The end of President Joe Biden’s administration also marks the beginning of a new relationship between the U.S. and the African continent, according to the president. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell reports from Luanda, Angola, where Biden is making a historic visit. Philip Alexiou contributed to this report.
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Month: December 2024
Health officials investigate mystery disease in southwest Congo after up to 143 deaths
KINSHASA, CONGO — A flu-like disease that has killed dozens of people over two weeks is being investigated in southwestern Congo, local authorities said.
The deaths were recorded between November 10 and November 25 in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province. Symptoms include fever, headache, cough and anemia, provincial health minister Apollinaire Yumba told reporters over the weekend.
The deputy provincial governor, Remy Saki, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that between 67 and 143 people had died.
“A team of epidemiological experts is expected in the region to take samples and identify the problem,” he added.
Yumba advised the population to exercise caution and refrain from contact with the bodies of the dead to avoid contamination. He called on national and international partners to send medical supplies to deal with the health crisis.
Congo is already plagued by the mpox epidemic, with more than 47,000 suspected cases and more than 1,000 suspected deaths from the disease in the Central African country, according to the World Health Organization.
WHO is aware of the unidentified disease and has a team on the ground working with local health services to collect samples, according to an organization employee who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to the media.
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Regional analysts suggest caution as Nigeria signs new deals with France
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Political analysts in Nigeria say the country needs to be careful after signing a series of agreements with France during President Bola Tinubu’s three-day visit to the European country last week.
Tinubu’s three-day visit to France was the first official state visit to Paris by a Nigerian leader in more than two decades.
During the visit, Nigeria and France signed two major deals, including a $300 million pact to develop critical infrastructure, renewable energy, transportation, agriculture and health care in Nigeria.
Both nations also signed an agreement to increase food security and develop Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
Tinubu has been trying to attract investments to boost Nigeria’s ailing economy. While many praise his latest deals with France, some critics are urging caution.
The deals come as France looks for friends in West Africa following a series of military coups in countries where it formerly had strong ties — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
Ahmed Buhari, a political affairs analyst, criticized the partnership.
“Everybody is trying to look for a new development partner that would seemingly be working in their own interest, but obviously we don’t seem to be on the same page,” Buhari said. “We’re partnering with France, who [has] been responsible for countries like Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and the likes, and we haven’t seen significant developments in those places in the last 100 years.”
Abuja-based political analyst Chris Kwaja said France’s strained relationships with the Sahelian states do not affect Nigeria.
“That the countries of the Sahel have a fractured relationship with France does not in any way define the future of the Nigeria-France relationship,” Kwaja said. “No country wants to operate as an island. Every country is looking at strategic partnerships and relationships.”
France has a long history of involvement in the Sahel region, including military intervention, economic cooperation and development aid. Critics say the countries associated with France have been grappling with poverty and insecurity.
Eze Onyekpere, economist and founder of the Center for Social Justice, said Nigeria must be wary of any deal before signing.
“It is a little bit disappointing considering the reputation of France in the way they’ve been exploiting minerals across the Sahel,’ Onyekpere said. “They’ve been undertaking exploitation in a way and manner that’s not in the best interest of those countries. I hope we have good enough checks to make sure that the agreements signed will generally be in the interest of both countries and not a one-sided agreement.”
Nigeria is France’s top trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa.
During the president’s visit, two Nigerian banks — Zenith and United Bank for Africa — also signed agreements to expand their operations into France.
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US watches situation in South Korea ‘with grave concern’
WASHINGTON — The United States says it is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in South Korea, where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law, citing the need to protect the nation from North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements.
Taken by surprise, U.S. officials are actively engaging with the South Korean government to address the situation.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said on Tuesday that the U.S. is watching developments in South Korea “with grave concern” and expressed every hope and expectation that “any political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.”
President Joe Biden, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have been briefed on the developments and are being kept updated as the situation unfolds, according to Campbell.
He added that U.S. officials are actively engaging with their South Korean counterparts at all levels, in Washington and Seoul.
Late Tuesday, Yoon declared martial law during an unannounced late-night address, vowing to eliminate what he described as “anti-state” forces amid a power struggle with the opposition-controlled parliament, which he accuses of sympathizing with communist North Korea.
Within hours, the National Assembly voted to overturn the declaration. Speaker Woo Won Shik announced that lawmakers “will protect democracy with the people” and called for the immediate withdrawal of police and military forces from the Assembly grounds.
Some information in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
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US Embassy in Kenya unveils new tech hub for innovators
In Kenya, tech entrepreneurs who had trouble accessing resources as simple as an internet connection are getting an assist from American libraries. The U.S. Embassy in Kenya is now operating six tech hubs, the newest of which opened in Nairobi last month. Victoria Amunga reports. Camera: Jimmy Makhulo
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Spain to offer visas to 900,000 undocumented migrants amid surge
LONDON/LAS PALMAS, SPAIN — Record numbers of migrants arrived on Spain’s Canary Islands from West Africa this year, according to newly released government figures.
Some 41,425 migrants arrived on the islands between January 1 and November 30, according to the figures released Monday. The number surpassed the 39,910 migrants recorded in 2023, which also broke previous records. Most of the migrants are from Mali, Morocco and Senegal.
