Month: August 2019

The U.N. human rights office is condemning a crackdown Friday in Zimbabwe by riot police on peaceful protesters in the capital, Harare.  The agency is calling for an investigation into excessive use of force by security forces. U.N. Human Rights spokesman Rupert Colville says there are better ways to deal with the population’s legitimate grievances on the economic situation in the country than by cracking down on peaceful protestors. “We are deeply concerned by the socio-economic crisis that continues to unfold in Zimbabwe.  While acknowledging efforts made by the government, the international community and the U.N. in Zimbabwe to mitigate the effects of the crisis and reform process, the dire economic situation is now impacting negatively on the realization of economic and social rights of millions of Zimbabweans,” Colville said. Zimbabwe’s…

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday the U.S.-Israel relationship can withstand the “weakness” of President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who shook diplomatic norms this week in barring two members of Congress from visiting the country. Pelosi told The Associated Press that the “weakness of Netanyahu and the weakness of Donald Trump combined” into a policy that's “a no.” “We have a deep relationship and long-standing relationship with Israel that can withstand Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu,” Pelosi said. “We cannot let their weaknesses stand in the way of our ongoing relationship.” She said the U.S. commitment to Israel isn't dependent on either leader, a sign there may not be lasting fallout from this week's incident, particularly in terms of foreign aid, which must be approved by Congress.…

The Los Angeles Opera declined Friday to release any details of its promised investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against opera legend Placido Domingo, the company’s longtime general director, including whether it has begun. Also Friday, the union that represents opera singers said it plans a meeting in Los Angeles next week to address its members’ concerns ahead of the LA company’s season opener Sept. 14. Len Egert, the executive director of the American Guild of Musical Artists, told The Associated Press that the union has been receiving its own reports from members since an AP story earlier this week detailing accusations against the 78-year-old singing star. Hours after the AP story was released Tuesday detailing the allegations, the LA Opera announced it would engage outside counsel to investigate the…

Thousands of travelers entering the United States experienced delays Friday because of a technology outage affecting Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) processing systems.  Reuters reported that in a tweet at 6:37 p.m. EDT, CBP said that the affected systems were “coming back online” and that travelers were being processed. The agency said there was “no indication” that the disruption was “malicious in nature.”  Earlier, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York said via Twitter that CPB agents were manually processing travelers.   Travelers posted images and video on social media showing long lines at airports.   The outage affected only inbound U.S. international flights, not departures. The delays affected both foreign visitors to the United States as well as U.S. citizens arriving from abroad.   But the Federal Aviation Administration, Reuters reported, said the outage caused no changes in flights.  On an average…

In Sudan, women are well-represented in the workforce. They are not lacking in any public spaces. And over the past few months, they have made up half, if not more, of the protest crowds making demands of their new transitional government. Women were an integral part of protests that led to the ouster of longtime president Omar al-Bashir, as well as in demonstrations after his fall. However, many female leaders now say they feel they have been locked out of political agreements and do not expect to be named to any positions in the Regional Council. Many feminists have been pushing to negotiate a 50% quota for women in government. Others have argued that 40% would be a more reasonable demand, as the current rate is 30%. But even the…

Scary folk tales and urban legends have always captivated people's imaginations, especially those of the young. Now, "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," a collection of short stories for children by author Alvin Schwartz and illustrator Stephen Gammell has been adapted by Oscar-winning producer Guillermo Del Toro and director André Øvredal. During its opening weekend, the movie grossed more than $20 million, proving again that teen horror flicks are a lucrative genre. Penelope Poulou has more. ...

Women were an integral part of protests that led to the ouster of Sudan's Omar al-Bashir and in demonstrations after his downfall. But many leaders now say they feel they have been locked out of political agreements and do not expect to be named to any positions in the regional council. In Khartoum, Esha Sarai and Naba Mohiedeen speak with female politicians and feminists who are pushing for more representation.   ...

