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Aneesah Morrow had 20 points and 18 rebounds as No. 6 LSU rallied to an 83-61 victory over Albany.None
Western Michigan beats Eastern Michigan 26-18 to become bowl eligible
Aneesah Morrow had 20 points and 18 rebounds as No. 6 LSU rallied to an 83-61 victory over Albany.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday he had an “excellent conversation” with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club after the president-elect's threat to impose significant tariffs on two of America’s leading trade partners raised alarms in Ottawa and Mexico City . It was unclear, as Trudeau headed back to Canada from Florida, whether the conversation had alleviated Trump’s concerns. A person familiar with the details of the leaders' hastily arranged meeting Friday night said it was a “positive wide-ranging dinner that lasted three hours.” The official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said topics included trade, border security, fentanyl, defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Mideast and pipelines, as well as the the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year. The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders when he takes office in January. As he was leaving his West Palm Beach hotel, Trudeau stopped briefly to answer a reporter’s question about the dinner meeting, saying it was "an excellent conversation." Trump’s transition team did not respond to questions about what the leaders had discussed. Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest,” but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election. "Tariffs are a crucial issue for Canada and a bold move was in order. Perhaps it was a risk, but a risk worth taking,” Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. Among those at the dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump's pick for commerce secretary; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, in line to lead the Interior Department; and Mike Waltz, Trump's choice to be his national security adviser. Accompanying Trudeau were Canada's public safety minister, Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, and Katie Telford, Trudeau's chief of staff. Trudeau had said earlier Friday that he would resolve the tariffs issue by talking to Trump. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said a day earlier after speaking with Trump that she is confident a tariff war with the United States will be averted. Trudeau said Trump got elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now he's talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of products including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said before his leaving for Florida. “Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he added. To Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, Trump "doesn’t need convincing that new tariffs on Canadian products would not be in U.S. interests. He knows that, but cannot say it because it would detract from what he has said publicly. His goal is to project the image that he gets action when he talks.” Those tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term. Trudeau noted they were able to successfully renegotiate the deal, which he calls a “win win” for both countries. Trump made the tariff threat Monday while citing an influx of migrants entering the country illegally, even though the numbers at the Canadian border pale in comparison to those at the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump also spoke about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border are few in comparison to the Mexican border. Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are ready to make new investments in border security. When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US $2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. ___ Gillies reported from Toronto.Pam Bondi, Donald Trump's pick to be attorney general, is a staunch ally of the former president, defending him against impeachment during his first term and pushing his false claims of election fraud as he sought to cling on to the White House. The 59-year-old former Florida attorney general, if confirmed by the Senate, will now serve as the top law enforcement official in a second Trump administration. "For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans -- Not anymore," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. "Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again." Bondi's nomination means the top ranks of the Justice Department will be filled by Trump loyalists, as the president-elect has named three of the lawyers who defended him in his multiple criminal cases to its other high-ranking roles. Trump tapped Bondi to be attorney general on Thursday after his first pick, firebrand ex-Florida lawmaker Matt Gaetz, dropped out amid sexual misconduct allegations and doubts that he could obtain Senate confirmation. A graduate of the University of Florida with a law degree from Stetson University, Bondi served as a prosecutor for 18 years before being elected attorney general of the "Sunshine State" in 2010, the first woman to hold the post. Bondi, a native of Trump's adopted home state of Florida, was reelected to a second term in 2014. As