Britain and the United States joined Georgia on Thursday in blaming Russia for a large-scale cyber attack last year that knocked thousands of Georgian websites offline and disrupted national television broadcasts. State, private and media websites were taken out by the attack on Oct. 28, including those belonging to the Georgian president’s office and two private television stations.
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said the cyberattack, which defaced websites to display an image of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, was planned and carried out by the Russian military.The attack “was intended to harm Georgian citizens and government structures by disrupting and paralyzing the functionality of various organizations, thereby causing anxiety among the general public,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Vladimer Konstantinidi.In supporting statements, Britain and the United States attributed the attack specifically to a unit of Russia’s military intelligence service, commonly known as the GRU.
Western countries have accused the GRU of orchestrating a spree of destructive in cyberattacks in recent years, including hacks that took down parts of the Ukrainian energy grid and crippled businesses worldwide in 2017.Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations. The Russian defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday’s announcement.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the attack “directly affected the Georgian population, disrupted operations of several thousand Georgian government and privately-run websites and interrupted the broadcast of at least two major television stations.”Britain’s foreign minister, Dominic Raab, said: “The GRU’s reckless and brazen campaign of cyberattacks against Georgia, a sovereign and independent nation, is totally unacceptable.”The attack is the latest alleged attempt by Russia to undermine and destabilize the former Soviet Republic of Georgia since a short-lived war between the two countries in 2008 over a breakaway Georgian region.
…
Month: February 2020
US Military Assures Africa of Continued Support
U.S. military commanders say the United States will support African governments in their efforts to secure and stabilize their countries. The eighth Africa Land Forces Summit in Ethiopia ended with a call on African troops to improve their human rights record.
This week, top U.S. military commanders met their counterparts in Africa to discuss ways of protecting African countries from violence and instability.In recent years, the threat of terrorist groups like Boko Haram and al-Shabab has increased, and criminal networks have become more brazen and prominent.U.S. Army Africa Commanding General Roger Cloutier said the continent needs professional armies to combat the armed groups.
“In keeping with this theme, tomorrow’s security demands leadership today. We have been focused on the roles Africa’s land forces chiefs, and senior leaders have in developing defense systems, institutions that are trained, capable professional forces that respect the rule of law, and human rights a contributor to greater security and stability on the African continent,” Cloutier said.
The annual summit of Africa Land Forces was attended by representatives from 42 countries who gathered in Addis Ababa to share their experiences in dealing with violence and the need to cooperate in dealing with emerging threats.The U.S. military’s Africa Command currently gives support to about a dozen African countries. In particular, the command has carried out many drone strikes against Islamist militant group al-Shabab, which has tried for years to overthrow the internationally recognized government of Somalia.FILE – Major General Roger Cloutier, head of the U.S. Army Africa command, speaks to AFP at the Pentagon, outside Washington, Dec. 4, 2018.In Washington, the Trump administration has signaled it may scale back U.S. military operations in Africa, a decision that many African security experts see a step back in the fight against terror groups.
Cloutier assured African military leaders his country was not abandoning them.“The review is focused on making sure that the resources we have in Africa are in line with the national defense strategy. We are trying to make sure that we are efficient with our resources, and we are not duplicating efforts, and whatever it is doing on the African continent is complementary. So the bottom line is the United States is not walking away from Africa. We are committed, and we remain engaged,” Cloutier said.
Some African security forces have been accused of using heavy-handed tactics to combat insecurity, something that has pushed the youth to join violent groups.Analyst Yan St. Pierre, who runs the Berlin-based security firm MOSECON, says African governments need to work on winning over the population.
“It all about the relationship with the local population. We have seen in other areas, not Africa but the rest of the world, if the local population has a strange relationship with the guardian, the military, the police, that creates a situation where the terrorist can provide and the military they don’t trust,” Pierre said.
Pierre said another problem is that African security forces are often dependent on international aid and training. In many ways, he says, that dependency lets outsiders dictate strategy for African forces, which he says is “not conducive for very specific needs of an area.”
…
New Threats Emerge in Outbreak While China Voices Optimism
Chinese health officials expressed new optimism Thursday over a deadly virus outbreak while authorities in South Korea’s fourth-largest city urged residents to hunker down as vacillating fears nagged communities far from the illness’ epicenter.The confidence voiced by China’s government came as it reported a reduced number of new infections. But doubts remained about the true trajectory of the epidemic as China again changed its method of counting and new threats emerged outside the country.“The downward trend will not be reversed,” insisted Ding Xiangyang, deputy chief secretary of the State Council and member of the Central Government’s supervision group.Whatever promises were aired where the illness poses its biggest threat, countries around the world continued to grapple with the rippling effects. The latest front in the widening global fight against COVID-19 emerged in Daegu, South Korea, where the city’s 2.5 million residents were urged to stay inside, wearing masks even indoors to stem further infection.Mayor Kwon Young-jin made a nationally televised appeal for those preventative measures, warning that a rash of new cases could overwhelm the health system. He pleaded for help from the country’s central government.Daegu and surrounding towns reported 35 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday.The flare-up came more than 1,400 kilometers (900 miles) from COVID-19’s epicenter across the Yellow Sea in China’s Hubei province and its capital of Wuhan, a sign of the risks the virus potentially posed to communities across the region and beyond.Though all but about 1,000 of more than 75,000 reported cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in China, scattered cases have erupted elsewhere.Iran on Thursday announced its first two deaths stemming from the virus, and South Korea reported its first fatality. And Japan said two former passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship had died of the illness, bringing the death toll there to three.The trajectory of the outbreak remained clouded by China’s zigzagging daily reports of new cases and shifting ways of tallying them.The number of new cases in China declined again Thursday, to 394, a notable shift from the 1,749 figure released a day earlier. Another 114 deaths in China were linked to the virus.But those statistics came after yet another change in how cases are counted.Last week, China’s National Health Commission said officials in Hubei would record new infections without waiting for laboratory test results, relying instead on doctors’ analyses and lung imaging. On Thursday, though, it returned to its prior way of counting, a decision sure to aggravate observers who say consistency is key to understanding COVID-19’s path.The health commission said it was reducing its count of infections by 279 after lab tests found they had wrongly been included in the tally.Cities in Hubei with a combined population of more than 60 million have been under lockdown since the Lunar New Year holiday. Authorities halted nearly all transportation and movement except for quarantine efforts, medical care, and delivery of food and basic necessities. “Wartime” measures were implemented in some places, with residents prevented from even leaving their apartments.The stringent moves have followed public fury over Hubei authorities’ handling of the outbreak at its outset. The risk of human-to-human transmission was played down and doctors who tried to warn the public were reprimanded by police. Wuhan residents reported overcrowding in hospitals and futile attempts to seek treatment.Many countries have also set up border screenings and airlines have canceled flights to and from China to prevent further spread of the disease, which has been detected in about two dozen countries. Nine deaths have been confirmed outside mainland China -in Japan, Hong Kong, France, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan.
