China's top court to handle intellectual property appeals

Yahoo – AFP, December 30, 2018

China is mulling a series of steps to strengthen protections against
IP theft (AFP Photo/CHANDAN KHANNA)

China's top court will rule on intellectual property cases for the first time from January 1, the government said, elevating the handling of an issue that has become a key complaint in the trade war with the US.

Washington and Beijing are currently in talks to resolve a bruising trade spat that has spooked markets worldwide. The two sides imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of goods this year, before agreeing to a 90-day truce on December 1.

The United States, along with the European Union, has long complained about lax enforcement of intellectual property rights in China. Forced technology transfers have been another major bone of contention for foreign companies operating in China.

Deputy Chief Justice Luo Dongchuan said Saturday that from the start of 2019 the Supreme Court would begin handling appeals on intellectual property rights cases, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Such cases were previously handled by provincial-level high courts.

The move will "help prevent inconsistency of legal application and improve the quality and efficiency of trials," Luo said.

China is mulling a series of steps to strengthen protections against IP theft. IP includes intangible creations like patents, trademarks and copyrights.

The country's patent law is being amended to increase the compensation amount by up to five times.

Another draft law presented at a recent meeting of China's legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, allows victims of intellectual property theft to sue for damages.

China's legislature also announced it is looking at a new law governing foreign investment that would prevent the forced transfer of technology and give foreign firms the same privileges as Chinese companies.

Chinese courts heard a total of 213,480 IP cases in 2017 -- 40 percent more than in 2016 and double the number heard in 2013, Xinhua reported.

US, China talk 'progress' after phone call on trade

Yahoo – AFP, Ian Timberlake, December 29, 2018

China's President Xi Jinping (L) and US President Donald Trump discussed the
tariff war that has seen tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of goods
(AFP Photo/FRED DUFOUR)

Washington (AFP) - Both the US and China spoke of progress Saturday after telephone talks between their leaders over a trade war that has rattled global markets.

"Just had a long and very good call with President Xi of China," US President Donald Trump said on Twitter after his chat with China's President Xi Jinping.

"Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!"

For his part, Xi told Trump that China places "great importance" on improving bilateral ties and "encourages and supports further talks between the United States and the Democratic people's Republic of (North) Korea, and hopes for positive results," state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

Washington and Beijing imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of goods in total two-way trade earlier this year, locking them in a conflict that has begun to eat into profits and contributed to stock market plunges.

The leaders of both the United States and China want "stable progress" in ties, Xi said during the call, according to the state Xinhua news agency.

While investors have worried over the trade war between the world's two biggest economies, relations have thawed since Xi and Trump struck a 90-day trade truce in early December while the two sides work to ease tensions by March 1.

Xinhua quoted Xi as saying China and the US are working to implement the terms of that truce.

During the call, Xi expressed hope that "both teams can meet each other halfway and reach an agreement beneficial to both countries and the world as early as possible," according to Xinhua.

Relations between the world's top two economies are "now in a vital stage," Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.

"China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and appreciates the willingness of the US side to develop cooperative and constructive bilateral relations."

China's President Xi Jinping (L) and US President Donald Trump discussed the 

tariff war that has seen tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of goods

(AFP Photo/FRED DUFOUR)

The US-China trade war has been among factors pressuring US and global markets in December, alongside worries over slowing growth, a partial US government shutdown, higher US Federal Reserve interest rates and Trump's attacks on the central bank.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last Sunday aimed to allay investor anxiety by announcing that he had held a conference call with major bank CEOs, but the comments were widely criticized by market watchers for raising new doubts.

Prior to Saturday's call, there had been small signs of progress -- and the absence of new threats from Trump.

China's customs administration announced Friday it had approved US rice imports, after Beijing's major state-owned grain stockpiler said it had resumed buying US soybeans, and China announced it would suspend extra tariffs added to US-made cars and auto parts starting January 1.

'Close communication'

China is also targeting intellectual property theft in the country -- one of the main sticking points in the dispute with the US.

Trump initiated the trade war because of complaints over unfair Chinese trade practices -- concerns shared by the European Union, Japan and others.

