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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan is hosting a major security meeting this week, with senior leaders from longtime ally China and archrival India among those attending. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region. But it’s Pakistan’s own security that is under the microscope. An attack on a foreign ambassadors’ convoy, violent protests by supporters of an imprisoned former prime minister and a bombing outside Pakistan’s biggest airport are signs the country is struggling to contain multiplying threats from insurgents. The meeting, which begins Tuesday in Islamabad, comes at a crucial time for the government.  Here’s why: Armed groups are outpacing the army Pakistan says it has foiled attacks through intelligence-based operations and preventative measures. It frequently vows “to root out terrorism.” But the frequency and scale of the recent violence give the impression that the government isn’t in control and raises questions about its ability to protect key sites and foreigners, let alone Pakistanis. In the last few weeks, separatists from Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province have killed Chinese nationals in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, as well as more than 20 miners in an attack on housing at a coal mine and seven workers in another attack. The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, is better at mobilizing fighters in different areas, and its operational capabilities have increased. The group wants independence for the province. It’s not interested in overthrowing the state to establish a caliphate, which is what the Pakistani Taliban want. But the two groups have a common enemy — the government. Analysts have said the BLA is getting support from the Pakistani Taliban. But, even without an alliance, attacks in the southwest are becoming more audacious and brutal, indicating that the BLA’s tactics are evolving and taking the security apparatus by surprise. The Pakistani Taliban continue their shootings and bombings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. It could be difficult for militants to hit the meeting, given the security around it and the areas where delegates will stay. But they could still wreak havoc. Vehicles are often just waved through street checkpoints in Islamabad. Aside from government buildings and top hotels, body searches and under-vehicle scanners are rare. “At stake for the entire state is the only mission: how to hold such an event peacefully,” said Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Center for Research and Security Studies. “How to get it done without any unpleasant incidents taking place. It’s going to be a formidable challenge for the government to disprove the notion of failures within the security apparatus.” Pakistan is paying the price for shutdowns Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said last week that the national economy suffered cumulative daily losses of more than $684 million on account of recent agitation. He was referring to supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan reaching the heart of the capital, despite a suspension of cellphone service and placement of shipping containers at access points to the city. The shutdown hit most business sectors, the gig economy, point-of-sale transactions, commuters, students, workers and more. Pakistan can’t afford to incur such losses or deepen people’s grievances. It relies on International Monetary Fund bailouts and multibillion-dollar deals and loans from friendly countries to meet its economic needs. There are regular protests over energy bills and the cost of living. Despite people's hardships, authorities have declared a three-day holiday surrounding the meeting. There have been reports of the government ordering the closure of wedding halls, restaurants, hotels, cafes and markets in Islamabad and the neighboring garrison city Rawalpindi for security reasons. Officials denied the reports, but not very strenuously. “Generally, high-profile conferences are meant to promote connectivity, trade and improve a country’s image,” said Gul. But not in this case because Islamabad won't look like a normal city, he said. “It seems they lack innovative thinking," Gul said. "They are unable to use smart approaches, and that’s why the easier way is to shut everything down.” A seat at the table and saving face The last time Pakistan hosted a major conference was in March 2022, a month before Khan was kicked out of office and a new cycle of upheaval started. The country's security situation and political instability are two factors that have prevented it from holding big international events. Even its best-loved sport, cricket, has suffered. There was a 10-year absence of test matches after terrorists ambushed a Sri Lanka team bus in 2009, killing eight people and injuring players and officials. The meeting is Pakistan’s chance to shine, especially in front of its neighbor China, to whom it is in hock by several billion dollars and whose nationals are prime targets for armed groups, as well as India, which is sending its foreign minister to the country for the first time since 2015. India and Pakistan have fought three wars and built up their armies but also developed nuclear weapons. China and India fought a war over their border in 1962. Pakistan, unused to hosting such a high-level meeting, will have to put its best face forward. Senior defense analyst Abdullah Khan said the government wants to show its international legitimacy amid the domestic crises. “The presence of heads of state and other senior officials will itself be a success as Pakistan will come out of its so-called isolation,” said Khan. “A peacefully held SCO will further improve the country’s image.”

