Doreen Oport was on a tea break when she heard the blast. A 15-year employee of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi in 1998, she said she wasn’t fazed by the sound at first. She thought it was a tire bursting on a busy street. Moments later she felt the unmistakable force of a detonation nearby. She would later learn that the first sound was a grenade, thrown at guards outside of the embassy. The second sound was a truck laden with explosives. “We all fell down, the embassy was in pitch darkness,” Oport told VOA. “And we were pinned down on the debris of the embassy floor, with the bricks or whatever came from the roof and metal bars and we were pinned down there for hours. And then we started hearing some sounds like people were running and people were crying.” The near-simultaneous attacks against U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania on August 7, 1998, killed 224 people and injured more than 5,000. They were orchestrated by Osama bin Laden and executed by al-Qaida operatives, mostly harbored in Sudan. FILE – Doreen Oport, who was injured in the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi in 1998, stands outside the U.S. Supreme Court after oral arguments in Washington, Feb. 24, 2020.“I think it’s unfair when they want to make us feel of a lesser value than Americans,” Oport said. “It basically sets a value of human lives, both American and Kenyan… when basically, if it was not for Foreign Service Nationals doing the work, then these embassies or consulates would not stand. The work continues. Human lives should not have a value of who gets what and who doesn’t get what. We are all the same.” Sudan seeking normal relations The fund is part of an agreement between the U.S. and Sudan. It follows a May U.S. Supreme Court ruling finding Sudan liable for the attacks because its government harbored al-Qaida militants and allowed them to transport money and weapons across the border to Kenya. Sudan is seeking to normalize relations with the U.S. following the ouster of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir, and victims’ compensation is a key part of the normalization process. What Are Sudan’s Prospects for Removal From US Terrorism List?Sudan was added to the US list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1993 over charges by Washington that then-President Omar al-Bashir’s Islamist government was supporting terrorismThe State Department says it has pushed hard for compensation for foreign victims, breaking from past precedent. “This has been a high priority for the U.S. government, given that these foreign nationals were our employees and contractors,” a State Department spokesperson said in an email to VOA. “Sudan’s commitment to provide meaningful compensation for non-U.S. nationals is of an unprecedented nature.”
“While non-U.S. national victims would not receive the same levels of compensation, the substantial amount of compensation committed by Sudan demonstrates a good-faith effort on the part of Sudan to address their losses,” the State Department said. Michael Miller, the co-lead attorney representing nearly 600 people in a lawsuit against Sudan, said the State Department is not treating his clients equally. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court validated a judgment against Sudan on behalf of victims worth billions of dollars. Now, Miller said, the State Department is seeking to override this judgment with a diplomatic agreement that would let Sudan off the hook for far less. “We were shocked frankly when the Supreme Court affirmed our judgment and the Trump Administration agreed with us only to find the State Department to say ‘no, your East African clients are not worth as much,’” Miller told VOA. There is an effort underway to have Congress approve the State Department deal and grant Sudan immunity from further claims. More recently, victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S. and their families have joined the chorus, urging Congress to reject the agreement, saying it does not include compensation for all victims of al-Qaida’s attacks.
Miller said members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have expressed hesitancy about the State Department agreement. “The notion that the State Department could unilaterally shove this down our throats. It’s not acceptable,” Miller said.
He believes Sudan needs to abide by the terms of the punitive damages awarded to his clients in May or negotiate a settlement. “They need to settle with us or they need to pay us the full judgment,” Miller said. Although Oport considers herself lucky to have survived the attack, she has suffered. She had foreign objects lodged in her body, burns on her scalp, an injured back, difficulty eating for years and psychological trauma. FILE – An injured man is removed from the wreckage after an explosion near the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi on Aug. 7, 1998.Transported to a hospital, it wasn’t until much later that she heard that many of her colleagues died because they had rushed to the windows after the first blast instead of laying on the floor to protect themselves. They were not prepared for terrorism. “Kenya was a very peaceful country and nobody ever thought that there would be a terrorist or a bomb attack in the country,” she said. “We were never trained or taught that, ‘if something like this happens, this is what you do.’” VOA diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine contributed to this report.
