Saturday, August 21, is the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, a day that is unfortunately relevant in Burkina Faso which is engaged in fighting Islamist militants. One Burkinabe nonprofit, Go Paga, is helping widows and orphans grappling with the loss of husbands and fathers to rebuild their lives.Some 1.3 million people have been displaced in Burkina Faso’s conflict since it began in 2015, and more than 6,000 killed, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Burkinabe military personnel are among the dead, killed fighting terror groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida. Loretta Ilboudou is the widow of a soldier killed in that fight. She says it was on December 24, 2019. She and her family were preparing for Christmas. Her husband’s uncles arrived in the morning, but she wasn’t informed of his death until that evening. She said she suspected something but wasn’t told anything to begin with. Her husband died during a terrorist attack on the town of Arbinda. The couple had a daughter who was just a few months old at the time. Her husband was a nice person, she says, a bit shy, and very serious about his work. He spent a lot of time with his family. They used to go on outings on his days off. A nonprofit called Go Paga is helping widows like Ilboudou. Its pilot project, launched in February, provides them with support so they can make a living. Fadima Kambou, the founder of Go Paga, says the program is about teaching the women to fish, not giving them the fish. It’s about empowering themselves and their children afterward. The aim is for Burkina Faso to have a system of care that supports what the state already provides for these widows, Kambou adds. Terrorism victims like Ilboudou face complex issues, says Fionnuala Ni Aolain, United Nations special rapporteur for protecting the human rights of terrorism victims. “So, we get a lot of good wishes for victims of terrorism, and we get a lot of expressions of great sorrow for their sorrow. But in many ways — and I think both speak directly about widows — the reality is that victims of terrorism, particularly women who have been victims, need concrete and practical support,” she said. Today, IIboudou is an intern at an insurance company. She hopes to be fully employed so she can support her daughter. Now, she says she feels ready to move forward and she says she wishes other women had this chance. Beginning in September, Go Paga plans to roll out its program to support all military widows in the country.
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Month: August 2021
Malaysia’s Longest-ruling Party Seems Set to Return to PM
Malaysia’s longest-governing political party appeared set to reclaim the premiership it lost in a shock 2018 election result, with its lawmakers summoned to the palace Thursday to verify their candidate has enough support to take office. The choice of former Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob would essentially restore the ruling alliance of Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned as prime minister on Monday after infighting in the coalition cost him majority support. Ismail’s appointment would also see the return of the United Malays National Organization, which ruled Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957 before it was ousted in 2018 over a multibillion-dollar financial scandal. Ismail, 61, who is an UMNO vice president, appeared to have majority support. UMNO Secretary-General Ahmad Maslan tweeted that all lawmakers from UMNO and other parties in the former ruling alliance who support Ismail have been summoned to meet Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah. “With Ismail Sabri poised to become Malaysia’s next prime minister under the same alliance, many Malaysians will view it as nothing more than a game of musical chairs” with the baton passed from Muhyiddin’s Bersatu party to UMNO, said Ei Sun Oh, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Muhyiddin departed after less than 18 months in office amid internal squabbling and mounting public anger over what was widely perceived as his government’s poor handling of the pandemic. Malaysia has one of the world’s highest infection rates and deaths per capita, despite a seven-month state of emergency and a lockdown since June. The king’s role is largely ceremonial in Malaysia, but he appoints the person he believes has majority support in Parliament as prime minister. Local media said Ismail is believed to have obtained 114 votes, surpassing the 111 needed for a simple majority. It is similar to the support Muhyiddin has before 15 UMNO lawmakers withdrew support for him, causing his government to collapse. A lawyer before he joined politics, Ismail held several ministerial posts in UMNO governments. In 2015 as trade minister, Ismail courted controversy when he urged Malay consumers to boycott profiteering Chinese businesses. He was also slammed for supporting the vaping industry, which is dominated by Malays, despite health warnings from the health ministry. In 2018 polls, Ismail waved the racial card, warning that every vote for the opposition was akin to eliminating special privileges given to Malays under a decades-old affirmative action program. Ismail was named defense minister when Muhyiddin took power in March 2020, and became the government’s public face through daily briefings on security issues related to the pandemic. He was promoted as deputy prime minister in July as Muhyiddin sought to woo support from UMNO, which was unhappy at playing second fiddle to Muhyiddin’s smaller party. Since Muhyiddin resigned, his party has voiced support for Ismail. The other contender in the race, Anwar Ibrahim, leads a three-party alliance that is the biggest opposition bloc with 88 votes. Even if all opposition parties support him, he would still fall short with only 105 votes. Anwar was due to succeed then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad before their reformist alliance collapsed in February 2020, sparked by the withdrawal of Muhyiddin’s party. Muhyiddin then formed a new government with corruption-tainted UMNO and several other parties. Some analysts said Ismail would be a poor choice as he is associated with the failings of Muhyiddin’s government and that his government is likely to remain shaky. “His cabinet appointees are likely to be familiar faces and it is more than likely that similar policies that failed to arrest the pandemic advances or spur economic growth will be continued with minor tweaks,” Oh said. Other analysts warned it may also set the stage for increased politicking in UMNO as Ismail may later mount a challenge against the party president, who is fighting multiple criminal charges.
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N. Korea Issues Navigational Warning Amid Fears of Weapons Test: Reports
North Korea declared a no-sail zone for ships off its east coast earlier this week, suggesting it may have been planning a missile launch or other weapons test that apparently never occurred, according to South Korean reports. The warning was issued for Sunday through Monday in the northeastern regions of the sea off North Korea’s east coast, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Thursday, quoting unnamed military sources. “Such an advisory is usually issued ahead of missile launches or other weapons tests to warn vessels to stay clear of certain areas expected to be affected,” the news agency reported. “But no actual ballistic missile launches or artillery firings took place during the period, according to officials at Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff,” it added. South Korea’s Joongang Ilbo newspaper also reported North Korea issued the navigational warning, adding Pyongyang may have attempted missile launches Sunday. It offered no other details. VOA has not obtained confirmation of any warning or possible launch attempt. A spokesperson for South Korea’s National Defense Ministry provided a written statement to VOA that North Korea is conducting summer military training. “South Korean and U.S. intelligence are closely monitoring the situation,” the statement read. Tensions, drills Senior North Korean military general Kim Yong Chol last week warned of a “huge security crisis” after the U.S. and South Korea announced they would move ahead with annual summer military drills. Pyongyang sees the exercises as a provocation and often uses them as an occasion to conduct its own weapons tests or issue verbal threats. This year, North Korea appeared to use the exercises to increase pressure on South Korea.People watch a TV showing an image of North Korea’s new guided missile during a news program at the Suseo Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday. March 26, 2021.Weeks before the U.S.-South Korea drills, North Korea announced it was reopening several inter-Korean hotlines, in what both sides called the first step toward improved relations. Around the time the drills began, though, North Korea stopped answering the hotlines. South Korea’s left-leaning president, Moon Jae-in, frequently speaks of his desire to leave a legacy of peace with North Korea. Moon is running out of time to do so; his single, five-year term ends in May. Provocations coming? South Korea’s National Intelligence Service recently said it expects North Korea could soon test a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Others speculate Pyongyang may prefer a less provocative launch, possibly involving a short-range missile or artillery. This week’s navigational warning may suggest the North is preparing a major test, according to some observers. “I recall [North Korea] issuing similar notices ahead of satellite launch attempts in years gone by, but not ahead of regular ballistic missile testing,” tweeted Chad O’Carroll, founder of NK News website. Pyongyang’s warning could also be a false alarm, warned Martyn Williams, a North Korea-focused fellow at the U.S.-based Stimson Center. “It could also be that the warning was just intended to stir the pot. The U.S. and South Korea are running an exercise now and [North Korea] is not happy about it,” he tweeted.
