Taiwan has registered 22 newly arrived foreign journalists so far this year, including some barred from working in China, a political rival of Taipei, which lures them with media freedoms.The journalists registered “because we provide for freedom of speech and press and respect these rights in practice,” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Thursday in a statement for VOA. China monitors journalists, censors the internet and expelled several American reporters earlier this year.Seven of the 22 had been based before in China, excluding Hong Kong, including some who were expelled from Beijing in March over published content that the Chinese government resented. The expelled journalists had worked for The New York Times and Wall Street Journal.“As a result of the expulsion order by the Chinese government, we have relocated some affected correspondents in various locations in the region, including Taipei,” said Danielle Rhoades Ha, New York Times Co. communications vice president.China and Taiwan struggle to get along. Each is self-ruled, but China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and it has threatened use of force to make the two sides unify.Covering ChinaForeign correspondents normally prefer a Beijing base as a news hub for Chinese government announcements and major diplomatic events. Reporters in Taiwan would have to cover China using internet tools and occasional travel, as allowed.Both locations are in the same time zone and a flight from Taiwan to China takes as little as 80 minutes. Flights from Taipei to major cities in Southeast Asia take two to four hours each. Japan and South Korea are each about three hours away.“Even when they’re away from China, they can still do a lot of research interviews on the internet,” said Ku Lin-lin, associate journalism professor at National Taiwan University.Reporters in China risk being tracked by police and sometimes detained as they work on politically sensitive stories. The Communist Party and Chinese government agencies “have long sought to influence public debate and media coverage” of their country “through obstruction of foreign correspondents,” the Freedom House advocacy group said in a study this year. The past 10 years have seen a “dramatic expansion in efforts to shape media content,” the study says.Chinese authorities sometimes secretly assign people to follow foreign correspondents, said George Hou, mass communications lecturer at I-Shou University in Taiwan.“They will assign some people to supervise you or to monitor you,” Hou said.As a democracy, Taiwan legally allows reporters to cover any topic and interview anyone. The 2020 Freedom House report on global freedom ranks Taiwan among the freest places in Asia.“It wants to present itself as a value-based country and the values around democracy and human rights have been articulated, and not just for itself,” said James Gomez, regional director at the Bangkok-based think tank Asia Center.“I think it also wants to set an example for others, so it kind of wants to walk the talk,” he said.A total of 114 journalists from 68 foreign media outlets are now based in Taiwan.Hong Kong risksMedia outlets that focus on Asia news traditionally station Asia correspondents in Hong Kong, Bangkok or Singapore, except for those covering Japan or the Koreas, Gomez said. Those three cities are likely to stay ahead of Taiwan, he said, although reporters shy away from covering Thailand or Singapore when based there – in line with those governments’ expectations.Foreign reporters in Hong Kong risk being denied visas by a new national security unit under the Chinese territory’s Immigration Department, media outlets in the territory have reported.“You could be ousted anytime,” said Cedric Alviani, East Asia bureau director with the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders. “Your visa renewal might be denied. This is a major threat for the stability of the operation.”However, many people in Taiwan lack the English skills and widespread international awareness that have drawn journalists to places such as Hong Kong and Singapore, Ku said. And Taiwan may need new legislation to smooth the legal process for media outlets hoping to open news bureaus, Gomez said.Reporters covering China from Taiwan will eventually find their work hobbled by lack of face-to-face encounters with sources in China unless they visit the other side periodically, Ku added. Those without Chinese visas would need to apply for them outside Taiwan, which lacks Chinese consular services, and risk being rejected.
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Month: August 2020
March on Washington to Focus on Police Violence
The U.S. capital is the site of another March on Washington on Friday, 57 years after the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom during which Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have A Dream” speech.This year’s march follows months of demonstrations about police violence against Black people. The protests were ignited by the death in May of George Floyd, a Black man, who died who died while in police custody in Minneapolis, a city in the Midwestern state of Minnesota.Floyd’s death has come to symbolize the long history of deaths of Black people in the U.S. while in police custody or being apprehended by the police.Friday’s event has been dubbed the Get Your Knee Off Our Necks March, a reference to Floyd’s death.Earlier this week, a police officer shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man in Kenosha, a city in the U.S. Midwestern state of Wisconsin. Blake is now paralyzed from the waist down.Friday’s event was organized by the Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, Martin Luther King III, and other organizations, including the NAACP, the country’s oldest civil rights organization, as well as the Hispanic Federation, the National Urban League, and other civil rights groups and unions.The event will begin on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and hours later demonstrators will march to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.Speakers will include lawmakers and relatives of people who have died due to police violence.Originally, up to 100,000 people were expected to attend Friday, but estimates have been lowered to about 50,000, according to a permit issued by the National Park Service this week.COVID-19, which has affected every aspect of life, has also affected Friday’s event. Organizers say everyone’s temperatures will be checked. Also, there will be 200 hand-sanitizing stations, and everyone will be required to wear a face mask.Sharpton’s organization canceled several chartered buses from states with high COVID-19 rates, as Washington has imposed a two-week quarantine for people entering the city from these states, including Florida, Georgia and Texas.People attending the event will be sectioned off into areas where they will be able to maintain appropriate social distances while they watch and listen to activities on Jumbotron screens.
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Nigeria Delays Saturday’s Planned Restart of International Flights
Nigeria on Thursday postponed the resumption of international flights for another week. The flights had been set to resume Saturday.The flights have been suspended for five months as part of anti-coronavirus efforts. The Aviation Ministry posted a tweet Thursday expressing regret for delaying the flight restart, but no explanation was given for the move.Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said earlier this week that the resumption of international flights was justified after there were no in-flight infections following the July 8 restoration of domestic flights.Sirika said the recommencement of flights comes with steps to make sure progress in containing the virus is not comprised at airports.The country wants passengers to take a coronavirus test on departure and pay for another on entering the country.The government said it would put travelers managing to skip the tests on a travel watch list.The federal government also intends to impose a $3,500 fine on airlines allowing coronavirus patients onto planes.Since its first case, an Italian arriving in February, Nigeria has recorded about 50,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths.
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Japanese Media Report Prime Minister Intends to Resign for Health Reasons
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe intends to resign for health reasons, local media reported Friday.His office has not yet confirmed the reports by national broadcaster NHK and other Japanese media. Neither did his Liberal Democratic Party.Top lawmakers and sources in his ruling Liberal Democratic Party confirmed the news. Abe announced his plan at an emergency meeting of the party.Speculation about Abe’s resignation emerged earlier this year, as he visited a Tokyo hospital in two consecutive weeks for health checkups. No details were made public at the time.Abe, 65, has acknowledged, however, having ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and said he was undergoing treatment for the condition.He is expected to give more information about his health at a news conference later Friday.On Monday, Abe became Japan’s longest serving prime minister by consecutive days in office, breaking the record of his great-uncle, Eisaku Sato, who served 2,798 days from 1964-72.Because of his second hospital visit on Monday, no festivities took place, which accelerated speculation about his possible resignation and his replacement.Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index closed down 1.5% on Friday after reports of Abe’s intentions.
