Turkey is seeing a boom in winemaking, with hundreds of new producers emerging over the last few years. The trend runs counter the Islamist, conservative policies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that have included restrictions and taxes on alcohol. Dorian Jones reports from Manisa, Turkey.
…
Month: October 2024
Russia fines Google $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Russia has fined Google an amount larger than the entire world’s gross domestic product over restricting Russian propaganda channels on YouTube.
Russian business newspaper RBC reported this week that legal claims brought by 17 Russian TV channels against Google in Russian courts, which have imposed compound fines on Google, had reached $20 decillion — an incomprehensible sum with 34 zeros.
By comparison, the International Monetary Fund estimates the world’s total gross domestic product to be $110 trillion. Google’s parent company Alphabet, meanwhile, has a market value of around $2 trillion.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov admitted to reporters that he “can’t even pronounce this figure right.” But he said the fine was “filled with symbolism.”
“Google should not restrict the activities of our broadcasters, and Google is doing this,” he said.
The Russian state-run outlet Tass reported this week that a Russian court had previously ordered Google to restore the blocked YouTube channels or face rising charges. The fine has grown so high because it doubles every week.
Earlier this year, Russia experienced a mass YouTube outage in August. The platform is considered one of the few remaining sites where audiences can access independent information in Russia, where Moscow blocks independent news sites and press freedom has all but disappeared.
Google did not immediately reply to VOA’s email requesting comment.
Some information in this report came from Reuters.
…
US: 8,000 N. Korean troops expected to join Ukraine fight ‘in coming days’
state department — Most of the North Korean troops sent to Russia are now deployed near the Ukrainian border and are expected to join the fight against Ukraine “in the coming days,” according to top U.S. and South Korean diplomats and military officials.
“We now assess that there are some 10,000 North Korean soldiers in total in Russia, and the most recent information indicates that as many as 8,000 of those North Korean forces have been deployed to the Kursk region,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday.
Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin co-hosted South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun in Washington on Thursday to discuss pressing security threats as they closely monitor North Korea’s deployment of thousands of troops to Russia.
“Our assessment is that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s forces have trained these North Korean soldiers in artillery operations, UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] operations and basic infantry operations,” Austin said during a joint press conference.
He also noted that Putin has provided the North Korean troops with Russian “uniforms and equipment,” and “all of that strongly indicates that Russia intends to use these foreign forces in front-line operations in its war of choice against Ukraine,” Austin added.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, over half a million Russian troops have been killed or wounded, according to U.S. officials. Facing an estimated 1,200 casualties daily, Russia is now turning to North Korea, a pariah state, to bolster its forces.
While Russia has used foreign volunteers and mercenaries in the Ukraine war, the current deployment marks the first time in 100 years that Russia has invited regular forces of another nation onto its soil. Should these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would become legitimate military targets, U.S. officials said.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is in talks with North Korea to deploy a “large number of civilians” to work at Russian weapons production facilities. Zelenskyy said he plans to discuss air defense assistance with South Korea.
Western nations have also expressed concerns about what North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s regime will get in return from Moscow for its troops. North Korea is under international sanctions for its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
No evidence of Russian technology
Earlier Thursday, North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time in nearly a year, demonstrating a potential advancement in its ability to launch long-range nuclear attacks on the mainland U.S.
It prompted swift condemnation from South Korea, Japan and the United States, which accused Pyongyang of raising tensions and risking the destabilization of regional security.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated through a spokesperson that North Korea’s missile launches using ballistic technology violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.
South Korea announced it would impose new sanctions on North Korea, including export controls on materials essential for producing solid-fuel missiles.
“It’s very early in our assessment phase, and we don’t see any indication at this point that there was Russian involvement,” said Austin.
Meanwhile, visiting South Korean officials in Washington noted that, although they cannot confirm Russian technical support in North Korea’s latest ICBM launch, they remain concerned about the potential transfer of technology and arms from Russia to North Korea.
Through a translator, Foreign Minister Cho told reporters, “We also need to watch what kind of quid pro quo the DPRK will receive from Russia” before deciding on weapons support to Ukraine. “Currently, we’re not in a position to share the specifics,” he added.
Cho was referring to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.
The South Korean government indicated it would consider sending “weapons for defense and attack” and may also dispatch military and intelligence personnel to Ukraine to analyze North Korean battlefield tactics and assist in interrogations of captured North Koreans.
U.S. officials said additional security assistance for Ukraine will be announced soon, with continued support from over 50 countries to strengthen Ukraine’s defense in the coming months.
China’s silence
Washington and Seoul also urged Beijing to use its influence over Pyongyang to curb North Korea’s provocative activities.
This week, senior U.S. officials engaged in “a robust conversation” with Chinese officials, according to Blinken. He voiced alarm about Russia’s possible efforts to strengthen North Korea’s military capabilities, which “should be a real concern to China because it’s profoundly destabilizing in the region.”
Through a translator, Defense Minister Kim told reporters, “China still continues to be silent,” noting that a clearer assessment is that Beijing is watching and waiting. However, if the situation worsens, China may intervene, either as a mediator or in some other capacity.
“There will be a point where the interests of China will be violated, and it is at that point that China will begin to play a certain role,” Kim added.
Domestic instability
Some experts suggest that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is facing domestic instability. Although he has managed to alleviate some of these issues by securing money and food from Russia through the sale of munitions, his dwindling stockpiles have led him to shift to selling soldiers as a new source of revenue.
“The Russians are running 1,200 casualties a day in their fight in Ukraine,” said Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation. “If they use the North Koreans the same way — likely they will — there are going to be massive casualties in the North Korean forces.”
“This is a really dire development for the [North Korean] families whose kids have been sent to Ukraine. There could be some real instability that’s generated by his action,” Bennett told VOA.
VOA reporter Kim Lewis contributed to this report.
…
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Anti-China sentiment said to be growing in Myanmar
bangkok — A recent attack on a Chinese consulate in Myanmar reflects growing anti-Chinese sentiment in the country fed by Beijing’s support of the ruling junta, experts say.
On October 18, the Chinese consulate in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, was struck by a small explosive device. Reports say the building was damaged but there were no casualties.
It was the first attack was on a Chinese diplomatic facility in Myanmar since anti-China riots in Yangon in 1967.
In a statement to journalists, the nation’s military authorities said the blast damaged tiles on the roof of the two-story building and that they were seeking to identify and arrest the “terrorists” who were responsible.
Two weeks later, no one has been caught and no group has claimed responsibility, but anti-China sentiment exists, experts say.
Ye Myo Hein, a visiting senior expert at the United States Institute of Peace and global fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, said strong anti-China sentiment has been brewing since Myanmar’s military seized power on February 1, 2021.
“Immediately following the coup, the public perceived China as supportive of the junta, resulting in strong anti-Chinese sentiment among the general population,” he told VOA.
Anti-Chinese sentiment grows
Myanmar has been in chaos since General Min Aung Hlaing and his military forces overthrew the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Backers of the ousted government have joined forces with various ethnic armies to resist the junta’s rule.
China distanced itself from the junta for a time, but recently renewed its support. When it did, Ye Myo Hein said, anti-Chinese sentiment began to rise again.
