[Verse 1]
Am I better off dead? Am I better off a quitter?
They say I’m better off now than I ever was with her
As they take me to my local down the street
I’m smiling but I’m dying trying not to drag my feet
[Verse 2]
They say a few drinks will help me to forget her
But after one too many, I know that I’m never
Only they can’t see where this is gonna end
They all think I’m crazy but to me it’s perfect sense
[Chorus]
And my mates are all there trying to calm me down
‘Cause I’m shouting your name all over the town
I’m swearing if I go there now
I can change her mind, turn it all around
And I know that I’m drunk but I’ll say the words
And she’ll listen this time even though they’re slurred
So I dialed her number and confessed to her
I’m still in love but all I heard was nothing
[Verse 3]
So I stumble there, along the railings and the fences
I know if I faced her face, that she’ll come to her senses
Every drunk step I take leads me to her door
If she sees how much I’m hurting, she’ll take me back for sure
[Chorus]
And my mates are all there trying to calm me down
‘Cause I’m shouting your name all over the town
I’m swearing if I go there now
I can change her mind, turn it all around
And I know that I’m drunk but I’ll say the words
And she’ll listen this time even though they’re slurred
So I dialed her number and confessed to her
I’m still in love but all I heard was nothing
[Post-Chorus]
She said nothing
Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing
Oh, I got nothing
I got nothing
Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing
[Bridge]
Ohh, sometimes love’s intoxicating
Ohh, you’re coming down, your hands are shaking
When you realize there’s no one waiting
[Interlude]
Am I better off dead? Am I better off a quitter?
They say I’m better off now than I ever was with her
[Chorus]
And my mates are all there trying to calm me down
‘Cause I’m shouting your name all over the town
I’m swearing if I go there now
I can change her mind, turn it all around
And I know that I’m drunk but I’ll say the words
And she’ll listen this time even though they’re slurred
So I dialed her number and confessed to her
I’m still in love but all I heard was nothing
[Post-Chorus]
She said nothing
Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing
Oh, I got nothing
I got nothing
Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing
Ohh I got nothing
[Outro]
(I got nothing)
I got nothing
I got nothing
[Verse 1]
(Hmm hmm hmm)
Here we are
Far from home
A little bit hungry
And a little alone
But it’s alright
Yeah, it’s alright
‘Cause in this room
There might be friends
Can’t see yet how the story ends
But it’s alright
Yeah, it’s alright
We can start anew
[Chorus]
Can’t go back so we gotta go on
We’ll stick together stayin’ strong
There’s a diamond castle in my mind
And someday soon
We’re gonna find it
(We’re gonna find it)
We’re gonna find it
(We’re gonna find it)
[Verse 2]
Somehow things are looking up
Feeling like we’ve changed our luck
I can see life in a new light
Can’t stay long
(Can’t stay long)
Passing through
(Passing through)
Don’t know where we’re going to
But it’s alright
‘Cause we just might
Find a way that’s true
(Find a way that’s true)
[Chorus]
Can’t go back so we gotta go on
(Gotta go on)
We’ll stick together stayin’ strong
(Stayin’ strong)
There’s a diamond castle in my mind
And someday soon
We’re gonna find it
(We’re gonna find it)
[Bridge]
We’re gonna find
The perfect place for us to be
(The perfect place)
Hear our melody set free
(Hear it set free)
Climb the highest mountain just to see
To see
[Chorus]
Can’t go back so we gotta go on
(Gotta go on)
We’ll stick together stayin’ strong
(Stayin’ strong)
There’s a diamond castle in my mind
(In my mind)
And someday soon
We’re gonna find it
(We’re gonna find it)
Can’t go back so we gotta go on
(Gotta go on)
We’ll stick together stayin’ strong
There’s a diamond castle in my mind
(In my mind)
And someday soon
We’re gonna find it
(We’re gonna find it)
We’re gonna find it
(We’re gonna find it)
We’re gonna find it
(We’re gonna find it)
We’re gonna find it
Someday soon
[Chorus: Calboy]
Ayy, I’m just tryna vibe, so I’m rolling up (Ayy, rolling up)
We was living way too fast but we ain’t know enough (I ain’t know enough)
Might have to get him off the path, if he try to slow me up
And I got this glizzy in this bag, boy, I might blow you up (I might blow you up)
And there’s more than fifty when we slide, you know them riders rough (Them riders rough)
If he playin’ silly ’bout that bag, then we might tie him up
Remember we was fucked up, walkin’ simply, we ain’t have enough (We ain’t have enough)
We tryna get some cake, these niggas hatin’, they was mad at us (They was mad at us)
[Verse 1: Calboy]
Through the dark, hoodie on, like I’m Trayvon (Like I’m Trayvon)
I got shooters like the hoopers in my hood, like Canon (Like Canon)
Playin’ victim, you know what you did, why you play dumb?
Crazy thing, my niggas knew about it, they ain’t say nothin’ (They ain’t say nothin’)
This Percocet gon’ get me higher (Higher)
I got to sleep and get to talkin’ to Lerayah (Lerayah)
She said, “Relax, my brodie, I’ve been sendin’ my love”
You tryna kill yourself, there’s no result to fire
Feed your soul like Lauryn Hill and some Wyclef
Pray to the Lord, He give me guidance in the right steps (The right steps)
My shorties wild and they get live up in the night, yeah (The night, yeah)
I’m from the darkness, baby, I’m so used to nightmares (Feed your soul)
[Chorus: Calboy]
Ayy, I’m just tryna vibe, so I’m rolling up (Ayy, rolling up)
We was living way too fast but we ain’t know enough (I ain’t know enough)
Might have to get him off the path, if he try to slow me up
And I got this glizzy in this bag, boy, I might blow you up (I might blow you up)
And there’s more than fifty when we slide, you know them riders rough (Them riders rough)
If he playin’ silly ’bout that bag, then we might tie him up (We might tie him up)
Remember we was fucked up, walkin’ simply, we ain’t have enough (We ain’t have enough)
We tryna get some cake, these niggas hatin’, they was mad at us (They was mad at us)
[Verse 2: Lil Wayne & Calboy]
Yeah, I’m on the pill, kinda Lauryn Hill
On the real, my G-Wagon came with sixteen uncle wheels
Born to kill, beef like gang, put that on my tears
On my lear jet airplane, tryna pop my ears
Poppin’ off’ll get you popped for real, you know you not for real
You faker than some shiny [?]
And if it’s smoke, it’s just a fire drill
I’ve been lying still, in the jungle even lions chill
I make a giant kneel
I heard Heaven need some volunteers, that’s what I’ve been hearin’
Hit your momma crib, like your momma feared
From the bottom of my heart, my heart so bottomless, baow
I’ll knock your top off, son (Skrrt)
Ready or not, here I come (Feed your soul)
Tunechi
[Chorus: Calboy]
Ayy, I’m just tryna vibe, so I’m rolling up (Ayy, rolling up)
We was living way too fast but we ain’t know enough (I ain’t know enough)
Might have to get him off the path, if he try to slow me up
And I got this glizzy in this bag, boy, I might blow you up (I might blow you up)
And there’s more than fifty when we slide, you know them riders rough (Them riders rough)
If he playin’ silly ’bout that bag, then we might tie him up (We might tie him up)
Remember we was fucked up, walkin’ simply, we ain’t have enough (We ain’t have enough)
We tryna get some cake, these niggas hatin’, they was mad at us (They was mad at us)
[Outro: Calboy & Lil Wayne]
I don’t get mad at them
Yeah, woah, oh
I know you mad
Them hoes, they mad
The opp, they mad
One time, they mad
Ah, ah-ha, ha, ha, stay mad
Ah, ah-ha, ha, ha, stay mad
Woah-woah, bah, bah, bah, payback
Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr-vrrr, straight cash
Yeah, stay mad
Bet you hate that
They mad/ Yeah, man / Amen
I am the king of your darkest night
I am the prince of your fear
I will wrap your dreams into sandstorms
You’d better know this before you come near
There is no end
to what I’ve become now
Way past the cold sweat of losing control
I load it up
I put it down
I let it roll
I am the priest
of your bad luck
Long gone the blood has run free
Scar upon scar until the pain doesn’t know
What’s worth hurting inside
What is left of me
What you think
is brand new
I just threw it your way
What you think is too big
Is too small
I’ve forgotten much more than
You think that you’ll ever know
There is no height that is too far to fall
You’d better go home lock up your soul
Or sit down and take it
Don’t try to fake it
Load it up, load it down, let it roll
Let it roll, let it roll?.
COMMENTO
Preferisco star solo piuttosto che con qualcuno che mente,
vive per fregare costantemente tutti.
Preferisco star solo, non far massa con la vostra isteria.
Preferisco star solo piuttosto che mercificare il mio “essere io”,
diventare come voi una parte di niente.
Preferisco star solo, negativo,
chiuso a ogni contatto.
COMMENTARY TRANSLATION
I’d rather be alone than with someone who lies,
lives to rip everybody off all the time.
I’d rather be alone, not mingle with your hysteria.
I’d rather be alone than sell my “being myself”,
than becoming like you – part of nothing.
I’d rather be alone, negative,
shut off to every contact.
A look at the best dancehall songs in 2021, so far.
