Malaysian opposition lawmakers and international human rights groups are demanding the government explain why it deported more than 1,000 Myanmar migrants in violation of a court order prohibiting the action.The High Court in Kuala Lumpur ordered a stay Wednesday on the planned repatriation of 1,200 Myanmar nationals pending an appeal filed by Amnesty International and local human rights group Asylum Access, which said refugees and asylum seekers were among the nationals.But immigration officials announced hours later that 1,086 of the nationals had been sent back aboard three Myanmar naval vessels.Four opposition lawmakers issued a statement saying the deportations amounted to a contempt of court.The High Court issued another ruling Wednesday ordering the government not to repatriate the remaining 114 Myanmar nationals pending a hearing next month on Amnesty and Asylum Access’ appeal.Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, executive director of Amnesty International Malaysia, said the Malaysian government repatriated the Myanmar nationals without allowing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to interview them. The two rights groups claimed in their court filing there were at least three people registered with the U.N. refugee agency, along with 17 minors with at least one parent in Malaysia.“We believe the government owes an explanation to the people of Malaysia as to why they chose to defy the court order, and on the identity and status of all 1,200 people,” Maliamauv said.Malaysia is home to more than 100,000 U.N.-registered refugees from Myanmar, many of them ethnic Muslim Rohingya. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since they were targeted in a brutal military crackdown in 2017 in response to attacks by Rohingya rebel forces.The U.N. has accused the military of carrying out mass killings, gang rapes and burning thousands of homes in Rakhine state.
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Month: February 2021
Georgian Police Detain Opposition Leader as Political Crisis Deepens
Police stormed the party offices of Georgian opposition leader Nika Melia and detained him Tuesday, deepening a political crisis that prompted the prime minister to resign last week.
Melia’s supporters had barricaded themselves in the offices, using furniture to block the doors. Scores of police surged into the building during the early morning raid, including using firefighting ladders to gain access via the roof.
Seventeen people were hurt in the scuffles between police and activists, the Interfax news agency reported. Some activists were coughing and suffered eye irritation after police sprayed gas towards them from hand-held canisters.
Melia, the United National Movement (UNM) party’s chairman in the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people, has been accused of inciting violence at street protests in June 2019, a charge he dismisses as politically motivated.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was “deeply troubled” by Melia’s arrest, urging the Georgian government to avoid actions that could further escalate tensions. A State Department spokesman added that recent developments in the country were in contravention of its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
A new prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili, was chosen by parliament late on Monday to replace Giorgi Gakharia, who resigned last week after a court ordered the detention of Melia, a move Gakharia said would cause political turmoil.
In a video posted on Facebook late on Tuesday, the new prime minister called for “all the political forces to which our country is dear to start a true dialogue.”
Hundreds protest
Hundreds of people massed outside parliament to protest Melia’s detention and pitched two tents in the capital, Tbilisi. One protester held up a sign calling for a snap election, the government’s resignation and freedom for “political prisoners.” A UNM party member called for a large-scale protest march on Friday, the Rustavi 2 media outlet reported.
The Interior Ministry said it had no option but to use coercive measures at Melia’s party offices as activists had ignored numerous warnings not to obstruct their work.
“Polarizing rhetoric, force and aggression are not the solution to Georgia’s political differences,” Blinken said in a statement. “We call on all sides to avoid actions that could further escalate tensions and to engage in good faith negotiations to resolve the current political crisis,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy earlier expressed regret that its call for restraint and dialogue had been ignored.
Britain’s ambassador, Mark Clayton, urged restraint from all sides. The European Union’s ambassador called for efforts to find common ground.
“The logic of escalation is getting the upper hand. The political crisis is deepening,” the EU diplomat, Carl Hartzell, wrote on Twitter.
Zygimantas Pavilionis, a special envoy from the Lithuanian parliament who returned on Monday from a mediating mission to Georgia, said the authorities had been seeking support from Western diplomats for a crackdown.
“They were asking for green light from me, from the EU ambassador, from the American ambassador. I said, no way,” he said. “Now democracy is dying there.”
Last week, a court ordered Melia to be detained for allegedly failing to post bail. Gakharia abruptly resigned on Thursday, citing disagreement with his own team over the arrest order. The Interior Ministry initially held off on detaining Melia because of Gakharia’s resignation.
The new prime minister, Garibashvili, served as prime minister from 2013 to 2015. His candidacy was put forward by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
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Tiger Woods Awake and Responsive After Crash, Police Investigating Cause
Police on Wednesday sought to determine what caused Tiger Woods to swerve off a Southern California road in his sport utility vehicle, colliding with a tree and rolling down a hillside in a crash that left the golf great seriously injured.
Woods, 45, was pried from the wreckage by rescue crews and rushed by ambulance from the scene of the Tuesday morning crash outside Los Angeles to nearby Harbor-UCLA Medical Center suffering what his agent described as “multiple leg injuries.”
A statement posted on Woods’ official Twitter account on Tuesday night said he had undergone a “long surgical procedure” to his lower right leg and ankle and was “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room.”
pic.twitter.com/vZitnFV0YA— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 24, 2021Compound fractures of his tibia and fibula – the two bones of his leg below the knee – were stabilized with a rod, and screws and pins were used to stabilize additional injuries to his foot and ankle, Dr. Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer of Harbor-UCLA, said in the tweet.
Mahajan also said that trauma to the muscle and other soft tissue of the leg “required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies responding to the wreck found no immediate indication that Woods had been under the influence of alcohol or drugs before losing control of his vehicle shortly after 7 a.m.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva, however, said the golf star, who was “lucid” following the accident, appeared to have been going faster than normal for a downhill, curving stretch of road known by locals to be hazardous. Weather was not considered a factor.
Video footage from the scene showed Woods’ dark gray 2021 Genesis sport utility vehicle badly crumpled and lying on its side near the bottom of the hillside, its windows smashed.
The damaged car of Tiger Woods is towed away after he was involved in a car crash, near Los Angeles, California, Feb. 23, 2021.Woods’ injuries were not life-threatening, the sheriff said, but sports commentators were already speculating that the crash could end the career of the greatest golfer of his generation.
Woods is the only modern professional to win all four major golf titles in succession, taking the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in 2000 and the Masters title in 2001, a feat that became known as the ‘Tiger Slam’.
But he has suffered years of injuries and undergone multiple surgeries on both his back and knees.
Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 6 MB480p | 8 MB540p | 11 MB720p | 24 MB1080p | 44 MBOriginal | 123 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioWoods, one of the world’s most celebrated sports figures, was the sole occupant of the car when it crashed near the suburban communities of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, the sheriff’s department said.
The vehicle veered across the center divider of the road into an opposite traffic lane, striking a roadside curb, and a tree as it careened over an embankment, and “there were several rollovers” before the SUV came to rest, Villanueva said.
Woods hosted the PGA tour’s Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club over the weekend but did not compete due to his back injuries. The wrecked sport utility vehicle bore the Genesis Invitational name on its doors.