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Kenyan Journalist’s Arrest Highlights Ongoing Press Freedom Concerns in Ethiopia
The arrest and alleged abuse of a Kenyan journalist working in Ethiopia is renewing scrutiny of press freedoms in the country.Kenyan journalist Collins Juma Osemo, also known as Yassin Juma, said he was in Ethiopia on assignment for the U.K.-based Sky News as a producer. Juma said his own company, Horn24 Media, also planned to film a documentary for the Oromo Broadcasting Network (OBN), an Ethiopian government affiliate in the Oromia region.In an ordeal that lasted more than two months, Juma was arrested and faced multiple charges, including inciting violence and plotting to kill senior Ethiopian officials. Juma told VOA that he contracted the coronavirus while in a detention center in Addis Ababa. He also said he broke a rib during an altercation with men he believes were security personnel after he was released on bail.Fekadu Tsega, the director at the Office of the Attorney General, on Thursday disputed Juma’s account and denied that individuals in custody are mistreated, telling VOA, “That’s not how we work.”In an interview with VOA, while in quarantine as he prepared to return home, Juma said his experience shows the press in Ethiopia continues to face severe restrictions.“All I can say is that I think maybe the world celebrated a little bit too early on the perceived changes in Ethiopia,” he said.The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent journalism advocacy group, reports that in the wake of protests following the June 29 killing of popular Oromo singer Hachalu Hundessa, Ethiopia has shut down the internet and accused some media outlets of inciting violence. The government has ordered investigations into media organizations and arrested a total of 4,700 people, Kenyan journalist Yassin Juma pictured with a group of armed men while working on a documentary about an insurgency in Ethiopia’s Oromia region. (Photo courtesy Yassin Juma)“It is of the larger Ethiopian population’s belief that something had to be done,” said Zecharias Zelalem, an Ethiopian journalist who writes about the country. “There had to be [something] done to criminalize some of these really inciting media posts.”The concern, Zecharias added, is that the government will overreach.“There is also the well-placed fear that we might go back to what was a very dark era for independent journalism, the pre-2018 era of journalism, which saw legislation used simply to crack down on any Internet, any sort of internal dissent, whether there were bloggers, journalists or just influential social media personalities,” he said.In an interview from a health center in Addis Ababa, Juma said he was arrested while Kenyan journalist Collins Juma Osemo, also known as Yassin Juma, in Ethiopia on assignment. (Photo courtesy Yassin Juma)After he was released on bail in early August and walked out of the Arada Sub City Police Station in Addis Ababa, Juma said he was approached by people who he believes were plainclothes security personnel.“All of a sudden, six armed men came with a small van and then I started, well, I started protesting,” he said. “I mean, ‘why are they stopping us? We’ve just been freed.’ And then they were stopping us. So, while we were protesting, they started now beating us. One of us was hit on the wall and then, I sustained the broken rib and my back also … We were forced into a vehicle. And they warned us not to protest or do anything or they are able to do anything to us.”The vehicle drove around the city and the men took Juma and the others back to the police station they had just been released from, and then left them there, the journalist said. He told VOA the police officers looked confused when he was returned.Juma was moved again to a crowded city jail in Addis Ababa, where he said he contracted the coronavirus.Tsega, from the Office of the Attorney General, denied security officials were involved in picking Juma up after he was released on bail. “If [Juma] is truly saying that he has been beaten and experienced harassment, let him formally report it,” Tsega said, speaking in Amharic.He said Juma was kept at the detention center for a couple of days after his bail as a quarantine measure because he tested positive for the coronavirus.On August 20, following efforts by the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Correspondents’ Association of East Africa and other international groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, Juma was moved to an isolated health facility to recuperate. He said he expects to return to Kenya this week.Update on the situation of Yassin Juma: The FCAEA has learned Juma has contracted Covid-19 while being detained by Ethiopian authorities. Juma is still being held despite a court ordering his release more than a week ago. #freeyassinjuma#JournalismIsNotACrimepic.twitter.com/HwxZT1ZONK— FCAEA (@FCAEA) August 14, 2020This is not the first time Juma has faced pressure from the government. He was accused of working with a rebel group in Ethiopia’s Oromia region a decade ago while working on a documentary about the insurgency in the region.“Part of me coming back to Ethiopia was to do a documentary of my return to Ethiopia after the perceived changes two years ago,” he said. “After I was banned, I was actually labeled a terrorist 10 years ago.”While Juma’s ordeal appears to be drawing to a close, questions linger about how existing laws might be used in the future to target journalists.“We’re just sort of distancing ourselves,” Zecharias said. “The country is still distancing itself from the era of authoritarianism. It is hard to say for certain whether these laws will be implemented with the fairness that Ethiopian people and Ethiopian journalists deserve.”Horn of Africa Amharic Service’s Meleskachew Amiha contributed to this report from Addis Ababa.
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Former Mali President Returns Home after Being Released by Junta
Former Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is back home in the capital of Bamako Friday, a day after being released from a military base in Kita.The National Committee for the Salvation of the People (NCSP) detained Keita during a military coup d’état last week, and he announced his resignation a short time later.During his detention Keita was reported to have said he was not forced from office, and does not want to return to office, but wants a speedy return to a democratically elected government.The United Nations, along with The Economic Community of West African States, had called for the safe release of Keita, who is also known as President IBK.The NCSP said it is seeking to set up a council to oversee the general elections as soon as possible in order to appoint a transitional president.