America's top representative in Taiwan said Thursday that Washington expects the island to continue increasing its defense spending as Chinese security threats to the U.S. ally continue to grow.   W. Brent Christensen said the U.S. had ``not only observed Taiwan's enthusiasm to pursue necessary platforms to ensure its self-defense, but also its evolving tenacity to develop its own indigenous defense industry.'' That was a nod to President Tsai Ing-wen's drive to develop domestic training jets, submarines and other weapons technology, supplementing arms bought from the U.S. “These investments by Taiwan are commendable, as is Taiwan's ongoing commitment to increase the defense budget annually to ensure that Taiwan's spending is sufficient to provide for its own self-defense needs,” Christensen said in a speech. “And we anticipate that these figures will…

VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren interviews US National Security Advisor John Bolton. ...

French President Emmanuel Macron is celebrating U.S. and African veterans as well as French resistance fighters who took part in crucial but often-overlooked World War II landings on the Riviera.   At a ceremony Thursday in the southern town of Saint-Raphael marking 75 years since the operation to wrest southern France from Nazi control, Macron said, "your commitment is our heritage against darkness and ignorance."   French President Emmanuel Macron, left, talks with Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara during a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the WWII Allied landings in Provence, in Saint-Raphael, southern France, Aug. 15, 2019. He urged French mayors to name streets after African soldiers from then-French colonies brought in to fight. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara and Guinea President Alpha Conde also took part in…

The river that drains much of the flood-soaked United States is still running higher than normal, menacing New Orleans in multiple ways just as the hurricane season intensifies. For months now, a massive volume of water has been pushing against the levees keeping a city mostly below sea level from being inundated. The Mississippi River ran past New Orleans at more than 11 feet (3.4 meters) above sea level for a record 292 days, dropping below that height only Monday. "The big threat is water getting through or underneath," said Nicholas Pinter, an expert on river dynamics and flood risks who's studied levee breaches across the nation. "The longer the duration, the greater the threat." Locals walked up levees from Baton Rouge to New Orleans to see the river for…

An Italian court has upheld an appeal by the Spanish rescue ship Open Arms, suspending the Italian Interior Ministry's decision to ban the ship from entering Italian waters. The rescue ship with 147 migrants onboard has been stuck in the Mediterranean for nearly two weeks due to the ban imposed by Italy's hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, whose anti-immigration policies have put Rome on a collision course with its European Union partners. The Italian court ruled that the ban violates international laws in light of the “exceptionally grave and urgent situation due to the protracted stay of the migrants on our boat,” Open Arms said in a statement Wednesday. The group said its ship is now heading toward Italian waters and expects to reach them Thursday morning. Additionally, it has…

Jim Warlick is the master of presidential memorabilia, trinkets and novelties. Owner of the souvenir store White House Gifts in Washington, D.C. Warlick's company describes its mission as offering a “nonpartisan tribute to Presidential history.” ...

Apple's AirPods, Apple Watch and HomePod, which have helped the company offset waning sales of its bestselling iPhone this year, are not included in a temporary reprieve on tariffs by the Trump administration and will face a 10% levy on Sept 1. The administration said on Tuesday that some major items, such as laptops and cellphones, including Apple's MacBooks and iPhones, will not face tariffs until Dec. 15.  President Donald Trump said the change was to avoid an impact on U.S. customers during the Christmas shopping season. The tariff delay that affects some of Apple's biggest-selling products helped send its shares up more than 4% in late trading. FILE - Apple's iPhone 7 smartphones sit on a shelf at an Apple store in Beijing, China, Sept. 16, 2016. Trump and…

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross warned Tuesday that 70 years after countries adopted the Geneva Conventions to limit the barbarity of war, the terrible suffering in conflicts today shows they are not being respected. Peter Maurer told a U.N. Security Council meeting marking the anniversary that continued violations of the rules in the conventions doesn't mean they are inadequate, "but rather that efforts to ensure respect are inadequate." "We can — and must — do more. You can do more," he told the 15 council members. The four Geneva Conventions were adopted on Aug. 11, 1949, and have been universally ratified by the world's countries.    The first three were revised from earlier treaties to update rules on protecting the wounded and sick in the…

