US COVID Cases, Hospitalizations Rise Again

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday new cases of COVID-19 were up in the United States by nearly 11 percent in the past week, driven by the prevalence of the delta variant in areas with the nation’s lowest vaccination rates.
During the regular weekly White House COVID Response Team briefing, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said hospitalizations were also up in the past week by about seven percent, while deaths from COVID-19 continued to fall.  
Walensky said the statistics show “two truths” that exist in the U.S., with the nation’s vaccination effort significantly driving down cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 from the peaks they reached in January. She said more than 160 million people in the United States are now fully vaccinated.
On the other hand, the CDC director said “new and concerning trends” are being seen indicating the areas with the lowest vaccination rates have the highest rates of new cases and highest percentage of the more contagious delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19.
 
She said the delta variant is now the most prevalent variant in the country, accounting for more than 50 percent of all new cases across the country, up from 26 percent in just over two weeks. She said the variant accounts for much as 80 percent of new cases in some areas of the Midwest and mountain states.
The CDC director said 93 percent of the 173 counties in the U.S. with infection rates higher than 100 per 100,000 people also have vaccination rates below 40 percent.  
Walensky, along with White House Senior Health Advisor Anthony Fauci, stressed the effectiveness of all the available COVID-19 vaccines against the delta variant, in terms of preventing severe disease, hospitalizations and deaths. Both stressed the need for widespread vaccinations to truly turn the corner on the pandemic.
Fauci and Walensky also clarified that fully vaccinated people have a high degree of protection from the virus and do not need to wear masks indoors.  
Fauci said that if you were a fully vaccinated person with conditions that make you susceptible to serious illness and you were in a location with low vaccination rates and or a high rate of infection, you might consider wearing a mask. But he stressed that was not a recommendation. 
 

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Lithuanian, Spanish Leaders Interrupted by Jets Scrambling to Intercept Russian Planes

A news conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at a NATO airbase in Lithuania was interrupted Thursday when fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian jets.
 
The two leaders were three minutes into a news conference, televised live from the Siauliai airbase in northern Lithuanian, when flight crews responded to an alarm and scrambled their jets. The leaders and the media were led away.  
 
Military officials later confirmed the Spanish jets, based in Lithuania on a NATO mission to police Baltic airspace, were activated after reports two Russian Su-24 combat jets had taken off from Russia’s Kaliningrad region without filing flight plans, without their transponders on, and without responding to regional air traffic control.
 
After the Spanish jets took off, the news conference resumed. Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez told reporters, “We have seen a real-life case of what happens and precisely it justifies the presence of Spanish troops with the seven Eurofighters in Lithuania.”  
 
Seven Spanish Eurofighter jets have been based at the Siauliai airbase since April 30 for the Baltic air-policing mission, which also includes four Italian F-35 aircraft at Estonia’s Amari airbase.
 
The three Baltic nations – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – joined NATO in 2004 and have no fighter jets of their own. NATO has the responsibility of policing their airspace on a rotational four-month basis from the Siauliai base and in Amari, Estonia.
 
In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said the two Su-24 bombers were flying a regular training mission Thursday over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. The statement claimed the flight was performed in strict accordance with international rules of using airspace and without violation of any country’s borders.
 
Sánchez was visiting Lithuania as part of a three-day trip to the Baltic region, and he earlier met with officials in Estonia and Latvia.
 

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Britain Confirms Most UK Troops Have Left Afghanistan 

The UK says most of its troops have left Afghanistan. 
 
Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the news Thursday, saying the threat from al-Qaida had lessened.  
 
“All British troops assigned to NATO’s mission in Afghanistan are now returning home,” he said, adding that “most of our personnel have already left.” 
 
He appeared to sidestep questions about whether the troop withdrawal would leave Afghanistan open to another takeover by the Taliban. 
 
“We must be realistic about our ability alone to influence the course of events. It will take combined efforts of many nations, including Afghanistan’s neighbors, to help the Afghan people to build their future,” Johnson said. “But the threat that brought us to Afghanistan in the first place has been greatly diminished by the valor and by the sacrifice of the armed forces of Britain and many other countries.” 
 
Johnson reiterated that Britain will still be involved in trying to achieve peace in Afghanistan, albeit through diplomacy. 
 
“We are not walking away. We are keeping our embassy in Kabul, and we will continue to work with our friends and allies, particularly our friends in Pakistan, to work towards a settlement,” Johnson said. Some 457 British service members lost their lives in Afghanistan during Britain’s nearly 20-year involvement. The withdrawal of the remaining troops was expected to be done “within a few months,” according to the British Defense Ministry. 
 
The U.S. was expected to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by Sept 11. Some Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. 

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China: Collective Efforts Required to Contain Afghan Insecurity ‘Spillover’

China has declared the future of Afghanistan’s worsening conflict a “practical challenge” to neighboring countries and stressed the need for collectively tackling it to ensure regional peace.
 
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks in a pre-recorded video to a seminar in the Pakistani capital in connection with 70 years of Beijing’s diplomatic ties with Islamabad.
 
Wang said China, together with Pakistan, will continue to support the Afghan parties to the war in seeking a political settlement through peace talks and achieving national reconciliation and “enduring” peace.
 
“We should join hands in safeguarding regional peace. The future of the Afghan issue is a practical challenge to both China and Pakistan,” the Chinese chief diplomat told the event organized by the Islamabad-based independent Pakistan China Institute.
 
“We will encourage other stake-holding countries to strengthen communication and collaboration, effectively contain spillover of security risks, and especially prevent regional and international terrorist forces from wreaking havoc and prevailing,” Wang stressed.
 
Hostilities between Taliban insurgents and pro-government forces in Afghanistan have spiked to unprecedented levels since early May, when the United States and NATO formally began withdrawing their last remaining troops from the country under orders by President Joe Biden.
 
Deteriorating security in the wake of rapid Taliban advances across Afghanistan has raised concerns among the country’s neighbors, including Pakistan and Iran, that a new wave of Afghan refugees could come their way as a result of the turmoil.
 
The insecurity has also raised fears the crisis will likely encourage transnational terrorist groups, including the Islamic State terror group, to expand influence in the war-torn South Asian nation and threaten international security.
 
Wang has previously urged U.S.-led foreign military forces to withdraw from Afghanistan in “a responsible and orderly manner.”FILE – A plume of smoke rises amid ongoing fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban insurgents in the western city of Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Afghanistan’s Badghis province, July 7, 2021.China is worried the continued Afghan crisis could undermine what it says are its gains against terrorism in its western Xinjiang region. Beijing blames the violence on insurgents from minority Uyghur Muslims and has launched a massive crackdown against the community in recent years amid growing allegations of human rights abuses.
 