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Ambassador from Riga: Without an Independent Latvia, His Job Wouldn’t Exist
Maris Selga has served as Latvia’s ambassador to the United States since September 2019.He began his diplomatic career in 1994. Prior to Washington, Selga served in various diplomatic posts, including in Denmark and Egypt, most recently as Latvia’s top diplomat stationed in the People’s Republic of China.He discussed the situation in Belarus in a recent written interview with VOA.VOA: How do Latvians feel about what’s happening in Belarus?Selga: Latvians are deeply concerned about the situation in Belarus. The government has called for a peaceful and lawful resolution of the current crisis while emphasizing that the use of force against peaceful protesters is unacceptable. The leadership of Latvia and members of Saeima (parliament) have joined their counterparts in other European countries to call for a peaceful resolution and condemn violence against peaceful demonstrators. Additionally, the government has agreed to strengthen Belarusian civil society by allocating 150,000 euros ($174,000) to it.The “Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation” along with the civil society organization “MARTA Center” in cooperation with NGOs working in Belarus, will provide legal, psychological [counseling], other medical and practical assistance to victims of human rights abuse that occurred after the August 9 election, as well as assist with documenting the abuse. Additionally, “MARTA Center” will provide qualification-enhancing training to Belarusian psychologists. Meanwhile the “Baltic Centre for Media Excellence” will implement projects that support independent media in Belarus.Latvian society has been following the crisis closely. Many have expressed support for the people of Belarus, including by organizing various peaceful protests.Belarus is and will remain an important neighbor and Latvia will continue to maintain friendly neighborly relations with the people of Belarus.VOA: Is Belarus facing an entirely different set of challenges than Latvia due to its geographic position?Selga: It is difficult to speculate about the role of our geographic position. Achieving independence was not easy and many Latvian’s sacrificed their lives for Latvia to be the free and democratic country it is today.Watching the situation unfold in Belarus, Latvians can once again feel reassured and grateful to live in a free and democratic country, where the elections are fair and free. This unfortunate crisis highlights the importance of human rights, including the freedom of expression, and the rule of law. It is a reminder to all Latvians about how fortunate we are to not have to face the challenges Belarusian society is currently dealing with.VOA: Why does Belarus matter?Selga: Like all people, the people of Belarus deserve to live in a democratic country, with fair elections, where human rights are respected. It is vital to support people striving for democracy and condemn the use of force and violence against peaceful demonstrators.A positive development of relations between the EU and Belarus is only possible through observing fundamental democratic rights and freedoms. Latvia, being a neighbor to Belarus, is interested in such a development.VOA: What would it take for Belarus to join the “western,” democratic camp – what will it take for the “Baltic Way” to work its miracles in Belarus?Selga: It’s important to note that the tools to achieve such a “miracle” are already available to Belarus. International norms and regulations serve as an important guide for such processes to take place. For example, Belarus is a member of the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe], and the OSCE’s principles, if implemented, provide support for democratization. Also, the OSCE provides election observation, which Belarus should utilize in the current situation.Right now, it is vital that the Belarusian Government and law enforcement authorities respect civil liberties of Belarusian people and their right to freely express their political opinion. The use of force against peaceful protesters is unacceptable.The elections of 9 August 2020 were neither free nor fair. To resolve the situation, new presidential elections should be held, organized by a new Belarusian election commission and in the presence of international observers.VOA: What prevented Belarus from joining the democratic camp at the time Latvia did?Selga: This is a difficult question that is better posed to Belarus. Of course, we wish that Belarus would have followed Latvia down the road to democracy. There are some historical and cultural differences between our countries that may have played a role. Latvia was a free and democratic country from its conception in 1918 and, unlike Belarus, had the fortune to remain free and independent for more than twenty years. Latvia also continued to exist de jure throughout the Soviet occupation. Once independence was restored, Latvia reinstated its constitution of 1922, which upheld the values of Western democracy and the rule of law. Further, throughout history in terms of culture and cooperation, Latvians have been more aligned with Europe than with Russia. Additionally, soon after independence was restored, Latvia strived to join the European Union and NATO, which further motivated society and government to fully implement the values of democracy and human rights.VOA: What are the potential scenarios out of the current situation? The best, the worst, the so-so? And what does each scenario/potential outcome mean for Latvia?Selga: I would like to focus on the best scenario and not speculate on other outcomes – right now, we wish to see a new presidential election in Belarus, organized by a new Belarusian election commission and in the presence of international observers.VOA: What is the Ambassador’s relationship with his counterparts from Belarus and Russia like, compared to ambassadors from other Baltic and European countries?Selga: As an ambassador, I try to keep an open dialogue with all of my colleagues. Of course, it is very easy to work with colleagues who share the same priorities and have many of the same positions. In the case of the European Union, we prioritize having unified positions whenever possible and we share the same fundamental values, most of which are also enshrined in our respective national legislation. With both my Belarusian and Russian colleagues, I aim to keep an open dialogue and am always open to meet and discuss matters. I make it clear when our views and values don’t align, but I am always open to having conversations, even if they are difficult.VOA: How influential are EU sanctions?Selga: The targeted individual sanctions are against Belarusian officials responsible for falsifying presidential elections in Belarus and exerting excessive force against peaceful protesters in the streets of Belarusian cities.It is important to hold these officials responsible and sanctions are a tool through which we can do so.It is too early to judge how influential they will be, but I am hopeful they will motivate these and other officials to uphold human rights and the principles of democracy.VOA: What more can the EU and the US do?Selga: It is important that we continue to follow [monitor] the crisis, pressure the authorities to uphold human rights, including through the use of targeted sanctions, and express support to the people of Belarus as they strive towards freedom and democracy. Further, it is vital to expand support to civil society in Belarus.VOA: Can the Ambassador share with us where he was at the time of the Baltic Way? How did events then influence the Ambassador’s life and career choices? Is the Baltic Way still much talked about in Latvia, say in textbooks/at schools, also by parents to their kids?Selga: The time of the Baltic Way and the entire independence movement in Latvia laid the cornerstone for the country we have today. My family, friends and I were involved, but so was the majority of Latvian society.The movement was fueled by Latvians from all regions of Latvia, everyone came together for the same goal – a free and independent Latvia. Latvians continue to remember this and learn about it from family and in school.We are also grateful to the efforts of our Latvian diaspora abroad who advocated for Latvia’s independence all throughout the Soviet occupation and helped fuel the independence movement from abroad.In the United States, the Sumner Welles declaration of 1940, which condemned the forced annexation and occupation of the Baltics, was especially monumental in acknowledging the Soviet Union’s forced incorporation of the Baltic States and their legitimate strive for independence.Undoubtedly, if not for the independence movement as a whole, not only would I not be an ambassador, there perhaps would be no Latvia and no Latvian ambassadors. We all serve our country, whether as ambassadors or through other vocations. Above all, I am grateful that I can serve an independent and free Latvia.
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In Belarus Crisis, Latvians See Echos of Their Own Independence Struggle
The people in Latvia have been closely following the crisis in Belarus, their neighboring country to the southeast, and “are deeply concerned about the situation,” Maris Selga, Latvia’s ambassador to the United States, said in an Maris Selga has served as Latvia’s ambassador to the United States since September 2019. (Photo courtesy Latvia Embassy)Latvia, along with its Baltic Sea neighbors Estonia and Lithuania, regained its independence with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the memory of that time remains strong in families and in schools.“The time of the Baltic Way and the entire independence movement in Latvia laid the cornerstone for the country we have today,” Selga said. The Baltic Way refers to the peaceful united front put up by the people of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to successfully demand a restoration of their sovereignty.Recalling that critical time, Selga said, “Everyone came together for the same goal — a free and independent Latvia.”He added that the support of the international community — including support from the overseas Latvian community — was also critical to his nation’s regaining its freedom.“We are also grateful for the efforts of our Latvian diaspora abroad who advocated for Latvia’s independence all throughout the Soviet occupation and helped fuel the independence movement from abroad.”One action taken by the American government in 1940 stood out, Selga said. “The Sumner Welles Declaration of 1940, which condemned the forced annexation and occupation of the Baltics, was monumental.”The declaration, initially a one-page press statement issued by then-Acting Secretary of State Benjamin Sumner Welles, rejected the legitimacy of the Soviet Union’s annexation of the three Baltic states and laid a foundation of moral support for the Latvians and their neighbors.The nation’s appreciation was formalized in 2012 when the street that runs by the American embassy in Latvia’s capital city was named after Sumner Welles.“Watching the situation unfold in Belarus, Latvians can once again feel reassured and grateful to be living in a free and democratic country,” Selga said, adding that the unrest now unfolding in Belarus “highlights the importance of human rights, including the freedom of expression, and the rule of law.”Selga says his country’s leadership and members of its parliament, known as the Saeima, have joined their counterparts in other European countries to call for a peaceful resolution of the Belarus protests and to condemn violence against peaceful demonstrators. Many citizens have expressed support for the people of Belarus, including by organizing various peaceful protests.Latvia has also gathered and allocated resources to help the people of Belarus.Expanding support to civil society in Belarus “is vital,” the ambassador said. To that end, Latvia has put aside more than $175,000 for legal, medical, counseling and other practical assistance to “victims of human rights abuse that occurred after the August 9 election, as well as assisting with documenting the abuse.”Belarus “is and will remain an important neighbor” and Latvia will continue to maintain friendly neighborly relations with the people of Belarus, Selga said.“If not for the independence movement as a whole, not only would I not be an ambassador, there perhaps would be no Latvia and no Latvian ambassadors” anywhere, he reckoned.“We all serve our country, whether as ambassadors or through other vocations. Above all, I am grateful that I can serve an independent and free Latvia.”Selga was appointed Latvia’s ambassador to the United States in August 2019. He began his diplomatic career in 1994. Previously, Selga served in various diplomatic posts, including in Denmark and Egypt, most recently as Latvia’s top diplomat stationed in the People’s Republic of China.
