At least 20 African migrants trying to reach Europe died Thursday when their boat sank off the coast of Tunisia, Tunisian authorities said.Tunisian Defense Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ben Zekri said fisherman discovered the bodies off the coastal city of Sfax. He said that five passengers were rescued and about 20 others were still missing.The boat was crossing the Mediterranean Sea en route to the Italian island of Lampedusa when it sank. National Guard spokesman Ali Ayari said the boat was overcrowded and in poor condition as it faced strong winds, factors he said may have contributed to the sinking.Migrant Deaths Top 3,000 This YearMore than half migrant fatalities this year occurred within and on route to EuropeTunisian navy units were searching for more survivors, officials said.In addition to the coast of neighboring Libya, the coastline near Sfax has become a popular departure location for people fleeing poverty and violence in Africa and the Middle East in search of a better life in Europe.A growing number of Tunisians grappling with economic difficulties in their country are also fleeing despite efforts by Rome to negotiate a halt to the crossings. Most migrants arriving in Italy this year were Tunisians.Of the more than 34,000 migrants who arrived in Italy this year, more than 12,800, or 38%, were Tunisian. Bangladeshis were the next largest group, followed by migrants from Ivory Coast, Algeria, Pakistan and Egypt.
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Month: December 2020
Trump Warns Iran Over Rocket Attacks on Embassy in Iraq
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Iran against any attack on U.S. military or diplomatic personnel in Iraq, days after suspected Iran-backed Iraqi militia launched a barrage of rockets at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone.
The warning, issued on Twitter on December 23, came after top U.S. national-security officials met to prepare a range of options to propose to the president in order to deter any attack on U.S. interests in Iraq.
The so-called principals committee group, including acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and national-security adviser Robert O’Brien met at the White House, Reuters reported, citing an anonymous official.
For weeks, U.S. officials have suggested Iran or allied Iraqi militia could carry out retaliatory attacks to mark the first anniversary of the U.S. drone strike that killed Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani, and Iraqi militia leaders outside Baghdad’s airport on January 3.
The aim of the White House meeting was “to develop the right set of options that we could present to the president to make sure that we deter the Iranians and Shi’a militias in Iraq from conducting attacks on our personnel,” a senior administration official told Reuters.
Following the meeting, Trump took to Twitter to comment on a hail of rockets that targeted Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on December 20, causing minor damage to the U.S. Embassy compound and residential areas in the international zone.
“Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday by several rockets. Three rockets failed to launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN,” Trump wrote above a picture claiming to show rockets from Iran. “Now we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq. Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over,” Trump wrote, repeating a redline over any American casualties. Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday by several rockets. Three rockets failed to launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN. Now we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq… pic.twitter.com/0OCL6IFp5M
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2020Iranian condemnation Iran’s foreign minister dismissed Trump’s allegations that Iran was behind the recent rocket attack. “Putting your own citizens at risk abroad won’t divert attention from catastrophic failures at home,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter. Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh described Trump’s accusations as “baseless” and said that Iran has repeatedly condemned attacks on diplomatic and residential sites. Khatibzadeh was quoted by the official government news agency IRNA as saying that Tehran considers the U.S. responsible for the consequences of “any unwise move” in the current condition. “In this specific issue, the fingers are pointed at the U.S. and its partners and allies in the region that are trying to increase tension,” he said. The U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that the rocket attack in Iraq was “almost certainly” carried out by an “Iranian-backed rogue militia group.” “While this 21 rocket attack caused no U.S. injuries or casualties, the attack did damage buildings in the U.S. Embassy compound, and was clearly NOT intended to avoid casualties,” the statement said. Following the December 20 attack, an Iraqi military statement said “an outlawed group” launched eight rockets at the Green Zone, the location of embassies and government buildings.
Most of the rockets landed near an empty residential complex and checkpoint, injuring one Iraqi security person.
Although no Americans were killed or injured by the rockets, the attack and Trump’s threat underscore a highly combustible situation in Iraq that could quickly spiral out of control.
A rocket attack blamed on Iran-backed militia in December 2019 killed a U.S. defense contractor and wounded several U.S. and Iraqi soldiers at a military base in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, touching off a cycle of escalation that led to Soleimani’s killing and Iran launching retaliatory ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops, bringing the two rivals to the brink of full-fledged war.
In a new show of force directed at Iran around the anniversary of Soleimani’s killing, a U.S. nuclear submarine carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles crossed the Strait of Hormuz on December 21. FILE – Iranian people attend a funeral procession and burial for Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, who was killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, at his hometown in Kerman, Iran, Jan. 7, 2020.
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has been patrolling Gulf waters since late November, and two American B-52 bombers recently overflew the region in a demonstration of strength aimed at Iran.
“My assessment is we are in a very good position and we’ll be prepared for anything the Iranians or their proxies acting for them might choose to do,” General Kenneth McKenzie, the U.S. commander for the Middle East, told journalists on December 20.
U.S. officials have blamed Iran-backed Iraqi militia for carrying out a string of attacks on U.S. interests in Iraq this year, prompting Washington to threaten a diplomatic and military withdrawal from the country.
The Trump administration in November ordered a reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500 by mid-January.
Several Iraq militia groups in October announced a brief suspension of attacks on U.S. interests on condition that a timetable would be presented for U.S. forces to leave Iraq. That truce came to an end on November 18 with a rocket strike on the U.S. Embassy.
Meanwhile, the United States said in early December it was partially withdrawing some staff from its embassy in response to rising tensions.
U.S. officials say the temporary staff reduction was in response to possible threats around the anniversary of Soleimani’s killing and that of leading Iraqi paramilitary figure Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Aggravating the situation, tensions spiked again across the region following assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh near Tehran in late November.FILE – This photo released by the semi-official Fars News Agency shows the scene where Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed in Absard, Iran, Nov. 27, 2020.Iran has blamed Israel and, indirectly, the United States, raising the possibility that Iran or one of its regional proxies will retaliate.
The developments in Iraq come as Trump ramps up pressure on Iran ahead of a transition to President-elect Joe Biden, who has said he will try to revive diplomacy with Iran upon entering the White House in January.
Biden is expected to try to rejoin the Iran nuclear accord that Trump quit in 2018 and work with allies to strengthen its terms, if Tehran resumes compliance.
Western diplomats and media reports have suggested Iran has told allied Iraqi militia groups to avoid provoking the United States in the final weeks of the Trump administration out of concern the situation could escalate before a more dovish Biden administration comes to power.
But there are also questions about how much direct operational control Iran really maintains over an array of Iraqi militia groups and proxies across the region, raising the prospect of accidents and miscalculations.
“I do believe we remain in a period of heightened risk,” McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, told ABC News on December 22. “I would just emphasize this key point: We’re not looking to escalate ourselves. We’re not looking for war with Iran, I really want to emphasize that.” “It is my belief that Iran doesn’t want a war with the United States right now,” he added.
