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las vegas — A $12 billion high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area has started construction, officials said Monday, amid predictions that millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028. "People have been dreaming of high-speed rail in America for decades," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement released to coincide with a ceremony at the future site of a terminal to be built just south of the Las Vegas Strip. Buttigieg predicted the project will bring "thousands of union jobs, new connections to better economic opportunity, less congestion on the roads, and less pollution in the air." Brightline West, whose sister company already operates a fast train between Miami and Orlando in Florida, aims to lay 351 kilometers of new track between Las Vegas and another new facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Almost the full distance is to be built in the median of Interstate 15, with a station stop in San Bernardino County's Victorville area. Brightline Holdings founder and Chairperson Wes Edens dubbed the moment "the foundation for a new industry." "This is a historic project and a proud moment," Edens said in the statement. "Today is long overdue." Brightline aims to link other U.S. cities that are too near to each other for air travel to make sense and too far for people to drive the distance. Company CEO Mike Reininger has said the goal is to have trains operating in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. Brightline received $6.5 billion in backing from the Biden administration, including a $3 billion grant from federal infrastructure funds and approval to sell another $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds. The company won federal authorization in 2020 to sell $1 billion in similar bonds. The project is touted as the first true high-speed passenger rail line in the nation, designed to reach speeds of 186 mph (300 kph), comparable to Japan's Shinkansen bullet trains. The route between Vegas and L.A. is largely open space, with no convenient alternate to I-15. Brightline's Southern California terminal will be at a commuter rail connection to downtown Los Angeles. The project outline says electric-powered trains will cut the four-hour trip across the Mojave Desert to a little more than two hours. Forecasts are for 11 million one-way passengers per year, or some 30,000 per day, with fares well below airline travel costs. The trains will offer restrooms, Wi-Fi, food and beverage sales and the option to check luggage. Las Vegas is a popular driving destination for Southern Californians. Officials hope the train line will relieve congestion on I-15, where drivers often sit in miles of crawling traffic while returning home from a Las Vegas weekend. The Las Vegas area, now approaching 3 million residents, draws more than 40 million visitors per year. Passenger traffic at the city's Harry Reid International Airport set a record of 57.6 million people in 2023. An average of more than 44,000 automobiles per day crossed the California-Nevada state line on I-15 in 2023, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data. Florida-based Brightline Holdings launched the Miami-to-Orlando line in 2018 with trains reaching speeds up to 125 mph (200 kph). It expanded service to Orlando International Airport last September. It offers 16 roundtrips per day, with one-way tickets for the 235-mile (378-kilometer) distance costing about $80. Other fast trains in the U.S. include Amtrak's Acela, which can top 241 kph while sharing tracks with freight and commuter service between Boston and Washington, D.C. Passenger trains to Las Vegas ended in 1997, when Amtrak ended service. Ideas for connecting other U.S. cities with high-speed passenger trains have been floated in recent years, including Dallas to Houston; Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina; and Chicago to St. Louis. Most have faced delays. In California, voters in 2008 approved a proposed 805-kilometer rail line linking Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the plan has been beset by rising costs and routing disputes. A 2022 business plan by the California High-Speed Rail Authority projected the cost had more than tripled to $105 billion.