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Month: September 2020
Experts Call ECOWAS Mali Deadline Unrealistic
Leaders of West African states and Mali’s military coup failed to agree on a transfer to civilian rule in talks this week, raising concerns about the political standoff and regional security in that country.Security experts in Ghana, where the talks took place, say the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) needs to help Mali return to “normalcy,” because it is in a dire situation.Ghana’s president and ECOWAS chairman, Nana Akufo-Addo, told reporters after Tuesday’s meeting that they “have not reached any agreement with the military junta.”The regional bloc wanted the military leaders to immediately hand over power to a civilian government. The bloc had imposed economic sanctions after the coup and given a Tuesday deadline for the junta to appoint a new president.There are fears the coup could undermine the fight in Mali and the Sahel region against Islamist militants with links to al-Qaida and Islamic State.Quick resolution urgedSpeaking before the talks began, Akufo-Addo said the situation required Mali to resolve its political crisis immediately.“The terrorists are taking advantage of the situation in Mali, and to flex their muscles even more,” he said. “Today is supposed to be the day when the military junta in Mali is to put in a government which should respond to the criteria we set out at our last summit on 28th August 2020. That has not been.”David Agbee, executive director of the Ghana Institute of Governance and Security, said many factors at play in Mali need to be considered, including ethnic tensions, poverty and the influence of France in the country.He said the deadline ECOWAS had given the junta would not work.“We are just jumping the gun, preaching that the country needs to return to democratic rule of governance,” Agbee said. “The internal problems, the domestic issues need to be understood by ECOWAS. They need to deal with the domestic issues and look at the significance of the citizens.”FILE – A man holds a sign reading “A transition led by the army” as supporters of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People take part in a rally on Independence Square in Bamako, Mali, Sept. 8, 2020.He said in these circumstances, citizens generally do not respect civilian rule. He said better outcomes could be achieved by helping the military bring back stability and then handing over power to civilians while building up democratic structures.If this situation is not handled sensitively, Agbee said, there will be “dire consequences” for the stability of the Sahel region.Vladimir Antwi-Danso, the dean of academic affairs at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, shared similar sentiments.More ‘mature’ tackAntwi-Danso said he wanted to see a more “mature” approach to help Mali transition to democracy, and for ECOWAS to play a key role with mediation.“We need to help a transition to that normalcy, but to stampede the junta to hand over quickly — the junta is now to make a charter and make an 18-month transition. Fine, I’m not staying that is best, but we need to help to bring about a kind of understanding between the opposition and the junta,” he said.ECOWAS leaders said they would be willing to allow a transitional government to stand for 18 months, longer than the original year it asked for.They also said they would fully “accompany” Mali toward the restoration of constitutional order and lift sanctions once the country had a president and prime minister in place for the transitional period.
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US Lays Out Extensive Plans for Free Coronavirus Vaccinations
The U.S. government Wednesday outlined extensive plans to provide Americans with free vaccinations against the coronavirus, but officials offered conflicting views on just how soon the preventative shots will be widely available.Paul Mango, an official at the Department of Health and Human Services, told Bloomberg News that health experts expect the Food and Drug Administration will approve a safe vaccine by the end of 2020 and that the national government has contracts with drug manufacturers to produce enough doses so that all Americans can be vaccinated by the end of March.Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, did not commit to a timetable during testimony at a Senate coronavirus hearing.Asked for a vaccine timetable, Redfield said, “If you’re asking me when is it going to be available to the American public, I think we’re probably looking at late second quarter, third quarter 2021.”Another key coronavirus official, Army Lieutenant General Paul Ostrowski, said that as soon as the FDA approves the safety of the shots, “We will have vaccines moving to administration sites, within 24 hours.”UN Chief: COVID-19 Pandemic ‘Out of Control’ Antonio Guterres says the coronavirus is the chief global security threat in the world today, and he is calling for a future vaccine that’s affordable and available to allThe CDC has told public health officials in all 50 states and U.S. territories to have plans ready to distribute a vaccine to health care workers and other high-priority groups, such as older people and those with underlying health problems, as early as Nov. 1.That date is two days before the national election, when Republican President Donald Trump faces former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden for a four-year term in the White House. Trump has pushed federal officials to complete tests on possible vaccines as fast as possible.U.S. polls show the rapid tests of would-be vaccines on thousands of volunteers that are being conducted in several countries have left many Americans skeptical of whether any approved preventative will be safe.In one Associated Press poll, one in five Americans said they would not get a coronavirus vaccine, and 31% said they were unsure whether they would. Of those who said they would not get vaccinated, the overwhelming majority said they were worried about safety.Health officials say that to protect the United States from the coronavirus, upwards of 70% either need to be vaccinated or have antibodies against the disease.Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement Wednesday, “We are working closely with our state and local public health partners…to ensure that Americans can receive the vaccine as soon as possible and vaccinate with confidence. Americans should know that the vaccine development process is being driven completely by science and the data.”Mango said, “For the overwhelming majority of Americans, no federal official will touch a dose of vaccine before it’s injected into Americans.” He said officials are working to ensure that “no American has to pay a single dime out of pocket to get a vaccine, and we’re getting very close to that aspiration right now.”Until a vaccine becomes a reality, the U.S. health experts warned that Americans should continue to take precautions against the spread of the coronavirus.Redfield, displaying a face mask, said, “These face masks are the important, powerful public health tool we have…I might even go so far as to say that this face mask is more guaranteed to protect me against COVID than when I take a COVID vaccine.” COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus.Admiral Brett Giroir, a key government coronavirus expert, told the Senate hearing that recent improvements in U.S. COVID numbers, such as a diminished daily death toll, “could be fleeting, or even reversed” if Americans don’t take personal responsibility — “especially wearing masks and avoiding crowds.”An estimated 196,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus with another 6.6 million infected, according to the Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking cases around the world. Both figures are the highest for any nation.The government described its vaccination plan as “much larger in scope and complexity than seasonal influenza or other previous outbreak-related vaccination responses.”For most vaccines, people will need two doses, administered 21 to 28 days apart, and both will have to come from the same drug manufacturer.
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US Officials, Lawmakers Blast WTO Ruling on US Tariffs on China
The World Trade Organization ruled Tuesday that some U.S. tariffs against China broke international trading rules, a conclusion that exacerbates U.S.-WTO tensions and drew immediate backlash from Washington.
A WTO panel said that “China has demonstrated that the additional duties apply only to products from China and thus fail to accord to products originating in China an advantage granted to the like product originating in all other WTO Members.”
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said the ruling was “fair and objective,” and hoped the U.S. would comply.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer criticized the ruling, saying the WTO panel report “confirms what the Trump administration has been saying for four years: the WTO is completely inadequate to stop China’s harmful technology practices.”
