Colombia Wiretapping Scandal Deepens With AG In Crosshairs

By AFP - Agence France Presse

June 6, 2023

An illegal wiretapping scandal that has engulfed members of President Gustavo Petro's entourage deepened Tuesday with the country's top prosecutor accused of colluding with government detractors.

The South American country's ruling Historic Pact coalition announced it would ask Congress to investigate Attorney General Francisco Barbosa for allegedly instigating acts of "insubordination and disobedience."

Barbosa last week announced an investigation into claims of wrongdoing against Petro's chief of staff Laura Sarabia and ambassador to Venezuela Armando Benedetti, both since forced to step down.

"Rather than acting as head of the prosecutor’s office, (Barbosa) has decided to intervene openly in politics and... sadly become a spokesman for the opposition," senator Maria Jose Pizarro told reporters.

David Racero, leader of the House of Representatives, added Barbosa "may be using his power... against this government."

Sarabia and Benedetti came under scrutiny after Sarabia's nanny -- who previously also worked for Benedetti -- allegedly fell victim to illegal surveillance.

Benedetti had said he fired the nanny, Marelbys Meza, in June last year on suspicion of stealing thousands of dollars and after she failed a polygraph test.

Sarabia hired Meza last August.

In January this year, the nanny was allegedly made to take another polygraph test, this time on suspicion of stealing $7,000 from Sarabia's house.

To gain access to her calls, a false police report was allegedly used to link the nanny to organized crime, according to Barbosa, who was appointed in 2020 under Petro's rightwing predecessor Ivan Duque.

Meza has also claimed she was subjected to illegal interrogation and a lie detector test in January at a building annexed to the presidential palace in Bogota.

Petro's former top aides have since accused one another of all kinds of misdemeanors.

Sarabia claimed Benedetti, her former boss, had set her up by introducing her to Meza and then blackmailed her into supporting his bid for a ministerial post in exchange for making the nanny's claims disappear.

Benedetti, in turn, accused Sarabia -- whom he had introduced to Petro -- of "abuse of power, kidnapping (of Meza) and intimidation."

On Sunday, the newspaper La Revista Semana published an expletive-riddled recording of Benedetti threatening Sarabia with his knowledge of alleged illegal campaign funding to the tune of $3.5 million.

Benedetti, a key aide to Petro's successful 2022 election campaign, was reported saying they would all go to jail if he is pushed into spilling the beans.

Colombia's national electoral council (CNE) has opened an investigation into Benedetti's claims.

He later said the recordings had been "manipulated" and offered an apology to Petro.

Late Monday, Benedetti took to Twitter to explain that "in an act of weakness and sadness" about his declining political fortunes, "I let myself be carried away by rage and drink."

Petro has denied any impropriety, and denounced, in response to Benedetti's tweet, "an attempt to stop the fight against impunity."

lv/llu/mlr/caw

US weighs in on Roger Waters antisemitism debate, says artist has long history of denigrating Jews

SLANDER; HE IS ANTI-ZIONIST, 

PRO-PALESTINE

By Matthew Lee | AP

June 6, 2023 

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is weighing in on the controversy over Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, saying his recent performances in Germany were antisemitic, an assessment shared by many in Israel and the pro-Israel community.

The State Department said Tuesday that Waters has “a long track record of using antisemitic tropes” and a concert he gave late last month in Germany “contained imagery that is deeply offensive to Jewish people and minimized the Holocaust.”

The comments came in a written response to a question posed at Monday’s State Department press briefing about whether the administration agreed with criticism of Rogers from the U.S. special envoy to combat antisemitism, Deborah Lipstadt.

“Special Envoy Lipstadt’s quote-tweet speaks for itself,” the department said.

“The concert in question, which took place in Berlin, contained imagery that is deeply offensive to Jewish people and minimized the Holocaust,” the department said. “The artist in question has a long track record of using antisemitic tropes to denigrate Jewish people.”

In a May 24 tweet after the concert in Berlin, during which Waters appeared on stage in a costume reminiscent of Nazi-era Germany, Lipstadt denounced the musician by echoing comments from EU antisemitism envoy Katharina von Schnurbein, who is German.

