…

Chinese-made drones dominate the global market and are used widely by government agencies inside the United States. As Matt Dibble reports, US cybersecurity watchdogs warn that using those drones come with risks.
…

Washington, DC has turned the National Building Museum into a wonderland of children’s literature. Using children’s books, it’s an immersive journey into architecture, engineering and design. Maxim Adams has the story. Camera and edit: Andrey Degtyarev, Andrey Degtyarev, Anna Rice
…

LONDON — An American scientist has sparked a trans-Atlantic tempest in a teapot by offering Britain advice on its favorite hot beverage.

Bryn Mawr College chemistry professor Michelle Francl says one of the keys to a perfect cup of tea is a pinch of salt. The tip is included in Francl’s book Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, published Wednesday by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Not since the Boston Tea Party has mixing tea with salt water roiled the Anglo-American relationship so much.

The salt suggestion drew howls of outrage from tea lovers in Britain, where popular stereotype sees Americans as coffee-swilling boors who make tea, if at all, in the microwave.

“Don’t even say the word ‘salt’ to us,” the etiquette guide Debrett’s wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The U.S. Embassy in London intervened in the brewing storm with a social media post reassuring “the good people of the U.K. that the unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy.”

“Let us unite in our steeped solidarity and show the world that when it comes to tea, we stand as one,” said the tongue-in-cheek post. “The U.S. Embassy will continue to make tea in the proper way — by microwaving it.”

The embassy later clarified that its statement was “a lighthearted play on our shared cultural connections” rather than an official press release.

Steeped, in contrast, is no joke. The product of three years’ research and experimentation, the book explores the more than 100 chemical compounds found in tea and “puts the chemistry to use with advice on how to brew a better cup,” its publisher says.

Francl said adding a small amount of salt — not enough to taste — makes tea seem less bitter because “the sodium ions in salt block the bitter receptors in our mouths.”

She also advocates making tea in a pre-warmed pot, agitating the bag briefly but vigorously and serving it in a short, stout mug to preserve the heat. And she says milk should be added to the cup after the tea, not before — another issue that often divides tea lovers.

Francl has been surprised by the level of reaction to her book in Britain.

“I kind of understood that there would hopefully be a lot of interest,” she told The Associated Press. “I didn’t know we’d wade into a diplomatic conversation with the U.S. Embassy.”

It has made her ponder the ocean-wide coffee-tea divide that separates the U.S. and Britain.

“I wonder if we’re just a more caffeinated society — coffee is higher in caffeine,” she said. “Or maybe we’re just trying to rebel against our parent country.”
…

boston, Massachusetts — A federal jury in Boston has convicted a Chinese music student on charges of stalking and harassing one of his Chinese classmates after she posted flyers in support of democracy in China around the campus of the Berklee College of Music in the fall of 2022.

According to evidence presented at the trial and court documents, Xiaolei Wu, 25, sent his classmate online messages in late October of that year after she posted flyers that read: “We want democracy,” “We want freedom” and “Stand with the Chinese people.”

Wu threatened to chop off her hands and demanded she tear down the “reactionary posters.”

Wu also told the individual, who was referred to in court as Zooey, that he had informed public security authorities in China about her actions and that they would go to “greet” her family.

During the four-day trial, Wu’s lawyers argued that his comments were not threats but just an “immature” online dispute between two young people who knew each other and had different political views. His lawyers also said he was trying to remind his classmate of the consequences her actions could have back in China.

However, the federal jury Thursday found Wu guilty on charges of cyberstalking and threats. Both charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Wu will face sentencing on April 24.

After the guilty verdict was announced, prosecutors requested that Wu be immediately detained, citing concerns that he is a flight risk and that Chinese authorities have repeatedly expressed concern about the case. However, after listening to the opinions of the defense and prosecutors, Wu was granted bail. The judge said that Wu had not previously violated the conditions of his bail and that those requirements would remain in place.

Wu is barred from changing his address, entering the Berklee campus, or contacting those involved in the case. He has surrendered his passport and cannot leave the state of Massachusetts.

Case spotlights efforts to quiet critics

Wu’s trial highlights a growing problem that U.S. and other Western authorities have been working to counter — China’s efforts to silence its critics abroad.

