DruasiaAsia

Militant ambush kills 6 Pakistan soldiers near Afghan border

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan said Saturday that insurgents ambushed a military convoy overnight in a volatile district bordering Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of at least six soldiers, including an officer.

The ambush occurred in North Waziristan, a former stronghold of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, a globally designated terrorist organization.

A brief military statement said that six assailants were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire. It identified the slain militants as “Khwarij,” an official reference to TTP.

Multiple area security sources confirmed to VOA that the gunfire had also injured at least 22 Pakistani soldiers.

The Waziristan district is in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has experienced a dramatic surge in TTP bombings and gun raids since the Taliban regained power in Kabul three years ago.

Separately, the military reported that an intelligence-driven security operation in the province’s Swat district late on Saturday killed two TTP militant commanders and captured another.

Pakistan says TTP, also referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, is based in Afghanistan and stages cross-border attacks with the help of that country’s Taliban government.

Islamabad alleges that insurgents active in its southwestern Balochistan border province are increasingly using Afghan sanctuaries to orchestrate deadly attacks against the country.

A report this week by the Center for Research and Security Studies documented nearly 1,000 deaths of Pakistani civilians and security forces in the first nine months of this year. The Islamabad-based think tank reported that attacks by TTP and Baloch insurgents caused most of casualties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The Taliban government, which is officially not recognized by any country, denies Pakistani allegations and insists that neither TTP nor other foreign militant groups are on Afghan soil.

However, recent United Nations Security Council assessments have disputed the Taliban’s assertions and described TTP as “the largest terrorist group” in Afghanistan.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi again questioned U.N. security assessments Friday, claiming their government restored “security and stability nationwide.”

He emphasized, while addressing a Russian-hosted regional conference, that they are in control of the entire Afghan territory and that no one can use it to threaten regional security.

“Occasionally, representatives of some countries in the U.N. Security Council and the media express their concern about the existence of threats on Afghan soil,” Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said.

“We believe that the information gap about Afghanistan or disinformation by antagonist circles has found its way to international organizations,” he said, without elaborating.  
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DruafAfrica

Sex workers find themselves at center of Congo’s mpox outbreak

KAMITUGA, Congo — It’s been four months since Sifa Kunguja recovered from mpox, but as a sex worker, she said, she’s still struggling to regain clients, with fear and stigma driving away people who’ve heard she had the virus. 

“It’s risky work,” Kunguja, 40, said from her small home in eastern Congo. “But if I don’t work, I won’t have money for my children.”

Sex workers are among those hardest-hit by the mpox outbreak in Kamituga, where some 40,000 of them are estimated to reside — many single mothers driven by poverty to this mineral-rich commercial hub where gold miners comprise the majority of the clientele. Doctors estimate 80% of cases here have been contracted sexually, though the virus also spreads through other kinds of skin-to-skin contact.

Sex workers say the situation threatens their health and livelihoods. Health officials warn that more must be done to stem the spread — with a focus on sex workers — or mpox will creep deeper through eastern Congo and the region.

Mpox causes mostly mild symptoms such as fever and body aches, but serious cases can mean prominent, painful blisters on the face, hands, chest and genitals.

Kunguja and other sex workers insist that despite risks of reinfection or spreading the virus, they have no choice but to keep working. Sex work isn’t illegal in Congo, though related activities such as solicitation are. Rights groups say possible legal consequences and fear of retribution — sex workers are subject to high rates of violence including rape and abuse — prevent women from seeking medical care. That can be especially detrimental during a public health emergency, according to experts.

Health officials in Kamituga are advocating for the government to shutter nightclubs and mines and compensate sex workers for lost business.

Not everyone agrees. Local officials say they don’t have resources to do more than care for those who are sick, and insist it’s sex workers’ responsibility to protect themselves.

Kamituga Mayor Alexandre Bundya M’pila told The Associated Press that the government is creating awareness campaigns but lacks money to reach everyone. He also said sex workers should look for other jobs, without providing examples of what might be available.

Sex work a big part of economy

Miners stream into Kamituga by the tens of thousands. The economy is centered on the mines: Buyers line streets, traders travel to sell gold, small businesses and individuals provide food and lodging, and the sex industry flourishes.

Nearly a dozen sex workers spoke to AP. They said well over half their clients are miners.

The industry is well organized, according to the Kenyan-based African Sex Workers Alliance, composed of sex worker-led groups. The alliance estimates that 13% of Kamituga’s 300,000 residents are sex workers.

The town has 18 sex-worker committees, the alliance said, with a leadership that tries to work with government officials, protect and support colleagues, and advocate for their rights.

But sex work in Congo is dangerous. Women face systematic violence that’s tolerated by society, according to a report by UMANDE, a local sex-worker rights group.

Many women are forced into the industry because of poverty or because, like Kunguja, they’re single parents and must support their families.

Getting mpox can put sex workers out of business

The sex workers who spoke to AP described mpox as an added burden. Many are terrified of getting the virus — it means time away from work, lost income and perhaps losing business altogether.

Those who recover are stigmatized, they said. Kamituga is a small place, where most everyone knows one another. Neighbors whisper and tell clients when someone is sick — people talk and point.

Since contracting mpox in May, Kunguja said she’s gone from about 20 clients daily to five. She’s been supporting her 11 children through sex work for nearly a decade but said she now can’t afford to send them to school. To compensate, she’s selling alcohol by day, but it’s not enough.

Experts say information and awareness are key

Disease experts say a lack of vaccines and information makes stemming the spread difficult.

Some 250,000 vaccines have arrived in Congo, but it’s unclear when any will get to Kamituga. Sex workers and miners are among those slated to receive them first.

Community leaders and aid groups are trying to teach sex workers about protecting themselves and their clients via awareness sessions where they discuss signs and symptoms. They also press condom use, which they say isn’t widespread enough in the industry.

Sex workers told AP that they insist on using condoms when they have them, but that they simply don’t have enough.

Kamituga’s general hospital gives them boxes of about 140 condoms every few months. Some sex workers see up to 60 clients a day — for less than $1 a person. Condoms run out, and workers say they can’t afford more.

Dr. Guy Mukari, an epidemiologist working with the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Congo, noted that the variant running rampant in Kamituga seems more susceptible to transmission via sex, making for a double whammy with the sex industry.
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DruafAfrica

Through music and dance, Sudanese performers transport refugee audiences home

cairo — As the performers took the stage and the traditional drum beat gained momentum, Sudanese refugees sitting in the audience were moved to tears. Hadia Moussa said the melody reminded her of the country’s Nuba Mountains, her family’s ancestral home. 

“Performances like this help people mentally affected by the war. It reminds us of the Sudanese folklore and our culture,” she said. 

