Trump says he’ll sign record number of executive orders on Day 1

Donald Trump said Saturday he plans to sign a record number of  executive orders after being sworn in as president, beginning “right after” he delivers his inaugural address.Trump told NBC News the number of orders he will sign after taking office on Monday had not yet been determined but the figure will be “record-setting.”Asked if it would exceed 100, Trump said “at least in that category.”The president-elect is expected to sign orders undoing many of the policies advanced during President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration. Trump’s promises for Day 1 of his new term also include a mass deportation program.The expulsion of undocumented migrants will “begin very, very quickly,” Trump told NBC.”I can’t say which cities because things are evolving. And I don’t think we want to say what city. You’ll see it firsthand,” he said in the phone interview. Recent inaugurations have been held on the steps of the US Capitol overlooking the National Mall, but Trump announced Friday the ceremony was moving indoors because of unusually cold weather forecast to hit Washington. “I think we made the right decision,” he said. “The weather was really looking bad in terms of the coldness, and I think it would have been dangerous for a lot of people.”Trump was due to arrive in Washington later Saturday to begin his inaugural festivities with a private event featuring fireworks at his golf club in Virginia outside Washington.

More Kenyan police land in Haiti to bolster security missionSat, 18 Jan 2025 22:16:09 GMT

An additional 217 Kenyan police officers landed in Haiti on Saturday to bolster a multinational force seeking to restore order to the violence-ridden Caribbean island. Criminal gangs still control some 85 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince, the United Nations estimates, despite the deployment last June of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) under UN auspices.The …

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Italie: Naples prend le large, la Juventus assomme l’AC Milan

Naples a porté son avance en tête du Championnat d’Italie à six points en écœurant l’Atalanta (3-2) samedi à Bergame lors de la 21ème journée qui a vu la Juventus dominer l’AC Milan (2-0).Le Napoli d’Antonio Conte ne doute jamais longtemps.Menés dès la 16ème minute après le quatorzième but de la saison de Mateo Retegui, meilleur buteur de Série A, les Napolitains, désormais sans leur attaquant géorgien Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, parti au PSG, ont rapidement égalisé par Matteo Politano (27), puis doublé la mise sur une superbe frappe de Scott McTominay (40).Rebelote après l’égalisation d’Ademola Lookman malgré quatre défenseurs (55): Romelu Lukaku a redonné de la tête l’avantage à son équipe, cette fois définitivement (78).Deux mois et demi après sa lourde défaite au stade Diego-Armando-Maradona contre la “Dea” (3-0), le Napoli a infligé sa première défaite depuis le 24 septembre à une équipe dans une mauvaise passe (trois nuls, une défaite) alors qu’elle avait enchaîné onze victoires de suite entre octobre et décembre.”C’était un match important contre un rival direct, mais le championnat est encore long (…) Il y a encore des choses à améliorer”, a prévenu Lukaku.Grâce à cette sixième victoire consécutive, le Napoli dispose avec ses 50 points de six longueurs d’avance sur l’Inter Milan (44 pts, deux matches en moins, dont celui de dimanche contre Empoli) et sept de plus que l’Atalanta (43 pts).- Première défaite pour Conceiçao -La Juventus est encore à bonne distance du trio de tête, avec ses 37 points, mais le club le plus titré du football italien a repris quelques couleurs en remportant un classique de la Serie A.Il a pris une revanche éclatante sur l’AC Milan qui l’avait battue en demi-finale de la Supercoupe d’Italie au début du mois, au terme d’un match très enlevé, avec une cascade d’occasions de part et d’autre.Ce duel a basculé en faveur de la Juve à l’heure de jeu.Samuel Mbangula (59) a donné l’avantage aux Bianconeri avec une frappe déviée par Emerson Royal qui a trompé Mike Maignan.Le gardien de l’équipe de France, décisif à plusieurs reprises, n’est en revanche pas exempt de reproches sur le second but de la Juve marqué par Timothy Weah, entré à la pause (63).La Juve qui collectionne les nuls (13) mais n’a toujours pas perdu en championnat, n’avait plus gagné à domicile depuis le 9 novembre.L’AC Milan, dont le nouvel entraîneur Sergio Conceiçao a concédé sa première défaite depuis sa prise de fonction début janvier, reste 8ème (31 pts).”Ils ont été plus agressifs et ont eu plus d’envie de gagner que nous”, a constaté le technicien portugais.”C’est une victoire méritée. A la différence de beaucoup de matches qu’on a dominé, quand on a pris l’avantage, cette fois, on a réussi à tuer le match, l’équipe progresse”, a estimé son homologue Thiago Motta.

