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El Salvador Congress votes to end ban on metal miningEl Salvador's Congress on Monday approved a bill promoted by President Nayib Bukele to roll back a ban on the mining of gold and other metals, dismaying environmentalists. The small Central American nation became the world's first country to outlaw metal mining in 2017, warning of the harmful effects of the chemicals used, like cyanide and mercury. The move by Bukele's predecessor, former left-wing rebel Salvador Sanchez Ceren, reflected a growing rejection of mining by rural communities in the region. But last month, Bukele, who is popular at home for his crackdown on street gangs, signaled that he wanted to change course. The bill to bring back metal mining was approved by 57 deputies out of a total of 60, said Ernesto Castro, head of the legislature -- which is dominated by the ruling party -- as environmental campaigners protested nearby. Critics fear that mining will pollute the Lempa River, which runs through a potential mining zone proposed by Bukele and supplies water to 70 percent of the inhabitants of the capital and surrounding areas. "This wretched mining will punish the people, it will contaminate our waters and rivers and that's an attack on life," activist Vidalina Morales told reporters. Bukele said last month that El Salvador, a country of 6.6 million people, had "potentially" the largest gold deposits per square kilometer in the world. "God placed a gigantic treasure underneath our feet," he wrote on social media, arguing that the mining ban was "absurd." More from this section "If we make responsible use of our natural resources, we can change the economy of El Salvador overnight," he said. The new law stipulates that the state will be the only entity authorized to search for, extract and process mined metals. However, the government may do so through companies in which it is a shareholder. The bill prohibits the use of mercury in mining operations, which may not be carried out in protected natural areas or places with important water sources. A survey by Central American University published on Monday revealed that 59 percent of respondents do not consider El Salvador "an appropriate country for metal mining." Since El Salvador dollarized its remittances-reliant economy in 2001, it has registered average annual growth of 2.1 percent. Twenty-seven percent of Salvadorans live in poverty, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and 70 percent of the workforce operates in the informal sector. Elsewhere in the region, Costa Rica and Honduras have banned open-pit mining, and Panama declared a moratorium on new mining concessions last year after mass protests over plans for a huge copper mine. ob/fj/dr/jgcBy REBECCA SANTANA WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has promised to end birthright citizenship as soon as he gets into office to make good on campaign promises aiming to restrict immigration and redefining what it means to be American. But any efforts to halt the policy would face steep legal hurdles. Birthright citizenship means anyone born in the United States automatically becomes an American citizen. It’s been in place for decades and applies to children born to someone in the country illegally or in the U.S. on a tourist or student visa who plans to return to their home country. It’s not the practice of every country, and Trump and his supporters have argued that the system is being abused and that there should be tougher standards for becoming an American citizen. But others say this is a right enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, it would be extremely difficult to overturn and even if it’s possible, it’s a bad idea. Here’s a look at birthright citizenship, what Trump has said about it and the prospects for ending it: What Trump has said about birthright citizenship During an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Trump said he “absolutely” planned to halt birthright citizenship once in office. “We’re going to end that because it’s ridiculous,” he said. Trump and other opponents of birthright citizenship have argued that it creates an incentive for people to come to the U.S. illegally or take part in “birth tourism,” in which pregnant women enter the U.S. specifically to give birth so their children can have citizenship before returning to their home countries. “Simply crossing the border and having a child should not entitle anyone to citizenship,” said Eric Ruark, director of research for NumbersUSA, which argues for reducing immigration. The organization supports changes that would require at least one parent to be a permanent legal resident or a U.S. citizen for their children to automatically get citizenship. Others have argued that ending birthright citizenship would profoundly damage the country. “One of our big benefits is that people born here are citizens, are not an illegal underclass. There’s better assimilation and integration of immigrants and their children because of birthright citizenship,” said Alex Nowrasteh, vice president for economic and social policy studies at the pro-immigration Cato Institute. In 2019, the Migration Policy Institute estimated that 5.5 million children under age 18 lived with at least one parent in the country illegally in 2019, representing 7% of the U.S. child population. The vast majority of those children were U.S. citizens. The nonpartisan think tank said during Trump’s campaign for president in 2015 that the number of people in the country illegally would “balloon” if birthright citizenship were repealed, creating “a self-perpetuating class that would be excluded from social membership for generations.” What does the law say? In the aftermath of the Civil War, Congress ratified the 14th Amendment in July 1868. That amendment assured citizenship for all, including Black people. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,” the 14th Amendment says. “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” But the 14th Amendment didn’t always translate to everyone being afforded birthright citizenship. For example, it wasn’t until 1924 that Congress finally granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S. A key case in the history of birthright citizenship came in 1898, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Wong Kim Ark, born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrants, was a U.S. citizen because he was born in the states. The federal government had tried to deny him reentry into the county after a trip abroad on grounds he wasn’t a citizen under the Chinese Exclusion Act. But some have argued that the 1898 case clearly applied to children born of parents who are both legal immigrants to America but that it’s less clear whether it applies to children born to parents without legal status or, for example, who come for a short-term like a tourist visa. “That is the leading case on this. In fact, it’s the only case on this,” said Andrew Arthur, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports immigration restrictions. “It’s a lot more of an open legal question than most people think.” Some proponents of immigration restrictions have argued the words “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” in the 14th Amendment allows the U.S. to deny citizenship to babies born to those in the country illegally. Trump himself used that language in his 2023 announcement that he would aim to end birthright