The coronavirus, climate change and food security are on the agenda Tuesday as foreign ministers from the G-20 group of nations meet in Italy. The talks in the city of Matera represent the first time the ministers are gathering in person since 2019. U.S. State Department officials said Secretary of State Antony Blinken would stress the importance of working together to address such global challenges, a common theme in recent months as he and President Joe Biden set a foreign policy path heavily focused on boosting ties with allies. “To address the climate crisis, Secretary Blinken will encourage G-20 members to work together toward ambitious outcomes, including a recognition of the need to keep a 1.5 degree Celsius of warming threshold within reach, the importance of actions this decade that are aligned with that goal, and taking other steps like committing to end public finance for overseas unabated coal,” Susannah Cooper, director of the Office of Monetary Affairs in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, told reporters ahead of the meetings. Cooper said Blinken would advocate for “building a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery,” including an equitable global tax system with a minimum corporate tax rate. Finance ministers from G-7 nations, all of which are part of the G-20, agreed in principle in early June to the creation of a global minimum tax on corporations that would force companies that shift profits to subsidiaries in low- or no-tax jurisdictions to pay as much as 15% in taxes on that income to the country where they are headquartered. Protestors wearing giant heads portraying G7 leaders pose after a demonstration on a beach outside the G7 meeting in St. Ives, Cornwall, England, June 13, 2021.Tuesday’s meetings are also set to consider economic development issues in Africa, including gender equity and opportunities for young people, as well as humanitarian efforts and human rights. Italy is the last stop on a European trip for Blinken that included a conference on Libya in Germany, meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican. On Monday he was in Rome, where ministers from a global coalition to fight Islamic State terrorists said 8 million people have been freed from the militants’ control in Iraq and Syria, but that the threat from Islamic State fighters remains there and in Africa. The ministers met face-to-face for the first time in two years, pledging to maintain watch against a resurgence of the insurgents. The resumption in ISIS “activities and its ability to rebuild its networks and capabilities to target security forces and civilians in areas in Iraq and Syria where the coalition is not active, requires strong vigilance and coordinated action,” the diplomats said in a concluding communique. The coalition said it needed “both to address the drivers that make communities vulnerable to recruitment by Daesh/ISIS and related violent ideological groups, as well as to provide support to liberated areas to safeguard our collective security interests.” The group “noted with grave concern that Daesh/ISIS affiliates and networks in sub-Saharan Africa threaten security and stability, namely in the Sahel Region and in East Africa/Mozambique.” The coalition said it would work with any country that requested help in fighting ISIS. Daesh is the Arabic acronym for Islamic State. “We’ve made great progress because we’ve been working together, so we hope you’ll keep an eye on the fight, keep up the fight against this terrorist organization until it is decisively defeated,” Blinken said at the start of the meeting. Blinken noted that 10,000 Islamic State militants are being detained by Syrian Democratic Forces, calling the situation “simply untenable” and calling on governments to repatriate their citizens for rehabilitation or prosecution. The top U.S. diplomat announced $436 million in additional humanitarian aid for Syrians and communities in surrounding countries that have been hosting Syrian refugees. He said the money would go toward providing food, water, shelter, health care, education and protection. The United States launched a coalition effort, now involving 83 members, aimed at defeating the Islamic State group in 2014 after the militants seized control of a large area across northern Syria and Iraq, and in 2019 declared the militants had been ousted from their last remaining territory. Another meeting Monday in Italy focused specifically on Syria, where in addition to issues related to the Islamic State group, Blinken, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi De Maio and other ministers called for renewed efforts to bring an end to the decade-long conflict that began in 2011. Humanitarian access, in particular the ability for the United Nations to deliver cross-border aid, were among the issues that Blinken highlighted, the State Department said. He also expressed U.S. support for an immediate cease-fire in Syria.
…
Month: June 2021
US ‘Looks Forward’ to Trade Talks with Taiwan Amid China’s Objection
The United States said it looks forward to this week’s trade talks with Taiwan as the two economies continue to strengthen bilateral trade ties, despite China’s objection. After a five-year pause, the U.S. and Taiwan will resume talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) council meeting Wednesday. “Taiwan is a leading democracy and major economy and a security partner,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said Monday during a briefing. “And we will continue to strengthen our relationship across all areas, all the areas we cooperate, including on economic issues. We’re committed to the importance of the U.S.- Taiwan trade and investment relationships.” In Beijing, Chinese officials voiced their opposition. “China has all along opposed any U.S. attempt to elevate relations in essence or engage in official interactions with Taiwan in any form,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in a recent briefing. In a statement, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan will continue its close economic and trade relationship with the U.S., further “exploring cooperation in areas of mutual interest” through talks under TIFA. Taiwan is the 10th-largest trading partner of the U.S., and the U.S. is Taiwan’s second-largest trading partner. The U.S. has maintained a robust cultural, commercial and unofficial relationship with Taiwan after Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979. US Encourages Closer Ties with Taiwan Without Changing ‘One China’ PolicyThe State Department announced new measures to encourage US government engagement with Taiwan that reflects a “deepening unofficial relationship””Our support for Taiwan is rock solid,” Psaki said, adding the U.S. is concerned about China’s “attempts to intimidate others” in the Indo-Pacific region. “We’ve also been clear publicly and privately about our growing concerns about China’s aggressions toward Taiwan. The P.R.C. has taken [an] increasingly [coercive] course of action to undercut democracy in Taiwan. We will continue to express our strong concerns to Beijing in that regard,” she added. In 1994, the U.S. and Taiwan signed TIFA, which served as a platform to advance bilateral trade and investment interests. Since then, 10 rounds of trade talks have taken place. It stalled after 2016 as the U.S. focused on trade talks with China. VOA’s Steve Herman contributed to this report.
…
Record-breaking Heat Wave Continues to Batter Pacific Northwest
The U.S. Pacific Northwest baked under record-breaking temperatures again Monday as the region endures a dangerous heat wave that has placed at least portions of six states under excessive heat warnings from the National Weather Service.Portland, Oregon, hit 46 Celsius (115 Fahrenheit), an all-time high, by late afternoon. Seattle, Washington, a city known for its normally cool and rainy climate, also broke records: 41.6 C (107 F) at the National Weather Service Seattle station and 41 C (106 F) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.Temperatures are expected to fall starting Tuesday with highs in the low 90s.The two cities broke all-time heat records over the weekend, as Portland reached 44 C (111 F) on Sunday, setting a new record from the day before when the mercury climbed to 42 C (108 F).Seattle’s temperature rose to a record of 40 C (104 F) on Sunday.Portland and Seattle rank among the three least air-conditioned cities in the nation, according to a study by The Seattle Times, compounding the impacts of the heat wave for residents.Numerous other records broke on Sunday in Washington, Oregon and California, including the record for the highest temperature ever recorded during the month of June in Washington state.According to heat alerts published by the National Weather Service, the extreme temperatures “significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses,” such as heat stroke and in some cases, death.A man visiting California died last week after spending an hour in the sun, during which he reached an internal body temperature of nearly 41 C (105.8).Heat kills more Americans in an average year than any other weather event, though it rarely receives the same amount of attention as more visibly destructive natural disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes.Though heat-related deaths are rare, the soaring temperatures pose health risks, prompting cities like Portland and Seattle to open public cooling centers, where they offer food, water and air conditioning.Officials even delayed the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, for several hours Sunday, citing health concerns for the athletes and spectators.The excessive heat levels are a result of a “heat dome,” which happens when high atmospheric pressures interact with cold winds coming from the Pacific Ocean and create a “dome,” which traps heat under it.According to The Washington Post, this specific heat dome is so strong that it statistically occurs only once every several thousand years.
