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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.

pentagon — Venezuela has detained a U.S. Navy sailor who was visiting the country while on personal travel, U.S. officials have confirmed to VOA. The reason for the detention is unknown. A defense official who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity because of international sensitivities said the sailor was detained “on or about August 30, 2024, by Venezuelan law enforcement authorities while on personal travel to Venezuela.” “The U.S. Navy is looking into this and working closely with the State Department,” the defense official added. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. was tracking the detention closely and was seeking additional information. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby added that the U.S. was “obviously in touch” with Venezuelan authorities. The tension in the U.S.-Venezuela relationship has been further stretched since Venezuela held elections earlier this year. The Biden administration has questioned the results that kept Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in power, stating last month that “Maduro and his representatives have tampered with the results of that election, falsely claimed victory and carried out widespread repression to maintain power." Earlier this week, the U.S. seized Maduro's plane over alleged sanctions violations. Guita Mirsaeedi and Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended his government’s decision to suspend some arms shipments to Israel on Wednesday, saying the move was necessary to comply with international law. It could have wider consequences among European allies. Henry Ridgwell reports. Camera: Henry Ridgwell.

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.

Jerusalem — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel must remain in a strip of land between the Gaza Strip and the Egyptian border to prevent Hamas from rearming. He spoke as the White House said Israel must withdraw at least partially from the area. The Israeli army published a picture Wednesday of the opening of the tunnel in Gaza where the bodies of six Israeli hostages were found after they had been executed by Hamas on Saturday. The deaths of the six, including American Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, have sparked mass demonstrations in Israel by hundreds of thousands of Israelis who want Netanyahu to agree to a cease-fire deal with Hamas that would free the remaining 101 hostages. The demonstrations have grown increasingly angry as many blame Netanyahu for holding up a cease-fire deal. Three of the six hostages killed by Hamas were set to have been released in the first phase of the deal, meaning they were killed days before they could have been freed. Israeli media reports say Netanyahu had agreed to leave the Philadelphi corridor, the strip of land along the border between Gaza and Egypt. Mossad chief David Barnea confirmed on Monday to mediators in the talks with Hamas taking place in Qatar that Israel was prepared to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor in the second stage of a hostage release deal. This was hours before Netanyahu publicly declared he would refuse to do so, foreign sources familiar with the negotiations told the Haaretz newspaper. Barnea, who traveled to Qatar on Monday, had informed the representatives that Israel stood behind its agreement to pull out all its forces from the area in line with the Biden plan, if Israeli operational demands were met. But in an English language news conference today, Netanyahu said that Israel’s decision to leave this area in 2005 as part of a complete withdrawal from Gaza was a big mistake. “Once we left our side of the Philadelphi corridor, rockets went in, missiles went in, drones went in, ammo went in, weapons manufacturing equipment came in, tunnel-drilling equipment came in,” he said. “Once we got out, once we left the Philidephi corridor, Iran could carry out its plan to turn Gaza into a base, terrorist enclave that would endanger not only the communities around it but would endanger Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva, the entire of country of Israel. Netanyahu said the goals of the war remain the same. “We are committed to achieving our goals, all three goals,” he said. “Destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, releasing all our hostages and ensuring that Gaza does become a threat to Israel anymore. And all these require standing firm on the things that will ensure the achievement of these goals.” That, he said, means Israel must maintain control over the Philadelphi corridor at least for the near future, even if it means there will not be a cease-fire deal with Hamas.

London — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended his government’s decision to suspend some arms shipments to Israel Wednesday, saying the move was necessary to comply with international law. “We absolutely recognize and support Israel’s right to self-defense and have taken action in support of that right of self-defense. ... But in relation to licenses, this isn't an Israel issue. It's the framework for all licenses that have to be kept under review,” he said. “We either comply with international law or we don’t. We only have strength in our arguments because we comply with international law,” Starmer told lawmakers in Parliament. Israel has strongly criticized the move and said it would only serve to strengthen Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Israel invaded the Palestinian territory after Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in a cross-border terror attack on October 7. Britain on Monday suspended around 30 of the 350 licenses for weapons exports to Israel after a legal review. Foreign Secretary David Lammy made the announcement in parliament on Monday. “The assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain U.K. arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” Lammy told lawmakers, adding that the export bans include “equipment that we assess is for use in the current conflict in Gaza, such as important components which go into military aircraft, including fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones, as well as items which facilitate ground targeting.” The British move will have little impact on the Israel Defense Forces’ operations, said Middle East analyst Yossi Mekelberg of the London-based policy institute Chatham House. “Most of Israel's weapons and ammunition come actually from the United States and Germany. It amounts to nearly 99% of the arms supplied to Israel.” But the symbolism of Britain’s move is significant, Mekelberg said. “Suspension sends a clear message that you can be a friend of Israel, you can support Israel — including Labour [the ruling party] — supportive of Israel, especially after October 7, and rightly so. But at the same time to disagree fundamentally with the way Israel conducts the war and how it uses weapons,” he said. “I think we can start seeing a change [in Britain’s approach], and I think what some of us wonder is if it will go as far as recognizing a Palestinian statehood. This probably would be the biggest step forward,” Mekelberg said. Andreas Krieg, a fellow of the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at Kings College London, said the political impact of the export ban would outweigh the practical implications. “The U.K. might not be the strongest hard power in the Middle East, but it has significant soft power and influence. It shows that for the very first time that a very close partner and ally of Israel doesn't trust the Israeli government, when they're saying that they are complying with the laws of armed conflict,” Krieg told VOA. “The fact that the U.K. is now saying that there are potential doubts is casting bigger doubts over Israel's campaign and the complicity of other countries as well, including Germany and the United States, in aiding and supporting Israel's campaign, particularly in Gaza, but also potentially in the West Bank,” he said. “Other European countries might want to now revisit their arms export licenses and to what extent their weapons are being used in what could be seen as an illegal war, a partially illegal war in Gaza,” Krieg said. Washington paused the export of large 1-ton bombs to Israel in May over concerns that they could be used in a ground invasion of the city of Rafah but has continued to supply billions of dollars’ worth of other weapons. Germany, which supplies about 39% of Israel’s arms imports, has not said it plans to suspend any arms shipments. Israel strongly denies breaking international law in Gaza and claims it targets only Hamas militants, whom it accuses of hiding in schools, hospitals and mosques and using human shields. Critics accuse the Israel Defense Forces of conducting indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population and targeting basic infrastructure. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli operation began, most of them women and children. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been forced to flee their homes. The Israeli military says the death toll includes several thousand Hamas combatants. The U.S., the U.K. and other Western countries designate Hamas as a terror group. Writing on the social media platform X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized Britain’s move to ban some arms exports. “Days after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages, the UK government suspended thirty arms licenses to Israel. This shameful decision will not change Israel's determination to defeat Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that savagely murdered 1,200 people on October 7, including 14 British citizens.” “Hamas is still holding over 100 hostages, including 5 British citizens. Instead of standing with Israel, a fellow democracy defending itself against barbarism, Britain’s misguided decision will only embolden Hamas. Israel is pursuing a just war with just means, taking unprecedented measures to keep civilians out of harm’s way and comporting fully with international law,” Netanyahu wrote on Tuesday. In recent days, tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza and the failure to secure the release of the remaining hostages. “I think there's a growing divide between the Israeli public and Israeli national interest, and the Netanyahu government. So, siding or moving against the Netanyahu government is now seen less and less so as moving against Israel as a whole, or the Israeli public,” said analyst Andreas Krieg. Meanwhile the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell last week proposed sanctioning two unnamed Israeli government ministers, accusing them of having a “colonial agenda” in the occupied West Bank. Israel is conducting an ongoing raid against militants in the territory, focused on refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarem. Israeli settlers are accused of forcibly seizing Palestinian land in the West Bank with the support of the IDF, which Israel denies. “We are … witnessing a formal radicalization on the part of some members of the Israeli far-right for whom Gaza has always been a minor issue compared with the West Bank and Jerusalem. Maybe, they don't care about the settlements in Gaza, since any return to calm would make it more difficult to pursue the colonial agenda they have for the West Bank, the expansion of the colonies,” Borrell told reporters in Brussels on August 29. Any decision on sanctioning Israeli ministers would require unanimity among EU member states. Borrell said that threshold had not been met.