Copenhagen, Denmark — Pollution, habitat degradation, climate change and overuse of freshwater resources are putting a strain on Europe, with only a third of its surface water in good health, the European Environment Agency warned  Tuesday. "The health of Europe's waters is not good. Our waters face an unprecedented set of challenges that threatens Europe's water security," EEA executive director Leena Yla-Mononen said in a statement. Only 37% of Europe's surface water bodies achieved "good" or "high" ecological status, a measure of aquatic ecosystem health, the EEA report said. Meanwhile, only 29% of surface waters achieved "good" chemical status over the 2015-21 period, according to data reported by EU member states. Europe's groundwaters — the source of most drinking water on the continent — fared better, with 77% enjoying "good" chemical status. Good chemical status means the water is free of excessive pollution from chemical nutrients and toxic substances like PFAS and microplastics. Surface water is threatened by air pollution — such as coal burning and car emissions — as well as the agriculture industry, whose dumped waste contaminates the soil. "European agriculture needs to increase its use of more sustainable organic and agro-ecological practices, accompanied by incentives and a change in our food and dietary habits," the report said. The European agency analyzed 120,000 surface water bodies and 3.8 million square kilometers (1.5 million square miles) of groundwater body areas in 19 EU countries and Norway. It called on EEA member states to halve their use of pesticides by 2030. "We need to redouble our efforts to restore the health of our valued rivers, lakes, coastal waters and other water bodies, and to make sure this vital resource is resilient and secure for generations to come," Yla-Mononen said.  Climate change effects, including extreme droughts and flooding, and the overuse of freshwater resources are putting a strain on Europe's lakes, rivers, coastal waters and groundwaters "like never before," the EEA said. Governments must prioritize reducing water consumption and restoring ecosystems, it said.

SEOUL, SOuth Korea — North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un convened a top national security meeting Monday, state media reported, directing a plan of "immediate military action" at a time of spiking tensions with the South.   The meeting in Pyongyang was attended by the country's top security officials, including the army chief and other military officials, as well as the ministers of state security and defense.  "He set forth the direction of immediate military action and indicated important tasks to be fulfilled in the operation of the war deterrent and the exercise of the right to self-defense," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The meeting comes as the nuclear-armed North has accused Seoul of flying drones over its capital and moved troops to its border, with South Korea saying Monday it was "fully ready" to respond if fired upon. Officials at the meeting in Pyongyang heard a report on the "enemy's serious provocation," KCNA reported, an apparent reference to the drone flights. Kim "expressed a tough political and military stand" at the meeting, state media said. The North has accused Seoul of being responsible for the drones, which dropped propaganda leaflets filled with "inflammatory rumors and rubbish," and warned on Sunday that it would consider it "a declaration of war" if another drone was detected. Seoul's military initially denied it was behind the flights, with local speculation centered on activist groups in the South that have long sent propaganda and U.S. currency northward, typically by balloon. The United Nations Command, which oversees the armistice that ended active fighting in the 1950 to 1953 Korean War, said it was aware of the North Korean claim. "The command is currently investigating the matter in strict accordance with the Armistice Agreement," it said. The two Koreas remain technically at war.

london — Britain's aviation regulator said Tuesday that it would allow drones to inspect infrastructure such as power lines and wind turbines, a move the authority has described as a significant milestone.  The U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had said earlier this year that it wanted to permit more drone flying for such activities as well as for deliveries and emergency services. It selected in August six projects to test it.  Drones inspecting infrastructure will now be able to fly distances beyond remote flyers' ability to see them.  "While some drones have been flying beyond visual line of sight in the U.K. for several years, these flights are primarily trials under strict restrictions," the CAA said.  Under the CAA's new policy, some drones will be able to remain at low heights close to infrastructure where there is little or no potential for any other aircraft to operate. It will also reduce costs, the CAA said.  Drones will inspect power lines for damage, carry out maintenance checks of wind turbines and even be used as "flying guard dogs" for site security.  The CAA will work with several operators to test and evaluate the policy, which according to the regulator's director, Sophie O'Sullivan, "paves the way for new ways drones will improve everyday life." 