…
Argentine Family Among Missing in Florida Building Collapse
The remains of 11 people have been found after the collapse of a 12-story beachfront condominium building in Florida, authorities said Monday. The Associated Press has been reporting brief descriptions of the dead and the missing. Police said they have identified the remains of Leon and Christina Oliwkowicz, an elderly couple from Venezuela with ties to Jewish communities in Florida and Chicago. They also found the bodies of Luis Bermudez, a young man with muscular dystrophy, and his mother, Ana Ortiz, who were from Puerto Rico. Authorities said 150 other people remain unaccounted for as rescuers search through the rubble of Champlain Towers South. The Cattarossi family Argentine Graciela Cattarossi is a beloved mother and friend who works as an independent photographer for hotels, magazines, banks and airlines from different parts of the world, said Kathryn Rooney Vera, a friend who has known Cattarossi since 2008. The most important thing in her world, however, is her 7-year-old daughter, Stella. Cattarossi, 48, a single mother, lived in Champlain Towers South with Stella and her own parents, Graciela and Gino Cattarossi. All four were missing Monday, along with Cattarossi’s sister, Andrea, an architect in Pilar, Argentina, who was visiting. Vera said Cattarossi is a dedicated mother whose devotion to her child is “unparalleled.” She also described her as a “very hard worker, a beautiful person and beloved by everyone.” Cattarossi and Vera were exchanging text messages on Wednesday night, just hours before the building collapsed. The photographer took professional photos of Vera’s fourth pregnancy years ago and presented them as a gift to celebrate what they believed would be Vera’s last child. “She was happy to know that I was pregnant again,” Vera said. “We are devastated by what happened.” Vera said that Graciela Cattarossi has lived in Miami for decades. Ana Ortiz and Luis Bermudez Luis Bermudez, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, had battled muscular dystrophy for years and used a wheelchair. The 26-year-old man lived with his mother, Ana Ortiz, on the seventh floor of the Champlain Towers South. They were identified among the 11 who died after the building collapsed Thursday. His father, also named Luis Bermudez, texted the AP saying “my son is a hero.” He also wrote on Facebook that he could not believe he’s gone. “Now rest in peace and without any obstacles in heaven,” he wrote. “I will see you soon my Luiyo.” In honor of Luis, family members on Monday laid flowers in the ocean at a beach near the site of the building collapse. Ortiz, 46, had just married Frankie Kleiman. Alex Garcia, the couple’s close friend, told The Miami Herald he had set them up on a blind date. Kleiman lived with his wife and stepson on the same floor as his brother Jay Kleiman, who was in town for a funeral, and their mother Nancy Kress Levin. The Kleimans and their mother are still missing. Ortiz was described as a woman who was committed to giving her son the best possible life. “She’s a rock star,” Garcia told the Herald. “And on top of that a super mom.” Leon and Cristina Oliwkowicz Leon Oliwkowicz, 80, and his wife, Cristina Beatriz de Oliwkowicz, 74, lived on the eighth floor of the condo tower for several years, according to Venezuelan journalist Shirley Varnagy, a close friend of their family. They sent their children to live in the U.S. from Venezuela, and then joined them as the economic and political crisis worsened in their native country, said Rabbi Moshe Perlstein, dean of the Yeshivas Ohr Eliyahu-Lubavitch Mesivta, an Orthodox Jewish School in Chicago where one of their daughters, Leah Fouhal, works as an office manager. Perlstein flew to Florida to support Fouhal after the disaster as she waited anxiously to learn her parents’ fate. Late Sunday, authorities announced that their bodies had been recovered. “On Friday, she was there and she was standing a few blocks away, and smoke was coming from the (collapsed building). And she tells me, ‘I just hope I’ll be able to bury my parents instead of their ashes.’ And then, thank God she was able to bury her parents, not the ashes,” he said. “The Jewish people have unfortunately known too many cases where we have buried ashes. We don’t want to bury people, but it’s better than burying ashes,” he said as he prepared for their funeral Monday. Perlstein said the couple was known for their generosity: Three years ago, they donated a valuable Torah scroll to the school in memory of Leon Oliwkowicz’s parents. “He was a person that enjoyed when he gave, he was happy. He loved giving,” Perlstein said. “With his wife, they were very dedicated to their children, helping the children, doing anything they could for their children,” he said. “It was their life — giving to the family and giving charity to others.” Other Venezuelans who were caught in the collapse included Moisés Rodán, 28; Andrés Levine, 27; and Luis Sadovnik, 28, who remained missing along with his Argentine wife, Nicole Langesfeld, Varnagy said. The parents of Rodán, Levine and Sadovnik were able to travel to the U.S. from Venezuela after the disaster, she said. “Some did not have a visa, others had an expired passport, but with diplomatic collaboration they were able to arrive,” Varnagy said.
…
Iran Overshadows Biden Meeting with Israel’s President
The subject of Iran overshadowed an Oval Office meeting Monday between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Israeli counterpart.“Iran will never get a nuclear weapon on my watch,” Biden told outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.Biden made the statement a day after he ordered airstrikes against what U.S. military officials describe as a pair of operational and weapons storage facilities of Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq.President Joe Biden gestures during a meeting with Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin at the White House in Washington, June 28, 2021.The attacks occurred amid ongoing negotiations in Austria between Iran and six world powers, including the United States, to try to revive a deal limiting Iran’s nuclear program.During his meeting with Rivlin, Biden defended his order for the military response.“I directed last night’s airstrikes targeting sites used by the Iranian backed militia groups responsible for recent attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq,” he said, adding he had the authority under Article Two of the U.S. Constitution and that is acknowledged by lawmakers on Capitol Hill.Some lawmakers in Biden’s Democratic Party, however, are uncomfortable with this broad interpretation of the Constitution’s war powers authority, as well as early 21st century authorizations for use of military force by the president.The Biden administration carried out similar airstrikes in February.FILE – Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 24, 2020.A member of the Senate’s foreign relations committee, Chris Murphy, expressed concern Monday that fighting between the U.S. military and Iranian-backed militias is beginning to resemble a “low-scale war.”Rivlin, who leaves the mostly ceremonial office next month after a seven-year term as Israel’s president, said Biden’s declaration of an unwavering commitment to Israel’s self-defense allows “Israelis to understand that we have a great friend at the White House.”Both governments are making adjustments to their 73-year-old relationship after recent changes of their respective political leaders.Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett speaks during a Knesset session in Jerusalem, June 13, 2021Biden said he looks forward to welcoming the new Israeli prime minister, Naftali Bennett, to the White House soon, and, in response to a VOA question on when he will visit Israeli, said, “I don’t have a date, but I will.”Bennett’s predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, enjoyed a close relationship with the previous U.S. president, Donald Trump. Their two governments forged the Abraham Accords, that led to two more Arab states, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, establishing diplomatic relations with Israel.“Both new administrations want to get back to good relations and they will both reach that by not changing the status quo. Israel has a government with too many contradictory ideologies to be able to follow any one of them, and the U.S. shows no intention of doing anything to implement its stated goal of a two-state solution” for Palestinian statehood, said Paul Scham, who directs the Gildenhorn Institute at the University of Maryland-College Park.“Israel knows it can’t stop the U.S. from moving towards a new JCPOA (nuclear deal with Iran), but wants good relations more than anything,” Scham, who is also a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute, told VOA.Other analysts observe the new Israeli government clearly signaling a less partisan approach to relations with Washington than its predecessor.Bennett’s government is viewed as more moderate in some respects than Netanyahu’s, but it is “unlikely to take major steps to help end ongoing occupation and de facto annexation in the West Bank or to strongly pursue Israeli-Palestinian peace — and therefore will continue to have significant differences with the U.S. on these critical issues, while finding common ground on others,” said Logan Bayroff, a spokesperson for J Street, a liberal advocacy group focused on Israel.“As the new government finds its feet, we’re encouraging the Biden administration and Congress to make absolutely clear both that the U.S. is completely committed to Israeli security, and that we consider the status quo of endless occupation to be unsustainable, unjust and harmful to the interests of both our countries,” Bayroff said.Also attending the Biden-Rivlin meeting Monday were national security adviser Jake Sullivan and other officials, as well as the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Gilad Erdan.
