U.S. lawmakers convened a hearing Wednesday in Washington on what they said was an erosion of democratic institutions in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and its impact on the region’s economic growth as well as access to health and education resources.Several countries in sub-Saharan Africa are retreating from core democratic principles, said Representative Karen Bass, chair of the House subcommittee on Africa, global health, global human rights and international organizations.“Democratic backsliding includes but is not limited to the degradation of free and fair elections, infringement of freedom of speech, impairment of political opposition to challenge the government or hold it accountable [and] the weakening of the rule of law.”Bass said flawed elections remained an issue in most of Africa, with leaders manipulating laws, freedoms and elections to retain power.FILE – U.S. Representative Karen Bass, D-Calif., is pictured after meeting with refugees, July 1, 2019. (Moki Kindzeka/VOA)“Most concerning is the situation in Tanzania, which I recently addressed in House Resolution 1120, where current leadership is repressing the opposition in basic freedoms of expression and assembly in a blatant attempt to retain power,” she said. “We see similar patterns in Cote D’Ivoire as the executive branch legalizes the deviation in democratic institutions to codify nondemocratic actions.”Violence in Côte d’Ivoire has left at least a dozen people dead since last month, when President Alassane Ouattara, 78, broke a promise made this year not to seek reelection. Ouattara reversed his stance and accepted the nomination of his ruling party after his handpicked successor died suddenly of a heart attack in July.ReversalExperts testifying on Capitol Hill noted a backward trend.Christopher Fomunyoh from the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs told lawmakers that Africa went from having only two countries classified as free in 1989 to two-thirds of the countries classified as either free or partially free 20 years later.But now, he said, those democratic gains have been reversed. Former Defense Minister Bah N’Daw waits to be sworn into the office of transitional president at a ceremony in Bamako, Mali, Sept. 25, 2020. Mali’s transitional president and vice president were sworn into office more than a month after a coup in the West African nation.“Notably, west Africa, previously commended as a trailblazer region, has seen serious backsliding,” he said. “Mali has experienced a major coup, and serious controversies have risen about candidacies of incumbent presidents in Guinea Conakry and Cote D’Ivoire. The central African region remains stuck with the highest concentration of autocratic regimes, with the three longest-serving presidents in the world.”Fomunyoh listed some of the longest-serving leaders: in Equatorial Guinea (41 years), Cameroon (58 years) and Congo-Brazzaville (nearly 40 years).Freedom and democratic governance is enjoyed by far too few Africans, with only 9% of people in sub-Saharan Africa living in countries that Freedom House categorizes as free, said Jon Temin, the Africa Program director at Freedom House.’Citizens bear the brunt’The organization’s most recent report on freedom in the world noted that of the 12 countries with the largest declines, seven were in sub-Saharan Africa.“Citizens bear the brunt of backsliding,” Temin said. “They are attacked when they peacefully protest in opposition of the government, as in Guinea and Cameroon. They are unable to use the internet when the government restricts access, as in Ethiopia and Chad. Civil society groups face excessive limitations on their activity, as in Tanzania and Burundi, and journalists are threatened and detained, as in Nigeria and Zimbabwe.”As for elections, there have been some encouraging signs, said another witness, Dorina Bekoe of the Institute for Defense Analyses.“Kenyan civil society has pioneered platforms where citizens can record incidents of fraud and harassment, and that’s been replicated in many places around the continent,” Bekoe said. “There are election situation rooms where information is conveyed to a central location and steps are taken to mitigate tension. Parallel vote tabulation is also widely practiced as a check on official results.”She also noted positive trends taking place in Ghana, Senegal, Mauritius, Bostwana and South Africa.
…
Month: September 2020
US Bans Palm Oil From Malaysian Company Amid Labor Abuse Allegations
The United States said Wednesday it has banned imports of palm oil from a large producer in Malaysia after an investigation uncovered alleged company labor abuses, including forced child labor and sexual and physical violence.
Shipments of palm oil and its products from FGV Holdings were banned immediately, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Trade, which said the ban was the result of a year-long Associated Press investigation.
FGV, which has long faced allegations of labor and human rights abuses, is the world’s largest crude palm oil producer and is closely linked to the Malaysian government’s Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).
Some of the alleged abuses occurred on Felda plantations, which produced palm oil that was traced to well-known food and cosmetics companies such as L’Oreal, Nestle, Proctor & Gamble and Unilever.
FGV did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but the company said in recent statement that “Despite ongoing criticism and allegations against FGV, we will continue with our effort to strengthen our practices to respect human rights and uphold our labor standards.”
The investigation also exposed labor abuses in Indonesia’s palm oil industry. Together, the two countries produce about 85% of the world’s palm oil valued at $65 billion annually.
More palm oil is consumed worldwide than any other vegetable oil. It is an ingredient in about half of all products on supermarket shelves. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says global production of palm oil soared from 4.5 million metric tons in 1999 to 65.3 million today.
