World
NATO doubles its battlegroups in Eastern Europe ahead of multiple summits.
BRUSSELS — NATO is doubling its battlegroups on the alliance’s japanese flank in response to Russia’s persevering with struggle in Ukraine, the group’s secretary basic mentioned on Wednesday earlier than a significant summit wherein President Biden will meet with European allies in Brussels within the coming days.
The secretary basic, Jens Stoltenberg, additionally targeted on what import Russia’s potential use of any chemical or organic weapons in Ukraine may maintain for NATO, saying that such use would “basically change the character of the battle.” And he upped the rhetoric on China’s position in bringing the battle to an finish, cautioning Beijing to not present materials help to Moscow.
Mr. Stoltenberg made his remarks in a information briefing at some point earlier than the beginning of an uncommon collection of back-to-back summits over Russia’s brutal monthlong invasion of Ukraine, which exhibits no signal of ending.
“Step one is the deployment of 4 new NATO battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, together with our current forces within the Baltic nations and Poland,” he mentioned, detailing the bolstering of NATO’s posture alongside its japanese frontier with the combat-ready, battalion-size items, which generally have a number of hundred troops every. “Which means that we could have eight multinational NATO battlegroups all alongside the japanese flank, from the Baltic to the Black Sea,” he added.
“All of that is the speedy response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Mr. Stoltenberg mentioned, including that the forces would stay there “so long as obligatory.”
NATO leaders will convene in Brussels on Thursday for a summit specializing in the invasion. Mr. Biden will then be part of E.U. leaders on Thursday afternoon in Brussels — the Belgian capital, which hosts each the NATO and European Union headquarters — in a second summit. And leaders from the Group of seven main world economies, which embrace the US and several other E.U. nations in addition to Canada, will collect on Thursday night to debate the Ukraine disaster.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will be part of that final summit through videoconference, an E.U. official mentioned.
In his information briefing, Mr. Stoltenberg mentioned that any use of chemical or organic weapons — that are banned by treaty — by Russia in Ukraine could be “a blatant violation of worldwide regulation.”
The usage of such weapons would have “extreme penalties,” he mentioned, main not solely to attainable devastation inside Ukraine, but in addition “extreme penalties for neighboring nations due to the contamination or unfold of chemical brokers for organic brokers will in fact additionally doubtlessly have an effect on neighbors.”
Mr. Stoltenberg maintained that the alliance was desirous to avert a direct confrontation with Russia and would subsequently not deploy NATO troops in Ukraine or reply to Ukrainian pleas for a NATO-enforced no-fly zone.
On the similar time, he cautioned China in opposition to worsening the battle by offering materials help to Moscow.
“Beijing has joined Moscow in questioning the appropriate of impartial nations to decide on their very own path,” Mr. Stoltenberg mentioned, utilizing extra pointed language towards China than he has beforehand.
“China has offered Russia with political help, together with by spreading blatant lies and misinformation,” Mr. Stoltenberg mentioned. “And allies are involved that China may present materials help for the Russian invasion.”
Justices at the United States Supreme Court have signalled scepticism towards a challenge brought by the video-sharing platform TikTok, as it seeks to overturn a law that would force the app’s sale or ban it by January 19.
Friday’s hearing is the latest in a legal saga that has pitted the US government against ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, in a battle over free speech and national security concerns.
The law in question was signed in April, declaring that ByteDance would face a deadline to sell its US shares or face a ban.
The bill had strong bipartisan support, with lawmakers citing fears that the Chinese-based ByteDance could collect user data and deliver it to the Chinese government. Outgoing US President Joe Biden ultimately signed it into law.
But ByteDance and TikTok users have challenged the law’s constitutionality, arguing that banning the app would limit their free speech rights.
During Friday’s oral arguments, the Supreme Court seemed swayed by the government’s position that the app enables China’s government to spy on Americans and carry out covert influence operations.
Conservative Justice Samuel Alito also floated the possibility of issuing what is called an administrative stay that would put the law on hold temporarily while the court decides how to proceed.
The Supreme Court’s consideration of the case comes at a time of continued trade tensions between the US and China, the world’s two biggest economies.
President-elect Donald Trump, who is due to begin his second term a day after the ban kicks in, had promised to “save” the platform during his presidential campaign.
That marks a reversal from his first term in office, when he unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok.
In December, Trump called on the Supreme Court to put the law’s implementation on hold to give his administration “the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case”.
Noel Francisco, a lawyer for TikTok and ByteDance, emphasised to the court that the law risked shuttering one of the most popular platforms in the US.
“This act should not stand,” Francisco said. He dismissed the fear “that Americans, even if fully informed, could be persuaded by Chinese misinformation” as a “decision that the First Amendment leaves to the people”.
Francisco asked the justices to, at minimum, put a temporary hold on the law, “which will allow you to carefully consider this momentous issue and, for the reasons explained by the president-elect, potentially moot the case”.
‘Weaponise TikTok’ to harm US
TikTok has about 170 million American users, about half the US population.
Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, arguing for the Biden administration, said that Chinese control of TikTok poses a grave threat to US national security.
The immense amount of data the app could collect on users and their contacts could give China a powerful tool for harassment, recruitment and espionage, she explained.
China could then “could weaponise TikTok at any time to harm the United States”.
Prelogar added that the First Amendment does not bar Congress from taking steps to protect Americans and their data.
Several justices seemed receptive to those arguments during Friday’s hearing. Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts pressed TikTok’s lawyers on the company’s Chinese ownership.
“Are we supposed to ignore the fact that the ultimate parent is, in fact, subject to doing intelligence work for the Chinese government?” Roberts asked.
“It seems to me that you’re ignoring the major concern here of Congress — which was Chinese manipulation of the content and acquisition and harvesting of the content.”
“Congress doesn’t care about what’s on TikTok,” Roberts added, appearing to brush aside free speech arguments.
Left-leaning Justice Elena Kagan also suggested that April’s TikTok law “is only targeted at this foreign corporation, which doesn’t have First Amendment rights”.
TikTok, ByteDance and app users had appealed a lower court’s ruling that upheld the law and rejected their argument that it violates the US Constitution’s free speech protections under the First Amendment.
Fox News headed for trial, again, over 2020 election fraud claims
Alaska sues Biden administration for 'irrational' restrictions on Trump-era oil and gas drilling mandate
Vance resigns from Senate as he and Trump prepare to take office
Cruise ship passengers from across US sue after worker sentenced for placing hidden cameras in guest rooms
Trump chats up Obama while Clintons, Harris, ignore president-elect at Jimmy Carter funeral
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Fox News headed for trial, again, over 2020 election fraud claims
Trump Blames L.A. Wildfires on Newsom Using Familiar Tactics
'Deeply disgusted': GOP senator shreds Biden admin in scathing letter on new immigrant deportation shield
US Supreme Court critical of TikTok arguments against looming ban
Tiktok’s Final Appeal to the Supreme Court Didn’t Go Too Well
-
Business1 week agoThese are the top 7 issues facing the struggling restaurant industry in 2025
-
Culture1 week agoThe 25 worst losses in college football history, including Baylor’s 2024 entry at Colorado
-
Sports1 week agoThe top out-of-contract players available as free transfers: Kimmich, De Bruyne, Van Dijk…
-
Politics1 week agoNew Orleans attacker had 'remote detonator' for explosives in French Quarter, Biden says
-
Politics1 week agoCarter's judicial picks reshaped the federal bench across the country
-
Politics6 days agoWho Are the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
-
Health5 days agoOzempic ‘microdosing’ is the new weight-loss trend: Should you try it?
-
World1 week agoIvory Coast says French troops to leave country after decades