North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to strengthen ties with China and together ''frustrate'' threats and hostile policies from the United States and its allies.

In response, China's President Xi Jinping said Beijing is ready to work, together with the Korean side, to steadily develop the China-Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) relations of friendship and cooperation ... "under a new situation."

Xi made the remarks in response to Kim's congratulatory message for the Beijing Winter Olympics Games and a verbal message of congratulation soon after the successful closing of the games, according to KCNA.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korean-launch-china-urges-caution-japan-calls-it-regrettable-442436">Also read |&nbsp;North Korean launch: China urges caution, Japan calls it regrettable</a>

North Korean athletes were not eligible to compete under their national flag after the country failed to send a team to the Tokyo Summer Olympics last year, citing COVID-19 concerns.

China’s UN ambassador said Friday the US should come up with “more attractive and more practical” policies and actions to reduce tensions with North Korea and avoid a return to a “vicious circle” of confrontation, condemnation and sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programme.

Zhang Jun said that the solution lies in direct dialogue and that if the Biden administration wants to see a breakthrough with Pyongyang “they should show more sincerity and flexibility.”

In rare remarks to reporters on Beijing’s views on the US-North Korean nuclear dispute, the Chinese ambassador said, “What I see is the key in solving this issue is already in the hands of the United States.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-china-block-us-bid-to-impose-un-sanctions-on-north-koreans-446312">Also read |&nbsp;Russia, China block US bid to impose UN sanctions on North Koreans</a>

Beijing is Pyongyang's most important ally and economic benefactor, their relationship was forged in the bloodshed of the Korean War in the 1950s.

North Korea is reeling economically from a self-imposed coronavirus blockade, and restarted cross-border trade with Beijing last month.

China accounts for more than 90 percent of the isolated country's bilateral trade.

Pyongyang is under multiple sets of international sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. But regardless, it has warned it could abandon its self-imposed moratorium and resume testing intercontinental ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons.

Some experts have warned that with the eyes of the world focussed on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, North Korea might take the opportunity to test-fire long-range missiles.

(With inputs from agencies)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to strengthen ties with China and together ''frustrate'' threats and hostile policies from the United States and its allies.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to strengthen ties with China and together ''frustrate'' threats and hostile policies from the United States and its allies. In response, China's President Xi Jinping said Beijing is ready to work, together with the Korean side, to steadily develop the China-Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) relations of friendship and cooperation ... "under a new situation." Xi made the remarks in response to Kim's congratulatory message for the Beijing Winter Olympics Games and a verbal message of congratulation soon after the successful closing of the games, according to KCNA. Also read | North Korean launch: China urges caution, Japan calls it regrettable North Korean athletes were not eligible to compete under their national flag after the country failed to send a team to the Tokyo Summer Olympics last year, citing COVID-19 concerns. China’s UN ambassador said Friday the US should come up with “more attractive and more practical” policies and actions to reduce tensions with North Korea and avoid a return to a “vicious circle” of confrontation, condemnation and sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programme. Zhang Jun said that the solution lies in direct dialogue and that if the Biden administration wants to see a breakthrough with Pyongyang “they should show more sincerity and flexibility.” In rare remarks to reporters on Beijing’s views on the US-North Korean nuclear dispute, the Chinese ambassador said, “What I see is the key in solving this issue is already in the hands of the United States.” Also read | Russia, China block US bid to impose UN sanctions on North Koreans Beijing is Pyongyang's most important ally and economic benefactor, their relationship was forged in the bloodshed of the Korean War in the 1950s. North Korea is reeling economically from a self-imposed coronavirus blockade, and restarted cross-border trade with Beijing last month. China accounts for more than 90 percent of the isolated country's bilateral trade. Pyongyang is under multiple sets of international sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. But regardless, it has warned it could abandon its self-imposed moratorium and resume testing intercontinental ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons. Some experts have warned that with the eyes of the world focussed on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, North Korea might take the opportunity to test-fire long-range missiles. (With inputs from agencies)

Kim Jong Un vows to strengthen ties with China and together 'frustrate' threats from US

The Russia-Ukraine crisis escalated on Thursday (February 24) when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military action to 'demilitarise' the neighbouring country.

The Russia-Ukraine crisis escalated on Thursday (February 24) when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military action to 'demilitarise' the neighbouring country. The Russian leader's move came just days after he recognised two breakaway regions — Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic — in eastern Ukraine as independent. The first shots have been fired amid frenzied diplomacy and sanctions against Russia. Interestingly, a UK minister compared the situation to the Cuban missile crisis, which took place at the height of the Cold War between the Soviet Union --the former avatar or Russia of which Ukraine was also a part -- and the West. Health minister Sajid Javid said that Russia's "invasion" of Ukraine has created a situation as grave as the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, also known as the October Crisis of 1962. So what is the 1962 Cuban missile crisis? The Cuban missile crisis was a major confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. The one-month and four-day long (October 16 – November 20) Cuban missile crisis erupted in 1962 when the Soviet Union responded to a US missile deployment in Turkey by sending ballistic missiles to Cuba. In 1960, the former premier of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev promised to defend Cuba with Soviet arms. He, however, assumed that the US would not prevent the installation of medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Cuba. If launched from Cuba, such missiles could reportedly hit much of the eastern United States within a few minutes but in 1962, the US learned that such missile shipments to Cuba had begun. The US intelligence also found new military construction and the presence of Soviet technicians. On October 14 US reported the presence of a ballistic missile on a launching site. The installations were confirmed by Air Force U-2 spy plane when they produced clear photographic evidence of medium-range R-12 (NATO code name SS-4) and intermediate-range R-14 (NATO code name SS-5) ballistic missile facilities. This had come in the aftermath of Khrushchev's agreeing to Cuba's request to place nuclear missiles on the island in order to deter any invasion. While responding to the presence of American Jupiter ballistic missiles in Italy and Turkey, and the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961, Khrushchev had placed nuclear missiles. The agreement between Khrushchev and Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro was reportedly reached during a secret meeting in July 1962. When then US President John F Kennedy, who was busy with the elections, learned about the installations, he convened a meeting of the nine members of the National Security Council and five other key advisers in a group. That later became known as the Executive Committee of the National Security Council (EXCOMM). History books have mentioned that Kennedy received suggestions like air-strike on missile sites, but after careful consideration, he announced a blockade of the island. In order to cancel, further diplomatic manoeuvres, the former US President decided to place a naval "quarantine," or blockade, on Cuba to prevent further Soviet shipments of missiles. Kennedy had warned that US forces would seize "offensive weapons and associated material" if Soviet vessels try to deliver them to Cuba. After the announcement, reports have mentioned that Soviet ships altered their course and moved away from the quarantined zone. Several messages were also exchanged between leaders of both countries as they came close to triggering a nuclear war that could have impacted the world immensely. However, on October 28 of the same year, Khrushchev informed Kennedy that the missiles already in Cuba would be returned to the Soviet Union and work on the missile sites would be halted. The crisis was averted by late November when both sides started to fulfil their part of the agreement. As per reports Kennedy had secretly promised to withdraw the nuclear-armed missiles from Turkey. Reports have also mentioned that Kennedy committed the United States to never invade Cuba. They say history repeats itself, and we don't learn anything from it. Are we in the middle of a crisis similar to 1962?

1962 Cuban missile crisis: When world was on brink of nuclear war, like it is now over Ukraine

The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 22) formally rejected former President Donald Trump's request to block the release of White House records asked by the panel probing last year's deadly attack on the Capitol. The top US court had previously rejected Trump's emergency request to block the National Archives from turning over the documents.&nbsp;

The former President has been accused of involvement in the Capitol riot and he is also facing lawsuits. His role on that day is also being examined by a House of Representatives select committee.&nbsp;

The committee has hundreds of pages of documents, text messages and testimonies in its possession. The head of the panel said that Trump had sought to keep some of the documents hidden.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beginning-an-invasion-us-imposes-fresh-sanctions-against-russia-455521">'Beginning an invasion': US imposes fresh sanctions against Russia</a>

The House Select Committee was created last year to investigate the January 6 violence, when thousands of Trump supporters descended on the US Capitol in Washington DC to stop the process of confirmation of President Joe Biden's victory.&nbsp;

At the same time, Trump took to Twitter to criticize his vice president Mike Pence for not blocking certification of Joe Biden's election victory, an act the judge said constituted "tacit agreement" with those who stormed the Capitol.&nbsp;

During the investigation, it has been understood that the panel has interviewed hundreds of witnesses and has received over 50,000 documents.&nbsp;

During the deadly attack on US Capitol, seven people were killed and dozens were injured. An investigation is underway and more than 700 people have been charged so far.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Capitol Riots: Biden rejects Trump's attempt to shield White House visitor logs

&nbsp;

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(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 22) formally rejected former President Donald Trump's request to block the release of White House records asked by the panel probing last year's deadly attack on the Capitol.

The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 22) formally rejected former President Donald Trump's request to block the release of White House records asked by the panel probing last year's deadly attack on the Capitol. The top US court had previously rejected Trump's emergency request to block the National Archives from turning over the documents. The former President has been accused of involvement in the Capitol riot and he is also facing lawsuits. His role on that day is also being examined by a House of Representatives select committee. The committee has hundreds of pages of documents, text messages and testimonies in its possession. The head of the panel said that Trump had sought to keep some of the documents hidden. ALSO READ | 'Beginning an invasion': US imposes fresh sanctions against Russia The House Select Committee was created last year to investigate the January 6 violence, when thousands of Trump supporters descended on the US Capitol in Washington DC to stop the process of confirmation of President Joe Biden's victory. At the same time, Trump took to Twitter to criticize his vice president Mike Pence for not blocking certification of Joe Biden's election victory, an act the judge said constituted "tacit agreement" with those who stormed the Capitol. During the investigation, it has been understood that the panel has interviewed hundreds of witnesses and has received over 50,000 documents. During the deadly attack on US Capitol, seven people were killed and dozens were injured. An investigation is underway and more than 700 people have been charged so far. WATCH | Capitol Riots: Biden rejects Trump's attempt to shield White House visitor logs × (With inputs from agencies)

US Capitol attack probe: Top US court formally rejects Donald Trump's fight over January 6 attack records

FanCentro has begun legal action in the United States against OnlyFans' owner Leonid Radvinsky and the company which receives OnlyFans' payments, Fenix Internet LLC.

As per a report by BBC, OnlyFans directed an unidentified social media company to disable accounts of performers by placing their content on a terrorism database.

It cited previously unreported legal documents saying OnlyFans representatives paid bribes to the firm's employees to facilitate the practice.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/tired-of-censorship-on-nudes-vienna-museums-open-onlyfans-account-421388">Also read |&nbsp;Tired of 'censorship' on nudes, Vienna museums open OnlyFans account</a>

OnlyFans, an online subscription platform known for adult content, was launched in 2016. The UK-based company boomed during the pandemic as it became a way for creators to earn money selling content directly to subscribers.

The subscription site said in a prepared statement that the legal claim has "no merit".

A lot of sex workers joined OnlyFans during the pandemic when in-person venues shut down or became more dangerous because of COVID-19. The site has been tremendously lucrative for some people, allowing them to earn thousands every month.&nbsp;

OnlyFans says it has 130 million users and 2 million creators who have collectively earned $5 billion.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-onlyfans-will-ban-sexually-explicit-content-but-keep-nudity-407263">Also read |&nbsp;OnlyFans will ban 'sexually explicit' content, but keep nudity</a>

In December, OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely said he was stepping down as CEO and would be replaced by Ami Gan, who was previously its chief marketing officer.

The online porn industry is changing amid concerns about sex trafficking and the exploitation of minors. Two 2018 laws, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, were meant to stop sex trafficking online, and led some spaces to shut down. But many sex workers say these changes have also made their jobs more dangerous.

A bipartisan group of over 100 members of Congress called on the Justice Department to investigate OnlyFans earlier in August, saying the site was a “major marketplace” for sexual videos with children in them. The letter cited anti-porn group National Center on Sexual Exploitation, which has its origins in the faith-based group Morality in Media, as a source, as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Sex workers and their advocates say conservative and religious groups are trying to erase sex from the internet under the guise of combating sex trafficking and child pornography.

Adult-content companies have to navigate higher fees and requirements from financial companies beyond what most retailers encounter; others won’t touch it.

Both Mastercard and Visa last year began blocking customers from using credit cards on Pornhub after accusations that the site had videos of rape and underage sex. American Express cards, meanwhile, can’t be used on online pornography. Stripe won’t process adult content.

(With inputs from agencies)

FanCentro has begun legal action in the United States against OnlyFans' owner Leonid Radvinsky and the company which receives OnlyFans' payments, Fenix Internet LLC.

FanCentro has begun legal action in the United States against OnlyFans' owner Leonid Radvinsky and the company which receives OnlyFans' payments, Fenix Internet LLC. As per a report by BBC, OnlyFans directed an unidentified social media company to disable accounts of performers by placing their content on a terrorism database. It cited previously unreported legal documents saying OnlyFans representatives paid bribes to the firm's employees to facilitate the practice. Also read | Tired of 'censorship' on nudes, Vienna museums open OnlyFans account OnlyFans, an online subscription platform known for adult content, was launched in 2016. The UK-based company boomed during the pandemic as it became a way for creators to earn money selling content directly to subscribers. The subscription site said in a prepared statement that the legal claim has "no merit". A lot of sex workers joined OnlyFans during the pandemic when in-person venues shut down or became more dangerous because of COVID-19. The site has been tremendously lucrative for some people, allowing them to earn thousands every month. OnlyFans says it has 130 million users and 2 million creators who have collectively earned $5 billion. Also read | OnlyFans will ban 'sexually explicit' content, but keep nudity In December, OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely said he was stepping down as CEO and would be replaced by Ami Gan, who was previously its chief marketing officer. The online porn industry is changing amid concerns about sex trafficking and the exploitation of minors. Two 2018 laws, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, were meant to stop sex trafficking online, and led some spaces to shut down. But many sex workers say these changes have also made their jobs more dangerous. A bipartisan group of over 100 members of Congress called on the Justice Department to investigate OnlyFans earlier in August, saying the site was a “major marketplace” for sexual videos with children in them. The letter cited anti-porn group National Center on Sexual Exploitation, which has its origins in the faith-based group Morality in Media, as a source, as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Sex workers and their advocates say conservative and religious groups are trying to erase sex from the internet under the guise of combating sex trafficking and child pornography. Adult-content companies have to navigate higher fees and requirements from financial companies beyond what most retailers encounter; others won’t touch it. Both Mastercard and Visa last year began blocking customers from using credit cards on Pornhub after accusations that the site had videos of rape and underage sex. American Express cards, meanwhile, can’t be used on online pornography. Stripe won’t process adult content. (With inputs from agencies)

Rival websites accuse OnlyFans of conspiring to blacklist them

The Russia and Ukraine border tensions continue to escalate despite efforts to defuse it with diplomatic talks. In the latest development, the United States media reports cited intelligence inputs and stated that the Russian military has been ordered to 'attack' Ukraine.&nbsp;

The reports have also added that the military is moving forward with an intention to attack Ukraine. These reports added to the fears of Western countries that Russia will attack at "any time".&nbsp;

As per the reports, it was that intelligence that gave US President Joe Biden the confidence to say on Friday (February 18) he was "convinced" that Russian President Vladimir Putin had decided to invade.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-ready-to-meet-putin-until-the-moment-ukraine-invasion-begins-454912">Biden ready to meet Putin 'until the moment' Ukraine invasion begins</a>

However, there's no official statement on the reports by several media outlets such as Washington Post, CBS, the New York Times, CNN.&nbsp;

The Washington Post noted: "US intelligence that provided Biden with the confidence to make the assertion came from an order given to Russian subordinates to proceed with a full-scale attack, according to several people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity."&nbsp;&nbsp;

CNN said other signs that might indicate an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine "have not yet been observed" citing an anonymous source. The source also warned that orders to attack could still be withdrawn, or that the intelligence might have been planted to mislead the West.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-crisis-french-and-russian-foreign-ministers-to-speak-on-monday-454841">Russia-Ukraine crisis: French and Russian foreign ministers to speak on Monday</a>

Russia has placed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, the United States and Western allies have estimated.&nbsp;

US official told reporters Friday, insisting on anonymity that "forty to fifty per cent (of those troops) are in an attack position. They have uncoiled in tactical assembly in the last 48 hours".&nbsp;

Reports have also quoted a US official, who on Sunday said that Biden's assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack.&nbsp;

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(With inputs from agencies)

The Russia and Ukraine border tensions continue to escalate despite efforts to defuse it with diplomatic talks. In the latest development, the United States media reports cited intelligence inputs and stated that the Russian military has been ordered to 'attack' Ukraine.

