The National Building Museum has unveiled a new exhibition featuring over 2,500 rare artifacts. It’s called “Visible Vault: Open Collections’ and offers a glimpse into the history of architecture and construction. Maxim Adams has the story. Camera: Sergii Dogotar
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Finding home: Ukrainian teens adjust to life in New York
For Ukrainian teens displaced by war, adjusting to life in a new country is a complex journey. In New York City, there’s a school helping many of these students find a second home. Johny Fernandez reports from the Big Apple.
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Myanmar military appears to be using Thai fisherman as leverage, experts say
Myanmar’s recent arrest and sentencing of four Thai fishermen has heightened tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbors with some analysts telling VOA the move appears to be aimed at gaining legitimacy and recognition ahead of high-level government meetings in Bangkok this week.
Earlier this week, a Myanmar court in Kawthoung sentenced the owner of a seized fishing vessel to six years in prison, and three other fisherman received four-year prison terms.
The sentencing comes as Thailand’s foreign ministry continues talks for their release and as Myanmar is the focus of high-level government meetings in Bangkok.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist in Bangkok at Chulalongkorn University tells VOA that it’s clear that Myanmar is using the fishermen to leverage its own interests.
“The detention of Thai fisherman is designed to gain leverage over the Thai government in return for more official engagement and recognition of the State Administration Council,” Thitinan said. The State Administration Council, or SAC, is the official name of Myanmar’s military led government.
“This makes Thailand look kind of weak. This has been going on for some time, it’s not the first time for sure, but suddenly it has become a thorny issue,” Thitinan said.
Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington who focuses on Southeast Asia politics, agrees.
“I think that the generals, in their Neanderthal-ish way, are using them to maintain Thailand’s full support,” he said, adding that it risks backfiring if they hold the fishermen too long. “The Thai government is as supportive of the junta as it could be, but there will be a public backlash at some point.”
Myanmar’s military led government has said little about the sentencing of the fishermen or when they might be released. VOA reached out to the SAC for comment but as of press has not received a response.
Fishing disputes have long been a point of friction between the two countries but late last month Myanmar’s navy fired upon 15 Thai fishing vessels on the west coast off Ranong province in southern Thailand. Both Thai and Myanmar authorities blame each other for the incident.
Dominic Thomson, regional director of Southeast Asia for the Environmental Justice Foundation, says the incident was the first of its kind in a long time.
“There have been no reports of similar incidences since at least 2015. The nature of the incident, coupled with the detention of the fishing vessels and crew is unprecedented,” he told VOA via in an emailed response earlier this month.
One Thai national drowned during the altercation, while four Thai crew members were detained along with 27 Myanmar nationals. Myanmar authorities also seized one fishing vessel, the Sor Charoenchai 8.
Fast forward two weeks and Bangkok is now hosting two meetings with representatives from Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, India, Laos and Malaysia. The meetings are focused on border security, transnational crime, ASEAN and the Myanmar’s crisis.
The first meeting in Bangkok was held on Thursday. On Friday, a meeting centering on ASEAN’s role on Myanmar’s crisis is set to take place.
The recent maritime altercation has added to bilateral tensions between Thailand and Myanmar’s military government ahead of the meetings.
Nearly four years after the Min Aung Hlaing and his troops staged a coup in February 2021, removing the democratically elected government, Myanmar is in a state of nationwide conflict.
Over the past year, the junta has been losing territory, with pro-democracy and ethnic armed groups in coalition to defeat military rule. Over 60% of Myanmar is not under the military’s control.
At the same time, Myanmar is under increasing pressure to end the violence and hold an election next year.
Thitinan says for Thailand to engage the Myanmar junta in such a high-level way is “problematic” and that it’s no surprise that the Myanmar military is dragging the fisherman issue on.
“The question is why Thailand is suddenly giving in to this demand and leverage from the [State Administration Council]. The SAC is playing hardball here, to get recognition for legitimacy, and Thailand is playing along,” he said. The fisherman case dragging on is not surprising, the SAC is going to drag it on and milk it. It is surprising because in the medium long term it is detrimental. Engaging the SAC is very problematic because they are losing the civil war, and the future of Myanmar is not in favor of the SAC,” he added.
For their part, Thai officials have sought to play down the incident. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra says relations between Myanmar and Thailand remain strong, according to She said the four fishermen will be released on January 4, which, if it goes through, will be exactly five weeks since they were detained.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura speaking on behalf of Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa says fisherman issue has already been discussed between the two countries in Thursday’s meeting.
“Our Thai Foreign Minister also had the opportunity to have bilateral meetings with the Myanmar foreign minister. They discussed key issues such as regarding the case of the four Thai fisherman,” Nikorndej told a press conference.
“The Thai Foreign Minister receives official assurance from the Myanmar side that all four Thai nationals will be released soon. Both countries will cooperate in promoting understanding and preventing recurrence of issues of the same nature,” he said.
Thitinan, however, believes the meetings in Bangkok may not be the end of the issue.
“I would not be surprised if the Foreign Minister of Thailand Maris goes over to Naypyitaw next week or the coming days to clear up this issue,” he added.
your ad hereRussian missiles target Kyiv after Ukraine fires US-made missiles across the border
KYIV, UKRAINE — A Russian ballistic missile attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv early Friday killed at least one person and injured nine others, officials said. Moscow claimed it was in response to a Ukrainian strike on Russian soil using American-made weapons.