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Trump Vetoes Defense Spending Bill
U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday vetoed the annual defense policy bill, objecting to the package, which had broad bipartisan support in Congress, and calling the measure a “gift” to China and Russia.The National Defense Authorization Act would have authorized $740 billion in military programs and given 3% pay raises to members of the military. The NDAA also guides Pentagon policy on issues such as troops levels, weapons systems and personnel matters.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump’s veto “an act of staggering recklessness that harms our troops.”FILE – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, left, meet with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington.“Trump is using his final hours in office to sow chaos, including by denying our servicemembers a long-overdue pay raise and hazard duty pay; our families paid family leave, child care, housing and health protections; and our veterans the benefits that they need and deserve,” Pelosi said in a statement. “The President’s veto also deprives our country and allies of tools to protect global security – including for cyber-security.”Trump had long threatened to veto the bill if it did not include a repeal of Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which provides liability protections for social media companies.Senator James Inhofe, a Republican who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed support for the NDAA, while saying Congress should handle Section 230 repeal separately.FILE – Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.“The NDAA has become law every year for 59 years straight because it’s absolutely vital to our national security and our troops. This year must not be an exception,” Inhofe said in a statement Wednesday. “Our men and women who volunteer to wear the uniform shouldn’t be denied what they need— ever. This NDAA cements all the remarkable gains our military has made thanks to President Trump’s leadership and sends a strong message of support to our service members and their families.”In a statement explaining his veto, Trump also reiterated his objection to a provision allowing for the renaming of some military facilities that honor leaders from the Confederacy, a group of 11 slave-holding southern states that seceded from the United States, triggering the 1860s U.S. Civil War.“I have been clear in my opposition to politically motivated attempts like this to wash away history and to dishonor the immense progress our country has fought for in realizing our founding principles,” Trump said.Pelosi said Trump’s veto goes against the country’s values, “as it would block action to rename military bases and infrastructure named after those who served in the Confederacy – which is supported by an overwhelming majority of the American people, by House and Senate Democrats and Republicans and by our servicemembers and top military leaders.”Major Defense Bill, Strongly Backed in Congress, Draws Trump’s Veto Veto raises possibility that measure will fail to become law for the first time in 60 years; vote to override appears likelyAmong his complaints about the bill, Trump also said it would undermine his authority as commander in chief to bring American troops home.“I oppose endless wars, as does the American public,” Trump said. “Over bipartisan objections, however, this Act purports to restrict the President’s ability to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Germany, and South Korea. Not only is this bad policy, but it is unconstitutional.”The veto comes despite many in his own party, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, urging the president to sign the bill.Both the House and Senate passed the bill with veto-proof majorities.Pelosi said late Wednesday the House would hold a vote to override Trump’s veto on Monday. The Senate is expected to then consider the matter on Tuesday.Congress has until Jan. 3, when a new Congress is scheduled to be sworn in, to override the veto.
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Asian Migrant Workers Locked Up, Dumped as Coronavirus Curbs Ease
Migrant workers in Asia are being locked up and abandoned by employers even as countries ease coronavirus curbs, say human rights groups, which are calling for better housing and changes to visa laws.The warning came after more than a dozen workers from Myanmar were dumped by the roadside in Thailand this week following a ban on the movement of migrant workers in and out of certain areas because of a COVID-19 outbreak.In Singapore, where cramped dormitories were a virus hotspot, migrant workers are still largely confined to their rooms even as authorities have eased restrictions in the city. “It is clear that these governments – and employers – really treat migrant workers as second-class citizens,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director of global non-profit Human Rights Watch in Asia. “Certainly, governments need to address outbreaks and test workers. But they are doing it in a way that violates their rights, and in a way that they would not treat their own citizens,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.In Singapore, where the vast majority of COVID-19 cases were reported in the dormitories, authorities had earlier sealed off the accommodations that house more than 320,000 mostly SouthAsian low-wage workers.The government vowed to build new dormitories with improved standards. But workers remain largely confined to their dorms, except those who are eligible to apply for permission to go out briefly on rest days.Migrant workers in some dormitories will be allowed to go out once a month from early next year if they wear contact-tracing devices and are subject to frequent testing.Proprietary ApproachThe government’s measures are “disproportionate” and do not respect migrant workers’ rights, said Alex Au, vice president of the Singaporean non-profit Transient Workers Count Too. “Yes, we need to be vigilant, but it is a matter of proportionality: the facts do not justify such severe restrictions on migrant workers,” he said.The workers – nearly half of whom had been infected, according to the government – already had greater immunity, and were tested more frequently than the community, Au said. “The Singapore government has a paternalistic, almost proprietary approach towards migrant workers – caring for them because they are of economic value,” he said. “There is a subconscious blaming of the migrant workers, which is happening in other countries, too,” he added.The Singapore government has defended its measures, saying that migrant workers had received good care, and will get the vaccine for free like all other residents.”The risk of COVID-19 re-emerging in our migrant worker dormitories is real and significant,” Tan See Leng, a second minister for manpower, said in a Facebook post last week. “We know that our measures have been tough on our migrant workers. We recognise our responsibility to keep them safe, and to take care of their livelihood and welfare,” he said.A spokeswoman for the ministry declined further comment. In neighbouring Malaysia, authorities have said they would file charges against Top Glove, the world’s biggest maker of medical gloves, for poor worker accommodations after a COVID-19 outbreak.In Thailand, authorities have said they will extend the work permits of migrants, permit some workers to get tested for free, and file charges against employers who abandoned workers.But authorities must also commit to improving migrant housing, and reform the law to free up visas that keep workers tied to employers, said Robertson. “Migrant workers’ vulnerability is heightened because of their living and working conditions, yet they face unequal access to services,” he said.”There needs to be a rethink of how migrant workers are treated – and not just because it’s imperative for public health.”
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Chinese Regulators Open Anti-Monopoly Probe Into E-Commerce Giant Alibaba
The Chinese government is opening an anti-monopoly investigation into online retail giant Alibaba, a move that signifies Beijing’s increasing efforts to tighten control over the country’s dominant technology sector.
The State Administration for Market Regulation said Thursday the probe will look into the company’s practice of forcing its business partners to choose either Alibaba or a rival competitor, instead of allowing them to sell their merchandise through both outlets.
Alibaba was founded in 1999 by Jack Ma, who has become the richest businessman in China with an estimated net worth of $59 billion. The company is the world’s biggest online retail company and expanded into financial services and other fields.
In a separate announcement, regulators with the People’s Bank of China said Thursday it will meet with officials with the Ant Group, Alibaba’s affiliated financial services company, to discuss issues related to operating in a method that protects the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.
The government surprised the financial world last month when it suspended the Ant Group’s debut as a publicly traded company on Hong Kong and Shanghai exchanges. The initial public offering would have brought in a record-setting $37 billion.
Analysts say Chinese leaders may be targeting Ma because he complained about China’s regulatory system at a business conference in October, accusing it of stifling innovation and blocking opportunities.