…
Republican Lawmakers Grill Comey on Leadership of Russia Probe
Republican lawmakers on Wednesday confronted former FBI Director James Comey about his oversight of the Trump-Russia investigation during a politically charged hearing that focused attention on problems with the probe that have become a rallying cry for President Donald Trump’s supporters.Comey, making his first appearance before Congress since a harshly critical inspector general report on the investigation, acknowledged under questioning that the FBI’s process for conducting surveillance on a former Trump campaign adviser was “sloppy” and “embarrassing.” He said he would not have certified the surveillance had he known then what he knows now about applications the FBI submitted in 2016 and 2017 to eavesdrop on the aide, Carter Page.The questioning of Comey, conducted with the election just weeks away, underscores the extent to which the FBI’s investigation four years ago into potential coordination between Trump’s campaign and Russia remains front and center in the minds of Republican lawmakers, who see an opening to rally support for the president and cast him as the victim of biased law enforcement. The hearing was part of a review of the Russia probe by the GOP-led Senate Judiciary Committee.Just a part of investigationThough Comey acknowledged the FBI’s shortcomings in the surveillance of Page, he also described that aspect of the probe as a “slice” of the broader Russia investigation, which he defended as legitimate and valid.But those answers, including Comey’s repeated assertions that he had been unaware at the time of the extent of problems, frustrated Republicans who point to the surveillance flaws to try to discredit the overall Russia investigation.Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asks questions to former FBI Director James Comey, during an oversight hearing to examine the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation, Sept. 30, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington.A Justice Department inspector general report identified errors and omissions in each of the four applications that the FBI submitted to obtain warrants to surveil Page, who was never charged with any wrongdoing. The FBI relied in part on Democratic-funded research in applying for those warrants. The inspector general report and documents released in recent months have raised questions about the reliability of that research.The FBI relied on that documentation “over and over and over” again, even though it was “fundamentally unsound,” said the Judiciary Committee chairman, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.’That’s the way it goes'”What do we do? We just say, ‘Well, that was bad, that’s the way it goes’? Does anybody get fired? Does anybody go to jail?” Graham said. “To my Democratic friends, if it happened to us, it can happen to you.”Comey was fired by Trump in May 2017 but has remained a prominent and complicated character for Republicans and Democrats alike. Republicans have joined Trump in heaping scorn on Comey, but Democrats have not embraced him either, angered by his public statements made during the Hillary Clinton email case that they believe contributed to her loss.Democrats lamented the backward-looking nature of Wednesday’s hearing, saying the FBI had good reason to investigate contacts between Trump associates and Russia and that the committee’s time could be better spent on other matters.Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 30, 2020, to examine the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation.”Most people think we should be talking about other things, except maybe President Trump,” said Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.Comey defended the investigation, which was opened after a campaign adviser boasted that he had heard Russia had damaging information about Clinton. The probe examined multiple contacts between Russians and Trump associates during the 2016 campaign. Comey noted that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation resulted in criminal charges against dozens of people.”In the main, it was done by the book. It was appropriate, and it was essential that it be done,” Comey said.He later added: “The overall investigation was very important. The Page slice of it? Far less, given the scope.”But Comey, the latest high-profile former official from the FBI or Justice Department to testify in Graham’s investigation, acknowledged “embarrassing” problems in the handling of surveillance applications. He said had he known then about the problems, he would not have certified the surveillance “without a much fuller discussion” within the FBI.”I’m not looking to shirk responsibility,” Comey said. “The director is responsible.”Legitimate probeA Justice Department inspector general report did not find evidence of partisan bias and concluded the investigation was opened for a legitimate reason. But Republican lawmakers have seized on the critical aspects of the watchdog report to cast broader doubt on the Russia investigation. They have also released documents they say support the conclusion that the probe was flawed.On Tuesday, Graham revealed that he had received declassified information on the probe from national intelligence Director John Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist, even though Ratcliffe has said he does not know if it is true.In a letter to Graham made public Tuesday, Ratcliffe said that in late July 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies obtained “insight” into Russian spycraft alleging that Clinton had “approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against” Trump.But Ratcliffe added that American intelligence agencies do “not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication.”Comey brushed aside questions about that document, saying, “I don’t understand Mr. Ratcliffe’s letter well enough to comment on it. It’s confusing.”The Senate panel has already heard from Rod Rosenstein and Sally Yates, both former deputy attorneys general, and has scheduled testimony from ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
…
UNMISS Chief: South Sudan Peace Process Limping Along
A top U.N. official says South Sudan’s peace process is limping along and faces serious challenges that could lead to a further escalation in violence. David Shearer, the special representative of the U.N. Secretary General in South Sudan (UNMISS) told reporters in Juba Tuesday urgent action is needed to put the peace process back on track.“The cabinet is meeting irregularly, and people tell me that they want to see the president and vice presidents meeting and working closely together more often. The transitional National Legislative Assembly is yet to be reconstituted, so necessary new laws are not being passed and progress on the constitution has been delayed. Critically, there has been almost no movement on the areas of security sector reform,” said Shearer.
The UNMISS boss, who recently returned to Juba from New York, where he briefed the U.N. Security Council on the situation in South Sudan, said military forces that were supposed to be trained, unified, and deployed are losing hope and have started deserting the country’s training centers.“As a result of lack of food and of logistics and other things being supplied to these training centers, people started to leave, moving back. This is worrying because people are being disillusioned which leads to frustration and anger, and possibly which could mean more violence,” Shearer told reporters.Trainees parade during the visit of the defense minister to a military training center in Owiny Ki-Bul, Eastern Equatoria, South Sudan, June 27, 2020.He said continued delays in implementing the peace deal risk postponing elections beyond the timeline stipulated in the agreement, something he says will deny South Sudanese an opportunity to choose their leaders.
“We really do need to urgently breathe new life into the peace process. The international community and regional partners play an important role but the parties themselves must also step up their efforts to regain lost momentum,” added Shearer.
While the peace process limps along, said the U.N. chief, the country’s military must change its approach in dealing with U.N. peacekeepers. He noted that last month, 92 peacekeepers were blocked from deploying in Lobonok, a civilian area about 120 kilometers southeast of Juba town, which came under threat of more violence after government forces clashed with National Salvation Front rebel forces loyal to Thomas Cirilo.
“For a number of years, we have had an agreement to notify the South Sudan authorities when our peacekeepers move around the country and we do this because we have respect for the sovereignty of South Sudan. However, there is no sign of similar respect from SSPDF for our need to have freedom of movement to protect civilians and build peace,” said Shearer.He added the incident “tarnishes the reputation of the SSPDF.”Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army addresses the media in Juba, South Sudan, Aug. 29, 2017.SSPDF spokesperson Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang strongly denied that charge, asserting there was insufficient time given for communication regarding the movement of peacekeepers to Lobonok.
“What had happened on that day, yes, they were given permission but there was no sufficient time for our forces to be notified in advance. And as a result as they were headed there, they were stopped and were asked about where they were going and they produced the evidence showing that they were given permission.
