India’s coronavirus death toll has topped the 200,000 mark as it continues to be mired in a catastrophic surge of the disease. The Health Ministry reported 3,293 deaths Wednesday, a new single-day record for fatalities, pushing India’s total death toll to 201,187. The South Asian nation also set a new single-day record for new confirmed infections with 360,960, taking its overall cases to nearly 18 million. Indian Capital’s Grim Battle with 2nd Virus Wave Wreaks Havoc Across City Sick family members are desperately seeking medical help for those more severely ill at home or are frantically racing to locate scarce drugs and oxygen cylindersThe second wave of the coronavirus has pushed India’s health care system to the brink of collapse, with hospitals crammed with so many coronavirus patients that authorities have been forced to convert train cars into COVID-19 isolation wards, while an acute shortage of oxygen continues to aggravate the already desperate situation. Many parks and parking lots have been converted into makeshift crematories that are working day and night to burn dead bodies. The international community has begun shipping critical medical supplies to India, including personal protective equipment, ventilators and oxygen concentrators, which collect atmospheric air and convert it into pure oxygen, along with treatments, diagnostic tests and raw materials needed to manufacture vaccine. The latest global COVID-19 figures from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center show 148.7 million confirmed infections, including 3.1 million deaths. The U.S. leads the world in both categories with 32.1 million total confirmed cases and 573,381 deaths. In other developments, a preliminary study in Britain shows that a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine can reduce the risk of transmitting the virus by nearly half. Researchers at Public Health England found that people who were infected at least three weeks after being inoculated with a single dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines were between 38 and 49 percent less likely to spread it to people in their households. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the study “further reinforces that vaccines are the best way out of this pandemic as they protect you and they may prevent you from unknowingly infecting someone in your household.” Albert Bourla, the chief executive officer of Pfizer, said Tuesday that an oral antiviral drug to treat COVID-19 could be available for public use by the end of 2021. During an interview on cable television channel CNBC, Bourla said the U.S.-based drugmaker has begun a clinical trial of a drug that will be given to patients at the onset of the illness, with the aim of keeping them from being hospitalized.
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Month: April 2021
EU Ratifies Trade Deal with Britain
The European Parliament has ratified a post-Brexit trade deal with Britain. Results announced Wednesday showed EU lawmakers supporting the pact with a vote of 660 votes in favor and five against, with 32 members abstaining. The vote was the final step in a years-long process of defining trade terms between Britain and the remaining 27 members of the European Union.Members of European Parliament, David McAllister, Andreas Schieder, Christophe Hansen and Bernd Lange participate in a media conference after a debate on the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement at the EU Parliament in Brussels, April 27, 2021.European Council President Charles Michel welcomed the vote Wednesday, saying it “marks a major step forward in EU-UK relations and opens a new era.” The two sides had been operating under the terms of the trade agreement on a conditional basis since late December while awaiting the European Parliament’s approval. The Brexit process began with a 2016 referendum in which British voters chose to leave the EU. Britain had been a member since 1973, and after several delays, officially exited the EU in January 2020.
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Somalia President Drops 2-year Term Extension, Accepts Dialogue with Political Rivals
Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed says he will no longer pursue a two-year extension of his presidential term, giving in to internal and international pressure to back away from a controversial resolution on the extension passed by the Lower House of Parliament. In a televised address, Mohamed said he will appear before the Lower House of Parliament on Saturday to ask the lawmakers to restore last year’s agreement between the federal government and the leaders of five federal member states and the governor of Mogadishu. The agreement known as the “September 17 agreement” called for the election of federal lawmakers through indirect elections. The lawmakers would then elect the president. The Lower House of Parliament invalidated that agreement on April 12, giving the executive and legislative branches two more years to prepare popular elections. Mohamed signed the resolution into law on April 13. The president’s term expired on February 8, 2021, while the parliament’s mandate exhausted on December 27, 2020. “I shall on Saturday, appear before House of the People of our Republic to restore the September 17 process between Federal Government and Federal Member States,” he said. If the parliament approves the president’s request, it will reverse the two-year extension. “The government sees the only viable path is through dialogue, convincing each other and compromise, and a return to the table to compete the September 17 agreement,” he said. Mohamed urged the signatories of the September 17 agreement for immediate talks to discuss the way forward towards the implementation of the agreement without conditions. The Somali leader came under pressure on Tuesday when two federal members states allied with him broke ranks and opposed the term extension. In a joint statement, Galmudug and Hirshabelle states ruled out any kind of term extension and instead supported elections based on the September 17 agreement. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble issued a statement shortly after endorsing the joint statement issued by the two federal member states. Roble urged all stakeholders to prepare for elections based on the implementation of September 17 agreement. “I would like to welcome the press statements made by Galmudug and Hirshabelle Federal Member States,” Roble said in the statement. “I call on the other states of Puntland, Jubaland and Southwest and Banadir region to fully commit to a peace process in our efforts to hold a free and inclusive election.” In a call directed at armed security forces who split and sided with either the federal government or the opposition, Roble urged them to pull back to their locations and barracks, while urging opposition leaders to cease all hostilities and actions that could undermine stability.The Statement by Prime Minister H.E @MohamedHRoble on the current situation in Mogadishu and Election Process in the country. pic.twitter.com/6T2EFeji9k— SomaliPM (@SomaliPM) April 27, 2021 Foreign diplomats in Mogadishu who already strongly opposed the term extension expressed relief after the prime minister took the decision to essentially oppose extension and support dialogue based on the previous agreement. Earlier, the United States embassy in Mogadishu applauded the decision of the two federal member states to oppose the term extension and urged President Mohamed to “accept the clear path to dialogue and peace.”We commend @MrQoorqoor, @AliGuudlaawe, and @MohamedHRoble for opposing a term extension and supporting the Sept. 17 election agreement. We urge @M_Farmaajo to accept the clear path to dialogue and peace. https://t.co/cWo1PvAjWf— U.S. Embassy Mogadishu, Somalia (@US2SOMALIA) April 27, 2021 The European Union Ambassador to Somalia Nicolas Berlanga also threw his support behind the prime minister and the two federal states. “The EU praises the courage and sense of concertation by PM Roble and FMS proposing a consensus-based way forward towards fast elections and urge others to follow the path to previous commitments,” Berlanga wrote. “Violence has no place in Somalia and dialogue is the only way forward.”The EU praises the courage and sense of concertation by PM Roble and FMS proposing a consensus-based way forward towards fast elections and urge others to follow the path to previous commitments. Violence has no place in Somalia and dialogue is the only way forward.— Nicolas Berlanga (@NBerlangaEU) April 27, 2021This latest political shift comes two days after clashes erupted in the capital, Mogadishu, between soldiers backing the federal government and forces supporting the opposition. Mogadishu has been calm but tense since Monday, forcing civilians to flee from volatile districts to safer ones within Mogadishu and the outskirts. Forces from the two sides erected roadblocks and took positions in key junctions close to the presidential palace, the arterial Maka Al-Mukarama road and K-4 junction near the Mogadishu airport. Somali security experts blamed the political stalemate for the split of the fragile army, which has been undergoing rebuilding, with training and mentoring from number of countries including the United States and Turkey. “There has been prolonged political stalemate between the Somalia leaders, this unfortunately created uncertainty for not only the Somali people, but for the Somali security forces,” said Jihan Abdullahi Hassan, a former advisor to the Ministry of Defense and Chief of Defense Forces who admitted the army is split. “The incident of the 25th April 2021 showcases a split Somali security forces which is unfortunate since the security forces should not be involved in politics.” Hassan warned that if the political dispute is not quickly resolved, it will undo any progress made in recent years and will dismantle the security forces. “(It) will be difficult for any administration to resolve,” she said. The International community also warned the fragmentation will detract the army from fighting the radical Muslim insurgency group, al-Shabab. “Use of security forces for pursuit of political objectives is unacceptable,” a statement released by the United Nations Mission for Somalia on behalf of partners read. Hassan said the standoff between security forces in Mogadishu indicates that the fight against al-Shabab is not a current priority. She said security forces vacated frontlines, which will create a security vacuum. “The unity of our security forces will be key in combating the threat al-Shabab poses,” she said.
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Biden Announces US COVID Help to India
Amid criticism that the U.S.’s response to India’s COVID-19 crisis has been slow, President Joe Biden said the U.S. is sending a whole range of critical assistance to India, which is overwhelmed with a deadly second wave of the coronavirus. VOA’s senior diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine has the story.