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Biden Says US Troops to Remain in Afghanistan Until All Americans are Evacuated
The Taliban swept through Afghanistan, taking most of its 34 Afghan provincial capitals in about nine days. The insurgent group reached Kabul early Sunday. Here is the latest: Aug. 18 — As of late Wednesday, the U.S. military had evacuated nearly 6,000 people from Afghanistan, according to a White House official. Aug. 18 — U.S. President Joe Biden says U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan until all Americans are evacuated, even if that means they are in the country beyond the August 31 deadline for withdrawing forces. “If there’s American citizens left, we’re going to stay there until we get them all out,” Biden told ABC News. Aug. 18 — U.S. State Department says it expects Taliban to allow everyone who wishes to leave Afghanistan “to do so safely and without harassment.” Aug. 18 — At least three people died in Jalalabad after what witnesses say was violence by Taliban militants against a group of people who tried to take down a Taliban flag and replace it with the national flag of Afghanistan. Aug. 18 — U.N. food agency director in Afghanistan warns of humanitarian crisis with 14 million people facing severe hunger. Aug. 18 — First Lufthansa flight in Germany’s effort to evacuate nationals, activists and Afghans who worked with foreign forces arrives in Frankfurt. Aug. 17 — Taliban co-founder and deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar returns to Afghanistan. Aug. 17 — United States says it evacuated more than 3,200 people as of Tuesday evening with aims to increase to between 5,000 and 9,000 per day Wednesday. Aug. 17 — U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan says international community will be watching and “verifying” whether Taliban meets obligations to uphold human rights. Aug. 17 — The Taliban vow to respect women’s rights “within Islamic law” and form an “inclusive Islamic” government. They also announce general “amnesty” and urge people to return to work. Aug. 17 — Flights resume Tuesday at Kabul’s international airport after crowds Monday forced pause in evacuations of diplomats and civilians. Aug. 17 — India evacuates Kabul embassy, sending 140 personnel on flight home Tuesday. Aug. 16 — In a nationally televised speech from the White House, U.S. President Joe Biden says he stands “squarely behind” his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan, adding that “American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.” Aug. 16 — Thousands of civilians gather at Kabul’s international airport, where U.S. soldiers fired warning shots as people seeking to escape the Taliban run across the tarmac. Video from the airport shared on social media shows Afghans clinging to the sides of a U.S. military aircraft, while another video shows what appears to be a person falling from a U.S. military plane after takeoff. Aug. 15 — More than 60 countries call for all parties in Afghanistan to allow any Afghans or foreign nationals to leave the country if they wish to do so. Aug. 15 — Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a deputy chief and co-founder of the Taliban, says late Sunday, “I am here to announce that we are responsible for your lives and all that pertain to everyday living, and to convince you that we will provide everything to make your lives better.” Aug. 15 — Top members of the Taliban military commission arrive at the presidential palace in Kabul as Taliban fighters position themselves at key posts in the city. A Taliban spokesman confirms that they have been directed to guard security posts and other installations in Kabul to “prevent chaos and looting after Afghan forces abandoned them.” Aug. 15 — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issues a statement confirming that he, along with his vice president and other senior officials, has fled the country “to prevent bloodshed.” Aug. 15 — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is evacuating its remaining staff at its embassy in Kabul. Aug. 15 — The Taliban reach Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, saying they are awaiting a peaceful transfer of power. Earlier, they took over Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province. Aug. 15 — Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says fighters have taken control of Bagram Airfield and the Parwan prison there and freed its inmates. There were about 5,000 high-value Taliban prisoners at Bagram, which served as the main base for the U.S.-led foreign military mission in Afghanistan. Aug. 14 — As Taliban insurgents draw closer to the Afghan capital, U.S. President Joe Biden authorizes another 1,000 troops — in addition to the 3,000 ordered earlier in the week — to assist in the evacuation of U.S. personnel and other allies from Kabul. Aug. 14 — Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, falls to the Taliban after fierce fighting. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announces in a formal statement that they have fully captured the country’s fourth-largest city, located on the border with Uzbekistan. Aug. 14 — President Ashraf Ghani delivers a televised address, saying rapid consultations are under way to end the fighting, and calls for revitalization of armed forces. Aug. 14 — The Taliban seize control of Asadabad, capital of eastern province of Kunar, Saturday afternoon.
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Afghanistan: What We Know
U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he will keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan until the last Americans are evacuated from the country. He had set an August 31 deadline for the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops. The World Food Program’s country director for Afghanistan, Mary Ellen McGroarty, is warning of a humanitarian disaster with 14 million people facing severe hunger. Speaking to reporters in a video briefing Wednesday, she described additional challenges facing the country, including severe drought and the coronavirus pandemic. At least three people died Wednesday when Taliban militants attacked protesters in the city of Jalalabad. The demonstrators were trying to take down a Taliban flag and replace it with Afghanistan’s national flag. The International Monetary Fund suspended Afghanistan’s access to resources, with a spokesman citing “a lack of clarity within the international community regarding recognition of a government in Afghanistan.” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said U.S. forces are focused on securing Kabul’s airport and cannot help people reach the site. A White House official said military flights have taken nearly 6,000 people from the country since Saturday.