washington — Vice President Kamala Harris is announcing a plan to give Black men more economic opportunities and other chances to thrive as she works to energize a key voting bloc that has Democrats concerned about a lack of enthusiasm.  Harris' plan includes providing forgivable business loans for Black entrepreneurs, creating more apprenticeships, and studying sickle cell and other diseases that disproportionately affect African American men.  Harris already has said she supports legalizing marijuana, and her plan calls for working to ensure that Black men have opportunities to participate as a "national cannabis industry takes shape." She is also calling for better regulation of cryptocurrency to protect Black men and others who invest in digital assets.  The vice president's "opportunity agenda for Black men" is meant to invigorate African American males at a moment when there are fears some may sit out the election rather than vote for Harris or her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.  The vice president unveiled the plan ahead of a Monday visit to Erie, Pennsylvania, where she planned to visit a Black-owned small business and hold a campaign rally. Her push comes after former President Barack Obama suggested last week that some Black men aren't comfortable with "the idea of having a woman as president."  The Harris campaign has also been working to increase support among other male voting blocs, including Hispanics, by founding the group "Hombres con Harris," Spanish for "Men with Harris." The latest policy rollout is notable because it comes with the stated purpose of motivating Black men to vote mere weeks before Election Day.  As Harris' team has done with the "Hombres" group, it plans to organize gender-specific gatherings. Those include "Black Men Huddle Up" events in battleground states featuring African American male celebrities for things like professional and college football game watch parties. The campaign says it also plans new testimonial ads in battleground states that feature local Black male voices.  'Tools to thrive' Cedric Richmond, co-chair of the Harris campaign and a former Louisiana congressman who is Black, said Harris wants to build an economy "where Black men are equipped with the tools to thrive: to buy a home, provide for our families, start a business and build wealth."  Black Americans strongly supported Joe Biden when he beat Trump in 2020. Harris advisers say they are less worried about losing large percentages of Black male support to the former president than about some of these voters choosing not to turn out at all.  Trump, too, has stepped up efforts to win over Black and Hispanic voters of both genders. He has held round-tables with Black entrepreneurs in swing states and will sit for a town hall sponsored by Spanish-language Univision this week. He also has repeatedly suggested that immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally are taking jobs from Black and Hispanic Americans.  The latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey data show that as of 2023, native-born Black workers are most predominantly employed in management and financial operations, sales and office support roles, while native-born Latino workers are most often employed in management, office support, sales and service occupations. Foreign-born, noncitizen Black workers are most often represented in transportation and health care support roles, and foreign-born, noncitizen Hispanic workers are most often represented in construction, building and grounds cleaning. Harris' plan  Harris' new round of proposals includes a promise that, if elected, she will help distribute 1 million loans of up to $20,000 that can be fully forgivable to Black entrepreneurs and others who have strong ideas to start businesses. The loans would come via new partnerships between the Small Business Administration and community leaders and banks "with a proven commitment to their communities," her campaign says.  The vice president also wants to offer federal incentives to encourage more African American men to train to be teachers, citing statistics that Black males made up only a bit more than 1% of the nation's public school teaching ranks in 2020-21, according to data from the National Teacher and Principal Survey.  Harris also is pledging to expand existing federal programs that forgive some educational loans for public service to further encourage more Black male teachers. She also wants to use organizations like the National Urban League, local governments and the private sector to expand apprenticeships and credentialing opportunities in Black communities.  The vice president's advisers have been urging her to talk more about cryptocurrency to appeal to male voters. Her campaign said that as president, Harris will back a regulatory framework meant to better protect investors in cryptocurrency and other digital assets, which are popular with Black men.  Harris also promised to create a national initiative to better fund efforts to detect, research and combat sickle cell disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, mental health challenges and other health issues that disproportionately affect Black men.  A recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found about 7 in 10 Black voters had a favorable view of Harris and preferred her leadership to that of Trump on major policy issues including the economy, health care, abortion, immigration, and the war between Israel and Hamas. There was little difference in support for Harris between Black men and Black women.

BEIRUT — More than 400,000 children in Lebanon have been displaced in the past three weeks, a top official with the U.N. children’s agency said Monday, warning of a “lost generation” in the small country grappling with multiple crises and now in the middle of war. Israel has escalated its campaign against the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group, including launching a ground invasion, after a year of exchanges of fire during its war with Hamas in Gaza. The fighting in Lebanon has driven 1.2 million people from their homes, most of them fleeing to Beirut and elsewhere in the north over the past three weeks since the escalation. Ted Chaiban, UNICEF's deputy executive director for humanitarian actions, has visited schools that have been turned into shelters to host displaced families. “What struck me is that this war is three weeks old and so many children have been affected,” Chaiban told The Associated Press in Beirut. “As we sit here today, 1.2 million children are deprived of education. Their public schools have either been rendered inaccessible, have been damaged by the war or are being used as shelters. The last thing this country needs, in addition to everything else it has gone through, is the risk of a lost generation.” While some Lebanese private schools are still operating, the public school system has been badly affected by the war, along with the country's most vulnerable people, such as Palestinian and Syrian refugees. ″What I’m worried about is that we have hundreds of thousands of Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian children that are at risk of losing their learning," Chaiban said. More than 2,300 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes, nearly 75% of them over the last month, according to the Health Ministry. In the last three weeks, more than 100 children were killed and over 800 were wounded, Chaiban said. He said displaced children are crammed into overcrowded shelters where three or four families can live in a classroom separated by a plastic sheet, and where 1,000 people can share 12 toilets. Not all of them work. Many displaced families have set up tents along roads or on public beaches. Most displaced children have experienced so much violence, including the sounds of shelling or gunshots, that they cower at any loud noise, Chaiban said. Then there is “evacuation orders upon evacuation orders. We’re at the beginning, and already there’s been a profound impact," he said. The escalation has also put over 100 primary health care facilities out of service, while 12 hospitals are either no longer working or partially functional. Water infrastructure has also come under attack. In the last three weeks, 26 water stations providing water to almost 350,000 people have been damaged, Chaiban said. UNICEF is working with local authorities to repair them. He called for civilian infrastructure to be protected. And he appealed for a cease-fire in Lebanon and in Gaza, saying there needs to be political will and a realization that the conflict cannot be resolved through military means. “What we must do is make sure that this stops, that this madness stops, that there’s a cease-fire before we get to the kind of destruction and pain and suffering and death that we’ve seen in Gaza,” Chaiban said. With so many needs, he said, the emergency response appeal for $108 million in Lebanon has only been 8% funded three weeks into the escalation.