He was seen at the Rolling Hills Country Club on Monday with actress Jada Pinkett Smith, retired basketball star Dwyane Wade and comedian David Spade.
Golf Digest reported Woods had been shooting a TV show segment in which he was giving on-course instruction to the three celebrities and was due to resume filming on Tuesday.
Woods held the top spot in golf’s world rankings for a record total of 683 weeks, winning 14 major championship titles from 1997 to 2008. His 15 major titles stand second only to the record 18 won by Jack Nicklaus.
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German Court Convicts Assad Official
A German court has convicted a former member of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s secret police of accessory to crimes against humanity for facilitating the torture of prisoners.
The court in Koblenz sentenced Eyad Al-Gharib to 4 1/2 years in prison.
Prosecutors accused him of being part of a unit that arrested protesters and delivered them to a detention center where they were tortured.
The conviction marked the first time a court outside of Syria ruled in a case alleging members of Assad’s government committed crimes against humanity.
The court is also holding a trial for a second person who is accused of directly committing crimes against humanity. That trial is expected to last until late this year.
Prosecutors are invoking the principle of universal jurisdiction to bring charges of crimes against humanity in a German court.
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US Will Seek Seat on UN Human Rights Council
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States will seek to rejoin the U.N. Human Rights Council when elections are held later this year.
Blinken said in a video address to the council Wednesday, “We humbly ask for the support of all U.N. member states in our bid to return to a seat in this body.”
Seats on the 47-member council are held for a three-year term, and Blinken said the United States would seek to occupy one for 2022-24.
The United States withdrew from the body under the administration of former President Donald Trump with arguments that the council unfairly targeted Israel and included among its membership a number of countries with poor human rights records.
“As the United States re-engages, we urge the Human Rights Council to look at how it conducts its business. That includes its disproportionate focus on Israel,” Blinken said.
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US to Scrutinize Beijing Commitments Under EU-China Investment Deal
The United States is looking to scrutinize China’s commitments under an investment deal that was signed in late December between the European Union and China, a senior State Department official told VOA Tuesday. It comes as U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is working closely with European allies to push back on what American officials describe as China’s undermining activities to shared values and the rules based international order. “If China did make additional concessions in that agreement on things like market access, on forced labor, we certainly welcome that, although we really would look to the Chinese to prove that that’s not just cheap talk, and that they’re going to implement those commitments,” said Molly Montgomery, the State Department’s deputy assistant secretary in charge of European and Eurasian Affairs. The EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment is seen as a geopolitical win for China, and a blow to transatlantic relations despite concerns over the deal in the European Parliament. US-brokered Serbia-Kosovo talks unlikely In a recent interview with VOA, Montgomery also said the United States is committed to working with the European Union, which facilitates the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo. Her comments come as Kosovo’s Vetevendosje party leader Albin Kurti is set to become prime minister after the February 14 elections. Kurti has said that forming a negotiating team for dialogue with Serbia would not be a priority for his government. When asked about the possibility of a U.S.-brokered dialogue, Montgomery told VOA: “We certainly continue to support the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, and to look toward a comprehensive agreement, a normalization agreement that would lead to mutual recognition, or on the basis of mutual recognition.” The following are excerpts from the interview. It has been edited for brevity and clarity. VOA: What is the top policy priority of Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs in coming years? Montgomery: I think the president has made it very clear beginning with his inaugural address that our priority really is to rebuild our relationships with our allies and partners in Europe. We believe that they are the cornerstone of everything that we are trying to do, whether that is fighting COVID-19, or climate change, or pushing back against malign activities from Russia and China. We want to be working with our European partners. But we also, I will say, continue to believe that our goal for Europe is really a Europe whole, free, prosperous and at peace. So we’ll be working toward that goal for the next four years. VOA: As China is competing with the U.S. for vaccine distribution and post-pandemic recovery in Europe, what is your takeaway on the recent China-CEEC group, also known as “17 plus 1,” virtual summit between China and Central and Eastern Europe countries? Montgomery: I think all countries, whether it’s the United States or Europe, have a multifaceted and very complex relationship with China. There are parts of that relationship that are adversarial. Some of it is competitive and there are also areas where we want to cooperate with China. And so, I think our focus really is working on a multilateral basis with our allies and partners to strengthen our cooperation, and to look at areas where we can cooperate with China, such as on climate change, but also to be aware that there are economic activities that we want to push back on. There are threats to our values and there are human rights violations, such as we’ve seen in Xinjiang and in Hong Kong. And particularly the genocide — [about which] the U.S. government has been very clear — has been committed against mostly Muslim Uighurs in China. And so we’re really focused on working with our allies and our partners to develop an affirmative agenda as we look at this complex relationship with China, and to defend our values and our shared interests as well. VOA: We are hearing voices from European countries doubting the U.S. is wavering in its position on the policy determination that genocide has been committed against Uighurs in Xinjiang. Is the U.S. wavering in its position? Montgomery: The United States has been very clear — Secretary Blinken has been very clear — that we believe that what has happened in Xinjiang is genocide, that we have seen crimes against humanity committed against the Uighurs. And we’ve been very clear that these are very serious crimes and that there needs to be accountability. We have condemned these activities, these crimes — and we have made it clear that we need to see a stop to these human rights violations, to forced sterilizations, to torture, to other crimes that have been perpetrated primarily against mostly Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, especially. VOA: Moving on to vaccine distribution. Serbia and Hungary have become the first European countries to use China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, many European countries rely on vaccines produced by American company Pfizer. Is there a divide? Is the United States pressing European countries to choose between Washington and Beijing? Montgomery: No. You know, we are not asking countries to make a choice between the United States and China. At the same time, we believe that we are strongest when we work together to promote and to protect our shared values and interests. And so that’s why you see that … this administration has engaged very actively in the first month in multilateral fora [to work] with allies and partners, as well as with countries like China, to promote global health security. We want to work together to see an end to this pandemic. But at the same time, we also know that China uses the multilateral system to promote its own interests to undermine some of our shared values, and so we want to work very closely with our partners and our allies to protect those interests, and to push back where we see that China is trying to undermine the rules based international order. VOA: How confident is the U.S. to work with its European allies on a unified approach towards China after the EU-China investment deal? Was the U.S. caught by surprise by this deal? Montgomery: We really look forward to having early consultations with the EU on this investment agreement. I think you’ve heard from Secretary Blinken and from others — our allies have certainly heard that we’re eager to look for areas where we can cooperate on China, on the basis of our shared values, and to promote our mutual interests. Listen, if China did make additional concessions in that agreement on things like market access, on forced labor, we certainly welcome that. Although we really would look to the Chinese to prove that that’s not just cheap talk, and that they’re going to implement those commitments. And so we really look forward to having conversations moving forward with the EU and with our European allies and partners about working together on these issues. VOA: On recent Kosovo elections: what is your takeaway? Is the prospect for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue dimmer? Montgomery: We certainly continue to support the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, and to look toward a comprehensive agreement, a normalization agreement that would lead to mutual recognition, or on the basis of mutual recognition. And so that will be our goal moving forward. VOA: Do you envision a U.S.-brokered Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, independent of a parallel EU effort, under the Biden administration? Montgomery: We’re really committed to working with the EU, which facilitates the dialogue, and with our partners in tandem. This is, I think, a very important principle for our engagement in the Western Balkans. We know that we have been most successful there when we have worked hand in glove, or shoulder to shoulder with our European allies and partners, and so that’s going to be our approach. VOA: This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Visegrád Group (V4). How does the U.S. envision its cooperation with the V4 in coming years? Montgomery: Well, you’ve seen that we have congratulated the V4, the countries of the the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, on 30 years of cooperation in the Visegrád Group format. We really look forward to partnering with them on shared challenges, everything from COVID-19 to climate to things like strengthening our democracies and independent media. VOA: Thank you for talking to VOA. Montgomery: Great to be with you.