“I wholeheartedly concur with @EUAntisemitism ’s condemnation of Roger Waters and his despicable Holocaust distortion,” Lipstadt wrote in reply to a tweet from von Schnurbein.

Von Schnurbein had taken issue with Waters’ performance in Berlin as well as his previous comments related to Israel and the Holocaust.

“I am sick & disgusted by Roger Waters’ obsession to belittle and trivialize the Shoah & the sarcastic way in which he delights in trampling on the victims, systematically murdered by the Nazis,” von Schnurbein wrote. “In Germany. Enough is enough.”

Shortly after the concert, police in Berlin said they had opened an investigation of Waters on suspicion of incitement over the costume he wore.

Images on social media showed Waters firing an imitation machine gun while dressed in a long black coat with a red armband. Police confirmed that the costume could constitute a glorification, justification or approval of Nazi rule and therefore a disturbance of the public peace.

Waters rejected those accusations in a statement on Facebook and Instagram, saying “the elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms.”

He claimed that ”attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated.” Waters has also drawn the ire of the pro-Israel community for his outspoken support of the BDS movement, which calls for boycotts and sanctions against Israel.

China's Liang and Li given lifetime snooker bans for match-fixing

AFP
Tue, June 6, 2023 

Yan Bingtao is among 10 Chinese players handed bans of varying lengths for match fixing and betting

Chinese pair Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were given lifetime bans from snooker on Tuesday for match-fixing after a "heart-breaking" corruption scandal rocked the sport.

In total, 10 Chinese players were handed bans of varying lengths by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) on Tuesday.

Lu Ning, Zhao Xintong, Yan Bingtao, Chen Zifan, Zhang Jiankang, Bai Langning, Zhao Jianbo and Chang Bingyu were the other players suspended.

Yan, the 2021 Masters champion, has been banned for five years until December 2027 after his initial seven and a half-year suspension was reduced following his early admissions and guilty plea.

Former UK Championship winner Zhao Xintong will serve a 20-month suspension, reduced from two-and-a-half years after his early admissions and guilty plea, that ends in September 2024.

The charges included manipulating games, approaching players to cheat, betting on snooker and fixing a match.

"It has been heart-breaking to see some young, talented players fall foul of the WPBSA conduct regulations through pressure exerted by two senior players (Liang and Li)," WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said.

"This behaviour has been recognised as wholly unacceptable by the imposition of two lifetime bans from participating in recognised snooker in any way.

"This outcome must be taken as a lesson to those who think they can avoid detection. If any player is involved in fixing a snooker match, they will be caught and will face severe penalties."

World number 72 Liang, who won the 2016 English Open, and world number 71 Li must also pay £43,000 ($53,000) in costs.

The International Betting Integrity Association became aware of wrongdoing in August 2022 and a detailed investigation was carried out by the WPBSA Integrity Unit and Sportradar.

Liang was found to have "fixed or been a party to fix five snooker matches" between July 24 and September 28, 2022.

- Threats and a cover-up -

The panel determined that the 36-year-old "solicited, induced, enticed, persuaded, encouraged or facilitated players to fix nine matches" between July 24 and December 13, 2022.

Liang was accused of behaving "in conduct that was corrupt by threatening another player and making him delete his messages on his phone".

He was also found to have threatened another player to seek to persuade him not to assist the WPBSA enquiry.

When aware of the WPBSA enquiry, Liang was also found to have covered up or attempted to cover up his involvement in match-fixing by deleting messages on his phone and by requesting other players deleted messages.

Li has been found to be in breach of the regulations as he fixed or was a party to fix five snooker matches between July 24 and September 29, 2022.

The WPBSA also found he "solicited, induced, enticed, persuaded, encouraged or facilitated" players to fix seven matches between July 24 and December 13, 2022.

He was also found to have bet on snooker matches on or after September 1, 2022 when aware of the WPBSA enquiry, while covering up or attempting to cover up his involvement in match-fixing.

Yan, ranked 23, admitted he fixed four matches he played in and also bet on snooker matches.

The other players all accepted fixing matches except for world number 11 Zhao Xintong, who accepted he was a party to another player fixing two matches and that he had bet on snooker.

smg/kca/ea

TENNIS

'I Don't Support The War, I Don't Support Lukashenko': Sabalenka


By Dave JAMES

June 6, 2023

Belarus tennis star Aryna Sabalenka outrightly condemned her country's role in the war in Ukraine on Tuesday and insisted she is not a supporter of president Alexander Lukashenko.