The Russia and Ukraine border tensions continue to escalate despite efforts to defuse it with diplomatic talks. In the latest development, the United States media reports cited intelligence inputs and stated that the Russian military has been ordered to 'attack' Ukraine. The reports have also added that the military is moving forward with an intention to attack Ukraine. These reports added to the fears of Western countries that Russia will attack at "any time". As per the reports, it was that intelligence that gave US President Joe Biden the confidence to say on Friday (February 18) he was "convinced" that Russian President Vladimir Putin had decided to invade. ALSO READ | Biden ready to meet Putin 'until the moment' Ukraine invasion begins However, there's no official statement on the reports by several media outlets such as Washington Post, CBS, the New York Times, CNN. The Washington Post noted: "US intelligence that provided Biden with the confidence to make the assertion came from an order given to Russian subordinates to proceed with a full-scale attack, according to several people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity." CNN said other signs that might indicate an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine "have not yet been observed" citing an anonymous source. The source also warned that orders to attack could still be withdrawn, or that the intelligence might have been planted to mislead the West. ALSO READ | Russia-Ukraine crisis: French and Russian foreign ministers to speak on Monday Russia has placed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, the United States and Western allies have estimated. US official told reporters Friday, insisting on anonymity that "forty to fifty per cent (of those troops) are in an attack position. They have uncoiled in tactical assembly in the last 48 hours". Reports have also quoted a US official, who on Sunday said that Biden's assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. × (With inputs from agencies)

Did Russia give orders to 'attack' Ukraine? US media cites intel inputs that were apparently known to Biden

Lawyers for the United States figure skating athletes have asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to rule that the skaters can receive their team silver medals before the end of the Beijing Olympics, a U.S. Figure Skating spokesman said on Saturday.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had decided no medals for the competition -- won by the Russian Olympic Committee team -- would be presented until the doping case of Russian 15-year-old Kamila Valieva had been resolved.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/beijing-winter-olympics-bart-swings-tops-mass-start-brings-first-belgian-winter-gold-in-74-years-454568">Beijing Winter Olympics: Bart Swings tops mass start, brings first Belgian Winter gold in 74 years</a>

That matter could take weeks or months.

Russia finished top, the U.S. second and Japan third. Canada were fourth in the event on Feb. 7.

Valieva tested positive for a banned heart drug after the Russian national championships on Dec. 25 but the result was not revealed until Feb. 8, the day after she helped the ROC win the team competition.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/beijing-winter-olympics-strong-winds-postpone-alpine-mixed-team-parallel-race-on-final-day-454554">Beijing Winter Olympics: Strong winds postpone Alpine mixed team parallel race on final day</a>

Valieva, now back in Russia, was cleared to compete in the women's single event by CAS, sport`s highest court, but stumbled to fourth place amid all the drama.

CAS did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The IOC said it would not comment on an ongoing procedure.

Lawyers for the United States figure skating athletes have asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to rule that the skaters can receive their team silver medals before the end of the Beijing Olympics, a U.

Lawyers for the United States figure skating athletes have asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to rule that the skaters can receive their team silver medals before the end of the Beijing Olympics, a U.S. Figure Skating spokesman said on Saturday. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had decided no medals for the competition -- won by the Russian Olympic Committee team -- would be presented until the doping case of Russian 15-year-old Kamila Valieva had been resolved. ALSO READ: Beijing Winter Olympics: Bart Swings tops mass start, brings first Belgian Winter gold in 74 years That matter could take weeks or months. Russia finished top, the U.S. second and Japan third. Canada were fourth in the event on Feb. 7. Valieva tested positive for a banned heart drug after the Russian national championships on Dec. 25 but the result was not revealed until Feb. 8, the day after she helped the ROC win the team competition. ALSO READ: Beijing Winter Olympics: Strong winds postpone Alpine mixed team parallel race on final day Valieva, now back in Russia, was cleared to compete in the women's single event by CAS, sport`s highest court, but stumbled to fourth place amid all the drama. CAS did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The IOC said it would not comment on an ongoing procedure.

Beijing Winter Olympics: United Stated appeal to CAS to award team medals

Ava Majury downloaded TikTok when she was 13, and at the height of the pandemic lockdowns a year later had more than a million followers. Her fans, nearly three-quarters of them male, watched her lip-sync and dance to trending music on an account with the profile message, “Hey, I love you!!”

In early 2020 Ava noticed that one fan, EricJustin111, was trying to get her attention in comments on TikTok. He messaged her in Snapchat and on Instagram, and turned up in online games she played with her brothers. Ava responded to him a few times at first, she said, “because I used to reply to my fans, like ‘Hey, how was your day?’’’

Early on July 10, the fan — Eric Rohan Justin, 18, of Ellicott City, Maryland — arrived with a shotgun at the Majury family home in Naples and blew open the front door. His weapon jammed. Ava’s father, Rob Majury, a retired police lieutenant, chased him off but fell. Majury told Collier County sheriff’s officers that he returned to the house, retrieved his handgun and stood guard at the front door, only to see the gunman return a short time later. By sunrise Justin lay dying, shot by Majury.

What began as an enterprising teenager’s lockdown venture has awakened the family of five to how online fame can fuel real-world violence. In interviews with The New York Times, they spoke for the first time about an ordeal that illuminates the dark side of a social media platform favored by millions of children.

TikTok’s owner, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., and many of its users emphasize the friendships, innovative content and creative collaboration enabled by the platform, but its enormous popularity among vulnerable, underage people has also been linked to mental health problems, injuries and deaths.

Today Ava Majury remains on TikTok, where she is netting thousands of dollars in sponsorship deals and has attracted interest from Hollywood, including from reality TV producers. Her TikTok fame has brought sponsorship opportunities on Instagram and Snapchat, too. Instagram, owned by Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has also been accused of causing mental and emotional health problems among teenage female users.

“Her creations, her contacts, her videos became such a big part of her that to take it away would have been hard,” her father said.

“We chose what’s best for our family,” Ava’s mother, Kim Majury, added. “We know there are going to be two sides, and some people won’t understand.’’

A ‘Go-Getter’ and a Lurking Threat

The Majurys moved to Florida in 2019 from Manalapan, New Jersey, lured by its warm climate, low taxes and a quieter lifestyle. They settled in Naples, a staid, safe community of affluent retirees and growing families in Collier County, on the state’s Gulf Coast. Rob Majury, 51, is a former Jersey City police lieutenant, and Kim Majury, 45, is an ultrasound technologist. The family rented a home in Raffia Preserve, a subdivision of tidy homes on curving streets.

Ava is “a go-getter,” her father said. When classmates in New Jersey admired a sticker she had designed for her laptop, she started selling them, eventually earning nearly $700. On TikTok, she has promoted a tooth-whitening product, emerging recording artists and NFL games.

“I have three TikTok accounts, so I could have one brand come to me and be like, ‘Oh, I’ll do $1,000 for one video on your main account,’ and I’ll be like, ‘Oh great, I have two other accounts that are different types of people on there,’” Ava said. “So altogether, I’m making $1,700 off just my name, because I opened up three accounts rather than just building off one.”

Her venture surprised and intrigued her parents. “Honestly, we had no idea the extent of what she was able to earn,” Rob Majury said. He has appeared in a couple of her videos, including one she made in the car while he was driving.

“We both pointed at the camera at the same time and the music stopped and she starts laughing. You know, so innocent, it was sweet for me. It’s me and her having a moment,” Majury recalled. The moment drew hundreds of thousands of views.

Downloads of TikTok grew by 75% in 2020, making it the world’s most-downloaded app that year, according to Hootsuite. Today the platform has more than 1 billion average monthly users. It welcomes account holders as young as 13, and in 2021 outflanked both Instagram and Snapchat in weekly usage by youth ages 12-17. While teens like Ava have used it to entertain and spread positive messages, viral “TikTok Challenges” have been cited as inspiring children to vandalize and threaten their schools, follow starvation “Corpse Bride” diets and asphyxiate themselves. Teen girls have been repeatedly targeted by child predators.

A TikTok spokeswoman, Mahsau Cullinane, emailed a statement saying that TikTok is “deeply invested in the safety and well-being of our community’’ and added that the platform uses tools to protect users under 16. In 2020, TikTok classified more than a third of its 49 million daily users in the United States as 14 or younger, according to internal company data and documents reviewed by the Times.

Ava has two brothers, Evan and Logan, ages 17 and 11. She and Evan attend a sprawling public high school where much of student life revolves around social media.

In early 2020, after Ava noticed Justin angling for her attention on TikTok, she learned that friends in New Jersey and Florida were selling him photos of her as well as her personal information, including her cellphone number, which Justin used to call and text her. In another instance, Justin logged onto a classmate’s school account and did math homework in exchange for information about Ava, her family said.

“I had to unfollow all my local friends and Jersey friends,” Ava said. “And everyone around me was like, ‘Oh you’re going Hollywood on all of us, you don’t want to talk to us anymore.’ And I’m like, ‘You’re selling my stuff.’”

But Ava’s parents allowed her to sell Justin a couple of selfies that she had already posted to Snapchat.

“I wasn’t sending anything of my body,’’ Ava said. “It was just pictures of my face, which is what I assume that he was paying for. My whole thing is my pretty smile — that’s my content.” She said Justin paid about $300 for two photos, via the Venmo digital wallet app.

After that, Justin messaged Ava on Venmo with a breakdown of what he would pay for “booty pics” and photos of her feet, “stuff that a 14-year-old shouldn’t be sending,” she said. She blocked him on all her accounts. In Venmo messages viewed by the Times, Justin pleaded with her to unblock him, sending $159.18, then $100, and finally $368.50 with the message, “sorry this is all I have left i’m broke.”

Rob Majury said he texted Justin’s cellphone, told him that Ava was a minor, and demanded that he stop contacting her.

At that point Justin’s efforts turned sinister. In a series of text messages that made their way to Ava, and which the Majury family showed the Times, he asked one of Ava’s male classmates whether he had access to a “strap,” or gun, shared plans to assault her, and wrote, “i could just breach the door with a shotgun i think.” The classmate’s mother declined an interview request.

When Ava learned of the threatening messages, she called the classmate who had received them. He confirmed that he had gotten them and forwarded others to her. Fearful, she showed her parents. They researched Justin’s identity, saw that he lived hundreds of miles away, and reassured her that “he was one of these keyboard cowboys,” Majury said.

“I sort of discredited what could have been a threat.”

‘This Is All Your Fault’

Ava’s bedroom was just inside the door Justin blasted open.

“All I remember was, I heard it, I felt it in my chest, and I looked up, and there was a hole in my door from the fragments,” she said. She ran through a connecting bathroom to her brothers’ room, clutching a blanket, water bottle and her cellphone.

Majury bolted from bed and ran shouting to the foyer, where he said debris still floated in the air. Kim Majury followed, dialing 911 on her phone. Outside a gangly teenager wearing what looked like a blue Walmart worker’s vest, protective earplugs and safety glasses stood on the front lawn. He turned to escape and Rob Majury sprinted forward but fell, gashing his knee. The gunman paused, struggling to clear his jammed weapon, then ran away. Majury retrieved his handgun, and was standing at the front door awaiting the police when Justin returned. Majury said he ordered the teenager to drop the shotgun, and when he instead pointed it at him, Majury fired.

The three Majury children had retreated to their parents’ bedroom in the rear of the house. Ava’s older brother, Evan, turned to her in panic and fury.

“This is all your fault,” he said.

“The subject was most likely a stalker that resulted from her daughter’s extensive social media involvement,” the Collier County Sheriff’s Office report read, citing statements to them from Kim Majury. “Since her daughter’s involvement with social media, multiple subjects have attempted to ascertain her family’s address in the past.” Majury provided them with contact information for Justin, the report said.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office told local media at the time that a man had been shot and killed by the resident of a home in Raffia Preserve after firing a gun into the home, in an attempted home invasion robbery. The office did not name the gunman.

The Majurys said police told them Justin was carrying two cellphones that contained thousands of photographs of Ava and hundreds of hours of her videos.

Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and investigators from his office did not respond to requests for interviews.

“This remains an active investigation and there are no updates,” Karie Partington, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman, said in an email.

The gunman’s identity was confirmed by his father, Justin Dominic. Dominic, a software engineer who is divorced from Justin’s mother, said that before the divorce the family had lived in the United States and then had moved to Dominic’s native India. When his parents split up, Justin chose to move back to the U.S. with his mother, his father said, recalling their move as around 2015.

Dominic, who said he had spoken with investigators, recalled his son as a good student who did well in math at Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City. “He was a nice kid. I’m at a loss for words,” he said. “I don’t know what went bad with him. He made a bad choice.”

After the shooting the Majurys, reeling, moved in with friends. A few days later Kim Majury received an invitation from a would-be agent for Ava to visit Los Angeles, meet other influencers, and attend a couple of red carpet events. One was for “Glo-Up Girls,” a line of makeover-ready dolls advertised on a YouTube channel featuring six teenage influencers “living in a mansion and taking on sensational Glo-Up challenges.”

“It was a nice distraction, absolutely,” Majury said.

