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When major disasters like hurricanes and floods hit the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, coordinates major rescue efforts that would overwhelm local officials. VOA’s Jessica Stone reports on how the agency works. 

WASHINGTON — Disinformation and conspiracy theories have spread quickly in response to natural disasters in the southeastern United States, creating distrust in the government response, according to the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “It is absolutely the worst I have ever seen,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters on a Tuesday call. The spread of lies surrounding the natural disasters comes at a time when social media infrastructure will allow “virtually any claim” to amplify and spread, experts say. Hurricane Helene left more than 200 people dead and many more injured or without power, and Hurricane Milton has left at least four dead after ravaging Florida, according to the Associated Press. Some frequently spread falsehoods include accusations that FEMA prevented Florida evacuations and claims that funding for storm victims was instead given to undocumented migrants. Such misinformation is “demoralizing” to first responders, Criswell said in the press call. Additionally, the fabrications could put first responders and residents of impacted areas in even more danger, according to Matthew Baum, a Harvard University professor who focuses on fake news and misinformation. “When you're talking about life-and-death situations, [misinformation] can cause people not to take advantage of help that's available to them, and it can also be dangerous for first responders who are being accused of all sorts of badness,” Baum told VOA. “And if first responders start to worry about their own safety, that's going to undermine how they do their jobs.” Many of the other falsehoods stem from former President Donald Trump’s campaign and allies. In an October 3 rally, the former president falsely claimed that the Biden-Harris administration was diverting FEMA funding to house illegal migrants. Last week, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, claimed that “they control the weather” in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. She did not specify who “they” are. To combat popular conspiracies surrounding hurricane relief efforts, FEMA launched a “Hurricane Rumor Response” webpage to “help correct rumors and provide accurate information,” according to a press release. Baum, however, told VOA that those who believe the false claims may not be swayed by the government-funded website, as they are already “deep down the rabbit hole of conspiratorial thinking.” “I don’t think the website will have a significant effect, but it’s still worth doing because journalists read it and having that information out there gets it into the news ecosystem,” Baum said. “But fundamentally, it's not likely to reach many of the people that are at risk of being harmed by this disinformation.” FEMA put up a similar rumor response webpage during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. On social media platforms such as X, misinformation tends to spread faster than true stories, a 2018 MIT study found. False news stories are 70% more likely to be reposted than true ones are. Media scholar Matt Jordan told VOA the vast amount of disinformation circulating is part of a “firehose of falsehood” strategy, in which bad actors publish so much “garbage” that people don’t know what to believe. “It's a way of eliminating the capacity for the press to help generate democratic consensus by just putting so much garbage into the zone,” the Penn State professor said. U.S. President Joe Biden said during a Tuesday morning briefing that this misinformation “misleads” the public. “It’s un-American, it really is,” he said in his remarks. “People are scared to death; people know their lives are at stake.”

