Wednesday, January 20, 2021

FIRE SALE
Trump administration issues last-minute Arctic refuge drilling leases

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in a video message released via Twitter in Washington

Nichola Groom
Tue, January 19, 2021,

(Reuters) - The Trump administration said on Tuesday it had issued drilling leases on more than 400,000 acres (160,000 hectares) of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), delivering on a promise to fossil-fuel proponents on President Donald Trump's last full day in office.

Formal issuance of the leases by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management came a day before the inauguration of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, who has pledged to protect the 19.6-million-acre (7.9-million-hectare) habitat for polar bears and caribou and to ban new oil and gas leasing on federal lands.

Lease holders would still need to seek permits from the new administration before any wells could be drilled, among other challenges.

The administration's plan to open up the refuge to oil and gas exploration is being challenged in court by environmentalists, Native American groups and Democratic-led states, and several major banks have said they will not finance projects in the region.

The Gwich’in Steering Committee, which represents tribes that depend on the region's Porcupine caribou for subsistence, decried the move.

"Our way of life is not for sale or up for negotiation. This is about our survival," Bernadette Dementieff, executive director of the committee, said in a statement.

The Bureau of Land Management's Alaska office said it had issued nine of the 11 leases that received bids at the agency's Jan. 6 auction. It is still working on issuing the remaining two, a spokesman said.

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, which was the sole bidder for most of the acreage sold, was issued seven leases. The remaining two were issued to Alaska real estate company Knik Arm Services LLC and Regenerate Alaska Inc, a unit of Australia's 88 Energy Ltd, BLM said.

In a statement, BLM Alaska State Director Chad Padgett called the issuance "a hallmark step and a clear indication that Alaska remains important to meeting the nation's energy needs."

Adam Kolton, executive director of Alaska Wilderness League, one of the groups that has sued to block the ANWR drilling plan, called on Biden to take "strong and decisive action to ensure that no oil rig or seismic truck ever despoils an inch of this last great wilderness."

(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Additional reporting by Yereth Rosen in Anchorage; Editing by Alistair Bell and Peter Cooney)

ISRAEL THE 51ST STATE

Biden State pick says US embassy to remain in Jerusalem

President-elect Joe Biden's cabinet nominees also promised that the United States would stay tough on China and Iran but vowed a new era of international cooperation after Donald Trump's divisive "America First" approach

Antony J. Blinken, of New York, speaks during his confirmation hearing to be Secretary of State before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the Capitol in Washington, DC, US, January 19, 2021. (Reuters)

President-elect Joe Biden will not reverse Donald Trump's decision of considering Jerusalem as Israel's capital but will seek a state for the Palestinians, Antony Blinken, his nominee for secretary of state, said Tuesday.

Asked at his confirmation hearing by Senator Ted Cruz if the United States will continue its stance on Jerusalem and maintain its embassy, Blinken said without hesitation, "Yes and yes."

Trump in 2017 bucked international consensus and recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, despite UN resolutions and Palestinians' claims to the holy city as part of their campaign for a separate state.

Blinken indicated that Biden would try harder to pursue a separate Palestinian state but acknowledged the difficulties.

READ MORE: Who is Antony Blinken, Biden's pick for US Secretary of State?

"The only way to ensure Israel's future as a Jewish, democratic state and to give the Palestinians a state to which they are entitled is through the so-called two-state solution," Blinken said.

But he added: "I think realistically it's hard to see near-term prospects for moving forward on that."

"What would be important is to make sure that neither party takes steps that make the already difficult process even more challenging," he said.

Shortly after his remarks, a watchdog said that Israel had issued tenders for 2,500 new settler homes.

Outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo disputed that Israeli settlements on Palestinian land were illegal and visited one such site on a November trip to the West Bank.

The Trump administration had voiced general support for a Palestinian state but said it should be demilitarised and not have its capital inside Jerusalem.

The Palestinian leadership boycotted Trump, saying the Jerusalem move as well as his ending of aid for Palestinian refugees showed his bias.

In a drive led by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Trump instead focused Middle East efforts on winning Arab recognition of Israel with four nations agreeing to normalise ties since September.

Blinken also said he opposed campaigns to pressure Israel through boycotts, putting him at odds with some in the left wing of his Democratic Party.

Blinken vows firmness on China, Iran

"Not one of the big challenges we face can be met by one country acting alone – even one as powerful as the US," Blinken, a mild-mannered longtime aide to Biden, told his Senate confirmation hearing.

"We can revitalise our core alliances – force multipliers of our influence around the world. Together, we are far better positioned to counter threats posed by Russia, Iran, and North Korea and to stand up for democracy and human rights."

