Germany: Trump's 5% NATO demand too costly, Scholz says

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has insisted that he is committed to NATO spending, but he says Donald Trump's demands are too high. One other NATO member, however, has welcomed the incoming US president's suggestion.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has dismissed demands from US President-elect Donald Trump that Germany and other NATO allies increase defense spending to at least 5% of gross domestic product (GDP).

"Five percent would be over €200 billion ($204 billion) per year — the federal budget is not even €500 billion," Scholz said at a campaign event in the western German city of Bielefeld on Monday.

"That would only be possible with massive tax increases or massive cuts to many things that are important to us," he said, insisting that he would not countenance cuts to pensions, local government or transport infrastructure.

Germany only reached the current NATO target of 2% of GDP last year, the first time it had done so since the end of the Cold War, and Scholz promised that the country would maintain that level.

"I guarantee that we will continue to spend 2% of our economic output on defense," he said. "Anyone who says that's not the way to go must also say where the [extra] money will come from."

During his famous "Zeitenwende" (historical turning point) speech to the German parliament in February 2022 in the immediate aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Scholz announced a €100bn special fund for Germany's own underfunded and underequipped armed forces, known as the Bundeswehr.

But German defense expenditure remains restricted by a tight budget situation and strict constitutional rules regarding deficit spending.

Pistorius: '2% can only be the beginning'

Nevertheless, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius contradicted Scholz somewhat by saying that military spending should increase.

"Increasing the war capability of the Bundeswehr in the coming years is the top priority of the hour," he said in the central German city of Kassel, where he was handing over the first of dozens of advanced new German-built howitzers to Ukraine.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius speaking at the handover of dozens of howitzers to UkraineImage: Michael Kappeler/dpa/picture alliance

Pistorius, of Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD), has been topping polls as one of the most popular German politicians and was recently tipped to replace Scholz as the party's chancellor candidate for February's snap elections, but withdrew.

"We will continue on this path in 2025," he continued. "And we know that in the following years, we will have to invest even more in our security. Two percent can only be the beginning. It will have to be significantly more if we want to continue at the pace and to the extent that we have to."

Poland: Trump demands are a 'wake-up call'

Other key NATO figures have also expressed tacit support for Trump's suggestion, even if 5% may not be feasible in the immediate term.

In an interview with the British Financial Times newspaper, published on Mondy, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Trump's demands were an "important wake-up call" for NATO members.

"He should not be criticized for setting a really ambitious target because otherwise there will be some countries that will continue to debate whether more spending is really needed," he said.

Poland is NATO's biggest contributor in terms of relative defense spending, committing around 4.2% of GDP to its military in 2024, a figure which Warsaw intends to increase to 4.7% in 2026. The United States itself "only" spends around 3.37% of GDP on defense.

Other leading contributors include the Baltic States Estonia (3.43%), Latvia (3.15%) and Lithuania (2.85%) and Finland (2.41%) which, like Poland, share borders either with Russia, Russian exclave Kaliningrad or Russian ally Belarus.

Sierra Leone declares public health emergency over mpox

The West African nation has detected two cases in less than four days, spurring health authorities to take action to limit the spread of the viral disease.

A new strain of the virus spread to at least six African countries last year

Image: Moses Sawasawa/AP Photo/picture alliance



Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency Monday after the country reported its second case of mpox in less than four days, health authorities said.

Neither patients were known to have been in contact with infected animals or other sick individuals, authorities said, adding that both individuals were receiving treatment at a hospital in the capital, Freetown.

EU sends first load of mpox vaccines to Congo  01:00

WHO declared outbreak a global health emergency in 2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a global health emergency in August 2024, because of the rapid spread of the new strain of the virus.

The virus causes fevers, headaches and painful boils on the skin. It can spread from person to person through close physical contact, including sexual intercourse.

Congo has borne the brunt of the ongoing outbreak of mpox, with a vast majority of the roughly 43,000 suspected cases and 1,000 deaths across the continent, occurring in the central African country.

The new strain circulating this time has raised concerns because it is believed to transmit more easily than other strains and evidence suggests that it causes a more severe version of the disease.

The strain is different from the kind of mpox that spiked in 2022, which mainly affected men. The WHO declared an emergency at the time and it lasted until mid-2023. Vaccinating vulnerable groups brought it under control.

Sierra Leone was previously the epicenter of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the deadliest in history.

rm/jsi (AP, AFP)

French court to rule on fate of adopted wild boar 'Rillette'

A French court convened on Monday to rule on the fate of a wild boar adopted by a horse-breeder in 2023. The sow, known as "Rillette", has become a cause célèbre in France and abroad after officials declared her a health and safety risk and threatened to put her down.

Elodie Cappe with "Rillette", a wild boar she rescued as a piglet in 2023.

 AFP - FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI

By: Alison Hird

RFI


Wild boars are generally viewed as pests in France – farmers say they damage crops, health officials argue they spread disease. And they can also cause fatal car accidents by crossing the road at inopportune moments.

They're hunted for their meat, which most often finds its way into sausages or a kind of spread known as "rillettes".

But one wild boar has captured the hearts of animal lovers both in France and abroad after local authorities in the Aube region of eastern France threatened to put her down.

Horse-breeder Elodie Cappé first spied the animal as a lone piglet rummaging around the bins among rotting vegetables in April 2023. The sow, named "Rillette" grew up alongside Cappé on her farm near Chaource.

"She's an integral part of the family," Cappé told Le Figaro.

French authorities, however, have taken a dim view of the situation.

They argue that keeping non-domesticated animals is unlawful and that the risk of spreading disease is a threat to public safety.

Rillette will be put down unless a "suitable place" can be found for her.

France considers extending the boar hunting season

Bardot to the rescue

What could have remained a local affair turned global after actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot threw her weight behind a petition to save the sow.

Launched in early December, the petition has garnered more than 187,000 signatures.

“Help! I demand that Rillette be spared. What monsters are asking for her euthanasia?...This little animal has the right to live, it’s even a duty, she’s innocent,” Bardot raged in a hand-written note published online.

"Euthanasia is a crime! We are governed by murderers!"

