The U.N. Human Rights Office is condemning Algeria’s crackdown on members of the pro-democracy Hirak movement and is calling on the authorities to end its violence against peaceful protesters. Nationwide street protests have resumed in recent weeks, defying COVID-19 restrictions. U.N. rights officials denounce the violent response by Algerian security forces, who they accuse of using unnecessary or excessive force and arbitrary arrests to suppress peaceful demonstrations. U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville says Algerian authorities are reacting to the protesters in the same repressive manner seen in recent years. FILE – Algerian police officers block protesters from advancing during a demonstration in the capital Algiers, Feb. 22, 2021.”These developments echoed what happened earlier in 2019 and 2020, during which a total of at least 2,500 people were arrested or detained in connection with their peaceful activism,” he said. “Similarly, the criminal prosecution in 2019 and 2020 of activists, human rights defenders, students, journalists, bloggers and ordinary citizens expressing dissent continued during the first two months of this year.” The installation by Algeria’s top generals of Abdelmadjid Tebboune as the country’s new president in December 2019 sparked widespread outrage and protests by the pro-democracy Hirak movement. Colville says the Algerian penal code is being used to restrict freedom of expression and to prosecute people for expressing dissenting opinions. He says his office has received credible reports that some 1,000 people have been prosecuted for participating in the Hirak movement or for posting messages online critical of the government. “According to the same reports, at least 32 people are currently detained for the legitimate exercise of their human rights, and some of them face lengthy sentences, while others are still in pre-trial detention,” he said. “We have also received allegations of torture and ill-treatment in detention, including sexual violence.” The U.N. human rights office is calling upon Algerian authorities to stop using violence against peaceful protesters and to immediately release all those arbitrarily arrested. It also is calling for a prompt, impartial and effective investigation into allegations of torture and ill-treatment in detention, and to bring those responsible for these crimes to account.
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Month: March 2021
Effort to Curb Ebola in Guinea, DR Congo Gathering Steam
The World Health Organization says it is using every measure it has to curb the spread of parallel Ebola outbreaks in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the biggest lessons learned from the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa — the largest in history — is the critical importance of acting quickly to contain the deadly disease. World health officials began marshaling staff and working on a strategy to combat the disease as soon as the first cases of the Ebola virus were detected in Guinea on February 14. A rapid assessment conducted by the WHO in the country and in the region found the risk level to be very high. WHO Representative in Guinea, Georges Alfred Ki-Zerbo, said the WHO and partners have been stepping up efforts to implement Guinea’s Strategic response plan. FILE – Health workers from the Guinean Ministry of Health prepare forms to register medical staff ahead of their anti-Ebola vaccines at the N’zerekore Hospital, Feb. 24, 2021.That, he said, involves increased surveillance on the ground, accelerating preparedness measures in neighboring countries, and working closely with communities to interrupt the outbreak as soon as possible. “In doing so, we are engaging traditional healers, including also traditional practitioners, and we are going into communities to discuss with them, to listen to them and see what is the understanding of the disease, what is the fears and the preoccupation of the communities so that we can increase the success of our interventions,” Ki-Zerbo said. To date, the WHO reports 18 cases of Ebola in Guinea, including four deaths. Ki-Zerbo said health workers have traced hundreds of people who have come in contact with infected people. So far, he ssaid, more than 1,600 people have been vaccinated against the virus, including high-risk contacts and health workers. Meanwhile, North Kivu province in eastern Congo is experiencing its own fresh Ebola outbreak. Since February 7, the WHO reports there have been 11 cases and four deaths. Another Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo ended just last June. WHO director of strategic health operations, Michel Yao, said dealing with both the COVID-19 and Ebola epidemics is a challenge, especially in countries with fragile health systems. “There are some similar approaches, at least, in some of the components like community isolation, as well as the preventive measures that have to be implemented,” Yao said. “Vaccination is maybe less challenging because this works in different areas. And I think the approach in most of the countries, as with COVID, they will probably start with health workers.” WHO health officials agree it will likely be difficult to get the funding needed to stem the twin Ebola outbreaks. Besides appealing to government donors, they said they also will tap leading financial institutions such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
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China Says It Will Select Hong Kong Legislators
A senior Chinese official said Friday that a pro-Beijing committee will choose members of Hong Kong’s legislature as part of a campaign to increase China’s control over the city.
The vice chairman of the National People’s Congress’ Standing Committee, Wang Chen, said in Beijing the panel would participate in nominating candidates and select “a relatively large share” of the legislature’s members.
He did not say how many lawmakers the committee would select, but Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported that anonymous sources said they would fill 30 of the expanded legislature’s 90 seats.
Half of Hong Kong’s 70-member Legislative Council is currently elected by voters, while the other half is elected by professional or special interest groups.
Blow to democracy
The move is seen as a significant blow to democracy by observers and some residents of the semi-autonomous territory that enjoys greater freedom than mainland China but has seen rights sharply curtailed in the past year.
Democracy supporters say China’s increasing control over Hong Kong’s political system violates its promise to grant 50 years of autonomy to Hong Kong under the “one country, two systems” structure that was implemented in 1997 when the British handed over the city to China.
The last British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, said the move to alter the city’s electoral system “completely destroys the pledge of one country, two systems.”
Activists detained
Wang’s announcement was made one day after a Hong Kong judge ordered 47 pro-democracy activists to remain in custody after the territory’s Department of Justice appealed an earlier decision to release 15 of them on bail.
The order came after four days of bail hearings for activists facing charges under a stringent national security law imposed by China, sparking global concern that Beijing is using the law to suppress dissent.
Adoption of the security law in June 2020 led to a harsh crackdown on free speech and opposition political activity in Hong Kong. Serious offenders of the law could face life imprisonment.
The activists were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion, a criminal offense under the law.
They were arrested on Sunday over their participation in an unofficial primary election in 2020 that authorities said was part of a “vicious plot” to “overthrow” the Hong Kong government.
The election was supposed to produce the strongest opposition candidates for a legislative council. The government postponed the election, citing the coronavirus pandemic.
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US Job Creation Beats Expectations While Unemployment Remains Above 6%
The U.S. economy created 379,000 jobs last month as the nation slowly reopens following coronavirus shutdowns. Economists had predicted job creation of between 150,000 and 200,000. In January, the economy generated 166,000 new jobs. Most of the jobs came in the leisure and hospitality sector, which includes restaurants, bars, hotels and other entertainment businesses. The new jobs pushed the unemployment rate down from 6.3% to 6.2%, but some economists say those numbers likely don’t reflect actual unemployment because 4.2 million people have stopped looking for work. The unemployment rate measures people actively looking for jobs who can’t find one. While the jobs news is good, 9.5 million jobs don’t exist now that existed last February, and on Thursday, the Labor Department said 18 million Americans were receiving some kind of unemployment benefits in the middle of February. On Thursday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said a return to “full employment” was “highly unlikely” this year. Some 6.4% of Americans are not participating in the labor force, rates not seen since the 1970s. Stocks were mixed on the jobs news.