citizenship if reelected. So what could Trump do and would it be successful? Trump wasn’t clear in his Sunday interview how he aims to end birthright citizenship. Asked how he could get around the 14th Amendment with an executive action, Trump said: “Well, we’re going to have to get it changed. We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it.” Pressed further on whether he’d use an executive order, Trump said “if we can, through executive action.” He gave a lot more details in a 2023 post on his campaign website . In it, he said he would issue an executive order the first day of his presidency, making it clear that federal agencies “require that at least one parent be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident for their future children to become automatic U.S. citizens.” Related Articles National Politics | Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump attorney Alina Habba, a Lehigh University grad, to serve as counselor to the president National Politics | Trump isn’t back in office but he’s already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders Trump wrote that the executive order would make clear that children of people in the U.S. illegally “should not be issued passports, Social Security numbers, or be eligible for certain taxpayer funded welfare benefits.” This would almost certainly end up in litigation. Nowrasteh from the Cato Institute said the law is clear that birthright citizenship can’t be ended by executive order but that Trump may be inclined to take a shot anyway through the courts. “I don’t take his statements very seriously. He has been saying things like this for almost a decade,” Nowrasteh said. “He didn’t do anything to further this agenda when he was president before. The law and judges are near uniformly opposed to his legal theory that the children of illegal immigrants born in the United States are not citizens.” Trump could steer Congress to pass a law to end birthright citizenship but would still face a legal challenge that it violates the Constitution. Associated Press reporter Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) stated on Saturday that its Raipur zonal unit has issued a Provisional Attachment Order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, attaching assets worth Rs 387.99 crore in connection with the ongoing Mahadev Online Book betting case. The order, issued on December 5, 2024, marks a significant escalation in the ED’s crackdown on the syndicate’s illegal financial operations. According to the ED statement, the attached assets include investments linked to one of the accused, Hari Shankar Tibrewal, through a Mauritius-based company, M/s Tano Investment Opportunities Fund. These investments, channeled via Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), are part of a broader financial network facilitating the betting operations. In addition to these investments, several immovable properties located in Chhattisgarh, Mumbai, and Madhya Pradesh, belonging to the syndicate's promoters and their associates, have also been seized. The ED's investigations have revealed that M/s Mahadev Online Book, an umbrella syndicate, has been running online platforms for illegal betting. The syndicate's operations include enrolling new users, creating User IDs, and laundering money through a complex web of benami bank accounts, further complicating efforts to track the illicit funds. As part of its ongoing investigation, the ED has seized and frozen assets, including cash amounting to Rs 19.36 crore and valuables worth Rs 16.68 crore. Additionally, movable assets, such as bank balances and securities, totaling Rs 1,729.17 crore, have been frozen. Earlier in the case, two Provisional Attachment Orders were issued, attaching assets worth Rs 142.86 crore. In total, the ED has seized, frozen, or attached proceeds of crime worth approximately Rs 2,295.61 crore. In a breakthrough development, ED investigators uncovered that substantial funds generated from the betting business were being funneled into the stock market through a network of dummy companies. These companies, operated by several accused and absconding associates, were reportedly used to divert Rs 423 crore into stock portfolios as of February 29, 2024. Professional entry operators helped manipulate these funds, converting them into legitimate transactions through unlisted equity dealings, masking the illicit origins of the money. So far, the ED has arrested 11 individuals in connection with the Mahadev Online Book betting case and has filed four Prosecution Complaints before the Hon’ble Special Court (PMLA) in Raipur. The investigation continues, with more arrests and seizures expected as financial probe authorities work to dismantle the syndicate’s operations and recover the illicit proceeds.South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over martial law
The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua, has expressed confidence in his party’s chances of winning the 2024 elections, despite what he described as a low voter turnout across the country. In a press briefing on Saturday, Kodua emphasized the need for heightened vigilance as the election enters its final stages, particularly during the vote counting process. Kodua acknowledged that the turnout in all 16 regions has been lower than expected, with participation averaging between 50-65%. However, he reassured NPP supporters that the party is on track for victory, citing the party’s ongoing efforts to monitor the election process closely. “I want to assure our teeming supporters that the New Patriotic Party is winning this election. What is left now is for our agents to be vigilant as we approach the counting stage,” Kodua said. He urged party agents, especially those in the Volta Region, to continue their efforts in ensuring that the election process remains fair and transparent. Kodua stressed the importance of every Ghanaian casting their vote, highlighting the significance of the democratic process. He also commended NPP agents for their vigilance in policing polling stations and ensuring that the election was conducted without interference. “We are not there yet. We are entering the stage where the votes will be counted, and it is crucial that we remain alert. Let us not sleep on our watch; we must ensure that the accurate votes are counted,” he added. Kodua also took the opportunity to issue a warning to the Electoral Commission (EC), calling for professional conduct from the commission’s staff during the final stages of the election. His comments reflect growing concerns over the integrity of the election process as it nears its conclusion. As the election moves towards the final stages, Kodua’s remarks underscore the NPP’s commitment to monitoring the process closely and ensuring a transparent and credible outcome.
Matt Gaetz says he won’t return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney generalSouth Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over martial law
NEW YORK (AP) — A slide for market superstar Nvidia on Monday knocked Wall Street off its big rally and helped drag U.S. stock indexes down from their records. The S&P 500 fell 0.6%, coming off its 57th all-time high of the year so far. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 240 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite pulled back 0.6% from its own record. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Medicare Costs to Rise in 2025