A group of activists hopes to break Israel's blockade of Gaza with a flotilla of vessels carrying aid. It is set to sail from Istanbul in the coming days. In a similar mission 14 years ago, Israeli forces intercepted a Turkish flotilla in a deadly raid that resulted in the deaths of 10 people. There are warnings this attempt may trigger a new crisis. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

LONDON — The European Union on Monday demanded TikTok provide more information about a new app that pays users to watch videos and warned that it could order the video sharing platform to suspend addictive features that pose a risk to kids.  The 27-nation EU's executive commission said it was opening formal proceedings to determine whether TikTok Lite breached the bloc's new digital rules when the app was rolled out in France and Spain.  Brussels was ratcheting up the pressure on TikTok after the company failed to respond to a request last week for information on whether the new app complies with the Digital Services Act, a sweeping law that took effect last year intending to clean up social media platforms.  TikTok Lite is a slimmed-down version of the main TikTok app that lets users earn rewards. Points earned by watching videos, liking content and following content creators can then be exchanged for rewards including Amazon vouchers and gift cards on PayPal.  The commission wants to see the risk assessment that TikTok should have carried out before deploying the app in the European Union. It's worried TikTok launched the app without assessing how to mitigate “potential systemic risks” such as addictive design features that could pose harm to children.  TikTok didn't respond immediately to a request for comment. The company said last week it would respond to the commission's request and noted that rewards are restricted to users 18 years and older, who have to verify their age.  “With an endless stream of short and fast-paced videos, TikTok offers fun and a sense of connection beyond your immediate circle,” said European Commissioner Thierry Breton, one of the officials leading the bloc's push to rein in big tech companies. “But it also comes with considerable risks, especially for our children: addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, low attention spans.”  The EU is giving TikTok 24 hours to turn over the risk assessment and until Wednesday to argue its case. Any order to suspend the TikTok Lite app's reward features could come as early as Thursday.  It's the first time that the EU has issued a legally binding order for such information since the Digital Services Act took effect. Officials stepped up the pressure after TikTok failed to respond to last week's request for the information.  If TikTok still fails to respond, the commission warned the company also faces fines worth up to 1% of the company’s total annual income or worldwide turnover and “periodic penalties” of up to 5% of daily income or global turnover.  TikTok was already facing intensified scrutiny from the EU. The commission already has an ongoing in-depth investigation into the main TikTok app's DSA compliance, examining whether it's doing enough to curb “systemic risks” stemming from its design, including “algorithmic systems” that might stimulate “behavioral addictions.” Offices are worried that measures including age verification tools to stop minors from finding “inappropriate content” might not be effective.

Nairobi, Kenya — Government representatives from Africa, along with ICT (information and communication technology) officials, and international organizations have gathered in Nairobi for a Connected Africa Summit. They are discussing the future of technology, unlocking the continent's growth beyond connectivity, and addressing the challenges and opportunities in the continent's information and technology sector. Speaking at the Connected Africa Summit opening in Nairobi Monday, Kenyan President William Ruto said bridging the technology gap is important for Africa's economic growth and innovation.   "Closing the digital divide is a priority in terms of enhancing connectivity, expanding the contribution of the ICT sector to Africa's GDP and driving overall GDP growth across all sectors. Africa's digital economy has immense potential…," Ruto said. "Our youth population, the youngest globally, is motivated and prepared to drive the digital economy, foster innovation and entrench new technologies."     Experts say digital transformation in Africa can improve its industrialization, reduce poverty, create jobs, and improve its citizens' lives. According to the World Bank, 36 percent of Africa's 1.3 billion population have access to the internet, and in some of the areas that have connections, the quality of the service is poor compared to other regions. The international financial institution figures show that Africa saw a 115 percent increase in internet users between 2016 and 2021 and that 160 million gained broadband internet access between 2019 and 2022.   Africa's digital growth has been hampered by the lack of an accessible, secure, and reliable internet, which is critical in closing the digital gap and reducing inequalities.   Lacina Kone is the head of Smart Africa, an organization that coordinates ICT activities within the continent. He says integrating technology into African societies' daily activities is necessary and cannot be ignored.   "Digital transformation is no longer a choice but a necessity, just like water utility, just like any other utility we use at home," Kone said. "So, this connected Africa is an opportunity for all of us. I see a lot of country members, and ICT ministers are here to align our visions together." The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the consumption of technology in different sectors of the African economy, and experts say opportunities now exist in mobile services, the development of broadband infrastructure, and data storage.   The U.S. ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, called on the summit attendees to develop technologies that can solve people's problems.   "I encourage all of you to consider this approach for your economies. Look at what strengths already exist in your countries and ask how technology can solve challenges in those sectors to make you a leader through innovation," Whitman said. "Sometimes innovation looks like Artificial Intelligence, satellites and e-money. Sometimes though it looks much different than we expect. However, innovation always includes three elements: solution focused, it’s specific and it’s sustainable. Bringing solution-focused, being solution-focused is the foundation of shaping the future of a connected Africa." The summit ends on Friday, but before that, those attending aim to explore ways to improve Africa's technology usage, enhance continental connectivity, boost competitiveness, and ensure the continent keeps up with the ever-evolving tech sector.