Sudan has been engulfed by violence since April 2023, when war between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces broke out across the country. The conflict has turned the capital, Khartoum, into an urban battlefield and displaced 4.6 million people, according to the United Nations migration agency, including more than 419,000 people who fled to Egypt. 

A band with 12 Sudanese members now lives with thousands of refugees in Egypt. The troupe, called “Camirata,” includes researchers, singers and poets who are determined to preserve the knowledge of traditional Sudanese folk music and dance to keep it from being lost in the ruinous war. 

Founded in 1997, the band rose to popularity in Khartoum before it began traveling to different states, enlisting diverse musicians, dancers and styles. They sing in 25 different Sudanese languages. Founder Dafallah el-Hag said the band’s members started relocating to Egypt recently, as Sudan struggled through a difficult economic and political transition after a 2019 popular uprising unseated longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir. Others followed after the violence began. El-Hag arrived late last year. 

The band uses a variety of local musical instruments on stage. El-Hag says audiences are often surprised to see instruments such as the tanbour, a stringed instrument, being played with the nuggara drums, combined with tunes of the banimbo, a wooden xylophone. 

“This combination of musical instruments helped promote some sort of forgiveness and togetherness among the Sudanese people,” el-Hag said, adding that he is eager to revive a museum in Khartoum that housed historic instruments and was reportedly looted and damaged. 

Fatma Farid, 21, a singer and dancer from Kordofan, moved to Egypt in 2021. Her aunt was killed in 2023 when an explosive fell on their house in al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan. 

“The way I see art has changed a lot since the war began,” she said. “You think of what you present as an artist. You can deliver a message.” 

Kawthar Osman, a native of Madani city who has been singing with the band since 1997, feels nostalgic when she sings about the Nile River, which forms in Sudan from two upper branches, the Blue and White Nile. 

“It reminds me of what makes Sudan the way it is,” she said, adding that the war only “pushed the band to sing more for peace.” 

More than 2 million Sudanese fled the country, mostly to neighboring Egypt and Chad, where the Global Hunger Index has reported a “serious” level of hunger. Over half a million forcibly displaced Sudanese have sought refuge in Chad, mostly women and children. 

Living conditions for those who stayed in Sudan have worsened as the war spread beyond Khartoum. Many made hard decisions early in the war either to flee across frontlines or risk being caught in the middle of fighting. In Darfur, the war turned particularly brutal and created famine conditions, with militias attacking entire villages and burning them to the ground. 

Armed robberies, lootings and the seizure of homes for bases were some of the challenges faced by Sudanese who stayed in the country’s urban areas. Others struggled to secure food and water, find sources for electricity, and obtain medical treatment since hospitals were raided by fighters or hit by airstrikes. Communications networks are often barely functional. 

The performers say they struggle to speak with family and friends still in the country, much less think about returning. 

“We don’t know if we’ll return to Sudan again or will see Sudan again or walk in the same streets,” Farid said. 
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DruasiaAsia

Envoy: ‘Russian leadership’ decides to delist Taliban as terrorist group

ISLAMABAD — Russia reported Friday that a “principal decision” had already been made to remove Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban from Moscow’s list of terrorist organizations.

Zamir Kabulov, the Russian presidential envoy for the South Asian nation, was quoted by state-run TASS news agency as saying that the foreign ministry and national security agencies “are putting finishing legal touches” on the Taliban’s delisting in line with federal laws.

“A principal decision on this has already been made by the Russian leadership,” said Kabulov. “Hopefully, the final decision will be announced soon.”

The remarks were reported on the same day that Moscow hosted a conference of regional countries to discuss Afghanistan, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presiding over the proceedings.

Lavrov later held bilateral talks with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who led his delegation at Friday’s multilateral event in the Russian capital, organized under the Moscow Format platform.

“We firmly believe in the importance of maintaining a pragmatic dialogue with the current Afghan government,” Lavrov said in his inaugural speech to delegates from countries such as China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan.

“Moscow will continue to develop political, trade, and economic ties with Kabul,” Lavrov pledged.

Russia launched the Moscow Format in 2017 and it has since become a regular platform for discussing challenges facing impoverished, war-torn Afghanistan.

Muttaqi, in his broadcast address to Friday’s gathering, welcomed Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan’s recent announcements that they will remove the Taliban from their lists of outlawed groups.

“We also appreciate the positive remarks [made] by the high-ranking officials of the Russian Federation in this regard and hope to see more effective steps soon,” said the Taliban chief diplomat.

Russia’s involvement in Afghanistan has been tumultuous. The Soviet army entered the country in 1979 to help a pro-Moscow government in Kabul but pulled out a decade later due to heavy losses inflicted by U.S.-backed Afghan insurgents, or mujahideen.

Moscow has developed close informal ties with the Taliban since they regained power in Afghanistan three years ago after the United States and NATO forces withdrew ending 20 years of war.

President Vladimir Putin stated in July that Russia considered the Taliban an ally in the fight against terrorism. The former Afghan insurgent group has been on the Russian list of terrorist organizations since 2003.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov praised the Taliban for combating narcotics in Afghanistan and fighting a regional Islamic State affiliate known as IS-Khorasan (IS-K).

“We support the Afghan authorities’ resolve to combat the terrorist threat,” he told the conference Friday.

Muttaqi called on all regional countries “to cooperate in preventing the recruitment of their citizens by ISIS and then send them to Afghanistan and other countries to carry out subversive operations.” He used an acronym for IS-K, which the United Nations describes as the most significant terrorist regional threat emanating from Afghan soil.

The Taliban foreign minister did not name any country, but Kabul formally alleged last week that the terrorist group is orchestrating attacks from bases in Pakistan, charges officials in Islamabad have refuted as unfounded.

No country has officially recognized the de facto Taliban government, although China and the United Arab Emirates have formally accepted Taliban-appointed ambassadors.

Washington remains opposed to any step toward easing sanctions or moving toward recognition of the Taliban as Afghanistan’s rightful government, saying Kabul must improve its human rights record to win international legitimacy and support.

“We will look for interest in any outcomes and deliverables from the upcoming Moscow Format meeting, but we do not participate,” Karen Decker, the head of the Doha-based U.S. diplomatic mission for Afghanistan, told reporters Thursday.

The U.S. has never attended a Moscow Format meeting because it is seen as a regional conversation, said Decker, who has also been tasked with overseeing Afghan diplomacy. 
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DruamAmericas

Biden, Harris tour hurricane-affected states

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday visited areas hit hard by Hurricane Helene, where more than a million people remain without power and the death toll is climbing. Biden offered as many as 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support the response effort. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Washington.
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DruamAmericas

Conservative think tank pushes US to continue engagement in Pacific

washington — U.S. engagement with a string of Pacific Island nations must continue, regardless of which party wins the White House, the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation said in a newly published report.

