Monday, April 30, 2018
US Service Member Killed in Afghanistan
The U.S. military says one of its service members was killed and another injured during a combat mission in eastern Afghanistan.
In a statement, officials said several Afghan security forces were also killed and wounded during the same operation Monday. They did not elaborate further on the circumstances surrounding the casualties.
The military said the wounded U.S. service member was taken to Bagram Airfield's hospital for treatment and was in stable condition.
U.S. Forces-Afghanistan commander Gen. John Nicholson said the U.S. service members’ “valiancy in battle, and that of the brave Afghan partners they fought alongside, will endure in our hearts and history.”
The casualties in Afghanistan’s east came on the same day that a twin suicide bombing in the capital, Kabul, killed at least 26 people, including nine journalists. Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack.
The United States and NATO officially concluded their combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014, shifting to a support role. Afghan forces have struggled to fight militants from the Taliban and Islamic State.
Poppy Harvest Season Underway in Eastern Afghanistan
Poppy harvest season is underway in Afghanistan, the world’s largest producer of opium. Farmers in eastern Nangarhar province say they do not have any other options but to cultivate poppy to make a living. U.S. and Afghan forces continue to target drug-processing labs across Afghanistan in order to target Taliban financial streams. Zabihullah Ghazi reports.
Pakistan’s Shi'ite Hazara on Hunger Strike to Protest Targeted Killings
Members of Pakistan’s Hazara community, a minority Shi’ite sect, are on a hunger strike for a third day against the targeted killings their community has faced for years.
The number of killings has recently increased, with four separate attacks in April alone.
“I want to request army chief (Qamar Javed) Bajwa to come here as a common man, as a father, as a husband, and feel our pain. We have 3,000 widows and 10,000 orphans. Face them. Tell them why their loved ones are being killed,” said Jalila Haider, a lawyer and a human rights activist belonging to the community.
“Who are these people who come and shoot our youth despite the presence of security check posts," asked Raheela Haider, another striker. "We want to find out who they are.”
Provincial Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti visited the hunger strike camp late Sunday and assured Haider and others that the regional government was taking steps to arrest elements involved in the targeted killings. Haider, however, rejected Bugti's request to end the strike.
Thousands of Hazaras have been killed in bomb blasts or shootings over the last two decades. Sunni militant groups have taken responsibility for most of those incidents.
In most of the attacks, the assailants managed to escape.
The Hazaras reside primarily in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. In Pakistan, Shi’ites are a regular target of Sunni militant groups. Hazaras seem to bear the brunt of that violence since their distinctive facial features, a mixture of Mongolian and Central Asian ancestry, make them easily identifiable. In addition, many of them live in two large clusters in Quetta and have limited routes out of their communities, making attacks easier to plan.
Over time, the government tried to protect their main communities in Quetta, the capital of the restive Balochistan province, by putting walls around their neighborhoods guarded at the entrance by Frontier Constabulary, a paramilitary force.
Hazaras complain that their neighborhoods have turned into large prisons, where they are free to move about as long as they do not step outside. If they do, to conduct business or pursue their education, they risk death.
Last year, a high school graduate, Ali Haris, told VOA that up to 80 percent of his high school class gave up the prospect of a university education out of fear. To go to college, they would have to leave the safety of their protected community and travel through parts of the city where Hazaras regularly become targets.
Pakistan’s National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR), established in 2012 to meet the country’s international obligations, said in a recent report that more than 700 Hazaras were killed in various incidents of terrorism in Quetta in the last five years.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
US to Insist on Deeds and Actions by N. Korea
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says, during an expected nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump will insist on deeds and actions by Pyongyang, not words and promises. VOA’s Michael Bowman reports from Washington, which is absorbing changing realities on the Korean peninsula and the possibility of even more momentous developments yet to come.
Pollution Hurting Pakistan’s Seas and People’s Livelihood
Pollution of the ocean is a global issue and many countries are taking measures to prevent it. But in the case of Pakistan, no strategy has been developed to deal with pollution. Shayan Saleem from VOA's Urdu service, visited the port city of Karachi, for a look at the situation. Aman Azhar narrates his report.
Rebel, Miltary Clashes in Myanmar Force Thousands to Flee
Fighting in northern Myanmar between government forces and the rebel Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, has forced more than 4,000 people to flee their homes.
Col Naw Bu, a KIA spokesman, said the fighting will become "more intense" because the army is sending more troops to the area.
Aid organizations have requested access to the clash-stricken, remote northeastern area near the country's border with China. Charities fear thousands of vulnerable people remain trapped since the fighting escalated in April.
"Our biggest concern is for the safety of civilians, including pregnant women, the elderly, small children and people with disabilities," Mark Cutts, the head of the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told the French news agency. "We must ensure these people are protected."
Elsewhere in Myanmar, envoys from the U.N. Security Council are expected Monday after visiting Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar where Rohingya Muslims fled after military-led violence erupted around their homes in Myanmar.
The delegation arrived in Bangladesh Saturday for a first-hand look at the situation of the Rohingya. The U.N. envoys will meet with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina before leaving for Myanmar where they will visit Rakhine State and meet with de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Nearly 700,000 Rohingyas left Myanmar's Rakhine State after the violence started in late August 2017.
Myanmar denies accusations of ethnic cleansing.
Rohingyas in Myanmar have been denied citizenship even though many of their families have lived in Myanmar for generations.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
2 Fires Strike High-rise Planned as Trump Hotel in Azerbaijan
Two fires broke out Saturday at a vacant high-rise building in Azerbaijan's capital that was intended to be a Trump-branded hotel in the former Soviet republic before Donald Trump was elected as U.S. president.
The first blaze burned the 33-story building in Baku for three hours before firefighters shooting jets of water from trucks extinguished it. No injuries were reported and the incident officially was declared over.
But flames lit up the sky after the tower caught fire again in the evening. It, too, was put out.
After the first blaze, the building had few visible signs of damage to its exterior. Authorities have not given a cause for the fires.
Reflecting the building's significance in Azerbaijan, Emergency Situations Minister Kamalladin Heydarov was at the scene for the first fire. The ministry said it had started on the 18th floor.
"The fire lasted a long time due to a lack of water,'' Deputy Minister Etibar Mammadov said. "The reasons for the fire are being investigated.''
The Trump Organization canceled its licensing deal for the planned hotel in December 2016, one month after Trump was elected. Letters spelling out the Trump name were removed from the building.
The company had partnered on the project with Anar Mammadov, the son of the transport minister of Azerbaijan at the time, Ziya Mammadov.
The elder Mammadov was suspected by U.S. diplomats of laundering money for Iran's military, according to leaked diplomatic cables made available in 2010.
Financial disclosures filed by his campaign showed that Trump earned between $2.5 million and $2.8 million in management fees from the unopened hotel.
Plans to open the high-rise as a business center so far haven't materialized.
Modi-Xi talks highlight India-China rivalry, cooperation
The leaders of China and India stressed the importance of close ties in talks Saturday, against the background of their rivalry for leadership in Asia and the potential for cooperation on economic and security matters.
Solid China-India relations "are an important factor for global peace and stability," Chinese President Xi Jinping was quoted as telling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an informal summit in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Saturday.
The two Asian giants should "engage in even closer strategic communication," Xi was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency as saying.
In a tweet, Modi said discussions over tea had been productive and that "Strong India-China friendship is beneficial for the people of our nations and the entire world."
Talks touched on economic issues, along with people-to-people relations, agriculture, technology, energy and tourism, Modi said in his tweet.
The meeting comes amid tensions over the contested China-India border and a rivalry for influence with smaller neighbors.
China-India relations date back centuries but in recent years have been characterized by competition for leadership in Asia.
