Month: August 2024

British police, prepared for far-right agitators, find peaceful anti-racism protesters instead

Posted on by SeeEU

LONDON — Far-right demonstrations that had been anticipated by police in dozens of locations across Britain failed to materialize Wednesday as peaceful anti-racism protesters instead showed up in force.

Police had prepared for another night of violence at 100 locations following a week of rioting and disorder fueled by misinformation over a stabbing attack against young girls. Many businesses had boarded up windows and closed down in fear of what lay ahead.

Stand up to Racism and other groups had planned counter-protests in response, but in most places they reclaimed their streets with nothing to oppose.

In London, Bristol, Oxford, Liverpool and Birmingham, large, peaceful crowds gathered outside agencies and law firms specializing in immigration that had been listed by internet chat groups as possible targets of far-right activity. 

In resounding choruses they chanted: “Whose streets? Our streets!”

It was a vast change from the chaos that has erupted on streets throughout England and Belfast, Northern Ireland, since July 30.

Cities and towns have been wracked by riots and looting for the past week as angry mobs, encouraged by far-right extremists, clashed with police and counter-demonstrators. The disturbances began after misinformation spread about the stabbing rampage that killed three girls in the seaside community of Southport, with social media users falsely identifying the suspect as an immigrant and a Muslim.

Rioters spouting anti-immigrant slogans have attacked mosques and hotels housing asylum-seekers, creating fear in Muslim and immigrant communities. In recent days, reports have emerged of violent counterattacks in some areas.

The head of London’s Metropolitan Police Service said earlier Wednesday that officers were focused on protecting immigration lawyers and services. In addition to thousands of officers already deployed, about 1,300 specialist forces were on standby in case of serious trouble in London.

“We’ll protect those people,″ Commissioner Mark Rowley said. “It is completely unacceptable, regardless of your political views, to intimidate any sector of lawful activity, and we will not let the immigration asylum system be intimidated.”

By early late evening, though, with the exception of scattered disturbances and some arrests, trouble had not erupted. 

A crowd of immigrant supporters that quickly grew to several hundred in the London neighborhood of North Finchley found themselves largely alone with several dozen police officers.

The crowd chanted “refugees welcome” and “London against racism.” Some held signs saying, “Stop the far right,” “Migration is not a crime” and “Finchley against Fascism.” 

At one point, an unruly man who had been shouting at the group and pulling his shirt up to show off an eagle tattoo was punched by a protester. He was led away by someone and officers questioned a possible suspect. 

Outside an immigration center in the Walthamstow area in east London, an anti-racism protest leader barked “fascist scum” to which a crowd of hundreds responded: “off our streets.”

In Liverpool, hundreds showed up to defend the Asylum Link immigration center. A grandmother held a placard reading “Nans Against Nazis” and someone else held a sign saying, “When the poor blame the poor only the rich win.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described the previous disturbances as “far-right thuggery,” rejecting any suggestion that the riots were about the government’s immigration policies. He has warned that anyone taking part in the violence would “face the full force of the law.”

Police have made more than 400 arrests and are considering using counter-terrorism laws to prosecute some rioters. The government has pledged to prosecute those responsible for the disorder, including those who use social media to incite the violence.

Among the first to be sentenced was Derek Drummond, 58, who received three years in prison after admitting to violent disorder and punching a police officer in the face in Southport on July 30. He was one of three men jailed after their cases were heard Wednesday at Liverpool Crown Court.
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US judge again dismisses Mexico’s lawsuit against most gun manufacturers

Posted on by SeeUS

MEXICO CITY — A U.S. federal judge in Massachusetts again dismissed a $10 billion Mexican government lawsuit against six U.S. gun manufacturers on Wednesday.

Mexico had argued the companies knew weapons were being sold to traffickers who smuggled them into Mexico and decided to cash in on that market.

However, the judge ruled that Mexico had not provided concrete evidence that any of the six companies’ activities in Massachusetts were connected to any suffering caused in Mexico by guns.

Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department said Wednesday the ruling would allow the lawsuit to proceed against a seventh manufacturer and a gun wholesaler.

Regarding the dismissal against the others, the department said, “Mexico is analyzing its options, among them presenting an appeal.”

The case has been a legal rollercoaster.

In early 2022, six companies — not including the seventh manufacturer — filed to dismiss Mexico’s claims based on the broad protection provided to gun manufacturers by a 2005 U.S. law, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, or PLCAA.

The law shields gun manufacturers from damages “resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse” of a firearm. Later in 2022, the federal judge ruled to dismiss the case on those grounds.

Mexico appealed that ruling, and in January the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Massachusetts revived the lawsuit, saying the PLCAA did not apply to the claims the guns caused deaths, damages and injuries in Mexico.

The appeals court returned the case to the lower court, which again ruled to dismiss the claims against six of the companies.