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US Sale of F-16s to Taiwan May Inflame China, then Help Cool Things Off
Taiwan’s agreement this month to buy $8 billion worth of advanced F-16 fighter jets from the United States will prompt threats from China against the island and in turn spark more anti-China action by Washington, but eventually help keep Beijing at bay, experts say.U.S. President Donald Trump approved the sale a year ago of at least 66 late-model jets and this month Taiwan signed an agreement to buy them from by 2026 from American defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. It will be Taiwan’s first such deal since the U.S. government approved a sale of 150 F-16s in 1992.Downward-spiraling relationsThe current sale marks the latest development in downward-spiraling Sino-U.S. military, political and trade relations. As part of that trend, the U.S. side has buoyed China’s old political rival Taiwan since 2017 through arms sales and naval activity aimed at safeguarding the island, which is just 160 kilometers off the Chinese coast.“Given everything that has happened between Beijing and Washington, I think the Chinese feel that this is just another measure that [the] Trump administration has held up of their anti-China trend,” said Yun Sun, East Asia Program senior associate at the Stimson Center, a research organization in Washington.Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory and insists that the two sides eventually unify despite widespread opposition among Taiwanese people. The dispute goes back to the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, when the Nationalists lost to the Communists and re-based their government in Taiwan. China, armed with the world’s third-strongest military, has not ruled out use of force if needed to take over Taiwan.Separately, the U.S. and China have blocked each other’s internet services, shuttered consulates and, since 2018, been embroiled in a trade dispute. The arms sale is part of that struggle, experts say.“Whenever the U.S. and Taiwan do something together, China is obligated to respond and that response naturally is going to escalate the tension, because that’s the action-reaction cycle,” Sun said.Military maneuversChina has stepped up military maneuvers near Taiwan since June. On August 10, the Chinese air force briefly sent planes across a median line dividing Taiwan’s air defense zone from China’s. It had flown over the line at least eight other times in June.China’s People’s Liberation Army has held amphibious landing exercises off the south coast of China too “at a time when the U.S. has been frequently conducting provocative military activities near the island of Taiwan,” Beijing’s state-controlled Global Times news website reported August 9. It anticipated more exercises over the coming weeks.“The U.S. should be warned and should not make dangerous moves to avoid misjudgments that neither side would like to see,” the Global Times said, citing analysts.U.S. Navy vessels pass all but routinely through the ocean strait separating China from Taiwan, and two U.S. aircraft carrier groups sailed into the adjacent South China Sea last month.Taiwan’s purchase of the F-16s shows that Washington is determined to keep pressuring China, said Sean King, vice president of the Park Strategies political consultancy in New York. The U.S. military has offered support in recent months for Vietnam and the Philippines as well, as both Southeast Asian countries vie with China over maritime sovereignty.’So much frustration’“There’s just so much frustration in Washington with Beijing right now that nobody in the Trump administration is ready to stand in the way of whatever’s good for Taiwan,” King said.China has been used to a closer economic relationship with the United States and settling political issues through diplomacy. Its “recent behavior” may mark a “new era in Chinese foreign policy, one that reflects the country’s growing strength and ambitions,” Council on Foreign Relations’ president Richard Haass writes in an August 13 commentary.However, China can do only so much in reaction to the fighter jet sale and other specific military moves by Washington, analysts say.The U.S. activity reminds China that Washington could protect Taiwan if attacked, Sun said.Communist officials would act “bluntly” against Taiwan only if they had a stronger consensus within their ruling party and freedom from domestic economic issues, including trade issues with the United States, said Alexander Huang, strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan.“I believe a rational decision-making body or a relatively rational [Chinese President] Xi Jinping would not like to take the risk unless there is an overwhelming challenge from Taiwan,” Huang said.Chinese officials have vented less vociferously this time compared to their reactions to previous U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, King said.“That could be because Beijing’s taking so many hits from Washington at the moment that it’s not quite sure which perceived outrage to prioritize,” he said.
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5 Former US CDC Directors say Coronavirus Response has been Co-opted by Politics
During a novel coronavirus pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 170,000 Americans, five former directors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control have been asking, “Where is the CDC?” The former directors say the CDC’s response to the pandemic has fallen short and that its traditional lead role has been sidelined. VOA’s Carol Pearson reports.
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Louisiana Residents Assess Hurricane Laura Damage as First Responders Get to Work
As a shell-shocked Gulf Coast region began to assess the damage from Hurricane Laura, the downgraded Category 4 storm bolted north out of Louisiana Thursday, leaving in its wake snapped tree trunks, leveled neighborhoods, shattered buildings and more than 875,000 people without power.Winds above 240 kph barreled off the Gulf of Mexico into the 80,000-person city of Lake Charles, making it the most powerful hurricane to hit Louisiana since 1856.And while the hurricane proved less lethal and destructive than state and local officials at first feared Wednesday evening, a video posted on the internet showed the storm knocking a full-size RV on its side.First responders reported winds peeling the roof off the casino they were being staged in overnight. Trees were thrown into homes and blocked major roads, and a riverboat that became unmoored was pushed into the supports holding up an interstate freeway.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 6 MB480p | 8 MB540p | 11 MB720p | 24 MB1080p | 46 MBOriginal | 50 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioThe historic hurricane killed at least six people, according to the Associated Press, following warnings from authorities in Texas and Louisiana of “unsurvivable” flooding and catastrophic winds.Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said, “It is clear that we did not sustain and suffer the absolute, catastrophic damage that we thought was likely.”Louisiana is likely to continue to see tropical storm-level wind and rain throughout Friday. But as residents and first responders began surveying the damage early Thursday afternoon, it was clear that many Louisianians will require months if not longer to rebuild from the impact of this storm.”We haven’t seen this kind of crisis before,” said Todd Terrell, founder and president of United Cajun Navy, a Louisiana-based group of volunteers who assist in the aftermath of disasters around the United States.Terrell explained to VOA that a convergence of preexisting conditions — including a damaged economy, tense race relations, and a global coronavirus pandemic — are making the early response to Laura’s damage especially challenging.COVID-19 makes everything differentTerrell said COVID-19, in particular, has made a difficult situation even worse.”It’s not just a matter of worrying if the person you’re rescuing on your small boat has a virus,” he said. “But it’s also about making sure people are spaced apart when we’re giving them supplies or food. Most importantly for us, though, our volunteer numbers are a lot lower than we’re used to.”When Hurricane Florence hit North and South Carolina in 2018, the United Cajun Navy counted more than 1,000 volunteers in the first two days after the storm. In contrast, as of Thursday afternoon, Terrell estimated there were between 150 and 200 taking part in rescue efforts in southwestern Louisiana.The reason, he explained, is that a lot of his volunteers are connected to the military.”They either can’t be around big groups because the military won’t let them, or they’re retired and older, so it’s not