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SolarWinds Hackers ‘Impacting’ State, Local Governments, US Cyber Agency Says
The U.S. cybersecurity agency said on Wednesday that a sprawling cyber espionage campaign made public earlier this month is affecting state and local governments, although it released few additional details.The hacking campaign, which used U.S. tech company SolarWinds as a springboard to penetrate federal government networks, was “impacting enterprise networks across federal, state, and local governments, as well as critical infrastructure entities and other private sector organizations,” the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in a statement posted to its website.The CISA said last week that U.S. government agencies, critical infrastructure entities, and private groups were among those affected but did not specifically mention state or local bodies. So far only a handful of federal government agencies have officially confirmed having been affected, including the U.S. Treasury Department, the Commerce Department, and the Department of Energy.CISA did not identify the state or local agencies affected and did not immediately return an email seeking additional detail on the notice.Reuters has previously reported that Pima County, Arizona, was among the victims of the wave of intrusions.The county did not immediately return a message seeking comment late Wednesday. The county’s chief information officer previously told Reuters his team had taken its SolarWinds software offline immediately after the hack became public and that investigators had not found any evidence of a further compromise.Senior U.S. officials and lawmakers have alleged that Russia is to blame for the hacking spree, a charge the Kremlin denies.
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China Begins Anti-monopoly Probe of Alibaba
China has launched an anti-monopoly investigation into Alibaba, regulators said Thursday, heaping further pressure on the e-commerce giant and sending its share price tumbling.Regulators will also hold “supervisory and guidance” talks with Alibaba’s gigantic financial services subsidiary Ant Group, state media reported, just weeks after Beijing halted its record-breaking IPO at the last minute.The moves demonstrate mounting state pressure on one of the country’s most influential companies, whose success revolutionized the e-commerce landscape and made its founder Jack Ma China’s richest man.Investigators are looking into Alibaba for “suspected monopolistic practices,” the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement.Alibaba shares tumbled 5.48% on the news shortly after the Hong Kong Stock Exchange opened Thursday morning.Its financial services subsidiary Ant Group said in a statement that it would “diligently study and strictly comply with regulatory departments’ requests.”Ant Group made its name via its main product Alipay, the online payments platform and super-app that is now deeply embedded in China’s economy.But the company has also expanded into offering loans, credit, investments and insurance to hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses, spurring fear and jealousy in a wider banking system geared more for supporting state policy and large corporations.As global demand for the dual Hong Kong-Shanghai listing pushed the IPO toward record valuations – potentially handing Ma and Ant Group even more funding, legitimacy and clout – Chinese regulators acted.FILE – Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma arrives for the Tech for Good summit in Paris, May 15, 2019.The outspoken and charismatic Ma had previously lashed out at China’s outdated financial system, calling state-owned banks “pawnshops” in an October speech that led to his being summoned for regulatory talks shortly before Ant’s IPO was suspended.This year, Beijing has also implemented new regulations to contain potential risks in China’s growing online lending industry, as the fintech arms of internet firms including Alibaba and Tencent have expanded and consolidated power over the market.State media have repeatedly called for tighter oversight of these firms, warning of potential financial instability as a result of their unregulated rapid growth.”This is an important measure for our country to strengthen anti-monopoly supervision in the internet sector, which is conducive to … promoting the long-term and healthy development of the platform economy,” said a Thursday commentary in the state mouthpiece People’s Daily.Bad debt in China’s chaotic financial system is a perennial risk, and regulators launched a crackdown on a growing nationwide credit addiction three years ago owing to fears of a financial meltdown.
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Trump Pardons Former Campaign Chairman Manafort, Associate Roger Stone
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday granted full pardons to former campaign manager Paul Manafort and former adviser Roger Stone, sweeping away the most important convictions made under the long-running Russia election probe.Trump also issued a full pardon for Charles Kushner, a real estate developer and the father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.It was the second wave of pardons Trump has issued in two days. The announcement came just after Trump arrived in Palm Beach, Florida, for the holiday season, with Jared Kushner on the Air Force One flight with him.In total, Trump issued on Wednesday full pardons to 26 individuals and commuted part or all of the sentences of an additional three people.Facing the end of his term on Jan. 20, Trump has now granted full pardons to four major figures from U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign.Besides Manafort and Stone, Trump has pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former adviser George Papadopoulos.The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which has been trying to prosecute Manafort in New York for mortgage fraud and other alleged crimes, said it would continue to pursue an appeal for its case, which was dismissed on double jeopardy grounds.”This action underscores the urgent need to hold Mr. Manafort accountable for his crimes against the People of New York as alleged in our indictment, and we will continue to pursue our appellate remedies,” said Danny Frost, spokesperson for the office.The Manafort pardon spared the long-time Republican operative from serving the bulk of his 7 1/2-year prison term.Manafort, 70, was among the first in Trump’s inner circle to face charges brought by Mueller as part of his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.In a statement relayed by his lawyer, Manafort expressed his appreciation to Trump.”Mr. President, my family & I humbly thank you for the Presidential Pardon you bestowed on me. Words cannot fully convey how grateful we are,” he said.Stone was convicted in November 2019 by a Washington jury of lying under oath to lawmakers also investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.Trump commuted his sentence in July, a day before Stone was due to begin serving a term of three years and four months. Stone, in a statement, thanked Trump for “completely erasing the criminal conviction to which I was subjected in a Soviet-style show trial on politically-motivated charges.”Charles Kushner was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty in 2004 to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering and making unlawful campaign donations.In an unusual twist, the man who prosecuted Charles Kushner was Chris Christie, now the former governor of New Jersey, who also has served as an adviser to Trump.Christie was quoted by CNN as saying Charles Kushner’s case was “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes” he prosecuted. During the case, Charles Kushner admitted to smearing his brother-in-law, who had cooperated with prosecutors, by hiring a prostitute to have sex with him in a motel room, then sending a secretly recorded video of the encounter to the man’s wife, Charles Kushner’s own sister.
