China is taking a page out of the Kremlin’s playbook and is seeking to highlight America’s faults and weaponize the culture wars and identity politics currently buffeting the West, according to disinformation analysts.Much like the Kremlin and state-owned Russian media, Chinese propagandists are focusing on the problems of racial injustice and income inequality in the U.S. and Western Europe — a move to distract attention from Beijing’s own rights abuses, including the internment of more than a million ethnic Muslim Uyghurs, analysts say. “Civil unrest in the United States following police violence against African Americans has been used to counter criticism of police abuse against [pro-democracy] protesters in Hong Kong,” according to a recent study by the Atlantic Council, a U.S.-based think tank. FILE – Protesters march near the skyline of Hong Kong, July 7, 2019. China’s central government has dismissed Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters as clowns and criminals while bemoaning growing violence surrounding the monthslong demonstrations.”China’s disinformation efforts are becoming more sophisticated,” added Dexter Roberts, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Asia Security Initiative and author of the report, “China’s Disinformation Strategy.”Sarah Cook, research director for China and Hong Kong at Freedom House, a New York-based institute that conducts research on democracy and human rights, has also noted in a column in the think tank’s latest “China Media Bulletin” that Beijing’s disinformation tactics are maturing and becoming more sophisticated. She said recent studies indicate collectively that “significant human and financial resources are being devoted to the disinformation effort, the overall sophistication and impact have increased, and linkages between official accounts and fake accounts are more evident, rendering plausible deniability by the Chinese government more difficult.”She added, “When China-linked networks of social media bots and trolls appeared on the global disinformation scene in 2019, most analysts concluded their impact and reach were fairly limited, particularly in terms of engagement by real users and relative to more sophisticated actors in this realm, like the Russian regime. As many China watchers anticipated, that assessment now seems to be changing.”FILE – A resident wearing a mask against coronavirus walks past government propaganda poster featuring Tiananmen Gate in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province, Apr. 16, 2020.Chinese messaging on social media sites reflects Beijing’s growing focus on racial politics in the U.S. Last month, Beijing published a report about human rights violations and the treatment of racial minorities in the United States, arguing that “racism exists in a comprehensive, systematic and continuous manner.” Ethnic minorities in the U.S. have been “devastated by racial discrimination,” the Chinese communist government said. The report, issued by China’s State Council Information Office, said the coronavirus epidemic in America had spun out of control, worsening inter-ethnic conflicts and social divisions, adding, “It further added to the human rights violations in the country.”For years, the Chinese government deflected most allegations of human rights abuses by saying outside powers, as well as the Western media, should stop meddling in China’s “internal affairs.” Now, analysts say, Beijing’s strategy is more confrontational and seeks to turn the tables on the West, copying the tactics of the Kremlin. Just days before China’s report was issued, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan sparred in Alaska with their Chinese counterparts at the first U.S.-China talks of Joe Biden’s presidency. FILE – Secretary of State Antony Blinken, accompanied by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, talks to the media after a closed-door morning session of U.S.-China talks in Anchorage, Alaska, March 19, 2021.In his opening remarks, Blinken raised Washington’s “deep concerns with actions by China, including in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyberattacks on the United States, [and] economic coercion of our allies.” The U.S. officials said China’s actions threaten the rules-based order that maintains global stability. “That’s why they’re not merely internal matters, and why we feel an obligation to raise these issues here today,” he added in his short opening remarks during a media photo opportunity. Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign affairs chief, replied with a 17-minute lecture. He complained about “U.S. interference in China’s internal affairs” but also raised rights issues in America. “China has made steady progress in human rights. And the fact is that there are many problems within the United States regarding human rights,” he said. Blinken responded, “What we’ve done throughout our history is to confront those challenges openly, publicly, transparently. Not trying to ignore them. Not trying to pretend they don’t exist. Not trying to sweep them under a rug.”The harsh Chinese rhetoric underscored Beijing’s increasingly forward-leaning strategy in the information wars. It’s in line with what has been termed China’s “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy, which started to emerge in 2020 after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi instructed his country’s envoys to be more assertive in representing Beijing’s interests overseas and vocal in defending the Chinese Communist government from criticism. The tone and temper of Chinese diplomacy has sharpened dramatically, with Chinese envoys in Western capitals exhibiting a truculence that Western officials say is a far cry from what was seen during the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, who ruled as China’s paramount leader from 1978 until retirement in 1992. Traditionally considered among the more reserved of the world’s ambassadors, China’s envoys have had a makeover, prompting an international backlash for what their critics say is an effort to spread fake news, doctored images and false equivalencies between Western failings and Chinese government policy.
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Month: April 2021
High Court Sides with Google in Copyright Fight with Oracle
The Supreme Court sided Monday with Google in an $8 billion copyright dispute with Oracle over the internet company’s creation of the Android operating system used on most smartphones worldwide.To create Android, which was released in 2007, Google wrote millions of lines of new computer code. But it also used 11,330 lines of code and an organization that’s part of Oracle’s Java platform.Google had argued that what it did is long-settled, common practice in the industry, a practice that has been good for technical progress. And it said there is no copyright protection for the purely functional, noncreative computer code it used, something that couldn’t be written another way. But Oracle said Google “committed an egregious act of plagiarism,” and it sued.The justices ruled 6-2 for Google Inc., based in Mountain View, California. Two conservative justices dissented.Justice Stephen Breyer wrote that in reviewing a lower court’s decision, the justices assumed “for argument’s sake, that the material was copyrightable.””But we hold that the copying here at issue nonetheless constituted a fair use. Hence, Google’s copying did not violate the copyright law,” he wrote.Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a dissent joined by Justice Samuel Alito that he believed “Oracle’s code at issue here is copyrightable, and Google’s use of that copyrighted code was anything but fair.”Only eight justices heard the case because it was argued in October, after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg but before Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court.The case has been going on for a decade. Microsoft, IBM and major internet and tech industry lobbying groups had weighed in, in favor of Google. The Motion Picture Association and the Recording Industry Association of America were among those supporting Oracle.The case is Google LLC v. Oracle America Inc., 18-956.
