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Japan Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
U.S. Marines deployed to LA in rare move as more protests expected
National Guard members keep watch outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, during a protest against federal immigration sweeps, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 12, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson By Brad Brooks, Jorge Garcia, Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart U.S. Marines were deployed to Los Angeles on Friday, the military said, in a rare domestic use of its forces after days of protests over immigration raids and as nationwide demonstrations were expected on Saturday, in the biggest backlash since President Donald Trump returned to power. About 200 Marines will protect a federal building in Los Angeles, Army Major General Scott Sherman said on Friday. The administration has authorized a total of 700 Marines to be deployed in the city. Neither the Marines nor National Guard troops in the city have temporarily detained anyone, he added. "I would like to emphasize that the soldiers will not participate in law enforcement activities," he said during a briefing. It is uncommon for active-duty troops to be used domestically during civil disturbances. The last time the military was used for direct police action was in 1992, when the California governor at the time asked then President George H.W. Bush to invoke the Insurrection Act to help respond to Los Angeles riots over the acquittal of police officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King. A court decided on Thursday that Trump can keep his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles for now. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision temporarily paused a lower court ruling that blocked the mobilization, although it does not mean the court will ultimately side with him. "We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The Trump administration "far overreached its authority," the California Attorney General's office said, adding that it remained confident in its case ahead of making arguments to court on Tuesday. In the city's downtown, construction workers were out early on Friday adding plywood to storefronts, with many already boarded-up. Little Tokyo, hardest hit by the protests, remains largely covered in anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement graffiti spray-painted by demonstrators during the previous nights' marches, though few buildings had damage beyond that. "This is all terrible for business," said the proprietor of one restaurant, whose windows were being boarded up and would only speak on condition of anonymity. "My business is great when things are calm, but neither the protesters nor the police are letting that happen." SOLDIERS ON THE STREETS Cities across the U.S. were bracing for demonstrations on Saturday, when those also opposed to a weekend military parade in Washington are expected to take to the streets. "They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services," the group No Kings, which is organizing the day of action, wrote on its website. Trump is carrying out a campaign promise to deport immigrants, employing forceful tactics consistent with the norm-breaking political style that got him elected twice. Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, have said the use of military force was unnecessary and an example of Trump's authoritarianism. In Los Angeles, troops have stood guard at a federal detention center downtown where many of the protests have taken place in a show of solidarity for immigrants detained inside. The Guard had accompanied ICE agents on operations to detain immigrants. City officials in Los Angeles and state officials in California have opposed the ramp-up of federal immigration enforcement since it began last Friday. "Peace begins with ICE leaving Los Angeles," Mayor Karen Bass, who has imposed a nighttime curfew over one square mile (2.5 square km) of downtown Los Angeles, said on Thursday. Protests have been mostly peaceful, punctuated by incidents of violence, and restricted to a few city blocks. The Los Angeles Police Department said 33 people were arrested downtown overnight for failing to disperse as protests continued in the city for a seventh day, and 13 arrests were made for violating the curfew. Demonstrations have also taken place in other cities this week, including New York and Chicago, and there have been some disturbances. Four detainees escaped from a privately operated immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, on Thursday amid reported unrest inside the facility, a Department of Homeland Security official said on Friday. "DHS has become aware of 4 detainees at the privately held Delaney Hall Detention Facility escaping," the official said in a statement. Video posted to social media by the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, an advocacy group, showed protesters outside the facility attempting to block law enforcement vehicles from entering. Delaney Hall drew national attention last month when the mayor of Newark and a Democratic congresswoman were arrested while trying to enter. Americans are divided over Trump's decision to activate the military. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday showed 48% of respondents agreed with a statement that the president should "deploy the military to bring order to the streets" when protests turned violent, while 41% disagreed. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Trump allowed to keep National Guard in Los Angeles as more protests planned