…
South Africa-Mozambique Cooperation Reduces Rhino Poaching
Officials at South African National Parks say cooperation with neighboring Mozambique has been a key factor in reducing rhinoceros poaching in the famous Kruger National Park. Kruger is home to the world’s largest wild rhino population, and has proven a tempting target for poachers who for years jumped the park’s borders. Marize de Klerk reports from Kruger National Park, South Africa.
…
OSCE Calls for Russia to Reopen Probe Into Nemtsov Murder
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has called on Russian authorities to reopen a criminal investigation into the murder of Boris Nemtsov, the former Russian opposition politician who was killed almost five years ago near the Kremlin.The OSCE said shortcomings in Russia’s original investigation left many questions unanswered.“His death was a tragedy for Russia and had a strong impact on the political climate, spreading fear and possibly opening up for further attacks and repression,” the OSCE said in a Feb. 20 report.Nemtsov was shot dead at close range on the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge, near the Kremlin in central Moscow, on Feb. 27, 2015.In June 2017, a Russian court sentenced former Chechen battalion leader Zaur Dadayev to 20 years in prison for killing Nemtsov.Four other Chechens were found guilty of involvement in the killing and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 11 to 19 years.FILE – Shadid Gubashev (L), Anzor Gubashev (C), and Zaur Dadayev (R) are seen during the reading of their sentences at their trial in the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, in a courtroom in Moscow, Russia, July 13, 2017.Critics, including relatives and colleagues of Nemtsov, say Russian authorities failed to determine who ordered the killing.Some have expressed suspicions that the killing was ordered by someone within the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.The OSCE report, prepared by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s special rapporteur, Margareta Cederfelt, said “organizers and instigators” of Nemtsov’s killing must be held accountable to “instill hope among those in Russia who continue to risk persecution and attacks to fight for democracy and the rule of law.”Despite calls both from within Russia and from other countries and from the international community to make sure Mr. Nemtsov’s murder was thoroughly, effectively, and transparently investigated so that both perpetrators, organizers, and initiators were held accountable, the official investigation and the following trial has been subject to severe criticism,” Cederfelt said.Cederfelt cited “important work” by independent researchers and experts “in filling in the blanks” left by Russia’s official investigation.FILE – The OSCE’s Margareta Cederfelt speaks during a news conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, Nov. 29, 2018.“They have particularly pointed to the potential involvement of the Chechen leadership and/or security services, even suggesting that the Russian president may be the initiator,” Cederfelt said.Cederfelt said that given the shortcomings of the official Russian probe, “such arguments can neither be dismissed nor confirmed.”The killing of Nemtsov — a reformist politician, former deputy prime minister, and sharp critic of Putin — was condemned internationally.Critics say Nemtsov’s killing has highlighted the dangers faced by Russians who oppose the Kremlin.Supporters of Nemtsov, including members of the country’s opposition, plan to hold a mass rally in Moscow on Feb. 29 to mark the fifth anniversary of his death.Some opposition supporters also plan to use the rally to protest proposed amendments to the country’s constitution that critics say are aimed at extending Putin’s grip on power after his current presidential term ends in 2024.
…
Rival South Sudan Leaders Agree to Form Government
Rival leaders of South Sudan have agreed to form a unity government as they seek to end a six-year-old civil war that has devastated the world’s youngest nation.President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar separately announced the deal Thursday after talks in the capital, Juba. President Kiir said he will appoint Machar as his first vice president on Friday, and officially form the new government on Saturday, the deadline set by the two rivals to meet the terms of a peace deal they signed in September 2018.Kiir and Machar have missed two previous deadlines because they failed to resolve disputes, including the integration of rebel forces into the national army and an agreement on the number of states in the nearly nine-year-old nation. Kiir says any remaining issues will be resolved after the new government is formed, including security arrangements for Machar and other opposition leaders. But he guaranteed that Machar will be protected while those terms are ironed out.A power struggle between Kiir and Machar, the president’s former deputy, led to the civil war that left hundreds of thousands of people dead and forced millions to flee to other countries or U.N.-run protection sites within the nation.Thursday a United Nations commission accused rival fighters of systematically starving the people of South Sudan and diverting millions of dollars in government funds, the Associated Press reports. There was no immediate reaction from South Sudan’s government to the report by the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.
…
Google Updates Terms in Plain Language After EU Scrutiny
Google is attempting to make sure people know exactly what they’re signing up for when they use its online services — though that will still mean reading a lengthy document.The company updated its terms of service on Thursday — its largest update to the general use contract since 2012 — in response to a pair of court orders in Europe.Google has been updating its policies and tweaking what is and isn’t allowed on its sites for the past couple of years as scrutiny of the tech industry heats up across the U.S. and Europe. Google, Facebook, Twitter and other digital companies have been forced under a spotlight as regulators and customers examine just how much the companies know about their users and what they do with that information.Facebook last year updated its terms of service to clarify how it makes money from user data.Google says it hasn’t changed anything significant in the document, but rather used plain language to describe who can use its products and what you can post online.“Broadly speaking, we give you permission to use our services if you agree to follow these terms, which reflect how Google’s business works and how we earn money,” the document reads.The document is now about 2,000 words longer than it was before, in part because Google included a list of definitions and expanded it to cover Google Drive and Chrome. The new terms take effect in March.Google’s privacy policy is separate and was substantially updated in 2018 after Europe enacted broad-reaching privacy laws.The company also separately updated its “About Google” page to explain how it makes money from selling advertisements, often informed by the vast amount of customer information it collects.As Britain prepares to leave the European Union, Google also announced it is switching the service provider for U.K. customers from one based in Ireland to its main U.S. provider. The company says that it won’t change how U.K. customers’ data is protected or used.