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Pardons in Killings of Iraqi Civilians Stir Angry Response
The courtroom monitors carried the image of a smiling 9-year-old boy as his father pleaded for the punishment of four U.S. government contractors convicted in shootings that killed that child and more than a dozen other Iraqi civilians. “What’s the difference,” Mohammad Kinani al-Razzaq asked a Washington judge at an emotional 2015 sentencing hearing, “between these criminals and terrorists?” The shootings of civilians by Blackwater employees at a crowded Baghdad traffic circle in September 2007 prompted an international outcry, left a reputational black eye on U.S. operations at the height of the Iraq War and put the government on the defensive over its use of private contractors in military zones. FILE – In these various file photos, Blackwater guards, from left, Dustin Heard, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Nicholas Slatten.The resulting criminal prosecutions spanned years in Washington but ended abruptly Tuesday when President Donald Trump pardoned the convicted contractors, an act that human rights activists and some Iraqis decried as a miscarriage of justice. The news came at a delicate moment for the Iraqi leadership, which is trying to balance growing calls by some Iraqi factions for a complete U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq with what they see as the need for a more gradual drawdown. “The infamous Blackwater company killed Iraqi citizens at Nisoor Square. Today, we heard they were released upon personal order by President Trump, as if they don’t care for the spilled Iraqi blood,” said Saleh Abed, a Baghdad resident walking in the square. The U.N. Human Rights Office said Wednesday that it was “deeply concerned” by the pardons, which it said “contributes to impunity and has the effect of emboldening others to commit such crimes in the future.” The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said the pardons “did not take into account the seriousness of the crime committed,” and that it would urge the U.S. to reconsider. Al-Razzaq, the father of the slain boy, told the BBC that the pardon decision “broke my life again.” Support for contractorsLawyers for the contractors, who had aggressively defended the men for more than a decade, offered a different take. They have long asserted that the shooting began only after the men were ambushed by gunfire from insurgents and then shot back in defense. They have pointed to problems with the prosecution — the first indictment was dismissed by a judge — and argued that the trial that ended with their convictions was tainted by false testimony and the withholding of evidence. “Paul Slough and his colleagues didn’t deserve to spend one minute in prison,” said Brian Heberlig, a lawyer for one of the four pardoned defendants. “I am overwhelmed with emotion at this fantastic news.” Though the circumstances of the shooting have long been contested, there is no question the September 16, 2007, episode — which began after the contractors were ordered to create a safe evacuation route for a diplomat after a car bomb explosion — was a low point for U.S.-Iraqi relations, coming just years after the Abu Ghraib torture scandal. The FBI and Congress opened investigations, and the State Department — which used the Blackwater firm for security for diplomats — ordered a review of practices. The guards would later be charged in the deaths of 14 civilians, including children, in what U.S. prosecutors said was a wild, unprovoked attack by sniper fire, machine guns and grenade launchers against unarmed Iraqis. Angry falloutRobert Ford, who served as a U.S. diplomat in Iraq over five years, met with the widows and other relatives of the victims after the killings, handing out envelopes of money in compensation and formal U.S. apologies — though without admitting guilt, since investigations were ongoing. “It was one of the very worst occasions I can remember in my time” in Iraq, said Ford, who teaches at Yale University. “That was just horrible. We had killed these people’s relatives, and they were still terribly grieving.” The widows mostly took the envelopes silently. Some of the adult male relatives of those killed spoke up, bitterly. “How could you do this? We must have justice,” Ford recounted in an interview Wednesday. Adding to the angry fallout among Iraqis was the involvement of Blackwater, a security firm founded by Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL who is a Trump ally and brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The company had already developed an unfavorable reputation for acting with impunity, its guards frequently accused of firing shots at the slightest pretext, including to clear their way in traffic. A review of Blackwater’s own incident reports in 2007 by House Democrats found Blackwater contractors reported they engaged in 195 “escalation of force” shootings over the preceding two years — with Blackwater reporting its guards shooting first more than 80% of the time. The 2007 killings in the Baghdad traffic circle were among many attacks, large and small, hitting civilians that served to turn even some initial Iraqi supporters of Saddam Hussein’s overthrow against Americans. In 2005, for instance, Marines were accused of killing 24 unarmed men, women and children in the western town of Haditha in anger over a car bomb attack. U.S. military prosecutions in those killings ended with no jail sentences. The case against the Blackwater guards pingponged across courts in Washington, with a federal appeals court at one point overturning the first-degree murder conviction of one defendant, Nicholas Slatten, and sharply reducing the prison sentences of the three others. All four were in prison when the pardons were issued. The guards defiantly asserted their innocence at their 2015 sentencing hearing, with Slough stating that he felt “utterly betrayed by the same government I served honorably.” Another defendant, Dustin Heard, said he could “not say in all honesty to the court that I did anything wrong.” The judge rejected that characterization, saying the “overall wild thing that went on here just cannot ever be condoned by the court.” Besides the legal impact, there could potentially be diplomatic and strategic consequences as well, as Iraq assesses the U.S. military presence there. In Iraq, said Ford, the former diplomat, the pardons will “necessarily give some ammunition to those who say, ‘Get the Americans out now.’ ”
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British Model, Fashion Muse Stella Tennant Dies at 50
Stella Tennant, the aristocratic British model who was a muse to designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Gianni Versace, died suddenly at the age of 50, her family said Wednesday. Tennant, the granddaughter of a duke, rose to fame in the 1990s while walking the runway for Versace, Alexander McQueen and other designers. FILE – Model Stella Tennant poses during a photocall before Chanel Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2018 fashion collection presented in Paris, Jan. 23, 2018.In a statement, her family said: “It is with great sadness we announce the sudden death of Stella Tennant on Dec. 22.” “Stella was a wonderful woman and an inspiration to us all. She will be greatly missed,” it said. The family asked for privacy and said arrangements for a memorial service would be announced later. They did not disclose her cause of death. Police Scotland said officers were called to an address in the Scottish Borders town of Duns on Tuesday following the sudden death of a 50-year-old woman. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances. The granddaughter of the 11th Duke of Devonshire Andrew Cavendish and his wife Deborah Mitford of a glamorous, unconventional aristocratic family, Tennant was one of the leading British models of the 1990s. Late in the decade, Lagerfeld announced her as the new face of Chanel, with an exclusive modeling contract, and she became a muse to the designer. Fashion house Versace paid tribute to Tennant on Twitter, saying: “Versace is mourning the death of Stella Tennant. Stella was Gianni Versace’s muse for many years and friend of the family. We will miss you forever, Stella. Rest in peace.” Donatella Versace posted a photo of Tennant on Instagram in a tribute to the model.”Stella, I cannot believe you are gone,” she wrote. “You have left us way too soon. We met when you were at the beginning of your career. I cherish every moment we spent together. Ciao. Rest in peace.” FILE – Italian designer Gianfranco Ferre, right, acknowledges applause on the catwalk with top model Stella Tennant, in Milan, March 2, 2003.Stella McCartney said she was “speechless” after hearing the news.”What sad, horrific news to end this already shocking year!” McCartney wrote in a post on Instagram that included a photo of her and Tennant. “Rest in peace, you inspiring woman. Your soul and inner beauty exceeded the external perfection, Stella.” Tennant also appeared in advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein, Chanel, Hermes and Burberry. In 1999, Tennant married French photographer David Lasnet. She is survived by him and their four children. “From the first time I met Stella I was completely blown away,” fashion designer Marc Jacobs said on social media. “Her beauty, style and body language combined with her manners, kindness, sense of humor and personality were like no other. … My condolences to David and her family. What a terrible, heartbreaking loss.”