“The only thing that was done at that particular checkpoint was for them to stop for a minute so that the commanding officer could establish communication with SSPDF general headquarters, and it was at that time that they started reporting that they had been denied access to Lobonok,” Koang told South Sudan in Focus.
Shearer said the peace process “is stuck,” adding that security reforms “have not moved past the first stage, where forces are trained and graduated.”
…
Notorious Hate Group Proud Boys Celebrates Trump’s Debate Comments
The Proud Boys are fired up.The notorious hate group has been celebrating since President Donald Trump refused to directly disavow them and other white supremacists during Tuesday night’s presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio.Trump, who has been criticized for never explicitly denouncing right-wing extremism, was asked by debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News if he would condemn white supremacy.“Who would you like me to condemn?” Trump asked before Democratic challenger Joe Biden mentioned the Proud Boys, a pro-Trump right-wing group. “The Proud Boys? Stand back and stand by,” Trump responded cryptically.“But I’ll tell you what, I’ll tell you what,” Trump continued. ”Somebody’s gotta do something about antifa and the left, because this is not a right-wing problem, this is a left-wing problem.”Prominent leaders of the Proud Boys, who frequently appear at Trump rallies, took that as a ringing endorsement of their fight against anti-fascist activists known as antifa.On Instagram, Enrique Tarrio, a well-known Proud Boys leader, wrote that he was “excited about the mention on the debate stage.”“Him telling the ProudBoys to stand back and standby is what we have ALWAYS done,” Tarrio wrote.Joe Biggs, another Proud Boys organizer, went further.”Trump basically said to go [expletive] them up!” Biggs wrote. “This makes me so happy.”Members of the Proud Boys cheer on stage as they and other right-wing demonstrators rally, Sept. 26, 2020, in Portland, Ore.Apparent shiftIn the wake of widespread criticism of his refusal to denounce white supremacy, Trump on Wednesday appeared to shift his stance.”I don’t know who the Proud Boys are,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Whoever they are, they need to stand down.”Asked if he denounced white supremacy, Trump said, “I’ve always denounced any form, any form of any of that you have to denounce.”Among Proud Boys, the apparent reversal in Trump’s position was anticipated and is unlikely to diminish their enthusiasm.”Don’t be surprised if he makes a statement on us in the upcoming days to appease the masses,” Biggs wrote Tuesday night. “But he knows we are the good guys.”Biden was highly critical of Trump’s debate performance. Asked by a reporter in Ohio whether he had any advice for the Proud Boys, the former vice president responded, “Cease and desist.”The controversy comes as Trump continues to blame the violence at racial justice protests around the country almost exclusively on antifa, contradicting his own FBI director’s assessment that violent white supremacy remains the biggest domestic national security threat.Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, said far-right white supremacists are thrilled with what they see as Trump’s endorsement of the Proud Boys — who are making money off Trump’s comment by selling T-shirts.“And all the talk in those sectors is about how great this is, how they’re ready to support the president,” Beirich said. “President Trump basically gave the Proud Boys a new slogan.”Members of the Proud Boys and other right-wing demonstrators rally, Sept. 26, 2020, in Portland, Ore.Who are the Proud Boys?The Proud Boys describe themselves as a drinking club of “Western chauvinists.” But extremism watchdogs say that’s just a guise for what is at its core a misogynistic, anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant group. Although the group has never advocated a white ethnostate championed by white nationalists, its bigotry is just as extreme, Beirich said.”The organization itself says it stands for Western chauvinism, sometimes Western civilization, which are code words for the white supremacist movement,” Beirich said.In an FILE – Members of a group wearing shirts with the logo of the far-right Proud Boys group argue with counterprotesters during a small protest against Washington state’s stay-at-home orders, May 1, 2020, in downtown Seattle.InterminglingJason Kessler, a former member of Proud Boys, was the main organizer of the 2017 far-right “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The rally, which brought together neo-Nazis, anti-government militiamen and members of the Klan, ended in the death of a counterprotester. Conversely, in recent years, far-right nationalist groups have attended rallies organized by Proud Boys.“We believe that there are streams of white supremacy and white nationalism that run deep through what they do,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.Last year, a Connecticut police officer was forced to retire after the Lawyers Committee exposed him as a Proud Boys member, Clarke said.While Proud Boys publicly disavow violence, their members have engaged in violent acts over the years.FBI Director Christopher Wray testified on Capitol Hill last week that white supremacists and anti-government extremists have been responsible for most of the recent deadly attacks by extremist groups within the United States.Last year, two Proud Boys were convicted of assault and riot charges in connection with beating up antifa activists in New York City in 2018.This year, members of the Proud Boys have taken part in violent clashes between right-wing and left-wing activists in Portland, Oregon, and several other cities. On August 22, Proud Boys fought with left-wing counterprotesters in Portland, engaging in multiple acts of violence, according to ADL.
…
Sudanese Women Keep Pushing for Democracy
Sudanese women played a pivotal role in ousting former president Omar al-Bashir in 2019. As Sudan’s transitional government moves toward democracy, for the first time in decades, women are again playing a key role in seeking justice and equality. Naba Mohiedeen reports from Khartoum.Camera: Naba Mohiedeen Produced by: Robert Raffaele
…
British PM Receives Rare Rebuke in House of Commons
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson received a rare reprimand Wednesday by the speaker of the House of Commons for treating lawmakers with contempt by rushing through far-reaching COVID-19 restrictions without proper review by lawmakers.Just before the prime minister’s weekly “question time” with members of Parliament, Lindsay Hoyle, speaker of the House of Commons, admonished Johnson for making rules in a “totally unsatisfactory” way.Hoyle said that several of the COVID-19-related measures were published and brought before Parliament only hours before they were to take effect, and some after the fact. The speaker said the actions showed total disregard for the House of Commons and called on Johnson and his government to prepare measures more quickly.The speaker did hold back a rebellion within Johnson’s own Conservative Party, where more than 50 members had threatened to join an opposition-led measure demanding more say over future rules to stop the spread of the virus and accusing ministers of governing “by decree.”But they were denied a chance to vote on the proposal after the speaker ruled there was not enough time for a proper debate.Later Wednesday, during a news briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson said the government would not hesitate to put even stricter pandemic restrictions in place if evidence supported such a move.Britain reported 7,143 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, the highest one-day figure to date for the country, which has the highest official death toll in Europe.Areas of Britain, particularly in the northeast where a second wave of COVID-19 infections is surging, are faced with local restrictions designed to slow its spread. Britain has reported more than 42,233 deaths from the virus, the world’s fifth-highest total.