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Key Diplomat Says Do Not Underestimate Afghan Security Forces
U.S. lawmakers worried about the impending withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan got a dose of cautious optimism from the diplomat who helped negotiate last year’s deal with the Taliban that paved the way for the upcoming pullout.Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States’ special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, telling members that while the Taliban have not quite lived up to all aspects of their agreement, the country’s future is far from lost.”I do not believe that the government is going to collapse, that the Taliban is going to take over,” Khalilzad said. “I don’t personally believe that there will be an imminent collapse.””It would be a mistake in my judgment to dismiss the Afghan security forces as not being a credible force that could perform well, although they will face more difficult circumstances,” he added.Doubts about withdrawalCritics of the withdrawal have voiced concern about the future of Afghanistan since U.S. President Joe Biden announced earlier this month that he was pulling the 2,500 to 3,500 U.S. troops out of the country beginning May 1.Lawmakers said Tuesday that they worry about the safety of Afghans who worked with U.S. forces over the past two decades and about what will happen to women’s rights as the Taliban likely gain more power.Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., questions Zalmay Khalilzad, special envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 27, 2021.”I’m concerned about public executions and other forms of brutality that will just be so incredibly offensive,” Republican Senator Ron Johnson said Tuesday.”Are we going to sit back and just watch?” he asked. “Wring our hands and mourn the fact that we had made so much progress?”U.S. military officials and a U.S. government watchdog have likewise expressed some reservations about the withdrawal, worrying that the Afghan military cannot stand up to the Taliban without the help of U.S. and coalition troops and thousands of civilian contractors critical to maintenance and logistics efforts.But Khalilzad said Tuesday that while such concerns should not be dismissed, there is little for the U.S. to gain by keeping troops in Afghanistan any longer.”The agreement we struck with the Taliban was the best possible under the circumstances,” he told lawmakers.”If we did stay another year or two or indefinitely, we would be back at war,” Khalilzad said, adding that the number of U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan might not have been enough to withstand a Taliban onslaught.“There could have been potentially demand for more forces to be able to maintain the status quo, not to lose significant ground,” he said, warning that even before the U.S.-Taliban deal was signed, “the military balance was changing territorially, negatively for the past several years.””As the #Taliban seek to end their chapter of animosity w/the United States, they must know to move forward they cannot continue to hold an American hostage” per @US4AfghanPeace”I have repeatedly demanded the Taliban release of #MarkFrerichs”— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) April 27, 2021 Khalilzad also said that the Taliban have been warned about the consequences of failing to adhere to all aspects of their agreement with the U.S., and of rejecting talks with the current Afghan government.”If they obstruct a negotiated settlement and instead pursue a military takeover, they will be opposed not only by the Afghan Republic, but by the United States, our allies and partners,” he said. “They will face isolation, regional opposition, sanctions and international opprobrium.””The #Taliban have taken several positive steps” when it comes to terrorism, per @US4AfghanPeace “But we are pressing for more”— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) April 27, 2021 U.S. diplomats sent homeGiving critics more cause for concern, however, the U.S. State Department on Tuesday ordered some employees at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul to head home, citing a rise in violence.Embassy staff defended the move, saying it would not affect its critical duties.”By minimizing the (number) of employees whose functions can be performed elsewhere, personnel who are urgently needed to address issues related to the drawdown of U.S. forces and the vital work we are doing in support of the Afghan people will be able to remain in place,” Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson wrote. “We do not anticipate any changes to our operations.”(1/4) In light of increasing violence & threat reports in Kabul, the @StateDept has approved Ordered Departure status affecting a relatively small number of employees at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul effective immediately. We do not anticipate any changes to our operations. https://t.co/hHZdr1uxVO— Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson (@USAmbKabul) April 27, 2021 For now, though, U.S. military planners are bracing for the possibility that the Taliban, or another group, will target American and NATO troops as they try to leave Afghanistan.Officials have sent four U.S. B-52 bombers to al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar to help provide air cover for the approximately 10,000 U.S. and NATO forces still in Afghanistan.New: Two B-52 bombers arrive at #AlUdeid Air Base in #Qatar ” to protect US & coalition forces as they conduct drawdown operations from #Afghanistan” per @USAFCENTThis is in addition to the 2 B-52s sent to the region last week… pic.twitter.com/8p3RUX8Tf1— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) April 26, 2021 The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier has also been ordered to remain in the region for the start of the drawdown. And officials have said ground forces, for protection and logistics, could also be sent to aid with the pullout.“We’ve actually got a very good backbone of a plan,” U.S. Central Command’s General Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie told a virtual forum Tuesday.NEW: “We’ve actually got a very good backbone of a plan” for May 1, @CENTCOM Commander Gen Kenneth McKenzie tells @AEISays US military presence to be minimal, to protect @USEmbassyKabul— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) April 27, 2021″I think we have a plan that will allow for us to get out in a protected manner,that will bring our partners out,” he said.