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Uganda’s Health Care System Struggling Against Second COVID Wave
A second wave of COVID-19 infections in Uganda is overwhelming hospitals. The country has close to 32,000 confirmed cases of the virus, and at least 238 people have died. Ugandan talk show host Charles Odongtho was only showing mild symptoms from his COVID-19 infection until he was about to complete his 14-day quarantine. “My worst day so far has been on the twelfth day,” he said. “When, you know, heat, chills on the body. And very general weakness, which I cannot explain, the knees, the joints pains and then, all these pains, and then a lot of headache.” Odongtho said he was exposed to the virus from multiple sources, including a high-level function held by the Ministry of Health. The Health Ministry said infections like Odongtho’s are part of a second wave that is straining Uganda’s health care system. “There’s increased demand for high acute beds, that is, high dependency units and intensive care units,” said Joyce Moriku Kaducu, Uganda’s State Minister for Health. “Two, there’s increased requirement for round-the-clock patient care and monitoring with more staff required than would normally be expected. Three, exponential increase in oxygen utilization by over ten-folds.” Push for social distancingThe latest wave of illness came after the country’s lockdown was lifted and people gathered in groups, said Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam of the World Health Organization. “And until people keep distance, do these meetings in small numbers, keep a distance and keep hands hygienic, more and more Ugandans will get sick,” Woldemariam said. “And the more and more people get sick, the health services will not be able to cope with it.” Hospitals strugglingAt the Mulago National Referral Hospital, there are just eight functional beds in the Intensive Care Unit and oxygen is in short supply. Hospital authorities said they are scrambling to accommodate the influx of patients. “We have two levels where we are looking after, and each level is of 56 bed capacity,” said Dr. Rosemary Byanyima, the hospital’s deputy director. “So, we have already set up a third level ready in case we need to expand. And the Ministry is recruiting more doctors and nurses who will be nursing these people.” Meanwhile, Ugandan authorities are discouraging travel for the holiday season, fearing that the coming weeks could see another spike in confirmed cases.
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Activists Demand Police Release Prominent Ugandan Human Rights Lawyer
Ugandan rights activists are calling on authorities to release human rights lawyer Nicholas Opio, who was arrested Tuesday on allegations of money laundering. Supporters say Opio is being persecuted for his activism.A group of lawyers and activists went to the Special Investigative Unit of the Ugandan police Wednesday to demand access to Opio and to ask police to release him.Opio, who is executive director of Chapter Four Uganda, a human rights organization, was arrested Tuesday with two other colleagues at a restaurant in Kampala.According to Chapter Four, Opio has been collecting evidence surrounding the killings and arrests that occurred during two days of protests in Uganda that began on November 18.Chaos Erupts in Kampala Following Arrest of Opposition Leader Bobi Wine The arrest came after police released a statement that warned candidates against violating COVID-19 guidelinesFifty-six people were killed in clashes between opposition supporters and security forces following the arrest of singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, leader of the National Unity Platform party.Human rights lawyer Elone Kiiza says Opio is in good spirits. He does not believe Opio will be released in the usual 48 hours.“They have not formally charged him,” said Opio. “They have not recorded his statement yet. We keep monitoring the situation in case they agree to release him on bond or decide to charge him.”Police spokesperson Fred Enanga says police and Uganda’s Financial Intelligence Authority have been watching Opio and have reasons for his arrest.“It’s on record that Nicholas Opio, the lawyer, has been [receiving] resources from various sources. You trace onward, to look at where, first of all, this money is coming from, the various sources,” said Enanga. “And then also how it is being channeled locally here. Which areas and persons. So, those are the lines of inquiry that the joint task team with the Financial intelligence unit are handling.”Otsieno Namwaya, the director of Human Rights Watch East Africa, expressed concern about recent arrests in Uganda that he says could undermine the credibility of next month’s elections.“The arrest is worrying, especially if police do not immediately charge him with any offense, and if they do not have any evidence then they should release him unconditionally,” said Namwaya.Recently, the Financial Intelligence Authority ordered bank accounts frozen for two non-governmental organizations the FIA says are being used to finance terrorism in Uganda. Both NGOs – the Uganda National NGO Forum and the Uganda Women’s Network – were monitoring various parties’ election campaigns.
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Hong Kong Legislator Reflects on Pro-Democracy Struggle as He Seeks Asylum
For Hong Kong activists, the past year has been one of despair and dread. Facing possible persecution under the new National Security Law, many have been forced to choose between their political causes and their homes. Former legislator Baggio Leung is one of them. A pro-democracy activist who was elected to office in 2016, his political views made him a target during China’s crackdown in recent years. He left Hong Kong for the United States this month, where he is seeking political asylum. VOA Mandarin Service’s Stella Hsu spoke with the former legislator about the tough decision to leave his hometown and his hope for the island.In the middle of December, Baggio Leung left Hong Kong and traveled to the United States seeking asylum.He cut ties with his family, fearing Beijing would harass them under a sweeping national security law imposed on the city this year. He also resigned from his position and duties at the pro-independence political party Youngspiration.Leung joined a growing number of democracy activists and former legislators who have fled Hong Kong after the passing of the National Security Law, which made it easier to punish protesters.“It is difficult for any Hong Kongers to accept that our home, once a free land, has become like what it is today,” he said.Active since Umbrella MovementLeung has been involved in the city’s pro-democracy protest since the 2014 Umbrella Movement and was once jailed for four weeks for unlawful assembly and attempted forcible entry after trying to barge into a Legislative Council meeting in 2016.“After I got out of the jail, I noticed that I was always followed,” he said. “There were always people around my apartment.“I felt unsafe. I started to think about leaving Hong Kong and discussed the idea with my friends and colleagues. Most of them told me, ‘You got to go, buy a flight ticket and leave tomorrow.’ But it’s not that simple. To me, I have a responsibility.”FILE – Democratically elected legislators Yau Wai-ching, left, and Baggio Leung meet journalists outside the High Court after the court disqualified them from taking office as lawmakers in Hong Kong, Nov. 15, 2016.Short term as lawmakerLeung won a seat in the 2016 Legislative Council elections. However, his tenure as a lawmaker was short. During the first meeting of the legislative session, Leung and other colleagues modified their oaths of office. A court later stripped them of their seats for failing to take their proper oath.“More than 30,000 people once voted for me; they would want me to represent and voice for them. I don’t think they would want me to leave,” he said.Nonetheless, in order to stay active in the movement and for his personal safety, he said he had little choice but to leave Hong Kong. He bought a ticket on a flight just three hours prior to departure, not sure if he would be arrested at the airport.“I believe every Hong Konger, regardless of his political stance, has thought about whether he should leave Hong Kong,” he said.Leung said he saw no way for him to return to Hong Kong in the short term after Beijing reined in the city’s limited freedoms.”All we want from the anti-extradition protest in 2019 is that Hong Kongers won’t be sent to China for trials. But now, the National Security Law has turned Hong Kong into China,” he said. “The government can appoint judges to hear your case. They can tell you that the condition of your bail is you can’t leave Hong Kong without going through the proper legal channel. They have turned Hong Kong into a prison for free thinkers.”’Hopeless’Leung is pessimistic about the city’s short-term future and said he had seen a wave of departures.“Hong Kong used to be a very attractive place for talents,” he said. “Now it’s hopeless. Every month you hear some foreign firms decide to move away because of the political environment. It’s such a pity.”Now in Washington, Leung told VOA he felt guilty for leaving other protesters behind.“I am lucky to be here in a safe place,” he said. “I have to do all I can for Hong Kong here. Otherwise, I cannot face the brothers fighting under the white terror [vigilante attacks on pro-democracy activists] in Hong Kong now. I believe one day Hong Kongers will win Hong Kong back, and all the exiled overseas could return home.”