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Race to Evacuate Continues as Hope Dwindles for At-risk Afghans
The race to evacuate tens of thousands of Americans and Afghans from Afghanistan is intensifying as prospects are uncertain for removing any Afghan allies after August 31. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has the latest.Produced by: Mary Cieslak
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US Continues Diplomatic Outreach to Host At-risk Afghans
The United States is reaching out to dozens of countries to host at-risk Afghans while accelerating the evacuation of American citizens and diplomats.Early Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris received a briefing by the White House national security team on the situation in Afghanistan.“They discussed efforts to accelerate evacuations of U.S. citizens, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants and other vulnerable Afghans, and to facilitate safe passage to Hamid Karzai International Airport,” plus the monitoring of potential terrorist threats, a White House official said.In a separate call, the White House said Biden spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on “the need for close coordination on the provision of humanitarian aid for vulnerable Afghans in country as well as support for neighboring states.”The White House said the U.S., Germany and Britain have agreed to hold a virtual Group of Seven leaders meeting next week to discuss a “common strategy and approach.”Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his counterparts from U.S. allies, including Canada, Kuwait and Qatar, about the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan, as well as efforts to bring vulnerable Afghans to safety.As the U.S. continued to evacuate Americans and diplomats, Kuwait and Qatar said they were facilitating the transit of U.S. citizens and embassy personnel through their countries.Canada was also helping to host at-risk Afghans.”The secretary expressed his profound appreciation to Canada for resettling 20,000 vulnerable Afghans and for Canada’s ongoing coordination with international efforts to address the situation in Afghanistan,” according to a State Department statement.U.S. Undersecretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland was said to be leading the U.S. outreach efforts to dozens of countries, including in the Balkans and Africa, to host Afghan refugees.“We deeply appreciate Uganda’s generous offer of assistance to host Afghanistan evacuees on a temporary basis. We have not yet made a final determination of assistance requirements in Uganda and discussions with the government of Uganda concerning the situation in Afghanistan are ongoing,” a State Department spokesperson told VOA.White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report.
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Biden Administration Proposes Plan to Speed Up Asylum Cases at US-Mexico Border
The Biden administration unveiled a proposal Wednesday to accelerate the handling of asylum claims along the U.S.-Mexico border to address a record-high backlog of roughly 1.3 million cases.Under the proposed plan, asylum-seekers who establish they have a credible fear of persecution and are placed in expedited removal proceedings will be able to have their cases heard and decided by U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS) asylum officers, rather than immigration judges who are typically overwhelmed by cases. USCIS is part of the Department of Homeland Security.The FILE – Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, March 1, 2021.”Individuals who are eligible will receive relief more swiftly, while those who are not eligible will be expeditiously removed,” U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. “We are building an immigration system that is designed to ensure due process, respect human dignity and promote equity.”Those who receive a negative outcome in the initial stage will be able to appeal to the immigration courts managed by the Department of Justice.Although the rule is not expected to be implemented for months, it has the potential of changing the dynamic of the U.S. asylum system, leading to faster asylum decisions and a decrease in cases cluttering the immigration court backlog.But some immigration and human rights advocates are skeptical about the proposed restructuring of the system.Some welcomed the proposal but expressed concerns about the repeated use of the term “expedited removal” — a process in which migrants are fast-tracked for deportation to their home countries if U.S. immigration officers conclude they do not have valid asylum claims. That determination is also made without migrants appearing before an immigration judge. Unaccompanied children who cross the border into the United States are exempt from the policy.Explainer: Fast-track Deportation at US-Mexico Border Migrants who meet certain standards may face expedited removal from the United States “The proposed rule could be used and abused to rush asylum-seekers through adjudications without sufficient time to secure legal representation, gather evidence or prepare their cases, leading U.S. agencies to return to persecution of people who actually do qualify for asylum,” Eleanor Acer, senior director for refugee protection at Human Rights First, said in an email.She also explained that the proposed guideline would give a migrant only a chance for an immigration court “review” rather than an actual hearing if the USCIS officer does not approve the person’s claim to asylum.Already found a provision of this new rule that we’ll likely be formally opposing.The Biden administration wants to adopt the Trump administration’s proposal to eliminate DHS’s ability to reconsider a negative credible fear finding after an IJ has upheld the finding. https://t.co/Q1lHbusiznpic.twitter.com/HuvugFm9kK— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) August 18, 2021Under the current system, those who arrive at the U.S. border and are placed in expedited removal proceedings are given a “credible fear” interview with an asylum officer. If the immigration official approves the case, the migrant is moved to the immigration court system where application for asylum occurs. An immigration judge decides on the case, a process that can take years to resolve.If a migrant does not pass the initial credible fear interview, the person is expelled from the country without seeing a judge.Yet, Mayorkas said the rule is expected to give the U.S. government the “ability to more promptly and efficiently consider the asylum claims of individuals encountered at or near the border, while ensuring fundamental fairness.”
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Efforts Underway to Preserve, Revive Hawaiian-language Press
Hawaii had a thriving native-language press through the 19th and early 20th centuries. Now there is an effort underway to preserve and renew Hawaiian-language journalism, as VOA’s Mike O’Sullivan reports from Honolulu. Camera: Mike O’Sullivan
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T-Mobile US Says Personal Data of Nearly 50 Million Customers Breached
The U.S. subsidiary of German telecommunications company T-Mobile said Wednesday that the personal data of more than 40 million former and prospective customers — including names, Social Security numbers and driver’s license information — had been exposed in a data breach.In a statement, the cellphone service said the same data were also compromised for about 7.8 million current T-Mobile postpaid customers. But they added that no phone numbers, account numbers, personal identification numbers, passwords or financial information from the nearly 50 million records and accounts had been compromised.T-Mobile also confirmed that about 850,000 of its active prepaid customer names, phone numbers and account PINs had been exposed. The company said it had proactively reset all the PINs on those accounts. It said Metro by T-Mobile, Boost and former Sprint prepaid customers did not have their names or PINs exposed.Experts brought inThe company first announced its discovery of the “unauthorized access” to its data Monday. It said it immediately began investigating the claims and brought in “world-leading cybersecurity experts” to help. The company said it located and immediately closed the access point that it believed was used to illegally access the servers.T-Mobile said it was taking immediate steps to help protect everyone who may be at risk from the cyberattack and was offering everyone affected two years of free identity protection services. Company officials recommended all their postpaid customers proactively change their PINs.The company said it would publish a unique web page Wednesday with information about how customers can further protect themselves. It said the investigation was continuing.Some information for this report came from the Associated Press and Reuters.