After the Majurys returned home, their homeowners’ association sent a letter to their landlord demanding their eviction because, among other reasons, Ava’s social media venture had attracted an intruder to the property.

In early August, Ava received messages on Venmo from a man calling her “baby girl,” offering to pay $1,000 a month for her phone number. Her parents discovered that the man’s name matches that of a registered sex offender, arrested previously for soliciting a 14-year-old girl.

Kim Majury remembers thinking, “We can’t live like this.”

New Opportunities and Dangers

Rob Majury said he was advised by the police that under Florida’s “stand your ground” law governing justifiable use of deadly force, he was not subject to prosecution. But just to be safe, he contacted a lawyer, James Scarmozzino, to represent him. Scarmozzino connected the family to other lawyers who organized a business centered on Ava’s potential earnings.

Michael Marino, an entertainment lawyer in New York, created an enterprise, AGM Creations, for Ava, and signed an agreement with the Majurys for a percentage of future revenues. Marino turned to a friend, Lanny Davis, a Washington lawyer and crisis manager whose public relations firm is now representing Ava.

The shooting continues to reverberate.

The boy who received Justin’s messages about his plans to attack Ava still attends high school with her. In December, Ava told her parents that he was following and watching her. The family visited the high school to report the matter. Last month, another classmate sent her a video the boy had made of himself firing a gun at a shooting range, her mother said.

Unnerved, Ava withdrew from school this month and now attends class from home. Scarmozzino filed a petition in Collier County Circuit Court seeking an injunction for protection against stalking. A hearing is set for Feb. 28 and Ava will testify.

Ava is still on social media, with her parents’ support. Kim Majury said she did not want “sick individuals” to force Ava off the platforms. “Why should we allow them to stop her? Maybe she’s meant to bring awareness to all this,” Majury said.

Ava has not told her followers what happened. “I don’t want it to go out negatively and people think I attracted him,” she said.

Her greater worry is that other troubled people will “make it a contest to see who can get here first,’’ and she acknowledged that sometimes at night, trying to fall asleep after the shooting, “I’d think, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’” But by morning, “I thought of all the benefits.’’

“Most people would say the money. And yeah, it’s a huge benefit. But it’s the experience. I got to go to LA, the people that I met,” she said. “Just being able to make other people smile is what I like, the enjoyment of seeing the impact I made on some people’s lives.

“I’d post a video at night, close my eyes, and in the morning it was exciting to see how many views I got.”

Her father interjected: “It’s like Christmas every day, because then you see it build.”

“I think we just had to allow her to make a decision and sort of support her. I think it’s going to help her heal. It sounds corny, but I don’t know what else you would do it for.”

Ava Majury downloaded TikTok when she was 13, and at the height of the pandemic lockdowns a year later had more than a million followers. Her fans, nearly three-quarters of them male, watched her lip-sync and dance to trending music on an account with the profile message, “Hey, I love you!

Ava Majury downloaded TikTok when she was 13, and at the height of the pandemic lockdowns a year later had more than a million followers. Her fans, nearly three-quarters of them male, watched her lip-sync and dance to trending music on an account with the profile message, “Hey, I love you!!” In early 2020 Ava noticed that one fan, EricJustin111, was trying to get her attention in comments on TikTok. He messaged her in Snapchat and on Instagram, and turned up in online games she played with her brothers. Ava responded to him a few times at first, she said, “because I used to reply to my fans, like ‘Hey, how was your day?’’’ Early on July 10, the fan — Eric Rohan Justin, 18, of Ellicott City, Maryland — arrived with a shotgun at the Majury family home in Naples and blew open the front door. His weapon jammed. Ava’s father, Rob Majury, a retired police lieutenant, chased him off but fell. Majury told Collier County sheriff’s officers that he returned to the house, retrieved his handgun and stood guard at the front door, only to see the gunman return a short time later. By sunrise Justin lay dying, shot by Majury. What began as an enterprising teenager’s lockdown venture has awakened the family of five to how online fame can fuel real-world violence. In interviews with The New York Times, they spoke for the first time about an ordeal that illuminates the dark side of a social media platform favored by millions of children. TikTok’s owner, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., and many of its users emphasize the friendships, innovative content and creative collaboration enabled by the platform, but its enormous popularity among vulnerable, underage people has also been linked to mental health problems, injuries and deaths. Today Ava Majury remains on TikTok, where she is netting thousands of dollars in sponsorship deals and has attracted interest from Hollywood, including from reality TV producers. Her TikTok fame has brought sponsorship opportunities on Instagram and Snapchat, too. Instagram, owned by Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has also been accused of causing mental and emotional health problems among teenage female users. “Her creations, her contacts, her videos became such a big part of her that to take it away would have been hard,” her father said. “We chose what’s best for our family,” Ava’s mother, Kim Majury, added. “We know there are going to be two sides, and some people won’t understand.’’ A ‘Go-Getter’ and a Lurking Threat The Majurys moved to Florida in 2019 from Manalapan, New Jersey, lured by its warm climate, low taxes and a quieter lifestyle. They settled in Naples, a staid, safe community of affluent retirees and growing families in Collier County, on the state’s Gulf Coast. Rob Majury, 51, is a former Jersey City police lieutenant, and Kim Majury, 45, is an ultrasound technologist. The family rented a home in Raffia Preserve, a subdivision of tidy homes on curving streets. Ava is “a go-getter,” her father said. When classmates in New Jersey admired a sticker she had designed for her laptop, she started selling them, eventually earning nearly $700. On TikTok, she has promoted a tooth-whitening product, emerging recording artists and NFL games. “I have three TikTok accounts, so I could have one brand come to me and be like, ‘Oh, I’ll do $1,000 for one video on your main account,’ and I’ll be like, ‘Oh great, I have two other accounts that are different types of people on there,’” Ava said. “So altogether, I’m making $1,700 off just my name, because I opened up three accounts rather than just building off one.” Her venture surprised and intrigued her parents. “Honestly, we had no idea the extent of what she was able to earn,” Rob Majury said. He has appeared in a couple of her videos, including one she made in the car while he was driving. “We both pointed at the camera at the same time and the music stopped and she starts laughing. You know, so innocent, it was sweet for me. It’s me and her having a moment,” Majury recalled. The moment drew hundreds of thousands of views. Downloads of TikTok grew by 75% in 2020, making it the world’s most-downloaded app that year, according to Hootsuite. Today the platform has more than 1 billion average monthly users. It welcomes account holders as young as 13, and in 2021 outflanked both Instagram and Snapchat in weekly usage by youth ages 12-17. While teens like Ava have used it to entertain and spread positive messages, viral “TikTok Challenges” have been cited as inspiring children to vandalize and threaten their schools, follow starvation “Corpse Bride” diets and asphyxiate themselves. Teen girls have been repeatedly targeted by child predators. A TikTok spokeswoman, Mahsau Cullinane, emailed a statement saying that TikTok is “deeply invested in the safety and well-being of our community’’ and added that the platform uses tools to protect users under 16. In 2020, TikTok classified more than a third of its 49 million daily users in the United States as 14 or younger, according to internal company data and documents reviewed by the Times. Ava has two brothers, Evan and Logan, ages 17 and 11. She and Evan attend a sprawling public high school where much of student life revolves around social media. In early 2020, after Ava noticed Justin angling for her attention on TikTok, she learned that friends in New Jersey and Florida were selling him photos of her as well as her personal information, including her cellphone number, which Justin used to call and text her. In another instance, Justin logged onto a classmate’s school account and did math homework in exchange for information about Ava, her family said. “I had to unfollow all my local friends and Jersey friends,” Ava said. “And everyone around me was like, ‘Oh you’re going Hollywood on all of us, you don’t want to talk to us anymore.’ And I’m like, ‘You’re selling my stuff.’” But Ava’s parents allowed her to sell Justin a couple of selfies that she had already posted to Snapchat. “I wasn’t sending anything of my body,’’ Ava said. “It was just pictures of my face, which is what I assume that he was paying for. My whole thing is my pretty smile — that’s my content.” She said Justin paid about $300 for two photos, via the Venmo digital wallet app. After that, Justin messaged Ava on Venmo with a breakdown of what he would pay for “booty pics” and photos of her feet, “stuff that a 14-year-old shouldn’t be sending,” she said. She blocked him on all her accounts. In Venmo messages viewed by the Times, Justin pleaded with her to unblock him, sending $159.18, then $100, and finally $368.50 with the message, “sorry this is all I have left i’m broke.” Rob Majury said he texted Justin’s cellphone, told him that Ava was a minor, and demanded that he stop contacting her. At that point Justin’s efforts turned sinister. In a series of text messages that made their way to Ava, and which the Majury family showed the Times, he asked one of Ava’s male classmates whether he had access to a “strap,” or gun, shared plans to assault her, and wrote, “i could just breach the door with a shotgun i think.” The classmate’s mother declined an interview request. When Ava learned of the threatening messages, she called the classmate who had received them. He confirmed that he had gotten them and forwarded others to her. Fearful, she showed her parents. They researched Justin’s identity, saw that he lived hundreds of miles away, and reassured her that “he was one of these keyboard cowboys,” Majury said. “I sort of discredited what could have been a threat.” ‘This Is All Your Fault’ Ava’s bedroom was just inside the door Justin blasted open. “All I remember was, I heard it, I felt it in my chest, and I looked up, and there was a hole in my door from the fragments,” she said. She ran through a connecting bathroom to her brothers’ room, clutching a blanket, water bottle and her cellphone. Majury bolted from bed and ran shouting to the foyer, where he said debris still floated in the air. Kim Majury followed, dialing 911 on her phone. Outside a gangly teenager wearing what looked like a blue Walmart worker’s vest, protective earplugs and safety glasses stood on the front lawn. He turned to escape and Rob Majury sprinted forward but fell, gashing his knee. The gunman paused, struggling to clear his jammed weapon, then ran away. Majury retrieved his handgun, and was standing at the front door awaiting the police when Justin returned. Majury said he ordered the teenager to drop the shotgun, and when he instead pointed it at him, Majury fired. The three Majury children had retreated to their parents’ bedroom in the rear of the house. Ava’s older brother, Evan, turned to her in panic and fury. “This is all your fault,” he said. “The subject was most likely a stalker that resulted from her daughter’s extensive social media involvement,” the Collier County Sheriff’s Office report read, citing statements to them from Kim Majury. “Since her daughter’s involvement with social media, multiple subjects have attempted to ascertain her family’s address in the past.” Majury provided them with contact information for Justin, the report said. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office told local media at the time that a man had been shot and killed by the resident of a home in Raffia Preserve after firing a gun into the home, in an attempted home invasion robbery. The office did not name the gunman. The Majurys said police told them Justin was carrying two cellphones that contained thousands of photographs of Ava and hundreds of hours of her videos. Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and investigators from his office did not respond to requests for interviews. “This remains an active investigation and there are no updates,” Karie Partington, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman, said in an email. The gunman’s identity was confirmed by his father, Justin Dominic. Dominic, a software engineer who is divorced from Justin’s mother, said that before the divorce the family had lived in the United States and then had moved to Dominic’s native India. When his parents split up, Justin chose to move back to the U.S. with his mother, his father said, recalling their move as around 2015. Dominic, who said he had spoken with investigators, recalled his son as a good student who did well in math at Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City. “He was a nice kid. I’m at a loss for words,” he said. “I don’t know what went bad with him. He made a bad choice.” After the shooting the Majurys, reeling, moved in with friends. A few days later Kim Majury received an invitation from a would-be agent for Ava to visit Los Angeles, meet other influencers, and attend a couple of red carpet events. One was for “Glo-Up Girls,” a line of makeover-ready dolls advertised on a YouTube channel featuring six teenage influencers “living in a mansion and taking on sensational Glo-Up challenges.” “It was a nice distraction, absolutely,” Majury said. After the Majurys returned home, their homeowners’ association sent a letter to their landlord demanding their eviction because, among other reasons, Ava’s social media venture had attracted an intruder to the property. In early August, Ava received messages on Venmo from a man calling her “baby girl,” offering to pay $1,000 a month for her phone number. Her parents discovered that the man’s name matches that of a registered sex offender, arrested previously for soliciting a 14-year-old girl. Kim Majury remembers thinking, “We can’t live like this.” New Opportunities and Dangers Rob Majury said he was advised by the police that under Florida’s “stand your ground” law governing justifiable use of deadly force, he was not subject to prosecution. But just to be safe, he contacted a lawyer, James Scarmozzino, to represent him. Scarmozzino connected the family to other lawyers who organized a business centered on Ava’s potential earnings. Michael Marino, an entertainment lawyer in New York, created an enterprise, AGM Creations, for Ava, and signed an agreement with the Majurys for a percentage of future revenues. Marino turned to a friend, Lanny Davis, a Washington lawyer and crisis manager whose public relations firm is now representing Ava. The shooting continues to reverberate. The boy who received Justin’s messages about his plans to attack Ava still attends high school with her. In December, Ava told her parents that he was following and watching her. The family visited the high school to report the matter. Last month, another classmate sent her a video the boy had made of himself firing a gun at a shooting range, her mother said. Unnerved, Ava withdrew from school this month and now attends class from home. Scarmozzino filed a petition in Collier County Circuit Court seeking an injunction for protection against stalking. A hearing is set for Feb. 28 and Ava will testify. Ava is still on social media, with her parents’ support. Kim Majury said she did not want “sick individuals” to force Ava off the platforms. “Why should we allow them to stop her? Maybe she’s meant to bring awareness to all this,” Majury said. Ava has not told her followers what happened. “I don’t want it to go out negatively and people think I attracted him,” she said. Her greater worry is that other troubled people will “make it a contest to see who can get here first,’’ and she acknowledged that sometimes at night, trying to fall asleep after the shooting, “I’d think, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’” But by morning, “I thought of all the benefits.’’ “Most people would say the money. And yeah, it’s a huge benefit. But it’s the experience. I got to go to LA, the people that I met,” she said. “Just being able to make other people smile is what I like, the enjoyment of seeing the impact I made on some people’s lives. “I’d post a video at night, close my eyes, and in the morning it was exciting to see how many views I got.” Her father interjected: “It’s like Christmas every day, because then you see it build.” “I think we just had to allow her to make a decision and sort of support her. I think it’s going to help her heal. It sounds corny, but I don’t know what else you would do it for.”

A child's TikTok stardom opens doors. Then a gunman arrives.

Negotiators engaged in talks in Vienna are days away from a final decision on salvaging the Iran nuclear pact. Both the United States and Iran have indicated that they are closer than ever to an agreement.

Nuclear deal negotiators days away from a final decision

Russia on Thursday (February 17) announced a new drawdown of military forces from the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula, continuing a troop withdrawal. While the United States warned that Moscow's announcement of a troop withdrawal is false.