safe for them during a pandemic. No matter the reason, though, we need more volunteers fast.”The first dayAnother thing making the aftermath of Hurricane Laura different from other recent storms is that it appears much of the destruction to heavily populated areas is a result of wind instead of water damage.”United Cajun Navy is kind of known for using boats to rescue people during disasters, but they’re not quite as important this time around,” Terrell explained. “Day One has been about finding people who are missing and getting supplies to those who need them.”United Cajun Navy sent 125,000 pounds of supplies on the first day — mostly snacks and water — but also items like diapers.”When you come back and find your house is destroyed, those are the kind of supplies you need right away,” said Terrell, who expects more residents will return to survey the damage over the weekend.That’s the plan for Victor Daigle, who decided with his family to evacuate from their home in Westlake, which borders Lake Charles, and go to his grandmother’s home outside of the storm’s path.As of late Wednesday, they thought they would stay put.”You see so many hurricanes and tropical storms that don’t do anything. We figured we were OK to stay,” Daigle explained. “But then when it strengthened to a Category 4 — we’ve got two kids, so, it was time to go.”The things that matterOne of those children, Ellis, is less than a month old. He was born premature and was released from the hospital less than a week ago.”My wife and I are eager to see the damage to our home,” Daigle admitted, “but we’ve seen pictures of Lake Charles and Westlake, and I don’t think it’s safe to drive around at the moment. There are trees everywhere.”Many of the roads are littered with fallen trees and other debris. A large stretch of the interstate has been shut down because of a hurricane-caused chemical fire at a nearby plant. The fire prompted the governor to advise all residents to shelter in place with doors and windows closed.This is not possible for many residents of southwest Louisiana, including Daigle and his family.”Most people who evacuated know at least one person who was crazy and decided to stay,” he said. “So, it’s pretty common for people to go send a text or go online and say, ‘Hey, can you check out my place and make sure everything’s OK?'”Daigle said his friend sent him a picture that showed two large uprooted trees in his front yard, and a large pine tree that had fallen on top of his house.”Yeah, that kind of got me when I saw that picture,” he said.The Daigles moved into the home two years ago. Victor, a carpenter, has been doing most of the renovations on his own.”We finally got it looking beautiful, and now there’s a tree laying across the roof,” he said. “Who knows what kind of damage that’s caused to our house and how long it’s going to take to fix.”But Daigle said when he and his wife stopped to talk about it, it’s easy to see how lucky they are.“No matter what’s wrong with the roof, or the house, or whatever — that can be fixed,” he said. “My family’s still with me, and that’s the only thing that matters. Everything that’s important is still here.”
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Malawi Sees Increase in Pregnancies, Early Marriage in School-age Girls
Malawi has one of the highest rates of early marriage and teenage pregnancy in the world, with about half of girls marrying before the age of 18, according to government records. Aid groups say the coronavirus pandemic’s closing of schools has worsened the trend.A 17-year-old girl from the Phalombe district, who asked not to be identified by name, says she became hopeless when the government closed schools in March.Like many other girls in poor rural areas, where schools provide a favorite pastime, the teen struggled to find ways to make money. “We instead resorted to go about places doing piece jobs to earn money, but when the piece jobs became scarce, I had no other option but to start a relationship with a man,” she said. Women connected with Mothers’ Group, an organization for women, talk together in Phalombe district, Malawi. (Lameck Masina/VOA)A resulting pregnancy led to another challenge after her parents kicked the primary school student out of their home. She says the problem she faces is lack of food and clothes. She says the man who impregnated her sometimes brings her food, but it is not enough. The teen is among thousands of Malawian girls who have been negatively impacted by the closure of schools because of the coronavirus pandemic. Another teenage mother says poverty is to blame for her predicament. “Many men promise to buy us things, like smartphones, shoes and clothes,” she said. “This is what lured me into having sex with a man. But he never gave me any of these.” Health servicesIn a bid to reverse the trend, the Center for Alternatives for Victimized Women and Children is encouraging youths to access sexual reproductive health services, or SRHS, which include the use of condoms. “We are conducting awareness to these youths, as well as their parents,” said Linda Alimoso, a program officer with the center. The organization says it is also empowering women’s groups, such as Mothers Group, to help children leave their marriages. “There are some girls who were married … but we have managed to withdraw them from marriage and now they are back in their homes. Because once a child is married, she rarely has a chance to proceed with education after delivery,” said Mothers Group leader Maltida Matiya. “So, we discuss with parents ways to look after the pregnant girl until she returns to school.” While the date for reopening schools remains uncertain, authorities are also urging health facilities to offer free contraceptive services to help protect girls from unintended pregnancies.
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Tanzanian Opposition Parties Allege Candidates Have Been Unfairly Disqualified
Several opposition parties in Tanzania allege that hundreds of their candidates have been dubiously disqualified from participating in the October 28 general election.The parties have called on the National Electoral Commission to address their grievances, which have been formally submitted, after lower-level election officials removed more parliamentary and councilor candidates from opposition parties than from the ruling Party of the Revolution, otherwise known as Chama Cha Mapinduzi.Benson Kigaila, deputy secretary-general of the main opposition party Chadema, said 57 of its candidates for parliament and 642 for councilor had been disqualified as of Thursday.Kigaila related the case of one candidate who requested an appeal form. Instead, the election officer locked the office and left. The candidate waited all day for the officer, who never returned.Other grievancesOther opposition candidates have raised similar complaints.Kigaila said Chadema and two other opposition parties — the Civic United Front (CUF) and ACT-Wazalendo (Alliance for Change and Transparency) — have reported the incidents to the electoral commission and called for an investigation so their candidates could be reinstated.The CUF’s presidential contender, economics professor Ibrahim Lipumba, said his party had received reports of candidates being challenged and, in some instances, robbed of their nomination forms by unknown individuals.”There are people who have been dubiously disqualified. And, in some cases, people have been attacked and their forms have been taken,” Lipumba said.The electoral commission has received complaints and expects to decide on each one by September 6, its elections director, Dr. Wilson Mahera Charles, acknowledged to VOA.”We cannot say there was sabotage until it is proven,” Mahera said. He said some applications that had been rejected “may be valid — and some applicants may have simply failed to fulfill the requirements of submitting their candidacy.”Lissu objections dismissedIn another development, the commission dismissed objections lodged by Tundu Lissu, presidential candidate for the Chadema party, against two of his rivals: incumbent President John Magufuli, who seeks a second, five-year term, and Lipumba of the CUF.The commission decided there was no merit to Lissu’s contention that his rivals’ applications were invalid.Lissu, an outspoken critic of Magufuli, returned to Tanzania late last month after nearly three years in Belgium. He had moved there in 2017 for treatment after he was shot 16 times by unknown gunmen in Dodoma.This report originated in VOA’s Swahili service.
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Record Floods Cause Deaths And Widespread Damage in Sudan
Flood waters in Sudan have reached the highest levels on record, killing dozens of people, destroying thousands of homes and encroaching on some neighborhoods of the capital Khartoum.