National Guard members keep watch outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, during a protest against federal immigration sweeps, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 12, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump can keep his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles, according to a court ruling, as protests against immigration raids look set to enter their second week in the strongest backlash since his return to power in January. Trump on Friday welcomed the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision that temporarily paused a lower court ruling that blocked the mobilization, although it does not mean that the court will ultimately agree to side with him. "We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Cities across the United States were bracing for more demonstrations especially on Saturday, when those also opposed to a weekend military parade in Washington marking the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary are expected to take to the streets. "They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services," the group No Kings, which is behind the day of action, wrote on its website. A battalion of 700 U.S. Marines was expected to arrive on Friday in Los Angeles, marking an extraordinary use of military forces to support civilian police operations within the United States. Troops have stood guard at a federal detention center in the city's downtown where many of the protests have taken place in a show of solidarity for immigrants detained inside. The protests so far have been mostly peaceful, punctuated by incidents of violence, and restricted to a few city blocks. Demonstrations have also taken place in other U.S. cities this week including New York and Chicago. The guard had also accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on operations to detain immigrants. Democratic leaders in California have strongly opposed the ramping up of immigration enforcement since it began last Friday. "Peace begins with ICE leaving Los Angeles," Mayor Karen Bass, who has imposed a nighttime curfew over one square mile (2.5 square km) of downtown Los Angeles, said on Thursday. Trump is carrying out a campaign promise to deport immigrants, employing forceful tactics consistent with the norm-breaking political style that got him elected twice. Democrats have said that the use of military force was unnecessary and an example of Trump's authoritarianism. Americans are divided over Trump's decision to activate the military. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday showed that 48% of respondents agreed with a statement that the president should "deploy the military to bring order to the streets" when protests turned violent, while 41% disagreed. (Writing by Costas Pitas; Editing by Mary Milliken and Mark Porter)
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Global nuclear arms spending up 11% in 2024, campaign group says
FILE PHOTO: The United States Air Force's B-21 \"Raider\", the long-range stealth bomber that can be armed with nuclear weapons, rolls onto the runway at Northrop Grumman's site at Air Force Plant 42, during its first flight, in Palmdale, California, U.S., November 10, 2023. REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo Global nuclear arms spending up 11% in 2024, campaign group says GENEVA - Spending on nuclear weapons by the world's nine nuclear-armed nations rose by 11% in 2024, a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said on Friday. The $10 billion annual increase to $100.2 billion went towards modernising and in some cases expanding nuclear arsenals, according to ICAN, a global civil society coalition that seeks the total elimination of atomic weapons. "Nuclear-armed countries could have paid the United Nations' budget 28 times with what they spent to build and maintain nuclear weapons in 2024," the report said. The U.S. recorded the largest annual increase in nuclear spending in 2024, rising by $5.3 billion, the report said. Its total expenditure of $56.8 billion exceeded the combined spending of all other nuclear-armed states, it said. China spent $12.5 billion, followed by Britain at $10.4 billion, which was an increase of $2.2 billion, ICAN said. It said the other nuclear-armed states were France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and Russia. 'In terms of kind of the increase in spending in the UK and France, I think we certainly have seen, at least in the rhetoric of political leaders, a reference to the ongoing war in Ukraine, to the tensions, and that could be playing a role,' Alicia Sanders-Zakre, a policy and research coordinator at ICAN, told reporters at a briefing in Geneva. Britain and other allies in NATO now regard Russia as the main security threat to Europe and some have rolled out plans to devote a higher percentage of GDP to defence spending. However, Sanders-Zakre said the increase in nuclear expenditure has been more driven by the costs of servicing long-term contracts and the growing expense of developing nuclear delivery systems than by current security concerns. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
What items are in the EU's new response measures to Trump tariffs?