There've been protests, even a song in Rillette's honour.

On Sunday some 500 people gathered in Chaource for a silent march to prevent public health officials getting their way.

Cappé says she's received "letters of support" from fond followers not just in France but from many different countries.


French pensioner ready to die to stop pet wild boar being seized

Passing the buck

When Cappé found the piglet, she says she tried to hand her over to animal sanctuaries and parks but they refused to take her. "They passed the buck," she told France 3 public television.

The horse breeder built an enclosure on her farm to comply with regulations, but that didn't satisfy the authorities.

"The legislation is justified by the health risks entailed in keeping such animals... there is a high risk of diseases spreading to farms or domestic animals," the local prosecutor said, citing swine fever and bovine tuberculosis. 

BULLSHIT 💩 THESE ARE HERD DISEASES NOT THAT OF A SINGLE BOAR.

In late December, Cappé was ordered to hand the animal over to a company that trains animals to appear on film and television.

She refused, saying it was "shameful" to want to send Rillette there for financial gain.

The courts are due to render their decision this week. Cappé risks three years in prison and a €150,000 fine. Rillette risks far more.

REALLY BAD IDEA

Zelensky says he discussed idea of Western  troops in Ukraine with Macron

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had discussed the idea of Western "contingents" being deployed in Ukraine with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Monday. Zelensky did not give further details about what these "partner contingents" might entail.


13/01/2025 - 
FRANCE24
By: NEWS WIRES

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky pose before a meeting in Brussels, Belgium on December 18, 2024. © Nicolas Tucat, Reuters


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Monday and discussed the idea of Western "contingents" being deployed to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader did not say whether he was talking about the West sending combat troops or peacekeepers as part of a settlement to end the nearly three-year war with Russia.

"Today I spoke with the president of France. It was a rather long and detailed conversation. We discussed defence support – various forms of defence, arms packages for Ukraine," Zelensky said in his evening address.

"We also discussed the deployment of partner contingents and the training of our military," he added.

Macron has floated the idea of sending Western troops to Ukraine before, including last month when he and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk discussed the possibility of stationing peacekeepers there in the event of a ceasefire.

Moscow accelerated its advances in Ukraine last year, as Kyiv's overstretched army suffered from exhaustion and a lack of manpower.

US President-elect Donald Trump has promised to bring a swift end to the fighting when he enters office next week, raising fears in Ukraine that it will be forced to make major territorial concessions in exchange for peace.

(AFP)

Frenchman held in Iran since 2022 reveals identity in audio message

A Frenchman detained in Iran since 2022 revealed his identity in an audio message broadcast on French radio Monday as he called on authorities to help secure his release and that of two other detainees. Olivier Grondeau, who had previously been identified by only his first name, said his strength was "running out".

 13/01/2025 
FRANCE24
By: NEWS WIRES

A protestor holds a placard which reads as "2 years of life wasted in Iranian prisons, it's enough". © Kiran Ridley, AFP


A Frenchman held in Iran since October 2022 on Monday revealed his identity in an audio message broadcast on a French radio station, saying he was becoming increasingly exhausted over his ordeal.

Olivier Grondeau, 34, had previously only been identified by his first name and French authorities had not released details of his case.

In an audio message aired on France Inter on Monday, Grondeau fully identified himself and warned that he and the other two French detainees held in Iran were "exhausted".

The other two French nationals currently held in Iran are teacher Cecile Kohler and her partner, Jacques Paris, who were detained in May 2022. They are accused of seeking to stir up labour protests, accusations their families have vehemently denied.
THEY WERE REPORTING ON THE LABOUR STRIKES AND PROTESTS

"You, who have the power to influence this matter, hear this truth," he said in the audio message, apparently addressing the French authorities.

"Cecile's strength, Jacques' strength, Olivier's strength -- it is all running out," he said. "Your responsibility is called upon to ensure the survival of three human beings," he said.

Grondeau was arrested in Shiraz, in southern Iran, in October 2022, and sentenced to five years in prison for "conspiracy against the Islamic republic", his mother Therese Grondeau told France Inter.

His family rejects the charges, describing Grondeau as a passionate fan of Persian poetry who was travelling to Iran on a tourist visa as part of a world tour.

On Friday, France summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest Tehran's holding of the trio, describing them as "state hostages".

Their "situation is intolerable, with undignified detention conditions that, for some, constitute torture under international law", the French foreign ministry said.

The tensions have come after an Italian journalist, Cecilia Sala, arrested and jailed in Iran since December, was freed and returned to Rome earlier this month.

Her swift release -- in contrast to the prolonged detention of the French nationals -- was the result of "intense work through diplomatic and intelligence channels" by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, her office said.

Foreign ministries whose nationals have been held by Iran are known to sometimes advise families to keep a low profile and not announce the arrest of their loved ones publicly, in the hope the situation can be resolved behind the scenes.

(AFP)

Lebanon's president names ICJ judge Nawaf Salam as prime minister


Lebanon's newly elected President Joseph Aoun on Monday summoned Nawaf Salam, the Lebanese president of the International Court of Justice, (ICJ) to designate him as the country's new prime minister. A local media tally had earlier said that Salam had the backing of more than half the country's lawmakers.


Issued on: 13/01/2025 - 
FRACE24
By: NEWS WIRES

A file photo of Nawaf Salam, president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), speaking at the ICJ at the start of a hearing in The Hague, Netherlands, May 16, 2024. 

© Yves Herman, Reuters

01:26

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday picked international jurist Nawaf Salam to form a government for the war-scarred country and pull it out of economic crisis.

A majority of Lebanese lawmakers endorsed Nawaf Salam, the presiding judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, after two years of caretaker government.

"The president of the republic called on Judge Nawaf Salam to task him with forming a government, knowing that he is currently abroad. It has been decided he will return tomorrow," the presidency said.

Aoun, whose election last week ended a two-year vacancy for the post, held consultations with lawmakers ahead of announcing his nominee.

Military defeat has 'significantly weakened' Hezbollah's ability to impose its will in Lebanon    12:47

By Monday afternoon, 84 members of parliament told Aoun they backed Salam, according to a tally by Lebanese media, with nine endorsing Najib Mikati who has served as prime minister in a caretaker capacity.

