Amazon expands use of robotsPresident-elect Donald Trump ran on a platform of isolating the US from foreign conflicts like the Ukraine war, increasing tariffs on foreign trade partners, and rebuilding domestic manufacturing. But in recent days he has suggested a more outwardly aggressive approach for his foreign policy. At first, he joked about Canada being an additional US state. Since, he has threatened to take back control of the Panama Canal. He also reiterated a desire from his first term to own the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland, which is not for sale. The US is unlikely to take control of any of these regions. But these statements could indicate that Trump’s “America First” vision includes flexing the superpower’s muscle beyond its borders for US trade and national security interests. On Sunday, Trump told a conservative conference in Arizona that Panama was charging US ships “ridiculous, highly unfair” fees to use its namesake canal. After taking charge of building the canal in the early 20th century, the US turned full control over to Panama in the 1970s via a treaty. But this week, Trump said that if the “rip off” did not stop, he would demand the canal be returned to the US – though he did not specify how. Trump added he did not want the Panama Canal “falling into the wrong hands” and specifically cited China, which has significant interests in the waterway. “There’s a real US national security interest... in controlling its neutrality,” Will Freeman, a fellow on Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said of Trump’s remarks. “Trump’s statement is mostly about that.” China is the second-largest user of the Panama Canal after the US, according to data. It has major economic investments in the country as well. In 2017, Panama cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognised it as part of China, a major win for Beijing. The Panama Canal is not only essential for US trade in the Pacific, Mr Freeman said – in the event of any military conflict with China, it would be needed to move US ships and other assets. He also noted Trump’s frequent comments about trade partners’ unfair treatment of the US, as well as the president-elect’s pledge to sharply increase tariffs on foreign goods, particularly those from China. Trump’s complaints about shipping fees seemed to reflect his views on trade, Mr Freeman said. While the statements might be “coercive”, said Mr Freeman, it remained to be seen “whether canal authorities lower fees on US cargo in response to the threat”. Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino has released a statement saying that the canal and the surrounding area belonged to his country – and would remain so. Over the weekend, Trump said in a social media post that the US “feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for reasons of national security and global freedom. The US maintains Pituffik Space Base in Greenland. The territory is rich with natural resources, including rare earth minerals, and occupies a strategic location for trade as global powers seek to expand their reach in the Arctic Circle. Russia, in particular, sees the region as a strategic opportunity. Trump floated the idea of purchasing Greenland in 2019, during his first term as president, and it never came to fruition. Greenland’s prime minister, Múte B Egede, responded to Trump’s latest comments this week: “We are not for sale and we will not be for sale.” Still, Trump continued emphasising his public statements online. On Truth Social, Trump’s account showed an image of an American flag being planted in the middle of the Panama Canal. His second-eldest son, Eric Trump, posted an image on X that showed the US adding Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada to an Amazon online shopping cart. For Trump, promises to use America’s might to its advantage helped propel his two successful presidential campaigns. It was a tactic he used during his first presidency, threatening tariffs and the deployment of “armed soldiers” to steer Mexico into beefing up enforcement along its US border. Heading into his second term, Trump could plan to use a similar playbook once he takes office on 20 January. While it remains to be seen what will happen, Denmark has expressed a willingness to work with his administration. It also announced a huge boost in defence spending for Greenland, hours after Trump repeated his desire to purchase the Arctic territory. Source: BBC
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New tests on DNA collected from a cigarette butt and the inside of a Chevy Blazer helped investigators unravel a grisly 1997 double slaying of a Stevens County mother and her daughter. Investigators have long suspected Charles Tatom, now 73, of the killings. But it wasn't until this year that new evidence gelled with their suspicions to finally get Tatom arrested for the deaths of Marlene Emerson, who was 29, and her 12-year-old daughter, Cassie Emerson. Prosecutors charged him this week with first-degree murder. Marlene Emerson's body was found inside her Colville trailer home that had been razed by fire on June 27, 1997. Her spine had been cut and her throat slit before the fire, according to court documents. Her daughter was nowhere to be found. At the time, investigators believed someone killed Emerson, lit her home on fire and abducted Cassie, according to previous reporting from The Spokesman-Review. They offered a $5,000 reward for information about the girl, who was believed to hold "the key to her mother's death," the former sheriff said in 1997. A month later, Cassie's body was found in a wooded area south of Colville with knife marks on her neck, according to court documents. Investigators said Emerson associated with members of a motorcycle club in Colville at the time of her death. Some members were reportedly upset with her because of her role in a burglary and her cooperation with police in a separate case, according to court records. Some referred to her as a "snitch." Emerson complained of being harassed at her home, including finding bullet holes in her trailer, court