The islands lie in the Atlantic Ocean more than 100 kilometers west of Morocco and have long attracted migrants seeking a new life in Europe.
The latest figures were published as Spain outlines plans to offer visas to up to 900,000 undocumented migrants already in the country, while simultaneously clamping down on new arrivals.
Madrid announced plans to offer visas to 300,000 undocumented migrants every year for the next three years, allowing them to remain in the country to study and find work.
Spain needs young workers’ taxes to fund the pensions and health care of its aging population, according to the minister for migration, Elma Saiz.
“Spain has to choose between being an open and prosperous country or being a closed and poor country. And we have chosen the former. That is why there are already 2.9 million foreigners paying monthly Social Security contributions [taxes],” Saiz announced at a press conference in Madrid on November 19.
Saiz said that the government plans to “cut red tape” to make it easier for migrants to enter the labor market.
“We want to make it easier for foreigners to get a job suited to their professional profile and, at the same time, for companies to find the professionals they need,” she said.
The visas will be offered only to migrants already in Spain.
Simultaneously, Madrid says it is clamping down on new arrivals by striking deals with African states to curb migrant departures and increase offshore patrols. Spain has also called for the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, to resume patrols in the region.
Authorities have struggled to cope with the surge in migrant arrivals on the Canary Islands. Adult migrants are held in camps as they await transfer to the Spanish mainland, where their visa applications are processed. Children younger than 18 stay at shelters on the islands and are offered places in local schools.
Bocar Gueye, 36, who arrived on the island of Gran Canaria from Mauritania, told VOA that he was happy to have survived the journey.
“They will give the tickets [for travel to the mainland] to everyone, but it is not easy. Everyone will wait their turn. With all the difficulties we had at sea, I think that the rest, we can be patient,” Gueye said.
Tensions on the islands are growing, however. Residents of Las Palmas staged demonstrations in October against the increase in migrant arrivals. Many fear that the government’s plan to regularize the status of migrants already in Spain will encourage more people to attempt the journey.
“Right now, we don’t need immigrants to work,” said Rudy Ruyman, who helped to organize the protests on October 27. “What we need is to give work to the Canary Islanders and to the Spanish in general. We must take care of our land, of our people, of our children, and encourage Canarians and Spaniards to have children. Because if not, what will be left of Spain and the Canary Islands? We will lose our identity,” he told VOA.
The migration debate is shadowed by tragedy. The journey from Africa’s Atlantic coast to the Canary Islands remains one of the deadliest routes to Europe. Aid agencies estimate around 1,000 people die every month attempting the crossing.
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Vietnam court upholds death sentence for tycoon in $12 billion fraud case
HANOI, Vietnam — A court in Vietnam on Tuesday upheld a death sentence for real estate tycoon Truong My Lan after rejecting her appeal against a conviction for embezzlement and bribery in a high-profile $12 billion fraud case, state media reported.
Lan, the chairwoman of real estate developer Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, was sentenced to death in April for her role in what was Vietnam’s biggest financial fraud case on record.
The High People’s Court in southern Ho Chi Minh City determined there was no basis to reduce Lan’s death sentence, reported online newspaper VnExpress.
If Lan is able to return three-quarters of the money embezzled while on death row, it is possible the sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment, the report said.
She is one of the most famous business executives and state officials jailed in the communist country’s lengthy anti-graft campaign known as “Blazing Furnace.”
“The consequences Lan caused are unprecedented in the history of litigation and the amount of money embezzled is unprecedentedly large and unrecoverable,” the prosecution was quoted as saying at the appeal hearing by state-run online newspaper VietnamNet.
“The defendant’s actions have affected many aspects of society, the financial market, the economy,” it said.
State media cited Lan’s lawyer as saying she had many mitigating circumstances, including “having admitted guilt, showing remorse and paying back part of the amount of money embezzled,” but prosecutors said that was insufficient.
Reuters could not immediately reach Lan’s lawyers for comment.
Lan still has the right to request a review under Vietnam’s cassation or retrial procedures.
Lan’s arrest in 2022 sparked a run on one of the country’s largest private banks by deposits, Saigon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), which was at the center of the fraud and largely owned by Lan through her proxies.
Documents reviewed by Reuters showed Vietnam’s central bank had as of April pumped $24 billion in “special loans” into SCB in an “unprecedented” rescue.
Apart from the death sentence, Lan was handed a life sentence at a separate trial in October after being found guilty of obtaining property by fraud, money laundering and illegal cross-border money transfers.
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Rare ceremony in Thailand marks king’s auspicious 72nd birthday
BANGKOK — Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Tuesday presided over a parade that saw the queen lead hundreds of military personnel in honor of his 72nd birthday.
It was the first such ceremony in Bangkok’s vast Royal Plaza in 16 years.
Birthdays celebrated in 12-year cycles are considered especially auspicious in Thai culture, with the sixth cycle — celebrating 72 years — holding special significance. Vajiralongkorn’s birthday is July 28, but the previous ceremonies had been held around Dec. 5, which was his father’s birthday.
Vajiralongkorn’s father, Bhumibol, had enjoyed near-universal respect, steering Thailand safely through the challenges of war in neighbors Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, which all saw Communist takeovers in 1975.
Vajiralongkorn has faced different challenges, as political polarization has jeopardized the formerly untouchable status of the Thai monarchy.