Aoun's election last week was made possible in part by the weakening of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in a war with Israel.

With the prime minister named by the president, the eastern Mediterranean country has been run by a caretaker government for more than two years amid a crushing economic crisis.

Under Lebanon's power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the parliament speaker a Shiite Muslim.
'Change'

Salam's backers view the judge and former ambassador as an impartial figure able to carry out much-needed reforms, a contrast to Mikati regarded by critics as under Hezbollah's influence.

Lawmaker George Adwan of Christian party the Lebanese Forces said after meeting Aoun and endorsing Salam that it was time for Hezbollah to focus on "political work".

"The era of weapons is over," Adwan told reporters.

Hezbollah ended a deadly war against Israel this autumn bruised and weakened. Under a ceasefire deal, the group must pull its fighters from areas of southern Lebanon near the Israeli border as the national army – until last week under Aoun's command – and UN peacekeepers deploy there.

Hezbollah also lost a key ally in neighbouring Syria when Islamist-led forces toppled president Bashar al-Assad last month.

Independent lawmaker Melhem Khalaf said he backed Salam as a candidate of change.

A source close to Hezbollah had told AFP that the movement and its ally Amal movement supported Mikati.

The Monday front page of Al-Akhbar, a newspaper close to Hezbollah, said Salam's nomination would be tantamount to a "complete US coup", after Washington had backed Aoun for president.

'Two options'

In his inaugural speech on Thursday, Aoun said his election as president would usher in a "new phase" for the country.

Lebanese university professor Ali Mrad said support for Salam's nomination reflected "the real changes that Lebanon is experiencing".

"Today there are two options in the country: a serious reform option, called Nawaf Salam, and an option that takes us back, called Najib Mikati," he said.

Some opposition lawmakers on Saturday threw their weight behind anti-Hezbollah lawmaker and businessman Fouad Makhzoumi, but on Monday he withdrew to allow consensus around Salam.

Whoever heads Lebanon's new government will face major challenges, including implementing reforms to satisfy international donors amid the country's worst economic crisis in its history.

They will also face the daunting task of reconstructing swathes of the country after the Israel-Hezbollah war and implementing the November 27 ceasefire agreement.

According to Lebanon's constitution, the president designates the prime minister after talks with all political parties and independent lawmakers in parliament. By convention, he chooses the candidate with the most votes during these consultations.

Nominating a premier does not guarantee a new government will be formed imminently.

The process has previously taken weeks or even months due to deep political divisions and horse-trading.

(AFP)

Bolivians march four days to protest against economic hardship

Thousands of Evo Morales' supporters, primarily Indigenous, marched 100 kilometers to La Paz, protesting economic hardships. Beginning in Patacamaya, they demand President Luis Arce's resignation, citing fuel shortages and hunger. Government estimates the crowd at 2,300, while organisers claim 5,000.

14/01/2025 - 
FRANCE24
By: NEWS WIRES

Supporters of Bolivia’s former President Evo Morales gather at roadblocks they set in protest of the government of President Luis Arce, in Parotani, Bolivia October 16, 2024. © Patricia Pinto, Reuters


Thousands of supporters of Bolivian ex-president Evo Morales arrived in the capital La Paz Monday after a four-day march of about 100 kilometers (62 miles), protesting against economic hardship.

Camped out near the city's main square, the group of mostly Indigenous people -- said by the government to number about 2,300 and by organizers 5,000 -- are demanding the resignation of incumbent leader Luis Arce.

They had set out from the village of Patacamaya, south of La Paz, last Friday waving the national flag and the colorful Indigenous banner known as the Wiphala, holding up placards reading: "Arce, there is no fuel," or "Arce, the people are hungry."

"The government should leave because it offers no solution to the crisis and the economy is in tatters," Rodolfo Machaca, a representative of the ruling MAS party of Morales and Arce, told AFP.


Upon reaching the city, dozens of protesters attempted to break through police cordons stationed two blocks from the main square, home to the president's offices.

Two people were arrested after the protest turned "violent," a police official told AFP. Demonstrators have said they won't leave the city.

Last year, Morales supporters blocked roads in the center of the country for weeks. That came after prosecutors charged him with statutory rape over an alleged relationship he had with a 15-year-old while in office.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Inflation in Bolivia was 9.9 percent in 2024, the highest in 16 years, according to official data.

The country has also been hit by shortages of fuel and foreign currency.

Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo said three police officers were injured "in an ambush" during the latest protest march, and another two people were hurt when two tourist buses came under attack.

Morales led the country from 2006 to 2019 and was extremely popular until he tried to bypass the constitution to seek another term.

He was forced to resign amid deadly protests over alleged election fraud and fled the country for a time.

Morales says the charges of statutory rape, which he denies, were brought by the government of ally-turned-rival Arce to rule him out of politics.

In November, Bolivia's constitutional court barred Morales from seeking reelection this year, affirming that a president cannot serve more than two terms.

(AFP)

'Syrian above all': The Alawite community refuses to pay for Assad's crimes

From our special correspondent in Syria – A month after Bashar al-Assad's regime collapsed, Syria's Alawite minority, which served as the regime's backbone, fears a witch hunt. In their stronghold of Tartus, members of the community recount that they too suffered under the former dictator's bloody tyranny.

 13/01/2025 - 17:53
FRANCE24
By: Assiya HAMZA

Members of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad's army step on his portrait as they line up to register with newly formed Syrian government as part of an "identification and reconciliation process" in Homs, Syria, on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

© Leo Correa, AP


On his face, a black eye. On his back, large bruises. Ali*, a young man in his early twenties, is terrified. The former Syrian soldier claims he was stopped a few days ago at a checkpoint near the village of Khirbet al-Ma'zah, close to the Mediterranean coastal city of Tartus.