Trump is seeking a massive reduction in the US trade deficit with China and deeper reforms to open the economy to foreign companies.

Trade negotiators from China and the United States are planning to meet in January for talks, Beijing said on Thursday, but stopped short of confirming the exact date or location.

"The Chinese and US economic and trade teams have always maintained close communication," commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a regular briefing.

Deputy US Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish will lead the US team for talks during the week of January 7, Bloomberg reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

These would be the first face-to-face talks since the truce was agreed by both nation's leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting in Buenos Aires.

Last week, Beijing's commerce ministry said China and the US "made new progress" on the issues of trade balance and intellectual property during a phone call between officials from the two countries.

Resolving the bruising spat could help shore up confidence in the Chinese economy, which itself is bracing for a slowdown.

Pope urges 'fraternity' in Christmas message

Yahoo – AFP, Catherine Marciano, December 25, 2018

Pope Francis appealled for peace in conflict zones such as Syria and
Yemen (AFP Photo/Tiziana FABI)

Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis called for peace and "fraternity" and Queen Elizabeth II warned against "tribalism", as millions across the world celebrated Christmas on Tuesday -- after US President Donald Trump caused a festive furore by raising doubts about Santa Claus's existence during a call with a child.

Some 50,000 worshippers gathered at the Vatican to hear the pontiff's sixth "Urbi et Orbi" (To the City and the World) message appealing for peace in conflict zones such as Syria and Yemen, which face humanitarian crises.

"My wish for a happy Christmas is a wish for fraternity," he told pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square on Tuesday, when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

"Fraternity among individuals of every nation and culture. Fraternity among people with different ideas... Fraternity among persons of different religions."

Francis, the head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, had used his mass on Monday night to urge people to curb "insatiable greed".

The pontiff said he hoped a truce in conflict-ravaged Yemen would end a devastating war that has killed around 10,000 people since 2015 and pushed 14 million Yemenis to the brink of famine.

The pope also spoke of the war in Syria, which has forced millions from their homes and reduced swathes of the country to rubble.

He called for a "political solution" to the conflict "so that the Syrian people, especially all those who were forced to leave their own lands and seek refuge elsewhere, can return to live in peace in their own country".

Francis also said he hoped for renewed peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians "that can put an end to a conflict that for over 70 years has rent the land chosen by the Lord to show his face of love."

'Little town' celebrations

Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, located near Jerusalem but cut off from the city by Israel's separation barrier, has seen an increase in visitors this season after several down years because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian tourism officials and hotel operators have reported their strongest season in years.

"This year is much more calm, much better than last year," said Abeer Nasser, a Palestinian from the nearby town of Beit Sahour celebrating in Bethlehem with her son and daughter.

Beyond Bethlehem, Christians worldwide were marking Christmas, with services held from Indonesia to Iraq.

This year's celebrations come after a year of tumult, much of it coming from Washington, where the festive spirit was dampened when the national Christmas tree went dark due to a US government shutdown -- though it ultimately reopened thanks to private donations.

One festive service not affected was the military's annual Santa Claus "tracker", which sees North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) deliver live updates on his international gift delivery route.

Fielding calls from children anxious to know if their presents would arrive on time, Trump risked a spell on Santa's naughty list by telling one child that believing in the jolly man in red at age seven was "marginal".

Entrenching the unfestive tone on Christmas morning, Trump used a news conference following his annual holiday call to US troops to reel off a laundry list of complaints, including his disdain for the US Federal Reserve and the opposition Democrats, whom he blames for the shutdown.

"It's a disgrace what's happening in our country. But other than that, I wish everybody a very Merry Christmas," the president said.

Celebrations despite conflicts

In Bethlehem, visitors were able to view the Church of the Nativity's newly restored mosaics dating to the Crusader era after a major renovation.

Visitors from across the world gathered in the "little town" on Christmas Eve for midnight mass, queueing to see the grotto where Jesus is believed to have been born and taking in a festive parade.

While for many who celebrate the festival Christmas is a time to gather with loved ones, many were struggling with unforeseen events and hardships.