…
US Strikes Targets in Iraq, Syria Used by Iranian-Backed Militias
A rocket attack targeted U.S. forces in Syria Monday, hours after the U.S. military said it struck three targets near the border between Syria and Iraq used by Iranian-backed militias to carry out drone attacks on U.S. personnel and facilities.“At approx. 7:44 PM local time, U.S. Forces in Syria were attacked by multiple rockets. There are no injuries, and damage is being assessed,” U.S. Colonel Wayne Marotto, the spokesman for the international military intervention against Islamic State, wrote on Twitter.Marotto did not attribute responsibility for the rocket attack.Overnight, the U.S. struck weapons storage and operational facilities used by militias such as Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), according to Pentagon press secretary John Kirby. Two of the targets were inside Syria and one was inside Iraq.VOA Exclusive: CENTCOM Head Says US Will Not Support Afghan Forces with Airstrikes After Troop WithdrawalNew details have emerged about the expected US role in Afghanistan after America’s military exit after nearly 20 years of war“The attacks against our troops need to stop, and that is why the president ordered the operation last night in self-defense of our personnel,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday.U.S. troops in Iraq have come under attack from drone strikes three times in a “little over a month,” General Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, told VOA in an interview in Cairo on June 15. The attacks resulted in no casualties.“There are a lot of drones in Iraq. Some of them are indigenous. Some of them came from Iran. We’re certain of that,” McKenzie said. Pentagon spokesperson Navy Commander Jessica McNulty added on Monday that “Iran-backed militias have conducted at least five one-way UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attacks against facilities used by U.S. and coalition personnel in Iraq since April, as well as ongoing rocket attacks against U.S. and coalition forces.”“The United States does not seek conflict with Iran, but we are well-postured to defend our forces around the region and respond to any threats or attacks,” she said.Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Monday condemned the U.S. airstrike on its soil, calling it a violation of national sovereignty that breached international conventions. Iraq’s military said its country should not be an arena “for settling scores.”Psaki noted that the U.S. agrees with a call for de-escalation from the Iraqi prime minister but said Monday the administration felt confident in its “legal justification” for the strikes.”President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect U.S. personnel,” the Pentagon’s John Kirby said in a late Sunday statement, adding that the strikes were “appropriately limited in scope.”Rocket and drone attacks against coalition troops have been somewhat frequent since a drone strike in January 2020 near the Baghdad airport killed Qasem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the strike.Sunday’s strikes were the second time that the Biden administration has ordered attacks against Iranian-backed groups. In late February, the U.S. targeted buildings in Syria belonging to what the Pentagon said were Iran-backed militias responsible for attacks against American and allied personnel in Iraq.During Monday’s joint press conference with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio in Rome, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. took “necessary, appropriate, deliberate action” designed to limit the risk of escalation while sending a “clear and unambiguous” message of deterrence.Psaki told reporters the White House had notified some members of Congress ahead of the strikes and was in close touch with partners in the region.Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, shared concern that the pace of attacks on U.S. personnel and the number of retaliatory strikes from Iran-backed groups was “starting to look like what would qualify as a pattern of hostilities under the War Powers Act.””Both the Constitution and the War Powers Act require the president to come to Congress for a war declaration under these circumstances,” Murphy said in a statement.Senator Jim Inhofe, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke out against Iranian-backed militias and said the attacks “highlight the continued need” for Congress’ 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force, which Congress is currently debating whether to revoke.The AUMF authorizes all necessary force against entities the president determines aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such terrorists, in order to prevent any future attacks against the United States.”Iran’s persistent attacks on American personnel via its proxies cannot be tolerated,” Inhofe said in a statement. “We need a more focused and clear approach on Iran from President Biden — not one that occasionally responds to its threats, but too often seeks to appease it.”Nike Ching contributed to this report.
…
Two Explosions Hit Congo’s Eastern City of Beni
Congo banned public gatherings for two days starting Monday in Beni, after the eastern city was hit by two explosions. A suicide bomber detonated his explosives at a busy intersection in Beni on Sunday, the same day another explosion rocked a Catholic church, authorities said. Neither bomb killed any civilians, but the government closed major gathering spaces for two days and imposed restrictions on public meetings as a precaution against further explosions. The suicide bomber has been identified as a Ugandan who was a member of the Allied Democratic Forces, according to Congolese army spokesman Lt. Anthony Mwalushay. Esperance, 75, sits in bed at the General Referral Hospital in Beni, June 27, 2021, after a makeshift bomb exploded inside the Emmanuel Butsili Catholic Church.The suicide bombing was the first such attack in Beni, worrying authorities who noted the longtime ADF rebel group has in the past few years pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. “We arrested two suspects and intercepted their communications,” Mwalushay said Monday. “I call on the population to be calm and to be very vigilant.” Schools, markets and churches are closed for 48 hours in Beni, he said. “We do not want a crowd of more than 10 people for security reasons to avoid falling into the trap of the new modus operandi of the Ugandan ADF rebels in Beni,” he said. Children stand outside the Emmanuel Butsili Catholic Church in Beni, June 27, 2021, after a makeshift bomb exploded.A bomb had also exploded early Sunday at a Catholic church in Beni’s Butsili district. No one was killed, but two people were seriously injured. “We were about to open the doors of the church to allow the faithful to participate in mass. We heard a bomb inside the church. Two people were already there for morning prayer,” said Mathe Kombi Victoire who works at the church. This is the third attack in 2021 on a religious target, according to military and government authorities who noted that two imams were killed by ADF rebels earlier in the year. Many Beni residents stayed at home in fear on Monday. “We would like the Congolese government to strengthen the military presence in certain places of the city of Beni so that these kinds of explosions do not appear again,” said Mumbere Mafuta, a Beni resident. “It is serious because these kinds of explosions resemble that of a terrorist and here in Beni we have never seen such things. Today it is a bar, church and market. We don’t know if tomorrow it will be a school. May God help us.” The ADF originated in neighboring Uganda and has been a threat in eastern Congo for more than 20 years. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for some attacks carried out by ADF rebels, but the exact relationship between the groups is not clear. A Congolese military campaign was launched against the rebels last year, and fighters have since dispersed and fled into various parts of eastern Congo, where dozens of armed groups fight over control of the mineral-rich territory. The rebels have responded to the military offensive with increased attacks, especially in Beni and the surrounding area.
…
EU Warns Against COVID-19 Complacency as Delta Variant Spreads
The vice president of the European Commission on Monday warned against complacency regarding the COVID-19 pandemic as the highly infectious delta variant, first discovered in India, continues to spread on the continent. During a European Union parliamentary committee meeting, European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas said a recent advisory from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indicates the delta variant is expected to account for 70% of all new cases in Europe by August, and 90% by the end of that month. He said ECDC modeling scenarios suggested that further relaxations of coronavirus safety restrictions would lead to “a significant increase in daily cases in all age groups with an associated increase in hospitalizations and probably deaths.” Schinas added he had doubts about London’s Wembley stadium hosting the semi-final or final match of the European soccer championship at high capacity. He said given Britain’s travel restrictions on travel to Europe, “there needs to be a certain amount of symmetry to these decisions.””I think here that UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) would do well to carefully analyze its decision,” he added. The British government has said Wembley will be allowed to hold the Euro 2020 semi-finals and final with at least 60,000 fans. Britain’s new Health Minister Sajid David told Parliament Monday he sees no reason why the government cannot go ahead with its plan to lift all restrictions in the country by July 19. This article contains content from The Associated Press and Reuters.
…
Indonesia COVID-19 Surge Brings High Rate of Cases Among Children
Indonesia is struggling with another peak of COVID-19. Infections topped two million in June, with the Delta variant driving the current surge. And as the county’s pediatricians point out, 1 out of 8 of confirmed cases are found in children and the fatality rate among children is the highest in the world. VOA’s Rendy Wicaksana reports.
