A videoconference summit this week between leaders from China and the European Union had a wide-ranging agenda including trade, climate change, cybersecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic, but it ended without agreements, or even a joint statement. Instead, European officials released a statement that analysts say is the clearest sign yet that the relationship between the two massive economies is entering a new phase. “Engaging and cooperating with China is both an opportunity and a necessity,” said Charles Michel, president of the European Council. “But at the same time, we have to recognize that we do not share the same values, political systems or approach to multilateralism.” FILE – European Council President Charles Michel, right screen, waves to Chinese President Xi Jinping, left screen top, during an EU-China summit, in videoconference format, at the European Council in Brussels, June 22, 2020.Erik Brattberg, director of the Europe Program and a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that in the past the EU has prioritized economic and trade issues over human rights and other issues that are sensitive for Beijing. “I think the summit confirms this approach is probably coming to an end,” Brattberg said. “My impression is that Europe is really in a transition period in designing and shaping of China strategy that is realistic, that is looking toward efficiency,” said Alice Ekman, the senior analyst in charge of the Asia portfolio at the European Union Institute for Security Studies. During the videoconference Monday with Chinese leaders, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, brought up human rights issues in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as Beijing’s spreading of false information about the coronavirus. She also blamed China for hacking computer systems and hospital networks in European countries, saying such actions would not be tolerated. Von der Leyen said she and Michel made it clear that implementing national security laws in Hong Kong not only violated Hong Kong’s Basic Law but also violated China’s international commitments. “I have never seen such strong statements from the EU side on human rights issues, for instance, and on Hong Kong,” Ekman said. Hal Brands, a professor of global affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, told VOA that while the EU has been critical of China’s practices it has not yet taken any practical action. He cited Hong Kong as one example. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gives a news conference about dealings with China and Iran, and on the fight against the coronavirus disease pandemic, in Washington, June 24, 2020.The EU has “essentially declined to impose meaningful sanctions as a result of the Hong Kong push. The EU basically voiced concerns but didn’t take any concrete actions,” Brands said. “So the Chinese may calculate that while there may be diplomatic criticism, and the U.S. may impose some penalties, the overall damage will be bearable.” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the EU to make the choice between freedom and China’s tyranny June 19 at the Copenhagen democracy summit. “I don’t believe that there’s a uniquely ‘European’ or ‘American’ way to face this choice,” Pompeo said. “There’s also no way to straddle these alternatives without abandoning who we are. Democracies that are dependent on authoritarians are not worthy of their name.” Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
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Month: June 2020
Malawi’s Ruling Party Accuses Opposition of Intimidating Its Supporters During Voting
Malawi’s ruling party said Wednesday that opposition supporters tried to intimidate its backers during voting the day before in the presidential election, an assertion the opposition MCP party denied.At a news conference, Democratic Progressive Party spokesman Nicholas Dausi showed reporters photographs of some DPP supporters who he said were assaulted by thugs sent by the opposition Malawi Congress Party.“As we are talking, Democratic Progressive Party monitors in the areas of Kabudula, Lilongwe-Mapungu North and Lilongwe-Kasiya were abducted,” Dausi said, adding that “four girls and four boys” were missing.He said MCP members also manhandled DPP Secretary-General Greselida Jeffrey and burglarized the home of her husband.“The thugs went to his house,” Dausi said. “They damaged the government’s vehicle and stole almost K11 million, which was meant for DPP monitors in Salima district.”Finger pointed at DPPMaurice Munthali, spokesperson for the opposition MCP, told VOA on Wednesday via telephone that the DPP assertions were laughable because there was no evidence that those attackers were members of the Malawi Congress Party.“If anything, what we have heard … is that DPP was on it again, trying to rig the elections,” Munthali said. “DPP, if anything, would not have expected Malawians to sit idle as [they] see such nasty things happening around them.”MCP candidate Lazarus Chakwera was the main challenger to President Peter Mutharika of the DPP in the election. The poll was a rerun of last year’s election, won by Mutharika but annulled by Malawi’s Constitutional Court because of massive irregularities.At a press conference Wednesday, Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson Chifundo Kachale said the commission had received a total of four complaints from both the MCP and DPP parties alleging intimidation during the voting.Kachale said the commission would ensure that all complaints were amicably addressed before an announcement of election results within eight days.
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Провал обиженного карлика в Ливии, готовность НАТО трахнуть старика кабаева, а также F-16 Египта в деле!
Провал обиженного карлика в Ливии, готовность НАТО трахнуть старика кабаева, а также F-16 Египта в деле!