The countries fought a border war in 1962 and last year engaged in a 10-week standoff. New Delhi has also been alarmed by China's moves to build ties with Indian Ocean nations including India's longtime rival Pakistan.
China, for its part, resents India's hosting of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, and its control of territory Beijing says belongs to it.
Following the most protracted standoff in years, India last year agreed to pull back troops from the disputed Doklam Plateau high in the Himalayas, where Chinese troops had begun constructing a road. China claims the strategically important region, but India says it belongs to ally Bhutan.
Despite such differences, Modi hopes China can help drive Indian economic growth ahead of national elections next year. He also appears intent on building a strong personal relationship with Xi, who will be China's leader for years to come following the lifting of term limits on the presidency.
However, Modi's administration has been notably reluctant to engage with Beijing's "Belt and Road" initiative linking its economy to those of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe through massive loans and investments.
Modi will travel to China again in June for a summit of the eight-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is dominated by Beijing and Moscow. Along with China, Russia and India, that group includes the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Pakistan.
ASEAN Leaders Warned on IS Threats
The prime minister of Singapore says the Islamic State still poses "very real" threats to the ASEAN region, despite the group's defeat in the Middle East.
In an opening address at a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong said, "Southeast Asia is at peace, but these threats are very real."
The prime minister warned that the region's embrace of technology also makes it especially vulnerable.
"We need to be resilient to both conventional threats, and also non-conventional threats such as terrorism and cyberattacks," the prime minister said.
Lee also welcomed the easing of tensions between the two Koreas. "It's a positive step. It's better than firing missiles and testing bombs..."
In another matter, Lee said the summit agreed to encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to return refugees to their homes "in a safe, secure and dignified way, without undue delay."
ASEAN is a regional group that promotes economic, political and security cooperation among its 10 members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Garbage Fire Burns for Second Week in Myanmar
Firefighters in Myanmar scrambled to put out a fire in a massive garbage dump on the edge of its largest city, Yangon, as foul-smelling smoke from the burning trash that injured dozens extended into its second week Saturday.
The fire has generated a haze blanketing parts of Myanmar’s commercial hub and raised concerns about public health. It has spread across nearly a third of the 300-acre landfill in Yangon’s northern township of Hlaing Thar Yar.
Some 600 firefighters and members of security forces have been fighting the blaze since April 21. Authorities have imported fire suppression bio-foam from neighboring Thailand and tried to create artificial rain to contain the spread of the flames in the peak of the hot season.
Cause of fire unknown
While authorities have brought the fire under control, deputy director of Myanmar Fire Service Department Win Naing told Reuters it was difficult to estimate when it would be extinguished. The cause of the fire had yet to be determined, Win Naing said.
Twenty-six people have been hospitalized, many suffering smoke inhalation. Myanmar has sought medical help from the World Health Organization and other aid agencies, state-run newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar reported Saturday.
Myanmar media have criticized the government’s slow response in tackling what Yangon Region Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein called a “national problem.”
Garbage problem
It also highlights the growing waste problem in Yangon, a city of more than 5 million people without a long-term waste management solution. The 17-year-old landfill takes about half of the city’s daily trash of more than 2,500 tons.
“We have been throwing trash for ages that way. Old trash produces methane and it causes fires,” Phyo Min Thein told reporters.
Firefighters described challenges battling the flames and smoke under scorching heat without adequate protective equipment.
“We can’t even see each other due to the smoke,” said Zaw Naing Myint, a fire station leader who was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Zaw Naing Myint broke down in tears as he described climbing trash “piled up like mountains.”
Among the worst affected were residents of Hlaing Thar Yar, one of Yangon’s poorest neighborhoods. Tens of thousands of people live in shanty towns there built from bamboo and plastic sheets and lack access to electricity, running water and drainage systems.
“I feel terrible because I can’t breathe and my feet were swollen and still swelling a bit,” said 65-year-old Tin Ohn, a Hlaing Thar Yar resident who suffers diabetes and was also hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Officials: Suicide Bomber Hits Afghan Base
A Taliban suicide bomber attacked an army base in southern Helmand province Saturday killing four civilians and two soldiers, officials said.
Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor in Helmand, said three civilians and two soldiers were wounded in the attack in Nad Ali district. The bomber targeted the base using a mini-van, Zwak said.
Maj. Abdul Qadeer Bahadorzai, the army corps commander’s spokesman in the south, confirmed the attack. He said the death toll could change.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Taliban insurgents announced the start of their annual spring offensive last Wednesday, at a time when insurgents are already regularly launching attacks and battling security forces.
The group issued a statement Wednesday saying that the “Al-Khandaq” offensive would make use of “new and intricate tactics” aimed at “crushing, killing and capturing American invaders and their supporters.”
The onset of spring has traditionally brought an increase in violence in Afghanistan, as melting snows allow fighters to more easily traverse the mountainous terrain.
But in recent years the Taliban and an Islamic State group affiliate have carried out near-daily attacks year-round. The Taliban have seized control of districts across the country and regularly target Kabul, the capital.
The U.S. formally ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014, but thousands of American troops remain in the country in a counterterrorism and support role. The Trump administration has sent thousands of additional troops to try to change the course of America’s longest war.
Friday, April 27, 2018
Asian Rivals China, India Open Two Days of Talks
The leaders of India and China meet Friday amid tensions along their contested border and a rivalry for influence among their smaller neighbors that could determine dominance in Asia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is to sit down with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the central city of Wuhan at the start of two days of talks between the heads of the world’s two most populous nations.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar said Modi arrived after midnight in Wuhan. The leaders would “review the developments in our bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective,” Kumar said in a tweet.
China-India relations date back centuries but in recent decades have been characterized by competition for leadership in Asia.
Some of the issues
The countries fought a border war in 1962 and last year engaged in a 10-week standoff in the neighboring state of Bhutan. India has also been alarmed by China’s moves to build strategic and economic ties with Indian Ocean nations including Sri Lanka, the Maldives and India’s longtime rival Pakistan.
China for its part resents India’s hosting of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and its control of territory Beijing says belongs to it.
China claims some 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles) of territory in India’s northeast, while India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) of its territory in the Aksai Chin Plateau in the western Himalayas. Officials have met at least 20 times to discuss the competing border claims without making significant progress.
Following the most protracted standoff in years, India last year agreed to pull back troops from the disputed Doklam Plateau high in the Himalayas, where Chinese troops had started constructing a road.
Economic possibilities
Despite such differences, Modi hopes China can help drive Indian economic growth ahead of national elections next year. However, his administration has been reluctant to engage with Beijing’s “Belt and Road” initiative linking its economies to those of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Modi will be traveling to China again in June for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. Along with China and India, that group includes the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan as well as Pakistan.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Parents Sue North Korea over Death of Detainee Otto Warmbier
The parents of U.S. college student Otto Warmbier have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against North Korea, saying its government tortured and killed their son.
Fred and Cindy Warmbier filed the lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for the death of Otto Warmbier, who was arrested by North Korean authorities in January 2016 for stealing a propaganda poster and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He died in June 2017, days after he was repatriated to the U.S. with severe brain damage.
Fred Warmbier said in a statement that his son “was taken hostage, kept as a prisoner for political purposes, used as a pawn and singled out for exceptionally harsh and brutal treatment by Kim Jong Un.”
Senior Afghan Official Killed
A senior Afghan provincial official has been killed in eastern Afghanistan after militants attacked his vehicle, Afghan officials told VOA.
Qamaruddin Shikib, the deputy governor of eastern Logar province, was traveling to the capital, Kabul, when his vehicle was ambushed in Mohammad Agha district of eastern Logar province.