Blinken distanced himself from the outgoing president's needling of allies and denunciations of multilateralism but said that Trump "was right in taking a tougher approach to China."

"I disagree very much with the way he went about it in a number of areas, but the basic principle was the right one."

Blinken backed the determination Tuesday by the outgoing secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, that China was committing genocide against Uighurs and other mostly Muslim people.

He promised to keep looking at ways to block the import of Chinese products that involve forced labor and preventing the export of technology that could "further their repression."

Retired general Lloyd Austin, the nominee to be defence secretary, told his hearing that the rising Asian power "constitutes a significant and long-term security threat to the United States and to our allies and partners."

"I believe that because of its ascent and the scope and scale of its military modernisation, China is the top priority," he said.

Blinken has previously spoken of finding limited areas for cooperation with China, such as climate change.

But the tough talk came as the Trump administration hailed its campaign against China as a signature achievement.

In a farewell address, Trump said that he "rallied the nations of the world to stand up to China like never before."

New 'start' with Russia

Blinken also said the incoming administration would seek to extend New START, the last US arms pact with Russia, which expires February 5.

"I think we're going to seek an extension," Blinken said in response to a question at his Senate confirmation hearing.

"I know we will be coming to you very quickly, almost immediately, to discuss that," Blinken said of the Senate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last year proposed a one-year extension on New START, which caps the number of nuclear warheads betw een the two powers.

Review Yemen Houthi terrorist label 'immediately'

Antony Blinken said he would quickly revisit the outgoing administration's designation of Yemen's Houthi rebels as terrorists, fearing it could make the humanitarian crisis there far worse.

"We would propose to review that immediately to make sure that what we're doing is not impeding the provision of humanitarian assistance," Blinken said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"At least on its surface, [the designation] seems to achieve nothing particularly practical in advancing the efforts against the Houthis and to bring them back to the negotiating table while making it even more difficult than it already is to provide humanitarian assistance to people who desperately need it," Blinken said.

Outgoing US President Donald Trump's administration announced the move on January 11, nine days before Biden takes over on Wednesday.

The United Nations and aid groups warned it risks worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.

The Iran-backed Houthis are facing a bloody offensive led by US ally Saudi Arabia, with millions in the country depending o n aid to survive.

The Houthis, who control much of the north of the war-ravaged country, warned Tuesday they would respond to any action against them following their US classification as "terrorists."

"We are ready to take all necessary measures against any hostile act," they said in a statement.

The designation is expected to halt many transactions with Houthi authorities, including bank transfers and payments to medical personnel and for food and fuel, due to fears of US prosecution.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, called on t he United States to reverse the move.

"Our position on this has not changed," Dujarric said. "We call on the government to reverse that decision."

"Our concern from the beginning, that we expressed very clearly, is the impact on the commercial sector," he said.

"The vast majority of food and other basic supplies that comes into Yemen comes in through the commercial sector."

Blinken said the United States needs to be "clear-eyed about the Houthis."

"They overthrew a government in Yemen, they engaged in a path of aggression through the country, they directed aggression toward Saudi Arabia and committed atrocities and human rights abuses," he said.

READ MORE: Will Biden keep his promise to shut down Guantanamo?

Plans full review of approach to North Korea

Blinken also said the incoming administration planned a full review of the US approach to North Korea to look at ways to increase pressure on the country to come to the negotiating table over its nuclear weapons.

At the same time, the United States would also look at providing humanitarian help to North Korea if needed, Blinken said.

"We do want to make sure that in anything we do, we have an eye on the humanitarian s ide of the equation, not just on the security side of the equation," he told his Senate confirmation hearing.

Asked by Democratic Senator Ed Markey whether he would, with the ultimate aim of North Korea denuclearizing, support a "phased agreement" that offered tailored sanctions relief to Pyongyang in return for a verifiable freeze in its weapons programs, Blinken replied:

"I think we have to review, and we intend to review, the entire approach and policy toward North Korea, because this is a hard problem that has plagued administration after administration. And it's a problem that has not gotten better - in fact, it's gotten worse."

He said the aim of the review would be to "look at what options we have, and what can be effective in terms of increasing pressure on North Korea to come to the negotiating table, as well as what other diplomatic initiatives may be possible."

Blinken said this would start with consulting closely with allies and partners, particularly with South Korea and Japan.

POPULAR CULTURE COMMODITY FETISH

Baseball card fetches record $5.2 million amid rising market

The sale continues an impressive run for collectible baseball cards, which have been around since the late 19th century and started to fetch high prices in the early 1980s.T

The "Holy Grail" of baseball cards, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, is put on display at the Colorado History Museum in Denver, July 16, 2018 (AP)

A 1952 baseball card has sold at auction for $5.2 million, auction house PWCC Marketplace said, setting a new record for the most expensive trading card ever.

