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Gaborone, Botswana — Police and protesters clashed outside Botswana's National Assembly in Gaborone on Wednesday as members of parliament voted on a bill that would have given the president sweeping powers to appoint civil servants holding key positions. Opposition members of parliament boycotted the vote, while protesters, waving placards, protested the bill outside. Members of the remaining ruling party failed to raise enough votes to pass the bill. Opposition party leader Dithapelo Keorapetse said the bill, if it had been approved, would have given too much power to the president. "Today was a momentous day in that the evil constitution amendment bill, which sought to clothe the president with enormous powers to appoint the chief justice, to appoint the court of appeal president, to appoint the secretary of the IEC [Independent Electoral Commission], died,” Keorapetse said. Minister for State President Kabo Morwaeng blamed the opposition and civil society organizations for misleading the nation on what he called a progressive bill. He said the bill contained clauses that would have improved citizens’ lives, including provisions on health rights, the right to strike and workers’ rights. Motheo O Mosha, a nongovernmental organization, was behind Wednesday’s protests. Chairperson Morena Monganja said some members were hurt during clashes with the police. “Many of our activists were beaten,” she said. “We have one who is in hospital with injuries. We look at this event of citizens trying to express their displeasure at a certain piece of legislation and being met with this kind of violence as very unacceptable in a democracy.” Morwaeng said protesters did not seek the required permit to hold the demonstration. The proposed law was rejected a day before Botswana’s parliament was dissolved as the country prepares for next month’s general election.

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.

A shooting at a Georgia high school on Wednesday was a stark reminder that firearms kill more Americans per capita than in any other large, high-income country, according to health experts. Vice President Kamala Harris wants stricter gun regulation. Her opponent, former President Donald Trump, pledges to roll back gun restrictions. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias explains.

Taipei, Taiwan — China is defending itself against accusations that it is flooding the Thai market with cheap goods and hurting local businesses.  In a post on its official Facebook account on September 4, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand called the trade between the two countries “mutually beneficial and win-win.”  “Almost 80% of the goods that Thailand imports from China are capital goods and intermediate goods that are used for production and added value before being exported,” the statement said.  Most of the so-called cheap goods "are products used in daily life, food, health products, clothing and accessories, etc., which account for less than 10% of the total value of goods imported from China,” it added.   The statement came after Thailand announced new measures to combat the influx of cheap Chinese imports threatening its manufacturing sector. The Bangkok Post reported on August 28 that Thailand's deputy prime minister and minister of commerce, Phumtham Wechayachai, said the government would set up a task force comprising 28 agencies that would meet every two weeks to review and revise regulations to curb the threat of cheap Chinese imports to the already weak economy.  The Federation of Thailand Industry previously warned that cheap Chinese goods could cause a "tsunami" in Thailand and in the region, and that in 2023 the low-cost imported products had contributed to the closure of nearly 2,000 factories.  Pavida Pananond, professor of international business at Thammasat Business School at Thammasat University in Thailand, said low-priced Chinese goods or Chinese capital are often concentrated in Thailand's e-commerce and electric vehicle industries. While Chinese investment has increased foreign direct investment in Thailand, it has also made it difficult for many smaller local enterprises to survive.  “Right now, the Chinese are facing restrictions on their products in many markets,’’ Pavida told VOA in a Zoom interview. ‘’So, it is natural that we are seeing the Chinese products targeting more emerging markets, particularly in Southeast Asia. So, those sectors would be at risk of having direct competition from the Chinese, cheaper products. And I think in the longer term, there also is more impact on the Thai economy.”  The Chinese Embassy quoted preliminary statistics in its statement and said more than 1,000 Chinese companies have invested in Thailand. In the past two years, 588 investment projects by Chinese have been submitted to the Thai government, with an investment value of nearly $7 billion, according to the Chinese Embassy. Most investments are in the electric vehicle industry, the digital economy, new energy, and modern manufacturing.  The Thailand Economic and Business Research Center forecasts that the Thai economy will grow by 2.6% this year due to tourism and exports, but it will also be dragged down by manufacturing. In the first half of 2024, Thailand's industrial output decreased by 2% compared to the same period last year.  Chinese e-commerce platform Temu entered Thailand on July 31. Observers are worried that cheap Chinese goods flooding Thailand’s market through Temu will lead to unfair competition, supply chain disruptions, and rising unemployment. Srettha Thavisin, Thailand’s former prime minister, previously asked authorities to investigate whether Temu has complied with the relevant regulations and paid the tax due.  Nisit Panthamit, director of ASEAN Studies and an associate professor at the Faculty of Economics at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, said, “If you buy it from China, you have to wait for so long to get that item. But the local [products] are easy to find in the market. Now, after more goods are coming in from the new [Chinese] companies, that's why the SME [small and medium-sized enterprise] might get heavily impacted.’’   Nisit said if the Thai government cannot introduce more effective policies to alleviate the problem soon, sales of Thai-made goods may decline significantly. Also, he said, some basic Thai products may be replaced in local markets by inferior Chinese-made replacements.   He said that indications are that, by the end of 2024, there will be a 10% to 20% drop in the sales and consumption of local Thai products, because of competition from more Chinese-made goods.     The New York Times reported at the end of July that Thailand’s auto industry, which often is referred to as the "Asian Detroit" because of its manufacturing capacity, had been dominated by Japanese cars. In recent years, however, Chinese electric vehicle companies have made inroads, resulting in local auto factories closing and some land prices soaring, economists in Thailand say.  “When the Thai government welcomes the EV cars from China without much long-term planning for Thai suppliers in automotive industry, vehicles and parts, that could be something that could negatively affect the Thai economy,” Pavida said.   In July, Thailand's Ministry of Industry required Chinese EV manufacturers to use at least 40% local components when assembling EVs to support Thailand's automotive supply chain. In response, China's Changan Automobile pledged to invest $282 million, in Thailand, and the proportion of local parts will reach 60% and then increase to 90%; Shanghai-based Neta Auto also said it would increase the proportion of Thai car parts from 60% to 85%.  There are also increasing concerns that Chinese companies may exploit Thailand as an "illicit transshipment hub" to evade U.S. and European tariffs and sanctions. Illicit transshipment refers to exporting products through a third country to circumvent higher tariffs.  Bloomberg reported on August 22 that since many Chinese solar companies have set up factories in Southeast Asia in an attempt to circumvent U.S. import tariffs, Washington seems to be preparing to impose high tariffs on ASEAN countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia.  “We should also be concerned about Thai companies that import Chinese supplies for their intermediate products, and then re-export these [finished products] to other countries like the U.S. or the EU,” Pavida said. “This could end up being against the regulations that the EU and the U.S. are tightening.”  Pavida added that further study of the many layers and elements of Chinese imports are needed as well, so policies can clearly and specifically address different kinds of Chinese products.   VOA's Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.

