US charges Indian billionaire Gautam Adani with fraud, conspiracy

new york — An Indian businessman who is one of the world’s richest people has been indicted in the United States on charges he duped investors by concealing that his company’s huge solar energy project on the subcontinent was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme.

Gautam Adani, 62, was charged in an indictment unsealed Wednesday with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. The case involves a lucrative arrangement for Adani Green Energy Ltd. and another firm to sell 12 gigawatts of solar power to the Indian government — enough to light millions of homes and businesses.

The indictment portrays Adani and his co-defendants as playing two sides of the deal.

It accuses them of portraying the plan as rosy and aboveboard to Wall Street investors who poured several billion dollars into the project while, back in India, they were paying or planning to pay about $265 million in bribes to government officials in exchange for billions of dollars’ worth of contracts and financing.

Adani and his co-defendants allegedly sought to “obtain and finance massive state energy supply contracts through corruption and fraud at the expense of U.S. investors,” Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa Miller said.

In a parallel civil action, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused Adani and two co-defendants of violating anti-fraud provisions of U.S. securities laws. The regulator is seeking monetary penalties and other sanctions.

Both cases were filed in federal court in Brooklyn. Adani’s co-defendants include his nephew, Sagar Adani, the executive director of Adani Green Energy’s board, and Vneet Jaain, who was the company’s chief executive from 2020 to 2023 and remains managing director of its board.

Online court records did not list lawyers who could speak on the defendants’ behalf. An email message seeking comment was left with an arm of Adani’s company, the Adani Group.

Sanjay Wadhwa, acting director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, said Gautam and Sagar Adani are accused of persuading investors to buy their company’s bonds by misrepresenting “not only that Adani Green had a robust anti-bribery compliance program but also that the company’s senior management had not and would not pay or promise to pay bribes.”

Adani is a power player in the world’s most populous nation. He built his fortune in the coal business in the 1990s. The Adani Group grew to involve many aspects of Indian life, from making defense equipment to building roads to selling cooking oil.

In recent years, Adani has made big moves into renewable energy, embracing a philosophy of sustainable growth reflected in its slogan: “Growth with Goodness.”

Last year, a U.S.-based financial research firm accused Adani and his company of “brazen stock manipulation” and “accounting fraud.” The Adani Group called the claims “a malicious combination of selective misinformation and stale, baseless and discredited allegations.”

The firm in question is known as a short-seller, a Wall Street term for traders that essentially bet on the prices of certain stocks to fall, and it had made such investments in relation to the Adani Group.

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Finnish authorities open probe into ruptured undersea cable between Finland, Germany

HELSINKI, Finland — Finnish authorities said Wednesday they have opened an investigation into the rupture of a data cable under the Baltic Sea, adding to a Swedish probe into the possible sabotage of that link and another cable.

The C-Lion1 cable, which runs between Finland and Germany was damaged on Monday, the day after similar damage to a cable that crosses the Baltic between Lithuania and Sweden, with the incidents occurring off the Swedish islands of Oland and Gotland respectively. Germany’s defense minister said Tuesday that the damage appeared to have been caused by sabotage, though there is no proof at present.

Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation said it opened a criminal investigation into the rupture of the C-Lion1 cable on suspicion of “aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications.”

Swedish police already opened a preliminary investigation Tuesday into suspected sabotage regarding the two cable breaches, and said Wednesday that “Swedish police and prosecutors are also interested in a ship that has been seen at the locations in question.”

They didn’t give any details or identify the vessel but said that “it is not currently in Swedish waters.”

The official investigations came as news reports said a Chinese-flagged vessel, the Yi Peng 3, had been in the area at the time of the ruptures.

Vessel tracking information from the Marine Traffic website showed the 225-meter (738-foot) long bulk carrier not moving Wednesday afternoon off the coast of Denmark in the Baltic.

The Royal Danish Navy did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from The Associated Press.

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Foreign fighters flocking to Islamic State in Somalia 

washington — The Islamic State terror group’s small but influential affiliate in Somalia is growing, thanks in part to what the United Nations describes as an “influx of foreign fighters.”

A new report this week by the U.N. Sanctions Monitoring Team for Somalia warns that fighters, including some from countries in the Middle East, have helped the Islamic State’s Somali affiliate, also known as IS-Somalia, to more than double in size to between 600 and 700 fighters.