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.

state department — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Thursday, marking his first visits to both Caribbean nations as the top U.S. diplomat. Blinken's visit to Port-au-Prince underscores U.S. support for Haiti, with additional humanitarian assistance anticipated as the country grapples with gang violence. His trip to Santo Domingo follows the start of Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader's second term in mid-August. A senior State Department official told reporters on Wednesday that the United States is prioritizing efforts with its international partners to set up a structure that ensures "a reliable source of financing and staffing" for a security mission in Haiti. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is reportedly considering the possibility of transitioning a largely U.S.-funded multinational security force into a traditional United Nations peacekeeping operation. "A formal PKO (peacekeeping operation) is one of the ways that we could accomplish that, but we're looking at multiple ways to do that," said Brian Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. With about a month left in the mandate of the U.N.-ratified, Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti, progress has been limited, and many pledges remain unfulfilled. "The one-year anniversary of the mission is October 2, and we're going to work to ensure that it's poised for success and renewal of its mandate in whatever form that takes," Nichols told VOA on Wednesday. Multinational security support Gang-related violence and drug trafficking have fueled political instability and insecurity in Haiti, leading to an unbearable living situation for the Haitian people. In October 2022, Haiti requested the deployment of an international force to assist the Haitian National Police in combating heavily armed gangs and facilitating humanitarian aid. In October 2023, the United Nations Security Council authorized the MSS. The United States and Canada are the top funders of the MSS in Haiti. The estimated first-year cost for the mission is $589 million. The U.S. has already provided $309 million — $200 million toward the MSS mission base and $109 million in financial support. During a visit to Haiti in July, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced an additional $60 million in humanitarian assistance for the Haitian people, along with providing armored vehicles for the national police. While in Haiti, Blinken will review the progress made toward improving security and encourage efforts to appoint the provisional electoral council so Haiti can move toward elections, according to the State Department. Blinken will hold talks with Edgard Leblanc Fils, president of Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council, and Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille. Blinken also will meet with MSS head Godfrey Otunge and Normil Rameau, head of the Haitian National Police. At least 80% of Port-au-Prince is no longer under the control of the Haitian authorities, with violence spreading to other parts of the country. In the past year, displacement in Haiti has tripled as gang violence grips the Caribbean nation. The United Nations reports that at least 578,000 people have been displaced due to violence, including murders, kidnappings and rapes. The situation is further exacerbated by widespread hunger, with nearly half of the 11.7 million population facing acute food insecurity. Gangs, some aligned with political elites, accumulated their control over territory and illicit markets during the tenure of the deeply unpopular former Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who took office after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, according to a Congressional Research Service report. Henry resigned in April 2024 following the formation of a Transitional Presidential Council. The Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic will host the 2025 Summit of the Americas, where Western Hemisphere leaders will address shared challenges and policy issues facing the region. "In the Dominican Republic, we will reinforce our shared priorities such as promoting democratic governance, supporting free and fair elections in the region, and fighting corruption," Nichols told reporters. On August 16, President Luis Abinader was inaugurated for a second four-year term. He has vowed to boost security by training more police over the next four years. His administration has barred migrants from neighboring Haiti. "We certainly hope to see more normal relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti," Nichols said. "The countries are inexorably linked, and we certainly will have those conversations with leaders on both sides of the border." The U.S. and the Dominican Republic signed a historic Open Skies agreement on August 2. Once in effect, the agreement will expand opportunities for airlines, travel companies and people-to-people exchanges. More than 4 million U.S. citizens visit the Dominican Republic each year. The Dominican Republic is a crucial partner for the U.S. in hemispheric affairs, due to its position as the second-largest economy in the Caribbean, after Cuba, and the third-largest country by population, behind Cuba and Haiti. The U.S. is its primary trading partner. Additionally, the Dominican Republic is home to Pueblo Viejo, one of the world's largest gold mines, and serves as a major global supplier of ferronickel. The United States said it will continue robust collaboration with the Dominican Republic to advance inclusive economic growth, bolster democratic institutions, uphold human rights, and enhance governance and security. The Dominican Republic and the United States, along with five Central American countries, are parties to the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement, known as CAFTA-DR. This agreement enhances economic opportunities by eliminating tariffs, opening markets, reducing barriers to services and promoting transparency. The U.S. Agency for International Development is investing more than $9.5 million to strengthen the Dominican Republic's existing justice system and to reduce crime and violence.

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.