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cologne, germany — For the past year, five fit, academically superior men and women have been spun in centrifuges, submerged for hours, deprived temporarily of oxygen, taught to camp in the snow, and schooled in physiology, anatomy, astronomy, meteorology, robotics, and Russian. On Monday, the five Europeans and an Australian graduated from basic training with a new title: astronaut. At a ceremony in Cologne, Germany, ESA added the five newcomers to its astronaut corps eligible for missions to the International Space Station, bringing the total to 11. ESA has negotiated with NASA for three places on future Artemis moon missions, although those places will likely go to the more senior astronauts, according to ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. The agency is also supplying the service module for the Orion crew capsule. ESA relies on NASA and others to get its astronauts to space. It is only the fourth astronaut class since 1978 for the 22-country agency, chosen from among 22,500 applicants. Another 12 were selected as reservists, but were not sent to basic training. Not surprisingly, the five have resumes studded with advanced scientific and medical degrees, military training, experience flying planes, helicopters, gliders and balloons, and "leisure" activities like rowing, scuba diving, hiking, skydiving, cycling, sailing, and kayaking. The group formed "a very good team" devoid of personal rivalry, said Aschbacher. "I told them, one of you will fly first and one will fly last, and they accepted that of course, but from the heart, not just lip service ... the team spirit is very pronounced." Sophie Adenot, a French air force helicopter test pilot, said the group was "a fantastic crew and a fantastic team." The moment that struck her the most was leaving the airlock for underwater spacewalk simulation when the instructor said, "Welcome to space." "And for me it was mind-blowing, I had goosebumps. ... In a few years it is going to be me in space, not in the water with safety divers." When she was a girl dreaming of space travel, "I couldn't count the number of people who told me, this dream will never come true. ‘You have unrealistic dreams, and it will never happen.’ ... Listen to yourself and don't listen to people who don't believe in you." In addition to Adenot, the ESA class consists of: — Pablo Alvarez Fernandez, a Spanish aeronautical engineer who has worked on the Rosalind Franklin Mars rover intended for a joint mission with Russia that was suspended after the invasion of Ukraine; — Rosemary Coogan, a British astronomer who has researched radiation emissions from black holes; — Raphael Liegeois, a Belgian biomedical engineer and neuroscientist who has researched degenerative diseases of the nervous system, and also flies hot-air balloons and gliders; — Marco Alain Sieber, a Swiss emergency physician who achieved sergeant rank as a paratrooper during his service with the Swiss army. The group was joined by Katherine Bennell-Pegg from Australia, who underwent training under a cooperation agreement between Australia and ESA. She remains an employee of the Australian Space Agency. It's up to the Australian agency to find a way for her to travel in space. Their yearlong basic training included preparation for the hostile environment encountered in space. They were exposed to multiple times the force of gravity in a centrifuge and spent hours underwater using scuba gear to float around mockups of space station modules to simulate working in zero gravity. They learned how to recognize symptoms of hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, by experiencing it themselves in a low-pressure chamber. Survival training included dealing with potential splashdown in the ocean and staying warm in winter while waiting to be recovered in case a landing goes off course. On top of that came academic work on scientific topics and learning about the space station's modules and equipment. Intensive Russian language is still part of the program, even though ESA has suspended work with Russia except for the space station, where one of the working languages is Russian.