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Top EU Officials Head to Turkey for a Reset
Top European Union officials head to Turkey Tuesday to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a bid to reset relations.In a bid to ease the latest tensions, European Council president Charles Michel and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen will seek a framework for cooperation with Turkey when they meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday.The EU wants to continue a 2016 refugee agreement that turned Turkey into Europe’s gatekeeper for migrants and refugees. Analyst Sinan Ulgen of the Edam research organization in Istanbul said Ankara is ready for a deal – at a price.”The Turkish government seems to want to extend this deal provided that the EU sets up a funding mechanism that is similar to the financial package of years past. And also, the EU will give the go-ahead to the start of the negotiations for the modernization of the customs union (agreement) and the revitalization of the visa liberalization process,” said Ulgen.Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves from the video monitor as he participates in a video conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel in Brussels, March 19, 2021.Michel and Von Leyen will be conveying to Erdogan the message of last month’s EU summit: that any concessions will be tied to Turkey’s continuing talks with EU member Greece. The talks aim to resolve territorial disputes over the dividing Aegean and Mediterranean seas, which are believed to have significant energy reserves. Analyst Asla Aydintasbas said despite the Turkish-Greek talks, the situation remains volatile.”While we have had the start of Turkish Greek talks that were meant for de-escalation, it is really ripe for tensions because you still do have any solution to some of the underlying issues in the Aegean,” said Aydintasbas.But Turkey’s human rights record is not expected to be high on the agenda of Tuesday’s discussions. Last month, Ankara pulled out of a critical convention to protect women and prosecutors, opened a closure case against Turkey’s second-largest opposition party, the pro-Kurdish HDP.But Emma Sinclair Webb of the New York-based Human Rights Watch fears pragmatism is usurping principle and her group is calling on the European Union not to ignore human rights issues.”I think Ankara believes it can get away with anything at the moment, but I do think it’s time for the EU to start to speak with a much tougher language to Ankara, to answer back. The EU looks weak by constantly trying to put a positive spin on things, developments that are unconscionable,” said Webb.With Turkey hosting about four million Syrian refugees, analysts say the priority of EU leader’s Tuesday meeting with Erdogan will likely be to ensure Turkey’s ongoing role as refugee gatekeeper and avoid tensions with Greece.
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Brunei Calls for ASEAN Meeting to Discuss Myanmar Situation
Brunei, current leader of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has called for a regional leaders’ meeting to discuss the situation in Myanmar, where the government has used violence to counter protests against the February 1 military coup.In a joint statement with Malaysia, Brunei said both countries have asked their ministers and senior officials to undertake “necessary preparations for the meeting to be held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia.” The statement followed a meeting between Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Myanmar Activists Launch Radio Program to Promote Federalism Myanmar pro-democracy activists are turning to radio to reach the public, pro-democracy activists and even the military Indonesia has led efforts by members of ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member, to encourage a negotiated solution, despite a long-standing policy of not commenting on each other’s domestic problems.Public demonstrations began after the coup which overthrew the elected government of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was arrested along with President Win Myint and other government leaders. The government responded with force, leaving at least 557 dead and more than 2,750 people injured.Protesters remained defiant in the face of the violence and have found creative ways to continue their protests. Late Monday, in a gesture organized through social media, people went into the streets in various sections of the main city, Yangon, and began applauding.The gesture was designed to honor “Ethnic Armed Organizations opposing the government.” Meanwhile, media reports say the military junta over the weekend issued arrest warrants for 60 celebrities — most of whom are in hiding — accused of supporting the protests. The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper published lists that include actors, musicians and social media “influencers” charged with “spreading news to affect state stability.” They could face up to three years in prison.
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Taiwan Reports New Incursion by Chinese Jets into Defense Zone
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry on Monday reported a new incursion by China’s air force into the island’s air defense identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel.Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part its air defense zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.Late last month Taiwan reported 20 Chinese aircraft were involved in one such incursion.In the latest incident, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said four Chinese J-16 and four J-10 fighters were involved, as well as an early warning plane and anti-submarine aircraft, the latter of which flew to the south of Taiwan through the Bashi Channel that connects the Pacific to the South China Sea.Taiwan’s air force sent up a combat air patrol and warned the Chinese aircraft away, the ministry added.There was no immediate response from China’s Defense Ministry, but the flights coincided with other Chinese military activity to Taiwan’s north.Japan’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday that the Chinese aircraft carrier the Liaoning, accompanied by five escort ships, had transited the Miyako Strait on their way to the Pacific.Though China’s air force has not flown over Taiwan itself, the flights have ramped up pressure, both financial and physical, on the island’s air force to ensure its aircraft are ready to go at any moment in what security officials describe as a “war of attrition.”China views democratic Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.While Taiwan’s air force is well trained, it is dwarfed by that of China’s.
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Medics: Tribal Clashes in Sudan’s Darfur Kill 18
Tribal clashes in Sudan’s restive Darfur region have killed at least 18 people and wounded 54, a local doctors’ committee said Monday. “The committee recorded 18 fatalities and 54 wounded, who are receiving medical care at Al-Jeneina Teaching Hospital,” the West Darfur Doctors’ Committee said in a statement, citing clashes on Saturday and Sunday. “On Monday, we woke up to the sound of gunfire… clashes are still ongoing and have spread to the western suburbs of the town [Al-Jeneina],” Abdelrahman Ahmed, an eyewitness, told AFP. The committee, part of a nationwide independent body formed in 2016 representing the medical community, said an ambulance carrying wounded victims was attacked in the melee. Hospitals are still receiving victims, it added. The vast Darfur region was the scene of a bitter conflict that erupted in 2003, leaving around 300,000 people killed and 2.5 million displaced, according to the United Nations. The conflict has subsided over the years, but ethnic and tribal clashes still periodically flare in the region over land and access to water. These clashes often pit nomadic Arab pastoralists against settled farmers from non-Arab ethnic groups. More than 200 people were killed in tribal clashes in January, in some of the worst bloodshed the region had witnessed in years. Sudan is in the midst of a rocky transitional period following the toppling of long-time president Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 off the back of mass protests against his rule. The transitional government has pushed to build peace with rebel groups in Sudan’s main conflict zones, including Darfur. On December 31 last year, the U.N. and African Union ended a 13-year peacekeeping mission in Darfur, even as residents feared further violence erupting in the region.
