Seven Hong Kong pro-democracy activists were sentenced Wednesday to lengthy jail sentences for taking part in an unauthorized protest in 2019.The activists include such figures as former legislators Cyd Ho, Yeung Sum, Albert Ho and Leung Kwok-hung, known as “Long Hair,” and Raphael Wong, Figo Chan and Avery Ng of the League of Social Democrats party. All seven men were present when District Court Judge Amanda Woodcock sentenced them for taking part in a massive demonstration in October 2019 at the height of anti-government protests triggered by a controversial extradition bill that evolved into a greater demand for greater freedoms for the financial hub.Judge Woodcock said that while Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law, guarantees freedom of assembly and demonstration, “these rights are not absolute and are subject to restrictions ruled constitutional.”The sentences ranged from 11 to 16 months. All the defendants except for Wong are already serving jail time on other illegal assembly charges. The 2019 demonstrations prompted Beijing to approve a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong last year under which anyone believed to be carrying out terrorism, separatism, subversion of state power or collusion with foreign forces could be tried and face life in prison if convicted.Hong Kong authorities have increasingly clamped down on the city’s pro-democracy forces since the law took effect last year.
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Month: September 2021
Zelenskiy Visiting White House for Talks on Security, Energy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits the White House for talks Wednesday with U.S. President Joe Biden, a trip that has been in the works for two years and delayed one day due to consultations about events in Afghanistan. Senior U.S. administration officials said the message behind the visit is “the United States’ commitment to Ukraine sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.” The officials told reporters the agenda would include security issues, energy and climate policy and anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine. The officials also said the two sides would be announcing several agreements, including security assistance for Ukraine, humanitarian aid for those “impacted by the crisis with Russia in the east” and coronavirus aid. During the administration of former President Donald Trump, surrogates for Trump pressed Ukraine to open an investigation into activities involving the son of then-candidate Biden. The incidents led to President Trump’s first impeachment by the House of Representatives, and the political furor sidelined relations with Kyiv. Analysts say there are both challenges and opportunities in the meeting between Biden and Zelenskiy in Washington. Ukraine Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova expressed optimism about the visit, saying it sends an important message about the U.S.-Ukraine relationship.Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Defense Minister Andrii Tarant are welcomed at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, Aug. 31, 2021.“After (German) Chancellor (Angela) Merkel, President Zelenskiy is the second leader the U.S. is inviting to the White House with a visit to discuss some strategic issues,” Markarova told VOA. “So, I believe it shows the level of attention, focus and importance of our bilateral relations for both Ukraine and the United States.” American experts agree that the Biden-Zelenskiy meeting is an opportunity to strengthen Ukraine-U.S. relations. Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, says the outcome of the meeting will depend to a great extent on Zelenskiy. “It seems to me, though, that part of the ability to make this a successful meeting will depend on what President Zelenskiy asks for,” Pifer told VOA. “He should moderate some of his requests because if he asks too much, he may be disappointed. You do not want to ask the question unless you are sure the answer is going to be ‘yes.’” Among the more sensitive subjects are NATO membership and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Europe, which Ukraine opposes. Experts say it is important that Zelenskiy remain realistic and balanced when discussing these issues. “He should not expect any commitment from the United States regarding Ukraine and NATO. He should also not expect any change in the Biden position on Nord Stream 2,” said John Herbst, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and the director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. “Zelenskiy has to make clear that he still opposes that decision and would like to see a change without antagonizing the president. So, he can do that, I think, by mentioning it, but not in a confrontational way in their White House meeting.” Daria Kalenyuk, the executive director of the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Action Center, says Zelenskiy should remain assertive when discussing the Nord Stream 2 issue. She said White House’s decision to waive sanctions on Nord Stream 2 contradicts Biden’s statements on fighting corruption abroad. “The right thing would be to talk, not only about corruption in Ukraine, but also about geopolitical corruption and strategic corruption. We can and should ask why Nord Stream 2 is being finished despite it being the symbol of strategic corruption,” Kalenyuk said. Regarding security cooperation, the Biden administration has decided to support providing additional military aid to Ukraine in case of a possible escalation of its longstanding conflict with Russia in eastern Ukraine. In addition, Biden did signal his intention to provide Ukraine with $60 million more in U.S. military equipment. “I would think that additional American military assistance would be good,” Pifer said. “First of all, because it would help improve Ukrainians’ defense capabilities. That’s the practical step. But second of all, it would be a way to send a strong message of American support for Ukraine.” Ambassador Herbst said Biden should also be interested in supporting Ukraine through strong rhetoric. “He needs to demonstrate in very clear ways that the United States has Ukraine’s back — is supporting Ukraine — as Moscow continues this war. And Biden has even more reasons now to do it, after his administration’s disastrous handling of the pullout from Afghanistan. He needs to show that, in fact, he is a strong international player.” At the same time, the White House has repeatedly emphasized that it expects Ukraine to deliver tangible results in the country’s fight against corruption. Pifer said the biggest thing Zelenskiy can bring is a credible, compelling message of Kyiv’s commitment to reform. “And that means a more open and competitive economy. It means rule of law, including reforming the judicial sector,” Pifer said. “It means reducing the outsize political and economic influence of the oligarchs. It means combating corruption.” Ambassador Markarova is convinced the two presidents will see eye to eye, even on the more complex issues. “We know that both Ukraine and the U.S. are strategic partners and friends. So, the two leaders will discuss all the issues on the agenda like partners — sincerely and earnestly. And they will find solutions that are acceptable for both sides,” she said. Myroslava Gongadze contributed to this report.