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Rwanda Begins COVID-19 Vaccinations
The east-central African nation of Rwanda began its COVID-19 vaccination program Friday, using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, making it the first African nation to administer the drug. The nation received 102,960 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and 240,000 doses of AstraZeneca through the international vaccine cooperative, COVAX facility earlier this week. Rwandan health authorities began transporting both shots around the hilly nation of 12 million people using helicopters to reach far-flung areas. Earlier this week, Minister of Health Dr. Daniel Ngamije said the nation’s vaccination plan would prioritize high-risk groups first, including the sick and the elderly, as well as front-line medical workers. He said the government’s goal was to vaccinate 30% of Rwandans by the end of 2021, and 60% by the end of 2022. The government of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, which prides itself on efficiency and technological prowess but is often criticized as authoritarian, has installed special infrastructure to keep the Pfizer vaccine at the recommended -80 to -60 Celsius. Last week, after examining research conducted by its manufacturers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, when transported and stored at conventional refrigerator temperatures, can still be effective for up to two weeks.
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Zimbabwe Optimistic on Food Security This Year
Zimbabwe says it has started preparing for a bumper harvest, the country’s first in two decades. But aid agencies say they still need to ensure about four million people have enough food, especially in urban areas where business has been hurt by the COVID-19 lockdown.
Zimbabwe’s government says above average rainfall levels and conservation agriculture are bearing fruits for the country, which for many years has largely depended on humanitarian aid.
Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said this week that according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Zimbabwe will produce 2.8 million tons of corn, the country’s staple crop, against a target of 1.8 million tons needed for consumption. Zimbabwe Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa speaks to reporters in Harare, March 2, 2021. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)She said the government is getting equipment in place to handle the harvest.
“Regarding timeous harvesting of grain, an additional 72 and 21 combined harvesters from the John Deere Facility and the Belarus Programme will be mobilized. [The] government is also mobilizing internal capacity for combine harvesting through the repair of 25 non-functional combines which are owned by institutions and individuals. In the same vein, the ministry is importing an additional 13 mobile grain dryers from Italy,” Mutsvangwa said.
When the harvest comes in, it should drive down the cost of food around the country.
But that does not fix everything for Zimbabweans in urban areas struggling to making a living.
Caroline Chanyaruka, a widow who makes ends meet by growing mushrooms from biowaste, is seen in Epworth, some 40 km southeast of Harare, March 5, 2021. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)About 40 kilometers away from where Mutsvangwa spoke is Epworth, one of the poorest townships in Zimbabwe. There, 48-year-old widow Caroline Chanyaruka is enrolled in the World Food Program’s urban resilience program, which helps people launch income-generating projects. She now makes mushrooms from biowaste. She eats them and sells the surplus to look after her seven children.
“Hunger is such a terrible thing. It’s worse for a widow like me. For school fees, food and everything the children look up to me,” Chanyaruka said. “So, it’s difficult for a woman to do it alone. This [WFP] program has helped me during these lockdown periods. It also helped my children as they somewhat get occupied with watering the mushrooms. They now have something to do even in their future.”Claire Nevill, spokeswoman of the World Food Program in Zimbabwe, says the U.N. agency is helping more than half a million urbanites to become food secure in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdowns and Zimbabwe’s moribund economy. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)Claire Nevill, the spokeswoman of the WFP in Zimbabwe, says Chanyaruka is one of more than half a million urbanites the U.N. agency is trying to help be food secure in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdowns and Zimbabwe’s moribund economy.
Others, Nevill says, receive cash handouts of $12 each.
“This cash assistance has proved to be a lifeline for thousands of Zimbabweans right now and has allowed WFP to remain agile to the changing context in Zimbabwe. The outbreak of the COVID-19 has exacerbated Zimbabwe’s economic instability and has had a devastating effect on urban residents, many of whom were living hand to mouth working multiple jobs in the urban sector,” she said.
Still, Nevill added the WFP is facing a funding gap of around $45 million.
She said with more funding, the WFP can reach millions of Zimbabweans affected by the pandemic and the lagging economy.
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Japan’s Prime Minister Extends Tokyo Region COVID-19 Emergency
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga confirmed Friday the government is extending a COVID-19 state of emergency in the Tokyo region and surrounding areas for another two weeks in hopes of relieving the strain on hospitals. Speaking to reporters following a meeting of the government’s COVID-19 task force, Suga said the emergency will be extended to March 21 for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures. The state of emergency had been scheduled to end Sunday. FILE – Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Jan. 13, 2021.Suga said medical systems in the region were still burdened with COVID-19 patients and more hospital beds are needed. He said the extension will also allow the government to better assess the situation. Suga had declared a month-long emergency on January 7 for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba that was later extended through March 7. An emergency that applied to other urban prefectures was lifted last week, underscoring the government’s eagerness to allow businesses to return to normal as soon as possible. The non-binding state of emergency asks that restaurants, bars and other businesses voluntarily close at 8 p.m. Japan has never had a mandatory lockdown but has managed to keep infections relatively low with social distancing and other voluntary measures. Tokyo on Friday reported 301 new cases, up from 278 the day before, raising its total to 112,925.Nationwide, Japan reported more than 436,000 cases and about 8,000 deaths as of Thursday.
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AP-NORC Poll: Americans Largely Back Biden’s Virus Response
Joe Biden is enjoying an early presidential honeymoon, with 60% of Americans approving of his job performance thus far and even more backing his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
At a moment of deep political polarization in America, support for Biden’s pandemic response extends across party lines. Overall, 70% of Americans back the Democratic president’s handling of the virus response, including 44% of Republicans.
Still, Biden faces more skepticism from Americans on the economy, which has been battered by the pandemic. Fifty-five percent of Americans approve of Biden’s approach to the economy thus far, and 63% say the U.S. economy is in poor shape, the AP-NORC survey shows. Republicans are also less likely to back Biden on the economy than they are on the pandemic, with just 17% supporting his fiscal stewardship.
Less than two months into his presidency, Biden has made the pandemic his central focus, urging Americans to follow stringent social distancing and mask guidelines and vowing to speed up distribution of critical vaccines. He’s also argued that until the spread of the virus is under control, the economy won’t fully recover.
To address financial shortfalls in the meantime, he’s asking Congress to pass a $1.9 trillion pandemic rescue plan that would provide direct payments to millions of Americans and surge funds into state and local governments.
