Young innovators aim to put Mozambique on path to tech development

In Mozambique, two young innovators are using recycled resources to improve lives in their community, creating solutions for using renewable energy and mapping flood-prone areas. Amarilis Gule has the report from Maputo.

your ad here

Judge rejects Trump’s latest demand to step aside from hush money criminal case

NEW YORK — Donald Trump has lost his latest bid for a new judge in his New York hush money criminal case as it heads toward a key ruling and potential sentencing next month. 

In a decision posted Wednesday, Judge Juan M. Merchan declined to step aside and said Trump’s demand was a rehash “rife with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims” about the political ties of Mercan’s daughter and his ability to judge the historic case fairly and impartially. 

It is the third time that the judge has rejected such a request from lawyers for the former president and current Republican nominee. 

All three times, they argued that Merchan, a state court judge in Manhattan, has a conflict of interest because of his daughter’s work as a political consultant for prominent Democrats and campaigns. Among them was Vice President Kamala Harris when she ran for president in 2020. She is now her party’s 2024 White House nominee. 

A state court ethics panel said last year that Merchan could continue on the case, writing that a relative’s independent political activities are not “a reasonable basis to question the judge’s impartiality.” 

Merchan has repeatedly said he is certain he will continue to base his rulings “on the evidence and the law, without fear or favor, casting aside undue influence.” 

“With these fundamental principles in mind, this Court now reiterates for the third time, that which should already be clear — innuendo and mischaracterizations do not a conflict create,” Merchan wrote in his three-page ruling. “Recusal is therefore not necessary, much less required.” 

But with Harris now Trump’s Democratic opponent in this year’s White House election, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche wrote in a letter to the judge last month that the defense’s concerns have become “even more concrete.” 

Prosecutors called the claims “a vexatious and frivolous attempt to relitigate” the issue. 

Messages seeking comment on the ruling were left with Blanche. The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case, declined to comment. 

Trump was convicted in May of falsifying his business records to conceal a 2016 deal to pay off porn actor Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with him. Prosecutors cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him during his first campaign. 

Trump says all the stories were false, the business records were not and the case was a political maneuver meant to damage his current campaign. The prosecutor who brought the charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is a Democrat. 

Trump has pledged to appeal. Legally, that cannot happen before a defendant is sentenced. 

In the meantime, his lawyers took other steps to try to derail the case. Besides the recusal request, they have asked Merchan to overturn the verdict and dismiss the case altogether because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July ruling on presidential immunity. 

That decision reins in prosecutions of ex-presidents for official acts and restricts prosecutors in pointing to official acts as evidence that a president’s unofficial actions were illegal. Trump’s lawyers argue that in light of the ruling, jurors in the hush money case should not have heard such evidence as former White House staffers describing how the then-president reacted to news coverage of the Daniels deal. 

Earlier this month, Merchan set a September 16 date to rule on the immunity claim, and September 18 for “the imposition of sentence or other proceedings as appropriate.” 

The hush money case is one of four criminal prosecutions brought against Trump last year. 

One federal case, accusing Trump of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, was dismissed last month. The Justice Department is appealing. 

The others — federal and Georgia state cases concerning Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss — are not positioned to go to trial before the November election.

your ad here

Kishida reshaped Japan’s foreign policy, but couldn’t survive domestic woes 

Seoul  — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has effectively announced his resignation, helped transform Japan’s foreign policy, boosting its global role and accelerating a major military expansion, despite facing domestic challenges that ultimately led to his exit.

In an unexpected announcement Wednesday, Kishida said he will not seek re-election as head of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, meaning he will step down as prime minister following an internal party leadership election next month.

During Kishida’s three-year term, global geopolitical tensions sharply escalated. Kishida responded by taking several steps to align his country closer with the West and to loosen Japan’s self-imposed post-World War II military restraints.

Most notably, Kishida increased Japan’s defense budget. Under a five-year plan unveiled in 2022, Japan is on track to become the world’s third-largest military spender, trailing the United States and China.

Under Kishida, Japan announced for the first time that it will acquire missiles that can reach other countries, breaking a decades-old taboo against weapons that could have offensive uses.

Kishida also deepened Japan’s security ties with like-minded partners, not only reinforcing its alliance with the United States but also enhancing cooperation with the Philippines, Australia, South Korea, and NATO.

Those policies largely continued the vision of the late Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, who advocated a more assertive Japanese foreign policy.

“But I think [Kishida] went beyond Abe in many ways,” said Daniel Sneider, an East Asia policy specialist at Stanford University.

Under Kishida, Japan “moved beyond the kind of narrow definitions of self-defense that were the hallmark of Japanese security policy for so many decades,” Sneider added.

Ukraine war impact

A main reason Kishida was able to enact many significant changes to Japan’s security policy was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began four months after Kishida took office.

“Kishida understood very quickly that this was a huge turning point in postwar history,” Sneider said.

Although the Ukraine war was on the other side of the world, Kishida viewed it as a violation of the fundamental principles of the post-World War II international order, “the first of which was not to use force to change boundaries,” Sneider said.

For many Japanese, the lesson of Ukraine was clear: the country needed a more proactive foreign policy – especially with Russia next door and China and North Korea increasingly intent on upsetting the U.S.-led regional order.

“Ukraine’s example was perfect to convince Japanese people that, look, talking peacefully is not enough – something else needs to be done,” said Mieko Nakabayashi, a former Japanese lawmaker and professor at Tokyo’s Waseda University.

“Mr. Kishida used that rhetoric very well – and it was not only rhetoric, but a reality in the world. Therefore, it was very convincing,” Nakabayashi said.

Kishida responded by quickly joining U.S.-led economic sanctions against Russia. Japan also sent Ukraine large amounts of humanitarian and military aid, which although non-lethal was unprecedented in Japan’s modern history.

Taiwan support

For Kishida, another foreign policy focus was Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China views as its own and has threatened to invade.

Japan has much to lose if a regional war over Taiwan erupted. Its westernmost inhabited island is just 100 kilometers from Taiwan. And Japan hosts over 50,000 U.S. troops, who analysts say would likely be drawn into any Taiwan conflict.

Although Japan has not committed to defending Taiwan, Kishida has expanded Japan’s rhetorical support for the island democracy. He has also boosted security cooperation with countries who aim to preserve the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

At international forums, Kishida repeatedly warned that “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,” a statement many saw as an implicit reference to the dangers of China invading Taiwan.