Yaounde, Cameroon — The condition and exact whereabouts of Cameroon’s President Paul Biya remain unclear Thursday, two days after the government was forced to announce Biya was alive in Geneva, Switzerland, in response to rumors on social media that he had died. Biya has not been seen in public for more than five weeks, since he attended the Africa-China forum in Beijing in early September.  Cameroon's Territorial Administration minister Paul Atanga Nji told residents of Massock, a village near the Atlantic coast, that Biya dispatched him to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of floods sweeping across the central African state.   Nji, like many Cameroon senior state functionaries, told civilians that Biya is in good health, and that information circulating on social and mainstream media about the 91-year-old president's death is being spread by people who want to see Cameroon devolve into chaos.  "The president of our nation Cameroon cannot be dead,” Gregory Mewano, a member of Biya’s Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement party, said Thursday on Cameroon state radio. “And you find the prime minister in Germany with a whole entourage, the minister of interior taking care of internal politics and the minister of public works inspecting projects."  Officials say Biya will return to Cameroon soon, but they have not said when. There was no indication he was unwell in Beijing. He was scheduled to attend a meeting of French and African leaders in Paris afterward, but he did not appear, and no reason was given for his absence.   Cameroon opposition and civil society groups say they are concerned about Biya's absence and health, and ask government officials to present Biya to civilians instead of simply saying he is alive.  With elections only a year away, some groups say it is time to begin thinking about a new, much younger candidate who could take the country forward.  "We have had to make it clear to both national and international opinions that a number of opposition political parties are … consulting with regards to the happenings of Cameroon, and this rumor [about Biya’s death] is not an exception,” said Michael Ngwese Eke Ekosso, president of the opposition United Socialist Democratic Party. “Decisions will be arrived at with regards to the upcoming presidential elections."  Some opposition political parties have proposed uniting behind Akere Muna, an English-speaking anti-corruption lawyer and good governance crusader, as a candidate in the October 2025 presidential election.   Muna, who is 72, said if elected, he would launch a three-year transitional period to lift Cameroon from Biya's iron-fisted 42-year rule.    "Our profound reflection is that a non-renewable transition is essential,” Muna said. “The vision we are proposing is to strengthen democracy and governance, adopt a new constitution that incarnates the present and future aspirations of the people of Cameroon, and promote free and fair elections."   If elected, Muna would be Cameroon’s first leader from the western regions where English is the primary language.   His supporters say having a president from that area may help end a seven-year insurgency by English-speaking armed groups, who say English-speakers in Cameroon are marginalized by the French-speaking majority.   Opposition parties blame Biya for not being able to solve the crisis.  Meanwhile, Cameroonians of all parties wait anxiously for concrete signs that Biya is alive and will be returning to his country.

VIENTIANE, LAOS — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced hope Thursday for cooperation with Thailand and Malaysia after recent turbulence as he met their prime ministers at an Asia summit. In a shift of focus after exhaustive diplomacy on the Middle East crisis, Blinken is representing the United States in Laos at the annual East Asia Summit, which President Joe Biden is skipping for the second straight year. Blinken met Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 38-year-old heir of a political dynasty who took over a month ago after her predecessor was ousted and the main opposition party dissolved. Blinken said the United States hoped to work with Shinawatra to "focus on things that we can do to better the lives of our people," including on the economy, security and climate change. "The two countries have such an extraordinary history together, and we simply want to build on it," Blinken told her. Shinawatra told Blinken of northern Thailand's recent deadly floods and voiced support for long-term relations with the United States. Thailand is the oldest U.S. ally in Asia, but Washington has repeatedly criticized its record on democracy, although usually gently. The State Department voiced alarm in August after a Thai court dissolved the reformist Move Forward Party and banned from politics the kingdom's most popular politician, Pita Limjaroenrat. Blinken, wearing a dark blue, traditional Laotian jacket, later met separately with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has been a vocal critic of U.S. support for Israel. Neither mentioned the Middle East in brief remarks in the presence of reporters, with Blinken instead noting that the United States is the top foreign investor in Malaysia. "I think this is a tremendous sign of both trust and confidence, because the investments don't happen unless there's tremendous confidence in the country," Blinken told Anwar. U.S. officials privately say that they understand the political pressure in the Muslim-majority country and that they seek a cooperative relationship with Anwar, who enjoyed strong advocacy from Washington when he was controversially imprisoned. Thailand has taken a lead at the Laos summit in seeking diplomatic progress on the crisis engulfing its neighbor Myanmar, whose military junta sent a representative to a top-level Southeast Asian gathering for the first time in more than three years. The United States, while backing diplomatic efforts, said it would press for sustained pressure on the junta, seeing no progress on key concerns such as freeing political prisoners and reducing violence. Blinken, who met two weeks ago with his Chinese counterpart in New York, will also back efforts by Southeast Asia to raise concerns with Beijing about its actions in the South China Sea. The summit marks a rare occasion in which Blinken is in the same room as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, but no talks between the two are expected. The Biden administration, including presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, has ruled out talks with Russia on its invasion of Ukraine without involving Kyiv.