The measure has already passed the House. But Biden is having to make compromises to keep all Democratic senators in support of the measure, including agreeing this week to narrow eligibility for $1,400 stimulus checks. In a concession to moderate Democratic senators, Biden agreed that individuals making more than $80,000 annually and couples making more than $160,000 won’t receive any benefits. Biden’s original proposal extended the stimulus funds to Americans with higher annual wages.
The administration estimates that 158.5 million households will still receive checks under the Senate compromise.
The prospect of a pandemic relief bill is welcome news to John Villegas, 58, an Illinois Democrat who supports Biden’s handling of both the virus response and the economy.
“With the closure of so many businesses, there are a lot of people suffering,” said Villegas, who called Biden’s approach a “180-degree shift” from his predecessor, Donald Trump.
Trump argued that the U.S. economy couldn’t afford the hit that came from enacting restrictions on business and travel. The worst fears of economists were averted as Republican-led states followed Trump’s lead and resisted restrictions, but COVID-19 cases skyrocketed. More than 520,000 people have died in the United States from the virus over the past year.
Despite their differing approaches to managing the economy during the pandemic, Biden’s approval ratings on the economy are similar to Trump’s, whose handling of the economy since the virus took hold was consistently backed by about half of Americans. The key difference: That level of support made the economy Trump’s strongest issue, while it’s a relative weakness for Biden compared with Americans’ views of his handling of the pandemic and other issues.
In a reflection of the partisanship that continues to rage in the U.S., many Americans’ views of the economy have flipped since the new president was inaugurated. In December, 67% of Republicans and just 15% of Democrats described the economy as good. Now, 35% of Republicans and 41% of Democrats describe the economy positively. There’s been little change in overall growth or unemployment over that time.
Biden’s handling of the pandemic may well determine the course of his presidency and the political capital he has to pursue significant legislation on other matters. Democrats are working urgently to tee up bills addressing infrastructure investment, policing reforms and voting rights.
Biden has also vowed to tackle climate change and build on the sprawling health insurance measure signed into law when he served as Barack Obama’s vice president.
His promises of action have garnered him solid approval ratings on some of those fronts. For example, about 6 in 10 Americans say they approve of Biden’s handling of health care and race relations.
Overall, 48% of Americans say the country is headed in the right direction, compared with 37% who said that in December. The poll also shows that 43% of Americans expect things in the country overall to get better in the next year, while 34% think things will get worse and 23% think they will remain about the same.
Biden himself has been purposefully cautious in predicting when life in the U.S. will return to a pre-pandemic normal. Even as he promises that the U.S. will have enough vaccine supply for all Americans by the end of May, he’s said it could be the end of the year or early 2022 before Americans can stop wearing masks or fully return to normal activities.
His team’s goal in setting expectations? Under promise, then over deliver.
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Pope Francis Lands in Baghdad, Marking First-ever Papal Visit to Iraq
Pope Francis begins a long-desired trip to Iraq Friday, the first to the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham by any head of the Catholic Church. It is the first trip by Pope Francis to a foreign country since the pandemic, and everyone on the papal plane has been vaccinated against COVID-19. It will be a challenge all the same, though, as cases in the country have surged and there are fears that those hoping to see the pope will forget the social distancing rules. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi welcomes Pope Francis as he arrives at Baghdad International Airport to start his historic tour in Baghdad, Iraq, March 5, 2021.The Vatican’s ambassador to Iraq, Archbishop Mitja Leskovar, recently tested positive for COVID and is currently self-isolating, but the pope has insisted on going ahead with the visit.In a video message to the Iraqi people, Francis told them how he longed to meet them, see their faces and visit a land that is ancient and an extraordinary cradle of civilization.The pope said he was coming to Iraq as a “penitent pilgrim” to implore forgiveness and reconciliation after years of war and terrorism.My dear Christian brothers and sisters from Pope Francis arrives at Baghdad International Airport where a welcoming ceremony is held to start his historic tour in Baghdad, Iraq, March 5, 2021.Security is also a concern during the papal visit, as attacks have increased in recent weeks on civilian and military targets. The pope is expected to travel in an armored vehicle and not his usual popemobile. Vatican officials have said they are satisfied that Iraqi authorities will be able to provide the required protection for the papal visit. Francis is planning to visit several Iraqi cities during his visit, including Mosul, Erbil and Qaraqosh where he will meet people rebuilding their communities and churches. He will also visit Ur, the birthplace of the prophet Abraham. One of the highlights of his trip will undoubtedly be when he travels to the holy city of Najaf to meet the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the influential 90-year-old Shia Muslim cleric. A man takes selfies as he waits for the arrival of Pope Francis, at Baghdad Airport Road, in Baghdad, Iraq March 5, 2021.
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World Semiconductor Shortage Raises Taiwan’s Bargaining Power with US
U.S. President Joe Biden’s order to secure semiconductor supply chains for high-tech hardware production offers a commercial boost to Taiwan, one of the world’s biggest providers of chips, and gives Taipei new weight in any free-trade talks, analysts say.Biden signed an executive order Feb. 24 for the United States to start overcoming a chip shortage that has hobbled the manufacturing of vehicles, consumer electronics and medical supplies. It will trigger a review process leading to policy recommendations on how to bolster supply chains.Taiwan comes into play as the home of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which spins out more chips than any other contract manufacturer in the world and has some of the most advanced production processes. Those advances generate semiconductors that run on relatively little power without sacrificing the speed of a device.Remote study and telework, two trends that exploded during the 2020 coronavirus outbreak, raised demand last year for chips that run notebook PCs, among other types of consumer hardware. World demand for chips should increase from $450 billion last year to about $600 billion in 2024, market research firm Gartner says.“This is good, and I think at this moment Taiwan finally can offer something concretely and to help the United States somehow, some way,” said Liu Yih-jiun, public affairs professor at Fo Guang University in Taiwan.Taiwan has tried off and on since 1994 to arrange a trade deal with the United States, which is its second-biggest trading partner after China. U.S.-Taiwan trade totaled $90.9 billion in 2020. Americans buy chips, computers and machinery, among other Taiwanese goods, resulting in a $29.3 billion trade surplus for the Asian manufacturing center last year.Starting in January, Taiwan began allowing shipments of American pork from pigs raised on the feed additive ractopamine, and U.S. officials lauded that step as progress in trade relations.The Biden administration has asked Taiwanese officials about pushing their chipmakers to step up semiconductor production amid a shortage of chips for automotive use, Bloomberg reported last month.American demand for semiconductors will help raise Taiwan’s position when negotiators meet again for trade talks, said John Brebeck, senior adviser at the Quantum International Corp. investment consultancy in Taipei.“Because of the [Sino-U.S.] trade war, and because of semiconductors, and because Taiwan did so well on COVID, and it’s a democracy they want to support, I think it moves forward,” Brebeck said.Trade talks will take place “in a much more balanced way” due to Taiwan’s weight in global semiconductors, Liu said.Trade deal or not, Taiwan’s chipmakers will get a surge in business because of the shortage, though they may struggle to prioritize customers, Brady Wang, an analyst in Taipei with the market intelligence firm Counterpoint Research, said.“There’s actually no risk to the companies, but you can say there’s the issue of how much they can spread out production and who they’re going to sacrifice,” Wang said.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. broke ground in 2018 on a $15 billion factory complex in Taiwan with volume production expected to reach full capacity this year. The complex will produce more than 1 million wafers per year and employ about 4,000 people. In December last year the 34-year-old firm got Taiwan government clearance to build a $12 billion factory in the U.S. state of Arizona. That plant will make up to 20,000 wafers per month.The project in Arizona and the new one in Taiwan are “well on track,” a spokesperson from the company’s headquarters said.Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. and United Microelectronics Corp. also make chips in Taiwan. A spokesperson for United Microelectronics said last month his company was doing all it can to meet demand for automotive chips.