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Правда о трахнутом чвк вагнер, новое вооружение США для АРМИИ И ФЛОТА Украины, операция Турции в Ираке, подбитые индийского вертолёта военными Китая и провал обиженного карлика пукина в Ливии, а также F-16 и армия Египта в деле
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Приструнить обиженного карлика пукина: США меняют расклад сил в Черноморском регионе…
Приструнить обиженного карлика пукина: США меняют расклад сил в Черноморском регионе…
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За последние десять дней произошел ряд знаковых событий, играющих немаловажную роль в сфере безопасности для Украины. Вашингтон активно помогает повышать обороноспособность Украины и создавать некомфортные условия для чрезмерной активности путляндии с целью вернуть карлика пукина в рамки международного правового поля
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Зелений карлик володимир олександрович біля розбитого корита. Свіжа соціологія.
Зелений карлик володимир олександрович біля розбитого корита. Свіжа соціологія.
Для поширення вашого відео чи повідомлення в Мережі Правди пишіть сюди, або на email: pravdaua@email.cz
Найкращі пропозиції товарів і послуг в Мережі Купуй!
Ваші потенційні клієнти про потрібні їм товари і послуги пишуть тут: MeNeedit
Космические отмазки лидеров, которые отказались приезжать на парад к карлику пукину! Смеялись всем Госдепом!
Космические отмазки лидеров, которые отказались приезжать на парад к карлику пукину! Смеялись всем Госдепом!
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Последние новости путляндии и мира, экономика, бизнес, культура, технологии, спорт
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Экономика рухнула, остались скрепы, парад и пожизненный обиженный карлик пукин
Экономика рухнула, остались скрепы, парад и пожизненный обиженный карлик пукин.
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Росстат опубликовал блок макростатистики за май, который показал ещё большее ухудшение в состоянии российской экономики после апрельского обвала
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Служка бєні олександр дубінський подавав документи на отримання громадянства Румунії
Нинішній так званий народний депутат від “слуги народу” олександр дубінський понад два роки тому подав документи на отримання громадянства Румунії — скориставшись спрощеною процедурою, яка передбачає наявність румунського коріння.
Журналісти-розслідувачі отримали документи, які підтверджують, що у грудні 2017 року олександр дубінський подав заявку на отримання громадянства Румунії. Зокрема, надав копії закордонних та українського паспортів, свідоцтво про народження. У відповідь Національне агентство з питань громадянства Румунії присвоїло йому персональний номер (дивіться фото).
Про те, що Дубінський подавався на отримання румунського паспорта, нам підтвердило й джерело, яке має зв’язки у Міністерстві юстиції цієї країни.
За даними нашого джерела, для оформлення документів на громадянство народний депутат скористався послугами компанії з Чернівців, яка гроші знаходить у вас необхідне румунське коріння.
Її представник у телефонній розмові розповів, що румунський паспорт може нам обійтись у 5-6 тисяч євро. При цьому навіть наявність румунських предків — необов’язкова.
Також джерело повідомило, що отриманням частини документів для оформлення Дубінському громадянства займалась румунська адвокатка Єлєна Замфір. У телефонній розмові жінка підтвердила, що прізвище дубінського їй знайоме (запис розмови є в редакції).
Наразі невідомо, чи завершив народний депутат процедуру з отримання громадянства.
Але в українському законодавстві чітко прописано, що добровільне набуття паспорта іншої держави є підставою для позбавлення українського громадянства. Для народного депутата ж втрата громадянства може стати причиною позбавлення мандату.
Нагадаємо, раніше Міністерство юстиції України 23 березня 2020 року отримало від Окружного суду США Південного округу міста Нью-Йорк два доручення про вручення повістки та копії позову народному депутату олександру дубінському та представнику ТОВ “Телерадіокомпанії “Студія 1+1″”.
Мережа Правди
Брехло рабінович пропустив найбільше засідань Верховної Ради
Комітет виборців України опублікував дані, які свідчать, що за три місяці роботи Верховної Ради скликання відбулося 1158 голосувань, в середньому один депутат взяв участь у 69% з них.
У Верховній Раді ще досі залишається проблемою неучасть у голосуваннях значної кількості нардепів.
Слід зазначити, що за три місяці роботи 96 народних депутатів взяли участь у менш ніж 50% голосувань парламенту.
З них дев’ять нардепів пропустили 90% голосувань.
Зокрема, у вадима рабіновича з ОПЗЖ найнижчий показник серед 423 депутатів: він взяв участь у 6% голосувань. Юлія льовочкіна з ОПЗЖ відвідала 6%, ігор абрамович з ОПЗЖ – 7%; юрій солод з ОПЗЖ – 7%, позафракційний андрій деркач – 7%, вадим столар з ОПЗЖ – 8%, олександр фельдман з ОПЗЖ – 8%, антон яценко з групи “За майбутнє” – 9%, юрій бойко з ОПЗЖ – 10%.