records said. She told a friend she "wasn't going to let anyone run her out of town." As the harassment escalated, Emerson's mother later told police, "I told Cassie several times that if anything happened to her or her mom ... she had to call me. She repeated the number over, which she knows by heart, and promised me she would. I asked if she was scared, and she said, 'Yes.' " Tatom, who associated with the same group as Emerson, was said to be "crazy" and violent, according to court records. He told people Emerson owed his friend money. On the night of the killings, witnesses said Tatom left a home with a friend in a Chevy Blazer and came back the next morning with burn marks on his body, court records said. They also claimed he was in possession of a bloody knife he told people was used to gut an animal. Investigators zeroed in on Tatom after an acquaintance was told he had said something about "dragging" the girl away and killing her. People connected to both Emerson and Tatom believed Tatom and another man were present for the killings because the man had told a few people "things got carried away." The other man later died in a plane crash, according to court records. Police tracked down the Chevy Blazer that Tatom was said to have been driving at the time, as corroborated by witnesses who were around during the fire, and found blood stains on the seat, the window and the butt of a cigarette in the car's ashtray. They also found a bag of cassette tapes with Tatom's fingerprints on them. The evidence was collected and preserved for future testing. The window from the car was sampled in 2009, tested for blood and later matched to Cassie in 2013 after investigators exhumed her body. This past summer, forensic scientists once again tested the preserved evidence from the scene. Washington State Patrol Forensic Scientist Brittany Wright indicated in her report that she had strip-tested DNA left on the center console in the Blazer, which came back as a match to Cassie. Wright also tested the DNA left on the cigarette butt. She found Tatom's DNA and parts of Cassie's DNA on the cigarette, court records said. This indicated to her that Tatom had smoked a cigarette after his "contact" with the girl. Documents indicate the case went unsolved for more than two decades because of restrictions on technology and because many of the witnesses feared retribution. Even so, it didn't stop two retired detectives from working the case, Stevens County Prosecutor Erika George said. "With advancements in DNA it was determined that there was potentially evidence that could be tested now that wasn't tested before," George wrote in an email. Prosecutors requested Tatom be held without bail because he has a "propensity for violence," George wrote, and that "there has been no reason for the defendant to think that he was in jeopardy of facing charges or arrest over these matters." "Now, he will be facing the possibility of dying in prison if convicted and will have full knowledge of all the evidence against him and all who have made statements against him," she wrote. Tatom's first appearance in Stevens County Superior Court is set for 11 a.m. Friday. If convicted, he could face life in prison. "I am grateful for the law enforcement agents and officers, who have dedicated more than two decades of their careers to identifying those responsible for Marlene and Cassie's murders," George said in a statement. "The Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney's Office remains committed to holding violent offenders accountable and seeking justice on behalf of victims and their families." ___ (c)2024 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) Visit The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) at www.spokesman.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.From revisiting the political scandal that sparked a cultural reckoning in Canberra to a rich-lister’s unravelling, there were no shortage of court battles being waged — or defended — by the top end of town in 2024. We revisit some of the cases that dominated headlines and left us shocked, perplexed, and — at times — even entertained. Brittany Higgins defended a defamation action launched by Senator Linda Reynolds. Credit: Composite image/Holly Thompson Villain or victim? Reynolds v Higgins It was a story of an alleged rape in the halls of Parliament House and a covert political cover-up, and like all “fairytales”, it needed a villain. That was how WA Senator Linda Reynolds’ lawyer Martin Bennett began the five-week-long trial in her defamation suit against former staffer Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz, the most high-profile case to go before WA’s civil courts in 2024. The former defence minister sued Higgins over social media posts accusing her of mishandling the former staffer’s alleged rape by Bruce Lehrmann in March 2019 — a claim that was later aired by the media and created a storm that led to Reynolds’ political demise. Higgins fiercely defended the action on the basis her posts were true, but opted against taking the stand at the eleventh hour amid concerns for her health. The trial, which the pair mortgaged and sold their homes to pursue, pored over the events of 2019 in excruciating detail, dragged in high-profile figures — from former prime minister Scott Morrison to broadcaster Peta Credlin — and threw private texts into the public arena we imagine the parties would have preferred to remain private. It also spawned fresh evidence Reynolds now wants to use as a weapon in her bid to have Higgins’ $2.4 million compensation claim probed by the corruption watchdog. Lehrmann has maintained his innocence since his 2022 criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct, but a Federal Court judgment found, on the balance of probabilities, that he did rape Higgins. Lehrmann is now appealing that ruling. Justice Paul Tottle is expected to hand down a judgment in the court row in the New Year, but we suspect there won’t be any winners in this saga. Western Australia’s mining dynasty, of which the nation’s richest person Gina Rinehart is the most famous