There was no dissent evident as the public gathered to watch military units in the plaza, where the king and family members watched from an ornate pavilion.
Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana led the parade in her capacity as Commander of the Combined Guards Unit. Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, the king’s youngest daughter, led the Royal Horse Guards Regiment.
As the sun set, commanders of the military services led units in taking an oath of allegiance to the king.
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Biden visits Angola on first trip to Africa as president
LUANDA, ANGOLA — U.S. President Joe Biden received a warm welcome at Angola’s pink-hued Presidential Palace Tuesday as he made his first and almost certainly final visit to the African continent as president.
After a red-carpet promenade, renditions of national anthems by a military band, an inspection of troops and a 21-gun salute, he and Angolan President Joao Lourenco, both flanked by diplomats, got down to work.
“I’m very proud to be the first American president to visit Angola, and I’m deeply proud of everything we have done together to transform our partnership thus far,” Biden told Lourenco. “There is so much ahead of us, so much we can do.”
His administration’s top Africa adviser told VOA that Biden sees Angola as “exhibit A” of a collaborative relationship with Washington.
“We, the United States, are working with Angola on a few really important things,” said Frances Brown, senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council, speaking exclusively to VOA. “One is bolstering peace and security in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Another is growing economic opportunities in the region. A third is technological and scientific cooperation.”
Unmentioned by Biden — publicly at least — was Angola’s poor human rights record. Rights group Amnesty International attempted to summarize the situation.
“Amnesty has repeatedly documented excessive and lethal force to disrupt peaceful demonstrations,” Kate Hixon, advocacy director for Africa at Amnesty International USA, told VOA via Zoom. “Not only is lethal force used in these demonstrations, but the victims’ families do not have recourse to access to justice. We’ve also seen several repressive laws passed since 2020. Since 2020 it’s been illegal to criticize the president. More recently, this year, we’ve seen two laws approved that further threaten the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the media.”
Angolan opposition groups told local media that Biden missed a “great opportunity” to listen to civil society groups about their concerns.
“The Lobito rail corridor … is the only concern of Biden’s visit to Angola,” said Ernesto Mulato of the opposition UNITA party.
Biden is set Wednesday to visit the port city of Lobito, where a new, U.S.-financed rail line brings raw materials from Africa’s interior to this bustling port.
Brown told VOA that the president always raises concerns about human rights, privately.
“He never shies away from talking about democracy and human rights issues with counterparts,” she told VOA. “And I think that’s pretty consistent with the way he’s been throughout his long, long career in public service.”
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Amid war, Ukrainian children learn how to fly drones
In Ukraine, a music teacher is teaching children how to fly drones. While it grew out of Russia’s invasion, the teacher says the skills the students learn will serve them well in peacetime as well. Lesia Bakalets reports from Kyiv. Camera: Vladyslav Smilianets.
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China bans exports to US of gallium, germanium, antimony in response to chip sanctions
Bangkok — China announced Tuesday it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications, as a general principle, lashing back at U.S. limits on semiconductor-related exports.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced the move after Washington expanded its list of Chinese companies subject to export controls on computer chip-making equipment, software and high-bandwidth memory chips. Such chips are needed for advanced applications.
The ratcheting up of trade restrictions comes as President-elect Donald Trump has been threatening to sharply raise tariffs on imports from China and other countries, potentially intensifying simmering tensions over trade and technology.
China’s Foreign Ministry also issued a vehement reproof.
“China has lodged stern protests with the U.S. for its update of the semiconductor export control measures, sanctions against Chinese companies, and malicious suppression of China’s technological progress,” Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said in a routine briefing Tuesday.
“I want to reiterate that China firmly opposes the U.S. overstretching the concept of national security, abuse of export control measures, and illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction against Chinese companies,” Lin said.
Minerals sourced in China used in computer chips, cars
China said in July 2023 it would require exporters to apply for licenses to send to the U.S. the strategically important materials such as gallium and germanium.
In August, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said it would restrict exports of antimony, which is used in a wide range of products from batteries to weapons, and impose tighter controls on exports of graphite.
Such minerals are considered critical for national security. China is a major producer of antimony, which is used in flame retardants, batteries, night-vision goggles and nuclear weapon production, according to a 2021 U.S. International Trade Commission report.
The limits announced by Beijing on Tuesday also include exports of super-hard materials, such as diamonds and other synthetic materials that are not compressible and extremely dense. They are used in many industrial areas such as cutting tools, disc brakes and protective coatings. The licensing requirements that China announced in August also covered smelting and separation technology and machinery and other items related to such super-hard materials.
China is the biggest global source of gallium and germanium, which are produced in small amounts but are needed to make computer chips for mobile phones, cars and other products, as well as solar panels and military technology.
China says it’s protecting itself from US trade restrictions
After the U.S. side announced it was adding 140 companies to a so-called “entity list” subject to strict export controls, China’s Commerce Ministry protested and said it would act to protect China’s “rights and interests.” Nearly all of the companies affected by Washington’s latest trade restrictions are based in China, though some are Chinese-owned businesses in Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
Both governments say their respective export controls are needed for national security.