Tough legacy at home

Kishida’s more assertive, values-laden foreign policy won him admirers throughout the West, but his legacy at home is more complicated. 

During his three years in office, Kishida suffered consistently low approval ratings – one poll in July suggested that only 15.5% of Japanese approved of his Cabinet.

Many Japanese voters appear unhappy with Kishida’s handling of the economy. Not only did the policies of Kishida’s government fail to fix Japan’s long-standing stagnation, he and his cabinet struggled to respond to newfound inflation, which drove up consumer prices, especially following the Ukraine war.

Kishida’s LDP also faced a series of domestic controversies, including one involving millions of dollars in undocumented political funds.

In Kobayashi’s view, Kishida exerted more effort trying to protect his political allies than uncovering who was responsible for the allegedly misappropriated funds.

“The perception [of Kishida] outside of Japan and inside of Japan are very different,” she said. “He was respected by international leaders because of his consistent role to protect democracy…however, looking at him from inside Japan, he lacked leadership.”

your ad here

A strengthening Ernesto is poised to become a hurricane after brushing past Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Tropical Storm Ernesto was poised to become a hurricane shortly after brushing past Puerto Rico late Tuesday as officials closed schools, opened shelters and moved dozens of the U.S. territory’s endangered parrots into hurricane-proof rooms.

Ernesto is forecast to become a hurricane overnight as the center of the storm moves just northeast of Puerto Rico on a path toward Bermuda. Forecasters issued a hurricane watch for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as well as the tiny Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra, which are popular with tourists.

“Since there is some chance of Ernesto becoming a hurricane while it is near the Virgin Islands, a hurricane watch remains in effect,” the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The storm moved over the U.S. Virgin Islands on Tuesday night. After passing Puerto Rico, it is expected to move into open waters and be near Bermuda on Friday.

Heavy rains began pelting Puerto Rico, and strong winds churned the ocean into a milky turquoise as people rushed to finish securing homes and businesses.

“I’m hoping it will go away quickly,” said José Rodríguez, 36, as he climbed on the roof of his uncle’s wooden shack in the Afro-Caribbean community of Piñones on Puerto Rico’s north coast to secure the business famous for its fried street food.

Ernesto was about 60 miles (95 kilometers) east-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico late Tuesday night. It had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) and was moving northwest at 17 mph (28 kph).

“We are going to have a lot of rain,” Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said as he urged people to be indoors by early Tuesday evening.

He activated the National Guard as crews across the island visited flood-prone areas and older residents as part of last-minute preparations. Meanwhile, Department of Natural Resources officials who work at breeding centers for the island’s only remaining native parrot, the Puerto Rico Amazon, moved them indoors.

Ernesto Rodríguez with the National Weather Service warned that the storm’s trajectory could change as it approaches Puerto Rico.

“We should not lower our guard,” he said.

As intermittent rain pelted Puerto Rico’s northeast, residents in Piñones tried to squeeze in a couple more hours of work.

María Abreu, 25, prepared fried pastries stuffed with shrimp, crab, chicken and even iguana meat as she waited for customers.

“They always come. They buy them in case the power goes out,” she said.

Down the road, Juan Pizarro, 65, picked nearly 100 coconuts from palm trees swaying in the strong breeze. He had already secured his house.

“I’m ready for anything,” he said.

Forecasters have warned of waves of up to 20 feet (six meters), widespread flooding and possible landslides, with six to eight inches (15-20 centimeters) of rain forecast for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) in isolated areas. Puerto Rico has six reservoirs that already were overflowing before the storm.

Officials in Puerto Rico warned of widespread power outages given the crumbling electric grid, which crews are still repairing after Hurricane Maria razed it in September 2017 as a Category 4 storm.

Juan Saca, president of Luma Energy, a private company that operates the transmission and distribution of power in Puerto Rico, urged people to report blackouts: “Puerto Rico’s electrical system is not sufficiently modernized to detect power outages.”

Outages also were a concern in the neighboring U.S. Virgin Islands for similar reasons, with blackouts reported on St. Thomas and St. John on Monday.

“Don’t sleep on this,” said U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., whose administration announced early Tuesday that it was closing all schools.

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency echoed those warnings, saying residents in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands “should be prepared for extended power outages.”

Early Tuesday, Ernesto drenched the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, where officials closed several main roads and warned that the quality of potable water would be affected for several days. Meanwhile, the storm downed a couple of trees in Antigua, and knocked out power to most of the island. Ernesto also forced the cancellation of dozens of flights to and from Puerto Rico.

Ernesto is the fifth named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record warm ocean temperatures. It forecast 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.

your ad here

Germany asks Poland to arrest Ukrainian diver in Nord Stream probe, media reports 

Berlin — Germany has asked Poland to arrest a Ukrainian diving instructor who was allegedly part of a team that blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines two years ago, according to reports in German media published on Wednesday. 

However, one media outlet said the man appeared to be no longer living in Poland.  

The multi-billion-dollar Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines transporting gas under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of blasts in September 2022, seven months after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

German investigators believe the Ukrainian diver was part of a team that planted the explosives, the SZ and Die Zeit newspapers reported alongside the ARD broadcaster, citing unnamed sources. 

The German prosecutor general’s office declined to comment on the reports, which said the German government had handed a European arrest warrant to Poland in June. The Polish National Public Prosecutor’s Office made no immediate comment. 

The German interior ministry declined to comment and the justice ministry did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment. 

Suspected accomplices 

Another man and a woman — also Ukrainian diving instructors — have been identified in Germany’s investigation into the sabotage but so far no arrest warrants have been issued for them, according to SZ, Zeit and ARD. 

The explosions destroyed three out of four Nord Stream pipelines, which had become a controversial symbol of German reliance on Russian gas in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Russia blamed the United States, Britain and Ukraine for the blasts, which largely cut Russian gas off from the lucrative European market. Those countries have denied involvement. 

Germany, Denmark, and Sweden all opened investigations into the incident, and the Swedes found traces of explosives on several objects recovered from the explosion site, confirming the blasts were deliberate acts. 

The Swedish and Danish probes were closed this February without identifying any suspect. 