The Mexican government estimates 70% of the weapons trafficked into Mexico come from the U.S., according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. 
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Biden ‘not confident’ of peaceful power transition if Trump loses election

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washington — President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he was not confident about a peaceful transfer of power in the United States if Republican Donald Trump loses the Nov. 5 presidential election.

“If Trump loses, I’m not confident at all,” Biden said in an interview with CBS News when asked whether he thought there would be a peaceful transfer of power after the vote.

“He means what he says. We don’t take him seriously. He means it. All this stuff about if we lose there’d be a bloodbath,” Biden added.

During a March campaign appearance in Ohio, Trump warned of a “bloodbath” if he fails win the election. At the time Trump was discussing the need to protect the U.S. auto industry from overseas competition, and Trump later said he was referring to the auto industry when he used the term.

Trump has falsely claimed he won the 2020 election against Biden and was criminally charged in Washington and Georgia with illegally trying to overturn the results.

Biden dropped out of the campaign last month after fellow Democrats called for him to step aside following a poor debate performance against Trump that raised questions about the Democratic president’s age and health.

Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, has since captured the Democratic nomination and is running against Trump.
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Berlin once again becomes haven for exiles from Russia

Posted on by SeeEU

Following last week’s prisoner exchange between Russia and Western nations, several of the political prisoners released by Moscow have arrived in Germany, historically a refuge for Russians fighting for change in their homeland. Marcus Harton narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina in Berlin.
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Lin Yu-ting advances to gold-medal Olympic bout, excelling amid misconceptions about her gender

Posted on by SeeEA

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Malnutrition surging in Nigeria’s Bauchi state, aid group says

Posted on by SeeAF

Abuja, Nigeria — Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, says it recorded an alarming 23,000 cases of severe malnutrition in Nigeria’s Bauchi state between January and June this year — a 120% increase over the same period a year before.

The group on Tuesday also said overall malnutrition in the West African nation increased by 40% nationwide and warned that without immediate intervention, the situation could become catastrophic.

Thierry Boyom, MSF’s medical coordinator, said poverty is a key driver of malnutrition but not the only reason why the numbers are surging.

“From the feedback we got, a lot of them were complaining about the significant increase in the prices of basic food items compared to last year, so they can’t afford three meals per day,” Boyom said. “[Also] the lack of access to health care and water. There are a lot of health facilities but they’re not fully functional because of lack of supply. Also we observe poor infant-feeding practices by the mothers. Vaccination coverage in Bauchi is a bit low, leading to diseases such as measles, a big driver of malnutrition.”

MSF has been responding to the malnutrition crisis in Bauchi since 2022. The group said its treatment centers and personnel are overstretched and they are trying to make room for more sick children.

Nigeria has the second highest burden of growth-stunted children in the world, according to UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

UNICEF said malnutrition is the direct or underlying cause of 45% of all deaths in the country under the age of 5.

For years, Nigeria has been embroiled in a protracted war with armed gangs who often kidnap farmers and hold them for ransom.

The resulting loss of food production, along with general insecurity and rising food prices, have hampered the ability of vulnerable people to buy food. The situation is especially bad around July and August each year — the so-called peak of the lean season when food from previous harvests normally runs out.

Abubakar Saleh, Bauchi state nutrition officer, said authorities are working to bring the number of malnourished children down.

“We’re trying to scale up micro-nutrient supplementation for pregnant mothers, that is to start preventing malnutrition from the mother, for them to have healthy pregnancies,” Saleh said. “And also in the area of treatment, we have interventions support by USAID-Ukraine for the management of severe acute malnutrition. And also, we’re doing maternal, newborn and child health week — it’s a campaign and through that campaign we screen children for malnutrition.”

Last month, MSF launched a community-based intervention known as Integrated Community Case Management in eight villages and equipped local women with early testing tools to help them detect malnutrition faster.

Boyom said it is bridging the gap.

“They were trained to be able to identify malnutrition, signs of severity or medical complications. But also, they were trained to manage on the spot the cases of simple malnutrition. On top of that they’re also trained to manage malaria,” Boyom said.

But until insecurity is addressed and there’s more funding to help the vulnerable, many more children will be struggling to survive.
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Extreme heat in July debilitates hundreds of millions worldwide

Posted on by SeeEU

GENEVA — Soaring temperatures in July have had detrimental effects on the well-being of hundreds of millions of people worldwide who have found the monthlong extreme heat too hot to handle, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

“The extreme heat, which continued throughout July after a hot June … has had really, really devastating impacts on communities, on people’s health, on ecosystems, also on economies,” WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis told journalists Tuesday in Geneva.

“Extreme heat has a domino effect across society,” she said, noting that the world’s hottest day on recent record was registered on July 22. “All of this is really yet another unwelcome indication, one of many, of the extent that greenhouse gases from human activities are, in fact, changing our climate.”