При цьому рабінович був зареєстрований на 23 з 39 засідань Ради, льовочкіна – на 31, абрамович – 27, солод – 26, деркач – 26, столар – 22, фельдман – 36, яценко – 30, бойко – 37. Однак участі в голосуваннях депутати майже не брали.
Мережа Правди
Український борець і патріот готовий принизити усика, який закоханий в пукіна
Український борець викликає боксера олександра усика на бій без правил.
Таким чином Богдан Грицай відреагував на відео усика, в якому він нібито нокаутував так званого “диванного експерта”. Грицай додав, він, як частина українського суспільства, дасть гідну відсіч.
Раніше олександр усик виклав на своїй сторінці в мережі відео. Заявив, що начебто нокаутував так званого “диванного експерта”, який критикував спортсмена. Наприкінці ролику Усик російською сказав, що вихід є завжди, “Але стежте за тим, які двері ви відкриваєте і куди заходите”.
Нещодавно довкола боксера спалахнув ще один скандал. Він разом з, таким же фанатом ображеного карлика пукіна, василем ломаченко знявся у мокшандській пропогандистській агітці
ГЕРОЯМ СЛАВА!
Мережа Правди
В.о. міністра енергетики ольга буславець працює на бандюка ахметова
В.о. міністра енергетики ольга буславець працює на бандюка ахметова!
В.о міністра енергетики Ольга Буславець доручила зменшити закупівлі ядерного палива для АЕС та опрацювати питання проекту з майнінгу криптовалют з метою забезпечення додаткових ринків збуту.
“Опрацювати …нормативні та технічні питання можливої реалізації проєктів з майнінгу криптовалют з метою з метою забезпечення додаткових ринків сбуту електроенергії, виробленої атомними електростанціями”, – йдеться у листі.
Також у документі йдеться, про те, що “Енергоатому” доручають актуалізувати плани закупівель ядерного палива з урахуванням зменшення обсягів виробницта енергоблоками АЕС.
Усе це марення спрямоване на збільшення споживання електроенергії, яке продукує бандюк ахметов, спалюючи мазут і забруднюючи атмосферу. Також це дало можливість дтек підняти ціну на свою електроенергію на 40%!!!
МАДАМ БУСЛАВЕЦЬ, ІДІТЬ ВИ …. У ВІДСТАВКУ І ТЮРМУ!!!
Мережа Правди
Голова СБУ баканов заблокував вручення підозри крадуну коломойському
Голова СБУ баканов заблокував вручення підозри крадуну коломойському.
Вже кілька тижнів детективи НАБУ готові вручати підозри бандюку коломойському і іншим у справі “Привату”. Проте призначений зеленським голова СБУ іван баканов заблокував цей процес. Експертна установа СБУ відмовляється затвердити необхідну експертизу.
Без неї детективи не мають право вручати підозру, права на свою експертизу НАБУ не мають. Як тільки СБУ затвердить її, коломойський і ко отримають підозри. Саме через це “підгодовані” олігархом депутати пробують якнайшвидше звільнити директора НАБУ.
Мережа Правди
Africa Seeks Equitable Access to Any COVID-19 Vaccine
African leaders and health experts have called for equitable and fair access to any approved vaccine against the coronavirus. As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has surpassed 300,000, governments across the continent are organizing themselves to manufacture any vaccine quickly.
Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that a huge investment was needed for any approved COVID-19 vaccine to be quickly made available throughout Africa.
“Only one virus in history has been eradicated. It’s likely that COVID-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future and we must learn to live with it. A vaccine is an essential tool for doing that,” Tedros said.
He was speaking at a conference in Addis Ababa organized by the African Union and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Africa is seeing increasing numbers of confirmed infections, as testing on Tuesday became available in every country on the continent.
The WHO on Wednesday said Africa had over 321,000 confirmed infections.
African leaders and health experts attending the conference said the continent’s most vulnerable and health workers would need a vaccine soonest.
Director of the Africa CDC Dr. John Nkengasong said countries should be preparing.
“As a continent, we should be positioning ourselves to conduct clinical trials in a network fashion. We should also enable regulatory processes that would facilitate uptake of vaccines. …We also need to secure deals through bilateral governments,” Nkengasong said.