Boston, Massachusetts — Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family's legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, her family said. She was 96. Kennedy had been hospitalized after suffering a stroke in her sleep on Oct. 3, her family said. "It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother," Joe Kennedy III posted on X. "She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week." "Along with a lifetime's work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren and 24 great-great grandchildren along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly," the family statement said. The Kennedy matriarch, whose children were Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas and Rory, was one of the last remaining members of a generation that included President John F. Kennedy. Her family said she had recently enjoyed seeing many of her relatives, before falling ill. A millionaire's daughter who married the future senator and attorney general in 1950, Ethel Kennedy had endured more death by the age of 40, for the whole world to see, than most would in a lifetime. She was by Robert F. Kennedy's side when he was fatally shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, just after winning the Democratic presidential primary in California. Her brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, had been assassinated in Dallas less than five years earlier. Her parents were killed in a plane crash in 1955, and her brother died in a 1966 crash. Her son David Kennedy later died of a drug overdose, son Michael Kennedy in a skiing accident and nephew John F. Kennedy Jr. in a plane crash. Another nephew, Michael Skakel, was found guilty of murder in 2002, although a judge in 2013 ordered a new trial and the Connecticut Supreme Court vacated his conviction in 2018. In 2019, she was grieving again after granddaughter Saoirse Kennedy Hill died of an apparent drug overdose. "One wonders how much this family must be expected to absorb," family friend Philip Johnson, founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation, told the Boston Herald after Michael Kennedy's death. Ethel Kennedy sustained herself through her faith and devotion to family. "She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant, and we are comforted in knowing she is reunited with the love of her life, our father, Robert. F. Kennedy; her children David and Michael; her daughter-in-law Mary; her grandchildren Maeve and Saorise and her great-grandchildren Gideon and Josie. Please keep our mother in your hearts and prayers," the family statement said. Ethel's mother-in-law, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, initially worried about how she would handle so much tragedy. "I knew how difficult it was going to be for her to raise that big family without the guiding role and influence that Bobby would have provided," Rose recalled in her memoir, "Times to Remember." "And, of course, she realized this too, fully and keenly. Yet she did not give way." She founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights soon after husband's death and advocated for causes including gun control and human rights. She rarely spoke about her husband's assassination. When her filmmaker daughter, Rory, brought it up in the 2012 HBO documentary, "Ethel," she couldn't share her grief. "When we lost Daddy ..." she began, then teared up and asked that her youngest daughter "talk about something else." Presidential Medal of Freedom In 2008, she joined brother-in-law Ted Kennedy and niece Caroline Kennedy in endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, likening him to her late husband. She made several trips to the White House during the Obama years, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 and meeting Pope Francis in 2015. Many of her progeny became well known. Daughter Kathleen became lieutenant governor of Maryland; Joseph represented Massachusetts in Congress; Courtney married Paul Hill, who had been wrongfully convicted of an IRA bombing; Kerry became a human rights activist and president of the RFK center; Christopher ran for governor of Illinois; Max served as a prosecutor in Philadelphia and Douglas reported for Fox News Channel. Her son Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also became a national figure, although not as a liberal in the family tradition. First known as an environmental lawyer, he evolved into a conspiracy theorist who spread false theories about vaccines. He ran for president as an independent after briefly challenging President Joe Biden, and his name remained on ballots in multiple states after he suspended his campaign and endorsed Donald