Feed aggregator

Nigeria has started a nationwide initiative for blood donations as the country faces a huge blood shortage. Authorities say Nigeria gets only a quarter of the annual blood donations it needs, leaving patients and hospitals in desperate need of blood in emergencies. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja.

Djibouti — Two vessels carrying migrants from Africa sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti, killing 45 people, the U.N. migration agency said Tuesday. The boats had departed from Yemen carrying 310 people, the International Organization for Migration said. Thousands of migrants from African, Middle Eastern and South Asian countries seeking a better life in Europe attempt irregular migration every year. Smugglers pack vessels full of desperate people willing to risk their lives to reach continental Europe. The U.N. agency, which was assisting search and rescue efforts, said on the social media platform X that 32 survivors were rescued. Djibouti's coast guard said the tragedy struck some 150 meters off a beach near the northwest Khor Angar region. It said a joint rescue effort was under way, which began early Monday. It said 115 survivors were rescued. "We remain committed to finding the missing persons and ensuring the safety of the survivors," the agency said in a statement posted on social media, with images of white body bags.

NEW YORK — CBS News said Tuesday that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has declined to participate in an interview with "60 Minutes" for its election special, which will go forward next Monday with Democratic opponent Kamala Harris alone. Television's top-rated news program regularly invites the two presidential contenders for separate interviews that air back-to-back on a show near the election. This year, it is scheduled for Monday instead of its usual Sunday time slot. Asked for comment, the former president's campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said, "Fake news," adding that there were discussions, but nothing was ever locked in. "60 Minutes" said Trump's campaign had initially agreed to an interview before telling CBS that the former president would not appear. The network said its invitation to sit for an interview still stands, and correspondent Scott Pelley will explain Trump's absence to viewers. Vice President Harris will appear in a pretaped interviewed with Bill Whitaker. There are currently no other scheduled opportunities for voters to compare the two candidates together. Harris and Trump previously debated on Sept. 10. Although Harris has accepted an invitation from CNN for a second debate later this month, Trump has not accepted. The interview special is scheduled to air Monday instead of the usual "60 Minutes" time slot because CBS is showing the American Music Awards on Sunday. Trump's interview with "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl prior to the 2020 election proved contentious, with the former president ending the session early and his campaign posting an unedited transcript of the session. CBS News was hosting Tuesday's vice presidential debate between Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Tim Walz, Minnesota's Democratic governor.

washington — With a parliamentary election in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq scheduled for October 20, interest is growing among major political parties for candidates who are women or members of ethnic and religious minorities.  Whatever the outcome of the election, the region's quota system has guaranteed 30 seats for women and five for Turkmen, Christians and Armenians out of a total of 100 seats in parliament.  The quota system has provided an incentive for political parties, especially the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), to reach out to active members of those minority communities and women who are popular among voters.  Roshna Jamil, a female candidate in Halabja city, told VOA that the quota system might secure some representation for women in parliament, but it comes at a cost of increased intervention from established political parties.  "Women should not rely on the quota system forever, because if it continues like this, political parties will nominate women as a strategy to win more seats," Jamil told VOA.  According to United Nations Women, the U.N. entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, women's voices are missing from decision-making "in every region of the world." The organization said that in 2024, women held only 27% of seats in national parliaments and 35.5% of seats in local governments.  In Iraq, women were largely absent from the political arena until 2004, when the country's constitution required female representation in the parliament to be not less than a quarter.  But in the north of the country, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has boasted of taking bolder steps to bring women to power, such as appointing a female speaker of the parliament in 2019.  Despite the progress, women would be unlikely to achieve significant representation in the parliament without the quota system. In the region's most recent election in 2018, only 13 of the 35 women who were elected received enough votes to have entered the parliament without it.  According to the Irbil-based Middle East Research Institute, the lack of support for female candidates is related to "the progress of gender equality in Kurdistan overall."  Haider Nimat, head of the PUK electoral department in Sharazoor, told VOA the nomination of more capable women to run for political positions will help narrow the gender gap in the region, adding, "We want to provide an opportunity to them … and we are giving more importance to those who can win a seat on their own."  According to data provided by Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission, nearly 2.9 million people from the region's four provinces are eligible to vote in the election. The total number of candidates is 1,191 people — 368 of them women.  For Jamil in Halabja, the campaign period is a good time to raise awareness of women's rights.  She said her message for voters was to trust female candidates because "there are dozens of women who are more capable than men to govern."  She told VOA, "As a woman, I have come to compete with all candidates regardless of their gender. I'm not settling for the quota system which, I think, is only a temporary solution."  Sazgin Muslih, a Turkmen minority candidate running to win a seat in Kifri town for the Iraqi Turkmen Front, shared Jamil's frustration about political involvement from the PUK and the KDP, which he said have more resources to help their preferred candidates win.  "We want the Kurdish parties not to interfere in the affairs of the [minority] communities, although these parties support their own candidates," he said. "If the Kurdish parties do not interfere, 80% of the Turkmen of Kifri are with us."  In its first election in 1992, the Kurdistan Regional Parliament allocated five quota seats for Christians. In 2005, that quota increased to 11 seats for Christians, Turkmen and Assyrians.  However, the Iraqi Federal Court in a surprise move in February abolished all the seats following a complaint by the PUK, which had argued that the KDP controlled minority parties in the parliament.  The Iraqi high court decision prompted a political boycott from the minority parties and the KDP that lasted until late May when the court decision was reversed, and five seats were returned to the system.  This story originated in VOA's Kurdish Service. 