Ten months after most of Oregon's Republican state senators ended a six-week boycott of the Legislature, they are facing steep consequences for their protest. Deborah Bloom has the story from Salem, Oregon’s capital.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Lawyers for Armenia asked the top United Nations court on Monday to throw out a case filed by Azerbaijan over the Karabakh region that accuses Armenia of ethnic cleansing.  Azerbaijan launched proceedings at the International Court of Justice in 2021 in the case, less than a week after Armenia brought its own case against Azerbaijan stemming from a 2020 war over Karabakh that killed more than 6,600 people. Azerbaijan asked the court to throw out Armenia 's case last week.  In the case brought by Azerbaijan, Armenia is contesting The Hague-based court's jurisdiction. The case is based on the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, or CERD, which Azerbaijan ratified in 1996. According to Armenia, most of the complaints date from the first Karabakh war, which ended two years prior.  "Azerbaijan cannot be allowed to sit on its alleged grievances under CERD for nearly 30 years, only to finally pursue them after many witnesses are long gone and the evidence has disappeared," Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia's representative, told the court.  Karabakh is within the territory of Azerbaijan but was under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia from 1994 until last year.  After longstanding tensions erupted in 2020, Azerbaijan gained control over parts of the region as well as some adjacent territories as part of a Russia-brokered ceasefire. In 2023, Azerbaijan waged a lightning military campaign in Karabakh that resulted in the vast majority of the region's 120,000 residents fleeing.  During hearings in 2021, Azerbaijan told judges Armenia has sown the area with landmines and has refused to help with clearance efforts.  Armenia denies it engaged in racial discrimination and says Azerbaijan's claims are false.  The court has twice ordered the pair to take steps to reduce tensions. In 2021, judges told Armenia to "prevent the incitement and promotion of racial hatred" targeting Azerbaijanis while ordering Azerbaijan to prevent the mistreatment of prisoners of war. In a second emergency order last year, the court ordered Azerbaijan to end a blockade and allow in humanitarian supplies.  The convention against racial discrimination has a clause allowing disputes to be resolved by the world court if bilateral negotiations fail to broker a settlement.  In December, the two sides agreed to begin negotiations on a peace treaty. However, many residents of Armenia's border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan encroaching on areas they consider their own.  Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said last month that the Caucasus nation needs to define its border with Azerbaijan quickly to avoid a new round of hostilities. 

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.

Experts say one of the health care challenges in Africa is a shortage of training and education for workers. To help, a U.S. charity called Mission to Heal is training local workers who serve patients in remote locations. Juma Majanga reports from Ngurunit village in northern Kenya. Videographer: Jimmy Makhulo

Taipei, Taiwan — Analysts say China’s recent opening of two new air routes, with flight paths near two outlying islands controlled by Taiwan, is but the latest move in a broad campaign Beijing has rolled out ahead of the inauguration of Taiwan’s president-elect, Lai Ching-te. Lai, a member of Taiwan’s pro-sovereignty Democratic Progress Party, was elected in January and will be sworn into office on May 20.  Su Tzu-yun, a military analyst at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research, says Beijing has been using a combination of cognitive warfare, economic coercion, and gray zone operation measures against Taiwan. Gray zone operations involve using irregular tactics without resorting to open combat. “China’s latest efforts to increase pressure on Taiwan is both part of its pressure campaign against Taipei and its response to recent international support for Taiwan, such as the reiteration of maintaining the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait by the U.S., Japan, and other G7 (Group of Seven leading industrialized) countries,” Su told VOA in a phone interview. In a statement on April 19, China’s civil aviation regulator announced it had started using two west-to-east flight paths from the coastal cities of Xiamen and Fuzhou. The new air routes, known as W122 and W123, will connect to what is called the M503 air route, and they will operate alongside existing flight paths to the Taiwanese islands Kinmen and Matsu, which operate regular flights to and from Taiwan’s main island. The M503 route runs alongside the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which once served as an unofficial border between China and Taiwan. During a daily press conference on April 19, the Chinese Communist Party’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the move aims to relieve pressure caused by flight delays by activating the two new routes.  The Civil Aviation Administration of China added that Beijing also plans to “further optimize” the airspace around Fuzhou airport in the southern Fujian Province starting May 16, four days before Lai’s inauguration.  Shortly after Lai was elected in January, Beijing unilaterally canceled flight paths for the M503 route and opened new west-to-east air routes from three coastal cities. Beijing views Lai as an advocate of Taiwan independence. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to unite the island with the mainland. In response to the April 19 announcement, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration said Beijing’s decision could create serious flight safety risks since the distance between China and Taiwan flight paths is only two kilometers (1.1. nautical miles) at its nearest point. Taipei says it will demand that any aircraft using the new air routes turn back.  