In a statement released Thursday, the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), a government institution overseeing local governance, condemned the attack and confirmed the death of Shikib.
Abdul Wali Wakil, a member of Logar’s provincial council, told VOA that Shikib was on his way to Kabul for official business when he was attacked by a group of unknown armed men.
The deputy governor reportedly was traveling with Haqiq Rahman, a provincial judiciary official, a driver and two bodyguards. His driver was reportedly killed in the attack and the two bodyguards and the judiciary official have been wounded.
There also were unconfirmed reports that Saleem Khan Saleh, the provincial government’s spokesperson, was traveling with the deputy governor and had been killed.
The news of Saleh’s death has not yet been confirmed by authorities.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but officials suspected it was carried out by the Taliban.
PLUGGED IN: Looming Deadline on Iran Nuke Deal, North Korea Talks on White House Agenda
Washington's efforts to denuclearize North Korea and Iran are expected to face close scrutiny soon. That's because a deadline that would allow the U.S. to back out of the international Iran nuclear deal is fast approaching. Washington is also working toward finalizing a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which President Trump says could take place as early as June. Nuclear diplomacy was the subject of this week's "Plugged In With Greta Van Susteren" on VOA. Robert Raffaele has more.
Hong Kong to Consider Human Trafficking Bill
After years of local, judicial and international criticism, Hong Kong’s legislature will consider a bill that aims to halt widespread trafficking and abuse of migrant workers and domestic helpers.
A draft of a bill would create a commissioner who would investigate and prosecute cases of slavery and human trafficking. The office also would conduct research and coordinate with international agencies about trafficked workers.
Bill to address migrant worker abuse
The draft is scheduled to be discussed on May 4 at a legislative security panel, whose members debate policy. That would be a preliminary step, and does not ensure that the draft bill will move forward.
“The simple truth is that the current system does not allow for effective protection, investigation, prosecution, relief or reform. The motivation to ignore the problem by the government is admitted: they wish to make HK a hostile place for unwanted migrants,” said attorney Azan Marwah, one author of the draft bill.
Investigations are hampered because responsibility is diffuse, said Marwah, who represented a Pakistani immigrant whose complaints about abuse were acknowledged last year in the city’s High Court. “In Mr. ZN's case, the assaults and non-payment and immigration offenses were all reported to the relevant agencies, but none of them considered them together as a totality. As a result, the case was not taken seriously and no investigations or prosecutions were launched.”
A reluctant city government
One hurdle will be to convince the city’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, that such legislation is needed. All legislation must originate with that office and the city has been reluctant to offer greater rights to migrant workers, who number an estimated 336,000, according to the Justice Centre.
“I think the government made it quite clear it will not think about legislation and it probably only will when they’re told they must by the courts,” said Patricia Ho, a lawyer who helped author the draft. “I think with the encouragement or pressure of the international community that the Hong Kong government is setting up to realize the scale and seriousness " of the problem.
Several local and international organizations have found widespread problems with workers brought into Hong Kong, some who were then moved to other countries. The Hong Kong government says it has plan to explore the problem, but admits it does not include legislation that specifically addresses the forced movement and detention of workers.
“At present, our legislation has provided an adequate and solid legal framework to effectively combat TIP crimes,” Lawrence Li, a spokesman for Hong Kong’s security bureau, wrote in an emailed statement, referring to trafficking in persons. He acknowledged that Hong Kong does not have a single piece of legislation prohibiting the illegal holding or movement of workers.
Marwah sharply disagreed that the government measures are adequate. Hong Kong law does not expressly prohibit slavery, trading in slaves, forced marriage, money laundering related to trafficking, he said.
Pressure is building
Hong Kong’s government has been under pressure in recent years to stop the illegal trade in migrant workers, many of whom work as domestic servants in middle class and wealthy households. In 2016, the city high court found that ZN, the Pakistani migrant who had been beaten and unpaid by his employer, was denied help sought from official agencies, including the police.
The ruling judge found that he had been a victim of human trafficking and that the city’s moves had “failed to achieve even the most basic objectives.”
Last year the U.S. State Department listed Hong Kong in August on a watch list of countries that did not meet UN standards to stop trafficking, such as prosecuting traffickers or identifying victims, inaction was also found in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. The report urged the Chinese territory to pass an anti-trafficking law. The city’s government then rejected the conclusions saying they were unfair and not objective.
A study has detailed abuse
In addition, the Justice Centre, a Hong Kong human rights center, found in a study released in 2016 that many migrant workers in Hong Kong reported that most workers pay thousands of dollars each to secure employment in the city. Once in Hong Kong, they have limited freedom to move and communicate. Many are asked to work excessive hours, suffer physical or sexual violence or threats, and have their mobile phones and travel documents confiscated.
Critics say Hong Kong migrants are tied to their employers because many do not feel free to quit and find new jobs for fear that their visas will be canceled or that they will be unable to repay thousands of dollars to placement agencies.
Researchers found that such migrants worked an average week of 71.4 hours, or nearly 12 hours a day, six days a week. Some workers earned as little as $523 (HK$4,110) a month.
The abuse of domestic workers in Hong Kong became an international story in 2014 when online photos showed a bruised and emaciated Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, a 21-year-old Indonesian woman. She came to Hong Kong to earn money for college. She was forced to work in households where she was unpaid, starved, beaten, deprived of sleep and bathroom breaks.
The widespread use of underpaid domestic workers is one of the more uncomfortable and visible facets of life in Hong Kong. Their visas require that they live with their employers. Each Sunday, tens of thousands of the workers spend their one free weekly day amassing in public parks and plazas.
Read More Hong Kong to Consider Human Trafficking Bill : https://ift.tt/2I2GS07PLUGGED IN: Looming Deadline on Iran Nuke Deal, North Korea Talks on White House Agenda
Washington's efforts to denuclearize North Korea and Iran are expected to face close scrutiny soon. That's because a deadline that would allow the U.S. to back out of the international Iran nuclear deal is fast approaching. Washington is also working toward finalizing a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which President Trump says could take place as early as June. Nuclear diplomacy was the subject of this week's "Plugged In With Greta Van Susteren" on VOA. Robert Raffaele has more.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Indian 'Godman' Sentenced to Life for Raping Teen
An Indian spiritual guru with millions of followers was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for raping a teenage girl.
Asaram Bapu, one of India's most charismatic and controversial "godmen," was sentenced at a closed hearing inside the prison where he is being held in the city of Jodhpur due to concerns his followers may resort to violence.
The trial was the most recent in a string of high-profile rape cases in India that have sparked public protests and raised questions about how law enforcers handle rapes and treat victims.
The 77-year-old self-styled religious preacher, who urges followers to live a life free of sexual desires, has repeatedly denied raping a then 16-year-old girl five years ago during a spiritual retreat.
In response to outrage over recent rapes and killings of young girls and other attacks on children, the Indian government approved the death penalty last week for convicted rapists of children under the age of 12.
The move to introduce the death penalty is seen as an effort to signal the government's commitment to fight crimes against young girls and infants as it comes under mounting criticism for not doing enough to tackle what some call India's epidemic of sexual violence.
The government order also said more fast-track courts will be established for speedy trials and it set a two-month time limit on investigations.
Indian cities in recent weeks saw street protests by agonized citizens after details emerged about the horrific gang rape of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in Kashmir in January, who was kidnapped, drugged, and raped for days and then murdered. Anger grew because Hindu activists had demonstrated in support of the eight arrested men who are now being tried in a fast-track court.
WHO Joins Urgent Call to Stop Malaria's Resurgence
The World Health Organization is joining a worldwide call to stop a resurgence of malaria that threatens much of the progress made over the past decade. To mark World Malaria Day, WHO is pushing for urgent action - and money - to get the global fight against this ancient scourge back on track.
