Voice of America’s immigration news

Moscow's decision this week to expand its military capabilities is a sign of the stress that its military is facing in the third year of its slow-moving, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Analysts say the mobilization's unpopularity and other factors are driving Russia to look for mercenaries from other countries. Marcus Harton narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina.

Can Republicans and Democrats set aside their differences on the dance floor? A U.S. dance party tour aims to get out the vote and bring joy to a divided nation as Election Day looms. Daybreaker, a rave organizer, aims to help people register to vote and get excited about going to the polls.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah are heading to a boiling point after this week’s exploding device attacks in Lebanon. We’ll hear from a national security expert on the covert nature of this operation and the Japanese tech company whose labels were on some of the devices is investigating. The EU says it will use frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine’s devastated energy infrastructure ahead of another winter of war. A look at Iranian efforts to undermine the American election, and voters in Kashmir are going to the polls as well. Plus, a promising South African study that could mark a significant breakthrough in the fight against drug-resistant TB.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Thursday the Federal Reserve's decision to lower interest rates was "an important signal" that inflation has eased as he characterized Donald Trump's economic policies as a failure in the past and sure to "fail again" if revived.  "Lowering interest rates isn't a declaration of victory," Biden told the Economic Club of Washington. "It's a declaration of progress, to signal we've entered a new phase of our economy and our recovery."  The Democratic president emphasized that there was more work left to do, but he used his speech to burnish his economic legacy even as he criticized Trump, his Republican predecessor who is running for another term.  "Trickle down, down economics failed," Biden said. "He's promising again trickle down economics. It will fail again."  Biden said Trump wants to extend tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy, costing an estimated $5 trillion, and implement tariffs that could raise prices by nearly $4,000 per family, something that Biden described as a "new sales tax."  A spokesman for Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Trump has routinely hammered Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate this year, over higher costs.  "People can't go out and buy cereal or bacon or eggs or anything else," Trump said during last week's debate. "The people of our country are absolutely dying with what they've done. They've destroyed the economy."  Biden dismissed Trump's claims that he supports workers, saying "give me a break." Biden’s administration created more manufacturing jobs and spurred more factory construction, and it reduced the trade deficit with China.  Trump's economic record was undermined by the coronavirus outbreak, and Biden blamed him for botching the country's response.  "His failure in handling the pandemic led to hundreds of thousands of Americans dying," he said.  Biden struggled to demonstrate economic progress because of inflation that spread around the globe as the pandemic receded and supply chain problems multiplied.  He expressed hope that the rate cut will make it more affordable for Americans to buy houses and cars.  "I believe it's important for the country to recognize this progress," he said. "Because if we don't, the progress we made will remain locked in the fear of a negative mindset that dominated our economic outlook since the pandemic began."  He said businesses should see "the immense opportunities in front of us right now" by investing and expanding.  Biden defended the independence of the Federal Reserve, which could be threatened by Trump if he is elected to another term. Trump publicly pressured the central bank to lower rates during his presidency, a break with past customs.  "It would do enormous damage to our economy if that independence is ever lost," Biden said.  During his speech, Biden inaccurately said he had never met with Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, while he's been president.  Jared Bernstein, who chairs the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said at a subsequent briefing that Biden intended to say that he had never discussed interest rates with Powell.  "That's what he meant," Bernstein said.

Gaborone, Botswana — Botswana has awarded a 15-year license to a Canadian firm, Giyani Metals, to mine manganese, a metal used in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles.   According to a statement from Giyani Metals, the K-Hill project will produce battery-grade manganese. Mining will take place in Kanye, 90 kilometers (56 miles) southwest of Gaborone.   Minister of Foreign Affairs Lemogang Kwape, the area’s member of parliament, told VOA he expects good things from the project.   "It is a project that envisages to mine a product that will revolutionize clean power. It is also a project that will develop Kanye and Botswana,” Kwape said. “Giyani management promised that there will be some processing that will be done in situ. By doing processing, you are adding value, which is in line with the president's objective of adding value to products from Botswana.”   The Ministry of Energy and Minerals granted Giyani Metals the mining license, which is subject to multiple renewals.  In a country heavily reliant on diamonds for its economy, Minister of Energy and Minerals Lefoko Moagi said the government is accelerating research-based exploration of minerals.  “The ministry continues to advance mineral discoveries through research in order to grow and expand the country’s economic status through exploration, mining, manufacturing and processing of various mineral commodities,” Moagi said.  The Botswana manganese project has a net value of $984 million, with an estimated project life span of 57 years.  Tshepiso Masilonyane, programs officer at the Botswana Climate Change Network, said manganese will play a key role if the world is to move away from fossil fuels.   “The manganese project is extremely important for the green energy transition,” Masilonyane said. “It is a critical component in battery technology, particularly in the production of lithium-ion batteries that are used in electric vehicles but also in grade-level electricity distribution, particularly the energy storage systems.”  Masilonyane urged Botswana to play a bigger role in the green energy value chain.  “By becoming a key supplier of battery-grade manganese, Botswana can position itself as an important player in the renewable energy value chain helping to power electric vehicles, the solar energy storage technologies, as well as other green technologies,” Masilonyane said. “But we think beyond extraction, it is going to be very important for us to focus on value addition as early as now.”   According to the International Energy Agency, global electric car sales reached 14 million in 2023, a 35% increase from 2022.  As a result, metals such as manganese are in high demand – and Botswana is in position to benefit from the boom. 