WMO data show widespread, intense and extended heat waves have hit every continent in the past year and global average temperatures have set new monthly records for 13 consecutive months from June 2023 to June 2024.

“At least 10 countries in the past year have recorded daily temperatures of more than 50 degrees Celsius [122 degrees Fahrenheit] in more than one location,” Nullis said. “You can well imagine this is too hot for the body to handle.”

WMO reports that Death Valley in California, considered to be the hottest place on Earth, registered an average monthly temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius (108.5 degree Fahrenheit) at Furnace Creek, “which is a record for the site and possibly the world.”

WMO normally does not measure monthly temperature records. But Randall Cerveny, chief rapporteur for the WMO’s committee for evaluating climate and weather extremes, said ”the record appeared to be reasonable and legitimate.”

While human-induced activity is largely responsible for the long-term warming trend, meteorologists cite above-average temperatures over large parts of Antarctica as another contributing factor.

According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, this has resulted in anomalies of more than 10-degrees Celsius above average in some areas, and above-average temperatures in parts of the Southern Ocean.

WMO climate expert Alvaro Silva said two consecutive heat waves that hit Antarctica over the last two years have contributed to record global temperatures.

“The reason is still under research, but it seems to be related with the daily sea ice extent,” he said, noting the Antarctic daily sea ice extent in June 2024 “was the second lowest on record. … This follows the lowest extent that we have in Antarctica in terms of sea ice in 2023.”

Sea ice extent is the surface area of ice covering an ocean at a given time.

Speaking from the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, Silva provided a sobering regional overview of the heat waves and extreme heat events, which are contributing to record global temperatures.

He observed that July was the warmest on record in Asia, while in Africa, he cited record-breaking temperatures in Morocco as having had “an important impact in terms of human health and deaths.”

He said intense heat waves in southern and southeastern Europe have “caused casualties and severe impacts on health.” At the same time, he pointed out that the fallout of heat waves in North America have been quite severe, noting that on August 1, “more than 160 million people, about half of the United States population, were under heat alert.”

WMO officials say evidence of our rapidly warming planet underscores the urgency of the Call to Action on Extreme Heat initiative launched by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres July 25.

In issuing this call, the U.N. chief warned that “Earth is becoming hotter and more dangerous for everyone, everywhere” and this was posing an increased threat to “our socio-economic and environmental well-being.”

WMO officials also stressed the importance of adaptation to climate change as a lifesaving measure, noting that recent estimates produced by WMO and the World Health Organization indicate the global scale-up of heat-health-warning systems for 57 countries alone “has the potential to save an estimated 98,000 lives per year.”

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said bolstering heat early warning systems in line with her agency’s Early Warnings for All Initiative would ensure at-risk populations receive timely alerts so they can take “protective actions.”

But, she emphasized, climate adaptation alone is not enough.

“We need to tackle the root cause and urgently reduce greenhouse gas levels, which remain at record observed levels.”
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As Japan marks atomic bombing anniversaries, its military emerges from shadow of WWII

Posted on by SeeUS

Tokyo — Japan this week restated its aim to rid the world of atomic weapons as it marks the 79th anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — even as the Japanese government seeks assurances the United States would be willing to use its own nuclear arsenal to protect Japan.

At 8:15 a.m. Tuesday — the time that the atomic bomb exploded 600 meters (1,969 feet) above Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 — people across Japan marked a minute’s silence to remember the horrors visited on the city.

“It is the mission of Japan, the only country to have suffered nuclear war, to pass on the reality of the atomic bombings to future generations,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told delegates gathered in Hiroshima.

The manner of Japan’s defeat in World War II changed the country, driving an aversion to war and military power that lasted for generations. However, after decades of pacifism, the country is undergoing profound changes in its attitude to military power amid multiple regional threats, said Yee Kuang Heng, a professor of international relations at the University of Tokyo.

“The DPRK’s [North Korea’s] nuclear missile programs; Chinese military assertiveness and territorial claims in the East China Sea; Russia’s closer military cooperation with China in the past couple of years. These are underlying drivers that have been around for the past couple of years,” Heng told VOA.

“There is Prime Minister Kishida’s oft-quoted fear that Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow, especially with potential flashpoints close to Japan, such as Taiwan.”

Those threats prompted Japan to last year announce a doubling of defense spending, to 2% of gross domestic product by 2027.

Last week, the United States, Japan’s closest ally, announced a major upgrade of its military command in the country. During the visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Tokyo again sought assurances from the U.S. that it would be prepared to use “extended deterrence” — that is, nuclear weapons — to defend Japan.

“They have always had doubts about the American commitment to use all their might to defend them. And that includes nuclear weapons, which gives you some idea of just how somewhat paradoxical Japan’s supposed nuclear allergy is,” said Grant Newsham, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for Security Policy and a former U.S. Marines colonel who served in Japan.

For decades, anger among Asian neighbors over Japan’s actions in World War II prevented closer regional cooperation. That’s also changing, said analyst Heng.

