As the United States is seen as “decoupling” from China, will this policy change represent a permanent and long-term movement in U.S. decision-making or is it something that could change next year or in a future U.S. administration? Hours before the U.S. presidential election, a senior U.S. official said “the ball is in China’s court” whether or not the U.S.-China “decoupling” is becoming a permanent element in the U.S. policy. Miles Yu is U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s principal China policy and planning adviser who is helping reshape U.S. policy toward China. In an exclusive interview with VOA Monday, Yu said while U.S.-China “decoupling” has never been a “stated policy,” “decoupling is happening.” Yu told VOA State Department Correspondent Nike Ching that how China responds to this “measured approach” would determine U.S. decision-making in the coming years. Yu told VOA “pretty soon” the United States will have a final verdict on whether to officially label the Chinese Communist Party’s suppression against the Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang as “genocide.”A protester from the Uighur community living in Turkey, holds an anti-China placard during a protest in Istanbul, Oct. 1, 2020, against what they allege is oppression by the Chinese government to Muslim Uighurs in far-western Xinjiang.Seen as one of Pompeo’s most influential advisers on U.S. policy toward China, Yu said “mutual trust between Washington and Beijing has been seriously damaged” because the CCP has not lived up to its international commitment in Hong Kong, causing the United States to reevaluate the overall validity of “One country, two systems.” When asked what the U.S. would do to deter a potential Chinese invasion in Taiwan, Yu told VOA the United States “resolutely oppose(s) any unilateral use of arms or force to settle the disputes between the two sides.” Yu said while he will not speculate “a hypothetical question,” it can be assured that a U.S. response will be “resolute.” Pompeo had praised Yu as “a central part of my team advising me with respect on how to ensure that we protect Americans and secure our freedoms in the face of challenges from the [Chinese Communist Party].” “I’m very proud of my Chinese heritage. I’m very proud of the fact that I love the Chinese people and I have many Chinese friends. My roots are there,” and “I have received tremendous support from people of Chinese descent inside and out of China for what I do and what I say,” Yu told VOA. The following are excerpts from VOA’s interview with Miles Yu. It has been edited for brevity and clarity. VOA: The U.S.-China relationship is seen at its worst in decades as Washington is taking a very tough stand on China. Many see the United States is decoupling with China. Do you think this represents a permanent and long-term movement in U.S. policy, or is this something that could change next year or in a future U.S. administration? Yu: Well, first of all, thank you for giving me the opportunity for the interview. Decoupling has never been a U.S.’s stated policy, but decoupling is happening. And the reason for this is entirely China’s fault. That’s because China has behaved in such a way that it makes it impossible for a healthy, bilateral relationship to proceed as it should be, because the Trump administration is responding to the reality. It’s not because we artificially hype the tensions — we have changed our mode of operation from merely managing a flawed relationship to face a reality. And that is what Secretary Pompeo has said repeatedly: we can no longer ignore the political and ideological differences of these two models of governance represented respectively by China and the United States. And because of that, we have adopted a new approach to handling the relationship not just to manage it, but also to change the term of discourse to one of reciprocity and goal-oriented approach. So because of that, and I think you know well, China has refused to respond in a very positive and constructive way, and that’s basically the reason why there are tensions. To your question whether this is going to be a permanent feature of the bilateral relationship, I hope not. The key really lies in how China responds to this measured approach we have adopted. And I think any reasonable country would accept that this is the right approach. We treat China just as we treat anybody else. China is no exception. China cannot expect the United States to say nothing when China locks up 1 million Uighurs in the concentration camps. China should not expect us to do nothing when our trade imbalance was enormous. And China should also expect something from us: from now on, if there are spies stealing our industrial and defense secrets, we’re going to take appropriate actions. So all of this depends on China. The ball is in China’s court. VOA: In the near future, what more actions on China could be expected? Will there be more foreign missions designations, more sanctions, more closures of consulates, etc.? Yu: Well, I think we know any responsible government in a democracy, its first and foremost responsibility is to protect its national interests, to make sure that its people and its key infrastructure are safe. So for that purpose, we have designated a number of PRC entities in the United States operating freely in a free and democratic environment as foreign missions. And we’ll continue to do that. We are not going to tell you the exact specifics of what we are going to do in the near future. But that’s the guideline. And I think you know, the Chinese government’s operations in the United States are comprehensive. And their government-controlled agents and organizations in a free and democratic society like ours have been very, very rampant. So we’re going to take appropriate actions. As you have seen, it’s not just at State Department, it’s a whole-of-government approach: Our Department of Justice, our FBI, our Department of Homeland Security, we all take joint actions to reach the same goals: that is, to protect American democracy and to protect the American people. VOA: The next question is the elephant in the room. If I may ask: China has some very harsh words on you, calling you a traitor, even launching a personal attack against you. Have you become a scapegoat? Would you like to comment? Yu: Well, normally I would not like to comment on something that’s beneath my comment, I think this is a tactic that China has adopted in a very conventional way: that is, to change the narrative of the controversy. They normally ignore the fundamental causes of major events in the deterioration of U.S.-China relationship. As Secretary Pompeo said, really, it’s [caused by] the fundamental, political and ideological differences of these two countries. And instead, they try to assign blame to one or two particular individuals. This is just the nature of the regime. To designate its enemies as the ultimate cause of something much bigger than the individuals themselves. Secondly, one of the major contributions of this administration to the U.S.-China relationship is our renewed understanding that the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people are not the same thing. And that is something the Chinese government (is) really, sort of panicky about. And for this, they blame me and a few other individuals for making this contribution. And it’s just silly. Since the Chinese government increased attacks on myself, I have received enormous support from people of Chinese descent inside and outside of China, mostly from inside China in various ways, and just to give me enormous assurance that what we’re doing here in the U.S. is right. The Chinese government cannot really tolerate the idea that itself is very isolated. It’s isolated from not only the international environment and international community, but also isolated from its own people. So that’s why their attacks on individuals like US secretary of State and myself are very ferocious — and very desperate in a way. So that’s my response. VOA: Indeed, there is a distinction between the Chinese people and CCP. But there is also a perception among Chinese Americans that the China bashing is alienating the Chinese diaspora in the U.S. For example, prohibiting WeChat is criticized as banning the primary communication tool with their families in China. What is your response? Yu: WeChat is not a bad software. WeChat is not the best software. The reason WeChat is such a powerful tool, such a powerful software is because the Chinese Communist Party has banned all other competitors. So you only have WeChat and a few others left. They’ve been totally controlled by the