Trump. Ethel Kennedy did not comment publicly on her son's actions, although several other family members denounced him. Decades earlier, she seemed to thrive on her in-laws' rising power. She was an enthusiastic backer of JFK's 1960 run and during the Kennedy administration hosted some of the era's most well-attended parties at their Hickory Hill estate in McLean, Virginia, including one where historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. was pushed fully clothed into the swimming pool. In the Kennedy spirit, she also was known as an avid and highly competitive tennis player and a compulsive planner. "Petite and peppy Ethel, who doesn't look one bit the outdoorsy type, considers outdoor activity so important for the children that she has arranged her busy Cabinet-wife schedule so she can personally take them on two daily outings," The Washington Post reported in 1962. In February of that year, she accompanied her husband on a round-the-world goodwill tour, stopping in Japan, Hong Kong, Italy and other countries. She said it was important for Americans to meet ordinary people overseas. "People have a distinct liking for Americans," she told the Post. "But the Communists have been so vocal, it was a surprise for some Asians to hear America's point of view. It is good for Americans to travel and get our viewpoint across." Kennedy was born Ethel Skakel on April 11, 1928, in Chicago, the sixth of seven children of coal magnate George Skakel and Ann Brannack Skakel, a devout Roman Catholic. She grew up in a 31-room English country manor house in Greenwich, Connecticut, and attended Greenwich Academy before graduating from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in the Bronx in 1945. She met Robert Kennedy through his sister Jean, her roommate at Manhattanville College in New York. They moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, where he finished his last year of law school at the University of Virginia, and then in 1957, they bought Hickory Hill from by John and Jacqueline Kennedy, who had bought it in 1953. Robert Kennedy became chief counsel to the Senate Select Committee in 1957. He later was appointed attorney general by his brother, the newly elected President Kennedy. She had supported her husband in his successful 1964 campaign for the U.S. Senate in New York and his subsequent presidential bid. Pregnant with their 11th child when he was gunned down by Sirhan Sirhan, her look of shock and horror was captured by photographers in images that remained indelible decades later. The assassination traumatized the family, especially son David Kennedy, who watched the news in a hotel room. He was just days before his 13th birthday and never recovered, struggling with addiction problems for years and overdosing in 1984. In 2021, she said Sirhan Sirhan should not be released from prison, a view not shared by some others in her family. Two years later, a California panel denied him parole. Although Ethel Kennedy was linked to several men after her husband's death, most notably singer Andy Williams, she never remarried. In April 2008, Ethel Kennedy visited Indianapolis on the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. A monument there commemorated King's death and the speech her husband had given that night in 1968, which was credited with averting rioting in the city. "Of all the Kennedy women, she was the one I would end up admiring the most," Harry Belafonte would write of her. "She wasn't playacting. She looked at you and immediately got what you were about. Often in the coming years, when Bobby was balking at something we wanted him to do for the movement, I'd take my case to Ethel. 'We have to talk to him,' she'd say, and she would." Ethel Kennedy joined President Obama and former President Bill Clinton — each held one of her hands — as they climbed stairs to lay a wreath at President Kennedy's gravesite during a November 2013 observance of the 50th anniversary of JFK's death. The nonprofit center she founded remains dedicated to advancing human rights through litigation, advocacy, education and inspiration, giving annual awards to journalists, authors and others who have made significant contributions to human rights. She also was active in the Coalition of Gun Control, Special Olympics, and the Earth Conservation Corps. And she showed up in person, participating in a 2016 demonstration in support of higher pay for farmworkers in Florida and a 2018 hunger strike against the Trump administration's immigration policies. Hickory Hill was sold in 2009 for $8.25 million, and Ethel Kennedy divided her time between homes in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and Palm Beach, Florida.