…
Zimbabwe Officials Blame Bacterial Disease for Elephant Deaths
Zimbabwe parks authority officials say they suspect a bacterial disease called hemorrhagic septicemia is behind the recent deaths of at least 34 elephants in the northwestern part of the country.The elephant deaths, which began in late August, come soon after hundreds of elephants died in neighboring Botswana in mysterious circumstances. Authorities subsequently blamed the deaths on toxins produced by another type of bacterium.FILE – A combination photo shows dead elephants in Okavango Delta, Botswana, May-June, 2020. (Photographs obtained by Reuters)Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Director-General Fulton Mangwanya said Tuesday they have discovered 34 dead elephants, but suspect more may be found. The elephants were found lying on their stomachs, suggesting a sudden death.Mangwanya said the dead elephants were discovered in an area between the Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls in west-central Zimbabwe, suggesting to him the outbreak has been isolated.Mangwanya said postmortems on some of the elephants showed inflamed livers and other organs. Samples have been sent to the UK and South Africa to confirm the type of disease.Experts say that Zimbabwe’s current elephant population could be close to 90,000.Elephants in Botswana and parts of Zimbabwe are at historically high levels — roughly half of the continent’s 400,000 elephants, according to estimates — but elsewhere on the continent, especially in forested areas, many populations are severely depleted, researchers say.
…
NFL Reschedules Tennessee Titans Game; Another Player Tests Positive for COVID-19
The National Football League is moving a game between the Tennessee Titans and the Pittsburgh Steelers, originally scheduled for Sunday, to either Monday or Tuesday after several Titans players and staff tested positive for the coronavirus.The Titans announced Tuesday that three players and five staff members had tested positive following Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. Since then, an additional Titan player has tested positive for a total of nine cases within the organization.At a news conference Wednesday, Titans Coach Mike Vrabel said some of the players who tested positive were displaying flu-like symptoms. Vrabel described the situation as unfortunate but expressed confidence the team will be able to handle it safely with the players’ best interests in mind.This is the first NFL regular season game altered by the coronavirus pandemic. The league said it delayed the game to give the Titans more time to prepare, as well as test for any further cases.Both the Titans and the Vikings suspended in-person team activities after the positive tests. Although no Vikings players or staff are reported to have tested positive, the team said in a statement they evacuated their facilities as a precaution.The Vikings said they will work closely with the NFL and NFL Players Association “to monitor the situation, perform additional testing and determine when the facility can reopen.”So far, no changes have been announced to the Vikings’ game against the Houston Texans, scheduled for Sunday in Houston.
…
US Debate Commission Promises More ‘Structure’ for Next Trump-Biden Encounters
The independent U.S. presidential election debate agency said Wednesday that it would move soon to tighten the format of the encounters after critics panned Tuesday’s first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden as the worst in American political history.The two candidates frequently interrupted each other or talked at the same time, with debate moderator Chris Wallace, a Fox News journalist, rebuking Trump for failing to adhere to the rules of the debate to allow both candidates to finish answering questions unimpeded.The Commission on Presidential Debates said the debate debacle showed the need for “additional structure” to the format “to ensure a more orderly discussion.”The commission commended Wallace for his “professionalism” for his handling of the chaotic affair on a debate stage at a university in the Midwestern city of Cleveland, Ohio. But the agency said it would soon impose new restrictions before the second and third Trump-Biden debates set for October 15 and 22.Some critics of the first Trump-Biden encounter suggested cutting off the microphone of either Trump or Biden when the other was speaking.Both claim successBoth Trump and Biden claimed they were successful in Tuesday’s encounter and then headed back out on to the campaign trail Wednesday, with the November 3 election now less than five weeks away.“I thought the debate last night was great. We’ve gotten tremendous reviews on it,” Trump told reporters as he departed for Minnesota. “I thought it was a great evening. It was an exciting evening.”Trump was headed to Minnesota, a Midwestern battleground state that he narrowly lost in 2016 but hopes to recapture against Biden. Polls show the president trailing in the state and throughout the country. Trump was to attend a campaign fundraising event at a private home near Minneapolis, the state’s biggest city, then head to Duluth, the westernmost Great Lakes shipping port in the U.S., for a rally with supporters. U.S. President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One upon arriving at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, after returning from the first presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 30, 2020.Biden started a campaign train trip through parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio, two political battleground states that Trump won four years ago against Democrat Hillary Clinton but where polls show Biden has pulled ahead of the president. Biden is especially attempting to recapture blue-collar workers in the two states that historically have voted for Democrats but turned to Trump in 2016. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Amtrak’s Alliance Train Station, in Alliance, Ohio, Sept. 30, 2020.After pillorying each other in Tuesday’s debate as unfit to lead the country for the next four years, the two candidates resumed their attacks Wednesday on Twitter. Trump claimed, “Nobody wants Sleepy Joe as a leader, including the Radical Left (which he lost last night!).” The president said Biden “disrespected” Bernie Sanders by “effectively calling him a loser!” Sanders, the Vermont senator who is the leader of the Democrats’ progressive wing, was the last remaining Democratic contender opposing Biden for the party’s presidential nomination before conceding the race to him earlier this year. Nobody wants Sleepy Joe as a leader, including the Radical Left (which he lost last night!). He disrespected Bernie, effectively calling him a loser!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Debate moderator and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace directs the first 2020 presidential campaign debate between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, in Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 29, 2020.More than an hour into the debate, moderator Chris Wallace, a Fox News journalist, rebuked the president for not adhering to the debate rules agreed to ahead of time by the two campaigns that each candidate would allow the other to finish answering questions unimpeded. Trump and Biden are set to debate each other twice more in the coming weeks, on October 15 and 22, after next week’s debate between their respective vice-presidential running mates, Vice President Mike Pence and California Senator Kamala Harris. It is not immediately clear what could prevent another verbal free-for-all encounter between Trump and Biden, short of moderators cutting off the microphones to let Trump and Biden answer questions without the other interrupting. University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato posted a blunt message on his Twitter account: “CANCEL THE REMAINING PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES.”CANCEL THE REMAINING PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES. It is impossible to have an orderly, productive exchange with Donald Trump. Stop pretending otherwise. The front page of French weekly newspaper Le Point displays a photo of President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden with a headline reading “America on a volcano, (and Us too)” in Paris, Sept. 30, 2020.Veteran Washington Post political analyst Dan Balz said, “Judging the debate by traditional standards gives the evening more credit than it deserves. For most people, this was unwatchable, a grab-the-remote, change-the-channel moment in a forum that in past election years has served the country well. What two more debates like this will accomplish is hard to imagine, other than to heighten tensions in a country already on edge.” Markus Feldenkirchen of the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel posted on Twitter, saying, “The debate was a joke, a low point, a shame for the country. Roaring, insults, two over-70s who interrupt each other like 5-year-olds — and a moderator who loses all control. The trigger, of course: Trump’s uncouth, undignified behavior.”