“They told me, ‘You’re an Alawite pig!’ They treated me like an animal because I’m Alawite,” he said, speaking under the condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

In a secluded location away from prying eyes, Ali recounted being dragged off a bus by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly linked to al Qaeda) militants while on his way to seek the promised amnesty for ex-regime soldiers who had not committed acts of bloodshed or torture. Taken to a checkpoint along with seven others, he described being tied up, detained and beaten with fists, feet and iron bars. He endured five hours of torment before being dumped on the roadside.

“I didn’t want to be in Bashar’s army, but I had no choice. We were poor and they would have arrested my family,” he said, insisting he had never committed violence. “I don’t leave home anymore, especially after sunset. The masked men terrify us. I’m sure they’ll punish the entire [Alawite] community.” He referred to HTS checkpoint guards, most of whom wear masks or scarves that cover everything but their eyes

'A climate of fear'

The city’s new Islamist rulers dismissed the claims. “There may be isolated incidents at checkpoints, but these are rare,” said Rahim Abu Mahmoud, an HTS official overseeing soldier reintegration in Tartus. “We make no distinctions between communities and our relations are good with everyone. Our issue is with those who have not regularised their status or hidden weapons. Others have nothing to be scared of. The issue is that a climate of fear has been fuelled by the spread of fake videos.”

Reports of insults, harassment, punitive raids, disappearances and murders have proliferated on social media since Assad’s fall. Videos allegedly showing HTS fighters humiliating, beating, or inciting violence against Alawites circulate without verification. While the UN works to corroborate such footage to prevent escalating sectarian violence, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that around 150 Alawites have been killed over the past month.

Tartus, stronghold of the Alawite community in Syria, on January 10, 2025. 

In Tartus, the Alawite stronghold, paranoia has taken hold. During the Assad dynasty’s 50-year rule, Alawites formed the regime’s backbone, with about 80% working for the state, many in intelligence, security, or the military. Their community make up about 10% of the general population and is often referred to as an offshoot of Shia Islam.

Now, many Alawites insist they too were victims of the regime. “In 2000, my father left the army because he couldn’t stand the corruption among senior officers,” said Hasan*, a 21-year-old engineer. “They even stole food meant for soldiers! His salary was only $25, but he had no choice.”
Assad and the ‘divide and conquer’ doctrine

Bashar al-Assad consistently portrayed himself as a protector of religious minorities, a rhetoric that intensified in 2011 with the rise of the Islamic State group and al-Nusra Front (founded by Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now Syria’s new strongman).

“We were all Syrians, but when the revolution began, everything changed,” Hasan said. “It started as a peaceful movement against Bashar. Then [Islamist rebels] began killing Alawites simply because they belonged to the same community as Assad,” he lamented, recalling relatives killed in Homs. “Assad did everything to amplify that divide. It was divide and conquer.”

The “I Love Tartous” sign was repainted in the colors of the new Syrian flag, as shown in this photo taken in Tartus, Syria, on January 10, 2025. 

When the regime fell, the euphoria was short-lived, Hasan said. "I always hated him, but I was scared. The population supported Bashar until three or four years ago," he added, referring to pro-Assad demonstrations in Sunni and Christian areas like Aleppo and Homs. "We were all scared because everything was dangerous. Just saying the word 'dollar' could land you in prison."

That fear has not disappeared under HTS rule. Despite unity messages from Syria’s new leader, Hasan, like many of his co-religionists, fears a "fitna", a term for sectarian strife.

“Only 10% of Alawites were corrupt, but they ruined life for the other 90%,” he said. "They harassed us too. If you had a foreign bank transfer, they’d freeze your account to take the money. Three years ago, I started using cryptocurrencies to work with American or European clients."
‘Hitler hated Jews, Assad hated everyone’

Ammar*, a young doctor, remains deeply anxious. “I don’t feel like a citizen,” he said. “I don’t have the right to be happy. We’re labelled as heretics (Alawism being a distant offshoot of Shiism). We’ve all been branded as pro-Assad. Many massacres he committed were portrayed as Alawites killing Sunnis. Now, they want to kill us.”

Ammar deliberately failed his medical exams for three years to avoid military service. In Syria, graduates had to serve at least two years, often far longer. "You go in not knowing when you’ll come out. Some stayed for ten years," he said. "We missed out on our youth. I feel like an old man trapped in a young body."

Slogans praising HTS cover the walls in Tartus, Syria, on January 10, 2025. 

Ammar is convinced that those he once considered brothers will seek vengeance for the dictator’s crimes. "If I stay here, I’ll never be able to support my family or start one. It’s not only an economic threat but an existential one," he said. "Last week, I had to leave the governorate. I made sure my phone could livestream if anything happened to me. If I’m killed, I don’t want to be labelled pro-Assad. Call me an Alawite thug, but don’t call me pro-Assad. I’m not."

Ammar does not mince his words. Speaking calmly, he draws grim historical parallels to describe the "sadistic" Syrian tyrant. "Hitler hated Jews. Assad hated everyone. Stalin acted in the Soviet Union’s interest, but Assad didn’t care about Syria. He built a farm where we all worked to enrich him. He ensured that when he left, only hatred would remain."

Posters in honour of HTS were put up all over Tartous, Syria, on January 10, 2025. 

The young doctor refuses to be a scapegoat. "Many regime war criminals were Sunnis: Ali Mamlouk, the intelligence chief; Asma, Bashar’s wife; Moustapha Tlass, the former defence minister ... Bashar al-Assad behaved like a monster not because he was Alawite but because he was a monster."

In the seaside town of Tartus, people are beginning to speak out. Razan*, a civil servant, already feels she has paid a heavy price. "My husband died because of Bashar al-Assad. He was serving in the army and was killed by extremist groups in Latakia in 2016. At his funeral, my son tore down the portrait of Bashar that was hanging up," she said tearfully, adding that her daughter never knew her father. "I've never had the slightest compensation."

Razan quickly regains composure before voicing her fear of retribution. "When HTS entered Tartus, I destroyed my husband’s photo. I was terrified they’d find it. He’s a martyr and they have their martyrs. I’m willing to forgive them for spilling his blood if they guarantee the safety of my two sons, who fled abroad to avoid conscription."
‘I’m Syrian above all’

While resentment towards the Alawites had always existed under the Assads, 13 years of war transformed it into hatred. For Hassan G. Ahmad, who insists on using his real name, this shift has been a double burden. "The hatred of this regime was not directed at any particular community. It was inflicted on anyone who opposed it, regardless of their religious or political affiliation," the 26-year-old said. "We must not forget that some Alawites participated in military operations against the Syrian regime. The Alawite opposition had chosen the political struggle, like Dr Abdel Aziz from Assad's home town. He has been detained for more than 12 years and we still don't know his fate."