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WHO Cancels Interim Report on China COVID Investigation
A Wall Street Journal report says World Health Organization investigators who recently visited China to determine the origins of the emergence of the COVID-19 virus will not release a promised interim report of their findings.The Journal account, published Thursday, said the WHO team decided not to release its interim account “amid mounting tensions between Beijing and Washington.” Another international group of scientists has called for the WHO to conduct a new inquiry into COVID’s origins.The scientists calling for a new probe said in an open letter Thursday that the WHO team “did not have the mandate, the independence, or the necessary accesses to carry out a full and unrestricted investigation.”The scientists also noted in their letter that the WHO investigators in China were joined by their Chinese counterparts.A report in The Guardian says hospitals in Papua New Guinea have run out of money and are “shutting their doors” because of an uptick in COVID-19 cases. The country had registered 124 new coronavirus cases in all of February but had 108 new infections by March 4.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public warning Thursday about thermal imaging devices or scanners used by many businesses to measure elevated temperature, a COVID symptom.The FDA alert said, “improper use of the systems may provide inaccurate temperature readings due to a variety of factors.” The agency also said it has sent “several Warning Letters” to companies that are “offering unapproved, uncleared, and unauthorized thermal imaging systems for sale.Auckland, New Zealand, is set to ease its seven-day lockdown on Sunday, moving from alert level three to alert level two because no new community coronavirus cases were recorded Friday. The rest of the country is scheduled to move to alert level one Sunday.Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center said early Friday there are more than 115 million global COVID cases. The U.S. remains at the top of the list with almost 29 million infections, followed by India with 11 million and Brazil with 10.7 million.
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Brazil Braces for Big Changes in its US Relations
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was among of former President Donald Trump’s most outspoken ideological allies when Trump was in office. Now, with President Joe Biden in the White House, many in Brazil are expecting changes that some dread and others welcome. For VOA, Edgar Maciel reports from Sao Paulo.
Camera: Edgar Maciel Producer: Marcus Harton
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US Blocked Myanmar Junta Attempt to Empty $1 Billion NY Fed Account, Reuters Reports
Myanmar’s military rulers attempted to move about $1 billion held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York days after seizing power on Feb. 1, prompting U.S. officials to put a freeze on the funds, according to three people familiar with the matter, including one U.S. government official. The transaction on Feb. 4 in the name of the Central Bank of Myanmar was first blocked by Fed safeguards. U.S. government officials then stalled on approving the transfer until an executive order issued by President Joe Biden gave them legal authority to block it indefinitely, the sources said.A spokesperson for the New York Fed declined to comment on specific account holders. The U.S. Treasury Department also declined to comment.The attempt, which has not been previously reported, came after Myanmar’s military installed a new central bank governor and detained reformist officials during the coup.It marked an apparent effort by Myanmar’s generals to limit exposure to international sanctions after they arrested elected officials, including de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who had won a national election in November. The army seized power alleging fraud, claims that the electoral commission has dismissed.A spokesperson for Myanmar’s military government did not answer repeated calls seeking comment. Reuters was unable to reach officials at the central bank.The United States, Canada, the European Union and Britain have all issued fresh sanctions following the coup and the army’s subsequent deadly crackdown on demonstrators. The United Nations said on Thursday that at least 54 people have been killed since the coup. More than 1,700 people had been arrested, including 29 journalists.Announcing a new executive order paving the way for sanctions on the generals and their businesses, Biden said on Feb. 10 that the United States was taking steps to prevent the generals from “improperly having access” to $1 billion in Myanmar government funds.U.S. officials did not explain the statement at the time, but an executive order issued the next day specifically names the Central Bank of Myanmar as part of Myanmar’s government. The order authorizes the seizure of assets of Myanmar’s post-coup government.Two sources told Reuters the executive order was designed to provide the New York Fed with the legal authority to hold the $1 billion of Myanmar reserves indefinitely.‘Current events’Myanmar’s reserves would be managed by part of the New York Fed known as Central Bank and International Account Services (CBIAS), where many central banks keep U.S. dollar reserves for purposes such as settling transactions.An attempt to empty the account was made on Feb. 4 but was blocked automatically by processes that had been put in place at the New York Fed before the coup, two of the sources said.One source said that was because transactions involving Myanmar require extra scrutiny as the country last year was placed on the international Financial Action Task Force’s “gray list” for money laundering concerns, in part because of the risk of proceeds from drug trafficking being washed through its banks.CBIAS’ compliance manual, made public in 2016, says New York Fed guidelines include provisions for responding to developments in account-holding nations.“When appropriate,” it says, the bank’s legal department “will be in communication with the U.S. Department of State in order to clarify current events and any changes that may affect the central bank and corresponding control of the FRBNY account.”The State Department declined to comment on this story.Myanmar’s generals appeared to be firmly in control of the Central Bank of Myanmar at the time of the attempted withdrawal.When the military took charge in Myanmar on Feb. 1, it installed a new central bank governor and detained key economic officials, including Bo Bo Nge, the reformist deputy governor and Suu Kyi ally, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. As of Thursday, he remains under detention, according to the association.