  Washington  — In an interview with a Mongolian newspaper, Russian President Vladimir Putin this week accused the West of persecuting Russian journalists.  “In order to hide from inconvenient facts, from truthful information, the West, which considers itself the standard of freedom, has launched an open persecution against Russian correspondents,” Putin told the newspaper Onoodor.   Putin spoke with the newspaper the day before he arrived in Mongolia, where he traveled despite being under an international arrest warrant.  And the comments came just days after the Kremlin announced it was banning entry to Russia for 92 more people — mainly U.S. citizens, including several journalists — over what Moscow characterized as Washington’s anti-Russia posture.  Among those banned were The Wall Street Journal’s editor-in-chief Emma Tucker, as well as other journalists from the Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post.   Media analysts said Putin’s comments reflect the restricted environment facing journalists in Russia.  “This is nothing new, this kind of vocabulary. But it underlines yet again that there is no independent press in Russia, especially when it comes to reporting on the war in Ukraine,” Karol Luczka, Eastern Europe monitor at the International Press Institute in Vienna, told VOA.  Putin’s comments follow years of Moscow’s harsh crackdown on independent media, with dozens jailed, including local and foreign reporters, and a series of harsh laws that analysts say make independent journalism all but impossible.  Since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, independent outlets and journalists have been forced to decamp to other countries to avoid arrest and to keep reporting on Russia. And even in exile, Russian journalists continue to face Moscow-backed harassment in a process known as transnational repression.  Putin’s claims echoed a statement that Russia’s Foreign Ministry gave VOA in August.  The Foreign Ministry declined to answer VOA’s specific questions about threats and harassment facing journalists, but a spokesperson said “protecting the rights of journalists” is the ministry’s “constant focus of attention.”  The emailed response then shared a list of instances in which foreign governments fined, banned or suspended Kremlin-run media.  Washington has imposed sanctions against some state-run Russian television stations, which it says have spread disinformation to boost Moscow’s war in Ukraine. And Canada and the European Union blocked broadcasts to Russian state-run news outlets.   Russia’s Washington embassy, meanwhile, did not immediately reply to VOA’s email requesting comment for this story.  Putin, however, maintained that news outlets operate freely in Russia.  “The only requirement for them is compliance with Russian legislation,” he said. “Foreign correspondents accredited in our country should understand this.”  Luczka said that statement was “laughable” and “not something that can be taken seriously.”  “What does respect the law mean? The laws are such in Russia that independent media cannot function — so, yes, they can function as long as they respect the law, but the law says that they cannot function,” Luczka said.  In early August, two American journalists — Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Alsu Kurmasheva and The Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich — were released from Russia, where they were held on bogus charges, in a historic prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia. Gershkovich was accredited to report in Russia but was still arrested for his work. Press freedom experts say their jailings underscored Russia’s disdain for media freedom.  Putin’s comments came ahead of his first trip to Mongolia in five years.  Ukraine and the European Union expressed concern that Mongolia, which is a member of the International Criminal Court, or ICC, did not act on a warrant to arrest Putin when he arrived in Mongolia on Monday.  The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023 over alleged war crimes committed in the war in Ukraine. As a member of the ICC, Mongolia has a responsibility to act on warrants.  Some information in this report came from Reuters. 

Pentagon — The United States is planning to send Michael Chase, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, to China's top annual security forum this month, two U.S. defense officials have confirmed to VOA. One of the officials, who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity ahead of the forum, called Chase’s upcoming attendance "consistent participation from the U.S."  Chase is more senior than the U.S. representative at last year’s Xiangshan Forum, but his rank is on par with historical norms for Pentagon representatives who attend the annual meeting. The Pentagon did not send a representative from 2020-2022 due to the pandemic. "This engagement is meant to be more of the same" to keep the lines of military communication open and ensure that China has a clear understanding of the United States’ position on global security issues, the defense official told VOA.  The forum comes on the heels of a face-to-face meeting in Singapore between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, in late May. Austin spoke with Dong for the first time in April, marking the first dialogue between the two countries’ defense chiefs in nearly 17 months. The top U.S. military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, spoke with his Chinese military counterpart in December. “Of course talks can make a difference. Having those mil-to-mil communications, those senior channels open, actually allows for the avoidance of a miscalculation,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters earlier this year. Chinese state media reports say that more than 90 countries and international organizations plan to send delegations to Beijing for the September 12-14 forum. Reuters was first to report the decision. Beijing has asserted its desire to control access to the South China Sea and bring democratically ruled Taiwan under its control, by force if necessary. President Joe Biden has said U.S. troops would defend the island from attack. China’s defense ministry has said the Taiwan issue is the "core of China's core interests.” Tensions have risen sharply between China and U.S. ally the Philippines in the South China Sea, with China’s coast guard using water cannons to threaten Filipino fishing ships. China has also used collision and ramming tactics, undersea barriers and a military-grade laser to stop Philippine resupply and patrol missions. Last year, Austin and his Philippine counterpart established the U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Defense Guidelines, which reaffirmed that an armed attack in the Pacific – including anywhere in the South China Sea – on either of their public vessels, aircraft, or armed forces, would invoke mutual defense commitments outlined in the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is out as President Zelenskyy reorganizes his government. A victory for a right-wing political party in Germany and what it might mean for Kyiv. The U.S. Justice Department files criminal charges against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other militants connected to the October 7 attack in Israel. Massive demonstrations continue as outraged Israelis continue to demand Netanyahu secures a deal to release the remaining hostages. Opposition leader Bobby Wine shot in Uganda Plus, a look at recent hostilities in the South China Sea.