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Ghana Receives First Shipment of COVID-19 Vaccine Secured Through Global Sharing Initiative
Ghana has received the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines through the World Health Organization’s global vaccine-sharing program. A flight carrying 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine arrived Wednesday in the capital, Accra, according to a joint statement from WHO and UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. The vaccines were manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer. The vaccines sent to Ghana were purchased through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, or COVAX, an initiative launched by WHO in cooperation with Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, an organization founded by philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates to vaccinate children in the world’s poorest countries. The project purchases vaccines with the help of wealthier countries and distributes them equitably to all countries. U.S. President Joe Biden pledged $4 billion to the COVAX program last week. WHO announced in December that COVAX has secured agreements for nearly two billion doses of several “promising” vaccine candidates.A pack of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines is seen as the country receives its first batch of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines under COVAX scheme, in Accra, Feb. 24, 2021.A new variant of the novel coronavirus recently discovered in the western U.S. state of California is more contagious than other versions, according to two new preliminary studies. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco discovered the new variant, called B.1.427/B.1.429, as they were tracking the possible spread of the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first detected in Britain last year. The team found B.1.427/B.1.429 had become the predominant variant in the state after testing virus samples collected from across the state between September of last year and January. The UCSF team says people infected with the B.1.427/B.1.429 variant produced a viral load twice as large as that of other variants, which may make them more contagious to others. The new variant is also more likely to cause severe illness, “including increased risk of high oxygen requirement,” and is at least partially resistant to antibodies that could combat and neutralize it. In the other study, researchers found the variant has spread rapidly throughout San Francisco’s historic Mission District neighborhood, increasing from 16% of all confirmed COVID-19 infections tracked in November to 53% of infections by January. Dr. Charles Chiu, a virologist who led the UCSF study, said the B.1.427/B.1.429 variant should be designated “a variant of concern” that merited further investigation. As more Americans are vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says new guidelines for vaccinated people will be coming “soon” from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci addresses the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, Jan.21, 2021.“I believe you’re going to be hearing more of the recommendations of how you can relax the stringency of some of the things, particularly when you’re dealing with something like your own personal family when people have been vaccinated,” Fauci told CNN. Some changes for those vaccinated have already been published. For example, people who have been vaccinated do not need to quarantine if they come in contact with an infected person. The supply of vaccines is expected to grow as manufacturers say they will increase production, the U.S. based cable news network CNBC reported. In written congressional testimony, Pfizer’s Chief Business Officer John Young said the company plans to double its output to 13 million doses per week by mid-March. Moderna hopes to deliver 40 million doses per month by April. The supply could be further bolstered by Johnson & Johnson’s new one-shot vaccine, which is expected to be reviewed Thursday.
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Why S. Korea, Pandemic Poster Child, Is Only Now Starting Vaccines
After carrying out one of the world’s most successful initial coronavirus responses, South Korea this week begins COVID-19 vaccinations, making it one of the last developed countries to start mass inoculations. Beginning Friday, South Korea will give the AstraZeneca vaccine to staff and some patients at nursing homes and similar facilities. A day later, it will begin administering the Pfizer vaccine to medical staff treating coronavirus patients. That is about two and a half months after vaccinations began in countries such as Britain and the United States. Unlike some nations, the virus has never spread out of control in South Korea, giving the government more time and tools to combat the pandemic. “Vaccines are important for disease prevention, but vaccines alone are not enough. South Korea’s strategy involves more than this,” says Ki Mo-ran, an epidemiologist who has advised the South Korean government on its coronavirus response. A look at the numbers helps explain the situation. The United States has suffered more than half a million COVID-19 deaths. The number of COVID-related deaths in Britain has exceeded 120,000. By contrast, a little more than 1,500 South Koreans have died from the disease. Though South Korea has seen small infection spikes in recent months, it’s been able to manage the outbreaks by adjusting social distancing guidelines. As a result, the pandemic has rarely felt dire in South Korea. Restaurants and bars in Seoul, where most South Koreans live, now stay open until 11:00pm. Buses and trains are packed. Street demonstrations, which in normal times are omni-present, have also begun to re-emerge. Still, the vaccine delay has prompted accusations that the government didn’t act quickly enough to purchase vaccines, the one tool that would allow the country to permanently leave the pandemic behind. “(The government) should have been more aggressive in securing the vaccine and more cautious about the vaccine campaign after talking with medical experts and citizens. But they did the opposite,” said Choi Jae-wook of the Korean Medical Association, speaking to foreign media in Seoul last week. Herd immunity South Korea has ambitious vaccination goals. It hopes to vaccinate 10 million high-risk individuals by July and to achieve herd immunity by November. But many experts say those timelines are unrealistic. According to an estimate by the Economist Intelligence Unit, South Korea is among the countries that will not achieve widespread vaccination until mid-2022.Nurses take part in the coronavirus disease vaccination mock drill at a first aid facility of the COVID-19 vaccination center in Seoul, Feb. 9, 2021.South Korean officials in part have blamed manufacturing and logistic delays, which have disrupted vaccination plans around the world. But Ki says focusing on herd immunity misses the point. More important, she says, is preventing deaths, which South Korea has been able to do. “And even if we reach 70% of group immunity, it does not mean that COVID-19 will disappear magically,” she told VOA. Vaccine fears According to an opinion poll this week, less than half of South Koreans plan to receive the vaccine immediately after becoming eligible for the shots. Some of that skepticism appears to stem from the South Korean government’s decision to withhold approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine for those over the age of 65 pending further clinical trials. Lee Min-chan, a 41-year-old Seoul business owner, said he feels unsure about the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying he read several news reports alleging the British vaccine was “flawed.” “I think it’d be better to get a vaccine other than the AstraZeneca one,” he told VOA. South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun last week tried to assure the public about the vaccine, saying it had been approved in 50 countries and causes no serious side effects. “I repeat, there is no issue with safety,” he said. Domestic vaccine? After a flurry of recent agreements with several vaccine makers, South Korea says it has secured more than enough doses for its entire population, though it isn’t clear when the imported vaccines will arrive. Eventually, the government hopes to supplement those imports with a domestically produced vaccine, which experts say would be cheaper and easier to quickly distribute. Having domestic vaccine production capability could also make it easier for South Korea to produce modified vaccines in response to COVID-19 variants, says Justin Fendos, a professor at South Korea’s Dongseo University, writing in the Diplomat.“In fact, I would predict, despite South Korea’s slow start to vaccination, that the country will still be one of the first to be fully vaccinated,” he says. “The speed at which this result is achieved will likely be tied intimately to the speed at which its domestic infrastructure becomes operational.” Lee Juhyun contributed to this report.