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Australia to Prioritize Mental and Physical Well-being of Afghan Refugees
Australia’s recently appointed adviser on Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban said the exodus from the country poses unprecedented resettlement challenges for people working with refugees. Australia said it would offer sanctuary to 3,000 people fleeing Afghanistan by June 2022. A new advisory panel made up of Australian-Afghan community leaders, along with refugee and settlement experts, will help them chart a new life. Australian immigration minister Alex Hawke said in a statement Monday the first priority would be safeguarding the “mental and physical wellbeing of the evacuees” who “have endured experiences of torture and trauma”. Many would also have the anguish of leaving relatives behind in Afghanistan. The Advisory Panel on Australia’s Resettlement of Afghan Nationals will liaise with the government and will be in place for at least a year.In this image provided by the Australian Defense Force on Aug. 22, 2021, Afghanistan evacuees arrive at Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East, on board a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster.Its co-chair Paris Aristotle said the “residual trauma” of those fleeing Taliban-controlled Afghanistan will be “amongst the highest levels” of any refugees Australia has ever taken in. “We have never had to resettle groups out of a crisis in the middle of a pandemic before. One of the critical issues for people in this context is they will have to go quarantine on arrival for 14-days. That will be unfamiliar to them on top of having escaped in very dangerous and chaotic circumstances,” Aristotle said.Both Canada and Britain have said they would allow 20,000 Afghans to resettle. Australia will grant safe haven visas to 3,000 people, and the places will come from existing quotas of available humanitarian visas, and there will be no increase in overall numbers. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is hopeful more will follow. “We will do, we think, at least 3,000 this year. I actually believe it will be more based on, you know, the work that we are already doing. The challenge there will be how people actually get out of Afghanistan,” Morrison said.The Australian military rescued more than 4,000 people from Kabul airport since the start of the U.S.-led evacuation mission, which is now over. Between 2019 and 2020, Australia granted refugee status to just under 15,000 people. Most came from Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar.
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Hurricane Ida Leaves New Orleans Residents Suffering Amid Soaring Temperatures
Hurricane Ida has left millions of residents in the southeastern U.S. state of Louisiana without electricity and clean running water. Eight electric transmission lines that feed the tourist city of New Orleans and much of southern Louisiana were damaged or destroyed when Ida made landfall Sunday along the state’s coastline packing winds of 240 kilometers an hour, with one transmission tower falling into the Mississippi River. State authorities and regional utility company Entergy said it could be as long as 30 days before power is fully restored, raising concerns that residents without air conditioning will become ill from the area’s searing late-summer heat, which forecasters say could reach anywhere between 32 and 37 degrees Celsius. Schools have been closed indefinitely, while many hospitals that are already filled with COVID-19 patients are functioning on emergency electric generators.The Shell Norco manufacturing facility is flooded after Hurricane Ida pummeled Norco, Louisiana, Sep. 1, 2021.Officials in New Orleans have opened up emergency centers around the city for residents to cool off, obtain food and water and charge their mobile devices. Residents across the region have been waiting in long lines for hours to get the gas needed to run the portable electric generators to provide some electricity for their homes. “Many of the life-supporting infrastructure elements are not present, they’re not operating right now,” Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said Tuesday as he urged residents who have evacuated to stay away during the crisis. Officials with Entergy said power was restored to 85,000 customers as of late Tuesday, and that some service could be restored in New Orleans by Wednesday evening. Outside of New Orleans, efforts by law enforcement and volunteers continued Tuesday to rescue scores of residents who remain trapped in their homes in several flooded towns. Many areas have been cut off due to downed trees and other debris that have blocked roads. At least four people have died as a result of Hurricane Ida, including two people who were killed in the collapse of a major highway in the neighboring state of Mississippi. Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans when the flood protection system known as levees failed and left the city underwater, killing 1,800 people and trapping thousands of other residents for days. Ida has since dissipated into a tropical depression that is making its way north into central Tennessee, parts of which are still recovering from flash flooding that killed at least 20 people earlier in August. The storm system has dumped so much rain in the area that organizers of a popular annual music festival held outside of Nashville, the state capital, were forced to cancel the upcoming event. The National Hurricane Center says Ida is also expected to cause potentially life-threatening flash flooding and tornadoes across Tennessee and into North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut. Some information for this report came from Reuters.
