At least 14 dead in armed attack on prison in Mexican border city Juarez
MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023
Mexican authorities said on Sunday at least 14 people died in an armed attack at a prison in the northern border city Juarez and two more died during a later armed aggression elsewhere in the city.
The Chihuahua state prosecutor said in a statement that among those who died in the prison attack were 10 security personnel and four inmates, while another 13 were hurt and at least 24 inmates escaped.
It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack.
An inmate’s relative who didn’t want to identify herself said all the attackers were in black and better armed than the police.
The prosecutor said initial investigations found the attackers arrived at around 7 a.m. local time at the prison in armoured vehicles and opened fire.
Minutes earlier, authorities had reported a nearby attack against municipal police. After a chase, four men were captured and a truck was seized.
In a different part of the city, two more drivers died later in the day following what authorities called armed aggression.
The state prosecutor did not specify whether the three incidents were related.
In August, hundreds of Mexican soldiers were sent to Juarez after a prison face-off between members of two rival cartels caused a riot and shootouts that killed 11 people, most of them civilians.
1.17 million 20-year-olds in Japan, fewest on record
MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023
Turning 20 used to mean becoming an adult in Japan, until the revised Civil Code went into effect in April 2022 to lower the age of adulthood to 18.
The number of people born in 2002 who have turned 20 as of Jan. 1, 2023, was at a record low of 1.17 million, according to an estimate by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry. Of this number, there were 600,000 men and 570,000 women.
This was 60,000 people less than the estimate of 20-year-olds made at the same time last year.
As a percentage of Japan’s overall population of 124.77 million, 20-year-olds made up 0.93%, falling below 1% for the 13th consecutive year.
Estimates were also made this time for young adults born in 2003 who turned 19 and in 2004 who turned 18. There were 1.13 million 19-year-olds and 1.12 million 18-year-olds, meaning the total population of people who have become adults was about 3.41 million.
From 2024, the ministry will only estimate the number of people who turned 18.
EU’s von der Leyen, Croatian PM pay for coffee as Croatia begins using euro
MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic settled the bill for coffee at a Zagreb cafe on Sunday as Croatia began to use the euro as its official currency.
Von der Leyen and Plenkovic were seen looking at euro coins newly-minted in Croatia, and Plenkovic handed over euro notes to pay for coffees for delegations of the European Commission and Croatian government.
Croatia entered the EU in 2013. It became the 27th country to join the Schengen area, and the 20th to adopt the euro currency on Sunday.
People in Zagreb said the switch to euros might make life easier, but said it would take time to get used to the change in prices. A euro was worth around 7.53 kuna just before the change came in.
Zagreb resident Pero Novakovic said it was confusing that seemingly smaller amounts of money were in fact worth more, while Snjizana Pantos said it was good that she would not have to change currencies when travelling to other eurozone countries.
Earlier, von der Leyen and Plenkovic met Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar at the Croatia-Slovenia border to celebrate the end of passport controls between Croatia and other Schengen countries.
Brazil’s Lula swears in as President for third term
MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023
Leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in as president of Brazil on Sunday under tightened security in the capital Brasilia following threats of violence by supporters of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.
In a speech to Congress, Lula said those responsible for anti-democratic acts would be held accountable, though he did not mention his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.
After the swearing-in, Lula was due to drive in an open-top Rolls-Royce to the Planalto palace to don the presidential sash before a crowd of 30,000 supporters, while tens of thousands gathered to celebrate on Brasilia’s esplanade.
The mood in the city was tense after the most fraught election in a generation.
Lula, 77, narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in October to win an unprecedented third presidential term after a hiatus that saw him spend a year and a half behind bars on corruption convictions that were later overturned.
His 580 days in prison reinforced his sense of social justice and convinced him of the need to prioritize ending poverty over boosting profits, allies said.
In his previous years as Workers Party (PT) president from 2003-2010, the former union leader lifted millions of Brazilians from poverty during a commodity boom that buoyed the economy.
Now, he faces the daunting challenge of improving Brazil’s stagnant economy while also uniting a country that has become painfully polarized under Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro left Brazil for Florida on Friday, avoiding having to hand over the sash to his rival, whose victory he has yet to recognize, while also removing himself from any immediate legal risks related to his time in office.
His supporters have protested for two months that the election was stolen and called for a military coup to stop Lula from returning to office in a climate of vandalism and violence.
Police detained a man on Sunday who was carrying fireworks and a knife and tried to enter the esplanade for the inauguration, Brasilia police said.