The islands, situated between Hawaii and Australia, are the latest front of competition between Washington and Beijing.

In the 45-page report, Andrew Harding, a research assistant in the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, argues that it’s time to make the case to taxpayers and Washington policymakers that investing in the Pacific Islands is money well-spent because it “counters Chinese ambitions” and denies Beijing a foothold “that can threaten U.S. national security interests and complicate possible future military operations in Asia.”

That argument appears convincing to some China hawks in the Republican Party.

Alexander Velez-Green, former national security adviser to Republican Senator Josh Hawley, called the report “a compelling vision,” telling VOA in a statement, “The Pacific Islands are key terrain in America’s efforts to balance power against China.”

Likewise, former Asia adviser in the Trump administration Alexander Gray said the Heritage report would benefit “whoever is president in January 2025.”

“I expect a Trump 2.0 would only expand on this important work,” Gray wrote in response to VOA’s emailed questions.

The Heritage Foundation now employs many former Trump administration officials. Last year it released Project 2025, a controversial series of proposals to staff and shape policy for a second Trump White House. Former President Donald Trump has sought to distance himself from the effort, even as his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, claims it defines his policies.

John Hennessey-Niland, who served as U.S. ambassador to Palau from 2020 to 2022, argues that Harding’s message may convince policymakers in Washington but addresses only one of the region’s problems.

“The Pacific Islands are concerned about PRC interference and coercion, but it is not the only threat they face. Other concerns include climate and their own capacity to provide for their people,” Hennessey-Niland told VOA via a statement, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China.

Kathryn Paik agrees. She served as director for the Pacific and Southeast Asia at the National Security Council under President Joe Biden and now works as a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

“Making U.S. Pacific engagement ‘all about China’ neglects precisely what can enable the U.S.-Pacific relationship to grow deeper than anything China could ever hope to have — our history, our culture and our shared values,” she told VOA in response to emailed questions.

Harding said he is just saying the quiet part out loud.

“America’s primary driver is U.S.-China competition and the threats that it poses to America’s national interests and the security of its people,” he told VOA Tuesday in an interview.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has traveled to the Pacific Islands to meet one on one with the leaders of Fiji and Papua New Guinea. He also has hosted numerous other Pacific Islands heads of state in Beijing.

In contrast, the White House has only held joint meetings with Pacific Islands leaders, and Biden has not traveled to the nations.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to VOA’s request for comment.

While analysts differ over the report’s rationale for deeper engagement in the Pacific, they say many of the 31 policy recommendations have bipartisan appeal, including appointing a special envoy for the Pacific Islands, creating more positions at key departments to oversee outreach and planning a presidential visit to a Pacific Islands state.

Greg Brown, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the appointment of a special envoy is vital to sustained U.S. engagement.

He said the real challenge is convincing the 535 members of the U.S. Congress to increase foreign assistance to the Pacific Islands when few American voters even know where they are, much less why they’re important to U.S. national security.

“Anything requiring funding from Congress will be a chore — not because the demands are large or fiscal-burden heavy, but because members and staffs need constant reminders why securing U.S. interests in this region are imperative,” Brown told VOA in an interview.

He added that the special envoy should be a “heavyweight appointment … with the ear of the president” and the “diplomatic skill to navigate and drive changes” across Washington.
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DruchinaChina

Chinese gangs revive scam hubs in Myanmar as Beijing eases pressure on junta

WASHINGTON — A recent report by the U.S. Institute of Peace highlights the resurgence of scam hubs, particularly in Myanmar’s Karen State, due to China’s softened stance toward the country’s military regime.

China’s posture has shifted, said Jason Tower, co-author of the report and the country director for Burma at the institute. 

“They’re now much more focused on regime survival, looking at how they can prevent the [Myanmar] regime from toppling,” Tower told VOA Burmese. “As a result, China has shown much less interest in taking forceful action to pressure the Myanmar military to address these problems.”

According to the report, these criminal networks benefit from the complex dynamics between Myanmar’s military and Chinese interests. China’s focus has shifted from cracking down on scams to supporting the Myanmar military. This change in strategy has allowed the criminal organizations to flourish, using Myanmar as a base of operations.

After contacting the Chinese Embassy in Washington about the issue, VOA received a statement that did not directly address cyber scam operations. Instead, it emphasized China’s focus on peace and stability in Myanmar.

“China and Myanmar are close neighbors with a deep bond of friendship,” wrote embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu. “As a friendly neighbor, China has always paid close attention to the development and evolution of the situation in Myanmar and northern Myanmar. We do not hope to see conflict or chaos in Myanmar and sincerely hope for an early restoration of stability.” 

China’s Ministry of Public Security portrayed the situation differently, according to a report published Monday by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. In a recent statement on its crackdown on cyber scams, the report said, the ministry highlighted joint efforts with Myanmar authorities, noting that “a total of 870 suspects, including 313 Chinese and 557 Myanmar nationals, were arrested during a crackdown on telecom and online fraud in northern Myanmar.” 

Myanmar’s state-controlled media Global New Light of Myanmar also focused on crackdowns, noting that Myanmar’s police had worked closely with China in extraditing 20 Chinese nationals in September.

Shift in China’s priorities

China’s view on the conflict constantly evolves based on events inside Myanmar, said Thomas Kean, a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, a nongovernmental think tank.

“Since 2021, we’ve seen different phases, but ultimately, China wants stability in Myanmar to pursue its strategic objectives, keep its borders safe, and ensure that Chinese nationals and the economy aren’t affected,” Kean said.

Tower described how China’s priorities have shifted from addressing scams to focusing on maintaining its strategic interests in Myanmar.

“The Chinese government began prioritizing the advancement of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, which includes infrastructure and trade routes, giving China access to the Indian Ocean,” he said.

Tower said some Chinese strategists had suggested that China had perhaps gone too far in its crackdown on the scam syndicates, losing sight of its broader strategic goals. 

As a result, Chinese authorities pushed hard to broker cease-fire agreements between Myanmar’s military and ethnic armed groups to stabilize the region.

‘Pig butchering’ scams

The Chinese scams emanating from Myanmar have grown in sophistication, the U.S. Institute of Peace report noted. The United States has become one of the primary targets, losing billions of dollars annually to “pig butchering” scams.

“Pig butchering” is a type of investment fraud where scammers lure victims on social media only to defraud them for significant amounts of money, often in cryptocurrency.