China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, which oversees cross-strait relations, said Taipei’s criticism is “a malicious hype” aimed to “create an illusion” that Beijing is “squeezing its space.  Redefining the status quo Since the new air routes initiated by Beijing run very close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait, some experts say China is trying to redefine the status quo across the Taiwan Strait based on its terms.  The median line has served as an unofficial demarcation between Taipei and Beijing for decades. China and Taiwan split amid a civil war in 1949.  The decision to unilaterally initiate new air routes “is part of Beijing’s attempt to demonstrate that it sets the rules in what it regards as its internal matters,” according to J. Michael Cole, a Taipei-based senior adviser with the International Republican Institute’s Countering Foreign Authoritarian Influence team. Cole said that when the M503 air route was first announced in 2015, Beijing agreed to adjust flight paths following negotiations with the Taiwanese government under the China-friendly Kuomintang, or KMT party. “Beijing moved away from unilateralism after protests by Taipei and after negotiations with the KMT-led government,” he told VOA in a written response.  But as Taiwan prepares to inaugurate the third consecutive administration under the Democratic Progressive Party next month, Cole said Beijing “is no longer in the mood for negotiation and is unilaterally implementing flight paths.”  “It denies Taiwan’s agency by refusing to negotiate with Taipei,” he added.  No-fly zones Military analysts say Beijing’s decision to start using the contested air routes could increase the likelihood of Chinese civilian aircraft flying to the east side of the Taiwan Strait median line, where there are four designated no-fly zones.  “Taiwan’s Air Force uses those no-fly zones to monitor activities in the airspace along the median line of the Taiwan Strait,” said Chieh Chung, a military researcher at Taiwan's National Policy Foundation.  In his view, Beijing’s new flights paths would increase the difficulty for the Taiwanese Air Force to track activities by Chinese civilian or military aircraft in the no-fly zones.  “China is trying to use the frequent incursion of Chinese civilian aircraft into the no-fly zones designated by the Taiwanese government to challenge the rules set by Taipei,” he told VOA by phone.  In addition to opening new air routes and announcing new trade measures against Taiwanese imports, Beijing increased the number of military aircraft it deployed to areas near Taiwan over the weekend.  Taiwan’s defense ministry said it detected 21 Chinese military aircraft and seven Chinese naval vessels operating around Taiwan between April 20 and April 21. At least 17 Chinese military aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. With less than a month until the inauguration of Taiwan’s new government, some analysts believe Beijing’s pressure campaign will continue. Cole at the International Republican Institute says Taipei “must remain alert, retain the moral high ground, and avoid any form of activity that could be exploited by Beijing to justify retaliation.”   Some information for this report came from Reuters.

LONDON — British police on Monday charged two men with spying for China, including one reported to have worked as a researcher in Britain's parliament for a prominent lawmaker in the governing Conservative Party.   Anxiety has mounted across Europe about China’s alleged espionage activity and Britain has become increasingly vocal about its concerns in recent months.   The two men, aged 32 and 29, were charged with providing prejudicial information to China in breach of the Official Secrets Act, and will appear in court Friday.  "This has been an extremely complex investigation into what are very serious allegations," said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Counter Terrorism Command at the Metropolitan Police.  The Chinese embassy in London said the allegation that China was trying to steal British intelligence was "completely fabricated."  "We firmly oppose it and urge the UK side to stop anti-China political manipulation and stop putting on such self-staged political farce," an embassy spokesperson said in a statement.  One of the men was named by police on Monday as Christopher Cash.   In September, the Sunday Times reported that Cash had been arrested for spying while working as a researcher in parliament for Conservative lawmaker Alicia Kearns, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.  A Christopher Cash was listed on parliamentary documents from early 2023 as working for Kearns.   In September, a lawyer for the arrested man issued a statement denying the accusations of spying without confirming the identity of their client. The same legal firm did not provide a statement on Monday when contacted by Reuters.   Cash does not have publicly available contact details and could not immediately be reached for comment.  Last month, the British government summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in London after accusing Chinese state-backed hackers of stealing data from Britain's elections watchdog and carrying out a surveillance operation against parliamentarians.  China denied those allegations, calling them "completely fabricated."  The government also said in September Chinese spies were targeting British officials in sensitive positions in politics, defense and business as part of an increasingly sophisticated spying operation to gain access to secrets.   Separately, Germany on Monday said it had arrested three people on suspicion of working with the Chinese secret service to hand over technology that could be used for military purposes.