In January 2023, Germany raided a ship that it said may have been used to transport explosives and told the United Nations that it believed trained divers could have attached devices to the pipelines at a depth of about 70 to 80 meters (230-262 ft). 

 

your ad here

China’s latest blockbuster casts rare, harsh light on gig economy

SHANGHAI/BEIJING — One of the biggest movies to hit China’s cinemas this summer tackles several of its biggest economic pain points: an uncertain job market, downward mobility and the hardscrabble life of millions working gig jobs.

“Upstream” tells the story of a middle-aged programmer who is laid off, shut out of white-collar jobs because of his age and pushed into the perilous food-delivery gig economy to try to keep his family afloat.

Directed by and starring Xu Zheng, best known for comic roles, “Upstream” showcases the low-paid scooter drivers who rush packages through the final mile for China’s popular on-demand food platforms led by Meituan.

As of Tuesday, almost 5 million had watched it, according to movie-ticketing platform Maoyan.

The movie, which led China’s box office on its release Friday, lands at a time when uncertainty in a deflationary economy and real-life pressures on delivery drivers have both been trending concerns.

Its focus on economic issues contrasts with the typical genres of Chinese blockbusters over the years, which are usually war films, historical dramas or romances.

At least 10 million delivery drivers work for Meituan and its largest rival, Alibaba-owned Ele.me. Drivers have complained of long hours and payment per delivery that is often less than the equivalent of $1.

In “Upstream,” competition between the drivers and platforms is depicted as unrelenting, leaving no time for breaks and creating incentives to take dangerous shortcuts in days that can stretch 14 hours or longer.

“It’s a rather realistic depiction of the psyche of many Chinese people today,” said Ashley Dudarenok, founder of a Hong Kong-based marketing consultancy, who said the current negativity is a contrast to the mood of a decade ago.

“There was this strong underlying belief that tomorrow is going to be better than today, the economy is going to be better, opportunities are going to be better,” said Dudarenok, who has authored books on Chinese business and consumer trends. “Today, that belief is not there.”

While the companies the drivers work for in “Upstream” are never explicitly identified, they wear canary-yellow helmets and uniforms that closely resemble Meituan’s branding.

A Meituan spokesman said the company was not involved in the movie and offered no comment on its depiction of the industry when asked by Reuters.

A film subsidiary of Alibaba is listed among the 17 production companies behind “Upstream.” Drivers in the light-blue uniforms of Alibaba’s Ele.me service appear in the movie but are outside the main action and also not explicitly identified by the company they work for. Alibaba did not immediately comment.

Crashes and clashes

Xu’s character, Gao Zhilei, and two other drivers, are hit by vehicles as they race to avoid late-delivery penalties and keep up with robotic orders from an app piped through their mobile phones.

And Gao struggles to understand his loss of status. Stopped by a security guard for trying to enter a mall through the main entrance, he protests that he used to shop there until recently. “That was before,” the guard says, pointing him to the service entrance.

Clashes between rushing drivers and security guards are common on China’s streets. On Monday, police in Hangzhou said they were investigating an incident where a driver jumped a barrier to make a delivery at an office complex and ended up kneeling beside the security guard who apprehended him. Reports of his treatment sparked sharp online reaction.

Xu did not immediately respond to a request for comment through his production company. He said at the premiere he had tried to “convey hope and warmth” by allowing audiences to “see what a day in the life of a delivery worker is like.”

Some online reviews praised “Upstream” for addressing a social issue of a kind not often highlighted by recent films in China, which are subject to censorship. “It’s quite bold to tackle this subject,” one viewer said on Douban, a Chinese online movie database that is similar to IMDb.

“This shows hard work alone won’t necessarily lead to a better life,” another wrote. “Avoiding marriage, not having children and not buying a house might be the only way to achieve it.”

Others were unimpressed by a happy ending, which shows Gao heroically sprinting to make enough deliveries to cover overdue mortgage payments. “In order to make the movie more ‘entertaining’ some authenticity has been sacrificed,” said a review on social media platform Xiahongshu.

Delivery drivers interviewed by Reuters in Shanghai said they had no plans to pay to see the movie in theaters but might stream the film when it’s free online.

“It’s not an industry for a normal person,” said a 37-year-old driver who asked to be identified only by his surname, Lin. “You have to race against time. Sometimes in the last minute or two before an order is overdue, you are racing with your life.”

your ad here

China probes rampant graft in funeral homes and services

BEIJING — China has uncovered widespread corruption in its funeral services industry, state media said on Wednesday, with offenses such as illegal fees and cemeteries committed by long-time managers and officials of funeral homes.

Just last week a Chinese company was caught up in a scandal over the illegal harvesting, theft and resale of thousands of corpses, some from funeral homes, after a report by state-backed outlet the Paper went viral on social media.

Investigations by disciplinary authorities across the provinces of Anhui, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Sichuan and Yunnan have led to numerous accusations of violations by employees of funeral parlors and similar bodies, the state-run China Daily said on Wednesday.

Dozens of cases have emerged since investigations started at the beginning of the year, it added, and many of those targeted have extensive industry experience.

China has waged an all-out war on corruption in many industries from the start of the year, as part of a rigid, sweeping campaign pursued by President Xi Jinping since he took power in 2012.

Graft campaigns in Anhui, Liaoning and Jilin exposed funeral parlors charging illegal fees, along with illegal construction and operation of cemeteries and staff corruption, said the Global Times, a mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party.

In the eastern province of Anhui, Communist Party investigators detained Zhang Duo, an employee of the Panji district funeral home in Huainan city, for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law,” the local government said.

The term is a euphemism that usually refers to graft cases.

Zhang could not immediately be reached for comment.

In the southwestern province of Sichuan, discipline officials in the city of Dazhou launched proceedings against 89 people, and detained six, the China Daily said.

Also being investigated is a manager surnamed Yang, working at two companies in the province’s Quxian county, with more than 30 years in the funeral business, the government said in a statement, but gave no details.

Authorities in northeastern Jilin have also stepped up efforts to combat misconduct and corruption in the industry, in response to complaints from the public, state media said.

Anti-graft watchdog the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) has doubled down on a pledge to relentlessly carry out Xi’s orders to catch corrupt and disloyal officials.