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Federal Aid Offered to Some International Students
International students are not often eligible for federal student aid, and typically pay full tuition and fees for their college and university education that can cost more than $100,000 a year. “The fact that I most likely will not be able to go to university because only two of the ones I’m applying to offer financial aid to international students and I can’t afford to go otherwise, literally kills me, like it’s breaking my heart,” tweeted Isabella Romanov, a British citizen who told VOA she plans to study in the U.S.the fact that i most likely will not be able to go to university bc only 2 of the ones i’m applying to offer financial aid to international students and i can’t afford to go otherwise literally kills me like it’s breaking my heart— ♡ izzy ♡ (@sixofjosten) In this June 18, 2020, photo, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students celebrate in front of the Supreme Court after the Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to end legal protections for young immigrants in Washington.In some cases, DACA recipients may be asked to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to receive aid from their institution or their state of residence. FAFSA is an official federal application for all eligible students to apply for financial aid — like grants and loans — from the U.S. government. A parent’s citizenship or immigration status will not affect a student’s eligibility for financial aid. If a student’s permanent residence status has expired, they are no longer eligible for federal student aid. Students whose green cards have expired are encouraged to check their status as a legal permanent resident and if they are able to renew the card, if necessary. That being said, if they are a Cuban Haitian entrant, they are still an eligible noncitizen, even if the expiration date has passed. Students are not considered eligible non-citizens and not eligible to receive federal student aid if they: Are studying in the U.S. on an F-1 or F-2 nonimmigrant student visa, or on a J-1 or J-2 nonimmigrant Exchange Visitor Visa. According to the U.S. State Department’s EducationUSA — a U.S. Department of State network of more than 430 international student advising centers around the world — the F-1 visa is used for those who wish to study at an accredited college or university, or to study English at an English language institution, while F-2 is the visa for the spouses and children of those who use the F-1 visa. The J-1 visa is used for participation in a high school or university exchange program. Like the F-2 visa, the J-2 visa is for the spouses and children of J-1 visa holders. Hold a G series visa. To have a G visa, “you must be traveling to attend meetings at, visit, or work at a designated international organization,” according to the U.S. Department of State.Have been given a “Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence” (I-171 or I-464). For those who may not qualify for federal student aid, there are still ways to help fund their education, like scholarships and private loans. The Federal Student Aid (FSA) website encourages students to check out the U.S. Department of Labor’s online scholarship search, as well as EducationUSA. An international student’s college or own government — including the country’s embassy or consulate in the U.S. — may provide funding resources for study in the U.S. About 60% of international students pay for their U.S. college or university education through self or family funding. Some receive funding from their native governments, the U.S. university they attend, or private loans and grants.
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Mohamed Bazoum Declared Winner of Niger’s Presidential Run-off
Niger ruling PNDS party candidate Mohamed Bazoum is promising to be president to all citizens after being declared winner of Sunday’s presidential run-off election. The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Issaka Souna, said Tuesday Bazoum, who represents the party of Democracy and Socialism, won with just under 56% of the vote, based on provisional results that still must be reviewed by the Constitutional Court. The vote marks the first transition from one democratically elected leader to another as President Mahamadou Issoufou leaves office following two five-year terms, with his ally assuming the leadership after advancing to the second round vote from the December election.Niger ruling party’s Bazoum declared winner of presidential election, Feb. 23, 2021.Supporters of opposition candidate Mahamane Ousmane, who secured a little more than 44% of the votes, are alleging voter fraud, claiming votes were stolen, although no proof has been made public. The chairman of the electoral commission said while no credible evidence has been presented to support fraud allegations, the vote was marred by separate attacks that killed eight people in two regions where Islamist militants operate.A landmine struck a vehicle in the western Tillabery region,near the border with Mali, killing seven election workers heading to the polls. Bazoum takes leadership in a country that faces the global challenge of slowing the spread of COVID-19 as well as a nation struggling with militant groups from neighboring Mali and Nigeria coming into Niger.
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FAA Orders Immediate Inspections of Some Boeing 777 Engines After United Failure
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Tuesday it was ordering immediate inspections of Boeing 777-200 planes with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines before further flights after an engine failed on a United flight on Saturday. Operators must conduct a thermal acoustic image inspection of the large titanium fan blades located at the front of each engine, the FAA said. The National Transportation Safety Board said on Monday that a cracked fan blade from the United Flight 328 engine that caught fire was consistent with metal fatigue. “Based on the initial results as we receive them, as well as other data gained from the ongoing investigation, the FAA may revise this directive to set a new interval for this inspection or subsequent ones,” the FAA said.The damaged starboard engine of United Airlines flight 328 is seen following a Feb. 20 engine failure incident, Feb. 23, 2021.In March 2019, after a 2018 United engine failure attributed to fan blade fatigue, the FAA ordered inspections every 6,500 cycles. A cycle is one take-off and landing. South Korea’s transport ministry said on Tuesday it had told its airlines to inspect the fan blades every 1,000 cycles following guidance from Pratt after the latest United incident. An airline would typically accumulate 1,000 cycles about every 10 months on a 777, according to an industry source familiar with the matter. The engine that failed on the 26-year-old Boeing 777 and shed parts over a Denver suburb on Saturday was a PW4000. The engines are used on 128 planes, or less than 10% of the global fleet of more than 1,600 delivered 777 widebody jets. Boeing had recommended that airlines suspend the use of the planes while the FAA identified an appropriate inspection protocol, and Japan imposed a temporary suspension on flights after that incident. United, the only U.S. operator, had temporarily grounded its fleet before the FAA announcement.
