Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega sprinted the last lap to beat world record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda and win a shock Olympic gold medal in the men’s 10,000 meters on Friday.The 21-year-old Barega powered down the home straight to cross the line in 27 minutes 43.22 seconds, ahead of world champion Cheptegei in 27:43.63.Jacob Kiplimo, the youngest-ever Ugandan Olympian when he ran the 5,000 heats in Rio as a 15-year-old, posted a time of 27:43.88 to secure bronze in the first athletics medal event of the Games.Barega, the 2019 5,000-meter world championship silver medalist who set the second-fastest 10,000-meter time of the year in June, was applauded by the Ethiopian delegation as he smiled broadly on a victory lap with his country’s flag draped around his shoulders.Cheptegei said he was experiencing mixed emotions.”I have two feelings. One is that I’m very happy to have won an Olympic silver medal today,” he told reporters. “But the other side of me is really not satisfied with the result because I came here expecting to win a gold.”Cheptegei also admitted that 2021 had been tough for him.”This year was really a very difficult year for me in terms of racing,” he said. “It’s the year that I have lost all the focus, all the belief. There was a lot of pressure and I was feeling it in every moment.”Uganda’s Stephen Kissa acted as the early pacemaker before dropping out a little over halfway through the race.”We had a plan for me to go ahead to make it a fast race,” Kissa told reporters. “I thought they were going to follow me but when I looked round they were not there.”Cheptegei led briefly before dropping back into the pack and Barega seized his chance, moving among the leaders in the last third of the race before hitting the front with a surge on the last lap to secure his surprise victory.
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Month: July 2021
Amazon Hit With Record EU Data Privacy Fine
Amazon.com Inc has been hit with a record $886.6 million (746 million euros) European Union fine for processing personal data in violation of the bloc’s GDPR rules, as privacy regulators take a more aggressive position on enforcement.The Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) imposed the fine on Amazon in a July 16 decision, the company disclosed in a regulatory filing on Friday.Amazon will appeal the fine, according to a company spokesperson. The e-commerce giant said in the filing it believed CNPD’s decision was without merit.CNPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, requires companies to seek people’s consent before using their personal data or face steep fines.Globally, regulatory scrutiny of tech giants has been increasing following a string of scandals over privacy and misinformation, as well as complaints from some businesses that they abuse their market power.Alphabet’s Google, Facebook Inc, Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp have drawn heightened scrutiny in Europe.In December, France’s data privacy watchdog handed out its biggest ever fine of 100 million euros ($118.82 million) to Google for breaching the nation’s rules on online advertising trackers.
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UNICEF: 100,000 Children in Tigray Suffering Life-threatening Malnutrition
The U.N. Children’s Fund warns an estimated 100,000 children in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray province are at risk of life-threatening severe acute malnutrition over the next 12 months. This is a tenfold increase over the annual average caseload in this war-torn region. A UNICEF official who has just returned from Tigray says her agency’s worst fears about the health and wellbeing of children in this war-torn region have been confirmed.Marixie Mercado says the malnutrition crisis has worsened because of extensive systematic damage to the food, water, health care, nutrition and sanitation systems upon which children and their families depend for their survival. She says a massive scale up of humanitarian assistance in the region is needed to reverse this catastrophic crisis.USAID Chief to Visit Ethiopia to Press for Tigray AidTrip by Samantha Power next week aims to ‘press for unimpeded humanitarian access to prevent famine in Tigray and meet urgent needs in other conflict-affected regions of the country,’ a statement says”We need unfettered access into Tigray and across the region, in order to provide support that children and women urgently need,” Mercado said. “Right now, we have just 6,900 cartons of life-saving ready-to-eat therapeutic foods in our warehouses in Tigray. That is enough to treat severe malnutrition in just 6,900 children.” Mercado visited several previously inaccessible areas in Tigray, places that have virtually had no assistance over the past months. She says she was appalled by the overcrowded, unsanitary sites hosting displaced families—conditions that are ripe for disease outbreaks.But what struck her most, she says, was the acute suffering and mental anguish of these people who have had to endure multiple atrocities. “One young woman who is a survivor of sexual assault, she watched her grandmother get killed,” Mercado said. “She was raped by several men as she watched her nine-month-old baby being tossed around by other men … It is not the assault itself that is the worst part, but it is the psychological damage that people now have to deal with for a very long time.” Mercado reports the recent uptick of fighting in neighboring Afar and Amhara regions is creating another catastrophic situation for civilians in the region. She says nearly 1.5 million people already are facing acute food insecurity.She warns child malnutrition will rise beyond current alarming levels and leading to more deaths if insufficient humanitarian assistance reaches this widening area of conflict.
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British Transportation Minister Defends Quarantining French Visitors
Britain’s transportation minister Friday defended the country’s decision to continue quarantine requirements on fully vaccinated French visitors, saying they do not want to take chances on thwarting their COVID-19 vaccination program.In an interview, Transport Minister Grant Shapps said Britain does not want to take chances with the progress of its vaccination program. He said the presence of the beta variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, which was originally identified in South Africa, and now in France has prompted Britain to exercise caution.Shapps was responding to comments made Thursday by French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune, who called Britain’s policy “discriminatory and incomprehensible.” Britain, on Wednesday, had announced it was lifting the quarantine requirement on fully vaccinated travelers from the United States and the European Union, except for France.Beaune argued the beta strain accounted for fewer than 5% of COVID-19 cases in France, and mostly occurred in overseas territories from where relatively few people travelled to Britain.In his interview Friday, Shapp insisted the beta variant has not just been limited to far away French island territories but has also been an issue in northern France. But he added that he has been in discussions with his French counterpart, Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari. They agree that every country must look at the data and follow the science.
Shapp said that is what they are doing right now – looking at the latest data on where the beta variant is going. He said the plan right now is to review the decision on France next week.