Milder winds help LA firefighters as Trump vows to visit

Lighter winds in the Los Angeles area this weekend brought momentary respite to the thousands of firefighters battling deadly wildfires, but meteorologists said stronger winds would add to “critical fire weather” as soon as Monday.There is “virtually zero chance of rain” over the next week, which is also expected to see a return of the notoriously powerful Santa Ana winds, said meteorologist Daniel Swain.As thousands of firefighters work around the clock to contain the fires that have claimed at least 27 lives, President-elect Donald Trump said he hoped to visit soon, “probably at the end of the week.”Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, had invited Trump last week to visit after the Republican president-elect blasted Newsom and other Democratic officials for what he said was poor water management that contributed to the fires. Several fires have blackened vast areas of bone-dry vegetation and devastated urban neighborhoods.The big Eaton and Palisades fires, which remain active, have roared through some 40,000 acres (16,200 hectares). They are, respectively, 73 percent and 43 percent contained, according to the official CalFire website.With the firefighting effort making progress this weekend, thousands of evacuated residents were preparing to return home, while others still faced the stress of uncertainty.”Hopefully, they call us soon to come back,” said 53-year-old teacher Winston Ekpo, whose house survived the fire in Altadena but sustained smoke damage.”We want to be able to get the smoke out and maybe get some (air) purifiers and check the attic,” he told AFP. Ekpo, his wife and their children have been living in a shelter for the past 10 days.Search and rescue teams aided by canine units have been scouring the smoldering ruins of neighborhoods for possible victims in Altadena, just north of Los Angeles, and Malibu, on the Pacific coast. On Friday, mounted patrol units extended the search to some of the steeper and less accessible hillsides in the area.- Record drought – An extensive logistical effort is underway to contain the fires, prevent further outbreaks, and restore the elements of normal life for the thousands of Californians affected.Every day, hundreds of trucks rumble up the roads of Altadena, Malibu and the hillside suburb of Pacific Palisades, carrying workers who come to clear vegetation, restore electricity and communication lines, and inspect the area for gas or water leaks.The causes of the fires remain under investigation, though experts have pointed to a fatal combination: two years of heavy rains which caused rapid growth of vegetation, followed by near-record drought which turned the vegetation into fuel for fires, compounded by near hurricane-force winds that tore through the area, making fire containment nearly impossible.Downtown Los Angeles, for example, has seen less than a tenth of an inch of rain (0.25 centimeter) in 255 days, surpassing a record set in 2008, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported. The weather agency’s Alex Tardy told AFP that when you combine the four recent Santa Ana wind events with the one expected in coming days, and add that to conditions on the ground, “we haven’t seen such fire danger and dry vegetation in modern records.”That does not necessarily guarantee that there will be more fires in the near future, he said.But if there are, there will be a “potential for more explosive, and rapid, rates of spread.”

Over 70 arrested at London pro-Palestinian rally on eve of Gaza truce

Thousands of people gathered and over 70 were arrested at a pro-Palestinian rally in central London Saturday, on the eve of the start of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.The majority were detained on suspicion of breaching the authorised perimeter for the protest near key government buildings in central London.The ceasefire, which comes into effect Sunday morning, involves the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas of Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid deliveries to the war-ravaged region. “We desperately want to be optimistic” about the truce, Sophie Mason told AFP.”And so we need to be out on the streets in order to make sure the ceasefire holds,” said the 50-year-old, who is a regular at the pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the British capital.The 70 arrests at the demonstration were the largest number since the rallies began in London in October 2023, according to the Metropolitan police.The demonstration was set to be a static rally in Whitehall, site of the main British government offices, after police rejected the route initially proposed by organisers — which the Met police said would have been in the vicinity of a synagogue.However, police said there was a “coordinated effort” by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) to breach the conditions, after some protesters moved away from Whitehall and towards Trafalgar Square.”This is the highest number of arrests we have seen, in response to the most significant escalation in criminality,” police commander Adam Slonecki said in a statement.”Investigations are now underway and we will make every effort to bring prosecutions against those we identify.”The PSC has previously called the policing restrictions “repressive”.- ‘Too late’ -At the protest, participants held up placards bearing slogans including “Stop arming Israel” or “Gaza, stop the massacre” amid regular chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.”Obviously, we’re delighted there’s a cease fire”, said Linda Plant, a retiree from London, however, pointing out that Israeli strikes on Gaza have continued since the ceasefire deal was announced Wednesday.”We need to make pressure to make that ceasefire hold” and for international aid to reach Gaza, said Ben, 36, a workers union member who only shared his first name.For Anisah Qausher, a student, the ceasefire is “too late, I think it’s too little”. While she hopes it will bring “temporary relief”, she believes that “we’re gonna need to do a lot more”, citing the challenge of rebuilding Gaza.According to the Met, 65 protesters were arrested on suspicion of breaching protest conditions, while others were arrested suspected of offenses including assault, support of a proscribed group and obstructing police.A counter-demonstration with around 100 protesters waving Israeli flags also gathered nearby.Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war and resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,899 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

