Top News Stories for Today – Dec 31, 2018
Top News Stories for Today – Dec 31, 2018
Russia launches criminal probe of US citizen
Russia has detained a American citizen in Moscow on accusations of spying, according to Russian state media. Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officials issued a statement on Monday saying US citizen Paul Whelan had been detained on December 28 “while carrying out an act of espionage,” and that they have opened a criminal probe.
They provided no further details, but Russia’s state-run TASS news agency said that Whelan faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. There was no immediate reaction from US officials. The arrest coincides with several spy scandals that have exacerbated tensions between Russia and the West, including the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain, along with the recent US conviction of Russian citizen Maria Butina for acting as an illegal foreign agent. VOA
John Kelly talks in exit interview
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly formally leaves his post this Wednesday, Jan. 2, and he discussed his time with President Trump in an exit interview with the Los Angeles Times published Sunday. Kelly described an administration in chaos on his arrival to the White House last summer. For example, Trump wanted to withdraw the United States from the war in Afghanistan, Kelly said, which “was a huge decision to make … and frankly there was no system at all for a lot of reasons — palace intrigue and the rest of it.”
He pushed back on reports that Trump’s decision-making is emotional and divorced from fact, saying he kept Trump “fully informed” of the consequences of his choices. Working as chief of staff has been a “bone-crushing hard job,” Kelly mused, “but you do it.” The Week
Trump slowing troop withdrawal from Syria
A top Republican, Senator Lindsey Graham has said US President Donald Trump remains committed to defeating Islamic State (IS) in Syria, despite his plan to withdraw US troops. He suggested the withdrawal had been slowed and he was now reassured of the president’s commitment after meeting him on Sunday.
Trump’s troop pullout plan met strong criticism from major allies, and senior Republicans like Graham. The White House has yet to comment on Graham’s remarks. BBC
Warren takes step toward president run
US Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has announced that she is establishing an exploratory committee to consider a presidential run in 2020. The move, the first by a high profile Democrat for 2020, allows Ms Warren, 69, to ramp up her fundraising.
In October, Ms Warren revealed the results of a DNA test she said proved her Native American heritage after she was taunted by President Donald Trump. It immediately sparked speculation that she would run for the presidency. In a video address posted on social media on Monday, the progressive Massachusetts senator outlined her vision for a United States that she said would offer opportunities to all Americans. BBC
Times Square New Year celebration
The New York Police Department put officers on high alert ahead of the city’s big Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration, where authorities expect more than 1 million people to gather to watch the New Year’s Eve ball drop Monday night. “People will be safe on Monday, and they should feel safe, too,” NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill said. Thousands of police officers will be on patrol as revelers pack into Times Square, and the department will deploy drones to keep watch over the crowd for the first time.
The NYPD told officers that there was “no known specific or credible reporting regarding a threat to New York City at this time,” but the new issue of the Islamic State’s propaganda magazine, Rumiyah, calls on home-grown terrorists to attack the West. The Week
Trump tries to reset China relations
The relationship between United States and China has grown increasingly tense since June, when Washington slapped tariffs on key imports from Beijing, and China returned the gesture. The Trump administration says it is trying to reset the country’s economic and strategic relationship with China, to put America first. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports on how the administration has confronted China in 2018. VOA
Kim expected to ring in 2019 with big policy speech
Kim Jong Un will be keeping North Korea watchers busy on New Year’s Day, when he is expected to give his annual address laying out the country’s top priorities for the year ahead. The speech, which is normally broadcast on North Korea’s state-run television network, is often the best gauge of what the North Korean leadership is focused on and what tone it will take in its dealings with the outside world.
For 2019, it will be parsed carefully for clues about Kim’s thinking on denuclearization talks with Washington and a second summit with President Donald Trump, relations with South Korea and Pyongyang’s efforts to get out from under international sanctions as it tries to build up its domestic economy. A look at Kim’s plate for the coming year: VOA