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Journalists Become Targets in Myanmar Violence
As security forces in Myanmar respond with greater force against protesters, journalists are being targeted or caught in the crossfire. The United Nations and the United States this week condemned the violent force used against citizens protesting a coup on February 1, with the U.N. estimating that the military and police have killed over 50 people. In recent days, security forces have targeted the media. In some cases, they have used slingshots while arresting reporters, said Ye Naing Moe, a veteran journalist and founder of the Yangon Journalism School.”These are police tactics to create fear among journalists deliberately,” he told VOA Burmese. “On the other hand, young journalists are determined and courageous to continue doing their job. I am worried for them as police are targeting media obviously.” Police have also fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters.Photojournalist Htet Aung Khant, who was covering clashes in the city of Mandalay for VOA’s Burmese Service, said he had been taking photographs of police and protesters for about 10 minutes on Wednesday when he felt a sensation in his side and realized he had been hit by a rubber bullet. VOA Burmese journalist Htet Aung Khant shows the wound marks left by rubber bullets when he was hit while documenting protests in Mandalay, a city in Myanmar, March 3, 2021. (Htet Aung Khant/VOA Burmese)”I stepped back and asked people around me to check whether they see any blood,” he said. Medics helped clean his wounds, and he said he took a brief break before sending his images to VOA’s offices in Washington and attempting to return to the protests. “Later, I tried to go out and shoot video of the protest. However, my left arm hardly moves, and it was painful,” Htet Aung Khant said. The experience did not deter him. “I am not afraid of doing my job,” he said. ”Today, I am covering the funeral of a girl whom police shot and killed on the spot during crackdown in Mandalay.” Protests have taken place in Mandalay and other cities and towns since Myanmar’s military overthrew the civilian government and detained key opposition figures and members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Ye Naing Moe said he is concerned for reporters covering protests in smaller towns where they have fewer resources and can be easily traced. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which is documenting media arrests during the unrest, also expressed concern about safety in Myanmar. “Journalists reporting on the anti-coup protests are also facing serious physical safety risks due to use of force by authorities,” said Aliya Iftikhar, CPJ’s senior Asia researcher. Maria Salazar Ferro, CPJ’s head of emergencies, told VOA the “single most important thing that journalists and newsrooms in any high-risk environment can do is to know the risk they face and think about how to mitigate that risk.” The U.S. State Department on Wednesday condemned the violence against civilians. Protesters attend to a person wounded during demonstrations in Mandalay, a city in Myanmar, March 3, 2021. (Htet Aung Khant/VOA Burmese)State Department spokesman Ned Price said he is “appalled and revulsed” by images of a crackdown on protesters, in which Myanmar security forces killed at least 38 people on Wednesday. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on top military leaders in Myanmar.Price said the U.S. is concerned by the arrests of journalists, including Thein Zaw from The Associated Press, who is charged along with five other reporters of violating Myanmar’s public order laws. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 3 MB480p | 4 MB540p | 5 MB720p | 13 MBOriginal | 17 MB Embed” />Copy Download Audio”We call on the military to immediately release these individuals and to cease intimidation and harassment of the media and others unjustly detained merely for doing their jobs,” Price said. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said the military is ramping up arrests, with more than 1,700 arbitrarily detained in recent days, including at least 29 journalists. “Myanmar’s military must stop murdering and jailing protesters,” Bachelet said in a statement. VOA Acting Director Yolanda López also condemned the violence. “Democracy depends on a free press and free flow of information,” she said. “These incidents underscore, once again, threats journalists face daily around the world. VOA condemns these and other attacks that put the lives of our very brave journalists at risk and undermine a free press.” In addition to the risk of injury or arrest, CPJ’s Iftikhar said Myanmar’s citizens are being affected by sporadic shutdowns of the internet. Access to websites and social media is “crucial for citizens to have access to information and for reporters to be able to do their jobs,” she said. Jessica Blatt, Jessica Jerreat and Khin Soe Win from VOA’s Burmese Service contributed to this report. Some information is from Reuters.
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UN, US Call for An End to Fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region
Both the United States and the United Nations are calling for an immediate end to the fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and for access to independent investigators, amid reports of ongoing atrocities against civilians. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
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North Dakota House Expels Lawmaker Accused of Misconduct
The North Dakota House on Thursday voted to expel a lawmaker accused of threatening and sexually harassing women at the Capitol, the first time in state history a lawmaker has been expelled.Members voted 69-25 to expel Rep. Luke Simons, a Republican from Dickinson, for a pattern of behavior they said stretched back to soon after he took office in 2017. The expulsion came with strong support from Simons’ own party, which holds a supermajority in the chamber.Majority Leader Chet Pollert, who co-sponsored the resolution to expel, said Simons had been given “multiple chances to avoid being in this situation.””There is only one way to make this behavior stop and that is to expel Rep. Simons from this House,” Pollert said.Simons, who denied wrongdoing, was defiant before the vote. He blamed accusers for “twisting my words,” said any other lawmaker could be in his position and complained that he was not being afforded due process.”I could make any accusation against any of you,” Simons said ahead of the vote. “Under this circumstance we are under, you’re guilty.”Surrounded by his family and friends following the vote, Simons said he believed he would have had “a lot more support” from his fellow lawmakers.Lynn Boughey, his attorney, said he may argue the case in court but would leave that up to Simons “after he talks with his family.”AccusationsSimons is accused of a pattern of sexually aggressive, lewd and threatening behavior. Republican Rep. Emily O’Brien said his harassment was so pervasive that she switched desks to get away from him.”Prior to coming forward, I struggled with whether this was something I wanted to relive,” she told fellow House members. “It is hard to rehash the unwarranted, disturbing and uncomfortable experiences. I think, ‘Shame on you, Emily O’Brien, for not coming forward and being a voice for others.'”A 14-page document compiled by the nonpartisan Legislative Council includes allegations that Simons made advances toward female staffers and interns, commented on their appearances and tried to give one staffer an unsolicited shoulder massage. One staffer described his behavior as “really creepy.”The council this week released two additional documents alleging inappropriate and bizarre behavior by Simons, a 43-year-old rancher and barber who is married and has five children. One woman said Simons referred to her as “that pretty one,” and insulted her husband, “saying that usually women who are classy dressers like myself are married to shmucks like my husband.”The woman, whose name was redacted in documents, also alleged that Simons once placed his lunch box in her office before leaving to use the restroom and said, “Bet you hope there’s not a bomb in there, huh?”Republican Representative Shannon Roers Jones, an attorney, said on the floor Thursday that the move to remove Simons is about inappropriate behavior, not about targeting a political ideology, as Simons has alleged. Simons is a member of the loosely organized Bastiat Caucus, a far-right group that supports limited government and gun rights. Much of Simons’ proposed legislation over the years reflected that.”We have moved women away from him, we have limited his ability to work with them, but in doing that we are also punishing the women,” Roers Jones said. “When we move women or restrict who they work with, we are limiting a woman’s ability to do her jobs, and thereby limiting her ability to advance because of the actions of one member.”Democratic House Minority Leader Josh Boschee of Fargo, who co-sponsored the resolution, looked at Simons and said, “You have hurt people. You have hurt the integrity of the legislative assembly.”Expulsion rulesThe North Dakota Constitution says either chamber can expel a member with two-thirds approval. That meant at least 63 members had to approve the resolution to expel Simons. Republicans hold an 80-14 advantage in the chamber.Opponents of the resolution said the process was flawed and that Simons was not afforded due process. Pollert said the process to expel Simons went “above and beyond what is legally required.”GOP Representative Rick Becker, who heads the Bastiat Caucus, argued that Simons’ behavior did not warrant expulsion and sought to amend the resolution to censure him instead. That failed, 66-28.