MELBOURNE, Australia — A code of conduct will be enforced on the online dating industry to better protect Australian users after research found that three-in-four people suffer some form of sexual violence through the platforms, Australia's government said on Tuesday. Bumble, Grindr and Match Group Inc., a Texas-based company that owns platforms including Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid and Plenty of Fish, have agreed to the code that took effect on Tuesday, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said. The platforms, which account for 75% of the industry in Australia, have until April 1 to implement the changes before they are strictly enforced, Rowland said. The code requires the platforms' systems to detect potential incidents of online-enabled harm and demands that the accounts of some offenders are terminated. Complaint and reporting mechanisms are to be made prominent and transparent. A new rating system will show users how well platforms are meeting their obligations under the code. The government called for a code of conduct last year after the Australian Institute of Criminology research found that three-in-four users of dating apps or websites had experienced some form of sexual violence through these platforms in the five years through 2021. "There needs to be a complaint-handling process. This is a pretty basic feature that Australians would have expected in the first place," Rowland said on Tuesday. "If there are grounds to ban a particular individual from utilizing one of those platforms, if they're banned on one platform, they're blocked on all platforms," she added. Match Group said it had already introduced new safety features on Tinder, including photo and identification verification to prevent bad actors from accessing the platform while giving users more confidence in the authenticity of their connections. The platform used artificial intelligence to issue real-time warnings about potentially offensive language in an opening line and advising users to pause before sending. "This is a pervasive issue, and we take our responsibility to help keep users safe on our platform very seriously," Match Group said in a statement on Wednesday. Match Group said it would continue to collaborate with the government and the industry to "help make dating safer for all Australians." Bumble said it shared the government's hope of eliminating gender-based violence and was grateful for the opportunity to work with the government and industry on what the platform described as a "world-first dating code of practice." "We know that domestic and sexual violence is an enormous problem in Australia, and that women, members of LGBTQ+ communities, and First Nations are the most at risk," a Bumble statement said. "Bumble puts women's experiences at the center of our mission to create a world where all relationships are healthy and equitable, and safety has been central to our mission from day one," Bumble added. Grindr said in a statement it was "honored to participate in the development of the code and shares the Australian government's commitment to online safety." All the platforms helped design the code. Platforms that have not signed up include Happn, Coffee Meets Bagel and Feeld. The government expects the code will enable Australians to make better informed choices about which dating apps are best equipped to provide a safe dating experience. The government has also warned the online dating industry that it will legislate if the operators fail to keep Australians safe on their platforms.

LOS ANGELES — The total hectares burned in California this year surpassed 1 million as spiking temperatures Tuesday added to the challenges facing firefighters struggling to contain a stubborn blaze in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles that flared up over the weekend. Evacuation orders were expanded again Monday for remote communities northeast of Los Angeles as the Line Fire that has been burning for nearly a month spread over nearly 176 square kilometers (68 square miles) of the San Bernardino Mountains, and containment dropped from 83% to 76%. "The dry vegetation, steep slopes and wind aligned ... to create conditions for the rapid fire spread," according to a statement late Monday from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The risk of wildfires increased across California as an autumn heat wave scorched much of the state. Some inland areas could see temperatures up to 20 degrees above average for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service. San Francisco, where residents typically break out the sweaters in October, could hit 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit), while triple digits 38 C were predicted for Sacramento. The weather service office in the state's capital urged residents to stay indoors during the heat of the day on Tuesday. Dry, hot winds in the northern part of the state prompted Pacific Gas & Electric to preemptively cut power to small clusters of customers in high-risk areas. The utility routinely stops electricity service in counties where weather conditions increase the probability of fires. In Southern California, the Line Fire's surge pushed the total hectares burned across the state in 2024 to 405,492 (1,001,993 acres) as of Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire. The milestone surpasses the total scorched during the same time last year — 118,719 hectares (293,362 acres) — but is roughly on par with the five-year average for the period, the Los Angeles Times reported. A 34-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to starting the Line Fire on September 5. Justin Wayne Halstenberg of Norco, California, was charged with 11 arson-related crimes, according to court records. At its height, the blaze threatened more than 65,000 homes in and around the Big Bear Lake area.

GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemalan security agents arrested 25 mostly active police officers implicated in a human trafficking network that operated along a route used by mostly U.S.-bound migrants, Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez said on Tuesday. Guatemala has been a major transit country for decades for migrants from Latin America and beyond as they travel north to Mexico's border with the United States. The minister said two of the detained police officers were retired, and an additional 11 civilians were also arrested on charges including money laundering on behalf of an organization known as "Los Rs." Guatemalan authorities have said the group has operated for several years while accumulating millions of quetzals, the local currency. "This organization made use of police agents, corrupting them in order to guarantee the trajectory of the people who they were trafficking across the country," Jimenez said in a video message. The Interior Ministry noted that a prior arrest of two people who were illegally transporting 10 migrants from Uzbekistan through Guatemala had led to the operation that ultimately dismantled the network. Four vehicles, a firearm and cash were seized, the ministry added in a statement. It did not disclose where the migrants who were being smuggled came from, or where they would be sent. The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security collaborated in the investigation, Jimenez added. The U.S. Embassy said on X the human-trafficking network had exploited nearly 10,000 migrants. In August, Panama launched U.S.-funded migrant deportation flights as Washington seeks to stem the flow of people traveling to its southern border, many seeking better economic conditions and security. The same month, Guatemalan and U.S. authorities announced the joint dismantling of another human-smuggling network with ties to the 2022 deaths of 53 migrants trapped in a sweltering truck in Texas.

ISLAMABAD — The United States has reassigned its special representative for Afghanistan, leaving vacant a key position in its efforts to engage with the Taliban-ruled country. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the decision Tuesday to reassign Tom West, while emphasizing that Washington's commitment to the South Asian nation "remains an enduring priority." Blinken said West would serve in a new role as the acting head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the U.S. State Department and commended him for working "tirelessly to ensure [that] both our national interests and the welfare of the Afghan people guided our policy in Afghanistan." West was appointed as the special representative to Afghanistan in October 2021, two months after the Taliban regained power and all U.S.-led NATO troops withdrew from the country, ending 20 years of involvement in the war. "Tom has skillfully led diplomacy on Afghanistan during a complex period," Blinken said. "Today's global challenges are equally as complex, and I look forward to working with him on coordinating economic sanctions strategies across the U.S. government with our partners and stakeholders to achieve U.S. foreign policy priorities," he said without elaborating. The Taliban takeover compelled Washington and other Western capitals to relocate their diplomatic missions from Kabul to Doha, Qatar, where Karen Decker serves as the chief of the U.S. Embassy. Blinken said Decker has been asked to lead Afghan diplomacy. The de facto Afghan leaders have imposed their strict interpretation of Islamic law, known as Shariah, banning girls' education beyond the sixth grade, prohibiting women from most workplaces and access to public life at large across the impoverished country. Taliban leaders reject international criticism and calls for reversing bans on Afghan women's rights to work and education as interference in the country's internal matters. Blinken said that Rina Amiri, the U.S. special envoy for Afghan women's and girls' rights, would continue to lead her mission to ensure that "human rights, and particularly women's rights, are prioritized." Asif Durrani, who served as Pakistan's special representative to Afghanistan until last month, said that many countries, including the U.S., are frustrated with the Taliban due to their treatment of women and their lack of an inclusive government in Kabul. "Issues such as inclusivity or human rights, particularly girls' right to education and women's right to work, are issues that the American administration cannot afford to overlook and engage the Taliban in a meaningful way," Durrani said. But he suggested the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have diverted Washington's attention from the Afghan situation. "It's quite obvious that Afghanistan is not on the United States' priority list, at least for the time being," Durrani said. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller rejected that view when asked by reporters Tuesday whether Afghanistan is still a U.S. foreign policy priority. "Of course it is," he said. "And we will continue to stay engaged in Afghanistan. It remains an enduring priority." Durrani said the U.S. cannot be blamed alone for the lack of improvement in Afghanistan. "The Taliban's rigid attitude towards women's education and their ban on women's work is not winning them any friends or sympathy." No country has officially recognized the men-only Taliban government in Kabul, mainly due to human rights issues and their sweeping restrictions on women's freedoms. The United States and allied nations have imposed financial and banking sector sanctions on Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. Donors have cut economic development assistance, citing terrorism-related sanctions on several key leaders of the de facto government. State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching contributed to this report.