…
French Court Rules to Extradite Alleged Rwanda Genocide Financier to UN Court
A top French appeals court has refused to block the extradition of the alleged financier of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide to a United Nations tribunal. The decision by France’s Court of Cassation is a blow to Felicien Kabuga, 84, who was arrested at his Paris-area apartment in May after a quarter-century on the run. Kabuga’s lawyers had appealed an earlier ruling that he should stand trial at a U.N. court based in Arusha, Tanzania. They said his health was poor and raised fears the U.N. court would be biased against him. FILE – Felicien Kabuga, a fugitive wanted over the 1994 Rwandan genocide, who was arrested in a Paris suburb on May 16, 2020, is seen in this handout photo released by the Mecanisme pour les Tribunaux penaux internationaux.But the Court of Cassation said it saw no legal or medical obstacle to Kabuga’s transfer to Arusha. Etienne Nsanzimana, president of Rwandan genocide survivors’ support group Ibuka France, hailed the ruling. Now, he said, it was time international justice played its role and ended the years of impunity Kabuga had enjoyed. Once one of Rwanda’s richest men, Kabuga is accused of bankrolling militia groups responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. He reportedly founded and was heavily involved in Radio Television Mille Collines, whose incendiary broadcasts fanned ethnic hatred. More than two decades ago, Kabuga was indicted by the U.N. Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda, or ICTR, on seven counts, including genocide. He denies all the charges as “lies.” Kabuga is to be tried at the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, which took over from the ICTR after it closed in 2013. Rwanda said it wanted to have him tried in its own courts.
…
Nigeria Loses a Quarter of Rice Production to Floods
Farmers in northern Nigeria have lost more than two million tons of rice, a quarter of the country’s projected harvest, due to flooding. Despite the loss, Nigeria is so far upholding a year-long ban on land-based imports of rice to crack down on smuggling and boost local production. Ifiok Ettang reports from Argungu, Nigeria.Camera: Ifiok Ettang Produced by: Jason Godman
…
Cambodian Garment Workers Fear For Their Future
The Cambodian government has allocated $1.2 billion to bolster an economy struggling with the withdrawal of some European trade perks and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Luke Hunt reports from Phnom Penh.David Potter and Ny Chann contrinbuted to this report.
…
WHO Vows Action Against Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse in DR Congo
The World Health Organization has vowed to take action against anyone found guilty of sexually exploiting or abusing women in its Ebola aid operation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. An investigation by The New Humanitarian and the Thomson Reuters Foundation reports more than 50 women were forced to trade sex for a job in the international Ebola aid operation in eastern DRC. The women have accused male aid workers from the World Health Organization and leading non-governmental organizations of abuse. WHO Investigating Sexual Abuse Allegations in Congo Ebola Response A report finds that members of eight emergency response organizations sexually exploited at least 51 womenWHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said the agency’s director-general takes the allegations of sexual abuse seriously and has ordered an immediate, thorough and transparent investigation.”If WHO staff, partners or contractors are guilty of these allegations, WHO will take a firm decision, disciplinary decision against them — immediate dismissal or we can end our contracts with contractors or consultants,” Chaib said. Much of the alleged abuse reportedly occurred in the eastern city of Beni, which was the epicenter of a nearly two-year Ebola epidemic that killed 2,229 people before it ended in June. WHO currently is tackling another Ebola outbreak in Equateur province, which has infected 112 people, causing 48 deaths. WHO has policies and mechanisms in place, including mandatory training programs, to prevent sexual abuse. It also has set up hotlines where victims can report violations and seek help.Chaib said that every year, WHO reports to its member states all misconduct about which it is informed, including fraud, corruption and sexual abuse.
…
German Chancellor Imposes New COVID-19 Restrictions
After consulting with Germany’s 16 regional governors, German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday announced new restrictions on the size of gatherings to prevent the country’s coronavirus infection figures from accelerating.At a Berlin news briefing following her virtual meeting with the governors, Merkel said she wants to act regionally and address the virus where it is surging rather than shut down the whole country, which she said should be avoided at all costs. “In order to achieve this, we must have minimum standards for certain frequencies of infections,” said Merkel.The German chancellor said in places where there are more than 35 new infections per 100,000 residents recorded in a week, the number of people attending gatherings at public or rented facilities should be limited to 50 and no more than 25 should attend events in private homes.She said that where infections hit at least 50 per 100,000 residents, those figures should be cut to 25 and 10 respectively.Merkel said she expects the rate of infection to rise as the change in weather means more people will spend time inside in the coming months. She said the number of daily infections could rise to 19,200 in three months if the rate of infection continues as it has over the past three months. “This underlines the urgency for us to act,” said Merkel.The chancellor also discouraged travel to high risk areas in Europe in the coming months, saying staying in Germany was a good option. She said low risk European nations such as Italy might be a good option, noting the number of COVID-19 cases are very low there now and “they are acting very carefully.”Johns Hopkins University reports Germany has over 289,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and just over 9,450 deaths.