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Myanmar Exiles Are Seeking Refuge in Kayin State
Hundreds of civilians in Myanmar — including activists, members of former de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy and villagers in the ethnic areas being bombed by the army — have gone into hiding. Some are seeking refuge in Kayin state, opposite Thailand. It is a region controlled by the Karen National Union, an ethnic armed organization that is no stranger to conflict, having been fighting for greater autonomy in Myanmar for more than seven decades. Steve Sandford reports from Mae Sot, Thailand.Camera: Steve Sandford
Producer: Jon Spier
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Italian Ballroom Dancers Twirl Through Lockdown
Social distancing is not usually part of the ballroom dancing lexicon. But in an industrial zone on the outskirts of Rome, couples of every age twirl and turn across the dance floor, even through a pandemic, just as ballroom dancers have done for decades around the world. While much of Italy is in a coronavirus lockdown, with live music and theatrical performances barred, cinemas shuttered and many sporting activities limited, competitive ballroom dancing is alive and well here, albeit with precautions. The couples at the New Dancing Days hall are preparing for the Italian Championships in Rimini in July and as such are allowed to keep practicing, given that the government considers their activity in the national interest. It is the same allowance that has enabled other federally recognized competitive athletes to keep training in Italy even during the latest round of virus-related closures. “Yes, we can do it. Here we can keep on dancing,” said Raffaella Serafini, the 45-year-old owner of New Dancing Days and a 35-year veteran of competitive ballroom dancing. In the huge hall with mirrors on the walls and multi-colored lights, couples wear masks during warm-ups and pauses but are allowed to remove them while performing traditional ballroom or Latin dances. Most keep them on anyway. “It’s something beautiful for us because we’re older, but we can still put ourselves in play,” said Franco Cauli, a 70-year-old dancer who along with his 74-year-old partner is training for a competition at the end of April. He said he felt safe with the health protocols taken by the school and says participants rigorously respect them. The Italian Dance Sport Federation has decreed that 34 athletes are allowed to train in a school the size of New Dancing Days, recognizing that continuity in practice is necessary. Currently there are 17 couples, aged nine to 76, who train up to five days a week. From a viewing spot above the dance floor, Serafini keeps an eye on her twirling students and shouts directions to them. If she sees something wrong, she will stop the music, go down to the dance floor and demonstrate the correct way to do a step, pose or twirl. “The school is my great pride. When I see them on the dance floor, it is like I am there,” she said.
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Myanmar Activists Launch Radio Program to Promote Federalism
Faced with government efforts to completely cut internet access, some Myanmar pro-democracy activists are turning to radio to reach the public, other activists and the military since the February 1 coup that brought the junta to power. Federal FM Radio went live April 1 at 90.2 MHz. Its targeted broadcasting days are on Thursdays and Sundays. The unlicensed radio station aims to inform audiences about events throughout the country while educating listeners about federalism – that is, having a national and state government, as opposed to authoritarian, military rule. A founding member of the program who asked not to be named for security reasons told VOA the broadcast is a new way for people to listen to updated news within the country, without military propaganda. “When the internet is cut off, the federal radio will be the means of communication and to communicate with each other,” he said. The station will deliver information to pro-democracy leaders on the ground, and the leaders will be able to use the station to speak to the public, he added. It will be one of “the powerful weapons” against the military government, he said. “One is to educate, to inform about federalism, to major cities like Yangon,” he said. The first listeners will be in Yangon with plans to expand to the entire nation. Local and international news will be initially broadcast in Burmese with plans to broadcast in other languages. The organizers say the broadcast is a community, non-profit program made up of volunteers. One report says that the station will also broadcast messages intended to persuade members of the military to defect. According to a state-run newspaper report, Myanmar’s Military Council has declared it will “take action” against the program, claiming it’s not a licensed broadcasting organization. The junta has already stripped five independent media companies of their licenses.Myanmar Military Strips Five Media Companies of Licensesrmed men raid offices and confiscate documents; one editor arrestedOrganizers acknowledge there are clear dangers involved. “We have a high risk for our producers and technicians and citizen journalists, so we try to work, like evasively,” he said. The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), a board formed to represent the elected lawmakers of the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) party, has put forth a Federal Democracy Charter, an interim constitution to replace the country’s 2008 constitution that keeps the military as a dominant force in the government. While the move is widely seen as symbolic, the goal may be to woo the nation’s armed ethnic militias to join forces with the pro-democracy movement.
Veteran activist Moe Thway recently told VOA that members of the public expect a nationwide civil war.Myanmar Activist: People ‘Expecting’ Civil War Veteran activist Moe Thway rose to prominence during 2007 Saffron RevolutionThe broadcasting of Federal FM Radio will be a form of objection to the coup, according to one announcer. “The ultimate goal is toward federal democratic union for our new Myanmar,” the announcer said. “This Federal FM radio is one of the strikes.” Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, gained independence in 1948 from Britain, but most of its modern history has been governed under military rule. In 2015, the National League for Democracy party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the country’s first open democratic election. But in last November’s general elections, the military contested the results and made unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud. On February 1, the military, also known as Tatmadaw, removed the NLD government and detained de facto leader Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, who are now facing several charges. Since the coup, widespread pro-democracy resistance has been met with bullets, armored vehicles and airstrikes. Martial law has also been imposed in several areas. Thousands of people have been detained and more than 550 killed, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Burma (AAPPB), an independent non-profit organization formed by exiled political prisoners from Myanmar.