"I'm not supporting the war, meaning I don't support Lukashenko right now," the world number two said after reaching the French Open semi-finals by defeating Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.

The 25-year-old had come under increasing pressure to distance herself from her close relationship with Lukashenko, a key military ally of Moscow in the ongoing conflict.

"We played a lot of Fed Cups in Belarus. He (Lukashenko) was in our matches taking pictures with us after the match. But nothing bad was happening that time in Belarus or in Ukraine or in Russia," she told reporters.

Sabalenka had cancelled two previous press conferences at Roland Garros, claiming she didn't feel "safe" after facing a barrage of questions over her links to her country's strongman leader.

As Australian Open champion and potential world number one after the French Open, she was urged by Ukraine rivals to use her platform to individually stand up against the war.

"I don't want my country to be involved in any conflict. I said it many times. You have my position. You have my answer," she said.

"I don't want sport to be involved in politics, because I'm just a 25-year-old tennis player."

Sabalenka has had close associations with Lukashenko in the past.

In 2018, she requested a one-to-one meeting with him, according to Belarusian state news agency Belta.

The following year, in an interview with the country's largest independent news site Tut.by -- since shuttered following a brutal crackdown after historic demonstrations against Lukashenko -- she spoke glowingly of the Belarusian leader.

On December 31, 2020, after a year marked by the crushing of pro-democracy demonstrations, Sabalenka toasted the new year with Lukashenko in Minsk.

At the end of Tuesday's match, Svitolina chose not to shake the hand of Sabalenka, a common practice now in the sport when a Ukrainian player meets a Russian or Belarusian opponent.

Svitolina was booed by the crowd while Sabalenka stood in vain waiting at the net.

"It just was an instinct like I always do after all my matches," said Sabalenka of her decision to make the traditional approach to the net, insisting she had "big respect" for her opponent.

When asked if Sabalenka had inflamed the situation by staring her down, Svitolina replied: "Yeah, I think so, unfortunately."

"I don't know why she was waiting, because my statements were clear enough about the handshake," added Svitolina, 28, who said she was not shocked by being jeered by a Paris crowd that had taken her to their hearts following her marriage to French player Gael Monfils.

"I was expecting that. Whoever in this situation loses, I guess, gets booed. It was not a surprise for me."

Sabalenka had defeated another Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in the first round. Kostyuk also refused to shake hands and she too was booed.

"Maybe she's (Sabalenka) not on social media during the tournament, but it is pretty clear. She played Marta. So is quite simple," said Svitolina.

Svitolina said she and her compatriots will continue their stance in the grass court season which culminates at Wimbledon next month.

"I won't sell my country for the likes of people," she said.

Svitolina also demanded Sabalenka be fined for refusing to attend press conferences following her third and fourth round matches in Paris.

Two years ago, former world number one Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 for not honouring French Open media commitments.

"It should be equal for everyone. I faced difficulties, I faced difficulty also with the question about Novak (Djokovic), about his statement about Kosovo. So I'm not escaping."

She added: "I have my strong position, and I'm vocal about that. I'm not going try to win likeness of the people by betraying my strong belief and strongest position for my country."


Sabalenka justified boycotting media briefings, claiming she "felt really disrespected", likening her opening appearances to "a political TV show".

Her decision to return to the press room was taken partly to avoid reporters "putting words in my mouth".


dj/mw

Fallout from Senegal unrest hits economy

Laurent LOZANO
Tue, June 6, 2023 

Destruction: People walk past a burnt-out car in Dakar

As Senegalese struggle with the aftermath of deadly protests sparked by the conviction of an opposition leader, attention is shifting to the impact on the nation's economy.

Two days of violence last week have cost "billions of CFA francs" -- tens of millions of dollars -- and political risk is threatening this year's growth targets, said consultant economist Mansour Sambe.

The West African state has long surfed on its reputation for stability in a region plagued by coups.

But that cosy image has been dented by clashes between the security forces and supporters of firebrand presidential candidate Ousmane Sonko.