Alawite activist Hassan G. Ahmad made a point of posing with his cat Leo, in Tartus, Syria, on January 10, 2025. 

The activist, who endured repeated imprisonment and torture between 2023 and 2024, added, "The Alawites arrested for political reasons were tortured far more than the others. They were considered traitors." As he talked, he mimed with a smile the tortures inflicted on him. "I still have nightmares about it, but I find solace in dark humour."

The Alawites have been "in the grip of an anxiety crisis since December 8 (the date marking the fall of Assad's regime)," he continued, rejecting the term "minority". “We need a government that includes all parts of society. Right now, it’s monochromatic. I’m not Muslim, Alawite, atheist, Sunni, or anything else. I’m Syrian, above all.”

* Names were changed for safety reasons.

This article was translated from the original by Anaëlle Jonah.

PHOTOS © Assiya Hamza, FRANCE 24

Trump Allies Launch $20 Million Effort to Convince Working Class to Back Tax Scam 2.0


"Don't be fooled: What this Koch-backed group is really only after is protecting tax cuts for wealthy people like me," said the chair of the Patriotic Millionaires.


This screengrab shows a new ad from Americans for Prosperity, a Koch-founded group pushing for an extension of the 2017 Trump-GOP tax cuts.
(Photo: Americans for Prosperity/YouTube Screengrab)

Jake Johnson
Jan 13, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

A right-wing advocacy group founded by the billionaire Koch brothers announced Monday the launch of a $20 million campaign to promote an extension of the 2017 Trump-GOP tax cuts, which disproportionately benefited the rich and large corporations.

But in a 60-second ad that debuted over the weekend, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) characterizes the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as a boon to "hardworking Americans" and small businesses—and warns that allowing provisions of the law to expire at the end of this year as scheduled would be disastrous for the working class.

"This year, Congress is facing a countdown to a crisis that threatens family budgets nationwide," Ross Connolly, AFP's regional state director, said in a statement Monday. "We are proud to partner with the incoming Trump administration to protect prosperity and ensure that Congress acts."

AFP is a 501(c)(4) organization that describes itself as a "grassroots" movement despite being launched by Charles Koch and his late brother, David—two of the most notorious right-wing billionaire in U.S. politics.

The group said its new 50-state campaign represents "the largest effort by a conservative organization" to support President-elect Donald Trump's legislative agenda as he prepares to take office next week. The campaign, according to AFP, will include "over 1,000 meetings" at congressional offices, "in-district events" with activists and lawmakers, and "roundtables with job creators."

The campaign aims to "reach millions of voters on the phone and at their doorsteps," AFP said.

"The Trump tax giveaways passed in 2017 did not help working-class Americans. In fact, the top 1% of corporations received almost all of the benefits."

AFP's description of the impacts of the 2017 tax law flies in the face of resounding evidence showing that wealthy Americans—not ordinary workers—were the chief beneficiaries and are poised to reap most of the rewards once again if Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress extend the measure's soon-to-expire provisions.

"Americans for Prosperity is spending $20 million on a new ad campaign that champions the 2017 Trump tax law as a win for working families," Morris Pearl, chair of the Patriotic Millionaires, told Common Dreams. "But don't be fooled: What this Koch-backed group is really only after is protecting tax cuts for wealthy people like me."

"I'm in favor of tax relief for working people, but not yet another huge and unnecessary windfall for America's rich," Pearl added. "If Congress wants to help working families, they should make tax rates on labor income the same as tax rates on profits made by investors."

AFP is one of a number of right-wing, corporate-tied organizations pushing for an extension of the Trump tax cuts, which Republicans are planning to fund by slashing Medicaid, federal nutrition assistance, and other key programs.

The progressive watchdog group Accountable.US noted in a recent analysis that one of the groups pushing for an extension of the 2017 law is Advancing American Freedom, an organization "run by corporate consultants, lobbyists, lawyers, and executives, including former Trump administration officials who were directly responsible for the TCJA."

Accountable also observes that Club for Growth, a group funded by wealthy conservatives, "has pushed a deeper corporate tax cut plan as an 'opening salvo' in the current tax debate."

"The billionaire funders of the group's action arm have benefited enormously from the TCJA, saving hundreds of millions of dollars from a single obscure tax break for pass-through entities," the watchdog added.

In response to AFP's new nationwide campaign, Accountable.US executive director Tony Carrk told Common Dreams that "a glitzy ad campaign from a far-right organization won't change the fact that the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress are paying for giveaways to billionaires, wealthy tax cheats, and price-gouging corporations by cutting critical services for working families, like Medicaid and SNAP."

"The Trump tax giveaways passed in 2017 did not help working-class Americans," said Carrk. "In fact, the top 1% of corporations received almost all of the benefits."

'Republicans Are Gearing Up for Class War,' Democrat Warns as GOP Pursues Huge Medicaid Cuts

"It won't be any consolation to struggling Americans that their hardship allows some rich buddy of Donald Trump's to buy a bigger yacht," said Sen. Ron Wyden.


House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are seen during a meeting on November 14, 2023.
(Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)


Jake Johnson
Jan 13, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

Policy analysts and Democratic lawmakers raised alarm over the weekend at a leaked document indicating that House Republicans intend to pursue massive cuts to Medicaid, a program that provides sometimes lifesaving coverage to roughly 80 million people across the United States.

Near the top of a list of "spending reform options" that House Republicans are considering to help finance additional tax cuts for the rich and large corporations are proposals that would strip Medicaid coverage from millions of Americans, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities.

One of the changes listed in the leaked document, obtained by Politico last week, would convert Medicaid's funding structure to a "per-capita cap," under which the federal government would only provide states with a fixed amount of funding for each beneficiary rather than paying a percentage of states' overall Medicaid costs.