…
Russia Denies its Personnel in CAR Involved in Killings
The Kremlin on Monday strongly rejected claims that Russian military instructors in the Central African Republic have been involved in killing civilians and looting homes. During a heated discussion at the U.N. Security Council last week, the United States, Britain and France accused Russian military contractors of committing human rights abuses in the conflict-stricken country. On Sunday, The New York Times cited a report to the Security Council that accused the Russians of killing civilians and looting homes during fighting earlier this year. FILE – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov listens during a news conference in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 19, 2019.Asked about the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov categorically denied the assertion. “Russian military advisers couldn’t take part and didn’t take part in any killings or lootings,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. “This is yet another lie.” The mineral-rich Central African Republic has faced deadly interreligious and intercommunal fighting since 2013. A peace deal between the government and 14 rebel groups was signed in February 2019, but large-scale violence has continued. FILE – Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera delivers his speech in Bangui, March 30, 2021.The country’s Russia-backed president, Faustin-Archange Touadera, won a second term in December’s election, but he has continued to face resistance from rebel forces linked to former President Francois Bozize. Russia has deployed military advisers in CAR training its military at the invitation of the government. Last week, the U.S., Britain and France accused Russian personnel in CAR of committing abuses against civilians and obstructing U.N. peacekeeping — accusations Russia angrily denied. FILE – Yevgeny Prigozhin gestures during a meeting outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Aug. 9, 2016.The Western powers linked the Russian personnel in CAR to the notorious Wagner Group, a private security company allegedly tied to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman who has been indicted in the United States on charges of meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Companies linked to Prigozhin also have reportedly secured lucrative mining contracts in CAR. In 2018, three Russian journalists were killed in CAR while investigating Wagner’s activities there, and no suspects have been found. Prigozhin earned the nickname “Putin’s chef” for hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin and his foreign guests at his restaurant and catering important Kremlin events.
…
Anti-Islamic State Coalition: IS Terrorists Remain a Threat
Coalition ministers met face-to-face in Rome for the first time in two years, pledging to maintain watch against a resurgence of the insurgents.The resumption in ISIS “activities and its ability to rebuild its networks and capabilities to target security forces and civilians in areas in Iraq and Syria where the coalition is not active, requires strong vigilance and coordinated action,” the diplomats said in a concluding communique.The coalition said it needed “both to address the drivers that make communities vulnerable to recruitment by Daesh/ISIS and related violent ideological groups, as well as to provide support to liberated areas to safeguard our collective security interests.” The group “noted with grave concern that Daesh/ISIS affiliates and networks in sub-Saharan Africa threaten security and stability, namely in the Sahel Region and in East Africa/Mozambique.” The coalition said it would work with any country that requested help in fighting ISIS.Daesh is Arabic acronym for Islamic State.Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at Quirinale Palace in Rome, June 28, 2021.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the start of the coalition meeting, “We’ve made great progress because we’ve been working together, so we hope you’ll keep an eye on the fight, keep up the fight against this terrorist organization until it is decisively defeated.”He said coalition efforts had produced “significant achievements,” including virtually ceasing the movement of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria.Blinken noted that 10,000 ISIS militants are being detained by Syrian Democratic Forces, calling the situation “simply untenable” and calling on governments to repatriate their citizens for rehabilitation or prosecution.The top U.S. diplomat announced $436 million in additional humanitarian aid for Syrians and communities in surrounding countries that have been hosting Syrian refugees. He said the money would go toward providing food, water, shelter, health care, education and protection.The United States launched a coalition effort, now involving 83 members, aimed at defeating the Islamic State group in 2014 after the militants seized control of a large area across northern Syria and Iraq, and in 2019 declared the militants had been ousted from their last remaining territory. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accompanied by Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, right, speaks during a news conference at Fiera Roma in Rome, June 28, 2021.Another meeting Monday in Italy focused specifically on Syria, where in addition to issues related to the Islamic State group, Blinken, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi De Maio and other ministers called for renewed efforts to bring an end to the decade-long conflict that began in 2011. Humanitarian access, in particular the ability for the United Nations to deliver cross-border aid, were among the issues that Blinken highlighted, the State Department said. He also expressed U.S. support for an immediate cease-fire in Syria. “Stability in Syria, and the greater region, can only be achieved through a political process that represents the will of all Syrians,” Joey Hood, the acting assistant secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, told reporters. “We’re committed to working with allies, partners, and the U.N. to ensure that a durable political solution remains within reach.” Efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict, through a combination of halting the fighting and carrying out a political roadmap endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, have seen little progress in recent years. Hood said the international community “must renew its shared resolve to ensure the protection, dignity, and human rights of the Syrian people.” Pope Francis shakes hands with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as they meet at the Vatican, June 28, 2021.Earlier Monday, Blinken visited the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis and other officials, with climate change, human rights and human trafficking among the topics of discussion. The visit came ahead of an expected October meeting between the pope and Joe Biden, the second Catholic U.S. president. Blinken is on a multi-nation tour of Europe, which on Tuesday takes him to Matera, Italy for a meeting of G-20 foreign ministers. The agenda for those talks includes the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and equitable economic recovery.
…
10 Bodies Recovered, 151 Still Missing from Wreckage of Miami Building
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced Monday one additional body has been recovered, bringing the total to 10 killed and 151 still missing in the wreckage of a 12-story oceanfront apartment building that partially collapsed last week.
Levine Cava announced the latest body count during a media briefing near the scene of the incident. Rescue officials say the body was recovered as search crews removed rubble in what they called a “delayering” process to search for remains or possible survivors. The mayor stressed the numbers are “very fluid” and expected to change.
Asked why the process is going so slowly, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Ray Jadallah said that searching the wreckage is not simply a matter of moving large slabs of material but of going through pulverized concrete. He said much of the search is conducted by hand, and every time material is moved, other material falls into its place.
Jadallah said the process is also dangerous, saying a search and rescue worker Sunday tumbled seven meters into an opening in the rubble. The crews have now been on scene for more than 100 consecutive hours.
The mayor said the pace of the search process is the main question she gets from families of the missing. She said family members and loved ones have been brought to the scene to observe the process. Workers continued to use rescue dogs and sonar to find possible survivors who were living in the south building of the Champlain Towers condominium complex.
Published reports have indicated that there had been warnings regarding the structural integrity of the building long before the collapse. Local, state, and federal officials at the news briefing all promised a thorough investigation into the cause of the structural failure of the building.
A section of the building containing about 55 apartments collapsed in the predawn hours Thursday in the beach town of Surfside, near Miami Beach.
…
US Supreme Court Declines to Reconsider Transgender Bathroom Case
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to reconsider a major transgender rights case, letting stand a lower court ruling that a Virginia school district acted unlawfully by refusing to let a transgender male use a bathroom at his high school in accord with his gender identity. The justices decided not to hear an appeal from the Gloucester County School Board of a 2020 ruling by the federal appellate court, based in Richmond, that had gone against school officials and in favor of transgender student Gavin Grimm. The court gave no explanation for the ruling. But two of its most conservative justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, were in favor of hearing the case. FILE – Gavin Grimm attends the TIME 100 Gala, celebrating the 100 most influential people in the world, at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, April 25, 2017, in New York.The ruling was a victory for sexual minority advocates. Grimm, who graduated in 2017, sued his school two years before that when it issued a policy to stop him from using a bathroom that corresponded to his gender identity. The school instead told him to use a unisex bathroom, which Grimm said left him feeling “stigmatized and isolated.” His lawyers said the school board decision violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and a U.S. law that bans discrimination in schools on the basis of sex. In 2016, the Supreme Court initially agreed to hear the case, after Grimm won a lower appeals court decision. The administration of former President Barack Obama ordered schools not to discriminate on the basis of gender identity, but the administration of his successor, President Donald Trump, rescinded the order. With the Trump-era order in place, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the appellate court for reconsideration, but it again ruled in Grimm’s favor. The Gloucester school board sought a new Supreme Court consideration of the case after new U.S. President Joe Biden revoked the Trump administration policy that favored the school district. In its petition seeking review of the appellate court decision, the Gloucester board said, “For school officials, as for parents, the question of how best to respond to a teenager who identifies with the opposite biological sex is often excruciatingly difficult. On the one hand, the teenager deserves and needs everyone’s compassion.” FILE – In this May 17, 2016, photo, a sticker designates a gender neutral bathroom at Nathan Hale high school in Seattle in Washington state.But it added, “On the other hand, allowing the teenager to use multi-user restrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities reserved for the opposite sex raises what this court has acknowledged to be serious concerns about bodily privacy — for the teenager and others.” Grimm’s attorneys had asked the court not to hear the case, saying, “The undisputed evidence establishes that, by treating Gavin differently from other boys because he is transgender, the [school board] subjected Gavin to discrimination.” “Excluding transgender students from common spaces based on the alleged discomfort of others ‘would very publicly brand all transgender students with a scarlet ‘T,’ and they should not have to endure that as the price of attending their public school,” Grimm’s lawyers said. The high court decision to not consider the Virginia case again comes as numerous U.S. states consider transgender rights legislation. Several Republican-led states have moved to bar transgender girls from women’s sports teams.