From Yaksta’s “acres over Mark X” to Skillibeng’s “Di plane just crash wid e coke,” it’s safe to say that Jamaica’s musical engine has been pumping out the hits since the start of the new year. The industry giants such as Vybz Kartel continue to provide quality in quantity. However, not on the level that he did in 2020 when he had the airwaves buzzing with tracks from his album, To Tanesha. Nonetheless, 2021 promises to be a very musical year, with numerous entertainers either queuing to release an album, a mixtape, or an EP. Vershon dropped his 6-track EP title Only One a few days ago, while Sean Paul released his feature-laden project Live N Livin, which is one of two albums the superstar will be providing to his fans this year. The wealth of music brewing over the past three months has made us feel super privileged to be able to compile a list of the hottest dancehall/reggae singles we have received so far.
To select the songs for this list, we look at the numbers across DSPs and real world impact to see which singles are playing in dancehall sessions, parties, clubs, and on radio stations locally and overseas. The list also comprised of only songs that are released in 2021, so yes there are music from last year still in heavy rotation now, but so are music from three decades ago.
So which dancehall songs are the top tracks so far this year?
Chronixx – “Safe N Sound”
Ironically, no form of oppression was safe and sound after Chronixx dropped his latest nearly a week ago. The visuals portray a warzone-like atmosphere where smoked skulls and travesty indicate the order of the day. The lyrical stepper acts as the lone vigilante in the warzone, using his words, sounds, and power to hit back at the government, among other controlling subsets. How ironic that just a few months ago, Prime Minister Andrew Holness hailed Chronixx’s catalog as the face of what Jamaica’s music should look like, based on his profanity-less lyrics. Chronixx recently offered a surprise when he chanted a classic Jamaican expletive over the odd but infectious dancehall beat. The “Behind Curtains” singer has been delivering his vocals over beats of this nature for the past couple of years, with many of these cuts reportedly making it to his upcoming album. Excitement galore if you ask us!
Alkaline “Top Prize”
Whether you love him or hate him, it’s pretty hard to deny the fact that Alkaline is one of the world’s hottest entertainers with a Jamaican passport. While fans are still trying to figure out just how the entertainer got his name, they now have other questions, such as when will his new album be hitting shelves. The deejay announced both the release of what will be his sophomore album and its lead single back in February. The lanky figure who is known for flashing his bright smile on national television while participating in Jamaica’s Junior Schools Challenge Quiz has come of age and is promising fans a more mature dose of Alkaline on the new project. The title track was everything his Vendetta fans needed to quench their overactive musical appetite while getting their daily dose of motivation. The smooth cut is best listened to while wiping that mist from your bathroom mirror while getting ready to tackle the day ahead.
Popcaan – “Win”
Basketball is one of the most demanding sporting disciplines in the world, period. While the United States is seen as the Mecca when it comes to hooping, other countries also boast a pretty solid basketball program. Jamaica is slowly upping its ranks as far as b-ball is concerned, and with the help of the Unruly Boss, Popcaan, at least one fictitious team was balling after coming out victors against a Neville Bell coached offensive. The music video shines some light on basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who perished in a helicopter crash last year. Whether purposely or coincidentally, Popcaan dropped the visuals only a few days after the 1 year anniversary of the sportsman’s death. Popcaan’s most comfortable spots are his kitchen, the river, on stage, and next to his mom Miss Rhona. However, in the most ironic of fashions, he seemed pretty comfortable on the sidelines of the court in “Win.”
Popcaan – “Relevant”
Popcaan picks up a double on our list when he teamed up with Droptop Records and kicked started the year with the soulful and inspirational ballad, which is still very much ‘relevant’ three(3) months down the road. The power of the track is compacted in simple but powerful lines which aim to stimulate even the youngest listener.
“Ghetto yutes go fi di goal, wi been ah win (Mhmm)
Failure nuh inna?my?ting,?no (Weh! Weh!?Ting, no)
If yuh?live inna board house, yuh still ah queen
Yuh still ah king (Yeah)
Failure nuh inna my ting, no”
Is failure a part of your daily mantra? We hope not. As for Popcaan, his positive winning streak continues.
Beenie Man Feat. Popcaan, Dre Island – “Fun In The Sun”
Fact check/History lesson: 2006 was the year we lost loved ‘Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin to a stingray. It was also during this year that 12 miners died during the Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia. It was also the year when Google acquired YouTube for US$1.65 billion. Who could forget the Whale who decided to venture into the River Thames? As for music, 2006 saw Daniel Porter ruling Billboard Hot 100 with “Bad Day,” and Sean Paul coming in just behind him with “Temperature.” Another Jamaican who had the place in a frenzy in 2006 was Beenie Man when he released two albums, Concept of Life and Undisputed. The latter was Beenie’s last album in almost 20 years. The dancehall artiste should definitely have the word legendary etched somewhere on his body for his ability to stay relevant all these years without a body of work.
Beenie Man and his one-time enemy Bounty Killer revived beliefs in good entertainment last year when they performed side by side on Verzuz. The two men did the next best thing shortly after they announced they would be releasing albums. After much delay, it seems 2021 is the year fans will be getting both projects. The Zagga Zow pioneer recently had some ‘Fun In The Sun” as he and co-writers and performers Dre Island and Popcaan sent their prayers up to the lord from the grounds of Hope Garden. The song has a special place in the heart of Beenie Man, who expressed that he wrote the song while sitting by the grave of his mom, who passed away in 2020.
“That’s why we must, yeah, yeah
We must live as one (yeah)
Divided we fall
Together we’re strong.”
Masicka, Tarrus Riley, Dunw3ll – “CORNER”
From one triple threat to another! Genasyde, Singy Singy, and Dunw3ll find friendship around the “Corner.” The Masicka, Tarrus Riley, and Dunw3ll collab provides a wonderful brace to everyone who is facing tough times, a commodity that is seemingly in never-ending surplus these days. From Covid-19 to exorbitant food prices and a crime monster that is on the loose, everyone needs a bit of positivity in their corner of the ring. Crank up the music, lace up your boxing gloves and let’s get ready to rumble.
TeeJay, Tommy Lee Sparta – “Power Struggle”
Known for its white sandy beaches, resorts, and once active nightlife, Montego Bay is a haven for many of Jamaica’s visitors. In recent years, the parish of St. James has proved that its musical talents are not only reserved for the walls of fancy resorts. The likes of Teejay, Tommy Lee Sparta, Rygin King, Squash, Daddy1, and a host of other newcomers have kicked the notion that good musical vibrations are only felt in the East of the island.
The Damage Musiq-produced song “Power Struggle” is just one such example of this. The track saw Teejay and Tommy Lee Sparta team up for the first time, causing quite a rumble in the dancehall jungle and since its release in January, bringing over 3,000,000 Youtube views. Free Tommy Lee Sparta is the general chant from adoring fans below the Youtube upload. Lee remains in lockup following an incident in which he was held with an illegal firearm during a police operation during the latter part of last year. “Power Struggle” captures the pain the deejay has faced at the hands of law enforcement.
TeeJay, Vybz Kartel – “Pressure”
Vybz Kartel addressed the hardships being faced by the common man in Jamaican approximately five years ago when he released his track “Pressure.” On the new track, also titled “Pressure,” the deejay is still questioning the constant uphill battle being faced by the people of the land. This time around, he brings Teejay, a man with whom he has found amazing musical chemistry, to tag along for a story that is all too real. Poverty, ruthless murders, and the deaths of the innocent are all topics discussed by both Kartel and Teejay. It’s a familiar topic covers by musicians from the genre known for speaking on the struggles and plights of the people.
Yaksta (Bush Lawd) – “Ambition”
Do you remember that bet you made about not being able to find any sound financial advice in today’s music? Think again, as newcomer Yaksta shows just how it’s done. The deejay is quickly emerging as the one to watch for the title of breakout artiste of the year, and his new track “Ambition” seems set to make that a reality. Bush Lawd is asking those questions that many are simply scare to ask, firmly standing on the pyramid of what’s right and not what’s hype.
“Why own a Farrari (Why why)
With no where to park it? (Wooiie)
Why shop at Louise V when there is a Target?
Now me hype and me feisty (Feisty)
True mines me a save it (Save it)
Dem guh fendy fi Trendy (Trend wah?)
Bank account cyah empty (Bruck!)”
The official video that was released nearly a month ago is nearing 1 million views, making it the entertainer’s biggest song to date.
Check it out and let us know if you caught all of the financial gems he offloaded.
Shaneil Muir, Daddy1 – “Toxic”
“Love a nuh something wha we practice but the two a we together too toxic…” Sings Shaneil Muir. The singer had a phenomenon in 2020, picking up speed in the early part of the year through her track “3D,” before finding her monster breakout hit “Yamabella.” Since then, Muir has worked with Vybz Kartel, among others, blessings tracks with her magnificent vocal range, raw power, and female prowess. No wonder she overpowered her dad when he tried to turn her away from her “Custom” singer boyfriend Daddy1. Daddy1 runs his usual game on Muir and his fans with a pretty familiar flow that is worth a minute or two of your attention. Check it out.
Shenseea – “Upset”
Chimney Record’s Style A Style Riddim forms the base for this bit of gold from Shenseea, which arrived weeks after the official release of the “juggling compilation.” As the saying goes, it’s never too late for some good lyrics hitting out at anyone looking to bring across any bad energy. Interestingly, the track was released around the same time that Spice and Shenseea were allegedly contesting the “Queen of Dancehall” status. Shenseea has been making her presence felts on the international circuit for some time now. She seemingly got a boost in ratings earlier this year as she made numerous appearances on the walls of the popular urban blog, The Shade Room. There have been talks of an album arriving sometime soon, fingers and toes crossed that it works out.