WASHINGTON — Sharadiya Durga Puja, the largest Hindu festival in Bangladesh, started Wednesday under a cloud of concern following recent acts of vandalism. Reports of idol desecration in various regions have raised concerns about the safety of religious minorities. On Tuesday, vandals damaged five idols at the Sajjankanda District Road Transport Owner Oikya Parishad temple in Rajbari. This is the latest incident of vandalism of Durga idols reported in the media. Ranadash Dasgupta, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council’s general secretary, told VOA, “In the last 15 days, idols of Durga Puja have been damaged in 19 Puja [ritual prayer] pavilions in 14 districts of the country.” Dasgupta said Hindu minorities are worshipping in fear of attacks. “The minority community is in a sense of trauma. While they want to celebrate Puja, they also feel the risk of attack,’ he said. Longtime lawyer Subrata Chowdhury said attacks on Hindu minorities have been taking place since the country became independent. “The first attacks on Durga idols took place in Chattogram and Dhaka in 1972. Since then, hundreds of such attacks have taken place. Justice was not ensured in any of these incidents and perpetrators not identified,” Chowdhury told VOA. According to a report by Ain O Salish Kendro, a Dhaka-based human rights organization, there were 12 attacks on religious minorities, 17 temples set on fire, five people injured and three homes attacked in 2022. In 2023, there were 22 incidents of violence, 43 idols vandalized, five reported home invasions and 19 people injured. “Law enforcers have failed miserably here,” Chowdhurry said, “and we saw the judiciary's reluctance to ensure fair trial over such incidents.” Dasgupta said that violence against Hindu minorities continues because attackers face no consequences. Heightened security in Puja pavilions Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman announced on October 5 that the Bangladeshi Army has made extensive preparations to ensure security during Durga Puja. The interim government has issued directives to maintain order, including deploying police, the Rapid Action Battalion and all local forces. Inspector General of Police Mohammad Moinul Islam confirmed increased security at 31,000 festivals. Several arrests have been made, and police officials in Barisal, Pabna and Kishoreganj have been removed following vandalism incidents. Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Mahfuz Alam said Tuesday that action would be taken on complaints and that financial assistance would be provided to those affected. But recent reports of vandalism have left many unsatisfied with the security measures. Moni Mitra, who works for an online news outlet in Dhaka, said, "Every year before the start of Puja, we get reports of attacks in different parts of the country. This time too was no exception. We want to perform the Puja without fear. This is what we as a citizen of the country want from the government." Concern in India over safety of minorities India has voiced concerns about idol vandalism and the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh. Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on October 4 that concerns for minority safety include Durga Puja and Vijayadashami. He urged the Bangladeshi government to ensure security for minority communities. In response, Bangladeshi Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hosasin said Bangladesh will address any attacks on puja mandaps without foreign interference. The Indian government on several other occasions expressed concerns over the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5. At a news conference on September 18, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported 2,010 incidents of communal violence across the country from August 4 to 20. They included nine deaths, four rapes or gang rapes, and attacks on 69 places of worship, which were vandalized or set on fire. Additionally, 953 businesses were attacked, vandalized, looted, or burned. The organization also reported 38 cases of physical assault and 21 instances of illegal land and business seizures. US concerned, too Concerns about the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh were also raised by the United States. On September 20, the chairs of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee — Senators Ben Cardin, Chris Murphy, Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley — wrote to the chief adviser of the interim government, urging stronger law enforcement and prompt action against those responsible for attacks on vulnerable communities, including Hindus. On September 26, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. They discussed strengthening the partnership between the countries and highlighted the need to protect human rights for all Bangladeshis, particularly minority communities. This story originated in VOA’s Bangla Service.

There is a significantly large group of U.S. voters who believe one religion should dictate the nation’s laws. But that notion is a divisive issue between liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans. VOA’s senior Washington correspondent Carolyn Presutti looks into the phenomenon of Christian nationalism. VOA footage by: Mary Cieslak, Saqib Ul Islam, Henry Hernandez.