Its website has repeatedly emphasized the importance of a strong stance against corruption, bribery and the core issues that cause the problems.

your ad here

Myanmar military denies junta chief detained by generals

Yangon, Myanmar — Myanmar’s military on Wednesday said rumors top generals had detained the embattled junta chief in a new coup were “propaganda” spread by “traitors” ahead of a visit by China’s foreign minister.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has faced public criticism from military supporters in recent weeks as government troops lose territory to ethnic minority armed groups and other opponents battling to overturn its 2021 coup.

On Tuesday several social media posts claimed that top generals had detained Min Aung Hlaing in the capital Naypyidaw in a bid to change the junta’s top leadership.

The claims were “propaganda… with the aim of disrupting the country’s peace and stability,” the junta said in a statement, accusing those sharing the news of being “traitors.”

“The head of state and authorities are fulfilling their national responsibility together,” it said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is due to arrive in Myanmar on Wednesday for talks with Min Aung Hlaing.

The visit is “aimed at deepening bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields,” an unnamed Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

China is a major ally and arms supplier to the junta but analysts say it also maintains ties with ethnic armed groups that hold territory near its border.

In recent weeks an alliance of ethnic armed groups has seized territory from the junta in northern Shan state, which borders China’s Yunnan province.

Territory captured includes the military’s northeastern command in the Shan state town of Lashio, home to about 150,000 people.

The capture of the regional command, the first by opponents of the junta since the military’s 2021 coup, sparked rare public criticism of the top generals by its supporters.

Min Aung Hlaing later said the alliance was receiving weapons, including drones and short-range missiles, from “foreign” sources that he did not identify.

The last top Chinese official to visit the isolated junta was former foreign minister Qin Gang, who held talks with Min Aung Hlaing in May last year.

According to a senior Myanmar military official Wang Yi will not meet Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained by the military since it seized power.

your ad here

US approves $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel amid threat of wider Middle East war

WASHINGTON — The U.S. has approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, including scores of fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles, the State Department announced Tuesday.

Congress was notified of the impending sale, which includes more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, 120 mm tank ammunition and high explosive mortars and tactical vehicles and comes at a time of intense concern that Israel may become involved in a wider Middle East war.

However, the weapons are not expected to get to Israel anytime soon, they are contracts that will take years to fulfill. Much of what is being sold is to help Israel increase its military capability in the long term, the earliest systems being delivered under the contract aren’t expected until the 2026 timeframe.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the State Department said in a release on the sale.

The Biden administration has had to balance its continued support for Israel with a growing number of calls from lawmakers and the U.S. public to curb military support there due to the high number of civilian deaths in Gaza. It has curbed one delivery of 2,000-pound weapons amid continued airstrikes by Israel in densely populated civilian areas in Gaza.

The contracts will cover not only the sale of 50 new aircraft to be produced by Boeing. It will also include upgrade kits for Israel to modify its existing fleet of two dozen F-15 fighter jets with new engines and radars, among other upgrades. The jets comprise the biggest portion of the $20 billion in sales with the first deliveries expected in 2029.

your ad here

Environmentalist and reality TV star faces possible extradition to Japan

Vancouver, British Columbia — Tens of thousands of people have signed online petitions for the release of environmentalist Paul Watson, the controversial activist arrested in Greenland on an extradition request by the Japanese government.

Watson’s latest legal journey started July 21 in Nuuk, Greenland, when he was arrested aboard his foundation’s ship, the John Paul DeJoria.

His arrest and extradition appear to be tied to alleged actions in 2010 against the Japanese whaling vessel Shonan Maru 2.

For the past several decades, Watson has been known to take severe measures, including the ramming and disabling of whaling ships, to stop the commercial harvesting of whales. Many of the ships were from Japan. He also gained further notoriety as the focus of the reality TV series “Whale Wars.”

The John Paul DeJoria’s captain, Lockhart MacLean, said it made a regular stop for provisions when Danish national police came aboard after a friendly visit by Greenlandic police. Greenland is a territory of Denmark.

“So, these were police that had been flown in from Copenhagen, came on board, and they had a very different attitude,” MacLean said. “They’re much more, much more aggressive and firm, and obviously, within a few minutes, they had taken Paul Watson in cuffs into a van, off the ship.”

MacLean said the ship will continue to travel via the Panama Canal into the Pacific Ocean in an effort to stop Japanese whaling.  

 

Watson, a 73-year-old Canadian American, has been arrested many times.

 

Among the original members of Greenpeace, created in 1972 in Vancouver, he split from that organization five years later to form the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Under that group, he garnered worldwide headlines for ramming whaling ships at sea. He formed the Captain Paul Watson Foundation in 2022.

 

Rex Weyler was the director of the original Greenpeace and co-founded Greenpeace International in 1979.

 

He says Watson’s arrests usually strengthen his cause.

“Paul Watson being arrested is one of his tactics, and it was one of our tactics at Greenpeace, which is to challenge what the whalers or sealers or other extractors of ecological resources were doing,” Weyler said. “And if they wanted to arrest us, that’s fine, because when they arrest us, it only heightens the story. And that’s what we’re trying to do.”

For Teale Phelps Bondaroff, research director of OceansAsia, Watson’s arrest was a surprise. Bondaroff, who has worked for Sea Shepherd in the past, said the arrest shows that commercial harvesting of whales still exists.

 

“Anything like this draws attention to the issue. One of the things I find is interesting is a lot of folks, when you talk about whaling, see it as something of the past and aren’t aware of the fact that there are still countries that are whaling today,” Bondaroff said.

MacLean said because of Watson’s age, a 15-year prison sentence in Japan would amount to a life sentence. He hopes that a freed Watson will manage to rejoin them on their campaign against Japanese whaling.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry was asked to comment on this story through the Japanese Embassy in Ottawa but did not respond.

your ad here

Pentagon: Iran-backed attack injured 8 US troops in Syria

pentagon — Eight U.S. service members in Syria were injured in a drone attack by Iranian-backed militants last week, Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said on Tuesday. 

Tuesday marked the first time that the Pentagon blamed Iranian proxies for Friday’s attack.  

“We assess that it was conducted by Iranian-backed militia, but we’re still digging into the specifics,” Ryder said in response to a question from VOA at a Pentagon briefing. 

Ryder told reporters the service members had been treated for smoke inhalation and traumatic brain injury. Three of the injured troops have returned to duty, he added.  