Sixteen people died and hundreds were injured or arrested after Sonko on Thursday was sentenced to two years on charges of "corrupting" a young woman.

That verdict was the outcome of a two-year case for rape charges that transfixed the country, triggering sporadic unrest that had already claimed a dozen lives.

In a country that has only a meagre social safety net, many Senegalese live in precarity and eye disruption with dread.

- 'If you work, you eat' -

Magaye Gaye, a 19-year-old toiletries seller at the Sandaga market in Dakar, said he had closed his stall on the eve of the trial's outcome.

Several days without business had left him with almost nothing.

"I have spent all my savings just to survive," he told AFP.

Clothing seller Modou Gueye, 46, was in a similar predicament.

"Clients have stayed away because they are afraid," he said Monday. "We live from one day to the next. If you have work, you eat, if you have no work, you go hungry."

For many poor Senegalese, the coming Muslim festival of Tabaski is a daunting moment, as it requires the purchase of lamb for the traditional family feast.

Some have been badly hit by the government move at the weekend to suspend mobile internet access after it blocked access to social media, since millions use mobile phones to transfer money.

"The banks have been closed since Wednesday," Ady Thiam, a 45-year-old accountant, said while waiting in line on Monday.

"You can't get your wages or your pension. Daily workers aren't being paid. People can't get medical treatment," he said.

"People have so little anyway -- this is what causes them to revolt."

- 'Political risks' -

Further tension seems almost inevitable.

The next flashpoint could be when Sonko -- believed to be at his home in Dakar, surrounded by police -- is taken into custody to serve his sentence.

Then there are the potentially stormy waters of next year's presidential elections, for which Sonko now appears to be ineligible.

"The biggest danger for investors are political risks," Sambe said.

Before the unrest, economists had been expecting growth of nine to 10 percent for 2023, he said.

But with uncertainty hanging over the 2024 election, "the entire second half (of 2023) could be lost", he said.

Sambe urged President Macky Sall to intervene, saying, "He has to reassure the public".

- Spotlight on Sall -

But Sall's own credibility is on the line.

Sonko's supporters say their champion, like other Sall rivals before him, is being persecuted by a manipulated judicial system -- a charge the president denies.

But Sall himself has stoked uncertainty, refusing to say clearly whether he will bid for a third presidential term, a move critics say would breach the constitution.

Of all the crises that modern Senegal has faced, the present one "is the easiest to resolve," three leading intellectuals said in an open letter on Monday.

"All it would need is for one man to say, 'I am not going to seek a third term, which would dishonour my word, my country and its constitution'."

The letter was penned by award-winning writers Mohamed Mbougar Sarr and Boubacar Boris Diop, and Felwine Sarr, who co-wrote a landmark report on the restitution of African cultural artefacts.

Sall on Monday paid a surprise late-night visit to Serigne Bassirou Mountakha Mbacke, the spiritual leader of an influential Muslim fraternity, the daily Soleil reported on Tuesday.

"The wisdom of his advice in some situations can help restore peace and stability," it said.

Meanwhile, Dakar announced it was closing several foreign consulates -- notably in Paris, Bordeaux, Milan and New York -- which have come under attack amid the unrest.

lal-sjd/ri/js/fb/giv

Senegal temporarily shuts consulates abroad following attacks in several cities
mw/kb 06.06.2023,

Senegalese protest in New York City. June 5, 2023. Photo: @afrokingstyle

Senegal has temporarily closed its consulates abroad following attacks on diplomatic missions in Bordeaux, Milan, Paris, and New York among others, the foreign affairs ministry said on Tuesday.

The closures were announced in the wake of deadly unrest that broke out after a leading opposition figure, Ousmane Sonko, was handed a two-year jail sentence last week that is likely to prevent him from running for president in elections next year.

At least 16 people were killed and hundreds injured as protesters clashed with security forces on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, making it the worst unrest to hit the West African country in decades.

Private and public structures and businesses were looted and destroyed during the riots, including university buildings, petrol stations, banks, supermarkets, administrative buildings, and bus stops.

Senegalese gov’t cuts mobile internet access amid deadly rioting

Access to mobile internet services, which the government restricted over the weekend, was restored on Tuesday following three days of calm.