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Harris Will Be First US Vice President to Visit Hanoi
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will next month travel to Singapore and Vietnam, “two critical Indo-Pacific partners,” the White House confirmed on Friday.Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc first announced the visit on Thursday, as he met in Hanoi with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the first Biden administration Cabinet official to visit Vietnam.White House Senior Adviser and Chief Spokesperson Symone Sanders said in Friday’s statement Harris “will engage the leaders of both governments on issues of mutual interest, including regional security, the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and our joint efforts to promote a rules-based international order.”“This upcoming visit continues that work – deepening our engagement in Southeast Asia,” said Sanders. The White House did not give specific dates for the trip.
It would be the first time an American vice president has visited Vietnam since north and south were reunited in July of 1975. Lyndon Johnson (1962) and Richard Nixon (1956) both visited Saigon during their respective vice-presidential terms, when it was the capital of South Vietnam. Vietnam Announces US VP Harris VisitAnnouncement comes during meetings with defense secretary Austin, Biden’s first cabinet member to visit Hanoi Defense Secretary Austin’s traveled to Vietnam this week in the midst of the crippling COVID-19 pandemic and just days after the U.S. shipped 3 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam. The delivery raises the total number of vaccines the U.S. has given the Southeast Asian nation to 5 million.“We look forward to continuing to help in a number of ways … no strings attached,” Austin told Phuc. “It is what friends do to help friends in emergencies.”Countering ChinaAustin also sought to deepen ties with Hanoi amid increased Chinese military activity in the South China Sea.“It’s a part of the world where China continues to be very aggressive in the space, so it was important for the secretary to get here,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters Thursday.Hanoi has been increasingly vocal about its opposition to Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. Chinese vessels are accused of harassing oil and gas developers of Vietnam’s coast, hindering their energy development.In the past, the U.S. has provided Vietnam with Coast Guard cutters to help bolster its ability to defend against Chinese aggression in waters claimed by both countries.Despite China and Vietnam’s communist ties, Beijing has emerged as a new antagonist of Hanoi, while the U.S.-Vietnam relationship has flourished, according to Murray Hiebert of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.“It’s amazing how far these two countries have come in the last 40 years or so. The U.S. is Vietnam’s biggest trading partner. It’s a major investor, and it has some of the closest military-to-military ties with any country in Southeast Asia,” Hiebert said.Human rights concernsHowever, members of the Biden administration have said Washington’s relationship with Hanoi will remain limited until Hanoi makes progress on human rights issues.U.S. defense officials said Austin brought up the issue of human rights during his talks with Vietnam’s president, prime minister and minister of national defenseAccording to Kirby, the U.S. defense secretary said “that good friends and partners should be able to have open and honest discussions with one another about these difficult, fairly sensitive issues.”Austin and his defense counterpart signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday that expands support to Vietnam’s efforts to locate and identify Vietnamese killed or missing during the Vietnam War.A senior defense official told reporters the Vietnamese search will be aided by a database created by Harvard and Texas Tech University.White House Correspondent Steve Herman contributed to this report.
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Former Michigan Senator Carl Levin Dies at 87
Former Michigan senator Carl Levin, the state’s longest serving senator, and a liberal Democrat who enjoyed bipartisan respect, has died at the age of 87.A family spokesman confirmed Levin died late Thursday in a Detroit hospital, surrounded by family. Levin disclosed he had lung cancer earlier this year.Levin was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978 and retired in 2014, and during his tenure, earned a reputation as a fighter against corporate greed and corruption as well as well as an opponent of war, particularly U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.As chairman of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Levin led probes into corporate fraud, including the scandal involving the Texas energy company Enron in the early 2000s, which cost investors billions of dollars. He also led probes into corporate tax avoidance and other questionable financial practices.Levin, as chairman or ranking minority member on the Armed Services Committee, was an opponent of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, and later argued for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.Despite his staunchly liberal stands, Levin was known for his bipartisanship and worked with the late Republican Senator John McCain to produce the annual defense-authorization bill.Levin’s older brother, Sander, served as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Detroit and the two served in Congress simultaneously for more than 30 years.Levin retired in 2014. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and three daughters.
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Cameroon Says Boko Haram Attacks Military, Seduces Civilians
Officials in Cameroon say Boko Haram militants appear to be changing their tactics and attacking only military and government targets in an effort to try to attract more recruits.This week, Cameroonian Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo a military hospital in Maroua about 80 kilometers from Nigeria’s Borno state, where 14 government troops and four civilians are recovering after Boko Haram attacks over five days on the northern border with Nigeria.Boko Haram Attack Kills Five Soldiers, Civilian, Cameroon Reports Boko Haram and a splinter group of the Islamic State, have been mounting increasingly deadly attacks against security forces and civiliansAssomo said Cameroonians and President Paul Biya share the grief of family members of 14 soldiers killed by the jihadists.Among the wounded soldiers is 37-year-old Lieutenant Innocent Beti who was shot in his abdomen when Boko Haram attacked the village of Sagme. He said if he recovers and is given another chance, he will not hesitate to fight the terrorists.Cameroon’s military said it has recorded at least seven Boko Haram incursions on its territory during July. The Boko Haram forces targeted military positions and public buildings in the border towns of Mozogo, Fotokol, Amchide and Achigachia.Assomo said the deadliest attacks were in the villages of Sagme and Zigi.The defense minister says unlike previous years, the terrorist group has avoided attacks on civilians, markets, religious institutions and schools.He said the military should immediately examine and adequately respond to the new wave of threats posed by Boko Haram.Assomo said more troops have been deployed to the border area, but did not say how many. He asked civilians to help the military by reporting strangers in their towns and villages, and by creating their own militias.Saibou Issa, a conflict resolution specialist at the University of Maroua, believes Boko Haram is trying to gain the trust of civilians.He said the new wave of attacks indicates Boko Haram fighters now share the ideology of the jihadist splinter Islamic State West Africa Province, which appears to be gaining control over Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad border localities. Issa said that group attacks military positions and government officials to gain sympathy and recruit civilians.Issa also said poverty in the Lake Chad Basin is pushing many young men to join the terror group, where they expect to be paid for killing government troops. He said it’s possible that former fighters who were unhappy that Boko Haram attacked civilians may now rejoin the group.Cameroon is pleading with its citizens not to join the jihadist group, which the government says only brings pain and sufferings.Boko Haram violence that started 12 years ago has cost the lives of 30,000 people and displaced about 2 million in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, according to the United Nations.