Earlier, the U.S. military said several American and coalition personnel had been wounded in a drone attack late Friday at Rumalyn Landing Zone in eastern Syria but stressed that “none of the injuries are life threatening.” 

The United States has about 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in neighboring Iraq to advise and assist local forces working to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State terror group in the region.  

The drone strike in Syria marked the second time this month that U.S. military personnel in the Middle East had been injured in attacks. Five Americans were injured in a rocket attack against al-Asad air base August 5 in Iraq, with three transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for further care, according to deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh.  

Iranian-backed militias have launched dozens of attacks against U.S. forces in the region since Israel began its military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’ deadly October 7 terror attacks. 

your ad here

Мобільний телефон Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Серія: Galaxy S24

Стандарт зв’язку/інтернет:
2G (GPRS/EDGE)
3G (WCDMA/UMTS/HSPA)
4G (LTE)
5G

Діагональ екрана: 6.8
Роздільна здатність дисплея: QHD+ (3120×1440)
Тип матриці: Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Частота оновлення екрана: 120 Гц
Матеріал екрана: Скло (Corning Gorilla Armor)

Кількість SIM-карток: 2
Формат SIM-картки: Nano-SIM, e-SIM

Оперативна пам’ять: 12 ГБ
Вбудована пам’ять: 512 ГБ
Максимальний обсяг підтримуваної карти пам’яті: Немає

Операційна система: Android

Фронтальна камера: 12 Мп
Особливості фронтальної камери: Автофокус, Одинарна, Підтримка знімання 4К, Ширококутний об’єктив
Розміщення фронтальної камери: Виріз
Запис відео фронтальної камери: 4K/3840×2160/стереозвук
Додатково: Апертура F2.2

Назва процесора: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
Тип ядра: Cortex-X4 (64bit) + Cortex-A720 (64bit) + Cortex-A720 (64bit) + Cortex-A520 (64bit)
Відеоядро: Qualcomm Adreno 750
Кількість ядер: 1+3+2+2
Серія Qualcomm Snapdragon: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Series
Частота процесора: 3.39 ГГц + 3.1 ГГц + 2.9 ГГц + 2.2 ГГц

Основна камера: 200 Мп + 50 Мп + 12 Мп + 10 Мп
Особливості основної камери: Автофокус, Підтримка знімання 4К, Спалах, Стабілізація, Телеоб’єктив, Ультраширококутний об’єктив, Ширококутний об’єктив
Кількість основних камер: 4
Запис відео основної камери: 8 K / 7680×4320 / стереозвук
Додатково: Широкутний модуль: 200 Мп, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3″, 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS, Ультраширококутний модуль: 12 Мп, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video, Телеоб’єктив: 10 Мп, f/2.4, 67mm, 1/3.52″, 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom, Періскопічний телеоб’єктив: 50 Мп, f/3.4, 111mm, 1/2.52″, 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom, 3х та 5х оптичний зум, 2х та 10х зум оптичної якості (активований Adaptive Pixel сенсором), Цифровий зум до 100х, Уповільнена зйомка: 240 кадр./с з роздільною здатністю FHD, 120 кадр./с з роздільною здатністю UHD
Метод стабілізації: Оптична

Ємність акумулятора: 5000 мА·год

Матеріал корпуса: Титан + скло

Роз’єми: USB Type-C

Навігація: A-GPS, BDS, GPS, ГЛОНАСС, Цифровий компас

Вага, г: 233
Ширина: 79 мм
Висота: 162.3 мм
Глибина: 8.6 мм

Бездротові технології: Wi-Fi 7 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be 2.4 ГГц + 5 ГГц + 6 ГГц, EHT320, MIMO, 4096-QAM, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC

Безпека: Розблокування за обличчям, Сканер відбитків пальців на екрані

Ступінь пило/вологозахисту: IP68

Датчики: Акселерометр, Барометр, Геомагнітний датчик, Гіроскоп, Датчик Холла, Датчик наближення, Датчик освітлення

Комплект постачання: Гарантійний талон, Документація, Кабель для синхронізації, Скріпка для виймання СІМ-карти, Стилус, Телефон

Бездротові технології: Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, Wi-Fi, Бездротова зарядка

Оснащення: MP3-плеєр, Будильник, Відеоплеєр, Заряджання сторонніх пристроїв, Календар, Калькулятор, Підтримка OTG, Підтримка e-SIM, Стереодинаміки, Швидке заряджання

Форм-фактор: Моноблок

Особливості корпусу: Безрамковий дисплей, Водонепроникні

Колір: Black

Країна реєстрації бренду: Республіка Корея (Південна Корея)

Гарантія: 12 місяців офіційної гарантії від виробника

Країна-виробник товару: В’єтнам

Ціна: 56’999грн

email: email@kupui.com
our skype: isgnet

Купуй!

your ad here

China resubmitted plans for a super embassy in London

LONDON — The Chinese government has resubmitted its plans to build a “super embassy” in London, a decision testing the new British government’s strategy for dealing with China after the victory of the Labour Party in the general election last month.

According to the new plan, the super embassy will be built on the former Royal Mint Court site near the Tower of London, with a total area of about 576,000 square meters (620,000 square feet) — 10 times the size of China’s existing embassy in London.

The project includes not only the embassy building but also 225 residences and a cultural exchange center. 

The proposal was rejected by the Tower Hamlets Council in 2022 and was set aside after China failed to appeal in time. 

Since China bought the land for roughly $327 million in 2018, the plan has faced ongoing opposition from members of parliament and local residents concerned about security, particularly as protests in the surrounding area could increase significantly.

A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson told VOA the planning team is reviewing the latest application, and public consultation has begun, but a target committee date has not been scheduled.

Politicians and activists believe that China’s choice to resubmit its plan is a test of the bottom line of the new British government’s China policy. Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith believes the Labour Party may not be as tough on China as the Conservatives.

“The Labour government has become ambivalent about China and has in no way seemed to be taking any interest in the threat that China is posing,” he told VOA in a phone interview.

With the Labour government coming to power in early July, the United Kingdom’s relationship with China is undergoing a process of re-examination. Foreign Minister David Lammy said the administration would conduct a comprehensive review of its relationship with China to ensure that it could cooperate with China in areas of common interest while addressing global threats.