The foreign affairs ministry did not link the attacks that justified provisionally closing Senegal’s consulates to Sonko’s sentence or the ensuing violence.

“This precautionary measure was taken following a series of aggressions ... that caused serious damage,” it said in a statement.

The general consulate in Milan was hit particularly hard, with passport-making machines and identity cards destroyed, the ministry said.

Services will resume once working materials and security are restored, it added.

Italy’s public broadcaster Rai News reported an assault on Milan’s consulate on Monday during which it said around 40 Sonko supporters gathered outside the building with flags and anti-government signs.

They broke in and ransacked the premises, attacked the consul general, and started a fire before police intervened.

Videos on social media on Friday showed a small group of protesters in Paris throwing flour at a Senegal embassy car and its passengers. Reuters did not verify the footage.
However other footage has shown that throughout most of the protest, the crowd appeared to be peaceful.

Protesters appeared in front of the embassy again on Tuesday, this time spraypainting messages denouncing the ruling President of Senegal, Macky Sall.

Sonko’s Pastef party has repeatedly urged supporters to take to the streets in strongly worded statements that have also called on the diaspora to join the “resistance”.

Political unrest in Senegal


Senegal opposition party rejects Court’s ruling, calls it ‘politically motivated’

The party of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on Tuesday rejected a court ruling that could preclude him from running in next year’s...see more

The legal issues embroiling Sonko first triggered protests in 2021, when he was briefly detained on rape charges he and his supporters denounce as a political ploy to prevent him from running. The government and justice system deny this.

Judges cleared him of rape last week but found him guilty of “corrupting youth” as the accusations involved a woman who was 20 at the time.

Sonko, who has become the face of growing frustration against President Macky Sall, is appealing the outcome of a separate libel case that could also hinder his political intentions.

Rights groups have accused security forces of using excessive force and firing live ammunition rounds at demonstrators, which they deny.

Professional league football matches were suspended until further notice on Tuesday due to the security situation, the national football federation said.
source: 

REUTERS

  

Senegal shuts overseas consulates after attacks in several cities including Paris and Bordeaux

Senegal has temporarily closed its consulates abroad following attacks on diplomatic missions in Bordeaux, Milan, Paris and New York among others, the foreign affairs ministry said on Tuesday.


Issued on: 06/06/2023 -

A woman walks past a burned out and ransacked supermarket in the popular Yoff Neighbourhood of Dakar, on June 5, 2023, as protest calmed down four days after a court in Senegal sentenced opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, to two years in prison on charges of "corrupting youth" but acquitted him of rape and issuing death threats. © John Wessels, AFP

The closures were announced in the wake of deadly unrest that broke out after a leading opposition figure, Ousmane Sonko, was handed a two-year jail sentence last week that is likely to prevent him from running for president in elections next year.

At least 16 people were killed and hundreds injured as protesters clashed with security forces on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, making it the worst unrest to hit the West African country in decades.

Private and public structures and businesses were looted and destroyed during the riots, including university buildings, petrol stations, banks, supermarkets, administrative buildings and bus stops.

The ministry did not link the attacks that justified provisionally closing Senegal's consulates to Sonko's sentence or the ensuing violence.

"This precautionary measure was taken following a series of aggressions... that caused serious damage," it said in a statement.

The general consulate in Milan was particularly hard-hit, with passport making machines and identity cards destroyed, the ministry said.

Services will resume once working materials and security are restored, it added.

Italy's public broadcaster Rai News reported an assault on Milan's consulate on Monday during which it said around 40 Sonko supporters gathered outside the building with flags and anti-government signs.

They broke in and ransacked the premises, attacked the consul general and started a fire before police intervened.

On Friday, videos on social media showed a small group of protesters in Paris throwing flour at a Senegal embassy car and its passengers. Reuters did not verify the footage.

Sonko's Pastef party has repeatedly urged supporters to take to the streets in strongly-worded statements that have also called on the diaspora to join the "resistance".

The legal issues embroiling Sonko first triggered protests in 2021, when he was briefly detained on rape charges he and his supporters denounce as a political ploy to prevent him from running. The government and justice system deny this.

Judges cleared him of rape last week but found him guilty of "corrupting youth" as the accusations involved a woman who was 20 at the time.