“Foreign fighters arrive in Puntland [Somalia] using both maritime and overland routes,” according to the report, which is based on intelligence estimates from U.N. member states.

The foreign fighters “have expanded and enhanced the group’s capabilities,” the report said, strengthening IS’s presence in Somalia’s Puntland region while also helping it take territory from its key rival, al-Qaida-linked terror group al-Shabab.

Intelligence sources described the IS-Somalia advance, especially in Puntland’s Cal Miskaad mountains, as a “drastic change,” crediting the foreign fighters for IS-Somalia’s change in fortune.

The U.N. report said the IS foreign fighters have come from at least six countries: Syria, Yemen, Ethiopia, Sudan, Morocco and Tanzania. It also said some captured foreign fighters have reported working with trainers who have come from parts of the Middle East.

The new report builds on previous warnings from U.S. and Somali officials, including the commander of U.S. Africa Command, who told VOA last month that IS-Somalia had grown “twofold” over the past year. 

Somali officials have likewise warned of hundreds of foreign fighters flocking to Somalia to join the ranks of the IS affiliate.

“This reporting on an influx of foreign terrorist fighters in Africa is concerning,” said Austin Doctor, the director of counterterrorism research initiatives at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center.

And while the flow of foreign fighters to Somalia pales in comparison to the tens of thousands of fighters who flocked to join IS in Syria and Iraq during the height of the terror group’s self-declared caliphate, Doctor told VOA the trend is likely to continue.

“A number of factors present in the Horn [of Africa] and other Africa regions as well will likely appeal to aspiring travelers looking to join the rank and file of an extremist militant organization,” he said. “Global and local security forces should prepare to see more of this in the near term.”

There are likewise concerns about IS-Somalia’s growing prominence on the global stage.

Since 2022, Somalia has been home to al-Karrar, one of nine regional Islamic State offices established to help sustain the terror group’s global capabilities.

The U.N. report cautions that despite some leadership losses, the al-Karrar office has become both more powerful and more decentralized, making it more difficult to disrupt its activities.

And the report confirms that former IS-Somalia leader Abdulqadir Mumin, who escaped a U.S. airstrike this past June, has been elevated to head of the Islamic State’s general directorate of provinces, “placing him in a leadership role over [IS] affiliates in Africa.” 

IS-Somalia, according to the report, is now being led by Mumin’s former deputy, Abdirahman Fahiye Isse, with Abdiwali Waran-Walac running IS-Somalia’s finances.

And the group’s finances appear to be in good shape.

“Given the relatively small size of [IS]-Somalia, the group can sustain itself and generate additional revenue for other [IS] affiliates through the al-Karrar office,” the report said.

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Nigerien journalist fights for press freedom despite challenges

In Niger, where press freedom faces challenges, journalist Samira Sabou has become a symbol of resilience. The investigative journalist and activist is being recognized with an International Press Freedom Award. Reporter Abdoul-Razak Idrissa met Sabou in the capital, Niamey. VOA’s Salem Solomon has this story.

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Ukraine fires British Storm Shadow missiles into Russia, reports say

It’s reported that Ukraine has fired British-supplied Storm Shadow long-range missiles into Russia for the first time. It follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s reported decision earlier this week to approve the use of American longer-range missiles on targets deep inside Russia. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.

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Some US weapons may be delivered to Ukraine after Biden’s term ends, Pentagon says

Some U.S. weapons deliveries to Ukraine may take place after President Joe Biden’s term ends in January, Pentagon officials tell VOA, noting it will take time for certain capabilities to arrive in Ukraine.

“As you know, some equipment and some systems can get to Ukraine very quickly, and you’ve seen that happen within days or weeks. Sometimes, it does take longer … and that could be longer than weeks; that could be months,” Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said November 14 in response to a question from VOA.

Singh noted that under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, or USAI, weapon deliveries could take years.

“The long and short of it is, is that some equipment does get to Ukraine exceptionally quickly. But then there are some that take longer,” she said.

The United States has remaining funds for two main programs supporting Ukraine’s defense — PDA, or Presidential Drawdown Authority, and USAI. The first program allows weapons to be provided from existing U.S. stockpiles, ensuring faster delivery. The second program involves purchasing weapons from industry, a process that can take longer.