George Robertson, the former NATO secretary-general and head of the British government’s strategic defense assessment, warned that China was one of the countries that posed a deadly threat to the U.K.

The “Strategic Defense Review,” expected to be published in the first half of 2025, will help define the government’s defense policy for the next decade. The re-application of China’s super embassy program will undoubtedly be a test in this review process and policy shift.

The Tower Hamlets Council is dominated by the Labour Party. According to The Daily Telegraph, representatives of the Chinese Embassy in the U.K. said in a document submitted to the district council that the 2022 refusal decision was baseless and urged officials to reconsider the plan.

“I have no doubt that this will be classified as a risk and be evaluated continuously by the Labour Party,” said Rex Lee, a media spokesman for ESEA4Labour. 

East and Southeast Asians for Labour was founded in 1999 with the mission of promoting the Labour Party’s values, civic conscience and duties, according to its website.

“The Labour Party has been clear in their support of Hong Kongers and Uyghurs and all others who try to hold the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] into account in human rights breaches. There is no space for CCP to maneuver under the Labour government,” he said.

Megan Khoo, policy adviser for Hong Kong Watch, told VOA that the proposal “should feature in the new government’s audit of U.K.-China relations, including how such an establishment would hold the potential to threaten the more than 190,000 Hong Kongers which now call Britain home. 

“This site could serve as a vessel for the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] increasing transnational repression against Hong Kongers and other Chinese dissident groups, and as such, has no place on U.K. soil. The new government must not allow itself to be toyed with and make it immediately clear that it will not allow the PRC to call the shots,” she said.

VOA requested comment from the Chinese Embassy but did not receive a response by the time of publication.  

The Royal Mint site has sparked many discussions about the preservation and safety of history, due to its historical value. 

“It’s a historic building, which would not lend itself to be an embassy,” said Smith, the former Conservative Party leader. “It would be the loss of a historic building under the ownership of China. It would become Chinese territory forever, and that is not to be allowed. Certainly not the CCP.”

In 2022, pro-democracy protesters were assaulted by Chinese diplomats outside the Chinese consulate in Manchester. Opponents of the new embassy site argue that this incident demonstrates China’s intention to use the location to suppress protests, as the site offers limited space for demonstrations.

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.

your ad here

Ugandan court finds former Lord’s Resistance Army commander guilty

GULU, UGANDA — A Ugandan court found former Lord’s Resistance Army commander Thomas Kwoyelo guilty Tuesday of 44 out of 78 war crimes charges brought against him.

The charges included murder, kidnap with intent to murder, pillaging, cruel treatment, torture, rape and crimes against humanity.

The Lord’s Resistance Army was founded by Joseph Kony, who led a rebellion from 1986 to 2005 against President Yoweri Museveni’s government. The group was accused of carrying out multiple massacres. Kony is still at large.

Kwoyelo, now 50, was captured in 2009 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has been in detention since. His trial began in 2019.

Dressed in a black suit and maroon tie, Kwoyelo sat in the courtroom Tuesday and at times stood tensely, listening as the verdict was announced.

‘It’s some progress’

Stella Angel Lanam, founder of the War Victims and Children Networking initiative, also listened closely as the judge announced Kwoyelo guilty of forced child marriages and forceful sexual intercourse.

At the age of 10, Lanam was abducted by the LRA and held captive for nine years. She was forced to marry a then-38-year-old Lord’s Resistance Army commander. She had a child at the age of 13 and suffered a pregnancy complication known as a uterine inversion.

After the verdict, Lanam, now 38, said it was a good start.

“This court has taken a long time,” she said. “I’m happy today. The victims today will sleep. Because the judgment, at least it is there. It’s some progress.”

Lanam returned in 2006, when most rebels decided to take an amnesty offer announced in 2000. She said she was shocked that her own family and community rejected her and her child because the baby was fathered by a rebel.

Lanam says she and other women in similar circumstances have a simple request.

“How can you be with a person who still has trauma?” she asked. “Between the government of Uganda and the LRA, they should give justice to the victims.”

Man says LRA devastated home, family 

Paul Ogena lost eight family members in the insurgency led by the LRA.

He said the LRA devastated his home and took his parents, whose remains have never been found.

“If we could get their remains and make a decent burial, it would be even far better.” he said. “But the person who did it should get a fair judgment, which judgment we have already heard today.”

Kwoyelo’s sentencing date has not yet been set.

your ad here

Biden strikes $150M blow against cancer in campaign to slash deaths

washington — President Joe Biden on Tuesday visited Louisiana’s infamous “Cancer Alley” to strike at what he identified as a top priority of his dwindling presidency: announcing $150 million in research funding toward the goal of dramatically reducing cancer deaths in the United States.

The Cancer Moonshot is an initiative close to Biden’s heart. Both he and first lady Jill Biden have had brushes with skin cancers. And in 2015, an aggressive brain cancer took the life of their eldest son, Beau.

“We’re moving quickly,” Biden said of the initiative, which has a goal of reducing the U.S. cancer death rate by at least half by 2047. “Because we know that all families touched by cancer are in a race against time.”

Cancer is the second-biggest cause of death worldwide. The National Cancer Institute predicts that 2 million Americans will be diagnosed this year with the immune-mediated disease, which can manifest in organs, bone marrow and blood and which comes in hundreds of different varieties.

“Cancer touches us all,” the first lady said. “When Joe and I lost our son to brain cancer, we decided to turn our pain into purpose. We wanted to help families like ours so that they won’t have to experience this terrible loss, and as president, Joe has brought his own relentless optimism to the Biden Cancer Moonshot to end cancer as we know it. It’s ambitious, but it’s also within our reach – maybe not yet, but one day soon.”

Biden launched the initiative when he was vice president. Since he restored the program as president, the research agency he created has invested more than $400 million in the cause.

Cancer advocates praised the move but stressed the need for long-term engagement.

“We’ve made tremendous strides in how we prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer, but there is still much work to be done to improve the lives of those touched by this disease,” said Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

“Cancer cases are estimated to hit an all-time high this year, and we cannot relent in driving forward public policies that will address this,” Knudsen said. “Funding more researchers across the country focused on more effective and innovative treatments will bring us closer to future cancer breakthroughs and ending cancer as we know it, for everyone.”