For many years, World Malaria Day has been a cause for celebration, but not this year. World Health Organization data show that starting in 2016 progress has been at a standstill and hopes of ending the global epidemic by 2030 are slipping away.
Watch: Fears Grow Over Malaria Resurgence, London Summit Urges Global Action
Director of WHO's Global Malaria Program, Pedro Alonso, says some of the gains made in reducing the number of cases and deaths in countries across all regions of the world are being reversed.
"As a consequence, we now have about 260 million cases of malaria every year, in excess of 440,000 deaths every year…13:52…History has told us very clearly that when we stop making progress, it is not that we just stand still, but we go backwards and then malaria comes back, and comes back with a vengeance," Alonso said.
About 90 percent of all malaria cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Children under the age of five, pregnant women and patients with HIV-AIDS are most at risk.
Alonso says global political commitment must be renewed and donors and affected countries must increase the financial resources needed to successfully tackle malaria.
"And, we need new and improved tools to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria," Alonso said. "Our sense is that with the resources available today and with the tools we have today, we have seen the limit of what can be achieved."
The issue of malaria's resurgence came up on the sidelines of a Commonwealth summit in London this month, where Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates who has invested billions of dollars in fighting malaria pledged yet another one billion dollars to the effort.
WHO estimates $5.5 billion are needed each year to wage a successful global fight against malaria. However, only about half that amount has been pledged.
Vector control is the main way to prevent and reduce the spread of malaria. Alonso says better insecticides, better insecticide-treated mosquito nets as well as better drugs are essential in combating the disease.
China Warns of More Action After Military Drills Near Taiwan
A series of Chinese military drills near Taiwan were designed to send a clear message to the self-ruled island and China will take further steps if Taiwan independence forces persist in doing as they please, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.
Over the past year or so, China has ramped up military drills around democratic Taiwan, including flying bombers and other military aircraft around the island. Last week China drilled in the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
China claims Taiwan as its sacred territory, and its hostility towards the island has grown since the 2016 election as president of Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party.
China has been issuing increasingly strident calls for Taiwan to toe the line, even as Tsai has pledged to maintain the status quo and keep the peace.
Speaking at a regular news briefing, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said the message the People's Liberation Army was sending with its exercises was "extremely clear."
"We have the resolute will, full confidence and sufficient ability to foil any form of Taiwan independence separatist plots and moves and to defend the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Ma said.
"If Taiwan independence forces continue to do as they please, we will take further steps," he added, without giving details.
The military's drills are aimed at protecting peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the interests of people on both sides of it, Ma said.
Amid the growing tension with China, Taiwan's defense ministry said on Tuesday it will simulate repelling an invading force, emergency repairs of a major air base and using civilian-operated drones as part of military exercises starting next week.
Taliban Launches New Afghan Spring Offensive
The Taliban insurgency has announced the launching of its annual spring offensive in Afghanistan, dealing a blow to weeks of renewed hopes for possible peace negotiations. The move comes as preparations are gaining momentum to organize long-delayed Afghan parliamentary and district council elections scheduled for October 20.
The new insurgent operations, dubbed ‘Al Khandaq’, went into action early Wednesday and “the American invaders and their intelligence agents” will be its “primary” target, said a Taliban statement.
The move came weeks after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, at an international conference in Kabul, offered to engage in unconditional talks with the Taliban for ending the 17-year-old increasingly deadly conflict.
While Ghani’s overture was widely welcomed by domestic and international stakeholders, the insurgent group had since been silent amid speculations the Taliban could be mulling joining the talks.
The Taliban justified its offensive, saying the country remains under an “illegitimate” foreign “occupation.”
Thousands of additional foreign forces, it maintained, are being deployed inside Afghanistan under President Donald Trump’s new war strategy and they are supplied with “new devastating weapons and vast military authorities.”
Trump unveiled his strategy for Afghanistan back in August to try to reverse Taliban battlefield gains by intensifying military operations to pressure the insurgents to come to the negotiating table for a dialogue with the Afghan government.
While American military commanders have since reported progress on the battlefield, the Taliban has responded by increasing attacks against Afghan security forces and making territorial gains.
The insurgent group currently controls or contests more than 44 percent of Afghanistan, according to recent U.S. military assessments.
Afghan Elections
Earlier this month, the Afghan Independent Election Commission launched a voters' registration process for the October parliamentary and district council elections. The insurgent offensive, analysts, say will pose a major challenge for Afghan security forces to ensure voters security.
The Taliban has rejected the democratic process as stage-managed by the U.S.-led foreign "occupiers" and urged Afghans to boycott the polls.
The United Nations has warned civilians continue to bear the brunt of the Afghan armed conflict and documented a record 2,260 civilian casualties in the first three months of 2018. More than 10,000 civilians were killed or wounded in the previous year in Afghanistan.
Tensions with Pakistan
The intensification in Afghan hostilities in the wake of the new Taliban offensive is likely to raise Kabul's tensions with Pakistan.
Afghan and U.S. officials allege insurgent sanctuaries in the neighboring country have enabled the Taliban to sustain and expand its violent campaign.
Trump earlier this year suspended military assistance to Pakistan until the country takes decisive action against terrorist sanctuaries on its territory.
Islamabad rejects the charges, saying Pakistani security forces have cleared all terrorist infrastructure from their soil.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Cambodian Journalist Charged With Incitement Flees Amid Crackdown
A Cambodian journalist charged with “incitement to commit a felony” over his election coverage said on Tuesday that has fled the country fearing arrest and has been given refugee asylum status by the U.N. refugee agency.
Aun Pheap, 54, now in the United States, was charged in August last year along with a colleague, Zsombor Peter, a Canadian, after an interview with former opposition members. It was not immediately clear what felony they are suspected of inciting was.
The pair worked for the now closed Cambodia Daily and face up to two years in prison if found guilty.
The ruling party of Prime Minister Hun Sen and its allies have waged a crackdown against what they say are critics of the government, including human rights advocates and opposition lawmakers, in the lead up to the July 29 general election.
Hun Sen is expected to easily win the vote after the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party was dissolved in November and dozens of its lawmakers were banned from politics.
The English-language Cambodia Daily was shut down last year after it was given a month to pay $6.3 million for years of back taxes amid the crackdown, which has also extended to independent media.
“If I go back to Cambodia, it is for sure that I will be arrested,” Aun Pheap told Reuters on Tuesday from the United States where he is attending a journalism workshop and waiting to hear back about an asylum application there.
Aun Pheap said that the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) had granted him refugee status in January and that he left for the United States on March 25.
He denied the charges against him.
UNHCR did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. A Cambodian government spokesman declined to comment.
Official: Asian Games to Boost Indonesia's War on Forest Fires
Indonesia's choking annual haze will be limited this year by the pressure of hosting the Asian Games and a new approach to preventing forest fires, a senior official said on Tuesday.
Every dry season — usually from June until October — large parts of Southeast Asia are shrouded in pollution caused by forest fires in Indonesia, many set deliberately to clear land for pulp and paper and palm oil plantations.
Indonesia's government switched focus from containment to prevention after a particularly bad outbreak in 2015 that cost the country $16 billion and caused more than 500,000 people to come down with respiratory ailments.
"Before 2015 it was all about suppressing the fires, but now it's about prevention," said Raffles Panjaitan, director of forest and land fire management at the forestry ministry.
The spotlight on Indonesia as it hosts the 2018 Asian Games from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2 makes it all the more important to tackle the problem, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"If the haze comes, then aeroplanes cannot get through and land, which will stop the athletes," he said on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit in Yogyakarta, on the Indonesian island of Java.