…
Iran Announces 3 New Cases of Coronavirus After 2 Deaths
Iran said Thursday that three more people have been infected with the new virus that originated in central China, following an announcement the day before that two people had died of the illness caused by the virus in the Iranian city of Qom.All schools and universities, including religious Shiite seminaries, were shut down in the holy city of Qom, according to the official IRNA news agency. Other news reports said Iran had recently evacuated 60 Iranian students from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicenter of the epidemic.Qom, located around 140 kilometers (86 miles) south of the capital, Tehran, is a popular religious destination and a center of learning and religious studies for Shiite Muslims from inside Iran, as well as Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan and Azerbaijan. It is also known for its cattle farms.An official in Iran’s health ministry, Kiyanoush Jahanpour said on his twitter account that the number of confirmed cases of the virus in Iran was five, including the two elderly Iranian citizens who died on Wednesday in Qom.IRNA reported that the three new cases are all Iranians residing in Qom, with one of the infected having visited the city of Arak. Mohammad Mahdi Gouya, Iran’s deputy health minister, said they did not appear to have had any contact with Chinese nationals.Iranian authorities were now investigating the origin of the disease, and its possible link with religious pilgrims from Pakistan or other countries.Iran’s health minister, Saeed Namaki said the roughly 60 Iranian students evacuated from Wuhan had been quarantined upon their return to Iran and were discharged after 14 days without any health problems.Iran once relied heavily on China to buy its oil and some Chinese companies have continued doing business with Iran in the face of U.S. sanctions. Unlike other countries — such as Saudi Arabia, which barred its citizens and residents from traveling to China — Iran has not imposed such measures on travel there.The new virus emerged in Wuhan, China in December. Since then, more than 75,000 people have been infected globally, with more than 2,000 deaths being reported, mostly in China.The new virus comes from a large family of coronaviruses, some causing nothing worse than a cold. It causes cold- and flu-like symptoms, including cough and fever, and in more severe cases, shortness of breath. It can worsen to pneumonia, which can be fatal. The World Health Organization recently named the illness it causes COVID-19, referring to both coronavirus and its origin late last year.The virus has had few cases in the Middle East so far. There has have been nine cases of the virus confirmed in the United Arab Emirates, which is a popular tourist destination, and one case in Egypt. Of the nine in the UAE, seven are Chinese nationals, one is a Filipino and another an Indian national.Meanwhile, Egypt’s national air carrier announced Thursday that it would resume flights to China as of Feb. 27 after nearly three weeks of suspension.Egypt Air said in a statement it will operate one flight a week between Cairo and two Chinese cities, Beijing and Guangzhou. Before the suspension, the carrier used to operate a daily flight to Guangzhou and three weekly ones to Beijing and Hangzhou.
…
Top US Diplomat, Saudi King Discuss Iran
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Saudi King Salmon discussed security issues presented by Iran Thursday in Riyadh.One day before the meeting, Pompeo told reporters he was ready to negotiate with Iran, but was not in a rush to sit with Iranian officials at the bargaining table.U.S.-Iranian tensions have escalated after the U.S. withdrew from Iran’s nuclear deal with global powers and imposed sanctions on the country.The U.S. sent additional troops to Saudi Arabia last year following an attack on Saudi oil facilities that was blamed on Iran. Tehran denied any role in the attack.During Pompeo’s three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, he said he also plans to discuss human rights issues with Saudi leaders, particularly the plight of a Saudi-American doctor who is facing charges there.Saudi-American physician Walid Fitaihi was detained in November 2017 amid Saudi crown prince’s Mohammad bin Salman’s unprecedented anti-corruption crackdown that detained ministers, senior princes and businessmen.”I’m sure I’ll bring up that issue and a wide range of human rights issues, as well,” Pompeo told reporters in Addis Ababa before flying to Saudi Arabia.About 200 people were detained for weeks and months in a hotel in Riyadh and forced to relinquish billions of dollars in assets to the Saudi government.Fitaihi, who was detained on unspecified charges, was freed last summer. But he and seven of his relatives who are also U.S. citizens have been prohibited from leaving Saudi Arabia while he stands trial, according to U.S. Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel and Republican Congressman Michael McCaul.The two U.S. lawmakers, members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, submitted a letter to Pompeo on Tuesday urging him to discuss Fitaihi’s case with Saudi leaders. They said Fitaihi was detained without being charged for nearly two years. Ahmed Fitaihi told members of the U.S. congress his father had been tortured and had infrequent contact with his family while he was detained.Saudi Arabia, and the crown prince in particular, are under close global scrutiny for alleged human rights abuses. The prince’s reputation was tarnished after Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered in 2018 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi was living in exile and writing about the prince’s crackdown when agents employed by the prince murdered him.Pompeo said he will also discuss economic and security issues with Saudi leaders, particularly security matters involving Iran.After departing Saudi Arabia on Friday, Pompeo will visit Oman — a close U.S. ally who also has relations with the Saudi Kingdom and Iran.Pompeo ended a three-day tour of Africa Wednesday before leaving for Saudi Arabia.Cindy Saine contributed to this report from Saudi Arabia.
…
Bloomberg Nabs 3 New Congressional Endorsements
Mike Bloomberg picked up three new congressional endorsements on the heels of his rocky debate performance, underscoring his staying power in the Democratic primary race despite an onslaught of attacks from opponents.
Bloomberg has built extensive political ties to members of both parties on Capitol Hill after years of hefty political contributions to candidates and causes. In recent weeks those ties, and his surprisingly strong support in a number of national polls, seem to be bearing fruit for him on Capitol Hill.
Democratic Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Nita Lowey of New York and Pete Aguilar of California all endorsed Bloomberg Thursday, bringing his total number of congressional endorsements to 15, behind only Joe Biden, who has more than three times that amount.
All three have extensive political, and in some case personal ties, to the former New York mayor.
Bloomberg campaigned for Gottheimer in his district in 2018, and Gottheimer is also brother-in-law to Bloomberg’s campaign manager, Bradley Tusk. Lowey’s former chief of staff, Howard Wolfson, is a longtime Bloomberg aide and now serves as a top adviser to his campaign.
Aguilar, who flipped his district in a tough race in 2014, got support from one of Bloomberg’s political groups that year, Independence USA PAC, through which he funneled millions of his own money to air ads defending centrists of both parties in the midterms. Aguilar’s a former mayor, and in his endorsement, touted Bloomberg’s understanding of issues “at both the national and local levels” and his track record as a former mayor on gun safety and climate.
Aguilar serves in Democratic leadership as Chief Deputy Whip in the House Democratic caucus.