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Botswana Could Be First African Country to Vaccinate Entire Adult Population
Botswana’s health authorities say they have arranged to receive nearly 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, enough to cover the entire adult population. If every adult takes the vaccine, Botswana could become the first country in Africa to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. In a televised address Monday, Mosepele Mosepele, deputy coordinator of the Botswana Presidential COVID-19 Task Force, said the country reached agreements with vaccine manufacturers to supply doses to cover 1.9 million people. Botswana has an adult population of 1.6 million, but noncitizens are also eligible for the vaccine, Mosepele added.Botswana received 60,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine from India and the COVAX facility last month. Mosepele said the uptake of the vaccine has been impressive, with 47,160 receiving the jab since March 26. Mosepele said he is not sure when the 1.9 million doses will arrive, but that the largest portion of the pending shipment is from Johnson & Johnson, which is expected to deliver 1.1 million doses of its one-shot vaccine. In the meantime, the government this week received 200,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine from China. FILE – A health worker receives a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Francistown, Botswana, March 26, 2021.Kabo Morwaeng, Botswana’s minister of presidential affairs, urged people to take the Sinovac doses. “I also wish to implore all those who may be reluctant to do so, to step up and take their jabs. This process is intended for the good of all of us,” he said. “I must assure you that our health authorities, through the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BOMRA), will continue to ascertain that the vaccines we receive are safe for use by all of us.”Earlier this month, two people died after receiving the Covishield vaccine. BOMRA is investigating the incident. Botswana Nurses Union spokesperson Aobakwe Lesolame said the government needs to speedily roll out the vaccination campaign once the doses arrive. “We are pleading with the ministry (of health) that as these vaccines continue to arrive, they make sure that they roll out the strategy, very clear, very basic, very simple (and) disseminate across structures so that everybody can take part,” Lesolame said. “The vaccine rollout plan should focus on using community halls so that we ease the burden on public health facilities.” Botswana has recorded 702 deaths from COVID-19, with February and March being the deadliest months. Authorities have confirmed 46,000 cases of the virus overall.
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Bowing to Pressure, Somalia’s President Agrees Not to Extend Presidential Term
Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed said on Wednesday he would drop an attempt to extend his term by two years, bowing to domestic and international pressure after clashes in the capital Mogadishu split security forces along clan lines.Hours earlier, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble had denounced the proposed term extension and called for preparations for a new presidential election.The president’s term expired in February, but the country failed to hold elections as planned. Earlier this month, the lower house of parliament voted to extend Mohamed’s four-year term by another two years. The Senate rejected the move, provoking a political crisis.Police, military leaders defectCommanders in both the police and the military had defected to the opposition, and rival factions of the security forces had fortified positions in central Mogadishu, raising fears of clashes in the heart of the city, and a security vacuum in the surrounding areas that could be exploited by al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab insurgents.FILE – Somalia’s newly-elected President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo addresses lawmakers after winning the vote at the airport in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, Feb. 8, 2017.In a televised statement in the early hours of Wednesday, the president said he commended the efforts of the prime minister and other political leaders and welcomed the statements they issued calling for elections to be held without further delay. He also called for urgent discussions with the signatories to an agreement signed last September on the conduct of the elections.The opposition, who had called on the president to resign, did not immediately respond. The president did not discuss the opposition in his speech but did denounce unnamed “individuals and foreign entities who have no aim other than to destabilize the country.”The heads of two regional states who had been staunch allies of the president had also rejected on Tuesday the proposed two-year extension of Mohamed’s term. Those leaders said in statements immediately after the president’s speech that they welcomed his announcement.Mohamed’s attempt to extend his term had also angered foreign donors who backed his government, hoping it would help bring stability and quash the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab insurgency. But the proposed extension pitted factions in the security forces against each other.The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu tweeted support for the prime minister and the two state presidents after they issued their statement.This week, opposition forces abandoned positions in the countryside as they headed for a showdown in the capital, allowing al-Shabab to take over at least one town.Forces loyal to the opposition hold important parts of the city and clashed with government forces over the weekend, fueling worries the country could return to all-out war.’Teetering on the brink’The unrest is the second bout of violence in Mogadishu over an extension to Mohamed’s term. Continued clashes could further splinter Somali security forces along ethnic lines, said the International Crisis Group, a think tank.”Somalia is teetering on the brink of a major breakdown once again,” it said in a briefing published on Tuesday.Mohamed is Darod, one of Somalia’s major clans. Most of the Somali military in the capital are Hawiye, another large clan. Most of the opposition leaders are Hawiye.Earlier on Tuesday, Turkish-trained Haramcad (“Cheetah”) police forces raided the independent Mustaqbal Radio station, owned by a Hawiye businessman, and confiscated equipment. Somalia’s fledgling armed forces are drawn from clan militias who have often battled each other for power and resources.Internal Security Minister Hassan Hundubey Jimale told a news conference that government forces had been restrained to avoid harming civilians. He also said, without providing evidence, that “thieves” were breaking into houses and killing people.The African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, the United Nations mission there, and a dozen other mainly African and Western nations condemned the outbreak of violence and urged restraint.”We are alarmed especially by the emerging fragmentation of the Somali National Army (SNA) along clan lines,” a joint statement said.