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

ISLAMABAD — Police in southern Pakistan reported Thursday that a doctor facing allegations of blasphemy against Islam was killed in a shootout during a raid intended to arrest him. The overnight alleged extrajudicial killing of Shah Nawaz in the province of Sindh marked the second instance within a week in which Pakistani police fatally shot a blasphemy suspect. Nawaz, a Muslim, was an employee at the main public hospital in his native Umerkot district. He was dismissed from his job on Tuesday after area residents accused him of “desecrating” the Prophet Muhammad by sharing "blasphemous posts" on Facebook earlier in the week. The doctor rejected the charges and disowned the social media account. A police complaint was subsequently filed against him, however, amid citywide violent protests by religious party activists demanding his immediate arrest. An area police officer, Niaz Khoso, alleged that Nawaz and another “armed” man were fleeing on a motorcycle to evade arrest, refused to stop at a checkpoint and instead opened fire on police. The ensuing exchange of gunfire led to the death of the blasphemy suspect, Khoso said. Such official claims are often widely disputed by critics, who point to a highly politicized and corruption-plagued Pakistani police force with a history of staged encounters. Last week, a police officer in the southwestern city of Quetta shot and killed a 52-year-old hotel owner who was being held in custody on blasphemy allegations. The victim, Abdul Ali, a Muslim, was arrested a day earlier for allegedly posting derogatory remarks on social media about the Prophet Muhammad. His killing inside the police lockup triggered outrage and calls for bringing the shooter to justice. Ali’s family announced at a news conference together with their tribal elders late on Wednesday, though, that they had “forgiven” the police officer and would not press charges "in the name of God.” One of the elders stated that their tribe had decided to disown the slain man for disrespecting the prophet of Islam. The country’s independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, or HRCP, said that it was “gravely concerned by the alleged extrajudicial” killings of Shah and Ali. “This pattern of violence in cases of blasphemy, in which law enforcement personnel are allegedly involved, is an alarming trend,” the watchdog stated in a Thursday statement. The HRCP urged authorities to conduct an independent inquiry to ascertain who was responsible for the doctor’s death in Umarkot and bring the perpetrators to justice. Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in majority-Muslim Pakistan, where mere allegations have led to mobs lynching scores of suspects, even some in police custody. Insulting the Quran or the Prophet is punishable by death under the country's blasphemy laws, although no one has ever been officially executed. In June, a 73-year-old Pakistani man from the minority Christian community died in a hospital a week after being violently attacked by a mob in Pakistan’s Punjab province following accusations he insulted Islam. Days later, on June 20, a Muslim man from Punjab was visiting the scenic northwestern Swat Valley when a mob violently lynched him for allegedly desecrating Islam's holy book, the Quran. The laws are persistently under international scrutiny, with critics blaming them for the recent rise in blasphemy allegations and mob lynching of suspects in Pakistan. A new report released on Monday stated that the blasphemy laws are being significantly misused, with many defendants facing baseless accusations, protracted legal battles, and lengthy pretrial prison time, as judges tread carefully to avoid offending religious groups. The findings by the U.S.-based Clooney Foundation for Justice backed long-running local and international rights groups’ concerns that the strict blasphemy laws are often misused to settle personal vendettas or to persecute Pakistani minority communities. Hundreds of blasphemy suspects, mostly Muslims, are languishing in jails in Pakistan because fear of retaliation from religious groups deters judges from moving their trials forward.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