…
Beijing Leaves Nothing to Chance Ahead of Party Centenary
Behind roadblocks and hundreds of police in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Friday, fireworks resembling the national flag bloomed over the city as part of secretive and tightly choreographed rehearsals for the 100th anniversary of China’s Communist Party.
Beijing has shut down traffic, decked streets in patriotic flower arrangements and national flags, and ramped up surveillance and security this week in preparation for the centenary event on July 1.
The covert rehearsals represent the final stages of a yearlong planning effort, designed to glorify party history and cement domestic loyalty to China’s socialist system.
“Without the Communist Party, there is no new China,” read new propaganda posters throughout the city.
Plans for the event haven’t been fully revealed, though state media and government agencies have hinted at a large-scale theatrical event in Tiananmen Square. A performance is scheduled for Monday at the Bird’s Nest stadium, built for the 2008 Olympics.A police officer wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus stands guard near masked Chinese paramilitary officers preparing for their duties near rows of seats setup on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, June 28, 2021.The anniversary has been preceded by a clampdown on potential dissident activity, including a spate of arrests this year under a law banning the defamation of national heroes, and an online venue for citizens to report “historical nihilists,” a phrase referring to those sharing unsanctioned versions of party history.
Upgraded security and its attendant disruption aren’t unusual ahead of major political events in the capital, but the fanfare has taken on added importance amid new political challenges to the party at home and abroad.
“It comes down to legitimacy. … What you’re sitting through in those events is an extended performance for the benefit of the domestic public to basically legitimize an unelected government. Which is why, in short, these things are so important,” said Graeme Smith, a fellow in the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University specializing in Chinese politics.Chinese women take a selfie with a floral decoration with the words “Without the Communist Party, There would be no new China” in Beijing, June 28, 2021.No room for error
On June 23, residents in the old-style hutongs in Beijing awoke to find alleys decked out in a coordinated display of Chinese national flags, visible by almost every doorway.
Beginning in May, teams dressed in orange work uniforms became a common sight throughout the city, upgrading roadside decor and creating elaborate floral arrangements made up of 2.3 million seedlings and potted plants, according to state media.
At the same time, security organs have ramped up surveillance and other restrictions. Last week, police officers went door to door in Beijing’s central Dongcheng district checking house registrations and confirming the number of people living at each address, people in the neighborhood told Reuters.
A Dongcheng police official told Reuters that such visits were “normal inspections.”
People on a citywide list of residents suffering from mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, received house calls and phone checks from authorities, a common practice ahead of major political events, according to two people who received the calls and a doctor who said many of their patients had been contacted.
The Beijing city government did not reply to a request for comment.
Four merchants on China’s top e-commerce site, Taobao.com, told Reuters they had been banned from shipping items including gas bottles and other flammable products to Beijing residents beginning in June. Taobao’s owner, Alibaba, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
“It’s like having an enormous birthday party and not wanting your embarrassing neighbors to spoil it,” said Smith, adding that propaganda around so-called “sensitive days” on Beijing’s calendar can also serve as a warning to potential dissidents.
Throughout China, local state-run institutions, including hospitals, schools and military units, will hold special events marking the anniversary, including political education sessions and party history exhibitions.
“The whole army will transform the political enthusiasm radiated by the celebrations into practical actions to advance the cause of strengthening the country and the army in the new era,” Ren Guoqiang, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said June 23.
Censorship of China’s already tightly controlled cyberspace has intensified.
Two people working at the Tianjin-based censorship unit of social media firm ByteDance Ltd. and one Beijing-based censor for Chinese search engine Baidu.com said they had received new directives in recent months on removing negative commentary about the anniversary. Neither company immediately replied to requests for comment.
“There’s no room for error,” said one ByteDance staffer, who declined to be named because they are not permitted to speak to foreign media.
As of Friday, patriotic fervor on display in Beijing’s streets was largely mirrored online. Despite tight censorship, however, a small number of netizens griped over the road closings and costly events that are closed to the public.
“My family has lived in Beijing for several generations. I have become accustomed to this,” said one commenter on the social media site Weibo.com, venting concerns about pollution from the mass firework displays. “This city has sacrificed too much for politics.”
…
Turkey and France Ease Tensions, but Africa Rivalries Remain
Leaders of Turkey and France are pledging to ease tensions after months of trading insults, but tensions between them remain over their competing interests in Africa.French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian declared Turkey and France are in what he described as “recovery period” after the French and Turkish President met on the sidelines of the NATO summit earlier this month and pledged to resolve their differences. French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan had engaged in a war of words as the two leaders competed for international influence. Sinan Ulgen of the Istanbul-based Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies says there has been a diplomatic breakthrough but he voices caution. “We can talk about a reset with France, but it’s a question about how deep that reset will go. This is part of a broader reset that Turkey has been trying in terms of its foreign relations with the West. However, none of the areas of disagreement with France have been resolved,” said Ulgen. Libya remains a crucial point of tension. France and Turkey backed rival sides in the Libyan civil war, and Paris is at the forefront of an international call for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the north African country. Last year, Turkish and French warships almost clashed off the shores of Libya over French claims that Turkey was violating a Libyan arms embargo. But Ulgen says both sides now recognize the need for diplomacy. “There is realization both Ankara and Paris that some progress can be achieved, if the two are less confrontational and work diplomatically towards some sort of negotiated formula,” says Ulgen. A Turkish presidential advisor has suggested France and Turkey could extend cooperation beyond Libya to the rest of Africa to contain China’s growing influence. The Sahel RegionAnkara is building up its presence on the continent, especially in the Sahel region. But Turkish moves to develop ties with former French colonies like Niger and Mali is causing alarm in Paris, says Jalel Harchouai, a senior fellow at the Geneva-based GlobHarchaoui says the Sahel could become an increasing point of tension rather than cooperation. “There is a real rivalry,” he said. “There is an actual competition in the Sahel. Because Turkey wants to be present militarily, it is already very present diplomatically, and it’s very ambitious commercially. We are talking about a time horizon of fifteen years or thirty years. So if France sees an adversary in that, I think that France [is] correct because there is not enough room for both former colonizers of the area.” For now, both French and Turkish Presidents appear interested in downplaying their differences. But that could change with next year’s French presidential elections, where the role of Islam in French society is a campaign issue. Erdogan portrays himself as a defender of global Muslim rights and has in the past accused Macron of Islamophobia — an issue Erdogan also uses for leverage in majority-Muslim African countries, much to Paris’ unease.
…
Criminal Hearings Resume for Myanmar’s Deposed Leader
Three separate hearings on criminal charges brought against deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi took place Monday in the capital, Naypyitaw.Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw, told journalists the first hearing involved two witnesses testifying on charges she violated the country’s Natural Disaster Management Law for breaking COVID-19 restrictions while campaigning during last year’s parliamentary election.In the second hearing, Khin Maung Zaw said the court sustained an objection to the defense team’s cross-examination of a police officer in the case against Suu Kyi under the Communications Law on the grounds the question may affect the court’s verdict.The final hearing involved charges she violated the country’s Export-Import Law.Khin Maung Zaw said the hearings have been adjourned until next Monday, July 5.The 76-year-old Suu Kyi has been detained since February 1, when her civilian government was overthrown nearly three months after her National League for Democracy party scored a landslide electoral victory. Along with violating the COVID-19 restrictions, she has been accused of illegally possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies, breaching the Official Secrets Act, inciting public unrest, misusing land for her charitable foundation, and accepting illegal payments of $600,000 in cash plus 11 kilograms of gold.Ousted President Win Myint and former Naypyitaw mayor Myo Aung are being tried alongside Suu Kyi.Electoral fraud allegationThe junta has cited widespread electoral fraud in the November 8 election as a reason for the coup, an allegation the civilian electoral commission denied. The junta has threatened to dissolve the NLD over the allegations. The coup triggered a crisis in that led to deadly anti-junta demonstrations and clashes among several armed ethnic groups and the ruling junta.In a campaign to quell the protests, the government has killed more than 800 protesters and bystanders since the takeover, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which tracks casualties and arrests in Myanmar.