South Africa, the African country worst hit by the virus with over 100,000 confirmed infections, on Tuesday reported its highest daily death toll — 111 people — since the pandemic began.FILE – People affected by the coronavirus economic downturn line up to receive food aid in Pretoria, South Africa, May 20, 2020.Salim Abdool Karim, chair of the South African Ministerial Advisory Committee for COVID-19, said countries would need to deal with intellectual property issues to move quickly to manufacture a vaccine.
“Most of the companies that are developing vaccines are developing it basically with a two-fold market strategy. The first is to have a profitable market in the wealthy countries and then to have a voluntary license market in the countries that will not be able to afford purchasing the vaccine. In terms of countries that can’t afford the vaccine, the voluntary licensing will enable big manufacturers in India and China to manufacture it under license, and then they would supply it to various countries,” he said.
Karim said that the world’s poorest countries would likely be covered through Gavi, a global vaccine alliance spearheaded by the United Nations and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
He said that developing countries such as South Africa would likely purchase vaccines at a fraction of the cost.
Meanwhile, African countries are responding to the pandemic, but there are gaps with providing safety equipment and inconsistent measures to stop the virus that still make the continent vulnerable.
WHO chief Tedros said the pandemic is now accelerating at an alarming rate globally.
And while it took more than three months for the virus to infect 1 million people, the last 1 million cases were reported in just one week.
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US Working With EU to Reopen International Travel
The United States is working with the European Union (EU) and countries across the world on how to “safely reopen international travel” after months of COVID-19 lockdown and quarantine measures. Draft recommendations and media reports that have emerged from the EU about reopening borders suggest Americans may be prevented from traveling to Europe because of the high number of coronavirus cases in the United States. US Citizens Likely to be Left Out as Europe Reopens Borders Brussels also says Europe’s borders should not be open to any country with a ban on European travelers”We have to make sure that we have all of the elements in place to reopen travel between the EU and the United States,” said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday in a press briefing. “We’re working on finding the right way to do that, the right timing to do it, the right tactics to have in place,” Pompeo said. The top U.S. diplomat added he’s “very confident” that in the coming weeks they will work out “plans and methods” to “get global travel back in place.” European nations appear to be on track to reopen their borders, beginning in July. Draft internal EU recommendations suggest allowing entry by non-EU nationals from countries with stable or decreasing coronavirus infections. Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 34,000 new coronavirus cases, which brought the total to more than 2.3 million confirmed COVID-19 cases across the country.According to data published by the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, the U.S. has the most confirmed coronavirus cases, followed by Brazil and Russia. In March, U.S. President Donald Trump announced travel restrictions on 26 European countries in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. U.S. citizens are permitted to return from the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Schengen area that covers 26 European countries.
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US Working With EU to Reopen International Travel
The United States is working with the European Union (EU) and countries across the world on how to “safely reopen international travel” after months of COVID-19 lockdown and quarantine measures. Draft recommendations and media reports that have emerged from the EU about reopening borders suggest Americans may be prevented from traveling to Europe because of the high number of coronavirus cases in the United States. US Citizens Likely to be Left Out as Europe Reopens Borders Brussels also says Europe’s borders should not be open to any country with a ban on European travelers”We have to make sure that we have all of the elements in place to reopen travel between the EU and the United States,” said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday in a press briefing. “We’re working on finding the right way to do that, the right timing to do it, the right tactics to have in place,” Pompeo said. The top U.S. diplomat added he’s “very confident” that in the coming weeks they will work out “plans and methods” to “get global travel back in place.” European nations appear to be on track to reopen their borders, beginning in July. Draft internal EU recommendations suggest allowing entry by non-EU nationals from countries with stable or decreasing coronavirus infections. Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 34,000 new coronavirus cases, which brought the total to more than 2.3 million confirmed COVID-19 cases across the country.According to data published by the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, the U.S. has the most confirmed coronavirus cases, followed by Brazil and Russia. In March, U.S. President Donald Trump announced travel restrictions on 26 European countries in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. U.S. citizens are permitted to return from the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Schengen area that covers 26 European countries.