Russia on Thursday (February 17) announced a new drawdown of military forces from the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula, continuing a troop withdrawal. While the United States warned that Moscow's announcement of a troop withdrawal is false. A senior White House official said that Russia has increased its presence on the border with Ukraine "by as many as 7,000 troops". In a statement that was published by Russian news agencies, the country's defence ministry said: "Units of the southern military district that ended tactical exercises at training grounds on the Crimean peninsula are returning by rail to their permanent bases." IN PICS | Russia's next wonder weapon: Kedr intercontinental ballistic missile The defence ministry said that tank units of the western military district had departed on a military train for their bases 1,000 kilometres away. However, no details were provided to specify the number of troops or equipment involved. Meanwhile, the senior White House official said that Russia could launch a "false" pretext to invade Ukraine "at any moment". The official added that while Russia has said it wants to reach a diplomatic solution, its actions indicate otherwise. IN PICS | Satellite pictures: New Pontoon bridge & Russian troop deployment along Ukraine Western countries have claimed that Russia has amassed well over 100,000 troops and significant military hardware near Ukraine's borders. The West also fears that such massive troops build-up could result in the potential invasion of Ukraine, which Washington says could take place "at any time". On the other hand, Russia has repeatedly denied any plans for an attack but has agreed that "large-scale" military exercises are taking place in various areas. Russia has never specified the number of troops present at the Ukraine border region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had observed only "small rotations" that did not signify any real change. ×

Russia 'pulling back more troops' but US says Moscow could launch 'false' pretext to invade Ukraine

Canada beat the United States 3-2 to win the women’s ice hockey final at the Beijing Olympics on Thursday, reclaiming the gold medal the Americans had taken from them four years ago in Pyeongchang.

Captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice, including the game-winner, after Canadian sharpshooter Sarah Nurse got the team going midway through the first period, as an outgunned U.S. team recorded 40 shots on goal to Canada’s 21 across the entire affair but were unable to convert where it counted.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kamila-valieva-recieves-loud-cheers-breaks-down-after-returning-to-action-for-1st-time-since-doping-scandal-453839">Kamila Valieva receives loud cheers, breaks down after returning to action for 1st time since doping scandal</a>

Four-time Olympian Hilary Knight got the United States on the board with a shorthanded effort with less than four minutes to go in the second and the Americans converted on a power play with 13 seconds to go in the third after pulling their goalie.

Finland defeated Switzerland the previous day to take bronze.

Canada beat the United States 3-2 to win the women’s ice hockey final at the Beijing Olympics on Thursday, reclaiming the gold medal the Americans had taken from them four years ago in Pyeongchang.

Canada beat the United States 3-2 to win the women’s ice hockey final at the Beijing Olympics on Thursday, reclaiming the gold medal the Americans had taken from them four years ago in Pyeongchang. Captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice, including the game-winner, after Canadian sharpshooter Sarah Nurse got the team going midway through the first period, as an outgunned U.S. team recorded 40 shots on goal to Canada’s 21 across the entire affair but were unable to convert where it counted. ALSO READ: Kamila Valieva receives loud cheers, breaks down after returning to action for 1st time since doping scandal Four-time Olympian Hilary Knight got the United States on the board with a shorthanded effort with less than four minutes to go in the second and the Americans converted on a power play with 13 seconds to go in the third after pulling their goalie. Finland defeated Switzerland the previous day to take bronze.

Beijing Winter Olympics: Canada reclaims gold medal, U.S. settles for silver in ice hockey

Donald Trump’s longtime accounting firm cut ties with him and his family business last week, saying it could no longer stand behind a decade of annual financial statements it prepared for the Trump Organization, court documents show.

The decision, which was disclosed to the company in a Feb. 9 letter from the accounting firm, comes amid criminal and civil investigations into whether Trump illegally inflated the value of his assets. The firm, Mazars USA, compiled the financial statements based on information the former president and his company provided.

The letter instructed the Trump Organization to essentially retract the documents, known as statements of financial condition, from 2011-20. In the letter, Mazars noted that the firm had not “as a whole” found material discrepancies between the information the Trump Organization provided and the actual value of Trump’s assets. But given what it called “the totality of circumstances” — including Mazars’ own investigation — the letter directed the Trump Organization to notify anyone who received the statements that they should no longer rely on them.

The statements, which Trump used to secure loans, are at the center of the two law enforcement investigations into whether Trump exaggerated the value of his properties to defraud his lenders into providing him the best possible loan terms.

Mazars’ acknowledgment that the statements were fundamentally flawed was a potential blow to the Trump Organization as it attempts to fend off the long-running scrutiny of its finances. And for Trump, whose personal finances are intertwined with those of his family business and who has long faced questions about his taxes, Mazars is the latest in a long line of companies to break with him over the past year, following in the path of several banks, insurers and lawyers.

The disclosures about Mazars’ work for Trump appeared in new court documents filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking to question Trump and two of his adult children under oath as part of her civil investigation.

Trump’s lawyers had asked a judge to prohibit the questioning, and in response, James’ office argued in court papers last month that the company had engaged in “fraudulent or misleading” practices.

Her Monday filing — which marked her latest attempt to press ahead with questioning Trump as well as Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump — included a copy of the Mazars letter, signed by the accounting firm’s general counsel.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has been conducting a separate criminal investigation, with the assistance of lawyers from James’ office.

In a statement, the Trump Organization said that although it was disappointed with Mazars’ decision, it viewed the letter as confirmation that the firm’s “work was performed in accordance with all applicable accounting standards and principles and that such statements of financial condition do not contain any material discrepancies.”

The company argued that Mazars’ characterization of its work “effectively renders the investigations by the DA and AG moot.”

Mazars first moved to split with the Trump Organization last spring, and wound down its work during a transition to a new accounting firm, according to people with knowledge of the relationship. But the letter withdrawing the statements represented a sharper break, and its disclosure in the court filing was the first time the end of the business relationship has been made public.

In a statement, the accounting firm said that “under our standards of professional ethics, we cannot comment on any client services or relationships.”

The firm’s brief letter could bolster James’ investigation, which has focused partly on the statements and whether they overvalued Trump’s various hotels, golf clubs and other properties.

Mazars said it concluded that the statements were no longer reliable based in part on the attorney general’s earlier filings, its own investigations and information the accountants received from “internal and external sources.” The letter added that Mazars “performed its work in accordance with professional standards.”

Because James’ investigation is civil, she cannot file criminal charges. But she could sue Trump and his company to seek financial penalties and could try to shut down certain aspects of Trump’s business in New York.

“As the most recent filings demonstrate, the evidence continues to mount showing that Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization used fraudulent and misleading financial statements to obtain economic benefit,” James said in a statement. “There should be no doubt that this is a lawful investigation and that we have legitimate reason to seek testimony from Donald J. Trump, Donald J. Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump.”

It is unclear whether Mazars’ break with the Trumps will have any bearing on the DA’s criminal investigation into Trump. The firm has been cooperating with that investigation, and Trump’s main accountant at Mazars has already testified before a grand jury hearing evidence about Trump.

The office of the DA, Alvin Bragg, declined to comment.

Both investigations still face obstacles. Although the statements may contain exaggerated estimates of Trump’s property values, those same documents also include a number of disclaimers, including acknowledgments that Trump’s accountants had neither audited nor authenticated his claims.

Another disclaimer notes that Mazars did “not express an opinion or provide any assurance about” the statements, a common caveat in statements of financial condition. The firm also disclosed that, while compiling the information for Trump, it had “become aware of departures from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.”

Trump’s lawyers would probably argue that his lenders, sophisticated financial institutions such as Deutsche Bank, would not have relied on the statements when providing him loans.

Still, in her court filing last month, James highlighted potential misleading statements about the value of at least six Trump properties, including golf clubs in Westchester County, New York, and Scotland, as well as Trump’s own penthouse home in Trump Tower.

According to that filing, Trump claimed that the triplex apartment spanned 30,000 square feet, giving it an eye-popping value of $327 million. In truth, the apartment was 10,996 square feet.

Trump’s long-serving chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, later acknowledged to investigators that the company had overvalued the apartment by “give or take” $200 million.

(Separately, Weisselberg and the Trump Organization were indicted last summer and accused of orchestrating a 15-year scheme to provide certain executives with off-the-books luxury perks such as free cars and apartments. Weisselberg and the company have pleaded not guilty, and the case is tentatively scheduled to go to trial late this summer.)

Both the civil and criminal investigations have examined the underlying information that the Trump Organization provided Mazars as the accountants compiled the annual financial statements.

Often, Trump’s company would estimate the value of its properties based on recent selling prices of comparable buildings, a common real estate valuation method. Authorities have zeroed in on whether the company cherry-picked favorable information to essentially mislead Mazars into presenting an overly rosy picture of Trump’s finances.

James has argued that the Trump Organization misstated the value of the properties to lenders, insurers and the IRS. Many of the statements, she argued in the filing last month, were “generally inflated as part of a pattern to suggest that Trump’s net worth was higher than it otherwise would have appeared.”

Donald Trump’s longtime accounting firm cut ties with him and his family business last week, saying it could no longer stand behind a decade of annual financial statements it prepared for the Trump Organization, court documents show.

Donald Trump’s longtime accounting firm cut ties with him and his family business last week, saying it could no longer stand behind a decade of annual financial statements it prepared for the Trump Organization, court documents show. The decision, which was disclosed to the company in a Feb. 9 letter from the accounting firm, comes amid criminal and civil investigations into whether Trump illegally inflated the value of his assets. The firm, Mazars USA, compiled the financial statements based on information the former president and his company provided. The letter instructed the Trump Organization to essentially retract the documents, known as statements of financial condition, from 2011-20. In the letter, Mazars noted that the firm had not “as a whole” found material discrepancies between the information the Trump Organization provided and the actual value of Trump’s assets. But given what it called “the totality of circumstances” — including Mazars’ own investigation — the letter directed the Trump Organization to notify anyone who received the statements that they should no longer rely on them. The statements, which Trump used to secure loans, are at the center of the two law enforcement investigations into whether Trump exaggerated the value of his properties to defraud his lenders into providing him the best possible loan terms. Mazars’ acknowledgment that the statements were fundamentally flawed was a potential blow to the Trump Organization as it attempts to fend off the long-running scrutiny of its finances. And for Trump, whose personal finances are intertwined with those of his family business and who has long faced questions about his taxes, Mazars is the latest in a long line of companies to break with him over the past year, following in the path of several banks, insurers and lawyers. The disclosures about Mazars’ work for Trump appeared in new court documents filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking to question Trump and two of his adult children under oath as part of her civil investigation. Trump’s lawyers had asked a judge to prohibit the questioning, and in response, James’ office argued in court papers last month that the company had engaged in “fraudulent or misleading” practices. Her Monday filing — which marked her latest attempt to press ahead with questioning Trump as well as Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump — included a copy of the Mazars letter, signed by the accounting firm’s general counsel. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has been conducting a separate criminal investigation, with the assistance of lawyers from James’ office. In a statement, the Trump Organization said that although it was disappointed with Mazars’ decision, it viewed the letter as confirmation that the firm’s “work was performed in accordance with all applicable accounting standards and principles and that such statements of financial condition do not contain any material discrepancies.” The company argued that Mazars’ characterization of its work “effectively renders the investigations by the DA and AG moot.” Mazars first moved to split with the Trump Organization last spring, and wound down its work during a transition to a new accounting firm, according to people with knowledge of the relationship. But the letter withdrawing the statements represented a sharper break, and its disclosure in the court filing was the first time the end of the business relationship has been made public. In a statement, the accounting firm said that “under our standards of professional ethics, we cannot comment on any client services or relationships.” The firm’s brief letter could bolster James’ investigation, which has focused partly on the statements and whether they overvalued Trump’s various hotels, golf clubs and other properties. Mazars said it concluded that the statements were no longer reliable based in part on the attorney general’s earlier filings, its own investigations and information the accountants received from “internal and external sources.” The letter added that Mazars “performed its work in accordance with professional standards.” Because James’ investigation is civil, she cannot file criminal charges. But she could sue Trump and his company to seek financial penalties and could try to shut down certain aspects of Trump’s business in New York. “As the most recent filings demonstrate, the evidence continues to mount showing that Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization used fraudulent and misleading financial statements to obtain economic benefit,” James said in a statement. “There should be no doubt that this is a lawful investigation and that we have legitimate reason to seek testimony from Donald J. Trump, Donald J. Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump.” It is unclear whether Mazars’ break with the Trumps will have any bearing on the DA’s criminal investigation into Trump. The firm has been cooperating with that investigation, and Trump’s main accountant at Mazars has already testified before a grand jury hearing evidence about Trump. The office of the DA, Alvin Bragg, declined to comment. Both investigations still face obstacles. Although the statements may contain exaggerated estimates of Trump’s property values, those same documents also include a number of disclaimers, including acknowledgments that Trump’s accountants had neither audited nor authenticated his claims. Another disclaimer notes that Mazars did “not express an opinion or provide any assurance about” the statements, a common caveat in statements of financial condition. The firm also disclosed that, while compiling the information for Trump, it had “become aware of departures from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.” Trump’s lawyers would probably argue that his lenders, sophisticated financial institutions such as Deutsche Bank, would not have relied on the statements when providing him loans. Still, in her court filing last month, James highlighted potential misleading statements about the value of at least six Trump properties, including golf clubs in Westchester County, New York, and Scotland, as well as Trump’s own penthouse home in Trump Tower. According to that filing, Trump claimed that the triplex apartment spanned 30,000 square feet, giving it an eye-popping value of $327 million. In truth, the apartment was 10,996 square feet. Trump’s long-serving chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, later acknowledged to investigators that the company had overvalued the apartment by “give or take” $200 million. (Separately, Weisselberg and the Trump Organization were indicted last summer and accused of orchestrating a 15-year scheme to provide certain executives with off-the-books luxury perks such as free cars and apartments. Weisselberg and the company have pleaded not guilty, and the case is tentatively scheduled to go to trial late this summer.) Both the civil and criminal investigations have examined the underlying information that the Trump Organization provided Mazars as the accountants compiled the annual financial statements. Often, Trump’s company would estimate the value of its properties based on recent selling prices of comparable buildings, a common real estate valuation method. Authorities have zeroed in on whether the company cherry-picked favorable information to essentially mislead Mazars into presenting an overly rosy picture of Trump’s finances. James has argued that the Trump Organization misstated the value of the properties to lenders, insurers and the IRS. Many of the statements, she argued in the filing last month, were “generally inflated as part of a pattern to suggest that Trump’s net worth was higher than it otherwise would have appeared.”

Accounting firm cuts ties with Trump and retracts financial statements

US believes that a small crucial window of diplomacy remains for Russia to de-escalate tensions at the Ukraine border as Western leaders engages in a flurry of talks to defuse the crisis. 'We are not saying that president Putin has made a final decision we have not communicated otherwise to our partners we believe that diplomacy continues to be viable we believe that there still remains a window to resolve crisis through dialogue and diplomacy.'