At least three loud blasts were heard in Kyiv shortly before sunrise. Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted five Iskander short-range ballistic missiles fired at the city. The attack knocked out heating to 630 residential buildings, 16 medical facilities, and 30 schools and kindergartens, the city administration said, and falling missile debris caused damage and sparked fires in three districts.
“We ask citizens to immediately respond to reports of ballistic attack threats, because there is very little time to find shelter,” the air force said.
During the almost three years since the war began Russia has regularly bombarded civilian areas of Ukraine, often in an attempt to cripple the power grid and unnerve Ukrainians. Meanwhile Ukraine, struggling to hold back Russia’s bigger army on the front line, has attempted to strike Russian infrastructure supporting the country’s war effort.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said the strike was in response to a Ukrainian missile attack on Russia’s Rostov border region two days earlier. That attack used six American-made Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, missiles and four Storm Shadow air-launched missiles provided by the United Kingdom, it said.
That day, Ukraine claimed to have targeted a Rostov oil refinery as part of its campaign to strike Russian infrastructure supporting the country’s war effort.
The use of Western-supplied weapons to strike Russia has angered the Kremlin. Ukraine fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles into Russia for the first time on Nov. 19 after Washington eased restrictions on their use.
That development prompted Russia to use a new hypersonic missile, called Oreshnik, for the first time. President Vladimir Putin suggested the missile could be used to target government buildings in Kyiv, though there have been no reports of an Oreshnik being used for a second time.
Answering the Ukrainian attack on Rostov on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said it carried out a group strike with “high-precision, long-range weapons” on the command center of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency and another location where it said Ukraine’s Neptune missile systems are designed and produced.
The attack also targeted Ukrainian ground-based cruise missile systems and U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, the Defense Ministry said.
“The objectives of the strike have been achieved. All objects are hit,” the defense ministry said in a Telegram post.
Its claims could not immediately be verified.
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US accuses man of being Chinese agent
LOS ANGELES — China’s ruling Communist Party used an agent in California to influence state politics, U.S. prosecutors said Thursday as they unveiled criminal charges against a Chinese national.
FBI agents arrested Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, at his home in Chino Hills, near Los Angeles, on charges that he acted as an agent for a foreign government while getting involved in local politics.
The complaint claims Sun served as the campaign manager and close confidante for an unnamed politician who was running for local elected office in 2022.
During the campaign, he is alleged to have conspired with Chen Jun — a Chinese national sentenced to prison last month for acting as an illegal agent of Beijing — regarding his efforts to get the politician elected.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Chen discussed with Chinese government officials how they could influence local politicians, particularly on the issue of Taiwan.
China considers the self-ruled island of Taiwan part of its territory.
Beijing — which has said it would never rule out using force to bring Taiwan under its control — has been accused of using local influence campaigns, among other tactics, to sway global opinion on the issue.
Charging documents say after the local politician won office in late 2022, Chen instructed Sun to prepare a report on the election to be sent to Chinese government officials, who expressed their thanks for his work.
“The conduct alleged in this complaint is deeply concerning,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.
“We cannot permit hostile foreign powers to meddle in the governance of our country.”
Sun was charged with one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
He also faces one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years.
Asked about the charges on Friday, Beijing’s foreign ministry said it was “not aware of the details in the case you mentioned.”
But spokesperson Lin Jian said, “China never interferes in the internal affairs of other countries.”
“The international community sees clearly who is actually wantonly interfering in the internal affairs of other countries,” he said during a regular briefing.
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Top US officials in Damascus to meet new Syrian rulers, State Department says
WASHINGTON — Top diplomats from the Biden administration are in Damascus on Friday to meet new Syrian authorities led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a State Department spokesperson said, the first in-person and official meeting between Washington and Syria’s de-facto new rulers.
The State Department’s top Middle East diplomat, Barbara Leaf, Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens and newly appointed Senior Adviser Daniel Rubinstein, who is now tasked with leading the Department’s Syria engagement, are the first U.S. diplomats to travel to Damascus since Syria’s opposition militias overthrew oppressive President Bashar al-Assad.
The visit comes as Western governments are gradually opening channels to HTS and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and start debating whether or not to remove the terrorist designation on the group. The U.S. delegation’s travel follows contacts with France and Britain in recent days.
In their meetings, the U.S. officials will discuss with HTS representatives a set of principles such as inclusivity and respect for the rights of minorities that Washington wants included in Syria’s political transition, the spokesperson said.
The delegation will also work to obtain new information about U.S. journalist Austin Tice, who was taken captive during a reporting trip to Syria in August 2012, and other American citizens who went missing during the Assad regime.
“They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them,” the department spokesperson said.
“They also plan to meet with representatives of HTS to discuss transition principles endorsed by the United States and regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan,” the spokesperson said.
The United States cut diplomatic ties with Syria and shut down its embassy in Damascus in 2012.
In a seismic moment for the Middle East, Syrian rebels seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war, ending his family’s decadeslong rule.
The lightning offensive raised questions over whether the rebels will be able to ensure an orderly transition.
Forces under the command of al-Sharaa – better known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani – replaced the Assad family rule with a three-month transitional government that had been ruling a rebel enclave in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.
Washington in 2013 designated al-Sharaa a terrorist, saying al Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with overthrowing Assad’s rule and establishing Islamic sharia law in Syria. It said the Nusra Front, the predecessor of HTS, carried out suicide attacks that killed civilians and espoused a violent sectarian vision.
U.S. President Joe Biden and his top aides described the overthrow of Assad as a historic opportunity for the Syrian people who have for decades lived under his oppressive rule, but also warned the country faced a period of risk and uncertainty.