Pakistan, which still hosts nearly three million Afghan refugees, is currently receiving billions of dollars in Chinese investment, building roads, railways, ports and power plants.
 
Islamabad and Beijing intend to extend the bilateral collaboration, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, to Afghanistan to bring much needed economic development to the conflict-ravaged and poverty-stricken country if peace is restored there.
 
The CPEC is regarded as a centerpiece of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, bringing more than $25 billion in Chinese investment and soft loans to Pakistan over the past six years.
 
Pakistan’s tension-marked ties with the government in Afghanistan, however, have lately worsened in the wake of growing allegations Islamabad’s covert support of the Taliban is behind the insurgent violence and territorial gains, charges Pakistani officials reject.
 
China has lately stepped up its diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between the two neighboring countries and to encourage them to work jointly for regional security and prosperity.
 
While presiding over a trilateral foreign ministers-level meeting last June, Wang pledged that China will continue to “play a positive role” to help improve and develop relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
 
He also urged the delegates to “deepen high-quality” Belt and Road cooperation and enhance connectivity among the three countries and in the region at large.
 

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Four Suits Filed on Behalf of Investors After NYSE IPO of China’s Didi

At least four lawsuits have been filed on behalf of U.S. investors after questions emerged about whether the Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi Global Inc. had been warned by Beijing regulators to postpone its multi-billion-dollar initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The suits reflect rising concern over the political risk of investing in U.S.-listed Chinese companies.Labaton Sucharow LLP, a shareholder-rights law firm in New York, announced on July 6 that it was investigating claims on behalf of investors in Didi Global Inc. New York- based investor-rights law firm Rosen also has filed a class action lawsuit against Didi, “seeking to recover damages for Didi investors under the federal securities laws.”Two other law firms, Schall Law Firm in Los Angeles and Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, of Berkeley, California, have filed similar lawsuits in the past few days.“The key lies in whether Didi has received any oral or written warning from the Chinese government before the IPO,” Guo Yafu, founder and CEO of the New York investment advisory firm TJ Capital Management told VOA Mandarin. “If it had, Didi has a legal responsibility to disclose that information to the investors,” he told VOA Mandarin by phone Tuesday. Wei Cheng, a former employee of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba founded Didi, China’s version of Uber, in 2012. Since then, the ride-hailing company has expanded its business to about 4,000 cities in 15 countries, including China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama, Russia, the Dominican Republic, and Argentina. It has roughly 493 million active annual users and 15 million drivers.On June 30, Didi made its debut at $14 a share, which valued the company at $68 billion, making DiDi the largest IPO of a Chinese company listed on an American exchange since Alibaba raised $25 billion in 2014. Two days later, on July 1, Beijing announced it was launching a cybersecurity review of the company and said new users would not be allowed to register with the company during the review. Over the weekend, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), ordered Didi’s app removed from mobile app stores in China. The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter, reported Monday that Chinese regulators had advised Didi to postpone its U.S. listing and “urged it to conduct a thorough self-examination of its network security.” According to Reuters, Didi responded on Monday that it had no prior knowledge before its IPO that Beijing would launch an investigation of the company.When the NYSE opened Tuesday after the long July 4 holiday weekend, Didi shares were down on the CAC news, and by the close, $15 billion of book value had been erased. Shares of other major Chinese companies traded in the U.S. also fell on Tuesday.News of China’s investigation has raised concerns of the political risks that may adhere to U.S.-listed Chinese companies. Jesse Fried, a Harvard Law School professor of corporate law, told VOA Mandarin that under the current legal framework, there’s little U.S. regulatory agencies can do to protect U.S. investors from regulatory actions by China that might harm U.S.-listed Chinese firms.“In theory, the U.S. could bar China-based firms from listing in the U.S., but the SEC [U.S. Security and Exchange Commission] does not have the authority to do that as long as these firms provide adequate disclosure at the IPO,” he told VOA Mandarin via phone.“I doubt China cares about inflicting losses on U.S. investors, which is why it can behave very aggressively toward U.S.-listed firms,” Fried said. “If Didi were listed in China, Chinese regulators would be more careful about curbing Didi because they would be concerned about backlash from Chinese investors.”Apart from its crackdown on DIdi, Beijing also is investigating the online recruitment platform Kanzhun Ltd., which connects job seekers and hiring enterprises via a mobile app, and the Uber-like trucking startup, Full Truck Alliance Co. Both companies were listed in the U.S. recently. According to Bloomberg, there are as many as 34 Chinese firms seeking U.S. listings this year.The New York Times reported that by targeting companies like Didi, Beijing is “sending a stark message to Chinese businesses about the government’s authority over them, even if they operate globally and their stock trades overseas.””Chinese stocks are just too risky now,” said Guo. “Today [Beijing officials] target Didi, yesterday they targeted Alibaba. The Chinese government is sending a message that they are not happy about the flood of U.S. IPOs by Chinese tech companies.”He said Didi’s IPO will have a negative effect on Chinese companies that want to be listed in the U.S. in the future, adding, “Investors will likely think twice about whether they want to take the political risk posed by China’s efforts to control big data.”

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Britain to Ease Restrictions on Fully-vaccinated Travelers

Britain’s transportation secretary said Thursday that, beginning July 19, British residents, who are fully vaccinated, will no longer have to self-quarantine when returning from so-called “green” or “amber” or medium-risk nations, including the United States and the European Union.Speaking to parliament Thursday, British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said travelers will still be required to take a test three days before returning and demonstrate they’re negative before they travel, and, within two days of arrival, they will not have to isolate if they receive a negative result.The government regards a fully vaccinated person as anyone who received their second dose of vaccine more that 14 days previously.Shapp said the policy change does not include the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and residents in those areas should consult their health ministries.Shapps said that while the change will first prioritize Brits who are vaccinated, the government was making plans to expand the policy to include those fully vaccinated in other countries, such as the United States and European Union, hopefully within the summer travel season.Information from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse was used for this report.
 