China’s government has been frustrated by U.S. curbs on access to advanced processor chips and other technology on security grounds but had been cautious in retaliating, possibly to avoid disrupting China’s fledgling developers of chips, artificial intelligence and other technology.
Various Chinese industry associations issued statements protesting the U.S. move to limit access to advanced chip-making technology.
The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said it opposed using national security as a grounds for export controls, “abuse of export control measures, and the malicious blockade and suppression of China.”
“Such behavior seriously violates the laws of the market economy and the principle of fair competition, undermines the international economic and trade order, disrupts the stability of the global industrial chain, and ultimately harms the interests of all countries,” it said in a statement.
The China Semiconductor Industry Association issued a similar statement, adding that such restrictions were disrupting supply chains and inflating costs for American companies.
“U.S. chip products are no longer safe and reliable. China’s related industries will have to be cautious in purchasing U.S. chips,” it said.
The U.S. gets about half its supply of both gallium and germanium metals directly from China, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. China exported about 23 metric tons (25 tons) of gallium in 2022 and produces about 600 metric tons (660 tons) of germanium per year. The U.S. has deposits of such minerals but has not been mining them, though some projects underway are exploring ways to tap those resources.
The export restrictions have had a mixed impact on prices for those critical minerals, with the price of antimony more than doubling this year to over $25,000 per ton. Prices for gallium, germanium and graphite also have mostly risen.
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Zambia works to advance fight against HIV/AIDS with community-centered approach
In Zambia, an education and prevention program known as the Total Control of the Epidemic project is focused on ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Kathy Short reports from Petauke, Zambia. Camera: Jawadu Sumaili
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Romanian hard-right says it wants to be part of new government
BUCHAREST — Romania’s hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) party wants to be part of a coalition government, its leader said on Tuesday, as the nation eyes a presidential runoff vote that will decide who appoints the prime minister.
Hard-right and ultranationalist parties, including AUR, saw a sharp surge in support in a parliamentary election on Sunday, and while they lack a majority they garnered more than 30% of seats in the legislature.
A Constitutional Court ruling on Monday cleared the way for a presidential runoff next Sunday that will pit far-right candidate Calin Georgescu against centrist Elena Lasconi, raising the possibility that the new head of state, who appoints the government, will share AUR’s views.
A Georgescu win in the presidential runoff would upend Romania’s pro-Western orientation and erode its backing for neighboring Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion. Romania is a member of NATO and the European Union.
The court had ordered a recount of the first round of the election amid concerns over interference in the electoral process, but finally validated the result.
“As Romania’s second-largest party we … have the responsibility to come up with a credible vision,” AUR leader George Simion told foreign press.
“I would like to have a governmental coalition. If the next president of Romania nominates me as prime minister or asks our party to propose a name for prime minister [then we will].
“We will stay and talk with every political force in the Romanian parliament,” he said, speaking in English.
However Simion ruled out cooperating with the leftist Social Democrats (PSD), who came first in Sunday’s ballot.
Unity
The leader of the far-right SOS grouping, Diana Sosoaca, appealed for unity among nationalist parties on Monday, saying they should try to form a government even if it was a minority one. AUR and Sosoaca have previously clashed over policy and the latter’s pro-Russian statements.
A survey conducted by pollster CURS on Dec. 1 at polling stations showed Georgescu would win 57.8% in a run-off to Lasconi’s 42.2% among people who say they will vote. The survey polled 24,629 people after they cast their vote and had a margin of error of plus/minus 0.6%.
An admirer of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and a critic of the European Union, Simion has said he would stop military aid to Ukraine. He has opposed Holocaust education and gay marriage, and wants to recover territories that Romania lost during World War Two.
AUR has gone from being a fringe anti-vaccination group during the COVID-19 pandemic into Romania’s leading opposition force, appealing to the working class diaspora and young voters and building on popular discontent with mainstream politicians.
He says he is not pro-Russian, calling President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, and supports Romania’s NATO and European Union member status, though he condemns what he calls a “greedy, corrupt bubble” in Brussels.
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Turkish court jails protesters over Erdogan speech disruption
A Turkish court has jailed pending trial nine protesters who disrupted President Tayyip Erdogan’s speech in Istanbul last week, accusing his government of continuing oil exports to Israel despite a publicized embargo.
The incident occurred during Erdogan’s televised address at a forum on Friday, where the protesters said the government was failing to uphold its pro-Palestinian rhetoric.
They chanted slogans such as “Ships are carrying bombs to Gaza” and “Stop fueling genocide.”
Erdogan responded sharply.
“My child, don’t become the mouthpiece of Zionists here. No matter how much you try to provoke by acting as their voice, mouth, and eyes, you will not succeed,” he said.
“Zionists around the world know very well where Tayyip Erdogan stands. But it seems you still haven’t understood.”
Police removed the demonstrators from the event, and prosecutors charged them with insulting the president and participating in an illegal demonstration.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the group had coordinated their actions inside and outside the venue and sought their detention pending trial.
The arrests have drawn strong criticism from opposition politicians and rights advocates. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel denounced the detentions as a blow to democracy.
“The decision to arrest nine young people who protested Tayyip Erdogan proves the grave situation our country’s democracy has fallen into,” Ozel said.
“These young people were exercising their right to free expression and should be released immediately.”