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Chinese Hackers Used Cyber-disguising Technology Against Israel, Report Finds
A major cybersecurity firm says it believes Beijing-backed hackers carried out cyberattacks on Israel while pretending to be operating from Israel’s archrival, Iran. U.S. cybersecurity firm FireEye said on August 10 that a study it conducted in cooperation with the Israeli military found that “UNC215,” described by FireEye as a spy group suspected of being from China, had hacked into Israeli government networks after using remote desktop protocols (RDPs) to steal credentials from trusted third parties. RDPs enable a hacker to connect to a computer from afar and see the “desktop” of the remote device. FireEye data, along with information shared by Israel’s defense agency, show that starting in January 2019, UNC215 carried out a number of concurrent attacks “against Israeli government institutions, IT providers, and telecommunications entities,” according to the report. Mandiant: Chinese hackers masquerading as Iranians FireEye’s report comes shortly after a July 19 joint statement by the U.S., the European Union and NATO accusing China of “a pattern of malicious cyber activity” aimed at entities ranging from foreign governments to private companies globally. In 2019 and 2020, when hackers allegedly broke into the computers of the Israeli government and technology companies, investigators looked for clues to find those responsible for the cyberattacks. The initial evidence pointed directly to Iran, Israel’s geopolitical rival. Hackers used tools commonly associated with Iranians and wrote in Farsi. But after further scrutiny of the evidence and the information gathered from other cyberespionage cases in the Middle East, the investigators realized that it was not an Iranian operation. Instead, the evidence suggested the attacks were carried out by Chinese agents posing as Iranian hackers. John Holtquist, vice president of threat intelligence at FireEye, told VOA that Mandiant, a cybersecurity operation owned by FireEye, “attributes this campaign to Chinese espionage operators, which operate on behalf of the Chinese government.” The tactics used by hackers include using a file path that contains the word “Iran,” according to the study. At the same time, the attackers made every effort to protect their true identity, minimizing the forensic evidence they had left on compromised computers and hiding the infrastructure they used to break into Israeli computers. According to Holtquist, the deception efforts may appear to be effective; however, even if a single attack may be successfully misattributed, it becomes increasingly difficult to hide the hackers’ identities if multiple attacks are carried out. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, challenged the FireEye findings in an interview with the website Cyberscoop. “Given the virtual nature of cyberspace and the fact that there are all kinds of online actors who are difficult to trace, it’s important to have enough evidence when investigating and identifying cyber-related incidents,” he said. Chris Kubecka, chair of the cyber program at the Middle East Institute (MEI), a Washington-based research institute, suggested that FireEye’s conclusion that Beijing-backed hackers were responsible may have been too hasty. “FireEye is not really in a position to prove attribution. That position is for governments after a proper investigation,” she said. Kubecka, however, also pointed out that all too often, nation-state incidents make their attacks look like other countries or regimes through “code comment” language, appearing as a different country or using code from another piece of malware to divert blame. A “comment,” a term used in computer programming, is programmer-readable and makes the source code easier to understand for humans. If confirmed, what are Beijing’s intentions? Kubecka told VOA that if the Chinese government was responsible for the cyberattacks, it could be part of a long game of splitting the Middle East politically through infrastructure and trade deals. She said the Chinese government has shown an appetite for acquiring and copying technology, with the goal of benefiting Chinese businesses and ultimately the Chinese economy by reducing development costs. During the administration of President Donald Trump, the U.S. accused Chinese companies and workers of stealing American technology and trade secrets. In 2019, the Chinese tech giant Huawei was charged by U.S. federal prosecutors with stealing trade secrets from U.S. company T-Mobile.
“Currently, most Middle East and especially GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries don’t want to be pulled into the political game that has affected the USA and China. Posing as a well-known destabilizing country via cyberattacks could achieve long-term goals for the Chinese government in the region,” she said. Denny Roy, a senior fellow at the Washington-based East-West Center research organization, told VOA that this is an indication of the depth of China’s commitment to cybertheft as part of China’s national development strategy: The top leadership blesses it despite the possibility of offending important trade or political partners, in this case, Israel. “It suggests Chinese hubris — that Beijing thinks China’s economic importance to the world allows China to get away with almost anything. The more China aspires to be a global great power, the more it will encounter contradictory pressures in its foreign policy, such as trying to simultaneously portray itself as a friend to both Israel and Iran,” Roy added. FireEye’s Holtquist argued that this cyber espionage activity is happening against the backdrop of China’s multibillion-dollar investment related to the Belt and Road Initiative and its interest in Israel’s technology sector. According to FireEye’s report, “Chinese companies have invested billions of dollars into Israeli technology startups, partnering or acquiring companies in strategic industries like semi-conductors and artificial intelligence.” The report continued: “As China’s BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) moves westward, its most important construction projects in Israel are the railway between Eilat and Ashdod, a private port at Ashdod, and the port of Haifa.” Richard Weitz, director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis with the Hudson Institute, a U.S.-based research group, told VOA that China is one of the few countries in the world that enjoys good relations with Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia. “These good relations should be able to survive intermittent incidents like the recent cyber hacking, but one variable beyond China’s control is the position of the United States. If Washington presses its partners like Israel to make choices, then China’s balance act may no longer prove viable,” he said.
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Hong Kong Students Arrested for ‘Advocating Terrorism’
Four University of Hong Kong students were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of promoting terrorism after they publicly mourned a man who stabbed a police officer and then killed himself in July.
The detainees, between 18 and 20 years old, were members of a student union that live-streamed one of their meetings last month, during which 30 union members passed a motion “appreciating the sacrifice” of the man who died and held a moment of silence in his honor.
The livestream was met with backlash from the university and the Hong Kong government, prompting the union to recant the motion and several of its leaders to apologize and step down.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Steve Li, the senior superintendent in the police national security department, said the motion sought to rationalize and glorify terrorism.
Li added that police plan to interrogate the other union members who voted in favor of the motion, which he said encourages suicide.
The attacker celebrated by the union stabbed a police officer in the back on July 1, the one-year anniversary since Beijing imposed a strict national security law on Hong Kong. The officer suffered a punctured lung but survived, while the assailant fatally stabbed himself in the chest.
Chris Tang, secretary for security, described the assault as a domestic terrorist attack, and police warned people not to mourn the attacker in a statement.
“Advocating members of the public to mourn for the attacker is no different from supporting terrorism,” police said. “It will incite further hatred, divide the society and eventually breach social order and endanger public safety, threatening everyone in Hong Kong.”
The Hong Kong National Security Law was introduced last year in response to massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. China has been slowly tightening freedoms in the semi-autonomous territory in recent years, despite promising in 1997 to give the region 50 years of political freedom.