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Tropical Storm Elsa Dumps Rain on Southeastern US

The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) reported Thursday that Elsa remains a tropical storm as it has moves through the southeastern United States, dumping heavy rain and raising the threat of flooding as it moves northeastward.
In its latest report, the National Hurricane Center said Elsa was centered in northern South Carolina about 75 kilometers west of the city of Florence and moving to the northeast at about 30 kilometers per hour. It still has maximum sustained winds of about 65 km/h and could drop as much as 20 centimeters of rain in some isolated areas, raising the possibility of flooding in some areas.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect for an area of the U.S. East Coast from South Carolina north to New Jersey. Those areas are likely to see tropical storm conditions including high winds and heavy rains in the next 24 to 36 hours. The storm system could also spawn tornados as it moves through the region.
The NWS says Elsa could move over the Atlantic Ocean later Thursday as it moves to or near the coast of Virginia and some strengthening is possible.
Elsa came ashore from the Gulf of Mexico in northwest Florida Wednesday after briefly reaching hurricane strength the night before. Officials there say the storm left about 26,000 people without power but caused little significant property damage and no serious injuries.  
The storm was a hurricane as it moved through the Caribbean Sea late last week. It swept over Cuba’s south-central coast Monday, bringing strong winds, heavy rains and storm surges.  
Cuban officials said they had evacuated 180,000 people from homes in flood-prone areas.

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UNICEF Warns of Grim Future for South Sudan’s Children

Ahead of South Sudan’s 10th year of independence, the U.N. Children’s Fund warns the country is facing a catastrophic humanitarian situation, with two out of every three children in need of international aid.
 
South Sudan’s joyous Independence Day celebrations on July 9, 2011, were short-lived. Two years later, civil war erupted. The awful legacy of that war, which is estimated to have killed nearly 400,000 people, lives on today.
 
The United Nations reports 1.6 million people are internally displaced and 2.2 million people who fled across borders as refugees remain in exile.  The U.N. children’s fund reports 8.3 million people, including a record 4.5 million children are in desperate need of humanitarian support.  
 
Speaking from the capital Juba, UNICEF chief of field operations in South Sudan Mads Oyen says the country is suffering from multiple man-made and natural disasters. These include bouts of violence and intercommunal conflicts, revenge killings, recurring floods and droughts, and a worsening economy.
    
“South Sudan is really one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world and one of the most forgotten.  We have the highest percentage of children in need in the world as part of the global population,” Oyen said.   
    
UNICEF reports South Sudan is breaking several unfortunate records.  It notes one in 10 children are not expected to reach their fifth birthday, in what represents one of the highest child mortality rates in the world.  In addition, according to UNICEF, about 1.4 million of South Sudan’s children are expected to suffer from life-threatening acute malnutrition this year, the highest figure since 2013.   
 
Oyen said UNICEF and its partners have shown they can save many children’s lives if given the resources to provide early therapeutic treatment to them.
    
“Ninety thousand children suffering from severe acute malnutrition throughout the country were treated and we have a recovery rate of more than 95%. So, a child who is severely acutely malnourished is a disaster, but the treatment is very effective,” Oyen said.   
    
Although successful treatment for this condition is available, Oyen said it would be better to prevent children from becoming malnourished in the first place. He said UNICEF would like to scale up its nutritional programs for children and improve access to clean water. He said other priorities include improving sanitation and hygiene and access to basic health.
 
But funds are limited. He said UNICEF has received only one third of the $180 million it needs to assist South Sudan’s most vulnerable children this year.
 

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US Jobless Benefit Claims Held Steady Last Week  

Claims for jobless benefits held steady in the U.S. last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday, as the world’s biggest economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 373,000 unemployed workers sought government compensation, up 2,000 from the revised figure of the week before, the agency said. It was the second lowest total since mid-March 2020, when the figure was 256,000. The weekly claims total has tracked unevenly in recent weeks, topping more than 400,000 for two straight weeks until lower totals the last two weeks. But overall, jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs of workers, have fallen by more than 40% since early April, while remaining well above the pre-pandemic levels. About 9.3 million people remain unemployed in the U.S. and looking for work. There also are 9.2 million job openings, the government says, although the skill sets of the jobless do not necessarily match the needs of employers.  The U.S. added 850,000 jobs in June, with the unemployment rate at 5.9%. Some employers are offering new hires cash bonuses to take jobs. State governors and municipal officials across the U.S. have been ending coronavirus restrictions, in many cases allowing businesses for the first time in a year to completely reopen to customers. That could lead to more hiring of workers. More than 58% of U.S. adults have now been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, boosting the economic recovery, although the pace of inoculations has dropped markedly from its peak several weeks ago, worrying health experts and government officials.  Officials in many states are now offering a variety of incentives to entice the unvaccinated to get inoculated, including entry into lucrative lotteries for cash and free college tuition. The U.S. did not meet President Joe Biden’s goal of 70% of adult Americans with at least one vaccination shot by the July 4 Independence Day holiday last weekend. The figure now stands shy of that at 67.2%, with Biden announcing new plans this week to try to get more people vaccinated.   With the business reopenings, many employers are reporting a shortage of workers, particularly for low-wage jobs, such as restaurant servers and retail clerks.   The federal government approved sending $300-a-week supplemental unemployment benefits to jobless workers through early September on top of less generous state-by-state payments.    But at least 25 of the 50 states, all led by Republican governors, have started ending participation in the federal payments program, contending that the stipends let workers make more money than they would by returning to work and thus are hurting the recovery by not filling available job openings. Some economists say, however, other factors prevent people from returning to work, such as lack of childcare or fear of contracting the coronavirus. The economic picture in the U.S. has advanced as money from President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package filters through the economy. The measure has likely boosted consumer spending, as millions of Americans, all but the highest wage earners, are now receiving $1,400 stimulus checks from the government or have already been sent the extra cash.   With more money in their wallets and more people vaccinated, Americans are venturing back to some sense of normalcy, going out to restaurants and spending money on items they had not purchased for a year.   Biden is proposing an additional $4 trillion or more in government spending on infrastructure repairs, assistance for children and families and advances for clean energy. But the overall package has been met with stiff resistance from opposition Republicans, who object to the cost of the package and Biden’s plan calling for higher taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations.  The fate of the proposals in the politically divided Congress remains uncertain, but Biden reached an infrastructure deal two weeks ago with a group of 10 centrist Republican and Democratic U.S. senators to repair roads and bridges and expand broadband internet service. However, it is unclear whether there are enough votes in Congress to adopt it. 