…
North Korean Defectors Find Political Voice in the South
Despite having only a few years’ experience living in a democratic country, an increasing number of North Korean defectors are becoming involved in South Korean politics. For the first time, two North Korean defectors are participating in South Korea’s legislative election, to be held in April. They hope to improve defectors’ status in South Korea and change how South Koreans think of the North.Around 200 North Korean defectors are meeting in Seoul — singing a folk song about the future unification of North and South Korea. They’re trying to form the first South Korean political party made up entirely of North Korean defectors. Kang Chul-hwan is helping set up the party. He says no one represents the people of North Korea and that the approximately 35,000 defectors in South Korea are neglected. They could start to get a small amount of political clout this April, when South Korea holds parliamentary elections. Two North Korean defectors are running as members of the conservative opposition.One of them is Ji Seong-ho, a former North Korean street beggar who lost an arm and a leg during what he says was an attempt to steal coal from a train. Ji fled to the South in 2006 and is now a human rights activist. Ji says he belongs to the younger generation, and as a defector and a disabled person living in Seoul, he hopes to accomplish many things for Korea. Ji says he was spurred to run for office after South Korea forcibly returned two North Korean fishermen in November. Seoul accused the men of killing their captain and 15 other crewmen but many defectors said the move amounted to sending the men to almost certain death in North Korea.FILE – Thae Yong-Ho, a former minister at the North Korean Embassy in London, holds up his smartphone during a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondent Club in Seoul, Feb. 19, 2020.That incident also motivated Thae Yong-ho to enter politics. Thae, a former North Korean diplomat, is one of the highest profile defectors in years. He recently spoke to foreign journalists in Seoul. “I want to show to the North Korean people how freedom and democracy works in this country, through me… so that is my purpose: to let them be educated,” he said.Since moving to the South in 2016, Thae has been highly critical of North Korea. More recently, though, Thae has also begun criticizing the South Korean government.
Specifically, he wants better treatment of defectors, many of whom feel discriminated against and are among the poorest group in wealthy South Korea.Although all North Korean defectors go through a mandatory three-month training to learn how to live on their own in the capitalist South, many still fall through the cracks. In July, a North Korean defector and her 6-year-old son were found dead in their apartment. apparently having starved to death. Although the government said this week that average defector monthly income had reached an all-time high, for many it’s not enough. Thae says he wants to make it easier for defectors to get educational scholarships.
“I want to give more opportunities to those newly arrived middle-aged people who want to continue their education,” he said. “Because I’m absolutely sure that one day Korea will be united. And if we are united again, who will go first to North Korea to do administration? It must be those people who are from North Korea.”Thae also accuses some in South Korea of “trying to appease” the North by not bringing up its human rights abuses. Perhaps predictably, North Korea doesn’t think much of Thae. Since he left, North Korean state media gave him the label “human scum.”It’s also not clear just how much power Thae and other defectors will be able to amass in South Korea. Most of them have aligned themselves with conservatives, who are badly fractured after the 2017 impeachment of conservative President Park Geun-hye, and some analysts have warned that defectors now risk politicizing their message.
…
South Korea Reports First Coronavirus Death
South Korea confirmed its first death from the new coronavirus, local media reported Thursday, as the number of infections in the country tripled within two days.The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement the exact cause of death is being investigated. The report came as the country grapples with the outbreak and its economic impact.South Korea reported 53 new coronavirus infections Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 104.South Korean authorities have warned the outbreak is entering a “new phase” and is now spreading locally, even among people who have no links to China, where the virus originated.The virus, which causes a pneumonialike illness recently named COVID-19, has killed more than 2,100 people and infected more than 75,000 worldwide. Almost all the infections have been in China.People suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus wait to receive tests at a medical center in Daegu, South Korea, Feb. 20, 2020. The mayor of Daegu urged its 2.5 million people Thursday to refrain from going outside as cases spike.Spreading locallyAlmost all of the latest South Korean coronavirus infections were in Daegu, the country’s fourth-largest city.Many were linked to a religious group called the Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, which was founded in 1984 by Lee Man-hee, who is revered by his followers as a messiah.Daegu’s mayor has cautioned residents to stay inside their homes to prevent a further outbreak.There are fears that the new coronavirus “has spread deep within Korea undetected,” said an editorial in the Chosun Ilbo, a major South Korean newspaper.“Existing measures to deal with the outbreak are not working,” it continued. A woman wearing a mask to prevent contracting the coronavirus rides on a subway in Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 20, 2020.Economic damageThe outbreak could have a major impact on South Korea’s economy, which was already experiencing lagging growth. Citing the virus scare, Moody’s Investor Service Monday cut its forecast for South Korea’s economic growth in 2020 to 1.9% from 2.1%.Moody’s also said China is now expected to experience 5.2% growth in 2020, down from an earlier estimate of 5.8%.Economic turmoil in China is acutely felt in South Korea, because Beijing is Seoul’s top trading partner. Some South Korean automakers, including Hyundai and Kia, temporarily halted or reduced production because of a shortage of parts from China, where many factories have closed.South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that the situation is “more serious than we thought,” adding that “emergency steps” are needed to contain the economic fallout.US military on alertThe U.S. military, which has more than 28,000 troops in South Korea, has implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.The latest outbreak in Daegu, about a three-hour drive south of Seoul, is especially worrying as the United States has thousands of troops in the area.All nonessential travel to and from Daegu has been banned, and travel outside U.S. bases has been minimized, according to General Robert Abrams, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea.The U.S. military has also implemented a “mandatory self-quarantine” for any service members who visited the Daegu religious group, where many of the latest infections were reported.
…
International Journalists Face Changing Regulations in China, US
China and the United States in the past year have unveiled new regulations that force some news media organizations that receive government funding to register as government entities. Amid the regulatory changes, China Wednesday ordered three foreign reporters to leave the country because of complaints over a headline that appeared in their newspaper. Here’s an overview of the changing media laws, and the fallout for journalists.Why did Beijing expel the American reporters?China’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that the Wall Street Journal’s decision to publish an opinion column with the headline “China is the Real Sick Man of Asia,” was “racially discriminatory” and tried to discredit China’s efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The editorial was written by an American academic in the newspaper’s opinion section, but the foreign ministry said: “Chinese people do not welcome media that speak racially discriminatory languages … as such, it is decided today, the press credentials of three WSJ journalists will be revoked.” Beijing said the decision to force the reporters to leave the country was not linked to the State Department’s ruling on restricting Chinese news organizations operating in the U.S. earlier this week.Why did the U.S. State Department designate five Chinese news agencies as foreign government entities?The State Department said Tuesday that Xinhua, China Radio, China Daily, CGTN and The People’s Daily will be officially treated as extensions of China’s government, subjecting employees to similar rules that foreign diplomats operate under. U.S. officials say the designation reflects the reality that these are not editorially independent newsrooms, but are controlled by the Chinese government. Chinese officials rejected the decision and said Chinese media covers news objectively.Why is the State Department making this change now?U.S. officials have been warning for years about China’s expanding operations targeting foreign countries, and in recent months have taken action. U.S. officials have announced prosecutions of academics who did not report receiving money from Chinese-government-linked institutions, named Chinese military hackers who allegedly stole personal records of millions of Americans, and accused Chinese technology companies of stealing intellectual property. The director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, said this month that China is threatening U.S. security by exploiting the openness of the American economy and society.Are VOA, BBC, DW and other state-funded broadcasters subject to the same State Department regulations on government funding?News organizations that receive government funding and also maintain editorially independent newsrooms are not subjected to the new State Department regulations because they have policies and structures to protect their editorial independence. For example, at the BBC, the organization’s charter commits it to pursuing “due impartiality” in all of its output. At VOA, the founding charter and editorial firewall keep its journalists independent and prevent government officials from interfering in news decisions.