The flooding comes despite Ethiopia starting to fill the reservoir behind a giant new dam upstream on the Blue Nile in July. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is expected to help Sudan control future floods.
Flooding regularly hits Sudan in summer, but this year’s unprecedented water levels have left larger tracts of farmland submerged and residents around Khartoum are looking anxiously outside their homes for fear of the rising waters.
Flood waters have spilled over into major roads in Khartoum for the first time in living memory.
“The waters of the Nile flooded our house at midnight yesterday,” said Ahmed Bastawy, a resident of Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman, who stayed up all night trying to protect his house only to see some of its mud brick walls collapse.
“We have never seen flooding like this. Authorities provided us with soil and sacks, but we failed to block the waters and the houses were destroyed.”
The average level of the Blue Nile has reached 17.43 meters, the highest since the country started measuring in 1912, Irrigation Minister Yasser Abbas said on Thursday.
Blue Nile waters would continue to rise in the coming days, said Abdelrahman Sughairun, head of the ministry’s flood committee.
As of Tuesday the floods had left 86 people dead, destroyed more than 18,000 homes and damaged a further 32,000, according to the interior ministry.
The reservoir behind the GERD is expected to be gradually filled over the next few years as the dam begins to operate, though Ethiopia is yet to agree on its operating terms with downstream countries Sudan and Egypt.
“After the filling of the Renaissance Dam it’s expected that floods won’t happen,” Abbas said.
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New Study: Voting by Mail Raises Turnout, Offers No Party a Significant Advantage
A new study published this week suggests voting by mail would not bring chaos to the elections process, and could, in fact, boost turnout.Voting by mail has become something of a controversy in recent months, with the COVID-19 pandemic raising safety concerns about going to the polls, and U.S. President Donald Trump insisting voting by mail would be fraud-ridden and unfair to his Republican Party.Two political scientists, one from the University of Virginia and the other from Brigham Young University, examined the issue and FILE – A man walks by a United States Postal Service mailbox in downtown Washington, August 19, 2020.Their data showed, overall, voting by mail has a “modest positive effect on turnout,” but “no measurable effect” on how well one party did over another at the ballot box.The researchers say that for years, voting by mail has been associated with older and rural voters, who tend to skew Republican. Six states had some form of voting by mail before the coronavirus hit. Texas has what it calls “no-excuse voting by mail” available for those 65 or older. In Nebraska, counties with fewer than 10,000 people are allowed to vote by mail.The researchers say “although these systems of [voting by mail] have differences of administration, they are all consistent” in their core principles: All constituents receive their ballots before Election Day, and they all limit (and in some cases replace) in-person voting.The authors of the study write: “[Voting by mail] could offer an opportunity to, at worst, maintain historical levels of turnout or, at best, even slightly increase low levels of turnout while simultaneously not substantively advantaging one political party over the other.”
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Laura Now Tropical Storm After Starting Thursday as Category 4 Hurricane
Hurricane Laura, which slammed the Louisiana coast as a powerful Category 4, has weakened to a tropical storm but is still a dangerous and potentially deadly system.As of Thursday afternoon, Laura was inland, centered east of Shreveport, Louisiana, with top sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour. It is expected to drop up to 46 centimeters of rain in parts of Louisiana and Arkansas.A chemical fire burns at a facility during the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, Aug. 27, 2020, near Lake Charles, La.Tornadoes are also possible.At least four storm-related deaths have been reported. More than 700,000 people in Texas and Louisiana are without power, and there is widespread damage to homes and businesses.But Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Peter Gaynor says the overall damage is less than what was expected after forecasters were calling Laura a potentially catastrophic storm with an “unsurvivable” storm surge.President Donald Trump speaks during a Hurricane Laura briefing at FEMA headquarters, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. Vice President Mike Pence listens at right.Gaynor and others briefed President Donald Trump at FEMA headquarters Thursday in in Washington.Trump had already declared states of emergency in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas, and he says he plans to visit the area this weekend.Forecasters say Laura will continue to weaken to a tropical depression late Thursday as it moves further inland and away from the warm Gulf waters that made it such a powerful storm.
Heavy rains are forecast for the mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday and the mid-Atlantic on Saturday.
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Arson, Apparent Surveillance Send Chilling Message to Ukraine’s Investigative Journalists
Grainy surveillance video shows a person walking toward a car belonging to Ukrainian investigative news team Schemes moments before the vehicle ignites.Police on Wednesday arrested two suspects in connection with the August 17 fire in Brovary, a city near the capital, Kyiv, and continue to investigate, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov FILE – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy IS pictured during a news conference in Kyiv.President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on law enforcement to find the attackers quickly. He added that journalists, including his critics, should be protected.An Interior Ministry spokesperson told RFE/RL’s Radio Svoboda that police were looking for at least two other suspects in connection with the arson.In the alleged wiretap incident, police carried out a basic search but left without securing the scene, Natalie Sedletska, editor in chief of Schemes, said in a Facebook post.The post added that to prevent evidence from being damaged or tampered with, members of the news team kept vigil until police could return. Ukraine’s national police did not reply to VOA’s email requesting updates in the two investigations.Schemes showed video of the holes to independent experts who agreed they were evidence of an attempt to install a recording device. The experts differed on whether the device had been installed and later removed, or whether these marks were signs of preparation.In a statement, RFE/RL’s acting president, Daisy Sindelar, said she was distressed by the attacks.“We are relieved that no one was hurt but concerned that this incident appears aimed at intimidating RFE/RL’s reporters and contributing to a threatening environment for journalists across Ukraine,” Sindelar said, and she called for a speedy investigation.Other incidentsSchemes journalists have been targeted previously. They have been attacked, harassed and followed, and they have had personal information shared online.Local and international journalism rights groups said they thought the latest attack was an attempt to silence investigative outlets.Scott Griffen, deputy director of the International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of journalists, said investigative journalists are at risk of physical attack and intimidation through legal pressure.“The attacks and surveillance witnessed by Schemes are reflective of a wider environment in which journalists are not sufficiently protected,” he said.Describing the incidents as “blatant acts of intimidation” aimed at watchdog journalism, Griffen told VOA via email, “Unfortunately, all too often these kinds of attacks go unpunished in Ukraine, resulting in a lingering climate of impunity for attacks on the press.”The Ukrainian journalism coalition, Media for Conscious Choice, also condemned the attack in a statement, saying it was “unacceptable to monitor and interrogate journalists,” especially those reporting on high-level government corruption.Ukraine Media Leaders Sound Alarm on Oligarchical Control at Virtual VOA Town HallJournalists, media experts say Kyiv’s improved global media ratings don’t tell whole storyAttacks and pressure on journalists, particularly those investigating endemic corruption in Ukraine, is common, U.S. based research group Freedom House said. The nonprofit, which ranks Ukraine only “partly free” on its Freedom in the World Index, noted a failure by police to investigate and bring to justice those who attack or kill reporters.A fatal attack on an investigative journalist in the city of Cherkasy last year remains unsolved. Vadym Komarov, a reporter for a local publication, died from head injuries a few weeks after being found unconscious on a street. He was attacked the day after announcing on social media that he planned to publish an article on local graft, IPI reported.The press freedom group said impunity in these cases sends a signal to attackers that they will get away with their actions, which further endangers reporter safety.