Many Americans have fallen victim to scams originating from Myanmar, said Erin West, a deputy district attorney with California’s REACT Task Force to combat high-tech crime.

“They’ve liquidated retirement accounts, children’s college funds, only to find out that the entire thing is fictitious, and they’ve lost everything,” West told VOA. Victims are lured into fraudulent online relationships, believing they are investing in cryptocurrency, she said.

While some criminals are deported back to China, Tower said, broader networks remain primarily untouched and continue to operate with the protection of local warlords and military elites. He is concerned that these scams will increasingly become a threat to U.S. national security.

“These scams are currently causing estimated losses in the range of $5.5 billion per year for the U.S., but other estimates place the numbers as high as $15 billion,” Tower said.

These actors are often under the protection of the Myanmar military or other corrupt regional elites, he added, making it difficult for law enforcement to intervene.

“This is a serious crisis,” Tower said. “We’re seeing a massive transfer of wealth from the United States to bad actors in Southeast Asia — actors that are undermining democracy, highly corrupt and often under the protection of the Myanmar military or other corrupt elites. This is bad news for the U.S. on many fronts.”
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DruchinaChina

US bans new types of goods from China over allegations of forced labor 

washington — The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that it would ban the import of goods from a Chinese steel manufacturer and a Chinese maker of artificial sweetener, accusing both of being involved in the use of forced labor from China’s far-west region of Xinjiang. 

The action broadens the scope of the U.S. effort to stop products from entering the country that the government says are tied to human rights abuses. 

The additions to the entity list under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act marked the first time a China-based steel company or aspartame sweetener business had been targeted by U.S. law enforcement, DHS said.

“Today’s actions reaffirm our commitment to eliminating forced labor from U.S. supply chains and upholding our values of human rights for all,” said Robert Silvers, undersecretary of homeland security for policy. “No sector is off-limits. We will continue to identify entities across industries and hold accountable those who seek to profit from exploitation and abuse.” 

The federal law that President Joe Biden signed at the end of 2021 followed allegations of human rights abuses by Beijing against members of the ethnic Uyghur group and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. The Chinese government has rejected the claims as lies and has defended its practice and policy in Xinjiang as fighting terror and ensuring stability. 

The new approach marked a shift in the U.S. trade relationship with China to increasingly take into account national security and human rights. Beijing has accused the U.S. of using human rights as a pretext to suppress China’s economic growth. 

Enforcement of the law initially targeted solar products, tomatoes, cotton and apparel, but over the last several months, the U.S. government has identified new sectors for enforcement, including aluminum and seafood. 

“That’s just a reflection of the fact that, sadly, forced labor continues to taint all too many supply chains,” Silvers told a trade group in June when marking the two-year anniversary of the creation of the entity list. “So our enforcement net has actually been quite wide from an industry-sector perspective.” 

He said the law “changed the dynamic in terms of putting the onus on importers to know their own supply chains” and that its enforcement had shown that the U.S. could “do the right thing” without halting normal trade. 

Since June 2022, the entity list has grown to 75 companies accused of using forced labor in Xinjiang or sourcing materials tied to that forced labor, Homeland Security said. 

Baowu Group Xinjiang Bayi Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. and Changzhou Guanghui Food Ingredients Co. Ltd. were the Chinese companies newly added to the list.
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DruasiaAsia

Turnout for local assembly elections in Indian Kashmir sets record

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir — Election officials in Indian-administered Kashmir are hailing a historically high turnout in elections completed this week as evidence of a commitment to democracy that bodes well for the region’s future.

More than 69% of people in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir, or J&K, cast their ballots in Tuesday’s third round of legislative elections, the first local electoral battle in a decade.

Round one took place September 18 with a voter turnout of 61.38%, and phase two was September 25 with a voter turnout of 57.31%, according to election officials.

Conducted in the three phases, the polling for 40 assembly constituencies — 24 in the Jammu division and 16 in the Kashmir valley — resulted in an overall voter turnout of over 63% in the disputed Himalayan region, organizers said.

Wire news reports say results are expected next week.

“These elections have witnessed a significant increase in voter turnout in areas infamous for militancy and boycotting democratic processes,” read a statement issued by the Election Commission of India.

“J&K assembly elections have marked a significant deepening of democracy, which will echo in the pages of history and continue to inspire a democratic spirit of the region for years to come,” said the prepared statement quoting Rajiv Kumar, India’s top elections official.

Northern Kashmir’s electoral landscape has traditionally been dominated by two rival political groups, the National Conference, or NC, and Peoples Democratic Party, or PDP. But the 2013 founding of the Awami Ittehad Party, or AIP, which is led by Indian parliamentarian Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as “Engineer Rashid,” could alter the electoral battlefield.

“It appears the contest will be between the NC and PDP. However, the situation may change as Engineer Rashid has attracted a massive crowd since his release from Tihar Jail,” Pattan resident Tanveer Najar told VOA. “It’s possible that the AIP could upset the NC and PDP.”

University of Kashmir political scientist Noor Ahmad Baba told VOA all phases of the 2024 local elections saw the largest voter turnout since 1989’s regional armed insurgency against Indian rule.

“People came out in relatively large numbers due to changing political dynamics after special status revocation,” said Baba, referring to India’s 2019 decision to strip the Himalayan region of its semiautonomous status. “Moreover, there has been no representation for the people during the last six years, so they voted.”

Umer Nazir, a resident of the Sumbal area of Bandipora district in northern Kashmir, said he thought the central government had discriminated against the Muslim majority region because of an anti-Muslim agenda.

“We want our own people to lead us,” Nazir told VOA.

“Our properties, our children and much more have been taken from us,” he added. “To put an end to this torture and seek some relief, I and my family decided to vote.”

Political analyst and podcaster Muzamil Maqbool told VOA that election campaigning in recent weeks focused on topics such as the restoration of special status for the area, possible statehood and the release of political prisoners held by India.

 

No ‘kingmaker’

But, he warned, voting results may not yield major changes. These “local assembly elections differ from parliamentary elections,” he said, noting that candidates such as Engineer Rashid may not fare as well regionally as their supporters hoped, even though they campaigned impressively.

“Engineer Rashid may win a few seats but he won’t be a kingmaker or a king as he has claimed in several recent interviews,” Maqbool said. “The support for Engineer Rashid in the recent parliamentary elections was largely based on emotional factors. Many voters believed that their votes would help secure his release from Tihar Jail after spending nearly six years.”

Maqbool also said residents were typically thinking about improving their communities when they cast ballots in the local elections.

“People here have understood the importance of voting [now] in these [local assembly] elections, where they could choose a genuine representative, so their rights, especially land rights, and jobs will be safeguarded,” Maqbool said.