"It's important for us," he said of the Games, which will be co-hosted by the Sumatran city of Palembang and Jakarta.
Over the last three years, Indonesia has introduced a range of new policies including educating and training communities in fire prevention and setting up a Peatland Restoration Agency to tackle fires and protect peatland, said Panjaitan.
Peatlands — made up of partially decayed vegetation, typically saturated with water — hold huge amounts of carbon, and are important habitats for endangered species, like tigers, according to the campaign group Greenpeace.
It has drafted in the military, built early warning towers and organised patrols to monitor the burning, he said.
Panjaitan said better coordination of local governments, villagers and companies could help reduce the risk.
Local leaders may turn a blind eye to burning of peatlands for fear of losing votes in elections later this year, he added.
Experts said the haze problem, which affects Malaysia and Singapore as well as Indonesia, would only be resolved if governments and the private sector, including the palm oil and aviation industries, came together to tackle it jointly.
"You need to take the people that are potentially the most affected — including the private sector — and sit everybody around the table to sort this out," said Robert Nasi, head of the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research.
3 Suicide Bombers Kill 5 Police, Wound 8 Troops in Pakistan
Pakistan's military says suicide bombers blew themselves up near a police vehicle and a security checkpoint in separate incidents in the southwestern city of Quetta, killing five police and wounding eight paramilitary troops.
A military statement Tuesday says a suicide bomber targeted a police vehicle on an airport road killing five police and wounding seven others.
Separately, the statement says two suicide bombers walked to the Frontier Corps checkpoint in the Mian Ghundi area and detonated explosive vests minutes apart, when paramilitaries fired on them.
Police officer Mohammad Aslam said eight wounded troops were hospitalized.
No group claimed responsibility but Islamic militants operating in the region have claimed past such attacks. Baluch separatist groups also have engaged in low-level insurgency in Baluchistan, of which Quetta is the capital.
Pakistan Places Travel Ban on American Diplomat Involved in Fatal Wreck
Pakistan has barred a U.S. diplomat from leaving the country pending a court case stemming from his involvement in a recent fatal traffic accident.
Authorities say that on April 7, Defense Attache Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall was driving an embassy vehicle when it collided with a motorcycle, killing 22-year-old Attique Baig and injuring another person on the bike.
The deputy attorney general, Raja Khalid, informed the court on Tuesday that the federal government had placed Hall's name on Pakistan's "black list," preventing him from leaving Pakistan. He went on to add that all airports around the country have been alerted.
The dead man's family has petitioned the capital city's High Court, asking that Hall's name be placed on the so-called Exit Control List, or ECL, which bars people facing judicial proceedings from leaving Pakistan.
Khalid told the court that placing the U.S. diplomat's name on the ECL required a long legal process.
He argued during Tuesday's proceedings that Hall could neither be tried nor arrested because the Vienna Convention guarantees immunity to designated diplomats from criminal jurisdiction.
The deputy attorney general emphasized the diplomat could only be tried if the U.S. waived his immunity.
Before adjourning the proceedings until next week, the single-judge court ordered the Foreign Ministry to submit its report on the question of diplomatic immunity and on putting Hall's name on the ECL.
A day after the fatal accident, Pakistani police released to media identification documents of the U.S. diplomat along with video footage which showed the vehicle running a red light and hitting the motorcycle.
The family of the deceased, 22-year-old Attique Baig, has also staged a street demonstration, demanding the government ensure justice is served.
U.S. officials have expressed their "deep sympathy to the family of the deceased and those injured," and pledged to fully cooperate with local authorities in the investigation.
Diplomatic Tension
The accident comes amid increased diplomatic tensions with Washington over allegations insurgents in Afghanistan are using Pakistani soil to plot deadly attacks. Pakistani officials reject the allegations.
On Monday, a senior Department of State official, Alice Wells, visited Islamabad and discussed, among other subjects, the diplomat's case in discussions with top Foreign Ministry officials.
The Pakistani side during the meeting demanded a waiver of diplomatic immunity enjoyed by Hall so that he could be prosecuted, the DAWN newspaper reported Tuesday quoting its sources. It gave no further details.
The U.S. embassy, in a brief post-visit statement, did not give details on issues Wells discussed with Pakistani interlocutors.
"In her meetings, she discussed the status of the U.S. South Asia strategy and efforts to make progress on regional security and stability," it said.
The U.S. government recently notified Islamabad that Pakistani diplomats will be placed under new travel restrictions starting May 1, underscoring a consistent deterioration in bilateral ties.
The historically turbulent relationship was severely strained in 2011 when a CIA contractor in the city of Lahore shot and killed two Pakistanis riding a motorcycle.
The contractor, Raymond Davis, defended his actions, saying he had to open fire to prevent the robbery of his vehicle. Washington claimed diplomatic immunity for Davis, but Islamabad rejected it and a court later charged the American with murder.
The contractor, however, was later acquitted and freed after families of the victims forgave him in return for financial compensation, an action permitted under Pakistani law.
Read More Pakistan Places Travel Ban on American Diplomat Involved in Fatal Wreck : https://ift.tt/2KcfP30Tibetan Refugees in India Protect Language and Culture
Tibetan exiles marking the 60thyear of the Dalai Lama's arrival in India after fleeing his homeland say they have successfullysafeguarded Tibetan culture and preserved Tibetan identity, which Tibetan leaders warn is threatened by Chinese rule in their homeland.Some 70 schools run by the Tibetan exile administration in India, which is home to the largest Tibetan refugee community in the world, are at the heart of those efforts.
US Forces in Korea Balance Family and Threat of War
Despite recent tensions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests, life is actually quite normal for American military families living at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, the largest overseas U.S. Army installation in the world. VOA’s Brian Padden reports from Camp Humphreys that the increased threat of military conflict with North Korea has not altered the family friendly environment on this growing base, located just 100 kilometers from the heavily fortified inter-Korean border.
Viral Photo Prompts Indonesian Government Moves Toward Banning Child Marriage
Indonesia is moving towards a ban on child marriage, officials said on Tuesday after a photo of a teenage couple who tried to tie the knot went viral on social media.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, is among 10 countries with the highest number of girls marrying before they turn 18, according to campaign group Girls Not Brides.
A photo of a 15-year-old boy and a girl, 14, trying to register their marriage on the island of Sulawesi has been shared widely online since last week, sparking renewed pressure on the government to end such underage unions.
President Joko Widodo has agreed to sign a decree that would ban child marriage, a spokeswoman at the Women Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
No other details were available immediately, but the spokeswoman said public dialogues on the matter would be held.
The ministry has been pressing the government to raise the minimum age for marriage to 20 for girls, and 22 for boys.
Under Indonesian laws, girls can marry at the age of 16, and 19 for boys if parents give their consent. Girls can be married at an even younger age if religious courts agree.
Women's rights campaigners said a ban is long overdue.
"Child marriage is a form of sexual violence," said Ninik Rahayu, one of the female Islamic clerics who jointly issued an unprecedented fatwa against child marriage last year.
A fatwa, or religious edict, is influential among Muslims although it is not legally binding.
"Child marriage has reached an emergency level in Indonesia. If we don't take action quick enough, it will destroy the future of our children," Rahayu told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Andreas Harsono from campaign group Human Rights Watch said the Indonesian government's pledge is "bold" but action must be taken without delay.
Campaigners say poverty and tradition continue to drive underage marriage in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago in Southeast Asia with a population of 250 million people.
One in four girls marry before they turn 18 in Indonesia, according to the United Nations' children agency, UNICEF. On average over 3,500 Indonesian girls are married off every day.