“It is difficult to determine who was responsible for the attacks on the Chinese consulate, but if China continues its pro-junta stance, it will likely face growing public animosity,” he said.
The military has been sanctioned and condemned by the U.S. and Western countries, but it has retained some support from countries such as China and Russia.
“Whoever was behind the consulate bombing, it suggests that there are multiple strands of anti-Chinese anger, against the support for the regime and against the perceived support of China for the Kokang occupation of Lashio,” David Scott Mathieson, an independent analyst with more than two decades of experience focusing on Myanmar, told VOA.
Kokang, which is in northern Myanmar’s Shan State, sits on the border with China. It is home to 90% ethnic Chinese and is an important trade route between the two countries.
In the past year, three allied pro-democracy ethnic groups have captured the city from Myanmar military forces. Beijing negotiated a cease-fire between the allied brotherhood and the junta in January but it was short-lived.
China did succeed in getting the ethnic groups to assist in a crackdown on Chinese crime rings in northern Shan state that had been targeting Chinese citizens with online scams.
China now appears to be backing both sides of the conflict. But with rebel forces capturing more territory over the past year, Beijing is showing its concern over the rapid deterioration of the junta’s position.
In late July, after ethnic groups captured Lashio, a town in the northeast, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw.
China also recently closed its borderlands and key trade routes under the control of Myanmar’s rebel groups, Reuters reported.
One Chinese national who lives in Myanmar told VOA’s Mandarin Service that he believes the consulate attack was not a terrorist incident, but an expression of dissatisfaction with China.
He added that since the coup, there have been protests against China’s government in various parts of Myanmar. In March 2021, several Chinese factories in Myanmar were burned and destroyed during mass protests against the coup.
“China has to take this rising public anger very seriously, as it could potentially descend into violence in urban areas and against Chinese nationals and economic assets, but also Myanmar-Chinese communities as well,” Mathieson told VOA this week.
“Has Beijing really thought through all these dilemmas? Or is its cynically arrogant support for the SAC at such levels the Chinese leadership don’t care about consequences?”
The SAC is short for the State Administration Council, a reference to the junta.
History of supporting military
Over the last three decades, Beijing has supplied the Myanmar military with major arms. The military has used those arms to crush those opposing their rule, with nearly 6,000 people killed, according to rights groups.
China is also Myanmar’s biggest trade partner and has invested billions into the country’s oil and gas sector.
“Since the junta is widely despised, Beijing’s support for it will almost certainly fuel anti-Chinese sentiment,” Ye Myo Hein said.
Nevertheless, diplomacy is continuing between the two regimes, as Myanmar junta boss Min Aung Hlaing is expected to pay a return visit to China in November.
VOA reporter Katherine Michaelson contributed to this report.
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UN warns global hunger hot spots growing
new york — A new U.N. report warned Thursday that conflict, climate and economic stress are driving severe hunger and in some cases famine conditions, in 22 countries and territories, with no likelihood for improvement in the next six months.
“So, you have conflict impacts, climate impacts in the same countries, as well as both the combination of the two turns into economic devastation for people,” Arif Husain, chief economist of the World Food Program, said of the main drivers of the hunger crises to reporters in a video briefing.
The situation is most severe in the Gaza Strip, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali, where millions of people are in the highest levels of food insecurity, meaning famine, risk of famine or starvation are happening.
In Gaza, U.N. food agencies have been warning about the critical situation for months. It is fueled by the nearly 13-month war between Israel and Hamas, which has made it dangerous and difficult for humanitarians to get food and other assistance to about 2 million Palestinians trapped in the crossfire.
WFP’s Husain said 91% of Gazans are at crisis levels or worse for hunger, with about 345,000 of them in faminelike conditions.
“And the report says basically that there is a risk — there’s a persistent risk — of famine for the entire Gaza Strip,” Husain said.
The situation in Sudan is even worse because the numbers of people are dramatically higher.
“Time is running out to save lives,” Rein Paulsen, director of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Office of Emergencies and Resilience, told reporters of Sudan.
“People are facing total collapse of livelihoods and starvation in areas where conflict is hitting the hardest across the country, including in Darfur, in Jazira, in Khartoum and in Kordofan,” he said.
Paulsen noted that famine levels of food insecurity were reported two months ago in the Zamzam camp in North Darfur, where several hundred thousand internally displaced people are sheltering. Fighting has escalated in recent months in that region between the army and a rival paramilitary group.
“And those famine conditions are likely — highly likely — to persist unless something changes,” he said.
In the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is in the grip of a serious hunger crisis because of the rampant violence from armed gangs whose kidnappings, killings, rapes and looting have left Haitians in the capital and some outlying areas afraid to leave their homes.
Two million people do not have enough to eat, and about 6,000 of them are experiencing famine levels of food insecurity, Paulsen said.
“Immediate action is imperative to save lives, to prevent starvation, and to help vulnerable populations restore their livelihoods amidst unprecedented violence and displacement,” he added.
In Africa, Mali and South Sudan are also at the top of the list of hunger hot spots.
WFP’s Husain said about 2,500 people are at catastrophic or famine levels of hunger in Mali and another 121,000 are right behind them.
In South Sudan, affected by the war in Sudan and severe flooding, the number of people facing starvation and death was projected in the report to nearly double between April and July to 2.3 million, compared with the same period in 2023. Hunger is expected to worsen when the next lean season begins in May.
A step behind these most affected countries are those of “very high concern” for humanitarians, including Chad, Lebanon, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Syria and Yemen.
“These are classified and categorized in this context where we have a high number of people facing particular acute food insecurity, and where we also see drivers that are expected to further intensify life-threatening conditions in the coming months,” Paulsen said.
Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia and Niger are new to the list of hunger hot spots this year, joining Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Somalia, Zambia and Zimbabwe to round out the list.
WFP’s Husain said humanitarians need both resources and safe access to assist the millions of people in need to bring the high rates of hunger and malnutrition down.
…
Residents in Ethiopia’s Oromia region report network disruptions as government forces fight rebels
ADAMA, ETHIOPIA — Residents in Ethiopia’s Oromia region say access to phone communication and internet service has been disrupted for months as government forces fight against two rebel groups.
The disruption of mobile phone calls and internet data has been concentrated in conflict-hit Oromia zones, where government forces have engaged in fighting against the Oromo Liberation Army, or the OLA.
A resident from South Oromia of Guji Zone Wadera Wereda, who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, said phone and internet data connections have been cut in his area due to the fighting.
He said there was fighting on Monday and the week before in Wadera Wereda, where regional security personnel including local police were killed. Other residents confirmed the same clashes without giving specific casualty figures. Local authorities could not be reached for comment.
The data outage and network disruptions were also reported in the North Shewa Zone administration of Oromia region.
“The zone has been under network blockade for the last two months due to the insurgency,” said a second resident from Dera Wereda in North Shewa, who also sought anonymity due to safety reasons.
Residents also said people who lost their SIM cards or want replacements could not do so at local telecom offices because the conflict has affected supplies. Network disruptions also impacted schools in the area that access materials online.
He says his school had to transfer all its grade-12 students this year to neighboring Wereda due to a lack of service.
“We cannot manage to send their details and credentials to relevant bodies,” with the downed service, he told VOA in a phone interview.