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US States Relax Restrictions, Health Officials Warn Against It
Some states in the U.S. are loosening or lifting COVID-19 restrictions even as health officials and President Joe Biden warn against it. As VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports, the measures by these states are getting mixed reaction.
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Official: China Parliament Seeks to Shake Up Hong Kong Politics, Put ‘Patriots’ in Charge
A senior Chinese official on Thursday confirmed Beijing’s intention to overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure “patriots” are in charge, potentially the biggest blow to the city’s democracy since its handover from British rule in 1997. Zhang Yesui, a spokesman for the National People’s Congress, said that it had the constitutional power to “improve” Hong Kong’s system and that a draft decision would be discussed during the annual parliamentary session, which opens Friday. Hong Kong’s Cable TV and Now TV, citing unnamed sources, said after Zhang spoke that the changes would include increasing the size of an election committee to select Hong Kong’s leader from 1,200 to 1,500, and the city’s legislature from 70 to 90 seats. National People’s Congress spokesman Zhang Yesui is seen on screens during a news conference held via video link ahead of the annual parliament meeting in Beijing, China, March 4, 2021.Elections for Hong Kong’s legislature will likely be deferred to September 2022, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources. Blow to democracy campAny reforms would deal the most severe blow yet to the democracy camp, just as 47 members, charged with subversion under a new national security law, were remanded in custody and mostly denied bail. The moves are widely expected to deprive Hong Kong’s democratic camp of any hope of winning a majority in the city’s Legislative Council. Democrats have traditionally fared better than pro-Beijing groups in direct elections for “geographic” seats in the chamber, but these popularly elected seats look set to be diluted in the expanded body. Beijing promised universal suffrage as an ultimate goal for Hong Kong in its mini-constitution, the Basic Law. But with no moves toward full democracy, Hong Kong was rocked by months of sometimes violent anti-China protests in 2019, infuriating the Hong Kong government and Communist Party rulers in Beijing. Hong Kong diplomats, businesspeople and political activists are watching developments closely, some fearing Beijing is keen to further thwart a democratic opposition already threatened by the parliament’s imposition of the sweeping national security law cracking down on dissent last June. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening session of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, March 5, 2021.Recent developments showed the electoral system “needs to be improved to keep up with the times” and to fully implement the principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong,” NPC spokesman Zhang said. The parliament had “supreme state power,” he added, under the constitution in deciding on changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system. ‘Turning the clock back’Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule with guarantees its widespread freedoms, extensive autonomy and capitalist way of life would continue under the “one country, two systems” model. Political scientist Sonny Lo told Reuters the NPC’s planned moves would lead to “reverse democratization.” “The democrats will be condemned to be a permanent minority under this system,” he said. “It will be a bitter lesson for them. … It is turning the clock back and it will wipe out all the democratic progress” of the last years of colonial rule and the first two decades of Hong Kong under Chinese rule. Some observers are bracing for moves to reduce democratic representation in the election committee and diminish their ability to nominate candidates to run for the highest office. The grouping must convene before Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s five-year term ends in July 2022. A broader use of patriotic oaths is also expected to enforce loyalty — action that has already been used to disqualify some democratic politicians from the legislature. While critics say the security law has been used to crush dissent and curb freedoms, Beijing and Hong Kong officials say it was vital to end the 2019 violence — political action they say was partly manipulated by foreign governments. A Hong Kong government spokesman backed the prospect of NPC action, saying that only through “patriots governing Hong Kong” could the Central Government’s overall jurisdiction be implemented, securing the stability of the city. More than 10,000 people were arrested after the 2019 unrest that saw protesters target China’s liaison office in the city, state banks and local government buildings and setting fires and daubing graffiti over businesses seen as pro-China.
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US, Britain Suspend Tariffs in Bid to Settle Aircraft Row
The United States on Thursday agreed to a four-month suspension of retaliatory tariffs imposed on British goods such as Scotch whisky over a long-running aircraft subsidy row, with both sides pledging to use the time to resolve the dispute. The U.S. administration under former President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Scotch whisky and other European Union food, wine and spirits, which the industry says have put its future at risk. The multibillion-dollar tit-for-tat tariff battle involving the United States, the European Union and Britain relates to a long-running row over state subsidies for plane manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. Britain is party to the dispute as a former member of the EU and maker of key Airbus components. “The United Kingdom and the United States are undertaking a four-month tariff suspension to ease the burden on industry and take a bold, joint step towards resolving the longest running disputes at the World Trade Organization,” a joint statement said. “This will allow time to focus on negotiating a balanced settlement to the disputes and begin seriously addressing the challenges posed by new entrants to the civil aviation market from nonmarket economies, such as China.” FILE – The vertical tail wing of an Airbus A350 is seen on the final assembly line in Toulouse, southwestern France, Oct. 23,2012.White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the decision would give both sides time to work out a solution. “It was meant to deescalate the issue and create space for a negotiated settlement to the Airbus and Boeing disputes,” she told a White House briefing. The tariff truce is separate from broader U.S.-Britain talks on a post-Brexit trade agreement but sends a positive signal about those discussions. Psaki declined to say if the U.S.-Britain tariff deal foreshadowed a similar truce with Brussels. Britain and the United States were hoping to reach a trade deal before the expiration of fast-track trade promotion authority granted to the U.S. federal government by Congress in July. To hit that deadline, U.S. trade officials would have to notify Congress about a likely trade deal sometime in April. Reaction to suspensionAirbus spokesman Clay McConnell welcomed the suspension of what he called “lose-lose tariffs” and said the company supports all efforts to reach an agreement. U.S. company Boeing said: “A negotiated settlement will allow the industry to move forward with a genuinely global level playing field for aviation.” Ivan Menezes, chief executive of Diageo, the maker of Johnnie Walker and Talisker whiskies, said a permanent solution would help safeguard thousands of jobs across Scotland and the rest of Britain. The agreement to lift tariffs is temporary and applies only to British goods. U.S. tariffs will continue to apply to EU goods, according to a U.S. administration official. U.S. President Joe Biden’s top trade nominee, Katherine Tai, is headed to confirmation by the full Senate next week. She told the Senate Finance Committee last month that Washington had completed four rounds of negotiations with Britain since announcing the start of talks. She said she would make it a priority to resolve the aircraft subsidy dispute. Tai, asked if she would prioritize an agreement with Britain, told the committee in written responses to questions released this week that Britain was “an important trading partner and ally.” The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States welcomed Thursday’s decision but said it was disappointed that British tariffs on U.S. whiskey relating to a separate dispute over steel were still being applied.