YAOUNDE — Cameroon’s opposition and civil society have launched a mass campaign to combat voter apathy. The goal is to encourage disgruntled youths to register to vote before the August deadline and go to the polls in presidential elections next year, instead of just complaining that longtime President Paul Biya will rig elections to die in power. There are about 15 million potential voters in Cameroon but only about 7 million are registered voters. About 20 opposition and civil society members shout using loudspeakers on the streets of Cameroon's economic capital, Douala, that all civilians of voting age should register to qualify as voters before an August 31 deadline. Cameroon's presidential elections will take place in October 2025 on a date to be decided by 91-year-old President Paul Biya, who has ruled the central African state for more than four decades. Among the campaigners is Mbah Raoul, spokesperson of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, or CRM, party. The spokesperson says Cameroon’s opposition and civil society want civilians, especially reluctant youths, to register now and to vote and defend their votes when elections are called. "If we are really feeling these pains that this government has infringed [inflicted] on Cameroonians for the past 40 years we have to come out in 2025, vote massively and protect our votes. We should be the ones to choose our leaders," Mbah said. "We have to combat electoral fraud by voting massively and protect[ing] our votes." Mbah said if many people registered and voted, Maurice Kamto, the CRM candidate, would not have been robbed of victory in Cameroon’s October 7, 2018 presidential elections. Biya’s government has always denied the polls were rigged. Opposition and civil society estimate that at least half of Cameroon's 30 million people are 20 years and older and qualified to register and vote in elections as stated in the country’s electoral code. ELECAM, the country's elections management body, reports that about 7.3 million civilians have registered for future elections. Opposition and civil society say high voter apathy is due to the belief that votes do not count because Biya rigs all elections to stay in power. Biya has won all elections since he took power in 1982. The opposition accuses him of what it calls massive electoral fraud. Catholic Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda, capital of Cameroon's English-speaking northwest region, says civilians should not be discouraged because it is a divine responsibility for all citizens to register and vote. "Many Cameroonians are skeptical [to register], but we cannot always presume that our votes will not make sense," Neka said. "If people go out massively to vote, their voice will make a difference and it is very important for those who are organizing elections to ensure that the elections are free, elections are fair and that elections reflect the minds of voters." Nkea said all political parties and civil society groups should educate civilians, especially youths who refuse to take part in the elections to know that it is their democratic right to determine who their leaders should be. On Monday, ELECAM said there was an increase in the number of potential voters in their branches in all towns and villages of Cameroon. They also dismiss claims that they rig elections to favor Biya. Elvis Mbowoh is ELECAM’s manager for Cameroon’s English-speaking northwest region. He told state TV on Monday that opposition parties and civil society groups are gradually noticing that the elections body plays a neutral role in polls. "The situation on the ground is changing. I see more politicians running to the field, galvanizing people to come out and register," Mbowoh said. "I am already establishing a good relationship with the civil society, not only the civil society, all political stakeholders. That is why we set out an objective to work with all stakeholders and especially the media. At 91, Biya is the world's oldest president and second-longest serving leader after his neighbor, Theodoro Obiang Nguema, of Equatorial Guinea. Biya has been in power for 41 years. Before becoming president, he served for seven years as prime minister. In 2008, Biya removed term limits from the constitution, allowing him to serve indefinitely. Cameroon’s opposition and civil society blame Biya for the country's underdevelopment, increasing underemployment, economic hardship and a separatist crisis that has claimed more than 6,000 lives and displaced 750,000 in eight years, according to the International Crisis Group.