United States: Crucial window of diplomacy left | Russia-Ukraine border tensions

In light of the tense situation in Ukraine, several countries have decided to either suspend or shift their embassy from the capital Kyiv. The United States is relocating its operations to the city of Lviv in western Ukraine. The US embassy in Ukraine has also issued an alert advising all US citizens to leave the country.

US moving Ukraine embassy from Kyiv to Lviv amid Russian military buildup

United States has once again reiterated its warning that Russia could invade Ukraine at any moment. In the latest, Ukraine has called for a meeting with Russia other signatories to the Vienna Document signatories within 48 hours to address and discuss the current situation.

Ukraine seeks meeting with Russia within 48 hours

As fears of Russian invasion loom over Ukraine, the United States has dramatically raised the alarm warning that a Russian invasion could begin within few days. The White House said that a Russian invasion starting with civilians being caught under aerial bombing could begin any time even before the end of the Beijing Olympics.

United States: Russian invasion could occur any day

When the US withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, the international community rushed to freeze the country's foreign assets so that the Taliban does not misuse the funds but the ordinary afghans fell prey to this move. Humanitarian groups were left with no means to help those in need now after six months the US has decided to unfreeze part of the assets.

United States to unfreeze part of Afghan assets six months after Taliban takeover

Another case of shooting was reported from the United States, the incident took place in Arizona's Phoenix city leaving two dead including the suspect and nine policemen injured.

Shootout at Phoenix leaves 2 dead and nine police officers injured

A training session on water rescues for firefighters in suburban St. Louis became a real-life experience when the crew had to jump into action to save two teenagers.

Two people were spotted crossing Creve Coeur Lake by Maryland Heights Fire Protection District crews as they were closing up training Tuesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Watching in horror, the firefighters witnessed the ice on the lake break and the two fall through.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/afghan-neighbour-sends-homemade-meal-to-uk-woman-in-her-sickness-winning-hearts-on-internet-452245" hreflang="en">Afghan neighbour sends homemade meal to UK woman in her sickness, winning hearts on internet</a>

"Training was wrapping up when one of our chiefs spotted 2 people running across the lake. &nbsp;In less than 15 seconds of the teens being spotted running across, the ice broke and they were in the water" said the fire department, in a Facebook post describing the incident.

"The crew that was still present went into response mode along with the two chiefs. &nbsp;A full response was requested. &nbsp;The Maryland Heights Fire Protection District crew along with the Pattonville Fire Protection District assisted by Creve Coeur Fire Protection District responded. &nbsp;The initial crew were able to get 4 rescuers on the ice and remove the victims in a very timely fashion."

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With the help of Pattonville and Creve Coeur fire departments, the training firefighters were able to rescue the teens from the ice-covered lake in just minutes.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/just-rocks-or-dinosaur-eggs-archaeologists-discover-mystery-objects-in-this-indian-state-452072" hreflang="en">Just rocks or dinosaur eggs? Archaeologists discover mystery objects in this Indian state</a>

The Maryland Heights Fire District posted a video of the rescue on YouTube and detailed information about it on its Facebook page. Watch the daring rescue here:

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"We ask one thing from everyone- Stay off the ice!"

"These 2 were lucky with their outcome because we had crews within seconds but not everyone is that lucky." warned the firefighters.&nbsp;

Despite the cultural significance of ice activities for many countries, they pose high risks in terms of safety, according to the condition and stability of the ice.&nbsp;

In order for ice to remain stable and thick, cold winters are needed. Warm winters can degrade ice conditions and increase the risk of falling through the ice.&nbsp;

As the temperature steadily rises due to global warming, lakes, rivers, and seas will experience earlier ice break-up, later ice formation, shorter ice cover seasons, and decreased ice thickness.

A training session on water rescues for firefighters in suburban St. Louis became a real-life experience when the crew had to jump into action to save two teenagers.

A training session on water rescues for firefighters in suburban St. Louis became a real-life experience when the crew had to jump into action to save two teenagers. Two people were spotted crossing Creve Coeur Lake by Maryland Heights Fire Protection District crews as they were closing up training Tuesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Watching in horror, the firefighters witnessed the ice on the lake break and the two fall through. Also read | Afghan neighbour sends homemade meal to UK woman in her sickness, winning hearts on internet "Training was wrapping up when one of our chiefs spotted 2 people running across the lake. In less than 15 seconds of the teens being spotted running across, the ice broke and they were in the water" said the fire department, in a Facebook post describing the incident. "The crew that was still present went into response mode along with the two chiefs. A full response was requested. The Maryland Heights Fire Protection District crew along with the Pattonville Fire Protection District assisted by Creve Coeur Fire Protection District responded. The initial crew were able to get 4 rescuers on the ice and remove the victims in a very timely fashion." × With the help of Pattonville and Creve Coeur fire departments, the training firefighters were able to rescue the teens from the ice-covered lake in just minutes. Also read | Just rocks or dinosaur eggs? Archaeologists discover mystery objects in this Indian state The Maryland Heights Fire District posted a video of the rescue on YouTube and detailed information about it on its Facebook page. Watch the daring rescue here: × "We ask one thing from everyone- Stay off the ice!" "These 2 were lucky with their outcome because we had crews within seconds but not everyone is that lucky." warned the firefighters. Despite the cultural significance of ice activities for many countries, they pose high risks in terms of safety, according to the condition and stability of the ice. In order for ice to remain stable and thick, cold winters are needed. Warm winters can degrade ice conditions and increase the risk of falling through the ice. As the temperature steadily rises due to global warming, lakes, rivers, and seas will experience earlier ice break-up, later ice formation, shorter ice cover seasons, and decreased ice thickness.

Watch: When a training session turns into a life-saving mission. Firefighters rescue teens from a icy death

American Nathan Chen achieved a spectacular redemption when he claimed the men's figure skating title in dazzling fashion at the Beijing Olympics, completing a four-year journey to the exhilarating tunes of Elton John on Thursday.

The 22-year-old, who left empty-handed after a meltdown in Pyeongchang in 2018, stood by the edge of the rink to soak up the atmosphere during warm-up and then skated carefreely to "Rocket Man" to add to his world record in the short programme for a total of 332.60.

Wearing a Vera Wang-designed orange and purple top decorated with stars in space in a nod to his medley of Elton John songs, Chen displayed power, grace and precision, effortlessly landing his quadruple jumps as he triggered some rare cheering from a usually near-silent crowd.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/how-the-garlic-girls-overcame-abuse-to-return-to-the-olympics-451795">How the ‘Garlic Girls’ overcame abuse to return to the Olympics</a>

Japan`s Yuma Kagiyama (310.05) was a distant second and fellow Japanese Shoma Uno (293.00) came third, but 'Rocket Chen'&nbsp;showed he was a class above as he landed his fourth quadruple jump.

"I never really thought that I'd be able to actually make it this far in my career. I'd always, of course, dreamed about making an Olympics and winning the Olympics, but I was like, that's hard, I don't know if I can make that happen," Chen said.

"I haven't really had time to process fully, but it's amazing so far."

Yuzuru Hanyu, who was hoping to win the event for the third time in a row, finished fourth on 283.21. All attention was on the Japanese great after his long-awaited, delayed arrival&nbsp;in Beijing, but the 27-year-old fell out of contention with a disastrous short programme.

He was also looking to become the first skater to land the quadruple Axel in competition but failed to deliver, falling again on a quadruple Salchow.

WELCOME RESPITE 
 
Hanyu, looking tired and at times struggling to steady his breath to contain his emotions, said he was disappointed at his failed attempt but that he had "given it his all".

"It wasn't fun at all," he said of his Olympic experience, describing it as painful and difficult.

Asked if he would compete at the world championships or keep attempting the '4A', he said, "I need some more time to think about it."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/korean-dress-controversy-at-beijing-olympics-china-denies-cultural-appropriation-after-row-451778">Korean dress controversy at Beijing Olympics: China denies 'cultural appropriation' after row</a>

Chen, coming into the Olympics having been defeated only once since his Pyeongchang setback, at last year's Skate America, delivered a masterclass to become the first American to win the men's title since Evan Lysacek in Vancouver in 2010.

Kagiyama, Uno and Hanyu watched in awe as Japan's double Olympic champion knew he would have to make way for Chen, who exited the ice showing unusual signs of jubilation.

"I think that I can't regret the performance I gave," said Uno, praising Chen`s class and consistency.

Chen's smile and gesture brought a welcome respite in an otherwise tense atmosphere at the Capital Indoor Stadium where the buzz was centred on day-old reports - still unconfirmed - that Russian Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old gold medal favourite in the women's competition - had tested positive for a banned drug.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/beijing-olympics-medals-ceremony-of-figure-skating-team-event-won-by-russia-delayed-over-legal-issue-451686">Beijing Olympics: Medals ceremony of figure skating team event won by Russia delayed over legal issue</a>

Valieva was part of the six-person Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team that won gold on Monday. Medals from that event have yet to be awarded with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) citing unspecified legal reasons for the delay.

She turned up for practice on an adjacent rink, before Chen's performance grabbed the attention, at least for a memorable four and a half minutes, and signalled the end of Hanyu's domination.

American Nathan Chen achieved a spectacular redemption when he claimed the men's figure skating title in dazzling fashion at the Beijing Olympics, completing a four-year journey to the exhilarating tunes of Elton John on Thursday.

American Nathan Chen achieved a spectacular redemption when he claimed the men's figure skating title in dazzling fashion at the Beijing Olympics, completing a four-year journey to the exhilarating tunes of Elton John on Thursday. The 22-year-old, who left empty-handed after a meltdown in Pyeongchang in 2018, stood by the edge of the rink to soak up the atmosphere during warm-up and then skated carefreely to "Rocket Man" to add to his world record in the short programme for a total of 332.60. Wearing a Vera Wang-designed orange and purple top decorated with stars in space in a nod to his medley of Elton John songs, Chen displayed power, grace and precision, effortlessly landing his quadruple jumps as he triggered some rare cheering from a usually near-silent crowd. ALSO READ: How the ‘Garlic Girls’ overcame abuse to return to the Olympics Japan`s Yuma Kagiyama (310.05) was a distant second and fellow Japanese Shoma Uno (293.00) came third, but 'Rocket Chen' showed he was a class above as he landed his fourth quadruple jump. "I never really thought that I'd be able to actually make it this far in my career. I'd always, of course, dreamed about making an Olympics and winning the Olympics, but I was like, that's hard, I don't know if I can make that happen," Chen said. "I haven't really had time to process fully, but it's amazing so far." Yuzuru Hanyu, who was hoping to win the event for the third time in a row, finished fourth on 283.21. All attention was on the Japanese great after his long-awaited, delayed arrival in Beijing, but the 27-year-old fell out of contention with a disastrous short programme. He was also looking to become the first skater to land the quadruple Axel in competition but failed to deliver, falling again on a quadruple Salchow. WELCOME RESPITE Hanyu, looking tired and at times struggling to steady his breath to contain his emotions, said he was disappointed at his failed attempt but that he had "given it his all". "It wasn't fun at all," he said of his Olympic experience, describing it as painful and difficult. Asked if he would compete at the world championships or keep attempting the '4A', he said, "I need some more time to think about it." ALSO READ: Korean dress controversy at Beijing Olympics: China denies 'cultural appropriation' after row Chen, coming into the Olympics having been defeated only once since his Pyeongchang setback, at last year's Skate America, delivered a masterclass to become the first American to win the men's title since Evan Lysacek in Vancouver in 2010. Kagiyama, Uno and Hanyu watched in awe as Japan's double Olympic champion knew he would have to make way for Chen, who exited the ice showing unusual signs of jubilation. "I think that I can't regret the performance I gave," said Uno, praising Chen`s class and consistency. Chen's smile and gesture brought a welcome respite in an otherwise tense atmosphere at the Capital Indoor Stadium where the buzz was centred on day-old reports - still unconfirmed - that Russian Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old gold medal favourite in the women's competition - had tested positive for a banned drug. ALSO READ: Beijing Olympics: Medals ceremony of figure skating team event won by Russia delayed over legal issue Valieva was part of the six-person Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team that won gold on Monday. Medals from that event have yet to be awarded with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) citing unspecified legal reasons for the delay. She turned up for practice on an adjacent rink, before Chen's performance grabbed the attention, at least for a memorable four and a half minutes, and signalled the end of Hanyu's domination.

Beijing Olympics 2022: Nathan Chen of US wins long-awaited skating gold

New York's Governor on Wednesday announced to put an end to mandatory masking mandate in most of the indoor places in the city, but ruled out schools for now. The Governor added that the decline in infection rates and hospitalisations have led to rescind the order.

New York to lift mandatory masking law, rules out schools

Five months after the chaotic evacuation of US troops from Afghanistan, testimonies from multiple commanders involved in this operation have now been released to the public. Details from the final days of the evacuation have come to light from the planning to the life and death decisions made daily by US soldiers.

United States issues report on fatal Afghanistan Airport attack on US troops

Truck drivers protesting in Canada continue to partially block the busy Ambassador Bridge linking the United States and Canada. The bridge is the busiest crossing, comprising 25% of annual trade between the two countries.

Truckers' protests block US-Canada trade bridge, to impact supply chains, economy

On the eve of renewed nuclear deal talks the United States indicated a possibility of a deal with Iran on its nuclear program but the US also asserted that an agreement had to be completed urgently as Tehran advances its nuclear capabilities, the negotiations are resuming in Vienna after being halted at the end of last month.

US says Iran nuclear deal 'in sight,' renewed nuclear deal talks in Vienna

In a boost to Taiwan's missile defense systems, the United States has approved a 100 million dollar defense support contract. The approval comes amid heightened tensions with China, it will sustain maintain and improve the self-ruled island's patriot missile defense system.

United States approves $100 million deal for Taiwan's missile upgrade

There is no end of troubles for much celebrated electric car maker Tesla as the firm received a subpoena from US securities regulator, it's linked to a settlement that required CEO Elon Musk's tweet on material information about company to be vetted.

Tesla receives Subpoena from US government 10 days after Elon Musk's Twitter poll

When Jane Timken kicked off an eight-week advertising campaign on the Fox News Channel in her bid for the Republican nomination for Senate, she did not focus on immigration, health care or the economy. Her first ad was titled “Fire Fauci.”

Its subject — Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser for the coronavirus — is also under attack in Pennsylvania, where Mehmet Oz, a television doctor who has entered the Republican Senate primary there, calls him a “petty tyrant.” In Nebraska, an ad shows Jim Pillen, a Republican running for governor, dressed in hunting gear and cocking his gun after saying, “And Fauci? Don’t get me started.”

Republican attacks on Fauci are not new; former President Donald Trump, irked that the doctor publicly corrected his falsehoods about the virus, called him “a disaster” and repeatedly threatened to fire him. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has grilled Fauci in nationally televised hearings, and Fauci — true to his fighter-from-Brooklyn roots — has punched back.

But as the 2022 midterm elections approach, the attacks have spread across the nation, intensifying as Fauci draws outsize attention in some of the most important state and local races on the ballot in November.