philadelphia — The 45,000 dockworkers who went on strike Tuesday for the first time in decades at 36 U.S. ports from Maine to Texas may wield the upper hand in their standoff with port operators over wages and the use of automation. Organized labor enjoys rising public support and has had a string of recent victories in other industries, in addition to the backing of the pro-union administration of President Joe Biden. The dockworkers' negotiating stand is likely further strengthened by the nation's supply chain of goods being under pressure in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which has coincided with the peak shipping season for holiday goods. The union is also pointing to shipping companies' record profits, which have come in part because of shortages resulting from the pandemic, and to a more generous contract that West Coast dockworkers achieved last year. The longshoremen's workloads also have increased, and the effects of inflation have eroded their pay in recent years. The dockworkers' strike, their first since 1977, could snarl supply chains and cause shortages and higher prices if it stretches on for more than a few weeks. Beginning after midnight, the workers walked picket lines Tuesday and carried signs calling for more money and a ban on automation that could cost workers their jobs. Major retailers prepared Experts say consumers won't likely notice shortages for at least a few weeks, if the strike lasts that long, though some perishable items such as bananas could disappear from grocery stores — although at this time of year, most other fruits and vegetables are domestically grown and not processed at ports, according to Alan Siger, president of the Produce Distributors Association. In anticipation of a strike, most major retailers also stocked up on goods, moving ahead shipments of holiday gift items. The strike, coming weeks before a tight presidential election, could also become a factor in the race if shortages begin to affect many voters. Pressure could eventually grow for the Biden administration to intervene to force a temporary suspension of the strike. Little progress was reported in the talks until just hours before the strike began at 12:01 a.m. The U.S. Maritime Alliance, the group negotiating for the ports, said both sides did budge from their initial positions. The alliance offered 50% raises over the six-year life of the contract. Comments from the union's leadership had briefly suggested a move to 61.5%, but the union has since signaled that it's sticking with its initial demand for a 77% pay increase over six years. In early picketing, workers outside the Port of Philadelphia walked in a circle, chanting, "No work without a fair contract." The union posted message boards on the side of a truck reading: "Automation Hurts Families: ILA Stands for Job Protection." Boise Butler, president of the union local, asserted that the workers want a contract that doesn't allow for the automation of their jobs. The shipping companies, he argued, made billions during the pandemic by charging high prices. "Now," Butler said, "we want them to pay back. They're going to pay back." And in New Orleans, Henry Glover Jr., a fourth-generation dockworker who is president of the union local, says he can recall the days when longshoremen unloaded 150-pound sacks of sugar by hand. He acknowledges that machinery has made the job easier, but he worries that the ports need fewer people to handle the equipment. "Automation could be good, but they're using it to kill jobs," Glover said. "We don't want them to implement anything that would take our jobs out." William Brucher, an assistant professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University, noted that "this is a very opportune time" for striking workers. The contract agreement reached last year with West Coast dockworkers, who are represented by a different union, shows that "higher wages are definitely possible" for the longshoremen and has enhanced their bargaining power, Brucher said. Biden's options Under the Taft-Hartley Act, Biden could seek a court order for an 80-day cooling-off period that would end the strike at least temporarily, but he has told reporters that he wouldn't take that step. The administration could risk losing union support if it exercised such power, which experts say could be particularly detrimental for Democrats ahead of next month's election. On Tuesday, the White House continued to ask the alliance to negotiate a fair contract that reflects the longshoremen's contribution to the economy. "As our nation climbs out of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene," Biden said in a statement, "dockworkers will play an essential role in getting communities the resources they need. Now is not the time for ocean carriers to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while raking in record profits."

WAUNAKEE, Wisconsin — Former President Donald Trump spent more than an hour ahead of Tuesday night's vice presidential debate campaigning in a Democratic county crucial to Kamala Harris' hopes for winning the key battleground state of Wisconsin.  Republican Trump appeared at a manufacturing facility in Waunakee, a suburb of Wisconsin's capital city of Madison in the Democratic stronghold of Dane County. Trump had never campaigned in Dane County nor visited as president.  In an event advertised as economic-themed, Trump bounced from subject to subject, also taking on Democratic nominee Harris on issues, including foreign policy, crime and immigration, while intermittently pivoting to criticism of outgoing President Joe Biden.  "I'm asking every citizen to join me in launching sort of a new golden age for America," Trump told hundreds inside Dane Manufacturing, a metal fabricator that has a long history of hosting Republican candidates and officeholders.  Trump also could not pass up a jab at former President Jimmy Carter on the Georgia Democrat's 100th birthday.  With hollow praise, Trump declared the one-term Carter "the happiest man" because he "is considered a brilliant president" compared with Biden. Trump did not note Carter's birthday, nor his status as the longest-living former president.  Later Tuesday, Trump was to hold an event at a museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's largest city and home to the state's largest number of Democratic voters and second-largest number of Republicans. His appearance there was also meant to give him reach into the city's conservative suburbs, a part of Wisconsin where his support has softened but where he must do well to win.  In Milwaukee, Trump was slated to speak in a small auditorium at Discovery World, a science museum along Lake Michigan's lakefront. His event was not open to the public and his audience was to consist only of news media.  Last Saturday, he held a rally in western Wisconsin where he blamed Harris for crimes committed by people in the country illegally.  Both of his planned stops were ahead of Tuesday's debate in New York between Trump's running mate JD Vance, a senator from Ohio, and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota.  Dane County, the location of Trump's first stop, is Wisconsin's fastest-growing county and an economic engine for the state, fueled by jobs in the health care and tech industries. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin.  Dane County's population grew by about 30,000 people between 2016 and 2020. It has gone up by an additional 13,000 since then, based on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimate.  That presents a challenge for Republicans, especially given that nearly 90% of registered voters in the county cast ballots in 2020. Biden won 75% of the vote that year in Dane County, beating Trump by 181,000 votes in the county while carrying the state by fewer than 21,000. Hillary Clinton beat Trump in Dane County in 2016 by 47 points, and Trump won the state by less than one point.  It's a point former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson said he made to Trump. In remarks to the crowd before Trump arrived, Thompson said the former president should "go where the opposition is."  "And, the retort was, 'Isn't Madison very liberal?'" Thompson said. "Yes, but Dane County has the third-most Republican votes in the state of Wisconsin, and all we have to do is increase them."  Democratic presidential candidates have long come to Dane County to hold massive rallies to fire up the base. Harris campaigned there on September 20, holding a rally in Madison that attracted more than 10,000 people.  Waunakee, which bills itself as the "only Waunakee in the world," is slightly more Republican than the county as a whole. In 2020, Trump got 36% of the vote there compared to less than 23% countywide. 