Prince Swanny – “Tell Me”
Did someone say Trinibad? If you are still unsure about one of the fastest rising sub-genres of dancehall, stay tuned. One of the frontrunners for the movement, which was born in Jamaica, shipped to Trinidad, and is now being redistributed around the world, is Prince Swanny. The deejay has managed to amass a huge following on social media, including Youtube, where you can find the music video for “Tell Me.” There were no mistakes in the naming of this track as Swanny shares the intimate details of what he loves to do, which include caressing his ladies and his firearms. Slow and steady wins the race for “Tell Me” as Swanny effortlessly flows over the beat.
“Tell mi if they really want it we mek di
Money when we outside we strap up
With di 45 dawg none a dem nuh bad
Like we yeee yeah an every fat p*ssy
Gyal dem waah we dem waah fi sit”
Vybz Kartel, Likkle Addi – “Popular”
The master tactician Vybz Kartel is already planning his exit from music, leaving the business in the hands of his three boys, Likkle Addi, Likkle Vybz, and Aikodon. Both Likkle Addi and Vybz have conducted interviews with Winford Williams, where they spoke of focusing on the business aspect of music and all that it entails. They have no plans to step from outside of the booth, though, and “Popular” by Vybz Kartel featuring Likkle Addi is proof that the youngsters have a lot to offer musically. The official music video is inching closer to the 2 million views mark on Youtube. Many would desire to take away the stalker element expressed in the following line. However, there is a strange feeling that it’s one that actually contributes to the mystique of the track.
“I wanna meet you so much it hurts”
Sean Paul, Intence – “Real Steel”
Dutty Paul and Dutty Yeng have enough steel to frame a skyscraper but rest assured that every inch will be going to the female(s) they both desire. “Real Steel” is possibly one of the “duttiest” tracks fans have heard from Sean Paul in a while. The rudeboy persona is on full display, something the ladies simply cannot resist. Sexual favors are plenty, with both Intence and Paul sharing the same girl. Wild! The song is from Paul’s brand new album Live N’ Living, which is packed with many other collaborations, fulfilling Paul’s mission to spread dancehall talents far and wide. The track’s Youtube numbers have been a bit stagnant, but the song is picking up heavy rotation on international radio stations such as Hot 97.
Intence – “Pickachu”
“Pickachu” is a solid track from Intence, which is delivered with clarity and at a moderate pace, making it one which his fans should be able to jam to. Yet, the 1,000,000 and more views on Youtube may actually be a result of a clever but out-of-the-box move from the director of the video. “Ashtray Browning” makes a 3 seconds cameo and steals the spotlight from Intence in the visuals. The clip starts out with the deejay beginning his descent down a flight of stairs but stops to ash his cigarette into the properly placed mouth of a browning, who’s sitting close by. The incident caused quite a stir on social media, with pundits giving their approval or disapproval of the move.
Skillibeng – “Coke”
Skillibeng became the plug for hits in 2020, and that followed in 2021 when he released “Coke.” The track proves that the St. Thomas-based deejay is not only able to craft clever bars but is also able to spot an opportunity. His decision to write his track and shoot his video in and around the mysterious plane landing on the South Coast of Jamaica has proved bountiful. Seven million views since its release on February 02 is pretty astounding, even for SKillibeng. “Brik Pon Brik” was released in December 2019 and is also lingering at the 7 million mark on Youtube. “Crocodile Teeth,” is leading the charge with 15 million views and is set to go even further as a result of cosigns from the likes of Drake and Burna Boy. Still, it’s pretty hard not to love the audio extracted from one of Jamaica’s biggest movies, as well as Skilli’s opening lines, “Di plane just crash wid e coke.”
Mavado – “Not Perfect”
Dancehall artiste Mavado is finding 2021 to be one of his worst years yet, after the conviction and subsequent life sentence handed down to his son Dante Brooks and the recent death of his mother, Elizabeth ‘Ms Pinny’ Gordon. Before it all went downhill, Mavado delivered this track that explained his overwhelming feeling, as he called on his son to stay strong during his trial. Mavado’s words may offer you a bit of solace during your difficult time. You can check the track below.
Lila Iké, Skillibeng – “Thy Will”
Skillibeng gets another entry on our list through the positive collaboration with one of reggae’s hottest acts, Lila Ike’. It’s the remix to “Thy Will,” which was released as a part of her debut EP early last year. The video incorporates religion, protest, among other ways, to fight back at the system and stick it to the man.
Urban Islandz honorable mentions.
1. Popcaan, Beres Hammond – “God Is Love”
2. Spice – “Watch My Life”
3. Intence, Govana – “Public Enemy No. 1”
4. Sean Paul, Busy Signal – “Boom”
5. Jahmiel – “Unbroken”
6. Vershon – “Stick By Me”
7. Christopher Martin – “Rent Free”
[Chorus]
Big bank truck (Truck), with the piece tucked (Tucked)
Big bank, what? Thirty for a feature (‘Ture)
Black card, metal swipin’ like a Visa (‘Sa)
You can’t see us (Us), you can’t be us (Us)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Yeah)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Yeah)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Haha)
[Verse 1]
Ho, I’m on your street, I got the Glocky (Okay)
Just in case this operation turn a little sloppy (Huh?)
A bulletproof vest in case they shot me (Yeah)
That’s maybe why I walk around this bitch a little cocky (Okay, okay)
I push your shit back, I push a nigga shit back (Huh?)
Rack the glick back, give your boy a shitbag (Haha)
I push your shit back, I push a nigga wig back (Huh?)
It’s a doggy world, you’re chillin’ where the kittens at (Haha)
Niggas really wanna be like me and now I see (Okay)
Niggas want the extendo like it’s a limousine (Okay)
I will really kick your door and make your ass scream (Haha)
‘Cause you can’t be like me, your name is Timothy (Yeah)
[Chorus]
Big bank truck (Truck), with the piece tucked (Tucked)
Big bank, what? Thirty for a feature (‘Ture)
Black card, metal swipin’ like a Visa (‘Sa)
You can’t see us (Us), you can’t be us (Us)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Yeah)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Yeah)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Haha)
[Verse 2]
Where the f*ck my Glock? Extendo on the mop (Yeah)
Grippin’ on the pole like a mothaf*ckin’ thot (Yeah)
I might get a bag and spend it on my car, who knows? (Okay)
You the type of nigga spend your money on these hoes (Yeah)
Bust and then it slip, had to rubberize the grip (What?)
Bustin’ on your bitch, had to bust on to her lip (Yeah)
I got a couple niggas who ain’t make it on this ship (Okay)
Got a couple stragglers, them niggas all got snipped (Huh?)
None of you niggas safe ’cause you woke up Godzilla (Okay)
Rather fist-fight a dozen steroided gorillas (Okay)
Hangin’ out the whip with your homie’s f*ckin’ killer (Huh?)
With the same grip that done got that nigga did up (Oh well)
[Chorus]
Big bank truck (Truck), with the piece tucked (Tucked)
Big bank, what? Thirty for a feature (‘Ture)
Black card, metal swipin’ like a Visa (‘Sa)
You can’t see us (Us), you can’t be us (Us)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Yeah)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Yeah)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Haha)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Yeah)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Yeah)
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me
I wear big chains to choke ya out if you play me (Haha)
[Intro: Badda TD]
(LoudPack)
(God damn, I'm finally a boss)
(Is this Shiv?)
Young niggas and we on a mission
Young niggas and up on our business
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah (Bllrt, baow, baow)
[Chorus: Badda TD]
They say that my flow too much
And I got them racks in my pants, and it f*ck up my walk (Bllrt)
My brodie on go too much
And he wanna make fire with that stick, so you better not talk (Blah, blah, blah-blah-blah)
We played with the pole too much
Thank God he had found me the music, I feel like a star
They callin' me old too much
'Cause I leveled up, I'm brand new and I feel like a boss
God damn, I'm finally a boss
[Verse 1: Badda TD]
Do it alone so there's no one to cross (Huh)
Youngin' was hungry and scared in the dark
Daddy, he gone, 'cause he real like a boss (Yeah, yeah)
I spend it all 'cause I feel like a boss
But f*ck it, I'm frontin', we gettin' some more
You burn that bridge then my nigga, you lost
Labels, they callin', I guess I'm a boss
I could never get tired 'cause I'm playin' for the spot
'Member all them days, we was posted by the block
Brodie got paid he was stayin' with a Glock (Hahaha)
I guess me and him the same drop the range of the top (Uh-huh)
Prayin' for the block, I was prayin' for my pops
Still missed ties 'cause he stayin' in the box (Hold up)
All them little nicks, they was stayin' in my socks
And before you start firin', know the rain gonna drop (Gllt, baow, baow, baow)
Rain gonna drop, put in pain for the slot
I don't ever hug, gettin' brain from a slut
I don't love dubs, got the blues in my pocket
And before I go broke, bring the spoon with the pot
Swoon with the pot
Yeah, bring the spoon with the pot
They all been askin', "When heat gonna drop?"