Johannesburg — South Africa's Ukrainian Association has expressed outrage that a Russian naval vessel was recently allowed to dock for several days at Cape Town harbor. Critics say the incident calls into question Pretoria's purported neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Ukrainian Association in South Africa said it was dismayed to learn the Russian naval training ship Smolnyy had anchored at the Port of Cape Town in late August. While the vessel was docked in South Africa, Russian bombardments in Ukraine killed scores of people, including children, the association’s Dzvinka Kachur said. “Meanwhile, a Russian military training ship docks in Cape Town reportedly strengthening military ties between the countries,” said Kachur. The Russian consulate general in Cape Town said on its X account August 30 that the ship’s command had met with South African naval counterparts and hosted a reception “aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.” Russian state news agency Tass also reported the ship’s “unofficial” port call. It said the ship had undertaken a long-distance voyage that included stops in Cuba and Venezuela so that 300 cadets from the Russian Ministry of Defense could conduct a maritime practice. “The Ukrainian Association of South Africa urges the government to stop all military cooperation with Russia immediately,” said Kachur. Some South African officials appeared taken by surprise when asked to comment on the ship’s visit. The mayor of Cape Town told the local Daily Maverick newspaper that he had been unaware of the port call and said it “seems to have been under the radar.’’ In response to a request from VOA for comment, the South African National Defense Force issued a statement confirming the vessel had been docked in Cape Town for re-supply purposes. It added that South Africa “as a sovereign state has a right and responsibility to accept the docking of foreign vessels as a maritime nation.” The statement noted, “There are currently three foreign vessels in South African waters, including a Ukrainian vessel,” that is here for repairs. But the Democratic Alliance, the former opposition party that is now part of South Africa’s new coalition government, condemned the incident as “cozying up to Russia.” Chris Hattingh is a member of parliament for the Democratic Alliance. “The latest incident, the berthing of Smolnyy, a Russian navy Baltic Fleet training vessel in Cape Town after visiting Venezuela and Cuba, underlines the contradiction of President [Cyril] Ramaphosa’s utterances of non-alignment in the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” he said. The African National Congress, which has the most seats in parliament, has ties with Moscow dating back to when the former USSR backed its struggle against apartheid. They are also both BRICS members. Pretoria has been criticized for not condemning the invasion of Ukraine and for hosting Russian warships in controversial joint exercises last year. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also visited and was warmly welcomed in 2023. In May of last year, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety alleged that South Africa had covertly provided arms to Russia when a different ship docked in Cape Town. The South African government set up an independent investigation into the matter, which ultimately found no evidence of that.