The document, which reportedly comes from the House Budget Committee, suggests the reform would result in up to $918 billion in cuts over a 10-year period.


Edwin Park, a research professor at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy's Center for Children and Families, noted in a blog post that such a change would "radically restructure Medicaid financing."

"These funding caps are typically designed to fail to keep pace with expected growth in healthcare costs in order to severely cut federal Medicaid spending, with those cuts growing larger and larger over time," Park wrote. "Moreover, the caps would also fail to account for any unexpected cost growth such as from another public health emergency or a new, costly drug therapy, which would make the federal funding cuts even larger than originally anticipated."

"These cuts would only help bankroll Trump's tax cuts for his billionaire friends and corporate interests."

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warned in an analysis published last week that cuts to federal funding under a per-capita cap "would impose significant strain on states and put millions of people at risk of losing benefits and coverage."


The document also includes a call to "Equalize Medicaid Payments for Able Bodied Adults"—a proposal seen as an indication that the GOP plans to go after the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion—and confirms that Republicans intend to push for Medicaid work requirements, which have proved disastrous in the states that have tried such mandates.

Park argued that work requirements—and the "onerous red tape" they entail—would amplify the harms of cuts to federal Medicaid funding.

"As a result, these proposals would take away coverage and access from tens of millions of low-income children, families, seniors, people with disabilities, and other adults who rely on Medicaid," Park wrote. "Moreover, because Medicaid is the largest source of federal funding for states—accounting for 56.1% of all federal funding for state budgets in 2024—these large cost-shifts to states would also threaten deep, damaging budget cuts to other state spending including for K-12 education."

Overall, the leaked Republican document proposes up to $5.7 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years—with Medicaid cuts making up $2.3 trillion of that total—as President-elect Donald Trump pushes for a sprawling reconciliation bill that includes another round of tax cuts that would disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Americans.

In addition to Medicaid cuts, the House GOP policy menu calls for slashing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and federal nutrition assistance, repealing "major Biden health rules," and eliminating renewable energy funding under the Inflation Reduction Act.

"This won't lower costs for Americans," Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) wrote in response to the GOP document. "These cuts would only help bankroll Trump's tax cuts for his billionaire friends and corporate interests."

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said the leaked policy list shows that "Republicans are gearing up for a class war against everyday families in America."

"This list outlines a plan to increase child hunger, boot tens of millions off their health insurance, and lay off hundreds of thousands of clean energy workers to fund tax handouts for the wealthy," said Wyden. "It won't be any consolation to struggling Americans that their hardship allows some rich buddy of Donald Trump's to buy a bigger yacht."

Scientific Community Issues Fresh Warning to Congress as 'Radical' Trump Returns

Over 50,000 scientists and supporters called on Congress to "defend against Trump's anti-science actions."


A woman carries a sign reading "Science not Silence" at the March for Science on April 22, 2017.
(Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Julia Conley
Jan 13, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

With a president-elect who has called the climate crisis a "hoax" and vowed to gut fossil fuel drilling regulations poised to take office in one week, more than 50,000 scientists and advocates on Monday implored U.S. lawmakers to consider the incoming administration's "respect for science" as they vote on Cabinet nominees and provide oversight of the Trump White House over the next four years.

Organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a petition signed by 50,588 scientists and experts was sent to every member of Congress, asking them to "defend the science and scientists that keep Americans safe" after President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.

The Republican leader's agenda, and the policies outlined in the right-wing policymaking plan Project 2025, threaten to "eviscerate the protections that Americans count on and support," reads the petition.

During his first administration, Trump rolled back the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ability to develop regulations under the Clean Air Act and repealed the Clean Water Rule, and he and his nominee for secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have signaled they would purge the ranks of the Food and Drug Administration. Researchers at the EPA are also bracing for a "swift and unprecedented" upheaval, with Trump expected to repeal vehicle and methane emissions regulations.

During his presidential campaign, Trump asked oil executives for $1 billion in donations, promising to repay them by gutting President Joe Biden's climate regulations.

"Rolling back science-based policies and silencing scientists has the potential to turn back the clock on the immense progress science has made over past decades, jeopardizing public health, economic stability, national security, and the future livability of the climate."

"The reason behind the Trump administration's radical proposals to sideline science and scientists is crystal clear: Science stands in the way of polluters and special interests unleashing unprecedented amounts of pollution that would put short-term profits over people, no matter the cost to current and future generations of Americans," reads the petition sent to Congress.

The petition calls on lawmakers to:Oppose anti-science nominees to any federal agency who do not agree on the record to follow and/or implement a scientific integrity policy in their agency;
Oppose the elimination of federal agencies or their staff directly or indirectly including through draconian budget cuts, reclassifying staff, or abruptly moving agency headquarters, all of which are a transparent and explicit effort to decimate scientific expertise and decision-making; and
Defend the safeguards that protect the health and safety of people across the United States, especially those overburdened by pollution, including the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
The petition was bolstered by an open letter sent to 99 U.S. senators, including those sitting on committees that will play a significant role in approving or blocking Trump's Cabinet nominees.

The letter, also sent Monday and signed by a coalition of 28 organizations, calls on senators to "ensure nominees are only confirmed if they have the necessary qualifications to succeed in their roles, do not have conflicts of interest, accept established science related to their agency's mission, and value the role of rigorous science, free from political interference, in government decision-making."

Trump's nominees including former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, an oil drilling proponent, for interior secretary; fracking firm CEO Chris Wright for energy secretary; and former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), who repeatedly voted against Clean Air Act standards, as EPA administrator.

"Agency leaders must respond effectively to a variety of threats, from cyberattacks to hurricanes and pandemics," reads the letter, signed by the Endangered Species Coalition, Greenpeace USA, and the National Resources Defense Council. "To do so, they must value science and consider evidence that can help them make well-informed decisions. Our organizations urge you to consider nominees' respect for science in confirmation hearings and votes."

The groups called on senators to only confirm nominees who are free of conflicts of interest and who have relevant qualifications, such as "academic degrees and respect for the mission of the agency or program they are nominated to lead."