…
China vs. Indonesia: Beijing Seen Alternating Pressure with Peacemaker Moves
A Chinese coast guard ship passed through Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone earlier this month, until driven off by the Maritime Security Agency in Jakarta, just five days after China’s defense minister made a peace-building trip to the Southeast Asian country that’s normally, nominally friendly to Beijing.But Indonesian officials are used to this soft-plus-hard approach by China and will play along by expelling Chinese vessels, though careful to avoid hot conflict along Beijing’s path to consecrate claims to a wider sea that includes a piece of Indonesia’s zone, experts say. The same dynamic is shaping China’s other testy maritime relations around Southeast Asia, they add.“There’s no illusion that China intends to stop its behavior or not while it tries to make peace with the region,” said Evan Laksamana, senior researcher for the Center for Strategic and International Studies research group in Jakarta. Indonesian officials were unfazed by the coast guard vessel, he said. “I think rhetoric and behavior are what we have to look for.”FILE – This undated file photo released on Sept. 15, 2020, by Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (BAKAMLA) shows a Chinese Cost Guard ship sails in North Natuna Sea.China is alternating displays of force with friendly dialogue around much of Southeast Asia, said Eduardo Araral, associate professor at the National University of Singapore’s public policy school. Those moves plus Indonesia’s expulsion of boats follow “game theory”, he said.Vietnam and the Philippines have faced similar patterns from China over their own disputed sea claims, he added.Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam contest Chinese claims to tiny features in the fishing-rich, energy-loaded South China Sea. China doesn’t claim Indonesian-held land but says it has rights to part of the economic zone extending 370 kilometers from Indonesia’s coast lines northwest of Borneo.China calls about 90% of the sea its own, pointing to historic records as evidence despite protests around Southeast Asia. China has fended off that opposition by using its navy, coast guard and technological prowess to occupy key islets in the 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea that stretches from the Indonesian zone north to Hong Kong.Chinese landfilling of the islets, in some cases for military use, particularly upset Southeast Asian states over the past decade.To defuse tension, Chinese Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe met with Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta September 8. Wei called the two countries “important neighbors” that day, part of a Southeast Asia trip Southeast that also covered Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.For China, the contested sea near Indonesia represents a new tract for fishing and possible undersea energy exploration, scholars say. The tract lies closest to Indonesia’s Natuna Island chain.“That’s the last frontier they haven’t put their stakes on, Araral said. “They’re just pushing it the furthest that they can. If you look at it from the bigger picture, what they’re doing in Indonesia is pretty predictable in the bigger scheme of things.”Shows of force allow China to negotiate from a position of strength with other governments and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc, Laksamana said.China has the world’s third strongest armed forces, ahead of every Southeast Asian state. China and the bloc aim to sign a maritime code of conduct that would help prevent accidents in the contested sea, but sovereignty-related issues have held up a final deal despite dialogue since 2002.Negotiating from strength could “even give China an upper hand in concluding a low-quality code of conduct,” the Jakarta-based analyst said.Indonesians expect more Chinese activity in its economic zone where the coast guard vessel passed this month, scholars say.Indonesian vessels have periodically expelled other Chinese ships in the disputed tract. In 2016 Indonesia contended with a string of incidents including a standoff with China during an effort to arrest people aboard Chinese fishing vessels.Indonesia’s foreign ministry formally protested to China September 14 over the coast guard sighting a day earlier. The ministry rejected China’s claims to the nearby waters.While ship expulsions and diplomatic protests can proceed with little risk for Indonesia, analysts say, resisting more rigorous Chinese activity such as voyages closer to the Natuna Island shorelines would be riskier.The Indonesian navy has acquired more weaponry over the years, while the coast guard vowed this month to boost patrols. But Indonesia’s coastal authorities must patrol 13,000 islands for terrorists, pirates and illegal migration as well as vessels from China.“In general, we are not that worried, but we are concerned if this one happened again that our coast guard could not manage it properly because we lack capacity,” said Paramita Supamijoto, an international relations lecturer at Bina Nusantara University.
…
Pompeo Calls on Vatican to Reconsider Deal With Beijing
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed to advocate for persecuted religious minorities in China while calling on the Vatican to reconsider renewing a deal with Beijing.”Nowhere is religious freedom under assault more than it is inside of China today,” Pompeo said Wednesday in Rome, Italy. ”Nor of course have Catholics been spared this wave of repression.” Pompeo’s latest remarks come as the Vatican and China are negotiating to renew a controversial 2018 agreement on the nomination of bishops. The terms of that deal have not been publicly revealed. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, and U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Callista Gingrich greet Cardinal Raymond Burke, right, during a symposium in Rome, Sept. 30, 2020.While admitting nation-states’ efforts to protect religious freedom are “constrained by the realities of world politics,” Pompeo made a subtle appeal to the Vatican to reverse the planned renewal under way. “The Church is in a different position. Earthly considerations shouldn’t discourage principled stances based on eternal truths.” Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See hosted a symposium on “Advancing and Defending International Religious Freedom through Diplomacy.” Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Holy See Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Gallagher also participated. A senior State Department official confirmed the top U.S. diplomat is not scheduled to have an audience with Pope Francis during this visit. Pompeo met with the pontiff last October. State Department: Pompeo, Pope Francis Urge Religious Freedom in Mideast, ElsewhereSecretary of state, whose trip to Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Greece has been overshadowed by an impeachment inquiry at home targeting President Donald Trump, met the pope for about a half an hourThe Pope’s office reportedly told American diplomats he would not personally receive Pompeo due to concerns of being seen as influencing the November U.S. election. The U.S. secretary of state also met Wednesday with the Italian foreign minister.