Journalists have waited for hours to speak to residents in Kelem Welega Zone, whose network is down during morning hours. One resident traveled to Dembi Dolo, about 620 kilometers west of the capital, Addis Ababa, to speak with the media about the network outages.
The disruptions have been present since the yearslong fighting between federal forces and the OLA began in 2019. In one of the latest deadliest attacks, suspected OLA fighters killed as many as 17 pro-government militiamen in the West Showa zone of Oromia on October 17, according to residents and local officials.
A second rebel group, Fano, is also fighting in the neighboring Amhara region, which spills over on either side.
Residents say as the intensity of the clashes increases, the network situation becomes worse, as the government resorts to shutting down communication.
“It’s a very unfortunate tactic that is usually used by governments that are struggling with legitimacy issues,” said Horn of Africa security analyst Samira Gaid.
“It only serves to convince the masses that the government has something to hide. Rather than controlling the narrative or news reporting, it elevates mistrust in government, adds to misinformation and disinformation, and contributes to groups becoming more covert with their communications,” she told VOA.
Ethiopia’s state-run communication outlets have not responded to repeated VOA requests for comment.
Speaking at a press conference in Addis Ababa last month, Frehiwot Tamiru, CEO of Ethio Telecom, admitted that such problems exist in conflict areas. She declined to give specific answers, referring reporters to other government entities.
In June, the company said it has repaired and restored service to dozens of mobile stations that had previously been damaged in the western region of the country.
This story originated in VOA’s Horn of Africa Service.
…
Accused of interference in Georgia, Russia pumps up anti-US propaganda
Tbilisi and Moscow have exchanged harsh rhetoric about the results of the October 26 parliamentary elections in Georgia that brought thousands to the streets protesting the victory of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who is aligned with the pro-Western opposition, accused Russia of running a “special operation” to “falsify” the election results in favor of the ruling party, which is widely seen as increasingly pro-Kremlin and authoritarian.
In response, Russia denied involvement and framed the United States and European Union as destabilizing powers. In doing so, Moscow’s network of officials and state-owned outlets engaged in disinformation and conspiracy theories, going so far as to allege on a state-controlled news agency that the U.S. and Ukraine were secretly deploying snipers to shoot at protesters in Tbilisi to escalate the situation.
Zourabichvili also told Reuters that Russian “methodology and the support of most probably Russian FSB [Federal Security Service] types is shown in this election.”
“The propaganda that was used ahead of the election … was a direct duplication, a copy-paste, of Russian clips and videos used at the time of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s election,” said Zourabichvili, whose position as president is largely ceremonial.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Russian interference in the election and accused Zourabichvili of “attempting to destabilize the situation.”
Peskov had earlier alleged it was the European countries that “tried to influence the outcome of this vote.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called Zourabichvili a “puppet president” who “refused to accept the election and went against the Constitution by calling for a coup.”
“The standard practice in such cases is removal from office and arrest,” Medvedev wrote on X.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the U.S. of engaging in “neo-colonialism” after U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller warned the Georgian government could face “consequences” if it did not “walk back its anti-democratic actions and return to its Euro-Atlantic path.”
Russian state media went further, spreading a conspiracy theory that the West was seeking to foment violence in Georgia.
“In their attempts to knock off balance the internal political situation in Georgia following the October 26 election and set off another color revolution, Westerners stop at nothing,” the Russian state-owned Sputnik news agency said, quoting unnamed “sources in the region.”
“Ukraine-trained snipers are arriving in the republic to organize provocations during mass protests,” Russia’s state-owned Tass news agency reported Monday, citing a “regional official familiar with the matter.”
The term “color revolution” was widely adopted after the 2004-05 Orange Revolution in Ukraine was sparked by a corruption-ridden presidential runoff that saw the pro-Russian candidate, Viktor Yanukovych, emerge victorious.
Russia typically uses the term when accusing the West of orchestrating movements to destabilize or overthrow Kremlin-preferred governments.
In the months leading up to Georgia’s parliamentary poll, Russian state media ran reports alleging the U.S. was seeking to foment a color revolution or “a Ukraine-style coup.”
In July, Russia’s state-run Sputnik news agency cited an anonymous Russian intelligence official who claimed U.S. authorities were planning a “sacred sacrifice” from among the protest participants.
The disinformation narrative in Sputnik’s report reflects a well-worn Kremlin conspiracy theory going back to the 2013-14 pro-Europe rallies in Ukraine, when the Russians claimed that American-trained Georgian “mercenaries” were responsible for shooting protesters in Kyiv during the 2014 demonstrations at the city’s Maidan Nezalezhnosti, widely known as the Maidan or Independence Square.
Russian state media and top officials, including Putin, falsely claimed that the U.S. organized protests in Ukraine to propagate a coup.
That narrative included a conspiracy theory that Victoria Nuland, an American diplomat and former assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, had ordered “American specialists” to lead the “snipers, who shot people at the Maidan.”
Amid ongoing protests in Georgia, the U.S. and the EU have joined calls from international and local observers to investigate alleged election-related violations.
On Thursday, Georgian authorities launched an investigation into election-fraud allegations.
The EU and U.S. have repeatedly warned Georgia about what they call its “democratic backsliding,” even freezing financial support to the country’s government, focusing instead on supporting civil society initiatives.
In June, Georgian Dream officials signed into law a bill that required nongovernmental agencies receiving at least 20% of their funding from abroad to label themselves as foreign agents “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.”
In response, Brussels paused Georgia’s accession process to the EU, saying the foreign agent law is incompatible with EU membership.
Georgia’s opposition has nicknamed Tbilisi’s new foreign agent law the “Russian law,” a reference to similar legislation enacted in Russia in 2012 that has been used to silence civil society and independent media.
The EU also warned it may freeze visa-free travel with Georgia if it finds the parliamentary poll neither free nor fair.
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Hundreds in Turkey protest arrest, ouster of opposition mayor
ISTANBUL — Hundreds gathered Thursday in Istanbul to protest the arrest and removal from office of a mayor from Turkey’s main opposition party for his alleged links to a banned Kurdish militant group.
Ahmet Ozer, mayor of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district and a member of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, was detained on Wednesday by anti-terrorist police over his alleged connection to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
Turkey’s government on Thursday replaced Ozer with Istanbul’s deputy governor, a move the CHP’s leader, Ozgur Ozel and other politicians described as a “coup.”
The mayor’s arrest comes as Turkey is debating a tentative peace process to end a 40-year conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state that has led to tens of thousands of deaths.
Demonstrators filled a square in Esenyurt after the government banned a rally outside the municipality building. Some carried banners that read: “(We want) an elected mayor not an appointed mayor” and called for the resignation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.
“In our view, this (government), which acts against the law and violates the constitution, has carried out a political coup. We will never accept it,” said Tulay Hatimogullari, the leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, whose supporters joined the rally in a show of solidarity.
Ozel, whose CHP made significant gains in local elections earlier this year, called for early elections.
Ozer, 64, is a former academic originally from Van in eastern Turkey. He was elected mayor of Esenyurt, a western suburb in Istanbul’s European side, in March local elections.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said an investigation found Ozer had maintained contacts with PKK figures for more than 10 years, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Politicians and members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish movement have frequently been targeted over alleged links to the PKK, which is considered a terror organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.