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‘Wow! Wow!’ Women Get Olympic Track Off to Sizzling Start
Usain Bolt might be long gone from the sprint scene. It doesn’t mean Jamaica has slowed down one bit.Nobody has, at least not on the women’s side of the sport.An opening day at the Olympics that’s supposed to produce little more than a brisk jog for the world’s best at 100 meters turned into something very different Friday.Reigning world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran her heat in the nearly empty Olympic Stadium in 10.84 seconds. Her Jamaican rival, defending Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, finished in 10.82. And Marie-Josee Ta Lou, the Ivory Coast sprinter who finished an excruciating fourth in Rio de Janeiro, kept saying “Wow! Wow!” after she crossed the finish line in a blistering personal best of 10.78.“I’m in shock, actually,” Ta Lou said. “But I know I’m ready.”They were the fifth, sixth and seventh-fastest times of the year, produced on a day when seven of 54 sprinters hit a personal best — all in an opening round that’s supposed to be designed more for shaking out cobwebs than watching the clock.All that even though the field was missing this season’s third-fastest runner, Sha’Carri Richardson, who is back home in the United States following a doping ban.By comparison, only one runner, Fraser-Pryce, cracked 11 seconds in the opening round five years ago in Rio de Janeiro. She went on to win the bronze, behind Thompson (who has since gotten married) and American sprinter Tori Bowie.“I mean, a lot of sprinters are dominating,” Thompson-Herah said.Fraser-Pryce came in as the favorite for Saturday’s final, which is already showing signs of living up to the hype. She ran a 10.63 back in June that has some thinking even Florence Griffith Joyner’s 33-year-old world record of 10.49 seconds could finally be at risk this year.“Honestly, I have no idea,” Fraser-Pryce said when asked about the mark. “It’s super, super competitive. You want to make sure you focus on each round and the things you’re supposed to do.”There were so many unknowns coming into the Olympics – namely if the year-long delay, the empty stadium or the stress of being cooped up in a hotel room in the lead-up to the Tokyo Games would hurt the athletes. At least one group — the women’s sprinters — answered all those questions with an emphatic “No.”Another unknown: Would this be a fast track?“Clearly,” said Daryll Neita of Britain, who ran a personal best 10.96. “It’s going to be a very fast championship, let’s put it that way. It feels amazing.”The first of 48 gold medals on the line over the nine-day meet was up for grabs later Friday in the men’s 10,000. Favorites include Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda and Selemon Barega of Ethiopia.Other morning action on Day 1 went to form. Rai Benjamin of the United States and world-record holder Karsten Warholm of Norway cruised easily through their heats in the 400-meter hurdles, keeping a gold-medal showdown in the cards. Will it take another world record to win?“Maybe someone else will do it,” Warholm joked. “I’ve done my job.”Athing Mu, a contender in the women’s 800, moved through the first round of her race and didn’t seem too bothered that the track announcer mispronounced her name. (For the record, it’s pronounced “uh-THING moh”).“I’m sure everyone saw my face,” the American said. “I don’t even know what he said. It was terrible.”Ju’Vaughn Harrison made it to the high jump final, keeping alive the American’s quest for a high jump-long jump double. Also advancing in high jump was world champion Mutaz Barshim, who wowed his home crowd two years ago when he won the world title in Doha.With thousands of empty green, white and burgundy seats staring back at them, all the “oohs” and “ahhs” for this one came from the athletes themselves. After Round 1 of that women’s 100, there was plenty to get excited about.“It’s whoever gets to the line first wins,” said another contender, Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria, whose 11.05 felt ordinary on this day. “Sometimes it’s not about the time, but about the position.”But sometimes, maybe this time, it could be about both.