At a little church just outside Indonesia's tsunami disaster zone, a few dozen congregants gathered on Christmas day to pray for the victims.

The tsunami, triggered by a volcanic eruption, left more than 400 people dead when it smashed into popular beaches on southern Sumatra and the western edge of Java, inundating tourist hotels and coastal settlements.

"This Christmas is different because we're celebrating it during a disaster," Rahmat Carita congregant Eliza told AFP.

"For me, it's a chance to contemplate. God's love is real, we must not forget that."

Queen Elizabeth II warned of religious "tribalism" in a Christmas message delivered against a backdrop of Britain bickering over its impending exit from the EU.

The tone of the 92-year-old monarch's annual TV appearances reflected a sombre mood sweeping the island nation as it ponders the perils of leaving the European project after 46 years.

"Even the power of faith, which frequently inspires great generosity and self-sacrifice, can fall victim to tribalism," Elizabeth said.

Spain's second-largest city Barcelona was meanwhile on alert after the US State Department warned of the risk of a terrorist attack during the Christmas holidays.

And in France, groups of "yellow vest" anti-government demonstrators are spending Christmas day at makeshift protest camps on roundabouts across the country, eating devilled eggs and foie gras with new friends they have made in weeks of rallies against the policies of President Emmanuel Macron.

VIDEO: Pope Francis delivers the 'Urbi et Orbi' Christmas message at Saint Peter's Square, appealing for peace in conflict zones such as Syria and Yemen pic.twitter.com/20Ca58NzBb

— AFP news agency (@AFP) December 25, 2018

Trump, Erdogan vow to avoid Syria power vacuum after US forces leave

Yahoo – AFP, Maggy Donaldson, December 23, 2018

President Donald Trump's sudden decision to withdraw troops from Syria sparked
 turmoil in his administration, prompting the resignation of Defense Secretary
Jim Mattis, as well as of Brett McGurk, the special envoy to the anti-IS coalition
(AFP Photo/SAUL LOEB)

Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed Sunday to prevent a power vacuum in Syria after US ground forces withdraw, in a phone conversation days after the US president shocked global partners by announcing Americans would leave the war-scarred country.

Turkey was a rare ally that lauded Trump's momentous decision to pull the 2,000 US troops out of Syria, where they have been helping assisting in a multinational fight against IS.

"The two leaders agreed to ensure coordination between their countries' military, diplomatic and other officials to avoid a power vacuum which could result following any abuse of the withdrawal and transition phase in Syria," the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

Hours earlier Trump had tweeted that he and Erdogan "discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area."

Erdogan tweeted shortly thereafter, saying the two leaders "agreed to increase coordination on many issues including trade relations and the developments in Syria," dubbing the call "productive."

Syrian demonstrators in the northeastern Syrian Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli 

asking for the Syrian army's protection as Turkey threatens to carry out a fresh 

offensive following the US move to withdraw (AFP Photo/Delil SOULEIMAN)

US troops will leave under the auspices of a new Pentagon chief set to start next month, after Jim Mattis resigned from the post citing key differences, including on Syria, with the often-impulsive Trump.

An American exit would allow Turkish troops to move against Kurdish fighters in Syria who have played a key role in the war against IS but are deemed terrorists by Ankara.

Many US politicians and international allies fear the withdrawal is premature and would further destabilize the already devastated region.

A US withdrawal, said Mutlu Civiroglu, a Kurdish affairs analyst, will open the way "for Turkey to start its operations against the Kurds, and a bloody war will begin."

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said he "deeply regretted" Trump's decision, and that "an ally must be reliable."

Several US politicians from both parties rejected Trump's claim that IS had been defeated, and many in the US military expressed alarm and dismay at the thought of suddenly abandoning Washington's Kurdish partners.

US President Donald Trump announced Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick

 Shanahan (R) would step in as the acting Pentagon chief to replace Jim Mattis 

(AFP Photo/Nicholas Kamm)

And Trump's sudden decision sparked turmoil within his administration, prompting the resignation of Mattis as well as of Brett McGurk, the special envoy to the anti-IS coalition.