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina — North Carolina election officials say they will do everything in their power to ensure that voters in the crucial presidential swing state will be able to cast their ballots despite the devastation of Hurricane Helene and the destruction of basic infrastructure only about a month before the November election. Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the state's election board, said Tuesday that 12 county election offices in the hard-hit western part of the state remain closed after the storm unleashed "unprecedented" damage. Absentee ballots, some of which already have been mailed to voters who requested them, also face obstacles, from U.S. Postal Service delays to road and residential damage that could render them undeliverable. The viability of early and Election Day voting sites remains unknown, she said. She described the storm as causing a "daunting" level of uncertainty, with early in-person voting scheduled to start in just over two weeks, on October 17. Still, she said the state is prepared to help voters navigate the emergency. "We've battled through hurricanes and tropical storms and still held safe and secure elections, and we will do everything in our power to do so again," Brinson Bell told reporters during a media call. "Mountain people are strong, and the election people who serve them are resilient and tough, too." Helene, which battered large swaths of the Southeast late last week with torrential rain and strong winds and massive storm surges along the Gulf Coast, caused devastation "beyond belief" in the popular mountain city of Asheville and other parts of western North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper said during a media briefing Tuesday. "This disaster is unlike anything our state has ever experienced," he said. The level of destruction could have far-reaching implications beyond the immediate damage to the flooded communities, especially if it has any impact on voting. North Carolina is among seven swing states being hotly contested by Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. Trump barely defeated Democrat Joe Biden in the state four years ago, winning by about 74,500 votes out of 5.5 million cast. Asheville is the most populous city in the 25-county region under a disaster declaration and sits in the one county — Buncombe — where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans. Michael Bitzer, a politics professor at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, said the disaster area includes "significant blue dots in a very red sea," making it difficult to predict how the storm might affect voter turnout and election results. On Tuesday, emergency workers were still engaged in rescue efforts across the broad swath of the Southeastern U.S. that bore the brunt of the storm. Election officials in Florida, Tennessee and Georgia were assessing the damage and the potential impacts to mail balloting, early voting and Election Day operations. Georgia election workers have returned to work even as some offices face power outages, limited internet and infrastructure damage. Absentee ballots are scheduled to go out on October 7 as planned, said Robert Sinners, communications director for Georgia's secretary of state. In Tennessee, two county election offices had water damage, and at least six polling locations in the northeastern part of the state have been damaged or are inaccessible, said Doug Kufner, spokesman for the secretary of state's office. North Carolina officials said they are considering moving or combining voting locations if some are unusable or inaccessible. More urgently, state officials are offering guidance and some special accommodations for absentee voters, who may not receive their ballots because of evacuations, suspended Postal Service operations or residential mailboxes swept away in the storm. Paul Cox, general counsel for the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said displaced voters can contact their county election office to request that their absentee ballot be spoiled and sent to a different location. Those voters also have the option of waiting to cast a ballot in person, either during the early voting period of October 17 to November 2 or on Election Day, November 5, Cox said. State law requires all voters to show voter ID, but those who are from a county under a disaster declaration and have lost their ID can fill out an exception form so they can cast a ballot. Officials are still weighing whether to take further steps to accommodate voters, such as extending the absentee ballot deadline or allowing more people to cast ballots through an online portal already used by military, overseas and visually impaired voters, Brinson Bell said. Some of the county boards whose offices remain closed or are dealing with outages have been given special emergency kits from the state, which were initially intended for use in case of a ransomware attack, Brinson Bell said. The kits are equipped with laptops, cellphones, Wi-Fi hotspots and other essentials to allow election operations to continue even without power, phone or internet service. Kelly Godfrey, who has lived in Asheville for more than three years, is one of the few voters who returned their absentee ballot before the storm hit. In Buncombe County, which includes Asheville, nearly 9,990 voters had requested absentee ballots as of Tuesday — 85% of them Democrats or voters who are not affiliated with any party, according to Associated Press election research. Only about 170 had been returned. Godfrey said she hopes rules and procedures will be adjusted to make it easier for voters who were displaced by the storm. But she also worries that any changes could lead to misinformation and false claims of voter fraud after the election. "It's going to be spun a lot of different ways," she said. For now, though, voting feels "so far out in the distance," Godfrey said. "Right now, people are thinking food and water."