The law has enabled the government to crack down on pro-democracy activists, leading to the closure of a large newspaper, arrests of over 100 activists and the stifling of large public protests.
Individuals who are convicted of promoting terrorism in Hong King face a five- to 10-year prison sentence, according to Article 27 of the security law.
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COVID Pandemic Exposes Somalia’s Weak Health Care System
Rights group Amnesty International says Somalia’s struggling health care system has been crippled by the coronavirus pandemic. The group released a report Wednesday titled ‘We Just Watched COVID-19 Patients Die.’ It calls for urgent investment in Somalia’s healthcare sector after years of neglect.
Amnesty International’s 27-page report on Somalia’s health care says the global pandemic has hit the struggling sector hard.
The Amnesty report quoted a senior Somali doctor saying in one ward on the same day four elderly men died within ten minutes because of lack of oxygen.
The rights group’s Somali researcher Abdullahi Hassan says health resources are so poor that medical workers too often could only stand by and watch their patients die.
“When COVID-19 pandemic came it laid bare how bad the situation was in Somalia. For example, the response by the government was wholly inadequate. There was only one hospital in Mogadishu that managed COVID-related cases and that one hospital lacked essential equipment. Health workers who worked in that hospital… they really struggled with patients. They did not have enough equipment; they did not have oxygen supply,” said Hassan. Amnesty says the Somali government allocates only 2% of its budget to healthcare while security services got the largest share, with 31%.Officially, Somalia has had more than 16,000 infections and almost 900 deaths from COVID. But, the country’s chief medical officer, Dr. Mohamed Mohamud Ali, told Amnesty the death toll was certainly far higher. Dr. Ali said only those who managed to get to health facilities and get tested were included in official data. “The figure is just a tip of the iceberg,” Amnesty quoted him saying, “many more were infected and died at home,” he said.Amnesty notes that only 15% of Somalia’s rural population have access to medical care and the country has only one surgeon for every one million people.
Abdiqadir Abdirahman Adan is the founder of the Amin ambulance service, the only such service for Mogadishu residents. Adan says they have only two ambulances to serve people, the ambulance workers get exhausted, and it is challenging to get oxygen. Since they provide a free service to people, and the companies producing oxygen want money, he says, they have problems with oxygen supply. Adan says their ambulance workers are also not very well trained to handle some health issues. The Amnesty report, based on interviews with 33 medical and aid workers, as well as officials and experts, calls on Somalia to use debt relief to invest more in healthcare.
In March 2020, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank reduced Somalia’s debt from $5.2 billion to $557 million over three years.
The debt relief aims to bring the Horn of African nation back into the global economy after 30 years of conflict and unstable governments.
Amnesty’s Hassan says the debt relief also offers an opportunity to improve Somali hospitals.
“All this money that is going to be received through debt relief should be managed in a manner that is transparent, that is accountable, and it should be used to improve the health sector in the country,” he said,
Ambulance service operator Adan says the health sector desperately needs more medical experts to revive it.
He said this sector requires knowledge. “The people leading the health sector and working on policies must be people who have a background in health and medicine. If you are going to have people in the health sector who are not familiar with the health system, then it’s difficult to improve the health system,” he said. Amnesty notes only 0.6% of Somalis have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. While a shortage of vaccines is partly to blame, Amnesty says that 19 of the 33 healthcare workers it interviewed in the report refused to take the vaccine, despite having it offered. It blamed widespread vaccine hesitancy, in part, on lack of public information.
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Zambia President-elect Faces Massive Economic Hurdles
Zambia’s newly elected President Hakainde Hichilema says he plans to unveil a set of economic policies aimed at solving the mineral-rich country’s deep economic problems after he takes office next week.
Hichilema, one of Zambia’s most successful businessmen and the leader of the opposition United Party for National Development, made the announcement in a news briefing Tuesday at his home in the Kanyama district in the capital, Lusaka.
The six-time presidential candidate on Monday was declared the winner of the presidential poll, ending incumbent President Edgar Lungu’s six-year rule.
Hichilema won in a landslide, garnering 2.8 million votes — past the threshold of the more than 50% needed to win the poll. Lungu, who came in second, garnered 1.8 million votes.
Lungu conceded the election on Monday, saying he would work toward a peaceful transition of power. Days earlier, he had said the election was not free and fair, citing irregularities and violence targeting his representatives at some polling stations.
Hichilema says that after he is sworn in, he wants to focus on jump-starting the economy, tackling external debt, taming inflation, creating jobs for young people and inspiring the confidence of international investors.
“Once we restore the rule of law and order, it’s an ingredient to economic development,” he said. “Once we restore the rule of law, you will see more investments. You will see more economic activity. We will start from there.”
As one of the world’s most indebted countries, Zambia faces massive economic challenges after it defaulted on its sovereign debt late last year, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the impact.
An African Development Bank report shows the economy fell into a deep recession because of the global coronavirus pandemic, contracting nearly 5%. It also warned the government to stop accumulating external debt and curb sharply rising public spending to attain debt sustainability.
Chibamba Kanyama, a prominent Zambian economist, said the president-elect will have to contend with a myriad of challenges, including “crushing debt,” as he tries to jump-start the slumping economy.
“We call both the domestic debt and external debt the elephant in the room,” he said. “At the moment, this is a big problem because our debt-to-GDP ratio is in fact now over 100%.”
High levels of unemployment in the southern Africa country also pose a significant problem. Zambia’s unemployment rate is expected to top 15% this year, according to a Trading Economics database.
Zambia is Africa’s second-largest producer of copper. But the mineral-rich country has struggled as the price of copper, the country’s main export, fell amid the crippling impact of its debts.
Neighboring African nations are closely watching the transition and hope for better diplomatic and economic relations, analysts said.
African affairs analyst Nicole Beardsworth, who monitored the polls in Lusaka for South Africa’s Wits University, said South Africa has taken a special interest in the Zambian election.
“My understanding is that the previous president was quite difficult to work with.” Beardsworth said. “The incoming president is said to be a very personable man, a businessman, an economist.
“He’s going to have his own set of economic interests, and I think for South Africa, it may be a real opportunity to reengage in the (Zambian) economy, to increase South African business interests, to increase South African trade,” she said.