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UK Government Green Lights ‘Self-driving’ Cars on Motorways
The UK government on Wednesday became the first country to announce it will regulate the use of self-driving vehicles at slow speeds on motorways, with the first such cars possibly appearing on public roads as soon as this year. Britain’s transport ministry said it was working on specific wording to update the country’s highway code for the safe use of self-driving vehicle systems, starting with Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) — which use sensors and software to keep cars within a lane, allowing them to accelerate and brake without driver input. The government said the use of ALKS would be restricted to motorways, at speeds under 37 miles (60 km) per hour. The UK government wants to be at the forefront of rolling out autonomous driving technology and the transport ministry forecasts by 2035 around 40% of new UK cars could have self-driving capabilities, creating up to 38,000 new skilled jobs. “The automotive industry welcomes this vital step to permit the use of automated vehicles on UK roads, which will put Britain in the vanguard of road safety and automotive technology,” Mike Hawes, CEO of car industry lobby group the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said in a statement. Limits of technologyBut insurance companies warn that Britain’s goal of being a leader in adopting self-driving cars could backfire unless automakers and regulators spell out the current limitations of the technology available today. They say calling ALKS “automated,” or using the synonymous term “self-driving,” will confuse British drivers into thinking the cars can drive themselves, causing accidents and risking a public backlash against the technology. “Aside from the lack of technical capabilities, by calling ALKS automated our concern also is that the UK Government is contributing to the confusion and frequent misuse of assisted driving systems that have unfortunately already led to many tragic deaths,” said Matthew Avery, research director at Thatcham Research, which has tested ALKS systems. The dangers of drivers apparently misunderstanding the limits of technology has been an issue in the United States, where regulators are reviewing about 20 crashes involving Tesla’s driver assistance tools, such as its “Autopilot” system.
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Thousands Rally Against Slovenia’s Right-Wing Government
Thousands rallied in Slovenia on Tuesday against the government of right-wing Prime Minister Janez Jansa, whom opponents accuse of curbing democratic freedoms in the traditionally moderate nation. The peaceful protest was held on Slovenia’s Resistance Day, which marks the start of the World War II struggle by partisan groups against Nazi German and fascist Italian occupiers. Protest organizers said they were fighting “for freedom, democracy and the rule of law.” Jansa’s government was formed last year after the resignation of a previous, liberal premier. A close ally of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of fueling hate speech, tightening his grip on power and pressuring the media. He has rejected these accusations. Jansa drew international attention when he congratulated former U.S. President Donald Trump while the vote count was still under way during the November election. Tuesday’s protest in the capital Ljubljana was the first big rally in months, defying pandemic restrictions on public gatherings. Protesters carried banners reading “People have the power,” or “The young care.” Some wore protective face masks, but not all. Previously, protests against Jansa’s government were held every week, drawing thousands.