He also said its decision shows that the WTO provides no remedy for such misconduct, adding that the ruling would not have any effect on the U.S. China Phase I trade deal that was reached earlier this year.
The Trump administration has accused China of intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers and imposed tariffs on more than $200 billion in Chinese goods in 2018. China subsequently applied retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.
Gary Hufbauer, an economist with the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics, told VOA that the ruling means both sides have violated global trading rules.
“As widely expected, the panel ruled that US Section 301 tariffs violate several WTO articles. By implication, the Chinese retaliatory tariffs violate the same articles,” he said.
Several members of Congress criticized the WTO for being influenced by China.
Senator Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, told VOA that China has never complied with WTO rules.
“It’s like a lot of organizations that China has been able to have influence on, because they never comply with anything they agree to…so we have keep doing what we do and hold them accountable,” he said.
Earlier in the day, he criticized WTO’s decision on Twitter, saying the ruling is “another evidence of a world organization cowering to the Chinese Communist Party.”The @wto’s decision to side with Communist China & ignore clear evidence of their unfair trade practices is another example of a “world” organization cowering to the Chinese Communist Party.I applaud the Administration for continuing to fight for American workers & businesses. https://t.co/RKJ5Xd7taY— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) September 15, 2020
Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said on Twitter that the decision shows that the WTO is “outdated, sclerotic, and generally bad for America.” He added the U.S. “should withdraw and lead the effort to abolish it. “More evidence that the WTO is outdated, sclerotic, and generally bad for America. USA should withdraw and lead the effort to abolish it https://t.co/GvOL0pWRVm— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) September 15, 2020Senator Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, told VOA that the report is “concerning,” and the U.S. needs to “look into it.”
The WTO panel recommended the United States bring its measures “into conformity with its obligations”, but also encouraged the two sides to work to resolve the overall dispute.
However, Hufbauer said neither the U.S. nor China is likely to remove its tariffs as a consequence of the ruling.
“Both the U.S. and China are ignoring rules they agreed in the WTO. However, since the Appellate Body is now dysfunctional, the WTO is no longer able to impose penalties for breaking the rules,” he said. “This is a further blow to the WTO as an institution governing international trade.”
The WTO’s policing ability rests on its seven-judge Appellate Body, which reviews arbitration rulings. However, Washington has refused to replace judges whose terms expired, leaving the body without enough members to perform its functions. Yi-Hua Lee contributed to this report.
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Turkey Accused of Coronavirus Cover-Up as Cases Rise
Doctors and local politicians in Turkey are voicing concerns that the government is downplaying the scale of the resurgent coronavirus outbreak. The latest official figures suggest there are around 1,700 new infections and around 60 deaths every day across the country – but doctors say the numbers don’t add up. As Henry Ridgwell reports, opposition politicians accuse the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of a cover-up.
Camera: Memet Aksakal and Henry Ridgwell Produced by: Marcus Harton
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US Health Official to Take Leave of Absence After Accusing Government Scientists of ‘Sedition’
A top U.S. spokesman on the coronavirus is taking a leave of absence after accusing government scientists of “sedition” and alleging their handling of the pandemic was meant to undermine President Donald Trump.
In a statement Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Michael Caputo, the agency’s assistant secretary of public affairs. will be on leave for the next 60 days “to focus on his health and the well-being of his family.”
Caputo contended without evidence Sunday that a “resistance unit” of medical personnel “deep in the bowels” of the government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to defeat Trump, even if it means the U.S.’s world-leading coronavirus death toll of more than 196,000 continues to rise.
He accused the scientists of abandoning science to become “political animals.”
On Tuesday, he apologized to co-workers.
Caputo has drawn intense criticism in Washington for attempting to alter the CDC’s weekly reports on U.S. coronavirus infections and deaths to adhere to Trump’s repeated assertions that the pandemic is under control and that a vaccine will soon be available, possibly before the election on Nov. 3, when Trump faces former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden for a four-year term in the White House.
Caputo voiced a string of bizarre and unsupported accusations on Facebook Live and in subsequent newspaper interviews, saying his physical health has declined and his “mental health has definitely failed.”
Caputo, 58, expressed fears for his personal safety at the hands of Trump foes, telling his supporters, “If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s going to be hard to get.”
US Coronavirus Spokesman Accuses Government Scientists of ‘Sedition’ to Hurt Trump Health aide warns of left-wing armed insurrection if Trump wins reelectionThe coronavirus spokesman was named by the White House in April to oversee the government’s often disjointed response to the pandemic. Months ago, Trump acknowledged to journalist Bob Woodward that he intentionally misled Americans by depicting the virus as nothing much worse than the seasonal flu in order to avoid a panic in the country as the airborne virus swept into the U.S. from China.
Woodward’s new book “Rage” recounts how U.S. intelligence officials had earlier warned Trump that the coronavirus would be the most serious national security threat of his presidency.
Caputo’s belief that career government experts are working to thwart Trump’s reelection in his campaign against Biden echoes the president’s years- long claim that a “deep state” within the Washington bureaucracy is trying to undermine him.
Trump has often assailed what he sees as the Washington political opposition — Democratic lawmakers, the national news media and long-entrenched civil servants.
Caputo claimed CDC scientists “haven’t gotten out of their sweatpants except for meetings at coffee shops” to plot “how they’re going to attack Donald Trump next. There are scientists who work for this government who do not want America to get well, not until after Joe Biden is president.”