Legislators have been stripped of their parliamentary seats and mayors removed from office. Several lawmakers as well as thousands of party members have been jailed on terror-related charges since 2016.
Other opposition parties have been largely unscathed but the CHP metropolitan mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, is currently appealing a prison sentence and political ban imposed by a court in December 2022 for “insulting” members of Turkey’s election board in 2019.
Imamoglu accused Erdogan’s government of “plotting a dirty game” to snatch Esenyurt municipality away from the opposition “by declaring [Ozer] a terrorist for fictitious reasons.”
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By immigrants, for immigrants: ‘Documented’ covers immigration through a personal lens
In New York City, a media outlet run by immigrants for immigrants uses messaging apps to engage with communities on elections, crime and local issues. Liam Scott and Cristina Caicedo Smit have the story, narrated by Caicedo Smit. Tina Trinh contributed.
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Kenyan court lifts orders blocking swearing-in of deputy president nominee
Nairobi, Kenya — A Kenyan court has lifted orders blocking the swearing-in of Deputy President nominee Kithuri Kindiki — dealing a blow to former DP Rigathi Gachagua who was impeached and removed from office in mid-October amid accusations of gross misconduct and undermining the president.
Gachagua’s lawyers filed about 30 court cases arguing against his ouster in the last two weeks.
The three-judge bench appointed to hear the case by the deputy chief justice, made the highly anticipated announcement Thursday.
“Public interest in this matter favors giving way to the constitution, which in any event is the will of the people,” said Judge Antony Mrima, who heard the case along with Eric Ogola and Freda Mugambi.
“We choose to abide by that calling, as such public interest demands that the office of the deputy president should not remain vacant.”
President William Ruto, who had 14 days after Gachagua removal to replace him, took less than a day to nominate Interior Minister Kindiki. The selection was approved by lawmakers at the National Assembly a few hours later.
However, the court suspended any further action until it could hear the case. Since then, the three-judge bench has faced questions and petitions from Gachagua’s lawyers contesting the validity of their appointment and their own impartiality. Those challenges were rejected.
Gachagua was convicted on five of the 11 charges against him, which included accusations of gross misconduct, irregular acquisition of wealth and undermining the president. Gachagua denied all the charges.
Public opinion has been mixed, with some telling VOA they agree with the removal of Gachagua while others found it distasteful, especially because the deputy president fell ill while the proceedings were happening.
“The outgoing deputy president was too abrasive. He couldn’t tone down his language. He seemed divisive,” said James Chege.
“It wasn’t good, especially when you are impeaching someone who’s in the hospital. It was so untimely,” Edwin Mugalo said.
Gachagua was Ruto’s running mate in the 2022 election but had recently complained of about being left out, highlighting the friction and tension between him and his former boss.
Kenneth Ombongi said he was surprised the Ruto-Gachagua partnership lasted as long as it did. Ombongi is the former chair of the department of history and archeology and is now associate dean of postgraduate studies at the University of Nairobi.
“If I look at historical patterns, what’s happening is not new and was expected. The office of the vice president or the deputy president has always been as delicate as it is now,” Ombongi said.
“The two are of the same characteristics … I know our president … He’s strong, determined, opinionated, same thing with Gachagua. We say two bulls cannot share the same corral.”
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Moroccan authorities detain human rights activist who accused government of ‘blackmailing’ France
RABAT, Morocco — A Moroccan economist known for his work defending human rights was detained after criticizing the government in remarks posted on social media during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the North African kingdom.
Prosecutors apprehended Fouad Abdelmoumni in Casablanca on Wednesday and announced he was under investigation on suspicion of disseminating false information and accusing others of crimes on social media, Morocco’s state news agency reported. If charged and convicted, he could face up to five years in prison under cybercrime statutes.
“This arbitrary arrest is part of a series of harassments targeting Abdelmoumni, as a measure aimed at retaliating against his bold positions in expressing his opinions and defending human rights,” the Moroccan Association in Support of Political Prisoners said in a statement Wednesday. “This arrest represents a further escalation in the authorities’ policy of repression against human rights and political activists in the country.”
Abdelmoumni, a former political prisoner, is the group’s coordinator.
While Macron toured Rabat with Moroccan leaders including King Mohammed VI, the activist alleged in a post that Morocco was attempting to “blackmail” France using methods including espionage and withholding cooperation on managing illegal immigration.
Abdelmoumni is yet to be officially arraigned. When he appears in court on Friday, he will likely be charged with crimes related to the post, one of his attorneys, Souad Brahma, said.
In Morocco, authorities can hold people under investigation for 48 hours without charging them.
Brahma said Abdelmoumni was arrested for expressing his opinion and called his detention a violation of his right to freedom of expression. She said she was denied a chance to visit him on Thursday despite receiving authorization from the court. Officials have not responded to allegations that the arrest was politically motivated.
Macron throughout his visit referred to opening a new chapter in relations between France and Morocco after years of strain.
The causes of friction included the 2021 “Pegasus Affair,” in which Amnesty International and the Paris-based nonprofit group Forbidden Stories published a report alleging that Moroccan authorities had used the Israeli software Pegasus to infiltrate the electronic devices of human rights activists including Abdelmoumni and politicians all the way up to Macron.
Morocco strenuously denied the allegations and sued, claiming defamation.
Abdelmoumni, 66, has been prominent in defending human rights since he was imprisoned and tortured alongside other left-wing activists during King Hassan II’s era of repression known as the “Years of Lead.” He has publicly supported pro-democracy efforts in the country, including during the Arab Spring and Morocco’s 2017 “Hirak” movement.
After the investigation into Pegasus software, Abdelmoumni was among the activists profiled in a 2022 Human Rights Watch report on Morocco’s targeting of critics.
The report said an anonymous person distributed a video of him and his then-partner-now-wife having sex, likely shot from a hidden camera inside his home’s air conditioner. In Morocco, non-marital sex is a crime and information about their relationship later appeared in pro-government media as part of an effort that Abdelmoumni said was designed to intimidate him.
This week, he participated in a vigil demanding justice for a Moroccan nationalist who was “disappeared” in France in 1965, and appeared at a courthouse where Morocco’s ex-human rights minister was facing trial. He was going to a meeting of the Moroccan Association for the Support of Political Prisoners when he was apprehended.
Macron’s political party helped push through a 2023 resolution in the European Union’s Parliament condemning human rights abuses in Morocco. But the two countries have recently deepened political and economic ties. This week, they announced economic agreements and lucrative contracts on projects ranging from transportation to desalination infrastructure, and Macron reiterated his support for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara.
During his three-day visit, Macron did not mention human rights in speeches at a business forum, to the country’s French community or at the country’s parliament.
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Chinese online retailer Temu faces EU probe into rogue traders, illegal goods
LONDON — The European Union is investigating Chinese online retailer Temu over suspicions it’s failing to prevent the sale of illegal products, the 27-nation bloc’s executive arm said on Thursday.
The European Commission opened its investigation five months after adding Temu to the list of “very large online platforms” needing the strictest level of scrutiny under the bloc’s Digital Services Act. It’s a wide-ranging rulebook designed to clean up online platforms and keep internet users safe, with the threat of hefty fines.