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Major Defense Bill, Strongly Backed in Congress, Draws Trump’s Veto
U.S. President Donald Trump vetoed a $740 billion bill setting policy for the Department of Defense on Wednesday, despite its strong support in Congress, raising the possibility that the measure will fail to become law for the first time in 60 years.Trump said he vetoed the annual National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, because it “fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military’s history, and contradicts efforts by my administration to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions.””It is a ‘gift’ to China and Russia,” he said in a message to the House of Representatives.Although his previous eight vetoes were all upheld thanks to support from Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress, advisers said this one looked likely to be overridden, just weeks before he leaves office on January 20.Both the Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic-majority House of Representatives passed the 2021 NDAA with margins larger than the two-thirds majorities needed to override a veto.That means that Trump would have to persuade dozens of his fellow Republicans to throw out nearly a year’s work on the 4,500-page bill and start over.FILE – Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 7, 2020.Top advisers had urged Trump not to carry out his veto threat, citing the slim chance of stopping the bill. Many of Trump’s staunchest Republican supporters, including Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, said they would vote to override.”It’s simple, what this bill does,” Inhofe said when the measure passed the Senate. “It makes our country more secure, and it supports our troops who defend it.”Advisers said Trump had little to gain from a veto and it could hurt his party’s ability to hang on to two U.S. Senate seats from Georgia in a January 5 runoff vote.The Senate backed the bill 84 to 13, with the “no” votes coming from some of the most conservative Republicans and most liberal Democrats. The House backed the NDAA 335 to 78, with some “no” votes also coming from liberal Democrats less likely to back a Trump veto.The NDAA determines everything from how many ships are bought to how much service members are paid to how to address geopolitical threats. The measure Trump vetoed was a compromise, combining separate measures already passed in the House and Senate.Lawmakers take pride in the bill having become law every year since 1961, saying it reflects their support for the military.Trump’s veto, if upheld, would delay a 3% raise for active-duty service members.
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Biden Introduces Connecticut Educator as his Education Secretary
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden introduced Connecticut education commissioner Miguel Cardona as his education secretary nominee on Wednesday, touting him as a strong advocate of public schools who can lead the agency through struggles to educate students safely during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
“We can do it if we give school districts, communities and states the clear guidance and resources that aren’t already in their tight budgets,” Biden said Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware.
Biden said educating students safely “requires someone who understands the need to prevent the pandemic from further exacerbating the inequities in our education system.”
The 45-year-old Cardona, who would be the first Latino to serve as education secretary if confirmed by the Senate, was appointed as Connecticut’s education chief just months before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in March.
Cardona embraced remote learning by quickly delivering more than 100,000 laptops to students across the state, but has since increasingly pushed for schools to reopen, saying continued remote learning was harmful to students.
Biden’s choice of Cardona delivers on his commitment to nominate someone with public education experience who contrasts sharply with current Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Unlike DeVos, a school choice proponent whom Biden maintains is an opponent of public schools, Cardona is a product of them, beginning in kindergarten when he was unable to speak English.
The grandson of immigrants, Cardona was raised in a housing project in Meriden, Connecticut, and was educated in the city’s public schools before returning to work as an elementary school teacher in the district in 1998. He eventually worked his way up to assistant superintendent of the district.
Speaking to reporters, sometimes in Spanish, Cardona said his bicultural upbringing gives him keen insight into how to resolve the nation’s education inequalities.
“I, being bilingual and bicultural, am as American as apple pie and rice and beans,” Cardona said.
“I know how challenging this year has been for students, for educators and for parents. I’ve lived those challenges alongside millions of American families,” Cardona added. “It’s taken some of our most painful longstanding disparities and wrenched them open even wider.”
Cardona said his first priority will be to expand in-person learning nationwide. Biden has vowed to have most U.S. schools reopened within his first 100 days in office.
Biden said his administration will develop new federal guidelines on school opening decisions and launch a “large-scale” effort to identify and share the best methods to teach students during a pandemic.
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EU and Britain Near Trade Deal, EU Sources Say
European Union and British negotiators are nearing a trade deal as Britain’s New Year’s Day exit from the 27-nation bloc approaches, EU officials said Wednesday.Two officials said negotiators are working to resolve as early as midnight Wednesday a fishing rights issue in British waters in hopes of avoiding a messy economic break between the two sides.One of the sources, who asked to remain unidentified because the talks were still ongoing, said talks had entered the final phase. “I expect to see some white smoke tonight,” the official said.Since formally leaving the EU on January 31, Britain immediately entered an 11-month economic transition period, giving negotiators time to reach a free trade deal to ease its exit from the Single Market and the Customs Union at the end of this year.EU, UK Each Demand Concessions as Post-Brexit Talks StallSources from each side said that unless the other backed down on access to UK waters, Britain would leave the single market at midnight December 31 without a deal on cross-channel commerceNegotiators are attempting to reach a deal that ensures the annual trade of goods between the two sides worth nearly $1 trillion remains exempt from tariffs and quotas. Britain is calling for quotas for EU vessels in British waters, and sources from both sides have reported progress in the talks.An EU diplomat said negotiators previously reached a compromise over EU concerns that Britain would weaken the bloc’s social, environmental and state aid rules to gain an unfair advantage with its exports to the EU. Britain maintained that EU rules would have undercut its sovereignty.It is unclear how trade between the two sides would take place if they fail to meet the January 1 deadline.
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Treasury, State Department Slap Sanctions on Belarus
The U.S. departments of Treasury and State on Wednesday announced sanctions and visa restrictions on dozens of Belarusian citizens and several entities for their alleged roles in what the U.S. calls a fraudulent Aug. 9 election and the violent crackdowns on pro-democracy protesters that followed.
“The election included a myriad of irregularities that made it neither free nor fair, including barring opposition candidates, denying access to poll observers, and certifying inaccurate vote tallies,” the Treasury Department said in a news release.
Treasury officials accused leaders of the Central Commission of the Republic of Belarus on Elections and Holding Republican Referenda — led by Chairwoman Lidziya Yarmoshina, Deputy Chairperson Vadzim Ipatau, and Secretary Alena Dmukhayla — of fraud. All three had already been sanctioned Oct. 2.
The U.S. department also says Deputy Minister of the Interior and Chief of the Criminal Police Henadz Arkadzievich Kazakevich “was responsible for the actions of the Criminal Police in their role of carrying out previously sanctioned Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s policy of violently cracking down on pro-democracy protests in Belarus.”