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China Uses Money, Diplomacy to Push Back Against US in Southeast Asia
The Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has wrapped up his second series of meetings so far this year with Southeast Asia leaders to discuss vaccine distribution, help with post-pandemic recovery and other offers that experts say could sway countries in the pivotal subregion toward China and away from growing U.S. influence. Wang met last week in China with counterparts from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, China’s state-owned media, Xinhua News Agency reported. China “stands for the interests of many developing, small and medium-sized countries,” Xinhua quoted him saying. The group of countries Wang references would cover much of Southeast Asia’s 655 million-population spread over 10 nations. The foreign minister had visited Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines in January just before U.S. President Joe Biden took office. China pledged then to help Southeast Asian nations with COVID-19 vaccines, infrastructure and trade. China hopes to shine again, analysts say, in a part of Asia where most governments do not take sides in the superpower relationship after a spate of U.S. moves aimed at controlling China’s expansion in a sea disputed by four Southeast Asian countries. Countries along the Mekong River fret separately over China’s control of water flows from its upstream dams.Mekong River at ‘Worrying’ Low Level Amid Calls for More Chinese Dam DataSuch fluctuations affect fish migration, agriculture and transportation that nearly 70 million people rely on for their livelihoods and food security“Foreign Minister Wang Yi is trying to send the strongest signals that China remains the partner within the region,” said Stephen Nagy, senior associate professor of politics and international studies at International Christian University in Tokyo. “They really would like to send the strongest of signals that Southeast Asian countries should be deferent to Beijing before they are deferent to Washington.” The heat is on, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin held talks last month with their Japanese counterparts in Tokyo to reaffirm partnerships as China grows more assertive. Days later, Blinken and Austin met the foreign and defense ministers of South Korea.Top US Officials in Asia on First Overseas Visit Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Defense Austin will meet with allies in Japan and South Korea to reaffirm trans-Pacific partnerships U.S. officials say they sent Navy ships to the South China Sea 10 times last year, adding B-52 bombers at least once, as a way of showing the disputed waterway remains open to international use rather than exclusive Chinese control. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam contest Beijing’s claims to about 90% of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea that is prized for natural resources. China has the strongest armed forces among the six claimants, prompting the others to look toward the United States for support. Wang told his Singaporean counterpart last week the two countries should jointly oppose “vaccine nationalism.” Xinhua reported. The term describes governments that make deals with pharmaceutical companies to treat their own populations at the expense of other countries. China has already sent its Sinovac vaccines to Indonesia and the Philippines. Southeast Asian economies that slumped last year due to lack of tourism and export demand hope China can bring relief, experts say. Washington has offered COVID-19 relief aid to Southeast Asia, including $18.3 million in emergency health and humanitarian assistance in the first quarter of 2020. But the U.S. government lacks an equivalent of China’s trillion-plus dollar Belt-and-Road Initiative for building transport infrastructure throughout Eurasia through 2027 — including projects in some of the countries that sent ministers last week to see Wang. Wang told his Malaysian counterpart last week that China would offer “high-quality” Belt and Road cooperation to bring more “tangible benefits” during the pandemic recovery, the Chinese foreign ministry website says. “China just needs to deliver on its Belt and Road projects in all these countries and that’s enough to prevent the economies from going under,” said Alan Chong, associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “The Chinese market was singularly unharmed” last year, Chong added. Much of the world economy was shaken by anti-pandemic business closures. Southeast Asian countries will look to China more than to the United States for any help in working with one of their members, Myanmar, after a February coup and violent protests, Chong said. Wang told his Singapore counterpart that China supports wider Southeast Asian efforts to “resume stability in Myanmar,” Xinhua reported. Chinese business interests in Myanmar go back decades. Officials in Southeast Asia further hope China will reopen to travel, including for students, said Shariman Lockman, senior foreign policy and security studies analyst with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia. Malaysia and the Philippines probably raised the South China Sea issue with Wang last week “because it’s one of those things that you have to mention,” Lockman said. “Diplomacy is partly form,” he said. “If you don’t mention it, he will think you don’t care about it and they can get away with things, so you have to say ‘oh, by the way.’” The Chinese foreign minister for his part probably “soft pedaled” any past actions that make China look like a “great power,” Chong said.
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‘Significant’ Number of Rebels Killed in Retaking of Mozambican City, Military Says
A “significant” number of rebels were shot dead by Mozambican forces in operations to retake the northeastern city of Palma, which fell into the hands of jihadi groups after a bloody attack March 24, the military said Sunday. “It is not yet over … but a significant number of terrorists have been shot,” the commander of operations in Palma, Chongo Vidigal, told reporters. Eleven days ago, armed groups attacked the strategic port city in a carefully prepared raid, launched just a few kilometers from a multibillion-euro mega liquefied natural gas project led by the French group Total. The first images of the city of 75,000 inhabitants seen since the attack were broadcast on local television. The footage showed a few bodies lying in the streets, houses in ruins and vehicles in ashes. A few civilians were collecting food.In this image taken from militant video released by the Islamic State group on March 29, 2021, purporting to show fighters near the strategic north eastern Mozambique town of Palma.The attack, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, officially killed dozens of civilians, police and soldiers. The actual number of victims is not yet known. The French group Total has evacuated staff from its gas site on the Afungi Peninsula and the project has come to a standstill. For several days, the soldiers have been trying to retake Palma, which fell into rebel hands on the night of March 26 after an attack considered the biggest escalation since the violence began more than three years ago. Thousands of troops have been deployed, but since the first attacks in 2017, government forces have been unable to effectively fight the rebels terrorizing the impoverished Cabo Delgado province on the border with Tanzania. Locally referred to as Al-Shabab which translates to mean “the youth” in Arabic, they pledged allegiance to the IS group. About 11,000 people were displaced by the latest attack, according to the International Organization for Migration. More than 670,000 people had already been forced to leave their homes because of the violence in the region, according to the U.N. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project or ACLED, a nonprofit organization tracking global armed violence, recorded 2,600 were killed before the attack on Palma, half of them civilians.