Temu started entering Western markets only in the past two years and has grown in popularity by offering cheap goods — from clothing to home products — that are shipped from sellers in China. The company, owned by Pinduoduo Incorporated, a popular e-commerce site in China, now has 92 million users in the EU.
Temu said it “takes its obligations under the DSA seriously, continuously investing to strengthen our compliance system and safeguard consumer interests on our platform.”
“We will cooperate fully with regulators to support our shared goal of a safe, trusted marketplace for consumers,” the company said in a statement.
European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said in a press release that Brussels wants to make sure products sold on Temu’s platform “meet EU standards and do not harm consumers.”
EU enforcement will “guarantee a level playing field and that every platform, including Temu, fully respects the laws that keep our European market safe and fair for all,” she said.
The commission’s investigation will look into whether Temu’s systems are doing enough to crack down on “rogue traders” selling “noncompliant goods” amid concerns that they are able to swiftly reappear after being suspended. The commission didn’t single out specific illegal products that were being sold on the platform.
Regulators are also examining the risks from Temu’s “addictive design,” including “game-like” reward programs, and what the company is doing to mitigate those risks.
Also under investigation is Temu’s compliance with two other DSA requirements: giving researchers access to data and transparency on recommender systems. Companies must detail how they recommend content and products and give users at least one option to see recommendations that are not based on their personal profile and preferences.
Temu now has the chance to respond to the commission, which can decide to impose a fine or drop the case if the company makes changes or can prove that the suspicions aren’t valid.
Brussels has been cracking down on tech companies since the DSA took effect last year. It has also opened an investigation into another e-commerce platform, AliExpress, as well as social media sites such as X and Tiktok, which bowed to pressure after the commission demanded answers about a new rewards feature.
Temu has also faced scrutiny in the United States, where a congressional report last year accused the company of failing to prevent goods made by forced labor from being sold on its platform.
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Pakistan says China’s remarks on safety of its citizens ‘perplexing’
Islamabad — Pakistan pushed back Thursday against China’s criticism of the safety of Chinese personnel in the country, calling the comments “perplexing” and contrary to established diplomatic traditions between the neighbors.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch said at a weekly news conference in Islamabad that the government is dedicated to ensuring the security of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.
Baloch was responding to a rare public warning from the Chinese ambassador to the country, Jiang Zaidong, who urged Islamabad to take action against militants responsible for several deadly attacks on Chinese workers.
Jiang labeled the violence “unacceptable” and cautioned that it poses “a constraint” on Beijing’s investments under its Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI.
“The statement of the Chinese ambassador is perplexing and is not reflective of the diplomatic traditions between Pakistan and China,” Baloch said. “We will continue to engage with our Chinese brothers to reassure them of Pakistan’s complete commitment to their security and well-being in Pakistan,” she added.
Jiang, while addressing a seminar in Islamabad, referenced suicide car bombings in March and October of this year, which resulted in the deaths of seven Chinese personnel. It raised the number of Chinese workers killed in Pakistan to 21 since the countries launched a massive infrastructure project as part of the BRI about a decade ago.
“It is unacceptable for us to be attacked twice in only six months,” the Chinese diplomat stated, speaking through his interpreter. He stressed the need for Islamabad to take “effective remedial measures to prevent the recurrence of such terror acts and ensure that perpetrators are identified, caught, and punished.”
It is unprecedented for Pakistan to respond publicly to China’s criticism, and it is extremely rare for the Chinese ambassador to admonish Islamabad for alleged security lapses against Chinese engineers and workers.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, considered the flagship project of the BRI, has brought more than $25 billion in Chinese investment to enhance Pakistan’s infrastructure, facilitating improved bilateral trade and further integrating the broader South Asian region.
Jiang urged Pakistan to take action against “all anti-China terrorist groups,” stating that “security is the biggest concern” for Beijing. He added that “without a safe and sound environment, nothing can be achieved.”
Baloch said investigations into attacks on Chinese workers are ongoing and said the findings have been communicated to Beijing. She did not elaborate.
CPEC has resulted in roads, highways, primarily coal-fired power plants, and the strategic deepwater Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, while addressing Tuesday’s seminar organized by the Islamabad-based independent Pakistan-China Institute, assured the Chinese ambassador that his country was taking action against terrorists and tightening the security of Chinese nationals.
Dar stated that Pakistan would share the progress with China in high-level talks next month.
“The Chinese are very clear; no matter how lucrative an investment is anywhere, if the security issue is there, they do not send Chinese personnel. Your country is the only exception,” he told the audience, quoting Chinese leaders as telling Pakistani counterparts in recent meetings.
Critics argue that Pakistan’s financial difficulties and political instability have discouraged China from making new investments in the CPEC.
After the launch of CPEC projects, Pakistan’s military formed a specially trained unit of over 13,000 troops to safeguard the initiatives nationwide. But the attacks on Chinese nationals have led to doubts about the effectiveness of the military unit.
Most of the recent attacks on Chinese workers and engineers have been claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, a prominent separatist group waging insurgent attacks in Balochistan.
The group, which is made up of militants from the Baloch ethnic minority, accuses China of helping Pakistan exploit the province’s natural resources and has been calling for Beijing to withdraw its CPEC and other investments.
Both countries reject the allegations, saying Baloch insurgents are on a mission to subvert development in the impoverished province and undermine Pakistan’s close ties with China.
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Papua New Guinea to boycott ‘waste of time’ UN climate summit
Papua New Guinea on Thursday declared a boycott of next month’s UN climate summit, branding the global warming negotiations a “waste of time” full of empty promises from big polluters.
While plenty have criticized the annual COP summit in the past, it is rare for any government to so totally dismiss the UN’s premier climate talks.
“There’s no point going if we are falling asleep because of jet lag because we’re not getting anything done,” Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko told AFP ahead of November’s COP29 summit in Azerbaijan.
“All the big polluters of the world promise and commit millions to assist in climate relief and support. And I can tell you now it’s all going to consultants.”
The island of New Guinea is home to the third-largest expanse of rainforest on the planet, according to the World Wildlife Fund, and has long been celebrated as one of the “lungs of the earth.”
Impoverished, flanked by ocean, and already prone to natural disasters, Papua New Guinea is also considered to be highly vulnerable to the unfolding perils of climate change.
“COP is a total waste of time,” Tkatchenko said.
“We are sick of the rhetoric as well as the merry-go-round of getting absolutely nothing done over the last three years.”
“We are the third-biggest rainforest nation in the world. We are sucking up the pollutants of these major countries. And they are getting away with it scot-free.”
‘Talk fest’
The COP summit in 2015 hammered out the landmark Paris Agreement, under which almost every country in the world has agreed to slash emissions to limit soaring global temperatures.
But subsequent gatherings have been dogged by growing criticism, stoked by a perception that big polluters are using their sway to limit further climate action.
Meanwhile, adaptation funds set up through COP to help developing nations have been accused of sluggish bureaucracy that fails to grasp the urgency of the crisis.
Civil society groups banded together last year to urge a boycott of the COP summit hosted by the United Arab Emirates, claiming the meeting would “greenwash” the petrostate’s poor climate credentials.
Underwhelmed by proposed emissions cuts, dozens of African nations led a temporary walkout of developing nations during the 2009 COP talks in Copenhagen.
And Ukraine has pressed its allies to avoid this year’s summit if Russian leader Vladimir Putin shows face.