…
UN Rights Chief: Reparations Needed for People Facing Racism
The U.N. human rights chief, in a landmark report launched after the killing of George Floyd in the United States, is urging countries worldwide to do more to help end discrimination, violence and systemic racism against people of African descent and “make amends” to them — including through reparations.
The report from Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, offers a sweeping look at the roots of centuries of mistreatment faced by Africans and people of African descent, notably from the transatlantic slave trade. It seeks a “transformative” approach to address its continued impact today.
The report, a year in the making, hopes to build on momentum around the recent, intensified scrutiny worldwide about the blight of racism and its impact on people of African descent as epitomized by the high-profile killings of unarmed Black people in the United States and elsewhere.
“There is today a momentous opportunity to achieve a turning point for racial equality and justice,” the report said.
The report aims to speed up action by countries to end racial injustice; end impunity for rights violations by police; ensure that people of African descent and those who speak out against racism are heard; and face up to past wrongs through accountability and redress.
“I am calling on all states to stop denying — and start dismantling — racism; to end impunity and build trust; to listen to the voices of people of African descent; and to confront past legacies and deliver redress,” Bachelet said in a video statement.
While broaching the issue of reparation in her most explicit way yet, Bachelet suggested that monetary compensation alone is not enough and would be part of an array of measures to help rectify or make up for the injustices.
“Reparations should not only be equated with financial compensation,” she wrote, adding that it should include restitution, rehabilitation, acknowledgement of injustices, apologies, memorialization, educational reforms and “guarantees” that such injustices won’t happen again.
The U.N.-backed Human Rights Council commissioned the report during a special session last year following the murder of Floyd, a Black American who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was sentenced to 22-1/2 years in prison last week.
Protests erupted after excruciating bystander video showed how Floyd gasped repeatedly, “I can’t breathe!” as onlookers yelled at Chauvin to stop pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck.
The protests against Floyd’s killing and the “momentous” verdict against Chauvin are a “seminal point in the fight against racism,” the report said.
The report was based on discussions with more than 340 people — mostly of African descent — and experts; more than 100 contributions in writing, including from governments; and review of public material, the rights office said.
It analyzed 190 deaths, mostly in the U.S., to show how law enforcement officers are rarely held accountable for rights violations and crimes against people of African descent, and it noted similar patterns of mistreatment by police across many countries.
The report ultimately aims to transform those opportunities into a more systemic response by governments to address racism, and not just in the United States — although the injustices and legacy of slavery, racism and violence faced by African Americans was clearly a major theme.
The report also laid out cases, concerns and the situation in roughly 60 countries including Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Colombia and France, among others.
“We could not find a single example of a state that has fully reckoned with the past or comprehensively accounted for the impacts of the lives of people of African descent today,” Mona Rishmawi, who leads a unit on non-discrimination at the U.N. human rights office, told a news conference. “Our message, therefore, is that this situation is untenable.”
Compensation should be considered at the “collective and the individual level,” she said, while adding that any such process “starts with acknowledgment” of past wrongs and “it’s not one-size-fits-all.” She said countries must look at their own pasts and practices to assess how to proceed.
The U.N. report called on countries to make ” amends for centuries of violence and discrimination” such as through “formal acknowledgment and apologies, truth-telling processes and reparations in various forms.”
It also decried the “dehumanization of people of African descent” that was “rooted in false social constructions of race” in the past to justify enslavement, racial stereotypes and harmful practices as well as tolerance for racial discrimination, inequality and violence.
It cited inequalities faced by people of African descent and the “stark socioeconomic and political marginalization” they face in many countries, including unfair access to education, health care, jobs, housing and clean water.
…
Blinken Urges US Allies to Keep Up Islamic State Fight
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged allies Monday to maintain a focus on defeating the Islamic State group, with a particular focus on countering its affiliates in Africa.“We’ve made great progress because we’ve been working together, so we hope you’ll keep an eye on the fight, keep up the fight against this terrorist organization until it is decisively defeated,” Blinken said in Italy Monday at the start of a meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.He said coalition efforts had produced “significant achievements,” including virtually ceasing the movement of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria.Blinken noted that 10,000 ISIS militants are being detained by Syrian Democratic Forces, calling the situation “simply untenable” and calling on governments to repatriate their citizens for rehabilitation or prosecution.The top U.S. diplomat announced $436 million in additional humanitarian aid for Syrians and communities in surrounding countries that have been hosting Syrian refugees. He said the money would go toward providing food, water, shelter, health care, education and protection.The United States launched a coalition effort, now involving 83 members, aimed at defeating the Islamic State group in 2014 after the militants seized control of a large area across northern Syria and Iraq, and in 2019 declared the militants had been ousted from their last remaining territory. Syria
Another meeting Monday in Italy focuses specifically on Syria, where in addition to issues related to the Islamic State group, Blinken, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi De Maio and other ministers will focus on renewing efforts to bring an end to the decade-long conflict that began in 2011. Humanitarian access, in particular the ability for the United Nations to deliver cross-border aid, will be among the issues that Blinken highlights, the State Department said. He is also expected to discuss U.S. support for an immediate cease-fire in Syria. “Stability in Syria, and the greater region, can only be achieved through a political process that represents the will of all Syrians,” Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood told reporters. “We’re committed to working with allies, partners, and the U.N. to ensure that a durable political solution remains within reach.” Efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict, through a combination of halting the fighting and carrying out a political roadmap endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, have seen little progress in recent years. Hood said the international community “must renew its shared resolve to ensure the protection, dignity, and human rights of the Syrian people.” Pope Francis shakes hands with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as they meet at the Vatican, June 28, 2021.Vatican visit Earlier Monday,Blinken visited the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis and other officials with climate change, human rights and human trafficking among the topics of discussion. The visit came ahead of an expected October meeting between the pope and U.S. President Joe Biden, who is the second Catholic to lead the United States. Today I had the great pleasure of touring the Vatican, including the beautiful Sistine Chapel. The spiritual atmosphere, the divine art, and the impressive architecture left me speechless. Truly stunning. pic.twitter.com/aa1jrzTojV— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 28, 2021In addition to meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Blinken received a tour of the Sala Regia and Sistine Chapel. Blinken is on a multi-nation tour of Europe, which on Tuesday brings him to Matera, Italy for a meeting of G-20 foreign ministers. The agenda for those talks includes the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and equitable economic recovery.