Chinese communist government. So the real culprit for this dilemma, or all of this inconvenience caused by this restriction on WeChat, is really the Chinese Communist Party itself. So that’s why I say, WeChat itself — the technology is OK but the political control exerted by the Chinese Communist Party is absolutely dangerous to the national security of the United States. So it’s a dilemma. But I think it’s a dilemma that the only solution to this lies in Beijing, not in Washington. VOA: On Uighurs. Is the U.S. government close in labeling China’s suppression on Uighurs as genocide? What’s the thinking behind such a designation? Yu: Designating an atrocity or a genocide must reach several criteria. One of which obviously is a legal criteria. And I think if we look at all the evidence we have gathered, and the whole world has witnessed, to designate the PRC atrocities in Xinjiang as a genocide is worth considering. And the process has a logic and timeline of its own. So I’m not going to make a specific comment on that, but you will see our position pretty soon. VOA: Just to follow up: [when you said] pretty soon, could that mean in the coming months? Yu: Well, you’ll see. VOA: On Hong Kong. The Beijing and Hong Kong governments do not appear to change their course in implementing the national security law after several U.S. actions and sanctions, what is the end game for the U.S.? Yu: Well, Hong Kong is a tragedy, and it’s a tragedy not only for the Chinese people and the people of Hong Kong, but also a tragedy for the world because the world has held a tremendous hope for China for the past decades. As a matter of fact, since 1984, when China solemnly promised a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong — backed by a whole set of international principles, including the rule of law, freedom of the press and an independent judiciary — all of which have gone in a very abrupt away. So I will say Hong Kong is also very important in the U.S.-China relationship: not only because the trust between the two countries have been greatly shattered due to China’s draconian action in Hong Kong, but also it sets a new impetus for the United States to evaluate the overall validity of the one country two systems scheme. And because China has conducted Hong Kong business since the 1980s and also particularly after 1997 — in an effort to convince the world that it can be trusted, it should really be taken seriously with its own promise. None of that has become true so far. And, you know, in any bilateral relationship, mutual trust is the most fundamental thing. Now mutual trust between Washington and Beijing has been seriously damaged because of the Hong Kong abomination. VOA: On Taiwan. Does the United States oppose unilateral change of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait as Chinese airplanes increasingly fly into Taiwan’s airspace? There has been a debate on a strategic clarity to deter a potential Chinese invasion in Taiwan. What are your thoughts? Yu: The United States policy toward Taiwan and Taiwan Strait has been very clear from the beginning: that we resolutely oppose any unilateral use of arms or force to settle the disputes between the two sides. Any settlement must be agreed to by people on both sides and any unilateral application of force will be responded by a U.S. action, which will be a resolute one. Regarding specific form of that reaction, I’m not going to speculate at this moment because it is a hypothetical question but be assured that our response will be resolute. VOA: Last week, you were among the U.S. delegation in Secretary Pompeo’s visit to South Asia. As you are his senior advisor on China policy, there is a China component in this trip. What’s your takeaway? Yu: Well, from the beginning of this administration, we have adjusted our global strategic priorities. We view China as the leading challenge of our times, and that includes several aspects. Number one, the China challenge is serious, it’s at the top of our national security agenda. Number two, the China challenge is of a global nature—it’s no longer regional, no longer limited in one particular geographic area, it has also reached the high-tech area, in cyber, space and in many other domains. So our China policy has always reflected those aspects of a global nature, its beyond-the-horizon nature. Our visit to South Asia and Southeast Asian countries obviously contains many very strong China components of that. Because it’s not just us. All of the five countries that we just visited: India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Indonesia, and Vietnam — all shared the same sentiment, the same understanding about China that looms large in their own existential reality. But we are not dictating what they should do. We’re just there to compare notes to let them know that we’re ready to help. We’re there, too, to be a force for good. So that’s the purpose of this trip. And I think, you know, as Secretary Pompeo has stated numerous times: it’s a very resounding success, no matter how Beijing tries to twist the purpose of this trip and the consequences of this trip. This trip has been very good in promoting mutual understanding between the United States and each of the countries visited. VOA: Is there anything else you’d like to add? Yu: Not at this moment. And thank you for your interview. VOA: Thank you for talking to VOA. Yu: You’re welcome.
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Month: November 2020
Britain Locks Down as Europe Becomes Pandemic Epicenter
Britain is set to go into lockdown for a second time Thursday amid a surge in coronavirus infections, with over 20,000 new cases reported daily. It’s the latest European country to impose strict measures, as Henry Ridgwell reports from London.Camera: Henry Ridgwell Producer: Luis da Costa
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Putting a Smile on Cancer Patients’ Faces
Cancer cases are on the rise in Kenya, especially among women. Many can’t afford the cost of wigs if cancer treatment causes them to lose their hair. But as Ruud Elmendorp reports for VOA, one woman is on a mission to bring a change.
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Free Wigs Put Smile on Kenyan Cancer Patients’ Faces
Meet 45-year-old Mary Nafula, a mother of three, who was diagnosed with cancer a year ago. Treatment saved Nafula’s life but her hair fell out, making her feel exposed and vulnerable.Diana Akech carefully places a curly black wig over her bald head. Nafula opens her eyes and explodes in a big smile, full of relief.
“What this salon has done to us today. She has instilled confidence in us and through this, we can live positively,” Nafula said. “We can embrace all the challenges that accompany us, knowing that we are going to heal.”Cancer is the third-leading cause of death in Kenya, according to the World Health Organization, and the numbers are rising, from 37,000 reported cases in 2012 to almost 48,000 currently.Dr. Gladwell Kiarie is an oncologist at The Nairobi Hospital. She attributes the rise to increased cancer screening and a change of lifestyle.
“We are smoking more. We are taking alcohol more,” Kiarie said. “Our traditional diets have changed and we no longer eat the traditional food that we used to. We have more fatty foods. We have less water and greens in our foods, more processed food.”The government has responded with awareness campaigns and the opening of more diagnostic centers across the country. But most Kenyans, who live on less than $3 a day, cannot afford treatment.Nafula said she was fortunate enough to be able to pay for cancer therapy. And now having a wig, Nafula says she is relieved of feeling stigmatized, especially on the streets and often in the Kenyan public transport vehicles called “matatus.”“I was very sick. I couldn’t walk and the matatu guy was like, ‘You sick people – you are supposed to take an ambulance. You should not enter the matatu because cancer can infect us.’ I felt so bad,” Nafula said.Back at her hair salon, Akech is combing a wig. She started doing makeovers five years ago after a friend developed cancer. The friend lost her hair, but Akech gave her a wig.“I shared the story on social media and everybody started nominating their friends'” Akech said. “Let me say my friend gave me the willpower to keep doing this. She’s the one who motivated me. She’s in heaven right now and I am sure she’s very proud of what I am doing.”The wigs cost around $250 each and are paid for by donations from hospitals and companies.For those recovering from cancer, the journey is often long and painful. A wig can ease the pain and serve as a reminder that they are not alone.