Sonko, who has become the face of growing frustration against President Macky Sall, is appealing the outcome of a separate libel case that could also hinder his political intentions.

Rights groups have accused security forces of using excessive force and firing live ammunition rounds at demonstrators, which they deny.

Meanwhile the Senegalese government has restored access to mobile internet across the country on Tuesday, two days after it was cut in certain areas due to deadly rioting, the Communications Ministry said in a statement.

Access to several social media and messaging platforms had been restricted since Thursday, when the sentencing of Sonko sparked unrest.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

Arctic Could Be Ice-free A Decade Earlier Than Thought

By Marlowe HOOD

June 6, 2023

The Arctic could be virutally 'ice-free' in summer within 15 years, a new study shows

Kerem Yücel

The Arctic Ocean's ice cap will disappear in summer as soon as the 2030s and a decade earlier than thought, no matter how aggressively humanity draws down the carbon pollution that drives global warming, scientists said Tuesday.

Even capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris climate treaty will not prevent the north pole's vast expanse of floating ice from melting away in September, they reported in Nature Communications.

"It is too late to still protect the Arctic summer sea ice as a landscape and as a habitat," co-author Dirk Notz, a professor at the University of Hamburg's Institute of Oceanography, told AFP.

"This will be the first major component of our climate system that we lose because of our emission of greenhouse gases."

Decreased ice cover has serious impacts over time on weather, people and ecosystems -- not just within the region, but globally.

"It can accelerate global warming by melting permafrost laden with greenhouse gases, and sea level rise by melting the Greenland ice sheet," lead author Seung-Ki Min, a researcher at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea, told AFP.

Greenland's kilometres-thick blanket of ice contains enough frozen water to lift oceans six metres.

By contrast, melting sea ice has no discernible impact on sea levels because the ice is already in ocean water, like ice cubes in a glass.

But it does feed into a vicious circle of warming.

About 90 percent of the Sun's energy that hits white sea ice is reflected back into space.

But when sunlight hits dark, unfrozen ocean water instead, nearly the same amount of that energy is absorbed by the ocean and spread across the globe.


Both the North and South Pole regions have warmed by three degrees Celsius compared to late 19th-century levels, nearly three times the global average.

An ice-free September in the 2030s "is a decade faster than in recent projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)", the UN's science advisory body, said Min.

In its landmark 2021 report, the IPCC forecast with "high confidence" that the Arctic Ocean would become virtually ice-free at least once by mid-century, and even then only under more extreme greenhouse gas emissions scenarios.


Sea ice extent at the polesJonathan WALTER, Sophie RAMIS


The new study -- which draws from observational data covering the period 1979-2019 to adjust the IPCC models -- finds that threshold will most likely be crossed in the 2040s.

Min and his colleagues also calculated that human activity was responsible for up to 90 percent of the ice cap's shrinking, with only minor impacts from natural factors such as solar and volcanic activity.


The record minimum sea ice extent in the Arctic -- 3.4 million square kilometres (1.3 million square miles) -- occurred in 2012, with the second- and third-lowest ice-covered areas in 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Scientists describe the Arctic Ocean as "ice-free" if the area covered by ice is less than one million square kilometres, about seven percent of the ocean's total area.

Sea ice in Antarctica, meanwhile, dropped to 1.92 million square kilometres in February -- the lowest level on record and almost one million square kilometres below the 1991-2020 mean.

© Agence France-Presse

Canadian wildfires cause unhealthy air conditions in large parts of United States

Several states, including New York, are facing unhealthy air conditions Tuesday under the haze produced by Canadian wildfires while dry conditions are raising more fire concerns. The Manhattan skyline is barely visible hours before sunset on Tuesday as it is enveloped in smoke from the fires. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

June 6 (UPI) -- Several states are facing unhealthy air conditions Tuesday under the haze produced by Canadian wildfires.

Alaska, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Michigan are among the states that are under warnings from the National Weather Service because of hot and dry conditions that could produce even more fires.

The agency warns that the combination of wind, low relative humidity, warm temperatures and "extremely dry fuel moisture -- will contribute to extreme fire behavior."

In northeast Pennsylvania, there is concern that lightning from isolated thunderstorms could spark a fire in the driest areas.

