Feed aggregator

Naturalized citizens make up a record number of eligible voters in 2022, most of whom have lived here more than 20 years.

The post 1 in 10 eligible voters in the U.S. are naturalized citizens appeared first on Pew Research Center.

LONDON — Scientists searching for the origins of COVID-19 have zeroed in on a short list of animals that possibly helped spread it to people, an effort they hope could allow them to trace the outbreak back to its source. Researchers analyzed genetic material gathered from the Chinese market where the first outbreak was detected and found that the most likely animals were raccoon dogs, civet cats and bamboo rats. The scientists suspect infected animals were first brought to the Wuhan market in late November 2019, which then triggered the pandemic. Michael Worobey, one of the new study's authors, said they found which sub-populations of animals might have transmitted the coronavirus to humans. That may help researchers pinpoint where the virus commonly circulates in animals, known as its natural reservoir. "For example, with the raccoon dogs, we can show that the raccoon dogs that were [at the market] … were from a sub-species that circulates more in southern parts of China," said Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona. Knowing that might help researchers understand where those animals came from and where they were sold. Scientists might then start sampling bats in the area, which are known to be the natural reservoirs of related coronaviruses like SARS. While the research bolsters the case that COVID-19 emerged from animals, it does not resolve the polarized and political debate over whether the virus instead emerged from a research lab in China. Mark Woolhouse, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Edinburgh, said the new genetic analysis suggested that the pandemic "had its evolutionary roots in the market" and that it was very unlikely COVID-19 was infecting people before it was identified at the Huanan market. "It's a significant finding and this does shift the dial more in favor of an animal origin," said Woolhouse, who was not connected to the research. "But it is not conclusive." An expert group led by the World Health Organization concluded in 2021 that the virus probably spread to humans from animals and that a lab leak was "extremely unlikely." WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus later said it was premature to rule out a lab leak. An AP investigation in April found the search for the COVID origins in China has gone dark after political infighting and missed opportunities by local and global health officials to narrow the possibilities. Scientists say they may never know for sure where exactly the virus came from. In the new study, published Thursday in the journal Cell, scientists from Europe, the U.S. and Australia analyzed data previously released by experts at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It included 800 samples of genetic material Chinese workers collected on Jan. 1, 2020, from the Huanan seafood market, the day after Wuhan municipal authorities first raised the alarm about an unknown respiratory virus. Chinese scientists published the genetic sequences they found last year, but did not identify any of the animals possibly infected with the coronavirus. In the new analysis, researchers used a technique that can identify specific organisms from any mixture of genetic material collected in the environment. Worobey said the information provides "a snapshot of what was [at the market] before the pandemic began" and that genetic analyses like theirs "helps to fill in the blanks of how the virus might have first started spreading." Woolhouse said the new study, while significant, left some critical issues unanswered. "There is no question COVID was circulating at that market, which was full of animals," he said. "The question that still remains is how it got there in the first place."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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