WASHINGTON — Top U.S. military leaders will be in Germany to discuss Ukraine's wartime needs as Russia has conducted one of its deadliest airstrikes in the conflict and Ukraine presses its offensive in Russia's Kursk region.  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. CQ Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will host a meeting Friday at Ramstein Air Force Base of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, made up of military leaders from more than 50 nations that have regularly provided funding and weapon systems to bolster Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.  The group's priorities include bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses and “energizing of the defense industrial bases” of allies to ensure long-term support for Kyiv, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said in a statement Thursday.  “As Secretary Austin has said, Ukraine matters to U.S. and international security,” the statement said.  Ukraine's allies face renewed calls from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for additional air defenses and loosened restrictions on how far into Russia Ukraine can fire American-provided munitions. He has long pushed allies to go further to support Ukraine's effort to fend off Russia.  The meeting comes after Russia used two ballistic missiles to target a military academy and nearby hospital this week in Ukraine, killing more than 50 people and wounding over 270 others, in one of the deadliest strikes of the war.  “Air defense systems and missiles are needed in Ukraine, not in a warehouse somewhere,” Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel this week. “Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now."  So far, the Biden administration has kept relatively strict control over how the missiles it provides Ukraine can be used. Ukraine can defensively fire at Russian targets along the border, but the U.S. prohibits their use deeper into Russia, out of concern that such a strike would further escalate the war.  There has been no change in the policy on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied weapons, Ryder told reporters Tuesday.  That the group of military leaders from Ukraine's allies has continued to meet and agree to send weapons is extraordinary, however. Global pressure on weapons stockpiles has increased and contributors such as the U.S. face competing demands for that aid to bolster security in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.  Since 2022, the member nations together have provided about $106 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. The U.S. has provided more than $56 billion of that total.  The group's meeting also comes as Zelenskyy has signaled a major reshuffling of his cabinet-level leaders. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, one of Ukraine’s most recognizable faces on the international stage, resigned Wednesday before the expected reorganization.  Ukraine also has made a fundamental shift in its tactics in the war, seizing Russian territory in the Kursk region during an offensive that began a few weeks ago. Ukraine's military is trying to maintain control of that land, while Russian President Vladimir Putin pushes his forces deeper into eastern Ukraine. Both sides are prepared for difficult fighting during the winter.  Both sides have become entrenched over the two previous winters, and Ukrainians have endured brutal conditions without electricity or heat as Russia has targeted its power grid.

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.

As the U.S. Presidential election draws near, we highlight the alarming rise in foreign interference and manipulation threatening the integrity of our democratic process. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the war intensifies with Russia's recent attacks targeting a hospital, raising global security concerns. This week on The Inside Story: USA – Votes 2024 & A Free Press Matters.

