Wednesday, January 15, 2025
The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/world/guyana-fears-maduros-invasion/

World

Guyana fears Maduro’s invasion

Published 15 December 2023
– By Editorial Staff
Nicolás Maduro and the disputed territory.
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Recently, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro announced his intention to annex the disputed region of Essequibo and make it part of the Venezuelan state. Controlled by Guyana since independence in the 19th century, there is now widespread fear that Maduro is planning an imminent invasion.

– People are fearful of an invasion. You’re talking about a country with military power and resources against a country of 780,000 people, journalist Nazima Raghubir told The Guardian.

Venezuela recently held a referendum in which authorities said an overwhelming majority of the population supported the country’s claim to the 160,000 square kilometers of resource-rich rainforest.

Maduro hailed the referendum as a “total success”. He claimed that 95% of Venezuelans supported his plans to annex the region and defy the International Court of Justice, which is currently mediating the century-old territorial dispute.

– The Venezuelan people have spoken loud and clear, the Venezuelan leader declared, adding that the local population will be issued with Venezuelan identity cards.

Turning to the United States

– We are a diverse nation, but at the end of the day we are all one people: the Guyanese… We are not in need of Mr Maduro’s ID cards! We already have one. We are Guyanese! said Brentnol Ashley, governor of the Barima-Waini region.

Guyana’s foreign minister Hugh Todd says Venezuela’s actions are “direct threat to our sovereignty and territorial integrity” and has turned to its ally, the US, for support. Last week, the US also conducted a flyover of the border region, reportedly to demonstrate its military strength.

According to several media reports, Maduro has also ordered the national oil company, PDVSA, to begin exploring for oil in the region. He also appointed a member of parliament from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, major general Alexis Rodríguez Cabello, to head a special military unit to oversee the new state of Guayana Esequiba.

Unclear goal

Guyana, part of the British Empire for some 200 years, is the only English-speaking country in South America and has close ties to the US and the Caribbean. Venezuela has never formally occupied the Essequibo, but has claimed that the borders drawn with the former British Guiana were the result of corruption.

However, international analysts say it is doubtful that Maduro will actually enter the area militarily, and the campaign could be seen as a way for the president to shore up support for next year’s presidential election. If Guyana is invaded, Venezuela is expected to become even more internationally isolated than it is today, and the US is expected to reintroduce economic sanctions against the country.

Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has tried to mediate the conflict, stating that “we do not want and we do not need war in South America”.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/world/japanese-journalist-jewish-lobby-run-the-us/

World

Japanese journalist: “Jewish lobby run the US”

The Israel lobby

Published today 17:59
– By Editorial Staff
Akira Ikegami says that AIPAC “really run the United States”.
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Journalist and broadcaster Akira Ikegami has caused a stir in the West after he recently tried to explain to Japanese viewers how the United States is governed and why it remains Israel’s most important ally.

According to Ikegami, a key explanation is that the US economy and politics are dominated by people of Jewish descent, and he singles out the lobby group AIPAC as perhaps the most influential in the country.

In the program, which aired at the end of last year on the nationwide TV channel TV Asahi, Ikegami argues that both the Republicans and the Democrats fully support Israel and that the United States is Israel’s most loyal ally and financier, contributing significantly to funding the Israeli military.

When asked why the US actually supports Israel, a controversial explanation is presented – viewers are told that “the US has a lot of Jews at the top of banks and big business”.

– It is a presence that cannot be ignored, it is proclaimed, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Larry Page are singled out as two such examples.

The audience is also visibly surprised to learn that six of the world’s 10 richest people are Jewish, as Ikegami points to a board listing various influential people of Jewish descent.

– In the US, there are quite a few Jews in politics and economics, it is further explained, and the Japanese are also told that there are also Jewish lobby groups in the US that have “even more influence” than that.

“These who run the United States”

– Lobby groups do in fact lobby Congress and negotiate various issues, but there are certain groups that have a particularly strong influence on the political world, Igame explains, pointing to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as perhaps the most powerful lobby group in the United States.

– It is these who truly run the United States, he adds.

It is unclear how the program was received in Japan at the time of its broadcast, but it has caused quite a stir since it was translated into English and shared on Western social media.

Many point out that it illustrates very clearly the cultural and political differences between West and East, and argue that a program of this kind should never have been allowed to air on a European or American TV channel.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/professor-of-climatology-95-of-forest-fires-are-caused-by-humans/

World

Professor of climatology: “95% of forest fires are caused by humans”

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published yesterday 19:03
– By Editorial Staff
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The fires in California, especially in and around Los Angeles, are not caused by climate change but by human activity. That’s according to a recent study that reviewed decades of fire incidents. Whether through carelessness, accidents or intentional acts, humans are behind the overwhelming majority of fires.

John Abatzoglou, a professor of climatology at the University of California, Merced, has analyzed three decades of fire data from Los Angeles County. His research shows that most fires in the area are caused by human activity, NBC News reports.

– More than 95% of these are human-ignited fires. Arson is among the causes, but most human-caused fires are not intentional, Abatzoglou explains.

According to his analysis, vehicles and other equipment are the most common causes of fires in the area between 1992 and 2020. Sparks from faulty machinery or heat from engines can quickly ignite dry vegetation, especially during the hot and dry months of summer.

However, Mr. Abatzoglou stresses that changes in the weather, such as strong winds, can contribute to exacerbating the conditions that make fires more difficult to control, but they are not the primary cause of fires.

Poor maintenance of power lines and infrastructure problems are other examples of factors contributing to the current and perhaps most devastating fires in California’s history.