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Migrant Youths Face Perils, Uncertainty at US Border
Jose Luis Boyeduana waited 13 years to reunite with his parents. The 16-year-old Ecuadorian national made the decision at the end of 2020 to travel to the U.S., undertaking a 3,000-kilometer journey to America’s southern border.“I entered on January 26, through a border crossing at Miguel Aleman [a municipality in Tamaulipas, Mexico],” Boyeduana told VOA, adding that he was held for two months at a federal facility in Roma, Texas.Tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors have been intercepted at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months, forcing the Biden administration to scramble to identify additional facilities — some makeshift — to house them.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
Young unaccompanied migrants, ages 3-9 sit inside a playpen at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in Donna, Texas, March 30, 2021.It is a process Boyeduana knows firsthand. Last month, U.S. authorities reunited him with his mother and father, both of whom reside in the United States, after verifying that they were his legal guardians.”This happiness is forever, being with my son,” Carlos Lozada, Boyeduana’s father, told VOA.Boyeduana had been living with his grandparents in Ecuador since he was 3.He was allowed to stay in the United States under the Biden administration’s policy exempting minors and some families with small children from a blanket ban on accepting unauthorized border crossers. The ban was enacted under the former Trump administration as an emergency measure necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.The Biden administration has retained the policy in an amended form, expelling adult migrants as well as families with older children.As of April 22, more than 23,000 migrant children remained in U.S. custody.White House weighs inThe White House has made it clear that asking for asylum does not guarantee permanent residency in the U.S.“What I want to emphasize is that many people are not going to get their asylum claims in the United States and it is possible that they will return to their country of origin at the end of that process,” Roberta Jacobson, Biden’s coordinator on the southern border who is leaving the position at the end of April, told VOA. “So really the message is to wait because there will be more options — more secure, less expensive and in a safe way, to perhaps have the possibility of reaching the United States in the future.”To seek FILE – In this March 30, 2021, young migrants wait to be tested for COVID-19 at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley, in Donna, Texas.Why they leaveMigrants’ motivations for coming to the United States may or may not meet the standards set forth for asylum relief.Many unauthorized border crossers say they seek to escape violence, poverty and, in many cases, the effects of natural disasters. Large swaths of Central America were devastated by hurricanes coinciding with the coronavirus pandemic that has stunted recovery efforts.Trump’s Unfinished Border Wall Continues to Stir Passions Some residents along Mexico-US divide would like to see the work completedHuman Trafficking a Profitable Business at Migrants’ ExpenseMany escaping violence, poverty in their home countries pay huge sums to smugglers and endanger themselves to cross US borderHonduran Eda Cristelia Melendez, who is in her 70s, is currently living with her young granddaughter in a shelter in Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, Texas.She says U.S. authorities sent the pair back to Mexico after they tried to cross the border.The grandmother says she made the trip after refusing a request by the girl’s mother, who lives in Chicago, to send the child across the border by herself.“‘Have you thought [of what could happen] if the girl goes alone?’” Melendez recalled asking.U.S. officials echo the grandmother’s concerns.”We’re working with partners throughout the region to deter the dangerous travel of those unaccompanied children from the region,” said Emily Mendrala, State Department Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers blame the Biden administration for sharp increases in border arrivals, saying it signaled a departure from former President Donald Trump’s restrictive policies, causing migrants to believe the United States would take them in.Representative John Katko, a Republican from New York and ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, says he cautioned the Biden administration against sudden immigration policy shifts.“Homeland Security Republicans warned of this impending crisis months ago and we are committed to prioritizing the safety of Americans and the security of our homeland,” Katko wrote.Amid the political cacophony in Washington, José Luis Boyeduana is celebrating a goal reached.“Happiness can only be found with your parents,” he said.Click here for full VOA Spanish branch coverage.
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Iran Nuclear Pact Talks Resume
World powers resumed talks Tuesday in Vienna about revitalizing the 2015 international pact to restrain Iran’s nuclear development program and bring the United States back into the accord that former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018.Current U.S. President Joe Biden wants to rejoin the pact aimed at keeping Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, although Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.The U.S. does not have a seat at the table for the negotiations, but diplomats from the other countries in the agreement — Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France — are representing its interests at the talks.Trump, believing the agreement approved by former U.S. President Barack Obama was too weak to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, instead stiffened U.S. economic sanctions against Tehran in hopes it would agree to tougher restrictions on its nuclear program. But no new agreement was reached before Trump left office in January.Tehran, with the country’s economy reeling, instead has steadily increased the purity of uranium it enriches and its stockpiles in a so-far unsuccessful effort to get the other countries in the pact to provide economic relief.Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks on the second day of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 15, 2020.The new talks are occurring days after comments surfaced from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif alleging that Russia at one point tried to undermine the pact, presumably in hopes that continued U.S.-Iranian hostility would deflect American pressure on Moscow.The Russian Foreign Ministry has yet to address Zarif’s comments, made in a seven-hour interview with a research group associated with the Iranian presidency.Before the talks began, Russian representative Mikhail Ulyanov said he had met with officials from Iran and China but did not say anything about Zarif’s comments.”We compared notes and exchanged views on the way ahead towards full restoration of the nuclear deal,” he tweeted. “It was a very fruitful meeting.”Ulyanov later said the main negotiations were “guided by the unity of purpose.”The focus of the new talks is on the extent to which the U.S. would ease its economic sanctions and how Iran would again comply with the terms of the 2015 deal.