“Countries like the Philippines, they’ve recently signed very important defense agreements with Japan, such as the Reciprocal Access Agreement, actually the first Asian country to do so with Japan,” he said. “South Korea, notably under President Yoon [Suk Yeol], has talked up a more forward-looking relationship with Japan.”

But 79 years after the trauma of defeat — the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — are the Japanese people ready to become a military power once more?

“There’s a sea change also in the public opinion in my country as well,” said Kunihiko Miyake of Japan’s Canon Institute for Global Studies.

“We are not rabbits. We are tortoises. We are probably slow, but we always go ahead, and one step forward at a time,” Miyake added. “Maybe this time, two or three steps forward.”

China has reacted with anger to the rapid changes in Japan’s military posture.

“During World War II, Japan invaded and colonized some Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, and committed serious historical crimes. Japan needs to seriously reflect on its history of aggression and act prudently in the field of military security,” said Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a press conference last month.

At the same time, say analysts, Japan must secure itself against multiple threats — not least from China itself.
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Great Barrier Reef waters spike to hottest in 400 years, study finds

Posted on by SeeEA

WASHINGTON — Ocean temperatures in the Great Barrier Reef hit their highest level in 400 years over the past decade, according to researchers who warned that the reef likely won’t survive if planetary warming isn’t stopped.

During that time, between 2016 and 2024, the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem and one of the most biodiverse, suffered mass coral bleaching events. That’s when water temperatures get too hot and coral expel the algae that provide them with color and food, and sometimes die. Earlier this year, aerial surveys of over 300 reefs in the system off Australia’s northeast coast found bleaching in shallow water areas spanning two-thirds of the reef, according to Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Researchers from Melbourne University and other universities in Australia, in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature, were able to compare recent ocean temperatures to historical ones by using coral skeleton samples from the Coral Sea to reconstruct sea surface temperature data from 1618 to 1995. They coupled that with sea surface temperature data from 1900 to 2024.

They observed largely stable temperatures before 1900 and steady warming from January to March from 1960 to 2024. And during five years of coral bleaching in the past decade — during 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022 and 2024 — temperatures in January and March were significantly higher than anything dating back to 1618, researchers found. They used climate models to attribute the warming rate after 1900 to human-caused climate change. The only other year nearly as warm as the mass bleaching years of the past decade was 2004.

“The reef is in danger, and if we don’t divert from our current course, our generation will likely witness the demise of one of those great natural wonders,” said Benjamin Henley, the study’s lead author and a lecturer of sustainable urban management at the University of Melbourne. “If you put all of the evidence together … heat extremes are occurring too often for those corals to effectively adapt and evolve.”

Across the world, reefs are key to seafood production and tourism. Scientists have long said additional loss of coral is likely to be a casualty of future warming as the world approaches the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) threshold that countries agreed to try and keep warming under in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

Even if global warming is kept under the Paris Agreement’s goal, which scientists say Earth is almost guaranteed to cross, 70% to 90% of corals across the globe could be threatened, the study’s authors said. As a result, future coral reefs would likely have less diversity in coral species — which has already been happening as the oceans have grown hotter.

Coral reefs have been evolving over the past quarter century in response to bleaching events like the ones the study’s authors highlighted, said Michael McPhaden, a senior climate scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who was not involved with the study. But even the most robust coral may soon not be able to withstand the elevated temperatures expected under a warming climate with “the relentless rise in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere,” he said.

The Great Barrier Reef serves as an economic resource for the region and protects against severe tropical storms.

As more heat-tolerant coral replaces the less heat-tolerant species in the colorful underwater rainbow jungle, McPhaden said there’s “real concern” about the expected extreme loss in the number of species and reduction in area that the world’s largest reef covers.

“It’s the canary in the coal mine in terms of climate change,” McPhaden said.
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Are vice presidential picks game changers for US elections?

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Now that both the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have selected their running mates, the question is whether those picks will actually help boost the campaigns’ chances of winning the November election. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias looks at the historical relevance of vice presidential candidates and what Tim Walz and JD Vance bring to their respective tickets.
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Turkey formally asks to join genocide case against Israel at UN court

Posted on by SeeEU

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey on Wednesday filed a request with a U.N. court to join South Africa’s lawsuit accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, the foreign minister said. 

Turkey’s ambassador to the Netherlands, accompanied by a group of Turkish legislators, submitted a declaration of intervention to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. 

With the development, Turkey, one of the fiercest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, becomes the latest nation seeking to participate in the case. Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua and Libya have also asked to join the case, as have Palestinian officials. The court’s decision on their requests is still pending. 

“We have just submitted our application to the International Court of Justice to intervene in the genocide case filed against Israel,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan wrote on the social media platform X. “Emboldened by the impunity for its crimes, Israel is killing more and more innocent Palestinians every day.” 