Abuja, Nigeria — Nigeria Tuesday marked the 64th anniversary of its independence in a generally somber mood. Persistent inflation, widespread insecurity, and unpopular economic reforms have left many Nigerians feeling frustrated and pessimistic. In comments Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu acknowledged these challenges but said that ongoing reforms will lead to prosperity. "As your president, I assure you that we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering of our citizens," said Tinubu. "Once again, I plead for your patience as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel." This year's Independence Day comes amid widespread frustration. Inflation is at a record high, and the naira's devaluation has eroded purchasing power. Citizens such as Felix Chukwuemeka and Kenneth Ugwu question whether it is appropriate for the country to celebrate. "I feel like it is not worth celebrating because of the hardship of the economy, of the country, because everybody, most of us businessmen, we are not finding it easy," said Chukwuemeka. "Sixty-fourth independence means that we are supposed to have been full grown, but as it stands today, we are just crawling," said Ugwu. "What a shame." Many Nigerians see the economic hardships as a result of reforms championed by Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira. Tinubu said Tuesday that the reforms are essential for Nigeria's long-term economic stability. Amid frayed nerves, the government toned down the usual holiday parades and displays in Abuja, holding only a small ceremony that was closed to the public. Economist Isaac Botti said a low-key celebration is justified. "What would be the basis for celebrating independence?" asked Botti. "I think in the best interest of the president is to even shelve any form of celebration completely because Nigerians are angry, and if it continues with this, there's going to be a public outburst that he may not be able to control." Nigerians are also anxious about general insecurity in many parts of the country, especially in the northeast, where suspected Boko Haram militants opened fire at a market in the town of Yobe in September and killed close to 40 people. The president said his government is making progress against extremists. "We have restored peace to hundreds of communities in the North, and thousands of our people have been able to return home," said Tinubu. "It is an unfinished business, which our security agencies are committed to ending as quickly as possible. As soon as we can restore peace to many communities in the troubled parts of the North, our farmers can return to their farms." The president maintained that stability is on the horizon, and despite the current challenges, he said, the government believes Nigeria can still forge a path to a better future.

Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel, sending millions of Israelis to bomb shelters. The attack came as Israel launched a ground incursion into Lebanon to attack the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Jerusalem. Videographer: Ricki Rosen

London  — Another overseas, nonpermanent judge at Hong Kong's top court, 86-year-old Briton Nicholas Phillips, has chosen not to renew his term after it ended on Sept. 30, becoming the fifth foreign judge to step down from the Court of Final Appeal this year. Phillips told VOA through his chamber, Brick Court Chambers, in an email Monday, "I have declined the invitation to serve for a further 3 year term on the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong for personal and not political reasons." According to the chamber, he would not comment further. The Hong Kong Judiciary thanked him in a statement sent to online media The Witness for his contribution to the work of the Court of Final Appeal and his support for the rule of law in Hong Kong during his tenure over the past 12 years. It added that "the recent changes in court personnel will not affect the operation of the Court of Final Appeal." It went on to say despite the departure of the judges this year, the majority of serving and outgoing nonpermanent judges have publicly reaffirmed their continued confidence in Hong Kong's independent judicial system and the courts' commitment to upholding the rule of law. The Court of Final Appeal is formed by the chief justice, three local permanent judges, and 10 nonpermanent judges. The nonpermanent judges include four local judges and six overseas judges. Anthony Gleeson, an 85-year-old former chief justice from Australia, did not renew his term in March, citing his advanced age. Canadian judge Beverley McLachlin also said she would not renew her term after July because she was 80 and hoped to spend more time with family. In June, two British judges, Lawrence Collins, 83, and Jonathan Sumption, 75, resigned from the court, saying it was because of the city's worsening political situation and "profoundly compromised" rule of law. Rights activists say Hong Kong's government is using the foreign judges to lend credibility to its crackdown on rights and freedoms since Britain returned the financial hub to China in 1997. The Washington-based Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation issued a report in May criticizing overseas judges in Hong Kong for undermining its freedoms and called for them to quit. The foundation said it was shocked that it took Phillips so long to quit despite a series of high-profile cases targeting Hong Kong's pro-democracy groups, which prompted at least two judges to resign. Alyssa Fong, public affairs and advocacy manager for CFHK Foundation, said the more foreign judges that resign, the less the Hong Kong government can use them to justify rights abuses. "I urge Phillips' fellow common law judges from the U.K. and Australia to immediately follow suit. It is dumbfounding that some judges continue to choose to ruin their reputations and their integrity for the Hong Kong authorities and Chinese Communist Party," she told VOA. After Phillips' departure, six overseas judges remain in the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal — Leonard Hoffmann and David Neuberger from Britain and William Gummow, Robert French, Patrick Keane, and James Allsop from Australia. Hoffmann, 90, has been a nonpermanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal since 1998, and his term will end in mid-January next year. Gummow's term will expire next July, while the terms of the other three Australian judges will expire in 2026 or 2027. At the end of June, Neuberger heard Hong Kong's case accusing Apple Daily newspaper founder Jimmy Lai of unauthorized assembly and agreed with the controversial verdict. Neuberger came under criticism, then resigned as chairman of an expert panel of the Media Freedom Coalition. Kevin Yam, a Hong Kong activist-lawyer now based in Australia, pointed out on social media X that Phillips could have left office on the grounds of age, but he chose to use personal reasons, which he notes would invite some speculation. "When even Phillips does this, the four remaining Australian judges on the HKCFA stick out even more like sore thumbs," Yam said on X. The Hong Kong government awarded Phillips the Gold Bauhinia Star in July last year and described him as "a strong supporter of the rule of law in Hong Kong and very much a friend of Hong Kong." Beijing agreed to uphold Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" political structure when colonial ruler Britain transferred the city back to China in 1997. Critics say Beijing has violated that deal by forcing harsh security laws on Hong Kong that have seen independent media shut down or leave the city and dissidents face arrest or flee abroad. Beijing says Hong Kong's 2020 National Security Law was needed to maintain stability after a series of pro-democracy protests in the past decade, but has used it to arrest, jail and try hundreds of activists, stifling Hong Kong's once vibrant civil society. In March, Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously and quickly approved their own sweeping national security law known as Basic Law Article 23, strengthening the government's ability to silence dissent. Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.