Meanwhile, regional political parties, along with the main Indian opposition political group, the Indian National Congress, or INC, have said they will continue to lobby the government led by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, to restore statehood for J&K.

“If statehood is not restored, we have no choice but to approach the Supreme Court. We are confident we will win this battle,” said former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while revealing the manifesto of his party days before the election.

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi also vowed to protest inside and outside Parliament to pressure the BJP to improve governance in J&K.

“If they don’t restore statehood, we will storm the well of both houses and take to the streets,” Gandhi said during a recent rally in Srinagar. “This is the first time in Indian history that a state has been downgraded to a union territory. This was done to allow governance by outsiders.” 

Wasim Nabi contributed to this report.
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DruasiaAsia

Thousands march in India as doctors resume strike

Kolkata, India — Tens of thousands of people packed the streets of one of India’s biggest cities after doctors resumed a strike and called fresh rallies over the rape and murder of a colleague.

The discovery of the 31-year-old’s bloodied body at a state-run hospital in Kolkata two months ago rekindled nationwide anger at the chronic issue of violence against women.

Doctors in the eastern city went on strike for weeks in response and walked off the job again on Tuesday, saying pledges by the West Bengal state government to improve safety and security at hospitals had been unmet.

They were joined on Tuesday evening by thousands of people from all walks of life for a huge protest march, with many carrying the Indian tri-color flag and some staying out until dawn on Wednesday.

‘’We want to send out the message that our protests will not end until we get justice,” rally organizer Rimjhim Sinha, 29, told AFP at the march.

Kolkata is days away from the start of a festival held in honor of the Hindu warrior goddess Durga, the city’s biggest annual religious celebration.

Sinha said that the dozens of civil society groups backing doctors’ calls for public protests would use the occasion to demand an end to violence against women.

“The festival of worshipping Goddess Durga epitomizes the victory of good over evil,” she said. “This year it will turn into the festival of protests.”

With further demonstrations called over the coming days, a senior police official told AFP on condition of anonymity that more than 2,500 extra officers had been put on active duty around Kolkata.

The victim of the August attack is not being identified in keeping with Indian laws on media reporting of sexual violence cases.

Her father attended Tuesday’s march and told AFP that his family was still “devastated” two months after her death.

“My daughter’s soul will not rest in peace until she gets justice,” he said.

Doctors had briefly returned to limited duties in emergency departments last month, only to strike again in defiance of a September order from India’s top court to fully return to work.

They say that the state government’s promises to upgrade lighting, CCTV cameras and other security measures in hospitals have not been fulfilled.

Tens of thousands of ordinary Indians took part in the protests that followed the August attack.

One man has been detained over the murder but the West Bengal government has faced public criticism for its handling of the investigation.

Authorities sacked the city’s police chief and top health ministry officials.

The gruesome nature of the attack drew comparisons with the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a Delhi bus, which also sparked weeks of nationwide protests.
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DruamAmericas

John Amos, patriarch on ‘Good Times’ and Emmy nominee for blockbuster ‘Roots,’ dies at 84

LOS ANGELES — American actor John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970’s sitcom Good Times and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries Roots, has died. He was 84. 

Amos’ publicist, Belinda Foster, confirmed the news of his death Tuesday. No other details were immediately available. 

He played James Evans Sr. on Good Times, which featured one of television’s first Black two-parent families. Produced by Norman Lear and co-created by actor Mike Evans, who co-starred on All in the Family and The Jeffersons, it ran from 1974-79 on CBS. 

“That show was the closest depiction in reality to life as an African American family living in those circumstances as it could be,” Amos told Time magazine in 2021. 

His character, along with wife Florida, played by Esther Rolle, originated on another Lear show, Maude. James Evans often worked two manual labor jobs to support his family that included three children, with Jimmie Walker becoming a breakout star as oldest son J.J. 

Such was the show’s impact that Alicia Keys, Rick Ross, the Wu-Tang Clan are among the musicians who name-checked Amos or his character in their lyrics. 

Amos and Rolle were eager to portray a positive image of a Black family, struggling against the odds in a public housing project in Chicago. But they grew frustrated at seeing Walker’s character being made foolish and his role expanded. 

“The fact is that Esther’s criticism, and also that of John and others — some of it very pointed and personal — seriously damaged my appeal in the Black community,” Walker wrote in his 2012 memoir Dyn-O-Mite! Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times. 

After three seasons of critical acclaim and high ratings, Amos was fired. He had become critical of the show’s white writing staff creating storylines that he felt were inauthentic to the Black characters. 

“There were several examples where I said, ‘No, you don’t do these things. It’s anathema to Black society. I’ll be the expert on that, if you don’t mind,'” he told Time magazine. “And it got confrontational and heated enough that ultimately my being killed off the show was the best solution for everybody concerned, myself included.” 

Amos’ character was killed in a car accident. Walker lamented the situation. “If the decision had been up to me, I would have preferred that John stay and the show remain more of an ensemble,” he wrote in his memoir. “Nobody wanted me up front all the time, including me.” 

Amos and Lear later reconciled and they shared a hug at a Good Times live TV reunion special in 2019. 

Amos quickly bounced back, landing the role of an adult Kunta Kinte, the centerpiece of Roots, based on Alex Haley’s novel set during and after the era of slavery in the U.S. The miniseries was a critical and ratings blockbuster, and Amos earned one of its 37 Emmy nominations. 

“I knew that it was a life-changing role for me, as an actor and just from a humanistic standpoint,” he told Time magazine. “It was the culmination of all of the misconceptions and stereotypical roles that I had lived and seen being offered to me. It was like a reward for having suffered those indignities.” 

Early years

Born John Allen Amos Jr. on Dec. 27, 1939, in Newark, New Jersey, he was the son of an auto mechanic. He graduated from Colorado State University with a sociology degree and played on the school’s football team. 

Before pursuing acting, he moved to New York and was a social worker at the Vera Institute of Justice, working with defendants at the Brooklyn House of Detention. 

He had a brief professional football career, playing in various minor leagues. He signed a free-agent contract in 1967 with the Kansas City Chiefs, but coach Hank Stram encouraged Amos to pursue his interest in writing instead. He had jobs as an advertising and comedy writer before moving in front of the camera. 

Amos’ first major TV role was as Gordy Howard, the weatherman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1970-73. As the show’s only Black character, he played straight man to bombastic anchor Ted Baxter. 

Among Amos’ film credits were Let’s Do It Again with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, Coming to America with Eddie Murphy and its 2021 sequel, Die Hard 2, Madea’s Witness Protection and Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler. He was in Ice Cube and Dr. Dre’s 1994 video “Natural Born Killaz.” 