White House — President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House next week (Sept 26) for talks on the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, the White House announced Thursday. A statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Zelenskyy will also meet separately with Vice President Kamala Harris. "The leaders will discuss the state of the war between Russia and Ukraine, including Ukraine’s strategic planning and U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression. The President and Vice President will emphasize their unshakeable commitment to stand with Ukraine until it prevails in this war, she said Zelenskyy has said that he has a plan for victory in Russia's war against his country, and that he intends to present the proposal to Biden. In a speech at the opening of the 20th Annual Yalta European Strategy Meeting in Kyiv last Friday, Zelenskyy said wars of aggression, such as the one being waged by Russia against Ukraine, can end positively by either the occupying army being pushed out on the battlefield or through diplomacy, in which the invaded country is freed from occupation and its independence is preserved. "In both cases, Ukraine needs a strong position," he said. "The United States can help with this. If we, along with our key partner, equally strive for victory." In recent weeks, Zelenskyy has expressed his frustration at not yet receiving permission from allies — specifically the United States and Britain — to use their long-range weapons against targets inside Russia. Both nations have expressed concern about being drawn into a direct confrontation with Russia.

Hispanic audiences in the United States rely on social media for news, but disinformation on those platforms is rife. Newsrooms and media initiatives are finding new ways to combat false news and help audiences prepare for U.S. elections. Cristina Caicedo Smit has the story. Videographer: Tina Trinh

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Munich — Security has tightened at Oktoberfest in the wake of last month's deadly knife attack in Solingen in western Germany, and officials warned revelers to expect longer lines at entry points as metal detectors will be deployed for the first time in the Bavarian beer festival's 189-year history. Authorities say there are no specific threats to the world's largest folk festival, which begins Saturday with the traditional keg-tapping in Munich and runs through Oct. 6. Some 6 million participants, many wearing traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses, are expected over the course of the event. The stepped-up security comes after an Aug. 23 attack in Solingen that left three dead and eight wounded. A 26-year-old Syrian suspect was arrested. He was an asylum-seeker who was supposed to be deported to Bulgaria last year but reportedly disappeared for a time and avoided deportation. The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for the violence, without providing evidence. The violence left Germany shaken and pushed immigration back to the top of the country's political agenda. In response, the Interior Ministry extended temporary border controls to all nine of its frontiers this week. The controls are set to last six months and are threatening to test European unity. The effects of the Solingen attack and other recent violence across Germany will also be felt at Oktoberfest. Hand-held metal detectors will be used for the first time, with police and security staff using them on a random basis or following suspicious activity. "We have had to react to the fact that attacks with knives have increased in recent weeks and months," Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter told The Associated Press during a media tour of the festival grounds to highlight the new security measures. "We will do everything we can to ensure that nobody comes to Oktoberfest with a knife or other dangerous weapons." In addition to some 600 police officers and 2,000 security staff, more than 50 cameras will be installed across the grounds of the festival, which will be fenced off as well. Festival goers also are prohibited from bringing knives, glass bottles and backpacks. Oktoberfest is no stranger to increased security in the past. In 2016, authorities implemented tighter measures in response to a series of attacks, including when a German teenager fatally shot nine people at a Munich mall before killing himself. Peter Neumann, a professor of security studies at King's College London, said Oktoberfest officials are taking a sensible approach to security in light of Solingen, as well as other recent foiled plots across Europe. Extremists and groups like the Islamic State seek locations where an attack would garner international headlines and "cause a lot of terror," he said. French authorities say they thwarted three plots against the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and other cities that hosted the summer events, which included plans to attack " Israeli institutions or representatives of Israel in Paris." And Austrian officials last month arrested a 19-year-old who had allegedly plotted to attack now-canceled Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna and kill tens of thousands of fans. "These are all global events where you can expect to cause a lot of attention," Neumann said. Neumann said the Islamic State has been gaining momentum during the Israel-Hamas war. The group referenced the war when it claimed responsibility for the Solingen violence, saying the attacker targeted Christians and that as a "soldier of the Islamic State" he carried out the assaults "to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere." Oktoberfest is a difficult event for police to secure, though authorities say there haven't been any concrete threats to the festival. "It's an iconic event and this is exactly the kind of event that they'd want to strike," Neumann said. "But with millions of people — drunk people to be honest — running around, it's really difficult to control every movement." The festival's organizer, Clemens Baumgaertner, promised a safe public space, possibly "the safest place in Germany" during the 16 days of Oktoberfest.