attorney general, Bondi notably fought opioid addiction and human trafficking while taking a tough stance on crime and supporting the death penalty. She sued BP for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and obtained more than $2 billion in economic relief for Florida, according to her biography page at Ballard Partners, a powerful lobbying firm where she has worked after leaving office. While serving as attorney general, Bondi was drawn into a controversy involving Trump when she declined in 2013 to join a multi-state prosecution accusing Trump University of fraud. It emerged later that Bondi's reelection committee had received a $25,000 donation from the charitable Trump Foundation. Both Trump and Bondi denied any wrongdoing. Bondi joined Trump's legal team during his first impeachment trial, in which he was alleged to have pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to find political dirt on his 2020 election opponent, Democrat Joe Biden. Trump was impeached by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives but acquitted by the Republican-majority Senate. After the 2020 election, Bondi made television appearances on behalf of Trump and pushed to de-legitimize vote counting in battleground states as part of the push by the former president to overturn the results of the vote. Bondi has also criticized the criminal cases brought against Trump, appearing in solidarity at his New York trial, where he was convicted of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star. At Ballard Partners, Bondi has done work for Amazon, General Motors and Uber and as a registered lobbyist for the oil-rich Gulf nation of Qatar, according to press reports. She is also a member of the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned right-wing think tank. cl/dw
Audi developed a good reputation among car enthusiasts and engineering nerds with its all-wheel drive systems and the motorsports success they wrought, but it was premium sedans like the A6 that took the brand mainstream. Now, the Audi A6 is getting an all-electric makeover. Scheduled to reach the United States next year, the 2025 Audi A6 e-tron uses a familiar name to draw attention to Audi’s latest and greatest EV hardware. It shares the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) with the Audi Q6 e-tron SUV, with greater efficiency and charging capability than Audi’s first-generation EVs. But like the gasoline A6, the e-tron will still compete against sedans from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, in this case the i5 and EQE, respectively. While the U.S. launch is still a few months out, Audi staged a global media drive for the A6 e-tron in Tenerife, part of the sun-soaked Canary Islands. The base single-motor rear-wheel drive A6 e-tron and the range-topping dual-motor all-wheel drive S6 e-tron were on hand to test, but Audi will also offer a mid-level dual-motor A6 e-tron quattro model when this electric car appears on this side of the Atlantic. 2025 Audi A6 e-tron: design The A6 e-tron updates Audi’s signature look for the electric era. While it’s no longer necessary, a big shield-like grille (what Audi calls the Singleframe) remains. But, in the reverse of traditional internal-combustion car design norms, it’s body-color with the surrounding area blacked out. This also hides the basic rectangles that serve as the A6’s headlights, drawing more attention to the stylized daytime running lights above. While it uses a low-floor version of the PPE architecture to give it true sedan proportions, the A6 e-tron is still more upright and formal looking than Audi’s other electric sedan, the e-tron GT . But that’s in keeping with the A6’s role as a more traditional premium-sedan counterpart to the performance-focused GT. This styling also gives the Audi a more stately appearance than the wonky-looking BMW i5 and likely won’t invite as much controversy as the lozenge-like silhouette of the Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan . Audi even got fairly close to the Mercedes’ low drag coefficient (Cd) — an important metric for EVs as aerodynamics play a greater role in overall efficiency than in combustion cars. U.S.-spec versions of the A6 e-tron have a Cd of 0.23, compared to 0.22 for the EQE, and European models come in even lower thanks in part to the use of camera pods instead of exterior mirrors. The closeness is more apparent from the inside, where the A6’s steeply-raked front roof pillar forces a seating position far away from the windshield, while a tiny rear window limits visibility in that direction. Audi did at least find room for 26 cubic feet of trunk space — more than a BMW i5 — plus a small frunk with 0.9 cubic feet of storage space. Like BMW, Audi also gave the A6 e-tron a curved dashboard display, but here, the interior seems to have been truly designed around it. The dashboard has a prominent peak in its center to accommodate the display’s curve, a detail that’s repeated in the angular shape of the door panels. Audi also gave the A6 e-tron a squared-off steering wheel that makes it easier to see the oversized instrument cluster. These elements add visual interest, but they can’t camouflage interior materials that seem below this car’s station. Our S6 e-tron test car had nice bucket seats and microfiber trim, but even that didn’t compensate for taxicab-grade plastic elsewhere in the cabin. 