Angleterre: Arsenal lâche des points, Liverpool lâche les chevaux

Arsenal a gâché un avantage de deux buts contre Aston Villa (2-2), samedi à Londres, un accroc dans la lutte pour le titre face au leader Liverpool, vainqueur à Brentford (2-0) grâce à un doublé de Darwin Nunez dans le temps additionnel.Les “Gunners” ont mené 2-0 grâce à Gabriel Martinelli (35e, 1-0) et Kai Havertz (55e, 2-0), avant de se faire rejoindre sur des buts de Youri Tielemans (60e, 2-1) et Ollie Watkins (69e, 2-2).Ils ont pris d’assaut la défense d’Aston Villa dans les dernières minutes, en vain. La VAR a détecté une main de Havertz (88e) alors que le ballon était au fond des filets, Mikel Merino a tiré sur un poteau et Emiliano Martinez a repoussé un tir de Trossard (90e+1) dans la foulée.”Nous méritions beaucoup plus, c’est clair”, a commenté l’entraîneur Mikel Arteta, en félicitant néanmoins ses joueurs, “remarquables”. “Nous ne pouvons pas encaisser les deux buts que nous avons pris après tout ce que nous avons fait”, a-t-il néanmoins regretté.Liverpool a connu un destin inverse à l’approche du coup de sifflet final, plus tôt dans l’après-midi, en soufflant Brentford grâce à Darwin Nunez, deux fois buteur en l’espace de deux minutes (90e+1, 90e+3).Les “Reds” disposent désormais de six points d’avance sur leur dauphin Arsenal (2e, 44 pts) avec, en outre, un match en retard à disputer chez le voisin Everton le 12 février.L’équipe d’Arne Slot retrouve de l’élan après deux matches nuls en championnat, contre Manchester United et Nottingham Forest, et avant d’accueillir Lille mardi en Ligue des champions.”Ce sont les grands favoris pour remporter le titre”, a déclaré l’entraîneur de Brentford, Thomas Frank. Liverpool est “un niveau au-dessus” d’Arsenal ou Manchester City, “c’est la meilleure équipe de Premier League et du monde”, a-t-il complimenté.Le capitaine des “Reds”, Virgil van Dijk, a lui tenu à nuancer: “Aujourd’hui, c’était une petite pièce du puzzle. Nous devons continuer.”- Kluivert, prénom Justin -Le quadruple tenant du titre, Manchester City (35 pts), a lui reculé au huitième rang, samedi, à la veille de son déplacement à Ipswich.Les “Citizens” ont été doublés par Aston Villa (7e, 36 pts) et par Bournemouth (6e, 37 pts), venu surprendre Newcastle 4-1 chez lui.Les “Magpies” restaient sur une longue série de victoires (neuf, dont six en championnat) avant de s’effrondrer sous les coups de Justin Kluivert, auteur d’un triplé.Le Néerlandais s’est régalé à St James’ Park où il a inscrit trois fois plus de buts (6e, 44e, 90e+2) en une après-midi, que son père Patrick en une saison de Premier League sous le maillot des “Magpies” (2004-2005).Bournemouth peut espérer se qualifier, pour la première fois de son histoire, dans une compétition européenne. “Pourquoi ne pas rêver grand et voir où nous pouvons arriver?”, a lancé Kluivert.Ils auront encore fort à faire lors des deux prochains matches, à domicile contre Nottingham Forest et Liverpool.Newcastle reste pour l’heure quatrième avec un point d’avance sur Chelsea (5e, 37 pts), opposé lundi à Wolverhampton.Dans les autres rencontres de l’après-midi, Fulham a enfoncé 2-0 l’avant-dernier Leicester, lesté par sept défaites consécutives. L’équipe de Ruud van Nistelrooy accuse deux points de retard sur l’actuel premier non-relégable, Wolverhampton, qui a joué un match en moins.Dans la zone rouge il y a deux mois, Crystal Palace pointe désormais à la douzième place après avoir battu West Ham (2-0), samedi, avec un doublé de Jean-Philippe Mateta (48e et 89e).Le vice-champion olympique français traverse une bonne phase puisqu’il a inscrit quatre buts sur ses trois derniers matches de championnat.Crystal Palace, invaincu depuis cinq rencontres (deux nuls et trois victoires) compte un point de plus que Manchester United, hôte de Brighton dimanche.