washington — As a tight presidential election looms in the United States, journalist safety in the home of the First Amendment is no longer guaranteed, according to a report published Tuesday. Journalists in the United States are facing a slew of threats, including attacks by police, online harassment, violence and legal challenges, according to the report by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The report primarily analyzes developments since 2020. "There was a hope at the beginning of the Biden administration that things would get better for journalists. And what we've seen, actually, is that things haven't really gotten better. They've stayed the same or worsened in some situations," Katherine Jacobsen, CPJ's U.S., Canada and Caribbean program coordinator, told VOA. The numbers paint a concerning picture. As of September 2024, assaults on journalists in the United States in relation to their work have risen by more than 50% compared to last year — from 45 to 68 assaults — according to data from the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. 'Enemies of the people' Even though former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, the report points to his legacy as a driving factor behind the hostile environment continuing to face journalists around the country. During Trump's presidency, he regularly referred to journalists as "corrupt," "dishonest" and "enemies of the people." Those kinds of attacks took place — and continue to take place — within the context of record-low trust in the media in the United States, according to a 2023 Gallup poll. "Donald Trump's treatment of the media still matters because it's very much still an issue," said Jacobsen, who authored the report. "It's a really effective political tactic for changing the narrative and undermining the credibility of the media." Trump's administration also escalated prosecution of news sources, interfered in the business of media owners, and harassed journalists crossing U.S. borders, according to a 2020 CPJ report. Trump's office and presidential campaign did not immediately reply to VOA's emails requesting comment for this story. Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign's national press secretary, also did not immediately reply to VOA's request for comment. Meanwhile, CPJ reached out to both the Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns, asking them to sign the organization's pledge to affirm their support for press freedom. Trump's campaign did not reply, and Harris' campaign acknowledged receipt but did not sign the pledge. Consequences continue Trump hasn't been in office for nearly four years, but his tenure in the White House continues to have consequences for journalists in the United States, according to Jacobsen. "If Donald Trump's anti-media rhetoric did not find resonance among the broader American public, then we wouldn't even be talking about it," Jacobsen said. President Joe Biden's administration has been markedly friendlier to the press, according to the report, but Jacobsen said that hasn't translated to an improved media environment around the country. A top threat facing journalists is violence, which has steadily increased against the media over the past decade in the United States, the report said. Among the most prominent recent cases is the 2022 killing of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, who was found stabbed to death outside his home. Robert Telles, a former local Nevada official, was found guilty of murdering German in late August. Although journalist killings are rare in the United States, they can have a chilling effect on the media community, according to Jacobsen. Reporters told CPJ that hostility toward journalists makes them feel less safe working in their home environments. "The killing of journalists, especially local journalists where the reporters are working in the community, going to the same grocery stores as the people that they're writing about, creates this sense that nowhere is safe," Jacobsen said. Incidents involving police are another issue for journalists. In a recent case, Chicago police arrested three photojournalists while they covered a pro-Palestinian protest during the Democratic National Convention in August. And four years ago, at least 459 journalists were assaulted while covering the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, including at least 273 cases in which police targeted journalists, according to the Tracker. "The press serves as the public's eyes and ears, and if the press is removed completely from the scene, the public's blind to what's happening on the ground," Gabe Rottman, a senior attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said in the CPJ report. Physical threats against journalists are exacerbated by online harassment against them, according to the report. A 2022 survey by Pew Research Center found that one-third of journalists surveyed reported being harassed on social media in the previous year. With the election just over a month away, Jacobsen said it's also important to remember the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the Capitol in Washington. Journalists were among the targets during the riots, with at least 18 journalists assaulted that day, according to the Tracker. But there hasn't been much accountability in those cases, according to Jacobsen, and large swaths of the American public still don't agree on what happened that day. Some journalists who were present during the insurrection say grappling with the subsequent trauma has been difficult, according to the report. "I really do think that January 6th was a warning shot," Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, a freelance photojournalist who was on assignment at the Capitol during the riots, said in the CPJ report. "It was a wake-up call to the fragility of our democracy and trust in institutions — like journalism, like the government — that's been eroding for a very long time." Jacobsen said she's worried about ramifications for the media landscape if the results of the presidential election are contested. Trump has previously said that Democrats will cheat in the election and suggested that any election in which he does not win is likely to be fraudulent. "It's really important for journalists across the country to prepare themselves for the worst-case scenario and hope for the best," Jacobsen said.