But Papua New Guinea is among the first nations to have voiced such a full-throated call to boycott the COP summit altogether.
“Why are we spending all this money going to the other side of the world going to these talkfests,” said Tkatchenko.
‘No traction’
Papua New Guinea is one of five Pacific nations involved in a pivotal International Court of Justice case that will soon test whether polluters can be sued for neglecting their climate obligations.
Low-lying Pacific nations such as Tuvalu could be almost entirely swallowed by rising oceans within the next 30 years.
Tkatchenko said the decision to pull out of COP talks had been applauded by others within the Pacific bloc.
“I’m speaking up on behalf of the smaller island states that are worse off than Papua New Guinea. They were getting no traction and acknowledgement at all.”
Papua New Guinea would instead seek to strike its own climate deals through bilateral channels, said Tkatchenko, flagging that negotiations were already under way with Singapore.
“With like-minded countries like Singapore, we can do 100 times more than COP.
“They have a big carbon footprint, and we would like to think about how they can work with Papua New Guinea to fix that up.”
A key meeting ahead of COP29 ended in frustration earlier this month, with countries making little progress on how to fund a new finance deal for poorer nations.
COP — or conference of parties — is the top United Nations climate change conference, an annual summit in which nations look to determine legally binding climate commitments.
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Vatican tribunal explains conviction of cardinal and others in ‘trial of the century’
The Vatican tribunal said Wednesday it convicted a cardinal of aggravated fraud and other charges because of his “objectively inexplicable behavior” in paying a self-styled intelligence analyst over a half-million euros in Vatican money that she then spent on luxury items and vacations.
The city-state’s tribunal issued 816 pages of written motivations from its Dec. 16 verdicts in the Vatican’s “trial of the century.” The two-year trial of 10 people was borne out of the Holy See’s $380 million investment in a London property but grew to include a host of other financial dealings.
Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a once-powerful cardinal who was the No. 3, or “substitute,” in the Vatican’s secretariat of state, was the most prominent of the nine people convicted. He faces five and a half years in prison after being convicted of embezzlement, fraud and other charges.
He and the eight other defendants have announced appeals, as has the Vatican prosecutor. With the tribunal’s written explanations now filed — nearly a year after the convictions were handed down — both sides can elaborate the basis of their appeals.
The trial focused on the Vatican secretariat of state’s participation in a fund to develop a former Harrod’s warehouse into luxury apartments. Prosecutors alleged Vatican monsignors and brokers fleeced the Holy See of tens of millions of euros in fees and commissions and then extorted the Holy See for 15 million euros to cede control of the building.
Becciu was convicted of embezzlement stemming from the original Vatican investment of 200 million euros into the fund that invested in the London property. The tribunal determined that canon law prohibited using church assets in such a speculative investment.
Becciu was also convicted of aggravated fraud for his role in paying a self-proclaimed intelligence expert from his native Sardinia, Cecilia Marogna, 575,000 euros in Holy See money. He had said the payments were authorized by Pope Francis as ransom to free a Colombian nun held hostage by al-Qaida-linked militants in Mali.
The investigation showed, however, that Becciu essentially double-billed the Vatican, with the same amount of money being sent to a British security firm that actually has expertise in liberating hostages. The nun was subsequently freed, but there is no indication Marogna had anything to do with it, the tribunal noted.
The tribunal, headed by Judge Giuseppe Pignatone, said Becciu never provided a reasonable explanation for why he paid Marogna the same amount of money, or why he never asked her for any updates on her alleged efforts to liberate the nun.
Even when told by Vatican gendarmes that Marogna had instead spent the Vatican’s money on luxury vacations and purchases at Prada, Becciu didn’t file a complaint with prosecutors or keep his distance from Marogna. Instead, they continued to communicate via a family friend.
“An objectively inexplicable behavior, all the more for someone in a position of the defendant, a cardinal prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and for seven years the substitute in the secretariat of state, who for a long period enjoyed the full trust of the pope,” the tribunal wrote. “A behavior, moreover, that the defendant has never explained in any way.”
Marogna, for her part, was tried in absentia and provided contradictory and inconclusive explanations in her written defense, the tribunal said. She too was convicted and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
The bulk of the written motivations were devoted to deciphering the complicated transactions at the heart of the London deal. The text also repeated the tribunal’s previous rejection of defense arguments that the trial itself was fundamentally unfair.
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China tells carmakers to pause investment in EU countries backing EV tariffs, sources say
China has told its automakers to halt big investment in European countries that support extra tariffs on Chinese-built electric vehicles, two people briefed about the matter said, a move likely to further divide Europe.
The new European Union tariffs of up to 45.3% came into effect on Wednesday after a year-long investigation that divided the bloc and prompted retaliation from Beijing.
Ten EU members including France, Poland and Italy supported tariffs in a vote this month, in which five members including Germany opposed them and 12 abstained.
Chinese automakers including BYD, SAIC, and Geely were told at a meeting held by the Ministry of Commerce on Oct. 10 that they should pause their heavy asset investment plans such as factories in countries that backed the proposal, said the people.
They declined to be named, as the meeting was not public.
Several foreign automakers also attended the meeting, where the participants were told to be prudent about their investments in countries that abstained from voting and were “encouraged” to invest in those that voted against the tariffs, the people said.
Geely declined to comment. SAIC, BYD and the commerce ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
The move by Chinese authorities to suspend some investment in Europe would suggest the government is seeking leverage in talks with the EU over an alternative to tariffs, keen to avoid a sharp fall in EV exports to the key market.
Europe accounted for more than 40% of EVs shipped from China in 2023, according to Reuters’ calculations using data from the China Passenger Car Association.
Given 100% tariffs on Chinese-made EVs in the United States and Canada, a drop in EV exports to Europe would risk deepening overcapacity Chinese automakers face in their home market.
Investments in Europe
During a visit to China by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez last month, a Chinese company agreed to build a $1 billion plant in Spain to make machinery used for hydrogen production. Spain was one of the 12 EU states that abstained.
Italy and France are among EU countries that have been courting Chinese automakers for investments, but they have also warned of the risks that a flood of cheap Chinese EVs pose to European manufacturers.
State-owned SAIC, China’s second-largest auto exporter, is choosing a site for an EV factory in Europe and has been separately planning to open its second European parts center in France this year to meet growing demand for its MG-brand cars.
An aide to France’s junior trade minister Sophie Primas said they had no comment to make ahead of her trip to China next week.
The Italian government is in talks with Chery, China’s largest automaker by exports, and other Chinese automakers, including Dongfeng Motors, about potential investments.
Italy’s industry ministry declined to comment. Dongfeng didn’t immediately respond, while Chery declined to comment.
BYD is building a plant in Hungary, which voted against the tariffs. The Chinese EV giant has also been considering relocating its European headquarters from the Netherlands to Hungary due to cost concerns, two separate people with knowledge of the matter said.
Even before Beijing issued its guidance, Chinese companies were cautious about independently setting up production sites in Europe, as it requires large sums of investment and a deep understanding of local laws and culture.
The automakers were also told at the Oct. 10 meeting that they should avoid separate investment discussions with European governments and instead work together to hold collective talks, the people said.