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Airlines not switching quickly enough to green jet fuel, study says
Most of the world’s airlines are not doing enough to switch to sustainable jet fuel, according to a study by Brussels-based advocacy group Transport and Environment, which also found too little investment by oil producers in the transition.
The airline sector is calling for more production of the fuel, which can be made from materials such as wood chips and used cooking oil.
“Unfortunately, airlines at the moment are not on the trajectory to have meaningful emissions reduction because they’re not buying enough sustainable aviation fuel,” Transport and Environment aviation policy manager Francesco Catte said.
As it stands, SAF makes up about 1% of aviation fuel use on the global market, which needs to increase for airlines to meet carbon emission reduction targets. The fuel can cost between two to five times more than regular jet fuel.
A lack of investment by major oil players, who have the capital to build SAF processing facilities, is hampering the market’s growth, the study says.
In its ranking, Transport and Environment pointed to Air France-KLM, United Airlines and Norwegian as some of the airlines that have taken tangible steps to buy sustainable jet fuel, particularly its synthetic, cleaner burning version.
But 87% are failing to make meaningful efforts, the ranking shows, and even those who are trying could miss their own targets without more investment.
Airlines such as Italy’s ITA Airways, the successor airline to bankrupt Alitalia, and Portugal’s TAP have done very little to secure SAF in the coming years, the ranking shows.
A TAP spokesperson said the airline was the first to fly in Portugal with SAF in July 2022, “and is committed to flying with 10% SAF in 2030.”
“While we would have liked to increase our investment in SAF, the low availability…and high costs…have limited our ability to do so, considering also our start up condition,” an ITA spokesperson said.
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Trump says will ‘block’ Nippon Steel from taking over US Steel
WASHINGTON — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday said he would “block” a planned takeover of US Steel by Japanese company Nippon Steel, a deal worth $14.9 billion including debts.
“I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company, in this case Nippon Steel of Japan,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Through a series of Tax Incentives and Tariffs, we will make U.S. Steel Strong and Great Again, and it will happen FAST! As President, I will block this deal from happening.”
Embattled US Steel has argued that it needs the Nippon deal to ensure sufficient investment in its Mon Valley plants in Pennsylvania, which it says it may have to shutter if the sale is blocked.
Nippon Steel said after Trump’s comments that it was “determined to protect and grow US Steel in a manner that reinforces American industry, domestic supply chain resiliency, and US national security.”
“We will invest no less than $2.7 billion into its unionized facilities, introduce our world-class technological innovation, and secure union jobs so that American steelworkers at US Steel can manufacture the most advanced steel products for American customers,” the Japanese firm said in a statement.
Days after the US election last month, Nippon Steel said it expected to close its takeover of the company before the end of the year, while U.S. President Joe Biden was still in office.
Biden, too, has opposed the deal, saying it was “vital” for US Steel “to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated.”
The deal is being reviewed by a body helmed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen that audits foreign takeovers of US firms, called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
In September, Biden’s administration extended their review, pushing a conclusion on the politically sensitive deal until after the November 5 presidential election.
A Nippon Steel earnings presentation on November 7 maintained that “the transaction is expected to close in… calendar year 2024” pending a U.S. national security review.
“Unless the situation changes dramatically, I believe the conclusion will come by the end of the year,” during Biden’s time in office, vice chairman Takahiro Mori told reporters.
Trump will be inaugurated on January 20.
Protectionist policies
On the campaign trail, he vowed to install protectionist economic policies to help support US businesses, including threats to restart a trade war with the world’s second largest economy, China.
While running for the White House, he specifically promised to block Nippon’s takeover of US Steel, which is based in the key political battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Trump’s vice presidential pick JD Vance also led congressional opposition to the takeover in the U.S. Senate, where the deal has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats.
Analysts had suggested Trump’s position could soften after the election was over, but Monday’s statement indicated that was not the case.
Major Japanese and American business groups have urged Yellen not to succumb to political pressure when reviewing the proposed acquisition.
The steelworkers union has fought the deal, and criticized a September arbitrators’ ruling that Nippon had proven it could assume US Steel’s labor contract obligations.
In September, however, some US Steel workers rallied in support of the deal, arguing it would help keep plants open.
your ad hereAnalysts skeptical about potential of ‘Asian NATO’
Taipei, Taiwan — Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has been actively advocating for the establishment of a collective security alliance in Asia similar to that of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Europe and North America.
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party set up a new committee in November specifically to discuss this “Asian NATO” concept. However, such an ambitious plan is unlikely to take place under the second term of U.S.-elect President Donald Trump, according to experts.
Ishiba has reportedly advocated for bolstering regional deterrence by integrating existing security frameworks such as the ANZUS Security Treaty between the United States, Australia and New Zealand; the U.S.-Japan Alliance; and the U.S.-South Korea Alliance.
He outlined his vision in a paper to the Washington-based Hudson Institute in September, arguing that such an alliance would deter China from using military force in Asia.
“The absence of a collective self-defense system like NATO in Asia means that wars are likely to break out because there is no obligation for mutual defense,” he wrote.
However, the proposal has encountered significant resistance, including opposition from China, concerns from ASEAN nations and even U.S. skepticism.
Feasibility doubtful
Koichi Nakano, a visiting scholar on U.S.-Japan relations at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, was skeptical that the U.S. would support an “Asian NATO” proposal.