The Minsk Special Purpose Police Unit, the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of the Minsk City Executive Committee, and KGB Alpha, an elite unit of Belarus’s secret services, are all being sanctioned for their roles in the violent crackdowns, Treasury said.
“The Belarusian people continually seek to peacefully exercise their basic democratic rights, and the state repeatedly responds with violent crackdowns,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin in a press release. “This action, in conjunction with those taken previously by the United States and our international partners, continue to hold accountable the individuals and organizations carrying out these unacceptable actions.”
After Treasury’s announcement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced more sanctions via Twitter.
“This morning, I imposed visa restrictions on 39 individuals and @USTreasury sanctioned additional officials and entities for their roles in the fraudulent August 9th election and the violent crackdown in Belarus. The Belarusian people deserve free and fair elections.”
Earlier this month, Belarusian security forces detained dozens of people across the country as street protests calling on authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko to resign continued.
Demonstrators have gathered in Minsk and other Belarusian cities in nearly continuous protests since the disputed presidential election in August.
The Aug. 9 vote gave Lukashenko a sixth presidential term, but the opposition believes candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the real winner of the election and is calling for the strongman’s resignation, the release of all political prisoners, and a new election.
Today’s sanctions come just six days after the European Union unveiled fresh sanctions against dozens of Belarusians, including Deputy Prime Minister Anatoli Sivak, and the head of state television.
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WFP to Cut Refugee Food Rations in Uganda for Lack of Cash
The World Food Program says for the second time in a year, it will have to cut food rations for more than one million refugees in Uganda due to a shortage of cash.The U.N.’s food agency is running a shortfall of nearly $96 million for its refugee operation in Uganda. It says no refugees will go hungry if international donors dig deeply into their pockets and come up immediately with the cash the agency needs to feed them.Otherwise, World Food Program spokesman Tomson Phiri warns, 1.26 million refugees will have their monthly relief cash and food rations cut by 40 percent. He says these cuts go into effect in February.“Most refugees have fled conflict from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Burundi,” said Phiri. “While this year has been particularly hard for everyone, it has been incredibly difficult for refugees.” The anticipated cuts will further weaken an already vulnerable population. The WFP received only half the money it needed for its humanitarian operation this past year, so it was obliged to cut rations in April. This coincided with the COVID-19 lockdown, which increased the need for more assistance.Uganda Cuts Cost of COVID Test From $65 to $50High cost had brought movement of goods to a standstill at the border between Kenya and Uganda, with truck drivers not being able to afford being testedThe next cut in rations will leave most refugees on a diet of less than 1,300 calories per day. “While appealing to donors for urgent funding, WFP will strive to maintain life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable groups, such as the malnourished, children as well as pregnant and nursing women but, we fear there are many whom we might not be able to help,” said Phiri.Phiri says hunger is on the rise in all 13 refugee settlements in Uganda. He says an analysis of the food situation between June and December finds refugees face acute levels of food insecurity.
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803K File for Unemployment Benefits, Keeping US Claims Historically High
Some 803,000 U.S. workers filed for unemployment compensation last week, a historically high level but 89,000 fewer than the previous week, the U.S. Labor Department reported Wednesday, as the coronavirus crisis continues to weaken the American labor market nine months after the pandemic began. Nearly 10 million of the 22 million workers who lost jobs remain unemployed in the U.S. The jobless rate was 6.7% in November and many economists say the figure could remain elevated for months. Hiring in November slowed for a fifth straight month, with employers adding the fewest jobs since April. The recent weekly claims figures are well below the 6.9 million record number of claims filed in late March as the coronavirus swept into the U.S. but remain above the highest pre-pandemic level in records going back to the 1960s. U.S. employers have called back millions of workers who were laid off during business shutdowns earlier this year, yet some hard-hit businesses have been slow to ramp up their operations again or have closed permanently, leaving workers idled or searching for new employment as coronavirus cases surge again. FILE – People walk past a business that is closing following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Manhattan borough, New York, Aug. 17, 2020.Recipients of traditional state unemployment benefits dropped to 5.3 million for the week ending December 12 from a week earlier, after peaking at nearly 23 million in early May. The steady decline since then means some people returned to the work force and were no longer receiving aid. But the figures also suggest that many have exhausted their state benefits, which typically expire after six months. Millions of Americans getting checks under two federal programs created in March to ease the financial pain inflicted by the pandemic are set to expire the day after the December 25 Christmas holiday. Congress agreed on Monday to extend the programs as part of a $900 billion pandemic rescue bill. However, President Donald Trump suddenly raised doubts late Tuesday about the aid and other federal funds by declaring the rescue package insufficient and suggesting he may not sign it into law. Trump demanded that lawmakers increase direct payments for most citizens from $600 to $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for couples, despite opposition from fellow Republicans. In response to Trump’s demands, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted Tuesday that fellow Democrats are prepared to bring the proposal to a floor vote this week. Economists, meanwhile, expect the U.S. economy’s recovery will gain momentum in the second half of 2021, after passage of the latest stimulus package and as vaccines become more widely available.
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Malawi Reintroduces COVID-19 Restrictions as Cases Surge
Malawi has closed its borders after confirmed cases of COVID-19 jumped 75 percent in the past two weeks. Malawi authorities attribute the surge to relaxed preventive measures and increased cross-border traffic for the holidays. Health campaigners have welcomed the border closure, but say Malawi should also mandate face masks and sanitizers. Malawi reopened its borders and eased restrictions on social gatherings in October following a drastic fall in numbers of confirmed COVID- 19 cases.Dropping COVID-19 Infections in Malawi Breeds Complacency about Prevention Experts believe the drop is a result of less testing From a total of 1,065 active cases on October 3, the country’s total caseload dropped to just 30 as of December 11.But since then, the cases have spiked. As of December 22, the confirmed cases surged to 210 with 187 deaths.Khumbize Kandodo-Chiponda, is the co-chairperson of for the president’s taskforce on COVID-19.Kadondo-Chiponda, who is also the minister of health, said the surge has forced government to reintroduce some of the restrictions.She spoke at a televised press conference Tuesday in the capital Lilongwe.“We are taking this border issue very, very, very serious because it is the port of entry which is bringing in a lot of people who are positive and a lot of them they also come without the COVID negative test,” said Kadondo-Chiponda. “So we are urging those who are to come to Malawi for holiday, we are saying ‘Sorry, bear with us.’”Kandodo said only Malawian citizens retuning home will be allowed entry.“I know we have some who had gone for holiday, they have to come back. But also special groups like the deportees, we have also looked at how we are going to manage them,” said Kadondo-Chiponda.By deportees, she means Malawians returning from South Africa to escape poverty and joblessness triggered by the pandemic.The Malawi government has also reintroduced a ban on public gatherings of more than 100 people. Some faith groups, musicians and sports associations say the restriction on social gathering will inconvenience their activities planned for the festive season.But Ministry of Health authorities say they will review the restrictions after two weeks.Maziko Matemba, executive director for the Malawi Health and Rights Education Program, welcomed the move, but says the government should also mandate face masks and sanitizers.“People were not following the measures because the messages were not coming forward like it could be expected,” said Matemba. “People were using conventional communication but this requires sometimes door to door. It requires other enforcement mechanism so that people are able to adhere to these measures. The law enforcers need to be equipped.”In the meantime, the government says Labor Minister Ken Kandodo has tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.He is the first Cabinet minister in Malawi known to have contracted the virus. Health authorities say Kandodo is in good condition at a hospital where he was admitted three days ago.