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Lawsuit Contests Legality of Firings at US Agency for Global Media
A lawsuit filed in Washington alleges that Michael Pack, the chief executive of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, acted illegally last week when he fired the heads of government-funded international news agencies.The suit filed Tuesday on behalf of the Open Technology Fund, a nonprofit corporation that supports global internet freedom technologies, contends that Pack did not have the legal authority to dismiss Libby Liu, the chief executive of Open Technology, or fire the chiefs of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.FILE – Michael Pack, President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, is seen at his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Sept. 19, 2019. Pack’s nomination was confirmed June 4, 2020.Pack, who took control of USAGM this month, also oversees Voice of America, but the lawsuit pertains to Pack’s dismissals of the heads of the USAGM entities, not his oversight of VOA.Michael Pack is the first Senate-confirmed CEO of USAGM following a major overhaul of the agency’s leadership structure that Congress approved in late 2016 and former President Barack Obama signed into law. The changes gave expansive new powers to the CEO over all of the U.S.-funded civilian broadcasters, including the power to set budgets and terminate funding for agencies the CEO no longer sees as effective.At least one former board member who helped oversee U.S. broadcasting while the 2016 legislation was being written has said that Pack’s firings clearly fall within the powers that Congress gave the CEO.Let’s be clear: @USAGMgov CEO may not only independently name RFERL’s president and governance board but under 22 USC 6207(d) he may replace @RFERL with another entity, RadioFreeBannon for example. Or replace @RadioFreeAsia under 22 USC 6208(g) with a new org, FalungGongMedia. https://t.co/AEFW6p3ItA
— Matt Armstrong (@mountainrunner) June 23, 2020However, the lawsuit said the independence from political interference at the four agencies affected by Pack’s dismissals of their leaders “is protected by a strict ‘firewall’ embodied in statutes, regulations, and binding contract provisions.”The suit contended, “Mr. Pack’s actions this past week constitute the most egregious breach of that firewall in history.”The lawsuit requested that a federal judge declare Pack’s actions “null and void.”Neither USAGM nor Pack has responded to questions about the controversy from VOA or other news outlets that have published stories about his brief tenure as head of USAGM.Pack, in his mid-60s, said at his Senate confirmation last fall that he would defend the independence of the news organizations. “The whole agency rests on the belief the reporters are independent, that no political influence is telling them how to report the news and what to say,” he said. “Without that trust, I think, the agency is completely undermined.”Pack’s pledgeIn an email last week to VOA’s hundreds of broadcasters, editors, writers and support staff, Pack pledged to uphold the government’s mandated independence from outside political interference over VOA.However, some outside watchdogs and news organizations, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, have voiced fears about Pack’s willingness to resist political pressure, citing his record as a conservative filmmaker and associate of former Trump chief White House strategist Stephen Bannon.U.S. Democratic critics of the Trump administration have also taken note of Pack’s actions.On Wednesday, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and other lawmakers said the Open Technology Fund has “long followed a policy of only funding projects that are released as open source, have been approved by OTF’s independent technical advisory board, and have been subjected to an independent cybersecurity audit.“This is vital, both to prevent taxpayer dollars from being wasted and to prevent design flaws in technology that might put users in authoritarian countries at risk from deadly retaliation,” the lawmakers contended. “We are concerned by statements from OTF’s former CEO that USAGM is now seeking to steer its funds to programs that do not meet these necessary qualifications.”
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What Is Causing South Sudan’s Inter-Communal Fighting?
Hundreds of people have been killed in inter-communal violence raging in South Sudan’s Jonglei state in recent weeks, and the cycle of attacks and revenge attacks is only going to continue if the national government fails to establish a rule of law that holds cattle raiders and other criminals accountable, according to one Juba-based analyst. On Tuesday, President Salva Kiir issued a presidential decree forming a committee to resolve ongoing inter-communal violence involving the Dinka Bor, the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes in Greater Jonglei. In his decree, Kiir said he expects the panel to ensure that stability is restored in the area within the next 21 days. South Sudan’s vice president James Wani Igga makes a speech during his visit to the Mangateen Internal Displaced Persons Center in Juba on Nov. 17, 2018.Vice President James Wani Igga will head the committee. Interior Minister Paul Mayom Akec and other senior officials have been appointed to the panel. The panel’s formation is a good first move, but stacking it with senior politicians in Juba may not solve the problem, said Abraham Kuol, professor of political science at the University of Juba. “The committee is composed of major politicians and secondly, the people that might represent those communities might also come from Juba, and as a result of that, there is going to be … superficiality,” Kuol said to VOA’s South Sudan in Focus.He suggests appointing community leaders and paramount chiefs from the affected areas to the panel so that the root problems driving the inter-communal violence will be addressed, not the least of which is the absence of justice for past crimes committed. “The government does not make the people who are culprits responsible for their mistakes and as a result of that it encourages them because the government is not doing anything. So, apart from the committee, there should be serious laws that should be put in place that should be able to deter people from such practices,” Kuol told VOA. In the past, the government has initiated campaigns to disarm civilians but they have failed to end the escalating cycle of violence in Greater Jonglei and Lakes and Warrap states. In 2018, Vice President Taban Deng Gai was sent to the region to try to mediate between communities involved in cattle raids and other inter-communal attacks. He met with traditional chiefs and political leaders in hopes of finding ways to reconcile the warring communities. South Sudan’s First Vice President Taban Deng Gai speaks during the General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 28, 2018.Gai failed on his diplomacy mission in part because he was talking to the wrong people. “He was dealing with intellectuals and political perspectives of how to resolve these problems and as a result of that, that is why it failed. Some of the conferences need not be done in the major towns, they need to be done in the villages, let’s say the most remote areas of these communities; not in Pibor, not in Bor town, not in Juba, but in a very local place like payams [villages] so that the people affected should be part and parcel of the peace process,” Kuol told VOA.The ongoing violence in Greater Jonglei is driven in no small part by an endless competition for resources, according to Kuol.“One of the major resources that are bringing the problem here is both the cattle resources and the human capital. The cattle resources is that people would wish to own as much cattle as possible and the second issue is that there are people who don’t want to take care of their own children and keep their biological children but they want to make sure they take other people’s children,” said Kuol. Kuol said Greater Jonglei needs a program that will come up with concrete solutions to end the clashes once and for all which he said must include the proper administration of law and order. Carol Van Dam Falk contributed to this report.