member, was embroiled in a court fight over the rights to the Hope Downs projects in the state’s iron-rich Pilbara region. Credit: Marija Ercegovac Gina Rinehart: 1, Bianca and John: 0 The high-stakes clash over the Hope Downs iron ore project , which pitted Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart against two mining dynasties and her eldest children, occupied two floors of the Supreme Court for more than six months in 2023. And yet still, there was unfinished business in the battle for the multibillion-dollar asset. The case made headlines again in April, when Rinehart’s eldest children lost an eleventh-hour bid for 82 top secret documents their billionaire mother claimed were protected by legal privilege. The pair, who have been locked in a bitter battle with their mother over mining assets left behind by their pioneer grandfather Lang Hancock, believed the files might aid their pursuit for ownership of Rinehart-led Hancock Prospecting’s sprawling mining tenements in the state’s north-west. But Justice Natalie Whitby ruled the pair had insufficient evidence, lashing the handling of the case and its burden on the public justice system after revealing the court book spanned 6000 pages. “To say that the resources dedicated to these privilege claims was grossly disproportionate to the issues in the dispute is an understatement,” she wrote. Ouch... We’re still awaiting a judgment from Justice Jennifer Smith on the broader row. We hope Justice Smith is not spending the whole festive season “in the area of or contiguous to” her desk and what we imagine is a very lengthy draft judgment. Beleaguered Mineral Resources boss takes on media to keep court row quiet He gained a reputation as the uninhibited billionaire mining boss behind Mineral Resources’ meteoric rise, but it would be what Chris Ellison kept hidden that would be his downfall. Depressed lithium prices, sweeping cost cuts and a debt-laden balance sheet saw Ellison declare it the “shittiest time” to be a managing director in one newspaper interview. Just a few months later, he would announce plans to vacate the top job, undone by an exposé in the Australian Financial Review detailing his involvement in an alleged decade-long tax evasion scheme. But as shareholders were demanding answers and the corporate regulator was beginning its own probe, Ellison’s lawyers were busy fighting to keep the media from undoing sweeping gag orders over documents filed in his now-settled row with a former contracts boss. The documents were central to the two-year court row MinRes, Ellison and self-proclaimed whistleblower Steven Pigozzo had been fighting on several fronts until inking a peace deal in July — which featured explosive allegations of misconduct. While a string of Pigozzo’s claims had been republished by the media, much of the case had been covered by suppression orders which were broadened when both parties asked that more than 16 legal documents be permanently removed from the case file. “The non-publication orders are sought to fortify matters raised previously about allegations that were not just irrelevant but scandalous,” Ellison’s lawyer told the court. WA Health, scientist ink top-secret stem cell patent peace deal She was the face of Royal Perth Hospital’s state-of-the-art cellular therapy facility, the Perth scientist behind a medical invention that saw her wheeled out by the health department’s publicity team to showcase its life-changing research. That was until the day of Dr Marian Sturm’s retirement in 2021, when the health service dragged her to court demanding compensation and that the licence agreement for the invention be torn up. The three-year medicine ownership battle came to an abrupt end in March after the East Metropolitan Health Service and Sturm’s company Isopogen inked a top-secret peace deal. The lawsuit centred around intellectual property rights to an improved method of manufacturing mesenchymal stromal cells used to treat inflammatory illnesses, which Sturm developed in 2007 and registered in her name and that of her capital-raising vehicle Isopogen. Sturm’s relationship with the EMHS soured amid claims she had breached her contract by asserting ownership over the medicine, which saw Isopogen, two former employees, the state’s own patents attorneys and its insurer embroiled in a bitter legal pursuit with the health service. The parties claimed they had reached a mutually acceptable, confidential settlement which provided a comprehensive framework for “an ongoing relationship”. A spokesperson for the health service told this masthead that gag order extended to how much this three-year sparring match cost the taxpayer. How convenient. Vegan activist Tash Peterson, partner cop $280k bill in defamation row She’s not quite the “top end of town”, but we couldn’t take a look back at the biggest civil cases of 2024 without referencing the whopping damages bill handed to Perth’s most prominent animal rights activist. In November, Tash Peterson and her partner were ordered to pay $280,000 in damages to the owners of a Perth veterinary clinic for defamation after a bizarre dispute in 2021. The dispute, which was later circulated on social media, was sparked after Peterson and Jack Higgs spotted two cockatiels in a large cage at the front of Dr Kay McIntosh and Andrew McIntosh’s Bicton Veterinary Clinic. What unfolded was a bizarre tirade in which Peterson accused the clinic of “advertising animal slavery” — despite neither of the birds being able to survive in the wild — and of eating their own patients. Peterson and Higgs had claimed their tirade was justified as honest opinion, defending the content on the basis it was substantially true and a matter of public interest. But the part of the trial that managed to capture the most attention were revelations about just how deep Peterson’s pockets were, with the V-Gan Booty Pty Ltd entity behind her burgeoning OnlyFans account generating more than $380,000 in earnings in 2022 alone. We suspect this won’t be the last we see of Peterson. Get alerts on breaking news as happens. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert .
, the former governor of New Jersey, has slammed Homeland Security Secretary for playing down the threat of drones buzzing around the state—and warned that “drone vigilantes” may soon start taking matters into their own hands. Appearing on ’s on Sunday after the show interviewed Mayorkas, Christie said he had seen several drones himself. In response to a reference made by ABC host George Stephanopoulos to Mayrokas’ statement that the drones did not present any “unusual activity” or immediate threat, Christie said: “To say this is not unusual activity, it’s just wrong!” “I have lived in New Jersey my whole life. This is the first time that I’ve noticed drones over my house. And I was in a restaurant in Monmouth County on Friday night, had people at the bar coming up to me and saying, Governor Murphy won’t tell me anything. The president won’t tell me anything. Do you know? Like, well, I don’t know,” he also said. Mayorkas explained that he wanted his “authority” to be expanded in order to deal with the drones mystifying local residents and other onlookers in New Jersey. “I’ve lived in New Jersey my whole life. This is the first time that I’ve noticed drones over my house.” Former NJ Gov. Chris Christie warns that conspiracy theories will grow if the federal government does not address reported aerial sightings. — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) In an earlier interview with Stephanopoulos, Mayorkas said he was not able to order the drones to be taken down by US state agencies. Christie, once a candidate to be the Republicans’ presidential nominee, blamed the Biden administration for failing to be truthful with the American population. “If you don’t fill that vacuum, all the conspiracy theories get filled in there,” he said. “You’ve got people like Congressman Jeff Van drew saying there’s an Iranian mothership off the coast of New Jersey. Absolutely not true, and provably now not true, and he’s had to back off that.” “You can’t have conspiracy theorists filling the space, but the Biden administration and state authorities have to be more vocal and let people know exactly what they’re doing,” he added. He also explained how sightings of drones were likely to affect locals who may have heard about drones being used in more dangerous contexts. “It’s a newish technology to most people, and they’re worried about it and concerned. And to the extent they’re following things around the world, they hear about drones being deployed in Ukraine all the time as weapons, and us deploying drones as weapons at times. So you can see why people are concerned.” Christie called on the government to end the matter once and for all by attacking the drones. “I’d want our state police to be able to have the authority to bring those drones down and find out why they’re doing what they’re doing” “What we’re going to find, George, is you’re going to have individuals acting as drone vigilantes, and they’re going to start taking them down. That’s not what we want, because they’re now an important part of commerce, and law enforcement uses them frequently for surveillance and other things we need to be able to operate a safe way, and we’re not doing that.” His appearance on ABC came just a day after president-elect Donald Trump trolled Christie with an AI-generated meme of drones appearing to deliver McDonalds to Christie. The pair once enjoyed a friendly relationship but it soured after Trump claimed to win the 2020 election.Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100
Vikings have ruled out tight end Josh Oliver. What does that mean for the running game?Global SaaS Software Market Size, Share and Forecast By Key Players-Microsoft, Splunk, Adobe, Intuit, ServiceNowThe US Supreme Court sidestepped on Friday a decision on whether to allow shareholders to proceed with a securities fraud lawsuit accusing Meta's Facebook of misleading investors about the misuse of the social media platform's user data. The justices, who heard arguments in the case on Nov. 6, dismissed Facebook's appeal of a lower court's ruling that allowed a 2018 class action led by Amalgamated Bank to proceed. The Supreme Court opted not to resolve the underlying legal dispute, determining that the case should not have been taken up. Its action leaves the lower court's decision in place. The court's dismissal came in a one-line order that provided no explanation. The Facebook dispute was one of two cases to come before the Supreme Court this month involving the right of private litigants to hold companies to account for alleged securities fraud. The other one, involving the artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia, was argued on Nov. 13. The Supreme Court has not ruled yet in the Nvidia case. The complainants in the Facebook case claimed the company unlawfully withheld information from investors about a 2015 data breach involving British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica that affected more than 30 million Facebook users. They accused Facebook of misleading investors in violation of the Securities Exchange Act, a 1934 federal law that requires publicly traded companies to disclose their business risks. Facebook's stock fell following 2018 media reports that Cambridge Analytica had used improperly harvested Facebook user data in connection with Donald Trump's successful US presidential campaign in 2016. The investors have sought unspecified monetary damages in part to recoup the lost value of the Facebook stock they held. At issue was whether Facebook broke the law when it failed to detail the prior data breach in subsequent business-risk disclosures, and instead portrayed the risk of such incidents as purely hypothetical. Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone expressed disappointment "in the Supreme Court's decision not to clarify this part of the law." "The plaintiff's claims are baseless and we will continue to defend ourselves as this case is considered by the district court," Stone said. Facebook argued that it was not required to reveal that its warned-of risk had already materialized because "a reasonable investor" would understand risk disclosures to be forward-looking statements. President Joe Biden's administration supported the shareholders in the case. US District Judge Edward Davila dismissed the lawsuit but the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals revived it, prompting Facebook's appeal to the Supreme Court. George Washington University law professor Alan Morrison said that following the Supreme Court's dismissal of Facebook's appeal, the complainants would be expected to seek discovery, a process that involves the exchange of information among parties in a case. Morrison added that Facebook "might renew their motion to dismiss under a somewhat different standard - partially for purposes of delay." The Cambridge Analytica data breach prompted US government investigations into Facebook's privacy practices, various lawsuits and a US congressional hearing. The US Securities and Exchange Commission in 2019 brought an enforcement action against Facebook over the matter, which the company settled for $100 million. Facebook paid a separate $5 billion penalty to the US Federal Trade Commission over the issue. The Supreme Court in prior rulings has limited the authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the federal agency that polices securities fraud. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
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NEW YORK , Dec. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of ordinary shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: ASML) between January 24, 2024 and October 15, 2024 , both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important January 13, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline. So what: If you purchased ASML ordinary shares during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. What to do next: To join the ASML class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31159 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for more information. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 13 , 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the issues being faced by suppliers, like ASML, in the semiconductor industry were much more severe than defendants had indicated to investors; (2) the pace of recovery of sales in the semiconductor industry was much slower than defendants had publicly acknowledged; (3) defendants had created the false impression that they possessed reliable information pertaining to customer demand and anticipated growth, while also downplaying risk from macroeconomic and industry fluctuations, as well as stronger regulations restricting the export of semiconductor technology, including the products that ASML sells; and (4) as a result, defendants' statements about ASML's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the ASML class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31159 mailto: or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/asml-deadline-asml-investors-with-losses-in-excess-of-100k-have-opportunity-to-lead-asml-holding-nv-securities-fraud-lawsuit-302331928.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.
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The U.S. on Saturday announced a new $988 million military assistance package for Ukraine in its war with Russia as Washington races to provide aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office . Trump's victory in the November election has cast doubt on the future of U.S. aid for Ukraine , providing a limited window for billions of dollars in already authorized assistance to be provided before he is sworn in next month. The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement. The aid will be funded via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, under which military equipment is procured from the defense industry or partners rather than drawn from American stocks, meaning it will not immediately arrive on the battlefield. It follows a $725 million package announced on Monday that included a second tranche of landmines as well as anti-air and anti-armor weapons. The outgoing Biden administration is working to get as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump — who has repeatedly criticized U.S. assistance for Kyiv — begins his second White House term in January. It also comes on the same day that Trump held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron after he traveled to Paris to attend the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral following its extensive renovation from the 2019 fire. Details of what transpired in the meeting were not immediately known. Trump's comments have triggered fears in Kyiv and Europe about the future of U.S. aid and Ukraine's ability to withstand Russian attacks in the absence of further American support. The U.S. has spearheaded the push for international support for Ukraine, quickly forging a coalition to back Kyiv after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 and coordinating aid from dozens of countries. Ukraine's international supporters have since then provided tens of billions of dollars in weapons, ammunition, training and other security aid that has been key to helping Kyiv resist Russian forces. Last month, President Biden lifted restrictions that allow Ukraine to use U.S.-provided long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory, marking a significant U.S. policy shift in the war. The Biden administration in November also began the process of supplying Ukraine with controversial anti-personnel mines that are designed to be used against people, not vehicles.
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