As of November, the U.S. has around $9 billion left for military assistance for Ukraine, the Pentagon has reported. Of this, approximately $7 billion is available under the PDA program, including around $4 billion approved by Congress in April and an additional $2.8 billion made available after accounting adjustments by the Department of Defense. Some $2.2 billion is available through the USAI program.

On November 20, the U.S. announced an additional security assistance package for Ukraine valued at $275 million. It included munitions for rocket systems, artillery rounds and anti-tank weapons.

Pentagon officials have confirmed to VOA that the Department of Defense is committed to allocating all remaining PDA funds authorized by Congress before January 20 and additional funds made available due to recalculations. The exact total will depend on ongoing assessments of Ukraine’s defense needs and the logistics of assistance delivery.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has said that some weapons deliveries to Ukraine could take time.

“Everything won’t be delivered immediately,” he told reporters during a visit to Italy in October. “Things that we’re purchasing now, for example, may wind up showing up a couple of months later.”

The secretary added that some materiel from U.S. stocks is refurbished before being delivered to Ukraine. “And again, it’s not instantaneous, it may take weeks or in some cases, a couple of months,” he said.

Austin underscored that the Pentagon has provided a plan to the Ukrainians and is confident that weapon deliveries will proceed according to the expected schedule.

If the incoming Trump administration decided to stop some remaining deliveries, they could do so. In this case, however, they would have to de-obligate aid that was previously obligated by the Biden administration, Austin said last month in Italy.

On November 12, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said that between the passage of the supplemental funding by Congress in April and the middle of October, the U.S. has delivered 83% of committed munitions from its stockpiles, 67% of other critical air defense commitments and 60% of artillery and close air support capabilities.

“Since the passage of the supplemental, we’ve delivered hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, thousands of armored vehicles, thousands of munitions for HIMARS and antitank weapons, dozens of artillery systems, significant air defense capabilities, including a Patriot battery, hundreds of interceptors and dozens of other systems,” Ryder said.

“And together with our allies and partners, the deliveries of the strategic air defense system we committed to providing at the NATO summit are nearly completed,” he said.

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Trump picks former acting attorney general as US envoy to NATO

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday named Matt Whitaker, a former acting attorney general from his first presidency, as the U.S. ambassador to NATO, the cornerstone Western military alliance whose member countries Trump has criticized for not spending enough money on defense.

In a statement, Trump described Whitaker, 55, as “a strong warrior and loyal patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO allies and stand firm in the face of threats to peace and stability.”

As with several of Trump’s choices for positions in his new administration, the nomination of Whitaker to the 32-country North Atlantic Treaty Organization based in Brussels is unusual in that his professional background does not match the job to which he is being named. Whitaker has a long career as a lawyer but is not steeped in foreign or military policy.

Whitaker, like numerous other Trump appointees, has been an ardent Trump loyalist. Whitaker has been a vocal critic of the two federal criminal cases brought against Trump that are now likely to be erased as he assumes power again on January 20.

During his first administration, Trump goaded other NATO countries that did not meet the alliance’s military spending goal: 2% of their national economic output. As he left office in 2021, six of the NATO countries were spending that much on defense. But 23 of the 32 do now as the threat of Russian aggression against nearby NATO countries mounted after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which is not a NATO country but wants to join.

During his presidency, Trump assailed the countries who were not spending enough on defense, saying they were in arrears in their “dues” to NATO.

“NATO was busted until I came along,” Trump said at a political rally earlier this year. “I said, ‘Everybody’s going to pay.’”

Trump said that “one of the presidents of a big country” at one point asked him whether the U.S. would still defend the country if they were invaded by Russia even if they “don’t pay.”

“I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer.”

“No, I would not protect you,” Trump recalled saying to that president. “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”

Under the NATO treaty, member nations are obligated to protect each other militarily if they are attacked. The obligation has been invoked only once in the 75-year history of the alliance that was formed in the aftermath of World War II. That was when other NATO countries joined the United States in fighting al-Qaida in Afghanistan after the terrorist group attacked the U.S. in 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.

Whitaker, a former federal prosecutor in the Midwestern state of Iowa, served as acting attorney general between November 2018 and February 2019, as special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was ending.