…
Before Miami Building Collapse, $9M+ in Repairs Needed
Owners of units in a Florida oceanfront condo building that collapsed with deadly consequences were just days away from a deadline to start making steep payments toward more than $9 million in major repairs that had been recommended nearly three years earlier. That cost estimate, from the Morabito Consultants engineering firm in 2018, meant owners at Champlain Towers South were facing payments of anywhere from $80,000 for a one-bedroom unit to $330,000 or so for a penthouse, to be paid all at once or in installments. Their first deadline was July 1. One resident whose apartment was spared, Adalberto Aguero, had just taken out a loan to cover his $80,000 bill. “I figured I would pay it off after they fixed the building. I didn’t want to pay it off before because you never know,” said Aguero, adding that he pulled paperwork to make the installment payments a day after Thursday’s collapse. “I said cancel everything.” An itemized bill sent by the condo board in April to owners of the building’s 136 units showed that much of the planned work was in the pool area and the façade. Installing new pavers and waterproofing the pool deck and building entrance would cost $1.8 million, with another $1 million going to “structural repairs” and “planter landscaping,” according to a condo board email obtained by The Associated Press. A line item of “miscellaneous repairs” that included work on the garage was estimated to cost $280,000. Total costs assessed, including many items that appeared to be for aesthetic purpose: $15 million. In this image, released by the Miami-Dade Fire Department, rescuers search for survivors in the rubble of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida, on June 25, 2021.Engineers and construction experts say the Morabito documents that focused just on the structural work make clear there were several major repairs that needed to be done as soon as possible. Other than some roof repairs, that work had not begun, officials said. The cost estimate emailed by Morabito Consultants to Surfside officials was among a series of documents released as rescue efforts continued at the site of the collapsed building, where more than 150 people remained unaccounted for. At least nine people were killed in the collapse, authorities said Sunday. Another 2018 Morabito report submitted to the city said waterproofing under the pool deck had failed and had been improperly laid flat instead of sloped, preventing water from draining off. “The failed waterproofing is causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas. Failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially,” the report said. The firm recommended that the damaged slabs be replaced in what would be a major repair. That came as news to Susana Alvarez, who lived on the 10th floor of the doomed tower and said a Surfside official assured residents in a 2018 meeting that there was no danger. It wasn’t clear who that official was. “The Town of Surfside told us the building was not in bad shape. That is what they said,” Alvarez said on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition program. “No one ever told us that building was in such bad shape.” A daughter of Claudio Bonnefoy, a resident from Chile who is missing, said it appears that someone ignored key signals the building was in danger. “This is starting to make me angry because reports from years ago reporting serious structural damage to the building are little by little being known,” said the daughter, Pascale Bonnefoy. “It seems this was predictable because the technicians alerted [others about it] and nobody did anything.” The Morabito firm said in a statement that it was hired in June 2020 by Champlain Towers South to begin the 40-year recertification process required of all buildings in Miami-Dade County that reach that age. The Champlain building was constructed in 1981. “At the time of the building collapse, roof repairs were under way, but concrete restoration had not yet begun,” the statement said. An attorney for the Champlain Towers South condominium association, which was in charge of the repair work, did not immediately respond Sunday to an email seeking comment. Surfside officials also did not respond to an email seeking comment. A new batch of emails from building officials and condo board members that were made public Sunday has added to the mystery. In one email, a Surfside official praised the building’s board for plans to start the 40-year recertification process early after attending a November 2018 meeting. “This particular building is not due to begin their forty year until 2021 but they have decided to start the process early which I wholeheartedly endorse and wish that this trend would catch on with other properties,” said Surfside Building Official Ross Prieto. A few months later, a board member wrote to Prieto that workers next door were digging “too close to our property, and we have concerns regarding the structure of our building.” Prieto wrote back to monitor a nearby fence, the building’s pool and adjacent areas for damage. Surfside has hired Allyn Kilsheimer of KCE Structural Engineers to consult on the Champlain Towers disaster. Surfside officials say Kilsheimer has worked on numerous such cases, including the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks and the collapse of a pedestrian bridge at Florida International University. Stephanie Walkup, an engineering professor at Villanova University, said it will take time to pinpoint the cause — or series of causes — that brought down Champlain Towers South. “The ultimate cause of the collapse may have been related to design error, construction error, deterioration or other event,” Walkup said in an email. “We all want answers and engineers will want to learn from this collapse as we have others, but we want to make sure we have the right ones,” she added.
…
Aging Population to Challenge Australian Finances in Future Decades Warns Report
Australia is facing a smaller and older population as a result of coronavirus, according to a landmark government study that is published every five years. The Fifth Intergenerational Report is forecasting slower population growth in Australia due to falling levels of immigration and a sharp decline in the fertility rate. The reports are published every five years. They forecast the outlooks for the economy and the budget over the next four decades. Modeling has suggested that the economic legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic is going to be felt for many years to come. It has highlighted the ballooning costs of health care as the population ages. By 2060, there will be just 2.7 people of working age for every person aged over 65 in Australia, compared to the current level of four people, which puts a greater strain on public finances. The taxes of working-age people help to support the essential services for a growing cohort of older Australians. The government has said its challenge was to fund aged care services while “maintaining a sustainable tax burden” on workers. Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. “What this Fifth Intergenerational Report does show is that the Australian economy continues to grow, that we have debt increasing but it remains sustainable and low by international standards, but that we do have a major challenge ahead of us, namely the aging of the population, the longer-term impacts of COVID and the need for Australia to boost productivity,” Frydenberg said.Twenty-five million people live in Australia. The Fifth Intergenerational Report has predicted that number will to grow to about 39 million by 2060, which is less than previous estimates. It is the first time that long-term population projections have been revised downwards. It means the Australian economy will be smaller and the community will be older than previously anticipated. Migration has boosted economic growth and can reduce the impact of an aging population, but Australia closed its international borders in March 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19 and immigration has all but stopped. Even when travel restrictions are eased, the government says migration levels will take years to recover. Girls born in Australia between 2017 and 2019 can expect to live 85-years, or about 4 years longer than boys.
…
South Africa Clamps Down Against New COVID Wave
South Africa is fighting a strong “third wave” of coronavirus, leading President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce a raft of new restrictions to try to curb the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. FILE – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address in Cape Town, South Africa, Feb. 11, 2021.The president said on national television late Sunday that the Delta variant has now been detected in five of the nation’s nine provinces. “The rapid spread of this variant is extremely serious,” he said. “It is for this reason that I said I address you on a weighty matter tonight. Even if it is not more severe, the rate at which people are infected could lead to many more people becoming ill and requiring treatment at the same time. We therefore need to take extra precautions.” Those measures include a ban on all gatherings, the closure of schools, a ban on all alcohol sales and in-restaurant dining, a stronger curfew and tougher enforcement for lawbreakers. And, for the worst-affected province, Gauteng — home to the Johannesburg-Pretoria megaplex — he also announced a 14-day ban on leisure travel. South Africa, the epicenter of coronavirus on the continent, has reported more than 1.9 million cases, with more than 18,000 new cases on Saturday and 15,000 new cases reported on Sunday, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Of all the cases, 59,900 have been fatal. “We are in the grip of a devastating wave that by all indications seems like it will be worse than those that preceded it,” Ramaphosa warned. “The peak of this third wave looks set to be higher than the previous two.” “Catastrophic failures’ The reaction to his announcement split along political lines, with the ruling African National Congress expressing support and opposition parties slamming the government’s reaction to the pandemic. “We believe that these measures are necessary to flatten the curve,” said ANC spokesman Pule Mabe, speaking to state-run television. FILE – An elderly woman leaves as others wait to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, at a clinic at Orange Farm, near Johannesburg, June 3, 2021.But the far-left opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party vowed, in a statement, to continue to campaign for October elections despite restrictions. They accuse the ruling party of “using lockdowns and restrictions to manage the inevitable, but coming, removal of the ANC from power in all municipalities.” And the opposition Democratic Alliance is calling for an inquiry into the government’s vaccination program, with party leader John Steenhuisen on Sunday laying blame on Ramaphosa directly. “Every COVID death and every job lost to the draconian restrictions he announced tonight are on President Ramaphosa now,” he said in a statement. “He is now forcing South Africans to pay the price for his administration’s catastrophic vaccine failures, or “missteps” as he calls them.” Waiting for vaccines Although South Africa began to receive vaccine doses in February, only 2.7 million people have been vaccinated — a far cry from the nation’s goal of vaccinating 40 million people. FILE – A person holds a placard as supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) march to demand a rollout of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines, in Pretoria, South Africa, June 25, 2021.Ramaphosa announced that the next phase of vaccinations would start this month, targeting people over the age of 50. Additionally, he said, those who work in basic education and in the security sector, such as the police, are beginning to receive vaccinations. “We ran short and we are not the only country in the world,” Ramaphosa said. “I get calls every day from leaders on the continent about the availability of vaccines — from as far afield as the Caribbean. The entire world is crying out for vaccines and we are doing everything we can to make sure that the vaccines are here. Whilst we do so, we must observe what we have always talked about as a defense: wearing our masks, regularly washing or sanitizing our hands. We must always keep a safe distance from others unless it is necessary. We must remain at home.”