Washington remains concerned that extremist group ISIS could seize the moment to resurrect and also wants to avoid any clashes in the country’s northeast between Turkey-backed rebel factions and U.S.-allied Kurdish militia.
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China’s Xi swears in new leader of casino hub Macao
MACAO — Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the casino hub of Macao to diversify its economy as he swore in the former Portuguese colony’s new government on Friday at an event marking the 25th anniversary of its handover to China.
New Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai — Macao’s first leader born in mainland China — vowed to address the territory’s unbalanced and uncoordinated economic development.
Since its 1999 handover, the city of 687,000 has transformed from a monopoly-driven gambling enclave into the world’s largest gaming hub, drawing hordes of tourists from mainland China. The casino boom has improved living standards, but authorities are concerned that the semi-autonomous city’s economy is unhealthily dependent on the industry.
Some young people say the tourism-dominated economy has limited their career options and the city’s diversified development. Critics say years of easy money from tourists have discouraged local businesses from innovating and improving, with many residents relying on personal connections to solve problems rather than civic participation.
During a gala dinner on Thursday, Xi praised Macao’s progress on economic diversification over the last five years and its strengthened international influence. He called for the city to expand its international role while attracting global talent to build a better Macao.
On Friday, he said the city should enhance its industrial development planning, strengthen policy support and boost investment to nurture internationally competitive new industries, in what observers said were stronger and more specific comments than before.
“The special administrative region’s government and all sectors of society have to show more care to young people and create a better environment and conditions for their growth, talent development and fulfilling their aspirations,” he said.
Sam has promised to accelerate plans to boost tourism and other sectors such as Chinese medicine, finance, tech, exhibitions and commerce.
Although political activism has never seriously challenged to Beijing in Macao, authorities have tightened control in recent years, particularly after Hong Kong was rocked by months of huge anti-government protests in 2019.
Vocal political dissent has largely been silenced. A vigil commemorating China’s military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in 1989 was banned, and pro-democracy figures were barred from competing in legislative elections. Last year, the city toughened its national security law.
Xi said “national sovereignty, security and development interests are above all,” while noting the need to safeguard the city’s autonomy. He said security is a precondition for development and residents should cherish their hard-won stability and peace.
Like neighboring Hong Kong, Macao is governed separately from the rest of China under a system that allows it to maintain elements of Western-style economic and social systems. It is the only Chinese city where casino gambling is legal.
With Beijing’s policy agenda now dominating Macao’s development, the casino hub is deepening economic links and social integration with neighboring Guangdong province.
China has designated a special zone on Hengqin Island in neighboring Zhuhai city, jointly run by Guangdong and Macao, to help foster new industries. That zone is planned to have about 120,000 Macao residents by 2035.
Xi said that Macao must participate proactively in the Greater Bay Area initiative, which Beijing aims to link Macao, Hong Kong and nine other Guangdong cities into an economic powerhouse.
Xi is due to conclude his three-day trip to Macao on Friday. During his stay, he visited a university, the special zone on Hengqin Island and attended a lavish cultural performance. He also met with Macao’s former city leaders and Hong Kong’s chief executive, among others.
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Terror situation worsens in Sahel after US pullout, say experts
In September, the U.S. military completed its withdrawal from Niger, where it had two bases that helped partners in the Sahel counter terrorism. The pullout came after members of Niger’s military staged a coup in 2023. The U.S. military says the withdrawal has had a major impact on efforts to fight terrorism in the region. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has more.
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Australia announces $118 million deal to enhance policing in Solomon Islands
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Australia announced on Friday it will pay for more police in Solomon Islands and create a police training center in the South Pacific island nation’s capital, Honiara, where Chinese law enforcement instructors are already based under a bilateral security pact with Beijing.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia would spend 190 million Australian dollars ($118 million) over four years on funding and training new Royal Solomon Islands Police Force recruits with a package that would “reduce any need for outside support.”
“My government is proud to make a significant investment in the police force of the Solomon Islands to ensure that they can continue to take primary responsibility for security in the Solomons,” Albanese told reporters in Australia’s capital, Canberra.
Albanese and his Solomons counterpart, Jeremiah Manele, said in a joint statement on Friday the package would build an enduring security capability in the Solomons, “thereby reducing its reliance on external partners over time.”
Australia has been energetically pursuing new bilateral security deals with its Pacific island neighbors since Beijing and the Solomons signed a security deal in 2022 under Manele’s predecessor, Manasseh Sogavare.
That deal has created fears among U.S. allies including Australia that the Chinese navy will be allowed to build a base in the strategically important Solomons.
Albanese’s Labor Party, which was the opposition at the time the pact was signed, described it as Australia’s worst foreign policy failure in the Pacific since World War II.
Australia has recently signed security deals with Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu and Nauru that effectively give Canberra veto powers over any security deals those countries might want to strike with third nations, including China.
Asked if the new deal would require the Chinese security presence to be removed from the Solomons, Albanese did not directly answer.
“The Solomon Islands of course is a sovereign nation. They have some measures in place and we expect that to continue,” Albanese said.
“As a result of this agreement, what we’ve done is make sure that Australia remains the security partner of choice,” he added.
Mihai Sora, a Pacific islands expert at the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based international policy think tank, said the agreement was a “clear win for Solomon Islands, which has gained a much-needed boost to its law and justice sector.”