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WHO Reports Rise of New COVID-19 Cases in Europe
The World Health Organization’s Europe director reported Thursday that new COVID-19 cases rose 9% to just over a million in the region last week.
Hans Kluge said it was the first increase in new infections after six weeks of decline.
At a virtual news briefing from his headquarters in Copenhagen, Kluge told reporters that more than half the region saw increases in new cases.
Kluge said most of the resurgence was seen in central and eastern Europe, although new cases were also on the rise in several western European countries where rates were already high.
“Over a year into the pandemic, our health systems should not be in this situation. We need to get back to the basics,” he said.
He said the high rates of transmission and rapid spread of variants require increased vigilance, improved testing and isolation of cases, tracing and quarantining contacts, and care.
Kluge said the so-called British variant has been reported in 43 of 53 countries in the region; the South African variant in 26 countries; and the variant originally identified in Brazil and Japan in 15 countries.
The WHO Europe chief urged nations to accelerate the rollout of vaccines, saying they are already saving lives, with hospitalizations and deaths in most at-risk groups declining significantly.
Kluge said 45 countries have started vaccinations in the European region.
He also called on leaders to reengage with their communities to counter “pandemic fatigue” to prevent people from putting aside preventative measures.
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New Zealanders Urged to Evacuate After Earthquakes Trigger Tsunami Warnings
Thousands of New Zealanders on the east coast of the country’s North Island evacuated to higher ground Friday after a third offshore earthquake in less than eight hours triggered tsunami sirens and warnings.Workers, students and residents in areas like Northland and Bay of Plenty were assisted by civil defense officials as authorities said tsunami waves could reach three meters (10 feet) above tide levels.There were no reports of damage or casualties from the quakes.The latest quake had a magnitude of 8.1 and struck the Kermadec Islands, northeast of New Zealand’s North Island. This came shortly after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in the same region. Earlier, a large 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck about 900 kilometers (540 miles) away on the east of the North Island.New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the first waves would arrive on New Zealand’s north shores about 9:45 a.m. It said areas under threat were from the Bay of Islands to Whangarei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay including Whakatane and Opotiki, and the Great Barrier Island.”We want everyone to take this threat seriously. Move to high ground,” Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai told state broadcaster TVNZ.Warnings were also issued for other Pacific islands like Tonga, American Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Hawaii and others.3-meter wavesThe Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii warned that 3-meter waves could hit Vanuatu and the French territory of New Caledonia, with smaller ones likely to reach Japan, Russia and Mexico.”Tsunami waves have been observed,” the PTWC said of the small waves measured near Tonga’s capital.Australia issued a marine tsunami threat for Norfolk Island, a tiny Australian territory with about 1,750 residents, but said there was no threat to the mainland.Norfolk Island residents in areas threatened by inundation were advised to go to higher ground or inland, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Residents were also told to get out of the water and move away from the water’s edge at beaches, marinas, coastal estuaries and rock platforms.Chile said it could experience a minor tsunami.The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck off the east of New Zealand’s North Island was felt by more than 60,000 people across the country, with many describing the shaking as severe. Aftershocks were still being recorded in the area.”People near the coast in the following areas must move immediately to the nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible. DO NOT STAY AT HOME,” NEMA said on Twitter.”The earthquake may not have been felt in some of these areas, but evacuation should be immediate as a damaging tsunami is possible,” it added.
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Women’s Representation in South Sudan State Governments Misses Mandated 35%
Women’s and human rights activists in South Sudan say parties to the 2018 peace deal are violating a provision that calls for 35% of government positions at all levels to be allocated to women.President Salva Kiir’s decree reconstituting Western Equatoria state’s government was read on state television on February 25. Out of 17 ministers appointed to the state Cabinet, only four are women. Out of 10 county commissioners, only two are women. All five state advisers are men. Although seven women were appointed commissioners on independent commissions, all five chairpersons of the commissions are men.South Sudanese President Salva Kiir attends a press conference on Feb. 15, 2020 in Juba.Tambura County women’s activist Clementina Anite said that while she is pleased the parties are finally forming a state government, she is concerned about women’s representation.“The concern is we are talking about our representation of our 35% of women in all entities because women are educated in South Sudan and all over public places like the market, you find almost 100% of them trying to make a living. The more we are represented, women can do a lot,” Anite told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus.While most seem to agree women should be equitably represented in government, the appointing authorities often do not put that belief into practice, said Anite.Jackline Nasiwa, founder of the Center for Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice in South Sudan, said the 35% participation of women provided for in the peace deal was “far from being met.”Out of the six reconstituted state governments, Western Equatoria state has the highest number of women appointed to high-ranking positions.“The few women who have been appointed so far make up less than 20% at the national and state levels. In some states including Warrap, Jonglei, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal and Unity state, women representation is 11% to 17% while at the county level, women make up only 2%,” Nasiwa told South Sudan in Focus.Women walk to the market in Udier town, in South Sudan on March 7, 2019.Information minister and government spokesperson Michael Makuei denied Kiir’s office was part of the candidate selection process, saying it was the responsibility of the state governors and the chairpersons in the various parties to the peace deal.”We had some allocation of portfolios. As to who would occupy them, [that] was not our problem. This was the office of the governor’s and the chairperson of the parties, not the office of the president,” Makuei told South Sudan in Focus.Mary Nawai, who represents Ibba County at the National Legislative Assembly, said she is disappointed to see women so poorly represented in the new Western Equatoria state government, even though the law requires that women be represented as part of affirmative action.Nawai argues South Sudanese women are development-minded, noting most still manage to put food on the table despite the country’s economic crisis. She said women would perform as well as men or even better if appointed to government positions.“I am urging the state government to at least appoint a woman to the chair of the speaker so that we women can feel we are capable of holding top positions,” she said.Nabeel Biajo contributed to this report.