As tens of thousands of Lula supporters arrived in central Brasilia for Sunday’s celebrations, authorities deployed 10,000 police and troops to reinforce security and search participants, who cannot bring bottles, cans, flag masts or toy guns. Carrying firearms by civilians was also temporarily banned.
Organizers said delegations from 50 nations and 19 heads of state and governments, including the king of Spain, have confirmed their attendance, including Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez and the Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro.
Bangkok fireworks usher in the New Year over iconic temple | The Nation
Bangkok rang in the New Year with a countdown and fireworks display as midnight struck on Sunday (January 1) over the picturesque Wat Arun, or Temple of Dawn, by the Chao Phraya River.
After ordering new nuclear arsenal, North Korea fires missile on New Year’s Day
SUNDAY, JANUARY 01, 2023
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the development of new intercontinental ballistic missiles and massive production of tactical nuclear weapons to counter threats from the United States and South Korea, state-run television KRT said on Sunday.
At a key meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, Kim highlighted the need to boost the country’s nuclear arsenal and secure “overwhelming military power” to defend its sovereignty and security.
Kim accused Washington and Seoul of carrying out a “plot to isolate and stifle” Pyongyang, calling it “unparalleled in human history.”
The report came hours after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast, in a rare late-night, New Year’s Day weapons test.
The Japanese government has filed a diplomatic protest against North Korea after it launched a ballistic missile in the early hours of Sunday, Japan’s Defence Minister told reporters in Tokyo.
“In the last year, North Korea’s repeated missile launches have gravely raised tensions on the Korean peninsula and regionally. North Korea’s series of provocations threatens the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community, and must not be tolerated,” Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said.
The move came less than 24 hours after North Korea launched three ballistic missiles on Saturday, capping a year when the isolated country conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests.
The latest launch came as Pyongyang’s ruling Workers’ party held a key meeting, which leader Kim Jong Un had previously used to make major policy announcements for the new year.
Taiwan president offers China help to deal with Covid surge
SUNDAY, JANUARY 01, 2023
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Sunday offered to provide China with “necessary assistance” to help it deal with a surge in Covid-19 cases but said Chinese military activities near the island were not beneficial to peace and stability.
Tsai, in her traditional new year message, delivered at the presidential office, said everyone had seen the rise in cases in China and offered assistance based on ‘humanitarian care’. In the speech Tsai reiterated a call for dialogue with China, saying war was not an option to resolve problems.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his New Year address on Saturday evening, made only a brief reference to Taiwan, saying people on either side of the Taiwan Strait “are members of one and the same family”, and made no mention of seeking to bring the island under Chinese control.
Tsai, taking questions from reporters, said she had noted Xi’s “gentler” remarks but added that any military action near Taiwan is not ‘conducive to cross-strait relations nor regional peace and stability’.
Tsai has repeatedly said she wants talks and peace with China but that Taiwan will defend itself if attacked and that only its 23 million people can decide their future. China views Tsai as a separatist and has refused to talk to her.
Shortly after Tsai spoke, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said 12 Chinese military aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which had previously served as an unofficial buffer between the two sides, in the past 24 hours.
Putin addresses nation, says 2022 was year of “difficult but necessary decisions”
SUNDAY, JANUARY 01, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin devoted his annual New Year’s address on Saturday to rallying the Russian people behind his troops fighting in Ukraine and pledging victory over Ukrainian “neo-Nazis” and a West supposedly intent on “destroying Russia.”
In a stern and combative recorded video message, broadcast on national television, Putin cast the war – which he calls a “special military operation” – as a near-existential fight for the future of Russia.
Its soldiers, he said, were fighting for “our motherland, truth and justice … so that Russia’s security can be guaranteed.”
For months, the Kremlin presented the conflict as a limited campaign that would not affect most Russians’ lives.
But the speech, delivered in front of grim-faced soldiers in combat uniform, put the war squarely centre-stage, telling families gathered for the year’s main celebration that the months ahead would require support and sacrifice from everyone.
The message was being broadcast into millions of homes on state TV just before the clocks struck midnight in each of Russia’s 11 time zones, as families tucked into a festive meal and exchanged gifts.
As the war drags into its 11th month with no end in sight, the Kremlin has slowly put society on more of a war footing – calling up more than 300,000 reservists, often in chaotic fashion, retooling an economy hurt by a barrage of Western sanctions and saying publicly that the conflict may be long.
Moscow was unprepared for the staunch resistance and the billions of dollars in Western weapons that have turned the tide in Ukraine’s favour, and Russian troops have been forced out of more than half the territory they took in the war’s first weeks.
In the nine-minute address – the longest of his 22 years in power – Putin targeted those opposed to the conflict, a personal crusade that now defines his tenure and Russia’s relations with the world.