…
Far-right Motive Suspected in Deadly German Shooting Attack
Federal prosecutors said Thursday they are taking charge of the investigating into a shooting in the German city of Hanau that left 11 people dead, including the suspect, amid reports that he may have had a far-right motive.The Federal Prosecutors Office in Karlsruhe, which handles serious crimes, said it planned to hold a news conference later Thursday.German news agency dpa reports that police are examining a video the suspect may have posted online several days earlier in which he details a conspiracy theory about child abuse in the United States. The authenticity of the video couldn’t immediately be verified.Nine people were killed at two hookah bars overnight. Police later said they found the suspected shooter and another person dead at a house not far from the second bar.Forensics officers investigate at the scene after a shooting in central Hanau, Germany, Feb. 20, 2020. Several people were killed in shootings in Hanau on Wednesday evening, authorities said.A spokesman for Hanau prosecutors, Markus Jung, confirmed the death toll but declined to comment on the reported video, or provide details of the suspect or victims.“We don’t believe there were further attackers,” Jung told The Associated Press.Officers sealed off and searched the apartment in Hanau’s Kesselstadt district, near the scene of one of the shootings, after following up witness statements on a getaway car. Police said work to confirm the identities of the two bodies at the home was still underway, and they couldn’t immediately give details on them or the identities of the victims of the earlier shootings.“Thoughts this morning are with the people of Hanau, in whose midst this terrible crime was committed,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said on Twitter.“Deep sympathy for the affected families, who are grieving for their dead,” the spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said. “We hope with those wounded that they will soon recover.”Earlier Thursday, police said that eight people were killed and around five wounded. They said a dark vehicle was seen leaving the location of the first attack and another shooting was reported at a scene about 2½ kilometers (1½ miles) away.Police officers swarmed central Hanau, cordoning off the area of one of the shootings as a helicopter hovered overhead. A car covered in thermal foil also could be seen, with shattered glass next to it. Forensic experts in white overalls collected evidence.Hookah lounges are places where people gather to smoke flavored tobacco from Middle Eastern water pipes.“This was a terrible evening that will certainly occupy us for a long, long time and we will remember with sadness,” Hanau Mayor Claus Kaminsky told the Bild newspaper. Lawmaker Katja Leikert, a member of Merkel’s center-right party who represents Hanau in the German parliament, tweeted that it was “a real horror scenario for us all.”Hanau is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Frankfurt. It has about 100,000 inhabitants and is in Hesse state.
…
Finally on Debate Stage, Bloomberg Has to Answer to Democratic Rivals
Michael Bloomberg waited until November to launch his campaign to be the Democratic Party’s nominee in the 2020 presidential election.His opponents in Wednesday night’s debate in the Western state of Nevada did not wait at all to attack his political record as the former mayor of New York City, allegations of sexism and sexual harassment, and his status as a multibillionaire.Before Wednesday, people across the United States were largely aware of Bloomberg’s campaign through television ads, which have saturated airwaves since November at a cost of nearly $400 million of his own money.But the debate put him on stage with the top contenders for the Democratic nomination for the first time, meaning he had to answer questions in real time about his past and why he should be the one to oppose President Donald Trump in November.From left, Democratic presidential candidates, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate, Feb. 19, 2020, in Las Vegas.The pushback began with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.“In order to beat Donald Trump, we’re going to need the largest voter turnout in the history of the United States. Mr. Bloomberg had policies in New York City of stop and frisk, which went after African American and Latino people in an outrageous way. That is not a way you’re going to grow voter turnout,” Sanders said.Bloomberg countered by casting doubt about the electability of Sanders, the front-runner in national polls.“If he goes and is the candidate, we will have Donald Trump for another four years, and we can’t stand that,” Bloomberg said.Democratic presidential candidates, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, left, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., talk during a break at a Democratic presidential primary debate, Feb. 19, 2020, in Las Vegas.Whatever momentum Bloomberg may have felt from the first exchange of the debate was immediately challenged by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who said she will support whoever is the party’s eventual nominee but that the party would “take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another.”“I’d like to talk about who we’re running against, a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse faced lesbians. And no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump, I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg. Democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women, and of supporting racist policies like redlining and stop and frisk,” she said.While Bloomberg was the initial focus on the debate, as the night went on he was not as involved as the other candidates who each had taken part in eight debates dating back to June of last year.Warren, Sanders, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden all spoke more than Bloomberg. Tallies of speaking time showed the gap between the leader — Warren — and Bloomberg was about three minutes.From left, Democratic presidential candidates, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate, Feb. 19, 2020, in Las Vegas, hosted by NBC News and MSNBC.Bloomberg and Warren sparred several times, including pointedly about the allegations against Bloomberg and his company of sexism and sexual harassment, and the number of non-disclosure agreements people involved in those accusations have signed, agreeing not to discuss them publicly.“None of them accuse me of doing anything other than maybe they didn’t like a joke I told,” Bloomberg said. “These would be agreements between two parties that wanted to keep it quiet. And that’s up to them. They signed those agreements, and we’ll live with it.”Warren countered that Bloomberg at that moment could announce he was releasing the signatories from those agreements in the name of transparency.Bloomberg declined to do so, saying the agreements were made consensually, “and they have every right to expect that they will stay private.”WATCH: Bloomberg Targeted in Debate DebutSorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline. Embed” />CopyHis campaign said the attacks against Bloomberg meant he was “a winner,” and that he “was the grownup in the room.”“He was just warming up tonight,” campaign manager Kevin Sheekey said in a statement. “We fully expect Mike will continue to build on tonight’s performance when he appears on the stage in South Carolina next Tuesday.”The same six candidates have qualified for that debate ahead of what will be the last contest Bloomberg decided to skip as he focused his first electoral efforts on the 14 states where voters will cast ballots on March 3.