…
Former Apple Daily Staffer Arrested at Hong Kong Airport – Reports
Local news outlets in Hong Kong say a former columnist at the now-defunct pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper has been arrested while trying to leave the city. Hong Kong police issued a report saying a 57-year-old man, whose name was not released, had been arrested at the airport Sunday night and charged under the national security law for suspicion of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. The police statement did not reveal the man’s identity, but news reports identified him as Fung Wai-kong. The Hong Kong Journalists Association condemned the arrest in a statement, and warned that “If even the pen of a literati cannot be accommodated, Hong Kong will hardly be regarded as an international city.” If the reports are accurate, Fung would be the seventh staffer at Apple Daily to be detained in the days before and after the newspaper shut down operations. The newspaper’s publisher, Next Digital, issued 1 million copies of its final print edition last Thursday, a day after the publisher announced it was closing shop citing “the current circumstances prevailing in Hong Kong.” The decision was made nearly a week after more than 500 police officers raided the newspaper’s offices and arrested its chief editor, Ryan Law, and four other executives with the newspaper and Next Digital. Authorities then froze $2.3 million of its assets, leaving the company unable to pay its staffers. Law and Chief Executive Officer Cheung Kim-hung have been charged with colluding with a foreign country and have been denied bail. The day before Apple Daily’s closure, another staffer, identified as the newspaper’s lead editorial writer and columnist, was arrested. Police said a 55-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to collude with a foreign country or foreign forces. Apple Daily and its 73-year-old publisher, Next Digital founder and owner Jimmy Lai, have been the target of Hong Kong authorities since China imposed a strict national security law last June in response to the massive and sometimes violent anti-government protests in 2019. The newspaper’s offices were raided last August after Lai was arrested at his house on suspicion of foreign collusion. Hong Kong authorities have cited dozens of articles published by Apple Daily it says violated the security law, which targets anyone authorities suspected of carrying out terrorism, separatism, subversion of state power or collusion with foreign forces. Apple Daily’s closure appears to have had a chilling effect on at least one Hong Kong news outlet, the online-based Stand News, which announced Sunday it was removing older published commentaries and would no longer accept donations from readers. The outlet’s publishers said the moves were taken to protect its supporters, writers and editorial staff. Information from the Associated Press and Reuters was included in this report.
…
Resign or Call Elections? Big Decision for Swedish PM
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who lost a confidence vote last week, faces a stark choice Monday; call snap elections or resign and trigger the search for a successor. The Social Democrat leader — a master of consensus for some, a dull and visionless party man for others — has had seven days since the confidence vote in which to attempt to secure a parliamentary majority in his favor. Now, barring last-minute success in persuading other parties to create a more stable coalition, his options are very limited.The 63-year-old Lofven, a former welder and union leader with the square build and nose of a boxer, guided the Swedish left back to power in 2014, and then hung on by moving his party closer to the center right after the 2018 elections. He finally fell out with the Left Party propping up his government, becoming the first Swedish government leader to be defeated by a no-confidence vote. The motion of no confidence was filed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, after the Left Party said it was planning such a motion itself in protest of a plan to ease rent controls. On the left,the proposal for “market rents”, that would potentially allow landlords to freely set rents for new apartments, is seen as being at odds with the Swedish social model and a threat to tenants’ rights.The conservative Moderate Party and the Christian Democrats were quick to back the motion, which was passed by 181 MPs in the 349-seat parliament. Last-ditch efforts to appease the Left Party, which holds 27 seats, failed. Critics have described the constellation as an “unholy alliance” of parties at opposite ends of the political spectrum.After 11 unsuccessful no-confidence votes in modern Swedish political history, Lofven, who has previously distinguished himself by his ability to survive political crises, thus ended up setting an unwanted precedent.Elections or resignation? Any snap poll would be held in addition tothe general election scheduled for September 2022, which would result in two ballots in just over a year. If Lofven opts for fresh elections, they would be the first snap polls in the country since 1958. According to an Ipsos opinion poll published Tuesday, the right and far-right would come out on top in a general election, with a very slim parliamentary majority.If Lofven chooses instead to resign,it will be up to parliamentary speaker Andreas Norlen to open negotiations to find a new prime minister.That could open the way for Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson to assume the office, according to the Expressen daily’s Patrik Kronqvist. The process could also bea slow one. Norlen would have to consult each party before proposing a new PM. The parliamentary speaker would then need to receive backing from 175 deputies for his choice. If he failed to do so, then it would be back to a general election.
…
Malaysia’s Effort to Modernize Air Force Shows Latent Fear of China
Pressure from China over a festering maritime sovereignty dispute has added momentum to Malaysia’s drive for a more modern air force including the purchase of 36 new aircraft, analysts believe. Malaysia’s Ministry of Defense issued a notice June 22 saying that it would accept bids for light combat aircraft and trainers for the air force. The three-month open tender for an initial 18 aircraft fits into the Malaysian Royal Air Force’s broader modernization effort. A plan dubbed Capability 55 calls for getting another 18 aircraft of the same type by 2025 plus six unmanned aerial systems to improve maritime patrols. The air force’s pursuit of new hardware follows a navy modernization made public in 2017. Analysts said at the time the fleet upgrades would help monitor for Chinese vessels in the contested, resource-rich South China Sea.Malaysia Buying Chinese Ships to Protect its Waters From China, Others
Malaysia’s deal to buy Chinese naval ships and step up patrols against any intrusions from China underscores the complexity of relations between the two countries and signals growing concern over national defense.Officials from the Southeast Asian country, with a coastline stretching from the Sulu Sea westward to the Indian Ocean, said in November they would get four littoral mission ships made in China.Littoral mission ships are relatively small vessels designed in the past for stealth combat near…
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry protested earlier this month over 16 Chinese warplanes that were picked up by radar 111 kilometers off the coast of Borneo Island located in the South China Sea.Malaysia Accuses Chinese Military of Violating its AirspaceMalaysia to lodge formal protest with Chinese envoy over “intrusion” China’s flyby raised the urgency of bringing aircraft up to date in Malaysia, experts in the Southeast Asian country say. “That incident highlights the need for Malaysia to have more modern patrol aircraft, if anything,” said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. “I think in general our air force equipments are really outdated.” China’s activity by itself didn’t prompt the air force overhaul but can hardly be overlooked, said Shariman Lockman, senior foreign policy and security studies analyst with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia. “It’s China but it’s not China,” he said. “It’s the long-term thing. It’s (been) in the plan for some time already.” British-made Hawk aircraft in the air force today are “platforms for defending the sovereignty of our nation’s air space” despite their age of 25 years at the time, chief General Tan Sri Affendi Buang said in 2019 via a Malaysia-based Sun Daily news website report. Hawks lack the payload of more modern planes, Lockman said. The aircraft model is often used for training rather than formal missions, as well. Malaysia sent Hawks to intercept the 16 Chinese planes this month to monitor their flight path. Malaysia entered a prolonged standoff in November with China over a disputed tract of sea, also near Borneo, known for undersea fossil fuel reserves. Malaysia is the more aggressive driller for oil and gas in waters where the standoff took place. Beijing claims about 90% of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea, which extends from Borneo north to Hong Kong. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam call parts of the sea their own, and Taiwan claims most of it. Claimants prize the waterway for fisheries and fossil fuel reserves. China is the most militarily advanced of the six governments. The others resent China’s landfilling of small islets in the sea over the past decade for military use and passing vessels through waters they call their own. Beijing cites historical usage records to back its claims including in the exclusive economic zones of other states such as Malaysia. “It appears that the biggest conventional challenge that the Malaysian military faces from now is China’s growing presence in the form of an increasing number of naval and coast guard vessels and the Chinese newly built installations in the South China Sea,” said Fabrizio Bozzato, senior research fellow at the Tokyo-based Sasakawa Peace Foundation’s Ocean Policy Research Institute. Malaysia’s defense ministry will probably look at buying the new aircraft from Europe, India, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, according to analysts and defense media reports. Citizens in Malaysia may chafe at the bill, however, Lockman said. They would expect the government to keep pumping money into stimulus as COVID-19 caseloads prolong a severe lockdown. “Spending on stuff made abroad is not exactly a popular thing,” he said.
…