Washington — The Biden administration accused Russia on Wednesday of a far-reaching effort to influence the U.S. presidential election, including by promoting disinformation and enlisting unwitting American influencers to spread propaganda on Russian state media. The actions taken by the U.S. government include sanctions against leaders of RT, a state media organization that was forced by the Justice Department to register as a foreign agent, as well as visa restrictions. Intelligence agencies have previously charged that Russia was using disinformation to try to interfere in the election.  In a speech last month, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Russia was the primary threat to the election, even as Iran raised alarm this summer for a hack of Donald Trump's campaign and an attempted breach of the then-Joe Biden-Kamala Harris campaign. Russian President Vladimir Putin and "his proxies are using increasingly sophisticated techniques in their interference operations. They're targeting specific voter demographics and swing-state voters to in an effort to manipulate presidential and congressional election outcomes," she said. "They're intent on co-opting unwitting Americans on social media to push narratives advancing Russian interests." Much of the concern around Russia centers on cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns designed to influence the November vote. The tactics include using state media like RT to advance anti-U.S. messages and content, as well as networks of fake websites and social media accounts that amplify the claims and inject them into American's online conversations. Typically, these networks seize on polarizing political topics such as immigration, crime or the war in Gaza. In many cases, Americans may have no idea that the content they see online either originated or was amplified by the Kremlin. "Russia is taking a whole of government approach to influence the election including the presidential race," an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said this summer during a briefing. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under rules worked out with that office. Groups linked to the Kremlin are increasingly hiring marketing and communications firms within Russia to outsource some of the work of creating digital propaganda while also covering their tracks, the officials said during the briefing with reporters. Two such firms were the subject of new U.S. sanctions announced in March. Authorities say the two Russian companies created fake websites and social media profiles to spread Kremlin disinformation. The ultimate goal, however, is to get Americans to spread Russian disinformation without questioning its origin. People are far more likely to trust and repost information that they believe is coming from a domestic source, officials said. Fake websites designed to mimic U.S. news outlets and AI-generated social media profiles are just two methods. Messages left with the Russian Embassy were not immediately returned.