MAE SOT, Thailand — ASEAN has been viewed by the international community as the ideal political bloc to negotiate a resolution to the conflict that has beset Myanmar since its military, led by Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, ousted an elected government in early 2021 and sparked a civil war.  But the five-point consensus on ending the Myanmar crisis put forward by ASEAN — the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — has been discredited by analysts and anti-regime forces who argue the 10-nation bloc has quietly backed the junta and ignored all other parties in the conflict.    “The five-point consensus has been a dismal failure,” said Ross Milosevic, a risk consultant who conducts field research in Myanmar. But he added, recent unprecedented battlefield defeats of the military — also known as Tatmadaw — and elections within ASEAN members were rewriting the political equation.    The five point-consensus is a roadmap for peace insisted upon by ASEAN, calling for an immediate end to violence; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance by ASEAN; and the special envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties.  The turning point  After a bitter, five-month dry season offensive, ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and the opposition-led National Unity Government’s People’s Defence Force (PDF) are in control of nearly all ethnic territories and states and Myanmar’s borders with Thailand, Laos, China, India and Bangladesh.  Despite ongoing military aerial bombardments, the ethnic Karen in the southeast along the Thai border and the Shan, which share a border with China in Myanmar’s north, are asserting political control, and Milosevic said the Mon, Kachin and Arakan are following.  That leaves Tatmadaw encircled but heavily fortified within central Barma state and in control of the all-important corridors linking Yangon, Naypyidaw and Mandalay.  “Those battlefield successes have not only spooked the Tatmadaw generals but also many within ASEAN’s political leadership,” Milosevic said, adding the junta’s greatest loss was Myawaddy, a border trading hub which sits adjacent to Mae Sot in Thailand.  “It remains to be seen whether the civil war will continue till the end of the year, it may even fall sooner than expected,” he said. “I hope that Thailand will lead the charge in trying to put forth a real solution to the fighting, death and destruction that’s been caused in the last three years.”  Among the 50 wars tracked globally by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, Myanmar is considered the most violent with at least 50,000 people killed since the coup, including 8,000 civilians.    Reshaping ASEAN politics  ASEAN has been divided between democratically elected governments and autocratic one-party states, with countries like Cambodia and current chair Laos accused of blocking policies over a range of issues, including Myanmar, out of their own interests.  Charles Santiago, from ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, has consistently criticized the bloc and individual members for being too soft on the junta while ignoring the plight of their victims.  “ASEAN has to get a backbone and be guided by a clear policy. Given Laos’ leadership, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Laos hasn’t shown, not even mentioned, what they’re doing and ASEAN hasn’t said what their plans are,” he said.  Shortly before Myawaddy fell to the Karen National Liberation Army on April 10 — one of about 20 EAOs battling Tatmadaw alongside the PDF — former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen offered to open talks with Hlaing, now chairman of the State Administration Council, “aimed at resolving the crisis in Myanmar.”  General Hlaing has not responded but on the third anniversary of the coup he again claimed 2020 elections — when the ruling National League for Democracy won more than 80% of seats in parliament — were rigged and insisted his political objectives were to hold fair elections and ensure a permanent peace.  One PDF source said Cambodia’s Hun Sen was unacceptable as a negotiator because of his close ties with Hlaing, noting the pair had described themselves as “god brothers” after holding talks in 2022 when Phnom Penh occupied the ASEAN chair.  “They wouldn’t speak to us,” said the source, who declined to be named. “Indonesia and Singapore are acceptable because they have tried to include us in their efforts to find a resolution.”  He also said that with a change in governments in Thailand and the Philippines, and with Malaysia assuming the ASEAN chair next year, negotiations focused on independence for ethnic states were possible but would not include the military.  Santiago agreed, saying an ASEAN group led by Malaysia with the backing of Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand could work on negotiations.  “ASEAN can deliver results that could stabilize the situation in Myanmar by sending in some form of peacekeeping force and holding the military junta to account — and to help reestablish democratic rule which is supposed to be part of their own ASEAN Charter,” Milosevic added.  Shortly after Myawaddy fell, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin signaled a change in attitude, telling Reuters news agency “the current regime is starting to lose some strength” and that “maybe it's time to reach out and make a deal” with Myanmar.  The junta then announced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former president U Win Myint would be transferred from prison to house arrest and Thailand upped the ante by calling for their “immediate full release.”  What prospects?  The EAOs-PDF and the NUG have made it clear they will not negotiate with the Tatmadaw, insisting senior generals be tried for war crimes.  NUG leaders want the pre-war constitution and results of the 2020 elections reinstated but Michael Martin, adjunct fellow with the Center for International and Strategic Studies in Washington, said that’s unlikely.  Instead, ethnic groups, in particular Karen and Shan, will push ahead with establishing their own states and political order, which could snowball among other ethnic states and leave Tatmadaw-controlled Barma state isolated and surrounded.  “For ASEAN, I think one of the questions is going to be; to what extent can they continue to say, ‘oh we’re looking for a negotiated settlement, we’re going to continue to keep working with the military junta and other interested parties?’  “Or are they eventually going to say, ‘OK that ship has sailed, that’s over, that’s not going to happen’ and start working with various EAOs.” he told VOA.  He stressed EAOs had fought for independence, not the pre-war order or the NUG, while the PDF also consisted of state-based militias who coordinate with EAOs and held shared ethnic sympathies.  Ei Ei contributed to this report.