“Ishiba’s personal advocacy is based on his view that [a] U.S.-Japan alliance should be placed on a more equal footing. And it is also connected to his parallel argument that there should be nuclear sharing with Japan. In other words, it is with an aim at constraining U.S. unilateralism,” Nakano said.
“All of this is exactly what President-elect [Donald] Trump does not want. He doesn’t even like NATO in the first place, and there is zero reason to think that he would want to have an Asian version of it,” he said.
Trump has pledged that “NATO’s purpose and NATO’s mission” will be fundamentally changed in his new administration. During his first term as president, he reduced defense spending to the alliance, saying America spent more than other countries in the organization.
Officials in the Biden administration have also been skeptical of the Asian NATO proposal.
Stephen Nagy, a professor of politics and international studies at Tokyo’s International Christian University, also said a “Asian NATO” is neither realistic nor achievable.
“An Asian NATO may not necessarily be a negative initiative,” Nagy said. “On the contrary, it may help stakeholders align their strategic thinking on security concerns on the region and find ways to cooperate with each other to deal with traditional and non-traditional security challenges.”
However, Nagy said that minilateral cooperation, which involves a small group of countries working together on specific issues, is more feasible than the “Asian NATO” concept.
“Establishing and maintaining various forms of minilateral cooperation such as the Quad [Australia, India, Japan and the United States]; the Squad [United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines]; the Manila-Tokyo-Washington minilateral; the Camp David-based cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington, will be more realistic and accrue security and diplomatic results compared to an Asian NATO multilateral project,” he said.
John Chuan Tiong Lim, a research fellow on East Asian and international relations at the University of Tokyo, said that the idea of an “Asian NATO” faces significant obstacles, including Japan’s constitutional restrictions under Article 9, which prohibits the country from engaging in collective warfare. This would make it impossible for Japan to replicate NATO’s European model directly, he said.
Voter support?
In addition to major powers in the Indo-Pacific, Ishiba needs public support.
“There is little interest in foreign and security policy among the Japanese voters, and if anything, the increasing cost attached to the recent drive for remilitarization is likely to lead to a loss of votes for the ruling party,” Harvard’s Nakano said.
Lim also noted that Ishiba did not bring up such a concept during his meeting in Peru with U.S. President Joe Biden in November. Still, Lim emphasized that the proposal remains alive within the LDP. The fact that it continues to be discussed within the party indicates that Ishiba has not abandoned his push for the idea.
Nagy observed that Japan’s growing security concerns, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s actions in Hong Kong, have intensified the public’s focus on national security.
“If Ishiba survives in office after the Upper House election in the summer of 2025, I don’t see the LDP or the public fundamentally shifting their position on an Asian NATO,” Nagy said.
Future security cooperation
In addition to the U.S., Ishiba is trying to establish closer cooperation with other regional powers in the Indo-Pacific such as South Korea. He once served as Japan’s defense minister and is very familiar with defense affairs. He also met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in October and plans to visit South Korea in January, which will be his first visit since he became prime minister.
“South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol might share Ishiba’s interest in trying to anchor the U.S. under Trump to a trilateral framework, but he is also deeply unpopular among the voters,” Nakano said.
“They share the common fear that Trump would bypass them and directly get into a negotiation and even a ‘deal’ of some sort with China or North Korea,” he added.
Nakano believes the best option for Japan now is to seek closer relations with Beijing.
“If Japan wants to secure and defend its national interest, the only logical thing to do now is to increase dialogue and cooperation with China and hedge against the risks that the U.S. has now turned into,” he said.
Lim said that all parties are currently waiting to see the U.S. foreign policy direction after Trump’s inauguration. In the meantime, existing mechanisms are being institutionalized.
“What can be done now is being done first, with the hope of aligning with the new era under Trump’s leadership,” he said.
Some information for this report came from Reuters.
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Indonesia to increase local component requirement for smartphones
JAKARTA, INDONESIA — Indonesia plans to increase requirements on local components for smartphones made and sold in the country, its deputy industry minister said on Tuesday, a move aimed at boosting the domestic manufacturing sector.
The plan follows Indonesia’s banning last month of sales of Apple’s iPhone 16 after it failed to meet a requirement that smartphones sold domestically must comprise at least 40% locally made parts.
Apple has since made a $100 million investment proposal to build an accessory and component plant to reverse the ban, but the government has rejected that on the grounds it did not meet the principal of fairness.
Apple has not responded to Reuters requests for comment on the issue.
Deputy Minister Faisol Reza said the government was still discussing the details and gave no timeframe for the introduction of the plan, or by how much the ratio of local components would increase.
“What important is that the goal is to strengthen our domestic industry,” he told reporters.
The government was looking at whether investment into research and development was relevant and could be counted as a component in fulfilling the local content rule.
Apple has no manufacturing facilities in Indonesia but has since 2018 set up application developer academies, which Jakarta considers the company’s strategy to meet local content requirement for the sale of older iPhone models.
Minister Faisol said Apple’s representatives will meet with the government soon to discuss a solution.
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White House: Biden expected to issue more pardons before end of term
A day after U.S. President Joe Biden announced the pardon of his son Hunter, the White House said the president is expected to issue more pardons and clemencies before he leaves office next month.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday that Biden is “thinking through that process very thoroughly.”