Well, I got some shit that hit you in your top, damn (Damn)
Lil' nigga, he hot
Came up from nothin', put on for the block
I just been wishin' that they free my pops (Uh)
Swear I just been prayin' I make it on top (Uh-uh-uh)
This for them days I ain't make it on time
Momma could smile, guess she finally proud
'Member my niggas was runnin' real wild
We made it, my nigga, we out of the drought
[Chorus: Badda TD]
They say that my flow too much
And I got them racks in my pants, and it f*ck up my walk (Woah-woah)
My brodie on go too much
And he wanna make fire with that stick, so you better not talk (Gllt, gllt, baow, baow, baow)
We played with the pole too much
Thank god he had found me the music, I feel like a star
They callin' me old too much
'Cause I leveled up, I'm brand new and I feel like a boss
God damn, I'm finally a boss
[Verse 2: 42 Dugg]
How you playin' it? How you playin' it?
Been in that air, don't know when I'm landin'
f*ck 'em and leave, I'm not romantic
Have my cheese, I'm tired of waitin'
30k cash, one day in Vegas
Just blew two M's, I wish I saved it
Shit gettin' crazy
No more friends, just me and my baby
Just bought her a Benz, I'm 'bout a Mercedes
C'mon, let's ride
Send for your best 5
Been stressin' since Neff died
Wish Merey had less time
Wish Apple did too
We slidin' is sues now
Big .40's, no .25's
Every story got two sides
Reminiscin' 'bout Drew dyin'
I wish we seen Signs
Shit be crazy, but I keep me goin'
Just bought four wheels, 'bout three of the foreign
Check the board, we been scoring (No cap)
[Outro: Badda TD]
(I'm finally a boss)
[Intro]
Huh, God
(Turn me up, YC)
Huh, God
(Red Dead, you so f*ckin' bumpin', bro)
I'm golden (Huh)
[Verse 1]
Take off her hair (Hair), she ain't gotta take off her clothes (Clothes)
I love my family but sometimes I get tired of my folks (I get tired of my folks)
'Cause you the realest when it's yes, you a ho when it's no (You a ho when it's no)
No matter what, I won't switch up, I'm defending my bro (I'm defending my bro)
Niggas get mad at you, mad 'cause you the one that was chosen (You the one that was chosen)
Niggas talk down behind my back, don't nobody approach me (Oh, no)
And I might smile 'causе we in public, but I'm hurting (But I'm hurting)
Promise shorty not my girlfriend, shе's my close friend (She's my close friend)
[Chorus]
Golden, yeah (Oh)
I shine so bright like the sun in the sky 'cause I know that I'm golden, yeah
I shine so bright like the stars at night 'cause I know that I'm golden
[Verse 2]
When you down, they don't come around
But come around when you doing fine
Ain't got nothing going for your damn self
So you trying to come around me and take my shine
I love my mama, my backbone finna turn fifty-nine
Kevo, when you dropping? Bitch, I'm whipping up in the kitchen now
I told you once, bitch, you cannot rush greatness
And I rolled up a blunt, too many heads, I had to face it
And I could have gave up but I chose to keep it going
And I love my nephew, treat him just like my son
And these niggas out of order, these niggas ain't got priorities
How you won't take care your daughter but you always wearing Jordans?
[Bridge]
I can be going through the worstest time of my life
But I'ma still have joy (Have joy, have joy)
I'ma still have joy, have joy, have joy (Have joy, have joy, have joy)
[Chorus]
'Cause I'm golden ('Cause I'm golden)
And I shine so bright like the sun in the sky 'cause I know I'm golden (And I, oh, Lord, oh, Lord)
I shine so bright like the stars at night and I know I'm golden
I shine so bright like the sun in the sky, man, I know I'm golden (But I know I'm golden)
I shine so bright like the stars at night, man, I know I'm golden (God)
[Outro]
One of a kind, let go of mine, I know that I'm golden
God
God damn
[Intro]
I love it
I love it
I love it, I love it
I love it, I love it
[Verse 1]
Chop off all the dead weight
Can you remember?
Drop into the headspace, now
Give me surrender
Flow, let it flow, let it flow
Flow, let it flow, let it flow away
[Chorus]
Because I'm losing touch
Oh, I can't get enough
Because I'm losing touch
Oh, I can't get enough
Because I'm losing touch
Oh, I can't get enough
Because I'm losing touch
Oh, I can't get enough
[Refrain]
I love it
I love it
I love it
I lovе it
[Instrumental Break]
[Refrain]
I love it
I love it
I love it
I lovе it
I love it
I love it
[Outro]
Chop off all the dead weight, yeah
Ah-ah-ah-ah, I love it
Drop the weight, losing touch
I love it
Drop the weight, losing touch
I love it
Drop the weight, losing touch
[Verse 1]
You must be so proud
Talking about how you’ve
Been grinding all week
Do you feel like a man
When you look at me like all
I can grind is my teeth?
[Chorus]
Don’t belittle me, boy
Surprisingly my brain works quite well alone
While you see my name in lights
Yours will be in the back of my mind
In a place where I’ll never find it
[Verse 2]
Those eyes make me feel
Like I should just close my mouth
Clearly there’s nothing coming out
Can’t you comprehend that
Someone so fragile could in fact
Create ideas harder than your abs
[Chorus]
Don’t belittle me, boy
Surprisingly my brain works quite well alone
While you see my name in lights
Yours will be in the back of my mind
In a place where I’ll never find it
[Bridge]
I am not your darling
I’m not easy to get around
You can’t fool me with flattery
But you can make a fool of yourself
[Chorus]
Don’t belittle me, boy
Surprisingly my brain works quite well alone
While you see my name in lights
Yours will be in the back of my mind
(Get your head out that fantasy)
Yours will be in the back of my mind
(Your senses are running low on batteries)
Yours will be in the back of my mind
(You can’t fool me with flattery)
Yours will be in the back of my mind
In a place where you’ll never find it
[Chorus: Rema]
When the beat drops all the girls wanna sing along
Me ah go dey give them di vibe 'til the kingdom come
The place where I come from be another dimension
Nobody been look my face when I dey on my own
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
I been on the road for a long time
Tryna get the bread so my family go survive
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Some of my bruddas dey, wey deh serve time
They wanna be free, they all wanna see the sunlight
[Verse 1: Skepta & Rema]
Man it's gettin' ugly, still I look for the beauty
Girls sellin' the coochie for the Gucci
All I see is good girls tryna show love
Same time all these groupies actin' bougie
I came in the game like, "Yo, excuse me"
Shout out my OG's and shout out my juvies
Get robbed for your carti, with the little Uzi
Bruddas shootin' clips like an action movie (On God)
And I know it seems stupid (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
But bruddas ain't seen no love, they need cupid
Even though we're winnin', we still sinnin'
And this ain't gonna change overnight, it's deep-rooted (Oh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
Flashbacks of dead bodies and gunshots
Last time I see my brudda's face was a mugshot
PTSD will leave permanent scars
Can't lie, man, I ain't the same brudda that I once was (Oh, ooh-woah)
[Chorus: Rema]
When the beat drops all the girls wanna sing along
Me ah go dey give them di vibe 'til the kingdom come
The place where I come from be another dimension
Nobody been look my face when I dey on my own
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
I been on the road for a long time
Tryna get the bread so my family go survive
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Some of my bruddas dey, wey dey serve time
They wanna be free, they all wanna see the sunlight
[Verse 2: Skepta & Rema]
I was taught to listen to my elders
I can hear the yutes cry, I'm feelin' so helpless
Open up my third eye, I'm feelin' so selfless
It's the same old story, different occasion
Nigerian, Ghanaian, Jamaican
Ugandan, Congolese and the Bajan
You can be a star or you can end up a patient
Gotta mind how you step, blood on the pavement
Bad man, don't threaten me
You no fit kill, who done die before
Oh, Father forgive me, my sins
I reminisce all the things I've done
Oh, please put me under your wings
I sit and pray, make my mandem live long
'Cause many wan' quench the fire
Jah love gon' take us higher
[Chorus: Rema]
When the beat drops all the girls wanna sing along
Me ah go dey give them di vibe 'til the kingdom come (Ooh-ooh)
The place where I come from be another dimension
Nobody be look my face when I dey on my own
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
I been on the road for a long time
Tryna get the bread so my family go survive
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Some of my bruddas dey, wey dey serve time
They wanna be free, they all wanna see the sunlight
[Post-Chorus: Rema]
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
I been on the road for a long time
Tryna get the bread so my family go survive
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Some of my brothers dey, wey dey serve time
They wanna be free, they all wanna see the sunlight
[Outro: Rema]
Anytime I enter, call 911
Me I get the flow wey dey cause fire
Why they act so mean 'cause I'm rich and young
Watch me unchained while I watch you burn
No man can take my place
Forever and ever my [?], na, ah-ha
That's what I got to say to y'all
Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah
[Intro: ssgkobe]
Yeah
Yeah, ayy, yeah, ayy, yeah, ayy, okay, yeah
Wait, hold on bro, who the f*ck keep callin’ my phone?
Hey, never mind, f*ck this bitch
[Chorus: ssgkobe]
One, two, three bad bitches sippin’ Lipton (Yeah, yeah, ayy)
Pulled up with your bitches then we left, yeah we dipped in (Yeah, ayy, yeah)
Niggas, they be cappin’ on they chinny-chin, Crimson (Yeah, what?)
I’ma f*ck this thot like a GTA, she missioned (Yeah, what?)