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Biden’s First 100 Days: Transatlantic Alliances Renewed, as Russia Tests New President
With this week marking 100 days of Joe Biden’s U.S. presidency, European allies are noting the change in the key relationship with Washington. Henry Ridgwell reports from London on how the new administration is being viewed from across the Atlantic. Camera: Henry Ridgwell, Ricardo Marquina Montañana Produced by: Barry Unger
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Two Spanish Journalists, One Irish National Killed in Burkina Faso Ambush
Two Spanish journalists and an Irish national were killed Monday in eastern Burkina Faso by suspected jihadist insurgents.The journalists were with an anti-poaching patrol in the Arly National Park when the patrol was attacked by gunmen, according to security sources in the West African country. The journalists were filming a documentary about how Burkinabe authorities were tackling the poaching issue. The Spanish government has identified the journalists as David Beriain and Roberto Fraile.”The worst news is confirmed,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted Tuesday. Sanchez also expressed “appreciation to those who, like them, carry out courageous and essential journalism from conflict zones daily.” Meanwhile, the Irish government said it was aware of the event and was in close contact with international partners but has not identified the Irish national killed.One Burkinabe soldier remains missing.Earlier, Spain’s foreign minister had described the situation as “confusing.” At a news conference, Arancha Gonzalez Laya said she was working with Burkinabe authorities via Spain’s embassy in Mali.Laya explained the journalists were in a “dangerous area where terrorists, bandits, jihadists usually operate.”The Associated Press has reported that the jihadist group, al-Qaid-affiliated JNIM, was responsible for the attack.”We killed three white people. We also got two vehicles with guns and 12 motorcycles,” the AP quoted from an audio message from the group.Burkina Faso has become a hotbed for jihadists who are increasingly active in the Sahel region, especially in Mali. Kidnapping has soared in the Sahel, with foreigners being lucrative targets for hostage-takers.Two soldiers injured in the attack told the Associated Press they were outnumbered by the jihadists, who attacked their 15-person patrol. The unnamed soldiers said they aimed to protect the foreigners when the gunmen attacked but saw the assailants had disappeared after the shooting ended.”We were discouraged. It’s like you leave your house with 10 people, you go to work, and then you come back with eight people. What do you say to those two people’s families?” said one of the soldiers.Fraile is described as a father of two children and a freelance cameraman whose work took him to conflict-torn countries like Syria, where he survived an attack in Aleppo nine years ago. That attack left shrapnel in his pelvis.Beriain ran a production house with his wife out of Madrid. His work included reports on armed conflicts, violent groups, and traffickers.
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Blinken Makes First Africa Trip, Virtually
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his first Africa visit — though he did not actually go anywhere. Blinken virtually attended six events and met with top leaders in continental heavyweights Kenya and Nigeria. Protecting global human rights through good governance is a cornerstone of American foreign policy, and Blinken hit that point hard in his opening event Tuesday, with alumni of the U.S. government’s Young African Leadership Initiative. But the casual nature of the virtual exchange — which he called “Ten Questions with Tony” — did not stop young Africans from asking the U.S.’s new top diplomat some tough questions about everything from climate change to Chinese influence to growing extremism on the continent. Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari appears on a screen, at right, as he speaks during a virtual bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington, April 27, 2021.Blinken said it all comes down to this: “We’re very much committed to working with partners to advance peace and security in Africa. In the short term, sometimes that looks like security partnerships, conflict mitigation support and diplomatic advocacy on human rights. Ultimately, I think the most important thing that we can do is to help countries, where possible, strengthen their democratic institutions, strengthen the ability to deliver progress for people, economic growth, and that’s the real foundation that we need to put in place.” The virtual nature of the visit meant that Blinken traversed huge distances from his D.C. office. After meeting virtually with the YALI alumni, he then zipped over to Nigeria, where he met with the president and foreign minister. And then, 90 minutes later, he was clear across the continent, to meet with Kenya’s president and foreign minister. He also spoke with officials in both countries about their efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic. Blinken did not shy away from discussing the virtual elephant in the virtual room: China — the U.S.’s largest adversary, which is making serious inroads in Africa. “Countries in Africa will and should engage with a broad array of partners, whether it’s China or France, Turkey or Brazil, the United States or many others,” he said. “And my hope is that African countries and African communities just approach those relationships with your eyes wide open.”China is a global competitor and competition is a good thing as long as it’s basically fair and the playing field is level. But as we look at it, we have different approaches to governance, we have different approaches to business, we have different approaches to security, and the fundamentals sometimes of our partnerships are quite different,” he added. With this visit, Blinken could outpace his predecessor in terms of engagement on the world’s fastest-growing continent. Under previous U.S. President Donald Trump, two secretaries of state visited Africa, once each.Blinken’s staff says this visit will not be his last, and that he hopes to make an actual trip, once it is safe to travel again. In the meantime, he said, he will listen to the voices from the world’s youngest population. “The most important thing we have is to hear and to listen to new voices, young voices, fresh perspectives, new ideas,” he said. “No one has a monopoly on ideas, never mind good ideas. And as you’re bringing these ideas to the marketplace of ideas, it’s going to make for a much more powerful and abundant market, and I think that’s the way we get progress.” Africa, Blinken said, the U.S. is listening to you.