Before then, Whitaker was chief of staff to Trump’s first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, before being picked to replace his boss after Sessions was fired amid Trump’s lingering outrage over his decision to withdraw from the Russia investigation. Whitaker held the acting attorney general position for several months without Senate confirmation, until William Barr was confirmed as attorney general in February 2019.

Other appointments

Trump has been making new top appointments to his nascent administration on an almost daily basis.

Late Tuesday, he named Linda McMahon as his nominee to lead the Education Department, even though Trump and some Republican lawmakers want to abolish the agency and hand over most education policy decisions and much of the current federal funding to state and local control.

McMahon served as the head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s previous term in office and is well known for her decadeslong role, along with her husband, in helping lead World Wrestling Entertainment.

“Linda will use her decades of leadership experience, and deep understanding of both education and business, to empower the next generation of American students and workers and make America number one in education in the world,” Trump said in a statement. “We will send education back to the states, and Linda will spearhead that effort.”

Also on Tuesday, Trump announced he’d nominate Wall Street financier Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary in his new administration.

Additionally, the president-elect picked Dr. Mehmet Oz, a longtime television show host, as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that oversees the government’s two key health insurance programs for older Americans and impoverished people. Trump backed Oz’s failed attempt to win a Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2022.

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Nigeria’s Mining Week sharpens focus on long-neglected sector

Abuja, Nigeria — Nigeria concluded a three-day conference Wednesday to mark National Mining Week. Authorities in the West African nation have been seeking to expand investments in the mining industry in a bid to diversify the economy, amid the global surge in demand for minerals. 

The conference, attended by government officials, mining industry players and international investors, was part of the Nigerian government’s campaign to boost not only mining, but also local processing of the minerals extracted.

Earlier this year, the Nigerian government said new investors will be required to set up local processing plants if they want to obtain a mining license. 

Mary Ogbe, permanent secretary of the mining and solid minerals industry, spoke about the impending changes.

“Before now, people will come in, cart away our minerals and go and refine [them] and bring [them] back and then we’re paying so much on what belongs to us,” she said. “Now, with the local value addition, no one is allowed to legally carry out our products without adding value. Now, this is creating jobs.”

Nigeria has rich deposits of more than 40 minerals, including tin, iron ore, lead, zinc and gold. The country is also a new source of lithium, a metal used in batteries and electric vehicles.

But the country’s minerals are often illegally exploited and exported without generating much revenue locally. 

At the summit authorities pledged to address the problem by investing in mining technologies, surveillance, data gathering, community enlightenment and enforcement of mining laws.

In March, authorities deployed 2,500 agents to police unauthorized mining activities.

This week, the government said the “Mining Marshal Corps” has arrested more than 300 illegal miners, including foreign nationals.

But economist and founder of the Center for Social Justice Eze Onyekpere said authorities are still not doing enough to boost income from the mining sector.

“It’s been a mantra of successive governments to improve government revenue by diversifying into the solid minerals sector, but we’re getting very infinitesimal sum of money from solid minerals mining,” he said. “And it’s not as if we don’t have enough solid minerals or that mining is not taking place, it is because solid minerals mining has been converted to a criminal activity especially in those areas where there’s security threats and crisis but the federal government has not taken it seriously.”

Despite the government’s lofty goals, the mining sector contributed only about 0.77% of Nigeria’s GDP last year.

Onyekpere says until the government gets more serious, Nigeria’s mining industry will not be able to reach its potential.

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Zambia’s Catholic bishops raise concern over rights violations

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA — In Zambia, Catholic bishops raised the alarm this week about increased arrests and prolonged detentions of opposition leaders.

In a letter signed by all 11 of the country’s Catholic bishops, they lamented what they called significant restrictions on democratic freedom, illustrated by charges being brought against at least six opposition leaders, as well as journalists and civil society activists, for political activities.

The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, the church’s national leadership body, released a pastoral letter Sunday. It said the church is alarmed by gross violations of human rights and undemocratic tendencies by the Zambian government.

The group’s president, Kasama Archbishop Ignatius Chama, said, “Even more alarming is the disturbing trend by the police of keeping suspects in detention for a period more than prescribed by the law.”

Hate speech penalties

Chama urged authorities to withdraw a penal code amendment bill being considered by parliament to allow for further consultations. According to the National Assembly website, the bill is aimed at increasing penalties for hate speech.