[Verse 1: ssgkobe]
And my bros booted up off the gas (Uh, where? Where?)
And she bad (Ooh), shawty shakin’ ass (Where?)
In L.A. with Bia, he’ll hit thе dash (Skrr, skrr)
I just called my clans, we can clash (Baow)
I get hеlla lit (Yeah), I’m a frat boy (Yeah)
Frat boy (Frat boy), feel like Batman, I’m a bat, boy (I’m a bat, boy)
Pull up with them sticks, we keep them bats, boy (Frrah, frrah)
Niggas keep them tools, we never lack, boy (Frrah, frrah)
And you said you bangin’, that’s an act, boy (Act, boy)
‘Cause when we shot your crew, you was track, boy (Nyoom)
You had turned on your gang, ain’t comin’ back, boy (Nah)
Smokin’ big ‘Woods, not no Black, boy (Not no Black, boy)
[Chorus: ssgkobe & $NOT]
One, two, three bad bitches sippin’ Lipton (Yeah, yeah, ayy)
Pulled up with your bitches then we left, yeah we dipped in (Yeah, ayy, yeah)
Niggas, they be cappin’ on they chinny-chin, Crimson (Yeah, what?)
I’ma f*ck this thot like a GTA, she missioned (Yeah, ayy, ayy)
[Verse 2: $NOT]
I’ma check these niggas like I work for Nike, they won’t like me
Put your fist up, sticks down, come and fight me
This a Phantom, ho, I can’t go broke, bitch, I’m rich (Can’t go broke, bitch)
I’m a lick, I’m a walking brick, yeah, that be your bitch
On my dick, I’m a rockstar, yeah, I’m rockin’ shit
In a coupe, I can’t even lose, I be with your boo (Uh-uh)
Talkin’ shit, end up on the news, I got plenty tools (Where? Where? Where?)
I got jewels makin’ money too, this the life I live
I can’t choose, I got plenty moves, everything legit (Yeah, ayy)
[Chorus: ssgkobe]
One, two, three bad bitches sippin’ Lipton (Yeah, yeah, ayy)
Pulled up with your bitches then we left, yeah we dipped in (Yeah, ayy, yeah)
Niggas, they be cappin’ on they chinny-chin, Crimson (Yeah, what?)
I’ma f*ck this thot like a GTA, she missioned (Yeah, what?)
[Outro: ssgkobe]
I’ma f*ck this thot, she a treesh, pourin’ Wockhardt (Ayy)
p*ssy boy throwin’ signs on Twitter, boy, you’re not hard
You could get your face fist-f*cked, you play your cards right (f*ck)
I’m a lil’ kid, I like to eat Pop-Tarts
[Intro]
Hahaha
Ayo big wave [?]
Small Jam alongside J.W.
[Pre-Chorus]
My bestie and your bestie
Sit down by the fire
Your bestie says she want party
So can we make these flames go higher
[Chorus]
Talkin' 'bout hey now (Hey now), hey now (Hey now)
Iko iko an day
Jockomo feena a dan day
Jockomo feena nay ([?])
[Verse 1]
Start my truck, let's all jump in
Here we go together
Nice cool breeze and big palm trees
I tell you, life don't get no better
[Chorus]
Talkin' 'bout hey now (Hey now), hey now (Hey now)
Iko iko an day
Jockomo feena a dan day
Jockomo feena nay
[Verse 2]
A keia mamang gwele
Step on the dancing floor
Hips be winding, DJ rewinding
Take it to the island way
Keio, baby mama
Put on your dancing shoes
One drop it drop it low now, take it to the max now
Jammin' the Small Jam way
(Ja-Ja-) Jammin' the Small Jam way
[Pre-Chorus]
My bestie and your bestie
Dancing by the fire
Your bestie says she want party
So can we make these flames go higher
[Chorus]
Talkin' 'bout hey now (Hey now), hey now (Hey now)
Iko iko an day (Ohh)
Jockomo feena a dan day
Jockomo feena nay ([?])
[Verse 3]
Solomon girl straight up right hoochie mama
Make we party non stop in a island banda
Swing those hips and back it up to me ragga
A chance fi party, ladies do the Dougie Dougie
I'm jammin island reggae reppin' blue, green and yellow
Me tappin on me beat make ya slow wine for me, baby
Speakers pumpin', people jumpin'
We're jammin' the island way
[Verse 4]
Shoutout to the good-time crew
All across the islands
Grab your shoes, then we'll two-by-two
And now we're shinin' bright like diamonds
[Chorus]
Talkin' 'bout hey now (Hey now), hey now (Hey now)
Iko iko an day (Ohh)
Jockomo feena a dan day
Jockomo feena nay (Yes)
(One drop it drop it low now, take it to the max now)
(Jammin' the Small Jam way – wind it!)
[Bridge]
Wine up, go down, wine up, go down
Twist your body backwards (We go, we go)
We go left, left, we go right, right
Turn it around and forward (Wine and go down again)
Wine up, go down, wine up, go down
Twist your body backwards (Twist it back)
We go left, left, we go right, right
Turn it around and forward
[Pre-Chorus]
My bestie and your bestie
Dancing by the fire
Your bestie says she want party
So can we make these flames go higher
[Chorus]
Talkin' 'bout hey now (Hey now), hey now (Hey now)
Iko iko an day (Ohh)
Jockomo feena a dan day
Jockomo feena nay
Jockomo feena nay
Jockomo feena nay
Jockomo feena nay
I been walkin’ with my face turned to the sun
Weight on my shoulders, bullet in my gun
Oh, I got eyes in the back of my head just in case I have to run
I do what I can when I can while I can for my people
While the clouds roll back and the stars fill the night
That’s when I’m gonna stand up
Take my people with me
Together we are going to a brand new home
Far across the river
Can you hear freedom calling?
Calling me to answer
Gonna keep on keepin’ on
I can feel it in my bones
Early in the mornin’ before the sun begins to shine
Gonna start movin’ towards that separating line
I’m wading through muddy waters, you know I got a made-up mind
And I don’t mind if I lose any blood on the way to salvation
And I’ll fight with the strength that I got until I die
So I’m gonna stand up
Take my people with me
Together we are going to a brand new home
Far across the river
Can you hear freedom calling?
Calling me to answer
Gonna keep on keepin’ on
And I know what’s around the bend
Might be hard to face ’cause I’m alone
And I just might fail, but Lord knows I tried
Sure as stars fill up the sky
Stand up
Take my people with me
Together we are going to a brand new home
Far across the river
Can you hear freedom calling?
Calling me to answer
Gonna keep on keepin’ on
I’m gonna stand up
Take my people with me
Together we are going to a brand new home
Far across the river
Do you hear freedom calling?
Calling me to answer
Gonna keep on keepin’ on
I’m gonna stand up
Take my people with me
Together we are going to a brand new home
Far across the river
I hear freedom calling?
Calling me to answer
Gonna keep on keepin’ on
I can feel it in my bones
President Joe Biden speaks after meeting with leaders from Georgia’s Asian-American and Pacific Islander community, Friday, March 19, 2021, at Emory University in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) more >
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden’s Cabinet is nearly complete with the expected confirmation of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on Monday. But the work of building his administration is just beginning, as Biden has hundreds of key presidential appointments to make to fill out the federal government.
The process of building out a government, according to Paul Light, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, is “nasty, brutish, and not at all short.”
Biden has about 1,250 federal positions that require Senate confirmation, ranging from the head of the obscure Railroad Retirement Board to more urgent department positions such as assistant and deputy secretaries. Of the 790 being tracked by the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan good-government group, 23 appointees have been confirmed by the Senate, 39 are being considered by the Senate, and 466 positions have no named nominee.
According to Max Stier, president and CEO of the partnership, filling out those key posts will likely take the better part of the year – and those vacancies have real-world consequences.
Many agencies, he said, have various sections “that have leadership that really runs that specific component,” Stier said.
Aside from Walsh, there are a few finishing touches for his Cabinet-level appointees. The Senate has yet to confirm Eric Lander as Biden’s top science adviser, and the White House still hasn’t named anyone to head his Budget office, after Neera Tanden withdrew her nomination amid controversy. The White House is facing pressure from lawmakers on Capitol Hill to name Shalanda Young, the current nominee for deputy budget director, to the top role.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has set up confirmation votes this week for Young, along with Vivek Murthy for surgeon general and Rachel Leland Levine for assistant secretary of Health and Human Services, among others, before the Senate adjourns for recess until mid-April.
Beneath the Cabinet heads that have been confirmed are numerous sub-departments that remain leaderless. Many have only acting heads in place even as the administration faces a number of pressing situations in addition to the coronavirus pandemic.
Recent crimes against Asian Americans have sparked fresh debate over the nation’s gun laws, but Biden has yet to nominate anyone to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. And the wave of migrants at the border is underscoring major challenges in enforcing immigration and asylum laws. Biden hasn’t nominated anyone to head the three key agencies in charge of much of their implementation: Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Asked last week about those vacancies, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said they were “all important agencies” but offered no timeline for naming nominees.
There are also key vacancies at the Department of Health and Human Services that will play a significant role in addressing the coronavirus pandemic. Biden has named Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to be the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but it’s unclear who he’ll choose to head the Food and Drug Administration, which plays an important role in approving vaccines and treatments for the pandemic.