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US Attorney General Barr to Testify Before House in July
A U.S. Justice Department spokesman said Wednesday U.S. Attorney General William Barr has agreed to testify before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee next month as the panel probes the alleged politicization of the department. The Democratic-led panel has been conducting hearings regarding how Barr and his Justice department have interfered with investigations into possible wrongdoing by U.S. President Donald Trump or issued rulings favorable to the president. House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 10, 2020.In his opening remarks, Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler said Barr’s “work at the Department of Justice has nothing to do with correcting injustice. He is the president’s fixer. He has shown us that there is one set of rules for the president’s friends, and another set of rules for the rest of us.” Republicans on the Committee spoke out in defense of Barr. When Barr testifies, one case the committee will no doubt question him about concerns Former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Last month, Barr issued a decision to drop charges against Flynn, who had been convicted of lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador. Earlier Wednesday a U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the justice department’s decision after a judge chose not to immediately act on the decision. Barr was named attorney general last year, replacing Jeff Sessions.
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Kosovo President Hashim Thaci Indicted for War Crimes
A Hague-based special prosecutor indicted Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and nine others Wednesday for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Kosovo’s 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia.In a press release Wednesday, the Special Prosecutor’s Office alleged that the 10 people charged were “criminally responsible for nearly 100 murders” during the war, which involved “hundreds of known victims of Kosovo Albanian, Serb, Roma, and other ethnicities and include political opponents.” Other crimes include forced disappearances, persecution and torture. “[The indictment] is the result of a lengthy investigation and reflects the SPO’s determination that it can prove all of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” the release said. The Office filed the indictments on April 24. A Kosovo Specialist Chamber pre-trial judge will decide whether to confirm the charges after reviewing the indictment. The Kosovo Specialist Chamber and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office were formally established in 2016 as a Kosovo court based in the Netherlands. It operates under Kosovo law but is funded by the European Union and staffed by international judges and prosecutors. The announcement Wednesday came three days before Thaci and Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti were scheduled to visit the White House for a summit with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Serbia and Kosovo, tweeted Wednesday that Thaci canceled his Washington trip.Hoti and Vucic will still attend, he wrote.We look forward to Saturday’s discussions which will be led by President Vucic and Prime Minister Hoti. https://t.co/j7KhhfbQX1
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) FILE – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at a news conference in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 12, 2020.Speaking about the upcoming White House talks, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called it an opportunity to restart dialogue between all parties by “making a real effort to find a political solution for the situation in Kosovo.” “And of course we would strongly welcome the resumption of talks between Belgrade and Pristina to try to find a solution. It is not for NATO or any other countries to dictate the outcome. But the fact that they meet is at least an encouraging first step to the resumption of talks,” Stoltenberg said in response to questions from VOA’s Serbian Service. He stressed that NATO has good relations with both sides. The Western Alliance also has a long history in the Balkans, helping to end wars in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in Kosovo, noted Stoltenberg. VOA’s Serbian Service contributed to this report.
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Dismissing Coronavirus Fears, Moscow Opens Up for Business…and a Military Parade
Russia has held its long awaited celebrations to mark the end of World War Two, with the Kremlin dismissing concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic to hold a grand military parade on Red Square. As Charles Maynes reports from Moscow, it’s not the only sign of Moscow opening up.
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Twitter Tackles Violent Upsurge Against Women in Lockdown
Twitter has launched a new prompt to fight gender-based violence in response to a surge in sexual assaults and domestic attacks during lockdown, a company official said on Wednesday.
The social network said the feature, currently available in 11 countries, directs users to local helpline services if they search for terms such as “domestic violence” or “sexual assault.”