In a U.S. Department of Justice statement following the announcement of Wu’s conviction, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts noted the Justice Department’s commitment to free speech for all.

“No one in this country should ever be subjected to threats of violence or a cyberstalking harassment campaign for expressing their political views,” Levy said.

Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Division added: “What Xiaolei Wu did in attempting to silence and intimidate an activist who expressed dissension with the ruling Communist Party of China is not only criminal, but completely against our country’s democratic values.”

VOA reached out to the Chinese Embassy for comment on the case but has yet to receive a response.

Flyers echo protest banner

Wu’s classmate Zooey posted the flyers around Berklee’s campus at a time when many Chinese around the world were inspired by the courage of a lone man in Beijing. The man, Peng Lifa, hung a large protest banner on a bridge on a busy street in the country’s capital in October 2022 with similar slogans.

Some of the slogans on the large banner, such as “We don’t want [dictatorial] leaders, we want elections” and “We don’t want Cultural Revolution, we want reform,” were protests against Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Other slogans, such as “We don’t want nucleic acid testing, we want food to eat” and “We don’t want lockdowns, we want freedom,” highlighted the frustration that many felt at the time with China’s draconian COVID-19 controls.

Peng was quickly arrested after hanging the banner and remains in custody at an undisclosed location. Sources told VOA’s Mandarin Service in October of last year that authorities have yet to deliver any legal documents related to his case, and his relatives and friends have been unable to hire a lawyer to provide him with legal assistance.

According to Weiquanwang, a Chinese blog that posts updates on rights abuses and cases in China, Peng marked his 50th birthday earlier this month in secret detention. His whereabouts and health condition are unknown, the site said, quoting an anonymous source.
…

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday renewed his calls to protect civilians following a deadly strike on a U.N. shelter in Gaza that the world body attributes to Israeli tank shelling. Blinken’s call came amid reports that Israeli fire struck a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid.  White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
…

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials hoping to break China’s near monopoly on the production of rare earth elements needed for many cutting-edge technologies should engage the governments of Central Asia to develop high concentrations of REEs found in the region, says a new report. 

The study by the U.S.-based International Tax and Investment Center warns that a failure to act could leave China with a “decisive advantage” in the sector, which is crucial to green energy, many new weapons systems and other advanced technologies. 

“As the uses for these minerals has expanded, so too has global competition for them in a time of sharply increasing geostrategic and geo-economic tension,” the report says. 

“Advanced economies with secure, reliable access to REEs enjoy economic advantages in manufacturing, and corresponding economic disadvantages accrue for those without this access.” 

China, which accounts for most of the world’s rare earth mining within its own borders, has not yet had to seek additional supplies from Central Asia, which enjoys plentiful reserves of minerals ranging from iron and nonferrous metals to uranium. 

But, the report says, “the massive size of the Chinese economy and the Chinese Communist Party’s conscious efforts to dominate the REE sector globally mean such increases are a matter of time.”  

Oil-rich Kazakhstan, the region’s economic giant, holds the world’s largest chromium reserves and the second-largest stocks of uranium, while also possessing other critical elements.  

Report co-author Ariel Cohen says it is up to the governments of Central Asia to create the investment climate for development of these resources.   

“They may be the next big thing in Central Asia as the engine of economic growth,” Cohen said this week during a panel discussion at the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank.  

Across Central Asia, experts note, REEs are found in substantial volumes in the Kazakh steppe and uplands as well as in the Tien Shan mountains across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and in the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan.  

Monazite, zircon, apatite, xenotime, pyrochlore, allanite and columbite are among Central Asia’s most abundant rare metals and minerals.  

In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey listed 384 REE occurrences in the region: 160 in Kazakhstan, 87 in Uzbekistan, 75 in Kyrgyzstan, 60 in Tajikistan, and two in Turkmenistan.

Wesley Hill, another expert on Central Asia’s mineral reserves, says production of rare earths at present “is almost wholly monopolized by China.”  

“Depending on how you count, between 80 to 90% of REE refining is controlled by China and done directly inside of China,” Hill said.   