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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — Boeing will attempt to return its problem-plagued capsule from the International Space Station later this week — with empty seats. NASA said Wednesday that everything is on track for the Starliner capsule to undock from the space station Friday evening. The fully automated capsule will aim for a touchdown in New Mexico's White Sands Missile Range six hours later. NASA's two stuck astronauts, who flew up on Starliner, will remain behind at the orbiting lab. They'll ride home with SpaceX in February, eight months after launching on what should have been a weeklong test flight. Thruster trouble and helium leaks kept delaying their return until NASA decided that it was too risky for them to accompany Starliner back as originally planned. "It's been a journey to get here, and we're excited to have Starliner return," said NASA's commercial crew program manager Steve Stich. NASA's Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will close the hatches between Starliner and the space station on Thursday. They are now considered full-time station crew members along with the seven others on board, helping with experiments and maintenance, and ramping up their exercise to keep their bones and muscles strong during their prolonged exposure to weightlessness. To make room for them on SpaceX's next taxi flight, the Dragon capsule will launch with two astronauts instead of the usual four. Two were cut late last week from the six-month expedition, which is due to blast off in late September. Boeing must vacate the parking place for SpaceX's arrival. Boeing encountered serious flaws with Starliner long before its June 5 liftoff on the long-delayed astronaut demo. Starliner's first test flight went so poorly in 2019 — the capsule never reached the space station because of software errors — that the mission was repeated three years later. More problems surfaced, resulting in even more delays and more than $1 billion in repairs. The capsule had suffered multiple thruster failures and propulsion-system helium leaks by the time it pulled up at the space station after launch. Boeing conducted extensive thruster tests in space and on the ground, and contended the capsule could safely bring the astronauts back. But NASA disagreed, setting the complex ride swap in motion. Starliner will make a faster, simpler getaway than planned, using springs to push away from the space station and then short thruster firings to gradually increase the distance. The original plan called for an hour of dallying near the station, mostly for picture-taking; that was cut to 20 or so minutes to reduce the stress on the capsule's thrusters and keep the station safe. Additional test firings of Starliner's 28 thrusters are planned before the all-important descent from orbit. Engineers want to learn as much as they can since the thrusters won't return to Earth; the section containing them will be ditched before the capsule reenters. The stuck astronauts — retired Navy captains — have lived on the space station before and settled in just fine, according to NASA officials. Even though their mission focus has changed, "they're just as dedicated for the success of human spaceflight going forward," flight director Anthony Vareha said. Their blue Boeing spacesuits will return with the capsule, along with some old station equipment. NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX a decade ago to ferry its astronauts to and from the space station after its shuttles retired. SpaceX accomplished the feat in 2020 and has since launched nine crews for NASA and four for private customers.

Harare — More than 70 activists were acquitted Wednesday after being arrested in Zimbabwe in June for disorderly conduct for allegedly planning to peacefully demonstrate during a meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Jeremiah Bamu of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights is representing 78 opposition activists who were arrested in mid-June at the home of Jameson Timba, the acting opposition leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change. The activists were charged with participating in a public gathering with the intent to promote public violence and disorderly conduct in a public place. “They were all found not guilty and were acquitted on the second count of one disorderly conduct in a public place,” Bamu said outside the Harare Magistrates Court. “And with respect to the first count of participating in a public gathering with intent to promote public violence, [at] least 11 of them were discharged at the close of the state’s case, with the remaining being put to their defense. We then made an application for an inspection in loco [on the spot] before we begin the defense case in earnest.” The minister of home affairs, Kazembe Kazembe, said the activists were arrested in June because of plans to protest at the Southern African Development Community meeting held last month in Harare. Others were arrested in other parts of the country, bringing the tally to more than 100. Among those was 25-year-old Namatai Kwekweza, a human rights activist and feminist advocate who was arrested along with Robson Chere and Samuel Gwenzi, and forcibly removed from a domestic plane. Later in court, the trio said they had been tortured while in police detention. They were granted bail and released on September 4. “We appeared before the court, and the appeal was dealt with, and the appellants have been granted bail,” said Charles Kwaramba of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, who is representing them. “Our appeal succeeded — pay $150 as bail sums, and … report every Friday of the month end.” The activists’ arrests attracted international condemnation. “I am both delighted and relieved that the three have been released on bail,” said Mary Lawlor, U.N. special rapporteur on human rights defenders. “That being said, it is a travesty of justice that they were detained in the first place. .... The charges should be dropped, and an investigation opened into the circumstances of their detention, which the ruling party has admitted as being politically motivated and linked to the SADC summit.” She continued, “I further call for all those human rights defenders who remain in detention to be released. It is time for Zimbabwe to stop playing games and step up as a responsible member of the international community and abide by its freely assumed international human rights obligations.” Khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for East and Southern Africa, agreed that all those arrested should be discharged. “All these activists committed no offense but have been arbitrarily arrested and detained for exercising their human rights,” he said. “This, in violation of Zimbabwe’s constitutional and international human rights obligations. We therefore urge the government to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained for exercising their rights. The charges against them must be dropped.” Rights groups have criticized Zimbabwe for human rights abuses for decades, going back at least to the early 2000s, when the government of then-President Robert Mugabe engaged in alleged election rigging and forced thousands of white commercial farmers off their land. Mugabe’s successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa — who is in China — has maintained that he is a constitutionalist and respects human rights. Officials of his administration refused to comment Wednesday.