New Pentagon chief

Plans for the troop withdrawal will now be overseen by Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, who Trump on Sunday said would replace Mattis starting January 1.

Mattis, 68, had said he would leave at the end of February to allow a smooth transition for the next chief of the world's top military power -- but a reportedly angry Trump accelerated his departure by two months.

Defense spokeswoman Dana White tweeted that Mattis would still assist in the handover, working with Shanahan to ensure the department "remains focused on the defense of our nation during this transition."

According to US media, the Republican leader voiced resentment over news coverage of Mattis' stinging resignation letter that laid bare his fundamental disagreements with the president.

The resignation letter addressed by US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to 

US President Donald Trump (AFP Photo)

"Because you have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours," Mattis said in the letter, "I believe it is right for me to step down from my position."

"My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues," wrote Mattis, a decorated former general.

Days later, special envoy McGurk made a similar move, saying he could not support Trump's Syria decision that he said "left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered."

Unlike Mattis, Shanahan has never served in the military and has spent most of his career in the private sector.

He spent over three decades working for aircraft giant Boeing, including as vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems, before moving to the Pentagon as deputy in 2017.

Until Trump finds a permanent defense leader, Shanahan will lead plans for US troops to leave Syria along with a significant drawdown in Afghanistan, both of which critics worry will leave war-torn regions at risk of continued and potentially heightened bloodshed.

Mick Mulvaney, who will soon leave his post as White House budget director to serve as Trump's chief of staff, told ABC on Sunday Trump will not change his mind about the withdrawal, despite this week's protest resignations.

"I think the president has told people from the very beginning that he doesn't want us to stay in Syria forever. You're seeing the end result now of two years' worth of work."

Pope vows Church will 'never again' ignore abuse accusations

Yahoo – AFP, Charles ONIANS, 21 December 2018

The pope called on for anyone who has committed child abuse to hand
themselves over to justice

Pope Francis vowed Friday that the Catholic Church will never again treat abuse allegations without "seriousness and promptness", calling on abusers to hand themselves in to police.

"The Church will never seek to hush up or not take seriously any case," the pope said in his annual address to the Church's governing Curia at the Vatican.

"Let it be clear that before these abominations the Church will spare no effort to do all that is necessary to bring to justice whosoever has committed such crimes".

A litany of child sexual abuse scandals has rocked the Roman Catholic Church, which has 1.3 billion followers around the world, with the pope as recently as Wednesday accepting the resignation of a US auxiliary bishop over his "misconduct" with a minor.

"It is undeniable that some in the past, out of irresponsibility, disbelief, lack of training, inexperience, or spiritual and human short-sightedness, treated many cases without the seriousness and promptness that was due.

"That must never happen again. This is the choice and the decision of the whole Church."

The pope on Friday also called on for anyone who has committed child abuse, including priests, to hand themselves over to justice.

'Prepare for justice'

"To those who abuse minors I would say this: convert and hand yourself over to human justice, and prepare for divine justice," the pope told Curia.

Francis has struggled to resolve the problem as the steady drip of scandal corrodes the church's authority but fresh cases surface regularly against a background of sharp divisions in Rome over the issue.

The pope last week removed two prominent cardinals from his inner circle months after they were tainted by paedophile scandals and ahead of a Church-wide meeting on the "protection of minors" next year.

Australian Cardinal George Pell and Chilean Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz were both removed from the so-called C9 Council of Cardinals, an international advice body set up by Francis himself, the Vatican said on December 12.

The last time the C9 met in September, Errazuriz, who is accused of ignoring reports of abuse in Chile, and Pell, who faces charges in Australia related to historical child sexual offences, were both absent, and the council said it was considering restructuring.

Despite being removed from the C9, Pell, 77, remains in charge of Vatican finances, the third most powerful position in the Roman Catholic Church.

The Church has been hit by a series of child abuse scandals in recent years, with widespread allegations of cover-ups, including against the pope himself.

The pope told the Curia on Friday that there were still "consecrated men... who abuse the vulnerable, taking advantage of their position and their power of persuasion."