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At Least 160 Confederate Symbols Taken Down in 2020, Database Shows
When rioters tore through the U.S. Capitol last month, some of them gripping Confederate battle flags, they didn’t encounter a statue of the most famous rebel general, Robert E. Lee. The Lee statue, which represented the state of Virginia as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection in the Capitol for 111 years, had been removed just weeks before — one of at least 160 public Confederate symbols taken down or moved from public spaces in 2020, according to a new count the Southern Poverty Law Center shared with The Associated Press ahead of releasing it. The Montgomery, Alabama-based law center, which keeps a raw count of nearly 2,100 statues, symbols, placards, buildings and public parks dedicated to the Confederacy, released the latest figures from its “Whose Heritage?” database on Tuesday. It has been tracking a movement to take down the monuments since 2015, when a white supremacist entered a South Carolina church and killed nine Black parishioners. FILE – Houston city workers remove a statue of confederate soldier Dick Dowling from Hermann Park on in Houston, Texas, June 17, 2020.”These racist symbols only serve to uphold revisionist history and the belief that white supremacy remains morally acceptable,” SPLC chief of staff Lecia Brooks said in a statement. “This is why we believe that all symbols of white supremacy should be removed from public spaces.” Sometime after visitors and tourists are welcomed back to the U.S. Capitol, there will be a statue saluting Virginia’s Barbara Johns, a 16-year-old Black girl who staged a strike in 1951 over unequal conditions at her segregated high school in Farmville. Her actions led to court-ordered integration of public schools across the U.S, via the landmark Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education. Each state legislature can choose up to two representatives to honor in the Capitol’s collection. In December, a state commission recommended replacing Lee’s statue with a statue of Johns. Supporters told the AP that Virginia’s legislature has nearly finalized her elevation alongside George Washington. Joan Johns Cobbs, Barbara Johns’ younger sister, is ecstatic about the coming honor. She’s also happy it hadn’t happened before January 6, when the Capitol was breached. “You can’t imagine how sad I was seeing what was happening in the Capitol building,” Cobbs said. “I was saying to myself, ‘Oh, my God. I’m kind of glad her statue wasn’t there already.’ I wondered what would have happened.” Long seen as offensive to Black Americans, Lee’s Capitol statue wasn’t the only one representing a figure from the Lost Cause, a term referring to a belief that fighting on the side of slaveholders in the Civil War was just and heroic. Jefferson Davis, who served as president of the Confederate States of America before becoming a U.S. senator from Mississippi, is one of two figures representing that state in the Capitol. FILE – A statue of Jefferson Davis of Mississippi is on display in Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 11, 2020.The SPLC says there are 704 Confederate monuments still standing across the U.S. And taking some of them down may be difficult, particularly in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee — states where lawmakers have enacted policies protecting these monuments. The movement to remove these symbols from public spaces became part of the national reckoning on racial injustice following the killing last May of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes.FILE – An image of the late Georgia Congressman and civil rights pioneer U.S. Rep. John Lewis is projected on to the pedestal of the statue of confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue, in Richmond, Va., July 22, 2020.Although activists have called for lowering Confederate flags and taking down monuments for decades, a broader push was sparked after a white supremacist gunned down Black parishioners during a June 2015 Bible study meeting at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. “Exposing children to anything that falsely promotes the idea of white superiority and Black inferiority is dehumanizing,” Brooks of the SPLC said in her statement. Johns’ legacyThat’s why the honor for Johns couldn’t come at a better time, said Cameron Patterson, executive director of the Robert Russa Moton Museum, a caretaker of Johns’ legacy. Johns moved from New York City to live with her grandmother in Virginia’s Prince Edward County during World War II. She attended Moton High School in Farmville where, according to her memoir, the segregated school had poor facilities, lacked science laboratories and had no gymnasium. On April 23, 1951, at age 16, Johns led her classmates in a strike against the substandard conditions at Moton High, drawing the attention of civil rights lawyers at the NAACP. Attorneys filed a federal case that became one of five the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed in the Brown decision. In 1954, the high court declared segregation unconstitutional. FILE – The spot in the U.S. Capitol where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee had been, sits empty, after the monument was removed to be replaced with a statue of Black civil rights pioneer Barbara Johns, on Capitol Hill, Dec. 21, 2020.This year will mark the 70th anniversary since Johns’ protest. She died in 1991, at age 56. “There’s real recognition that her inclusion in the Statuary Hall Collection really will be a great opportunity for folks to more fully come to understand the Moton story in full,” Patterson said. “So not only are they learning about Barbara and who she was, they’re learning about her classmates. They’re learning about those that continue to labor in this community, as it relates to the fight for educational equality.” Cobbs, Johns’ sister, agreed. “I hope that young people will see it as something that they could emulate,” she said. “Being that young, seeing an injustice, and deciding to do something about it is pretty remarkable.”
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Three Held on Suspicion of Supplying Bomb that Killed Malta Journalist
Three men suspected of having supplied the bomb which killed Maltese anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017 were arrested on Tuesday, police said. Their arrest came as a man accused of carrying out the killing agreed to a plea deal, accepting his responsibility for the assassination in return for a reduced, 15-year jail term instead of possible life behind bars. A legal source said Vince Muscat had provided police with vital information about the case, which has shone a spotlight on corruption in the European Union’s smallest country. Muscat and two other men were arrested in December 2017 and accused of having planned and executed the murder. Muscat’s alleged accomplices continue to plea not-guilty. The three men seized on Tuesday were named as Jamie Vella and brothers Adrian and Robert Agius. They and their lawyers were not immediately available for comment. A legal source said the three men were suspected of having provided the bomb and the SMS code needed to trigger it. Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb in October 2017. Police say the device was detonated remotely by Muscat and his friends as they watched her drive away from her house. FILE – Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech, who was arrested in connection with an investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, leaves the Courts of Justice in Valletta, Malta, Nov. 29, 2019.Multimillionaire businessman Yorgen Fenech, who had high-level political connections, is suspected of having masterminded the crime and has been accused of being an accomplice to murder. He has denied wrongdoing. The self-confessed middleman in the plot, Melvin Theuma, turned state evidence in 2019 in return for a pardon. Muscat’s request for a similar deal was denied last month. Instead, he accepted the plea deal, offering information about the Caruana Galizia case and about the unresolved 2015 murder of a local lawyer, which was not believed to be connected. Muscat is not related to Joseph Muscat, the former prime minister who was in office when Caruana Galizia was killed and resigned in December 2019 to “shoulder political responsibility.” Fenech was close friends with the former premier’s chief of staff Keith Schembri, who has denied any wrongdoing and any knowledge of the murder or its perpetrators.