Los Angeles — Hunter Biden plans to change his "not guilty" plea in his federal tax case, his defense attorney said Thursday just as jury selection was set to begin. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell told the judge about Hunter Biden's plans to change his previous plea, just months after the president's son was convicted of gun charges in a separate case, but did not provide further details. The latest case accuses Hunter Biden of a four-year scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in taxes while pulling in millions of dollars from foreign business entities. He is already facing potential prison time after a Delaware jury convicted him in June of lying on a 2018 federal form to purchase a gun that he possessed for 11 days. Hunter Biden walked into the courtroom holding hands with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, and flanked by Secret Service agents. Initially, he pleaded not guilty to the charges related to his 2016 through 2019 taxes and his attorneys have indicated they will argue he didn't act "willfully," or with the intention to break the law, in part because of his well-documented struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. Hunter Biden had agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses last year in a deal with the Justice Department that would allow him to avoid prosecution in the gun case if he stayed out of trouble. But the agreement imploded after a judge questioned unusual aspects of it, and he was subsequently indicted in the two cases. His decision to change his plea came after the judge issued some unfavorable pre-trial rulings for the defense, including rejecting a proposed defense expert lined up to testify about addiction. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, placed some restrictions on what jurors would be allowed to hear about the traumatic events that Hunter Biden's family, friends and attorneys say led to his drug addiction. The judge barred attorneys from connecting his substance abuse struggles to the 2015 death of his brother Beau Biden from cancer or the car accident that killed his mother and sister when he was a toddler. The indictment alleged that Hunter Biden lived lavishly while flouting the tax law, spending his cash on things like strippers and luxury hotels — "in short, everything but his taxes." Hunter Biden's attorneys had asked Scarsi to also limit prosecutors from highlighting details of his expenses that they say amount to a "character assassination," including payments made to strippers or pornographic websites. The judge has said in court papers that he will maintain "strict control" over the presentation of potentially salacious evidence. Prosecutors could have presented more details of Hunter Biden's overseas dealings, which have been at the center of Republican investigations into the Biden family often seeking — without evidence— to tie the president to an alleged influence peddling scheme. The special counsel's team has said it wants to tell jurors about Hunter Biden's work for a Romanian businessman, who they say sought to "influence U.S. government policy" while Joe Biden was vice president. The defense accused prosecutors of releasing details about Hunter Biden's work for the Romanian in court papers to drum up media coverage and taint the jury pool. Sentencing in Hunter Biden's Delaware conviction is set for Nov. 13. He could face up to 25 years in prison, but as a first-time offender, he is likely to get far less time or avoid prison entirely.

Washington — Efforts by Beijing to limit Taiwan's participation in the recently concluded Pacific Islands Forum underscore the intense and ongoing tug-of-war between Western democracies and China for influence in the region, analysts say. During the Pacific Islands Forum, or PIF, which wrapped up Friday, Beijing ally Solomon Islands tried unsuccessfully to block Taiwan from future participation. Then, on Saturday, the PIF removed a reference to Taiwan in its final communique after Beijing's top Pacific diplomat expressed outrage at its inclusion. The communique originally reaffirmed a 30-year-old agreement allowing Taiwan to take part in the PIF. That wording was later removed. Beijing's communist leaders insist that democratically ruled Taiwan is a part of China and have worked for decades to limit the island's participation in international organizations. After the references to Taiwan were removed, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday, "Taiwan issued the strongest condemnation on China's arbitrary intervention and unreasonable actions that undermine regional peace and stability.” However, the ministry said the revision did not undermine Taiwan’s status at the forum or prevent it from participating in the future. Asia Group senior adviser Kathryn Paik, who helped lead the creation of the first U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit while at the U.S. National Security Council, said that while Taiwan's status as a development partner is still solid, what happened highlights the intensity of Beijing's efforts in the region. "China has made gaining access and influence in the Pacific a top priority in recent years, sending savvy diplomats to the region. In fact, China currently has vastly more diplomats on the ground in more countries than the United States, outnumbering the U.S. in almost every location," Paik told VOA. "The pushback on the Solomon Islands' attempt — which was transparently an attempt by China — to remove Taiwan as a development partner to the PIF demonstrated the high regard that many nations have for Taiwan's contributions to Pacific development." PIF officials did not explain why Taiwan was removed from the communique but stressed that the PIF would continue to welcome Taiwan at its regional meetings. Nikkei Asia reported that Chinese Special Envoy for the Pacific Qian Bo told reporters Friday the reference was “a mistake” that “should be corrected.” "Taiwan is part of China. Taiwan is not a dialogue partner of PIF, so China has the representation on behalf of the whole China, including Taiwan and the mainland," Qian said. VOA reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Solomon Islands for comment but has yet to receive a response. Partnership through 2027 On Sunday, Taiwan announced an agreement with the Pacific Islands to extend the development partnership through 2027, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. The statement also highlighted programs Taiwan has supported in the Pacific Islands, efforts that have focused on areas such as agriculture, education, medical care, communications technology, women's empowerment and basic infrastructure. Commenting Tuesday on China's efforts at the PIF, the U.S. State Department backed Taiwan's continued right to attend regional meetings. "The PRC's efforts to pressure Pacific Island countries to remove this reference fit a pattern of PRC coercion to constrain Taiwan's international position," a State Department spokesperson told VOA, using an abbreviation of the country’s formal name, the People’s Republic of China. "Taiwan is a highly capable, engaged, democratic and responsible member of the global community." US Pacific territories While China and the United States maintain status as partner nations in the PIF, U.S. territories Guam and American Samoa were granted status as associate members during last week's meetings. Although they do not have voting rights, they will be able to provide speakers at plenary sessions and nominate members to PIF working groups. "The United States supports the U.S. Pacific territories' increased participation in the PIF and greater connectivity with PIF members," a State Department spokesperson told VOA. The Asia Group's Paik said that having two U.S. territories "more tightly knit into the Pacific community" further reinforces that the U.S. is a Pacific nation and opens opportunities for the U.S. to influence decision-making at the forum. Ivan Kanapathy, a former deputy senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, agrees. "This will provide more allied voices and reduce PRC influence, which often relies on elite capture," said Kanapathy, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. He added: "Washington must convince the region that it is willing to impose real costs on Beijing — more than just diplomatic statements." Some information for this report came from Reuters.