WASHINGTON — Inflation in the United States dropped last month to its lowest point since it first began surging more than three years ago, adding to a spate of encouraging economic news in the closing weeks of the presidential race.  Consumer prices rose 2.4% in September from a year earlier, down from 2.5% in August, and the smallest annual rise since February 2021. Measured from month to month, prices increased 0.2% from August to September, the Labor Department reported Thursday, the same as in the previous month.  But excluding volatile food and energy costs, "core" prices, a gauge of underlying inflation, remained elevated in September, driven higher by rising costs for medical care, clothing, auto insurance and airline fares. Core prices in September were up 3.3% from a year earlier and 0.3% from August. Economists closely watch core prices, which typically provide a better hint of future inflation.  Taken as a whole, the September figures show that inflation is steadily easing back to the Fed's 2% target, even if in a gradual and uneven pattern. Apartment rental costs grew more slowly last month, a sign that housing inflation is finally cooling, a long-awaited development that would provide relief to many consumers.  Overall inflation last month was held down by a big drop in gas prices, which fell 4.1% from August to September. Grocery prices jumped 0.4% last month, after roughly a year of mild increases, though they're 1.3% higher than a year earlier.  Restaurant food prices increased 0.3% last month and are up 3.9% in the past year. And clothing prices rose 1.1% from August to September and are up 1.8% from a year ago.  The improving inflation picture follows a mostly healthy jobs report released last week, which showed that hiring accelerated in September and that the unemployment rate dropped from 4.2% to 4.1%. The government has also reported that the economy expanded at a solid 3% annual rate in the April-June quarter. Growth likely continued at roughly that pace in the just-completed July-September quarter.  Cooling inflation, solid hiring and healthy growth could erode former President Donald Trump's advantage on the economy in the presidential campaign as measured by public opinion polls. In some surveys, Vice President Kamala Harris has pulled even with Trump on the issue of who would best handle the economy, after Trump had decisively led President Joe Biden on the issue.  At the same time, most voters still give the economy relatively poor marks, mostly because of the cumulative rise in prices over the past three years.  For the Fed, last week's much-stronger-than-expected jobs report fueled some concern that the economy might not be cooling enough to slow inflation sufficiently. The central bank reduced its key rate by an outsized half-point last month, its first rate cut of any size in four years. The Fed's policymakers also signaled that they envisioned two additional quarter-point rate cuts in November and December.  In remarks this week, a slew of Fed officials have said they're still willing to keep cutting their key rate but at a deliberate pace, a signal that any further half-point cuts are unlikely.  The Fed "should not rush to reduce" its benchmark rate "but rather should proceed gradually," Lorie Logan, president of the Federal Reserve's Dallas branch, said in a speech Wednesday.  Inflation in the United States and many countries in Europe and Latin America surged in the economic recovery from the pandemic, as COVID closed factories and clogged supply chains. Russia's invasion of Ukraine worsened energy and food shortages, pushing inflation higher. It peaked at 9.1% in the U.S. in June 2022.  Economists at Goldman Sachs projected earlier this week that core inflation will drop to 3% by December 2024. And few analysts expect inflation to surge again unless conflicts in the Middle East worsen dramatically.  Though higher prices have soured many Americans on the economy, wages and incomes are now rising faster than costs and should make it easier for households to adapt. Last month, the Census Bureau reported that inflation-adjusted median household incomes — the level at which half of households are above and half below — rose 4% in 2023, enough to return incomes back to their pre-pandemic peak.  In response to higher food prices, many consumers have shifted their spending from name brands to private labels or have started shopping more at discount stores. Those changes have put more pressure on packaged foods companies, for example, to slow their price hikes.  This week, PepsiCo reported that its sales volumes fell after it imposed steep price increases on its drinks and snacks.

The power of simple prayer to heal illness is not clear, according to scientists, and is difficult to study. Whatever your faith, when you’re sick, you should seek treatment from a doctor. But in Nigeria, some people choose spiritual healers and miracle cures over orthodox medicine and hospitals. That creates some dangerous situations. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja.

The vibrant world of yellow-skinned giants, surreal landscapes and a massive mechanical zoetrope have taken over the Hirshhorn Museum in the largest U.S. showcase of work by Brazilian twin brothers OSGEMEOS. It’s the most comprehensive display of the siblings’ art ever presented in the United States. Maxim Adams has the story. Camera: Sergii Dogotar.