Globally, 12 million girls become child brides each year, the Girls Not Brides group says, exposing them to greater risks of exploitation, sexual violence, domestic abuse and death in childbirth.
US Forces in S. Korea Focus Balance Family, Threat of War
Despite recent tensions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests, life is actually quite normal for American military families living at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, which is the largest overseas Army installation in the world.
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Puskas tries to come to most of his daughters’ high school soccer games at Camp Humphreys. In fact, his family’s lifestyle at this sprawling U.S. military base is similar to one they would lead back home.
“We go to church on Sundays. We see all our friends there. We’re on the soccer field most of the afternoons, or just going for bike ride, the same things we would do if we were back in the States,” said Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Puskas, with the U.S. Eight Army.
This is Puskas’ fourth tour in Korea. He met and married his Korean wife Mi-jung, during an earlier tour. His children have spent much of their lives at military bases in Korea.
“I think it has given me a wider world view and has helped me understand other people a lot more,” said Elizabeth Puskas, the eldest daughter of the family who will attend college next year in the United States.
Sprawling city
The U.S. military in Korea is consolidating its forces in Camp Humphreys, including its military headquarters, as it moves to close older bases in congested Seoul and other regions of the country.
Camp Humphreys is now the size of a small city, encompassing over 140 square kilometers of land, with construction underway to expand its capacity to accommodate over 40,000 people.
There are modern apartments for soldiers and their families, schools, movie theaters, shopping centers and fast food restaurants to help bring some of the comforts of home to military life in Korea. The base even has its own golf course.
“I have been around the army for part of the last 40 years as a soldier and now as a civilian, and this is as normal as any army post I’ve ever been on. In fact it is probably the nicest one I’ve been on because everything is new,” said Bob McElroy, a Camp Humphreys public affairs officer.
Military readiness
Located 100 kilometers south of the heavily fortified inter-Korean border, Camp Humphreys is also outside the range of most North Korean artillery stationed at the border.
The increased threat of military conflict with North Korea has not altered the family friendly environment on this growing base.
The annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises underway are just part of the routine of military life here.
Like many U.S. soldiers in Korea, Lieutenant Colonel Puskas tries not to overreact to reports that war is imminent over the North’s nuclear and missile tests, or that peace is at hand with the upcoming nuclear summits, with the meeting of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon planned for this week, and the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim expected to be held in May or June..
“Obviously we are sensitive to what is going on. Do we worry about it? I mean, we think about it,” said Lt. Col. Puskas.
Instead Puskas, like many in Camp Humphreys, works to balance family responsibilities with maintaining military readiness to respond quickly if called upon to act.
The Camp Humphreys expansion is estimated to cost $11 billion. The South Korean government has invested over $900 million to build roads, water treatment facilities and other support services for the base.
Lee Yoon-jee and Kim Hyung-jin in Seoul contributed to this report
US Forces in South Korea Balance Family, Threat of War
Despite recent tensions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests, life is actually quite normal for American military families living at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, the largest overseas U.S. Army installation in the world. VOA’s Brian Padden reports from Camp Humphreys that the increased threat of military conflict with North Korea has not altered the family friendly environment on this growing base, located just 100 kilometers from the heavily fortified inter-Korean border.
Singapore PM Reshuffles Cabinet with Succession Question Looming
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday and named Chan Chun Sing, tipped as one of his potential successors, as trade minister.
Lee, the eldest son of Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew, has made clear he is ready to stand down in the next couple of years, but no obvious successor has emerged from a group of 16 ministers tasked with picking a leader from within their ranks.
Chan is one of three potential successors picked by Singapore's media and political analysts, alongside Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, who both kept their portfolios and received additional responsibilities.
The Southeast Asian city-state has to hold a general election by early 2021.
Kachin Work to Preserve Language in Myanmar
Once forbidden under Myanmar’s military rule, ethnic minority languages are now allowed to be taught in public government schools since 2012 - but mostly with private teachers after regular hours. However, in areas of Kachin state and other regions still controlled by ethnic armed groups, the traditional dialects prevail, with Burmese language included as a second language. Steve Sandford talks to those working in the field that continue to use the local language.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Emergency Alerts Loom as Drought Grips War-Torn Afghanistan
Afghanistan faces the threat of serious drought this year after recording the lowest snowfall and rain in years over the winter, officials said on Monday, with at least 20 of 34 provinces already suffering badly.
The 20 provinces in the war-torn country saw a 60 percent shortfall in rain and snowfall during the winter season.
"This year drought has reached a level that we will have to announce an emergency in several parts of the country," said Hashmat Khan Bahaduri, spokesman for the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority in Kabul.
Bahaduri said funds would be allocated to mitigate the impact but that the country would have to import, or receive donations, to overcome food shortages.
According to Famine Early Warning Systems Network, a group set up by USAID to help planning for humanitarian crises, snowfall in Afghanistan's last winter season was the lowest since 2002.
Snowmelt is an important source of water for crops and irrigation in a country where food is scarce for many households.
The U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) appealed on Monday for $10 million to help children and their families in drought-affected provinces.
The UN agency stated that food insecurity and reduced access to drinking water were beginning to take their toll in the 10 worst affected provinces, where 20 to 30 percent of water sources were reportedly dry.
"The priority is to prevent the situation from deteriorating, by responding to the needs of children and families in the worst affected areas," said Adele Khodr, UNICEF representative in Afghanistan.
Poor rains and scanty snowfall mean less winter wheat, Afghanistan's most reliable, resilient cereal crop.
An official at the agriculture ministry said it would start distribution of 2,000 metric tons of wheat imported from India and Kazakhstan before seeking fresh aid.
Last week, President Ashraf Ghani ordered officials to attend to the needs of distressed farmers and livestock producers.
But the situation is further complicated by an escalating conflict that often picks up with the start of warmer spring weather, leading to increased displacement and reduced access for humanitarian workers.
Thousands Gather in Lahore for Pashtun Rights
Several thousand people attended a rally in Pakistan’s second largest city Lahore this weekend to demand justice for the country’s ethnic Pashtun population, despite an initial crackdown by local authorities. The rally was one of a series, planned to demand an end to extra judicial killings and the return of victims of enforced disappearances. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem was there and brings us this report.
Inter-Korean Summit Will Try to Broker Nuclear Deal with U.S.
This week’s summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in (to be held on Friday, April 27) is expected to produce a denuclearization framework that U.S. President Donald Trump could support when he meets with Kim in May or June. The North’s reassuring outreach of late, including its decision to unilaterally suspend all nuclear and missile tests, has set an optimistic tone that a deal can be reached. VOA’s Brian Padden in Seoul.
Afghan Female Student Runs Classroom from Ancient Cave
Getting an education seemed impossible for some displaced children in the mountainous Afghan province of Bamyan. They and their families live in caves that dot the cliffs around the city. Due to a lack of identity documents, they cannot attend school. But, as VOA's Zafar Bamyani discovered, a classroom has come to them. Faith Lapidus narrates his report.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Anticipation Builds for Trump-Kim Meeting
Anticipation is building in Washington before an expected meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. VOA’s Michael Bowman reports, the man Trump dispatched to North Korea for an initial meeting with Kim, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, faces a Senate confirmation vote this week for a new post, secretary of state.
India's Modi to Meet With Xi in China
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping this week, as the two neighbors work to ameliorate strained ties.
The two leaders will meet in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Friday and Saturday, China's and India's foreign ministries announced Sunday.
“Our common interests far outweigh our differences. The two countries have no choice other than pursuing everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development,” China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters after meeting Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in Beijing.
“The summit will go a long way toward deepening the mutual trust between the two great neighbors,” he added. “We will make sure that the informal summit will be a complete success and a new milestone in the history of China-India relations.”