FILE PHOTO: A few shipping containers sit in place at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, U.S. May 5, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo What items are in the EU's new response measures to Trump tariffs? BRUSSELS - The European Commission opened a public consultation on Thursday on products which could be hit by its new counter-measures to U.S. tariffs should negotiations with Washington fail. The Commission has compiled a list of imported products worth 95 billion euros ($107.24 billion) and a list of EU exports to the U.S. worth 4.4 billion euros ($4.97 billion), including scrap metal, which could be subject to export duties. The Commission did not include possible tariff levels. The public consultation ends June 10. The Commission will go through responses and formulate a final product list by end-June or early July. U.S. President Donald Trump paused the start of reciprocal tariffs by 90 days to July 8. The list is predominantly industrial goods. Here is a breakdown of the major U.S. imports which could be targeted: SECTORS VALUE Aircraft 10.5 billion euros ($11.29 products billion) includes safety glass, tyres and engine parts Motor vehicles 10.3 billion euros ($11.63 products billion) Motor vehicles 2 billion euros ($2.26 billion) Alcohol 1.3 billion euros ($1.47 billion) such as wine, bourbon, whisky Agri-food 6.4 billion euros ($7.22 billion) Fish 0.5 billion euros ($564.40 million) Electrical 7.2 billion euros ($8.13 equipment billion) Machinery 12 billion euros ($13.55 billion), such as harvesting and milking machines Health related 10 billion euros ($11.31 products (not billion), such as needles and pharma) catheters Plastics 12.9 billion euros ($14.59 billion), includes a range of polymers such as polystyrene and acetate AGRI-FOOD DETAILS * Processed foods, eggs, nuts, cocoa products like chocolate, fresh vegetables and fruit, animal parts like offal and bovine semen * Oils and grains, and their related products such as sowing seeds, rolled oats, cereals, flours and buckwheat * Plants and bulbs including tulips, trees and shrubs OTHER IMPORTS * Additional health products include syringes, ultrasound machines, artificial joints and daily use items such as tampons, combs and cosmetic brushes * 200 million euros ($225.76 million) worth of batteries * Live animals such as whales, parrots and ostriches * niche items like opium used to make pain relief medicines, musical instruments, and sports equipment like tennis rackets, golf clubs and fishing rods EU EXPORTS TO U.S. * EU is considering export duties on the following goods: ferrous waste and scrap (iron or steel), aluminium waste and scrap, toluidines, enzymes and odiferous substances used in the food and drink industry WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED * The EU has not included lumber, copper, pharmaceuticals and critical raw materials as Trump is still expected to make more targeted tariff announcements in these areas REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
What's in the new EU list of possible U.S. tariff counter-measures
FILE PHOTO: A few shipping containers sit in place at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, U.S. May 5, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo What's in the new EU list of possible U.S. tariff counter-measures BRUSSELS - The European Commission has opened a public consultation on Thursday on products which could be hit by new counter-measures to U.S. reciprocal tariffs should negotiations with Washington fail. The Commission has compiled a list of imported products worth 95 billion euros ($107.24 billion) and a list of EU exports to the U.S. worth 4.4 billion euros ($4.97 billion), including scrap metal, which could be subject to export duties. The Commission did not include possible tariff levels. The public consultation ends June 10. The Commission will go through responses and formulate a final list by end-June or early July. The list is predominantly industrial goods. Here is a breakdown of the major U.S. imports which could be targeted: SECTORS VALUE Aircraft 10.5 billion euros ($11.29 products billion) includes safety glass, tyres and engine parts Motor vehicles 10.3 billion euros ($11.63 products billion) Motor vehicles 2 billion euros ($2.26 billion) Agri-food 6.4 billion euros ($7.22 billion) Fish 0.5 billion euros ($564.40 million) Electrical 7.2 billion euros ($8.13 equipment billion) Machinery 12 billion euros ($13.55 billion), such as harvesting and milking machines Health related 10 billion euros, such as products (not tampons, cosmetic brushes, pharma) combs Plastics 12.9 billion euros, includes a range of polymers such as polystyrene and acetate AGRI-FOOD DETAILS * Processed foods, eggs, nuts, cocoa products like chocolate, fresh vegetables and fruit, animal parts like offal and, bovine semen * Oils and grains, and their related products such sowing seeds, rolled oats, cereals, flours and buckwheat * Plants and bulbs including tulips, trees and shrubs OTHER IMPORTS * 200 million euros ($225.76 million) worth of batteries * 1.3 billion euros ($1.47 billion) worth of alcohol such as wine * Live animals such as whales, parrots and ostriches as well as more niche items like opium and sports equipment like tennis rackets, golf clubs and fishing rods EU EXPORTS TO U.S. * EU is considering export duties on the following goods: ferrous waste and scrap (iron or steel), aluminium waste and scrap, toluidines, enzymes and, odiferous substances used in the food and drink industry REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