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Writing on the Wall? Hong Kong’s Security Law’s Far-reaching Risks
When Hong Kong’s national security law was about to be implemented 13 months ago, the city’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, said the legislation would only target a small minority. Government authorities began playing down fears about the security law, despite concerns of many in the city over the law’s ambiguity.Even media mogul Jimmy Lai said at the time, “We just relax and see what happens.” Lai now is serving two prison sentences and is awaiting trial on charges of foreign collusion, one of the key offenses outlined under the security law.Hong Kong has seen at least 117 people arrested and at least 60 charged since the law came into force. The first court verdict came this week.After a 15-day trial presided over by specially selected judges and no jury, former waiter Leon Tong Ying-kit, 24, was found guilty of secession and terrorism under the security law. During a protest on July 1 last year, the first full day the security law was in force, the court panel found Tong was guilty of driving a motorcycle into police officers while carrying a flag that incited secession. The anti-government protester was sentenced to nine years in prison Friday afternoon.With Hong Kong’s population of 7.5 million, chief executive Lam’s minority claim is technically true. Yet the law’s far-reaching effects have many in the city concerned.“Law is supposed to guide people’s actions. But from last July until now, we’ve really all been guessing where the red line was,” one Hong Kong-based lawyer told VOA.Police officers patrol outside a court July 30, 2021, as they wait for Tong Ying-kit to leave the court in Hong Kong after sentencing for the violation of a security law during a 2020 protest. Tong was sentenced to nine years in prison.The lawyer, who chose to stay anonymous for her own protection, has represented defendants charged under the security law. She predicted that if Beijing went to the trouble to enact the law upon Hong Kong, it would have an impact.“We already had some inkling of how far-reaching it would be, then we already knew it would not affect only a small minority of the Hong Kong people. At the time because we didn’t know the substantiveness, our main concerns were with the procedure.”“Afterwards when we did see, it was so vague and so far-reaching. It’s so wide and you don’t know when you fall foul of it until you get arrested,” she said.Last week five members of the General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists were arrested for allegedly “conspiring to publish seditious materials” after they published a selection of children’s books. Authorities claim the books that revolve around sheep incite hatred toward the government. Two of the members have since been denied bail.This incident follows the arrest of a 40-year-old man after his laundry drying rack was spotted holding a flag bearing the same slogan as Tong’s flag: “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times.” The incident has increased fears about how certain phrases can be interpreted as sedition in the city.Although Tong’s sentencing on Friday may set the tone for future national security law trials, with dozens yet to begin, activists in the city are still filled with uncertainty.Wong Yat-Chin, 20, is a pro-democracy activist and co-convener of the political group, StudentPoliticism. Even though dozens of his fellow activists are in jail, he has been regularly leading street booth events, set up to interact with the Hong Kong people, and remind them of the democracy movement.His efforts have seen him arrested a couple of times of late, including on June 4, during Hong Kong’s banned Tiananmen Square vigil.Hong Kong Police Thwart Tiananmen Square Vigil as Activist Arrested Event usually attracts thousands of people in memory of the Chinese government’s crackdown in Beijing in 1989 Wong does not know if he’s violated the law.“I believe that no one person or political party in Hong Kong can clearly know where the red line of the National Security Law is. Perhaps only CCP can clearly know,” he added, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.The 20-year-old recently publicized a new tattoo on his arm, that he said means “the body and the land will not be separated” and is in support of democracy in Hong Kong. Given the arrests for sensitive slogans in the city, the Hong Kong-based lawyer was unsure if tattoos would be construed as sedition.“That’s a good question,” she said.Hong Kong’s media have also come under severe pressure under the security law, epitomized by the closure of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily.Founded by Lai in 1995, last month the media outlet saw several of its executives arrested for alleged foreign collusion.Authorities said more than 30 Apple Daily articles are evidence that the media outlet was calling for foreign sanctions on Hong Kong and China. Authorities then froze company finances, forcing it to close. More recently, another former editor for the pro-democracy newspaper was arrested.Hong Kong Police Arrest Another Apple Daily Editor Under Security Law The tabloid’s owner Jimmy Lai, 73, is currently in prison and has been charged with collusion alongside two other executives who have been denied bailStand News, a pro-democracy news website in Hong Kong, recently removed online content of commentaries and blogs, a move seen to reduce sensitive material that could be used against them.In addition, more than 200 elected district councilors across 18 Hong Kong districts recently quit their posts following a recently implemented oath-taking law that targets “unpatriotic” civil servants.During the anti-government protests in 2019, the District Council elections saw a landslide victory for the pro-democracy opposition that was seen as an unofficial referendum as nearly 3 million people voted.One former district councilor has fled to Britain in self-exile.Nigel Kawai Lee told VOA he was disqualified from his position because he refused to swear an oath to Hong Kong and authorities feared he would say something out of turn.“Nobody really knows where the red line is. And that’s what makes all the politicians so scared.
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CDC Report: COVID Delta Variant Can Spread ‘As Easily As Chickenpox’
According to reports in The Washington Post and The New York Times, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to make public Friday an internal federal health document about the delta variant of the coronavirus that can be spread “as easily as chickenpox” by vaccinated and unvaccinated people.The newspapers reported the document is a slide presentation distributed to CDC officials. The presentation details the difficulties the agency has experienced in convincing some populations to get vaccinated and wear masks.The presentation urges CDC officials to develop public service messages that “emphasize vaccination as the best defense against a variant so contagious that it acts almost like a different novel virus, leaping from target to target more swiftly than Ebola or the common cold.”With the delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the country, U.S. President Joe Biden has announced civilian federal government employees must be vaccinated or submit to regular testing and wear masks.“Every federal government employee will be asked to attest to their vaccination status,” Biden said Thursday in a speech from the White House East Room. “Anyone who does not attest or is not vaccinated will be required to mask, no matter where they work, test one or two times a week to see if they’ve acquired COVID, socially distance, and generally will not be allowed to travel for work.”Nurse Darryl Hana prepares a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a three-day vaccination clinic at Providence Wilmington Wellness and Activity Center on July 29, 2021, in Wilmington, California.The federal government employs more than 4 million Americans, including over 2 million in the federal civilian workforce, a White House statement said.The same standards will apply to federal contractors, Biden added.Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced lockdown measures Friday for the Manila capital region, home to 13 million people. The move is designed to curb the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus. The lockdown will go into effect beginning Aug. 6 and lasting until Aug. 20.Tokyo’s neighbors are being placed under a state of emergency from Aug. 2-31, according to the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun. Tokyo, where the Olympic Games are currently being held, and Okinawa have already been placed under a state of emergency due to the spread of the coronavirus.Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Osaka are the new prefectures to have the emergency state imposed on them.Hokkaido, Ishikawa, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka prefectures, also neighboring Tokyo, will be placed under pre-emergency measures.Under a state of emergency, business is suspended in locations that serve alcohol or have karaoke.Business are asked not to serve alcohol under pre-emergency measures.Japan has reported a record number of daily COVID cases as the country hosts the Olympics Games in Tokyo.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 14 MB480p | 20 MB540p | 27 MB720p | 55 MB1080p | 108 MBOriginal | 124 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioAsahi Shimbun reported late Thursday that Japan had more than 10,000 daily coronavirus cases, the first time the country’s daily count has exceeded 10,000. Tokyo had 3,865 infections, eclipsing the previous day’s total of 3,177, according to the publication. The newspaper also reported that 24 people associated with the Olympic Games tested positive for COVID-19, including three athletes, bringing the total to 193 for people connected with the Games who have tested positive for COVID-19.WHO officials fear that 47 of Africa’s 54 countries will miss a September target of vaccinating 10% of their populations, a goal set earlier this year by the World Health Assembly, the world’s highest health policy-setting body. Africa accounts for less than 1% of the more than 4 billion vaccine doses administered globally.Many Latin American countries also are lagging. The region, along with the Caribbean, has suffered 1.25 million COVID-19-related deaths and is struggling to secure the vaccines needed by those countries. While Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay have inoculated about 50% of their populations, most of the others have managed to vaccinate only about 30% — with Honduras, Guatemala and Venezuela trailing at under 10%.The U.S. sent millions of doses of vaccine to Latin America earlier this month as part of Biden’s commitment to end the pandemic across the globe. One million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine were shipped to Bolivia, a million doses of Pfizer to Paraguay on Friday, and 1.5 million doses of Moderna to Guatemala, according to the White House.Overall, across the globe, just 1.1% of people in low-income countries have received at least one vaccine dose.The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported 196,634,210 global COVID infections early Friday.