Introducing the bill in June, President Hakainde Hichilema said certain sections of society were promoting hate speech against some tribes, which he said could cause civil strife. He said the proposed law would help ensure that perpetrators were given stiffer punishments and deter others.

However, the bishops said the proposals would undermine fundamental freedoms needed to ensure democracy.

Jackson Silavwe, a spokesperson for the United Kwacha Alliance, a network of 10 opposition political parties, told VOA that the Catholic Church has shown commitment to being the voice of the voiceless in Zambia.

“We commend the ZCCB for its courageous and principled stance in addressing these critical issues, which resonate with the cries of many Zambians yearning for justice, equity and peace in our nation,” Silavwe said.

Government response

Zambia‘s chief government spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, told journalists Tuesday that the government is studying the contents of the letter.

“The church are all-weather partners of government, and where they raise issues of concern, we shall not be in a hurry to respond to them,” Mweetwa said. “We would like to internalize and be able to consult widely.”

University of Zambia lecturer and political scientist Boniface Cheembe emphasized the need for the church and government to strengthen dialogue and address issues of mutual interest.

In August 2024, senior United Nations human rights officials issued a report that concluded the restrictions and arrests of political opponents in Zambia has had a chilling effect on freedom of opinion, association and assembly in the country and has stunted the building of democratic institutions.

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Mozambique president wants talks to end weeks of post-election unrest

Maputo, Mozambique — In a state of the nation address late Tuesday, outgoing Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi invited the four presidential candidates for a dialogue as part of a bid to end post-election unrest that has left several people dead and dozens of others injured.

Protesters say the October 9 election won by ruling party candidate Daniel Chapo was rigged. The government denies that accusation. 

Nyusi said the demonstrations are having a negative impact on the economy, as they limit the activities of companies and ports and increase unemployment, among other issues. 

He said in his address that he will work to pacify Mozambique until the last day of his term, but he needs all Mozambicans to come together to solve the problems. He also hoped that, by meeting with the four candidates from the recent election, they could find a solution that benefits the country. 

At least 30 people are reported to have died during the post-election violence that flared after electoral officials said Chapo, of the ruling Frelimo party, won the presidential election with more than 60% of the vote.  

Venancio Mondlane, the independent candidate who came in second with 20%, challenged the result and called for nationwide protests. 

International observers say the election was marred by irregularities. 

Nyusi’s invitation to the dialogue comes a few days after the Attorney General’s Office filed cases against Venancio Mondlane and his PODEMOS party to compensate the state for property damage caused during protests. 

Human rights activist Adriano Nuvunga said the president is trying to prod Mondlane into dialogue while refusing to acknowledge the protesters’ grievances. The president has repeatedly called for protesters to wait until the Constitutional Council validates the election results.  

Nuvunga expressed skepticism over the dialogue, which he said is carried out with sticks through legal proceedings. He said the president’s call for a meeting did not seem genuine, adding Nyusi has been hiding behind the Constitutional Council for a long time, which has discredited the legitimacy of the results. 

Mondlane holds historical ruling Frelimo figures responsible for issues troubling the country, including widespread poverty and high rates of youth unemployment.

But Methodist Bishop Dinis Matsolo said dialogue is the best way to calm the country and move forward. 

In a telephone interview, Matsolo told VOA that Mozambique needs credible elections to achieve domestic peace.  

“What is happening now is the consequence of bad mismanagement of the electoral process, so it is very crucial that people should talk and put things right,” Matsolo said. “If we look at the whole thing, the whole electoral process is not well conducted in the country and that creates a lot of anxiety.”

So far, none of the four candidates have accepted the president’s offer to hold talks. Chapo is scheduled to be inaugurated in January.

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Danish military says it’s staying close to Chinese ship after data cable breaches

STOCKHOLM — The Danish military said on Wednesday that it was staying close to a Chinese ship currently sitting idle in Danish waters, days after two fiber-optic data telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea were severed.

Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 was anchored in the Kattegat strait between Denmark and Sweden on Wednesday, with a Danish navy patrol ship at anchor nearby, MarineTraffic vessel tracking data showed.

“The Danish Defence can confirm that we are present in the area near the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3,” the military said in a post on social media platform X, adding it had no further comments.