KAMITUGA, Congo — Slumped on the ground over a mound of dirt, Divine Wisoba pulled weeds from her daughter's grave. The 1-month-old died from mpox in eastern Congo in August, but Wisoba, 21, was too traumatized to attend the funeral. In her first visit to the cemetery, she wept into her shirt for the child she lost and worried about the rest of her family. "When she was born, it was as if God had answered our prayers — we wanted a girl," Wisoba said of little Maombi Katengey. "But our biggest joy was transformed into devastation." Her daughter is one of more than 6,000 people officials suspect have contracted the disease in South Kivu province, the epicenter of the world's latest mpox outbreak, in what the World Health Organization has labeled a global health emergency. A new strain of the virus is spreading, largely through skin-to-skin contact, including but not limited to sex. A lack of funds, vaccines and information is making it difficult to stem the spread, according to alarmed disease experts. Mpox — which causes mostly mild symptoms like fever and body aches, but can trigger serious cases with prominent blisters on the face, hands, chest and genitals — had been spreading mostly undetected for years in Africa, until a 2022 outbreak reached more than 70 countries. Globally, gay and bisexual men made up the vast majority of cases in that outbreak. But officials note mpox has long disproportionately affected children in Africa, and they say cases are now rising sharply among kids, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups, with many types of close contact responsible for the spread. Health officials have zeroed in on Kamituga, a remote yet bustling gold-mining town of some 300,000 people that attracts miners, sex workers and traders who are constantly on the move. Cases from other parts of eastern Congo can be traced back here, officials say, with the first originating in the nightclub scene. Since this outbreak began, one year ago, nearly 1,000 people in Kamituga have been infected. Eight have died, half of them children. Challenges on the ground Last month, the World Health Organization said mpox outbreaks might be stopped in the next six months, with governments' leadership and cooperation. But in Kamituga, people say they face a starkly different reality. There's a daily average of five new cases at the general hospital, which is regularly near capacity. Overall in South Kivu, weekly new suspected cases have skyrocketed from about 12 in January to 600 in August, according to province health officials. Even that's likely an underestimate, they say, because of a lack of access to rural areas, the inability of many residents to seek care, and Kamituga's transient nature. Locals say they simply don't have enough information about mpox. Before her daughter got sick, Wisoba said, she was infected herself but didn't know it. Painful lesions emerged around her genitals, making walking difficult. She thought she had a common sexually transmitted infection and sought medicine at a pharmacy. Days later, she went to the hospital with her newborn and was diagnosed with mpox. She recovered, but her daughter developed lesions on her foot. Nearly a week later, Maombi died at the same hospital that treated her mother. Wisoba said she didn't know about mpox until she got it. She wants the government to invest more in teaching people protective measures. Local officials can't reach areas more than a few miles outside Kamituga to track suspected cases or inform residents. They broadcast radio messages but say that doesn't reach far enough. Kasindi Mwenyelwata goes door to door describing how to detect mpox — looking for fevers, aches or lesions. But the 42-year-old community leader said a lack of money means he doesn't have the right materials, such as posters showing images of patients, which he finds more powerful than words. ALIMA, one of the few aid groups working on mpox in Kamituga, lacks funds to set up programs or clinics that would reach some 150,000 people, with its budget set to run out at year's end, according to program coordinator Dr. Dally Muamba. If support keeps waning and mpox spreads, he said, "there will be an impact on the economy, people will stop coming to the area as the epidemic takes its toll. ... And as the disease grows, will resources follow?" Vaccine vacuum Health experts agree: What's needed most are vaccines — even if they go only to adults, under emergency approval in Congo. None has arrived in Kamituga, though it's a priority city in South Kivu, officials said. It's unclear when or how they will. The main road into town is unpaved — barely passable by car during the ongoing rainy season. Once they make it here, it's unclear whether supply will meet demand for those who are at greatest risk and first in line: health staff, sex workers, miners and motorcycle taxi drivers. Congo's government has budgeted more than $190 million for its initial mpox response, which includes the purchase of 3 million vaccine doses, according to a draft national mpox plan, widely circulating among health experts and aid groups this month and seen by The Associated Press. But so far, just 250,000 doses have arrived in Congo and the government's given only $10 million, according to the finance ministry. Most people with mild cases recover in less than two weeks. But lesions can get infected, and children or immunocompromised people are more prone to severe cases. Doctors can ensure lesions are clean and give pain medication or antibiotics for secondary infections such as sepsis. But those who recover can get the virus again. Lack of understanding Experts say a lack of resources and knowledge about the new strain makes it difficult to advise people on protecting themselves. An internal report circulated among aid groups and agencies and seen by AP labeled confidence in the available information about mpox in eastern Congo and neighboring countries low. While the variant is known to be more easily transmissible through sex, it's unclear how long the virus remains in the system. Doctors tell recovered patients to abstain from sex for three months, but acknowledge the number is largely arbitrary. "Studies haven't clarified if you're still contagious or not ... if you can or can't have sex with your wife," said Dr. Steven Bilembo, of Kamituga's general hospital. Doctors say they're seeing cases they simply don't understand, such as pregnant women losing babies. Of 32 pregnant women infected since January, nearly half lost the baby through miscarriage or stillbirth, hospital statistics show. Alice Neema was among them. From the hospital's isolation ward, she told AP she'd noticed lesions around her genitals and a fever — but didn't have enough money to travel the 30 miles (50 kilometers) on motorbike for help in time. She miscarried after her diagnosis. As information trickles in, locals say fear spreads alongside the new strain. Diego Nyago said he'd brought his 2-year-old son, Emile, in for circumcision when he developed a fever and lesions. It was mpox — and today, Nyago is grateful health care workers noticed his symptoms. "I didn't believe that children could catch this disease," he said as doctors gently poured water over the boy to bring his temperature down. "Some children die quickly, because their families aren't informed. "Those who die are the ones who stay at home."