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Biden’s $2 Trillion Infrastructure Proposal Faces Challenges
U.S. President Joe Biden recently announced a $2 trillion spending plan aimed at modernizing the nation’s roads and bridges, among other infrastructure. The plan, however, is expected to face obstacles in Congress. VOA’s Michelle Quinn reports.Producer: Mary Cieslak
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Florida Works to Avoid ‘Catastrophic’ Pond Collapse
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that crews are working to prevent the collapse of a large wastewater pond near Tampa Bay while evacuating the area to avoid a “catastrophic flood.”Manatee County officials said earlier Sunday that the latest models showed that a breach at the old phosphate plant reservoir had the potential to gush out 340 million gallons of water in a matter of minutes, risking a 6-meter-high (about 20-foot) wall of water. Throughout the day the volume had decreased to less than 300 million.”What we are looking at now is trying to prevent and respond to, if need be, a real catastrophic flood situation,” DeSantis said at a press conference after flying over the old Piney Point phosphate mine.FILE – A reservoir of an old phosphate plant, the site of a breach which is leaking polluted water into the surrounding area, prompting an evacuation order in Manatee County, is seen in an aerial photo taken in Piney Point, Florida, April 3, 2021.Authorities have closed off portions of the U.S. Highway 41 and ordered evacuations of 316 homes. Some families were placed in local hotels.A local jail 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) away from the 33-hectare (77-acre) pond is not being evacuated, but officials are moving inmates and staff to the second story and putting sandbags on the ground floor. Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said the models show the area could be covered with between 30 centimeters (1 foot) to 1.5 meters (1.5 feet) of water, and the second floor is 10 feet above ground.County officials say well water remains unaffected and there is no threat to Lake Manatee, the area’s primary source of drinking water.The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says the water in the pond is primarily salt water mixed with wastewater and storm water. It has elevated levels of phosphorous and nitrogen and is acidic, but not expected to be toxic, the agency says.Crews have been discharging water since the pond began leaking in late March. On Friday, a significant leak was detected. That discovery escalated the response and prompted the first evacuations and a declaration of a state of emergency on Saturday. A portion of the containment wall in the reservoir shifted, leading officials to think a collapse could occur at any time.Hopes, the county administrator, said Sunday that with new state resources, crews will be nearly doubling the amount of water being pumped out of the pond and taken to Port Manatee. Currently about 22,000 gallons of water are being discharged per minute, and Hopes said he expects the risk of collapse to decrease by Tuesday.Early Sunday, officials saw an increase in the water leaking out, but Hopes says it seems to have plateaued. The water running out on its own is flowing to a creek that leads to Cockroach Bay, an aquatic preserve in the Tampa Bay north of the facility. “Looking at the water that has been removed and the somewhat stability of the current breach, I think the team is much more comfortable today than we were yesterday,” he said. “We are not out of the critical area yet.”Hopes said he could not rule out that a full breach could destabilize the walls of the other ponds at the Piney Point site.The Florida DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein said another pond has higher levels of metals.”The radiologicals are still below surface water discharge standards. So, again this is not water we want to see leaving the site,” he said.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a coordinator on the scene to work with emergency management and provide support as necessary, said EPA spokeswoman Brandi Jenkins. “We are closely monitoring the ongoing situation and are in close communication with Governor DeSantis’ office, as well as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection,” she said in an email. Calls to the owner of the site, HRK Holdings, for comments went unanswered Saturday and Sunday.The ponds sit in stacks of phosphogypsum, a solid, radioactive byproduct from manufacturing fertilizer. State authorities say the water in the breached pond is not radioactive.But the EPA says too much nitrogen in the wastewater causes algae to grow faster, leading to fish kills. Some algal blooms can also harm people who come into contact with polluted waters or eat tainted fish.Environmental groups urged the federal government this weekend to step in to halt sending more wastewater to the existing so-called gypsum stacks and halting the creation of more phosphogypsum, which is left behind when phosphate rock is mined to produce fertilizer.”We hope the contamination is not as bad as we fear but are preparing for significant damage to Tampa Bay and the communities that rely on this precious resource,” Justin Bloom, founder of the Sarasota-based nonprofit organization Suncoast Waterkeeper, said in a statement.
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Protest Parties Surge in Bulgaria Election, Threatening Prime Minister Borissov
Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov may have difficulty holding on to power after a surge of votes in an election Sunday for anti-establishment and anti-corruption parties that want him out.Exit polls forecast his center-right GERB party to remain the largest party in parliament, but with around 25% of the vote, compared with the 33.5% it won four years ago.Behind it, the opposition Socialists and a new anti-establishment party founded by a singer vied with each other for second place, and two other protest parties that reject Borissov were forecast to enter the parliament.After a decade of dominating Bulgarian politics, Borissov has few natural coalition partners.Weeks of talks, or even another election, cannot be ruled out, meaning Bulgaria, the European Union’s poorest member, may have difficulty tapping the EU’s 750 billion euro ($884 billion) coronavirus Recovery Fund.A former firefighter and bodyguard, Borissov, 61, sought to showcase his successes in modernizing Bulgaria’s creaking infrastructure in a low-key campaign after his popularity was eroded last year by massive rallies against corruption and the power of oligarchs.”We are seeing the outlines of one new Bulgaria, where Borissov can continue to win elections with his huge administrative and financial resources, but cannot hold on to power,” said Hristo Ivanov, a leader of the anti-graft Democratic Bulgaria party.Complicating Borissov’s coalition-building options is the emergence of the anti-establishment There is Such a People party of popular TV host and singer Slavi Trifonov. A Gallup International exit poll put it second, ahead of the Socialists, while a poll by Alpha Research had them in reverse order.Trifonov, 54, whose concerts peppered with patriotic songs have attracted thousands, has ruled out governing with either GERB or the Socialists.Democratic Bulgaria, one of biggest forces in the massive protests last summer, won 10-11%, the polls showed. Another protest party, Stand Up! Mafia Out!, will also enter the next parliament.Borissov’s government has presided over a 36% increase in the average monthly salary to 1,468 levs ($882), has kept public debt low and secured entry to the “waiting room” for joining the euro currency.But its failure to tackle endemic corruption and reform the judiciary brought thousands of protesters onto the streets for months during 2020.Bulgaria ranks as the EU’s most corrupt member state, according to Transparency International. A recent U.S. State Department report on human rights highlights serious problems with judicial independence and media freedom in the country.President Rumen Radev, a critic of Borissov and an ally of the Socialists, says Bulgaria needs new faces and ideas.”These elections will be the first step to the return to normality, to laws and rules,” he said after voting Sunday.
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Kosovo Parliament Elects Vjosa Osmani as National President
Kosovo’s parliament has appointed a 38-year-old U.S.-educated female law professor and candidate of the ruling Vetevendosje party as the country’s new president, following an election in February.Vjosa Osmani took over as acting president of Kosovo last November when her predecessor, Hashim Thaci, resigned ahead of his impending war crimes trial in the Netherlands.Osmani’s initial mandate expired when the new government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, the head of Vetevendosje, took over after the February 14 election.On Sunday the 120-seat parliament voted in favor of appointing Osmani president by 71 votes.Kosovo Vote to Elect New President StymiedOpposition and Serbian minority boycotted the voteOpposition parties and civil society watchdogs have criticized her appointment, saying that having a president, prime minister and speaker of parliament all from the same party is not welcome in a country with a fragile democracy.Osmani represents a type of young Kosovar more familiar with life in the West and frustrated with the nepotism and ineffectiveness of the country’s traditional parties.In a speech, Osmani called for a dialogue aimed at normalizing ties with Serbia but said Belgrade must first apologize and prosecute those responsible for war crimes committed during the 1998-99 war that ultimately led to Kosovo becoming independent in 2008.”Peace would be achieved only when we see remorse and an apology from Serbia and when we see justice for those who have suffered from their crimes,” Osmani said.Until last September, Osmani was a high-ranking official of the Democratic League of Kosovo party, which she quit to join forces with Kurti. She is not a member of the anti-establishment Vetevendosje but she ran on their list in the February elections.She is married and has two daughters.Former President Thaci, a wartime hero who turned politician, is in the Hague awaiting trial before the Netherlands-based Kosovo’s war crimes court. He has denied the charges against him.