…
Washington Mural Pays Tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Many Americans are mourning the death of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Makeshift memorials to the popular liberal justice have sprung up all over the country. One of them at the site of a large mural dedicated to the justice in September 2019. Anush Avetisyan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.VIDEOGRAPHER: Andrey Degtyarev
…
Judge Blocks Increase in US Immigration Fees
A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday blocked an increase in immigration fees that was due to go into effect this week. The fees were set to go up Friday by an average of about 20% depending on the type of entry being sought. The halted hikes include a $50 fee for asylum applications, the first time the United States would have charged such a fee. The cost for applying to be a naturalized citizen was due to increase from $640 to $1,170. Applicants from lower-income households have been able to ask that their fees be waived, but the new rules that were due to go into effect eliminated certain categories of waiver eligibility, such as showing extreme financial hardship. Some applicants would no longer have been eligible under tighter household income thresholds. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that processes visas, asylum requests, naturalizations and other applications, reported a sharp decline in revenues earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic and at one point considered furloughing more than half its staff. Unlike most federal agencies, a significant portion of USCIS’s funding comes from fees collected.In this June 26, 2020 photo, Vida Kazemi is sworn in as a U.S. citizen by Allen Chrysler, immigration services officer, during a drive-up naturalization ceremony in Laguna Niguel, Calif.U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White wrote he based his injunction on several factors. He said the Trump administration did not adequately follow procedures for making new rules, including failing to consider the impact of the higher fees on low-income applicants. White also agreed with arguments presented by the plaintiffs, a group of eight non-profit groups that work with low-income immigration applicants, who said the acting heads of the Department of Homeland Security had been improperly elevated to their roles at the time the new rules were issued. Plaintiffs in other federal immigration cases have made the same argument about Kevin McAleenan, who was named acting head of the Department of Homeland Security last year before resigning in November, and Chad Wolf, who succeeded him as acting chief. The defendants argued the appointments were valid. But Judge White ruled the plaintiffs are “likely to succeed” on the claim that neither McAleenan nor Wolf were validly serving as acting Homeland Security secretary.
…
Asian Markets Mixed Wednesday
European markets are posting losses Wednesday after the chaotic U.S. presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden the night before. London’s FTSE index is down 0.1% at the midday point, while both Paris’s CAC-40 index and the DAX index in Frankfurt are both 0.4% lower. The trading day in Asia ended hours earlier with mixed results. The Nikkei index in Tokyo lost 1.5%. A woman wearing face mask walks past a bank’s electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Sept. 30, 2020.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index is up 0.7%, while Shanghai’s Composite index is down 0.2%. Sydney’s S&P/ASX index closed 2.2% lower. The Sensex in Mumbai ended 0.2% higher. The KOSPI index in Seoul gained 0.8%, and Taipei’s TSEC index earned 0.3%. In commodities trading, gold is trading at $1,891.90 an ounce, down 0.5%. U.S. crude oil is trading at $39.08 per barrel, down 0.5%, and Brent crude is trading at $40.56 per barrel, down 1.1%. All three major U.S. indices are trending lower in futures trading ahead of Wall Street’s opening bell.
…
Fierce Reaction Pours in After First Trump-Biden Debate
Reaction to Tuesday night’s presidential debate between Republican President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, his Democratic challenger, split along partisan lines but also featured sharp criticism of how the event, often a verbal free-for-all, played out. Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, tweeted after the debate that “For ninety minutes, @realDonaldTrump made a confident, commanding and compelling case for his re-election and took Joe Biden to task for supporting radical policies that would raise taxes, destroy jobs and make our communities less safe.”For ninety minutes, @realDonaldTrump made a confident, commanding and compelling case for his re-election and took Joe Biden to task for supporting radical policies that would raise taxes, destroy jobs and make our communities less safe. (1/3)— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) September 30, 2020Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for President Trump’s re-election campaign, told VOA’s Carolyn Presutti the president’s performance was “fantastic.” “What viewers saw was President Trump who was in command of every moment of the debate, and I think what they saw was a weak Joe Biden,” Murtaugh said, “looking around for someone to bail him out.” Prominent Democrats, meanwhile, called the debate for the former vice president and said Trump’s performance provided ample reason to deny him a second term in office. “Donald Trump has failed this country with his lies, bigotry, and reckless leadership,” tweeted U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, who competed against Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination earlier in the year. Booker in particular denounced the president for declining to condemn white supremacists, instead urging them to “stand by.”Donald Trump has failed this country with his lies, bigotry, and reckless leadership.We can’t have four more years of a president who tells white supremacists to “stand by.” The choice in this election is very clear. https://t.co/AQNVH52gt4— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 30, 2020Many debate watchers slammed the loud and chaotic exchanges between the two candidates, including Karen Attiah, the global opinions editor for The Washington Post newspaper, who called the event “a national embarrassment.”This whole debate is a national embarrassment— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) September 30, 2020Some, including presidential historian Michael Beschloss, harshly faulted the president. “Democracy was trashed tonight by a President who ran roughshod over the rules,” he wrote, “refused to condemn white supremacists and would not tolerate any form of dissent—a harbinger of what a second term might be like,” Beschloss tweeted.Democracy was trashed tonight by a President who ran roughshod over the rules, refused to condemn white supremacists and would not tolerate any form of dissent—a harbinger of what a second term might be like.— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) September 30, 2020Others, like former Republican senator Jeff Flake, expressed sorrow over the entire spectacle. “We are a better country than was on display tonight,” Flake wrote on Twitter.We are a better country than was on display tonight.— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) September 30, 2020University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato posted a blunt message on his Twitter account: “CANCEL THE REMAINING PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES.”CANCEL THE REMAINING PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES. It is impossible to have an orderly, productive exchange with Donald Trump. Stop pretending otherwise. #Debate2020— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) September 30, 2020But Murtaugh defended the exchanges as illuminating. “I think a freewheeling conversation like the president was driving is actually good, it allows for a much better exchange of ideas and for viewers to see the real difference between the two,” he said.