“But Solomon Islands has not committed to scaling back the essentially permanent rotating presence of around 14 Chinese police trainers in the country, who have been running their own parallel training program with Solomon Islands police since 2022,” Sora said in an email.
“So, the agreement falls short of a solid strategic commitment to Australia from Solomon Islands, and there’s no indication that it would derail China-Solomon Islands security ties,” Sora added.
Blake Johnson, an analyst at the Australian Security Policy Institute, a Canberra-based think tank, said Chinese policing in the Pacific gives Beijing tools to control Chinese expatriates and pursue other goals.
“They can be very heavy-handed in their response sometimes. There are also concerns around data and privacy risks associated with Chinese police in the region,” Johnson said.
“Sometimes they’re providing surveillance equipment. There are concerns about what that is being used for and what it’s capturing,” he added.
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VOA Mandarin: China faces operational challenges if it were to invade Taiwan, US says
The U.S. Defense Department’s annual report on China’s military power, released this week, says the PLA is accelerating modernization, but it still faces several operational challenges in executing a rapid and decisive invasion of Taiwan.
Click here for the full story in Mandarin.
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VOA Mandarin: Chinese netizens react to Trump saying he, Xi can fix the world
During his first press conference as president-elect, Donald Trump mentioned U.S.-China relations, stating, “China and the United States can together solve all of the problems of the world.” The remark quickly trended on Weibo, sparking discussions among Chinese netizens.
Click here for the full story in Mandarin.
your ad hereVOA Russian: Europe targets Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’
Leaders of 12 European countries agreed at a meeting in Tallinn to expand sanctions against Russia’s “shadow fleet” that is used by Moscow to sell oil and evade Western sanctions. Several European states imposed new policies on Russian vessels transiting through European waters to curb Russia’s ability to use profits from illicit oil sales to fund its war in Ukraine.
Click here for the full story in Russian.
your ad hereVOA Russian: Defense minister charts Kremlin’s path toward a war with NATO
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said that a conflict between Russia and NATO is possible within the next decade. VOA Russian spoke to experts who agreed that Belousov is most likely voicing the Kremlin’s true intentions, and that the West should treat these statements seriously.
Click here for the full story in Russian.
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Mogadishu development project brings hope to Somalia
washington — In a landmark event for Somalia, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday officially launched the “New Mogadishu” development initiative, a transformative project that aims to reshape the capital’s economic landscape.
The initiative includes construction of a modern airport, a port and a key economic zone, all focused on fostering growth and attracting investment.
During the launch, Mohamud said the initiative showcases the resilience of the Somali business community.
“Somali businessmen have stepped up to provide essential services during challenging times, proving their commitment to the nation’s progress,” he said.
Mohamud also noted the initiative has the potential for massive job creation.
“The creation of this project is not just about infrastructure; it’s about creating opportunities for our youth and uplifting our communities,” he said.
“The launch of the New Mogadishu project marks a significant milestone for Somalia as it seeks to revitalize its capital and strengthen investor confidence, paving the way for a brighter economic future,” Mohamud added.
Fardowsa Osman Egal, Somalia’s minister of transport and aviation, emphasized the significance of the new airport in this project.
“It is a long dream that is materializing now. Due to the capacity and function of the current Mogadishu airport, which only has one runway, this new international airport will help us increase international flights,” she said. “The planned state-of-the-art airport and modern port will serve as vital infrastructure, creating a financial zone that is expected to draw both international and local investors.”
Valued at approximately $650 million, the New Mogadishu initiative is expected to significantly boost Somalia’s economic development.
On behalf of Somali business community, Mohamud Abdikarim Gabeyre, the chairman of the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry, welcomed the initiative.
“New Mogadishu, on the northern outskirts of the capital, is a project we welcome because we heard that the Somali business community will get the priority of the investment, and we hope it will be successful,” he said.
On Wednesday, the president also inaugurated a $400 million groundbreaking development project named Gateway Complex, poised to transform Somalia’s capital by introducing Somalia’s first five-star hotel, managed by the globally recognized Rotana hospitality group, and an international convention center capable of hosting up to 5,000 attendees.
Plans also feature premium hotel apartments, a 300-bed modern hospital, a leading school, a vibrant shopping complex, residential units and recreational facilities.
Mogadishu has long suffered from lawlessness and terrorist attacks. Although the capabilities of the al-Shabab terrorist group have been weakened, it continues to pose a threat by assassinating civilians, particularly those who install security cameras on their shops and business centers.
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After a police stop in Serbia, journalist finds spyware on phone
Washington / belgrade, serbia — An encounter with police in the Serbian city of Pirot earlier this year unnerved investigative reporter Slavisa Milanov.
A journalist for the independent media outlet FAR, Milanov was driving with a colleague in February when they were pulled over by police, who asked the pair to accompany them to a station to be tested for illegal substances.
Once there, Milanov said he was asked to leave his phone and personal belongings behind during a check.
The drug tests were negative, but when police handed Milanov his phone, he noticed the settings had been changed.
Suspecting that spyware may have been installed, he reached out to Amnesty International.
In a report published this week, the international watchdog confirmed Milanov’s suspicions, finding forensic evidence that spyware was installed on the phones of several journalists and activists, including Milanov.
In at least two cases, software provided by Cellebrite DI — an Israeli company that markets products for government and law enforcement agencies — was used to unlock the phones prior to infection, the report found. Then, Serbian spyware called NoviSpy took covert screenshots, copied contacts and uploaded them to a government-controlled server.
