International
Biden nominates first Latino to lead the Department of Homeland Security
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden announced he intends to nominate Alejandro Mayorkas, a Cuban American lawyer, to lead the department at the center of immigration policy: The Department of Homeland Security.
The nomination denotes confidence that a Cuban immigrant can help his government reverse the border and immigration policies decreed by President Donald Trump.
Mayorkas, a former federal prosecutor in California, served as deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during Barack Obama’s term in office, when Joe Biden was Vice-President.
After the announcement was made, Mayorkas posted on his Twitter account: “When I was very young, the United States provided my family and me a place of refuge. Now, I have been nominated to be the DHS Secretary and oversee the protection of all Americans and those who flee persecution in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones.”
Mayorkas, 61, was born in Havana, Cuba, and immigrated to Florida with his family, escaping from Castro, and later settled in Los Angeles, California, where he is a partner at the law firm Wilmer Hale. His bio for the law firm states that while he was part of the Obama administration, he developed and implemented, in 60 days, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, through which over 700,000 young people have been benefited.
According to Reuters, President-elect Joe Biden intends, from his first day in office, to rescind Trump’s travel bans targeting people from 13 countries. He also plans to send an immigration legislation to Congress that would include a pathway to citizenship for the amost 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.
Sources: Reuters and National Public Radio
International
Lula invites Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay to BRICS Summit in Brazil
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has invited Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay to participate in the next BRICS summit, which will take place in Brazil this July.
“I am inviting all these countries here—Uruguay, Colombia, and Mexico—to take part in BRICS in Brazil. Even if they are not official members, it is important for them to participate because this is a time for global discussion,” Lula stated.
Strengthening Multilateralism and Free Trade
While attending the presidential handover ceremony in Uruguay, Lula emphasized the importance of including these countries in the conversation, given that BRICS represents nearly half of the world’s population and global GDP.
“It is crucial that at this BRICS summit, we truly strengthen two fundamental pillars: multilateralism and free trade. Without trade freedom, there is no multilateralism, and there is no democracy,” he declared.
Lula also proposed drafting a serious document to present at the summit in Rio de Janeiro in July, reaffirming the commitment to respecting multilateralism and promoting free trade.
International
Navy warship saves lithuanian adventurer caught in Pacific Storm
An Australian warship rescued a Lithuanian rower on Monday after he encountered a tropical cyclone while attempting to cross the Pacific Ocean from California.
Aurimas Mockus was brought aboard the Royal Australian Navy landing ship HMAS Choules, where he underwent a medical checkup, Vice Admiral Justin Jones said in a statement.
“Due to the highly unfavorable maritime conditions, Mr. Mockus’ vessel could not be recovered, except for two oars and some personal belongings,” stated the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which coordinated the rescue.
Three Days Adrift in the Coral Sea
The 44-year-old adventurer spent three days adrift in the Coral Sea, approximately 740 kilometers (460 miles) east of Mackay, a coastal city in Queensland. He had rowed non-stop from San Diego in a closed vessel, aiming to reach Brisbane.
Mockus began his 12,000-kilometer (7,500-mile) journey in October and was only days away from Brisbane when he encountered the storm, which is expected to make landfall in Australia soon.
Brisbane is located 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Mackay in a straight line.
Mockus activated an emergency beacon on Friday after rowing into stormy seas and 80 km/h (50 mph) winds generated by Tropical Cyclone Alfred, according to the rescue authority.
A rescue aircraft established radio contact with Mockus on Saturday, where he reported feeling “fatigued,” the authority said.
International
UK investigates TikTok over teen data use in content recommendations
The UK’s data protection office announced on Monday that it is investigating how TikTok uses teenagers’ personal information to generate content recommendations on the social media platform.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) expressed growing concerns about how social media platforms use data generated by children’s online activity to fuel their recommendation algorithms. This raises the potential risk of exposing young users to inappropriate or harmful content.
The regulator stated that it aims to assess the strength of TikTok’s safety procedures regarding the personal data of users aged 13 to 17.
“It’s about what they are collecting and how their systems work,” said Information Commissioner John Edwards. “I expect to find that there are many benign and positive uses of children’s data in their recommendation systems.”
Lula invites Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay to BRICS Summit in Brazil
Navy warship saves lithuanian adventurer caught in Pacific Storm
UK investigates TikTok over teen data use in content recommendations
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