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UN Investigator Calls for Myanmar’s Generals to be Restrained 

A United Nations investigator is calling for international coordinated action to stem abuse by Myanmar’s military leaders against its people.   In a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council, the U.N. special rapporteur lists measures for bringing the country’s generals into compliance with international human rights norms.  Human rights investigator Tom Andrews accuses the international community of failing the people of Myanmar.   In an impassioned speech to the U.N. council, he presented documented evidence of widespread, systematic attacks by the military junta against the people of Myanmar. Since the Junta’s overthrow of the country’s democratically elected government five months ago, he says military forces have killed about 900 people.  He says they have forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands, tortured many and arbitrarily detained nearly 6,000 people. “Some in Myanmar have lost hope that help from the international community will be forthcoming and have instead sought to defend themselves through the formation of defense forces and acts of sabotage, while some are reportedly targeting suspected junta collaborators and officials — and the junta’s pattern of the use of grossly disproportionate force in response will likely lead to an even greater loss of life,” he said.  FILE – Protesters react after tear gas is fired by police during a demonstration against the military coup in the northwestern town of Kalay, March 2, 2021.Andrews says the people of Myanmar desperately need the support of the international community to end this nightmare, yet he says little action has been taken beyond international protestations of condemnation, the imposition of sanctions by some nations and resolutions by U.N. bodies.The U.N. investigator is calling for the establishment of a so-called Emergency Coalition for the People of Myanmar.  The plan proposes a series of five key measures he says would impose significant costs on the junta.  First and foremost, he asserts cutting off the junta’s source of income could reduce its ability to attack its citizens.  Therefore, he is calling on nations to impose economic sanctions on Myanmar’s oil and gas industry. “Oil and gas sector revenues are a financial lifeline for the junta and are estimated to be close to what is needed for the junta to maintain the security forces that are keeping them in power,” he said.  “They should be stopped.  Second, an Emergency Coalition for the People of Myanmar could outlaw the export of arms to Myanmar military, as called for in last month’s General Assembly resolution.”   The plan also calls for the pursuit of universal jurisdiction cases and filing charges against Myanmar’s senior security officials.  Other measures include ensuring that humanitarian aid goes directly to the people of Myanmar, and the denial of any claims of legitimacy by the junta, such as the false claim that it is recognized by the United Nations. 

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North Korea Reshuffle Signals Military Policy Not Top Priority Now, Analysts Say

New photos confirm North Korea has demoted a military leader in a reshuffle that left the ruling party’s top body dominated by civilians, possibly signaling leader Kim Jong Un’s focus on the economy and frustration with bureaucratic failures, analysts said.Last week, North Korea announced the latest in a series of leadership changes that may be the most significant reshuffle of top officials in years.State media has not given details of the personnel changes, but analysts believe they included demotions for those Kim blamed for causing an unspecified “great crisis” with coronavirus lapses amid economic problems and food shortages compounded by anti-pandemic border closures.Photographs published in state media on Thursday of Kim visiting his family mausoleum appear to confirm that Ri Pyong Chol, a top adviser who plays a leading role in North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, has at least lost his position on the politburo Presidium.Ri, who sometimes wears his military uniform, was seen in the photos wearing civilian clothes and standing several rows behind Kim, indicating his new role is unclear.A new appointment in his place on the presidium did not appear in the photos, and with those standing next to Kim all civilians, it appeared the military had been “pushed down the pecking order,” said Ken Gause, a North Korea leadership specialist at CNA, a non-profit research and analysis organization based in the United States.The military dominates affairs in North Korea and there is no suggestion that will change in the long term, but the changes may signal that for the time being, Kim is unlikely to resume nuclear brinkmanship while he focuses on problems at home, Gause said.“The focus internally is on the economy, not the nuclear program,” he said.‘Rewire the regime’It was hard to determine Ri’s fate, let alone draw conclusions about what signal this is meant to send in terms of North Korea’s strategic weapons program, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, an analyst at the U.S.-based 38 North program, which studies North Korea, noting that he may be fully reinstated and even reclaim his presidium member title.The photos also suggest that Choe Sang Gon, a party secretary and director of the science and education department, lost his position in the politburo, while Kim Song Nam, International Department director, and Ho Chol Man, Cadres Department director, may have been promoted to full members, Lee said.Kim Jong Un has been frustrated by officials not accurately carrying out his directives or communicating information up to him, and the personnel changes may fit with broader efforts to “rewire the guts of the regime” by devolving authority — but not power — down the chain of command, Gause said.“Kim has tightened his inner circle around a group of technocrats and internal security personnel, the two sectors dedicated to making Juche run at the moment,” he said, referring to the North Korean ideology of self-reliance.“It is not a long-term plan, but temporary measure given the extraordinary circumstances the regime is facing.”Michael Madden, a leadership expert at 38 North, said that what looked like a demotion could often be part of a routine shuffle aimed at preventing any one official from building up too much of a power base, or an instance of reassigning a competent and trusted official to handle a particular problem in a more hands-on role.“Demotions are very common things in North Korea politics,” he said. “We need to keep in mind that things that look like demotions to us can in fact be something else.”

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Japan to Declare New COVID-19 State of Emergency for Tokyo Through Olympics

The Japanese government is expected to announce Thursday that it will impose a new state of emergency for Tokyo due to the rise of new COVID-19 cases across the country.Yasutoshi Nishimura, the government’s economy minister and head of its coronavirus response efforts, told reporters the state of emergency will begin Monday and last until Aug. 22 — a period that will cover the duration of the Tokyo Olympics, which will take place between July 23 and Aug. 8.The new state of emergency will likely prompt the government to either scale back the number of spectators allowed to witness Olympics events to 5,000 people, or ban them altogether. Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics announced just last month that it would allow just 10,000 people, or 50% of a venue’s capacity, at all events, despite health experts advising the government that banning all spectators was the “least risky” option for holding the games.Foreign spectators have already been banned from attending the event.Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to formally announce the state of emergency Thursday.Local and national government officials along with Olympic and Paralympic officials will make a final decision on Thursday or Friday about allowing spectators after meeting with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. Bach is scheduled to arrive in Tokyo on Thursday and enter into a mandatory three-day quarantine period.Tokyo and several other prefectures shifted last month from a state of emergency imposed in April into “quasi-emergency” measures that are set to expire Sunday.However, Japan is coping with a fourth wave of new infections and a slow vaccination campaign that has left just 15% of all Japanese citizens fully inoculated. Tokyo reported 920 new infections Wednesday, its highest numbers since May.The surge has already affected two traditional Olympic events. Tokyo’s metropolitan government announced Wednesday that it will move the iconic Olympic torch relay off the city’s public roads; relay runners will instead carry the torch out of public view to private torch-lighting ceremonies across Tokyo after the Olympic symbol arrives Friday.In addition, Olympic organizers will request that the public not gather on the streets to witness the marathon races when they are staged in the final days of the games.The Tokyo Olympics are set to take place after a one-year postponement as the novel coronavirus pandemic began spreading across the globe. The current surge prompted staunch public opposition against going through with the Olympics, including a prominent group of medical professionals that urged Prime Minister Suga to call off the games.This report includes information from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.  