US Official Apologizes After Accusing Scientists of Conspiring Against Trump HHS is standing by Michael Caputo in the face of calls by congressional Democrats for his dismissal Caputo described his own dismay with life working for the government.
“I don’t like being alone in Washington,” he said, describing “shadows on the ceiling in my apartment. There alone, shadows are so long.”
He said the mounting number of COVID-19 deaths was taking a toll on him.
Caputo told The Washington Post that “since joining the administration, my family and I have been continually threatened, and in and out of criminal court dealing with harassment prosecutions. This weighs heavily on us, and we deeply appreciate the friendship and support of President Trump as we address these matters and keep our children safe.”
The White House had no comment on Caputo’s claims. He deactivated his personal Twitter and Facebook accounts on Monday, while HHS called him “a critical, integral part of the president’s coronavirus response, leading on public messaging as Americans need public health information to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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US Sanctions 2 Russians in Crypto Theft Scheme
The U.S. government announced sanctions Wednesday on two Russian nationals for their role in the theft of at least $16.8 million worth of cryptocurrency.In the phishing scheme, which was conducted in 2017 and 2018, Danil Potekhin and Dmitrii Karasavidi allegedly created web sites that looked like legitimate currency exchange sites. Victims would enter their information, which was then used to access real accounts.The two, who were identified by the Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security, then allegedly laundered the stolen cryptocurrencies through multiple virtual currency exchanges using fake profiles.“The individuals who administered this scheme defrauded American citizens, businesses and others by deceiving them and stealing virtual currency from their accounts,” Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said in a statement. “The Treasury Department will continue to use our authorities to target cybercriminals and remains committed to the safe and secure use of emerging technologies in the financial sector.”According to the statement, the government seized millions of dollars in virtual currency and U.S. dollars in an account owned by Karasavidi.
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Cameroon Deploys Military to Thwart Opposition Protesters
Cameroon has deployed military troops to stop opposition supporters from protesting against long-serving President Paul Biya. Political opposition and rights groups blame Biya, who has been in power for 38 years, for rights violations and a four-year separatist conflict. Cameroon authorities have vowed to arrest anyone who tries to demonstrate against the government.Opposition supporters say at least 12 of their members have been detained since Friday by what appear to be Cameroonian military troops.27-year-old Christophe Nkemche says eight motorcycle taxi drivers in the city of Douala were detained and have not been seen since. He says armed men dressed in Cameroon military uniforms whisked off eight of his colleagues to an unknown location. Nkemche says the eight men were arrested while reading newspapers and publications from opposition political parties. Cameroon Military Sweeps Northwest City to Weed Out Separatists Civilians in Bamenda escape renewed fighting to neighboring towns and villages Cameroon’s opposition leaders say the detentions appear aimed at thwarting protests against the country’s first regional elections and President Paul Biya. Biya in late August announced the elections would take place December 6.Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) leader Maruice Kamto vowed to disrupt the polls and called for protests. Kamto, who says Biya stole from him the 2018 presidential election, says Cameroon should first resolve its four-year separatist conflict.”Our fight against the dictatorship is heading towards its critical phase. Despite the essentially peaceful nature of our struggle for the freedom and development of our country, the regime once again resorts to terror and judicial barbarism,” said Kamto. “As I have said repeatedly, we want to get out of the dictatorship.”Authorities have not confirmed or denied any military detentions of opposition supporters. But territorial administration minister Paul Atanga Nji confirmed that troops were deployed and instructed to arrest any protesters.”I want to sound a stern warning to unscrupulous politicians looking for cheap popularity with a hidden agenda that they will face the law in case of any public disorder,” said Nji. “Administrative authorities have been instructed to take necessary measures to maintain law and order.”Nji would not say how many troops were deployed, but opposition supporters and locals say the security presence is noticeable in major cities.Cameroon’s government has banned public gatherings of opposition political party members in most cities and towns. Nonetheless, Kamto this month has been meeting with supporters as part of what he calls plans to force Biya from power.