“The international community must do its part to stop the genocide; it must put the necessary pressure on Israel and its supporters,” he said. “Turkey will make every effort to do so.” 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of genocide, called for it to be punished in international courts and criticized Western nations for backing Israel. In May, Turkey suspended trade with Israel, citing its assault on Gaza. 

In contrast to Western nations that have designated Hamas a terrorist organization, Erdogan has commended the group, calling it a liberation movement. 

South Africa brought a case to the International Court of Justice late last year, accusing Israel of violating the genocide convention through its military operations in Gaza. 

Israel has strongly rejected accusations of genocide and has argued that the war in Gaza is a legitimate defensive action against Hamas militants for their October 7 attack in southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and in which 250 hostages were taken. 

If admitted to the case, the countries who joined would be able to make written submissions and speak at public hearings. 

Preliminary hearings have already been held in the genocide case against Israel, but the court is expected to take years to reach a final decision. 

“No country in the world is above international law,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said on X earlier. “The case at the International Court of Justice is extremely important in terms of ensuring that the crimes committed by Israel do not go unpunished.” 

Keceli also called for the immediate implementation of precautionary measures ordered by the court, including a halt to military offensives and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

Since Erdogan took power in 2003, former allies Turkey and Israel have experienced a volatile relationship, marked by periods of severe friction and reconciliation. The war in Gaza has disrupted the most recent attempts at normalizing ties.
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As Japan marks atomic bomb anniversaries, military emerges from shadows of World War II

Posted on by SeeEA

As Japan this week marks 79 years since the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by nuclear bombs at the end of World War II, Japanese officials have restated their aim to rid the world of atomic weapons. However, after decades of pacifism, the country is undergoing profound changes in its attitude to military power amid multiple regional threats. Henry Ridgwell reports from Tokyo.
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Catalan separatist Puigdemont says he is returning to Spain, faces likely arrest

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BARCELONA — Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont said on Wednesday he was returning after seven years in self-imposed exile to Spain, where he would likely be arrested over his role in the region’s 2017 independence bid. 

His arrest and potential imprisonment before he might face trial could unleash fresh turmoil in Catalonia and threaten the fragile Socialist-led coalition ruling Spain, which relies on Puigdemont’s hardline Junts party to pass legislation. 

To secure Junts’ legislative support for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government, Spain’s parliament in May approved an amnesty law designed to allow Puigdemont a safe return from Belgium. 

The amnesty aimed to cancel legal proceedings against hundreds of separatists involved in Catalonia’s 2017 illegal referendum, but Spain’s Supreme Court ruled last month that the law did not apply to an embezzlement charge against Puigdemont and upheld an arrest warrant he faces. 

Still, Puigdemont said he remained committed to attending the Catalan parliament’s session that is due to swear in the region’s new leader following an election in May, in which Puigdemont finished second. 

The swearing-in is scheduled for Thursday. Puigdemont said he would keep his word and be in Barcelona then. 

“I have started the return trip from exile,” he said in a video posted on X. He also said in the video message that his arrest would be illegal and arbitrary. 

Neither Puigdemont nor Junts on Wednesday said whether he had already entered Spain. 

Thursday’s session is poised to appoint Socialist Salvador Illa as the new Catalan president, ending over a decade of separatist governments. 

Puigdemont’s supporters plan to welcome him on Thursday morning on a Barcelona boulevard near the regional parliament, setting the stage for a potentially dramatic arrest witnessed by reporters and bystanders. 

Moderate separatist party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, currently governing Catalonia, called Puigdemont’s return an “exceptional moment” and said it would attend the welcoming event. 

That might require a delicate balancing act from the party, which as leader of the regional government is responsible for the regional police force that could arrest Puigdemont. Esquerra will also lend its key votes for Illa to be elected president in exchange for a deal under which Catalonia would gain autonomy in collecting and managing taxes. 

Both Esquerra and Junts have backed the Socialist-led national government in Madrid. 

If the judge in charge of his case issues a pre-trial imprisonment, Puigdemont is expected to appeal for his release to Spain’s Constitutional Court. 
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Rural South Africans flock to Chinese classes

Posted on by SeeAF

China’s Confucius Institutes teach Chinese around the world, but there’s more to them than that. VOA’s Kate Bartlett visited a new one that is hundreds of kilometers outside the capital in rural South Africa that’s also focusing on green technology. Camera: Zaheer Cassim.
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Tropical Storm Debby swirls over Atlantic, expected to again douse the Carolinas before moving north 

Posted on by SeeUS

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Tropical Storm Debby is taking a breather Wednesday over the western Atlantic Ocean but it isn’t done dousing the coastal Carolinas before it slowly marches north.   

Debby was expected to restrengthen and turn north toward the South Carolina coastline for a second landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday, weather officials said. The storm carried the threat not only of additional rainfall but also of tornadoes in coastal sections of the Carolinas spreading north into southeast Virginia on Thursday.   