Agency leaders, they said, should also demonstrate respect for scientific integrity: "the adherence to professional practices, ethical behavior, and the principles of honesty and objectivity when conducting, managing, using the results of, and communicating about science and scientific activities."

The idea of allowing scientists to work without fear of political interference "has long had bipartisan support," noted the groups, which quoted Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) as saying at a hearing on the Scientific Integrity Act in 2019, "Scientific findings are often relied upon by policymakers to make important decisions that affect the lives of millions of Americans... To maintain the public's trust, there must be a high degree of integrity and transparency in the scientific process."

Agency leaders who interfere with scientific research or who allow their conflicts of interest to interfere with regulating the oil and gas industry, Big Pharma, and public health agencies "would be disastrous for our nation," said the groups, as they would be likely to ignore or misrepresent "scientific evidence in order to make it appear that an appointee's preferred course of action is the clear solution."

"This could take the form of cherry-picking evidence based on ideology or actively advancing misinformation, with potentially deadly results," wrote the groups. "For instance, if a vaccine were developed in response to a new pandemic, as it was during the triumphant Operation Warp Speed of the first Trump administration, an agency leader might hamper vaccine uptake by emphasizing the very small proportion of vaccine recipients who suffered a side effect serious enough to require medical attention without comparing it to the far larger number of severe illnesses averted."

At upcoming confirmation hearings, the groups urged senators to ask nominees whether they commit to: upholding scientific integrity, "ensuring that the findings of scientific research conducted by your agency will be communicated accurately," and using "the best available scientific evidence to inform decisions and evidence-based policies."

"Rolling back science-based policies and silencing scientists has the potential to turn back the clock on the immense progress science has made over past decades, jeopardizing public health, economic stability, national security, and the future livability of the climate," said Dr. Jennifer Jones, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at UCS.

"Protecting science means protecting people—full stop," said Jones. "The broad consensus among scientists demonstrates the urgency we all feel to protect independent science in government decision-making."

43 Lawmakers Back Youth in Climate Case Against US Government

A 17-year-old plaintiff commended the federal lawmakers for "using their voices to weigh in on the importance of our rights to access justice and to a livable climate."

Protesters attend a rally held by Our Children's Trust outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. 
(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Jessica Corbett
Jan 13, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

Dozens of members of Congress on Monday submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting 21 youth plaintiffs who launched a historic constitutional climate case against the federal government nearly a decade ago.

Since Juliana v. United States was first filed in the District of Oregon in August 2015, the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations have fought against it. Last May, a panel of three judges appointed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals by President-elect Donald Trump granted a request by President Joe Biden's Department of Justice to dismiss the case.

After the U.S. Supreme Court in November denied the youth plaintiffs' initial request for intervention regarding the panel's decision, their attorneys filed a different type of petition last month. As Our Children's Trust, which represents the 21 young people, explains on its website, they argued to the justices that federal courts are empowered by the U.S. Constitution and the Declaratory Judgment Act (DJA) "to resolve active disputes between citizens and their government when citizens are being personally injured by government policies, even if the relief is limited to a declaration of individual rights and government wrongs."

The Monday filing from seven U.S. senators and 36 members of the House of Representatives argues to the nation's top court that "the 9th Circuit's dismissal of the petitioners' constitutional suit for declaratory relief has no basis in law and threatens to undermine the Declaratory Judgment Act, one of the most consequential remedial statutes that Congress has ever enacted."

The Supreme Court "should grant the petition to clarify that declaratory relief under the DJA satisfies the Article III redressability requirement," wrote the federal lawmakers, led by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). "Doing so is necessary because Congress expressly authorized declaratory relief 'whether or not further relief is or could be sought.'"

"The 9th Circuit's jurisdictional holding, which prevented the district court from even reaching the question whether declaratory relief would be appropriate, conflicts with this court's holding that the DJA is constitutional," the lawmakers continued. "It also conflicts with this court's holding that Article III courts may not limit DJA relief to cases where an injunction would be appropriate."




In a Monday statement, Juliana's youngest plaintiff, 17-year-old Levi D., welcomed the support from the 43 members of Congress—including Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as well as Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).

"After 10 years of delay, I have spent more than half of my life as a plaintiff fighting for my fundamental rights to a safe climate. Yet, the courthouse doors are still closed to us," said Levi. "Five years ago, members of Congress stood by me and my co-plaintiffs on the steps of the Supreme Court. Today, as the climate crisis worsens and hurricanes ravage my home state of Florida, they are still with us, using their voices to weigh in on the importance of our rights to access justice and to a livable climate."

"The recent win in Held v. State of Montana and historic settlement in Navahine v. Hawaii Department of Transportation showed the world that young people's voices, my voice, and legal action are not just symbolic, but they hold governments accountable to protect our constitutional rights," Levi added. "Now, it's our turn to be heard!"

The lawmakers weren't alone in formally supporting the young climate advocates on Monday. Public Justice and the Montana Trial Lawyers Association filed another brief that takes aim at the government's use of mandamus—a court order directing a lower entity to perform official duties—to deny the Juliana youth a trial.

"The government's sole argument to justify mandamus is the Department of Justice's past and anticipated future litigation expenses associated with going to trial. That argument is firmly foreclosed by precedent," the groups argued. "And even if it wasn't foreclosed by precedent, the argument trivializes the extraordinary nature of mandamus and would improperly circumvent the final judgment rule."

The organizations urged the high court to grant certiorari to uphold the mandamus standard set out in Cheney v. United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 2004. Plaintiff Miko V. said Monday that "I'm incredibly grateful to Public Justice and the Montana Trial Lawyers Association for standing with us in our fight for justice."

"We're not asking for special treatment; we're demanding the right to access justice, as our constitutional democracy guarantees," Miko stressed. "The recent victory in Held v. State of Montana demonstrates the power of youth-led legal action, and the urgent need for courts to recognize that our generation has the right to hold our government accountable. Every day that the government prevents us from presenting our case, we all lose more ground in the fight for a livable future. It's time for the judiciary to open the courthouse doors and allow us a fair trial."