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Greece Arrests Suspected Arsonists After Fire at Migrant Camp
Greek police have arrested six migrants suspected of setting fires that razed the country’s biggest refugee camp, sparking a humanitarian crisis that has left more than 12,500 asylum seekers without shelter. The suspects, all Afghan nationals, include two minors. They were arrested after counterterrorism and national intelligence units deployed on the island of Lesbos identified them in video captured by witnesses during the fire that devastated the overcrowded Moria camp last week. The minors are due to appear before special prosecutors in the northern cities of Thessaloniki and Katerini, where they were transferred along with 320 other teenage migrants evacuated from Moria soon after the blaze, police spokesman Theodore Chronopoulos told VOA. He said all other suspects were being held on Lesbos and were set to appear before a prosecutor to be charged and face probable deportation. View of the destroyed Moria camp following a fire, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, Sept. 15, 2020.From the outset, officials have blamed militant camp residents for deliberately setting the Moria fire after quarantine measures were imposed following the discovery of 35 COVID-19 cases at the site. “More are out there,” Chronopoulos said. “This investigation is far from over to pull back the intelligence and counter-terrorism units from the island.” At least five fires, including at a local refinery, have been set across Lesbos since the devastating blaze at Moria — all suspected acts of arson that authorities believe could be related. Refugees and migrants from the destroyed Moria make their way near a field as they are sheltered near a new temporary camp, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, Sept. 15, 2020.Tuesday’ arrests follow a lawsuit which the governor of the island, Kostas Moutzouris, filed with authorities earlier this week, accusing an aid group of inciting an insurrection on the island. The suit targets Stand By Me Lesvos, a nonprofit organization among scores of groups increasingly being scrutinized by the conservative government in Athens as intelligence officials suspect human smugglers or radical extremists have been operating in refugee camps under the guise of aid workers. “It’s high time that Greece finally take serious account of who it is letting roam free in these camps, and for those individuals to face stiff reprisals, if found accountable,” Moutzouris told VOA. “Lesbos and its people have already paid dearly for the failings of Europe’s migration policy. We won’t stand for such antics.” The suit stems from a contentious comment posted on the Facebook account of the Stand By Me Lesvos group about 30 minutes after the ferocious fire started at Moria. “After Moria,” the post read, “Lesbos will go down. Moria finish… Moria destroyed,” the post read. The post, obtained by VOA, has since then been taken down from the group’s social media page. Organizers with Stand by Me Lesvos, including a number of international activists mainly from Germany and Norway, say they are being scapegoated. “Seriously?” quipped Thomas Van De Ostensacken, a senior member contacted by telephone on Tuesday. “Camp and other officials had information that this place was about to go up in flames days, three days before the blaze occurred. And now they are now turning on us?” “Let them,” he said. “We have nothing to hide. This suit will fall flat in any court.” FILE – Migrants on a dinghy are approached by a Greek coast guard boat near the port of Thermi, as they crossed part of the Aegean Sea from Turkey to the island of Lesbos, Greece, March 1, 2020.Since taking office last year, the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has moved to crack down on illegal immigration, imposing stiff rules and oversight controls to better regulate non-governmental organizations operating on Lesbos, a key landing pad for thousands of asylum seekers streaming into Europe through Turkey. The moves have been blasted by human rights groups including Amnesty International, which called it part of a campaign to criminalize humanitarian work in a climate turning increasingly hostile towards migrants and refugees across Europe. More than 110 NGOs with 8,000 aid workers operated on Lesbos alone during the height of the refugee crisis in 2016. Now, by contrast, less than half of the groups remain on the island with about 17 aid groups operating within Moria, before the fenced camp with its chaotic sprawl of tents went up in flames last week.
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Since Ethiopia-Eritrea Peace Deal, Little to Show: Analysts
Analysts say a peace deal reached between Eritrea and Ethiopia in July 2018 has brought few tangible benefits, with trade routes still blocked and tension on the border still rife. They note that regional strong men in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, which borders Eritrea, have yet to forge a lasting peace deal with the leadership in Asmara. The border has yet to be demarcated and heavily armed soldiers still man disputed areas.Initial signs after the peace deal between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki were positive — in that telephone connections were re-established, flights between Addis Ababa and Asmara resumed and goods flowed over the border. Experts, however, say huge barriers still remain in order to achieve a lasting peace and normalized relations.Many Eritreans began fleeing their homes to seek refuge in Ethiopia as a result of border crossing openings, meaning trade routes were soon closed again. Analysts say that deep-rooted historical tension between Eritrea and the regional powers in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has led to a situation where trade flows are now non-existent and many areas remain heavily militarized.Selam Tadesse Demissie, a research officer at the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, said via a messaging app that the fruits of the peace deal were still pending, in part due to the Ethiopia’s government inability to suppress long-held suspicions about its northern neighbor in the Tigray region. From 1998 until 2000, Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a border war that left an estimated 80,000 people dead before a prolonged stalemate took hold over the next two decades.“We expect a lot more out of this peace deal. If we see it time wise, it’s been over two years, so by now we should have seen lots of fruits of the peace deal. But what’s happening on the ground is actually the contrary,” said Selam.Selam said that interaction among communities on both sides of the border remains very limited. One point of contention within Ethiopia is whether federal soldiers remain stationed on the border with Eritrea. In the immediate aftermath of the deal, four border posts opened, allowing trade to resume. They soon closed again, however, after officials in Ethiopia’s Tigray region raised concerns.There has also been no progress on demarcating disputed border areas, particularly around the town of Badme, which the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC), established to resolve the border issue, decided in 2002 should belong to Eritrea.“From the Eritrean side, that rule that whoever goes out of their country will be shot down still applies. From the Tigrayan border side it’s still militarized,” said Selam.Neither government commented on the state of the peace deal.Martin Plaut, a senior research fellow at the University of London, said it appeared extremely difficult to gain much traction on the peace deal without new leadership taking power in the Tigray region, which ruled the country for about three decades and has been ostracized by the federal government in Addis Ababa. The region is at loggerheads with the federal government and last week held an election despite the government deeming it illegal.“The relationship between the Tigrayans and Eritreans and between the leadership between them is permanently bad. There is no way that can improve unless a new party came to power in Tigray. The problems go back to the 1970s, they are very deep, they are very bitter, they are very personal and they are impossible to mend in my view,” he said.Plaut added that one of the great drivers of the peace deal was a large untapped deposit of the compound potash, which contains potassium, that straddles the border and is currently being developed by Danakali, an Australian mining company.“It is a massive, massive reserve which could provide potash for global markets for maybe a hundred even 200 years. That is driving a lot of this and people never talk about it,” said Plaut.The Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders last met in July in Eritrea in a visit where Ethiopia’s Abiy attended the graduation of a batch of national service trainees, a program that has long been criticized due to its forced conscription.