And cancer is often compounded by environmental causes – such as those in the 140-kilometer (85-mile) stretch of communities between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, home to a string of major fossil fuel and petrochemical operations.

Karl Minges, associate dean in the School of Health Sciences at the University of New Haven, told VOA that while the disease itself doesn’t discriminate, social factors often make it hit harder in lower-income communities.

“Any time that money from the federal government and publicity is put on a topic, I think it’s something that has the ability to actually make a significant difference,” he told VOA.

And, he said, the fact that this federal money is going toward research institutions – and not private pharmaceutical companies – means the lessons learned can be shared well beyond the United States.

“The U.S. is always on sort of the cutting edge with regard to [research and development] of new drugs and treatments and methodologies,” he said.

“But by giving the money to the institutes, it’s sort of available as public funding for researchers to access, and anytime that’s the case, there’s an imperative, whether it’s a clinical trial or it’s a an observational study, that the results are in the public domain, so that can be then subsumed by other countries outside of the United States who face similar issues,” Minges said.

your ad here

Nigeria unveils first national protection plan for endangered elephants

Abuja, Nigeria — Nigeria has launched the country’s first National Elephant Action Plan. Authorities say the measure is designed to protect the small and rapidly declining population of elephants in the country.

Human-caused activities, including poaching, have forced Nigerian elephants to the verge of extinction. The plan aims to save the remaining elephants by reducing illegal killings and trade, maintaining elephant habitats, creating public awareness and promoting community-led vigilance.

Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Nigeria’s minister of state for environment, said the National Elephant Action Plan will be a comprehensive approach to ensure the protection of wildlife.

“What we’re seeing today is an upscaling of the commitment of Nigeria to ensure that our natural resources are protected and preserved,” Salako said. “We’re also focusing on the host communities, because these elephants live around some people. We’re going to see a situation where people can see alternative livelihoods from preservation of our elephants.”

Over the last decade, Nigeria has emerged as a key source, transit and destination country for illegal wildlife trade.

Elephant ivories and pangolin scales are some of the most trafficked items. The Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation said Nigeria accounts for nearly a quarter of the world’s seized ivory.

As a result, Nigeria’s elephant population — about 300 to 400 animals — is a fourth of the population size three decades ago.

Authorities say that along with the threats from poachers and habitat destruction, human-elephant conflict due to the animals’ invasion of farms is leading to more elephant killings.

Andrew Dunn, country director of the Wildlife Conservation Society, is author of the National Elephant Action Plan. He said the plan has eight main objectives ranging from law enforcement to conservation education to sustainable livelihoods.

“It’s quite a comprehensive document,” he said. “There are a lot of actions in there, including the importance of reducing conflicts between farmers and elephants. That’s a serious problem.

“Nigeria is unthinkable without elephants,” he added. “It’s time we came together and protect the last of our elephants. It would be criminal, sad and catastrophic if we lose them.”

In 2010, all 36 African elephant range states committed to developing measures to ensure a secure future for the continent’s elephants.

And in April, Nigeria and Cameroon agreed to a wildlife protection partnership to tackle cross-border wildlife crimes.

As the world marked World Elephant Day on August 12 to raise awareness about the numerous threats elephants face, Nigerian authorities say the launch of the National Elephant Action Plan is a boost to the pact.

your ad here

Paralympians push for voices of disabled to be heard at UN summit

Blantyre, Malawi — A trio of Paralympic athletes from Malawi, Uganda and the United Kingdom is advocating for the voices of youth with disabilities to be heard at the United Nations’ upcoming Summit of the Future, scheduled for September in New York. Their campaign, with support from the international charity Sightsavers, emphasizes the importance of including the voices of disabled youth on the international stage.

Taonere Banda participates in 400 meters and 1,500 meters Paralympics races, and broke a record in 2016 to become the first athlete to represent Malawi at the Paralympic Games in Brazil. Husnah Kukundakwe is a Paralympic swimmer from Uganda. And Susie Rodgers is a former Paralympic swimmer for Britain’s team, who competed at the Paralympic Games in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.

Sightsavers says the three athletes are spokespeople for its Equal World campaign, which wants the voices of disabled youth to be included in discussions in September about the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals at the Summit of the Future in New York. 

Currently, Banda and Kukundakwe are in a camp preparing for the Paris Paralympics.

Banda hopes the campaign will address the stigma and discrimination people with disabilities have long faced.

“We are also human beings and we want to be treated equally,” she said. “It’s sad that we are often being discriminated against. For example, we are often sidelined in various developmental programs, including during the distribution of some relief items.”

She fears that without such a campaign, people with disabilities risk, once again, being left behind, and that the Sustainable Developmental Goals will fail.

Banda said the summit should ensure that there are programs benefiting people with disabilities.

Simon Munde, executive director for the Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi, welcomed the campaign.

“It’s important that these para-athletes carry the voices of fellow young people with disabilities to the world leaders so that these world leaders, even our leaders from Africa, really champion the issues of inclusion of persons with disabilities.”

Munde said it was high time for people with disabilities to have an equal share of the development cake.

“Taxpayers’ money should actually be used for the development of the nation, or even the resources from the development partners should be used for development, but those kinds of development initiatives leave behind persons with disabilities,” Munde said.

Last week, the Malawi government, with support from the United Nations, convened a high-level consultation with representatives from government ministries, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia and the media to prepare for the Summit of the Future.

A statement from the U.N. office in Malawi says the primary objective of the meeting was to gather diverse perspectives and input that will inform Malawi’s position and contributions to the Summit of the Future in New York.

During the meeting, various issues were discussed, including those seeking to address the needs of youth and future generations.

your ad here

More than 1,000 arrested following UK riots, police say

LONDON — British authorities have arrested more than 1,000 people following days of rioting involving violence, arson and looting as well as racist attacks targeting Muslims and migrants, a national policing body said Tuesday. 

The riots, which followed the killings of three young girls in the northern English town of Southport, began after the July 29 attack was wrongly blamed on an Islamist migrant based on online misinformation. 

Violence broke out in cities across England and also in Northern Ireland, but there have been fewer instances of unrest since last week after efforts to identify those involved were ramped up.  

Many have been swiftly jailed, with some receiving long sentences. 

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said in its latest update that 1,024 had been arrested and 575 charged across the U.K. 

Those arrested include a 69-year-old accused of vandalism in Liverpool and an 11-year-old boy in Belfast. 