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NFL Joins NBA Racial Injustice Protest
Protests against perceived racial injustice and police brutality in the wake of another police shooting of a Black man spread to the National Football League Thursday, one day after players from the National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee Bucks opted not to take part in a playoff game.
The NFL’s Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, the New York Jets and the Washington Football Team canceled practices in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in midwestern U.S. state of Wisconsin.
The shooting happened three months after George Floyd, another Black man, died in police custody in the midwestern city of Minneapolis, sparking nationwide protests.
The Jets did not immediately disclose why practice was canceled, but the Lions tweeted they called off practice “in response to the police shooting of Jason Blake” and added that, “We won’t be silent.”
The Packers tweeted: “Enough is enough. It’s time for a change.”Enough is enough.It’s time for change. pic.twitter.com/AS7wP9qz2x— Green Bay Packers (@packers) June 4, 2020And the Colts said: “THE TEAM WILL USE THE DAY TO DISCUSS AND WORK TOWARD MAKING A LASTING SOCIAL IMPACT AND INSPIRING CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.”pic.twitter.com/SZlH4eQDvb— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 27, 2020Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera said in a statement that “the players, coaches and football staff will meet as a football family and we’ll continue our open dialogue on the issues of racism and social injustice in our country.”Players for the Bucks opted not to play Wednesday night in order to call attention to perceived injustices against the African American community and call for lawmakers and law enforcement to institute meaningful changes.The decision had wide-ranging reverberations throughout the country, and by the end of the night the other two scheduled NBA games were postponed, as were all three Women’s National Basketball Association games, three Major League Baseball games and five Major League Soccer Games as players expressed the importance of protesting injustice over playing games. Tennis player Naomi Osaka also announced she would not play her Thursday semifinal match at the Western & Southern Open, and officials later postponed all tournament play for Thursday.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ action came in direct response to the police shooting of Blake in the city of Kenosha, about 60 kilometers away, as well as ongoing frustrations about the history of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.
“The past four months we’ve witnessed multiple injustices regarding the African American community,” the players said in a statement. “Citizens around the country have used their voices and platforms to speak out against these wrongdoings. Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we’ve seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, and the additional shooting of protesters. Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball.”NBA referees march in support of players seeking an end to racial injustice, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Aug. 27, 2020.The Bucks called for the officers involved in Blake’s shooting to be held accountable, and for the Wisconsin legislature to take action to address “police accountability, brutality and criminal justice reform.”“When we take the court and represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin, we are expected to play at a high level, give maximum effort and hold each other accountable. We hold ourselves to that standard, and in this moment, we are demanding the same from our lawmakers and law enforcement,” the players said.Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, among the most high-profile players in the league, tweeted: “WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT.”Players from the WNBA joined to kneel, lock arms and raise their fists in a show of solidarity on the night they chose not to play.“We stand in solidarity with our brothers in the NBA, and will continue this conversation with our brothers and sisters across all leagues and look to take collective action,” Atlanta Dream player Elizabeth Williams read in a statement from all of the players.The WNBA players urged fans to use their voting power and to become engaged on the issues in order to make a difference.“Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Do all you can to demand that your leaders stop with the empty words and do something,” the players said.
Senior White House adviser and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, weighed in on the actions taken by the NBA players, telling CNBC they are “very fortunate that they have the financial position where they’re able to take a night off from work.”
Later in an interview with Politico, Kushner added that “It’s nice that they’re standing up for the issue, but I’d like to see them start moving into concrete solutions that are productive.” He said he planned to call Los Angeles Laker star James about the matter.Former U.S. President Barack Obama said he commends the Milwaukee Bucks “for standing for what they believe in,” as well Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers and the rest of the NBA and WNBA “for setting an example.”“It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values,” Obama said.Wednesday marked four years since San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick gained national attention for not standing during the playing of the national anthem before his team’s preseason game. FILE – San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, middle, kneels during the national anthem before the team’s NFL preseason football game against the San Diego Chargers, Sept. 1, 2016.“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said after the 2016 game. His teammate, Eric Reid, said that in the weeks that followed, after consideration and speaking with a former player who had served in the U.S. Army, the two decided to kneel during the anthem as their form of protest.
Other football players joined, as did those in other leagues, and the protests took altered forms including players not coming onto a field or court during the anthem or locking arms with teammates. There has been sharp criticism from those who say the protests taking place during the anthem are disrespectful to the country and the military, including from President Donald Trump.
Players have repeatedly stressed that what they are doing is raising awareness of police brutality and racial inequality.
Some athletes have also decided to forgo playing at all in order to focus their time on reform efforts. WNBA star Maya Moore is skipping her second consecutive season as she works on criminal justice reform. Natasha Cloud of the Washington Mystics took this season off to focus on social reform as well.
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South Sudan Residents Protest Oil Facilities
Residents around South Sudan’s Palouch and Melut oil fields in Upper Nile state demonstrated Wednesday for a third consecutive day against environmental pollution caused by the oil companies. The protesters blocked the doors of at least two oil companies and shut down roads and the airstrip in Palouch.Protester Thon Beny Thon, who resides in Palouch, told South Sudan in Focus that oil companies have polluted nearby land with toxic wastewater and chemicals. He also said protesters are accusing the government and oil companies of failing to live up to their commitment to reinvest a portion of oil revenues to improve local infrastructure and clean up the environment.“The residents are supposed to benefit from the oil being produced in their area, it’s their right,” Thon said. “Since 1997 — it has been over 20 years now — oil is being drilled, but there are no good schools, no clean water, no roads, no hospitals and nothing good for the residents.”“The environment is contaminated, causing so many health complications,” said Thon, who called increased birth defects and miscarriages among local women a result of the pollution.In this photo taken Oct. 1, 2018, shipping containers storing smaller plastic containers used by the oil industry are stacked at a junkyard in Gumry, near Palouch, in South Sudan.An Associated Press report in February quoted four environmental reports that said South Sudan’s oil industry left hundreds of open waste pits with the water and soil contaminated with toxic chemicals and heavy metals including arsenic, mercury, and manganese.The reports also contain accounts of “alarming” birth defects, miscarriages other health problems among residents in the Palouch area.Residents like Thon have been making their case since Monday in hopes of getting the attention of the government and petroleum companies operating in the area.“We have closed all oil fields, even the airport is closed — a plane came, but left back to Juba. It could not land because our demands have to be answered,” said Thon.”The government continues to work, and no one wants to come to us,” he added. “We have asked the minister of petroleum, minister of labor, minister of environment and the director of the oil company to come and listen to our demands.”Oil fields in Palouch and Melut are run by the Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC), a consortium of companies led by China’s National Petroleum Corporation, Malaysia’s Petronas, South Sudan’s Nilepet, Sinopec and Tri-Ocean Energy.DPOC engineer Peter Abuluk told South Sudan in Focus that protesters have locked the company’s employees in their compound since Monday afternoon.“The guys are well organized; they are burning tires at the main gate of the operation base camp,” Abuluk said. “They locked it, and no one is going out.”Passed in 2012, South Sudan’s Petroleum Revenue Management Act established a formula for distributing a portion of petroleum revenues to affected communities for improving local infrastructure and addressing environmental concerns. It also set a high bar for reporting requirements by the government and oil companies, with the goal of having transparent and accountable management.Thon says the 3% of revenues that is supposed to be allocated for local economic development is insufficient.