American actor and entrepreneur Rob Gough bought the card of New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle, a seven-time Major League Baseball World Series winner.

The sale continues an impressive run for collectible baseball cards, which have been around since the late 19th century and started to fetch high prices in the early 1980s.

READ MORE: First Baseball fans of 2020 rush to see Dodgers take on Braves

In August, a card featuring Los Angeles Angels great Mike Trout, widely considered the best player of the last decade, sold for $3.93 million, a then record, during a sale organized by Goldin Auctions.

"The trading card market is booming," PWCC Marketplace marketing director Chris Callahan said.

He said average card prices have increased "two to three times" over the past year.

Traditionally associated with baseball, the trading card business has expanded to other sports too, most notably basketball.

In September, a card of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was purchased for $1.81 million.

FIFA releases report on sexual abuse of female football players in Haiti

6 DAYS AGO

FIFA's ethics committee said Yves Jean-Bart, the president of Haiti’s football federation, allegedly raped girls as young as 14 and took “habitual mistresses” among players.

File Photo: Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, arrives for a court hearing regarding allegations that he abused female athletes, in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, on May 21, 2020. (AP)

FIFA released details Wednesday of its investigation into systematic sexual abuse of female football players in Haiti, saying there were 14 alleged victims of the national federation’s president.

The FIFA ethics committee said Yves Jean-Bart, the president of Haiti’s football federation for 20 years, allegedly raped girls as young as 14 and took “habitual mistresses” among players.

The details were included in a newly published verdict that explained why Jean-Bart was banned from football for life in November.

The 45-page document said “many of the girls from very poor backgrounds became known as his ‘restaveks,’ a Haitian term for a child slave.”

One 14-year-old player allegedly became pregnant by Jean-Bart and was taken by football federation officials to have an abortion.

“Mr. Jean-Bart’s behavior is simply inexcusable, a disgrace for any football official,” FIFA's ethics judges concluded. “The pain and suffering he has caused his various victims of sexual harassment and abuse cannot even be fully comprehended.”

FIFA received evidence from investigations by the global football players’ union FIFPro and Human Rights Watch.

They identified 34 “possible victims of sexual abuse and 10 potential perpetrators, including 14 names of potential victims of Mr. Jean-Bart," the report said. It cited intimidation of witnesses and the “authoritarian and economic power that Mr. Jean-Bart appears to have in Haiti."

Witnesses said Jean-Bart would give gifts of underwear to teenage girls, including minors, when he began to build abusive relationships, according to the FIFA document.

A therapist working with Human Rights Watch reported “the majority of the victims/witnesses are still working on regaining a sense of psychological safety and … have not fully processed their traumas.”

A protester holds up a sign that reads in Creole "We are asking for justice," during the hearing of President of the Haitian Football Federation Yves Jean-Bart in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti onMay 14, 2020. (AP)

Jean-Bart has denied the allegations, which were first revealed by British newspaper The Guardian in April. He said he will challenge the FIFA ban, and a fine of 1 million Swiss francs ($1.13 million), at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

FIFA's ethics investigators have also opened cases against other Haitian football federation officials alleged to have committed or enabled sexual abuse of players.

The abuse is said to have happened at the country’s national training center at Croix-des-Bouquets, which FIFA helped fund. It was known as “The Ranch.”

Jean-Bart led the Haiti federation since 2000 and sat on several FIFA committees, including the women’s football panel from 2002-05.

He continued to be a member of the FIFA committee organizing the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia after the sexual abuse allegedly started in 2014.

FIFA judges accepted the allegations

At his FIFA hearing, held by video link in November, Jean-Bart’s defense included the claim that witness testimonies “are similar, almost identical, and are lies.”

“Mr Jean-Bart could not have raped or engaged in sexual intercourse with anybody since he was not virile,” his lawyers said.

They also claimed the success of Haiti women’s national teams “could have never been reached if the sexual abuse or harassment alleged (by FIFA investigators) existed.”

The FIFA panel of three judges accepted the allegations, saying: “The abuse was perpetrated at various locations and by different persons within the [Haiti football federation], occasionally resulting in rape and even pregnancies and abortions.”

US athletes slam police handling of 'white' riots in Capitol

Sports personalities are enraged over the restraint shown by the police to largely white protesters – many armed with guns and rods – who occupied the highest seat of government and dented US' global image.

An explosion caused by a police munition is seen while supporters of US President Donald Trump gather in front of the US Capitol Building in Washington, US, January 6, 2021. (Reuters)

Athletes, coaches, and former players have lodged a strong reaction to the storming of Capitol Hill by supporters of outgoing President Trump, with many drawing parallels between Black Lives Matter protests and right-wing demonstrators and how each of the protests was dealt with by security officials.