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Judge Rejects Republican Effort to Toss Out 127,000 Houston Votes
A federal judge on Monday rejected a Republican effort to invalidate nearly 127,000 votes in Houston because the ballots were cast at drive-thru polling centers established during the pandemic. The lawsuit was brought by conservative Texas activists who have railed against expanded voting access in Harris County, where a record 1.4 million early votes have already been cast. The county is the nation’s third largest and a crucial battleground in Texas, where President Donald Trump and Republicans are bracing for the closest election in decades on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen’s decision to hear arguments on the brink of Election Day drew concern from voting rights activists and came after the Texas Supreme Court rejected a nearly identical challenge over the weekend. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit by conservative GOP activists who have filed a battery of court challenges over moves to expand voting options during the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges have not involved Trump’s campaign. Another 20,000 or more voters were expected to use drive-thru polling locations Tuesday, said Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, the county’s top elections official. Several voters who already used the drive-thru centers rushed to join mounting opposition to the lawsuit, including a Houston attorney whose wife was 35 weeks pregnant when she cast her ballot. She gave birth to twins Friday. “My vote counts,” David Hobbs said. “My wife’s vote counts.” FILE – A line of cars drive in for an event encouraging community members to vote in the upcoming presidential election at an early voting site in Houston, Texas, October 25, 2020.Trump won Texas by nine points in 2016, but polls have shown Democrat Joe Biden still within reach in America’s biggest red state. Democrats also need to flip only nine seats to reclaim a majority in the Texas House for the first time in 20 years and have aggressively targeted several races in Harris County. Harris County offered 10 drive-thru locations as an option for its nearly 5 million residents amid worries of spreading the coronavirus. Jared Woodfill, a former chairman of the Harris County GOP, argued that Texas election law makes no explicit allowances for drive-thru voting and framed it is as an unlawful expansion of curbside voting, which is legal in Texas but limited to people who are unable to enter polling places because of their health. Portions of the hearing were consumed by debate over what exactly qualified as a legal structure for a polling place under Texas law. “You have a fundamental right to vote in a car?” Hanen tersely asked an attorney for the ACLU. Woodfill’s lawsuit noted that all but one of the drive-thru centers were set up “in Democrat areas of the county.” More than 40% of Harris County residents are Latino, and about one in five residents are Black.Demonstrators stand across the street from the federal courthouse in Houston, Texas, November 2, 2020, before a hearing in federal court involving drive-thru ballots cast in Harris County.The lawsuit drew objections even from Republicans, include former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus. Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who is facing the toughest reelection battle of his career Tuesday against Democrat MJ Hegar, also said during a weekend campaign stop that the Texas Supreme Court made the right decision earlier in rejecting an identical challenge. The Texas Supreme Court, which is controlled entirely by Republicans, rejected an identical lawsuit last month and on Sunday refused to invalidate the votes already cast. The state’s highest court did not explain its decision. Hollins had asked Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to affirm that the drive-thru locations are legal but received no response. Texas is one of just five states that did not allow for widespread mail-in voting this year during the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 18,000 people statewide. Abbott instead expanded early voting by one week, and that extra time helped Texas already surpass 2016’s total votes even before Tuesday’s election. More than 9.7 million people have cast early ballots in Texas, where turnout typically ranks among the lowest in the country. Some elections experts predict that total turnout in Texas could surpass 12 million, and Harris County officials have taken more steps than most to expand voting access. The county tripled the number of polling places and last week had eight locations that stayed open for 24 hours.
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US Secretary of State Condemns Arrests of Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has condemned the arrests by Hong Kong authorities of a group of pro-democracy activists, calling the action “a clear abuse of law enforcement for political purposes.”Pompeo made the remarks in a statement issued Monday by the State Department. Pompeo said the Hong Kong government’s “harassment and intimidation” of pro-democracy representatives and its attempts to stifle dissent “are stark examples of its ongoing complicity with the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party,” which he said “seeks to dismantle the promised autonomy of Hong Kong.”He called on Beijing and Hong Kong to respect the right of Hong Kong’s people to air their grievances through their elected officials.Seven people were arrested Sunday, among them current and former lawmakers.Hong Kong police confirmed the arrests were in connection to scuffles that broke out in the city’s legislature during a faceoff between pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers earlier this year.A police statement said that six men and one woman had been detained on suspicion of contempt and interfering with legislative members. They were released later in the day.At a news conference Sunday, Hong Kong police officials defended the arrests, saying they had been made on the basis of evidence alone and had nothing to do with “the social status or political background” of those taken into custody.At separate news conference, the same day, the activists called the arrests “absurd” and “completely unacceptable.” They said the government had “fabricated pretexts and used groundless charges to suppress the opposition voice.”In a related development, The New York Times reports another pro-democracy lawmaker was arrested Monday, bringing the total to eight.The move comes more than four months after Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong that punishes what Beijing broadly defines as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. The law was widely condemned by Western governments and human rights groups.
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At Least One Killed, 15 Injured in Vienna Terror Attack
Gunmen have opened fire at six locations in Austria’s capital, Vienna, killing at least one person and injuring 15 others in what Chancellor Sebastian Kurz described as a “repulsive terrorist attack.” Kurz told Austrian broadcaster ORF that several gunmen were still on the loose. Police have cordoned off a large area of central Vienna and are engaged in a hunt for the shooters. Police said on Twitter Monday evening that residents of Vienna should “KEEP AWAY from all public places or public transport.” Police said that in addition to one bystander being killed, one of the attackers has been shot dead by police. A police officer is among the injured. The attack took place shortly after 8 p.m. Monday and came hours before a partial lockdown was due to go into effect due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country. Kurz said, “We are victims of a despicable terror attack in the federal capital that is still ongoing.” He said the attackers had “prepared professionally” and “were very well equipped with automatic weapons.” Police officers stay in position at stairs named “Theodor Herzl Stiege” near a synagogue after gunshots were heard, in Vienna, November 2, 2020.Speaking to ORF, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said all six locations that were attacked were near a central city street that houses Vienna’s main synagogue. Jewish community leader Oskar Deutsch said on Twitter that it was not clear whether the synagogue and its adjoining offices had been the target of the attack. He said the buildings were closed at the time of the violence. Unverified videos circulating on social media showed gunmen walking through the streets of Vienna, apparently shooting at people at random. Interior Minister Nehammer said the army has been tasked with protecting key sites in the capital so that police can focus on pursuing the gunmen. President Emmanuel Macron of France, which has faced several recent attacks blamed on Muslim extremists, tweeted that the French “share the shock and grief of the Austrian people hit by an attack tonight.” “This is our Europe,” he said. “Our enemies must know with whom they are dealing. We will not retreat.”