The slow-moving storm drenched coastal cities in Georgia and South Carolina late Monday into Tuesday, stirring up tornadoes and submerging streets with waist-high floodwaters. The storm has dropped more than a foot (30 centimeters) of rain in some places already and could dump staggering rain totals of up to 25 inches (64 centimeters) in places by the time it ends.   

Charleston and Savannah, Georgia, were deluged into Tuesday, with curfews set and roads blocked by police. Dozens of roads were closed in the city of Charleston because of flooding similar to what it sees several times a year because of rising sea levels.   

As Debby swirls just offshore, the heavy rain is expected to move into parts of South and North Carolina that have already seen two billion-dollar floods in eight years.   

In one Savannah neighborhood, firefighters used boats to evacuate some residents and waded through floodwaters to deliver bottled water and other supplies to those who refused to leave.   

Michael Jones said water gushed into his home Monday evening, overturning the refrigerator and causing furniture to float. Outside, the water seemed to be everywhere and was too deep to flee safely. So Jones spent a sleepless night on his kitchen table before firefighters going door to door came in a boat Tuesday morning.   

“It was hell all night,” Jones said.   

In Charleston, Mayor William Cogswell said the road closures have kept businesses and homes from unnecessary damage and avoided the need for any high-water rescues.   

“We especially don’t need any yahoos driving through the water and causing damage to properties,” Cogswell said.   

Up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain was expected in some places in the Carolinas, totals that are close to what the region saw in a historic flood from Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Two years later, many of those records were broken during Hurricane Florence. Both storms killed dozens.   

North Carolina and Virginia have both declared a state of emergency.   

Several areas along North Carolina’s coastline are prone to flooding, such as Wilmington and the Outer Banks. Virginia could see impacts including strong winds, heavy rains and flooding.   

Debby’s center was about 90 miles (145) kilometers east of Savannah on Wednesday morning, according to a bulletin from the National Hurricane Center. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (73 kph) and was heading east at 5 mph (8 kph).   

“Tropical cyclones always produce heavy rain, but normally as they’re moving, you know, it doesn’t accumulate that much in one place,” said Richard Pasch, of the hurricane center. “But when they move very slowly, that’s the worst situation.”   

There will be lulls in the rain as dry spells appear between bands around the center of the poorly organized storm, forecasters said. But some bands will be heavy and keep moving over the same places.   

Green Pond in rural Colleton County, South Carolina, reported the most rain so far, just over 14 inches (36 centimeters). A nearby dam had water run over its top but did not crumble, while trees and washouts blocked a number of roads, county Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief David Greene said.   

Close to a foot (30 centimeters) fell down-coast from Charleston to Savannah, where the National Weather Service reported 6.68 inches (17 centimeters) just on Monday. That’s already a month’s worth in a single day: In all of August 2023, the city got 5.56 inches (14.1 centimeters).   

Tornadoes knocked down trees and damaged a few homes on Kiawah Island and Edisto Island.   

Crooked Hammock Brewery in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, decided to close early Tuesday.   

“Flash flooding is super unpredictable, and we’d rather our staff and guests be home and safe,” marketing coordinator Georgena Dimitriadis said.   

Far to the north in New York City, heavy storms that meteorologists said were being enhanced by Debby flooded some streets and expressways, stranding motorists. The weather service issued a flood watch until noon Wednesday for the entire city.   

Emergency officials warned of potential flash flooding, flying drones with loudspeakers in some New York City neighborhoods to tell people in basement apartments to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice.   

Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday along the Gulf Coast of Florida.   

At least six people have died due to the storm, five of them in traffic accidents or from fallen trees. The sixth death involved a 48-year-old man in Gulfport, Florida, whose body was recovered after his anchored sailboat partially sank, WTSP-TV reported.   

About 500 people were rescued Monday from flooded homes in Sarasota, Florida, police said. Just north of Sarasota, Manatee County officials said more than 200 people were rescued.   

Officials said it may take two weeks to fully assess the damage in parts of north-central Florida as they wait for rivers to crest.   

“You’re going to see the tributaries rise. That’s just inevitable. How much? We’ll see,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday. “It may be that it’s not flooded today and it could be flooded tomorrow.”   

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also warned of more rain and flooding to come, saying, “Do not let this storm lull you to sleep.”   

President Joe Biden approved emergency declarations making federal disaster assistance available to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.   

Debby is finally forecast to pick up speed Thursday, and it could move up the middle of North Carolina, through Virginia and into the Washington area by Saturday. 
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Dueling political rallies in one of US oldest cities

Posted on by SeeUS

The two U.S. presidential tickets are set. Vice President Kamala Harris named her running mate Tuesday. But the presumed Democratic Party nominee wasn’t alone making news in one of America’s oldest cities, Philadelphia, in the northeastern state of Pennsylvania. That’s where we find VOA’s Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti.
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Explainer: Tim Walz’s long track record in China  

Posted on by SeeEA

Taipei, Taiwan  — From teaching at a high school in China to his experience serving on a key congressional committee that focuses on relations between Beijing and Washington, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz has a decades-long connection with China dating back to the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

As an educator, Walz taught American History, culture, and English to Chinese students at the Foshan No.1 High School in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong in 1989, the year that saw hundreds of thousands of Chinese students protesting against the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Tiananmen Square.