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DRC Court Upholds Rape Convictions of 19 Police, Soldiers
A Congolese military court has upheld the rape convictions of eight policemen and 11 soldiers, a court official told AFP Tuesday. The judgment, which was handed down on Monday, means they will serve between 12 months and 20 years in jail. The rapes were committed mainly against minors, according to the court in South Kivu province, in the troubled far east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The defendants were also ordered to pay damages and interest, sources said. “This appeal trial has been exemplary for women’s rights,” Innocent Mayembe Sangala, a top official of the South Kivu military court, told AFP. Congolese justice was “extremely rigorous regarding rape, especially the rape of children,” he said. Victims included children ranging in age from 3 months to 17 years, Sangala told AFP, adding that they included “women who were torn away from their husbands or raped in front of their brothers or children.” The atrocities were “so savage” that the court could not be lenient, Sangala said. The rapes were committed between 2016 and 2021 in several South Kivu towns.
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US Vaccinations Surge, Alongside Child Cases
More and more Americans are getting coronavirus vaccines as a highly infectious variant of the virus surges and millions of children return to school, the White House’s top COVID-19 advisers said Tuesday.In mid-July, the nation was averaging 500,000 vaccinations a day, according to White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients. Now, it’s up to 900,000 daily.He credited a rise in employer-mandated vaccination. “Bottom line, vaccination requirements work,” Zients said. “They drive up vaccination rates. And we need more businesses and other employers — including health care systems, school districts, colleges and universities — to step up and do their part to help end the pandemic faster.” FILE – Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks alongside White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients during a press briefing at the White House, April 13, 2021.The vaccine rush comes as the country enters a new, dangerous phase in its battle against the pandemic, with an “exponential” rise in pediatric cases. Children under 12 are still not eligible for any coronavirus vaccine, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to fully approve any vaccine for people younger than 16. FILE – Laura Sanchez, right, holds her 2-month-old son, Lizandro, while receiving a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccine clinic set up in the parking lot in Orange, Calif., Aug. 28, 2021.”Next, universal masking is critically important in school for students, teachers, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. The CDC also recommends schools employ additional key strategies in schools to keep kids safe, including improved ventilation, physical distancing, and establishing screening programs for students and teachers,” Walensky said. She added that the sudden influx of tens of millions of children into the school system is stressing the health care system in other ways, citing an unusual outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — a common childhood affliction that usually causes mild, coldlike symptoms.”We know that there’s an absolute number of children, because of this highly transmissible variant, an absolute number of children that are infected now with SARS-CoV-2,” Walensky said. “And because of that absolute number, there’s a larger number of children in the hospital. We’re also simultaneously dealing with an RSV outbreak that is occurring in children now that’s atypical for the season, but is also leading to some more occupancy of these pediatric hospital beds.”Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also stressed the importance of vaccines for pregnant people.”There are severe adverse outcomes for mother and baby during COVID-19 infection, therefore, it is extremely important for pregnant women and women planning to get pregnant to get vaccinated,” he said.Fauci pointed to new data that show no major adverse effects of the vaccine for that group.”The bottom line, get vaccinated,” he said.
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Biden Defends Ending America’s Longest War
Amid intense criticism of his administration’s chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan, President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Tuesday and defended how he has ended America’s longest war. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this story.Produced by: Barry Unger
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Experts: N. Korea May Be Pushing Biden for Nuclear Deal Trump Rejected
Experts say North Korea’s reactivation of the reactor at its Yongbyon nuclear facility may be a calculated step by Pyongyang to gain leverage in a renewed effort to gain concessions from the U.S. North Korea resumed the operation of a nuclear reactor at Yongbyon in early July, according to the annual report released by the International Atomic Energy Agency (President Joe Biden approaches the podium to speak about the end of the war in Afghanistan from the State Dining Room of the White House, Aug. 31, 2021, in Washington.Revere said that Pyongyang may increase its military provocations in an attempt to exploit what it sees as a weakened U.S. position. Revere said, “North Korea may be tempted to view the United States as weak or irresolute in the aftermath of the end of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, and this in turn could lead to military adventurism by North Korea.” Experts, however, do not believe North Korea will make threats that would overstep the U.S. refusal to accept testing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) or nuclear weapons. “An ICBM or nuclear weapons test would push the United States into increasing sanctions pressure on North Korea and make it very difficult for China to push back against the existing U.S. and United Nations sanctions, which are not outcomes that North Korea wants,” said Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corp. China helps North Korea evade sanctions, particularly with coal exports and petroleum imports, according to the United Nations. Kim announced in December 2019 that North Korea was ending its self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range missiles and nuclear weapons and demanded concessions from the U.S. Nevertheless, the regime so far has not tested either. Maxwell said North Korea is likely to raise provocations by carrying out “major mobilization activities” of its conventional military force such as artillery and rocket forces trainings, heightened air defense training, movement of special operation forces and naval vessels, and increased activity along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas. “We will see activities that we can assess as preparations for a possible major attack,” Maxwell said. “This will be somewhat ambiguous because it can be assessed as a major training exercises.” Talks between Pyongyang and Washington remain largely deadlocked, despite the Biden administration’s attempts to reengage North Korea. U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim met with South Korea’s top nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, who visited Washington D.C. this week. On Monday, the two discussed ways to bring North Korea to the negotiating table. Kim said he is waiting for a reply from North Korea on the U.S. offer for talks.