The directive follows a similar warning in July when the commerce ministry advised China’s automakers not to invest in countries such as India and Turkey, and to be cautious with investments in Europe.
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European allies face challenging times, whoever wins US presidential election
BERLIN — The United States’ European allies are bracing for an America that’s less interested in them no matter who wins the presidential election — and for old traumas and new problems if Donald Trump returns to the White House.
The election comes more than 2 1/2 years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in which Washington has made the single biggest contribution to Kyiv’s defense. There are question marks over whether that would continue under Trump, and how committed he would be to NATO allies in general.
A win by Vice President Kamala Harris could be expected to bring a continuation of current policy, though with Republican opposition and growing war fatigue among the U.S. public there are concerns in Europe that support would wane.
Trump’s appetite for imposing tariffs on U.S. partners also is causing worry in a Europe already struggling with sluggish economic growth. But it’s not just the possibility of a second Trump presidency that has the continent anxious about tougher times ahead.
European officials believe U.S. priorities lie elsewhere, no matter who wins. The Middle East is top of President Joe Biden’s list right now, but the long-term priority is China.
“The centrality of Europe to U.S. foreign policy is different than it was in Biden’s formative years,” said Rachel Tausendfreund, a senior research fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. “And in that way, it is true that Biden is the last trans-Atlantic president.”
The U.S. will continue to pivot toward Asia, she said. “That means Europe has to step up. Europe has to become a more capable partner and also become more capable of managing its own security area.”
Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, remarked when he signed a new defense pact with NATO ally Britain that the U.S. will focus more on the Indo-Pacific region, “so it is only a question of, will they do much less in Europe because of that or only a little bit less.”
Ian Lesser, a distinguished fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Brussels, said that “above all, Europe is looking for predictability from Washington,” and that’s in short supply in a turbulent world in which any administration will face other demands on its attention. “But the potential for disruption is clearly greater in the case of a potential Trump administration.”
“There is an assumption of essential continuity” under Harris that’s probably well-founded, he said, with many people who have shaped policy under Biden likely to remain. “It’s very much the known world, even if the strategic environment produces uncertainties of its own.”
While both the U.S. and Europe have been increasingly focused on competition with Asia, the ongoing war in Europe means “the potential costs of a shift away from European security on the American side are very much higher today than they might have been a few years ago,” Lesser said. Europe’s ability to deal with that depends on how quickly it happens, he said.
Europe’s lagging defense spending irked U.S. administrations of both parties for years, though NATO members including Germany raised their game after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. NATO forecasts that 23 of the 32 allies will meet its target of spending 2% or more of gross domestic product on defense this year, compared to only three a decade ago.
During his 2017-21 term, Trump threatened to abandon ” delinquent ” countries if they weren’t paying their “bills.” In campaigning this time, he suggested that Russia could do what it wants with them.
His bluster has undermined trust and worried countries nearest to an increasingly unpredictable Russia, like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
Europeans see the war in Ukraine as an existential challenge in a way the United States eventually may not, even with some signs of war fatigue emerging in Europe itself.
If Trump wins, “there’s every indication that he has no interest in continuing to support Ukraine in this war” and will push quickly for some kind of cease-fire or peace agreement deal that Kyiv may not like and Europe may not be ready for, Tausendfreund said. “And there is also just no way that Europe can fill the military gap left if the U.S. were to withdraw support.”
“Even with a Harris administration there is a growing, changing debate — frankly, on both sides of the Atlantic — about what comes next in the war in Ukraine, what is the end game,” Lesser said.
Biden emphasized the need to stay the course in Ukraine during a brief recent visit to Berlin when he conferred with German, French and British leaders.
“We cannot let up. We must sustain our support,” Biden said. “In my view, we must keep going until Ukraine wins a just and durable peace.”
The times he has lived through have taught him that “we should never underestimate the power of democracy, never underestimate the value of alliances,” the 81-year-old Biden added.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who bestowed Germany’s highest honor on Biden for his service to trans-Atlantic relations, hopes Biden’s compatriots are listening.
“In the months to come, I hope that Europeans remember: America is indispensable for us,” he said. “And I also hope that Americans remember: Your allies are indispensable for you. We are more than just ‘other countries’ in the world —we are partners, we are friends.”
Whoever wins the White House, the coming years could be bumpy.
“Whatever the outcome next week, half of the country will go away angry,” Lesser said, noting there’s “every prospect” of divided government in Washington. “Europe is going to face a very chaotic and sometimes dysfunctional America.”
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Uganda struggles to feed 1.7 million refugees as international support dwindles
RWAMWANJA, Uganda — For months, Agnes Bulaba, a Congolese refugee in Uganda, has had to get by without the food rations she once depended on. Her children scavenge among local communities for whatever they can find to eat.
“As a woman who’s not married, life is hard,” Bulaba told The Associated Press. Some locals “keep throwing stones at us, but we just want to feed our kids and buy them some clothes,” said the mother of six, who often works as a prostitute to fend for her family.
Uganda is home to more than 1.7 million refugees, the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Despite being renowned for welcoming those fleeing neighboring violence, Ugandan officials and humanitarians say dwindling international support coupled with high numbers of refugees have put much pressure on host communities.
Approximately 10,000 new arrivals enter Uganda each month, according to U.N. figures. Some have recently fled the war in Sudan, but most are from neighboring South Sudan and Congo.
Bulaba is among tens of thousands in Rwamwanja, a refugee settlement in southwestern Uganda. As in other settlements across the east African country, refugees there are given small plots of land to cultivate as they are slowly weaned off total dependence on humanitarian food rations.
Since 2021, as funding consistently declined, the U.N.’s World Food Program has prioritized the most vulnerable groups for food assistance, in food items or cash, which can be as little as $3. After spending three months in Uganda, refugees are eligible to get 60% rations, and the number falls by half after six months. Only new arrivals get 100% food assistance, leaving the vast majority of some 99,000 refugees in Bulaba’s settlement vulnerable to hunger and other impoverishment.
In 2017, the Ugandan government and the U.N. held a summit in Kampala, the capital, and appealed for $8 billion to deal with the sharp influx of refugees from South Sudan at the time. Only $350 million was pledged.
Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, visited Uganda last week in a trip partly aimed to underscore the funding shortage.
The international community “should not take Uganda’s generosity and the global public good it provides for granted,” Grandi said in a statement at the end of his visit. “Services here are overstretched. Natural resources are limited, and financial support is not keeping pace with the needs.”
He also said international support “is urgently needed to sustain Uganda’s commitment to refugees,” urging donors and humanitarian partners to “come together with the government to address the needs of refugees and the generous communities hosting them.”
Refugees in Uganda have access to the same hospitals as locals, and their children can attend school. While this helps integrate them into the Ugandan community, sometimes the competition for limited resources sparks tension. However, violence is rarely reported.
Hillary Onek, the Ugandan government minister in charge of refugees, said during Grandi’s visit that local officials need support to help refugees become more self-reliant. Though he said the country was “overloaded” with refugees, he cited several training options to help refugees become self-sufficient, including carpentry, bricklaying and metal welding.
“We are trying to be innovative,” he said. “Given the fact that funding for refugee programs dwindled over the years, there is not enough money to meet their demands, not even giving them enough food to eat.”
Onek said the alternative is “to survive on your own, using your skills, using whatever capacity you have.”