The Republican war on Fauci is partly a sign of Trump’s strong grip on the party. But Fauci, both his friends and detractors agree, has also become a symbol of something deeper — the deep schism in the country, mistrust in government and a brewing populist resentment of the elites, all made worse by the pandemic.

And Fauci, whose perpetual television appearances have made him the face of the COVID-19 response — and who is viewed by his critics as a high-and-mighty know-it-all who enjoys his celebrity — seems an obvious person to blame.

“Populism is essentially anti: anti-establishment, anti-expertise, anti-intellectual and anti-media,” said Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist, adding that Fauci “is an establishment expert intellectual who is in the media.”

For the 81-year-old immunologist, a venerated figure in the world of science, it is a jarring last chapter of a government career that has spanned half a century. As director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a post he has held since 1984, he has helped lead the response to various public health crises, including AIDS and Ebola, and advised eight presidents. He has never revealed a party affiliation. President George H.W. Bush once cited him as a hero.

Now, though, some voters are parroting right-wing commentators who compare Fauci to the brutal Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. Candidates in hotly contested Republican primaries like Ohio’s are trying to out-Trump one another by supplanting Speaker Nancy Pelosi with Fauci as a political boogeyman.

In Pennsylvania, Oz recently ran a Twitter ad calling for a debate — not between candidates, but between him and Fauci. In Wisconsin, Kevin Nicholson, a onetime Democrat running for governor as a conservative outsider, said Fauci “should be fired and referred to prosecutors.”

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has released an advertisement last month telling Fauci to “pound sand” via the beach sandals the governor’s reelection campaign is now selling: “Freedom Over Fauci Flip-Flops.” DeSantis has coined a new term: “Faucism.” In Washington, lawmakers are taking aim at Fauci’s salary, finances and influence.

“I didn’t make myself a polarizing figure,” Fauci declared in an interview. “I’ve been demonized by people who are running away from the truth.”

The anti-Fauci fervor has taken its toll on his personal life; he has received death threats, his family has been harassed and his home in Washington is guarded by a security detail. His standing with the public has also suffered. In a recent NBC News Poll, just 40% of respondents said they trusted Fauci, down from 60% in April 2020.

Still, Ayres said, Fauci remains for many Americans “one of the most trusted voices regarding the pandemic.” In a Gallup poll at the end of 2021, his job approval rating was 52%. On a list of 10 officials, including Biden and congressional leaders, only two scored higher: Chief Justice John Roberts and Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Republican strategists are split on whether attacking Fauci is a smart strategy. Ayres said it could help rev up the base in a primary but backfire in a general election, especially in a swing state like Ohio. But John Feehery, another strategist, said many pandemic-weary Americans viewed Fauci as “Mr. Lockdown,” and it made sense for Republicans “to run against both Fauci and lockdowns.”

Here in Ohio, Timken, a Harvard graduate and former chairwoman of the Ohio Republican Party who promises to “advance the Trump agenda without fear or hesitation,” is doing just that. Her ad shows a parent struggling to put a mask on a screaming toddler, which she brands “child abuse.”

The spot, she said in an interview, was prompted by what she hears from voters who are resentful of vaccine mandates, confused by shifting public health advice and tired of being told what to do.

“It taps into the real frustration they feel,” Timken said, “that Fauci claims to be the bastion of science, but I think he’s playing God.”

She is one of three candidates with elite academic credentials who are going after Fauci in a crowded primary for the seat that Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican, is giving up. The others are J.D. Vance, a lawyer with a Yale degree and the author of the best-selling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” and Josh Mandel, the former Ohio state treasurer, whose law degree is from Case Western Reserve University.

Vance called Fauci “a ridiculous tyrant” during a rally with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Republican banned from Twitter for spreading COVID misinformation. Mandel has railed against Fauci for months on Facebook and Twitter, calling him a liar and “one of the biggest frauds in American history.”

Ohio Republicans are split between the Trump wing and centrists in the mold of John Kasich, the former governor. Those tensions were on display last week at Tommy’s Diner, a Columbus institution, and at a meeting of the Franklin County Republican Committee, which convened to vote on endorsements. Sentiments seemed to track with vaccination status.

At the diner, Republicans like Mike Matthews, a retired state worker, and George Wolf, a retired firefighter, both of whom voted for Trump, found no fault with Fauci. Both are vaccinated. “I’ve never heard of anyone that I would trust more,” Wolf said.

But at the next table, Andy Watkinson, a remodeling contractor who is unvaccinated, said he was a fan of Joe Rogan, the podcaster, provocateur and Fauci critic. “I think he’s done the same thing for 50 years and he’s in bed with all the pharma companies,” Watkinson said of Fauci, though there is no evidence of that. “He needs to retire.”

At the committee meeting, views about Fauci were more strident.

“He needs to be brought up on charges,” declared Lisadiana Bates, a former business owner who is home-schooling her children. Echoing Dr. Robert Malone, who has become a conservative celebrity by arguing that COVID vaccine mandates are unethical experiments, she asserted that Fauci had “violated the Nuremberg Code,” the set of research ethics developed after the Holocaust.

“This whole thing is nothing but an experiment!” Bates exclaimed.

The roots of anti-Fauci campaign rhetoric can be traced to Washington, where Fauci has clashed repeatedly with two Republican senators who are also doctors: Paul, an ophthalmologist, and Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, an obstetrician.

Paul has fueled speculation that COVID-19 was the result of a lab leak produced by federally funded “gain-of-function” research — high-risk studies aimed at making viruses more infectious — in Wuhan, China. Fauci and other National Institutes of Health officials have said that the Wuhan research did not meet the criteria for gain-of-function studies, and that it is genetically impossible for viruses studied there to have produced the pandemic.

The nuances of that dispute, however, have gotten lost in the increasingly hostile exchanges between the two men. In July, after Paul accused him of lying to Congress, Fauci shot back, “If anybody is lying here, senator, it is you.” Last month, Fauci arrived at a Senate hearing brandishing a fundraising webpage for Paul that included a “Fire Dr. Fauci” graphic, and accused Paul of exploiting the pandemic for political gain.

Later in that same hearing, Fauci muttered under his breath that Marshall was “a moron” — a comment caught on an open microphone — after the senator posted Fauci’s salary on a placard and demanded his financial disclosure forms, suggesting he might be engaged in financial “shenanigans” with the pharmaceutical industry.

(Fauci’s financial disclosure forms, which Marshall has since posted on the internet, show investments in bonds and mutual funds, not drug companies. He is paid an annual salary of $434,312 under a provision that allows government doctors and scientists to be highly compensated, akin to what they could earn in the private sector.)

Fauci said he did not regret the “moron” remark, or the pushback against Paul. But Timken said calling Marshall a moron was “beyond the pale.”

Even some Fauci fans in academia and government say he might have been better off keeping his cool to avoid amplifying his Republican critics and alienating voters who need to hear his public health message. Some suggest he lower his profile; he says the White House asks him to go on TV.

“He’s been pushing back in a way that is not common for us to see for American scientists, and I don’t know if it’s a good idea,” said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.

If Democrats lose seats in the midterm elections, as many expect, Fauci may have a Republican-controlled Congress to contend with. Another Republican from Ohio, Rep. Jim Jordan, who claims that Fauci knew the coronavirus “came from a lab,” has vowed that Republicans will investigate him if they win control of the House.

Some of Fauci’s friends are urging him to avoid that possibility by retiring. He has been working on a memoir, but cannot look for a publisher while he is still a federal employee. Fauci says Republicans will not dictate the terms of his retirement, and he has no plans at the moment to step down. And, he said, he is not worried about any investigation.

“I can’t think of what they would want to investigate except this whole pile of lies that they’re throwing around,” he said. 
&nbsp;

When Jane Timken kicked off an eight-week advertising campaign on the Fox News Channel in her bid for the Republican nomination for Senate, she did not focus on immigration, health care or the economy.

When Jane Timken kicked off an eight-week advertising campaign on the Fox News Channel in her bid for the Republican nomination for Senate, she did not focus on immigration, health care or the economy. Her first ad was titled “Fire Fauci.” Its subject — Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser for the coronavirus — is also under attack in Pennsylvania, where Mehmet Oz, a television doctor who has entered the Republican Senate primary there, calls him a “petty tyrant.” In Nebraska, an ad shows Jim Pillen, a Republican running for governor, dressed in hunting gear and cocking his gun after saying, “And Fauci? Don’t get me started.” Republican attacks on Fauci are not new; former President Donald Trump, irked that the doctor publicly corrected his falsehoods about the virus, called him “a disaster” and repeatedly threatened to fire him. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has grilled Fauci in nationally televised hearings, and Fauci — true to his fighter-from-Brooklyn roots — has punched back. But as the 2022 midterm elections approach, the attacks have spread across the nation, intensifying as Fauci draws outsize attention in some of the most important state and local races on the ballot in November. The Republican war on Fauci is partly a sign of Trump’s strong grip on the party. But Fauci, both his friends and detractors agree, has also become a symbol of something deeper — the deep schism in the country, mistrust in government and a brewing populist resentment of the elites, all made worse by the pandemic. And Fauci, whose perpetual television appearances have made him the face of the COVID-19 response — and who is viewed by his critics as a high-and-mighty know-it-all who enjoys his celebrity — seems an obvious person to blame. “Populism is essentially anti: anti-establishment, anti-expertise, anti-intellectual and anti-media,” said Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist, adding that Fauci “is an establishment expert intellectual who is in the media.” For the 81-year-old immunologist, a venerated figure in the world of science, it is a jarring last chapter of a government career that has spanned half a century. As director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a post he has held since 1984, he has helped lead the response to various public health crises, including AIDS and Ebola, and advised eight presidents. He has never revealed a party affiliation. President George H.W. Bush once cited him as a hero. Now, though, some voters are parroting right-wing commentators who compare Fauci to the brutal Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. Candidates in hotly contested Republican primaries like Ohio’s are trying to out-Trump one another by supplanting Speaker Nancy Pelosi with Fauci as a political boogeyman. In Pennsylvania, Oz recently ran a Twitter ad calling for a debate — not between candidates, but between him and Fauci. In Wisconsin, Kevin Nicholson, a onetime Democrat running for governor as a conservative outsider, said Fauci “should be fired and referred to prosecutors.” In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has released an advertisement last month telling Fauci to “pound sand” via the beach sandals the governor’s reelection campaign is now selling: “Freedom Over Fauci Flip-Flops.” DeSantis has coined a new term: “Faucism.” In Washington, lawmakers are taking aim at Fauci’s salary, finances and influence. “I didn’t make myself a polarizing figure,” Fauci declared in an interview. “I’ve been demonized by people who are running away from the truth.” The anti-Fauci fervor has taken its toll on his personal life; he has received death threats, his family has been harassed and his home in Washington is guarded by a security detail. His standing with the public has also suffered. In a recent NBC News Poll, just 40% of respondents said they trusted Fauci, down from 60% in April 2020. Still, Ayres said, Fauci remains for many Americans “one of the most trusted voices regarding the pandemic.” In a Gallup poll at the end of 2021, his job approval rating was 52%. On a list of 10 officials, including Biden and congressional leaders, only two scored higher: Chief Justice John Roberts and Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve. Republican strategists are split on whether attacking Fauci is a smart strategy. Ayres said it could help rev up the base in a primary but backfire in a general election, especially in a swing state like Ohio. But John Feehery, another strategist, said many pandemic-weary Americans viewed Fauci as “Mr. Lockdown,” and it made sense for Republicans “to run against both Fauci and lockdowns.” Here in Ohio, Timken, a Harvard graduate and former chairwoman of the Ohio Republican Party who promises to “advance the Trump agenda without fear or hesitation,” is doing just that. Her ad shows a parent struggling to put a mask on a screaming toddler, which she brands “child abuse.” The spot, she said in an interview, was prompted by what she hears from voters who are resentful of vaccine mandates, confused by shifting public health advice and tired of being told what to do. “It taps into the real frustration they feel,” Timken said, “that Fauci claims to be the bastion of science, but I think he’s playing God.” She is one of three candidates with elite academic credentials who are going after Fauci in a crowded primary for the seat that Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican, is giving up. The others are J.D. Vance, a lawyer with a Yale degree and the author of the best-selling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” and Josh Mandel, the former Ohio state treasurer, whose law degree is from Case Western Reserve University. Vance called Fauci “a ridiculous tyrant” during a rally with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Republican banned from Twitter for spreading COVID misinformation. Mandel has railed against Fauci for months on Facebook and Twitter, calling him a liar and “one of the biggest frauds in American history.” Ohio Republicans are split between the Trump wing and centrists in the mold of John Kasich, the former governor. Those tensions were on display last week at Tommy’s Diner, a Columbus institution, and at a meeting of the Franklin County Republican Committee, which convened to vote on endorsements. Sentiments seemed to track with vaccination status. At the diner, Republicans like Mike Matthews, a retired state worker, and George Wolf, a retired firefighter, both of whom voted for Trump, found no fault with Fauci. Both are vaccinated. “I’ve never heard of anyone that I would trust more,” Wolf said. But at the next table, Andy Watkinson, a remodeling contractor who is unvaccinated, said he was a fan of Joe Rogan, the podcaster, provocateur and Fauci critic. “I think he’s done the same thing for 50 years and he’s in bed with all the pharma companies,” Watkinson said of Fauci, though there is no evidence of that. “He needs to retire.” At the committee meeting, views about Fauci were more strident. “He needs to be brought up on charges,” declared Lisadiana Bates, a former business owner who is home-schooling her children. Echoing Dr. Robert Malone, who has become a conservative celebrity by arguing that COVID vaccine mandates are unethical experiments, she asserted that Fauci had “violated the Nuremberg Code,” the set of research ethics developed after the Holocaust. “This whole thing is nothing but an experiment!” Bates exclaimed. The roots of anti-Fauci campaign rhetoric can be traced to Washington, where Fauci has clashed repeatedly with two Republican senators who are also doctors: Paul, an ophthalmologist, and Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, an obstetrician. Paul has fueled speculation that COVID-19 was the result of a lab leak produced by federally funded “gain-of-function” research — high-risk studies aimed at making viruses more infectious — in Wuhan, China. Fauci and other National Institutes of Health officials have said that the Wuhan research did not meet the criteria for gain-of-function studies, and that it is genetically impossible for viruses studied there to have produced the pandemic. The nuances of that dispute, however, have gotten lost in the increasingly hostile exchanges between the two men. In July, after Paul accused him of lying to Congress, Fauci shot back, “If anybody is lying here, senator, it is you.” Last month, Fauci arrived at a Senate hearing brandishing a fundraising webpage for Paul that included a “Fire Dr. Fauci” graphic, and accused Paul of exploiting the pandemic for political gain. Later in that same hearing, Fauci muttered under his breath that Marshall was “a moron” — a comment caught on an open microphone — after the senator posted Fauci’s salary on a placard and demanded his financial disclosure forms, suggesting he might be engaged in financial “shenanigans” with the pharmaceutical industry. (Fauci’s financial disclosure forms, which Marshall has since posted on the internet, show investments in bonds and mutual funds, not drug companies. He is paid an annual salary of $434,312 under a provision that allows government doctors and scientists to be highly compensated, akin to what they could earn in the private sector.) Fauci said he did not regret the “moron” remark, or the pushback against Paul. But Timken said calling Marshall a moron was “beyond the pale.” Even some Fauci fans in academia and government say he might have been better off keeping his cool to avoid amplifying his Republican critics and alienating voters who need to hear his public health message. Some suggest he lower his profile; he says the White House asks him to go on TV. “He’s been pushing back in a way that is not common for us to see for American scientists, and I don’t know if it’s a good idea,” said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. If Democrats lose seats in the midterm elections, as many expect, Fauci may have a Republican-controlled Congress to contend with. Another Republican from Ohio, Rep. Jim Jordan, who claims that Fauci knew the coronavirus “came from a lab,” has vowed that Republicans will investigate him if they win control of the House. Some of Fauci’s friends are urging him to avoid that possibility by retiring. He has been working on a memoir, but cannot look for a publisher while he is still a federal employee. Fauci says Republicans will not dictate the terms of his retirement, and he has no plans at the moment to step down. And, he said, he is not worried about any investigation. “I can’t think of what they would want to investigate except this whole pile of lies that they’re throwing around,” he said.

