USA: Biden imposes sanctions against Nord Stream 2 policy

Democrat Joe Biden has been the new president of the United States since Jan.20 – and is throwing off the legacy of his predecessor, Donald Trump. He left the White House. An overview of all news and developments:

The Biden government is preparing to impose new sanctions on Nord Stream 2

Saturday, February 20 4:13 am: The administration of the new US President Joe Biden is preparing for more sanctions against the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to the Baltic Sea. In a report to Congress on Friday, the State Department identified two supporters of the project who could now be punished. This is the ship Fortuna And its owner is KVT-RUS, as explained by conference staff.

The two have already been sanctioned through an action by Biden’s predecessor Trump to support the construction of Nord Stream 2. Opponents of the project in Congress appreciated that the move by the Biden government hardly helped halt work on the project.

The United States is refusing to build the 1,200 km pipeline on the grounds that it will make Europe more dependent on Russian natural gas. However, the United States also wants to sell its gas in Europe. Russian energy company Gazprom owns the majority in the pipeline project. Financial partners are Wintershall Dea and Uniper from Germany as well as Austrian OMV, Royal Dutch Shell and Engie.

Right-wing militia members have been indicted after Capitol Storm

Saturday Feb.20 12:32 a.m.: More than six weeks after supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol, the Justice Department indicted six other suspects. All men and women have links to or are members of the right-wing militia, the “oath guards”. Allegations include conspiracy. The defendants are said to have agreed to block certification of the US presidential election results, according to a statement issued by the Attorney General’s office on Friday.

The six arrested this week in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio are said to have worked with three other suspects indicted in January. Seven men and women were reported to have donned paramilitary equipment on 6 January and climbed the stairs of the Congress building in a tactical military unit style, breaking through a door and breaking into the building.

One of the defendants, who described himself as the leader of the “department guards” in Florida, according to investigators, wrote in a Facebook message in late December: “Trump said it would be wild !!!!!! It would have been brutal !! !!!!! To go to the wilderness, that’s what he says. He called all of us to the Capitol and he wants us to go into the wilderness !!! Sir, yes, sir !!! ”Another suspect allegedly organized firearms and combat training for himself and the others before January 6th.

The United States allowed the first group of 25 asylum seekers to cross the Mexican border

Friday, February 19 at 10:10 p.m.: After changing the direction in immigration policy, the US government allowed an initial group of asylum seekers to cross the border. 25 people crossed the border from Tijuana, Mexico, to the US city of San Diego on Friday, an official from the Mexican Immigration Authority INM confirmed to Deutsche Presse-Agentur. In the coming days, it is expected that more refugees with ongoing asylum procedures will come to the United States to attend their court hearings and remain in the United States for the duration of their procedures.

The new administration of US President Joe Biden is violating the restrictive immigration policy of his predecessor, Donald Trump. Until now, asylum seekers in Mexico had to await a decision on their claims. As a result, some people have lived in camps south of the US border for more than a year. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, about 25,000 people are still affected by the previous policy. Immigrants with pending procedures must register online from the beginning of next week, after which they will be informed of the time and place of their potential border crossing.

On Friday, however, there was initially confusion about the procedure. Between 150 and 200 people arrived at the El Chaparral border crossing between Tijuana and San Diego and were hoping to enter the United States. At least some of them did not apply for asylum in the United States and thus did not have the opportunity to enter.