RELATED Smoke from unprecedented Canadian wildfires casts haze over western U.S.

Residents in these at-risk areas are urged to avoid activities that could lead to stray embers causing a fire, such as grilling. Activities that produce friction -- such as using a chainsaw -- also might create a spark that could ignite a fire.

For the second day in a row, much of the United States east of the Missouri River is experiencing substandard to poor air quality because of smoke produced by wildfires in Canada in recent weeks.

Alberta, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and now Quebec have become wildfire hot spots, as well.

According to AirNow, a government resource that reports air quality data, the worst air quality is in the northeastern United States. New York and New Jersey are in unhealthy air conditions with air quality index ratings of more than 150. An AQI reading over 100 is considered unhealthy.

The air quality in states such as Pennsylvania and Missouri is rated as unhealthy for sensitive groups, including people with respiratory illnesses.

Canada's wildfire season is expected to be among its worst, with 413 active wildfires across nearly the whole country. About 26,000 people have been ordered to evacuate. Wildfire season usually lasts from May to September.

New York shrouded in smog as Canada wildfires rage

Issued on: 07/06/2023 - 

01:30

Canada is dealing with a series of intense wildfires that have spread from the western provinces to Quebec, with hundreds of forest fires burning. The smoke has traveled into the United States as far south as New York City, resulting in a number of air quality alerts and warnings of the health risks posed by the pollution.

Quebec The New Epicenter Of Canada's Raging Wildfires

By Mathiew LEISER, Anne-Sophie THILL

AFP

June 6, 2023

A haze linked to smoke from nearby wildfires blankets Montreal, 

Canada's second-largest city

ANDREJ IVANOV

Canada's Quebec province, not used to the huge number, scale and strength of wildfires ravaging the rest of the country, has become the latest hotspot with about 160 fires burning on Tuesday, most of those out of control.

In the hardest-hit Abitibi-Temiscamingue region of the province, more than 650 kilometers (400 miles) north of Montreal, fires that have disrupted mining and forestry operations are "worrying," said Quebec Premier François Legault.

"We are experiencing a situation never seen... everywhere in Quebec," warned Francois Bonnardel, Quebec's public safety minister, stressing that a large number of these fires were sparked by human carelessness.

"Western Canada usually sees a lot of wildfire activity. Quebec doesn't," he noted. "But right now everything is on fire."

Some 4,400 evacuees were permitted to return to their homes in the northern city of Sept-Iles on the shores of the St. Lawrence River as rains arrived to help stall advancing blazes.

"We are very, very happy to see rain," Legault told a news conference.

But further north, he added, there's "a huge fire which will take weeks to extinguish completely, so we must remain cautious."

Canada has been hit repeatedly by extreme weather in recent years, the intensity and frequency of which have increased due to global warming.

After major flare-ups in the west of the country in May, notably in the prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, firefighting shifted in recent weeks to Nova Scotia on the Atlantic coast, before turning to Quebec.

Dozens of fires are still burning in the west of the country: 62 in Alberta, 76 in westernmost British Columbia and 24 in Saskatchewan.

Quebec, meanwhile, has recorded 424 wildfires since the spring thaw -- more than double the average annual count over the past decade.

About 100 firefighters from France were scheduled to arrive by Friday to help fight the Quebec wildfires. This is on top of nearly 1,000 firefighters from Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States who have arrived or were en route to bolster firefighting efforts across Canada.

Wildfire smoke on Tuesday strangled the capital, Ottawa, prompting severe air quality alerts, and darkened skies above Montreal and Toronto. Officials urged residents to limit outdoor activities and said the smoke would not likely clear for another few days.

In Parliament, lawmakers complained about the smell of smoke and ash coating surfaces.

Ottawa resident Abe Bourgi told AFP he woke up to a yellowish haze over the city, and the sun a deep orange color.

"The smell of smoke is very strong," he said. "Many people are wearing masks in the streets and you have to close the doors and windows otherwise your apartment will smell like an ashtray."

Similar smoke conditions -- stemming from the Canadian fires -- were reported down the US Atlantic seaboard, triggering air quality alerts. In New York, the Manhattan skyline was barely visible from other boroughs.