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Radio Free Asia, Middle East Broadcasting Networks Get New Leaders
The U.S. Agency for Global Media announced Tuesday that Stephen Yates will be the next president of Radio Free Asia and Victoria Coates will lead the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.
Yates, who was an aide to former Vice President Dick Cheney, replaces acting president Parameswaran Ponnudurai.
“In the free world’s struggle against tyranny and aggression, one of our best tools is factual and undaunted journalism,” Yates said in a statement. “RFA’s role in telling the truth on behalf of those subject to censorship is a crucial mission that I intend to empower.”
USAGM CEO Michael Pack cited former work “on Asian issues in many senior government positions” and fluency in Mandarin among Yates’ credentials, and said the United States needs to counter “misinformation and disinformation disseminated by repressive regimes, most notably China.”
Coates was a longtime security adviser to President Donald Trump but left that position earlier this year to become a senior adviser at the Department of Energy with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa.
In a statement announcing her selection, Coates said the region is key in the competition for information.
“MBN is a beacon of truth and transparency in a frequently crowded and conflicted space, and I am honored to accept this opportunity to lead our efforts to both combat misinformation campaigns and promote American leadership and values,” Coates said.
Earlier this month, Pack appointed new leaders for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and Voice of America.
Pack has now named new leaders for each of the news networks that USAGM oversees. Shortly after Pack arrived at USAGM, he fired the heads of RFA, RFE/RL, OCB and MBN. The head of VOA resigned at that time.
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Turkish Court Convicts Journalist Dundar on Terror Charges
A Turkish court has convicted journalist Can Dundar on espionage and terror-related charges for a news report.
The court in Istanbul on Wednesday found Dundar guilty of “obtaining secret documents for espionage” and “knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization without being a member,” sentencing him to a total of 27 1/2 years in prison. Dundar’s lawyers did not attend the hearing in protest, saying the proceedings violated the rules of fair trial and impartiality.
Dundar, the former editor-in-chief of opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, was on trial for a 2015 story accusing Turkey’s intelligence service of illegally sending weapons to Syria. Dundar fled to Germany in 2016 and was being tried in absentia.
The story included a 2014 video that showed men in police uniforms and civilian clothing unscrewing bolts to open the trucks and unpacking boxes. Later images show trucks full of mortar rounds. The Associated Press cannot confirm the authenticity of the video.
The news report claimed that the Turkish intelligence service and Turkey’s president did not allow the prosecutor to begin an investigation into arms smuggling.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was infuriated by the publication, filing criminal charges against Dundar and Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gul. Erdogan said the trucks carried aid to Turkmen groups in Syria and that Dundar would “pay a high price.”
Turkey later interfered directly in the Syrian civil war, launching four cross-border operations.
Dundar is accused of aiding the network of U.S.-based Fethullah Gulen, who the government says masterminded Turkey’s 2016 failed coup. The prosecutor who ordered the trucks stopped and others, including military officers, have been charged with links to Gulen. Gulen denies the allegations and remains in Pennsylvania.
Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency reported that the court thought Dundar’s news report aimed to present Turkey as a “country that supports terror” domestically and internationally. The court said that perception helped Gulen’s network, which also used the story in its own publications.
Dundar and Gul were arrested in 2015 and spent three months in pre-trial detention. In 2016, a court convicted them to five to six years in prison for “obtaining and revealing secret documents to be used for espionage.” Dundar was attacked outside the courthouse on the same day as the verdict but was uninjured.
After Dundar appealed the conviction, the Supreme Court of Appeals overturned the sentences in 2018 and ordered a retrial with harsher sentences. The retrial began in 2019.
Dundar’s property in Turkey is in the process of being seized.
Reporters Without Borders ranks Turkey at 154 out of 180 countries in its 2020 Press Freedom Index.
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Canadian Police Declare Dissident Pakistan Activist’s Death ‘Non-Criminal’ Matter
Police in Canada have declared the death of a dissident Pakistani human rights activist a “non-criminal” incident.
Thirty-seven-year-old Karima Mehrab, also known as Karima Baloch from Pakistan’s troubled Baluchistan province, was found dead Monday, a day after she went missing in Toronto’s downtown area.
“The circumstances have been investigated and officers have determined this to be a non-criminal death and no foul play is suspected. We have updated the family,” a Toronto Police statement said. The Toronto Police Service is aware of heightened community and media interest surrounding a missing person investigation.
Earlier today, we confirmed a 37-year-old woman was sadly located deceased on Monday, December 21, 2020.
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) December 23, 2020Baloch had been living in Canada since fleeing Baluchistan in 2015, where she campaigned for the province’s separation from Pakistan and was reportedly charged with terrorism.
Her death sparked speculation of the involvement of Pakistani intelligence operatives, charges officials in Islamabad rejected as “ridiculous” and an attempt to malign Pakistan.
Baloch’s husband, Hammal Haider, told media she went on a walk on Toronto’s Center Island and never returned.
“I can’t believe that it’s an act of suicide,” he told the Guardian newspaper. “She was a strong lady and she left home in a good mood. We can’t rule out foul play as she has been under threats. She left Pakistan as her home was raided more than twice,” Haider said.
Baluchistan has long been home to insurgent separatist movements and often experiences deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces blamed on the separatists.
The Pakistani military said on Tuesday an “intelligence-based operation” against a suspected militant hideout in the province’s Awaran region triggered a shootout with “terrorists,” killing 10 of them. It added that the slain men were behind a recent deadly attack on a security convoy in the area.
Pakistan alleges Baluch separatists are being supported and funded by rival India, charges New Delhi denies.
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Hong Kong Media Tycoon and Pro-Democracy Activist Granted Bail
Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai has been granted bail after nearly three weeks behind bars.
The city’s High Court granted the 73-year-old Lai bail Wednesday after he agreed to put up a $1.2 million bond. He is barred from using Twitter, granting interviews or colluding with foreign forces.
The owner of Next Digital media company was arrested on December 3 and charged with fraud, with prosecutors accusing him of violating terms of the company’s lease of its office space.
Prosecutors have since charged Lai under Hong Kong’s new national security law for “foreign collusion.”
Lai was first arrested under the new law on suspicion of foreign collusion in August. Hours after his arrest, more than 100 police officers raided the headquarters of Next Digital, which publishes the newspaper Apple Day. The newspaper livestreamed the raid on its website, showing officers roaming the newsroom as they rummaged through reporters’ files, while Lai was led through the newsroom in handcuffs.
Lai was eventually released on bail after 40 hours in custody.
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