“In multiple cases, activists and a journalist reported signs of suspicious activity on their mobile phones directly following interviews with Serbian police and security authorities,” Amnesty said.
‘Major consequences’ seen
Aleksa Tesic, who has reported on spyware in Serbia for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, said the Amnesty report precisely documented for the first time cases showing technology abuse for the purpose of affecting civil liberties.
“We had various indications that this was happening before, because Serbia has been interested in advanced spy software for more than 10 years. But this could now have major consequences for democracy in Serbia,” Tesic said.
Serbia’s Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) rejected the findings. In a statement on its website, the agency said the report contained “nonsensical statements,” and that the BIA operates within local law.
The Serbian Interior Ministry also denounced the report as incorrect.
Milanov said the existence of spyware on his phone could “jeopardize me, my family, colleagues and my sources.”
“If anything happens to any of us, I will hold the state responsible for it. I don’t see who else it could be,” he told VOA Serbian.
Milanov is based in Dimitrovgrad, at the border of Serbia and Bulgaria, 330 kilometers from Serbia’s capital, Belgrade. He recalled to VOA the traffic stop and police headquarters, where he believes his phone was accessed.
“There, I was told to turn off my phone and leave other personal belongings during the check. Alcohol and drug tests were, of course, negative. Yet the policeman was, as it seemed to me, messaging with someone unknown to me,” Milanov said.
The reporter asked if he was free to go but was told, “We are waiting for the boss.”
Not long afterward, two men arrived. Milanov said they did not identify themselves.
“I assumed they were police inspectors. We went to another police station, where they questioned me about my work, financing, if I have traveled to Bulgaria recently and with whom,” he said.
Milanov answered the questions before being released with his belongings.
But changes to his phone settings led to a suspicion that something was wrong.
At home, he used specialized software and found that although he had left his phone off at the police station, it had been switched back on for the duration of his police encounter.
Call for accountability
Pavol Szalai, who heads the European Union-Balkans Desk of Reporters Without Borders, told VOA that Amnesty’s report corroborates information his organization had about journalists targeted by surveillance.
“Spyware and surveillance used in an illegitimate way kills journalism without spilling [any] blood of a journalist. Surveillance undermines confidentiality of sources, which is a cornerstone of press freedom,” he said. “And as for Serbia on the international level, it must be held accountable by the international organizations of which it is a member.”
Serbia is a European Union candidate country. But a report this year by the European Commission said the country lacked progress, including in the rule of law, the fight against corruption, nonalignment with Russia sanctioning and media freedoms.
A European Commission spokesperson told VOA that any attempts to illegally access citizens’ data, including journalists and political opponents, if confirmed, are not acceptable.
“The commission expects national authorities to thoroughly examine any such allegations and to restore citizens’ trust,” the spokesperson said.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that while he could not comment on a specific case, the use of spyware raises concerns.
“Speaking broadly, we have made quite clear since the outset of this administration the concerns that we have about governments that use spyware to track journalists, to track dissident groups, to track others who legitimately oppose or report on government activities,” Miller said in response to a question by VOA.
Grant Baker, a research analyst for technology and democracy at Freedom House, said Serbia should conduct an impartial investigation and provide remedy to those affected.
“Authorities should also amend excessively broad laws regulating surveillance so they better align with both the European Court of Human Rights rulings and the International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance,” Baker said.
The international community should also “make clear that such disproportionate surveillance is a grave threat to democracy,” Baker said.
“While export controls are not a panacea, they are one important and necessary step to reducing the technology’s negative impact on human rights around the world,” he said.
Serbia has a vibrant media landscape, but reporters often face political pressure, and impunity for crimes against journalists tends to be the norm, according to press freedom groups.
Reporters Without Borders ranks Serbia 98th out of 180 on the Press Freedom Index, where 1 reflects the best environment for media.
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Somalia ‘open’ to Ethiopian troop role
The Somali government is “open” to a potential role for Ethiopian troops in an African Union mission scheduled to take over peacekeeping operations in the country next month.
A senior Somali government official on Thursday told VOA’s Horn of Africa Service that the Somali government has “secured” and “allocated” all troops needed from the four other AU-troop-contributing countries — Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda — to participate in the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, or AUSSOM. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he had not been cleared to speak with reporters.
But Somali leaders, he added, are now “ready to reconsider” Ethiopian involvement in AUSSOM following a conciliatory dialogue between the countries hosted by Turkey last week.
In recent months, Mogadishu had repeatedly demanded that Addis Ababa withdraw its troops from Somali territory unless Ethiopia canceled a controversial Memorandum of Understanding with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland. The memorandum grants Ethiopia access to a 20-kilometer stretch of Red Sea coastline in return for potential recognition of Somaliland’s independence.
The anonymous official said although Somalia secured all troops from those four AU nations to compensate for the absence of Ethiopian troops, the recent diplomatic breakthrough has reopened the door for involving Ethiopia’s military support.
During the talks in Ankara, Ethiopia and Somalia agreed to respect each other’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
The possible breakthrough came just weeks after a spokesperson for Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nebiat Getachew, told media outlets that Ethiopia’s focus was on al-Shabab.
“Ethiopia’s key role, in any situation — in bringing al-Shabab to a level where it cannot be a threat to the region, as well as its role in the establishment and stability of the Somali government — is known both by the Somalis and the international community,” he said.
“It is an undeniable fact that the Ethiopian army has made sacrifices in blood and bones for this great result,” Nebiat added. “The work of weakening the [Somalia-based] al-Shabab terrorist group will continue under any circumstances so that it does not pose a threat to our national security and the victories achieved through the sacrifices made so far are not reversed.”