“The federal government is not so much headless as neck-less. The sub-Cabinet – the associates, the assistants, the deputy secretaries, and then all of the political appointees they bring with them – those are the nerve endings, that’s the spinal cord down into the guts of the hierarchy,” said Light.
Department heads “do not make things happen by fiat. They have to work through the channels that exist, and a vacancy is always a threat to effective delivery.”
Senate panels are also holding a handful of confirmation hearings this week as lawmakers turn their focus to issues such as the cost of prescription drugs, gun violence and the state of the 2020 Census.
Committees are holding confirmation hearings for Samantha Power to serve as administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Cynthia Minette Marten to be deputy secretary of Education, and Deanne Bennett Criswell to be the next FEMA administrator. A panel is also considering the nomination of Admiral John C. Aquilino to be commander of the Defense Department’s United States Indo-Pacific Command.
A panel will also vote on advancing the nomination of Polly Ellen Trottenberg to be deputy secretary of Transportation.
Overall, the pace is slower than that under Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as the Biden team was hamstrung from the start because of what they said was a lack of cooperation from Trump administration officials throughout the transition.
Senate Democrats did not win a majority of seats in the chamber until the Jan. 5 Georgia runoff elections, and then it took nearly a month for Democratic and Republican leadership to agree on a resolution governing the organization of the chamber, which further delayed committee work.
Democrats privately acknowledge that Trump’s second impeachment trial also slowed down the process.
Biden has “caught up a little bit, but he’s still a long way from the finish line,” Light said.
He warned that some of the vacancies could create a political problem for Biden, because “he needs to show that he can run this bizarre and overlayered government to the public’s benefit.”
“Any major delays or a slip of some kind, where the paper doesn’t get signed or the check doesn’t get out the door on time, that’s the worst case for him,” Light said.
And even as the Biden administration moves through picking nominees, there’s no guarantee they’ll all receive a smooth confirmation. Colin Kahl, who was nominated for undersecretary of Defense for policy and Julie Su for deputy Labor secretary, have faced opposition from Republicans. And some of the deputies have become political footballs for Republicans looking to score concessions from the Biden administration.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz released his hold on William Burns, Biden’s nominee for CIA director, and Brian McKeon, Biden’s pick for deputy secretary of State for management and resources, after secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated the administration supported further sanctions focused on a controversial gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.
Cruz continues to hold up Biden’s nominee for deputy secretary of State, Wendy Sherman, until sanctions are imposed.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Wary regulators have not approved a major railroad merger since the 1990s, but industry analysts say Canadian Pacific’s proposed $25 billion acquisition of Kansas City Southern has a good chance of getting the green light because there is little overlap between the two lines.
The deal is also set to capitalize on growing trade across North America by creating the first railroad that would link the United States, Mexico and Canada. Executives at the companies say those opportunities should help the combined railroad generate more revenue.
The Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern deal announced Sunday would combine the two smallest of the major railroads into one entity.
Some, however, are already expressing concern that the combination of the two railroads could hurt shippers if they are left with fewer options.
“The freight rail industry is already highly consolidated with a small number of railroads controlling most of the rail traffic in the United States and we are concerned that this merger could potentially lead to a greater concentration of market power,” said Scott Jensen, a spokesman for the chemicals industry trade group American Chemistry Council.
The service problems and economic damage that followed railroad mergers in the 1990s are part of why regulators adopted tough rules for major railroad mergers in 2001. Regulators have said that, generally, any merger involving a major railroad must enhance competition and serve the public interest. Similar deals are blocked in other industries only if there is a risk that competition will be reduced.
Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern said they expect U.S. railroad regulators at the Surface Transportation Board to complete their review of the deal by around the middle of 2022. A spokesman for the board didn’t immediately respond Monday to questions about how the deal will be reviewed.
Morningstar analyst Matthew Young said he doesn’t think the proposed deal will hurt competition overall because the railroads don’t compete directly now.
“These rails generally don’t compete head to head in specific markets, thus a merger shouldn’t result in fewer rail-service options for shippers in most corridors,” Young said Monday in a research note.
Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said he thinks there is a good chance the deal will be approved by regulators.
“There’s really no overlap on their lines. So I think there is really minimal impact on customers,” Windau said.
Executives at both the railroads argue that customers will be helped, not hurt, by the combination because they’ll be able to ship goods throughout North America without having to have shipments handed off between railroads.
“There’s savings across the board and benefits across the board that are so compelling,” Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel said. As railroad customers learn about the deal, “I think they are going to be excited by this – not threatened by this.”
Five years ago, Calgary, Alberta-based Canadian Pacific abandoned its roughly $30 billion attempt to takeover rival Norfolk Southern after it encountered strong opposition from Norfolk Southern, politicians, rail customers along the route and other railroads. So the new rules for railroad mergers still haven’t been tested.
But unlike then, the boards of both Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific unanimously backed this deal. The combined company would operate about 20,000 miles of railway, employ 20,000 people and generate annual revenue of about $8.7 billion. Both railroads said they expect to add jobs overall across the combined network as volume grows.
The deal values Kansas City Southern at $275 per share, which represents a significant premium to Friday’s closing price of $224. Kansas City Southern shareholders will receive 0.489 shares of Canadian Pacific stock and $90 cash as part of the deal, and they will control roughly 25% of the combined company.
The railroads said this deal is timed well because Mexico, the United States and Canada agreed to a new regional trade pact last year that is expected to boost trade and investment across North America.
Officials said Kansas City Southern’s base in Kansas City, Missouri, would become Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s new U.S. headquarters after the deal but Canadian Pacific’s current U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, will remain an important base of operations for the company.
A man runs past a road barricade and burning debris Monday, March 22, 2021, in Mandalay, Myanmar. The BBC said Monday that a journalist from its Burmese-language service was released by authorities in Myanmar but gave no details, as protesters … more >
The U.S. on Monday escalated its sanctions targeting officials in Myanmar in response to the increasingly violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators unfolding in the Southeast Asian nation since the military coup that took place there last month.
“The military regime continues its violent crackdown, which has killed at least 194 people to date, including peaceful protesters,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement announcing new U.S. sanctions in coordination with the European Union.
Officials said the Treasury Department will freeze assets and block U.S. market access for Myanmar’s Chief of Police, Than Hlaing, and Bureau of Special Operations commander, Lieutenant General Aung Soe. The sanctions will also target two army units of Myanmar, also known as Burma, that have been involved in the crackdown on protesters.
The sanctions are designed to “show that this violence will not go unanswered,” said Mr. Blinken.
“The United States continues to call on the military regime to release all those unjustly detained; stop its attacks on civil society members, journalists, and labor unionists; halt the brutal killings by its security forces; and return power to the democratically elected government,” the secretary of state said.
The announcement was coordinated with the European Union, which announced its own slate of measures aimed at imposing costs on Myanmar‘s military regime, including sanctions against 11 Burmese individuals associated with the last month’s coup and related violence.
The Biden administration has gradually increased sanctions targeting Burmese officials since the early-February coup by Myanmar‘s military, which arrested the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior democratically elected politicians.
The weeks since the coup have seen massive pro-democracy street demonstrations and an economic shutdown in Myanmar, whose strategically sensitive location between China and the Indian Ocean have made the country a flashpoint in U.S.-China tensions in recent years. While the U.S. and its allies remain sharply criticized the military coup, Beijing has not condemned it.
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) – Eritrean authorities described European Union sanctions targeting a security agency Monday as “malicious” and charged the EU with having “ulterior motives.”
Eritrea was one of three African nations subject to EU sanctions announced Monday for alleged human rights violations, including killings and enforced disappearances. The others are Libya and South Sudan.
The Eritrea sanctions target the National Security Office, including its leader, Maj. Gen. Abraha Kassa. In its official journal, the EU said, “The National Security Office is responsible for serious human rights violations in Eritrea, in particular arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances of persons and torture committed by its agents.”
The EU‘s new sanctions system is similar to the U.S. Magnitsky Act, Obama-era legislation that authorized the government to sanction those it sees as human rights offenders, freeze their assets and ban them from entering the United States.
Eritrea, one of the world’s most secretive countries, in response called the sanctions offensive.
“The EU has no legal or moral prerogative for its decision and has merely invoked trumped-up charges to harass Eritrea for other ulterior motives,” said a statement published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The statement also accused the EU, without citing evidence, of “doggedly and working to save and bring back to power” the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, a party in Ethiopia that once dominated power there and whose soldiers are fighting alongside government troops in the embattled Tigray region.
“The EU has particularly targeted Eritrea in a futile attempt to drive a wedge between Eritrea and Ethiopia,” the ministry’s statement said.
Soldiers from Eritrea are reportedly helping Ethiopian government forces in the Tigray war, which started in November when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into the region after an attack there on federal military facilities. Fighting persists in the region’s rural areas even as Ethiopian authorities insist the situation om Tigray is returning to normal.
The U.S. has urged Eritrean troops “to come out” of Tigray, where abuses include reported massacres, rapes, and enforced disappearances. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken characterized some of the atrocities in western Tigray as equal to “ethnic cleansing.” Ethiopia said the allegation was unfounded.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks to the media prior to a meeting of the European Foreign Affairs Ministers, at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Monday, March 22, 2021. (Aris Oikonomou, Pool Photo via AP) more >
BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Union, Britain, Canada and the United States on Monday launched coordinated sanctions against officials in China over human rights abuses in the far western Xinjiang region, provoking swift retaliation from Beijing.
