENT WASTE, SPENDING DOGE is not part of the federal government but rather is a blue-ribbon committee that is expected to suggest executive orders for the Trump administration and work alongside the Office of Management and Budget to execute reforms. DOGE’s objective is to cut $2 trillion from the federal government budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce. However, Musk recently cast doubt on the likelihood of eliminating $2 trillion from the federal budget and said there was a better chance at cutting $1 trillion. “I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s like the best-case outcome,” Musk said during tech trade show CES last week in Las Vegas. “But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting $1 [trillion].” GOP REP-ELECT OUTLINES HOW DOGE, TRUMP AGENDA WILL GET COUNTRY ‘BACK ON TRACK’: ‘NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL’ The Washington Post reported this month that aides for Musk and Ramaswamy had started interviewing staffers from government agencies for DOGE, including the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service, as well as the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services. Approximately 50 people are part of DOGE’s team, which is seeking to expand to roughly 100 staffers by the inauguration. These staffers are working from SpaceX’s offices in Washington, D.C., according to the Washington Post. Those close to Musk, who donated millions of dollars to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, said he is still determining whether he will take on the role of leading DOGE as a special government employee and, therefore, be required to file financial disclosure forms, the New York Times reports. But certain restrictions could apply if Musk chooses to forgo special government employee status, such as requiring public meetings and sharing DOGE documents with the public, according to the outlet. ‘EFFICIENT AND ACCOUNTABLE’: GOP-LED DOGE BILL AIMS TO SLASH OUTFLOW OF FEDERAL DOLLARS Musk, along with other tech industry titans and venture capitalists, are slated to meet in Washington, D.C., this week for a dinner to discuss global innovation in artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship with incoming Trump administration officials. Outside the Box Ventures, a firm founded last year by journalist-turned-investment banker Katherine Tarbox and French Ambassador to the U.S. Laurent Bili, is sponsoring the dinner. “This gathering represents more than discussion. We hope it symbolizes a new chapter in public-private collaboration to harness technology’s transformative power for the nation’s future,” a source close to the planning told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
Massie removed from powerful House committee after vote against Johnson
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., no longer sits on the powerful House Rules Committee after he was the only Republican to vote against Speaker Mike Johnson in the House leadership election. The Rules Committee holds sway over which bills make it to the House floor for a vote. Massie, a hardline libertarian, had said he would step aside from the panel voluntarily after he opposed Johnson for speaker on grounds that Johnson had relied on Democratic support to pass major spending bills. But Massie’s uncompromising positions have often isolated him from the rest of the GOP conference. One Republican lawvmaker told Fox News Digital, “98% of the conference wanted Massie off rules.” MASSIE COMES OUT AGAINST JOHNSON RETAINING SPEAKER’S GAVEL Massie’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The House Republican conference met behind closed doors Tuesday morning and voted for a new committee roster. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., a member of the House Freedom Caucus, has succeeded Massie on the Rules Committee. MASSIE DROPS COLORFUL ANALOGY OPPOSING FOREIGN AID, MOCKS SPEAKER JOHNSON WITH AI-GENERATED IMAGE Additionally, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the former chairwoman of the Education and Workforce Committee, will lead the panel after Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, retired. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., the House GOP deputy whip, was also removed from the committee and replaced by freshman Rep. Brian Jack, R-Ga. THOMAS MASSIE, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATORS VOCALLY OPPOSE TRUMP’S DEA NOMINEE Massie was first appointed to the Rules Committee alongside Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., as part of a deal with ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in January 2023 to expand conservative representation – a piece of a wider compromise for McCarthy to win his short-lived House speakership. The House Rules Committee is the final stop for bills before a House-wide vote. The committee and its chair are responsible for dictating the terms of debate on a bill and what, if any, amendments will also get a vote. After a bill passes the House Rules Committee, it is then subject to a House-wide “rule vote” to allow for debate on the legislation before a vote on final passage.