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EU Commission President Calls on Member Nations for Unity
In a wide-ranging speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Wednesday presented her vision for a new European Union emerging from the coronavirus crisis, on-going Brexit negotiations, and conflicts over equality.Speaking to members of the European Parliament in Brussels in her state of the EU address, von der Leyen said the bloc must get better at responding to events unfolding around the world.Once able to boast of a “soft power” that helped transform communist neighbors into market economies, the EU increasingly finds itself unable to agree because of the need to secure unanimity among member states.She said, “Why are even simple statements on EU values delayed, watered down or held hostage for other motives? When member states say Europe is too slow, I say be courageous and finally move to qualified majority voting at least on human rights and sanction implementation.”On the subject of on-going Brexit negotiations, Von der Leyen lashed out at a new Internal Market Bill put forth by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that could violate portions of the withdrawal agreement signed in January. She said of the agreement, “It cannot be unilaterally changed, disregarded or dis-applied. This is a matter of law and trust and good faith.”She said time is running out for a Brexit trade agreement before the end of the year deadline. The Reuters news service reported Tuesday Britain had quietly offered concessions on some of the other issues blocking the agreement, leaving some officials hoping a deal is still possible.The EU Commission president also condemned recent policies in Poland to restrict the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people that are being promoted by the nationalist government there. Von der Leyen said there was no place in the bloc for such polices.She said “I will not rest when it comes to building a union of equality, a union where you can be who you are and love who you want without fear and recrimination because being yourself is not your ideology. It is your identity and no one can ever take it away. So I want to be crystal clear: LGBTQI-free zones are humanity-free zones. And they have no place in our union.”On the subject of climate change, Von der Leyen announced a new commission plan to cut the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030, up from an existing target of 40%.
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Researchers: North Korean Hackers In League With Russian Cybercriminals
North Korean hackers are probably working with Russian-speaking cybercriminals on ransomware and other malicious software, researchers said Wednesday.
Security firm Intel 471 said in a report it found links between North Korean hacker group Lazarus, known for attacks on banks worldwide, and a Russian-operated malware operation called TrickBot.
TrickBot is described in the report as a “malware-as-a-service offering, run by Russian-speaking cybercriminals, that is not openly advertised on any open or invite-only cybercriminal forum or marketplace.”
It works with “top-tier cybercriminals with a proven reputation,” the report said.
The Intel 471 report said other security researchers have pointed to possible links between the groups, but that its investigation found more evidence, including signs that malware developed in North Korea was offered for sale on Russian marketplaces.
“Our conclusion is that we deem it likely that threat actors running or having access to TrickBot infections are in contact with DPRK (North Korean) threat actors,” the report said.
“DPRK threat actors likely are active in the cybercriminal underground and maintain trusted relationships with top-tier Russian-speaking cybercriminals.”
It added that “malware believed to be only used and probably written by DPRK threat actors was very likely delivered via network accesses held by Russian-speaking cybercriminals.”
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Inquiry Probes Australia’s Greatest COVID-19 Failure
A judicial inquiry in Australia continues to probe failures in the nation’s COVID-19 hotel quarantine system for returning travelers. The inquiry has heard that security breaches almost certainly sparked a deadly second wave of infections in the state of Victoria, which is at the center of Australia’s coronavirus crisis. Foreign nationals were banned from Australia when its international borders were closed in March. But many thousands of citizens and permanent residents have been allowed to fly home, where they face a mandatory 14-days in hotel quarantine. In Victoria, Australia’s second-most populous state, the system has been chaotic. Members of a judicial inquiry heard that breaches in security at two hotels allowed infected passengers to spread the disease into the community, causing a second wave of COVID-19. Instead of using soldiers to secure the hotels like in other parts of the country, Victoria used private security guards. Many allegedly were poorly-trained and ill-equipped. Victoria’s emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, has told the investigating panel he thought private companies could do the job. “I guess in terms of a view I thought they would have been a suitable and appropriate workforce to use in the hotel. I have worked a lot with private security and the thinking was that well-trained, well-supervised private security in this type of role would have been efficient and effective,” he said.They weren’t. The hotel quarantine fiasco in Victoria is considered by many to be Australia’s greatest failure in the pandemic, so far. Senior government, police and health officials, including state premier Daniel Andrews, are scheduled to give evidence before the inquiry. FILE – Police check details of residents in the Melbourne central business district in Australia’s worst-hit Victoria state, Aug. 9, 2020, as the city struggles to cope with COVID-19 pandemic.Victoria has accounted for about 75 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases across Australia, and most of its fatalities. The state capital, Melbourne, is under some of the world’s toughest coronavirus lockdowns until at least the end of the month. Restrictions, including a night-time curfew, will only be eased when the rate of daily new infections falls to consistently lower levels. Authorities have said the trend is heading in the right direction. They are confident lockdown measures will be gradually eased before the end of November. Beyond Melbourne, in regional Victoria, disease-control directives will be eased significantly on Wednesday because infection rates have declined. Many personal freedoms, big and small, are being restored. Stay-at-home orders will no longer apply, people can sit in a restaurant to dine and children’s sports can resume. Limits, though, will still apply to social gatherings. Australia has had almost 27,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 800 people have died.