ISLAMABAD — As monsoon season nears its end in Pakistan, higher than average rainfall and rain-related accidents leave behind a trail of deaths, nearly half of them children. Monsoon season runs from July to September in Pakistan. Since the beginning of July, the country has counted at least 337 rain-related deaths, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. One-hundred-seventy children are among the dead. Thousands also have been displaced as floodwaters inundated villages. Pakistan’s meteorological department recorded rains 60% higher than average in the first two months of the monsoon season. August saw 137% more rain than the month’s average after slightly below average rainfall in July. Weather officials expect mostly normal rainfall in September. The data shows that rainfall patterns in Pakistan are changing. “The shift that we are seeing is that monsoon used to go to the upper areas, that trend is lessening a bit,” Sahibzad Khan, director general of PMD, told VOA. “Now it’s shifting more to the south.” Rain that was twice as heavy as normal battered Pakistan’s two southern provinces, Sindh and Balochistan, over the last two months, while the northern, mountainous regions saw average-to-below-average rain, according to the national weather agency. Just in Sindh, 72,000 children saw their education disrupted by the severe weather, Save the Children said in a statement Wednesday. Despite heavy rains, flooding, and displacement in parts of the country, experts say Pakistan escaped extensive damage this monsoon season, partly because of lessons learned from the devastating floods in 2022. “We are working more on anticipatory approaches. Looking at past patterns, we are predicting the scale and velocity of upcoming floods,” said Shafqat Munir Ahmad, deputy executive director of the Resilience Development Program and Policy Outreach at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Islamabad. In 2022, historic rains submerged nearly a third of the country at one time, affecting 33 million Pakistanis and causing nearly $30 billion in damage. Since then, Pakistan incorporated technology to plan scenarios and issue early severe weather warnings to communities, said Ahmad, adding that improved coordination and response time also reduced damage. This year, Pakistan also used lightning detectors that China provided last year. “China has collaborated with us. With their help, we have 26 lightning detector stations that tell us about the type and severity of lightning and thunder,” said weather chief Khan. Pakistan still lacks sufficient long-term planning, however, to tackle the impact of climate change, experts say. The Germany-based Global Climate Risk Index ranks Pakistan the 8th most vulnerable country. A web app created at the University of Maryland that predicts what a city’s weather will be like in 60 years shows summers and winters in several Pakistani cities will be much warmer than they are at present. While projects to mitigate climate change may attract funding, Ahmad said efforts to help vulnerable communities adapt to changing climate lack necessary financial support in Pakistan. Several communities across the South Asian nation are still awaiting funds to rebuild homes devastated by the 2022 weather calamity. Just last July, the Asian Development Bank approved a $400 million loan to fund the reconstruction of homes and infrastructure in Sindh. At a donor conference in January 2023, donors pledged more than $9 billion to help Pakistan build back after the 2022 floods. Still, the country has barely tapped the funds that were largely designated as project loans. As authorities and charitable organizations rush to provide food, water and shelter to communities displaced by this year’s rains and floods, Save the Children urged increased support to prevent the current impact of the floods from becoming long-term problems. “Governments must tackle the underlying causes of these climate driven disasters, including channeling funding and support to children and their families in Pakistan to adapt, recover and rebuild their lives,” the statement said, quoting country director Khuram Gondal.

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.