"The drastic difference between the way protesters this past spring and summer were treated and the encouragement given to today's protesters who acted illegally just shows how much work we have to do," a joint statement from Boston Celtics and Miami Heat said on Wednesday night.

"2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed," the statement said.

"We play tonight's game with a heavy heart after yesterday's decision in Kenosha, and knowing that protesters in our nation's capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on."

The reactions came hours after pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and disrupted a congressional vote to certify the US presidential election.

One day earlier, news broke that the police officers involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, will not be charged.

Chaos in Capitol

The Capitol was under siege on Wednesday, as the nation’s elected representatives scrambled to crouch under desks and don gas masks while police futilely tried to barricade the building, one of the most jarring scenes ever to unfold in a seat of American political power.

A woman was shot and killed inside the Capitol, and Washington's mayor instituted an evening curfew in an attempt to contain the violence.

More than 50 protesters have been arrested so far, police say.

Controversial police reaction

National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts expressed disappointment and frustration about the ongoing double-standard regarding race in the country.

"Every single player that contacted me – or that I contacted – saw the same connection to the Blake shooting being justified," Roberts told ESPN.

"We were watching these people essentially committing treason at the Capitol and I have yet to hear about a single shot being fired.

"On a day like this, it's the first thing that comes to mind. And all I can say is that I'm grateful knowing that hopefully, nobody who looks like me is going to Capitol Hill to respond to this, because if they do, you'll see a different response by law enforcement. You know it – and I know it," Roberts said.

What if Black people stormed Capitol?

His sentiment was echoed by Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers.

"It basically proves the point about a privileged life in a lot of ways," Rivers said.

"I'll say it because I don't think a lot of people want to, could you imagine today if those were all Black people storming the Capitol and what would've happened?"

"No police dogs turned on people, no billy clubs hitting people, people peacefully being escorted out of the Capitol. So it shows that you can disperse a crowd peacefully, I guess, would be the one thing," Rivers said.

Not long after, the play came to a halt moments after the Detroit Pistons tipped off against the host Milwaukee Bucks.

All 10 players on the court stopped and took a knee after the opening tip.

'Domestic terrorism'

Many other athletes reacted to the day's events on social media.

"An absolute disgrace what's happening at the US Capitol right now," Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love wrote on Twitter.

"And a blatant example of inequity in how law enforcement chooses to deal with those involved."

US football player Megan Rapinoe mocked police on Twitter for opening gates to protesters at Capitol Hill.

Former NBA superstar Dwyane Wade wrote on Twitter: "Black people get pulled over and don’t make it out alive. We can’t sleep in our own beds without being killed. We can’t jog without being killed. We can’t walk down the street with our hoodies up without being killed but they can do this???"

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy added, "If you are an American and aren't embarrassed by the domestic terrorism taking place at the Capitol there is something wrong with you. This is a shameful day for our country."

Poll: 80% want Tokyo Games cancelled or delayed because of pandemic

The world's biggest multi-sports event, postponed last year due to the pandemic, is scheduled to be held from July 23-August 8 in the Japanese capital.

A man wearing a protective mask, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), walks in front of an advertising billboard of Tokyo Olympics 2020, near the Shinjuku station in Tokyo, Japan, March 15, 2020. (Reuters)

A Kyodo News poll has showed that about 80% of people in Japan say this year's Tokyo Olympics should be cancelled or delayed as worries mount about a record surge in coronavirus cases across the country,

The survey found 35.3% want the Games to be cancelled and 44.8% favoured another delay.

The world's biggest multi-sports event, postponed last year due to the pandemic, is scheduled to be held from July 23-August 8 in the Japanese capital.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency for the greater Tokyo region on Thursday and could extend the measure to other areas as Japan struggles to contain a surge in infections.

Suga has come under fire for his handling of the pandemic and his support rate has tumbled since he took office in September.

His cabinet's approval rate slid 9 points from a month earlier to 41.3% with the disapproval rate at 42.8%, the Kyodo survey showed.

About 79% said Suga's decision to call the state of emergency for Tokyo came too late and 68% were dissatisfied with the government's response to the pandemic, the survey found.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

FIFA releases report on sexual abuse of female football players in Haiti

FIFA's ethics committee said Yves Jean-Bart, the president of Haiti’s football federation, allegedly raped girls as young as 14 and took “habitual mistresses” among players.

US athletes slam police handling of 'white' riots in Capitol

Sports personalities are enraged over the restraint shown by the police to largely white protesters – many armed with guns and rods – who occupied the highest seat of government and dented US' global image.

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