The statistics seemingly support a growing criticism of simplistic explanations that refer only to climate change.

Nonchalant political governance

California’s authorities have long been questioned for what many believe is their inability to address the problems and work preventively. As recently as 2020, the state experienced one of its worst fire seasons ever, with millions of acres burning and thousands of people forced to leave their homes.

The state’s criticized governor, Gavin Newsom (D), has previously highlighted climate change as a key factor behind the growing problems with fires in the state. At the same time, there are growing calls for more pragmatic solutions that address the human factors behind the fires.

Critics of the theory that climate change is the main cause of the fires say the focus should shift to human behavior. The dryness and heat that make areas particularly vulnerable to fires are exacerbated by poor infrastructure maintenance, carelessness and illegal actions.

The impact of eucalyptus trees

Eucalyptus trees, common in many parts of the world and especially in California, have been shown to have a significant impact on forest fires. The trees contain large amounts of oils that are extremely flammable – making them particularly risky in hot and dry conditions.

Research has shown that eucalyptus oils, released at high temperatures, can create a kind of ‘fire torch’ that makes the fire spread faster. In some cases, it has also been shown that these trees can help make forest fires more intense, acting as a form of “fire torch” rather than a barrier.

Eucalyptus trees arrived in California in the 19th century, mainly via migrants from Australia. The trees were initially introduced as a solution to provide fast-growing trees for paper production and fuel.

By the early 1900s, thousands of acres of eucalyptus trees were planted with the encouragement of the state government. In modern-day California, and particularly in Los Angeles, eucalyptus is a common feature of the landscape, with large stands in both urban and more remote areas.

Arson is part of the problem

Arson is another part of the problem. Authorities in California report that individuals sometimes intentionally set fires on land for a variety of reasons, including insurance fraud, revenge or pure vandalism.

At the same time, experts point out that many fires are accidental and could be prevented with better training and safety practices. According to Mr. Abatzoglou, much of the responsibility lies with individuals and businesses to take precautions.

According to statistics from California, the number of fires linked to human activity has remained stably high for several decades. This includes everything from cigarette butts discarded in the wild to accidents on construction sites.

Despite this, some argue that climate change has a contributing role by creating longer periods of extreme heat and drought. But, as Abatzoglou points out, in the vast majority of cases the direct causes are human.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/trump-avoids-punishment-in-hush-money-case/

World

Trump avoids punishment in hush money case

US presidential election

Published yesterday 16:37
– By Editorial Staff
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President-elect Donald Trump has been convicted of accounting violations in the high-profile “hush money” case – but still escapes punishment.

During a court hearing via video link in New York on January 10, 2025, the judge announced that Trump will receive an unconditional release, meaning he will avoid both a prison sentence and a fine.

The case involves payments to buy the silence of several people, including porn actress Stormy Daniels, ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has consistently denied the allegations, describing the process as a politically motivated attempt to undermine his chances in the 2024 election.

– It’s been a political witch hunt. It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and, obviously, that didn’t work, Trump said during the hearing.

The unconditional release decision means that the conviction remains on Trump’s record, making him the first presidential candidate in US history with such a charge. However, Trump plans to appeal the conviction.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/keir-starmer-accused-of-meddling-in-us-elections/

World

Keir Starmer accused of meddling in US elections

US presidential election

Published yesterday 15:26
– By Editorial Staff
Keir Starmer and Joe Biden during a meeting last summer.
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces allegations that the Labour Party influenced the 2024 US presidential election by sending volunteers to assist Kamala Harris’ campaign.

At the same time, criticism of the Prime Minister is growing at home, where he is accused of failing to act against Pakistani grooming gangs and a former Labour politician was arrested in a pedophile scandal days after he took an official stance on Starmer.

A political storm with international ramifications began in October 2024 when Donald Trump’s campaign accused UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour Party of trying to influence the US presidential election.

According to a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Labor Party sent volunteers to the United States to assist Kamala Harris’ campaign, which the Trump campaign described as “blatant foreign interference”.

– To protect our democracy from illegal foreign influence, it is imperative that the Federal Election Commission investigate this matter immediately, said Gary Lawkowski, campaign lawyer for Trump.

The complaint specifically pointed to a now-deleted LinkedIn post by Labor Party Chief Operating Officer Sofia Patel, in which she urged volunteers to travel to North Carolina and promised: “We will sort your housing”.

The Labor Party has not denied that volunteers traveled to the US but insists that no law was broken.

– The Labour party has volunteers, who have gone over pretty much every election, said Keir Starmer. They’re doing it in their spare time, they’re doing it as volunteers.

Criticism of Starmer’s domestic policy

Meanwhile, criticism of Starmer is growing at home. Violence against girls has reached record levels and the controversy surrounding grooming gangs continues to dominate the debate. During his time as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Starmer has been accused of failing to act forcefully against these groups, leading to widespread abuse scandals in towns such as Rotherham and Rochdale.

Last August, there was a knife attack in Southport in which three girls were killed. The incident has become a symbol of rising crime in the UK and led to riots in several cities. Four months later, in January this year, Elon Musk tweeted “Prison for Starmer ” in reference to the attack, further increasing pressure on the Prime Minister.

Starmer defender arrested in pedophile scandal

The crisis for the Labor Party deepened recently when former Labor MP Ivor Caplin was arrested after a sting operation carried out by citizen activists. Caplin is accused of trying to arrange a meeting with a 15-year-old boy.

Caplin, who had previously called Musk’s criticism of Starmer “unacceptable” and “unfounded”, was arrested just days after he publicly defended the prime minister. He has been released on bail pending the investigation.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com