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Hong Kong Court Orders 47 Pro-Democracy Activists Held
After a four-day hearing, a Hong Kong court ruled Thursday that 47 pro-democracy advocates accused of subversion under a national security law must remain in custody.The West Kowloon Magistrates Court denied bail to 31 of the activists, while another identified as law professor Benny Tai withdrew his bail petition because he was being held in another case.According to local reports, the presiding magistrate, Victor So Wa-tak, ruled there was no evidence to sufficiently prove the defendants would not endanger national security, and therefore denied their bail.The remaining 15 people were initially granted bail, prompting celebratory cheers from crowds gathered outside. A short time later, the 15 were remanded to custody after justice officials appealed the bail decision. Hong Kong’s High Court was expected to review the bail decision.A supporter of pro-democracy activists cries after 15 of 47 activists charged with subversion are granted bail at West Kowloon Magistrates Court in Hong Kong, March 4, 2021. Later, the 15 were remanded to custody after justice officials appealed.Defendants at the West Kowloon court reportedly shouted, “Political prisoners are not guilty; Hong Kongers won’t be defeated!” before they were led away. The 47 were formally charged with conspiracy to subvert state power.As the court proceedings continued into the evening, some of the supporters who had gathered outside held banners and chanted banned slogans. Police responded by raising a purple flag to indicate to the crowds they were violating the security law.The 47 defendants were part of a group of 55 pro-democracy figures who were arrested in January during pre-dawn raids in connection with Hong Kong’s unofficial “primary” elections held last July. The vote allowed residents to pick opposition candidates ahead of Legislative Council elections that were to have been held last year but were postponed. The remaining eight people have not yet been charged.Former legislators in custodyThose who were initially granted bail before it was revoked included former legislators Jeremy Tam, Helena Wong and Kwok-Ka-ki.Former legislator Claudia Mo, former journalist Gwyneth Ho and activist Owen Chow were also among those remanded to custody.Lawyer Hang Tung Chow, who represents Owen Chow, told VOA the court provided no reason as to why her client was refused bail. She said they would appeal the ruling.Of the 32 people denied bail outright, all but seven will return to court one week from Friday for a bail review. All of the defendants will return to court on May 31 for a second hearing.Self-exiled pro-democracy activist Baggio Leung, now in Washington, criticized this week’s hearing in an interview with VOA.He said, “To put all people in jail before trial, detained for five days since the bail hearing, shuttled between detention centers and the court and had little opportunity to sleep. … It is the so-called ‘rule of law’ of Hong Kong in 2021. This is a joke to the world.”’Misery’Former pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui, now in self-exile in Britain, told VOA he was “heartbroken” at the decision.Hui fled Hong Kong amid criminal charges against him. Of the current situation in Hong Kong, he said, “It would have been me suffering. No word to describe the misery.”Under the “one country, two systems” agreement signed by Britain and China in 1997, when Britain returned the city to Chinese rule, Beijing promised that Hong Kong would retain a “high degree of autonomy” until 2047.After pro-democracy protests in 2019, Beijing implemented the national security law that took effect in Hong Kong on June 30, 2020. The legislation prohibits secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, and its details can be widely interpreted. Street protests have stopped, slogans are banned and several high-profile activists are jailed or have fled the city.Political commentator Joseph Cheng said the lengthy hearing was set up to ensure there was no conflict in the court ruling.“Most senior barristers believe that the present arrangements are bad. The judiciary could have used three judges in three separate trials. But the authorities don’t want to see discrepancies among the judges if this is the case,” Cheng told VOA.Opposition effectively barredCheng added the current charge for the 47 activists was “loosely defined” to underscore that no effective opposition can exist under the security law.“Any serious challenges of the government and the Chinese authorities will be treated as subversion,” Cheng told VOA.Ma Ngok, a Hong Kong political scientist and professor, told VOA he expected some of the 47 charged would be granted bail based on the length of the hearings. But he acknowledged the widely interpreted perception of subversion was an issue for opposition figures.“It’s difficult for democrats because they don’t know what will cross the line,” he said.Ma acknowledged there were added concerns about the status of the democratic opposition party, as its leaders are not able to participate in future elections.The national security legislation limits pro-democracy opposition camps because of the harsh punishments for sensitive campaigns such as independence or human rights. And since November, there has been no legal pro-democracy opposition in the Hong Kong Legislative Council, as all 19 pro-democracy legislators left their seats after four lawmakers had been disqualified.”They have to find new candidates because the candidates for the 2020 election will already be banned, because all of them are arrested. But what kind of position and platform are these candidates going to put forward?” Ma said.
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US Capitol Police Want National Guard Troops to Extend Stay at Capitol
The U.S. Capitol Police, worried about threats of another attack on the Capitol, are asking the Defense Department to leave about 5,000 members of the National Guard stationed at the Capitol for another 60 days to provide security through mid-May.Defense officials told VOA the request is being considered. The troops had been slated to leave the Capitol grounds March 12.The request to keep the troops in place came as authorities said they were taking seriously intelligence about a possible plot by a militia group to breach the Capitol on Thursday although all was quiet at mid-day.A US Capitol police K-9 unit officer check a bus waiting to enter the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2021.Some right-wing conspiracy theorists expressed the belief that somehow former President Donald Trump would be reinaugurated to the presidency on March 4, the date that U.S. presidential inaugurations were held on until 1933 when the quadrennial ceremonies were switched to January 20. But Trump left Washington six weeks ago when his White House term ended, and Democrat Joe Biden was sworn in as the country’s 46th president.Security has been especially tight around the Capitol since January 6, when hundreds of Trump supporters, some of them with right-wing extremist views, stormed past authorities, ransacked offices and scuffled with police as lawmakers were in the early stages of certifying that Biden defeated Trump in last November’s national election. Five people were left dead in the mayhem, including a Capitol Police officer.“We have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers,” the Capitol Police said in a statement. “Our Department is working with our local, state, and federal partners to stop any threats to the Capitol.”Security Tightened Amid ‘Possible’ Militia Plot to Breach US Capitol New intelligence comes two months after pro-Trump mob attacked seat of US governmentAt her weekly news conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the National Guard troops should remain at the Capitol for “as long as they are needed,” but said she would leave decisions about troop deployments up to security officials at the Capitol.Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin of Michigan said some members of Congress have been concerned about ongoing security at the Capitol, the dome-shaped building often pictured around the world as the symbol of U.S. democracy.”We want to understand what the plan is,” she told the Associated Press. “None of us like looking at the fencing, the gates, the uniformed presence around the Capitol. We can’t depend on the National Guard for our security.”She said lawmakers “don’t feel totally secure” in the Capitol. U.S. Capitol Police officials say that the razor-wire topped fencing around the Capitol should remain in place for several more months.Earlier this week, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned local law enforcement officials in a joint intelligence bulletin that a group of militia extremists had discussed encouraging people to travel to Washington and try to take control of the Capitol.The threats prompted the House of Representatives to cancel its Thursday session, although the Senate was scheduled to meet.Lawmakers have held several hearings about what was known before the January 6 attack and how local and federal agencies responded. Once the rioters breached the Capitol, authorities were slow to respond as the insurgents posted pictures of themselves inside the building on social media.The Justice Department has charged more than 300 people with taking part in the siege, with the investigation continuing. Authorities say they have pinpointed a man in a video of the mayhem spraying bear repellant at the police officer who was killed, but that they have yet to identify him.Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.
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