MWEA, Kenya — As a helicopter hovers close to an elephant, trying to be as steady as possible, an experienced veterinarian cautiously takes aim.  A tranquilizer dart whooshes in the air, and within minutes the giant mammal surrenders to a deep slumber as teams of wildlife experts rush to measure its vitals.  Kenya is suffering from a problem, albeit a good one: the elephant population in the 42-square-kilometer (16-square-mile) Mwea National Reserve, east of the capital Nairobi, has flourished from its maximum capacity of 50 to a whopping 156, overwhelming the ecosystem and requiring the relocation of about 100 of the largest land animals. It hosted only 49 elephants in 1979.  According to the Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga, the overpopulation in Mwea highlighted the success of conservation efforts over the last three decades.  “This shows that poaching has been low, and the elephants have been able to thrive,” Kanga said.  Experts started relocating 50 elephants last week to the expansive 780-square-kilometer (301-square-mile) Aberdare National Park in central Kenya. As of Monday, 44 elephants had been moved from Mwea to Aberdare, with six others scheduled for Tuesday.  Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano oversaw the translocation of five of the elephants Monday, saying: “This will go down in history as a record, as it is the biggest exercise of its kind. It is the first time we are witnessing the translocation of 50 elephants at a go.”  The process started at dawn and involved a team of more than 100 wildlife specialists, with equipment ranging from specially fitted trucks to aircraft and cruisers. A fixed-wing aircraft conducted aerial surveillance to track down herds of elephants, which naturally move in small families of about five. The craft was in constant communication with two helicopters used to herd and separate the elephants to ensure they were relocated with their family units.  Aboard one of the helicopters is a spotter, on the lookout for elephants, and a veterinarian with a tranquilizer gun.  Once an elephant is sedated, a ground team of veterinary specialists and rangers rush to find it and clear thickets to make way for transport crews. Its vitals are monitored as another group of rangers works on lifting the massive animal, weighing hundreds of kilograms, onto specialized trucks, to be driven 120 kilometers (74 miles) to their new home.  Kanga, the wildlife service director, said the relocation was also aimed at curbing human-wildlife conflict.  Boniface Mbau, a resident of the area, said, “We are very happy that the government has decided to reduce the number of elephants from the area. Due to their high numbers, they did not have enough food in the reserve, and they ended up invading our farms."  A second phase to relocate 50 other elephants is planned, but the date has not been disclosed.  The project has cost at least 12 million Kenyan shillings ($93,000), the wildlife agency said.  Kenya’s national parks and reserves are home to a variety of wildlife species and attract millions of visitors annually, making the country a tourism hotspot.

SAO PAULO, Brazil — Half a million consumers in Latin America's largest city are still without electricity three days after a violent gale knocked down power lines and caused a blackout, the distributor owned by Enel SpA said Monday.  The delay in resumption of power supplies has led to criticism of the distributor from politicians and authorities, with calls to cancel the concession.  Enel Sao Paulo said it would need time to restore parts of the electricity network that was damaged Friday night by winds of more than 100 kmh (62 mph). At least five people died in the storm that knocked over trees in the city's streets.  Regulatory agencies Aneel and Arsesp said the company's response to the storm was "much below expectations" and warned that they could recommend allowing Enel's contract to expire.  Enel is facing similar criticism in Chile, whose government said in August it will study whether the Italian electricity distributor's local unit meets the terms of its concession to operate in the country after thousands of customers were left without power following a storm.  According to Enel Sao Paulo, 537,000 consumers were still without electricity as of midday Monday.  Blackouts that have occurred repeatedly since last year have angered Sao Paulo consumers and led authorities to fine the company for delays in restoring services.  Enel's contingency plan calls for 2,500 people working to restore services in an extreme weather situation, but its field teams numbered 1,700 to 1,800 people 48 hours after the storm, Sao Paulo's state regulator for utilities Arsesp said.  According to federal regulator Aneel, the company has been fined around 320 million reais ($57 million) since 2018, including 260 million reais ($46 million) related to extreme weather events since the end of last year, but payment was suspended by court order.  The Ministry of Mines and Energy criticized Aneel for the current crisis, saying that the regulator had failed to supervise the distributor.  Highlighting the weak response to the blackout, local media said more people were without electricity in Sao Paulo after the 15-minute storm than in Florida after Hurricane Milton. 