"They perform abominable acts yet continue to exercise their ministry as if nothing had happened. They have no fear of God or his judgement, but only of being found out and unmasked."

"Often behind their boundless amiability, impeccable activity and angelic faces, they shamelessly conceal a vicious wolf ready to devour innocent souls."

Trump's foreign policy in spotlight after military withdrawals

Yahoo – AFP, Thomas WATKINS, December 21, 2018

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (L) walk into the
Pentagon for a meeting with military leaders this year (AFP Photo/MARK WILSON)

Washington (AFP) - US politicians and international allies scrambled Friday to make sense of President Donald Trump's momentous foreign policy decisions for Syria and Afghanistan -- epic reversals that prompted Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to quit.

Trump's historic moves to pull out of Syria and slash troop numbers in Afghanistan run counter to years of US doctrine in the region, and set the stage for a cascading series of events that could well result in more bloodshed across a scarred region.

While many Americans -- and not just his supporters -- lauded Trump's decision, fed up after years of costly and spiraling conflicts, politicians of every stripe were tripping over each other to voice their condemnation.

"Reducing the American presence in Afghanistan and removing our presence in Syria will reverse... progress, encourage our adversaries, and make America less safe," said Republican Congressman Mac Thornberry, a Trump ally who heads the House Armed Services Committee.

In the Pentagon, no one seemed to know what comes next.

"We are referring all questions to the White House," one spokeswoman said, when asked about the momentous Afghanistan withdrawal.

Mattis, who was seen as a voice of moderation and widely trusted by allies, resigned Thursday after telling Trump he could not abide the Syria decision.

It leaves vulnerable to a Turkish attack thousands of Kurdish fighters the Pentagon has spent years training and arming to fight the Islamic State group.

'No surprise'

In Afghanistan, the Taliban welcomed Trump's partial pull out, with a spokesman saying the group was "more than happy."

Bill Roggio, an Afghanistan expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told AFP the Trump administration's Middle East policy is in disarray.

"I do not know what its policy is, specifically with respect to what was known as the War on Terror," he said.

"Until Trump articulates a policy, it appears isolationism has won the day."

Trump campaigned on a pledge of "America First" and vowed to limit US engagement overseas, so his action on Afghanistan and Syria aren't bolts from the blue, and many observers were pleased with his actions.

US troops deployment and death toll in Afghanistan since 2001. (AFP
Photo/Gal ROMA)

Just weeks before Mattis announced a surge of troops in Afghanistan in August 2017, polls showed Americans were weary of war and lacked confidence that Washington had any winning strategy.

A Morning Consult-Politico poll at the time showed only 23 percent of people thought the US was "winning" in Afghanistan; 38 percent thought it was "losing."

"Trump ran on a platform of non-intervention, 'no more stupid wars,' and promised to get out of the nation-building business," Daniel Davis, a retired army lieutenant colonel and senior fellow at the Defense Priorities military think tank, told AFP.

"That, in general terms, is his policy, which is fundamentally sound."

In March, Trump said he wanted to bring troops home "soon" from Syria and last year, when he agreed to boost the US troop presence in Afghanistan, he said he was doing so against his own instincts.

"Getting out of Syria was no surprise," Trump tweeted on Thursday.

"I've been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer," he added, noting that it was "time to come home" and "time for others to finally fight."

'Strategic mistake'

Trump claims IS has been defeated territorially in Syria, even though thousands of fighters remain and still hold small pockets of land.

His withdrawal from Syria abruptly ends American influence in the war-ravaged country and gives the Turks an opening to attack US-backed Kurds.

Trump reportedly made the decision during a phone call last week with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

By ceding Syria, Trump is also yanking a keystone of his own administration's foreign policy: to push back against Iran, which supports President Bashar al-Assad and is seeking to expand regional influence.

"This is a huge strategic mistake that I hope the president will reconsider," Jack Keane, a retired general, told Fox News.

"If he does not, I believe with some degree of confidence that he will come to regret this decision."

Keane has been one of the names in the Washington rumor mill to replace Mattis.