It is rare for Denmark’s military to comment publicly on individual vessels traveling in Danish waters. It did not mention the cable breaches or say why it was staying with the ship.

The Chinese ship left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15 and was in the areas where the cable damages occurred, according to traffic data, which showed other ships to also have been in the areas.

One cable running between Sweden and Lithuania was cut on Sunday, and another one between Finland and Germany was severed less than 24 hours later.

The breaches happened in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone, and Swedish prosecutors started a preliminary investigation Tuesday on suspicion of possible sabotage.

Swedish Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin told Reuters on Tuesday that the country’s armed forces and coast guard had picked up ship movements that corresponded with the interruption of two telecoms cables in the Baltic Sea.

A Chinese government spokesperson told a daily news briefing on Wednesday that it always required its vessels to abide by relevant laws and regulations.

“We also attach great importance to the protection of seabed infrastructure and, together with the international community, we are actively promoting the construction and protection of submarine cables and other global information infrastructures,” the spokesperson said.

Russia dismissed on Wednesday any suggestion that it had been involved in damaging the two cables.

European governments accused Russia on Tuesday of escalating hybrid attacks on Ukraine’s Western allies, but they stopped short of directly accusing Russia of destroying the cables.

Asked about the matter on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a regular news briefing: “It is quite absurd to continue to blame Russia for everything without any reason.”

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Spain will legalize hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants

MADRID — Spain will legalize about 300,000 undocumented migrants a year, starting next May and through 2027, the country’s migration minister said Wednesday.

The policy aims to expand the aging country’s workforce and allow foreigners living in Spain without proper documentation to obtain work permits and residency. Spain has largely remained open to receiving migrants even as other European nations seek to tighten their borders to illegal crossings and asylum seekers.

Spain needs around 250,000 registered foreign workers a year to maintain its welfare state, Migration Minister Elma Saiz said in an interview on Wednesday. She contended that the legalization policy is not aimed solely at “cultural wealth and respect for human rights; it’s also prosperity.”

“Today, we can say Spain is a better country,” Saiz told national broadcaster Radiotelevision Espanola.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has often described his government’s migration policies as a means to combat the country’s low birthrate. In August, Sanchez visited three West African nations in an effort to tackle irregular migration to Spain’s Canary Islands.

The archipelago off the coast of Africa is seen by many as a step toward continental Europe with young men from Mali, Senegal, Mauritania and elsewhere embarking on dangerous sea voyages there seeking better job opportunities abroad or fleeing violence and political instability at home.

The new policy, approved Tuesday by Spain’s leftist minority coalition government, simplifies administrative procedures for short and long-term visas and provides migrants with additional labor protections. It extends a visa offered previously to job-seekers for three months to one year.

By mid-November, some 54,000 undocumented migrants had reached Spain this year by sea or land, according to the country’s Interior Ministry. The exact number of foreigners living in Spain without documentation is unclear.

Many irregular migrants make a living in Spain’s underground economy as fruit pickers, caretakers, delivery drivers or other low-paid but essential jobs often passed over by Spaniards.

Without legal protections, they can be vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Saiz said the new policy would help prevent such abuse and “serve to combat mafias, fraud and the violation of rights.”

Spain’s economy is among the fastest-growing in the European Union this year, boosted in part by immigration and a strong rebound in tourism after the pandemic.

In 2023, Spain issued 1.3 million visas to foreigners, according to the government.

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Facing unemployment and rockets, African migrants are trapped in Lebanon

Lebanon is home to an estimated 176,000 migrants, many of them African women working menial jobs. Since the conflict began, many of them have been displaced, facing uncertain futures. Marcus Harton narrates this report from Ethel Bonet in Beirut.

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Suicide bombing kills 12 Pakistan soldiers

ISLAMABAD — Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said Wednesday that militants overnight launched a gun and suicide bomb attack against a military outpost, killing at least 12 troops and injuring several others.

The deadly assault took place in the militancy-hit Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.

The statement reported that Pakistani security forces in the ensuing gunfight killed six assailants and “effectively” blocked their attempt to enter the post, prompting a suicide bomber to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the facility.

The explosion caused the collapse of a portion of “the perimeter wall and damaged the adjoining infrastructure,” resulting in fatalities, the military said.

“Sanitization operation is being conducted in the area, and the perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice,” the statement added. It did not share further details.