berlin — Increased acts of espionage and sabotage, possible direct military confrontation with NATO as early as 2030: German secret services sounded the alarm Monday about the growing danger they believe Moscow's interference in Germany and Europe represents. It was a bleak picture that the three heads of the German intelligence services painted Monday during their annual hearing before MPs. "It's burning almost everywhere," said the head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BfV), Thomas Haldenwang, regarding threats from outside — Russia, China, Iran — as well as from within with radical Islam and the extreme right. Intelligence officials have been particularly vocal about Moscow's interference in Germany in the context of the war in Ukraine, where Germany is the second largest arms supplier after the United States. "Whether we like it or not, we are in direct conflict with Russia," said the head of the German intelligence and counterintelligence service (BND), Bruno Kahl. Package bomb? "Russian espionage and sabotage are increasing in Germany, both quantitatively and qualitatively," added Haldenwang. Germany has been rocked by several cases of alleged espionage for Russia, particularly since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In April, two men with Russian and German citizenship were indicted for planning acts of sabotage for Russia, including at a U.S. military base, to undermine German aid to Ukraine. Haldenwang accused Moscow of being behind the case of a parcel that caught fire at a DHL carrier center in Leipzig in July before its scheduled transport by plane. If the package "had exploded on board during the flight," he said, "there would have been a crash and the debris could have affected all the people here in Germany who sympathize with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and his regime, openly and secretly." Haldenwang also mentioned disinformation campaigns and cases of use of spy drones. From a "storm," the Russian threat has "become a real hurricane" which moves "from east to west," he added in a metaphor with the Baltic States and Poland, where Russian actions "are much more brutal than they are currently here." The head of the German military counterintelligence service (BAMAD), Martina Rosenberg, reported a "significant increase in acts of espionage and sabotage" targeting the German army. Moscow is seeking to obtain information on "deliveries of German arms to Ukraine" and to "create a feeling of insecurity," according to BAMAD. And the Kremlin "is preparing for further escalation in hybrid and covert actions," Kahl said. Red lines With these acts of interference of an "unprecedented level," the Kremlin wants to "test the red lines of the West," estimated the director of the secret services. For him, Russia will "probably" be able "to carry out an attack against NATO by the end of this decade." "A direct military conflict with NATO is becoming an option for Russia," he added. Russia on Monday rejected the assertion by German's foreign intelligence chief that it would be able to attack NATO by the end of this decade, saying it was NATO that threatened Russia. Referring to successive waves of NATO expansion, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was NATO that had moved toward Russia, not the other way round. In an interview with the daily Handelsblatt, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser accused Moscow of acting "in an ever more aggressive manner." German services "prevented possible explosive attacks" and "demonstrated just a few months ago the seriousness of the Russian threat," she also said. In July, the American channel CNN reported that the United States and Germany had foiled an assassination plot attributed to Russia against the head of the German industrial group Rheinmetall, which supplies arms to Ukraine. The accusations were rejected by Moscow. In August, fears of sabotage prompted security alerts at two military bases in Germany. The German government announced Wednesday parallel measures aimed at strengthening security controls, particularly on social networks, in the face of increased risks of espionage in ministries and sabotage of critical infrastructure.

NEW YORK — About 200 demonstrators protesting Israel's war in Gaza were arrested in a sit-in outside the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, police said.  The protesters chanted “Let Gaza live!" And “Up up with liberation, down down with occupation!" in front of the stock exchange's landmark building in lower Manhattan.  “The reason we’re here is to demand that the U.S. government stop sending bombs to Israel and stop profiting off of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,” said Beth Miller, political director of Jewish Voice for Peace, the group that organized the demonstration. “Because what’s been happening for the last year is that Israel is using U.S. bombs to massacre communities in Gaza while simultaneously weapons manufacturers on Wall Street are seeing their stock prices skyrocket.”  A handful of counter protesters waved Israeli flags and tried to shout down the pro-Palestinian chants.  None of the pro-Palestinian protesters got inside the exchange, but at least 200 made it inside a security fence on Broad Street, where they sat down and waited to be taken into custody.  A spokesperson for the exchange declined to comment on the protest.  Police arrested the protesters one by one, cuffing their hands behind their backs with plastic ties and leading them to vans. Some demonstrators went limp and were carried by three or four officers.  A police spokesperson said there were about 200 arrests. She did not have details on the charges they faced.  The protest happened a week after the world marked the anniversary of Hamas' surprise Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the start of Israel's retaliatory campaign in Gaza, which has since spread to Lebanon and beyond.  The Lebanese Red Cross said an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in northern Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 21 people.  There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, and it was not clear what the target was.