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Vast Archives at JFK Library Help Bring ‘Hemingway’ to Life
A new documentary on Ernest Hemingway — powered by vast but little-known archives kept at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston — is shedding new light on the acclaimed novelist.”Hemingway,” by longtime collaborators Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, premiering on PBS on three consecutive nights starting April 5, takes a more nuanced look at the author and his longstanding reputation as an alcoholic, adventurer, outdoorsman and bullfight-loving misogynist who struggled with an internal turmoil that eventually led to his death by suicide at age 61.The truth about the man many consider America’s greatest 20th-century novelist — whose concise writing style made him an outsized celebrity who became a symbol of unrepentant American masculinity — is much more complex, Novick said.”We hope this film opens up opportunities to look at Hemingway in different ways,” said Novick, who has created several other documentaries with Burns including “The Vietnam War” and “Prohibition.” “There is a complexity beneath the surface.”That complexity would have been nearly impossible to detail without the largest-in-the-world Hemingway collection that ended up at the JFK Library, thanks to the widows of Hemingway and Kennedy.Although the two men never met, they admired each other and corresponded briefly. Hemingway was invited to Kennedy’s inauguration but couldn’t attend because of an illness, said Hilary Justice, the Hemingway scholar in residence at the library.When Hemingway’s fourth wife, Mary Hemingway, was deciding what to do with her late husband’s effects, she asked Jackie Kennedy if they could be housed at the JFK Library.The archives contain Hemingway’s manuscripts — including “The Sun Also Rises” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls” — personal correspondence and about 11,000 photographs.Much of the material used in the documentary has not been widely seen in public, if at all, Novick said.Burns had been to the JFK Library on multiple occasions for several functions but had no idea of the extent of the Hemingway archives until they started researching the film, which has been in the works for years.”The Hemingway collection was central to the process,” Burns said. “It helped us understand just what a disciplined writer he was.”Much of the documentary deals with Hemingway’s complicated relationship with the women in his life, from his mother and sisters to the nurse he fell in love with while recovering from wounds suffered in World War I to his four wives.”So much of what he did in life was about love: running to it, running from it and ruining it,” Burns said.While considered the archetype of American manhood, the truth about Hemingway’s masculinity was more complex, the filmmakers found.As a child, Hemingway’s mother treated him and one of his sisters as twins, often dressing them in identical outfits, sometimes as boys, sometimes as girls. He explored gender fluidity both in his books and in life, letting his hair grow as his wives cropped theirs short.”We wanted to push back against this idea that Hemingway didn’t like women,” Novick said.Novick’s favorite part of the collection were Hemingway’s manuscripts, many handwritten on store-bought notebooks. They show in great detail his thinking process as he wrote, rewrote, amended and edited his works through cross-outs, scribbles and notes in the margins.Hemingway, for example, wrote dozens of endings to “A Farewell to Arms” — as many as 47, according to one count.”You can trace how each work developed, from first draft to final manuscript,” she said.For Burns, the most striking thing about the collection are the pieces of shrapnel dug from Hemingway’s body after he was almost killed as a teenager while driving a Red Cross ambulance in World War I. Burns can’t help but think that such a profound near-death experience had a major impact on the rest of Hemingway’s life, and contributed to his death.”There’s a huge amount to be learned and new interpretations of his work and life in here,” she said.
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Swiss Startup Arms Robot with Virus-Killing UV Light
A Swiss startup is looking to boost confidence in the safety of air travel amid the coronavirus pandemic, by using decades-old technology. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi shines light on this story.
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Anti-Junta Protests in Myanmar Hold ‘Easter Egg Strike’
Demonstrations against military rule continued in Myanmar Sunday, with many protesters using Easter eggs to aid their movement.Eggs bearing slogans such as “Spring Revolution” and “We Must Win” as well as drawings of a three-finger salute were in the hands of thousands of protesters across Myanmar Sunday, in a nod to the Christian holiday.Protesters began taking to the streets after the February 1 coup by the military, in which de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other government leaders were arrested. Hundreds of people have been killed in violent crackdowns on protests over the past two months, according to media and other accounts. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a nonprofit human rights organization based in Myanmar, has tallied 557 deaths and more than 2,750 arrested since the protests began.5 Die in Myanmar Protests as Junta Cracks Down on Online Critics Security forces again opened fire on pro-democracy protesters, media sayOn Sunday, protests drew thousands into the streets in Yangon and Mandalay, among other cities. Local news outlets reported that security forces opened fire on a crowd of protesters in the city of Pyinmana in central Myanmar, killing at least one person.In Naypyitaw, the capital, police fired on protesters on motorbikes, killing two men, the Irrawaddy news site reported. One man was killed earlier in the northern town of Bhamo, the Myanmar Now news outlet said.Police and a spokesman for the junta did not answer telephone calls seeking comment.During his Easter Sunday address, Pope Francis acknowledged the young people of Myanmar, praying for those “committed to supporting democracy and making their voices heard peacefully, in the knowledge that hatred can be dispelled only by love.”Sunday’s so-called “Easter Egg Strike” is one of many themed protests over the past two months, including a “Flower Strike” in which protesters laid flowers in public places to honor victims of security forces. And a “Silent Strike” that left the streets of the country deserted.“Easter is all about the future and the people of Myanmar have a great future in a federal democracy,” said Dr. Sasa, the United Nation international envoy for the ousted civilian government, on Twitter. A member of the Christian minority in what is largely a Buddhist nation, Sasa uses only one name. “May this Easter bring the new hope and strength to United States of Myanmar,” he tweeted. Our people’s creativities, braveries and courages are the future of Myanmar. Easter is all about the future, the people of Myanmar has great future in federal democracy, May this Easter bring the new hope and strength to United States of Myanmar.(Photo: CJs)/Easter Egg Strike pic.twitter.com/PwKLhIQT2W— Dr. Sasa (@DrSasa22222) April 4, 2021The junta, which had been turning off internet service at night, told internet service providers last week to shut down wireless broadband service until further notice, according to Ooredoo, one of several providers to report the move Thursday.Myanmar Junta Orders Shutdown of Internet, Providers Say Defiant protesters use alternative communications technology as they continue to march, observe strikes This internet shutdown was condemned by several dozen U.N. member countries via a statement written by Lithuania, France and Greece.