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Tanzania Opposition Leader Briefly Detained
Tanzanian opposition presidential candidate Tundu Lissu was briefly detained Monday after police stopped opposition parties from holding protests, according to the main opposition Chadema Party.Opposition officials said Lissu was detained and questioned for several hours along with other opposition figures over a call to protest last week’s election.The country’s main opposition parties have rejected official election results that show President John Magufuli won a second term with 84% percent of the vote. They are demanding a rerun of the poll, which they say was full of irregularities.Lissu told Reuters news agency that Chadema Party chairman Freeman Mbowe, former lawmaker Godbless Lema, and the former mayor of Ubungo municipality, Boniface Jacob, were all arrested earlier Monday. He said planned opposition protests for Monday were not able to take place because of heavy deployments of police on the streets.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Twitter Monday that the United States is “deeply concerned by reports of election irregularities, politically motivated arrests, and violence during Tanzania’s election last week.”He said Washington would “review allegations of the use of force against civilians” and urged authorities to fully address concerns of irregularities.U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Donald Wright said on Twitter Monday that reports of arrests of opposition leaders are “extremely concerning.”Tanzanian opposition parties had called for nationwide election protests Monday, including a march to the National Electoral Commission in Dar es Salaam. However, police were deployed in every area the parties designated as a starting point, and crowds never materialized.Dar es Salaam’s regional police commander Lazaro Mambosasa accused the opposition of planning violence during the protest.The opposition has vowed to continue to organize protests until the election is repeated.Magufuli is preparing for his inauguration later this week.Charles Kombe in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, contributed to this report.
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Tanzania Opposition Vows More Election Protests, Despite Police Crackdown
One week after Tanzania’s general election in which President John Magufuli was declared the winner, the opposition is still demanding a rerun of the poll, which they said was full of irregularities. Police stopped opposition parties from holding protests Monday, a day after they arrested the head of the main opposition party and charged him with terrorism. Speaking to state media Sunday evening, Dar es Salaam regional police commander Lazaro Mambosasa accused the opposition of planning violence that included burning petrol stations and setting fire to citizens’ cars. However, at a news conference Sunday, protest organizers said they were going to hold a peaceful demonstration. FILE – Freeman Mbowe, center, chairman of Chadema, Tanzania’s main opposition party, arrives at Kisutu Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, March 10, 2020.Also Sunday, police arrested the chairman of the main opposition Chadema Party, Freeman Mbowe, along with other party members, including a former member of Parliament and a former mayor of Dar es Salaam. All remained in police custody Monday. The opposition is vowing to hold protests until the election is repeated. Janeth Rithe, the national secretary for publicity and communication of the ACT Wazalendo Party, said the protest is nonstop, and no one can say it has failed. Another opposition party, the United Civic Front, said Sunday it rejects the election results.Ibrahim Lipumba, chairman of the party, said party members will not participate in any election in Tanzania until a new constitution is obtained. The Electoral Commission, meanwhile, has shown no sign of heeding the calls for a new election. Magufuli is preparing for his inauguration later this week.
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Anxious World Watches the Countdown to US Election
Governments across the world are anxiously watching the race for the White House, as they prepare for either Republican Donald Trump securing a second term as U.S. president or for an electoral win by his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden. Who will be the international winners and losers from Tuesday’s U.S. election? “The last four years have confirmed that the choices the U.S. makes are highly consequential for international politics,” according to a commentary by Britain’s leading foreign policy research group, Chatham House. Chatham House added, “The next president will determine how America’s diplomatic, economic and military resources are invested, and, especially, what value the U.S. will attach to existing alliances and multilateral institutions. Whoever sits in the White House will shape the trajectory of the U.S.–China relationship and the global economy, with significant implications for America’s partners.” And implications for U.S. adversaries. Although some profess to claim the impact might not be as great as some might think. In RussiaRussian experts say they expect little improvement in relations between Moscow and Washington, regardless of who wins. “Putin and people around him might like Trump because he fits very nicely with their view of the world,” according to Andrey Kortunov of the Russian International Affairs Council, a research group based in Moscow, in referencing Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kortunov points to Trump’s skepticism about the importance of multilateral institutions and his more transactional approach to diplomacy. FILE – An activist of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia holds a placard during a demonstration ahead of the U.S. presidential election, in front of the U.S. embassy in Moscow, Russia, Oct. 31, 2020.But Kortunov says he does not expect Moscow to shift its foreign policy in the coming months, regardless of who is in the White House. Antagonism, he says, will continue. “Russia’s leaders have long been convinced that any unilateral steps or shifts in Moscow’s foreign policy will be perceived in the West as a sign of weakness, and thus an invitation to crank up the pressure on Russia,” he said. “Russians don’t back down. This principle has remained at the core of Russia’s foreign policy throughout the years.”Former Russian officials over the past few months have also told VOA they expect relations to remain antagonistic with the United States and Europe, blaming what they see as a U.S.-led conspiracy to curb Russian influence. “Some people in the Kremlin hoped it would be different with Donald Trump. But I wasn’t holding my breath,” a former senior Kremlin aide told VOA, describing debates among Russian officials in the run-up to the 2016 U.S. election. Much of the same is happening now, say other former officials. Global interestDespite apparent Russian nonchalance about the result, few in Moscow or elsewhere in the world doubt the enormous global ramifications of Tuesday’s election. A reporter for Britain’s Sky News suggested on air that the world should have a vote in the election because of the international repercussions of the result. This is not just a national election, but a global one, he said. Hundreds of millions around the globe will likely stay up for overnight election watch parties. Others say they will interrupt their work day to keep an eye on the results as they start to unfold. Some cities are planning to broadcast election coverage on billboard-sized televisions. Aside from the fascination with U.S. politics, foreign governments often view the election through the prism of their strategic interests. “Although the U.S. presidency is not as all powerful as many people think, it is certainly, both inside and outside of the U.S., the most powerful elected position in the world. Right now, the world is looking at the U.S. with great anxiety and expectation,” according to Cas Mudde, professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia, writing in Britain’s The Guardian newspaper. Leaders guardedAnxiety is shared by governments at this stage — whether they prefer Trump or Biden. With opinion polls getting their predictions wrong in 2016, no overseas leader can be sure how this election will turn out. FILE – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands with U.S. President Donald Trump after signing the Abraham Accords, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sept. 15, 2020.Most foreign leaders have been guarded in expressing who they would prefer to see win. Analysts say national leaders most closely associated with Trump, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, have been cautious in their praise of him, fearing if he loses, their full-throated support of Trump would adversely affect relations with a potential Biden administration. Hungary’s firebrand populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been one of the few European leaders to speak out in support of Trump as he was in 2016, announcing in an article in a Hungarian newspaper in September that he’s “rooting for another victory for Donald Trump because we are very familiar with the foreign policy of U.S. Democratic administrations, built as it is on moral imperialism. We have tasted it — albeit under duress. We didn’t like it and we don’t want a second helping.” Other conservative nationalist leaders in central Europe have been quieter, despite sharing Trump’s antipathy toward the European Union and his populist ideology. Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and senior officials of the country’s Law and Justice Party, or PiS, have avoided replying when asked who they prefer. Throughout his term in office, Trump has polled badly in Europe generally, but more so in the west of the continent. Only 13% percent of Germans, 18% of Swedes, and 20% of the French have confidence in him to do the right thing in world affairs, according to a survey at the start of the year by the Pew Research Center. Those percentages are much lower than for Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, during his last year in office. Public opinion becomes a little more mixed moving west to east, largely due to approval of Trump by supporters of populist nationalist parties, which are stronger in central Europe and who see the Republican president as an ideological ally, especially when it comes to migration. The Pew poll found a majority of Poles, 51%, had confidence in Trump doing the right thing in world affairs. In Western EuropeThe western European public and governments, by contrast, are eager for a reset from the Trump years, and a return to more predictable and traditional transatlantic relations, analysts say. “Biden has always been a staunch trans-atlanticist — and, over the course of his decades-long political career, he has forged close relationships with key European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel,” noted Alex Soros in commentary for the European Council on Foreign Relations, an international research institution partly funded by his father, philanthropist George Soros. FILE – German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, walks with then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden for a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Feb. 1, 2013.Western European officials say they expect relations would go smoother and more predictably with Biden than with Trump. Biden is a known quantity, having served 34 years in the U.S. Senate and eight as Obama’s vice president. They say they expect him to work as he always has, building up alliances and working on the international front as a multilateralist. His foreign policy would highlight common liberal values with western Europeans, they say. But they do not expect a total restoration of how things were before Trump’s “America First” policy. “Winners” outside Europe in the event Trump secures a second term include Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, also a conservative nationalist. Bolsonaro aides say they would fear a change in Washington, adding that Brazil’s leader would be much more isolated internationally if Trump loses. They would expect confrontations with a Biden administration over human rights issues and climate change. In the Middle East, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi clashed badly with the Obama administration over his government’s human rights record and officials in Cairo say they expect a repeat, if Biden is elected. Likewise, the Gulf monarchies have forged close ties with the Trump administration and were relieved when Trump told Arab leaders during a visit to the Saudi capital of Riyadh in 2017 that, “We are not here to lecture.”
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Twitter to Label Tweets with Premature Election Claims
Social media giant Twitter said Monday it will put warning labels on tweets from U.S. election candidates that claim victory ahead of official results. In a blog post Monday, the company said an election win must be “authoritatively called” before tweets without warning labels will be allowed by candidates or campaigns. To determine election results, Twitter said it would require an announcement from state election officials or a “public projection from at least two authoritative national news outlets that make independent election calls,” citing examples that included ABC News, The Associated Press, CNN and Fox News. Tuesday’s U.S. election has a record number of early votes, which election officials say could slow down the vote count in some states. Because of this, it is possible that a winner in the presidential race, along with some state and local races, will not be known on election night. Twitter said candidates’ tweets that include premature claims of an election victory would be subject to warning labels such as, “Official sources called this election differently,” or “Official sources may not have called the race when this was tweeted.” The company said U.S.-based accounts with over 100,000 followers and a significant engagement that post premature claims will also be considered for labeling. In addition, Twitter said any tweets “meant to incite interference” with the election process or with the implementation of election results, including through violent action, will be removed.
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Merkel Defends Latest Coronavirus Restrictions as Cases Surge in Germany
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says new coronavirus restrictions that took effect Monday were implemented because the country has seen “exponential growth” in cases in recent weeks, and officials are facing an acute emergency in the nation’s hospitals.
Speaking to reporters in Berlin following a Cabinet meeting on the virus Monday, Merkel said the Robert Koch Institute, which monitors public health, reported 12,097 new cases in the country, raising the overall number to 545,027 currently.
Merkel said the daily rate is triple what the rate was two weeks ago and five times more than in the middle of October. She said the number of intensive care patients has doubled in the last 10 days from 1,030 to 2,061. The chancellor said the new measures reflect an effort to reduce contact among people to slow the spread of the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease.
The new lockdown includes the closing of restaurants, gyms and theaters. Merkel said the lockdown’s success will not be determined by the regulations but by how well they are followed. She said if people follow the rules, and the lockdown measures reduce the spread of infections over the month of November, the more freedoms they might have in December during the Christmas holiday.
Merkel said there will still be restrictions but added, “It’s going to be a Christmas under coronavirus conditions, but it shouldn’t be a lonely Christmas.”
A reporter asked Merkel how important it was for U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration to listen to the science when it comes to the pandemic. She refused to answer, given that it was the day before the U.S. presidential election; but, she added that given her own training as a physicist, “I, of course, value scientific advice highly and follow it.”
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Trump’s Afghan Peace Envoy Visits Pakistan on Eve of US Election
The U.S. envoy for Afghan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, visited Pakistan Monday and reviewed Afghan peace-building efforts with the country’s military leadership.The visit came on the eve of the Nov. 3 presidential election in the United States, although analysts say they don’t expect any significant change in Washington’s current Afghan policy regardless of who wins the contest.A Pakistani army statement said its chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, and Khalilzad’s delegation discussed the ongoing U.S.-brokered Afghan peace process “and (the) way forward for (a) lasting peace” in Afghanistan.It was referring to weeks of direct negotiations under way in Qatar between the Taliban insurgency and representatives of the Afghan government aimed at reaching a political settlement that ends almost two decades of Afghan war.The intra-Afghan peace dialogue is an outcome of the agreement U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration sealed with the Taliban in late February to extricate U.S. forces from the conflict in Afghanistan, America’s longest.Pakistan is credited with bringing Taliban leaders to the negotiating table and helping broker the February 29 deal that requires all U.S. and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan by May 2021. In return, the insurgents are bound to fight terrorism and negotiate a peace deal with rival Afghan factions.Monday’s army statement noted that Khalilzad “appreciated Pakistan’s untiring efforts for facilitating the process towards the mutual objective of peace in the region.”The intra-Afghan talks in the Qatari capital of Doha, however, have not delivered the desired results and instead battlefield hostilities in Afghanistan have intensified, killing dozens of people every day.The increased violence has raised concerns about the sustainability of the peace process. Despite the rise in violence, however, Trump has repeatedly said he wants to bring home U.S. troops to close what he often refers to as America’s endless war.