Ties between the two countries have been strained since a 73-day standoff on Doklam plateau last June — a region in the Himalayas claimed by both China and India, as well as Bhutan. The confrontation started when China planned to build a road through the plateau, prompting India to send troops to block construction.
Relief Seems Near for Pakistani Traders Effected by Military Operation
Authorities in Pakistan have begun negotiations with traders from the country’s tribal areas bordering Afghanistan regarding damages caused during a military operation. The North Waziristan tribal agency had become a hub of militancy before Pakistan’s military cleared out the area through an operation that began in 2014. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports.
China Auto Show Highlights Industry's Electric Ambitions
The biggest global auto show of the year showcases China's ambitions to become a leader in electric cars and the industry's multi-billion-dollar scramble to roll out models that appeal to price-conscious but demanding Chinese drivers.
Auto China 2018, which opens this week, follows Beijing's decision to allow full foreign ownership of Chinese automakers in a move to make the industry more flexible as it promotes electrics.
The ruling Communist Party has transformed China into the biggest market for electrics with billions of dollars in subsidies to producers and buyers. Now, Beijing is winding down that support and shifting the financial burden to automakers with sales quotas that push them to develop models Chinese drivers want to buy.
That is reflected in the auto show lineup: Global and Chinese brands including General Motors Co., Volkswagen AG and Nissan Motor Co. plan to display dozens of electrics and hybrids, from luxurious SUVs to compacts priced as low as 152,000 yuan ($24,000).
Communist leaders see electric cars as both a way to clean up smog-choked cities and a key ingredient in plans to transform China into a global competitor in an array of technology fields from robotics to solar power to biotech.
"Just in the last two or three years, China rose from being a very small player in the global EV market to be nearly 50 percent of sales in 2017," said Christopher Robinson, who follows the industry for Lux Research.
"It attracted nearly every automaker in the world," said Robinson.
Starting in 2019, automakers will be required to earn credits by selling electrics or else buy them from competitors. More stringent fuel efficiency standards will require a big share of each brand's sales to be non-gasoline models.
Global automakers say electrics should account for 35 to over 50 percent of their China sales by 2025.
"There is huge potential for vehicle electrification here," said Roland Krueger, chairman of Infiniti Motor Co., Nissan's luxury brand.
Chinese sales of electrics and gasoline-electric hybrids rose 154 percent in the first quarter over a year earlier to 143,000 units, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. That compares with sales of just under 200,000 for all of last year in the United States, the No. 2 market.
GM plans to display five all-electric vehicles including a concept Buick SUV it says can travel 600 kilometers (375 miles) on one charge, plus a hybrid Cadillac XT5 28E.
The Detroit automaker, which vies with VW for the status of China's biggest brand, is launching 10 electrics or hybrids in China from in 2016 to 2020.
VW is due to launch 15 electrics and hybrids in the next two to three years as part of a 10 billion euro ($12 billion) development plan announced in November.
Nissan is unveiling an electric model at the auto show designed for China and will display an updated version of its Leaf and an electric concept car.
The Japanese automaker also plans to develop a lower-priced electric with a local partner, state-owned Dongfeng Motor Co. Two more versions of that are to be sold under their jointly owned Venucia brand.
China's BYD Auto, the biggest global maker of electrics by volume with 2017 sales of 113,669 units, plans to unveil two new hybrid SUVs and an electric concept car. The company also plans to display nine other hybrid and plug-in electric models.
Infiniti plans to display a concept sedan, the Q Inspiration, that Krueger said will be the basis for future electric models.
The sleek Q Inspiration has no air-drawing engine, and thus no front grill _ a change Krueger said was suggested by Chinese designers at Infiniti's Beijing studio.
The car has the roomier back seat that has become standard among luxury brands that want to appeal to Chinese customers who have a driver and ride in back.
"The first car is going to cater specifically to the needs of the Chinese market," said Krueger.
Ford Motor Co. has announced a "product onslaught" this month for China that includes at least 15 electrified vehicles and 35 other models through 2025. Ford's first plug-in hybrid in China, the Mondeo Energi, went on sale last month.
Washington and other trading partners have been irked by the Chinese controls that required global automakers to work through state-owned local partners and imposed other restrictions.
Automakers complained joint ventures were cumbersome and expensive but complied because they gained access to a market that passed the United States in 2009 as the world's biggest.
Last year's sales of SUVs, sedans and minivans totaled 24.7 million units, compared with 17.2 million for the United States.
The Cabinet's planning agency announced last week Beijing will loosen those controls by allowing full foreign ownership in the industry, starting with electric vehicle producers this year. Limits for commercial vehicles would end in 2020 and for all passenger vehicles in 2022.
That would end a 50 percent cap on foreign ownership of an auto venture, a limit that required automakers to share technology with potential competitors, adding to President Donald Trump's trade complaints against Beijing.
"Now you're going to see the difference between the partners that you want and partners imposed on you," said Carlos Ghosn, chairman of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.
Ghosn said his companies were happy with their Chinese partners. But he said with electrics, autonomous driving and other innovations give companies a new chance to consider a partnership or work independently.
"Every time there is a new opportunity we're going to consider, should we go with a partner? What are the advantages? Or should we go by ourself?" said Ghosn. "This is a new freedom for carmakers, which is welcome."
Still, while electrics may be China's future, most brands lose money making them. Profits come from sales of SUVs that are wildly popular with Chinese drivers who see them as the safest option on the country's rough, chaotic roads.
First-quarter SUVs sales rose 11.3 percent over a year earlier to 2.6 million, or almost 45 percent of all auto sales, according to CAAM. Electrics accounted for just over 2 percent.
Read More China Auto Show Highlights Industry's Electric Ambitions : https://ift.tt/2HkuR99China Welcomes Trade Talks with US
China said Sunday it welcomes the news that the U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is considering a trip to Beijing to talk about trade.
China's commerce ministry said in a statement, "The Chinese side has received information that the U.S. side hopes to come to Beijing to discuss economic and trade issues.China welcomes this."
Mnuchin said Saturday he is contemplating a visit to China for discussions on issues that have global leaders concerned about a potentially damaging trade war that could undercut a global economic recovery.
"I am not going to make any comment on timing, nor do I have anything confirmed, but a trip is under consideration," Mnuchin said at a Washington news conference during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings.
Mnuchin said he discussed the possible trip and potential trade opportunities with the new head of China's central bank.
Tensions have escalated between the U.S. and China over Beijing's attempts to challenge America's technological prowess, raising the prospects of a trade war that could hinder global economic growth.
Mnuchin said he had spoken with a number of his counterparts that have been forced to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" trade policies, including U.S. tariffs on foreign aluminum and steel and on up to $150 billion in Chinese goods. Some of the leaders, he said, were focused on exemptions from the tariffs.
He said he emphasized the U.S. is not trying to construct protectionist trade barriers with the tariffs. Instead, he said, "We are looking for reciprocal treatment."
Mnuchin also said he wants the IMF to do more to address what the Trump administration believes are unfair trade practices. He also called on the World Bank to redirect low interest loans from China to more impoverished countries.
Blast at Election Center in Kabul Kills at Least 6
A suicide bomber struck a temporary voter registration center Sunday morning in Kabul, Afghan media are quoting officials as confirming.
A health ministry spokesman has confirmed to reporters in Kabul that the blast killed at least six people and wounded 23 others.
An interior ministry spokesman, Najeeb Danish, confirmed to VOA it was a suicide blast.
People were waiting in the queue outside the center to get their Tazkira, or identification card, to be able to vote in the election when the bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body.