…
EU Holding First Post-Brexit Summit
The European Union’s first post-Brexit summit Thursday in Brussels promises to be a contentious one. The subject is money — how to fill a nearly $65 billion budget gap left by Britain’s departure from the bloc. The EU’s 27 remaining members came together during Brexit negotiations, but that may not be the case in this new post-Brexit reality, with the departure of one of the EU’s biggest contributors. ‘The Brexit gap’“What we call the Brexit gap — that’s estimated to be around 60 billion over seven years. So that leaves a hole of approximately 10 billion every year,“ said Marta Pilati, a policy analyst for the European Policy Center, a Brussels research group. “One of the most contentious issues is that as a consequence of Brexit, the budget should be smaller,” Pilati said, “or whether it should be maintained at the same level and thus allow more funding for the 27 member states.”Draft proposals are also getting pushback from richer EU countries, which argue they will shoulder too much of the financial burden. Meanwhile, poorer member states, many from central and eastern Europe, worry they will lose key development funds. In France, the EU’s biggest agricultural producer, farmers said they were worried about cuts to the bloc’s Common Agricultural Policy, the biggest budget item. Climate change funding?And some new areas of EU emphasis, including defense, research and innovation, and Europe’s coming “Green Deal” to fight climate change, could face less funding than expected. “Because of course it’s easier to cut the budget of things that don’t exist yet, rather than cut the budget of programs that have been around for a very long time, and over which member states have very strong interests,” Pilati said.Some observers like Pilati believe this one-day summit may stretch into two days and possibly more, as countries try to resolve their differences.
…
Trump Names US Ambassador to Germany, Robert Grenell, Acting Intelligence Chief
President Donald Trump has named ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, a staunch Trump loyalist, as the acting director of national intelligence.”Rick has represented our country exceedingly well and I look forward to working with him,” the president said in a brief tweet announcing his choice.The DNI oversees the entire U.S. intelligence community and also works closely with the director of Homeland Security.Grenell would be the first openly gay Cabinet member in U.S. history.Because he would be acting Director of National Intelligence, Grenell does not need Senate confirmation, which is probably why Trump is putting him in the job in an acting capacity.Grenell has been a U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush, a newspaper columnist and television news commentator, and the founder of a media and public affairs operation. He has no direct experience in the intelligence community, but is regarded to be fiercely loyal to Trump and his policies.Grenell has been especially outspoken about what he says are the dangers of doing business with the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, urging Germany not to become a Huawei customer because of suspicions the company installs spyware in its products at the bidding of Beijing.Grenell will replace current acting DNI Joseph Macguire who took the job in a temporary capacity from Dan Coats who Trump fired last July.Trump has had a rocky relationship with his own intelligence community after it concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and also warned about the threat to national security by global warming.
…
Amnesty Calls for Thorough Probe Into Rwandan Singer’s Death
Amnesty International is calling for an investigation after a well-known Rwandan gospel singer Muleya Mwananyanda of Amnesty International said the public deserves to hear more facts about this case. She commended the government for opening an investigation but said authorities should not prejudge the outcome by declaring it a suicide.
“Amnesty International is calling for an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into his death,” she told VOA. “We would like to know what the circumstances surrounding it were and the treatment during his detention.”Mihigo gained fame as a proponent of reconciliation between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda. He spoke of his own experience losing his father during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and founded the Kizito Mihigo Peace Foundation to use art as a healing tool. He was one of several artists who helped compose Rwanda’s national anthem.But he ran afoul of authorities after recording a song in 2014, titled, “The Meaning of Death,” which was interpreted as criticizing the government of Rwandan President Paul Kagame and questioning the government’s version of the genocide.Mihigo was arrested days after the song was released and later convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, complicity in a terrorist attack and conspiracy against the government. He remained in prison until 2018 when he was released along with many other prisoners by presidential pardon.Police said that, prior to his death, he was very quiet and exhibited signs of depression. But Mwananyanda said, even if the death is ruled a suicide, important questions must be asked.
“What have the Rwandan authorities done to ensure that such things are prevented in the future?” she said. “Are there any safeguards in place, for example, that show that somebody is about to commit suicide and so are put on suicide watch?”She also noted with concern that other Rwandan opposition figures or enemies of the ruling party have either died in detention or under suspicious circumstances.
“This worries us a lot because, in the context of severe repression of any form of dissent, there’ve been so many arrests, convictions and harassment, suspicious killings and disappearances,” she told VOA. “This creates huge pressure on people to behave themselves, but also creates fear in society around the country.”
…
Former Neo-Nazi Speaks on Ideology’s Dangers
FBI Director Christopher Wray recently called violent extremism motivated by race or ethnicity as a “top-level priority … on the same footing as ISIS.” And these extremist groups are using Islamic State tactics to recruit new members, often young, impressionable, alienated teenagers, according to a former member of a hate group. Mil Arcega reports.
…
Britain’s Flooded Towns Ask, ‘Where’s Boris?’
Across parts of southern England and Wales, families were watching anxiously midweek to see if major rivers break their flood barriers. Heavy rain is forecast for counties that have already been flooded thanks to torrential downpours brought on by two by massive storms in quick succession.A four-day deluge could turn already swollen rivers even more dangerous, forecasters and locals fear. Britain’s Environment Agency’s executive director, John Curtin, said Wednesday: “We expect further disruptive weather into Wednesday and Thursday, bringing a significant flood risk to the West Midlands, and there are flood warnings in place across much of England.”A man uses a plank of wood to paddle a kayak on flood water after the River Wye burst its banks in Ross-on-Wye, western England, on February 17, 2020, in the aftermath of Storm Dennis.But the unprecedented floods that have hit southern England, and now threatening damage further north, too, are not only wrecking homes and properties, but also the reputation of a government that was only elected into office just two months ago, say analysts.Furious locals hit by extreme floods are slamming Prime Minister Boris Johnson for having failed to visit communities worst affected by the storms. Thousands have been evacuated. Even so, Mr. Johnson and the most senior ministers have not pulled on their waders to get out and about to empathize and console.It is now as common on the drenched frontlines to hear the refrain, “Where’s Boris?” as it is to hear the query, “What’s the forecast?”A man cleans mud from the street in Pontypridd in south Wales, Feb. 16, 2020.In the Welsh town of Pontypridd — where 600 people have been displaced — Robin Williams, 62, asked journalists: “Where’s Boris? Where’s the help?” Another Pontypridd homeowner, Tracey Waites, 49, told reporters, “We haven’t seen anyone. There are no politicians down here helping. Where are they?”The local MP, Labour’s Alex Davies-Jones, has dubbed Mr. Johnson “the Scarlet Pimpernel,” adding, “You can never find him in an emergency.”For several commentators the absence of the prime minister is even more inexplicable considering this is not the first time Mr. Johnson has been slow off the mark when it comes to natural disasters and even flooding. In December, he was heckled during the election campaign for visiting belatedly storm-wracked communities in the north of England.Regularly ‘updated’
Mr. Johnson is also facing growing criticism for failing to convene the government’s emergency Cobra committee, a cross-departmental panel normally called to respond to a national crisis or potential one. As historic towns battled unprecedented floodwaters destroying lives and livelihoods, Mr. Johnson remained working at a government mansion in Kent with no plans to visit communities worst-hit by the storm.FILE – Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Dec. 17, 2019.A Downing Street spokesman said Mr. Johnson did not need to visit as he is being “updated” regularly. And the environment minister, George Eustice, said the government had a “firm grip” on the situation. But those responses were being scorned Wednesday by locals affected by the floods as well as by a swelling chorus of local MPs.Fresh off a major general election victory in December — one that is reshaped the electoral map of Britain — Mr. Johnson seemed destined for a long honeymoon period. He was king of all he surveyed and armed with a large parliamentary majority he was able finally to conclude the long-running first phase of Britain’s tumultuous exit from the European Union, securing passage in the House of Commons of a contentious withdrawal agreement, an approval that had evaded his predecessor in Downing Street, Theresa May.Tightening his iron grip on the ruling Conservatives, he is been able without danger to purge his cabinet of potential challengers and to avoid bringing into his government from Conservative ranks other major political figures who might cause him problems.FILE – Government Cabinet Minister Sajid Javid arrives for a meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Oct. 10, 2017.Last week, his Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid, resigned rather than be reappointed without the right to name his own advisers, a Mr. Johnson precondition for him to continue as Britain’s finance minister. A less secure Prime Minister would have been nervous to lose a heavyweight from his cabinet, one who could all too easily serve as a rallying point for internal party dissent, say analysts.But the government’s handling of this week’s floods appear to have washed out Mr. Johnson’s honeymoon, bringing it to a premature close. The criticism is coming not just from his usual detractors in the opposition parties. Johnson-supportive tabloid newspapers the Daily Mail and Sun have been pointing out that the frustration is high even in constituencies that voted for Brexit and backed Mr. Johnson to become Conservative leader.