Hope and tears as youngest Israeli hostage turns two

Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv to demand freedom for hostages held in Gaza, anxious the ceasefire deal would collapse, with many dwelling on the fate of Kfir Bibas, the youngest captive whose second birthday fell on Saturday.”Today, I tried to write a birthday message for Kfir for the second time,” his aunt Ofri Bibas Levy said. “A message for a child who cannot celebrate… A child trapped in hell. A child who might not even be alive. But no words come out, only tears.”Taken alongside his now four-year-old brother Ariel and his mother and father, Shiri and Yarden, he has become a symbol of the suffering of the hostages.”I have two orange ballons on my car,” said Sigal Kirsch in Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square”. The colour has become symbolic of the Bibas boys, both of whom are red-heads.”I don’t have the words,” she said, visibly overcome with emotion.Hamas said in November 2023 that the two boys and their mother were killed in an Israeli air strike, but the Israeli military has not confirmed their deaths.Coming together to protest barely 12 hours before the first three hostages are due to be released, many couldn’t bring themselves to believe after so much false hope that the ordeal of the hostages might finally be over.”Once they cross the (Gaza) border and they will be rejoined with their families then maybe we can breathe again,” said Shahar Mor Zahiro, the nephew of slain hostage Avraham Munder.- ‘Hell’ -Anxiety was the overwhelming mood.”This past week was hell,” said Kirsch, who had been every week to the gatherings at Hostage Square, across the road from Israeli military headquarters.”On Tuesday we were sure that the deal would be signed… and it took until last night. So we’re very, very anxious,” she said.The deal agreed between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, via mediators, is broken into three phases.But, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under pressure from far-right elements of his government opposed to a ceasefire, protesters and families of the hostages expressed fears that the deal would collapse.”In one sense (the mood) is a little more hopeful, and in another sense, it’s very sad. Because for the people who aren’t in the first phase, I can’t imagine how their hearts bleed at this point,” said Neil Trubowiz, 75, from Tel Aviv, in Hostage Square.Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who opposed the deal, said he would remain in the government but that the prime minister had promised him the war would continue.Mor Zahiro demanded that what he called “extremist elements” in the cabinet be prevented from collapsing the deal.”Tell them to shut up!” he said. “Let the people come back to their loved ones.”He denounced the idea that the war could start again. “Stop the fighting. Stop the war. Stop everything. Don’t shoot another bullet, let us heal. This is really crucial, otherwise there will be hell here for the next 50 years.”- ‘Dim light’ -On Saturday night, Netanyahu gave protesters and hostage families further cause for anxiety, saying the ceasefire deal could not go ahead until Hamas handed over a list of hostages to be released.He also said in a televised address that Israel “reserved the right to return to war”.Palestinian militants took 251 people hostage during Hamas’s surprise October 7 attack, 94 of whom remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.The lengthy ceasefire process, with the first 33 hostages released in small groups over 42 days, followed by a second and third phase that are still to be negotiated, leaves multiple opportunities for the process to collapse.”We’re anticipating some good news tomorrow, but on the other hand, we’re very wary of what could happen in the meantime,” said Guy Perry, 58, also from Tel Aviv.He described the possibility of a final end to the war and the return of all hostages as a “very, very dim light” at the end of the tunnel.Despite their fears the deal could collapse at any moment, many couldn’t help but hope.”I cannot wait to see my uncle, I really hope he managed to survive,” said Efrat Machikawa, whose uncle Gadi Moses turned 80 while held hostage in Gaza.”I have to trust my hope. This has to happen, they have to come back.”