The past year, he said, had “put a lot of things in their place – clearly separating courage and heroism from betrayal and cowardice.”
In a rejection of Kyiv’s calls for Russian troops to leave as a precursor to negotiations, Putin said Russia was “defending our people and our historical territory”.
He also accused the West of lying to Russia and of provoking Moscow to launch its military campaign.
“The West lied about peace,” Putin said. “It was preparing for aggression … and now they are cynically using Ukraine and its people to weaken and split Russia.
“We have never allowed this, and never will allow anybody to do this to us.”
Kyiv and the West reject Putin’s oft-repeated allegation that the Western Nato alliance planned to use Ukraine as a platform to threaten Russia, and say he launched a baseless war of aggression in a bid to seize territory and install a regime more to his liking.
Although Russia has not made any major battlefield gains in the past six months, Putin promised ultimate victory.
Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least one person in Kyiv, in attacks President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said showed Moscow was in league with the devil.
Zelenskiy speaking in a video address noted that Russia had also launched attacks at Easter and Christmas.
“They call themselves Christians … but they are for the devil. They are for him and with him,” he said.
Zelenskiy in comments addressed to Russian speakers said President Vladimir Putin was destroying Russia’s future.
“No one will forgive you for terror. No one in the world will forgive you for this. Ukraine will not forgive,” he said, reiterating calls for allies to supply more anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems.
The second barrage of major Russian missile attacks in three days badly damaged a Kyiv hotel and a residential building.
At least a dozen people were injured in the attacks. A Japanese journalist was among the wounded and taken to a hospital, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Other cities across Ukraine also came under fire. In the southern region of Mykolaiv, local governor Vitaliy Kim on television said that six people had been wounded.
In the western city of Khmelnytskyi, two people were wounded in a drone attack, Ukrainian presidential aide Kyrylo Tymoshenko said.
He also reported a strike in the southern industrial city of Zaporizhzhia, which Tymoshenko said had damaged residential buildings.
Russia and Ukraine said on Saturday they had freed more than 200 captured soldiers, the latest prisoner exchange between the two sides in the 10-month-old conflict.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said 82 Russian soldiers had been released by Ukraine, while the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Russia had handed over 140 Ukrainian service personnel.
Some of the 132 Ukrainian men and eight women who were freed had been wounded or had fought to defend the Black Sea port city of Mariupol and on Snake Island, Yermak said in a message on his Telegram page.
The two sides have exchanged hundreds of captured soldiers in several rounds of prisoner exchanges in recent months, despite a complete breakdown in broader diplomatic talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
World leaders tweet condolences as Pope Benedict dies aged 95
SUNDAY, JANUARY 01, 2023
World leaders posted messages of sadness and condolence on social media Saturday (December 31) following the death of Pope Benedict XVI.
Many leaders paid tribute to Benedict as a renowned theologian and some recalled meeting the pope in person.
Former Pope Benedict, who in 2013 became the first pontiff in 600 years to resign, died on Saturday aged 95 in a secluded monastery in the Vatican where he had lived since stepping down, a spokesman for the Holy See said.
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY:
“I express my sincere condolences to Pope Francis @Pontifex, the hierarchy and the faithful of the Catholic Church all over the world on the death of Pope Benedict XV1 – an outstanding theologian, intellectual and promoter of universal values.”
2. TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL, ANTONIO GUTERRES:
“It is with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. I offer my deepest condolences to Catholics and others around the world who were inspired by his life of prayer and tenacious commitment to non-violence and peace.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF BRITAIN’S ROYAL FAMILY:
“Your Holiness, I received the news of the death of your predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, with deep sadness.
I remember with fondness my meeting with His Holiness during my visit to the Vatican in 2009.
His visit to the United Kingdom in 2010 was important in strengthening the relations between the Holy See and the United Kingdom.
I also recall his constant efforts to promote peace and goodwill to all people, and to strengthen the relationship between the global Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.
My wife and I send you our continued good wishes for your own pontificate.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF IRISH PRIME MINISTER, LEO VARADKAR:
“I was saddened this morning to learn of the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
Leading the Catholic Church for almost a decade, the son of a police officer & a cook, the first German elected as Pope in 1,000 years, he was ultimately a ‘humble worker in vineyard of the Lord’”.
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT, URSULA VON DER LEYEN:
“Pope Benedict’s passing saddens me. My sympathy goes out to all Catholics.
He had set a strong signal through his resignation. He saw himself first as a servant for God and his Church.