Republicans wooing Trump voters, make Fauci their boogeyman

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned on Sunday (February 6) that Russian President Vladimir Putin could take military action against Ukraine "any day now".&nbsp;

The border tensions between Russia and Ukraine have heightened in the last couple of weeks with both sides amassing massive troops. However, there are calls to tackle the situation with diplomacy.&nbsp;

The United States and other Western countries have expressed their fears over potential Russian incursion but Kremlin denies it. The escalating tensions have created a war-like situation that could impact not just Europe, but the Asian countries&nbsp;significantly.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"We are in the window. Any day now, Russia could take military action against Ukraine, or it could be a couple of weeks from now, or Russia could choose to take the diplomatic path instead," Sullivan told the "Fox News Sunday" program.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-sending-troops-to-start-war-with-russia-in-europe-says-usa-451046">'Not sending troops to start war' with Russia in Europe, says USA</a>

On Saturday (Feb 5), two US officials said Russia has in place about 70 per cent of the combat power it believes it would need for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;

Reports have suggested and also satellite images show that Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near the border.&nbsp;

Moscow has said it is not planning an invasion but could take unspecified military action if its security demands are not met.&nbsp;

Those include a promise that NATO will never admit Ukraine, a demand the United States and the 30-nation Western security alliance have called unacceptable.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chance-of-diplomatic-solution-higher-than-military-escalation-ukraine-presidency-451038">Chance of diplomatic solution 'higher' than military escalation: Ukraine presidency</a>

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden held a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, the White House said.&nbsp;

That call came ahead of a visit by Macron to Moscow on Monday, the culmination of days of French contacts with Russia and Ukraine to try to de-escalate tensions.&nbsp;

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White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned on Sunday (February 6) that Russian President Vladimir Putin could take military action against Ukraine "any day now".

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned on Sunday (February 6) that Russian President Vladimir Putin could take military action against Ukraine "any day now". The border tensions between Russia and Ukraine have heightened in the last couple of weeks with both sides amassing massive troops. However, there are calls to tackle the situation with diplomacy. The United States and other Western countries have expressed their fears over potential Russian incursion but Kremlin denies it. The escalating tensions have created a war-like situation that could impact not just Europe, but the Asian countries significantly. "We are in the window. Any day now, Russia could take military action against Ukraine, or it could be a couple of weeks from now, or Russia could choose to take the diplomatic path instead," Sullivan told the "Fox News Sunday" program. ALSO READ | 'Not sending troops to start war' with Russia in Europe, says USA On Saturday (Feb 5), two US officials said Russia has in place about 70 per cent of the combat power it believes it would need for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Reports have suggested and also satellite images show that Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near the border. Moscow has said it is not planning an invasion but could take unspecified military action if its security demands are not met. Those include a promise that NATO will never admit Ukraine, a demand the United States and the 30-nation Western security alliance have called unacceptable. ALSO READ | Chance of diplomatic solution 'higher' than military escalation: Ukraine presidency Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden held a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, the White House said. That call came ahead of a visit by Macron to Moscow on Monday, the culmination of days of French contacts with Russia and Ukraine to try to de-escalate tensions. ×

US warns that Russia could take military action against Ukraine 'any day now'

United States has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could order an attack on Ukraine with days or weeks. As Washington and its European allies continue efforts to de-escalate the situation, Russia maintains that while it is not planning on an invasion it could take unspecified military action if its security demands are not met, here's our report. WION's executive editor Palki Sharma sends an exclusive ground report from Kyiv.

United States warns of Russia's 'imminent invasion'

The number of competitive congressional districts is on track to dive near — and possibly below — the lowest level in at least three decades, as Republicans and Democrats draw new political maps designed to ensure that the vast majority of House races are over before the general election starts.

With two-thirds of the new boundaries set, mapmakers are on pace to draw fewer than 40 seats — out of 435 — that are considered competitive based on the 2020 presidential election results, according to a New York Times analysis of election data. Ten years ago that number was 73.

While the exact size of the battlefield is still emerging, the sharp decline of competition for House seats is the latest worrying sign of dysfunction in the U.S. political system, which is already struggling with a scourge of misinformation and rising distrust in elections. Lack of competition in general elections can widen the ideological gulf between the parties, leading to hardened stalemates on legislation and voters’ alienation from the political process.

“The reduction of competitive seats is a tragedy,” said former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., who is chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. “We end up with gridlock, we end up with no progress, and we end up with a population looking at our legislatures and having this feeling that nothing gets done.” He added: “This gridlock leads to cynicism about this whole process.”

Both Republicans and Democrats are responsible for adding to the tally of safe seats. Over decades, the parties have deftly used the redistricting process to create districts dominated by voters from one party or to bolster incumbents.

It’s not yet clear which party will ultimately benefit more from this year’s bumper crop of safe seats, or whether President Joe Biden’s sagging approval ratings might endanger Democrats whose districts haven’t been considered competitive. Republicans control the mapmaking for more than twice as many districts as Democrats, leaving many in the GOP to believe that the party can take back the House majority after four years of Democratic control largely by drawing favorable seats.

But Democrats have used their power to gerrymander more aggressively than expected. In New York, for example, the Democratic-controlled Legislature on Wednesday approved a map that gives the party a strong chance of flipping as many as three House seats currently held by Republicans.

That has left Republicans and Democrats essentially at a draw, with two big outstanding unknowns: Florida’s 28 seats, increasingly the subject of Republican infighting, are still unsettled, and several court cases in other states could send lawmakers back to the drawing board.

“Democrats in New York are gerrymandering like the House depends on it,” said Adam Kincaid, executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, the party’s main mapmaking organization. “Republican legislators shouldn’t be afraid to legally press their political advantage where they have control.”

New York’s new map doesn’t just set Democrats up to win more seats, it also eliminates competitive districts. In 2020, there were four districts where Biden and former President Donald Trump were within 5 percentage points. There are none in the new map. Even the reconfigured district that stretches from Republican-dominated Staten Island to Democratic neighborhoods in Brooklyn is now, at least on paper, friendly territory for Democrats.

Without that competition from outside the party, many politicians are beginning to see the biggest threat to their careers as coming from within.

“When I was a member of Congress, most members woke up concerned about a general election,” said former Rep. Steve Israel of New York, who led the House Democrats’ campaign committee during the last redistricting cycle. “Now they wake up worried about a primary opponent.”

Israel, who left Congress in 2017 and now owns a bookstore on Long Island, recalled Republicans telling him they would like to vote for Democratic priorities like gun control but feared a backlash from their party’s base. House Democrats, Israel said, would like to address issues such as Social Security and Medicare reform, but understand that doing so would draw a robust primary challenge from the party’s left wing.

Republicans argue that redistricting isn’t destiny: The political climate matters, and more races will become competitive if inflation, the lingering pandemic or other issues continue to sour voters on Democratic leadership.

But the far greater number of districts drawn to be overwhelmingly safe for one party is likely to limit how many seats will flip — even in a so-called wave election.

“The parties are contributing to more and more single-party districts and taking the voters out of the equation,” said former Rep. Tom Davis, who led the House Republicans’ campaign arm during the 2001 redistricting cycle. “November becomes a constitutional formality.”

In the 29 states where maps have been completed and not thrown out by courts, there are just 22 districts that either Biden or Trump won by 5 percentage points or less, according to data from the Brennan Center for Justice, a research institute.

By this point in the 2012 redistricting cycle, there were 44 districts defined as competitive based on the previous presidential election results. In the 1992 election, the margin between Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush was within 5 points in 108 congressional districts.

The phenomenon of parties using redistricting to gain an edge is as old as the republic itself, but it has escalated in recent decades with more sophisticated technology and more detailed data about voter behavior. Americans with similar political views have clustered in distinct areas — Republicans in rural and exurban areas, Democrats in cities and inner suburbs. It’s a pattern that can make it difficult to draw cohesive, competitive districts.

No state has quashed competition ahead of the midterm elections like Texas. In the 2020 election, there were 12 competitive districts in the state. After redistricting, there is only one.

Though Trump won 52% of the vote in Texas in 2020, Republicans are expected to win roughly 65% — 24 of the state’s 38 congressional seats. (Texas gained two seats in the reapportionment after the 2020 census.)

The Texas state legislators who control redistricting shored up Republican incumbents including Reps. Dan Crenshaw, Beth Van Duyne and Michael McCaul, but in doing so also drew safer districts for Democrats such as Reps. Colin Allred and Lizzie Fletcher.

“The fact that it’s going to be harder for us to pick up congressional seats is a big concern,” said Gilberto Hinojosa, chair of the Texas Democratic Party. “That doesn’t mean that we think that it’s not important to mount challengers; it’s just a reality that it’s going to be harder.”

Democrats did the same where they could. Oregon legislators took the state’s competitive 4th District and turned it into a seat that strongly favors their party.

The change was so dramatic that Rep. Peter DeFazio, an 18-term Democrat, told reporters last year that he chose to retire because the district is now “winnable by another Democrat.”

Redrawing DeFazio’s district enraged Oregon Republicans.

“Competitive districts benefit all of us,” said Shelly Boshart Davis, an Oregon state representative who was the former Republican co-chairwoman of the state House’s redistricting committee. “We hear voters that feel marginalized all the time, that say, ‘I don’t feel my voice gets heard.’ ”

A lack of competition has unintended consequences. Without a competitive race at the congressional level, local parties are deprived of an infusion of money and organizing. Candidates for governor or Senate don’t benefit from being able to piggyback on the energy and activity at the local level.

“Anybody running statewide has to pull the wagon entirely themselves because you don’t have competitive races going on locally,” said Matt Angle, a Democratic activist in Texas.

It can sometimes take years to see the full effect of eliminating a competitive district.

Ten years ago, North Carolina Republicans took a battleground district in the state’s western tip and, by slicing off a piece of the liberal city of Asheville, turned it into a district that John McCain would have carried by 18 points in the 2008 presidential election. The incumbent centrist Democrat, Heath Shuler, retired rather than seek reelection in a district he had little shot at winning.

He was replaced by Mark Meadows, who went on to be a founding member of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus before becoming the last White House chief of staff for Trump and a central figure in Trump’s campaign to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The number of competitive congressional districts is on track to dive near — and possibly below — the lowest level in at least three decades, as Republicans and Democrats draw new political maps designed to ensure that the vast majority of House races are over before the general election starts.