The EU targeted four senior officials in Xinjiang. The sanctions involve a freeze on the officials’ assets and a ban on them traveling in the bloc. European citizens and companies are not permitted to provide them with financial assistance.
The 27-nation bloc also froze the assets of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Public Security Bureau, which it describes as a “state-owned economic and paramilitary organization” that runs Xinjiang and controls its economy.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the measures were part of “intensive diplomacy” by the U.K, the United States, Canada and the 27-nation EU to force action amid mounting evidence about serious rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim people.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that “a united transatlantic response sends a strong signal to those who violate or abuse international human rights, and we will take further actions in coordination with likeminded partners.”
“We will continue to stand with our allies around the world in calling for an immediate end to the PRC’s crimes and for justice for the many victims,” Blinken said.
China responded immediately to the EU‘s move, slapping sanctions on 10 European individuals and four institutions that it said had damaged China’s interests and “maliciously spread lies and disinformation.”
Initially, China denied the existence of camps for detaining Uyghurs in Xinjiang but has since described them as centers to provide job training and to reeducate those exposed to radical jihadi thinking. Officials deny all charges of human rights abuses there.
Xinjiang had been a hotbed of anti-government violence, but Beijing claims its massive security crackdown brought peace in recent years.
China’s Foreign Ministry denounced the EU sanctions as “based on nothing but lies and disinformation” as it issued its own retaliatory measures.
The ministry announced sanctions against 10 individuals and four institutions, saying that they and their family members would be barred from entering mainland China, Hong Kong or Macao and cut off from financial dealings with those areas.
Among those targeted was Adrian Zenz, a U.S.-based German scholar who has publicized abuses against minority groups in China’s regions of Tibet and Xinjiang. China has said companies and individuals have petitioned to sue Zenz, but it wasn’t clear who the plaintiffs were or how they would pursue legal action across borders.
Others targeted for sanctions include five members of the European Parliament: Reinhard Butikofer, Michael Gahler, Raphael Glucksmann, Ilhan Kyuchyuk and Miriam Lexmann.
The ministry did not say what measures would be taken against the organizations. They were listed as the Political and Security Committee of the Council of the European Union, where the 27 national envoys decide foreign and security policy; the EU Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights; the German-based Mercator Institute for China Studies; and the Alliance of Democracies Foundation in Denmark.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who chaired the meeting of foreign ministers, expressed dismay at China’s reaction and said the EU‘s sanctions respect the “highest standards of rule of law.”
“Rather than change its policies and address our legitimate concerns, China has again turned a blind eye, and these measures are regrettable and unacceptable,” Borrell said.
“There will be no change in European Union determination to defend human rights and to respond to serious violations and abuses,” he added, and described the coordination between the EU, Britain, Canada and the U.S. as “perfect.”
The new EU sanction system is similar to the Magnitsky Act – Obama-era legislation that authorizes the U.S. government to sanction those it sees as human rights offenders, freeze their assets and ban them from entering the United States.
As part of Monday’s move, the EU also imposed sanctions over repression in North Korea, “extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Libya, torture and repression against LGBTI people and political opponents in Chechnya in Russia, and torture, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings in South Sudan and Eritrea,” a statement said.
Those targeted in Libya were Mohammed Khalifa al-Kani, leader of Libya’s notorious al-Kaniyat militia, and his brother Abderrahim al-Kani, a member of the same militia. Both are accused of committing extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances between 2015 and June 2020 in the town of Tarhuna, which they had controlled for years.
Since their escape from Tarhuna last summer following a military defeat, dozens of mass graves have been discovered and attributed to al-Kaniyat militiamen. Last year, the U.S Treasury targeted al-Kaniyat and its leader over the same alleged crimes.
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Christopher Bodeen in Beijing, and Noha ElHennawy in Cairo, Egypt, contributed to this report.
In this image from video, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a speech at the Office of the President in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. Tsai hailed the island’s progress in containing the coronavirus pandemic and growing the economy while … more >
Two Taiwanese fighter jets crashed into the sea off the island’s southeastern coast on Monday after apparently colliding in mid-air during a training mission, according to initial reports.
The crashes of the F-5E fighters come at a moment of heightened tensions between Taiwan and mainland China, which has increased its threats to try and seize control over the pro-democracy, U.S.-aligned island in recent years.
American forces have sought to bolster Taiwan in the face of rising provocations from Beijing, with the Japan-based USS John S. McCain guided-missile destroyer conducting routine passes through the Taiwan Strait between the island and China.
A report by Reuters on Monday noted that while Taiwan’s air force is well-trained and well-equipped with mostly U.S.-made assets, it is dwarfed by China’s own expanding military muscle.
Monday’s crashes were the third such incident in the past half year, according to the news agency, which noted that Taiwan has been under increasing pressure to intercept Chinese aircraft engaging in near-daily provocations around the island.
Taiwanese air force officials said both of the jets that crashed had a pilot aboard. One pilot was found and airlifted to a medical facility but later died, while the other is missing, the officials said, adding that the F-5 fleet has been temporarily grounded.
Reuters reported that the U.S.-built F-5 fighters first entered service in Taiwan in the 1970s and have mostly been retired from front-line activities, although some are still used for training and as a back-up for the main fleet.
The Pennsylvania Capitol is shown in Harrisburg, Pa., Monday, March 22, 2021. Majority Republicans in the state Senate announced Monday they will not employ a rarely used emergency process to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to give victims of child sexual … more >
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Majority Republicans in the state Senate said Monday they will not employ a rarely used emergency process to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to give victims of child sexual abuse a two-year window in which to file civil lawsuits, possibly delaying a final vote on the window until 2023.
The collapse of the emergency amendment process followed years of battles in the Legislature, prompted by investigations into child sexual abuse allegations inside Pennsylvania’s Roman Catholic diocese.
Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward said that a “great majority” of Republicans believe that the situation does not meet the criteria for an emergency amendment and would be bogged down by legal challenges that further delay victims from successfully suing for damages.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s Department of State failed to make the required public advertisements last year of a conventional constitutional amendment, leaving lawmakers a choice between starting the process over or using the emergency amendment process.
Ward said lawmakers will start over.
“The dereliction of duty by the Wolf administration has forced the Pennsylvania Senate to reset the clock on the constitutional amendment,” said Ward, R-Westmoreland, said in a statement. “The Pennsylvania Senate will act in the same manner as it has previously and in accordance with the Commonwealth’s constitution and will seek to pass another constitutional amendment.”
The emergency amendment proposal became an option after Wolf’s administration revealed six weeks ago it had committed a massive mistake and failed to arrange the mandatory advertisement.
That mistake scuttled plans to approve a proposed state constitutional amendment allowing lawsuits over decades-old claims to appear on the May 18 primary ballot for voters to consider.
Ward’s statement emerged in the days after backers acknowledged that support might be lacking for an emergency amendment. House Democratic leaders accused Republicans of being “disrespectful to survivors of childhood sexual abuse” and deciding “to do nothing but point fingers in the name of political games.”
Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, who has championed the two-year lawsuit window, said he was working on a plan to provide it through regular legislation, while the slower conventional constitutional amendment process continues.
“It’s disappointing for the victims, for sure,” said Rozzi, who has spoken publicly about his own abuse at the hands of a parish priest.
The double track approach of a normal bill and an amendment could start quickly, he said.
“I think it’s a very viable option,” Rozzi said, “at least to get something out of the House that way.”
The proposed constitutional amendment would give now-adult victims of childhood sexual abuse a two-year reprieve – a so-called window – from time limits in state law that otherwise bar them from suing perpetrators or institutions that may have covered it up.
Many lost the right to sue when they turned 18 or were young adults, depending on state law at the time. Under the proposed amendment, they would have two years to sue over their alleged abuse, no matter how long ago it occurred.
The conventional process of amending the state constitution had made it halfway through the required majority approval by both chambers in two consecutive two-year sessions. Voters have the final say in a referendum, but a referendum on the issue cannot happen now before 2023 without an emergency amendment.
Rather than restart the lengthy procedure, supporters wanted to use the emergency amendment process that has only been employed three times, all involving flooding or storms in the 1970s, according to the Department of State.
Before going down the multiyear road of a constitutional amendment, Democratic lawmakers, Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Wolf had supported creating a two-year window by carving it into state law.
Senate Republicans, however, called it unconstitutional and blocked that avenue in 2018, amid opposition from Roman Catholic bishops and the for-profit insurers. Republicans said that they would instead support a constitutional amendment.
Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, accused Republicans of being “willing to delay justice over a clerical mistake” and argued that delaying justice for victims does, indeed, amount to an emergency.
Costa echoed Rozzi in advocating anew for opening a two-year window by changing the law, combined with a provision to send legal challenges straight to the state Supreme Court for a swift decision on constitutionality.
“To me, it is the quickest and most equitable way to resolve those constitutional issues,” Costa said in an interview.
Mexican immigration agents stop people who crossed the Suchiate River, the natural border between Guatemala and Mexico, to see their identification documents as they enforce limits on all but essential travel near Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, Monday, March 22, 2021. Agents … more >
MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico announced Monday that several top U.S. advisers on border and immigration issues will meet with Mexican officials on Tuesday to discuss migration and development in Central America.