But, he argued, despite China’s heavy involvement in Central Asia, it has yet to fully take over the region’s rare earth sector. “So, this means that Central Asia is very much at a crossroads,” he said. “Central Asia has the opportunity to expand its REE production without being wholly dependent on China.” 

Central Asia is currently in a position where it can develop its REE refining capacities both for its national development strategies and to break the Chinese monopoly, Hill said.  

“But this is only going to happen with good policy, both from the American side and the Central Asian side.”  

Ambassador John Herbst, Washington’s former top diplomat in Uzbekistan and Ukraine, says the region’s REE assets are “simply another reason for enhanced engagement by the West.” 

He said he is not sure that Central Asian governments appreciate how important rare earths can be to their development. “But I do know that the countries of Central Asia want a closer relationship with the United States, and that is one important part of their maintaining their hard-won independence.” 

Herbst added that the United States and Central Asia have a common interest in working together to develop the region’s rare earths “for the economy of the future.” 

“We have an ability to innovate that far exceeds [China’s]. Their innovation is based largely on taking our technology.”

Suriya Evans-Pritchard Jayanti, who serves as energy transition counsel at the U.S. Department of Commerce, says the region is eager for investment. 

“It is a development opportunity. Particularly with the geostrategic energy realignment after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but also, because of the energy transition. Lithium and other REE are necessary for different parts of that transition. So that’s primarily an economic incentive,” she said. 

She pointed to the Mineral Strategic Partnership Initiative run by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau on Energy Resources, which is able to promote foreign direct investment in the region while providing technical assistance in the mining sector. 

Cohen said the Central Asian countries cannot wait long to develop their rare earths. “There is a competition, and the African countries, Latin American countries and others will compete increasingly.”  

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, who heads a consultancy called Second Floor Strategies, says Central Asia needs a rare earth research center that can provide timely information to prospective customers and investors.  

Transportation is key, Sanchez said. “It’s not just about finding and mining them. You have to get them to the international market.”  

Access from the landlocked region at present is limited to China’s Belt and Road infrastructure or routes through Russia. Sanchez and others recommend using the Middle Corridor, also called the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which can carry goods to Europe across the Caspian and Black seas.  

These experts also say progress will depend on regional governments overcoming their traditional secretiveness regarding natural resources. They emphasize the importance of transparency, the rule of law, adherence to best practices and compliance with international norms if they hope to attract Western investment.
…

WASHINGTON — Trump White House official Peter Navarro, who was convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced on Thursday to four months behind bars. 

He was the second Trump aide convicted of contempt of Congress charges, after former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who also got a four-month sentence but is free pending appeal. 

Navarro was found guilty of defying a subpoena for documents and a deposition from the House January 6 committee. He served as a White House trade adviser under then-President Donald Trump and later promoted the Republican’s baseless claims of mass voter fraud in the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. 

He has vowed to appeal the verdict, saying he couldn’t cooperate with the committee because Trump had invoked executive privilege. A judge barred him from making that argument at trial, however, finding that he didn’t show Trump had actually invoked it. 

Navarro said in court before his sentencing Thursday that the House committee investigating the January 6 attack had led him to believe that it accepted his invocation of executive privilege. “Nobody in my position should be put in conflict between the legislative branch and the executive branch,” he told the judge. 

The judge told Navarro that it took “chutzpah” for him to assert that he accepted responsibility for his actions while also suggesting that his prosecution was politically motivated. “You are not a victim. You are not the object of a political prosecution,” the judge said. “These are circumstances of your own making.” 

Navarro’s lawyers had advised him not to address the judge, but he said he wanted to speak after hearing the judge express disappointment in him. Responding to a question about why he didn’t initially seek a lawyer’s counsel, he told the judge, “I didn’t know what to do, sir.” 

The judge is allowing Navarro’s defense to submit a written brief on the question of allowing him to remain free pending appeal. 

Justice Department prosecutors said Navarro tried to “hide behind claims of privilege” even before he knew what the committee wanted, showing a “disdain” for the committee that should warrant a longer sentence. Prosecutors had asked a judge to sentence him to six months behind bars and impose a $200,000 fine. 