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Australia Focuses on Indigenous Communities as Census Approaches
As Australia prepares for a census, administrators are trying to address significant undercounting of Indigenous communities.Australia holds a census every five years, giving the government a crucial snapshot of the population to help state and federal authorities direct billions of dollars in public funding, including health care spending.Aboriginal Australians, though, have historically been underrepresented. At the last census, in 2016, officials estimated Indigenous people were undercounted by more than 17%. Some have refused to complete the survey, while others were not aware of the census or could not be contacted.John Hill, a remote area team manager at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, described the problem to the Australian Broadcasting Corp, saying, “That is really nearly one in every five Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people were missed out, so that is not that good. If government bodies and service providers do not have accurate figures on what is out there, then there is very little chance people will get the services that they need.”This year, radio advertising about the census will be translated into 19 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.In 2016, it was estimated that there were almost 800,000 people from the two main Indigenous groups in Australia, representing 3.3% of the total population.A 1967 referendum changed the Australian constitution to include all Indigenous people in the census for the first time. Prior to that vote, some Aboriginal Australians were counted in separate surveys but not included in the national population count.This year’s census will not include specific questions related to the coronavirus pandemic but is still expected to provide data on how people have been affected.There are concerns that Australians from non-English-speaking backgrounds may have trouble filling in the form because of restrictions on assistance at libraries and from volunteers because of COVID-19 lockdowns in Sydney and surrounding regions.The census is compulsory and will take place Aug. 10. People who fail to complete the form could be fined up to $160 per day.
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Countries Receive First Batch of Shared US COVID-19 Vaccines
Once seen as a vaccine hoarder, the U.S. is now sharing its COVID-19 doses, acting on the Biden administration’s pledge to deliver a half-billion doses around the world over the next year. VOA correspondent Mariama Diallo reports on some of the countries that have received their first batches.
Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
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US Condemns ‘Harassment’ of Foreign Journalists in China
The United States is “deeply concerned” over the harassment and intimidation of foreign correspondents covering deadly floods in China, a State Department spokesperson said Thursday. His remarks came less than 24 hours after Beijing accused the BBC of broadcasting “fake news” about last week’s devastating flooding in the central province of Henan, and as the British broadcaster said its journalists had been subjected to hostility. “The United States is deeply concerned with the increasingly harsh surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of US and other foreign journalists in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including foreign journalists covering the devastation and loss of life caused by recent floods in Henan,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a statement. “The PRC government claims to welcome foreign media and support their work, but its actions tell a different story,” Price said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian had earlier on Thursday called the BBC a “Fake News Broadcasting Company” that has “attacked and smeared China, seriously deviating from journalistic standards.” The BBC has said its reporters covering the deluge had been subjected to online vitriol, while other outlets had been harassed on the ground in “attacks which continue to endanger foreign journalists.” The BBC reported on last week’s floods in the city of Zhengzhou which left 14 people dead, and more than 500 commuters trapped when the city’s subway system flooded during rush hour just as sensitivity towards any negative portrayal of China mounts. Reporters from AFP were forced by hostile Zhengzhou residents to delete footage and were surrounded by dozens of men while reporting on a submerged traffic tunnel. Zhao on Thursday said foreign correspondents “enjoy an open and free reporting environment in China.” But press freedom groups say the space for overseas reporters to operate is tightening, with journalists followed on the streets, suffering harassment online and refused visas. In his statement Thursday, Price urged China to not curtail press access to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. “We call on the PRC to act as a responsible nation hoping to welcome foreign media and the world for the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games,” his statement said.