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At Least 2 Killed During Protests in Chad
At least two people were killed Tuesday in the central African country of Chad during protests demanding the country’s transitional military government transfer power to civilians.
The country’s military council was led by President Idriss Deby Itno, who was killed on April 19 while visiting troops fighting rebels north of the capital, N’Djamena.
Local media reported a man was fatally shot in the southern city of Moundou and another was killed in N’Djamena.
Tensions escalated in the impoverished desert country after the sudden death of Deby, who ruled the country for three decades. A coalition opposed to the military government called for protests, despite a government ban on them.
Authorities arrested several protesters and journalists, as protesters vandalized a gas station and burned tires throughout N’Djamena. Police fired tear gas on protesters in the capital, while other demonstrations were underway in other parts of the country.
After meeting in Paris Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi condemned “the crackdown on protests” in a joint statement that also called for an end to the violence.
The two leaders voiced support for a transition process that is “open to all Chadian political forces, led by a civilian government,” with the intent to organize elections within 18 months.
The military announced Deby’s death on April 20, just hours after he was confirmed the winner of the presidential election held earlier in the month.
After Deby’s death, the military created a council to organize elections within 18 months. The military appointed Deby’s 37-year-old son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, as head of the council, drawing immediate criticism from political opponents and rebel forces accused of assassinating his father.
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Police Detain Suspects in South Sudanese Bishop-elect Shooting
Authorities in the capital of South Sudan’s Lakes State detained close to two dozen people including police officers and priests on Tuesday, a day after armed assailants shot Bishop-elect Christian Carlassare on the grounds of the Catholic Diocese of Rumbek. All employees at the diocese offices, including watchmen, have been detained for questioning, said Lakes State police spokesperson Captain Elijah Mabor Makuac. “We have arrested 20 people currently under our custody, including some of our police personnel who were assigned there, including priests and the staff of the diocese who were around the crime scene. Up to now we are investigating the crime; we shall establish the motive very soon,” Makuac told VOA’s “South Sudan in Focus” program. Bishop-elect Carlassare told “South Sudan in Focus” unknown gunmen stormed his residence early Monday and shot him in both legs for no apparent reason. “At around 1 a.m. some people came at my door; when they saw the door was locked, they shoot, and I was not able to hold it closed. When the door was opened, I came out and asked them what they want. They started shooting my lower legs,” Father Carlassare told VOA. Carlassare said on Monday that he had already forgiven his assailants. “We don’t carry any grudge; we know [God] is greater than everything and he can convert our hearts and bring bad things to good, so let us be united in prayer,” said Carlassare. Carlassare was flown to Juba on Monday and later transported to Nairobi for further medical treatment. Monsignor John Mathiang Machol said he was awakened by the sound of gunshots and shouting, then went running toward the commotion.
“It should not happen here because life is very important for us and the service the bishop is doing in this church…We received him wholeheartedly and then we welcomed him. This has shocked us, especially me,” Machol told “South Sudan in Focus”. Police spokesman Makuac called on the public, particularly social media users, to avoid spreading misinformation about the incident. “The wild rumors circulating on social media should not be relied on. This is a criminal case and it is a typical police concern. Police have taken charge of this, so whoever is circulating information that he knows and puts it on social media, I don’t know where they get that, because we are still investigating and all the papers are with us,” he said. Lakes State Governor Makur Kulang Liei, who condemned the attack, has formed a committee that includes national security service agents to oversee the investigation. State Information Minister William Koji Kerjok said the panel will be headed by the minister for Cabinet affairs. Kerjok said those arrested in connection with the attack include the person he described as “the major suspect.” He did not identify the person. The situation remained tense on Tuesday in Rumbek, where a heavy deployment of security forces could be seen on foot in several areas, especially near the offices of the diocese. Carlassare was appointed on March 8 as the new leader of the Rumbek diocese. He arrived on April 15 to prepare for his installation on May 23. This marks the second time a Catholic priest has been attacked in Lakes State. In 2018, a Jesuit priest was shot dead in the middle of the night at his residence in Cueibet County.
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