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South Korea on Verge of Major Lockdown, Amid Infection Spikes

South Korea’s capital is on the verge of perhaps its most intense lockdown yet, after the country reported its largest daily surge of coronavirus cases.Officials on Thursday recorded 1,275 new infections, the vast majority of which were in the Seoul area, where over half of South Koreans live.That is South Korea’s largest number of confirmed daily cases since the pandemic began.Seoul may soon impose the toughest restrictions under a four-tier social distancing system, said Sohn Young-rae, a senior Health and Welfare Ministry official, according to the Yonhap news agency.Level 4 restrictions can include severe measures, such as a ban on private gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m.That would amount to the first intense lockdown of Seoul, where life has largely gone on as usual over the past year and a half, compared to many other parts of the world.South Korea won international praise for its initial containment of the virus, thanks to its efficient and widely available COVID-19 tests and intense contact tracing.However, the country has lagged most other developed countries in acquiring vaccines, meaning it has been stuck in a state of not being fully opened or closed.Over the past several weeks, restaurants, cafes, and outdoor parks along Seoul’s Han River have been more crowded than usual, as the government prepared to ease social distancing precautions.Many now say that message was premature, leading to what health officials call the fourth wave of the virus.Health officials say they are especially concerned that the virus is spreading among those in their 20s and 30s, many of whom are not yet eligible for vaccinations. There is also a growing number of cases of the highly transmissible delta variant.The outbreak is especially centered in the Seoul metropolitan area, a densely populated region with more than 25 million people.Health officials have identified cluster infections at several so-called English “cram schools” in the Seoul outskirts, as well as a restaurant near the Seoul city center.In some ways, South Korea’s situation mirrors that of other Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, which have seen recent infection spikes after initially controlling the virus.South Korea’s outbreak, though, is still mild compared to many other countries. According to government figures, only about 2,000 South Koreans have died of the virus, compared to 605,000 in the United States and 128,000 in Britain.However, in Britain and the United States, the vaccine has been widely available for months. In South Korea, less than 11% of the population have been fully vaccinated, according to health authorities.South Korea’s government says it is still on track to vaccinate enough people to achieve herd immunity by November and has recently reached several deals that could speed up the pace of vaccinations.

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Rocket Attacks Target US Embassy, Troops in Iraq

Multiple rockets were fired at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq’s capital early Thursday, according to Iraqi security sources, the latest in a series of attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic sites in recent days.The rockets did not hit the embassy, instead landing elsewhere in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone.The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq said Wednesday 14 rockets were fired at a base that hosts U.S. military personnel in the western province of Anbar.Coalition spokesman U.S. Army Colonel Wayne Marotto said the rockets landed on the Ain Al-Assad Air Base and its perimeter, and that two people sustained minor injuries.Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman Yehia Rasool called the rocket fire a “terrorist attack,” and said, “the enemies of Iraq are intrusive and targeting the country’s security, sovereignty and the safety of our citizens.”The United States has blamed Iran-backed militias operating in Iraq and Syria for a wave of attacks on U.S. troops and military facilities where they are based.U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at a briefing Wednesday that those attacks “are representative of the threat that Iran-backed militias present fundamentally to Iraq’s sovereignty and to Iraq’s stability.”The U.S. military has responded with airstrikes targeting positions used by Iran-backed militias. The Pentagon said late last month its strikes were aimed at preventing deterring future attacks.This report includes information from AFP and Reuters. 

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Latinas Chase Motorcycle Dreams

Lidia Reyes of Los Angeles, California loves riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle. She eventually started a nonprofit group called Biker Chicks and dreams of becoming a professional motorcycle mechanic. Genia Dulot spoke with Reyes and other women who share her passion for motorcycles.
Camera: Genia Dulot

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US Military Urges Washington to Heed Warnings on China

A top U.S. military intelligence official is voicing concern that key policymakers and lawmakers may not be taking the threat posed by China seriously enough.For much of this year, officials with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned about the threat from a rising China, from its growing military might to what they describe as Beijing’s ever bolder forays into cyberspace and brazen espionage campaigns.Navy Rear Admiral Michael Studeman, Indo-Pacific Command’s director for intelligence, worries it has not been enough.“I’m wondering in Washington how many folks are truly persuaded,” Studeman told a webinar Wednesday hosted by the nonpartisan Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA). “Frankly, it’s hard to get a lot of attention to certain kinds of scenarios.”Studeman said part of the difficulty is that while many in the United States see war as unlikely, countries like China view it as a more organic part of their struggle. And Beijing under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, in particular, is prepared to go to great lengths to surpass the United States as a preeminent global power.“Xi Jinping is very Machiavellian. The end justifies the means,” Studeman said. “The dream justifies achieving that dream at almost any cost.”This is not the first time Studeman has warned about a rising China.During a virtual conference this past March, Studeman said the world was already getting “a taste of what it means to be led by China,” predicting that Chinese military leadership would soon be in position to send troops to wherever it feels its interests are being threatened.US Warns World Getting ‘Taste’ of Chinese Domination Top US military officials call Beijing’s increased aggression alarming, cautioning China is no longer hesitant to flex its military might And Studeman is not alone.The former commander of U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific, retired Admiral Philip Davidson, told lawmakers earlier this year that China appeared to be “accelerating their ambitions” to supplant the U.S. on the world stage.Administration officials have insisted they are taking the threat seriously.U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also repeatedly described China as the Pentagon’s “pacing challenge,” while Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines has said China is “an unparalleled priority for the intelligence community.”#China “an unparalleled priority for the intelligence community” per @ODNIgov’s Haines “But also #Russia#Iran & #NorthKorea”— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) April 14, 2021At least one recent report suggests such concerns are well-founded.U.S. researchers said last week that new satellite imagery shows China quickly expanding the number of silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles in part of the northwestern province of Gansu.The report seems to back assertions made earlier this year by the U.S. intelligence community that further warned China’s nuclear forces were “on higher alert” than they have been in the past.“It is concerning. It raises questions about the PRC’s [People Republic of China’s] intent,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said when asked about the report.”These reports and other developments suggest that the PRC’s nuclear arsenal will grow more quickly and to a higher level than perhaps previously anticipated,” he added.Yet as dangerous and as capable as China is, some military officials have suggested fears of imminent Chinese military action, such as an invasion of Taiwan, may be overblown.”China has a ways to go to develop the actual no-kidding capability to conduct military operations to seize thru military means the entire island of Taiwan, if they wanted to do that,” Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers last month.”I think that there’s little intent right now or motivation to do it militarily,” he said, though he cautioned, “it is a core – c-o-r-e – national interest of China to unite Taiwan.”Some researchers also caution China is facing some critical obstacles on their road to dominance.”The more strongly China tries to use its clout to force outcomes in other countries, the greater the backlash it foments and the more those countries reject its influence,” concluded a recent report by the U.S.-based non-profit RAND Corporation.A survey released by Pew Research last month likewise found that Beijing was failing to win over people in advanced economies, with many raising concerns about the Chinese government’s approach to personal freedoms.“Some of their tactics really are starting to turn off a lot of nations out there,” Indo-Pacific Command’s Studeman said Wednesday, though he doubted that will be enough to change Beijing’s approach in places like Hong Kong, or elsewhere.“I think they can crack down a lot more,” he said of Hong Kong. “This is a foreshadowing of what Chinese effective control will look like in other places.” 