2025 Audi A6 e-tron: specs 2025 Audi A6 e-tron: tech Audi continues to follow the current auto industry trend of crowding the dashboard with screens. A curved dashboard display consists of an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch touchscreen placed side-by-side in the same housing, with a 10.9-inch touchscreen for the front passenger. The infotainment system uses an Android-based operating system, but both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still included. This isn’t the first car to feature a curved display or a third screen, but this is the first application where they work together well. Both the instrument cluster and main touchscreen are perfectly positioned; I barely needed to tilt my head to glance from one to the other, and I didn’t need to reach at all to use the touchscreen. This means the curved display is tilted away from the front passenger, though, making their screen actually useful. The front-passenger screen also has a privacy mode to prevent driver distraction. Audi also includes native voice recognition with ChatGPT integration, but even with the added chatbot, it proved less reliable than Mercedes’ benchmark system. It required specific wording to comprehend requests, such as opening the driver-assist menu, that often made it easier to just use the touchscreen. Audi’s software engineers also seemed to have less of a sense of humor than their counterparts at Mercedes. When prompted, that automaker’s voice assistant will respond with some (admittedly corny) jokes, while Audi’s is left shrugging its virtual shoulders. In Europe, the A6 e-tron will also be available with digital sideview mirrors and adaptive matrix headlights, but only the latter feature is a real loss. Adaptive lighting can redirect light beams instantly to help avoid blinding oncoming drivers, but the primary benefit of replacing exterior mirrors with cameras is a slight dip in aerodynamic drag. And there likely won’t be a difference between the U.S. and other markets in driver-assist feature content. 2025 Audi A6 e-tron: driving experience Driving a luxury sedan at a vacation destination like Tenerife isn’t exactly a tough day at the office, but even in that glamorous environment, it took the right set of circumstances for the A6 e-tron to truly shine. I started out in the most powerful S6 e-tron version. This dual-motor all-wheel drive model produces 543 horsepower, which will get it from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, Audi estimates. That makes the Audi just as quick as a BMW i5 M60 despite a 50-hp deficit and just 0.5 seconds behind a Mercedes-AMG EQE despite being down 74 hp to that car. S6 models also have a higher top speed of 149 mph, compared to 130 mph for A6 models. On the tight, twisty roads where the day’s driving began, though, the S6 didn’t feel nearly as capable as the spec sheet suggests. Audi reserves the RS badge for its true performance models, but S models have traditionally had more than a hint of sportiness. In this S6, though, the only hint of that was air-suspension tuning that was too firm to be truly comfortable yet still couldn’t cope with this car’s mass. The steering was also loose and imprecise, requiring bus-like levels of input to get the nose pointed in the right direction and then multiple corrections mid-corner to keep it that way. I was quite frankly happy to hand the S6 e-tron off to another driver after my first stint, but things improved with a second run on a different stretch of road further away from Tenerife’s coast in the surreal environment of Teide National Park. As the road climbed toward the dormant volcano Mt. Teide, through a desert landscape that would make a great location for a sci-fi movie, it unkinked itself into fast sweepers and long straightaways where the S6 showed what it can really do. Its previous clumsiness was replaced by poise as the big sedan glided from corner to corner and blasted down the straights. On a road like this — or, it’s easy to imagine, a German autobahn — it’s great. That the S6 e-tron is a more high-speed cruiser than a sports sedan also makes it redundant, though. I also got to spend some time behind the wheel of a single-motor rear-wheel drive A6 e-tron, which in the U.S. will make 375 hp, getting it from zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds — quicker than single-motor versions of the BMW i5 or Mercedes EQE. This version was still plenty quick and more pleasant to drive in a wider array of situations. Its suspension allowed more body roll but was also more compliant, giving the A6 a more comfortable ride. And while the steering was still disappointing, the front end felt more eager to turn when entering tight corners. That makes the single-motor A6 e-tron my preferred choice for now. Audi is also bringing a dual-motor A6 e-tron quattro variant to the U.S. that, with 456 hp and a 4.3-second zero-to-60 mph time, splits the difference between the two versions made available for this test drive. Regardless of the number of motors and their state of tune, A6 e-tron models also feature the latest version of Audi’s regenerative braking system. Engineers dial higher levels of regeneration, but the A6 e-tron still falls short of true one-pedal driving. That’s OK, though, because of the excellent blending of regenerative and friction braking. Unlike some other EVs, the A6 e-tron will actually continue to recover energy even when the brake pedal is pressed, but that process is completely opaque. Audi also provides multiple levels of regeneration so drivers can adjust to fit their style. 