In a Thursday meeting, the AU’s peace and security council expressed concern about the threat posed by al-Shabab and condemned the group’s attacks on Somali and AU forces.
The AU appealed to the U.N. Security Council to explore financing options for AUSSOM.
“This is vital for #AUSSOM to fulfill its mandate & support the #Somalia Security Sector Development Plan (SSDP),” the AU said in a post on the X social media platform.
Starting in January, AUSSOM will have 11,900 personnel operating on the ground in Somalia, including soldiers, police and civilian support staff, according to Somali and AU officials.
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Biden’s immigration legacy is a complex one
WASHINGTON — Immigration has been a defining challenge of the Biden presidency, marked by record numbers of asylum-seekers and other migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. President Joe Biden pledged to modernize the nation’s immigration system and rebuild a refugee resettlement program that had hit historic lows under the previous administration.
But despite issuing a record number of immigration-related executive actions — surpassing the Trump administration — Biden’s efforts drew criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. Critics on the right said the administration was being too lenient, while those on the left said it was too harsh.
The Biden administration inherited a fractured immigration system, including a backlog of asylum cases, a reduction in refugee processing capacity, and policies such as Title 42 that significantly shaped migration patterns.
During a webinar, Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at Migration Policy Institute (MPI), provided an overview of the Biden administration’s record. He noted that Biden’s approach to enforcement away from the border has been seen as largely favorable by experts and immigration advocates.
He said Biden administration officials focused on enforcement guidelines, rather than trying to deport everyone, yet the crisis at the border cast a long shadow over his legacy.
He emphasized the success of legal immigration under Biden, pointing to the high numbers of visas issued, the record number of naturalizations and the resurgence of refugee admissions.
About “3.5 million people were naturalized under the Biden administration, the highest of any one-term presidency,” he said.
However, Chishti said the administration’s handling of border security was less successful. The administration faced overwhelming numbers of migrants, many arriving from countries beyond Mexico and Central America.
“The Biden presidency entered office with a crisis at the border, which was precipitated by the COVID crisis and Title 42,” he said. The administration’s failure to call the situation a crisis, he added, contributed to a perception of mishandling, despite efforts to manage it through new programs like the CBP One app and various parole initiatives.
Handling the border
Marielena Hincapie, a visiting scholar at Cornell Law School who participated in the webinar, praised efforts under the Department of Homeland Security’s leadership to increase naturalization rates, expedite work permit processing, and implement innovative policies such as deferred action for undocumented workers who had experienced labor disputes.
These measures, she said, benefited not only immigrants but also the broader U.S. workforce and economy.
Hincapie also criticized the administration’s handling of border issues, calling it mismanagement.
She highlighted the role of Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in exacerbating the crisis by busing and flying thousands of migrants to New York, Chicago and elsewhere.
Hincapie also pointed to additional involvement at the state level, saying, “There’s not only the busing and flying of migrants, which DeSantis did, but also litigation.”
“And I really see this as the Biden’s inner circle, his political and communications folks, failed to understand that this was a narrative war and the fact that they refused to call it a crisis when that is what voters were seeing. … They fell silent and decided not to prioritize immigration, and by doing so, they ceded the narrative,” she said.
Migration shifts
The Biden administration also faced shifts in migration patterns.
Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, associate policy analyst at MPI, said the reality at the U.S.-Mexico border shifted once again during Biden’s term with migrants arriving in large numbers from across the Western Hemisphere and from countries around the world.
The demographics of migrants also changed, she said, from single adults to families, and many were seeking asylum, further complicating border processing.
U.S. law offers asylum to people facing persecution in their home countries on the basis of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular group.
Though there are two kinds of asylum, affirmative and defensive, not all asylum claims come from migrants arriving at the border. Immigrants may claim affirmative asylum within one year of their latest arrival in the United States or request a defensive asylum while fighting an order of deportation.
“All this resulted in a high number of migrants released into the interior of the U.S.,” Putzel-Kavanaugh said.
This brought the border crisis into the interior of the nation, with large numbers of newly arrived migrants heavily concentrated in cities like New York, Chicago and Denver — cities already facing housing shortages.
Putzel-Kavanaugh also praised the Biden administration’s work to pair increased enforcement with options for safe and orderly legal migration.
“We saw the introduction of programs like CBP One app, which allowed migrants to make appointments at ports of entry along the border, and the parole program for nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela,” she said.
Despite these efforts, Putzel-Kavanaugh said many saw the measures as “too little, too late.”
But that shift in migrant arrivals from irregular crossings to legally arriving at ports of entry has been one of the few success stories of Biden’s border management strategies.
Monthly migrant encounters dropped significantly from the highs of December 2022, with a decrease from more than 300,000 encounters to about 106,000 in October 2024, according to CBP figures.
Issue for years to come
While Biden’s efforts to modernize immigration systems and address asylum claims were significant, experts said the ongoing challenges of irregular migration and border security will remain a focal point in U.S. immigration policy for years to come.
“I do think in summary, we do have two real important crises in our country,” Chishti said. “We do have a labor market crisis across occupations from low, mid to high levels [and a border crisis]. This is why a lot of these people who have come in, even though they came irregularly, have been absorbed.”
Chishti pointed to remarks in 2022 from Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, about the U.S. labor market and its dynamics. Powell said immigration is a key source of labor supply, and the significant decline in immigration levels during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the labor supply-demand mismatch.