He was a frequent guest star on The West Wing, and his other TV appearances included Hunter, The District, Men in Trees, All About the Andersons, Two and a Half Men, and The Ranch. 

In 2020, Amos was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. He served in the New Jersey National Guard.
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DruamAmericas

US sanctions West Bank settler group for violence against Palestinians

WASHINGTON — The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Hilltop Youth, a group of extremist settlers in the Israeli -occupied West Bank who attack Palestinians and their property.

In addition, the State Department placed diplomatic sanctions on two men — Israeli settler Eitan Yardeni, for his connection to violence targeting West Bank civilians, and Avichai Suissa, the leader of Hashomer Yosh, a sanctioned group that brings young volunteers to settler farms across the territory, including small farming outposts that rights groups say are the primary drivers of settler violence across the territory.

The sanctions, which expose people to asset freezes and travel and visa bans, come as violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has exploded since the start of the Israel-Hamas war following the deadly terrorist attacks of October 7.

Palestinians report verbal and physical harassment and restriction of movement, and they face intimidation by settlers circling their properties on motorbikes, cars or horses and spying via drones.

The Treasury Department said Hilltop Youth has carried out killings and mass arson, while rights groups and Palestinians say the group is behind “price tag” attacks — attacks on Palestinian villages in retaliation for perceived efforts to hamper settlement construction.

The group may prove difficult to effectively sanction, as it is loosely organized and decentralized. In addition, Israel’s finance minister has previously vowed to intervene on sanctioned settlers’ behalf.

In the past, sanctioned settlers said that the measures had little impact on their finances.

Hilltop Youth has already faced sanctions from the EU and U.K.

The Biden administration has been criticized for imposing relatively few sanctions on Israeli extremists. According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control, 27 extremists and entities have been sanctioned by the U.S. under President Joe Biden ‘s February 2024 Executive Order related to maintaining West Bank stability.

Treasury Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith said that the U.S. “will continue to hold accountable the individuals, groups and organizations that facilitate these hateful and destabilizing acts.”

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “The actions of these individuals have contributed to creating an environment where violence and instability thrive. Their actions, collectively and individually, undermine peace, security and stability in the West Bank.”
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DruamAmericas

Washington exhibit offers glimpse of ocean’s ‘twilight zone’

A new exhibit in Washington sheds some light on a little-known layer of the sea and the strange creatures that live there. Artechouse art center and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution collaborated on the spectacle, called Twilight Zone: Hidden Wonders of the Ocean. Maxim Adams has the story.
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DruasiaAsia

New leader of Japan says security environment ‘most severe since end of WWII’

Tokyo — Japan’s new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, said Tuesday that his nation faces its “most severe” regional security situation in the post-WWII era, without naming any specific threats.

“The security environment surrounding our country is the most severe since the end of World War II,” he said in his first press conference after being approved as prime minister by parliament earlier in the day.

Ishiba, 67, is a former defense minister who has previously called for the creation of an Asian NATO to counter China’s rapid military build-up, North Korean missile launches and other security threats.

“With the Japan-US alliance as a foundation, we will expand the circle of friendly and like-minded countries, using diplomacy and defense to realize the peace of Japan and the region,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

He also said he would focus on cybersecurity and the safety of Japanese people abroad and would work to fix a shortage of new troops for Japan’s military.

On the economy, Ishiba — who backs the Bank of Japan’s exit from its maverick ultra-loose policies — said he would broadly continue the work of his predecessor, Fumio Kishida.

“The Japanese economy stands on the brink of whether to emerge from deflation. I will navigate our economy and fiscal policies by prioritizing ending deflation,” he said.

Ishiba, who won a ruling party leadership vote last week, has said he intends to call a general election for October 27 to shore up his mandate.

On Tuesday, he said the public and private sectors will have a shared goal for “female participation in all decision-making scenarios at all organizations.”

However, his own 20-strong cabinet announced earlier in the day includes just two women.
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DruafAfrica

Nigerians gather to mobilize hope amid growing burden of childhood cancers 

Abuja — Hundreds gathered in Abuja, Nigeria for the 2024 Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk, raising awareness and support for pediatric cancer. Despite progress in cancer care, Nigerian children face high costs and delayed diagnoses, which the walk aims to address.

Titilayo Adewumi joined the walk with her 13-year-old son Shittu, diagnosed with leukemia at age 5. With support from the Okapi Children Cancer Foundation, Shittu is now cancer-free.

Adewumi recounts the toll her son’s cancer diagnosis took on her family.

“I had to stop working for like 4 – 5 years so I could concentrate on him,” she said. “We went out of cash, we didn’t have money, that is when the Okapi visited us … I was so excited when the doctor told me that he was free of cancer, I felt like jumping into the roof and back I was so happy because it was not easy.”

Among the walkers was Izuyor Tobi. He brought his daughter Hope, who battled neuroblastoma. Treatment costs nearly drained the family’s finances until Okapi intervened. Today, Hope is healthy.

Tobi believes that spreading awareness about pediatric cancer will save lives.

“If not for Okapi Children Cancer Foundation, I don’t think my daughter will be alive today… What I do is to create more awareness by telling people what Okapi Children Cancer Foundation has done for my daughter,” he said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of childhood cancers occur in low-income countries like Nigeria, where many cases go undiagnosed or are detected late.

Pediatric oncologist Ifeoma Ezeukwu from the Federal Medical Center explained barriers to care.

“Ignorance is also another barrier,” she said. “I have come across so many people who will tell you, I never knew children could have cancer. … Early detection is key to survival in childhood cancer unlike the adult cancers; children, the prognosis are better in them when they are seen early, once you capture cancer early, you know that cure is what is expected.”

Kemi Adekanye founded the Okapi Children Cancer Foundation in 2017 and has been mobilizing community awareness and support. Funded by friends and family, the foundation has helped over 200 children access treatment, despite costs starting at $180.

Adekanye says they’re focused on influencing government action for pediatric cancer.

“As of today, there’s currently no supports being provided to children battling cancer, so we expect the government to intervene in terms of subsidizing treatment costs for children battling cancer, as well as equipping our hospitals more so people don’t have to travel far and wide to access oncology centers,” she said.

Health policy analyst Ejike Oji called for systemic reforms across Nigeria to ease the burden on families.

“The government should establish dedicated pediatric oncology wards across the country to provide grounds for training health care professionals to ensure their skills are good in diagnosing and treating childhood cancer,” he said. “If you look at the cancer from diagnosis to treatment, it’s a lot of money. Radiotherapy is one of the most expensive; most families cannot afford.”

The large turnout at the 8th Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk — ‘Bridge The Gap’ —showed the power of community mobilization.