2025 Audi A6 e-tron: range and charging All A6 e-tron models have a 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack with 94.4 kWh of usable capacity. That’s pretty big, but Audi also expects it to return big-range numbers. Official ratings won’t be available until closer to the A6 e-tron’s U.S. launch, but Audi estimates 370 miles for the single-motor version and up to 390 miles with an optional Ultra spec that includes smaller 19-inch wheels. If that holds up, the Audi will have a clear advantage over the rival BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE, which currently max out at 295 miles and 308 miles, respectively. The estimated range dips to 333 miles for the dual-motor A6 e-tron quattro and 324 miles for the more powerful S6 e-tron, but this still shows a clear improvement in efficiency over Audi’s first-generation EVs. This is one area where the advantages of the new PPE architecture are apparent. The other is charging. PPE incorporates an 800-volt electrical architecture like what Audi previously used in the e-tron GT , which allows for faster charging. The A6 e-tron is capable of DC fast-charging at up to 270 kilowatts, which can accomplish a 10% to 80% charge in 21 minutes or recover 135 miles of range after 10 minutes of charging, according to Audi. The automaker claims to have maintained the flat charging curve of its previous EVs, ensuring maximum power as long as possible while providing more power at the start of charging to help drivers get the most out of quick-charge stop. 2025 Audi A6 e-tron: How DT would configure this car Right now, it doesn’t really seem necessary to upgrade from the base single-motor A6 e-tron. It’s plenty quick, has by far the most range, and is likely to be the least-expensive version. The dual-motor A6 e-tron quattro should satisfy buyers who need all-wheel drive, while the S6 e-tron doesn’t really do enough to justify its elevated status in the lineup. Final pricing information will be released closer to the A6 e-tron’s U.S. launch, but Audi will have to aim for a base price under $80,000 to put this sedan in the same ballpark as the rival BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE . The Audi looks and feels the most like a traditional luxury sedan, but the BMW aims for sportier driving dynamics, while the Mercedes has a nicer interior. The single-motor Lucid Air Pure will also likely be in the same price range, offering a pleasant and engaging driving experience with up to 402 miles of range. And while Audi has put a lot of effort into design, efficiency, and charging, other areas of the A6 e-tron — like chassis tuning and interior materials — feel undercooked. That’s going to make this luxury EV a tougher sell than it perhaps should be, whether it’s compared to all-electric rivals or Audi’s own gasoline models.
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The Israeli government confirmed on Monday that Omer Neutra, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, was killed during Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Neutra, 21, was a tank platoon commander in the IDF. He was thought to be alive in captivity. His parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, spent the last year campaigning for his release and the release of the remaining hostages thought to be held in Gaza. They spoke at the Republican National Convention in July, wrote op-eds, stayed in steady communication with the Biden Administration and the White House, and made regular media appearances, including with Scripps News . The whole time, they sought to pressure U.S. and Israeli leadership to resolve the hostage crisis. RELATED STORY | Families of Gaza hostages bring their message to both the current and upcoming White Houses "In the 423 days since October 7th, we expected our leaders to demonstrate the same courage displayed so bravely by Omer and rise to the occasion on behalf of those who were killed and kidnapped, just as our beloved Omer showed until the very end," Ronen and Orna Neutra wrote in a statement released Monday. "Leadership will only be revealed in actions and results going forward. We call upon the Israeli government to work with President Biden and President-elect Trump, to use all of their leverage and resources to return all 101 hostages — living and the deceased — to their families as soon as possible." A propaganda video released by Hamas Saturday showed Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American held hostage who was also captured while serving in the IDF. In the video, Alexander calls on Trump to keep negotiating for the freedom of the hostages remaining in Gaza. Trump on Monday demanded release of the remaining hostages, writing on Truth Social: "Please let this truth serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume office as President of the United States, there will be all hell to pay in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against humanity."