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South Korea Bans Google, Apple Payment Monopolies
South Korea’s National Assembly approved legislation on Tuesday that bans app store operators such as Google and Apple from forcing developers to use their in-app payment systems. South Korea is reportedly the first country in the world to pass such a bill, which becomes law when it is signed by the president, whose party has backed the legislation. The tech giants have faced widespread criticism over their practice of requiring app developers to use in-app purchasing systems, for which the companies receive commissions of up to 30%. They say the commissions help pay for the cost of maintaining the app markets. The legislation prohibits the app market operators from using their monopolies to require such payment systems, which means they must allow alternative ways to pay. It says the ban is aimed at promoting fairer competition. The bill aims to prevent any retaliation against developers by banning the companies from imposing any unreasonable delay in approving apps. Apple criticized the legislation in a statement Tuesday, saying it will “put users who purchase digital goods from other sources at risk of fraud, undermine their privacy protections, make it difficult to manage their purchases” and make parental controls and other features less effective. “We believe user trust in App Store purchases will decrease as a result of this legislation” and lead to fewer opportunities for Korean app developers, the company said. The legislation also allows South Korean authorities to investigate the operations of app markets to uncover disputes and prevent actions that undermine fair competition. Regulators in Europe, China and some other markets worry about the dominance of Apple, Google and other industry leaders in payments, online advertising and other fields. Chinese regulators have fined some companies for antimonopoly violations, while other governments are wrestling with how best to keep markets competitive. The Korea Internet Corporations Association, an industry lobby group that includes South Korea’s largest internet companies including search and online shopping giant Naver, welcomed the passage of the bill, which it said would create healthier competition and give users a wider variety of content at cheaper prices. Google said it is considering how to comply with the legislation. “Google Play provides far more than payment processing, and our service fee helps keep Android free, giving developers the tools and global platform to access billions of consumers around the world,” it said in a statement. “And just as it costs developers money to build an app, it costs us money to build and maintain an operating system and app store. We’ll reflect on how to comply with this law while maintaining a model that supports a high-quality operating system and app store, and we will share more in the coming weeks,” it said. In the U.S., Apple last week announced that it had agreed to let developers of iPhone apps send emails to users about cheaper ways to pay for digital subscriptions and media. The concession was part of a preliminary settlement of a lawsuit filed on behalf of iPhone app developers in the U.S. It also addresses an issue raised by a federal court judge who is expected to rule soon on a separate case brought by Epic Games, maker of the popular video game Fortnite. The judge wondered why Apple couldn’t allow developers of apps like Fortnite to display a range of payment options within their apps. Over the past year, both Google and Apple reduced their in-app commissions from 30% to 15% for developers with less than $1 million in annual revenue — a move covering most of the apps in their respective stores. But the lower commissions don’t help the largest app makers like Epic and Spotify, which have taken their complaints around the world. The European Union’s executive Commission has accused Apple of distorting competition by forcing developers to use its payment system as well as forbidding them from letting users know about cheaper ways to pay for subscriptions that don’t involve going through an app. Dozens of U.S. states filed a lawsuit in July taking aim at Google’s store. Australian regulators, meanwhile, have also said they’re concerned about restrictions on in-app purchases that mean developers “have no choice” but to use Apple and Google’s own payment systems, according to an interim report into the dominance issued in April.
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Poll: More Than Half of US Adults Support Afghan Pullout
More than half of American adults, 54%, believe the decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan after 20 years of war was the “right one,” according to the Pew Research Center.Some 42% of U.S. adults surveyed said the decision to withdraw was “wrong.” The survey was conducted Aug. 23-29, before the pullout was completed. Sixty-nine percent of the respondents said the U.S. largely failed to achieve its goals in Afghanistan.About one fourth, 26%, said the Biden administration did an “excellent” or “good” job in its “handling of the situation in Afghanistan.” Twenty-nine percent said the administration had done a “fair” job while 42% said it had performed poorly. Some information for this report came from the Associated Press and Reuters.
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