“This is the first time that this notification prompt has been made available in multiple locations in multiple languages,” said Kathleen Reen, a senior director of Twitter in Asia-Pacific.
The prompt was introduced across Asia last week, then expanded to the United States on Wednesday, with notifications in English and Spanish. Next step: Europe and Latin America.
“Twitter is a very popular service during crisis. People come to find out what’s happening, what’s breaking and to get key information on real-time basis,” Reen told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The initiative came after the United Nations warned there had been a “horrifying global surge” in domestic violence, with calls to helplines doubling or tripling in some countries, as lockdowns trapped many women indoors with their abusers.
The feature is an expansion of Twitter’s #ThereIsHelp initiative, which provides similar notifications on issues such as suicide prevention and vaccinations.
U.N. chief Antonio Guterres has called on governments to take urgent measures to tackle the spike in domestic violence and make it a part of national response plans for COVID-19.
More than 240 million women and girls aged 15 to 49 worldwide have faced sexual or physical violence by an intimate partner over the past 12 months, U.N. figures show.
It says the figure is likely to increase due to health and money worries ratcheting up tensions at home.
“Violence against women and girls across Asia-Pacific is pervasive but at the same time widely under-reported,” said Melissa Alvarado, a manager at the U.N. Women Asia-Pacific, which partners with Twitter on the latest feature.
“Connecting women who are feeling fearful or in danger is critical for their safety,” she added in a statement.
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Some States Break Virus Records as US Caseload Grows Anew
Coronavirus hospitalizations and caseloads hit new highs in over a half-dozen states as signs of the virus’ resurgence mounted, with newly confirmed infections nationwide back near their peak level of two months ago.
After trending downward for six weeks, the U.S. caseload has been growing again for over a week, particularly in the South and West. Some 34,700 new cases were reported nationwide Tuesday, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University. The number was higher than any other day except April 9 and the record-setting date of April 24, when 36,400 cases were logged.
While new cases have been declining steadily in early U.S. hot spots such as New York and New Jersey, several other states set single-day case records Tuesday, including Arizona, California, Mississippi, Nevada and Texas. Some of them also broke hospitalization records, as did North Carolina and South Carolina.
“The question of how we’re doing as a nation is: We’re not doing so well. How are we doing as a state? Not doing so well,” said Dr. Jeffrey Smith, the county executive in Santa Clara County, California, home to Silicon Valley. Nearly 5,600 people have died of the virus in California, the most populous state.VOA Graphic COVID-19 Cases June 2020Cases are also surging in some other parts of the world. India reported a record daily increase of nearly 16,000 new cases. Mexico, where testing rates have been low, also set a record with more than 6,200 new cases.
But China appears to have tamed a new outbreak in Beijing, once again demonstrating its ability to quickly mobilize its vast resources by testing nearly 2.5 million people in 11 days.
In the U.S., the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told Congress that the next few weeks are critical to tamping down the surge and that people should avoid crowds or at least wear masks in them.
Hours later, President Donald Trump rallied hundreds of young conservatives in a megachurch in Arizona as the state reported a record 3,600 new infections.
Ahead of the event, the Democratic mayor of Phoenix, Kate Gallego, made clear that she did not believe the speech could be safely held in her city, and she urged the president to wear a face mask. He did not. Trump has refused to wear a mask in public, turning it into a conservative-vs.-liberal issue.
In China, an outbreak that has infected more than 200 people in the capital this month appeared to be waning. China on Wednesday reported 12 cases, down from 22 the day before. Beijing reported seven new cases, down from 13.
Officials in Beijing said they tested more than 2.4 million people between June 12 and June 22. That’s more than 10% of the capital’s population of about 20 million.
Authorities began testing people in and around food markets, then expanded the initiative to restaurant staff and the city’s 100,000 delivery workers. China also said it used data to find people who had been near markets for testing. It did not elaborate.
South Korea, which tamed its first wave of infections, is seeing another rise — this time in the Seoul region, where most South Koreans live. Authorities reported 51 cases Wednesday. The country has reported 40 to 50 new cases a day over the past two weeks.
In India, with a population of more than 1.3 billion, the capital city of New Delhi is a rising concern, with the government criticizing its poor contact tracing and a lack of hospital beds. India has reported more than 450,000 cases of the virus, including more than 14,000 deaths.
Mexico reported nearly 800 new deaths on Wednesday. The country has recorded more than 190,000 cases and over 23,000 deaths, though officials acknowledge both are undercounts because of extremely low testing rates. Mexico has performed about half a million tests, or one for every 250 inhabitants.