…
No Signs North Korea Moving Toward Denuclearization
North Korea gave no indication Tuesday that it has moved any closer to denuclearization in its statement during the final day of the U.N. General Assembly. “In the present world, where high-handedness based on strength is rampant, genuine peace can only be safeguarded when one possesses the absolute strength to prevent war itself,” North Korea’s U.N. Ambassador Kim Song said. “As we have obtained the reliable and effective war deterrent for self-defense by tightening our belts, peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the region are now firmly defended.” The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization from the rogue nation, but two summits between the leaders have not brought any tangible progress toward that goal, and their once warm personal relationship has grown colder. Ambassador Song also appeared to take a swipe at South Korea’s decision to manufacture its own stealth fighter jet. Seoul released photos earlier this month of the prototype of the KF-X, which media reports say it plans to roll out by April 2021. FILE – South Korean Air Forces KF-X mock-up is displayed during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition 2019 at the Seoul Military Airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Oct. 14, 2019.”It is an undeniable reality of today that cutting-edge military hardware, including stealth fighters, continue to be introduced into the Korean peninsula and nuclear strike means of all kinds are directly aimed at the DPRK,” he said, referring to his nation by the abbreviation for its formal name — Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The United States and South Korea also regularly conduct joint military drills in the region, the last one in August, which Pyongyang considers “hostile policies.” Song also alluded to the country’s struggle under targeted international sanctions intended to halt the regime’s effort to attain a nuclear weapon. “It is a matter of fact that we badly need an external environment favorable for economic construction,” the envoy said. “But, we cannot sell off our dignity just in a hope for brilliant transformation — the dignity which we have defended as valuable as our own life. This is our steadfast position.” The North Korean diplomat was one of just a handful of diplomats to present a speech in person at the mainly virtual forum, where leaders sent pre-taped messages. This year’s gathering, which usually draws thousands of leaders, diplomats and press, moved online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Song said that thanks to the “extraordinary wisdom and strong determination” of leader Kim Jong Un, the pandemic was under “safe and stable control.” The state of the pandemic is unknown in the reclusive nation, as Pyongyang has not reported COVID-19 data to the World Health Organization.
…
Concerns Raised Over Nigerian Measure to Punish Rapists with Castration
Nigerian lawmakers in the northwestern state of Kaduna have approved a measure to castrate men convicted of raping children under the age of 14. The controversial law comes in the wake of public outrage over the rising number of rape cases in recent months. But while supporters praise the new law as a move to defend women and children, some human rights activists say it is too harsh and may even fail to deter perpetrators. Timothy Obiezu has more from Kaduna State.Camera: Emeka Gibson
…
Trump, Biden Facing Off in Tuesday Night Debate
Republican U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, clashed in a contentious debate Tuesday night, immediately attacking each other over how to combat the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, now with a world-leading death toll of more than 205,000. “The president has no plan,” Biden claimed. “He knew it was deadly and didn’t tell you about it.”Biden, alluding to Trump’s golf game, said the president “should get out of the sand trap” and stop the advance of the pandemic. Trump, seeking a second term after his upset win in 2016, retorted, “We’ve done a great job. We’re weeks away from a vaccine.” The 90-minute encounter on a college campus in the Midwestern city of Cleveland, Ohio, came five weeks ahead of the November 3 election. It was the first of three times the two candidates, both in their 70s, will meet face to face to debate during the next month.Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News speaks during the first presidential debate with President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic.Wallace said beforehand he would pose questions on six topics in 15-minute segments: the candidates’ records; the coronavirus pandemic that has killed a world-leading 205,000 people in the U.S.; Trump’s nomination of conservative jurist Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court; the U.S. economy that has been buffeted by the pandemic; the integrity of the election; and “race and violence” in U.S. cities. But one late-breaking topic also was sure to be a focal point — a New York Times report on Sunday that the billionaire Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes in 2016, the year he ran for the presidency, and in 2017, his first year in office. The report detailed how Trump, who has often boasted of his business savvy, has written off hundreds of millions of dollars in business losses. Trump called the report “totally fake news,” but later said he was entitled like any taxpayer to write off business expenses to offset income. The Biden campaign on Sunday highlighted Trump’s small tax payments to advance its contention that Trump is out of touch with U.S. workers he claims to be fighting for, many of whom pay thousands of dollars in taxes. Hours ahead of the debate, Biden and his wife, Jill, released their own 2019 tax returns, showing nearly $300,000 in taxes paid on nearly $1 million in income. Trump has not released his tax records, saying he is under audit by the government’s tax agency, although taxpayers are not prohibited from disclosing their own tax returns. Debates in past presidential campaigns have occasionally proved crucial to the eventual outcome, but whether that is the case this year is open to question. Opinion surveys show that more than 90% of voters say they have already made up their minds and have no intention of changing their choice. Trump has claimed, without evidence, that the sharp increase in mail-in voting this year will lead to a “rigged” election against him and he has refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power at January’s presidential inauguration if Biden wins. The topics picked by Wallace for the debate reflect the news of the day in the United States, although critics say that Wallace’s description of race and violence in the U.S. mirrors Trump’s contention that protests against police abuse of minorities in recent months have been led by “thugs,” rioters and anarchists. Democrats supporting Biden say instead, the discussion should be about systemic racism in the U.S. and the country’s national reckoning over race relations brought to the fore by the May death of a Black man, George Floyd, while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the deaths of other Black people at the hands of police. Ahead of their encounter, Trump has questioned Biden’s mental acuity and sought to diminish Biden’s skill as a debater, claiming, without evidence, that the Democrat must have been drugged when his debate performance improved as the large field of Democratic presidential contenders was winnowed to a single opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, before Sanders conceded to Biden. “I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night,’ Trump said on Twitter. “Naturally, I will agree to take one also. His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???”I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night. Naturally, I will agree to take one also. His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2020The Biden campaign retorted, “Vice President Biden intends to deliver his debate answers in words. If the president thinks his best case is made in urine, he can have at it.” Trump tweeted back, “Joe Biden just announced that he will not agree to a Drug Test. Gee, I wonder why?”
…