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US Whistleblower Snowden says He Wants Russian Citizenship
Former National Security Agency contractor-turned whistleblower Edward Snowden says he and his wife will apply for Russian citizenship, in addition to their current status as American citizens. The request marks the latest chapter in Edward Snowden’s often secretive life in Russia, as Charles Maynes reports from Moscow.Videographer: Ricardo Marquina, Producer: Marcus Harton
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Why Deadly Philippine Super Typhoon Ended up Sparing Lives
The most powerful typhoon of the year so far killed at least 20 people in the Philippines Sunday but spared many more because of preparedness and a weakening of the storm earlier than expected.Typhoon Goni made landfall as a super-typhoon with sustained winds up to 225 kph. The deaths were reported in the eastern provinces of Albay and Catanduanes as trees fell, objects flew through the air and mudflows swept one woman away, Philippine media report. A boy and his father were drowned.But the storm failed to live up to widespread fears that far more would die as they have in past typhoons. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had estimated the storm would impact 19.8 million to 31.9 million people. Goni ended up affecting around 2 million people, domestic news media outlet Rappler.com said.Goni weakened within hours after landfall to a category one typhoon, the lowest level on a 1-5 scale, before passing out to sea west of Luzon Island as a less powerful tropical storm early Monday. The tapering of wind speeds spared the capital Manila from the storm’s worst, residents there said.Ever-improving storm preparedness in the Philippines further helped minimize deaths, analysts said Monday. A plethora of news media and government-operated Facebook pages helped get the word out late last week, said Herman Kraft, political science professor at University of the Philippines Diliman.The same outlets aired live broadcasts by public officials throughout Monday on where aid was being distributed.“You had bad flooding and I think some storm surges, but by and large I think we were prepared, and aside from that was that Typhoon Goni just weakened as it was passing through the rest of the Philippines, so it spared large parts of the country,” Kraft said.On the preparedness front, Office of Civil Defense administrator Ricardo Jalad said via the presidential office website that 96,543 families – some 346,993 individuals – were “preemptively evacuated.” The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council website warned Saturday that the Bicol peninsula, a region southeast of Manila, was “under serious threat.”Rescue workers evacuate people living along coastal areas in Manila, Nov. 1, 2020, as Super Typhoon Goni moved towards the Philippine capital.In the past, many people disbelieved typhoon warnings if they saw no immediate signs of storms, said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist with Banco de Oro UniBank in Metro Manila. In Metro Manila, he said, people were warned Friday to ready their vehicles for a storm onslaught and plan for power outages.“I think [with] the constant battery of storms that are coming to the Philippines, the Filipinos now are more prepared for these kinds of emergencies,” Ravelas said.Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 raised the general alert level, Ravelas said. That storm killed more than 6,000 people, mostly in storm surges on a single eastern island. Disaster response times and coordination among local governments have improved under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, he added. Duterte took office in 2016.Mobile phone texting of advisories for citizens in the storm’s path is one hallmark of the government’s preparations today, said Aaron Rabena, research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation in Metro Manila. “This [kind of text] goes directly into your phone, so you receive it right away,” Rabena said. “Maybe because the government has learned its lesson, it really has to disseminate warnings to the public to really be careful.”A house is partially submerged in debris by Typhoon Goni in Daraga, Albay province, Philippines, Nov. 2, 2020, in this photo obtained from social media. (Credit: David Lee)People’s awareness of preventing COVID-19 in a country where caseloads show signs of coming under control after a tough first half of the year also extends to typhoons, Ravelas suggested. The number of daily infections peaked in August and stands at a total of 383,113.“They’ve slowly worked on that strategy — coming from a reactionary to proactive prevention,” Ravelas said. “It’s like the saying ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’”But not all evacuees followed social distancing at relief shelters because the emphasis was getting people out of the storm path, Kraft said. “Even if you had masks, people would be cramped in some of those areas,” he said.Economic impact from the storm was still being calculated as of Monday, but domestic media quoted the agriculture secretary estimating $22.7 million worth of damage to rice and other crops.
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Kenyan Union Says COVID-19 in Schools Putting Teachers at Risk
A Kenyan teachers union is calling on the government to give guidance to older teachers and those suffering from chronic diseases after 35 teachers and 17 students tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week and two teachers died. The call comes a day after Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta hinted he might re-introduce restrictions after a jump in confirmed daily infections.The partial reopening of schools in Kenya enters its fourth week, and at least 35 schools across the country have reported positive coronavirus cases.Tomkins Baraza, who teaches Swahili and history at the Nakuru high school, said teachers fear for their lives.“It’s a very big worry for teachers now that most of the learners are asymptomatic. So, you don’t know who is having it. If we have mass testing for students in all schools, in all schools, at least you will find some students having coronavirus disease,” said Baraza.Baraza’s school is using twelve classes instead of six to limit the spread of the virus and has yet to report a positive case.Kenya has recorded a growing number of COVID-19 positive cases in recent weeks, and the surge is blamed on the easing of restrictions meant to combat the spread of the virus.Medical staff dressed in protective suits treat coronavirus disease patients at the COVID-19 ICU of Machakos Level 5 Hospital, in Machakos, Kenya, Oct. 28, 2020.Speaking to reporters Monday from the coastal town of Malindi, Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe, said 14 of every 100 people tested nationwide turned out to be positive for coronavirus.“In positivity rate lately, we are at 18% this last Saturday. Yesterday our positivity rate was 15%, and today we are heading not far from that direction. For the last one week, we have seen close to 100 deaths which is the highest number we have ever witnessed since our first confirmed case in March,” said Kagwe.Among the deaths reported last week was a secondary school headteacher in Mombasa, and the school remains closed.Kenya has recorded at least 56,000 coronavirus cases and more than 1,000 deaths.Isaac Masenge, an official with the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers in Nairobi, said the union is concerned about teachers’ exposure.”… [R]emember in day schools children are coming from home intermingling with people from matatus and you can see the multiplier effect they can cause in school especially to the old teachers and other teachers with other ailments. Currently as we are moving forward, the schools are also being hit and we need proper communiqué from the national office together with the employer to give way forward the issue of teachers with conditions and teachers who are 55 years and above,” said Masenge.Our attempts to reach officials at the teachers service commission, a state body tasked with managing the hiring and deployment of Kenya’s teachers, were unsuccessful.Some critics have been calling for renewed school closures to shield the teachers and students. But the ministry of education insists that children are safe in schools and that learning will go uninterrupted.