Nigerians are advocating for better health care, early diagnosis and family support, ensuring no child faces cancer alone.
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DruasiaAsia

North Korean defector in South stole bus in bid to return home, media reports say 

SEOUL — A North Korean defector living in South Korea was detained on Tuesday after ramming a stolen bus into a barricade on a bridge near the heavily militarized border, in an apparent attempt to get back to the North, Yonhap news agency reported. 

The incident took place at around 1:30 a.m. (16:30 GMT on Monday) at the Tongil Bridge in Paju, northwest of the capital Seoul, after the man ignored warnings from soldiers guarding the bridge and attempted to drive through, Yonhap said, citing city police.  

Paju police referred queries on the incident to provincial police authorities. The northern Gyeonggi police agency could not be reached for comment.  

The man aged in his 30s who had defected more than a decade ago told police that he was trying to return to North Korea after struggling to settle in the South, the report said. 

It is highly unusual for North Koreans who have fled their isolated country to try to return, though many struggle to adapt to life in their democratic, capitalist neighbor.  

As of June, around 34,200 North Koreans had resettled in South Korea, mostly after arduous, sometimes life-threatening journeys, usually via China, to escape poverty and oppression at home, according to Seoul’s unification ministry.  

The ministry, which handles cross-border affairs and provides resettlement support for defectors, said in 2022 that about 30 defectors were confirmed to have returned to the North since 2012, but defectors and activists say there could be many more unreported cases.  

In early 2022, a defector in his 30s made a rare, risky return to North Korea across the heavily fortified border after struggling to cope in the South, igniting fresh debate over how such escapees are treated in their new home country.  
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DruafAfrica

Lawyer: Tunisia presidential candidate jailed for 12 years

Tunis — Tunisian politician Ayachi Zammel, a candidate in the north African country’s October 6 presidential election, has been jailed for 12 years, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

“The court in Tunis sentenced Ayachi Zammel to 12 years in prison in four cases” related to voter endorsements, lawyer Abdessater Messoudi told AFP.

Messoudi said Zammel “remains a candidate in the election” on Sunday.

The frontrunner is incumbent President Kais Saied, who was elected in 2019 but later orchestrated a sweeping power grab that included dissolving parliament and replacing it with a legislature with limited powers.

Former lawmaker Zammel heads a small liberal party, and had been one of just two candidates approved by Tunisia’s electoral authority ISIE to challenge Saied for the top post.

Ahead of the vote, ISIE had rejected the bids of some 14 hopefuls.

It eventually presented a final list of just three candidates — Saied, former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui and businessman Zammel.

On September 18, his lawyer said Zammel had been handed a 20-month prison term for charges related to forging voter endorsements.

 
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DruchinaChina

Chinese woman arrested in Germany on suspicion of espionage, prosecutor says 

Berlin — A Chinese woman has been arrested in the German city of Leipzig on suspicion of foreign agent activities and passing on information regarding arms deliveries, the prosecutor general said in a statement on Tuesday. 

The suspect, named only as Yaqi X, is accused of passing on information obtained while working for a logistics company at Leipzig/Halle airport to a member of the Chinese secret service, who is being prosecuted separately, the statement said. 

The second Chinese national, named as Jian G, was working as an aide to Maximilian Krah, a member of the European Parliament for the far-right Alternative for Germany, when he was arrested this year on suspicion of “especially severe” espionage on behalf of Beijing. 

The information passed along by Yaqi X in 2023 and 2024 included flight, cargo and passenger data as well as details on the transportation of military equipment and people with ties to a German arms company, the prosecutor general said.  

The Chinese Embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. 

Anxiety about alleged Chinese spying has risen across Western Europe recently. Beijing has denied the accusations, saying these stem from a “Cold War mindset” and are designed to poison the atmosphere for cooperation between China and Europe. 

Tensions have also been simmering between Berlin and Beijing over the past year after Chancellor Olaf Scholz unveiled a strategy to de-risk Germany’s economic relationship with China, calling Beijing a “partner, competitor and systemic rival.”  

 
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DruasiaAsia

China marks 75 years of Communist Party rule as economic challenges and security threats linger  

BEIJING — China is marking the 75th year of Communist Party rule as economic challenges and security threats linger over the massive state.

No festivities have been announced for the occasion Tuesday, save for a flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square, with an honor guard marching from the entrance of the sprawling palace that in past centuries was the home of Chinese emperors.

The entirely state-controlled media ran constant reports on China’s economic progress and social stability, with no mention of challenges ranging from a declining birth rate to the disruption in supply chains that has harmed the largely export-driven economy.

Commemorations were also held in the former British colony of Hong Kong and Portugal’s former territory of Macao, both of which returned to Chinese sovereignty in the late 1990s in a key indication of Beijing’s determination to overcome what it has called a “Century of Humiliation.”

In recent decades, China has mounted military parades and displays of the country’s economic might only at the turn of decades, such as for the 60th and 70th anniversaries.

The world’s second largest economy has struggled to regain momentum after the COVID-19 pandemic.

A prolonged property slump led to a spillover effect on other parts of the economy, from construction to sales of home appliances. Last week, China announced a slew of measures to boost the economy, including lower interest rates and smaller down payment requirements for mortgages.

Party leader and head of state Xi Jinping has largely avoided overseas travel since the pandemic, while continuing with his purges at home of top officials considered insufficiently loyal or being suspected of corruption or personal indiscretions.

“The road ahead will not be smooth, there will definitely be difficulties and obstacles, and we may encounter major tests such as high winds and rough seas, or even stormy waves” Xi warned during a banquet on the eve of the anniversary.

“We must be vigilant in times of peace, plan ahead, and rely closely on the entire Party, the entire army, and people of all ethnic groups across the country,” he said, adding “no difficulties can stop the Chinese people from moving forward.”

The anniversary also comes as China is facing growing frictions with neighbors including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines over territorial claims and their close relationships with Beijing’s chief rival, the United States.

The Communists under Mao Zedong seized power in 1949 amid a civil war with the Nationalists, also known as the KMT, led by Chiang Kai-shek, who shifted their political, economic and military power to the now self-governing island democracy of Taiwan.

Beijing continues to insist Taiwan must be annexed under Communist Party rule, by force if necessary, while the U.S. has provided arms to ensure its defense.

China, meanwhile, has involved itself in disputes over its claims to most of the South China Sea and uninhabited islands held by Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam and other neighboring nations.

China’s military buildup and its recent launch of a nuclear capable ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean have raised concerns about a possible conflict.