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Stressed by COVID-19, Zimbabweans Turn to Friendship Bench for Solace
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has stretched people’s mental health around the globe, and Zimbabwe is no exception. But some Zimbabweans hit hard by the stress have found unique support at the Friendship Bench, one of the country’s biggest counseling services.The Friendship Bench was created in 2006 to provide counseling to those stressed out or depressed by the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe. The organization now has branches at most clinics and hospitals in Harare, and it is the only large mental health therapy service operating in the country.The service is run by volunteers who say they do not want to see Zimbabwean people experience severe anxiety.Chengetayi Nyamukapa, country coordinator for Friendship Bench, says due to COVID-19, the organization is now mainly doing online counseling. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)According to Chengetayi Nyamukapa, country coordinator for Friendship Bench, many people have stopped meeting others in person due to COVID-19.”As Friendship Bench, are saying we are there, we continue to provide counseling to people who are infected, affected by COVID-19 pandemic,” Nyamukapa said. “Again, we are saying that we are unable to do that using our conventional face to face, but what we have done as an organization is to migrate to an online platform. We are accessible via WhatsApp, be it in audio, video call, being it texting and even a general call.”But some, such as Elizabeth Chibeka, still come to their offices. The 49-year-old said her father is battling COVID-19.“I have nothing to pay for his medical bills,” she said. “I am unemployed, I have no means to raise funds even for his food. Those are some of the things stressing me, hence I came here to talk to these people. COVID-19 is there and it’s real, especially where we stay. We are failing to attend funerals because of COVID-19.”Forget Gutuza, 53, one of the counselors at the Friendship Bench, says COVID-19 is dominating her counseling lately. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)Fifty-three-year-old Forget Gutuza, one of the counselors at the Friendship Bench, said COVID-19 is dominating her counseling lately.”COVID-19 has really spread its wings,” she said. “It’s all over. But people are not masking up. I do not know how awareness programs can be done. I wonder why people do not understand the situation we are in.”Dr. Debra Machando, chief of mental health for the World Health Organization’s office in Zimbabwe, said COVID-19 has caused a lot of stress.“Lately we have been seeing a number of psychological disorders, including panic attacks, insomnia, depression, and also a surge in terms of family conflict and violence,” she said. “So, there are a number of things that people can do to mitigate loss of income, to mitigate the stress. The first thing is to understand, to appreciate that we are living in strange times, and things are difficult. When people understand, it also means that they are going to put their expectations into perspective.”This realization might help people to cope as the number of cases of COVID-19 continue to spike in Zimbabwe with the delta variant on the rise.
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Summer Turns Deadly for US-Bound Migrants Braving Scorching Desert Heat
Record-setting migration to the U.S.-Mexico border and scorching heat waves are contributing to an especially deadly summer for migrants negotiating desolate and unforgiving desert terrain in hopes of reaching the United States.In June alone, the remains of 43 bodies were found in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert north of the U.S. border with Mexico, according to the Tucson-based nonprofit group Water tanks from the NGO Humane Borders are placed in the desert as supply for immigrants crossing the area near Arivaca, Arizona, March 23, 2006.The group has documented remains found in the U.S. as far as 40 kilometers from the border and noticed increased traffic in the remote western desert, where migrants are cut off from almost any form of emergency assistance.The National Weather Service reported that June was the hottest month on record in the Phoenix and Tucson areas of Arizona, with temperatures regularly above 43 C (110 F).June 2021 is now the hottest June on record for Phoenix. Water is left by volunteers of the nonprofit Border Angels in a remote area of the mountains near the end of the fence at the U.S.-Mexico border, in Tecate, California, on Dec. 29, 2018.Humanitarian groups working along the border believe the actual migrant death toll is much higher than what has been officially reported over the years, with some bodies never found.Border Angels, a nonprofit organization in San Diego, California, that supports more than 15 shelters in Tijuana, Mexico, estimates that over the past 27 years, more than 11,000 migrants have perished in their attempt to cross the southern border.”But we will never know for sure,” said Border Angels Executive Director Dulce Garcia.Garcia said the group is seeing more migrants who have been waiting years to present themselves at a U.S. port of entry and ask for humanitarian relief.”These people that are here waiting, they’re very desperate. And even in 120-degree (Fahrenheit) weather (49 C), even when they know they’re risking their lives, the alternative is remaining in a country (Mexico) that also is a risk to them and their lives. So they feel like they have no other choice but attempt to cross into a country that they think is going to be safe for them,” Garcia told VOA.The U.S. Border Patrol has reported more than 7,000 migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border from 1998 through 2020, according to archived data. Water drop programsBorder Angels operates what’s known as a water drop program. For roughly 20 years, volunteers have been depositing as much water as they can along the desert paths most traveled by migrants.In 2020, they placed more than 4,000 liters of water with messages written in Spanish: “Te deseo suerte,” or “I wish you luck.”Garcia said volunteers are careful to follow the law and keep interaction with any migrants they encounter to a minimum. But if someone is in distress, they call 911 for emergency assistance.”We don’t assist anyone in the crossing. We only drop supplies to make sure that people don’t die,” she added.Humane Borders has its own water program, and Jones said there are dangers associated with doing work as simple as giving out water.”It has to do with a number of hate groups and racist terrorist groups that roam the desert and are actively seeking to disrupt humanitarian supplies,” Jones said. That is one of the reasons his organization does not advertise water drop locations, he added.If Humane Borders’ volunteers find human remains during their water drop runs, Jones said, they immediately contact the U.S. Border Patrol.Looking at the latest information on post-mortem interval — the time that has elapsed since an individual’s death — for those found in the month of June, Jones said most died within the previous 30 days.”So, it’s not like these are a bunch of skeletal remains that just happened to be found. These are real, living, breathing people who in May were alive and, by the end of June, were not alive anymore,” he said.
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Philippines Says US Visiting Forces Agreement to Remain in Effect
The Philippines says it has fully restored a major security agreement with the United States, with President Rodrigo Duterte retracting his intention to terminate the Philippines-U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) late Thursday.Filipino Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana told reporters at a news conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday that Duterte, after his meeting with Austin, retracted the VFA termination letter sent to the U.S. last year.“This provides us some degree of certainty going forward, so we can plan further in advance,” Austin told reporters. “And with that long-range planning, we can actually do more comprehensive exercises.”Secretary Lorenzana said he was unsure why Duterte had reversed the decision, but he welcomed the president’s move.The 1998 agreement provides legal permission for thousands of U.S. troops who rotate into the Philippines for dozens of military and humanitarian assistance exercises each year.Duterte gave formal notice to the United States of his decision to scrap the VFA in February 2020 after repeated threats to downgrade the two countries’ military alliance. He later extended the VFA until December 2021.At the time of the termination notice, Duterte had indicated that he favored relations with China and Russia over ties with the U.S. His spokesperson said the reason for terminating the VFA was to allow the Philippines military to be more independent.Analysts say access to the Philippines puts the U.S. in a position to rapidly respond to threats from China in the South China Sea. They say it also bolsters U.S. counterterror and intelligence gathering in the region.