Islamabad, Pakistan — Afghanistan’s Taliban said Thursday that Uzbekistan had accepted their appointed ambassador, and both sides marked the action as an important advancement in strengthening diplomatic ties between the neighboring countries. The action is seen as a rare diplomatic achievement for the internationally isolated Taliban leaders since they regained control of the country three years ago. Until now, China and the United Arab Emirates were the only two countries that had formally accredited a Taliban-appointed ambassador since Afghan insurgents regained power in Kabul. None of the three nations has recognized the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan, and neither has the rest of the world, citing concerns about inclusivity, terrorism, and restrictions on women's access to education and work. The Taliban's foreign ministry identified its diplomat to Tashkent as Sheikh Abdul Ghafar Bahr, saying he formally presented a copy of his credentials to Uzbek Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov on Wednesday. "Bahr described the upgradation of bilateral relations as a pivotal phase, hoping for further progress,” the Taliban quoted their ambassador as saying at Wednesday’s ceremony to welcome him in the Uzbek capital. The statement quoted Saidov as noting that “both countries enjoy shared interests and have achieved substantial economic growth over the past three years.” The Taliban said that Bahr “is expected to present his original letter of credence” to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan. “Our countries share a common history and interests of prosperity that serve as an impetus for the development of cooperation ties in all areas,” Saidov said on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, after Wednesday’s ceremony. "We also discussed the acute topics on bilateral, regional, and global agendas,” the Uzbek foreign minister wrote.  The Taliban separately stated Thursday that their Ministry of Mines and Petroleum had signed a 10-year contract with an Uzbek company for the exploration and extraction of gas in Afghanistan. The announcement said the agreement requires the Uzbek company to invest $100 million in the first year and $1 billion over the next 10 years. The investment will target the gas reserves of the Totimaidan field in the northern Afghan province of Faryab, which spans an area of about 7,000 square kilometers. Russia reported last week that a "principal decision" had already been made to remove the Taliban from its list of transnational terrorist organizations, saying relevant Russian agencies were “putting finishing touches” on the delisting in line with federal law. U.S.-led Western countries have been pressing the Taliban to reverse restrictions on women’s freedoms and their right to education as well as employment before they could consider engaging diplomatically with Kabul. Washington also wants the de facto Afghan rulers to address regional and international terrorism concerns. “We have not changed our designation of the Taliban as a specially designated global terrorist organization, and we continue to make clear that any significant steps towards normalization of relations is contingent upon a profound shift in the Taliban’s human rights conduct,” Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday. “We continue to work with our allies and partners to press the Taliban to reverse their discriminatory edicts, and we make sure that any significant steps toward normalization of relations are contingent upon profound improvements in their treatment of women and girls, including but not limited to allowing women and girls back in school and lifting the restrictions on women’s employment,” Miller explained. Taliban leaders defend their governance, arguing that it is in line with their interpretation of the Islamic law of Sharia. They also rejected criticism of their curbs on Afghan women’s access to education, employment, and public life at large. Abdul Kabir, the Taliban's deputy prime minister for political affairs, reportedly said Thursday that their government aims to maintain positive relations with all countries. However, he emphasized that “they will not sacrifice Islamic principles or values to please others.” Kabir asserted in his remarks that the Taliban are currently in control of “40 diplomatic missions in different countries and engagement with the world is moving in a positive direction."

We have updated guidance on the International Entrepreneur Rule in our Policy Manual to clarify the required triennial increase in investment, revenue, and other thresholds, and to clarify how we arrange biometrics appointments for certain applicants.