The talks come as a surge of migrants has hit the U.S. southern border. The trip to Mexico will include Roberta Jacobson, the White House’s lead adviser on the border, and Juan González, the National Security Council’s senior director for the Western Hemisphere.
The White House said Jacobson, a former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, will go there Monday “to engage with Mexican government officials to develop an effective and humane plan of action to manage migration.”
Roberto Velasco, Mexico’s director for North American affairs, said the talks will focus on the two countries “joint efforts for secure, safe and regulated migration,” and plans to provide economic development in southern Mexico and Central America so people won’t come under pressure to migrate.
The White House said Gonzalez will then go on to Guatemala, to “meet with Guatemalan government officials, as well as representatives from civil society and non-government organizations to address root causes of migration in the region and build a more hopeful future in the region.”
Also among the U.S. officials is Ricardo Zúñiga, who was named Monday as Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle, which includes El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras – three of the countries sending the most migrants to the United States.
The State Department said Zuñiga will “coordinate closely with the National Security Council staff on the administration’s comprehensive efforts to stem irregular migration to the United States and implement President Biden’s multi-year, $4 billion to address root causes of migration in Central America.”
Since Biden’s inauguration, the U.S. has seen a dramatic spike in the number of people encountered by border officials. There were 18,945 family members and 9,297 unaccompanied children encountered in February – an increase of 168% and 63%, respectively, from the month before, according to the Pew Research Center.
U.S. border patrol officials had encountered more than 29,000 unaccompanied minors since Oct. 1, nearly the same number of youths taken into custody for all of the previous budget year, according to administration officials.
Mexico announced restrictions last week on nonessential travel across its southern border with Guatemala and Belize “to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” and sent hundreds of immigration agents and National Guard to the southern border to clamp down on crossings.
Mexico did not explain why the measure was announced now, more than a year after the start of the pandemic, but it came on the same day the U.S. confirmed it will send 2.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to Mexico.
Officials say migrant traffickers are encouraging people to make the trip by claiming the U.S. border is open to migrants, while Biden administration officials have stressed that the border is not open.
Mexico has cooperated with U.S. efforts to stem the flow, while stressing that the problem can only be solved by addressing the root problems of poverty and joblessness that lead many to migrate. Mexico has proposed massive investment to promote economic development in those areas.
Kim Yu Song, center, a counselor at the North Korean Embassy to Malaysia, reads out a statement outside the embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Sunday, March 21, 2021. Malaysia on Friday ordered all North Korean diplomats to leave the country within … more >
Behind-the-scenes tension between the U.S. and North Korea burst into the open in Malaysia over the weekend, with Pyongyang accusing the southeast Asian nation of being “subservient” to Washington.
The regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed outrage over Malaysia‘s extradition to the U.S. of a North Korean man that Washington has long accused of running a money-laundering operation on behalf of the regime.
Malaysian authorities extradited the man, Mun Chol Myong, over the weekend. In response, North Korea cut all ties with Malaysia, triggering outrage by the Malaysian government, which has, in turn, ordered all North Korean embassy staff and their dependents to leave the country.
The diplomatic fracas is a delicate one for the Kim regime, which has for years been accused in international intelligence circles of exploiting its embassy operations in Malaysia to bolster illegal cash flows to Pyongyang and engage in nefarious connections with other rogue nations around the world.
North Korea’s presence in Malaysia drew major scrutiny in 2017, when Kim Jong-un’s half-brother Kim Jong-nam was fatally attacked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by two women using VX nerve agent.
Prior to the weekend, North Korea and Malaysia had formal diplomatic ties in place since 1973.
Before departing North Korea’s embassy on the fringe of Kuala Lumpur’s city center, North Korea Charge d’Affaires Kim Yu Song read out a statement in which he slammed Malaysia for being “subservient” to the United States, according to a report over the weekend by the Japanese news service Kyodo.
“Not content with the putting of our innocent citizen in the dock by blindly favoring the U.S., the principal enemy of our state, the Malaysian authority delivered our citizen to the U.S. in the end, thus destroying the foundation of the bilateral relations based on the respect of sovereignty,” the North Korean Charge d’Affairs said.
Kyodo cited the Malaysian Foreign Ministry as saying Mun Chol Myong was only extradited after due legal processes had been exhausted.
Mr. Mun was taken into U.S. custody on Saturday, making him the first North Korean extradited to the U.S. to face trial, according to The Associated Press. The extradition came after a Malaysian court rejected his assertion that the charges were politically motivated. The Justice Department declined comment on Sunday.
AP reported that a federal judge in Washington had issued a warrant for Mun‘s arrest on May 2, 2019, on money laundering and conspiracy charges. Mr. Mun, who is in his 50s, has lived in Malaysia for a decade and was arrested in May 2019 after the U.S. requested his extradition.
In this Feb. 16, 2021 file photo, Houthi rebel fighters attend a funeral procession for Houthis who were killed in recent fighting with forces of Yemen’s Saudi-backed internationally recognized government during their funeral procession, in Sanaa, Yemen. An offensive by … more >
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia announced a plan Monday to offer Yemen’s Houthi rebels a cease-fire in the country’s yearslong war and allow a major airport to reopen in its capital, the kingdom’s latest attempt to halt fighting that has sparked the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in the Arab world’s poorest nation.
The move by Saudi Arabia follows Yemen’s Houthi rebels stepping up a campaign of drone and missile attacks targeting the kingdom’s oil sites, briefly shaking global energy prices amid the coronavirus pandemic. It also comes as Riyadh tries to rehabilitate its image with the U.S. under President Biden. Saudi Arabia has waged a war that saw it internationally criticized for airstrikes killing civilians and embargoes exacerbating hunger in a nation on the brink of famine.
Whether such a plan will take hold remains another question. A unilaterally declared Saudi cease-fire collapsed last year. Fighting rages around the crucial city of Marib and the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes as recently as Sunday targeting Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. A United Nations mission said another suspected airstrike hit a food-production company in the port city of Hodeida.
The Houthis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“It is up to the Houthis now,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told journalists in a televised news conference in Riyadh. “The Houthis must decide whether to put their interests first or Iran’s interests first.”
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) – Two Russian diplomats accused by Bulgarian prosecutors of espionage will be expelled from the country, Bulgaria’s foreign ministry announced Monday.
The ministry said that the Russian Embassy in the capital, Sofia, has been notified that the diplomats have to leave Bulgaria within 72 hours.
Earlier on Monday, prosecutors said in a statement that a pre-trial investigation established that “two Russian citizens with diplomatic immunity have carried out illegal intelligence activities.”
The expulsions are linked to a raid last week that saw authorities detain six people and charge them with delivering classified NATO-linked information to the Russian embassy in Sofia. Later, one of them offered to cooperate with the authorities and was released on bail.
The Sofia Military Court on Monday extended the pretrial detention of the five suspects still in custody. All are current and former Bulgarian military officials.
Prosecution spokeswoman Siika Mileva said the alleged ringleader had graduated from the intelligence school in Moscow run by Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.
The operation sparked immediate reactions at home and abroad.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov called on Russia to stop spying on his country.
Last year, Bulgaria expelled five Russian diplomats whom prosecutors had accused of spying. Among them was Russia’s military attaché, who had allegedly been coordinating the military intelligence spy network in Bulgaria.
“Once again it could be necessary to declare Russian diplomats as unwanted,” Borisov said over the weekend.
“Friendship is friendship, but our Euro-Atlantic partnership is an unavoidable factor,” he added.
The Balkan country has close historical links with Russia and continues to be dependent on Moscow’s energy supplies.
Russia’s embassy was quick to brush off the spying allegations, calling them part of “incessant attempts to drive a wedge in the Russian-Bulgarian dialogue and again demonize our country.”
The United States and Britain defended on Saturday their NATO partner Bulgaria against what they called “malign activities” and “hostile actions” by Russia.
CHICAGO (AP) – Forward Nicholas Gioacchini has been restored to the U.S. roster for exhibitions against Jamaica and Northern Ireland after a change in coronavirus restrictions.
The 20-year-old from Kansas City, Missouri, plays for the French club Caen. He was on the original roster announced March 17, then was dropped two days later because of protocols in France.
The U.S. plays Jamaica on Thursday in Austria, and is at Northern Ireland on Sunday.
In addition, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Monday that three Germany-based players will be allowed to stay with the national team for the match at Northern Ireland after a change in quarantine protocols that originally had them scheduled to return to their clubs Friday: Hoffenheim defender Chris Richards, Borussia Dortmund forward Gio Reyna and Werder Bremen forward Josh Sargent.
The Americans are preparing for a CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Honduras in June and the start of World Cup qualifying in September. Most top players are expected to skip the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July.
Defenders: x-John Brooks (Wolfsburg, Germany), x-Reggie Cannon (Boavista, Portugal, Sergiño Dest (Barcelona, Spain), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Matt Miazga (Anderlecht, Belgium), Erik Palmer-Brown (Austria Vienna), Tim Ream (Fulham, England), Bryan Reynolds (Roma, Italy), Chris Richards (Hoffenheim, Germany), Antonee Robinson (Fulham, England).
Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria), Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids), Christian Cappis (Hobro, Denmark), Luca de la Torre (Heracles, Netherlands), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Yunus Musah (Valencia, Spain), Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton, England).
Forwards: Daryl Dike (Barnsley, England), Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen, France), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea, England), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen, Germany), Jordan Siebatcheu (Young Boys, Switzerland).
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