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Japan’s Hamada and Wolf Win Gold Medals to Match Record Haul
Japan’s Aaron Wolf and Shori Hamada grabbed gold medals in their respective judo finals Thursday, taking the host nation’s tally to eight golds from the sport at the Tokyo Games and matching their record haul from Athens 2004.Wolf, 25, and world champion in 2017, threw South Korean Cho Gu-ham to secure a dramatic ippon victory that ended more than five minutes of grueling Golden Score sudden-death overtime in the men’s -100kg final.It was the first time in 21 years that a Japanese judoka had dominated the -100 kg category at the Olympics.Wolf, whose mother is Japanese and whose father is from the United States, raised his fist in victory and burst into tears when he won the final. He later said he had used painkillers on both his bad knees the previous day.”What I’ve done up until now paid off finally, so I felt the surge of emotion,” he told reporters.
“I was just brought up as Japanese in the low city area of Tokyo. Japanese athletes of mixed parentage are increasing, so I hope that will help diversity among Japanese as a whole.”Earlier, Wolf overcame Uzbekistan’s Mukhammadkarim Khurramov to make it to the quarter-finals, where he defeated Israel’s Peter Paltchik.In the semi-finals, Wolf beat Georgian Varlam Liparteliani, the world number one and Rio silver medalist, with a dynamic o-uchi-gari throw to score a waza-ari victory.South Korea’s Cho won silver, while the bronze medals went to Jorge Fonseca of Portugal and Niiaz Iliasov of the Russian Olympic Committee.In the women’s -78 kg division final, 2018 world champion Hamada defeated French world number one Madeleine Malonga with a quick and solid pin to win the gold medal.Earlier, Hamada, 30, had pinned Beata Pacut of Poland for an ippon victory in the elimination round of 16, then downed Aleksandra Babintseva of the Russian Olympic Committee via a sliding lapel choke to reach the semi-finals.Hamada, ranked second in her division, triumphed over German Anna-Maria Wagner with a cross armlock for an ippon victory in the semi-finals.The bronze medals went to Wagner and Mayra Aguiar of Brazil.
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Vietnam Announces US VP Harris Visit
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will soon travel to Vietnam, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Thursday.Phuc said he looked forward to Harris’s “upcoming” visit as he met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in the Presidential Palace, without providing further details.U.S. officials traveling with Austin did not confirm the visit and referred VOA to the White House.Austin, the first Biden administration Cabinet official to visit Vietnam, arrived in the midst of the crippling COVID-19 pandemic and just days after the U.S. shipped 3 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam. The delivery raises the total number of vaccines the U.S. has given the Southeast Asian nation to 5 million.“We look forward to continuing to help in a number of ways … no strings attached,” Austin told Phuc. “It is what friends do to help friends in emergencies.”He also sought to deepen ties with Hanoi amid increased Chinese military activity in the South China Sea.“It’s a part of the world where China continues to be very aggressive in the space, so it was important for the secretary to get here,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters Thursday. Hanoi has been increasingly vocal about its opposition to Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. Chinese vessels are accused of harassing oil and gas developers of Vietnam’s coast, hindering their energy development. In the past, the U.S. has provided Vietnam with Coast Guard cutters to help bolster its ability to defend against Chinese aggression in waters claimed by both countries.Despite China and Vietnam’s communist ties, Beijing has emerged as a new antagonist of Hanoi, while the U.S.-Vietnam relationship has flourished, according to Murray Hiebert of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.“It’s amazing how far these two countries have come in the last 40 years or so. The U.S. is Vietnam’s biggest trading partner. It’s a major investor, and it has some of the closest military-to-military ties with any country in Southeast Asia,” Hiebert said.However, members of the Biden administration have said Washington’s relationship with Hanoi will remain limited until Hanoi makes progress on human rights issues. Pentagon Chief Seeks to Nudge Ties with Vietnam as Human Rights Concerns LingerThere is a perception in Asia that China is making countries chose between it and the United StatesU.S. defense officials said Austin brought up the issue of human rights during his talks with Vietnam’s president, prime minister and minister of national defenseAccording to Kirby, the U.S. defense secretary said “that good friends and partners should be able to have open and honest discussions with one another about these difficult, fairly sensitive issues.”Austin and his defense counterpart signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday that expands support to Vietnam’s efforts to locate and identify Vietnamese killed or missing during the Vietnam War.A senior defense official told reporters the Vietnamese search will be aided by a database created by Harvard and Texas Tech University.