That shortfall in immigration resulted in fewer workers available to fill jobs, particularly in sectors that traditionally rely on immigrant labor, such as health care, hospitality and agriculture. Powell acknowledged that addressing the labor supply constraints, including through immigration policy, could help ease pressure to raise wages and reduce inflation without significant harm to employment levels.
“The reason nothing is happening on changes or reform to our legal immigration system — so we can get more people legally for our labor market needs — is because of the crisis of the border,” Chishti said.
“These are twin crises, but they’re getting interlinked,” he said. “Unless we get the border crisis under control, we won’t be able to address our labor market crisis.”
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US says Pakistan developing missiles that eventually could hit US
WASHINGTON — A senior White House official on Thursday said nuclear-armed Pakistan is developing long-range ballistic missile capabilities that eventually could allow it to strike targets outside of South Asia, including in the United States.
In his stunning revelation about the onetime close U.S. partner, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said Islamabad’s conduct raised “real questions” about the aims of its ballistic missile program.
“Candidly, it’s hard for us to see Pakistan’s actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States,” Finer told the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace audience.
“Pakistan has developed increasingly sophisticated missile technology, from long-range ballistic missile systems to equipment that would enable the testing of significantly larger rocket motors,” he said.
If those trends continue, Finer said, “Pakistan will have the capability to strike targets well beyond South Asia, including in the United States.”
His speech came a day after Washington announced a new round of sanctions related to Pakistan’s ballistic missile development program, including on the state-run defense agency that oversees the program.
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Music bridges memory gaps for New York Alzheimer’s patients
The Unforgettable Chorus in New York is using music to help people with memory loss reconnect with family, friends and themselves. Since 2011, the choir has been a beacon of hope, offering a space where those living with dementia can sing, participate and be part of a community. Johny Fernandez reports from New York City.
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US imposes sanctions on Iran, Houthi-related targets
The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on Iran and Houthi-related entities, according to the Treasury Department website which listed a number of individuals, companies and vessels that had been targeted.
The sanctions target three vessels involved in the trade of Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals, which generates billions of dollars for Iran’s leaders, supporting Tehran’s nuclear program, development of ballistic missiles and financing of proxies including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, the Treasury said.
“The United States is committed to targeting Iran’s key revenue streams that fund its destabilizing activities,” Bradley Smith, acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a release. Smith said Iran relies on a “shadowy network” of vessels, companies, and facilitators for those activities.
Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The vessels targeted were the Djibouti-flagged crude oil tanker MS Enola, owned by Journey Investment company, the San Marino-flagged MS Angia, and the Panama-flagged MS Melenia. The last two tankers are managed and operated by Liberia- and Greece-registered Rose Shipping Limited.
The sanctions block all property and interests in the United States of the designated parties, and U.S. persons and entities dealing with them could be exposed to sanctions or enforcement actions including fines.
The Treasury said it also imposed sanctions on 12 individuals to pressure procurement and financing schemes by the Yemen Houthi group. Those included Hashem Ismail Ali Ahmad al-Madani, the head of the Houthi-aligned central bank in Sanaa, for their alleged roles in trafficking arms, laundering money and shipping illicit Iranian oil for the benefit of the Houthis.
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Trump pushes for conflict-ending Ukraine-Russia ‘deal’
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says the leaders of Ukraine and Russia should be “prepared to make a deal” to end the brutal conflict that has consumed Ukraine since 2022. He also slammed President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike inside Russian territory with U.S.-provided weapons – hinting that when he takes office, he may reverse that move. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Washington. Iuliia Iarmolenko, Kim Lewis and Kateryna Lisunova contributed.
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US ambassador: US arms manufacturers could help boost Vietnam’s capabilities
HANOI, VIETNAM — U.S. weapons manufacturers could work with Vietnamese counterparts to help build Vietnam’s armed forces, the U.S. ambassador to the southeast Asian country said on Thursday.
“Our goal is to ensure that Vietnam has what it needs to defend its interests at sea, in the air, on the ground and in cyberspace,” U.S. Ambassador Marc Knapper said at an international arms expo in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.
The expo, held at the Gia Lam airport, brought together 250 exhibitors, including geopolitical rivals such as the United States, China, Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Iran.
U.S. exhibitors included Boeing and Textron Aviation. China was present with Norinco and Gaodu International Trade. Iran’s defense ministry pavilion wasn’t far from booths set up by Israeli companies Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. Several Russian firms also attended, along with Ukraine’s Motor Sich.
Vietnam has been trying to increase its domestic arms manufacturing while reducing its reliance on Russia for weapon imports.
In 2022, Russia made up around 60% of all of Vietnam’s military purchases, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. But Vietnam’s longstanding efforts to diversify its imports have been accelerated by the war in Ukraine. It has also been trying to boost its own capacity to make arms and displayed military equipment it made at the expo.
A key driver for Vietnam is the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, a key trade and security route. It is a flashpoint in Asia and a fault line in the U.S.-China regional rivalry. Vietnam has been critical of China’s increasingly hostile actions in the disputed waters. Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries have overlapping claims in the busy sea passage.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hailed the event as a “message of peace, cooperation and development.” He was later given a tour of a military plane made by U.S. firm Lockheed Martin.
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France’s Macron visits cyclone-devastated Mayotte as residents plead for aid
MAMOUDZOU, MAYOTTE — French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Thursday in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte to survey Cyclone Chido’s destruction and was immediately confronted with a firsthand account of devastation across the French territory.