“I don’t have a timeline for you,” Jean-Pierre said. “As you know, this usually happens towards the end. And so, the president is going through that process, thinking through that process. I’m not going to get ahead of him. But you can expect more announcements to come.”
Hunter Biden was facing sentencing this month for gun and tax offenses and could have been imprisoned for years.
Biden had for months pledged not to pardon his 54-year-old son, a lawyer who for years was caught up in cocaine addiction as his life spiraled out of control.
But the president said in a statement late Sunday that Hunter Biden’s prosecution was selective and politically motivated, aimed at undercutting his reelection campaign before he dropped out of the race in July for another four-year term.
“The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said.
Hunter Biden was convicted of three felonies in June for a 2018 gun purchase. Prosecutors said he falsely claimed on a federal form to not be illegally using or addicted to drugs.
He also pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges in a case where he was accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes.
He faced up to 17 years in federal prison in the tax case during a scheduled sentencing hearing in Los Angeles on December 16, although sentencing experts said that most likely as a first-time offender, he would have served no more than 36 months behind bars.
Hunter Biden was facing a stiffer maximum sentence, 25 years, in the gun case but was more likely, based on precedent in similar cases, to be handed a much shorter sentence, perhaps up to 16 months during a hearing scheduled in Delaware for December 13.
The president’s action Sunday pardoned Hunter Biden in both cases, as well as any offense he “has committed or may have committed or taken part” from January 1, 2014, to January 1, 2024.
Hunter Biden said in a statement, “I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport.”
The president said in his statement that he hopes “Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision.”
“For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They’ll be fair-minded. Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further,” Biden said.
President-elect Donald Trump criticized the move, calling it “such an abuse and miscarriage of justice” compared to hundreds of Trump supporters who have been imprisoned after being convicted for an array of offenses stemming from the rioting at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, while they tried to block Congress from certifying that Biden had defeated Trump’s reelection bid in the 2020 campaign.
Trump has said he will consider pardoning many of the rioters when he takes power again on January 20 after winning the November presidential election. Some of the rioters have already served their sentences, but many are still in prison for years to come, while other trials have yet to occur.
Trump, in the late stages of his first term in office, pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was convicted on tax offenses and other charges. On Saturday, Trump said he intends to nominate the elder Kushner to be the U.S. ambassador to France.
Trump also pardoned one of his former national security advisers, Michael Flynn, former campaign manager Paul Manafort, former chief strategist Steve Bannon and campaign aide George Papadopoulos, among others.
Reactions to President Biden pardoning his son varied across the U.S. political landscape and not always predictably along political party lines as is usually the case when contentious decisions are announced.
Jared Polis, the Democratic governor of Colorado, said that while he understood the “natural desire” of Biden wanting to help his son, he said, “I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.”
Greg Stanton, a Democratic congressman from Arizona, said, “I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong. This wasn’t a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”
Chuck Grassley, a Republican senator from Iowa, posted on X that he was “shocked” by the pardon because the elder Biden “said many, many times he wouldn’t & I believed him. Shame on me.”
But Eric Holder, a Democrat who was the U.S. attorney general under former President Barack Obama, said the president’s son was only prosecuted because his last name was Biden. He said no U.S. attorney “would have charged this case given the underlying facts.”
Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.
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Trump names billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has named billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain, a prestigious posting for the Republican donor whose contributions this year included $2 million to a Trump-backing super PAC.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening, announced he was selecting Stephens to be the U.S. ambassador to the Court of Saint James. The Senate is required to confirm the choice.
“Warren has always dreamed of serving the United States full time. I am thrilled that he will now have that opportunity as the top Diplomat, representing the U.S.A. to one of America’s most cherished and beloved Allies,” Trump said in in his post.
Stephens is the chairman, president and CEO of Little Rock, Arkansas-based financial services firm Stephens Inc., having taken over the firm from his father.
Trump has already named many of his nominees for his Cabinet and high-profile diplomatic posts, assembling a roster of staunch loyalists. Over the weekend, Trump announced he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France.
During his first term, Trump selected Robert “Woody” Johnson, a contributor to his campaign and the owner of the New York Jets football team, as his representative to the United Kingdom.
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Trump to attend Notre Dame Cathedral reopening in Paris
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump will attend the reopening celebration for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, his first foreign trip since the election.
The cathedral is set to reopen Saturday after more than five years of reconstruction following a devastating fire in 2019. The invite-only ceremonies Saturday and Sunday will be high-security affairs, with about 50 heads of state and government expected to attend.
Trump announced his trip in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening.
“It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago,” he wrote. “President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”
Trump and Macron have had a complicated relationship.
Macron was the guest of honor at Trump’s first state dinner and Trump traveled to France several times. But the relationship soured as Trump’s term progressed and Macron criticized him for questioning the need for NATO and raising doubts about America’s commitment to the mutual-defense pact.
As he ran for a second term this year, Trump often mocked Macron on the campaign trail, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the U.S. if France tried to tax American companies.
After Trump won another term last month, Macron rushed to win favor with the president-elect. He was among the first global leaders to congratulate Trump — even before The Associated Press called the race in his favor — and beat UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the punch in delivering a congratulatory phone call.
“Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump,” Macron posted on X early on Nov 6. “Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”
The reopening of Notre Dame will be an elaborate, multiday celebration, beginning Saturday.
Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will preside at a reopening service that afternoon, banging on Notre Dame’s shuttered doors with his staff to reopen them, according to the cathedral’s website.
The archbishop will also symbolically reawaken Notre Dame’s thunderous grand organ. The fire that melted the cathedral’s lead roofing coated the huge instrument in toxic dust. Its 8,000 pipes have been painstakingly disassembled, cleaned and returned.
Macron will attend and address the VIP guests.
After the service, opera singers Pretty Yende, from South Africa, and Julie Fuchs, from France; Chinese pianist Lang Lang; Paris-born cellist Yo-Yo Ma; Benin-born singer Angelique Kidjo; Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji and others will perform at a concert Saturday evening, according to the show’s broadcaster, France Télévisions.
On Sunday morning, the Paris archbishop will lead an inaugural Mass and consecration of the new altar.
Nearly 170 bishops from France and other countries will join the celebration, along with priests from all 106 parishes in the Paris diocese. The Mass will be followed by a “fraternal buffet” for the needy.
Ile de la Cité, where the cathedral sits in the middle of the River Seine, will be blocked off to tourists for the events. A public viewing area with room for 40,000 spectators will be set up along the Seine’s southern bank.
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Namibia’s female VP leads in presidential election marred by problems
WINDHOEK, Namibia — The candidate for Namibia’s ruling party led Monday in early results of a presidential election characterized by technical problems which caused voting to be extended for three days.
The opposition has rejected the results and claimed the extension was illegal, undermining the vote in a southern African country that has a largely smooth history of elections and is praised as one of the region’s more stable democracies. Final results are expected this week, with opposition parties saying they will challenge the validity of the election in court.
The problems in last Wednesday’s election, which included a shortage of ballot papers and other issues, led election authorities to allow some polling stations to stay open until Saturday.
The issues threaten to overshadow any result, with Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling SWAPO party a strong contender to become Namibia’s first female leader.
The 72-year-old Nandi-Ndaitwah, a former member of Namibia’s underground independence movement, had around 56% of the vote in the partial results published Monday. Only 220,000 of the approximately 1.4 million votes cast have been counted. Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change opposition party is second with 27% of the vote.
Namibians voted for president and for the makeup of Parliament in a large but sparsely populated country on the southwest coast of Africa that has swathes of desert running through it. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
While Nandi-Ndaitwah offers a chance at history, SWAPO has faced frustration from Namibians struggling with a high unemployment rate and other economic hardships, especially among young people. Government corruption scandals have tarnished its reputation as the country’s liberator.
The Independent Patriots for Change said it expected to file a legal challenge against the election this week. Other opposition parties said they will join the case.
“It is about our country, it’s about our democratic credentials, it’s about the country that must work for everybody, the poor and the rich. It cannot only work for those who want to remain in power by hook or (by) crook,” said McHenry Venaani, the leader of the opposition Popular Democratic Movement and a candidate in the presidential election.
The Electoral Commission of Namibia which organized the election said there will not be a rerun despite opposition demands.
Other ruling parties in southern Africa have faced a mood of discontent this year.
In neighboring South Africa, the African National Congress, the party of Nelson Mandela, lost its 30-year majority and had to form a coalition to stay in government and keep hold of the presidency. The Botswana Democratic Party was stunningly swept from power in that country after governing for 58 years since independence from Britain.
In Mauritius, the incumbent party also lost in a landslide, while Mozambique’s Frelimo party was accused of rigging an October election, sparking large and ongoing protests of its long rule.
your ad hereFrom VOA Russian: Polish broadcasting seeking audiences in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine
The new head of the International Broadcasting department at Polish Television tells VOA Russian about plans to increase programming for viewers in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
“There is a need for truthful information about what is going on in Belarus and Russia,” Michael Broniatowski said. He also discussed the biggest challenges when producing programming for Belarusian and Russian audiences.
See the full story here.
your ad hereGreek islands Rhodes and Lemnos declare state of emergency after deadly storm wreaks havoc
ATHENS, Greece — Authorities on the Greek islands Rhodes and Lemnos declared a state of emergency Monday after storms battered the islands, leaving two dead and widespread damage.
Rescue teams, assisted by the military and local authorities, rescued many older residents in flood-hit areas, after strong winds and torrential rain over the weekend flipped cars, caused power outages and damaged roads.
Two men were killed in a flooded village on Lemnos, while scores of people were evacuated and taken to hotels in the island’s main port.
Vassilis Kikilias, the minister for climate crisis and civil protection, urged residents in storm-hit areas to comply with evacuation orders that are announced using cellphone push alerts.
“It is a thousand times better to comply with potentially excessive warnings than to face tragedy,” the minister told private Skai television.
Kikilias has pointed to climate change as the cause of worsening weather conditions in Greece in recent years, including an unprecedented series of heatwaves that intensify wildfires, a severe drought this year and massive floods in central Greece in 2023.
Rail travel on the Greek mainland was disrupted Monday. Weather warnings remained in effect for islands of the eastern Aegean islands, as well as parts of central and southern mainland Greece.
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