But Bulaba, the Congolese refugee who has been in Uganda since 2014 after fleeing violence in her home country with her two children, said she can’t find a job. She has since had four other children who often go barefoot and without appropriate clothing. She misses the cash-for-food stipend she used to get.
“For us to eat, we look for work, but there’s no work,” she said.
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Taiwan shuts down as strong Typhoon Kong-rey hits, 1 dead
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — A strong Typhoon Kong-rey made landfall on Taiwan’s east coast on Thursday, the largest storm by size to hit the island in nearly 30 years, closing financial markets, causing hundreds of flights to be canceled and reducing rail services.
The typhoon knocked out power to nearly half a million households, the government said.
The storm hit the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast county of Taitung, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, with strong winds and torrential rain affecting almost all the island.
The fire department reported one person had died when their truck hit a fallen tree in central Taiwan.
At one point a super typhoon, Kong-rey slightly weakened overnight but remained powerful as the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane packing gusts of more than 250 kph (155 mph), according to Tropical Storm Risk.
Taiwan’s weather administration put the typhoon’s size at the biggest to hit the island since 1996.
“I hope that everyone in the country will co-operate in avoiding disaster and refraining from engaging in dangerous behavior such as wave watching during the typhoon,” President Lai Ching-te wrote on his Facebook page.
Administration forecaster Gene Huang said after hitting the east coast it would head toward the Taiwan Strait as a much weakened storm and urged people across the island to stay at home due to the danger of high winds.
Environmental officials were working on Thursday to prevent oil leaking from a Chinese cargo ship beached against rocks on Taiwan’s northern coast after losing power in turbulent weather.
Warnings for destructive winds of more than 160 kph (100 mph) were issued in Taitung, whose outlying Lanyu island recorded gusts above 260 kph (162 mph) before some of the wind-barometers there went offline.
“It was terrifying last night. Many people on the island didn’t sleep, worrying about something happening to their house,” Sinan Rapongan, a government official on Lanyu, also known as Orchid Island, told Reuters.
Some roofs had been damaged and more than 1,300 homes had lost power but so far no injuries had been reported, she added.
Parts of eastern Taiwan recorded one meter (3.3 feet) of rainfall since the typhoon began approaching on Wednesday.
The defense ministry has put 36,000 troops on standby to help with rescue efforts, while almost 10,000 people have been evacuated from high risk areas ahead of time, the government said.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, the world’s largest contract chipmaker and major supplier to companies like Apple and Nvidia, said it has activated routine typhoon alert preparation procedures at all its factories and construction sites.
“We do not expect significant impact to our operations,” it said in an emailed statement.
Taiwan’s transport ministry said 314 international flights had been canceled, along with all domestic flights.
Taiwan’s high speed railway, which connects major cities on its populated western plains, continued to operate with a much-reduced service.
Kong-rey is forecast to graze China along the coast of Fujian province on Friday morning. China’s financial hub Shanghai is bracing for potentially the worst rains in more than 40 years.
Subtropical Taiwan is frequently hit by typhoons. The last one, Typhoon Krathon, killed four people earlier this month as it passed through the south of the island.
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Slovak PM Fico visits China in attempt for a pro-Beijing diplomatic turn
Vienna — Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico begins a six-day visit to China Thursday that includes a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and stops in the central city of Hefei and Shanghai to attend the opening ceremony for this year’s China International Import Expo.
Analysts say China is hoping to use the visit to strengthen ties with Slovak’s prime minister who is an ally of Viktor Orban and, like Hungary’s leader, has been critical of Russian sanctions and the EU’s support of Ukraine.
Since coming to power, Fico has been interested in a more pro-China foreign policy. His trip to China, which was scheduled for June, was aborted due to an assassination attempt in May and has not been possible until now.
Fico is the longest-serving prime minister since the founding of the Republic of Slovakia in 1993.
Since first taking office in 2006, Fico has stepped down twice between 2010 and 2012 and between 2018 and 2023. In 2018, he resigned and gave way to his political ally, Peter Pellegrini, because of a political crisis sparked by the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak.
After Pellegrini’s defeat in the 2020 parliamentary elections, the Ordinary People and the Independent Personalities Party formed a new coalition government. During this period, Slovakia pushed for a more pro-Taiwan and values-oriented diplomatic line, which drew resentment in Beijing.
In the 2023 parliamentary elections, Fico won again and returned to power.
The Fico government advocates an “all-azimuth” foreign policy, including strengthening cooperation with Russia and China. In addition to this year’s trip to China, Fico plans to visit Russia next year to attend the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Matej Šimalčík, executive director of the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, told VOA the so-called “all-azimuth” foreign policy is a euphemism that means “to engage in economic relations with any country, without taking any considerations for political values, human rights, or security considerations.”
Šimalčík said, “Fico’s government has also markedly toned down the scope of interactions with Taiwan, with some of his close political allies being outright proponents of PRC’s [China’s] interpretation of the ‘One-China Principle,” which holds that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.
Filip Šebok, head of the Prague office at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, said, “Fico has many times declared he does not want ‘Brussels’ to dictate Slovakia on these issues, and for him, it is a way to boost his credentials in leading a ‘sovereign’ Slovak foreign policy, despite criticism.
“Actually, domestically, it is good for Fico to claim he is doing something that is opposite to what is the Western mainstream, as he can maintain the support of his electorate. It is also a way to differentiate from the previous government, which was hawkish on Russia, and on China to some extent as well.”
Analysts say that Fico’s visit to China also serves an economic purpose.
Pavel Havlíček, a research fellow at the Association for International Affairs, said Fico is seeking partnerships and investments from countries outside of Europe.
“Among them, Russia and China are playing a special place, as was repeatedly mentioned when — for example — referring to the plan of the Slovak government to restore economic relations with Russia after the war.
“In the case of the PRC, the Slovak government is seeing investments and enhanced relations, too, to compensate for the lack of economic growth.”
Šebok said the Slovak government has pledged to focus more on supporting economic engagement, such as boosting Slovak exporters or attracting investments in Slovakia.
“The government has, for example, increased the number of economic diplomats around the world and also opened new embassies in Asia or Africa explaining them mostly as a way to boost economic diplomacy,” Šebok said.
“In this perspective, China is presented as a major economic partner, and Fico will be leading a relatively large business delegation to China. Fico specifically wants to engage China in PPP [public private partnership] projects for the reconstruction/construction of transport infrastructure around the country.”
Fico plans to work with China to promote large-scale infrastructure projects in Slovakia, including the reconstruction of roads and bridges, the expansion of the railway between the capital Bratislava and the city of Komárno, the completion of the Bratislava highway bypass and the construction of a hydroelectric power plant.
In the recent vote on European tariffs on electric vehicles from China, the Fico government voted against it.
“Slovakia, through the Volkswagen plant, has exported a large number of cars to China,” Šebok said. “It is particularly exposed to Chinese retaliation to EU tariffs on Chinese EV imports, as China directly hinted that it might target large engine vehicles from the EU, which are exported from Germany and Slovakia.
“What is paradoxical is that tariffs on Chinese EVs can actually be also indirectly good for Slovakia, as they can push more Chinese EV producers to set up manufacturing in Europe as a way to avoid tariffs,” he added.
Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
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