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QINGDAO, China — One of China's top military leaders took a harsh line on regional territorial disputes, telling an international naval gathering in northeastern China on Monday that the country would strike back with force if its interests came under threat. The 19th biennial meeting of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium opened in the port city of Qingdao, where China's northern naval force is based, providing a vivid backdrop to China's massive military expansion over the past two decades that has seen it build or refurbish three aircraft carriers. The four-day meeting has drawn representatives from partners and competitors including Australia, Cambodia, Chile, France, India and the U.S. and comes amid heightened tensions over China's assertive actions in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China seas, and as China's navy has grown into the world's largest by number of hulls. Zhang Youxia, the vice chairman of the ruling Communist Party's Central Military Commission, which controls the armed forces, spoke of "common development" and said "decoupling, friction and confrontation will only divide the world into isolated islands guarding against each other with suspicion." However, he then turned to China's territorial claims, which have not been recognized under international law and in some cases have been denied. Beijing has ignored rulings not in its favor, particularly in the South China Sea, where it is in dispute with five other parties over islands, waterways and undersea resources. Japan continues to defend its control over the uninhabited Senkaku island chain, called Diaoyu by China, in the East China Sea, against incursions by the Chinese coast guard. Taiwan last week reinforced its foothold in the disputed South China Sea by establishing satellite communications between the main island and its garrison on Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, the largest land feature in the highly contested Spratly Island chain. China has created seven artificial islands in the area by piling sand and cement on top of coral reefs and then equipping them with airstrips and other military infrastructure. Zhang said China's territorial sovereignty "brooks no infringement and its core interests cannot be challenged. We do not provoke trouble, but we will never flinch in face of provocation. The Chinese military will resolutely defend the reunification and interest of the motherland." Zhang has spoken in the past of Beijing's determination to take control of the self-governing island republic of Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory, using force if necessary. With its crucial high-tech economy, Taiwan has been building up its defenses on its own and with help from the U.S., where Congress this weekend approved $8 billion in military aid for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan is also building its own submarines and trainer aircraft and waiting on the delivery of upgraded versions of F-16 fighters, battle tanks and other hardware from the U.S. Zhang appeared to press China's unilateralist approach to foreign relations and military conflicts as espoused by Xi Jinping, the top military commander, Communist Party leader and head-of-state for life, who has eliminated all dissenting views. China "remains committed to resolving maritime disputes with directly concerned countries through friendly consultations, but we will not allow our good faith to be abused," Zhang said.  Particularly over the self-governing island republic of Taiwan that Beijing threatens to use force to bring under its control. “We will take justified actions to defend our rights in accordance with the law." Zhang's comments follow a major shakeup of the Chinese military in recent months that has seen the still-unexplained disappearance of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu and several top officers in the missile corps.  

Pentagon — The United States may send additional military advisers to its embassy in Kyiv to advise and support the Ukrainian government and military, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told VOA Monday.   The troops would serve in a “non-combat” role, Ryder said.      “Throughout this conflict, the DOD (Department of Defense) has reviewed and adjusted our presence in-country, as security conditions have evolved. Currently, we are considering sending several additional advisers to augment the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the embassy,” Ryder said in a statement.   Two U.S. defense officials, speaking to VOA on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that were not finalized, said the number of advisers was “small” and could fluctuate slightly based on embassy requirements. A source familiar with the considerations said the number of troops was “fewer than two dozen.”   The troops could advise on missions ranging from logistics, maintenance, communications and sustainment, the defense officials added.   Per the Pentagon, the ODC performs a variety of advisory and support missions and is embedded within the U.S. Embassy under the chief of the mission.     Politico was first to report the additional troop consideration.   The Pentagon’s latest troop discussion comes after the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday passed a four-part, $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.   House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, structured the bills so that they could be combined into one after each bill was approved, to prevent opposition to any one piece from derailing the entire deal. Johnson had declined to bring the aid packages to the floor for a vote for months. The Senate had passed a supplemental aid bill in February, as Ukraine said ammunition shortages were causing its forces to pull back in areas. The newly-passed House legislation includes $61 billion for Kyiv’s ongoing war against Moscow’s invasion, as well as $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza, and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region.   President Joe Biden in a statement Saturday urged the Senate to “quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law, and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs.”   He said the bills advanced U.S. national security interests and sends “a clear message about the power of American leadership on the world stage.”