Vientiane, Laos — Southeast Asian leaders stepped up pressure on China to respect international law following clashes in the disputed South China Sea during annual summit talks on Thursday, but Chinese Premier Li Qiang was defiant as he blamed "external forces" for interfering in regional affairs. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations' meeting with Li followed recent violent confrontations at sea this year between China and ASEAN members Philippines and Vietnam that heightened unease over China's increasingly assertive actions in the contested waters. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who will take over the rotating ASEAN chair next year, said the bloc has called for an early conclusion to a code of conduct to govern the South China Sea. Talks on the code of conduct have been ongoing for years, hampered by sticky issues including disagreements over whether the pact should be binding. ASEAN reiterated the need to maintain peace and security in the strategic waterway, he said, according to Malaysian national news agency Bernama. But Li said meddling by foreign forces is creating conflicts within the region. "We must realize that our development is also facing some unstable and uncertain factors. In particular, external forces frequently interfere and even try to introduce bloc confrontation and geopolitical conflicts into Asia," Li said during an ASEAN meeting with China, Japan and South Korea. He called for more dialogue between countries to ensure disputes are resolved amicably. Li didn't name the foreign forces but China has previously warned the U.S. not to meddle in the region's territorial disputes. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in Vientiane on Thursday for the meetings, is expected to raise the issue of China's aggression in the sea, officials said. The U.S. has no claims but it has deployed Navy ships and fighter jets to patrol the waterway and promote freedom of navigation and overflight. ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei along with Taiwan have overlapping claims with China, which claims sovereignty over virtually all of the South China Sea. Chinese and Philippine vessels have clashed repeatedly this year, and Vietnam said last week that Chinese forces assaulted its fishermen in the disputed sea. China has also sent patrol vessels to areas that Indonesia and Malaysia claim as exclusive economic zones. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made clear to Li during talks Thursday that ASEAN-China cooperation cannot be separated from the sea dispute, according to an ASEAN official who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the discussion. Li responded by saying the South China Sea is "a shared home" and that China has an obligation to protect its sovereignty, the official said. The Philippines, a longtime U.S. ally, has been critical of other ASEAN countries for not doing more to get China to back away. Aside from regional security issues, China's Li also emphasized Beijing and ASEAN's economic ties, saying intensifying trade relations and creating an "ultra large-scale market" are keys to economic prosperity amid rising trade protectionism. ASEAN and China said they expect to conclude negotiations to upgrade their free trade pact next year. Since the two sides signed the pact covering a market of 2 billion people in 2010, ASEAN's trade with China has leaped from $235.5 billion to $696.7 billion last year. China is ASEAN's No. 1 trading partner and its third-largest source of foreign investment — a key reason why the bloc has been reluctant to criticize Chinese actions in the South China Sea. ASEAN leaders, who held a summit among themselves on Wednesday, also separately met with new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. ASEAN elevated its ties with South Korea to a "comprehensive strategic partnership." Yoon said the new designation will further help both sides to "create a new future together." Ishiba also pledged to boost the Japan-ASEAN relationship by providing patrol vessels and training on maritime law enforcement, strengthening economic security through financial and other support and bolstering cybersecurity. "Japan shares principles such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and would like to create and protect the future together with ASEAN," he said. The bloc is also holding individual talks with dialogue partners India, Australia, Canada, the U.S. and the United Nations that will culminate in an East Asia Summit of 18 nations including Russia and New Zealand on Friday. Former ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong said that despite challenges in addressing disputes in the South China Sea and the Myanmar civil war, ASEAN's central role in the region is undisputable. "ASEAN and its diplomatic maneuvers have sustained the relative peace and progress of Southeast Asia to date. ASEAN will continue to be useful in that regard. Big powers cannot do what they wish in the region," said Ong, who is now deputy chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. Nearly 6,000 people have been killed and over 3 million displaced in a civil war after the Myanmar army ousted an elected government in 2021. The military has backtracked on an ASEAN peace plan it agreed to in late 2021 and fighting has continued with pro-democracy guerillas and ethnic rebels. Myanmar's top generals have been shut out of ASEAN summits since the military takeover. Thailand will host an informal ASEAN ministerial-level consultation on Myanmar in mid-December as frustration grows in the bloc over the prolonged conflict.