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Target Putin’s Cashiers’: Critics Demand Tougher Measures from EU Over Navalny Jailing
The European Union has imposed sanctions on four Russian officials following the jailing of opposition leader Alexey Navalny. As Henry Ridgwell reports, supporters of Navalny want the EU to go much further — and sanction close allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.Camera: Henry Ridgwell
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Interior Nominee Haaland Questioned on Drilling, Pipelines
President Joe Biden’s nominee to head the Interior Department faced sharp questions from Republicans Tuesday over what several called her “radical” ideas that include opposition to fracking and the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Deb Haaland, a New Mexico congresswoman named to lead the Interior Department, tried to reassure GOP lawmakers, saying she is committed to “strike the right balance” as Interior manages oil drilling and other energy development while seeking to conserve public lands and address climate change. If confirmed, Haaland, 60, would be the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency. Native Americans see her nomination as the best chance to move from consultation on tribal issues to consent and to put more land into the hands of tribal nations either outright or through stewardship agreements. The Interior Department has broad oversight over nearly 600 federally recognized tribes as well as energy development and other uses for the nation’s sprawling federal lands. “The historic nature of my confirmation is not lost on me, but I will say that it is not about me,” Haaland testified. “Rather, I hope this nomination would be an inspiration for Americans — moving forward together as one nation and creating opportunities for all of us.” Haaland’s hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee was adjourned after nearly 2 1/2 hours and will resume Wednesday. Chairman Joe Manchin, D-WV, speaks during the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 23, 2021.Under questioning from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., the panel’s chairman, Haaland said the U.S. will continue to rely on fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas even as it moves toward Biden’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by mid-century. The transition to clean energy “is not going to happen overnight,” she said. Manchin, who is publicly undecided on Haaland’s nomination, appeared relieved, saying he supports “innovation, not elimination” of fossil fuels. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., was less impressed. He displayed a large chart featuring a quote from last November, before Haaland was selected to lead Interior, in which she said: “If I had my way, it’d be great to stop all gas and oil leasing on federal and public lands.” A board is put up as Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., speaks during the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 23, 2021.If confirmed as Interior secretary, “you will get to have it your way,” Daines told Haaland. She replied that Biden’s vision — not hers — will set the course for Interior. “It is President Biden’s agenda, not my own agenda, that I will be moving forward,” Haaland said, an answer she repeated several times. While Biden imposed a moratorium on oil and gas drilling on federal lands — which doesn’t apply to tribal lands — he has repeatedly said he does not oppose fracking. Biden rejected the long-pIanned Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office. Haaland also faced questions over her appearance at protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota before she was elected to Congress in 2018. Haaland said she went there in solidarity with Native American tribes and other “water protectors” who “felt they were not consulted in the best way” before the multi-state oil pipeline was approved. Asked by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., if she would oppose a renewal of the pipeline permit, Haaland said she would first ensure that tribes are properly consulted. She told Hoeven she also would “listen to you and consult with you.” FILE – Protesters pray during a rally against the Dakota Access oil pipeline, near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, Feb. 22, 2017.Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said the GOP questions over oil drilling and pipelines revealed a partisan divide in the committee. “I almost feel like your nomination is this proxy fight about the future of fossil fuels,” Cantwell said, adding that Haaland had made clear her intention to carry out Biden’s clean-energy agenda. She and other Democrats “very much appreciate the fact that you’re doing that, and that’s what I think a president deserves with his nominee,” Cantwell said. Early yearsIn her opening statement, Haaland told lawmakers that as the daughter of a Pueblo woman, she learned early to value hard work. Her mother is a Navy veteran and worked for a quarter-century at the Bureau of Indian Education, an Interior Department agency. Her father was a Marine who served in Vietnam. He received the Silver Star and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. “As a military family, we moved every few years … but no matter where we lived, my dad taught me and my siblings to appreciate nature, whether on a mountain trail or walking along the beach,” Haaland said. The future congresswoman spent summers with her grandparents in a Laguna Pueblo village. “It was in the cornfields with my grandfather where I learned the importance of water and protecting our resources and where I gained a deep respect for the Earth,” she said. Haaland pledged to lead the Interior Department with honor and integrity and said she will be “a fierce advocate for our public lands.” She promised to listen to and work with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and ensure that decisions are based on science. She also vowed to “honor the sovereignty of tribal nations and recognize their part in America’s story.” Racial overtonesSome Democrats and Native American advocates called the frequent description of Haaland as “radical” a loaded reference to her tribal status. “That kind of language is sort of a dog whistle for certain folks that see somebody who is an Indigenous woman potentially being in a position of power,” said Ta’jin Perez with the group Western Native Voice. In an op-ed in USA Today, former Sens. Mark and Tom Udall said Haaland’s record “is in line with mainstream conservation priorities. Thus, the exceptional criticism of Rep. Haaland and the threatened holds on her nomination must be motivated by something other than her record.” Mark Udall is a former Colorado senator, while cousin Tom Udall just retired as a New Mexico senator. Tom Udall’s father, Stewart, was Interior secretary in the 1960s. Daines called the notion of racial overtones in his remarks outrageous. “I would love to see a Native American serve in the Cabinet. That would be a proud moment for all of us in this country. But this is about her record and her views,” he said in an interview. National civil rights groups have joined forces with tribal leaders and environmental groups in supporting Haaland. A letter signed by nearly 500 national and regional organizations calls her “a proven leader and the right person to lead the charge against the existential threats of our time,” including climate change and racial justice issues on federal lands.
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10 Indonesian Orangutans Set Free
Orangutans are a critically endangered species and the coronavirus pandemic halted efforts to protect and increase their population. But as VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, rescue efforts in Indonesia are back under way.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
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US Economic Recovery ‘Far from Complete,’ Central Bank Chief Says
The U.S. economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is a work in progress, the country’s central bank chief told lawmakers Tuesday.“The economic recovery remains uneven and far from complete, and the path ahead is highly uncertain,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told the Senate Banking Committee. “Although there has been much progress in the labor market since the spring, millions of Americans remain out of work.”The U.S. Labor Department said the January unemployment rate was 6.3%, although Powell earlier this month said it was “close to 10%,” more than twice the figure for last February before the virus started infecting millions of Americans and forced thousands of businesses to close or limit their operations.US Treasury Chief: Would Take Years for US Economy to Recover Without Aid Deal Janet Yellen: ‘There’s tremendous suffering in the country’ Congress approved about $4 trillion in coronavirus relief spending last year, while the Fed slashed its benchmark lending rate to near-zero percent last March. It is buying about $120 billion in government-backed bonds each month to foster bank lending and consumer spending.Now, Congress is considering Democratic President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief package to boost the economy, reopen schools and send $1,400 checks to millions of adult Americans, all but the biggest wage earners. With Democrats narrowly controlling Congress, the measure could be approved by mid-March. But Powell warned that for now, “The economy is a long way from our employment and inflation goals, and it is likely to take some time for substantial further progress to be achieved.” He said the central bank would continue to buy bonds at its current pace until that progress has been made.The number of U.S. workers filing for unemployment compensation has dropped sharply since the worst of the pandemic’s effect on the world’s largest economy late last March, when 6.9 million people filed for benefits. But for months now, 700,000 to more than 900,000 workers each week have filed new claims for benefits, figures that eclipsed the biggest totals seen before the pandemic in records that date to the 1960s.Powell said the pandemic “is causing great hardship for millions of Americans and is weighing on economic activity and job creation.”US Economy Projected to Return to Normal by MidyearCongressional Budget Office says employment will gain strength over next several yearsSen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, chairman of the Senate banking panel, said Powell had “talked to all of us about the risk of falling short of a complete recovery and the damage it will do to peoples’ lives.” Brown said Biden “understands this moment, and he’s risen to meet it” with his coronavirus relief package.But Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, the top Republican on the banking panel, warned that excessive spending might spark inflation in the United States, echoing other Republicans as Congress considers Biden’s relief proposal.Powell said the Fed wanted to see more economic progress before cutting back its bond purchases.“There is still a long way to go to full recovery, and we intend to keep our policy supportive of that recovery,” he said.Powell said the economy rebounded last summer but slowed in the latter part of 2020, with the biggest impacts largely falling on low-wage workers, Black and Hispanic Americans and other minority groups.Powell, however, held out the possibility of a recovery in the months ahead, saying “ongoing vaccinations offer hope for a return to more normal conditions later this year.”