Protesters have used the internet and their cellphones to publicize violent acts by security forces against protesters and to organize against military rule.
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Famous New York Cemetery Now Has an Artist-in-Residence
Green-Wood Cemetery in New York – one of the oldest and largest American cemeteries – now has its own artist-in-resident. Anna Nelson tells us more in this report narrated by Anna Rice.Camera: Vladimir Badikov
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UK Arrests Over 100 in Protests Against Policing Bill
British police said Sunday that 107 people were arrested in London during demonstrations against government plans to increase police powers. Thousands marched in towns and cities across the country on Saturday to protest the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, defying coronavirus restrictions. Police said the “Kill the Bill” protests were mostly peaceful and most of those taking part observed social distancing. They said a small number of people were intent on causing disruptions, and that those arrested committed alleged offenses including violent disorder, assaulting police officers and breaches of coronavirus legislation. The force said 10 officers had been injured, though none of the injuries was believed to be serious. The proposed legislation would give police in England and Wales more powers to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance, with those convicted liable to fines or jail terms. A recent protest against the new police legislation in Bristol, southwest England, descended into widespread violence that saw police officers injured, a police station damaged and police vehicles torched.
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Cameroonian Cleric Known for Advocating for Peace Dies at 90
Cameroonians are mourning the death of Christian Wiyghan Tumi, a Catholic cardinal who was well known for advocating for peace in the ongoing Anglophone separatist crisis in the country. The 90-year-old cleric was abducted for 24 hours by the separatist fighters in November for asking them to disarm. The Roman Catholic Church said Tumi died in the coastal city of Douala on Saturday. Tumi gained popularity when he advised the long-serving, 88-year-old Cameroonian President Paul Biya against running for presidential elections but Biya refused. Following the announcement of Tumi’s death, local stations such as Equinoxe TV, Royal FM and Magic FM broadcast some of his sermons, which were aimed at rooting out corruption in the country.In a sermon Tumi gave in 2010, while he was archbishop of Douala, he said any Christian who has siphoned off state funds should refund the people’s money. He said Catholic teachings oppose theft. Those who have stolen government money, he said, must confess and refund the stolen funds if they intend to be accepted into God’s heavenly kingdom. His message resonated beyond the confines of the church. Moussa Oumarou, the coordinator of the Council of Imams and Muslim Dignitaries of Cameroon, says Tumi was influential in promoting dialogue between rival religious groups and churches in Cameroon. Oumarou says the council is saddened by the cardinal’s death. He calls Tumi an apostle of peace who stood for interreligious dialogue to eliminate tensions between Cameroon’s Christian denominations and Muslims. He says Tumi’s legacy of love for the country, humanity and peace should be preserved. Tumi was abducted by Anglophone separatist fighters in Cameroon’s crisis-prone Northwest region in November and released after 24 hours. Separatists claimed responsibility for the abduction on social media. They said they were angry over the cleric’s suggestion that fighters should disarm and work toward a peaceful resolution in the restive western regions. Tumi accused both the military and separatist fighters of human rights abuses against civilians, burning public infrastructure, looting, rape and sexual violence in the region in media appearances. He also asked the government to withdraw its military from separatist areas and called for a cease-fire to end the separatist crisis. The governor of the English-speaking Northwest region, Deben Tchoffo, said the cardinal was a peace crusader. “He has been longing for peace and he was kidnapped when he tried to bring the message of peace to the people. He sent a report to the government suggesting that the government should continue to stretch a hand of fellowship to the young [Anglophone separatist fighters] who are still in the bush, asking them [Anglophone separatist fighters] to come out of the bush and join the other Cameroonians to rebuild this nation,” said Tchoffo.Before Cameroon’s October 2018 presidential election, Tumi gave interviews in which he asked long-serving Cameroonian President Paul Biya to give up power. Tumi said Biya, who was 86 in 2018, was too old to lead the country successfully. The Biya administration strongly criticized Tumi and called him a controversial religious leader. Andrew Nkea, archbishop of the Bamenda archdiocese in the English-speaking Northwest region said Tumi was a courageous prelate who defended the rights of the marginalized. “We remember Cardinal Tumi as a fearless apostle. He is a man who stood for the truth and was completely unwavering when it came to matters of justice and of truth,” he said.Nkea said Tumi educated hundreds of street children, fed the poor and provided funds to treat the sick. Tumi was appointed cardinal in 1988 by Pope John Paul II. He was born in Cameroon’s English-speaking northwestern village of Kikaikelaki in 1930. The Catholic church in Cameroon says Tumi spoke at least nine languages fluently.