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Thursday that leader Kim Jong Un supervised successful tests of two types of missiles — one designed to carry a "super-large conventional warhead" and the other likely for a nuclear warhead, as he ordered officials to bolster his country's military capabilities to repel U.S.-led threats. The tests appear to be the same as the multiple missile launches that neighboring countries said North Korea performed Wednesday, extending its run of weapons displays as confrontations with the United States and South Korea escalate. The official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim oversaw the launch of the country's newly built Hwasongpho-11-Da-4.5 ballistic missile tipped with a dummy "4.5-ton super-large conventional warhead." It said the test-firing was meant to verify an ability to accurately hit a 320 kilometer-range target, suggesting it's a weapon aimed at striking sites in South Korea. KCNA said Kim also guided the launch of an improved "strategic" cruise missile, a word implying the weapon was developed to carry a nuclear warhead. After the tests, Kim stressed the need to continue to "bolster up the nuclear force" and acquire "overwhelming offensive capability in the field of conventional weapons, too," according to KCNA. It cited Kim as saying that North Korea can thwart its enemies' intentions to invade only when it has strong military power. KCNA released photos of a missile hitting a ground target. South Korea's military said later Thursday it assessed that the ballistic and cruise missiles fired by North Korea the previous day landed in the North's mountainous northeastern region. North Korea typically test-launches missiles off its east coast, and it's highly unusual for the country to fire missiles at land targets, likely because of concerns about potential damage on the ground if the weapons land in unintended areas. Jung Chang Wook, head of the Korea Defense Study Forum think tank in Seoul, said North Korea likely aims to show it's confident about the accuracy of its new ballistic missile. Jung said the missile's high-powered warhead is meant to attack ground targets, but North Korea hasn't acquired weapons that can penetrate deep into the earth and destroy underground structures. The Hwasongpho-11-Da-4.5 missile's first known test occurred in early July. North Korea said the July test was successful as well, but South Korea's military disputed the claim saying one of the two missiles fired by North Korea travelled abnormally during the initial stage of its flight before falling at an uninhabited area near Pyongyang, the capital. North Korea hasn't released photos on the July launches. North Korea has been pushing to introduce a variety of sophisticated weapons systems designed to attack both South Korea and the mainland U.S. to deal with what it calls its rivals' intensifying security threats. Many foreign experts say North Korea would ultimately want to use its enlarged arsenal as leverage to win greater concessions in future dealings with the U.S. Worries about North Korea deepened last week as it disclosed photos of a secretive facility to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. KCNA said that Kim, during a visit to the facility, called for stronger efforts to "exponentially" produce more nuclear weapons. It was unclear whether the facility is at North Korea's main Yongbyon nuclear complex. But it was the North's first unveiling of a uranium-enrichment facility since it showed one at the country's main Yongbyon nuclear complex to visiting American scholars led by nuclear physicist Siegfried Hecker in 2010. In an analytical piece jointly written with another expert, Robert Carlin, that was posted Wednesday on North Korea-focused website 38 North, Hecker said the centrifuge hall shown in the recent North Korean photos was not the same one that he saw in November 2010. Hecker and Carlin said they believe the new centrifuges provide "only a modest increased capacity," although North Korea could increase enrichment capacity just by building more centrifuge plants. In another joint analysis also posted Friday on 38 North, other experts said that the centrifuges shown in the photos are not the ones observed by Hecker but a more advanced design. They said the images send "a strong message that the country has ample capacity and continued will to expand its nuclear program."

People from across the globe are convening on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City for Climate Week. On the agenda: the environmental impact of seabed mining. The discussion comes as tech companies seek ways to fuel the green revolution while minimizing environmental impacts. VOA’s Jessica Stone has more.]