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Aid Group in Kenya Trains Inmates on Legal Rights
Too often, the judicial system can overlook convicted prisoners who can’t afford to hire lawyers, especially in developing countries like Kenya. But one aid group, Justice Defenders, has been training inmates how to write appeals, represent themselves, and gain back their legal rights. Brenda Mulinya reports from Nairobi.Camera: Amos Wangwa
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Top Businessman to Face Trial for Malta Journalist’s Murder
One of Malta’s wealthiest businessmen, Yorgen Fenech, has been indicted for the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, prosecutors said in court documents filed on Wednesday. No date for the trial has yet been set. Fenech has been under arrest since November 2019, accused of complicity to murder. He has since been undergoing a pre-trial compilation of evidence where he pleaded not guilty. Caruana Galizia was blown up by a car bomb as she drove out of her residence on Oct. 16, 2017, in a killing that shocked Europe and raised questions about the rule of law in the European Union’s smallest member state. Fenech headed a business empire with a range of interests including property, imports and a car dealership. He also headed a consortium which was controversially awarded a government contract for the building of a power station. Caruana Galizia was investigating possible corruption in the contract when she was killed. Three men accused of actually planting and setting off the bomb were arrested in December 2017. One has since pleaded guilty as part of a plea bargain and been jailed for 15 years. The other two are awaiting trial. The murder plot’s self-confessed middleman, Melvin Theuma, turned state evidence and was granted a pardon. He has pointed to Fenech as having tasked him with organizing the assassination. The prosecutors are pushing for a life sentence for Fenech, court officials said. Fenech was arrested on Nov. 20, 2019, when his yacht was just off Malta in what police say was an attempt to flee the island. Malta’s then-prime minister, Joseph Muscat, announced his resignation within days of Fenech’s arrest after close links were found between the businessman and senior government officials. Muscat himself has always denied wrongdoing. An independent inquiry into the murder of Caruana Galizia said last month that the state had to bear responsibility for the killing after creating a “culture of impunity.”
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Europe Braces for Fleeing Afghans, But Fearful, Reluctant to Accept Many
The interior ministers from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, comprising the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, held a conference call Wednesday to discuss how to coordinate safe and legal migration routes for Afghans fleeing the Taliban.British officials said most of the focus was on the immediate security and logistical challenges of extracting Afghan officials and others, mainly civilians, who have worked with Western security forces during the 20 years of the NATO deployment in Afghanistan.The meeting came hours after French President Emmanuel Macron promised not to abandon Afghans who had served or partnered with French forces in Afghanistan. But he added Europe needs to “anticipate and protect itself from a wave of migrants.”“Europe alone cannot assume the consequences of the situation,” he said in a primetime televised address, which attracted criticism from rights groups and some French opposition leaders on the left. They said his remarks were at best inappropriate when juxtaposed with what is unfolding in Afghanistan, with desperate Afghans mobbing Kabul airport and clinging to the wheels of evacuation planes.Hundreds of people run alongside a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane as it moves down a runway of the international airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug.16. 2021.Macron was accused of pandering to the far right ahead of next year’s presidential election, where he’s expected to face a strong challenge from Marine Le Pen, leader of the anti-migrant National Rally.“But why these words? Is this what politics has become, the tactical and icy at the same time, again and again, no matter what the distressing circumstances?” said Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, a former French minister during François Hollande’s presidency, in a Twitter post.Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who also faces an election, has adopted a different tone from Macron. He has said he’s “absolutely horrified” by the heartbreaking scenes coming from Kabul and vowed Sunday to continue the evacuation alongside allies.Canada has said it will take in 20,000 Afghans, although that figure includes interpreters who worked alongside Canadian forces. Canada’s interior minister told the Five Eyes meeting that it is unlikely that the 20,000 would all be admitted in the next 12 months and the time span would be longer, British officials told VOA. Hundreds of people gather outside the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 17, 2021.Since April, Australia has admitted 430 Afghans who worked with Australian forces, along with their families. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Wednesday his government expects to provide only around 3,000 visas for Afghan applicants this year. Morrison said Australia has “no clear plans” to operate a program comparable to Canada’s or Britain’s. “Australia is not going into that territory. What we’re focused on is right here and right now,” he said. Earlier in the week, Morrison admitted Australia would not be able to rescue all its former interpreters and staff that assisted in its 20-year mission in Afghanistan. New Zealand officials say they will try to evacuate Afghans who worked with New Zealand deployments and their families and have identified about 200 eligible people. But has made no public commitment about a dedicated program for other Afghan asylum-seekers.Greece has also made clear it is not prepared to accept an influx of Afghan asylum-seekers. Notis Mitarachi, Greece’s migration minister, said his country “will not and cannot be the gateway of Europe for the refugees and migrants who could try to come to the European Union.”“The solution needs to be common, and it needs to be a European solution,” he told state broadcaster ERT.Taliban fighters patrol in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 18, 2021.Germany and the Netherlands were among the group saying they wanted to continue with forced deportations, but then backtracked and announced they were suspending involuntary deportations of Afghans, joining Finland, Norway and Sweden, which announced they were halting any involuntary returns.Britain’s interior minister, Priti Patel, who led the Five Eyes conference call Wednesday, has urged European neighbors to offer sanctuary to Afghans fleeing the Taliban. She announced Britain would grant asylum to 20,000 Afghan refugees.Writing in the Telegraph newspaper, Patel said Britain would prioritize women and girls and religious and other minorities who face “tyranny and oppression” under Taliban rule. “The U.K. Government will always stand by those who have had the lights switched off on their liberties,” wrote Patel. She said Europe must help. “The U.K. is also doing all it can to encourage other countries to help. Not only do we want to lead by example, we cannot do this alone,” she added.But Patel came under fire from British opposition politicians and from some lawmakers from the ruling Conservative party Wednesday for the numbers the British government is planning to accept. The 20,000 will be spread over five years, with a maximum of 5,000 resettled this year.Demonstrators, including former interpreters for the British Army in Afghanistan, hold placards as they protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in London, Aug. 18, 2021.Patel said Britain “cannot accommodate 20,000 people all in one go.” However, critics say more Afghans should be admitted this year, otherwise they might not be alive by next year. David Davis, a former Conservative minister, said Britain has a “moral responsibility to do more” and said the British government should be thinking of welcoming “north of 50,000” refugees from Afghanistan.Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the British parliament’s defense committee, dubbed Patel’s plan “a woefully inadequate response given the scale of the refugee crisis we are about to face as a direct response to our withdrawal from Afghanistan.” Ellwood, a former British army captain who served in Afghanistan, told local media: “The Government really needs to see the bigger picture here and grasp the scale of the crisis we created.”The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has called on the Taliban to allow safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance to Afghan women, men and children in need, including hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people.“The EU calls on the Taliban to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law in all circumstances,” he said. But Borrell stopped short of making any migration pledges on behalf of the bloc. “The EU will also support Afghanistan’s neighbors in coping with negative spillovers, which are to be expected from an increasing flow of refugees and migrants,” he said.