FTC opens Microsoft antitrust investigation that Trump administration must carry on or dropIn this era of constantly evolving solar technology, a patchwork of outdated design and sales software is not only so-last-century — it can inhibit solar consumers from obtaining the best return on their investment. Today’s state-of-the-art solar platform needs to transform the process of designing, selling, and delivering projects. So, when Aurora Solar’s people contacted CleanTechnica , describing their uncomplicated, personalized solar customer experience, we were interested to learn more. The company says it is different because it is putting the power of data and technology into the hands of every solar professional to make solar adoption simple and predictable. Its cloud-based platform uses data, automation, and AI to streamline workflows and grow solar businesses faster. More than 7,000 of the industry’s top organizations rely on Aurora and over 10 million solar projects have been designed with the platform globally. But it was more than Aurora Solar’s ingenuity and innovation that compelled us — its recent research indicates that it is ready to embrace new workers in the clean energy sector, which has shown industry growth of 66% in the last year. The conclusions point — at least in part — to Gen Zers who believe renewable energy can drive economic growth and create green jobs. Aurora Solar acknowledged in initial conversations with CleanTechnica that “there’s a stark reality – only 22% of the energy workforce and 32% of the renewable workforce are made up of women. The rising job opportunities in trades like solar are also causing a growing labor shortage. Therefore, we need more women to explore this industry.” The following is the CleanTechnica exclusive interview with Carina Brockl, chief revenue officer of Aurora Solar . It’s well known that today’s youth want more renewable energy. Your data indicates that 85% of Gen Z believe that renewable energy development can boost the US economy and create green jobs. What can be done to capture this momentum and translate it into more renewable energy options? Today’s younger workforce looks for purposeful work that provides opportunities to make a positive difference in the world. Gen Z is rethinking the value of a traditional four-year degree, and while renewable trade jobs require years of training, trade school enrollment is rising, per the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Trade jobs (e.g. electricians) may not be the first career that comes to mind, but these professionals are key in building our sustainable future. We must identify, incentivize, and train the next generation of frontline skilled trades. Only a small percentage of the energy workforce in general and the renewable workforce specifically is made up of women. What can be done at academic, vocational, and union sites to reach out to women and bring them into the renewable energy industry? To effectively address the labor gap, trade industries like solar need to make skilled roles more appealing to women. A key opportunity lies in amplifying the success of women already thriving in solar and other trade jobs, particularly through platforms like LinkedIn. This platform helps many professionals with shared interests to connect fostering greater awareness. Additionally, creating more mentorship opportunities such as 1:1 meet-ups or mentorship events is critical in helping attract more women into these specific fields, providing them with the guidance and support needed to succeed. Might you elaborate as to the significance of the new data that “two-thirds (66%) of professionals surveyed indicated that they increased in size over the past year?” We’ve seen an upward trend in professionals entering the clean energy sector. I believe two factors contributing to this are: the IRA and the growth of clean energy. As the largest legislative initiative addressing climate change in the U.S., the IRA is reshaping clean energy investments and strengthening domestic supply chains. The growth of solar, battery storage, and EVs in particular are disrupting the current energy system and helping build a sturdy avenue for professionals to join and make a greater impact. What is the cost-benefit ratio now — as opposed to 5 or 10 years ago– when considering solar? The cost-benefit ratio of solar significantly improved over the last 5-10 years. Hard costs, such as inverters, have dropped dramatically, while soft costs like permitting and labor remain steady. Incentives, including the IRA’s 30% federal Investment Tax Credit for PV system owners and local rebates, also lower upfront expenses. Additionally, programs like net energy metering (NEM) reduce electricity bills over time. With decreasing costs and rising energy prices, solar now offers quicker payback periods and greater lifetime savings compared to a decade ago. What can be done to expand solar for commercial and residential purposes, specifically? What large and small solar applications do you see becoming mainstream in the next 3, 5, and 10 years? Expanding solar for residential and commercial use requires integrating