The number of competitive congressional districts is on track to dive near — and possibly below — the lowest level in at least three decades, as Republicans and Democrats draw new political maps designed to ensure that the vast majority of House races are over before the general election starts. With two-thirds of the new boundaries set, mapmakers are on pace to draw fewer than 40 seats — out of 435 — that are considered competitive based on the 2020 presidential election results, according to a New York Times analysis of election data. Ten years ago that number was 73. While the exact size of the battlefield is still emerging, the sharp decline of competition for House seats is the latest worrying sign of dysfunction in the U.S. political system, which is already struggling with a scourge of misinformation and rising distrust in elections. Lack of competition in general elections can widen the ideological gulf between the parties, leading to hardened stalemates on legislation and voters’ alienation from the political process. “The reduction of competitive seats is a tragedy,” said former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., who is chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. “We end up with gridlock, we end up with no progress, and we end up with a population looking at our legislatures and having this feeling that nothing gets done.” He added: “This gridlock leads to cynicism about this whole process.” Both Republicans and Democrats are responsible for adding to the tally of safe seats. Over decades, the parties have deftly used the redistricting process to create districts dominated by voters from one party or to bolster incumbents. It’s not yet clear which party will ultimately benefit more from this year’s bumper crop of safe seats, or whether President Joe Biden’s sagging approval ratings might endanger Democrats whose districts haven’t been considered competitive. Republicans control the mapmaking for more than twice as many districts as Democrats, leaving many in the GOP to believe that the party can take back the House majority after four years of Democratic control largely by drawing favorable seats. But Democrats have used their power to gerrymander more aggressively than expected. In New York, for example, the Democratic-controlled Legislature on Wednesday approved a map that gives the party a strong chance of flipping as many as three House seats currently held by Republicans. That has left Republicans and Democrats essentially at a draw, with two big outstanding unknowns: Florida’s 28 seats, increasingly the subject of Republican infighting, are still unsettled, and several court cases in other states could send lawmakers back to the drawing board. “Democrats in New York are gerrymandering like the House depends on it,” said Adam Kincaid, executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, the party’s main mapmaking organization. “Republican legislators shouldn’t be afraid to legally press their political advantage where they have control.” New York’s new map doesn’t just set Democrats up to win more seats, it also eliminates competitive districts. In 2020, there were four districts where Biden and former President Donald Trump were within 5 percentage points. There are none in the new map. Even the reconfigured district that stretches from Republican-dominated Staten Island to Democratic neighborhoods in Brooklyn is now, at least on paper, friendly territory for Democrats. Without that competition from outside the party, many politicians are beginning to see the biggest threat to their careers as coming from within. “When I was a member of Congress, most members woke up concerned about a general election,” said former Rep. Steve Israel of New York, who led the House Democrats’ campaign committee during the last redistricting cycle. “Now they wake up worried about a primary opponent.” Israel, who left Congress in 2017 and now owns a bookstore on Long Island, recalled Republicans telling him they would like to vote for Democratic priorities like gun control but feared a backlash from their party’s base. House Democrats, Israel said, would like to address issues such as Social Security and Medicare reform, but understand that doing so would draw a robust primary challenge from the party’s left wing. Republicans argue that redistricting isn’t destiny: The political climate matters, and more races will become competitive if inflation, the lingering pandemic or other issues continue to sour voters on Democratic leadership. But the far greater number of districts drawn to be overwhelmingly safe for one party is likely to limit how many seats will flip — even in a so-called wave election. “The parties are contributing to more and more single-party districts and taking the voters out of the equation,” said former Rep. Tom Davis, who led the House Republicans’ campaign arm during the 2001 redistricting cycle. “November becomes a constitutional formality.” In the 29 states where maps have been completed and not thrown out by courts, there are just 22 districts that either Biden or Trump won by 5 percentage points or less, according to data from the Brennan Center for Justice, a research institute. By this point in the 2012 redistricting cycle, there were 44 districts defined as competitive based on the previous presidential election results. In the 1992 election, the margin between Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush was within 5 points in 108 congressional districts. The phenomenon of parties using redistricting to gain an edge is as old as the republic itself, but it has escalated in recent decades with more sophisticated technology and more detailed data about voter behavior. Americans with similar political views have clustered in distinct areas — Republicans in rural and exurban areas, Democrats in cities and inner suburbs. It’s a pattern that can make it difficult to draw cohesive, competitive districts. No state has quashed competition ahead of the midterm elections like Texas. In the 2020 election, there were 12 competitive districts in the state. After redistricting, there is only one. Though Trump won 52% of the vote in Texas in 2020, Republicans are expected to win roughly 65% — 24 of the state’s 38 congressional seats. (Texas gained two seats in the reapportionment after the 2020 census.) The Texas state legislators who control redistricting shored up Republican incumbents including Reps. Dan Crenshaw, Beth Van Duyne and Michael McCaul, but in doing so also drew safer districts for Democrats such as Reps. Colin Allred and Lizzie Fletcher. “The fact that it’s going to be harder for us to pick up congressional seats is a big concern,” said Gilberto Hinojosa, chair of the Texas Democratic Party. “That doesn’t mean that we think that it’s not important to mount challengers; it’s just a reality that it’s going to be harder.” Democrats did the same where they could. Oregon legislators took the state’s competitive 4th District and turned it into a seat that strongly favors their party. The change was so dramatic that Rep. Peter DeFazio, an 18-term Democrat, told reporters last year that he chose to retire because the district is now “winnable by another Democrat.” Redrawing DeFazio’s district enraged Oregon Republicans. “Competitive districts benefit all of us,” said Shelly Boshart Davis, an Oregon state representative who was the former Republican co-chairwoman of the state House’s redistricting committee. “We hear voters that feel marginalized all the time, that say, ‘I don’t feel my voice gets heard.’ ” A lack of competition has unintended consequences. Without a competitive race at the congressional level, local parties are deprived of an infusion of money and organizing. Candidates for governor or Senate don’t benefit from being able to piggyback on the energy and activity at the local level. “Anybody running statewide has to pull the wagon entirely themselves because you don’t have competitive races going on locally,” said Matt Angle, a Democratic activist in Texas. It can sometimes take years to see the full effect of eliminating a competitive district. Ten years ago, North Carolina Republicans took a battleground district in the state’s western tip and, by slicing off a piece of the liberal city of Asheville, turned it into a district that John McCain would have carried by 18 points in the 2008 presidential election. The incumbent centrist Democrat, Heath Shuler, retired rather than seek reelection in a district he had little shot at winning. He was replaced by Mark Meadows, who went on to be a founding member of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus before becoming the last White House chief of staff for Trump and a central figure in Trump’s campaign to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

‘Taking the voters out of the equation’: How the parties are killing competition in US

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has been intensifying efforts to forge common ground on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) among the leaders of the coalition partners but it has made no headway.&nbsp;

The compact was signed between Nepal and the US in 2017 and still, Nepal has failed to reach a census to ratify it in the parliament.&nbsp;As per the provision, for the implementation of the MCC, the compact should be ratified by the parliament.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, MCC headquarters has clearly stated that any further delays could lead to the end of the US grant for Nepal.&nbsp;

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In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Deuba and CPN Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Feb 3, 22, the United States has given the government of Nepal a deadline of February 28 to endorse the compact from the Parliament.&nbsp;

“Without action on your part by February 28, the MCC board will discuss next steps as its March 22 meeting, including whether to continue with the compact. Absent ratification, it is within the board’s authority to discontinue Nepal’s eligibility to receive the $500 compact grant with the grant from the United States. Such a decision would end MCC’s partnership with Nepal," the MCC Board of Directors said in a letter.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-likely-to-hold-local-elections-on-may-18-in-single-phase-449732">Also read |&nbsp;Nepal likely to hold local elections on May 18 in single phase</a>

This letter has come in response to the commitment letter sent by Prime Minister Deuba and CPN-Maoists chairman Prachanda on September 29, 2021, to the MCC Board of Directors.&nbsp;

In which they “acknowledge with appreciation” the MCC Compact signed between the US and Nepal on 14 September 2017 and “jointly make a request to the MCC Board for providing additional time for the ratification of the Compact.”&nbsp;

However, Prachanda's party is protesting the MCC ever since asking to amend the compact before tabling it in the parliament.&nbsp;

More importantly, House speaker, Agni Sapkota, a leader close to Prachanda is blocking the ratification process for months. Speaker Agni Sapkota has been known to be close to Beijing and has made no secret for his opposition to the MCC.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/key-issues-in-nepal-threaten-ruling-coalition-government-again-449498">Also read |&nbsp;Key issues in Nepal threaten ruling coalition government again</a>

In the letter, Nepal has committed to passing the compact with the required parliamentary majority within four-five months, the deadline which is approaching.&nbsp;

"We would discuss clarifications received from the MCC with all the coalition partners and party members, use the resource of Nepal to communicate publicly with the Nepali people and to dispel misunderstandings and apprehensions about the compact," the letter signed under the name of PM Deuba and Maoist leader Prachanda said.&nbsp;

"Will hold a joint conference with leaders of the coalition partners to demonstrate government’s positive views on the MCC ratification, disseminate accurate information about the compact through state media, encourage MCA Nepal for the implementation of the MCC compact and to jointly request Speaker to table the MCC compact in the Parliament," Nepali leaders committed in the letter.&nbsp;

PM Deuba is making efforts to convince other party leaders, including CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli to support the compact.&nbsp;

Prime Minister has been holding meetings with opposition leader KP Sharma Oli and is employing a strategy to move the MCC agreement forward by joining hands with Oli as no agreement has been reached within the ruling coalition.

Sources have said the US has threatened Nepal to stop all the aid not only from the US but also from its allies and strategic partners like WB, UN, EU, Canada, Australia.&nbsp;

The delay in the ratification is also because China influences some ruling parties like CPN-Maoist. Pushpa Kamal Dahal held an hour-long hush-hush virtual meeting last week with Song Tao, the high-ranking head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC).&nbsp;

Chinese leader Song Tao said China wants to deepen traditional ties with Nepal's political parties based on mutual political trust.&nbsp;

Former Nepali Ambassador to the US, Suresh Chalise spoke to WION and said one of the reasons behind the delay in the ratification is an ideology shared by Nepali political parties and Beijing.

"MCC is important for Nepal because it has a surplus of clean energy and we would like to see that it is being exported to other countries like India, Bhutan. This compact will also be a beginning of new trilateral relations," Chalise told WION.&nbsp;

''Is Maoists' close relation with Beijing a reason for the delay in the ratification?&nbsp;Ideologically yes, they think&nbsp;that communism is in the larger interest of Nepal than democracy. That is why they are closer to our northern neighbour."

He is of the view that if Nepal fails to pass the compact, it will "lose the trust of superpower" on a global platform.&nbsp;

China's suspicions about the MCC&nbsp;as being an American geo-strategic counter to its own Belt Road Initiative (BRI) have shaken the domestic politics in Nepal.

Sources have told WION that the US is concerned with any outside influence and the level of state-sponsored corruption has surprised and concerned the US.

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has been intensifying efforts to forge common ground on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) among the leaders of the coalition partners but it has made no headway.

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has been intensifying efforts to forge common ground on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) among the leaders of the coalition partners but it has made no headway. The compact was signed between Nepal and the US in 2017 and still, Nepal has failed to reach a census to ratify it in the parliament. As per the provision, for the implementation of the MCC, the compact should be ratified by the parliament. Meanwhile, MCC headquarters has clearly stated that any further delays could lead to the end of the US grant for Nepal. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Deuba and CPN Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Feb 3, 22, the United States has given the government of Nepal a deadline of February 28 to endorse the compact from the Parliament. “Without action on your part by February 28, the MCC board will discuss next steps as its March 22 meeting, including whether to continue with the compact. Absent ratification, it is within the board’s authority to discontinue Nepal’s eligibility to receive the $500 compact grant with the grant from the United States. Such a decision would end MCC’s partnership with Nepal," the MCC Board of Directors said in a letter. Also read | Nepal likely to hold local elections on May 18 in single phase This letter has come in response to the commitment letter sent by Prime Minister Deuba and CPN-Maoists chairman Prachanda on September 29, 2021, to the MCC Board of Directors. In which they “acknowledge with appreciation” the MCC Compact signed between the US and Nepal on 14 September 2017 and “jointly make a request to the MCC Board for providing additional time for the ratification of the Compact.” However, Prachanda's party is protesting the MCC ever since asking to amend the compact before tabling it in the parliament. More importantly, House speaker, Agni Sapkota, a leader close to Prachanda is blocking the ratification process for months. Speaker Agni Sapkota has been known to be close to Beijing and has made no secret for his opposition to the MCC. Also read | Key issues in Nepal threaten ruling coalition government again In the letter, Nepal has committed to passing the compact with the required parliamentary majority within four-five months, the deadline which is approaching. "We would discuss clarifications received from the MCC with all the coalition partners and party members, use the resource of Nepal to communicate publicly with the Nepali people and to dispel misunderstandings and apprehensions about the compact," the letter signed under the name of PM Deuba and Maoist leader Prachanda said. "Will hold a joint conference with leaders of the coalition partners to demonstrate government’s positive views on the MCC ratification, disseminate accurate information about the compact through state media, encourage MCA Nepal for the implementation of the MCC compact and to jointly request Speaker to table the MCC compact in the Parliament," Nepali leaders committed in the letter. PM Deuba is making efforts to convince other party leaders, including CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli to support the compact. Prime Minister has been holding meetings with opposition leader KP Sharma Oli and is employing a strategy to move the MCC agreement forward by joining hands with Oli as no agreement has been reached within the ruling coalition. Sources have said the US has threatened Nepal to stop all the aid not only from the US but also from its allies and strategic partners like WB, UN, EU, Canada, Australia. The delay in the ratification is also because China influences some ruling parties like CPN-Maoist. Pushpa Kamal Dahal held an hour-long hush-hush virtual meeting last week with Song Tao, the high-ranking head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Chinese leader Song Tao said China wants to deepen traditional ties with Nepal's political parties based on mutual political trust. Former Nepali Ambassador to the US, Suresh Chalise spoke to WION and said one of the reasons behind the delay in the ratification is an ideology shared by Nepali political parties and Beijing. "MCC is important for Nepal because it has a surplus of clean energy and we would like to see that it is being exported to other countries like India, Bhutan. This compact will also be a beginning of new trilateral relations," Chalise told WION. ''Is Maoists' close relation with Beijing a reason for the delay in the ratification? Ideologically yes, they think that communism is in the larger interest of Nepal than democracy. That is why they are closer to our northern neighbour." He is of the view that if Nepal fails to pass the compact, it will "lose the trust of superpower" on a global platform. China's suspicions about the MCC as being an American geo-strategic counter to its own Belt Road Initiative (BRI) have shaken the domestic politics in Nepal. Sources have told WION that the US is concerned with any outside influence and the level of state-sponsored corruption has surprised and concerned the US.

Nepal Communist party lobby against MCC, US sets deadline to ratify compact

Jason Miller, the ex-senior adviser of the former US President Donald Trump spoke to WION on a range of issues, including the Biden administration, the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in the United States.

Jason Miller, the ex-senior adviser of the former US President Donald Trump spoke to WION on a range of issues, including the Biden administration, the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in the United States. Amid the escalating border situation between Russia and Ukraine, Miller also commented on Joe Biden's take on the Ukraine crisis and the stance that the US has taken on the conflict. Question) Donald Trump has said he may consider a pardon for the capitol hill rioters if he returns to office does that mean he is most definitely running in 2024 or is it still a maybe? Answer) That's with regard to people he believes were treated unfairly and did not commit any truly illegal or violent activity. Of course, if somebody assaulted law enforcement or if they created to damage or did something to assault or hurt another person. Obviously, they should be fully prosecuted. Even though there has not been a formal decision yet, I am pretty confident that Trump does run again in 2024. Many people would say they think there would be a rematch but I don't think Joe Biden runs again in 2024. My prediction is it would be Trump versus California Governor Gavin Newsom in 2024. Question) If and when Donald Trump does run for president in 2024, what would be the main focus of his campaign? Answer) First would be to try to restore some of the American greatness that he was able to lead us toward in his first term. I would say that Trump is by far the most consequential single-term president in US history. I have advised President Trump that he needs to make sure his relationship with Quad Allies in particular with India needs to be much stronger than it was in his first term. I do think they improved during his first term but they could be stronger especially when we look at this common concern with China. ALSO READ | Ex-Trump adviser speaks to WION on reports that some White House records were torn up and taped back Question) We are talking at a time when Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc across the United States. The US in fact has a far higher Covid death rate than other wealthy countries how would you grade the Biden administration's handling of the Covid-19 crisis? Answer) Joe Biden ran on a promise to effectively end Covid-19 and we have seen anything but that. We have not seen our stockpiles restored. We are just now starting to get to the point where at-home testing kits are being sent out. No efforts by the US to hold the CCP in China accountable. That's one of the things where I am most frustrated with the Biden administration for not taking stronger action in seeking some aspect of economic reparations. China and the CCP allowed this virus to spread all over the world and they lied about it and covered it up. Question) What do you make of the rhetoric we have seen coming in from Joe Biden on the Ukraine crisis and the stance that the US has taken on the conflict? Answer) We are stuck in the middle ground here. Joe Biden does not exhibit the confidence or the strength to ward off Putin's aggression. Much of Putin's strategy is to rally his domestic base. Do I think ultimately Putin will go and try to take over all of Ukraine? No. Do I think he wants to try to slow nato or even EU expansion? Absolutely. But the problem is with Joe Biden exhibiting such weakness on the global stage and having a lack of real international dialogue with Putin, it's allowed Putin to essentially be emboldened. The major threat, the real concern in the global geopolitical space is I think it's a matter of when and not if china takes over Taiwan. And I think that's something that's going to be a massive shock for the entire Indo-Pacific theatre. President xi is watching Biden's weakness in dealing with Putin and I think is probably emboldened to make that move against the island nation. China is an existential threat not just to the US but to democracies around the world. Watch the full interview here: ×

Ex-Donald Trump adviser Jason Miller weighs in on Biden administration, Covid crisis in US, and more

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