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Celebs Join Instagram ‘Freeze’ to Protest Facebook Inaction
Kim Kardashian West, Katy Perry and Leonardo DiCaprio are among celebrities taking part in a 24-hour Instagram “freeze” on Wednesday to protest against what they say is parent company Facebook’s failure to tackle violent and hateful content and election misinformation.
They were among the high profile names lending their backing to the “#StopHateforProfit” movement’s latest campaign. The movement asks people to put up a message highlighting what they called the damage Facebook does but otherwise refrain from posting on Instagram for a day.
“I can’t sit by and stay silent while these platforms continue to allow the spreading of hate, propaganda and misinformation – created by groups to sow division and split America apart – only to take steps after people are killed,” Kardashian West posted on her Instagram account on Tuesday.
Facebook declined to comment but pointed to recent announcements about what it’s doing to limit the reach on its platform of groups that support violence and its efforts to protect the U.S. election in November.
With 188 million followers, Kardashian West is one of the most influential people on Instagram and support from her and other big names for the boycott saw Facebook shares slide in aftermarket trading late Tuesday. They were down 1.3% ahead of the market open on Wednesday.
The organizers behind “#StopHateforProfit,” including civil rights groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP and Color Of Change, had previously led a campaign that got hundreds of companies and groups to join a Facebook advertising boycott in July.
Ashton Kutcher, Mark Ruffalo, Kerry Washington, Rosario Dawson, Jamie Foxx and Sacha Baron Cohen were among at least two dozen other Hollywood stars supporting the campaign, the organizers said.
DiCaprio said he was standing with the civil rights groups to call “on all users of Instagram and Facebook to protest the amplification of hate, racism, and the undermining of democracy on those platforms.”
Social media companies, led by Facebook, are facing a reckoning over what critics call indefensible excuses for amplifying divisions, hate and misinformation on their platforms.
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Experts: China Renewing Effort to Squelch US Influence in Southeast Asia
The Chinese defense chief’s whirlwind tour of Southeast Asia this month will start to roll back growing U.S. influence in the region if China follows up with peaceful action, analysts believe.Defense Minister Wei Fenghe met his regional counterparts September 7 to September 11 in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, a Chinese government website says. His visits coincided with a series of statements by U.S. officials criticizing Beijing’s expansion in the South China Sea and U.S. commitments to protecting countries that feel slighted by China.Southeast Asian states have claims in the same waterway and say China, backed by stronger armed forces, has trespassed. China cites historical records to support its claims.Wei’s trip was aimed first at sustaining China’s relations around Southeast Asia, where governments may otherwise be tempted into a U.S.-led, anti-Chinese alliance, scholars say.FILE – Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, left, greets U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 18, 2019.“The idea is to maintain stability in the region,” said Aaron Rabena, research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation. “China cares a lot about that. This is especially in light of the worsening relations with the U.S. China doesn’t want a united front against them right now, so they want to deescalate tensions.”During his meetings, Wei brought up “safeguarding the stability in the South China Sea,” China’s State Council said last week on its website.China and the Philippines, for example, “should adhere to the principle that regional issues should be solved by the regional countries through consultation” and sustain “peace and tranquility in the South China Sea,” Wei was quoted saying on September 11 after meeting Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.“What he mainly would like to see is of course (that) Southeast Asian countries don’t fall toward the U.S. side,” said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.U.S. officials have increased pressure against China’s maritime activity since July. Washington lacks a claim in the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea but disputes Beijing’s argument that about 90% of the waterway is Chinese.Chinese officials, wary of the U.S. government as a former Cold War foe, argue that Washington wants to keep Beijing’s rise in check. Trade, technology and consular problems already weigh on Sino-U.S. relations.The Chinese maritime claim overlaps the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. China competes with Indonesia over a tract near the Indonesian-held Natuna Islands. The sea is prized for fisheries and energy reserves. Chinese landfilling of the sea’s tiny islets, in some cases for military use, has upset neighbors over the past decade.This image taken from video provided by VTV shows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking during an online meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers, Sept. 10, 2020.U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in July called China’s claims illegal and pledged support for countries that feel impacted. In August, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the United States would not “cede an inch” to other countries. Pompeo repeated his China stance at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) event September 9.U.S. Navy ships periodically enter the disputed sea for “freedom of navigation operations”, in turn angering Beijing.Chinese officials must take palpable action within weeks to convince Southeast Asian governments of the defense minister’s peace message, Rabena said.Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana last month accused China of fabricating its maritime claim boundary and illegally occupying Philippine waters, domestic media outlet Rappler.com reported. The sinking of a fishing boat and passage of surveillance vessels near Vietnamese waters have soured Vietnam toward China this year to date.Wei hopes to “reassure South China Sea littoral states of China’s peaceful intention”, said Carl Thayer, Southeast Asia-specialized emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia, in a September 12 commentary.But without follow-up, the minister’s visits come off as “too little, too late and too general and too superficial,” said Nguyen Thanh Trung, Center for International Studies director at University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City.“I think there is some change, but it’s just one step,” Nguyen said. “And to come up with a pattern for Chinese behavior, we have to wait for some time.”Southeast Asian states generally avoid taking sides with either superpower, Nguyen said. They hope to accept Chinese investment as well as U.S. military support as needed.The 10-member ASEAN bloc now wants China to wrap up years of negotiations on a code of conduct that would help prevent mishaps in the contested sea. Chinese officials have said a code should be signed by next year.