China launched large scale military exercises Monday aimed at warning against Taiwanese independence. Taiwan’s defense ministry says Beijing used 125 military aircraft including warplanes, helicopters and drones, a record for a single day. China’s actions drew condemnation from the Taipei and U.S. governments. We talk to David Sacks, fellow for Asia studies with the Council on Foreign Relations.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The death toll from this month's devastating floods and landslides in Bosnia has reached 26 people, while rescue teams are searching for at least one more person still missing 10 days after a rainstorm caused havoc in the Balkan country, authorities said Monday.  Torrential rains and winds hit four municipalities in central and southern Bosnia on October 4. Homes, roads and bridges were destroyed, leaving villages cut off without roads or power.  Rescue teams have been sifting through the rubble for days, looking for those still missing. The hardest-hit area was in and around the southern town of Jablanica, where a village was buried in rocks from a quarry on a hill above.  Local government said 19 people died in Jablanica, where a collective funeral will be held on Tuesday. Four people died in Konjic, east of Jablanica, and three more in Fojnica further north.  Residents in the Jablanica area have said they heard a thundering rumble that woke them up in the middle of the night. They watched as houses disappeared before their eyes.  The debris that was swept away from the flood-hit areas has clogged the otherwise perfectly clear, emerald green-colored Neretva River that is a favorite destination for visitors and locals alike.  All kinds of debris, from pieces of wood to home appliances, has piled up by a hydroelectric dam on the Neretva, creating a virtual island of waste on the river and illustrating the devastation the floods have caused.  Human-caused climate change increases the intensity of rainfall because warm air holds more moisture. This summer, the Balkans were also hit by long-lasting record temperatures, causing a drought. Scientists said the dried-out land has hampered the absorption of floodwaters.

Karbala, Iraq — A funeral procession took place Monday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala in central Iraq for General Abbas Nilforushan, who was killed in Lebanon along with the leader of the pro-Iranian Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, during an Israeli strike on Beirut in late September, an AFP photographer noted.   The Revolutionary Guards, Iran's ideological army, announced Friday that the body of General Nilforushan had been found, "after continuous efforts," at the site of the strike that targeted a Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sept. 27.   His body was flown Monday from Beirut to Baghdad International Airport and then by ambulance to Karbala.   The funeral procession headed to the Husseiniya shrine, where a representative of Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, led prayers in front of a large crowd.  Participants waved flags of Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iraqi armed faction Kataib Hezbollah, while chanting "death to Israel."   The body will be transported to the holy city of Mashhad in Iran, according to the Sepah news agency, which is affiliated with the Guardians.   Another ceremony will be held in Tehran on Tuesday, before a burial scheduled for Thursday in Isfahan, his hometown in central Iran, the agency said.   Abbas Nilforushan was a top commander of the Quds Force, the elite unit of the Revolutionary Guards.  The Revolutionary Guards had said that Iran's Oct. 1 strike of nearly 200 missiles on Israel was a retaliatory measure following the assassination of Nilforushan, Nasrallah and the leader of the Palestinian Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed on July 31 in Tehran in an attack attributed to Israel.  Israel has vowed to retaliate.

In this last month of U.S. presidential campaigning, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris both are trying to reach the relatively small number of voters who say they still have not decided who to support. VOA correspondent Scott Stearns looks at the election's “undecided." Vero Balderas contributed.

NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump's campaign is using GoFundMe to rally its network of deep-pocketed backers and everyday donors around the survivors of his July assassination attempt and Hurricane Helene's destruction, bucking more traditional avenues of emergency relief.  The two high-profile fundraisers — organized by the Republican nominee's national finance director — have drawn more than $14 million. They do not violate campaign finance laws, according to legal experts. Nor is the campaign allowed to pocket any proceeds for its own political ends; a GoFundMe spokesperson told The Associated Press that the majority of the Butler, Pennsylvania, funds have been disbursed.  But the use of a crowdfunding platform marks an unorthodox response to crises from a political campaign. Never before has a major party's presidential candidate turned to the for-profit company — which usually features desperate appeals for help covering tuition costs or medical bills — to mobilize their base toward outside charitable causes.  "It's pretty unusual and actually quite odd," said Brett Kappel, a longtime campaign finance attorney with Harmon Curran who has advised both Republicans and Democrats.  It's more typical to see candidates contribute campaign funds to IRS-approved nonprofits during natural disasters, Kappel said. He pointed to Federal Election Commission filings that show U.S. Senator Tim Scott's 2022 campaign gave to the American Red Cross after Hurricane Ian hit South Carolina.  Trump campaign spokesperson Brian Hughes said the motivation arose from "the president wanting to help find a way for his supporters to give as much direct support as they can."  The finance team only got involved because of their "great expertise in working with large accounts," according to Hughes, and "not one penny of this funding is going anywhere but to those impacted." Hughes said more than $6.5 million of the $7.7 million raised for organizations helping with Hurricane Helene recovery had been disbursed as of Oct. 11.  "The president has an amazing movement of supporters," Hughes told AP. "With the experience in Butler generating millions of dollars of support, he saw the same opportunity to be a direct conduit for a philanthropic effort from his supporters."  Longtime Trump associates, conservative celebrities and right-wing groups gave tens of thousands of dollars. Bill Ackman, the CEO of the Pershing Square investment firm who endorsed Trump shortly after the assassination attempt, donated $100,000 for hurricane relief. UFC President Dana White also pitched in $100,000. Republican U.S. Senator Rick Scott said on X that he donated $50,000 from his congressional salary for the Butler, Pennsylvania victims. Also contributing was The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind Project 2025.  GoFundMe collects a transaction fee of 2.9% plus 30 cents for every donation to cover credit and debit charges. Its global Trust & Safety team has been communicating closely with organizer Meredith O'Rourke to ensure the safe distribution of donations from the Butler, Pennsylvania, page, according to a company spokesperson. O'Rourke also provided a verified distribution plan, the GoFundMe spokesperson told AP, which the company routinely requires in cases where organizers are withdrawing money on behalf of other recipients.  Lawyer advises against  It's not advisable for campaign finance officials to run crowdfunding pages "at the same time they were writing your money for your camp," said Andrew Herman, a Washington lawyer specializing in campaign finance. Because online crowdfunding is less regulated, he said, it would've been "more palatable" to direct supporters toward a recognized nonprofit.  "But people get into trouble when they try to ascribe rationality or any degree of what we would generally consider best financial practices to campaigns," Herman said.  "There's no black letter law that says they can't do this," he added. "Should they? Of course not."  The bulk of the Pennsylvania disbursements were made earlier this month, and more payouts will come while the page remains active, according to Hughes. The "vast majority" has gone to the families of the three people shot, he said. Some funds also compensated a local crane rental company after the owner said he lost business when the ensuing police investigation left him unable to retrieve equipment he'd donated for the rally.  Money raised for Hurricane Helene victims has gone to four nonprofits. Samaritan's Purse spokesperson Gabrielle Bouquet said the Christian humanitarian aid organization is grateful for Trump's "steadfast support of the work we do in Jesus' name." Bouquet declined to share the exact amount of the donation.  Water Mission, a Christian engineering nonprofit that builds safe water solutions in disaster areas, confirmed that the South Carolina-based ministry had also received funds. Public relations director Gregg Dinino did not specify the total.  Mtn2Sea Ministries, which delivers generators and supplies in the immediate aftermath of weather events, said on Facebook that it received $25,000 on Monday. The disaster relief group posted that the proceeds were used to buy South Georgia businesses' gift cards because "the best way to help those in need is to get resources directly into their hands."  'Combustible dynamic'  It makes sense that Trump's team gravitated toward crowdfunding, said Benjamin Soskis of the Urban Institute's Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy. The campaign "has often been premised on a suspicion of institutions," he said, and GoFundMe "drew some of its attraction by serving as an alternative to institutional charitable giving."  But crowdfunding also brings less accountability, Soskis said. Crowdfunding pages don't have the same disclosure requirements as public charities that must divulge their finances in annual tax filings.  Soskis said Trump's checkered philanthropic ventures have likely brought increased levels of scrutiny. A judge fined Trump $2 million in 2019 for using his since-dissolved charitable foundation to advance his interests.  "It is a combustible dynamic when you combine campaigning and charitable giving," Soskis said. "The extra dynamics of crowdfunding and Trump's own history with philanthropy itself adds more fuel to that fire."