“China was coming, and that’s the reason that I went,” Walz said in a 2007 interview with The Hill, a Washington D.C.-based news website. During his one-year teaching stint in China, Walz was nicknamed “Fields of China” by his students due to his kindness.

His time in China had an impact on his perspectives of Chinese people’s lives under the ruling Communist Party.

“If they had the proper leadership, there are no limits on what they could accomplish,” he said in an interview with the Star Herald in 1990, describing teaching in China as “one of the best things” he has ever done.

His interest in China didn’t stop there. Upon returning to the United States, Walz and his wife set up a company named “Educational Travel Adventures” to coordinate summer trips to China for American high school students.

Five years after the Tiananmen Square protests and the Chinese government’s violent crackdown, Walz returned to China with his wife for their honeymoon and they brought along two American high school tour groups. Walz continued running the summer exchange program to China for American students with his wife until 2003.

Advocating human rights in China

After becoming a member of Congress in 2007, Walz continued to focus on issues related to China. During his time in Congress, Walz served on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which focuses exclusively on human rights issues in the country.

Walz quickly established himself as a vocal critic of the Chinese government, holding regular meetings with high-profile activists from China and Hong Kong, including prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong and Tibet’s spiritual leader Dalai Lama.

In an interview with VOA in 2014, Walz recounted his impression of witnessing the student-led protest in Tiananmen Square unfold. “I remembered waking up and seeing the news on June Fourth that the unthinkable had happened,” he said.

While most Americans at the time decided to leave China due to security concerns following the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, Walz said he felt it was “more important than ever to go” to China because he wanted to ensure that “the story was told” and let the Chinese people know that the outside world was with them.

In addition to engaging with activists from China and Hong Kong, Walz also co-sponsored several resolutions on key human rights issues in China, including demanding the release of Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo and Chinese activist Huang Qi, as well as co-signing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in 2017.

In one of his congressional remarks in 2016, Walz highlighted the importance of having “constructive dialogues” with Beijing to ensure “the preservation of traditional Tibetan culture and Tibet’s fragile ecology.”

“The U.S. was founded on the ideas of universal freedom, and I believe that we must continue to urge the Chinese government to provide less regulated religious freedom to the Tibetans,” he said at the time.

Foreign policy boost

In addition to being a vocal critique of China’s human rights record, Walz also expressed concerns about China’s attempt to expand its presence in the South China Sea in 2016, citing Beijing’s efforts to build artificial islands in the disputed water as the reason to oppose Washington’s attempt to reduce military spending.

Despite his strong stance on China’s human rights record and military posture, Walz continued to stress the importance of maintaining cooperation with China. “I don’t fall into the category that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship,” he said in a video interview with Agri-Pulse Communications.

“I think we need to stand firm on what they are doing in the South China Sea, but there [are] many areas of cooperation that we can work on,” Walz added.

Some analysts say Walz’s deep connections to China and track record in U.S.-China diplomacy could potentially help the Democratic presidential pair make more informed decisions on foreign policy, especially on issues related to China.

“I think [his emergence as Democratic vice-presidential nominee] is going to put a lot of people who care a lot about American foreign policy in this part of the world at ease, knowing that there is someone on the ticket who is informed, has spent time in the region, and is not starting from square one when it comes to learning about American foreign policy in East Asia,” said Lev Nachman, a political scientist at National Taiwan University.

He said since Walz has expressed many humanistic views of the Chinese people, Tibetan people, and Hong Kongers, the Minnesota governor could add more nuance to the policy debate related to China in the United States.

“He may be able to articulate the need to push back against China’s authoritarianism and human rights violations in different parts of the world in a way that doesn’t vilify Chinese citizens or doesn’t lean antagonistically in this overtly scare tactic rhetoric that I think a lot of U.S.-China discourse has turned into in the U.S.,” Nachman told VOA by phone.
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British police brace for anti-Muslim riots and counter protests

Posted on by SeeEU

LONDON — British police braced for further anti-Muslim riots on Wednesday as far-right groups pledged to target asylum centers and immigration law firms across the country, prompting anti-fascist protesters to plan counter demonstrations.

Britain has been gripped by an escalating wave of violence that erupted early last week when three young girls were killed in a knife attack in northwest Britain, triggering a wave of false messaging online that wrongly identified the suspected killer as an Islamist migrant.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former chief prosecutor who is facing his first crisis since winning a July 4 election, has warned rioters they will face lengthy jail terms as he sought to stamp out the worst outbreak of violence in Britain in 13 years.