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Ethiopia: Eritrean Troops Pulling Out of Tigray
Ethiopian authorities said on Saturday that Eritrean troops had started withdrawing from Tigray, where they have been fighting on the side of Ethiopian forces in a war against the region’s fugitive leaders.The Eritreans “have now started to evacuate” Tigray and Ethiopian forces have “taken over guarding the national border,” Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.It wasn’t clear how many Eritrean troops had left, and some in Tigray asserted that the Eritreans weren’t leaving at all. The region’s leaders have charged that Eritrean troops sometimes have dressed in Ethiopian military uniforms.Ethiopia’s government faces intense pressure to end the Tigray war, which started in November when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed deployed troops there following an attack on federal military facilities. The region’s fugitive leaders have not recognized Abiy’s authority since a national election was postponed last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.The G-7 group of nations on Friday issued a strong statement calling for the “swift, unconditional and verifiable” withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Tigray after Abiy said last week the Eritreans had agreed to go.That statement also urged “the establishment of a clear, inclusive political process that is acceptable to all Ethiopians, including those in Tigray, and which leads to credible elections and a wider national reconciliation process.”Protracted warThe International Crisis Group, in an analysis released Friday, warned of the risk of a protracted war, citing an entrenched Tigrayan resistance combined with Ethiopian and Eritrean authorities’ determination to keep Tigray’s fugitive leaders from power.”That would further devastate Tigray and greatly harm Ethiopia, the linchpin state in the Horn of Africa,” the report said. “With a decisive battlefield win for either side a remote prospect, parties should consider a cessation of hostilities that allows for expanded humanitarian aid access. This practical first step would reduce civilian suffering and ideally pave the way for a return to dialogue down the road.”There are increasing reports of atrocities such as massacres and rapes in the war, and concern is growing about a lack of food and medical care in Tigray, home to 6 million of Ethiopia’s more than 110 million people.The United States has characterized some abuses in Tigray as “ethnic cleansing,” charges dismissed by Ethiopian authorities as unfounded. Officials in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, haven’t cited a death toll in the war.The United Nations and an Ethiopian rights agency announced last week they had agreed to carry out a joint investigation into abuses in Tigray, where fighting persists as government troops hunt down fighters loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the party that dominated national politics for decades before the rise of Abiy.
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Energy Secretary: Biden to Push Through Infrastructure Plan if No Republican Support
U.S. President Joe Biden would be willing to push through his $2 trillion infrastructure plan without the support of Republican lawmakers if he cannot reach a bipartisan deal, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Sunday. Granholm said Biden would prefer that his plan have Republican backing but, if that does not work, he would likely support using a procedural strategy called reconciliation to allow Democrats to pass it in the Senate. “As he has said, he was sent to the presidency to do a job for America. And if the vast majority of Americans, Democrats and Republicans, across the country support spending on our country and not allowing us to lose the race globally, then he’s going to do that,” Granholm said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Most Americans currently support the Democratic president’s plan, said Granholm, one of several senior Biden administration officials who promoted the proposal on television news shows on Sunday. Since taking office in January, the Democratic president has repeatedly said he wants to work with Republicans. But the infrastructure plan — his second major legislative initiative — so far looks unlikely to draw more bipartisan support than his first, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that passed with only Democratic support last month, using reconciliation. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said last week that Biden’s infrastructure plan was “bold and audacious” but would raise taxes and increase debt. He vowed to fight it “every step of the way.” Republican Senator Roy Blunt on Sunday urged Biden to significantly scale back the plan if he wanted Republican lawmakers’ support. “If we’d go back and look at roads and bridges and ports and airports, and maybe even underground water systems and broadband, you’d still be talking about less than 30% of this entire package,” Blunt said on “Fox News Sunday.” Blunt said he believed a smaller goal, of around $615 billion, would be more palatable to some of his Republican colleagues. Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi joined others in his party in trying to cast Biden’s plan as a tax hike rather than an effort to repair and rebuild the country’s transportation, communications, water and electrical networks. “What the president proposed this week is not an infrastructure bill. It’s a huge tax increase,” Wicker told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Biden’s plan would raise the corporate income tax rate after deductions to 28% from the current 21%. His predecessor as president, Donald Trump, and Republican lawmakers cut the corporate rate from 35% to 21% in 2017. Trump repeatedly promised to tackle the nation’s crumbling infrastructure during his presidency but never delivered on that. The Biden infrastructure plan’s investments are long-term and badly needed to drive job growth, Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, said on the Fox program. The initiatives will serve the country well into the 2030s and beyond, added Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Right now, we’re still coasting off of infrastructure choices that were made in the 1950s,” Buttigieg said on NBC.
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Pope Francis Calls for Access to Care and Vaccines for All
Pope Francis celebrated a second Easter as the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of easing in Italy and has again forced a nationwide lockdown. The pope urged access to care and to vaccines for everyone, especially in low-income countries. He also decried “too many wars” that are still raging in the world. Pope Francis celebrated Easter mass with around 200 people in Saint Peter’s Basilica and then delivered his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” message and blessing on the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. The pope offers such messages which means “to the city [of Rome] and to the world,” during Easter and Christmas. In his message, the pope said, there are still too many wars and too much violence in the world today. He prayed that God may help people overcome the mindset of war. The Easter message, the pope said, does not offer a mirage or reveal a magic formula. It does not point to an escape from the difficult situation the world is experiencing, he said. The pope added that the pandemic is still spreading, while the social and economic crisis remains severe, especially for people who are economically marginalized. Nonetheless, he said, it is unfortunate that military spending and armed conflict continue during the pandemic. The pope said: “This is the scandal of today.” The risen Christ, the pope said, is hope for all those who continue to suffer from the pandemic, both the sick and those who have lost a loved one. He prayed that God may give them comfort and sustain the valiant efforts of doctors and nurses. The pope stressed how everyone and especially those most vulnerable must have access to the necessary care. He said COVID-19 vaccines are an essential tool in these times in the fight against the spread of the pandemic. He urged the international community, to join in a spirit of global responsibility, to commit in overcoming delays in the distribution of vaccines and to facilitate their distribution, especially in lower-income countries. The pandemic, the pope said, has unfortunately dramatically increased the numbers of vulnerable people and has pushed thousands into desperate conditions. He expressed the hope that those who find themselves in poor conditions may find hope once again. Pope Francis’ thoughts turned to those who have lost their jobs and face serious economic difficulties. He also mentioned the many young people who were forced to go extended periods without being able to attend school or university or without being able to spend time with their friends. Experiencing real personal relationships, not just virtual relationships, the pope stressed, is something that everyone needs. As is customary in his Easter message Pope Francis mentioned countries that are of particular concern in the world. The pope encouraged the people of Haiti not to let themselves be discouraged by the difficulties being faced. He said he was close to the people of Haiti and said he was praying for their problems to be definitively resolved. Pope Francis also expressed his praise to the young people of Myanmar. He commended their commitment for a democratic change and making their voices heard peacefully. He hoped for an end to the conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Libya and wished that people would be able to find peace so that war-weary peoples may begin the reconstruction of their countries. The pope also called for peace in several conflict areas in Africa, including the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia and the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique.
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