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19 Civilians Die in New Attack in Niger
A fresh attack in western Niger near the border with volatile Mali has left 19 civilians dead, the government said Thursday.The attack took place Wednesday in the village of Deye Koukou in the Banibangou area, where 14 civilians were killed Sunday, it said.Three others were wounded and one was missing.A local official earlier told AFP that 18 people had been killed in the raid.The latest attack takes to 33 the number of civilians killed in the region in less than a week.Banibangou falls inside what is known as the three-borders region between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, which for years has been the scene of bloody attacks by jihadist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.In mid-March, an attack by suspected jihadists in the same district targeting a village market left 66 people dead.And on June 24, attacks on villages in Tondikiwindi, in a neighboring district, killed 19 people.Despite repeated efforts by the authorities to secure the region, the deadly attacks have continued, often carried out by gunmen on motorbikes who flee across the border into Mali after their raids.A contingent of 1,200 Chadian soldiers is deployed in the three-borders region as part of a multinational force put together by the G-5 Sahel group, which included Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
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International Aid Cuts to Affect Millions Across Africa
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact has led to cuts in foreign aid from donors like Britain, which this month slashed its aid budget by $5.5 billion, hitting those on the ground in Africa. The funding loss is felt in Burkina Faso where it could possibly shut down a group that helps thousands of gender-based-violence and rape survivors. Henry Wilkins reports from Kaya, Burkina Faso Camera: Henry Wilkins
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World Leaders Pledge $4 Billion to Public Education Affected by Pandemic
Thursday marks the second and final day of the Global Education Summit in London, hosted by Kenya and the United Kingdom. International governments and corporations pledged to donate $4 billion for the Global Partnership for Education, which provides fair access to public education in 90 countries and territories that account for 80% of children out of school. The summit emphasized the importance of equitable access to education amid warnings that COVID-19 has exacerbated already under-resourced public education programs in less economically developed countries. Experts alerted the organization that it was unlikely for those forced out of schools due to the pandemic to return. Australia’s former prime minister Julia Gillard gestures as she speaks during the closing ceremony on the second day of the Global Education Summit in London, Britain, July 29, 2021.Julia Gillard, former Australian prime minister and chair of the partnership, noted that the pandemic affected access to education in all nations but poorer countries where families may lack internet connection or electricity were devastated. Gillard said that this pledge puts the partnership on track for completing the goal of raising $5 billion over five years. Ambassador Raychelle Omamo, Kenyan Cabinet secretary for foreign affairs, warned of the pandemic’s devastating impact on global education, saying “education is the pathway, the way forward.” Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner from Pakistan and activist for female education, spoke to the summit leaders and stressed the significance of accessible education for young girls who are often discriminated against. She warned that 130 million girls were unable to attend school because of the pandemic and said that “their futures are worth fighting for.” Addressing the conference with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his government’s commitment to girls’ education and its goal of enrolling 40 million more girls in school by 2026. Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson applaud during the closing ceremony on the second day of the Global Education Summit in London, Britain, July 29, 2021.”Enabling them to learn and reach their full potential is the single greatest thing we can do to recover from this crisis,” Johnson said. Johnson faced criticism for advocating for girls’ education while simultaneously cutting the U.K.’s overseas aid budget. The prime minister pledged $602 million to the Global Partnership for Education, while slashing $5.6 billion from the U.K.’s international development allowance. British officials said that the budget cut is temporary and was a necessary action due to the economic strain from pandemic recovery. The Global Partnership for Education also received criticism for continuing funding to partner countries that openly discriminate against students. Investigations by Human Rights Watch uncovered open exclusion of pregnant students in Tanzania and Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh. Some information for this report came from the Associated Press.
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Healthy Living, A Look at Cosmetic Surgery, S2, E108
This week on Healthy Living, a look into cosmetic surgery. We hear from Doctor Frédérique Yao-Dje, an Aesthetic and Regenerative Medicine Specialist in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire who tells us more about the growing demand for cosmetic procedures in Africa. Plus, would you alter your body to feel better about yourself? We have your reactions from Jos, Nigeria. These topics and more this week.
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France Calls British Travel Rules ‘Discriminatory,’ Not Science-Based
France’s European Affairs Minister on Thursday called Britain’s decision to lift quarantine requirements for all fully vaccinated travelers arriving from Europe except France “discriminatory and incomprehensible” and said he hopes it is reviewed as soon as possible.
Clement Beaune made the comments during an interview on French television a day after Britain announced it was dropping the quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated visitors from the European Union and the United States but that it would review rules for travelers from France only at the end of next week.
The British government has said it is keeping quarantine rules for travelers from France because of the presence of the beta variant there. But Beaune told French broadcaster LCI the beta strain accounted for fewer than 5% of COVID-19 cases in France, and mostly occurred in overseas territories from where relatively few people traveled to Britain.
“We are saying to the British that, on the scientific and health levels, there are no explanations for this decision,” he said.
In a Wednesday interview, British Transportation Minister Grant Shapps said the government will not be able to review the decision until the end of next week because they need to see the data.
Beaune said he will continue pressuring Britain to review the requirement, but said, for now, he is not planning to impose similar measures on British travelers to France.
Some information in this report came from Associated Press, Reuters and AFP.
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USAID Chief to Visit Ethiopia to Press for Tigray Aid
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) chief Samantha Power will visit Ethiopia next week to press for humanitarian access into conflict-battered Tigray as fears of famine grow, it was announced Thursday.
Power will meet officials in Addis Ababa to “press for unimpeded humanitarian access to prevent famine in Tigray and meet urgent needs in other conflict-affected regions of the country,” USAID said in a statement.
Power will also travel to Sudan on her trip starting Saturday as Western powers seek to support the civilian-backed transitional government after decades of authoritarian rule, USAID said.
The United Nations has warned that food rations in the Tigrayan capital Mekele could run out this month if more aid is not allowed in.
All available routes into Tigray are impeded by restrictions or insecurity following an attack on a World Food Program convoy earlier this month.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, in November launched an offensive in Tigray in response to attacks by the region’s then ruling party against federal army camps.FILE – Samantha Power, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, delivers a speech during a visit to El Salvador at the Central American University in San Salvador, June 14, 2021.The war took a stunning turn last month when the forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front took back Mekele, with rebels then launching a new offensive.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has described some of the violence in Tigray as “ethnic cleansing” and repeatedly pressed Abiy by telephone, voicing alarm despite the long, warm U.S. relationship with Ethiopia.
Power, a former journalist who held senior positions under former President Barack Obama, is known for her advocacy of humanitarian concerns and often reflects on the failure to prevent the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
Power will also meet in Sudan with Ethiopian refugees who have fled the conflict and travel to Darfur — the parched western region where a 2003 campaign against the African ethnic minority was described as genocide by Washington.
Sudan’s civilian prime minister, Abdulla Hamdok, has sought to end the vast nation’s myriad conflicts including in Darfur although renewed clashes have killed hundreds of people in recent months.
Power will meet Hamdok as well as the military chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who remains leader of Sudan’s transitional ruling body as Sudan prepares for elections in 2022.
Power will “explore how to expand USAID’s support for Sudan’s transition to a civilian-led democracy” and deliver a speech in Khartoum about the transition, the agency said.
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