And a series of other gaffes and mishaps — as well as a likely looming bad-natured clash with the EU over future relations — has left some questioning about the competency of his government and its powers of foresight.No-show at Munich conference
The question of where is Boris was being asked, too, in Munich last week at the annual security conference, which draws top leaders from around the World and secures the attendance of virtually all Europeans heads of government. This year’s conference featured France’s Emmanuel Macron, Canada’s Justin Trudeau, Germany’s Angela Merkel as well as Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The U.S. was represented by a high level delegation led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.FILE – Members of the international committee take their seats for a follow-up meeting on Libya, arranged by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, in Munich, Germany, Feb. 16, 2020.None of Britain’s military or intelligence chiefs attended. Nor did Britain’s foreign or defense secretaries. Mr. Johnson had been offered a speaking slot in the coveted opening session of the conference, but turned it down. Britain only sent a junior foreign affairs minister.At the last minute, Britain’s national security adviser, Mark Sedwill, an un-elected official, was ordered to cut short a family vacation and fly to Munich for the conference’s final session. According to Sky News commentator, Alistair Bunkall, “a small cheer went up in the media center when he was introduced.” Bunkall reported that a conference organizer told Sedwill, “It’s great you’re here but it would have been even greater if others from your government were present.” Britain’s absence was noticed by others, too.Some of the blame for what commentators and Opposition MPs see as a mishandling of the political response to the floods — as well as the lack of representation at Munich — is being laid at the door of Mr. Johnson’s top strategist, Dominic Cummings, a firebrand populist who was the major tactician for anti-EU campaigners in the 2016 Brexit referendum.Cummings drew fire earlier this week for appointing as a political forecaster in Downing Street a 27-year-old who had a history of racist social-media comments, in which he’d argued black people are less intelligent than whites for genetic reasons. Amid a media firestorm the political forecaster quit. “Cummings has been the most visible face of No 10 in the 10 weeks since the December 2019 general election,” says Anthony Seldon, a contemporary historian and author of biographies on every British prime minister since Margaret Thatcher. “He has adopted a ‘hub and poke’ model. He has tried to centralize power within No 10, over the Treasury, ministers and their advisers,” he wrote in a commentary for The Times.Seldon says part of he problem is that Mr. Johnson’s team has yet to learn that the single-minded qualities needed to get into power are different from those required in government. Once in office, he says, prime ministers “have to be diplomats, cajoling and persuading people, and not alienating them.”
…
Police Report Several People Shot to Death in German City
German police say several people were shot to death in the city of Hanau on Wednesday evening.The dpa news agency reported that police said people were killed but it was not clear exactly what was behind the incident. It also was not immediately clear how many people were dead.Hanau is near Frankfurt.Regional public broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk reported, without citing sources, that an attack took place in a hookah lounge in the center of the city. It said witnesses reported hearing eight or nine shots and seeing at least one person lying on the ground.The perpetrator or perpetrators then apparently went to another part of the city, where shots were fired in another hookah lounge, the broadcaster said.
…
Proposal Would Overhaul Blocked Tennessee Voter Signup Law
Tennessee lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a new proposal to amend the state’s legally contentious voter-registration restrictions that are currently blocked from being enforced during the 2020 elections.Last year, Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed GOP-backed legislation that made Tennessee the first state in the country to fine registration groups for turning in too many incomplete signup forms. It also criminalized intentional infractions of other new rules with misdemeanor charges.FILE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee delivers his State of the State Address in the House Chamber in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 3, 2020.However, the law immediately prompted two lawsuits and sparked national criticism from those who argued that the law would suppress efforts to register minorities and other voters.A federal judge later blocked the implementation of the law as it awaits trial in February 2021, saying the law would have a “chilling effect” on organizations and individuals seeking to register voters.In the interim, Tennessee lawmakers on Wednesday decided to once again back new rules on how to sign up new voters.FILE – Tre Hargett, right, is sworn in as Tennessee secretary of state in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 15, 2009.The latest version would require the state to offer voluntary training on voter registration laws and require voter registration applications be submitted within 15 days of a voter registration drive. The measure would then prohibit the retention of voter information for non-political purposes, as well as require “cybersecurity to be considered” when certifying a voter registration system.”In the face of the federal injunction, these protections are better than no protection at all,” wrote Secretary of State Tre Hargett in a recent letter to lawmakers.Hargett, who had previously argued the original 2019 voter registration law would bolster election security, is submitting a separate bill this year that will criminalize “intentional dissemination of misinformation” surrounding the qualifications to vote, voter registration requirements, voter eligibility, and polling dates, times and locations.Under that proposal, it would also be a felony to tamper with voting systems, gain unauthorized access to voter registration databases, “willfully” substitute fake election results and “intentionally deface” an election website.’Encouraging’ changesThe proposals submitted Wednesday were both approved by the House Elections and Campaign Finance Subcommittee after almost no discussion or opposition. The bills must now pass the full House Local Committee before they can head to the House floor for consideration.FILE – Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, debates a proposal on the first day of the 2020 legislative session in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 14, 2020.If approved, the proposals would go into effect immediately — likely after Tennessee’s March 3 presidential primary, but ahead of the August state primary election.”Penalizing voter registration drives was a bad idea in the first place,” said Sen. Jeff Yarbro, a Democrat from Nashville. “It was predictably blocked in court because the legislature acted too rashly and thoughtlessly. We shouldn’t repeat the mistake by rushing through some fix without input from the civic groups affected.”However, at least one group who sued the state over the voter registration law described Wednesday’s changes as “encouraging.””It appears our litigation had an impact,” said Kristen Clarke, executive director of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “Preliminary review suggests the problem that led us to sue has been addressed.”2019 measureIn 2019, Tennessee lawmakers backed a measure allowing the state to fine groups if they submit 100 or more voter registration forms within a calendar year that lack a complete name, address, date of birth, declaration of eligibility and signature. Penalties can reach $10,000 per county where violations occur if more than 500 incomplete forms are submitted. The measure went on to outlaw out-of-state poll watchers.The misdemeanor penalties would kick in if groups intentionally turn in forms after new deadlines, pay people based on quotas, fail to fill out state registration, don’t undergo training, and more.Only paid groups could be penalized under the law, though the groups’ legal filings contend the distinction is murky due to their use of grant money and stipends for workers in certain cases.