The United Nations refugee agency urgently appealed to European governments Tuesday to let two migrant rescue ships disembark more than 500 passengers who remain stranded at sea as countries bicker over who should take responsibility for them.    The people rescued while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa are on ships chartered by humanitarian aid groups that the Italian government has banned from its territory. The archipelago nation of Malta also has refused to let the ships into that country's ports. It's unclear where they might find safe harbor, even though the Italian island of Lampedusa appears closest. About 150 of the rescued passengers have been on the Spanish-flagged charity ship the Open Arms since they were plucked from the Mediterranean 13 days ago.  FILE - Migrants…

Rarely has a candidate gone far in a US presidential race highlighting a singular issue, but Democrat Jay Inslee is aiming to buck that trend with his commitment to tackling climate change. Unless he does something to dramatically change his trajectory -- he has less than one percent support in polls -- Inslee, currently the governor of Washington state, likely will be an also-ran in the crowded race to decide who challenges President Donald Trump in 2020. But what he has already achieved makes his candidacy worthy: launching a Democratic policy debate on climate change and how to prevent environmental disaster over the coming decades. Since entering the race in March, Inslee has repeatedly hit the panic button on climate, demanding the United States reverse course and take global warming…

Guatemala's incoming president Alejandro Giammattei has vowed to seek better terms for his country from an unpopular migration deal agreed with Washington last month, but any room for maneuver is seen as likely to be hampered by weakness in the national Congress. Preliminary results from Sunday's election gave Giammattei, a conservative, a runoff victory with 58% of the vote, well ahead of his center-left opponent, former first lady Sandra Torres, on 42%. Still, his Vamos Party won just 8% of the vote in June's congressional election, giving it around a tenth of the seats in a legislature bristling with nearly 20 parties. The biggest bloc of seats will be controlled by his rival Torres. Speaking a few hours before he was declared the winner, the 63-year-old Giammattei said he wanted…

Australia on Tuesday announced a Aus$500 million ($340 million) climate change package for Pacific island countries, which have been increasingly vocal in demanding their powerful neighbor curb its carbon emissions. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding, drawn from Australia's existing international aid budget, would help Pacific island nations invest in renewable energy and climate change resilience. The climate-sceptic leader made the announcement before traveling to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Tuvalu, where island nations threatened by rising seas have vowed to put global warming at the top of the agenda. Smaller members of the 18-nation grouping have been sharply critical of Australia's climate policies ahead of this year's summit amid a diplomatic push from Canberra to counter China's growing power in the region. High-level representatives from the likes…

Vast swathes of southeastern Myanmar lie under floodwaters that have already forced tens of thousands to flee their homes as the death toll from a massive landslide hit 59, firefighters said Monday. Seasonal monsoon rains batter the country every year, but the recent deluge has submerged entire communities, with AFP drone footage showing only the tops of houses visible. There are currently more than 80,000 people sheltering at evacuation sites across the country, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In the town of Ye in Mon state, people scrambled to stay afloat as they tried to swim to safety through swirling, muddy waters. Others fled to rooftops or to higher ground, calling out to rescue boats for help. AFP reporters saw workers desperately trying…

A Vietnamese military official advocates developing a more modern, better skilled navy that can hold off complex threats, mainly what experts believe to be increasing pressure from China. A rear admiral and political commissar in Hanoi told the official Viet Nam News August 6 that the navy could not be “taken by surprise at any development. “In this complicated situation that poses many threats to the country’s defense and security, given the Navy’s role as the key defender of the country’s sovereignty, the Viet Nam People’s Navy must do more to build a strong, developed, skilled and modern naval force that can fulfill all assigned missions,” said the commissar, Phạm Văn Vững. The commissar’s words follow the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel in March — Vietnam says at the hands…