A 13-year-old girl pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court, prosecutors said, having been seen on July 31 punching and kicking the entrance to a hotel for asylum-seekers. 

“This alarming incident will have caused genuine fear amongst people who were being targeted by these thugs — and it is particularly distressing to learn that such a young girl participated in this violent disorder,” prosecutor Thomas Power said. 

The last time Britain witnessed widespread rioting was in 2011, when the fatal shooting of a Black man by police triggered several days of street violence. 

Fast and tough judicial action was viewed as helping quell the unrest in 2011, when around 4,000 people were arrested over several weeks.

your ad here

African Olympians switching countries bothers citizens, officials

nairobi, kenya — As Africa’s Olympic athletes come home from Paris, the continent’s sports fans can’t help but wonder what might have been. While African countries claimed dozens of medals in Paris, several African-born-and-raised athletes won gold for other countries.

Experts warn that a lack of investment in sports and other issues could prompt more African athletes to switch nationalities.

African teams won 38 medals at the Paris Olympics. Kenya won the most with 11.

But Kenya could have claimed another gold had one of its athletes not chosen to represent Bahrain. Winfred Yavi won gold in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase and even broke the Olympic record.

Yavi told Kenyan media that she changed her nationality in 2014 after failing to get picked for the Kenyan team on several attempts.

Her coach Gregory Kilonzo, who coaches other athletes from Bahrain, told VOA there are many incentives that can lead an athlete to represent another country.

“Here in Bahrain, we go directly to the Olympics. We don’t go for trials because we are not many,” Kilonzo said. “Kenya, we go national, we go trials. And then Bahrain pays well. They are serious with their athletes. They take care of their athletes. They pay salaries for the athletes every month. If you get sick, they take you to other countries for medical care.”

Hammer thrower Annette Echikunwoke was denied a chance to represent Nigeria at the 2020 Tokyo Games because of the country’s non-compliance with drug testing requirements. This year, she competed for the United States and earned a silver medal.

Meanwhile, Nigerian athletes competed in 12 events in Paris and returned home without a single gold, silver or bronze. Nigerian officials apologized for the dismal performance and said they will review how people are elected to lead the sporting federation.

Other athletes have left Africa to escape poverty, violence or political oppression. Sifan Hassan, an Ethiopian native, fled her country as a refugee and settled in the Netherlands in 2008. She has since won three Olympic golds for her country, including the women’s marathon Sunday in Paris.

African athletes who have changed allegiance have complained of a lack of good sporting facilities that cater to their training needs, a lack of good pay and corrupt officials favoring some athletes over others.

Richard Wanjohi is a researcher with the African Sports and Creative Institute, an organization that supports African sports through research, advisory and advocacy. He said the trend of African athletes abandoning their birth countries creates concerns that may affect African performance in future competitions, particularly if they lose young athletes.

“You see people transitioning maybe between the age of 18 to 21 years, and that’s considerably young even in the athletics space and other sporting disciplines that they compete in,” he said, adding that that creates a loss of talent nationally. “Once these individuals move, you are not able to get representation as a country. Or even when you have representation, [it] is not the best talent you would have.”

To prevent promising athletes from leaving, sports fans on the continent want officials to spot talent among school-age children and give them the training they need to compete on the global stage.

Some observers say African countries also need to invest in sports science and technology. To date, most countries have relied on natural advantages such as East Africa’s high altitude to train its athletes.

Retired middle-distance runner Martin Keino of Kenya said such methods may not work in the future.

“If our countries can invest in sports science and technology — because technology has a huge impact on sports — and if a nation doesn’t utilize technology, you are uncompetitive on the global stage,” Keino said.

If Africa fails to harness the power of sports science, Keino said, African athletes will fail to win medals, and may not even make it to the finals.

your ad here

Poland signs $10 billion deal for US Apache attack helicopters

Warsaw, POLAND — Poland on Tuesday signed a $10 billion deal to buy 96 Apache attack helicopters from U.S. manufacturer Boeing in an upgrade to the country’s military capabilities.

Poland has sharply accelerated the modernization of its armed forces since Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022.

“This is the landmark purchase by Poland for its armed forces of … 96 state-of-the-art AH-64E Apache attack helicopters,” Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters.

“Today we are taking a milestone in the transformation and equipping of the army,” he added, speaking at the Inowroclaw air base, where the Apaches are to be stationed.

The deal is the latest in a string of contracts signed by Poland with the United States in recent days.

On Friday, Warsaw announced a deal to buy hundreds of AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. On Monay there was a contract to build 48 launchers for the U.S.-designed Patriot air defense systems.

Poland, a staunch ally of Ukraine, has announced it would spend more than 4% of its annual economic output on defense this year — twice NATO’s target of 2%.

The Ukraine war has also solidified the relationship between the United States and Poland, a country on NATO’s eastern flank that sees Washington as one of its main allies.

The Apache helicopter sale was approved last year by the U.S. State Department and Congress.

The deal “changes the face of the Polish army’s operations and complements” previous purchases, Kosiniak-Kamysz said, pointing notably at the Abrams tanks that Poland bought in the past years.

According to the Polish government, the Apaches are designed to work with the tanks.

“For the Abrams, the Apache is an essential element,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

In 2022, Poland bought 250 Abrams tanks in a modern M1A2 variant, which are expected to be delivered later this year. It will be the first country outside the United States with the tanks.

The attack helicopter agreement also envisages providing the Polish army with maintenance equipment, technical and training support, flight simulators and spare parts.

“Offset, purchase, leasing, pilot training, technology, armament — it was all negotiated together. It’s a historic day for helicopter aviation,” Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Bejda said.

“These $10 billion are the insurance of our country, the insurance of our freedom,” Bejda added, saying that the Apaches would serve the Polish efforts to “deter those who have evil intentions.”

The first U.S.-made helicopters are to be delivered in 2028, but some Polish pilots have already begun training on them.

The Apaches will replace outdated Russian Mi-24 helicopters.

your ad here

Harris faces misogyny, racism in bid for White House

Critics of Vice President Kamala Harris have used her gender as a cudgel, saying subtly and overtly that a woman cannot hold the most powerful job in the free world. Gender scholars say those railing against Harris have also chosen another line of attack: her race. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House.

your ad here