Brazil expresses concern over Meta’s changes to content moderation
Brazilian attorney general says that Meta’s move to loosen curbs on hate speech may put it at odds with country’s laws. Brazilian authorities have expressed “serious concern” over a recent announcement by the social media giant Meta that they will ease their policies restricting incendiary speech and fact-checking. In a statement on Tuesday, the Brazilian attorney general’s office (AGU) said that it would ask for more information from Meta, adding that the policy change may not comply with Brazilian law. “Some aspects contained in the Meta document cause serious concern. The changes now reported by Meta, are not in line with Brazilian legislation and are not sufficient to protect the fundamental rights of citizens,” the office said in a statement. Last week, Meta, which owns platforms like Facebook and Instagram, scrapped a third-party fact-checking programme, on the basis that it had become a “tool to censor”. The company also indicated it would loosen curbs on rhetoric that could be seen as hostile to groups such as immigrants and LGBTQ people. “We’re getting rid of a number of restrictions on topics like immigration, gender identity and gender that are the subject of frequent political discourse and debate,” Meta said in a statement. “It’s not right that things can be said on TV or the floor of Congress, but not on our platforms.” Advertisement The shift away from fact-checking came within weeks of United States President-elect Donald Trump taking office on January 20. Trump has repeatedly criticised social media platforms as biased. Meta has said in a subsequent letter that the fact-checking changes will only apply within the US and changes to community standards are “limited” to hate speech policy. “AGU and other ministries understand that the current terms of use, as well as the changes now informed by Meta, do not fit with Brazil’s legislation and are not sufficient to protect fundamental rights,” Brazil’s attorney general’s office said. Brazil has become a flashpoint for debate over freedom of expression and the responsibility of social media giants to restrict hate speech and the spread of false claims on their platforms. Government authorities there previously clashed with powerful tech mogul Elon Musk and his social media company X, formerly known as Twitter, over questions of content moderation. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also signed a bill on Monday banning the use of smartphones at school. That policy is not related to content moderation and follows a global trend of restrictions on the use of phones in academic settings by young children. A survey released in October by Brazilian pollster Datafolha found that nearly two-thirds of respondents were in favour of such restrictions. “We cannot allow humanism to be replaced by algorithms,” Lula said in a closed ceremony at the presidential palace in the capital, Brasilia. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Who is Nawaf Salam, Lebanon’s PM-designate amid political shift?
Beirut, Lebanon – The appointment of Nawaf Salam, the president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as prime minister of Lebanon has many Lebanese feeling optimistic. His success in securing enough votes in parliament on Monday caps off a rapid period of political change after Joseph Aoun was elected president last week, filling a position that had been vacant since 2022. Aoun designated Salam to form a government on Monday, and he could serve as prime minister at the very least until Lebanon’s next parliamentary elections in 2026. His victory is seen as a boon for the pro-reform movement, having come after Salam’s failure to secure enough votes in 2022, losing the premiership to the man he is now replacing, Najib Mikati. The reform movement, which took to the streets in mass protests that began on October 17, 2019, sees Salam as a man who can speak for them. While he is a member of a prominent Beiruti family, he has not held political office domestically and has instead reached prominent positions abroad. Advertisement “He represents the aspirations of the October 17 movement,” Dalal Mawad, a Lebanese journalist and author, told Al Jazeera. “This is a man who has a very clear political vision and beliefs.” Salam made his priorities clear in his first speech as prime minister-designate on Tuesday. “We have wasted many opportunities to build the state,” he said. “Enough wasted opportunities.” Experience abroad Born in Beirut in 1953, Salam started his career as an academic and lecturer at universities, including the American University of Beirut (AUB), the Sorbonne in Paris and Harvard University in the United States. He served from 2007 to 2017 as Lebanon’s ambassador to the United Nations, where he would “craft foreign policy when Lebanon had none”, said Mawad, who interned for Salam during his UN tenure. A lawyer and a judge, Salam joined the ICJ in 2018, and in 2024, he was made its president. He presided over South Africa’s ongoing case that accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful. He also worked on UN resolutions, including 1701, which is the basis for the current ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Friends and former colleagues of Salam described him as humble, an intellectual and someone intimately familiar with the inner workings – and flaws – of the Lebanese political system. Karim Emile Bitar, a political analyst who knows Salam, described the prime minister-designate as a staunch believer in the rights of the Palestinian people, Lebanon’s Arab