In Europe, countries are both easing and increasing restrictions as the outbreaks evolve. Slovenia reintroduced mandatory use of face masks in public transportation and other enclosed public spaces after cases spiked in recent days, while Belgium said theaters and swimming pools could reopen next month. Infections there have nosedived over the past two months.
In Africa, African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief John Nkengasong said the outbreak is “picking up speed very quickly,” with a steep increase in cases and deaths as more countries loosen lockdowns. Africa has seen nearly 325,000 cases and over 8,600 deaths.
Worldwide, more than 9.2 million people have been confirmed infected, and close to a half-million have died, by Johns Hopkins’ count.
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Taiwan Announces Aid Plan for Hong Kongers Who Have Fled to Taiwan
Taiwan announced recently a plan to use state funds to help Hong Kong protesters who have fled to Taiwan out of fear of prosecution at home. FILE – Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen speaks in Taipei, in this handout picture taken May 20, 2020, by the Taiwan Presidential office.Chen said the office will open on July 1 and operate under the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Cooperation Council. Only individuals who have already fled to Taiwan for political reasons can receive the benefits. The June 18 move was widely expected after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen issued a directive on May 27, saying the island will create a plan to support Hong Kongers. Her directive immediately followed China’s approval of a draft national security law for Hong Kong. Political asylum in line with law Since Taiwan does not have a political asylum law, Chen said the humanitarian aid project will function under the authority of Article 18 of the Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong and Macau Affairs. The article states that “necessary assistance shall be provided to Hong Kong or Macau residents whose safety and liberty are immediately threatened for political reasons.” Chen stressed that the move is not a rescue plan, but a show of support for the people of Hong Kong. “It will provide humanitarian assistance and care for Hong Kongers on a case-by-case basis in line with the existing law,” he said. Experts say that restricting the assistance to persons already in Taiwan shows the government’s balanced position on Hong Kong; that is, it provides practical support for the protesters while avoiding touching China’s internal affairs. Statistics produced by Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency show that 681 Hong Kong residents applied to reside in Taiwan at the height of last year’s pro-democracy protests in June and July. That was 45% more than in the same period in 2018. China’s Taiwan Affairs Council reacted strongly on Friday. “The so-called aid project of the DPP authorities once again exposed its political plot to intervene in Hong Kong affairs and undermine Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability,” said council spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian. She added that “the conspiracy of Taiwan and Hong Kong independence to destroy [the] ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework and split the country will never succeed.” Civic groups welcome move A joint statement by several civic groups, including Taipei-based Hong Kong Outlanders and the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, applauded the move. “We hope to work together with the Taiwan government on the humanitarian assistance project,” the statement said. Daniel, who stormed into Hong Kong’s Legislative Council during a pro-democracy protest last July and subsequently fled to Taiwan, said that he’s pleased with the Taiwan government’s move. A Hong Konger, he asked not to use his full name for fear of retaliation from Beijing. Fearing Arrest for Pro-democracy Activity in Hong Kong, Protestor Flees to Taiwan Some 200 Hong Kongers have opted for exile rather than face arrest, charges and possible prison sentences as China tightens its grip on their home “This is a big milestone,” he said. “In the past, Hong Kong protesters can only resort to private organizations and NGOs for help.” Daniel also called on the Taiwan government to be cautious in deciding who is eligible for the assistance. He said no Hong Kongers would want to see outside forces taking advantage of the project to infiltrate Taiwan. Tsai reaffirmed her commitment to support Hong Kong on Thursday. Referring to the special aid project in a Facebook post, Tsai wrote that “the nation will continue to employ institutional power to provide Hong Kongers with practical support and assistance.”台灣援港專案，即刻啟動！
今天陸委會正式公布 #香港人道援助關懷行動專案，未來對於香港朋友的居留、安置、照顧，都會透過陸委會跨部會協調，整合民間力量公私協力來執行。
從今年7月1日開始， #台港服務交流辦公室…Posted by 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday, June 18, 2020China’s state media Xinhua Agency said China has finished drafting the new security law for Hong Kong and that it was submitted to the standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Thursday. The bill covers four categories of crimes — succession, subversion of state power, local terrorist activities and collaborating with foreign or external foreign forces to endanger national security. Those categories were not further defined.
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ICC Prosecutor Hopes War Crimes Trial Will Help Break Cycle of Violence’ in Sudan
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor hopes the trial of an alleged Sudanese war criminal Ali Kushayb which began this month will help break the cycle of violence’ in Sudan. In a one-on-one interview with VOA’s Salem Solomon, the chief prosecutor says the proceedings are a signal to war criminals that they cannot escape justice.Produced by: Salem Solomon
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