Despite global efforts to stop the practice of female genital mutilation, the harmful tradition continues to affect the lives and health of millions of women and girls in Somalia. Reporter Najib Ahmed has this story from the capital, Mogadishu, narrated by Anthony LaBruto. (Camera and Produced by: Abdulkadir Zuber)

USCIS will conduct system maintenance to the Contact Relationship Interface System (CRIS) on Wednesday, Sep. 5, 2024 at 11:50 p.m. through Thursday, Sep. 5, 2024 at 2:00 a.m. Eastern.

Washington — Ukraine faces wildly different prospects under a potential Trump or Harris presidency — but analysts say it's clear Kyiv is not waiting for November to let its fate be decided. Still, in this ancient capital that is no stranger to the whims of foreign powers, analysts seem to view a possible re-run of a Donald Trump administration with ambivalence. "There is a prevailing opinion that the return of Trump to the White House is not the best scenario for Ukraine," said Oleksii Melnyk, of the foreign relations and international security program at the Razumkov Center, a research institution. "Although there are also cautious opinions that everything may not be that bad." Trump has said he'll swiftly end the war, although his running mate, vice presidential candidate JD Vance, once said he "doesn't really care" about Ukraine. This makes a future Kamala Harris administration more of a wild card to this nation that knows Trump and President Joe Biden so well. Harris has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and represented Biden at major transatlantic security summits. But on the campaign trail, Harris has only briefly spotlighted Ukraine — and how she differs from Trump. Trump "encouraged [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to invade our allies, said Russia could, quote, do whatever the hell they want. Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President Zelenskyy to warn him about Russia's plan to invade," she said at last month's Democratic National Convention. "I helped mobilize a global response — over 50 countries to defend against Putin's aggression. And as president, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies." Analysts say none of this is surprising. Harris is likely to follow Biden's "Support-Ukraine" playbook, they say, adding that Trump's broad foreign policy pronouncements remain as vague as ever, such as Trump's promise that he'll end the war in one day. "It's not entirely clear how he'll do that," said Andrew Payne, a lecturer in foreign policy and security at City St. George's, University of London. "The fear, of course, is that he'll do it by simply abandoning Ukraine, cutting off funds and pressuring Zelenskyy into negotiations at a time when Putin would enjoy all of the bargaining leverage." Ukraine shows renewed confidence But, Payne said, the battlefield has shifted with Ukrainian forces' recent decision to strike across the border and take a bite of Russian territory. This development is something that stuck with John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, on a recent visit there. "Without a doubt, our chief impression was the energy and renewed confidence Ukraine's bold strike into Russia has provided the country's leadership and people," Herbst wrote in the Atlantic Council late last month. "They see the seizure of more than 460 square miles of Russian territory and the capture of hundreds of Russian soldiers as a clear victory, one that has changed the international conversation from a focus on peace talks or a cease-fire in place largely on Kremlin terms; they recognize that Russian President Vladimir Putin's notion of a cease-fire in place is now much less attractive to the Kremlin." Biden still a factor While analysts widely predict that Ukraine will neither seek to hold let alone succeed in holding this land permanently, it's a bargaining chip that will help Kyiv, whomever wins. And, Payne said, Biden could also put his hand on the scale at a pivotal stage. "I wouldn't be expecting any shift in the U.S. position vis-a-vis Ukraine's military operations before November, but I would be watching between November and January — whatever the outcome — to see if there is a little bit more leash given to Kyiv," he said. And he said Ukraine's leader has bolstered his relationships with European leaders and broadened his support. Herbst also pointed to how a lame-duck Biden could give Kyiv a shot in the arm. "Biden should also use his last months in office to reach out to Republican leaders in Congress to pass one last aid bill for Ukraine during his administration," he wrote. Anna Chernikova contributed to this report from Kyiv.