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Uganda’s President Museveni Nominated for Another Term
Uganda on Monday began a two-day nomination process for candidates who will compete in February’s presidential elections. President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country for 34 years, was the first to be nominated and warned that any opponents who destabilize the country will be dealt with. Opposition candidates, including musician turned politician Bobi Wine, say their homes and offices are under surveillance.At 10:30 am Monday, flanked by his wife and ten supporters allowed at the presidential nomination venue, President Yoweri Museveni arrived with his full presidential motorcade and escorts.On streets and roads leading to the nomination grounds, songs of praise for Museveni blared through speakers and were danced to by his supporters, wearing yellow T-shirts.After going through his documents for verification and reading him the electoral rules, Electoral Commission Chairman Simon Byabakama declared Museveni a candidate for the February elections.“I Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon being the returning officer for the nomination Presidential candidates, hereby declare that Yoweri Museveni Tibuhaburwa Kaguta, a duly nominated candidate, in respect of the Presidential elections 2021,” he said.All day, Ugandan social media, radio and television have been awash with songs and messages shouting out Museveni’s campaign slogan, “secure your future.”In this song, President Yoweri Museveni is praised for his management of affairs, including the handling of the opposition, saying he is not as bad as late presidents Idi Amin Dada and Milton Obote.Bu after his nomination Monday, President Museveni took a tough tone, accusing opponents of receiving support from abroad, and suggesting the ruling NRM party will use force to keep order if he deems it necessary.He said, I hear there are people who want to disorganize and act foolishly. He said I want to assure you that no one will bring disorganization here, and whoever does so will regret it. Because, we don’t joke. NRM fought to bring peace in this country…. I am not holding a gun now, but no one has stronger military power than us, but we don’t scare people, said Museveni.Museveni is expected to face nine challengers for the presidency. By the end of Monday, five candidates will have been nominated.FILE – Bobi Wine, center, arrives to speak at the National Unity Platform head office in Kampala, Uganda, Aug. 31, 2020.Some presidential aspirants, including Lieutenant General Henry Tumukunde and Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, say their homes and offices are under surveillance.“You’ve all noticed, they’ve blocked roads coming to our offices and leaving. They’ve also deployed unnecessarily everywhere. And I want to believe that is to intimidate Ugandans. And tomorrow, I will leave my house with my wife and a few friends heading to the nomination center. I am not going to hide from nobody. I am not a criminal. I am a free Ugandan,” he said outside his house in Kampala.There is likely to be a heavy presence of police on the streets tomorrow when the opposition Forum for Democratic Change and Wine’s NUP party nominate their presidential candidates.Since last week, police have warned opposition parties not to hold any kind of procession on the way to the nomination center.
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Belarus Dogged by Crackdown on Protesters as UN Human Rights Review Begins
Belarus’s human rights record is in the spotlight as the U.N. Human Rights Council begins its Universal Periodic Review of nations’ rights records. Belarus has come under intense criticism for its crackdown on demonstrators who have challenged the outcome of last August’s presidential elections.This is the third time since the review process began in 2008 that Belarus’s human rights record has come under scrutiny. The meeting was aimed at taking stock of developments that have occurred in the country since the previous reviews. The head of the Belarus delegation was unable to prevent nations attending the meeting from fixating on the violent events, which followed August’s allegedly rigged presidential elections. Belarus’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Yuri Ambrazevich, said his government has spoken publicly on this subject several times. The ambassador spoke through an interpreter.“In that connection, I would like to appeal to all participants today not to turn the UPR on Belarus only into a discussion of the post-election events…Belarus wishes, has the will and has the necessary instruments itself peacefully to restore civility in society on the basis of a balance of interests of our society as a whole,” said Ambrazevich.Belarus Police Fire Warning Shots, Detain ProtestersPolice in Belarus fired warning shots into the air and detained protesters in Minsk, Sunday November 1. The United Nations reports more than 10,000 people have been arrested, thousands severely beaten, and hundreds tortured by state agents.Ambassador Ambrazevich tried to turn the focus of the debate onto the improvements being made in all areas of public life. He cited progress in gender equality, in the protection of vulnerable people, of the disabled and special provisions to help mothers and their children. Ambrazevich touted his country’s public health system, saying it provided free medical care for all. Countries nevertheless were not dissuaded from expressing concerns about Belarus’s repression of peaceful demonstrators and what those nations cited as ongoing violations of human rights. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Andrew Bremberg, called the August 9 presidential elections fraudulent. He denounced the ongoing use of violence, intimidation and repression of the Belarusian people.“The United States recommends that Belarus: One, immediately cease its brutal crackdown against the Belarusian people, including threats to use lethal force against peaceful protesters and employment of severe abuses against detainees, and hold those responsible accountable,” said Bremerg. “Two, immediately release all political prisoners and those detained for participation in election-related protests.” Besides its detractors, Belarus also had a number of supporters. Countries such as China, Syria and Venezuela praised what they said was Belarus’s promotion and protection of human rights. Those countries applauded what they said were the political rights and democratic freedoms enjoyed by its people. They condemned efforts to destabilize the country and told the international community to stop interfering in the internal affairs of Belarus in the name of human rights.
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2 Children Pulled Alive from Rubble of Collapsed Building in Turkey
Rescue teams in Turkey pulled two girls out alive Monday from under the rubble of their collapsed apartment buildings, three days after a strong earthquake centered in the Aegean Sea rocked Turkey and Greece.Fourteen-year-old Idil Sirin was removed from the wreckage after being trapped for some 58 hours.Seven hours later, rescuers pulled out 3-year-old Elif Perincek, whose mother and two sisters had been rescued two days earlier. At Least 51 Dead in Turkey, Greek Islands EarthquakeHundreds injured, buildings destroyed and collapsedThe child, who spent 65 hours in the wreckage of her collapsed apartment, became the 106th person rescued alive, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.At least 80 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 injured by the earthquake that toppled buildings in the Turkish city of İzmir and created sea surges on at least two Greek islands, where two school children lost their lives.The U.S. Geological Survey rated the earthquake 7.0, while Istanbul’s Kandilli Institute and Turkey’s emergency management agency gave 6.9 and 6.6 measures respectively.The deadly earthquake originated from a 250-kilometer fault line off the coast of the Greek island of Samos, streaming across the Aegean Sea that divides Turkey and Greece. Hundreds of aftershocks followed.
