Belarus opposition leader Tsikhanouski freed from jail, his wife says
FILE PHOTO: Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya holds an image of her husband Syarhei Tsikhanouski, who is jailed in Belarus, as she attends the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 17, 2024. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
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The Star
28 minutes ago
- The Star
The Boss vs The Donald
THEY have some similarities, Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump – guys in their 70s with homes in New Jersey and big constituencies among white American men middle-aged and older. And both, in very different respects, are the boss. That's about where it ends. The veteran rock star, long a political opponent of the US president, stood up as one of Trump's most prominent cultural critics last month with a verbal takedown from a British stage. As is his nature, Trump fought back – hard. He called Springsteen a 'dried out prune of a rocker' and even brought Beyonce into the fray. The president suggested that Springsteen and Beyonce should be investigated to see if appearances they made on behalf of his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, last fall represented an illegal campaign donation. Opening a tour in Manchester, England, Springsteen told his audience that 'the America I love, the America I've written about that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.' He added, 'Tonight we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring.' Trump boarding Air Force One as he departs for Michigan to attend a rally. — Reuters Springsteen later made reference to an 'unfit president and a rogue government' who have 'no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American'. The next morning, Trump called Springsteen highly overrated. 'Never liked him, never liked his music or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy – just a pushy, obnoxious JERK,' he wrote on social media. 'This dried out prune of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back in the Country,' he said. The next night, also in Manchester, Springsteen repeated his criticisms. 'It's no surprise what Springsteen's political leanings are and have been for many decades,' said veteran music writer Alan Light, author of the upcoming Don't Stop: Why We (Still) Love Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. 'He's somebody who has been outspoken in his music and his actions.' The Boss' statements showed that he wasn't afraid to speak out 'at a time when so many people and institutions are just kind of rolling over,' Light said. Canadian-American rocker Neil Young weighed in on his website on behalf of Springsteen under the headline 'TRUMP!!!' 'What are you worryin about man?' he said. 'Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America. You worry about that instead of the dyin' kids in Gaza. That's your problem. I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us.' He added: 'Taylor Swift is right. So is Bruce. You know how I feel. You are worried more about yourself than AMERICA.' It's not the first time Springsteen has spoken out against Trump – or a Republican president. When former President Ronald Reagan referenced Springsteen's 'message of hope' at a campaign stop during the height of the rocker's Born in the USA popularity, Springsteen wondered if Reagan had listened to his music and its references to those left behind in the 1980s economy. Springsteen also has had an occasionally bumpy relationship with one-time Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a fan of his music. Springsteen has campaigned for Trump's opponents, including Harris last fall. In 2020, he said that 'a good portion of our fine country, to my eye, has been thoroughly hypnotised, brainwashed by a con man from Queens.' He knows the outer-borough reference still stung a man who built his own tower in Manhattan and ascended to the presidency. Trump often stays at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Springsteen grew up in New Jersey – you may have heard – and lives in Colts Neck, New Jersey, now. Trump doesn't hesitate to go after the biggest musical names that speak out against him, like Beyonce and Swift. But the political risk may be less; their younger, more female audiences are less likely to intersect with Trump's core constituency. During his career, Springsteen has challenged his audience politically beyond presidential endorsements. The 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad bluntly documented the lives of struggling immigrants – Mexican and Vietnamese among them. And his 2001 song American Skin (41 Shots), criticised the shooting by New York City police officers of an unarmed Guinean immigrant named Amadou Diallo, angering some of the blue-collar segments of his fan base. Clearly, Springsteen has conservative fans and some who wish he'd steer clear of politics, Light said. Still, '40 years later, it's hard to imagine what they think would happen' with Trump, he said. While Trump made a point to reference Springsteen's criticism in an overseas show, the singer and his E Street Band haven't performed in the United States since before the 2024 election. — AP
The Star
29 minutes ago
- The Star
US B-2 bombers involved in Iran strikes, U.S. official says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. B-2 bombers were involved in strikes on Iran's nuclear sites announced by President Donald Trump on Saturday, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Reuters had reported earlier on Saturday the movement of B-2 bombers, which can be equipped to carry massive bombs that experts say would be ideal to strike the sites. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Belarus frees jailed opposition leader after appeal from US
WARSAW: Belarus freed top opposition figure Sergei Tikhanovsky and more than a dozen other political prisoners Saturday following an appeal from the White House, Minsk said, a sign of warming ties between Washington and Belarus-ally Moscow. The release came just hours after US special envoy Keith Kellogg met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, the highest-profile visit of a US official to the authoritarian state in years. Tikhanovsky's wife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who took the mantle of the opposition movement after her husband's jailing, thanked US President Donald Trump directly for brokering the deal. European politicians and members of Belarus's exiled opposition also welcomed the news. "This is fantastic news and a powerful symbol of hope for all the political prisoners suffering under the brutal Lukashenka regime," European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said on X. "Europe continues to call for their immediate release," she added. Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski expressed his "sincerest joy", while Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics called Tikhanovsky's freedom a "much awaited and long overdue moment". Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul welcomed Tikhanovsky's release as "fantastically good news", in a post to X. "At the same time, we must not forget the many other prisoners in Belarus. Lukashenko must finally release them," he added. Pavel Latushko, a former culture minister in Belarus who supported the 2020 protests against Lukashenko, also hailed Tikhanovsky's release as an "important moment". Tikhanovsky, 46, had been imprisoned for more than five years. The popular Youtuber had planned to run against Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential election, but was arrested and detained weeks before the vote. He was sentenced in 2021 to 18 years in prison for "organising riots" and "inciting hatred", then to another 18 months for "insubordination". Svetlana -- a political novice at the time of her husband's arrest -- ran against Lukashenko in his place but lost after what the opposition described as widespread falsification. She later fled Belarus. "It's hard to describe the joy in my heart," she said in a post on X following her husband's release. Among the 13 others freed were Radio Liberty journalist Igor Karnei, arrested in 2023 and jailed for participating in an "extremist" organisation. They have now been transferred from Belarus to Lithuania, where they were receiving "proper care", Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said. Though none of the released prisoners needed emergency medical assistance, "one of them needed emergency medical attention" as "they were imprisoned in difficult conditions", Budrys told the LRT public broadcaster, without elaborating. Swedish-Belarusian citizen Galina Krasnyanskaya, arrested in 2023 for allegedly supporting Ukraine, was also freed, said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, has outlawed all genuine opposition parties. It is the only European country to retain the death penalty as a punishment. The eastern European country still holds more than 1,000 political prisoners in its jails, according to Belarusian human rights group Viasna. Lukashenko's spokeswoman said the Belarusian leader had ordered the release of the prisoners on Trump's "request", Russian state media reported. The US leader appeared to take credit, writing "Thank you President Trump!" on social media, alongside a link to a news story about the prisoner release. Since taking office, Trump has engaged in direct talks with Vladimir Putin, ending his predecessor's policy of isolating the Russian president. The two nuclear powers have since worked to normalise diplomatic ties, which have for years lingered at their lowest point since the Cold War. Tikhanovsky was for years held incommunicado, and in 2023 his wife was told that he had "died". In a video published by Viasna on Saturday, he appeared almost unrecognisable, his head shaven and face emaciated. A charismatic activist, Tikhanovsky drew the ire of authorities for describing Lukashenko as a "cockroach" and his campaign slogan was "Stop the cockroach." Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in the 2020 election, a result that sparked massive opposition protests which authorities violently suppressed. The Belarusian autocrat claimed a record seventh term in elections earlier this year that observers dismissed as a farce. - AFP