The briefs came just a week before Big Oil-backed Trump's second inauguration and on the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected attempts by fossil fuel giants to quash a Hawaiian municipality's lawsuit that aims to hold the climate polluters accountable, in line with justices' previous decisions. Dozens of U.S. state and local governments have filed similar suits.

U.S. Supreme Court rejects Big Oil attacks on Hawaii climate lawsuit

Jessica Corbett,

 Common Dreams
January 13, 2025 

US Supreme Court (supreme.justia.com)

Climate campaigners and scientists on Monday welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to reject attempts by fossil fuel giants to quash the Hawaii capital's lawsuit aiming to hold the major polluters accountable for the devastating impacts of their products.

"This is a significant day for the people of Honolulu and the rule of law," Ben Sullivan, executive director and chief resilience officer at the City and County of Honolulu's Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency, said in a statement.

"This landmark decision upholds our right to enforce Hawaii laws in Hawaii courts, ensuring the protection of Hawaii taxpayers and communities from the immense costs and consequences of the climate crisis caused by the defendants misconduct," he added.

Honolulu first sued companies including BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Shell, and Sunoco in March 2020. The companies have fought to shut down the case—like dozens of other climate liability lawsuits that states and municipalities have filed against Big Oil at the state level.

Shell and Sunoco led a pair of appeals to the Supreme Court, arguing that Honolulu's suit was "a blueprint for chaos" because it could inform other legal actions against fossil fuel companies and such cases "could threaten the energy industry." Similar to three previous decisions, the justices declined to intervene.

Center for Climate Integrity president Richard Wiles connected Monday's victory to the other cases, saying in a statement that "Big Oil companies keep fighting a losing battle to avoid standing trial for their climate lies."

"With this latest denial, the fossil fuel industry's worst nightmare—having to face the overwhelming evidence of their decades of calculated climate deception—is closer than ever to becoming a reality," Wiles continued. "Communities everywhere are paying dearly for the massive damages caused by Big Oil's decadeslong climate deception. The people of Honolulu and communities across the country deserve their day in court to hold these companies accountable."

Delta Merner, lead scientist for the Union of Concerned Scientists' Science Hub for Climate Litigation, similarly celebrated the decision, which she called "a resounding affirmation of Honolulu's right to seek justice under state law for the mounting climate impacts caused by fossil fuel companies' deceptive practices."

"For more than 50 years, fossil fuel companies have conducted sophisticated disinformation campaigns to obscure their own research showing that burning fossil fuels would drive climate change," Merner highlighted. "This case lays bare how these actions have contributed to rising seas, intensified storms, and coastal erosion that are devastating Honolulu's people, infrastructure, and natural resources."

"Scientific evidence is unequivocal: The human-caused emissions from fossil fuels are the primary driver of climate change," she stressed. "Honolulu's case stands as an example of how communities are using both science and the law to challenge corporate misconduct and demand accountability for climate damages."

Merner added that "the people of Honolulu are demonstrating remarkable leadership in standing up to powerful fossil fuel companies whose disinformation campaigns have directly contributed to the climate harms they now face. Their efforts serve as a powerful example for communities around the world. This decision is one step in a larger effort to seek accountability and justice."

The Supreme Court's latest blow to the oil and gas industry came just a week before the second inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who courted Big Oil executives on the campaign trail and pledged to "drill, baby, drill" if he won the November election.

The high court—which has a right-wing supermajority that includes three Trump appointees—had asked the Biden administration to weigh in. Last month, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar urged the justices not to intervene. Merner said at the time that her briefs "represent an important step in the pursuit of climate accountability."

'I Believe He Would Approve': Charles Darwin's Grave Graffitied in Climate Protest

"We've done this because there's no hope for the world, really," said one of the activists who participated.


Two activists with the group Just Stop Oil used orange spray chalk paint in order to write "1.5 Is Dead" on the gravestone of Charles Darwin—the scientist most famous for developing the theory of evolution by natural selection—in London in an act of climate protest on January 13, 2025.
(Photo: Jamie Low/Just Stop Oil)

Eloise Goldsmith
Jan 13, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

Two activists with the group Just Stop Oil on Monday used orange spray chalk paint to write "1.5 Is Dead" on the gravestone of Charles Darwin—the scientist most famous for developing the theory of evolution by natural selection.

In a statement released Monday, Just Stop Oil, a British group demanding an end to fossil fuel use, said that the action was taken in order to "demand that the U.K. government works with others to phase out the extraction and burning of fossil fuels by 2030."

The BBCreported that Met Police were called to the incident in Westminster Abbey in Londonand said two women were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage.

The message "1.5 Is Dead" is in reference to the news on Friday that 2024 was "the first year with an average temperature clearly exceeding 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level," according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). 2024 was 1.60°C warmer than the pre-industrial level.



Signatories to the Paris climate agreement pledged to reduce their global greenhouse gas emissions with the aim of keeping global temperature rise this century to 1.5ºC, well below 2°C above preindustrial levels. According to the United Nations, going above 1.5ºC on an annual or monthly basis doesn't constitute failure to reach the agreement's goal, which refers to temperature rise over decades—however, "breaches of 1.5°C for a month or a year are early signs of getting perilously close to exceeding the long-term limit, and serve as clarion calls for increasing ambition and accelerating action in this critical decade."

The news comes as California is reeling from multi-day wildfires that have consumed tens of thousands of acres of Los Angeles County and killed over 20 people.

"We've done this because there's no hope for the world, really," said one of the activists who was arrested, Di Bligh. "We've done it on Darwin's grave specifically because he would be turning in that grave because of the sixth mass extinction taking place now," the activist said, according to the BBC.

The other protestor, Alyson Lee, said she did not think Darwin would be unhappy with their act of climate protest: "I believe he would approve because he was a good scientist and he would be following the science, and he would be as upset as us with the government for ignoring the science."

Two Just Stop Oil activists were arrested in England last summer after they sprayed an orange powder on the monoliths at Stonehenge. According to a statement released at the time from Just Stop Oil, the protestors "decorated" Stonehenge to demand that the U.K. government commit to "working with other governments to agree an equitable plan to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030."