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For France and Sahel Partners, Many Ideas Emerging But No Clear Strategy
Less than a week after a key summit gathering of France and its five regional military partners in the Sahel conflict, fresh casualties in Niger offered a reality check to the high-level discourse on achievements. Killed in a landmine explosion Sunday were seven election officials — as Nigeriens voted for their next president — adding to a mounting toll that has seen thousands die and more than two million displaced during an eight-year Islamist insurgency in the Sahel. Today, Paris and its Sahel partners appear at an impasse, with myriad initiatives to eradicate the tenacious and spreading jihadist presence, but no single comprehensive strategy. Mali and Burkina Faso are exploring options of dialoguing with some jihadi groups, a move France categorically ruled out. Paris is calling for a beefed-up European Union presence to compensate its eventual troop drawdown, but the bigger EU countries have yet to commit. Meanwhile, both French and Sahel forces face mounting public anger for civilian casualties and a military-heavy approach.”If nothing is done differently, the situation is going to continue to deteriorate,” said Ornella Moderan, Sahel program head for the Institute for Security Studies policy center, who calls for a sea-change in tactics beyond “just chasing the bad guys.” The stakes are particularly high for French President Emmanuel Macron, who faces reelection next year. For the first time since Paris dispatched troops to Mali in 2013, a recent IFOP poll shows a slim majority of French now want the country’s 5,100-strong military operation to end. FILE – Servicemen stand by the coffins of three French soldiers who were killed in Mali serving in the country’s Barkhane force, during a tribute ceremony at Thierville-sur-Meuse, France, Jan. 5, 2021.Many in Paris see little payback from fighting happening thousands of miles away. The optics instead are on the returning flag-wrapped coffins. Some 50 French soldiers have died in a mission that has shifted from initially quelling a Tuareg rebellion in Mali’s north, to fighting a broader jihadist insurgency in central Sahel under Operation Barkhane. Wait and see?Indeed, many expected Macron would announce a drawdown of French forces during last week’s G-5 Sahel summit in N’Djamena. Instead, speaking via video link from France, he announced they would stay put for now, to help “decapitate” al-Qaida-linked insurgents. “We have succeeded in gaining some real successes in the three-border zone,” Macron said, referring to a hotspot region straddling Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. He also noted last year’s killings of key Islamist figures, including al-Qaida’s North African chief Abdelmalek Droukdel. FILE – French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he delivers a speech after a meeting via video-conference with leaders of West African G-5 Sahel nations, in Paris, France, Feb. 16, 2021.”I think they’re going to have to wait and see what happens in the next six months,” said Andrew Lebovich, Africa analyst for the European Council on Foreign Relations policy center, assessing France’s near-term strategy. “If the security situation doesn’t get any better, it’s going to be hard to draw down forces. But if there do seem to be improvements, it’s likely they’ll at least pull some forces out.” To be sure, the French strategy includes more than “wait and see.” Macron has called for greater input from G-5 members — Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Mali. Chad, for one, recently announced an additional 1,200 troops. Macron also wants a heavier European presence under the nearly year-old Takuba Task Force, which now gathers more than half-a-dozen, mostly smaller EU members. But the initiative has seen a slow start, and Macron’s ambitions for a 2,000-person force seem unlikely in the near term. Germany for one, recently announced it would not send more soldiers to the region. The EU is also revising its broader Sahel strategy, now more than a decade old and outdated, analysts say. FILE – A map of French army locations in Sahel is seen as French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech after a meeting via video-conference with leaders of West African G-5 Sahel nations, in Paris, France, Feb. 16, 2021.”It seems to me the plan is to show they’ve been able to Europeanize and internationalize this deployment to an extent, so it’s not seen anymore as just a French operation,” said Lebovich of the European Council. Another uncertainty is whether the new Biden administration will invest more in the region. In videotaped remarks to the G-5 summit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was committed to being a “strong partner,” but he offered no details. People-centered strategyA number of analysts and activists are calling for a people-centered shift in Sahel strategy, focusing on good governance, delivering basic services and protecting local communities. The protracted unrest has left enormous humanitarian scars, deepening poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Rights groups accused African counterinsurgency forces of killing hundreds of civilians, while anti-French sentiment has grown. A French airstrike in central Mali in January has been particularly controversial. Barkhane and Malian officials said it targeted jihadists; local villagers claimed it killed people attending a wedding party. Operation Barkhane’s presence also has nourished protests in capitals like Bamako and Ouagadougou. FILE – A man holds a banner against the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and Operation Barkhane, in Bamako, Mali, Aug. 21, 2020.”To have a force that mobilizes so many troops, so much money, so much diplomatic and political energy, and doesn’t intervene on protection issues,” said analyst Moderan, “it makes people wonder why are they there? Whose priorities are they responding to?” Paris appears to be responding to such concerns, at least semantically. French officials have been talking with civil society groups in the region. Speaking at the summit, Macron emphasized development projects and good governance, “once military victory is obtained.” But critics say this reaching out should be happening sooner, rather than later. The International Crisis Group has called for greater focus on improving governance and supporting local peacemaking efforts, including with some jihadist groups. The governments of Mali and Burkina Faso appear to be heading in that direction. Bamako this week announced a new platform to begin talks with Islamist militants. Prime Minister Moctar Ouan is calling dialogue “an additional means” of ending the yearslong turmoil. Earlier this month, too, the Burkinabe government said it was open to talks with militants. A local effort has been under way in the northern town of Djibo. Not everyone is sold, though. “One doesn’t discuss with terrorists, one fights,” Macron told Jeune Afrique in an interview last year, although some observers suggest the French position may be softening. Lebovich, of the European Council, is also skeptical about the success of local peace talks — but believes engaging in the process may at least bring clarity. “I think there’s an assumption that people are just going to peel these fighters away and integrate them,” he said. “And there isn’t a good plan for that.”
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US Senate Panel Holds Hearing on Massive Cyberattack
The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee is holding a hearing Tuesday on the recent cyberattack against the United States, which was allegedly carried out by Russia.The attack, known as the SolarWinds hack, discovered in December, was one of the largest and most sophisticated cyberattacks in history, according to experts who have suggested it could have been launched by a state actor.Several U.S. government officials have said the cyberattacks originated in Russia but have offered few details.FILE – White House deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger speaks during a press briefing, Feb. 17, 2021, in Washington.White House Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger said on Feb. 17 that nine federal agencies and 100 private-sector companies had been targeted. Neuberger said breaches of the private companies, some of them in the technology sector, helped facilitate the hacking of other targets.Neuberger said the Biden administration is drafting policies to prevent further attacks and predicted some of the proposals would be part of an “executive action.”She also said the administration’s probe into the sprawling operation would probably take several more months to complete.On Feb. 21, U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan warned that the U.S. would respond to the attack within “weeks, not months.”A leading cybersecurity company that was breached, FireEye, said targets also included government, technology, and telecommunications companies elsewhere in North America, and in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.A report released by the French National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) on Feb. 15 said the hackers leveraged a vulnerability in monitoring software from the Paris-based company Centreon.The company said it uncovered cyberattacks that occurred between 2017 and 2020.