…
Scientist Accused of Spying for Russia Is Mexican Hometown Hero
A Mexican microbiologist accused of spying for Russia in Miami is considered a benefactor in his native Oaxaca state, the mayor of his hometown said Wednesday, and he holds positions with at least two prominent universities. Mayor Hazael Matus said scientist Hector Alejandro Cabrera has helped set up science projects in his hometown of El Espinal and had been considered a contender for a Nobel Prize in medicine; Cabrera was known for his work on cardiac treatments and was hoping to produce an ointment to help heal wounds in diabetics in his home state. It is very strange for this to happen because he is a very altruistic person with a lot of social conscience. He helped people and all this seems strange, Matus said. “We don’t know what happened, but I bet it is a confusion or an attack for scientific reasons. He may have discovered something that upset some people or some business interests.” U.S. authorities said Tuesday that Cabrera had been hired by a Russian government official to locate the vehicle of a U.S. government source in the Miami area and inform the Russian of its location. The U.S. government source, who might be better described as an informant, was not identified. It was also unclear why a Mexican scientist based in Singapore might have been chosen for such a mission. Two wivesBut U.S. authorities revealed in an indictment that Cabrera had a Mexican wife and simultaneously also had another Russian wife. The Russian wife had traveled back to her home country in March to arrange some documents, but was then prevented by Russian authorities from leaving the country, in what may have been part of an effort by the Russians to pressure Cabrera into working for them. Cabrera was arrested and charged with acting within the United States on behalf of a foreign government — in this case, Russia — without notifying the U.S. attorney general, and conspiracy to do the same, according to the Justice Department. A pretrial detention hearing was set for Friday in U.S. Magistrate Court in Miami and arraignment for March 3 in the same court. Cabrera is listed as an associate professor at the medical school jointly run by Duke University and the National University of Singapore. He also was appointed director in 2018 of the FEMSA Biotechnology Center at the Monterrey Institute of Technology in northern Mexico, which said he earned doctorates in molecular microbiology in Russia and molecular cardiology in Germany. Matus, the mayor, described Cabrera as a hometown boy who made good, going abroad to study for his graduate degrees. But he said Cabrera never forgot his hometown of 9,500 and helped organize the scientific community to assist in rebuilding houses in El Espinal after a magnitude 8.1 quake hit on September 7, 2017, and a 6.1 temblor struck two weeks later. The town has a large Zapotec indigenous community. Development meetings setCabrera had been scheduled to attend meetings in Mexico on Monday about a series of research centers that he was helping to establish in El Espinal as part of the government’s huge Trans-Isthmus development project, which is meant to upgrade rail links between the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico through Mexico’s narrow Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The $430 million project is one of the infrastructure priorities of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Cabrera was a leading promoter of El Espinal’s role in the project, helping recruit Mexican universities and government agencies to set up research centers on medicine, seismology, logistics and other topics there. According to the Justice Department, a Russian government official recruited Cabrera in 2019. The Russian official later directed him to rent a specific property in Miami-Dade County, Florida, but not in his own name, the Justice Department said. Cabrera traveled twice to Moscow to meet with the official, the Justice Department said, and during the second meeting he received a physical description of the U.S. government source’s vehicle. The Russian official told Cabrera to locate the car, obtain the source’s vehicle license plate number, and note the physical location of the source’s vehicle with the goal of providing that information in April or May. The Justice Department said Cabrera, having traveled from Mexico City to Miami on February 13, attracted the attention of a security guard where the U.S. government source resided because his rental car entered the premises while tailgating another vehicle. According to the indictment, Cabrera asked his Mexican wife, who accompanied him, to take a photo of the source’s vehicle and license plate — a step taken for convenience even though the Russian official had told him not to take a photo — just to write the number down. U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped Cabrera and his wife when they appeared at Miami’s airport Sunday night to return to Mexico City. Cabrera admitted to law enforcement officers that he was directed by a Russian government official to conduct the operation, the Justice Department said.
…
10 Somali Soldiers, 16 Militants Killed in Al-Shabab Attacks
At least 10 Somali government soldiers and 16 militants were killed Wednesday when Islamist group al-Shabab attacked two military bases in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region.The first attack at Qoryooley town, about 95 km south of Mogadishu, started when the militants used an explosives-laden vehicle driven by a suicide bomber to target a military base run by local militia allied with the Somali federal government.“Their aim was to destroy the town’s bridges. They have damaged one and we foiled their attempt on the other one. Then, dozens of heavily armed fighters attacked us,” said Abdi Ahmed Ali, Qoryooley deputy district commissioner.According to multiple reliable sources in the town, at least 10 militants and six fighters belonging to the pro-government militia were killed during the battle.Al-Shabab also launched a dawn attack on a military base at El Salini, 60 kilometers, southwest of Mogadishu.Security officials said a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle containing explosives at the main gate of the base before gunmen stormed the premises.Speaking to government-run radio, Colonel Hassan Mohamed Abuker, one of the commanders at the base, said four government soldiers and at least six militants were killed.Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for both attacks in a statement released by its mouthpiece, Radio Andalus.The statement read, “The militants briefly took the base at El Salini and seized a sizeable amount of weapons and ammunition from the government soldiers.” Government security officials neither confirmed nor denied the militants’ claim of briefly entering the camp.
…