solar panels with advanced storage, electrification, and energy efficiency upgrades. Over the next 3-10 years, we can expect widespread adoption of solar-powered homes equipped with EV charging, heat pumps, and energy storage solutions. For businesses, optimized solar-plus-storage systems will become common, reducing energy costs and improving resilience against utility disruptions. These innovations will create more efficient and reliable energy solutions, addressing growing demands for clean, sustainable, and reliable power across diverse applications. How can solar sales pitches become more user-friendly? What can be done to expedite private solar installations? When will small solar arrays be more cost-effective to install? To make solar sales pitches more user-friendly, offering flexible leasing and Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) options through third-party ownership (TPO) programs can help ease financial concerns. Expediting private solar installations can be achieved by simplifying the process with platforms that integrate financing solutions directly with sales tools. Small solar arrays will become more cost-effective as TPO solutions grow, helping homeowners overcome high upfront costs and interest rates, and making solar more accessible to all. Renewable energy jobs now comprise more than 40% of the country’s 8.35 million people employed in the energy industry, according to the US Department of Energy’s annual US Energy and Employment Report published in September. Indeed, the US DOE argues that, as job opportunities expand, the clean energy industry should prioritize recruiting workers who have been underrepresented, underserved, and economically excluded. Women and minority groups are still underrepresented in the solar industry. For example, women (30%) and Black or African American (8%) in the solar workforce were much less represented than in the national workforce in 2023. The US DOE did acknowledge female leaders in the clean energy movement this autumn by announcing the winners of the 2024 Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Awards. This year’s awards went to 9 women in private and public sectors who have demonstrated “outstanding leadership and accomplishments in clean energy.” Why just women? Because “the C3E Initiative aims to close the gender gap and increase the participation, leadership, and success of women in clean energy fields.” The C3E Initiative is a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative (MIT), Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy, Arizona State University’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, and the DOE. Aurora Solar was the only climate tech business named to the 2022 Forbes AI 50, and it was voted the best solar software by Solar Power World in 2021. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook X Email Mastodon Reddit
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A senior Taliban leader in Afghanistan has indicated that they will continue to provide refuge to anti-Pakistan militants, describing them as "guests" under the country's traditions. Taliban Information Minister Khairullah Khairkhwa made the rare remarks just days after the Pakistani military reportedly conducted airstrikes against suspected terrorist locations in an eastern Afghan border province. The Taliban claimed that Tuesday's attack in Paktika resulted in the deaths of nearly 50 civilians, predominantly refugees from Pakistan. While the claims could not be verified from independent sources, the United Nations said that it had "received credible reports" from the remote Afghan province that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed in the Pakistani airstrikes. Islamabad has refrained from publicly acknowledging the cross-border strikes, but Pakistani security officials anonymously confirmed and told reporters that the military action had targeted and destroyed several "terrorist hideouts" of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an outlawed group engaged in lethal attacks against Pakistan. Several key TTP commanders were also said to be among more than a dozen militants killed. "We must honor the Afghan nation's commitment to safeguarding these guests, friends," an angry Khairkhwa said while denouncing the Pakistani attack. He was apparently referring to the TTP in his speech aired by Taliban-controlled state television and shared via X social media platform Friday. The Taliban minister emphasized the need for Pakistan "to draw lessons from the consequences of military interventions" in Afghanistan by Britain, the former Soviet Union and the United States, respectively, since the 19th century. "Anyone who attacks Afghanistan or harbors such intentions must learn from the defeat of three superpowers," Khairkhwa asserted. This is the first public admission by a senior Taliban leader regarding the presence of TTP operatives in the country. Previously, Taliban officials have vehemently denied their existence, claiming that no foreign militants are permitted to operate and pose a threat to other nations from Afghan soil. TTP, designated as a global