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Biden, Trump Make Final Pitches to Undecided Voters
Months of campaigning comes down to a final day Monday for U.S. presidential candidates to convince undecided voters, and urge their supporters to vote. President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are holding events in multiple states that will be among the most important in determining the outcome in Tuesday’s election. The common stop on their itineraries is Pennsylvania, a state where Biden has been ahead in recent polls, but which Trump won in 2016. The winner of Pennsylvania earns 20 of the 270 electoral votes a candidate needs to earn a four-year term in the White House. U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport in Opa-Locka, Florida, Nov. 2, 2020.Trump is holding a rally at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport, while Biden will address supporters at a drive-in event in Pittsburgh. Biden’s other stop Monday is in Ohio, a state with 18 electoral votes and where polls show the candidates running about even. Trump is also traveling to North Carolina, site of another tight race, and to two other states — Michigan and Wisconsin — where Biden has led in recent polls but which were important parts of Trump’s 2016 victory. Results from Election Day will not be official until weeks later. The deadlines vary by state, with a few reporting within a week but many not requiring final results to be reported until late November or early December. Most years, the winner is clear before the official results with media organizations making projections based on tabulations from individual voting precincts. This year a record number of people have cast early ballots, at least 94 million as of Sunday night, and with many of those coming by way of mail-in ballots due to concerns about the coronavirus, the counting in some states could be slower than usual.FILE – An election worker places a vote-by-mail ballot into an official ballot drop box outside of an early voting site in Miami, Florida, Oct. 19, 2020.Trump has criticized court rulings upholding rules in some states allowing ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and arrive with a certain window of time afterward. He reiterated his objection during multiple campaign stops Sunday, saying, without evidence, “I think a lot of fraud and misuse could take place.” He signaled his campaign is preparing legal challenges to the counting of absentee ballots in Pennsylvania, which were the subject of a Supreme Court ruling last week. “We’re going in the night of — as soon as that election is over — we’re going in with our lawyers,” Trump told reporters before a rally in North Carolina. He also expressed his displeasure with the fact that results are not instantaneous, telling reporters before a rally in North Carolina, “I don’t think it’s fair that we have to wait for a long period of time after the election.” Trump denied an Axios report, saying it was false that he has told confidants he will declare victory election night even if the Electoral College outcome is unclear. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a “Souls to the Polls” drive-in rally at Sharon Baptist Church, Nov. 1, 2020, in Philadelphia.Democratic candidate Joe Biden commented on the report in between his campaign stops Sunday in Philadelphia. “The president’s not going to steal this election,” Biden said. In Philadelphia, Biden also repeated his criticism of the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed about 231,000 people and infected more than 9.2 million in the United States, most of any country in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. “The truth is, to beat the virus, we first have to beat Donald Trump,” Biden said. “He is the virus.”Trump has continued to say that the U.S. is “rounding the turn” in fighting COVID-19 and that a vaccine is coming soon. Biden called Pennsylvania “critical” to his election chances, but expressed optimism, saying “when America is heard, I believe the message is going to be clear: it’s time for Trump to pack his bags and go home.” National polls continue to show Biden leading Trump, by about 8 percentage points, leaving Trump to face the prospect of becoming the third U.S. president in the last four decades to lose his bid for reelection after a single term. U.S. elections, however, are not determined by the national popular vote in the country’s indirect form of democracy, but rather in the 538-member Electoral College, with a candidate needing a majority of 270 to win the presidency. In all but two of the country’s 50 states, either Trump or Biden will win all the electors by winning the popular vote there, with the most populous states holding the most electors. In addition to the presidential race, U.S. voters will also be electing all 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 seats in the 100-member Senate, 11 state governors, and various local government positions, as well as deciding on referendums.
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Algeria Says Voters Backed Constitutional Changes in Referendum
A proposal to change Algeria’s constitution won the most votes in Sunday’s referendum and will become law, but the very low turnout undercut the government strategy of using the poll to turn a page on last year’s political unrest.
Fewer than one in four registered voters cast a ballot, Algeria’s lowest ever turnout, with many in the opposition “Hirak” street protest movement opposing the referendum and the vote taking place amid a global pandemic.
However, two thirds of those who did vote supported the changes, the electoral commission head Mohamed Charfi said at a news conference on Monday, adding that the coronavirus had negatively affected turnout.
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Asian Markets Rise on Positive Economic News from China
Asian markets are mostly higher on the eve of the U.S. presidential election amid more positive economic news from China. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei index closed 1.3% higher. The S&P/ASX index in Australia gained 0.2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 1.4%. The KOSPI index in South Korea also rose 1.4%, while Taiwan’s TSEC gained 0.3%. Shanghai’s Composite index was essentially unchanged. In late afternoon trading, Mumbai’s Sensex was also unchanged percentage-wise. Investors came back into the markets after data from the privately-run Caixin China Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index showed an increase for October. In commodities trading, gold is selling at $1,882.90 per ounce, up 0.1%. U.S crude oil is at $34.55 per barrel, down 3.4%, and Brent oil is selling at $37.48 per barrel, unchanged percentage-wise. All three major U.S. indices are in positive territory in futures trading.
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At Least 50,000 People Participate in Anti-France Protest in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh at least 50,000 people took to the streets of the capital Dhaka Monday to protest French President Emmanuel Macron, who has defended criticism of Islam as a right of freedom of speech. The demonstrators demanded a boycott of French products and tried to march to the French embassy but were blocked by police. France is an important trading partner and a major aid provider for Bangladesh. Police estimated that about 50,000 people participated in the protest, but organizers said more than 100,000 people had gathered for the rally.Bangladeshi Muslims protesting the French president’s support of secular laws allowing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad march burn an effigy of French President Emmanuel Macron in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Nov.2, 2020.Macron triggered protests in the Muslim world, including Bangladesh, when he said France would never renounce its right to caricature. His comment came after the decapitation of teacher Samuel Paty earlier in October who had shown students a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad republished by the Paris-based satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. Two other attacks that French authorities have attributed to Islamist terrorism have followed. Macron sounded a more empathetic tone in an interview with Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera on Saturday, but again emphasized freedom of speech. “I can understand that people could be shocked by the caricatures, but I will never accept that violence can be justified.”
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Death Toll Rises in Philippines in Aftermath of Powerful Super Typhoon
The death toll from a super typhoon that struck the main Philippine island of Luzon Sunday has risen to 16. Typhoon Goni made landfall on Luzon carrying maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per hour, making it the strongest typhoon to hit the Pacific archipelago this year. Goni’s arrival comes a week after Typhoon Molave hit the same region, killing 22 people. Richard Gordon, the chief of the Philippine Red Cross, says up to 90% of homes across Catanduanes Island, which was in the path of Typhoon Goni on its way to Luzon were damaged or destroyed. Goni caused power outages, infrastructure damage and major floods. Video footage from local and social media showed rivers overflowing and some dikes destroyed, submerging villages and damaging farmland. Officials also say a landfall of volcanic ash destroyed hundreds of homes located near the active Mayon volcano in the province of Albay. Nearly 350,000 people were in evacuation centers, the Philippine Disaster Management Agency said Sunday, lowering the figure of nearly a million reported Saturday. Reuters news agency says President Rodrigo Duterte will make an aerial inspection of the typhoon damage on Monday. Goni weakened as it made its way past Manila on a path to the South China Sea. But forecasters are warning that another Pacific storm, dubbed Atsani, is on a path towards the Philippines.
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