Washington — China has been one of the most-discussed international topics during the U.S. presidential campaign. VOA spoke with Rick Waters, former head of the Office of China Coordination at the State Department and deputy assistant secretary of state for China and Taiwan, about the Biden administration's China policy. Waters spoke about his experience dealing with his Chinese counterparts, and how he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump would handle China, if elected. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. VOA: How do you evaluate the progress made in U.S.-China relations after U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in California last year, and do you see real, meaningful results coming from the meeting? Rick Waters: I think we have to look at this Woodside summit as the culmination of a number of things that happened in the administration. The first is that for the first period, Biden was focused on rebuilding the U.S. domestic strength and reinvigorating partnerships and alliances globally, and then from that position, dealing with China from a position of relative strength. So during that first two-year period, the U.S. China relationship was, in some ways, arguably, not the priority. It was important, but it was managed largely through leader level diplomacy, which, in China's current political configuration is the most important channel. And then we know what happened in 2022 circumstances around the visit of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi [to Taiwan] led to a downward spiral, and Biden and Xi made an initial effort to stabilize relations that fall at their summit in Bali, but it only made it a few months, and then the surveillance balloon knocked things sideways again. So, I think what we have now is a little bit more stable floor built around the leader level channels, a few modest areas where there is some common work underway, and a web of senior, empowered channels at the Cabinet level, including Jake Sullivan, who try to manage conflict and competition rather within bounds, within guardrails, to avoid the scenario of unmitigated downward spiral we saw in 2022. VOA: Do you think a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is inevitable, or what should the U.S. do to deter that invasion? Waters: I don't think that conflict is inevitable, and I think at its core the U.S.’s interest is peace and stability. That's what's anchored the prosperity in the Indo-Pacific over the past couple of decades. The ability for commerce, for trade, for people-to-people flows regionally to thrive in an environment where there is no war. And so, I think if we take that as our starting point, I don't think that conflict is inevitable, but I do think that the U.S. and Taiwan are focused very much on the question of how to ensure that the leadership in Beijing never believe they have a viable military option and an acceptable cost. And if that condition holds, then I think it will fall to the diplomats and to the channels that exist between the parties to manage this issue carefully. VOA: During your career as a U.S. diplomat, what’s your experience dealing with your Chinese counterparts? What are some striking and most challenging aspects or moments that left an impression on you? Waters: I've been fortunate to deal with Chinese diplomats for the better part of 30 years. And what I will say is irrespective of what you think of China's policy or political system, they do have a very professional diplomatic corps. They've got very talented people in the system. What I think has changed over the past few decades is it's a much more disciplined system. So, it's very difficult, especially in official meetings, for Chinese diplomats to move too far off of the established line. So, I don't think that we should misunderstand the level of talent in the system when we look at it through its structural constraints. But I do think that as China's overall foreign policy has become more assertive, as you know, the leadership has talked about China playing a greater role on the international stage. It has gone through periods where the wolf warriorism, the change in tone from the podium, has characterized a different era of Chinese diplomacy than what we saw before. But I actually think, in some ways, there are plenty in the system who understand the counterproductive nature of those tactics, and I've seen a little bit of a tactical recalibration over recent years in how they express their foreign policy views publicly. VOA: In this election season, the Biden administration's China policy has often been criticized by the Republican campaign for being too weak. What is your take on that? Waters: We're in an election campaign, so obviously you're never going to hear anyone say that someone's policy is too tough. I think that the honest reality is that this election is not really, in my view, about China. It's about other issues. China is present, but if you look at how much it’s featured in the speeches at the Republican and Democratic conventions, there are issues related to China that are important, but I think we have to maintain that perspective. Second, I think that the issues that, in my view, matter most to voters center around trade and a perception of unfairness, a lack of reciprocity, and fentanyl, which for a number of years is a problem that has had a direct relationship to the producers of these precursor chemicals in China, and so I think those types of issues do matter on the margins, but they're not central to U.S. voters, particularly in the swing states that will decide this election. VOA: For the observers in China who are looking at this election, how is Harris' China policy going to be different than President Biden's, and what awaits China if Trump regains power? Waters: I think how this is playing in China is a very different story. But I think what we have to say at this point is that we're in the midst of a campaign. So, to be fair to both candidates, what we should judge is, once they form their Cabinets next spring, how will they translate political positions into new policy? I think Harris's team has expressed a general view that her policy will be consistent with Biden's. The Trump team and President Trump himself have talked about aspects of the relationship, particularly trade, where they feel that things are out of balance. VOA: Biden and Xi are likely to meet and sit down again later this year. So, what are the prospects and expectations for this meeting? Waters: It'll be a critical moment, because this meeting — which will be either on the margins of the G20 [Group of 20 largest economies] summit in Brazil [November 18-19], or the APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] summit in Lima, Peru [November 10-16], depending on where it takes place — these meetings on the margins of summits are consequential during a presidential transition. I think they can use it as a chance to help bridge between the two administrations. That will be easier if it's a Biden-to-Harris transition, because Democrat-to-Democrat is more likely to be able to talk about how the bridging will work. But if it's, you know, Biden-to-Trump, I still think it's consequential. President Biden can give his advice about how to avoid returning to the events of 2022 [and] how they can reflect on the lessons of what has been achieved since the Woodside [California] Summit [in November 2023]. And I think you probably go into it with fairly modest expectations.