Defense attorneys said Trump did claim executive privilege, putting Navarro in an “untenable position,” and they asked for a sentence of probation and a $100 fine. 

Bannon, who also made executive-privilege arguments, was convicted of two counts.

Navarro’s sentencing comes after a judge rejected his bid for a new trial. His attorneys had argued that jurors may have been improperly influenced by political protesters outside the courthouse when they took a break from deliberations. Shortly after their break, the jurors found Navarro guilty of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress.

But U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta found that Navarro didn’t show that the eight-minute break had any effect on the September verdict. He found no protest was underway and no one approached the jurors — they interacted only with each other and the court officer assigned to accompany them. 
…

State Department — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday the United States will continue intensive engagement with African partners in hopes of resolving the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Blinken held talks Thursday with Angolan President Joao Lourenco in which they discussed “concrete ways” to achieve “a durable peace” in the DRC’s conflict-ridden eastern region.

These discussions come against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Rwanda and the DRC, marked by several alleged cross-border attacks by Congolese and Rwandan forces.

“The United States very much appreciates President Lourenco’s continued efforts to de-escalate tensions between Rwanda and the DRC. We believe that the Luanda process, in tandem with the Nairobi process, is the best hope for enduring peace. Angola is trusted by all sides. President Lourenco’s leadership is vital for breakthrough,” said Blinken during a press conference before wrapping up the visit, which was part of a four-nation tour of Africa.

The chronic and escalating conflicts in eastern Congo have led regional countries to initiate two peace processes. The Nairobi Process is aimed at the disarmament of rebel groups within the DRC, while the Luanda Process focuses on resolving tensions between the DRC and its neighbor, Rwanda, which the DRC accuses of supporting the M23 rebel group. Rwanda denies the accusation.

In his meeting with Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, Blinken discussed the U.S.-Angola bilateral relationship, emphasizing the growing cooperation with Luanda in major railway infrastructure projects and outer space exploration.

“The United States has committed funding to refurbish the existing 1,300-kilometer Lobito Atlantic Railway. And we’ve taken the first steps to build out 800 kilometers a new rail reaching Zambia, including through a consortium with Angola and other partners,” said Blinken during a joint press conference.  

Blinken said these projects are the biggest investment the United States has made in railways on the African continent in over a generation and are central to the partnership for global infrastructure investment work in Angola.

In November 2023, the U.S. and Angola signed the Artemis Accords, a set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations.

Over the past four years, the U.S. has significantly increased its military assistance to Angola, providing more than $18 million from 2020 to 2023. In the coming year, the U.S. will explore new opportunities to expand capacity-building efforts in cybersecurity and for Angola’s Navy, according to the State Department.

Blinken began his four-nation tour of Africa on Monday. Besides Angola, the trip included stops in Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria.

In Cape Verde’s capital Praia, Blinken met with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva and toured Porto da Praia, modernized with U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation funding. Blinken praised Cape Verde for being the first country to complete two Millennium Challenge Corporation compacts and starting a third. He also acknowledged Cape Verde’s WHO certification as malaria-free.

In Ivory Coast, Blinken met with President Alassane Ouattara and announced $45 million in new funding to help the West African country and its neighbors prevent conflict and promote stability amid regional threats. This contribution brings the total U.S. stability-focused assistance in coastal West Africa to nearly $300 million since 2022.

Ivory Coast borders three countries that have experienced coups in recent years: Guinea in September 2021; Mali in August 2020 and May 2021; and Burkina Faso in January and September 2022.

In Nigeria, Blinken held talks focused on regional security with President Bola Tinubu and Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.  

Nigeria shares a border with Niger, where the military ousted its elected leader, Mohamed Bazoum, in July 2023.

Highlighting Nigeria’s role in the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, Blinken commended its efforts toward restoring constitutional order and democracy in Niger.

During a press conference in Abuja, Blinken said the United States is determined to remain a strong security partner for Nigeria, a key partner in the U.S. fight against Islamist insurgents in West Africa.

The chief U.S. diplomat’s trip to three countries in West Africa, and one in southern Africa, Angola, comes as Washington seeks to deepen its economic and security partnerships in regions where China and Russia have made significant inroads.
…