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South Africa’s Ex-leader Turns Himself In for Prison Term

Former South African president Jacob Zuma turned himself over to police early Thursday to begin serving a 15-month prison term.Just minutes before the midnight deadline for police to arrest him, Zuma left his Nkandla home in a convoy of vehicles. Zuma decided to hand himself over to authorities to obey the order from the country’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, that he should serve a prison term for contempt of court.”President Zuma has decided to comply with the incarceration order. He is on his way to hand himself into a Correctional Services Facility in KZN (KwaZulu-Natal province),” said a tweet posted by the Zuma Foundation.Soon after the South African police confirmed that Zuma was in their custody.Zuma’s decision to obey the Constitutional Court order comes after a week of rising tensions over his prison sentence.Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt because he defied a court order for him to testify before a judicial commission investigating widespread allegations of corruption during his time as the country’s president, from 2009-18.The Constitutional Court ordered that if Zuma did not voluntarily hand himself over to the police then the police should arrest the country’s former president by the end of the day Wednesday.In a last-minute plea to avoid going to prison, Zuma’s lawyers had written to the acting chief justice requesting that his arrest be suspended until Friday, when a regional court is to rule on his application to postpone the arrest.Zuma’s lawyers asked the acting chief justice to issue directives stopping the police from arresting him, claiming there would be a “prejudice to his life.”The top court met late Wednesday, according to local reports, but apparently rejected Zuma’s request.Zuma had also launched two court proceedings to avoid arrest after his sentence last week.He applied at the Constitutional Court for his sentence to be rescinded and that application will be heard July 12.On Tuesday, his lawyers were in the Pietermaritzburg High Court seeking to stop the minister of police from arresting him until the Constitutional Court rules on his application to have the sentence rescinded. The regional court will rule on that application on Friday.Political tensions have risen in KwaZulu-Natal province as a result of Zuma’s conviction, sentence and pending arrest. Hundreds of his supporters gathered at his home over the weekend and vowed to prevent his arrest, but they left on Sunday.The judicial inquiry into corruption during his term as president has heard damning testimony from former Cabinet ministers and top executives of state-owned corporations that Zuma allowed his associates, members of the Gupta family, to influence his Cabinet appointments and lucrative contracts. Zuma refused to comply with a court order to appear before the commission, which led the Constitutional Court to convict him of contempt and sentence him to prison.In a separate matter, Zuma is standing trial on charges of corruption related to a 1999 arms deal, where he allegedly received bribes from French arms manufacturer Thales. His financial adviser has already been convicted and imprisoned in that case. 

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UK Pandemic Hammered Minorities, Self-employed, Study Finds

Ethnic minorities, the self-employed and low-income families in Britain suffered greater deprivation levels during the coronavirus pandemic despite “surprisingly positive” living standards figures, a report published Thursday found.The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think tank’s annual report on living standards, poverty and inequality identified these groups as the hardest hit, even as unprecedented state support mitigated the worst effects of the crisis.The research follows other studies showing that Britain’s ethnic minorities were more likely to suffer worse health and economic outcomes during the pandemic and less likely to accept vaccines.”How fast and to what extent these groups recover as the economy reopens will be a key determinant of the pandemic’s legacy,” said report co-author Tom Wernham.Some 15% of Britons from minority ethnic backgrounds were behind their household bills at the start of 2021, compared with 12% before the pandemic.The proportion of adults of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin living in households where all adults were unemployed or furloughed remained 10 percentage points higher at the beginning of 2021 than pre-pandemic levels, as many of these households relied on one income earner.Household worklessness for black adults rose 2.4 percentage points, higher than the national average of 1.9, the report added.The share of self-employed workers who lost all work in the first lockdown in March 2020 and fell behind household bills is now 15%, up from 2% before the pandemic.Despite the government’s flagship furlough scheme, which has paid millions of workers’ wages since March 2020, 36% of self-employed workers — many of whom work in the hard-hit events, arts and culture sectors — were ineligible for the government self-employed income support scheme.Researchers also found that more families suffering from in-work poverty fell behind on bills during Britain’s first nationwide lockdown from last March, with the share jumping from 9 to 21%.The figure receded to 10% in the first quarter of 2021, but 13% of such families expect their financial situation to deteriorate in the near future.One of the report’s authors, Tom Waters, said the furlough scheme’s success largely explained Britain’s “surprisingly positive” deprivation and labor market statistics.But he added that people’s ability to return to their old jobs or find new ones would be the key factor for living standards as support was withdrawn.The government’s furlough scheme initially paid 80% of employees’ wages to prevent mass job losses but is to be phased out by the end of September.An increase of $28 per week to its main social security payment, Universal Credit, is also due to end at that time. 