Local security sources have confirmed that at least six troops also sustained injuries, with two of them in “critical” condition.

The military statement attributed the attack to “Khwarij,” a term the government uses for militants linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The outlawed group frequently targets army and police forces in the province’s districts near or on the Afghan border.

Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a militant organization affiliated with the TTP, claimed responsibility for the Tuesday night raid in Bannu.

Pakistan says that TTP, which the United Nations lists as a global terrorist organization, is orchestrating the deadly violence from sanctuaries in Afghanistan.

Islamabad has persistently urged the Islamist Taliban government in Kabul, which is not recognized by any country, to prevent TTP and other anti-Pakistan groups from using Afghan soil for cross-border terrorism.

Taliban authorities in Afghanistan deny the allegations, saying no foreign militant groups are present in the country.

 

Pakistani security forces are also battling ethnic separatists in the country’s largest but sparsely populated province, Balochistan in the southwest.

Resurgent militant violence, mainly affecting the two provinces, has claimed the lives of more than 1,100 Pakistanis, many of them security forces, so far this year, according to the Islamabad-based independent Center for Research and Security Studies.

The surge in attacks in natural resources-rich Balochistan prompted Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday to approve a new military offensive against separatists in the province, which borders Afghanistan and is home to China-funded major infrastructure development projects.

The official announcement did not say when the military offensive would be launched, nor did it share other details.    

 

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China overtakes Germany in industrial use of robots, says report

BERLIN — China has overtaken Germany in the use of robots in industry, an annual report published by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) showed on Wednesday, underscoring the challenges facing Europe’s biggest economy from Beijing.

In terms of robot density, an important indicator for international comparisons of the automation of the manufacturing industry, South Korea is the world leader with 1,012 robots per 10,000 employees, up 5% since 2018, said the IFR, which is based in Germany.

Singapore comes next, followed by China with 470 robots per 10,000 workers – more than double the density it had in 2019.

That compares with 429 per 10,000 employees in Germany, which has had an annual growth rate of 5% since 2018, said IFR.

“China has invested heavily in automation technology and ranks third in robot density in 2023 after South Korea and Singapore, ahead of Germany and Japan,” said IFR president Takayuki Ito.

Germany has in the past relied heavily on its industrial base and exports for growth but is facing ever tougher competition from countries like China. It expects economic contraction for the second year running in 2024, making it the worst performer among the Group of Seven rich democracies.

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More rescued victims of insurgency handed over to Borno state government

Abuja, Nigeria — Stability is returning to northeastern Nigeria after decades of insurgency as the military and the Borno State government work to reduce terrorist activities and rescue abducted civilians.

Operation Hadin Kai, the military’s counter-insurgency operation in the northeast launched in 2021, has rescued of numerous civilians held captive by insurgents.

The deputy theater commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Kenneth Chigbu, praised the partnership with Borno State government.

“The Borno State government has always come to our aid and support in ensuring that the entire state is rid of the activities of terrorists,” Chigbu said.

Alice Loksha was working for UNICEF when she was abducted by the Islamic State West Africa Province insurgent group in a 2018 raid on a humanitarian camp in Borno.

After six years in captivity, she escaped and found refuge in a military camp.

Loksha credits her freedom to military efforts.

“We want to thank God for the military,” she said. “We pray that God will continue to strengthen them and give them victory over these terrorists”

The Borno State government is working closely with the military to support survivors like Loksha.

Zuwaira Gambo, the state’s commissioner for women’s affairs, said the partnership is key to the region’s stability.

“The synergy that exists between the military and the government, because without the enabling environment, Borno State won’t be enjoying the peace and stability we are witnessing today,” Gambo said. “It is that singular commitment and political will of the government that our sisters are able to escape, to be received by the military and officially being handed over today to the Bono state government.”

Chigbu has urged terrorists to surrender, promising amnesty to those who lay down their arms.

“Let me also use this opportunity on behalf of the theater commander to once again extend the olive branch to the so-called terrorists,” he said. “The fight is long enough. They should come out. Amnesty will be given, will be granted them, just as the lot of them who have surrendered.”

In July, Operation Hadin Kai successfully rescued 330 captives, including a schoolgirl abducted in the town of Chibok in 2014.

Most recently, Alice Loksha and another victim have been handed over to the Borno State government for rehabilitation.

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