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How Sisters from Lebanon Became US Millionaires
Sisters Rosy and Donna Khalife arrived in the U.S. with their family in the mid-1980s after fleeing conflict in Lebanon. After graduating from college, they started a box subscription service to encourage kids to put down gadgets and engage in the real world. Before long, the small company was worth millions. Maxim Moskalkov has the story.Camera: Mike Maisuradze
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Will COVID Delta Variant Change Back-To-School Policies in US?
Students in the United States are returning to class for a new school year just as the number of delta variant COVID-19 cases increases around the country. Experts say children seem to be more vulnerable to this variant, raising questions about how to protect students, especially those who are too young to be vaccinated. Daria Dieguts reports.Camera: Dana Preobrazhenskaya
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Biden Administration Official Congratulates Zambia’s President-Elect
The U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power congratulated Hakinde Hichilema Tuesday on his election as Zambia’s next president.A statement released by the agency said Power and Hichilema discussed how the “vigilant oversight” of Zambian civil society of the electoral process ensured widespread confidence in the results, despite government forces blocking Hichilema from campaigning in several areas.The spokesperson said the two also discussed Hichilema’s plans “fighting corruption and strengthening democratic values, press freedom, and civil liberties.” Power and Hichilema pledged to work together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic “and accelerate Zambia’s economic recovery.”Hichilema’s victory over incumbent President Edgar Lungu in the August 12 vote was fueled by widespread discontent with the collapse of Zambia’s economy, which has been saddled by falling prices of copper, its chief export, rising inflation and unemployment.It became the first African nation during the COVID-19 pandemic to default on its sovereign debt last year.
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South Sudan Designers Showcase Homespun Fashion
Following a 5½-year-civil war and as intercommunal clashes continue, fashion is not the first thing that usually springs to mind for many about South Sudan. But a small group of young fashion designers say they want to help change the country’s image by showcasing locally designed clothes that are increasingly capturing eyes in the fashion world. “If we can come up with something that can help us boost and empower ourselves, then we can do it,” said Ghum Barnabas Kulang, founder of Kulang Enterprises. Kulang began creating his own designs in 2019 with a focus on fashionable suits and colorful dresses made from African prints. He believes creating a national brand is important for the morale of South Sudanese people. “So, the inspiration is, I want us to have an identity, as well,” Kulang told South Sudan in Focus. “We should have something that is commonly known in us, (because) it’s not basically the rivalries of the war. We also have good architecture in terms of culture, as well as fashion designs.” About a dozen designers earlier this month put on the sixth annual South Sudan Fashion Week in the capital, Juba.South Sudanese models wear swimwear collection of South Sudanese designer Wilma Amito at the 6th Annual South Sudan Fashion Week in Juba. (VOA/Winnie Cirino)The show’s founder, Dawson Dau Amou, a successful East African model, wants to change the world’s focus on South Sudan from a war-torn country to a nation that can build on self-sustaining enterprise. “What we are up to here is all about growing the fashion industry, because it is a business industry, so that we don’t rely on brands that are made from outside,” Amou told South Sudan in Focus. Six years ago, five designers participated in South Sudan Fashion Week. This year, 20 designers sent their fashions down the runway with South Sudanese models sporting designs of local designers. Most of the designers say their biggest challenge is finding the money to fund their small businesses. David Shegold, founder of D’Gold’s Fashions, began designing clothes five years ago after graduating from a fashion school in Uganda. Shegold told South Sudan in Focus that he decided to specialize in designing wedding gowns and party clothes because many South Sudanese attend these occasions but usually wear clothes imported from foreign countries. “I have seen people doing a lot of weddings and a lot of parties, so I see most of my people go abroad and get the wedding gowns from there,” he said. “Then I was like, ‘Why can’t I do a wedding gown since I am a professional in this?’” South Sudanese designer Wilma Amito, who designed a swimwear collection for this year’s fashion show, said she was inspired by learning how to knit online during last year’s COVID-19 lockdown. Amito took up knitting to keep herself busy, but her hobby quickly led to her designing bathing suits, tops and shorts. Amito believes fashion can be a uniting factor in South Sudan. “People bring in their different ideas, so it is a sign of unity,” she said. “When I come from a different tribe and someone else comes from a different tribe, we combine and develop the love and the understanding among ourselves.” There are no compiled business figures for South Sudan’s nascent fashion industry. I But the designs are attracting attention in the diaspora. South Sudanese fashion designers displayed their creations for a fashion show for the Luol Deng Foundation’s annual conference in Minneapolis in 2019.
