Trump opposes bipartisan funding bill as govt shutdown deadline looms

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Washington, Dec 19 (IANS) US President-elect Donald Trump opposed a bipartisan funding bill, as lawmakers are struggling to pass the stopgap bill to avert a looming government shutdown.

Trump told Fox News he was “totally against” a proposed government funding bill, putting the stopgap measure, which would keep the government open until mid-March, in danger.

Congress has until Friday night to prevent a funding gap, as lawmakers passed a continuing resolution in September to extend government funding through December 20, Xinhua news agency reported.

The new package, unveiled on Tuesday, mainly allows the government to maintain its current spending levels for the next three months, providing lawmakers with additional time to negotiate new spending bills.

It also includes 100 billion USD in disaster relief for recovery from major hurricanes and the collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge, a one-year extension of the farm bill with an extra $10 billion in aid for farmers.

With some hardliners opposing the stopgap measure and a slim House majority, Republicans will once again need Democrats’ support to approve government funding.

“We should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give the Democrats everything they want,” Vice President-elect and Senator JD Vance said in a joint statement with Trump.

“The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill without Democrat giveaways combined with an increase in the debt ceiling,” said the statement, pressuring the Democrats to cooperate on a debt ceiling increase now.

The latest statement drew criticism from Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt the working-class Americans they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow,” he said on social media platform X.

–IANS

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UP: Another long-closed temple reopened in Sambhal after years

Sambhal, Dec 17 (IANS) Following the recent discovery of a Shiva temple in the Khaggu Sarai area of Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh (UP), another temple, which had remained closed for several years, has been reopened in the Sarayatareen area of the district. Known as the Radha Krishna Temple, this religious site was previously accessible only during occasional festival worship.

The temple came to light after local authorities received information about its existence. Police intervened, unlocked the premises, and initiated cleaning and restoration work to make the temple functional again.

The Radha Krishna Temple, constructed in 1982, stands as a testament to communal harmony and collective contributions by the locals. “The land for the temple was donated by residents of the locality,” said Rishipal Singh, a local resident.

He explained that the temple fell into disuse after the 1992 riots in Uttar Pradesh. During the earlier governments, a series of violent incidents and murders in the area instilled fear among the Hindu community, leading to mass migration.

Singh further added, “Hindus felt unsafe and left the area, visiting the temple only during festivals. The temple has remained shut for nearly 10 years. Today, the police intervened, and the temple has been reopened. Cleaning work is now going on.”

The region has witnessed multiple instances of communal unrest, including the riots of 1978.

Devendra Rastogi, a resident and eyewitness to the events, recalled the violence of that period. “Many lives were lost in incidents like the one in Murari Lal’s Khanchi, and shops were set ablaze. The then Congress government failed to respond promptly, and police reinforcements were not sent in time. Today, if Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has pledged action against those responsible for the riots, it is a welcome step. The families of victims must receive compensation,” Rastogi said.

A woman, who lived in the area during that era, recounted her experience. “When I got married in 1972, my house was here. At the time, there was a predominantly Muslim population, with only a handful of Hindu families. The 1978 riots were terrifying, the curfew lasted a month. I remember considering whether to leave Sambhal entirely or seek protection. If Chief Minister Yogi has raised this issue now, it’s high time that justice is delivered.”

Earlier, a decades-old Shiva temple, in shambles and encroached upon, was found four days ago. The “discovery” came while the city administration along with UP Police conducted a drive against anti-encroachment and power theft.

According to Sambhal CO Anuj Kumar Chaudhary, there were some inputs about the temple area being encroached upon by residents. “When we inspected the location, we found a temple here,” he said.

–IANS

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South Korea: Constitutional Court to hold first meeting of justices over President Yoon’s impeachment

Seoul, Dec 16 (IANS) South Korean Constitutional Court is set to hold its first meeting of its justices Monday to review the parliamentary impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, kicking off preparations for his impeachment trial.

On Saturday, the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Yoon over his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3, suspending his presidential powers and handing the decision over his fate to the Constitutional Court, Yonhap news agency reported.

The court will convene a meeting of its justices for discussions on hearing dates, proceedings to review relevant evidence and others.

After the meeting, the court will announce its results but they will likely not include the deliberation schedule as it is kept confidential under the Constitutional Court Act.

On Monday, the court is also expected to deliver a copy of the request of adjudication for Yoon’s impeachment to him, and request his response to it. Yoon is not required to make a response.

Once the court has completed its preparations, the impeachment hearings will take place in a public manner. Yoon will be required to attend the hearings in principle.

The court has up to 180 days since receiving the case to decide whether to uphold the parliament’s decision or have Yoon reinstated. If the decision is upheld, Yoon will become the second President to be ousted after former President Park Geun-hye in 2017, triggering a snap presidential election within 60 days.

Earlier, prosecutors said that the President did not comply with their summons for Sunday and added they will soon issue another order.

The special prosecution team handling an investigation into Yoon’s botched martial law imposition said it had sent a summons to Yoon last Wednesday, asking him to appear at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office for questioning at 10 a.m. Sunday. Yoon did not show up, Yonhap news agency reported.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed 204-85 on Saturday, with three abstentions and eight invalid ballots, after all 300 members of the Assembly cast their votes.

The motion’s passage came 11 days after Yoon declared martial law in an announcement that caught the nation by surprise and drew outrage, as troops encircled the National Assembly compound in an apparent attempt to stop lawmakers from repealing the decree.

The martial law order, which was lifted within six hours after the Assembly voted it down, has prompted investigations by the police, the prosecution and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials into whether Yoon staged an insurrection. He is currently banned from leaving the country.

–IANS

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