He went on to warn that Trump was repeating the "mistakes" of president Barack Obama, who for years drew withering criticism from Republicans for pulling US troops out of Iraq, only to see the emergence of IS.

Trump's withdrawal orders, meanwhile, rattled Europe.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly said there was still "has a job to finish" in Syria and called on the US to discuss its withdrawal with other members of a coalition fighting IS.

Britain's junior defense minister Tobias Ellwood had contradicted Trump on Wednesday, retweeting his message that the jihadists had been defeated in Syria with the words: "I strongly disagree.

"It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive," he wrote.

Brett McGurk reportedly said in his resignation letter that IS militants had not been

 defeated, and that pulling out US troops could result in the jihadists regaining

 strength (AFP Photo/AHMAD ABDO)

Related Article:

Top US envoy in fight against IS group resigns: official

UN Council votes to send observers to Yemen

Yahoo – AFP, Philippe RATER, December 21, 2018

The UN Security Council resolution "insists on the full respect by all parties of
the ceasefire agreed" for Hodeida (AFP Photo/Jewel SAMAD)

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a resolution that authorizes the deployment of observers to war-torn Yemen to oversee a fragile truce in the strategic Red Sea port of Hodeida.

The draft, which was submitted by Britain, had been the subject of tough negotiations among the 15 council members, and was amended several times before the vote.

It also endorses the results of UN-brokered peace negotiations in Sweden last week. Yemen's warring parties agreed to a ceasefire that took effect Tuesday and the withdrawal of fighters in Hodeida, a key gateway for aid and food imports.

The city is a vital lifeline for millions at risk of starvation, and the ceasefire between Saudi-backed government forces and Huthi Shiite rebels is seen as the best chance yet of ending four years of devastating conflict.

The agreement also included a planned prisoner swap involving some 15,000 detainees.

The UN Security Council resolution "insists on the full respect by all parties of the ceasefire agreed" for Hodeida.

It authorizes the United Nations to "establish and deploy, for an initial period of 30 days from the adoption of this resolution, an advance team to begin monitoring" the ceasefire, under the leadership of retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert.

According to the UN, Cammaert -- who served multiple times as a UN peacekeeper -- was expected to arrive in the Jordanian capital Amman on Friday, before heading to the rebel-held capital Sanaa and Hodeida.

The resolution also authorizes UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to "submit proposals as soon as possible before December 31, 2018 on how the United Nations will fully support the Stockholm Agreement as requested by the parties."

French ambassador Francois Delattre said the unanimous vote sent a "strong signal of the council's unity and engagement" on Yemen, and that it had put its weight behind the UN-brokered talks.

A Yemeni child runs toward a tent at a camp for displaced people in the Khokha

 district of the western province of Hodeidah -- the war has displaced more than two 

million people (AFP Photo)

Diplomats said the UN observer mission could consist of 30 to 40 people, tasked with ensuring the withdrawal of the warring parties from Hodeida and the safe passage of humanitarian aid.

The UN said the first members of the mission were already en route to the region.

The observers will head up monitoring teams made up of government and rebel representatives, under the auspices of a Redeployment Coordination Committee headed by Cammaert.

Food insecurity

A week ago, following the talks in Sweden, UN envoy Martin Griffiths asked the Security Council for the quick deployment of observers.

But the negotiations were particularly tough, with Russia at one point threatening to use its veto if a mention of Iran supporting Huthi rebel attacks -- inserted by the United States -- was not removed.

In a compromise, the phrase "further condemning the supply, from Iran and other actors" of the Huthis became "the supply, from whatever source."

But in the end, the entire paragraph was scrapped from the final version.

The war in Yemen between the rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led military coalition intervened.

Since then, the conflict has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high.

On December 8, the UN said that as many as 20 million people in Yemen were "food insecure," calling the situation the "world's worst humanitarian crisis."

Louis Charbonneau, the UN director for Human Rights Watch, said the resolution "sends an important message to the suffering people of Yemen that they haven't been forgotten."

Charbonneau also called on the Security Council to consider imposing "targeted sanctions" on those who violated the laws of war in Yemen, including "senior Saudi, Emirati and Huthi officials."