identity, Lebanese national unity and “a new social contract on the basis of democratic citizenship rather than confessionalism”. Advertisement Confessionalism is a reference to the country’s political system, which divides positions of power by religious sect. Salam, as a Sunni Muslim, is eligible for the office of prime minister but not of president, which is reserved for Maronite Christians. “He is truly a man of integrity,” Hilal Khashan, a political scientist who worked with Salam at AUB, told Al Jazeera. “He understands the Lebanese political system needs to be reformed, and for him, the issues of accountability and transparency and responsibility mean a great deal.” Multiple people interviewed said Salam’s government programme would likely focus on reforming the political system, ensuring accountability for crimes in Lebanon – including the August 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion and the banking crisis – and defending the independence of Lebanon’s judiciary. “He’s always been in reform, change and progressive movements, and I hope he will be successful in transforming all that into a political platform,” Ziad Majed, a political scientist, told Al Jazeera. A change? Salam may come from a family that includes two former prime ministers, but he is largely seen as a technocrat. While other technocrats have been appointed to Lebanese government positions in the past, experts said regional events – including the ceasefire between the Shia militia Hezbollah and Israel, the weakening of Iran and the fall of Bashar al-Assad‘s regime in Syria – have changed the political realities in Lebanon. Iran’s and al-Assad’s influence in the country has waned, and support from Western and Gulf states, which had long tempered their relations and support for Lebanon due to Hezbollah’s powerful role in the country, seems to be on the ascendancy. Advertisement The very ascension of Salam and Aoun to their new roles is seen as evidence of the weakening of Hezbollah, which had wanted figures regarded as more supportive of the group to assume those positions. Salam and Aoun may choose to take advantage of Hezbollah’s weakness after the group lost most of its leadership in the war against Israel, including its longtime head Hassan Nasrallah. In his speech on Tuesday, Salam said his hands were “extended to everyone”, including Hezbollah, after members of the group reacted negatively to the new prime minister’s nomination. It is unclear whether Hezbollah and its allies will allow Salam to make the reforms he feels are necessary for Lebanon or will push back against decisions they may feel weaken Lebanon’s resolve against Israel or bring it into a pro-West regional camp. For now, Salam believes he is in a position to implement his desired national agenda. “He was very keen on having these conditions because he wouldn’t take this job if it was set up for him to fail,” Mawad said. “He knows Lebanon like no one else.” Adblock test (Why?)
Rescuers recover 36 bodies and 82 survivors from South African gold mine
Hundreds more survivors and dozens more bodies still underground, according to a miners rights group. South African rescuers have pulled 36 bodies and 82 survivors from a gold mine in two days of operations, police say, adding that the survivors would face illegal mining and immigration charges. After nine bodies were recovered on Monday, 27 more were brought out from deep underground on Tuesday, police Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said in a statement. Police began laying siege to the mine about 150km (90 miles) southwest of Johannesburg in the town of Stilfontein in August and cut off food and water for months to force the miners to the surface to arrest them as part of a crackdown on illegal mining. Hundreds more survivors and dozens more bodies are still underground, according to a miners rights group that issued footage on Monday showing corpses and skeletal survivors in the mine. Rescue operations, which involve the use of a metal cage to recover survivors and bodies from a mine shaft more than 2km (1.2 miles) underground, will continue for days. Police said they would provide a daily update on numbers. Advertisement Typically, illegal mining takes place in mines that have been abandoned by companies because they are no longer commercially viable on a large scale. Unlicensed miners, often immigrants from other African countries, go in to extract whatever is left. ‘A war on the economy’ The South African government has said the siege of the Stilfontein mine is necessary to fight illegal mining, which Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe described as “a war on the economy”. He estimated that the illicit precious metals trade was worth 60 billion rand ($3.17bn) last year. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said in November: “We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out.” But a court ruled in December that volunteers should be allowed to send down supplies to the trapped men, and another edict last week ordered the state to launch a rescue operation, which began on Monday. “All 82 that have been arrested are facing illegal mining, trespassing and contravention of the Immigration Act charges,” police said in a statement, referring to all those pulled out alive on Monday and Tuesday. The statement added that two of them would face additional charges of being in possession of gold. The government crackdown, part of an operation called “Vala Umgodi” or “Close the Hole” in the isiZulu language, has drawn criticism from human rights organisations and local residents. Adblock test (Why?)