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Burkina Faso Rapper-Turned-Farmer Rhymes on Climate Change

Africa’s Sahel region is seeing the worst effects of climate warming anywhere on the planet, according to the United Nations.Farmers bear the brunt of the changes because 80% of the Sahel’s economy is agrarian.    Art Melody, a musician in Burkina Faso who raps in the local Djula and Moore languages, knows from experience the negative impact on farm production because he is a farmer himself. His songs convey the fear and emotion felt by millions of people across the region because of the impact of global warming.   Art Melody says his grandparents have told him the rainy season used to start in April but now can start in July, so there is less rain and more heat.  FILE – A man herds his goats in the village of Samba, Passore province, northern Burkina Faso, March 29, 2016.The U.N. says the impact of desertification and drought on farmers is one of several factors causing the Sahel conflict in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Combatants include terror groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida.  More than two million people have been displaced because of the fighting, and more than 20,000 people have been killed since 2012, according to data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. “When there’s a drought, it’s a disaster, it’s hell,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification. “When that situation happens, you have two options — flight or fight. Either you flee because there is no way you can produce anymore, or you fight with your neighbors for the limited resources that are still there.”FILE – People work in a dry field near Diapaga, 300 kms northeast of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, March 21, 2012.Conflicts often arise between ethnic groups that traditionally grow crops and those that herd livestock, since land usually cannot be used for both purposes.  While that is a major obstacle, new techniques and technologies can help integrate agricultural production with livestock farming through agro-ecological actions, says Marc Gnasonre, a representative of a Burkinabe farmers union.  As for Art Melody, his songs attempt to raise awareness of the plight of farmers because, he says, if people’s eyes are closed, they will always end up destroying everything, whether it is plants or human relationships.Until the effects of climate change in the Sahel are mitigated, farming will likely get harder and the Sahel’s conflict will likely get worse.  
 

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Myanmar Rights Envoy Urges Coordinated International Action Against Military Junta 

The international community is failing the citizens of Myanmar, a U.N. human rights official said Wednesday as he called for a coordinated imposition of oil and gas sanctions on the military junta ruling the country.Speaking to the U.N. Human Rights Council, Thomas Andrews, the special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, proposed several courses of action to ameliorate the crisis in the country.”Oil and gas sector revenues are a financial lifeline for the junta and are estimated to be close to what is needed for the junta to maintain the security forces that are keeping them in power. They should be stopped,” Andrews said.Five months ago, the Myanmar military toppled the country’s democratically elected government. Since seizing control, the ruling regime, officially known as the Tatmadaw, has responded to a popular uprising with force, killing nearly 900 people.Several world powers, including the U.S. and the European Union, have imposed sanctions on Myanmar since the February 1 coup. Last week, the U.S. government announced its harshest set of economic sanctions, targeting military officials and companies tied to the Tatmadaw.FILE – Anti-coup protesters shout slogans as they march during a protest in Pabedan township against the military junta, in Yangon, Myanmar, June 26, 2021.The people of Myanmar have staged mass protests against the regime since February. In response, the Tatmadaw has arrested over 5,000 citizens and forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of others, according to the U.N.The military has even started to arrest family members in place of individuals with outstanding arrest warrants who can’t be found, Andrews said.Many of the Tatmadaw’s actions can be explained by its “four cuts” strategy, which entails targeting civilian communities thought to harbor opposition members and cutting them off from food, funding, intelligence and recruits.Andrews called the junta’s actions “crimes against humanity.”Stay-at-home orderTatmadaw leaders also announced on Wednesday a stay-at-home order for parts of Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, citing health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 1.5 million people are currently banned from leaving their homes for nonmedical reasons. According to Andrews, 26% of Myanmar people tested for COVID-19 are positive. By comparison, the positivity rate in the U.S. currently sits around 2.5%.Only 3.2% of the country’s 54 million citizens have been vaccinated.”The public health system is in tatters and many are unwilling to get vaccinated in a junta-run operation,” Andrews said. “Myanmar is at grave risk of becoming a COVID-19 superspreader state, impacting untold numbers of people both inside and outside of its borders.”

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Vietnamese Journalist Could Face 20 Years in Prison

A Vietnamese journalist who reports on corruption and land confiscations could face up to 20 years in prison after being arrested last week.  Police detained Le Van Dung, 51, just outside of Hanoi on June 30, more than a month after the journalist had gone into hiding to avoid a special warrant for his arrest.The journalist’s wife, Bui Thi Hue, told VOA that Dung had been staying at a relative’s house and that other family members had also been taken into custody.   “During the process of arresting Dung, two of his relatives, including the house owner, were also taken away,” Hue said.The Hanoi Department of Public Security said that Dung had been arrested for “making, storing, distributing or disseminating information” against Vietnam. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 20 years in prison under Article 117 of the country’s penal code.Reports in state-run media said that for the past decade, Dung had taken part in protests and carried out other anti-state activities. “He took part in several subversive groups as well as some ‘movements’ launched by domestic and overseas reactionary elements,” the Vietnam News Agency reported.  Hue said that her husband denied the charges against him.  International media and civil rights groups condemned the arrest and said they believed Dung had been detained for his reporting.  Dung runs the news channel Chan Hung Nuoc Viet, which posts its reporting on social media platforms including Facebook and YouTube. Dung’s content includes interviews with the public and coverage of corruption allegations and land confiscations.With limited space for independent reporting in Vietnam, many independent bloggers and journalists use social media to report or comment on sensitive issues.Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on Monday for Dung’s immediate release, saying he has “joined the long list of Vietnamese journalists imprisoned simply for trying to provide their fellow citizens with reliable information.”Vietnam’s persecution of bloggers and independent journalists is cited in RSF’s press freedom index. The country ranks 175 out of 180 countries, with 1 being the freest.The Paris-based watchdog in July named Vietnam’s leader Nguyen Phu Trong one of its “press freedom predators.” RSF said that Trong had “established an unrelenting system of repression to deal with an increasingly robust civil society seeking reliable information, especially on the internet.” The London-based rights organization Article 19 also expressed concern about Dung’s case, saying on social media that Vietnam continues to harass and imprison independent voices.  Dung’s family said that authorities had come to the journalist’s home on May 25 to arrest him, but he was not there. He later went into hiding.  In March, Dung told VOA Vietnamese that he had been summoned by the Hanoi police several times for questioning about his online posts, but he did not report back.  Dung also said that he had intended to run for a seat in the National Assembly as an independent candidate but that his application had been denied because of “inaccurate filing information.”This article originated in VOA’s Vietnamese Service. 