Obama delights sick children as Santa in Washington

Yahoo - AFP, December 20, 2018

Dressed in a Santa hat and carrying gifts, @BarackObama takes on a new role as Father Christmas for a surprise visit to sick children in Washingtonhttps://t.co/0hF9IgafCC

— AFP news agency (@AFP) December 20, 2018

Washington (AFP) - Former US president Barack Obama took on a new high-profile role as Father Christmas on Wednesday for a surprise visit to sick children in Washington.

Sporting a festive Santa hat and armed with a sack of gifts, he delighted young patients at Children's National hospital with gifts and hugs.

"I just want to say thank you to all of you guys," Obama told staff, who greeted him with rapturous cheers, in a video he shared on his Twitter account.

"We've had the chance to talk to some of the wonderful kids and their families," he added.

"As the dad of two girls, I can only imagine in that situation to have nurses and staff and doctors and people who are caring for them, and looking after them... that's the most important thing there is."

The 44th president of the United States still lives in Washington, where he last year dressed up as Santa to visit middle school students at a Boys & Girls Club in the capital.

Former US president @BarackObama takes on a new high-profile role as Father Christmas for a surprise visit to sick children in Washington pic.twitter.com/CubcRguife

— AFP news agency (@AFP) December 20, 2018

UN General Assembly ratifies migrant pact

Yahoo – AFP, December 19, 2018

The UN General Assembly formally ratified the UN Global Compact for Safe,
Orderly and Regular Migration -- here, a group of Central American migrants hover
near the US-Mexico border, mulling whether to try to cross (AFP Photo/Guillermo Arias)

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN General Assembly on Wednesday formally ratified a UN deal on migration by a large majority -- but without the support of the United States and a string of other countries.

A total of 152 countries voted in favor of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which was agreed upon earlier this month by 165 UN members at a meeting in Morocco.

Twelve countries abstained while five nations voted against it -- the United States, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Israel.

Billed as the first international document on managing migration, it lays out 23 objectives to open up legal migration and discourage illegal border crossings, as the number of people on the move globally has surged to more than almost 260 million, or 3.4 percent of the world' population.

More than 80 percent of those moving between countries do so legally, but more 60,000 people have died trying to cross border illicitly since 2000, according to UN figures.

Rows over the accord have erupted in several European Union nations, sparking the collapse of Belgium's coalition government and pushing Slovakia's foreign minister to tender his resignation.

From the United States to Europe and beyond, right-wing and populist leaders have taken increasingly draconian measures to shut out migrants in recent years.

According to diplomats, the United States had sought up to the last minute to convince other countries not to support the pact.

The agreement is not legally binding, which has raised concerns among NGOs and human rights advocates that its provisions may not be fully implemented.

In Europe -- where a wave of migration from the Middle East and North Africa in 2015 bolstered far-right politicians -- a dozen states either opposed the pact or abstained.

Hungary once again denounced the pact as a "serious mistake" and raised the specter of a fresh influx of migrants, while Brazil's far-right president-elect Jair Bolsonaro said migrants had made parts of France "unlivable" and announced he would withdraw from the pact.

Support 'safe' migration

But UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned at the summit last week in Morocco for world leaders to sign off on the text that "we must not succumb to fear and false narratives."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also sought to quell fears at the meeting, saying the aim of the agreement was to prevent, rather than encourage, illegal migration.

"This is about safe, orderly and regular migration -- it says (this) clearly in the title," she said.

Despite the nationalist furor that forced Belgium's prime minister to tender his resignation Tuesday, Brussels voted for the pact at the General Assembly.

The pact includes a series of principles -- including the defense of human rights, recognition of the sovereignty of nations -- as well as a list of collaborative tools, such as sharing information and expertise and integrating migrants.

It stipulates that the detention of migrants should only be a last resort in tackling the global problem.

Amnesty International, a human rights group that supported the pact, said the countries that refused to endorse it -- including the United States, Australia, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Austria -- had been responsible for the "worst abuses against migrants in recent years."