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Biden Meets Virtually with Canada’s Trudeau on COVID, Climate Threats
U.S. President Joe Biden meets virtually Tuesday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, marking Biden’s first bilateral meeting with a foreign leader since taking office last month.The two leaders are set to discuss China, climate change and other issues, according to a Biden administration official who spoke to reporters anonymously, as they try to reset relations that soured during Donald Trump’s four years as U.S. president.The official told reporters that Biden is eager to discuss security threats presented by climate change, the coronavirus, as well as threats posed by China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.In a move that “disappointed” Trudeau, Biden recently blocked the $8 billion Keystone XL pipeline project to pump oil from Canada to the United States by signing a “Buy American” executive order aimed at spending more U.S. funding to bolster domestic manufacturers.White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said “no changes are anticipated” in Biden’s position on the pipeline issue during the meeting.Trudeau plans to show that Canada is realigned with the U.S. on COVID-19, foreign policy, climate change and other issues, according to a Canadian government source who also spoke anonymously before the meeting.It is unclear if Trudeau would again propose that Canada be allowed to buy COVID vaccines from a Pfizer manufacturing facility in the U.S. Midwestern state of Michigan for its struggling vaccination program.Trudeau first raised the issue during a phone conversation last month, Biden’s first with a foreign leader as president. A senior Biden administration official said, however, that Biden is focused on vaccinating people first in the U.S.Canada has frequently been the first stop abroad for a newly elected U.S. president, but COVID-19 has turned the bilateral meeting into a virtual affair.Officials said Biden and Trudeau will deliver remarks to the media before and after their meeting.The Biden administration also said a shared document summarizing collaborations between the two countries on a wide range of issues would likely be disclosed after the meeting.
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Western Ethiopia Fighting Sends Thousands Fleeing to Sudan
The U.N. refugee agency reports intercommunal violence in Ethiopia’s Western Benishangul Gumuz region has sent thousands of people fleeing for safety to Sudan’s Blue Nile State in recent weeks.Insecurity in Ethiopia’s Metekel zone in Benishangul Gumuz region has been ongoing since 2019. However, tensions in the region have rapidly escalated in the past three months.In the last five months, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission reports an estimated 500 people have been killed in the region in the last five months. Of these, it says more than 200 lost their lives in just one day – on December 23.U.N. refugee agency spokesman Babar Baloch says the escalating violence has prompted several thousand people to seek refuge in Sudan’s Blue Nile State over the last month.“The refugee arrivals itself started in November with a couple of hundred refugees crossing into Sudan. But in the last few weeks, the number has picked up and we now have an estimated 7,000. I mean the stories that refugees are bringing is fleeing attacks from their opponents,” he said.The escalating violence prompted the federal government of Ethiopia to declare a state of emergency in the Metekel zone on January 21.Baloch said many of the refugees who recently fled Ethiopia have arrived in hard-to-reach locations along the border. He said the UNHCR is working closely with Sudanese authorities and partners to assess the situation and respond to the humanitarian needs of the refugees from Benishangul Gumuz.“The region is in western Ethiopia. As I currently understand, this displacement is not directly related to the conflict in the country’s northern Tigray region which have pushed more than 61,000 refugees to seek safety in Sudan in recent months,” he said.Baloch said the majority of the asylum-seekers are living among the Sudanese host community. So far, he said nearly 3,000 refugees have been registered and nearly 1,000 have been provided with food, water and sanitation, and access to health and aid supplies.
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US Senate to Examine January 6 Capitol Security Failures
Two U.S. Senate committees are holding a hearing Tuesday examining the January 6 attack on the U.S. capitol with a focus on security and the response of law enforcement. Scheduled to testify before the Homeland Security Committee and Governmental Affairs Committee are the former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger and former House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving, as well as former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund and Metropolitan Police Department acting Chief Robert Contee. For Stenger and Irving, their testimony will be their first public comments since they resigned just after the attack by a pro-Trump mob.In this image from video, Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger reads the proclamation during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 29, 2020.Senator Amy Klobuchar told the Associated Press that lawmakers would be focused on how security agencies shared information ahead of the attack, the timing of the deployment of National Guard troops to assist overwhelmed Capitol Police officers and whether the command structure of the entities responsible for Capitol security contributed to security failures. Klobuchar also said the panels would hold at least one more hearing as part of their investigation that would examine the responses of the Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Capitol attack came as lawmakers inside were meeting to certify President Joe Biden’s electoral win over former President Donald Trump in the November election. Rioters smashed windows and doors and clashed with officers, leaving dozens of police injured. Members of Congress fled their chambers and had to return hours later to finish the vote certification. The violence left five people dead, including one Capital Police officer. In the weeks after the attack, the House of Representatives impeached Trump on charges he incited insurrection. The Senate later acquitted Trump.
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‘Minari,’ Story of Korean American Family, Showcases Immigrant Experience
“Minari,” a film by Korean American filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung, tells the story of a young Korean immigrant family chasing the American dream. Like the Korean herb minari, known for its adaptability to a variety of climates and conditions, the young Korean family is determined to put down roots in the American rural South. VOA’s Penelope Poulou has more.
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British Leader Optimistic England’s COVID-19 Restrictions Could End June 21
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday he is very optimistic that all COVID-19 restrictions in England could end June 21.
Johnson made the comment as he toured a south London school to talk about his hope to open all schools by March 8, part of the “road map” to lifting restrictions and ending the lockdown he outlined Monday.
Johnson told reporters nothing is guaranteed, and his government will continue to follow the guidance at each stage.
But he said because “science has given us this way of creating a whole shield around our population, we can really look at that June 21 date with some optimism.
Under the plan Johnson unveiled Monday, some businesses stay shuttered until the summer. Johnson said caution was necessary to ensure there was no reversal on a “one-way road to freedom.”
Johnson said they are also carefully reviewing the idea of vaccine “certificates,” where those who have been fully vaccinated could be given documentation that would allow them to enter entertainment venues, nightclubs or events.
He said senior minister Michael Gove would lead a review to thrash out the “scientific, moral, philosophical, ethical” question of vaccine certificates. He said there are complex “ethical issues about what the role is for government in mandating people to have such a thing,” as it could discriminate against people who, for whatever reason, are unable to get vaccinated.
Britain, in two months, has already managed to provide an initial vaccine dose to more than a quarter of the population, the fastest rollout of any big country, making it a worldwide test case for governments hoping to return to normal.
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