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Pope Francis Makes Urgent Appeal on Behalf of COVID-19 Vaccination
Pope Francis says people who get the coronavirus vaccine would be committing “an act of love” towards their fellow men and women. The pontiff made the personal appeal in a filmed public service message that was released Wednesday online and on television. “Thanks to God’s grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from Covid-19,” Pope Francis said in the message, which he made on behalf of the U.S.-based nonprofit group the Ad Council. He said the vaccines “bring hope to end the pandemic, but only if they are available to all and if we collaborate with one another.” The pontiff added that getting vaccinated “is a simple yet profound way to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable.” Church officials in North and South America also appeared in the three-minute message, including Archbishop José Horacio Gómez of the United States, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes of Mexico and Cardinal Carlos Rodríguez Maradiaga of Honduras. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed Wednesday that a 58-year-old man who became the first to test positive for COVID-19 since February was infected with the highly contagious delta variant. The news was announced on the first day of a strict three-day nationwide lockdown imposed by Ardern. Auckland, the country’s largest city, and the coastal town of Coromandel, where the infected man also visited, will be shut down for a full week. New Zealand has been praised for imposing a strict lockdown in the early days of the pandemic that has led to just 2,937 confirmed infections and just 26 deaths among its five million citizens. But only about 20% of all New Zealanders have been fully vaccinated, the lowest rate among all 38-member nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD. Ten people have now tested positive in this new outbreak, according to the New Zealand Herald, and Ardern warned that the numbers would continue to grow. She said genomic testing has linked the outbreak to the one that began in Australia’s New South Wales state and its capital, Sydney, which was first detected back in June. New South Wales posted a new single-day record of 633 confirmed new COVID-19 infections Wednesday, breaking the previous record of 478 cases posted just on Monday. Three deaths were also confirmed Wednesday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in this new outbreak to 60. Like New Zealand, Australia had boasted of success in containing the spread of COVID-19 in the initial months of the pandemic, with just 40,774 total infections and 970 deaths, but with only 20% of its citizens fully vaccinated due to a sluggish vaccination campaign, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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Race to Become Malaysia’s Next PM Heats Up as Deadline Looms
The race to become Malaysia’s next prime minister intensified Wednesday ahead of a deadline the king set for lawmakers to name their preferred candidate. King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has ruled out a new general election because many parts of the country are COVID-19 red zones and health facilities are inadequate. Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned as prime minister on Monday, has been appointed caretaker leader until a successor is found. Muhyiddin departed after less than 18 months in office amid infighting in his alliance and mounting public anger over what was widely perceived as his government’s poor handling of the pandemic. Malaysia has one of the world’s highest infection rates and deaths per capita, despite a seven-month state of emergency and a lockdown since June. The king’s role is largely ceremonial in Malaysia, but he appoints the person he believes has majority support in Parliament as prime minister. Sultan Abdullah met political party chiefs Tuesday, and decreed that all lawmakers must individually submit the names of their preferred candidate for the top job to the palace by 4 p.m. (0800 GMT) Wednesday. Local media said the country’s Malay Rulers will meet Friday at the palace, where the king is likely to discuss the lawmakers’ choice. The race appeared to have been whittled to two main candidates: former Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Muhyiddin appointed Ismail, 61, as his deputy in July in a bid to ease tensions with the United Malays National Organization, the biggest party in his alliance. Ismail then led a faction in UMNO that defied a party order to pull support for the government. In the end, 15 UMNO lawmakers withdrew, causing the government which has a razor-thin majority to collapse. Ismail has started to lobby for support even before Muhyiddin stepped down. He appeared to be the frontrunner for the job after UMNO’s 38 lawmakers reportedly agreed to set aside differences at a meeting late Tuesday and back him as their candidate. UMNO secretary-general Ahmad Maslan tweeted that “only one name will be sent as Prime Minister nominee” that is Ismail. Another lawmaker Azalina Othman told local media that Ismail is believed to be able to muster the backing of at least 111 lawmakers for a simple majority. For Anwar, 74, it appears tough for him to reach the 111 vote needed. His three-party alliance has 88 lawmakers and if all smaller opposition parties back him, he would still only have 105 votes. Anwar was due to succeed then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad before their reformist alliance collapsed in February 2018 sparked by the withdrawal of Muhyiddin’s party. Muhyiddin then formed a new government with corruption-tainted UMNO, that was ousted in 2018, and several others. While the king is constitutionally obliged to pick the candidate with the majority votes, analysts said Ismail would be a poor choice as he is associated with the failings of Muhyiddin’s government. “He carries the baggage of a ‘failed government.’ What Malaysians want is a clean break from unpopular policies of the past government. There is more a hint of continuity than a sharp departure if the premiership were to pass on to Ismail,” said Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid, political science professor at Malaysia’s University of Science. It will also set the stage for increased politicking in UMNO as Ismail, who is now a vice-president, may later mount a challenge against the party president, he said.
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US Says World is Watching Taliban’s Treatment of Civilians
The Taliban swept through Afghanistan, taking most of its 34 Afghan provincial capitals in about nine days. The insurgent group reached Kabul early Sunday. Here is the latest: Aug. 18 — First Lufthansa flight in Germany’s effort to evacuate nationals, activists and Afghans who worked with foreign forces arrives in Frankfurt Aug. 17 — Taliban co-founder and deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar returns to Afghanistan. Aug. 17 — United States says it evacuated more than 3,200 people as of Tuesday evening with aims to increase to between 5,000 and 9,000 per day Wednesday Aug. 17 — U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan says international community will be watching and “verifying” whether Taliban meets obligations to uphold human rights. Aug. 17 — The Taliban vow to respect women’s rights “within Islamic law” and form an “inclusive Islamic” government. They also announce general “amnesty” and urge people to return to work. Aug. 17 — Flights resume Tuesday at Kabul’s international airport after crowds Monday forced pause in evacuations of diplomats and civilians Aug. 17 — India evacuates Kabul Embassy, sending 140 personnel on flight home Tuesday. Aug. 16 — In a nationally televised speech from the White House, U.S. President Joe Biden says he stands “squarely behind” his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan, adding that “American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.” Aug. 16 — Thousands of civilians gather at Kabul’s international airport, where U.S. soldiers fired warning shots as people seeking to escape the Taliban run across the tarmac. Video from the airport shared on social media show Afghans clinging to the sides of a U.S. military aircraft, while another video shows what appears to be a person falling from a U.S. military plane after takeoff. Aug. 15 — More than 60 countries call for all parties in Afghanistan to allow any Afghans or foreign nationals to leave the country if they wish to do so. Aug. 15 — Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a deputy chief and co-founder of the Taliban, says late Sunday, “I am here to announce that we are responsible for your lives and all that pertain to everyday living, and to convince you that we will provide everything to make your lives better.” Aug. 15 — Top members of the Taliban military commission arrive at the presidential palace in Kabul as Taliban fighters position themselves at key posts in the city. A Taliban spokesman confirms that they have been directed to guard security posts and other installations in Kabul to “prevent chaos and looting after Afghan forces abandoned them.” Aug. 15 — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issues a statement confirming that he, along with his vice president and other senior officials, has fled the country “to prevent bloodshed.” Aug. 15 — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is evacuating its remaining staff at its embassy in Kabul. Aug. 15 — The Taliban reach Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, saying they are awaiting a peaceful transfer of power. Earlier, they took over Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province. Aug. 15 — Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says fighters have taken control of Bagram Airfield and the Parwan prison there and freed its inmates. There were about 5,000 high-value Taliban prisoners at Bagram, which served as the main base for the U.S.-led foreign military mission in Afghanistan. Aug. 14 — As Taliban insurgents draw closer to the Afghan capital, U.S. President Joe Biden authorizes another 1,000 troops — in addition to the 3,000 ordered earlier in the week — to assist in the evacuation of U.S. personnel and other allies from Kabul. Aug. 14 — Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, falls to the Taliban after fierce fighting. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announces in a formal statement that they have fully captured the country’s fourth-largest city, located on the border with Uzbekistan. Aug. 14 — President Ashraf Ghani delivers a televised address, saying rapid consultations are under way to end the fighting, and calls for revitalization of armed forces. Aug. 14 — The Taliban seize control of Asadabad, capital of eastern province of Kunar, Saturday afternoon.
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