ROME — Italy is transferring the first group of migrants to Albania, the Interior Ministry said Monday, as part of a contentious plan to process thousands of asylum-seekers outside its borders.  A naval ship departed from the island of Lampedusa with 16 men — 10 from Bangladesh and six from Egypt — who were rescued at sea after departing from Libya. The ship is expected to arrive Wednesday morning, a ministry spokesman said.  Premier Giorgia Meloni's far-right government formally opened the two centers in Albania Friday where Italy plans to process thousands of male migrants requesting asylum after being intercepted in international waters while trying to cross to Europe.  The centers can accommodate up to 400 migrants at first, with that expected to increase to 880 in a few weeks, according to Italian officials.  Women, children, older people and those who are ill or victims of torture will be accommodated in Italy. Families will not be separated.  The five-year deal was endorsed last year by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as an example of "out-of-box thinking" in tackling the migration issue, but human rights groups say it sets a dangerous precedent.  A spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency, which has expressed serious concerns, said Monday that one of its teams was conducting an "independent mission" on board the ship to monitor the screening process.  The agency, also known as UNHCR, has agreed to supervise the first three months to help "safeguard the rights and dignity of those subject to it."  The agreement, signed last year, calls for Albania to house up to 3,000 male migrants while Italy fast-tracks their asylum claims. The migrants will retain their right under international and EU law to apply for asylum in Italy and have their claims processed there.  The two centers will cost Italy 670 million euros ($730 million) over five years. The facilities will be run by Italy and are under Italian jurisdiction, while Albanian guards will provide external security.  Meloni and her right-wing allies have long demanded that European countries share more of the migration burden.

New York — Lilly Ledbetter, an former Alabama factory manager whose lawsuit against her employer made her an icon of the equal pay movement and led to landmark wage discrimination legislation, has died at 86. Ledbetter's discovery that she was earning less than her male counterparts for doing the same job at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Alabama led to her lawsuit, which ultimately failed when the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that she had filed her complaint too late. The court ruled that workers must file lawsuits within six months of first receiving a discriminatory paycheck — in Ledbetter's case, years before she learned about the disparity through an anonymous letter. Two years later, former President Barack Obama signed into the law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which gave workers the right to sue within 180 days of receiving each discrimination paycheck, not just the first one. "Lilly Ledbetter never set out to be a trailblazer or a household name. She just wanted to be paid the same as a man for her hard work," Obama said in a statement Monday. "Lilly did what so many Americans before her have done: setting her sights high for herself and even higher for her children and grandchildren." Ledbetter died Saturday of respiratory failure, according to a statement from her family cited by the Alabama news site AL.com. Ledbetter continued campaigning for equal pay for decades after winning the law named after her. A film about her life starring Patricia Clarkson premiered last week at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The team behind the film, "LILLY," issued a statement of condolence on social media. "Lilly was an ordinary woman who achieved extraordinary things, and her story continues to motivate us all. We will miss her," the team said. In January, President Joe Biden marked the 15th anniversary of the law named after Ledbetter with new measures to help close the gender wage gap, including a new rule barring the federal government from considering a person's current or past pay when determining their salary. Ledbetter had advocated for the measure in a January opinion piece for Ms. Magazine penned with Deborah Vagins, director of the Equal Pay Today advocacy group. But Ledbetter and other advocates for years have been frustrated that more comprehensive initiatives have stalled, including the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The sense of urgency among advocates deepened after an annual report from the Census Bureau last month found that the gender wage gap between men and women widened for the first time 20 years. In 2023, women working full time earned 83 cents on the dollar compared with men, down from 84 cents in 2022. Even before then, advocates had been frustrated that wage gap improvement had mostly stalled for the last 20 years despite women making gains in the C-suite and earning college degrees at a faster rate than men. Experts say the reasons for the enduring gap are multifaceted, including the overrepresentation of women in lower-paying industries and weak childcare system that pushes many women to step back from their careers in their peak earnings years. In 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement, Ledbetter wrote a opinion piece in The New York Times detailing the harassment she faced as a manager at the Goodyear factory and drawing a link between workplace sexual harassment and pay discrimination. "She was indefatigable," said Emily Martin, chief program officer at the National Women's Law Center, which worked closely with Ledbetter. "She was always ready to lend her voice, to show up to do a video, to write an op-ed. She was always ready to go." Ledbetter was a manager at the Goodyear plant in Gadsden, Alabama, and had worked there 19 years when she received an anonymous note saying she was being paid significantly less than three male colleagues. She filed a lawsuit in 1999 and initially won $3.8 million in backpay and damages from a federal court. She never received the money after eventually losing her case before the Supreme Court. Although the law named after her didn't directly address the gender wage gap, Martin said it set an important precedent "for ensuring that we don't just have the promise of equal pay on the books but we have a way to enforce the law." "She is a really an inspiration in showing us how a loss does not mean you can't win," Martin said. "We know her name because she lost, and she lost big, and she kept coming back from it and kept working until the day she died to change that loss into real gains for women across the country."