The lawyer of the man suspected of opening fire in a mosque in Norway says his client is not cooperating with investigators. "He is exercising his right not to be interrogated," the lawyer said Monday.  "He is not admitting any guilt." The suspected gunman, 21-year-old Philip Manshaus, appeared in court Monday to face charges of attempted murder and murder in connection with last Saturday's attack outside of the capital, Oslo.    His face and neck were covered with bruises and he had two black eyes.   No one was killed at the mosque, but hours later police found the body of the gunman's stepsister at another location. Rune Skjold, assistant chief of police, holds a news conference after a shooting in al-Noor Islamic center mosque, in the police headquarters in…

In 1988 - sensing a need -  religious leaders began delivering meals to people with HIV and AIDS who couldn't leave their homes. From that simple idea, the non-profit Food and Friends has grown into a Washington, D.C., institution, bringing thousands of meals a day to the sick and those in need. VOA's Unshin Lee reports.   ...

The acting U.S. Homeland Security chief on Sunday defended raids last week on food processing plants in Mississippi searching for hundreds of undocumented migrants, but acknowledged "the timing was unfortunate," just days after a gunman targeted and killed 22 Hispanics in a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas. Kevin McAleenan told NBC's Meet the Press that of the 680 migrants detained in the raids on operations at five companies, 200 had criminal records and will be subject to deportation to their native countries. Television footage showed children weeping when they realized parents had been detained in the raids and would not be picking them up as their school day ended last Wednesday. But McAleenan said the raids were "done with sensitivity" and child care issues taken into consideration. He said…

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has protested Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest visit to Ukraine's Crimea region, calling a it a "gross violation" of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Attempts by the Russian side and the mass media to describe such 'visits' as 'ordinary' domestic trips by Russian officials are futile," the ministry said in a statement on August 11, adding that Crimea was an "integral part" of Ukraine. On August 10, Putin was shown on state television in a leather jacket at a biker show organized by the Night Wolves motorcycle club in Sevastopol, a city in the Crimean Peninsula that Moscow seized in 2014. The Night Wolves club is known for its allegiance to the Kremlin. Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 after Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych…

NEW DELHI — India's main opposition Congress party on Saturday appointed Sonia Gandhi to serve as interim president until it elects a new party chief.    The party accepted the resignation of her son Rahul Gandhi, who quit in July after Congress’ crushing defeat in national elections. He continues to be a member of Parliament.  A party working committee then asked Sonia Gandhi, 72, to take over in a stop-gap arrangement, party spokesman K.C. Venugopal said.    Sonia Gandhi handed the top party post to her son in 2017 after she suffered health problems. The party has long been led by the politically powerful Nehru-Gandhi family.    Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party won 303 out of 542 seats in the lower house of Parliament, while the Congress party won 52 seats in April-May…

EL PASO, TEXAS — More than 100 people marched through the Texas border city of El Paso on Saturday, denouncing racism and calling for stronger gun laws one week after 22 people were killed in a mass shooting that authorities say was carried out by a man targeting Mexicans.     Chanting "Gun reform now," " El Paso strong" and "Aqui estamos y no nos vamos" — Spanish for "Here we are and we are not leaving" — the marchers included Hispanic, white and black people dressed in white to symbolize peace and carrying 22 white wooden crosses to represent the victims of the shooting at an El Paso Walmart.    The man charged in with capital murder in the attack, Patrick Crusius, 21, told investigators he targeted Mexicans at the store with an AK-47 rifle, an El Paso…

Written by Eugen Tomiuc with reporting by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, Hotnews.ro, G4media.ro, and Digi24.ro.  Romanians rallied in Bucharest and other cities across the country Saturday to mark the first anniversary of a massive anti-corruption protest that the government violently quelled.  The demonstrations came amid public outrage over the authorities' response to the kidnapping and killing last month of a 15-year-old girl, a case that revealed deep flaws in the police system of the European Union and NATO member state.    About 20,000 people turned up for a rally outside government headquarters in central Bucharest, filling much of Victoria Square into the evening, according to G4media.ro.    Protests had also been urged over social media for Brasov, Cluj, Constanta, Iasi and other large cities, under slogans such as, "We don't forget what you did…