© Agence France-Presse

U$A

On This Day: Susan B. Anthony fined for voting, refuses to pay

On June 6, 1872, feminist Susan B. Anthony was fined for voting in an election in Rochester, N.Y. She refused to pay the fine and a judge allowed her to go free.

By UPI Staff

Portrait of women's suffragist Susan B. Anthony taken by renowned photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston between 1900 and 1906. On this day in 1872, Anthony was fined for voting in an election in Rochester, N.Y. She refused to pay the fine and a judge allowed her to go free.

 File Photo by Library of Congress/UPI

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Concessions made for bipartisan debt limit deal proving costly to many


The provisions of the new Fiscal Responsibility Act are becoming clearer, and they could end up negatively affecting hundreds of thousands of Americans relying on government assistance for food and for repaying their student loans. 

File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo


June 6 (UPI) -- The provisions of the new Fiscal Responsibility Act are becoming clearer, and they could end up negatively affecting thousands of Americans relying on government assistance.

President Joe Biden signed the bill into law over the weekend, avoiding what would have been the United States' first-ever debt default.

The bill to temporarily suspend the U.S. debt ceiling passed the Senate by a vote of 63 to 36 before landing on Biden's desk.

Concessions made to gain Republican support in order to pass the bill will see interest payments restart on what had been temporarily halted student loan payments. Additionally, those concessions also will change the eligibility requirements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, affecting hundreds of thousands of needy recipients.

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"We're cutting spending and bringing deficits down," Biden said at the time of the agreement's approval.

"And we protected important priorities from Social Security to Medicare to Medicaid to veterans to our transformational investments in infrastructure and clean energy," he said.

However, more than a half million Americans could lose their access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the budgets of needy families.

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The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank based in Washington, D.C., estimates about 750,000 Americans between the ages of 50 and 54 are at risk of losing their assistance. The new legislation expands working requirements for those seeking food assistance.

Those in that age group must prove they are working or attending training for 20 hours a week.

Work requirements already exist for those between 18 and 49 seeking SNAP benefits.

"Numerous studies have shown that this requirement does not improve employment or earnings, but it does take away SNAP's food assistance from a substantial share of people who are subject to it," the report reads.

People who are homeless, veterans or were in the foster care system are exempt from the reporting requirements.

"You're not going to balance the budget, much less pay down the debt, through these kinds of changes," the center's Ed Bolen told NBC News in an interview.

"On the other hand, you're going to affect up to 750,000 low-income older Americans who need food assistance," he said.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans with student debt now have a date for when their interest rate payments will begin anew.

Payments including interest were initially paused in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic by then-president Donald Trump.

That grace period has continually been extended, most recently by Biden, despite growing calls to end the temporary stoppage.

The Biden administration agreed to hold off on further payment pauses as part of the debt ceiling deal.

That means millions of former students will need to resume paying those debts and interest payments, beginning in August.

As much as the debt-limit agreement affects average Americans, it has a political cost, too.

Across the aisle, several Republican lawmakers also are unhappy with the compromises made to reach a deal between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

On Tuesday, a number of Republicans belonging to the House Freedom Caucus voted against moving McCarthy's legislative agenda forward.

"Today we took down the rule because we're frustrated at the way this place is operating," Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., told reporters Tuesday afternoon.

"We took a stand in January to end the era of the imperial speakership. We're concerned that the fundamental commitments that allowed Kevin McCarthy to assume the speakership have been violated as a consequence of the debt limit deal, and, you know, the answer for us is to reassert House conservatives as the appropriate coalition partner for our leadership, instead of them making common cause with Democrats."

Republican leadership was not aware how the vote would unfold ahead of time, CNN reported.

At a time when his House leadership position is again being questioned by some members in his own party, McCarthy also brushed off suggestions of creating a defense supplemental to bypass the debt ceiling legislation to increase military spending.

The idea was floated as a way to appease some Republicans that pointed out defense spending is actually decreasing when factoring in inflation.

"Why do you move to a supplemental when we just passed [an agreement]. If the idea of the supplemental is to go around the agreement we just came to, I think we've got to walk through appropriations," McCarthy told reporters Monday at the U.S. Capitol.

"There's a lot of places for reform where we can have a lot of savings," he said.