terrorist organization by the United Nations, has escalated attacks in Pakistan since the Taliban's August 2021 resurgence to power in Kabul, killing hundreds of Pakistani civilians and security personnel. On Friday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his government's intention to enhance economic and trade relations with Afghanistan. However, he stated that the threat of TTP-led cross-border terrorism impedes that progress. "Unfortunately, the TTP continues to operate from there and killing innocent people inside Pakistan. This cannot go on," Sharif said in his televised remarks to a Cabinet meeting in Islamabad. "They must rein in TTP. ... This constitutes a red line for us. The TTP operating from Afghan soil is unacceptable under any circumstances," he stressed. Sharif said his country was ready to talk with the Afghan government to address the issue. "But there can be no progress if, on the one hand, they seek to foster relations with Pakistan while simultaneously permitting TTP to operate with impunity," he emphasized. Separately, the Pakistani military reported Friday that its counterterrorism operations and clashes with TTP militants resulted in the killings of over 900 "terrorists" this year, including 27 Afghan suicide bombers and fighters. The violence also left nearly 400 Pakistani security forces and officers dead, said Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the military spokesperson. Who is Khairkhwa? Khairkhwa, a U.N.-sanctioned Taliban leader, was captured by U.S. forces in collaboration with Pakistani counterparts in early 2002 and subsequently transferred to the U.S. Guantanamo Bay prison center. He was freed along with four other senior Taliban leaders in 2014 as part of a Qatar-mediated exchange for the release of U.S. soldier Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, American and Western-allied forces invaded Afghanistan, overthrowing the then-Taliban government due to its refusal to surrender Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida, who was accused of orchestrating the deadly attacks from his Afghan bases. The Taliban leadership at the time justified its refusal to surrender bin Laden, asserting that he was a "guest" in the country and that surrendering him would violate local traditions. Subsequently, the Taliban regrouped and launched an insurgency against U.S.-led foreign forces, using sanctuaries on Pakistani soil. Bin Laden evaded capture and fled to Pakistan, where he was eventually tracked down and killed by American troops in 2011. Taliban leaders pledged to combat transnational militant networks to prevent them from using Afghanistan as a haven for global attacks after they seized power three years ago. However, an annual U.S. terrorism report released earlier this month cast doubts on Taliban counterterrorism commitments, citing TTP's growing attacks against Pakistan from Afghan sanctuaries and the threat transnational groups pose to regional stability from Afghanistan.I respectfully disagree with Lynn Wright’s contention (letters, Nov. 26) that our 27th Congressional District is not “filled with moderate thinking voters.” While Mr. Wright is correct that our district has become purple, that alone does not explain why Democrat George Whitesides defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Garcia. After all, Donald Trump was able to crack the so-called “blue wall” and win the popular vote. Full disclosure: I voted for Whitesides and donated money to his campaign. So, how did Whitesides prevail? There were several factors that contributed to his success, but one key reason is that Whitesides ran as a moderate Democrat who did not fall into the trap of identity politics. While some Republicans in our district may still view him as a “far-left” liberal, his positions on key issues are mainstream and resonated with moderate voters like me. For example, Whitesides campaigned to increase funding for local law enforcement, and not “defund the police.” Voters felt comfortable supporting him, knowing that he would not join the “The Squad” in the House of Representatives. A similar example can be seen with Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who won a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan at the same time President Trump carried the state. Slotkin has been outspoken about the dangers of identity politics, even saying that it should “go the way of the dodo.” Political strategist James Carville has described identity politics as “one of the great self-inflicted wounds of the century,” and he argues that even if Democrats avoid identity politics, it is not enough to stay silent, they must actively oppose it. As Carville points out, “In politics, the other side gets to play. It’s not just you.” The challenge for Whitesides is to stay focused on the issues that matter most to his constituents and avoid the siren song of the far left and identity politics. Like every member of Congress, Whitesides has a two-year contract that is renewable at the discretion of his employers — the voters. Philip Wasserman Stevenson Ranch
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