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US Tariffs on China Are Illegal, Says World Trade Body
A World Trade Organization panel ruled Tuesday that Trump administration tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods are illegal, vindicating Beijing even if the United States has all but incapacitated the WTO’s ability to hand down a final, binding verdict.
The decision marks the first time that the Geneva-based trade body has ruled against a series of high-profile tariffs that President Donald Trump’s government has imposed on a number of countries _ allies and rivals alike. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the WTO treats the U.S. unfairly.
In its decision, the WTO’s dispute settlement body ruled against the U.S. government’s argument that China has wrongly engaged in practices harmful to U.S. interests on issues including intellectual property theft and technology transfer.
The ruling, in theory, would allow China to impose retaliatory tariffs on billions’ worth of U.S. goods. But it is unlikely to have much practical impact, at least in the short term, because the U.S. can appeal the decision and the WTO’s appeals court is currently no longer functioning _ largely because of Washington’s single-handed refusal to accept new members for it.
The appeals court issues final rulings in trade cases and stopped functioning last year when the terms of two of its last three judges expired with no replacements. That means the United States can appeal the decision into the void,'' said Timothy Keeler, a lawyer at Mayer Brown and former chief of staff for the U.S. Trade Representative.This panel report confirms what the Trump administration has been saying for four years: The WTO is completely inadequate to stop China’s harmful technology practices,” said U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer in a statement. He said the U.S. had presented
extensive evidence'' of China's intellectual property theft and the WTO has offered no fixes for it.The United States must be allowed to defend itself against unfair trade practices, and the Trump administration will not let China use the WTO to take advantage of American workers, businesses, farmers, and ranchers,” he added.
The Chinese ministry of commerce said the ruling was objective and fair'' and called on the U.S. to respect it.state-sanctioned theft” and “misappropriation” of U.S. technology, intellectual property and commercial secrets.
The U.S. tariffs target two batches of Chinese products. Duties of 10% were imposed on some $200 billion worth of goods in September 2018, and were jacked up to 25% eight months later. An additional 25% duties were imposed in June 2018 against Chinese goods worth about $34 billion in annual trade.
The Trump administration has justified the sanctions under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, once a common tool used by the U.S. government to impose sanctions _ and recently revived by Trump. The U.S. argued that China's actions had amounted to
The WTO panel ruled that the U.S. measures violated longstanding international trade rules because they only applied to products from China, and that Washington had not adequately substantiated its claim that the Chinese products hit with the extra duties had benefited from the allegedly unfair Chinese practices.
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Nigerians Protest Increase in Electricity and Fuel Prices Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Nigerians are protesting a hike in electricity and fuel costs in the middle of the economic hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic. But authorities maintain the new rates are in the best interests of Nigerians. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja.Camera: Emeka Gibson Produced by: Rob Raffaele
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Обиженный карлик пукин дал денег маньяку луке, а для своих холопов – денег нет!
Обиженный карлик пукин дал денег маньяку луке, а для своих холопов – денег нет!
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Последние новости путляндии и мира, экономика, бизнес, культура, технологии, спорт
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Лучшие предложения товаров и услуг в Сети SeLLines
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Дегенерат пальчевський: бізнес та дружба з окупантами і команда зомбі-привидів
Дегенерат пальчевський: бізнес та дружба з окупантами і команда зомбі-привидів.
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Ганчірки з «перемогою пальчевського» майорять ледь не на кожній вулиці. А за бордами ховається партія-привид, бізнес пальчевського в путляндії, карибські офшори, зв’язки з рейдерством та лугандонією. Про спонсорів-«смотрящих», команду ноунеймів, путляндське минуле та любов до каналів дегенерата медведчука
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Найкращі пропозиції товарів і послуг в Мережі Купуй!
Ваші потенційні клієнти про потрібні їм товари і послуги пишуть тут: MeNeedit
Вскрылась путляндская консерва цепкало: “пукин памаги”!
Вскрылась путляндская консерва цепкало: “пукин памаги”!
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Так называемая оппозиционерка вероника цепкало призналась в любви к обиженному карлику пукину, который должен наказать маньяка луку
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Похоронный звон: обиженный карлик пукин подписал себе смертный приговор
Похоронный звон: обиженный карлик пукин подписал себе смертный приговор.
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Что ни выборы, то праздник. Что ни день, то очередное дно. Обиженному карлику пукину теперь не придется ничего делать. Можно смело заниматься Ливией, Сирией и Беларусью, забив огромный болт на любимых холопов
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В путляндии такого не ожидали: четкий сигнал маньяку хафтару
В путляндии такого не ожидали: четкий сигнал маньяку хафтару.
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На выходных на улицу вышли местные жители, которые требовали убираться всем «освободителям», вместе с их дегенератом хафтаром
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UN Embraces ‘Hybrid Session’ for General Assembly During Pandemic
The United Nations General Assembly in New York City is one of the biggest international gatherings of the year and requires massive security to keep the dignitaries safe. But this year, the world’s leaders are not attending the gathering because of the coronavirus pandemic, and instead are holding discussions virtually – so the challenges are different. Aaron Fedor in New York has details.
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Trump Hails Abraham Accords as ‘Smart Door’ to End Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the signing of the “Abraham Accords” at the White House Tuesday, a deal that normalizes Israel’s relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Experts say the accords signify a shift away from the decades-long regional strategy that in exchange for diplomatic recognition, Israel must provide concessions to the two-state solution towards an independent Palestinian state. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
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