“Our first duty is to ensure our communities are safe,” he told broadcasters.

“They will be safe. We are doing everything we can to ensure that where a police response is needed, it is in place, where support is needed for particular places, that is in place.”

In towns and cities groups of a few hundred rioters have clashed with police and smashed windows of hotels housing asylum-seekers from Africa and the Middle East, chanting “get them out” and “stop the boats” – a reference to those arriving in Britain in small dinghies.

They have also pelted mosques with rocks, terrifying local communities including ethnic minorities who have felt targeted by the violence.

Messages online said immigration centers and law firms aiding migrants would be hit on Wednesday, with one post saying: “Wednesday night lads. They won’t stop coming until you tell them.”

In response, anti-racism and anti-fascist groups organized counter demonstrations in towns and cities across the country.

One typical post about a planned far-right protest in the southern coastal city of Brighton said: “Racist scum are trying to target an immigration lawyer’s office. We won’t let it happen – wear face coverings and face masks.”

The government has put together a so-called “standing army” of 6,000 specialist police officers to respond to any outbreaks of violence, and say they will have a big enough presence to deal with any unrest.

“This country is faced with one of the worst spates of violent disorder in the last decade,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine, who is in charge of the policing operation in London, said.

“We will not tolerate this on our streets. We will use every power, tactic and tool available to prevent further scenes of disorder.”

Starmer has vowed a reckoning for those caught rioting, looting shops and burning cars.

He said more than 400 people had been arrested, 100 had been charged, and he was expecting sentencing to start soon.
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Australian state-owned sub builder hit by more strikes at crucial shipyard

Posted on by SeeEA

sydney — Workers at Australian state-owned submarine builder ASC Ltd began a four-day strike on Wednesday, escalating a campaign for higher wages that threatens maintenance work on the aging submarine fleet Australia must rely on until its nuclear-powered AUKUS replacements arrive in the 2030s.

The 100-hour strike began at noon on Wednesday and includes all of the roughly 350 blue-collar workers at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia state, where Australia maintains its fleet of Collins-class submarines, according to the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU).

The strikes, the latest in a series since May, are adding months of delays to maintenance work on two of Australia’s six Collins submarines, according to the union.

ASC said in a statement it could not comment on submarine availability for national security reasons.

Workers are striking over what they say are discrepancies in pay between those employed by ASC Ltd in South Australia state and Western Australia state.

Unions say the workers in South Australia are paid 17.5% less on average and want ASC Ltd to equalize pay for their workers in the two states.

“Workers are frustrated with the company,” said AMWU South Australia Assistant State Secretary Stuart Gordon, who flagged the possibility of more strikes next week.

“ASC has said it would address pay parity and come to the bargaining table. But clearly the company has refused to do either.”

ASC said unions had rejected multiple offers and it will continue to negotiate in good faith.

The shipyard is vital part of Australia’s naval infrastructure and is where ASC and British firm BAE Systems, will jointly build Australia’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, the core component of the 2021 AUKUS pact between Australia, Britain and the United States.

Australia announced last month a $1.4 billion dollar, four-year contract with ASC to extend the life of the Collins class submarines until the AUKUS replacements are ready.
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 Ukrainian drones target Russia’s Kursk region after incursion attempt, Russia says

Posted on by SeeEU

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Drones warn New Yorkers about storm dangers

Posted on by SeeUS

NEW YORK — Gone is the bullhorn. Instead, New York City emergency management officials have turned high-tech, using drones to warn residents about potential threatening weather.

With a buzzing sound in the background, a drone equipped with a loudspeaker flies over homes warning people who live in basement or ground-floor apartments about impending heavy rains.

“Be prepared to leave your location,” said the voice from the sky in footage released Tuesday by the city’s emergency management agency. “If flooding occurs, do not hesitate.”

About five teams with multiple drones each were deployed to specific neighborhoods prone to flooding. Zach Iscol, the city’s emergency management commissioner, said the messages were being relayed in multiple languages. They were expected to continue until the weather impacted the drone flights.

Flash floods have been deadly for New Yorkers living in basement apartments, which can quickly fill up in a deluge. Eleven people drowned in such homes in 2011 amid rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

The drones are in addition to other forms of emergency messaging, including social media, text alerts and a system that reaches more than 2,000 community-based organizations throughout the city that serve senior citizens, people with disabilities and other groups.

“You know, we live in a bubble, and we have to meet people where they are in notifications so they can be prepared,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

Adams is a self-described “tech geek” whose administration has tapped drone technology to monitor large gatherings as well as to search for sharks on beaches. Under his watch, the city’s police department also briefly toyed with using a robot to patrol the Times Square subway station, and it has sometimes deployed a robotic dog to dangerous scenes, including the Manhattan parking garage that collapsed in 2023.
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