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LONDON — Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein won't face charges of indecent assault in Britain, prosecutors announced on Thursday. The Crown Prosecution Service, which in 2022 authorized two charges of indecent assault against Weinstein, said it decided to discontinue proceedings because there was "no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.'' "We have explained our decision to all parties,'' the CPS said in a statement. ''We would always encourage any potential victims of sexual assault to come forward and report to police, and we will prosecute wherever our legal test is met." Weinstein became the most prominent villain of the #MeToo movement in 2017 when women began to go public with accounts of his behavior. After the revelations emerged, British police said they were investigating multiple allegations of sexual assault that reportedly took place between the 1980s and 2015. In June 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service said it had authorized London's Metropolitan Police Service to file two charges of indecent assault against Weinstein in relation to an alleged incident that occurred in London in 1996. The victim was in her 50s at the time of the announcement. Unlike many other countries, Britain does not have a statute of limitations for rape or sexual assault. Weinstein, who has denied that he raped or sexually assaulted anyone, remains in custody in New York while awaiting retrial in Manhattan, prosecutors said in August. After the retrial, he is due to start serving a 16-year sentence in California for a separate rape conviction in Los Angeles, authorities said. Weinstein was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 while already serving a 23-year sentence in New York. His 2020 conviction in Manhattan was thrown out earlier this year when the state's top court ruled that the judge in the original trial unfairly allowed testimony against Weinstein based on allegations that weren't part of the case. Weinstein, the co-founder of the Miramax entertainment company and The Weinstein Company film studio, was once one of the most powerful people in Hollywood, having produced films such as "Pulp Fiction" and "The Crying Game."

Dhaka, Bangladesh — Thousands of students and others on Thursday rallied in Bangladesh's capital to mark one month since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power by a mass uprising initially led by students over a quota system for government jobs. Hasina fled to India on Aug. 5 after weeks of violence left more than 600 people dead, including students. The uprising ended the 15-year-rule of the country's longest-serving prime minister who began a fourth consecutive term in January following an election boycotted by the major opposition parties, who questioned the credibility of the electoral process. The demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Where is Hasina? Bury her, bury her!" and "Hasina-Modi, warning, be careful!" or "Naraye Takbeer, Allahu Akbar." They were referring Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, as Hasina is known to be a trusted ally of India. Many protesters do not like India for promoting Hinduism and demonstrating what they see as a big brotherly dominance, and condemned it for sheltering Hasina. The central procession, styled as a "shaheedi march" or "procession for the martyrs" began from the Dhaka University campus and marched through streets. In addition to the many Bangladeshi flags, some participants carried a giant Palestinian flag. Tens of thousands joined rallies across the Muslim-majority nation of 170 million people. In Dhaka's Uttara neighborhood, thousands of school and madrasah students in uniform took part in processions, chanting anti-Hasina slogans. Some carried banners and placards, reading "We want Hasina's execution" and "We want reforms of the state." Thursday's development came as Bangladesh was returning to normalcy after the protests, despite challenges such as a struggling economy. An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who had a frosty relationship with Hasina for many years, has prioritized law and order to stabilize the country. Yunus in an interview with the Press Trust of India, or PTI, news agency released Thursday said that Hasina should stay quiet, and that her political remarks from India are an "unfriendly gesture." The protesters and other opponents of Hasina want her and her associates to stand trial for mass killings during the demonstrations that began in July. "If India wants to keep her until the time Bangladesh wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet," the PTI quoted Yunus as saying. "No one is comfortable with her stance there in India because we want her back to try her. She is there in India and at times she is talking, which is problematic ... No one likes it," he said. Yunus was apparently referring to Hasina's statement on August 13 in which she demanded "justice", saying those involved in recent "terror acts", killings and vandalism must be investigated, identified and punished. Yunus' administration is reorganizing police, bureaucracy and other state institutions to take control amid reports of violence and continuing unrest. Days of street protests by garment workers and other industries forced owners to shut their factories for days before they restarted their operations on Thursday amid heightened security in two major industrial hubs outside Dhaka. Also, media reports said that a young Hindu man was beaten on Wednesday by a Muslim mob in the presence of security officials in the southwestern Khulna region after he allegedly posted derogatory comments online about the Prophet Muhammad. The country's two leading Bengali-language dailies, Prothom Alo and Samakal, reported online that the man, named as Sri Utso, was lynched by the mob, but they later removed the stories from their websites and republished new versions, saying that he did not die and was now receiving medical treatment. The reports provided no further details about the whereabouts of the 22-year-old man. The military's Inter Service Public Relations office in a statement later Thursday said that the soldiers rescued Utso after an angry mob attacked him inside the office of a senior police official. It said he survived and was out of danger, and he would be handed over to police for legal actions against him. Yunus in the interview with the PTI refuted earlier reports that the Hindu minority had been targeted since Hasina's fall. Modi had also earlier voiced concern over the reports of attacks on Hindus. Yunus said the issue of attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh is "exaggerated" and questioned the manner in which India projected it. He said the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh are more political than communal: he described them as the fallout of political upheaval as there is a perception that most Hindus supported the now-deposed Awami League regime of Sheikh Hasina.