In Melut, community members issued a statement Tuesday threatening to conduct “violent” protests if the government and oil companies fail to address their demands, which include employment opportunities for local citizens, health care services, and environmental cleanup activities.Repeated calls and text messages to the Ministry of Petroleum’s Undersecretary Awow Daniel Chuang for comment on this report went unanswered.
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Nigeria to Resume International Flights for First Time in 5 Months
Nigeria says it will resume international flights into and out of the country on Saturday for the first time in five months. Nigeria suspended all air travel on March 23 to comply with restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The government says the first four international flights into the country will be arriving in the federal capital, Abuja, and the commercial capital, Lagos, but the origin of the flights have yet to be announced. Nigeria’s minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the resumption of international flights was justified after no in-flight infections occurred during the restart of domestic flights on July 8. Sirika said the resumption of flights comes with protocols to assure the progress made in containing the virus is not comprised at airports. Nigeria wants passengers to take a coronavirus test before their departure and pay for a second test on their arrival in the country. The government warned that any travelers who manage to skip the tests will be put on a travel watch list. The federal government also intends to impose a $3,500 fine on airlines that allow coronavirus patients to board planes.
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Europe Races to Reopen Schools Amid COVID-19 Resurgence
European governments are preparing to reopen schools in the coming days for the new academic year, as health experts say it’s vital for children to resume education. Most students have not attended school for six months after lockdowns were imposed in March to contain the coronavirus pandemic. As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, some teachers unions have voiced concerns for the safety of staff as infection rates continue to rise on the continent.
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TikTok CEO Resigns as Tensions Mount With White House
The head of TikTok resigned Wednesday as tensions mount between the Chinese-owned video platform and the White House, which contends TikTok is a security risk in the U.S.
Chief Executive Officer Kevin Mayer announced his resignation days after the company filed a lawsuit challenging a U.S. government crackdown on the company over claims the social media app can be a tool to spy on U.S. citizens.
Mayer, a former Disney executive who joined the company in May, said in letter to employees his decision to quit came after the “political environment has sharply changed” in recent weeks.
“I understand that the role that I signed up for, including running TikTok globally, will look very different as a result of the U.S. administration’s action to push for a sell-off of the U.S. business.”
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 6 banning TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells its U.S. operations to an American company within 90 days.FILE – The logo of the TikTok application is seen on a screen in this picture illustration taken Feb. 21, 2019. Computer software firm Microsoft, headquartered in the northwestern U.S. city of Redmond, Washington, has confirmed it is negotiating to purchase TikTok’s operations in the U.S., Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Bloomberg News has reported that technology business Oracle Corp., based in the western U.S. city of Redwood City, California, is also entertaining a bid for the company.
TikTok argues in its lawsuit that Trump’s executive order was an abuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act because it is not “an unusual and extraordinary threat.”
The company provides a platform on which short videos are shared. Since its launch in 2017, TikTok has become very popular, with hundreds of millions of users worldwide, many of them teens.
U.S. officials are concerned that TikTok may pose a security threat, fearing that the company might share its user data with China’s government. However, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has said it does not share user data with the Chinese government and maintains that it only stores U.S. user data in the U.S. and Singapore.
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Esper Calls Out China’s ‘Rule-Breaking,’ Vows to Protect Pacific Norms
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has warned the world’s “free and open” system forged in the wake of World War II is under attack by what he calls China’s “rule-breaking behavior” in the Indo-Pacific region.Esper spoke in Hawaii, home to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, ahead of travel to Guam and Palau to take part in ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.Esper called the Indo-Pacific region the “epicenter” of great power competition, vowing not to “cede an inch” to countries that threaten international freedoms, in an apparent dig at China.“The People’s Liberation Army continues to pursue an aggressive modernization plan to achieve a world-class military by the middle of the century,” Esper said. “This will undoubtedly embolden the PLA’s provocative behavior in the South and East China Seas and anywhere else the Chinese government has deemed critical to its interests.”Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian told news media Thursday that the U.S. has “continued to provoke tensions and undermine China’s sovereignty and security.” He added that current diplomatic relations between the two countries have been “severely damaged.”China has made expansive claims over the South China Sea, basing military weapons and aircraft on artificial islands built atop reefs to bolster its territorial claims, which overlap with the territorial claims of other nations.US Sanctions Chinese Companies Over South China Sea Dispute 24 state-owned businesses targeted, along with individuals The United States frequently conducts freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea to dispute Beijing’s claims and to promote free passage through international waters that carry about half the world’s merchant fleet tonnage, worth trillions of dollars each year.The U.S. imposed sanctions Wednesday on 24 Chinese companies and several people who allegedly participated in building and militarizing disputed artificial islands in the South China Sea.The U.S. Commerce Department said in a statement the companies played a “role in helping the Chinese military” with the construction project, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a separate announcement that Washington was placing visa restrictions on individuals “responsible” or “complicit” in the project.“Since 2013, the PRC (People’s Republic of China) has used its state-owned enterprises to dredge and reclaim more than 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares) on disputed features in the South China Sea, destabilizing the region, trampling on the sovereign rights of its neighbors, and causing untold environmental devastation,” Pompeo said.Esper also called on U.S. allies in the region to increase their defense spending and rely less on Chinese technology, a “collective detriment” to regional allies.“I continue to encourage all like-minded partners to carefully consider their choices regarding telecommunications infrastructure and assess the long-term, collective risks of using Chinese state-backed vendors,” he said.VOA’s Nike Ching contributed to this report.
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Russia Blames US for Military Vehicles’ Collision in Syria
The Russian military on Thursday blamed U.S. troops for a collision of Russian and U.S. military vehicles in Syria’s northeast.
U.S. officials said Wednesday that a Russian vehicle sideswiped a light-armored U.S. military vehicle, injuring four Americans, while two Russian helicopters flew overhead, one as close as 20 meters (70 feet) from the U.S. vehicle.
U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said in a statement that a Russian vehicle struck the American vehicle near Dayrick, in northeast Syria. He blamed the Russian military for “unsafe and unprofessional actions” that breached deconfliction protocols between the two countries.
In Thursday’s statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian military’s General Staff, had a phone call Wednesday with Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss the incident.
In the call, Gerasimov pointed out that the Russian military had notified the U.S.-led coalition about the route of a Russian military police convoy.
“Despite that, in violation of the existing agreements, the U.S. troops attempted to block the Russian patrol,” the ministry said in a statement. “In response to that, the Russian military police took the necessary measures to prevent an incident and to continue the fulfillment of their task.”
Russia, which has waged a military campaign in Syria that helped President Bashar Assad reclaim control over most of the country following a devastating civil war, long has bristled at the presence of the U.S. troops deployed in the country to fight the Islamic State group and have called for their pullout.
While there have been several other recent incidents between the American and Russian troops who patrol eastern Syria, U.S. officials described the latest incident as the most serious one. U.S. troops are usually accompanied by members of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
The U.S. and Russia have deconfliction protocols to prevent collisions and other incidents and their military commanders have frequent conversations to try to avoid contact between their troops there.
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