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Chinese Social Media Giant WeChat Shuts LGBT Accounts

 China’s most popular social media service has deleted accounts on LGBT topics run by university students and nongovernment groups, prompting concern the ruling Communist Party is tightening control over gay and lesbian content.WeChat sent account holders a notice they violated rules but gave no details, according to the founder of an LGBT group, who asked not to be identified further out of fear of possible official retaliation. She said dozens of accounts were shut down about 10 p.m. Tuesday.It wasn’t clear whether the step was ordered by Chinese authorities, but it came as the ruling party has tightened political controls and had tried to silence groups that might criticize its rule.WeChat’s operator, Tencent Holding Ltd., confirmed it received an email seeking comment but didn’t immediately respond.The Communist Party decriminalized homosexuality in 1997, but gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and other sexual minorities still face discrimination. While there is more public discussion of such issues, some LGBT activities have been blocked by authorities.The official attitude is increasingly strict, the founder of the LGBT group said.Contents of the WeChat accounts, which included personal stories and photos of group events, were erased, according to the group’s founder.DevastatingThe former operator of a different group for university students, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, called the step a devastating blow.University officials asked students two months ago to shut down LGBT social media groups or to avoid mentioning their school names, according to the LGBT group founder. She said universities in the eastern province of Jiangsu were told by officials to investigate groups for women’s rights and sexual minorities to “maintain stability.”Surveys suggest there are about 70 million LGBT people in China, or about 5% of the population, according to state media.Some groups have organized film festivals and other public events, but those have dwindled.One of the most prominent, Shanghai Pride, canceled events last year and scrapped future plans without explanation after 11 years of operation.China’s legislature received suggestions from the public about legalizing same-sex marriage two years ago, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. However, it gave no indication whether legislators might take action.

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Pope Francis Recovery ‘Regular and Satisfactory’

A Vatican spokesman said Wednesday Pope Francis’ recovery from intestinal surgery continues to be “regular and satisfactory.”  
In a statement, Vatican Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said the 84-year-old pope was continuing to eat regularly following his Sunday surgery to remove the left side of his colon, and that intravenous therapy had been stopped.
In a post on his official Twitter account, the pope said “I am touched by the many caring messages received in these days. I thank everyone for their closeness and prayer.”
Bruni said final examination of the affected tissue “confirmed a severe diverticular stenosis with signs of sclerosing diverticulitis,” or a hardening of the sacs that can sometimes form in the lining of the intestine.
Francis underwent three hours of planned surgery Sunday. He is expected to stay in Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic in the pope’s special suite.
During a White House news briefing Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said U.S. President Joe Biden — a Roman Catholic — wishes the pope “well and a speedy recovery.” Bruni said Francis appreciated all the prayers coming his way.
Francis had been considered healthy overall and this is the first time he has been admitted to the hospital since he became pope in 2013, though he lost the upper part of one lung in his youth because of an infection. He also suffers from sciatica, or nerve pain, that makes him walk with a pronounced limp.
The Vatican has continued normal operations in his absence, though July is traditionally a month when the pope cancels public and private audiences. 

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Trump Sues Twitter, Facebook and Google, Claiming Censorship

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced class-action lawsuits against three major tech companies, accusing them of wrongfully censoring him and other conservatives.“We’re asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to order an immediate halt to social media companies’ illegal, shameful censorship of the American people,” said Trump on Wednesday.Trump is the lead plaintiff in the class-action lawsuits against Facebook, Twitter and Google (which owns YouTube), as well as their chief executive officers, respectively, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey and Sundar Pichai, whom Trump sarcastically described as “three real nice guys.”There has been no immediate comment from the California-based companies or their executives.’Pivotal battle’ seenTrump, outdoors at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, predicted the legal actions “will be a pivotal battle in the defense of the First Amendment and in the end, I’m confident that we will achieve a historic victory for American freedom and, at the same time, freedom of speech.”During the final weeks of his presidency, Twitter and Facebook banished Trump after his followers stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6. The companies cited concerns that the president’s social media posts would incite further violence.FILE – Former President Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd as he speaks at the North Carolina Republican Convention, June 5, 2021, in Greenville, N.C.Trump, who left office January 20 with the inauguration of Joe Biden as president, remains banned from the platforms.The lawsuits are also “for Democrats and even progressives whose speech should be protected under the First Amendment,” said Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, who was among several of the plaintiffs, lawyers and supporters who appeared with Trump at Wednesday’s announcement.The former president said he had recruited “a lot of tobacco lawyers” to push the claim, including John Coale, who was a key litigator in multibillion-dollar lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers.It’s ‘a stunt’Some in the legal community and free-speech advocates were doubtful that Trump and his fellow plaintiffs would prevail.“This lawsuit is a stunt and it’s unlikely to find traction in the courts,” said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.“There is an important debate to be had about what kinds of obligations the First Amendment may impose on private actors that have so much influence over public discourse and about how much leeway the First Amendment gives to Congress to regulate the activities of those private actors. But this complaint is not likely to add much to that debate,” Jaffer said.“Procedurally, it has been filed in the wrong venue. And even if the complaint had been filed correctly, it doesn’t state any claim on which relief can be granted,” said Gabriel Malor, a federal litigator and writer based in Virginia. “The First Amendment protects against state action. Facebook is not a state actor, no matter how large it is and no matter how many users it excludes. So, the First Amendment doesn’t provide any support for Trump’s complaint.”Included among those contending the lawsuit has no merit was the Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit law and advocacy organization focused on protecting human rights and democratic principles in the digital age.🚨 BREAKING: Trump’s new lawsuits are a cynical ploy to punish & harass tech companies that held him to account for his statements in advance of the disgraceful attack on the Capitol in January. They have no merit & his claims go against both public interest & the 1st Amendment. pic.twitter.com/A8scClpPoT— Center for Democracy & Technology (@CenDemTech) July 7, 2021In addition, Trump is arguing that a provision of federal law (known as CDA § 230) violates the First Amendment because it protects Facebook’s decision to exclude content it does not like.’Zero chance’ of success“This is a frivolous argument. Facebook is protected by the First Amendment from being forced to publish user content it does not want to. Section 230’s liability shield easily comes within that First Amendment protection. Quite simply, there is zero chance that Trump prevails in this lawsuit,” Malor predicted.From a constitutional standpoint, the legal filings are “a joke,” according to Rebecca MacKinnon, a digital rights advocate who is the founder of Global Voices.”Trump’s lawsuit has nothing to do with winning in court. The audience is his base. It provides a foothold for more disinformation by his supporters on Fox News and elsewhere,” said MacKinnon, author of “Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom.”Trump told those at Wednesday’s event he was not looking to settle the matter before going to trial, and that even if he prevailed and the companies were ordered to restore his social media accounts, he was not sure he would use the platforms again.Before his accounts were removed, Trump was able to instantly and directly reach tens of millions of followers. He has not been active on several new social media platforms that have attracted some of his political supporters. Instead, he has been relying on short press releases, reminiscent of his tweets, distributed via email to journalists and others, to continue to make baseless claims of victory in last year’s presidential election.Election officials in various states, his own attorney general and numerous judges, including some that Trump appointed, have stated there is no evidence of the mass voter fraud he repeatedly alleges took place in the 2020 presidential contest.
 

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