Once his physical strength waned, he continued to serve through the power of his prayers.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF BRAZIL’S PRESIDENT-ELECT, LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA:
“I received with sadness the news of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. We had the opportunity to talk about his commitment to the Christian faith and teachings during his visit to Brazil in 2007 and at the Vatican. I wish comfort to the faithful and admirers of the Holy Father.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF KENYAN PRESIDENT, WILLIAM RUTO:
“It is with great sorrow that I join the Catholic Faithful and the global community at large in mourning the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
His death marks the end of a truly great life and the passing of a towering theologian and a steadfast servant of the church.”
FACEBOOK POST FROM ACCOUNT OF HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, VIKTOR ORBAN:
“RIP His Holiness XVI Benevolent the Pope Emeritus!”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF POLISH PRIME MINISTER, MATEUSZ MORAWIECKI :
“Today, Pope Benedict XVI, one of the greatest theologians of our time, ended his long journey to the House of the Father. Throughout his life he demonstrated the spiritual and intellectual depth of Christianity. He leaves behind a great legacy – may we continue it.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF SPANISH PRIME MINISTER, PEDRO SANCHEZ:
“My heartfelt condolences to the Catholic Church on the death of His Holiness Benedict XVI. A great theologian dedicated to the service of others, justice and peace.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF PRIME MINISTER OF PORTUGAL, ANTONIO COSTA:
“I want to express my condolences to the entire Catholic community on the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. I recall the honour of having welcomed him to Lisbon when I was president of the Assembly, and the beautiful celebration he presided over in the renovated Terreiro do Paco”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF CZECH PRIME MINISTER, PETR FIALA:
“I had great respect for Pope Benedict XVI. I like his theological and philosophical works, he was one of the leading intellectual figures of our time. His greatness is also shown by his decision to leave the papal see. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet him in person. May he rest in peace.”
TWO SHOTS OF TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR KARL NEHAMMER:
“Together we Catholics mourn for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He was a remarkable historical figure, a great scholar from an early age. Benedict XVI was one of few German-speaking church leaders and the first pope of modern times, who resigned from office of his own accord. He had a particularly appreciative relationship with Austria. I remember his visit to our country in 2007 well. May he rest in peace.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF MALTESE PRIME MINISTER, ROBERT ABELA:
“I pay tribute to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The people of Malta recall the visit of His Holiness, where he conveyed a message of unity. On behalf of @MaltaGov I send my condolences to the Holy See”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF SOLVAK PRESIDENT, ZUZANA CAPUTOVA:
“The human person finds his perfection in seeking and loving what is true and good’. Saddened to hear of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. May his soul rest in peace.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT, GITANAS NAUSEDA:
“Sincere condolences to @Pontifex, Catholics of Lithuania and the whole world on the passing away of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The world has lost not only a clergyman, but also scholar, theologian, and professor loved by students. May his soul rest in peace.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER, ANDREJ PLENKOVIC:
“On behalf of @VladaRH and myself, I express my deep sorrow and sincere condolences to Pope Francis, Cardinal Bozanic and all Catholic believers in Croatia and around the world who are saddened by the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF SENEGALESE PRESIDENT, MACKY SALL:
“Following the calling to God of His Holiness the Pope Emeritus #BenoitXVI , I send my heartfelt condolences to His Holiness Pope Francis @Pontifex_fr and to the entire Catholic community. I salute the memory of the illustrious deceased. Rest in peace.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF BENIN PRESIDENT, PATRICE TALON:
“The Catholic Church mourns the call to God of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
In this circumstance of painful separation, I would like to express my compassion to him and that of all the people of Benin.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF NAMIBIAN PRESIDENT, HAGE GEINGOB:
“I have learned with sadness about the passing of Pope Benedict XVI, who I had the honour of meeting at the Summer Residence outside Rome. During our exchange about the importance of faith in building tolerant communities, I remember him as frank, kindhearted and emphatic.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF ECUADORIAN PRESIDENT, GUILLERMO LASSO:
“Moved by the news of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, I send my feelings of sorrow and those of the Ecuadorian people to Pope Francis and to all the Catholics of the world.”
22. TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF PARAGUAYAN PRESIDENT, MARITO ABDO:
“We join in the sorrow for the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who leaves a fruitful legacy and demonstrated in his life that faith, reason and justice can go hand in hand. Rest in peace.”
TWEET FROM ACCOUNT OF OUTGOING PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL, JAIR BOLSONARO:
“Pope Bento XVI – I received, with great regret, the news of the death of Pope (emeritus) Benedict XVI.
– Although your pontificate was short, it leaves an immense legacy for the Catholic Church, for all Christians and for humanity.”
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