President Ashraf Ghani launched the voter registration process last week, allowing the Independent Election Commission to prepare voter lists for the October 20 parliamentary and district council elections. This will be the first time in Afghani history that elections will be held on the basis of formal voters lists.
The attack occurred a day after a presidential spokesman in a statement released to media said that Ghani spoke to top army commanders by phone and instructed them to pay “close attention to ensuring security of the voters’ registration centers.”
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for Sunday's bombing.
Sunday's blast took place in Dasht-e Barchi, an area of western Kabul inhabited by many members of the mainly Shi'ite Hazara minority, which has been repeatedly hit by attacks claimed by Islamic State.
The Taliban insurgency has rejected the elections as staged-managed by the United States to bring to power Afghan rulers of its own choice and has urged the people to boycott the polls.
Saturday, April 21, 2018
US Treasury Secretary Weighs China Trip for Trade Talk
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Saturday that he was contemplating a visit to China for discussions on issues that have global leaders concerned about a potentially damaging trade war.
"I am not going to make any comment on timing, nor do I have anything confirmed, but a trip is under consideration," Mnuchin said at a Washington news conference during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings.
Mnuchin said he discussed the possible trip and potential trade opportunities with the new head of China's central bank.
Tensions have escalated between the U.S. and China over Beijing's attempts to challenge America's technological prowess, raising the prospects of a trade war that could hinder global economic growth.
Mnuchin said he had spoken with a number of his counterparts who have been forced to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" trade policies, including U.S. tariffs on foreign aluminum and steel and on up to $150 million in Chinese goods. Some of the leaders, he said, were focused on exemptions from the tariffs.
He said he emphasized that the U.S. was not trying to construct protectionist trade barriers with the tariffs. Instead, he said, "we are looking for reciprocal treatment."
Mnuchin also said he wanted the IMF to do more to address what the Trump administration believes are unfair trade practices. He also called on the World Bank to redirect low-interest loans from China to more impoverished countries.
Hamas Says Man Gunned Down in Malaysia Was Important Member
Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group said Saturday that a man who was gunned down in Malaysia was an important member of the organization, raising suspicions that Israel was behind the brazen killing.
Hamas said Palestinian engineer Fadi al-Batsh was a "loyal" member and a "scientist of Palestine's youth scholars." It gave no further details on his scientific accomplishments but said he had made "important contributions" and participated in international forums in the field of energy.
Hamas stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been "assassinated by the hand of treachery." But relatives of al-Batsh said they believe Israel targeted him.
Malaysian police say the 36-year-old al-Batsh was gunned down early Saturday by two assailants who shot at least eight bullets from a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in Kuala Lampur. It said closed-circuit television showed him targeted by assassins who had waited for him for almost 20 minutes.
Malaysia's deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government was looking into the possibility of the involvement of "foreign agents" in his killing. He told local media that initial investigations showed the assailants were "white men" driving a powerful BMW 1100cc motorbike.
Besides his Hamas affiliation, al-Batsh was a cousin of Khaled al-Batsh, a senior official in the Islamic Jihad militant group, who accused the Israeli Mossad spy agency of the assassination, without providing evidence.
The Israeli government had no comment. But Israel has a long history of suspected targeting of wanted Palestinian militants in daring overseas operations around the globe and has been linked to other assassinations as well, though it has never acknowledged them.
Al-Batsh specialized in electrical and electronic engineering and worked at a Malaysian university. He had lived there with his family for the past eight years and was an imam at a local mosque.
He received his Ph.D degree from the University of Malaya in 2015 and was a senior lecturer at the British Malaysian Institute. His official biography said his research interests included power converters, power quality and renewable energy.
However, Israeli media reported that he was also deeply involved in the Hamas drone development project.
Israel and Hamas are bitter foes who have fought three wars since 2008. Tensions have risen in recent weeks with a series of mass protests along the Gaza border in which 32 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli troops since late March.
Hamas says the protests are aimed at breaking a crippling border blockade that was imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group overran Gaza in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliament elections. It says it also aims to assert the right of refugees to return to their former homes in Israel.
Israel accuses Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction and has carried out dozens of deadly suicide bombings against it, of cynically exploiting Gaza civilians for its political aims by staging the protests and trying to carry out attacks under their cover.
Israel has used lethal force against unarmed protesters, but it says it is only targeting instigators who are trying to damage the border fence with explosives, firebombs and other means. However, the United Nations, the European Union and rights groups have questioned Israel's use of force when soldiers' lives are not in danger and the U.N. and E.U. have called for investigations.
Protests are aiming to culminate in a large border march on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their "nakba,"or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel's creation.
Friday, April 20, 2018
IOM: Rohingya Refugees at Risk as Monsoons Near
The International Organization for Migration says it does not have money to protect Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, from the impending regional monsoons and cyclonic storms.
Monsoon rains are expected to hit in the coming weeks, causing floods and landslides, and severe damage to the fragile structures sheltering more than 700,000 Rohingya who fled violence in neighboring Myanmar.
Humanitarian agencies have been working to shore up the overcrowded refugee settlements so they can withstand the worst of the coming winds and heavy rain.
However, IOM spokesman Joel Millman says his agency is worried that a funding shortage will prevent the necessary life-saving precautions to be taken. He says the IOM has received only 7 percent of its $180 million appeal.
"You can imagine how worried people must be on the ground," Millman said. "That said, they do everything they can every day and we make progress every day. We distributed a lot of equipment. We moved several thousand people to what we hope is safer ground, and we are preparing for the impact of rains on sanitation, which is the health risk."
When the cyclone and monsoon seasons hit in the coming weeks, Millman warns, the Rohingya, who are living under tarpaulins on highly unstable ground, will be forced to survive months of rains, floods and landslides.
Mattis: US-North Korea Talks Will Not Shake Ties With Japan
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the possible talks between the United States and North Korea would not change the strong relationship the United States has with Japan.
Mattis met Friday with his Japanese counterpart, Itsunori Onodera, at the Pentagon, saying, "This is a mutually beneficial alliance between two democratic nations that trust each other. Nothing is going to shake that."
WATCH: Mattis on Strength of US-Japan Relationship
Onodera said the "ironclad US-Japan alliance" must work with the international community to make North Korea abandon all weapons of mass destruction "in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."
The United States and South Korea are planning separate summits with North Korea over banning nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula. No date has yet been set for the talks involving the United States, while the two Koreas plan to meet April 27.
WATCH:Onodera: Pressure on North Korea Must Be Maintained
On Friday, the two Koreas opened a hotline between their leaders, a week before their planned summit in the Demilitarized Zone. The hotline is the latest step in intense diplomatic activity on and around the Korean Peninsula, initiated with the Winter Olympics in the South.
On Thursday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said North Korea was not imposing conditions on upcoming summits with him and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Moon told corporate executives in Seoul, "They have not attached any conditions that the U.S. cannot accept, such as the withdrawal of American troops from South Korea." He said, "All they are talking about is the end of hostile policies against North Korea, followed by a guarantee of security."
Moon said, "I don't think denuclearization has different meanings for South and North Korea. The North is expressing a will for a complete denuclearization."
Long pause in tests
North Korea has defended its nuclear development and missile tests, in defiance of U.N. Security Council mandates, as a deterrent to what it sees as a threat from the United States, which has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea. But it has not tested a missile since late November and has not conducted a nuclear test since last September.
Trump struck an optimistic note this week about the possibility of a denuclearized North Korea.
"As I've said before, there is a bright path available to North Korea when it achieves denuclearization in a complete and verifiable and irreversible way," Trump said.
But he cautioned that if his talks with Kim did not go the way he hoped, he was willing to walk away.
VOA national security correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.
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