At home, Xi has made himself effectively leader for life by ending term limits and extending his power over key government and party bodies. China allows no competitive elections and the party retains near total control over the media that informs its 1.4 billion people.
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DruasiaAsia

Taiwan warns of storm surge from Typhoon Krathon, mobilizes troops

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — Taiwan mobilized nearly 40,000 troops on Tuesday to be on standby for rescue efforts as powerful Typhoon Krathon approached its populous southwest coast, which is bracing for a storm surge.

As the typhoon approached, helicopters lifted to safety 19 sailors forced to abandon ship when it took on water.

Some flights were canceled, a rail line was closed and in the major port city of Kaohsiung, shops and restaurants shut and streets were mostly deserted.

Taiwan regularly gets hit by typhoons, but they generally land along the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific. This one will make landfall on the island’s flat western plain.

Krathon is forecast to hit Kaohsiung early on Wednesday afternoon, then work its way across the center of Taiwan heading northeast and cross out into the East China Sea, the Central Weather Administration said.

Kaohsiung, home to some 2.7 million people, declared a holiday and told people to stay at home as Krathon – labeled a super typhoon by the U.S. military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center – approached.

Li Meng-hsiang, a forecaster for Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, said the storm has reached its maximum intensity and could weaken slightly as it moves closer to Taiwan, warning of gusts of more than 150 kph for the southwest.

“The storm surge might bring tides inland,” Li said. “If it’s raining heavily, it will make it difficult to discharge waters and as a result coastal areas will be subject to flooding.”

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai, speaking to reporters after a disaster management meeting, said the strength and path of the storm were both on par with 1977’s Typhoon Thelma which killed 37 people and devastated the city.

“After the typhoon, the whole of Kaohsiung was without water and electricity, just like a war,” Chen said, recalling the decades-ago destruction. “As much as possible, limit going out.”

Taiwan’s defense ministry said it had put more than 38,000 troops on standby, as Kaohsiung residents made their own preparations.

“It’s going to strike us directly. We must be fully prepared,” said fisherman Chen Ming-huang, as he tightened ropes on his boat in Kaohsiung harbor. “In the worst-case scenario the ropes might snap and my boat could drift away.”

TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker and a major supplier to Apple and Nvidia and which has a large factory in neighboring Tainan, said it had activated routine typhoon preparations and did not expect a significant impact to its operations.

Search for sailors

Off the southeast coast, Taiwan rescue helicopters lifted to safety 19 sailors from a listing cargo vessel traveling from China to Singapore, the government said. The sailors were taken to shelter on Taiwan’s remote Orchid Island.

The transport ministry said 88 domestic flights and 24 international ones had been canceled, with boats to outlying islands also stopped. It added that all domestic flights – 234 in total – would stop on Wednesday.

The rail line connecting southern to eastern Taiwan was closed, though the north-south high-speed line was operating as normal, albeit with enhanced safety checks for wind and debris.

In Kaohsiung, most shops and restaurants pulled down their shutters, and traditional wet markets shut with streets mostly deserted.

At a building in Siaogang district, home to the city’s airport, residents practiced how to rapidly set up metal barriers to stop water flooding into the underground parking lot.

“We will have only a few minutes to react if the flooding is coming,” said Chiu Yun-ping, deputy head of the building’s residents’ committee.

Chen Mei-ling, who lives near the harbor, said in past typhoons high tides reached just a few meters from her house’s main door and she had made preparations.

“We’ve got torches and emergency food supplies,” Chen said. “It’s a strong typhoon and we are worried.”
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DruasiaAsia

India police detain 600 workers, union members as Samsung protests escalate

CHENNAI, India — Indian police on Tuesday said they have detained around 600 Samsung Electronics workers and union members for organizing a street protest, as a strike at the South Korean firm’s home appliances plant in Tamil Nadu state entered its fourth week.

More than 1,000 workers have disrupted operations and protested in a makeshift tent close to the factory near the city of Chennai since Sept. 9. They have demanded higher wages and union recognition at the plant, which accounts for roughly a third of Samsung’s annual Indian revenue of $12 billion.

Charles Sam Rajadurai, a senior state police official, said Samsung employees and workers linked to labor group CITU, which is leading the protest, were detained as their protest march near Chennai was inconveniencing the public.

“They are being detained in four wedding halls,” he said.

On Sept. 16, police detained 104 striking Samsung workers for almost a day.

The protests cast a shadow over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s drive for foreign investors to “Make in India” and is India’s biggest such strike in recent years. Samsung has said the striking workers risk losing their jobs.

Samsung did not respond to a request for comment. It previously said the average monthly salary of full-time manufacturing workers at the plant is nearly double that of similar workers in the region, and that it was open to engaging with workers and to resolve the matter.

Samsung workers at the factory currently earn $300-$375 on average each month, CITU said.
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DruasiaAsia

Factories reopen amid garment sector unrest in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Most garment factories in Bangladesh reopened on Tuesday, a day after violent protests over a pay hike left one worker dead and several others injured, officials said.

Bangladesh, one of the world’s largest garment producers and a supplier to western brands such as H&M, Zara and Carrefour, has been facing widespread protests in recent weeks, leading to the closure of dozens of factories.

The protests have worsened an already significant production backlog caused by recent political turmoil and devastating floods, industry insiders said.

“Most of the factories are open today, and everything is going well so far,” said Abdullah Hil Rakib, senior vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. He added that only five or six small factories remain closed, as they were unable to clear payments.

Rakib said that unrest persists in the sector, largely due to certain groups spreading rumors and taking advantage of the worsening law and order situation.

He urged the government to enhance security measures, as some factory owners are unable to operate due to vandalism and ongoing disruptions.

“Stronger security is essential to keep production running smoothly and protect our industry,” Rakib said.

A labor ministry official said that a separate review committee is currently assessing the industry’s capacity to revise the wage structure and is expected to submit a report soon. The government is also reviewing police cases filed against workers to ensure they are not subjected to harassment, the official added.

Garment factory owners have called on the government to take immediate steps to restore order and ensure the safety of their operations, as the unrest threatens to disrupt an industry that accounts for more than 80% of the country’s export earnings.

Last year, Bangladesh was ranked the third-largest exporter of clothing globally, after China and the European Union, exporting $38.4 billion worth of garments in 2023, according to the World Trade Organization.

The ongoing unrest comes at a critical moment for Bangladesh, as the country’s interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has taken control following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The former prime minister fled to India in early August after the deadliest violence in Bangladesh since its independence in 1971, which claimed over 700 lives.

Industry leaders have warned that if the unrest continues, global brands may shift production to other countries, such as Indonesia, India, and Pakistan.

“Workers should think: if the industry doesn’t survive, will they?” said a garment factory owner.
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