“Mayotte is demolished,” Assane Haloi, a security agent, told Macron after he stepped off the plane.
Macron had been moving along in a line of people greeting him when Haloi grasped his hand and spoke for a minute about the harrowing conditions the islands faced without bare essentials since Saturday when the strongest cyclone in nearly a century ripped through the French territory off the coast of Africa.
“We are without water, without electricity, there is nowhere to go because everything is demolished,” she said. “We can’t even shelter, we are all wet with our children covering ourselves with whatever we have so that we can sleep.”
Numbers of dead unknown
At least 31 people have died and more than 1,500 people were injured, more than 200 critically, French authorities said. But it’s feared hundreds or even thousands of people have died.
Macron arrived shortly after The Associated Press and other journalists from outside were able to reach Mayotte to provide accounts from survivors of the horror over the weekend when winds howled above 220 kph (136 mph) and peeled the roofs and walls from homes that collapsed around the people sheltering inside.
In the shantytown Kaweni on the outskirts of the capital Mamoudzou, a swath of hillside homes was reduced to scraps of corrugated metal, plastic, piles of bedding and clothing, and pieces of timber marking the frame where homes once stood.
“Those of us who are here are still in shock, but God let us live,” Nassirou Hamidouni said as he dug in the rubble of his former home. “We are sad. We can’t sleep because of all of the houses that have been destroyed.”
Macron took a helicopter tour of the damage and then met with patients and staff at a hospital, who described having to work around the clock.
A woman who works in the psychological unit became emotional as she described staff becoming exhausted and unable to care for patients.
“Help the hospital staff, help the hospital,” pleaded the woman, whose name was not known. “Everyone from top to bottom is wiped out.”
More help on the way
Macron, who was wearing a traditional red, black and gold Mayotte scarf over his white dress shirt and tie, put his hand on her shoulder as she wiped away tears.
He sought to reassure people that food, medical aid and additional rescuers arrived with him and more help was on its way in the form of water and a field hospital to be set up Friday. A navy ship brought 180 tons of aid and equipment, the French military said.
But the visit took a testy turn when Macron was criticized for being out of touch about what was happening on the ground by a man who said they had gone six days in Ouangani without water or a visit from rescue services.
The president said it took the military four days to clear the roads and get a plan in place to deliver aid.
“If you want to continue shouting to get airtime,” Macron said as he was cut off, by the man saying he didn’t intend to shout. “If you are interested in my response, if not I will walk away.”
Residents have expressed agony at not knowing if loved ones were dead or missing, partly because of the hasty burials required under Muslim practice to lay the dead to rest within 24 hours.
“We’re dealing with open-air mass graves,” said Estelle Youssoufa, who represents Mayotte in the French parliament. “There are no rescuers, no one has come to recover the buried bodies.”
Macron acknowledged that many who died haven’t been reported. He said phone services will be repaired “in the coming days” so that people can report their missing loved ones.
France’s poorest territory
Mayotte, with a population of 320,000 residents and an estimated 100,000 additional migrants, is France’s poorest territory.
It is part of an archipelago located between mainland Africa’s east coast and northern Madagascar that had been a French colony. Mayotte voted to remain part of France in a 1974 referendum as the rest of the islands became the independent nation of Comoros.
The cyclone devastated entire neighborhoods as many people ignored warnings, thinking the storm wouldn’t be so extreme.
Signs of the disaster and its impact were everywhere.
Streets remained swamped in puddles. Bright clothing was hung to dry on the wooden frames of homes and along the railings of a footbridge over a debris-strewn stream in the Kaweni slum. Throngs of motorbikes and cars lined up at a gas station still in service.
Families sprawled out on blankets at a school where 500 people were taking shelter. Women washed clothing in buckets of water as children played with the pieces of a giant chessboard.
Alibouna Haithouna, a displaced mother of four, was with her own mother who had been forced to leave a hospital after her son died there.
“There was a tragedy. We lost my brother. We are here,” Haithouna said. “My brother’s body, we haven’t been able to get it from the hospital because there is a lot of paperwork to do and in addition to that you have to pay to recover the body.”
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French court finds 51 defendants guilty in mass rape trial
After a French court Thursday found all 51 defendants guilty in a drugging-and-rape case, the victim, Gisele Pelicot said that the trial has been a “difficult ordeal,” but that she never regretted making the case public.
Following a four-month trial in the southeastern city of Avignon, Pelicot’s ex-husband of 50 years, 72-year-old Dominique Pelicot, received a sentence of a maximum of 20 years in prison.
He pleaded guilty in September to repeatedly drugging his wife, raping her while she was unconscious and recruiting strangers to join him over a period of 10 years.
The five-judge panel handed Pelicot’s 50 co-defendants, a group of men from 27 to 74 years old, sentences ranging from three to 20 years in prison.
In her first comments following the verdicts, Gisele Pelicot told reporters her first thoughts were with her three children and her grandchildren, “because they are the future, and it is also for them that I have fought this battle.”
She said she was also thinking of all the other families affected “by this tragedy.” Finally, she said, “I think of the unrecognized victims whose stories often remain in the shadows. I want you to know that we share the same struggle.”
Pelicot has become a symbol of courage and resilience to many, and crowds of supporters gathered outside the courthouse as the case went on.
Asked by reporters about complaints by her supporters that the sentences were too lenient, Pelicot said she respected the court and the decision. She said, “I trust, now, in our capacity to collectively seize a future in which each one of us, woman and man, may live in harmony with mutual respect and understanding.”
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
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