DRULAP

At UN, Trump’s domestic policies enter international arena

UNITED NATIONS — The United States made clear Tuesday that it will no longer automatically support core United Nations platforms, including sustainable development and global goals that include eliminating poverty during a vote at the U.N. General Assembly.

“Therefore, the United States rejects and denounces the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and the sustainable development goals, and will no longer reaffirm them as a matter of course,” U.S. representative Edward Heartney told the assembly.

The U.S. voted against a resolution titled “International Day of Peaceful Coexistence” that reaffirmed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, “acknowledging that this includes a commitment to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”

Heartney said Americans voted in November’s election for their government to refocus on U.S. interests.

“Simply put, the globalist endeavors like Agenda 2030 and the SDGs lost at the ballot box,” he said.

The measure passed the assembly with 162 countries in favor and three against — the United States, Israel and Argentina.

The General Assembly creates “International Days” to raise awareness of important global issues and promote peace and tolerance. There are more than 150 of them currently, including International Women’s Day, which is coming up on March 8, World Environment Day, International Mother Language Day and World Diabetes Day.

On Tuesday, delegates voted to create an “International Day of Hope,” as well as an “International Day for Judicial Well-Being.” Washington stood alone, the sole no vote on both.

Heartney said Washington “strongly supports efforts to sustain peace and pursue diplomatic solutions to crises around the world and that individual rights are fundamental to U.S. security and the promotion of international peace.

“This resolution, however, contributes to the unnecessary proliferation of multiple international days, many of which have a similar intent,” he said of the International Day of Hope proposal, noting that there is already an International Day of Peace and another on Happiness.

“The current draft resolution also contains references to diversity, equity and inclusion that conflict with U.S. policies that seek to eliminate all forms of discrimination and create equal opportunities for all,” Heartney added.

The Trump administration has made the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI programs, a core pillar, saying it illegally promotes discrimination.

Washington was also the sole vote against a resolution titled “Education for Democracy,” which reaffirms “the right of everyone to education” and recognizes “the importance of equal opportunities for young people, including women.”

The text recognizes “that education for democracy nurtures responsible and active learners, capable of contributing effectively to peace and prosperity in their societies and beyond,” and notes the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on global education.

It calls on governments to invest more in quality education, to bridge the digital divide and “to advance the prospects of future generations and foster the building of peaceful, just, democratic and sustainable societies.”

On Feb. 24, Washington stunned the international community when it voted against a Ukrainian and European Union-drafted General Assembly resolution supporting a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine and submitted its own text that did not name Russia as the aggressor in the war.

The assembly voted to amend the U.S. text to include language on Russia’s “full-scale invasion” of Ukraine and supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

When the amended American text was put to a vote, Washington abstained. It was adopted with 93 states in favor, eight against and 73 abstentions.

General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they do carry the moral weight of the international community.
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03/04/2025 DruafAfrica

False: With Russia’s support, CAR significantly succeeded in combating militants

Fourteen militia groups control two-thirds of the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) and parts of the capital city, Bangui. Russian military involvement has been stained with gross human rights violations, corruption and appropriation of natural resources.
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VOA Mandarin: China’s annual legislative ‘Two Sessions’ opens

China’s 2025 National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference sessions, known as the “Two Sessions,” began on March 4 and 5, respectively. Key topics of focus this year include slowing economic growth, support for private enterprises and the resolution of local government debt.

Click here for the full story in Mandarin.
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VOA Mandarin: How will ‘America First’ investment policy impact China?

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an “America First” investment policy memorandum last week, pledging to “use all necessary legal instruments” to restrict China-affiliated investors from strategic sectors in the U.S.

The news has sparked concern among Chinese companies listed in the U.S., who could face a potential new round of auditing standards review, and those who want to come to the U.S. market.

Click here for the full story in Mandarin.

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China’s Liu Jiakun wins Pritzker Prize, ‘Nobel’ for architecture

NEW YORK — The Pritzker Prize, dubbed the “Nobel” for architecture, was awarded Tuesday to China’s Liu Jiakun, who was recognized for designs that celebrate “everyday lives.”

“In a global context where architecture is struggling to find adequate responses to fast evolving social and environmental challenges, Liu Jiakun has provided convincing answers that also celebrate the everyday lives of people as well as their communal and spiritual identities,” the award’s jury wrote in a statement.

Born in 1956, Liu has worked on more than 30 projects in China ranging from academic and cultural institutions to civic spaces and commercial buildings.

“Architecture should reveal something it should abstract, distill and make visible the inherent qualities of local people,” Liu said in the statement, evoking his craft’s capacity to create “a sense of shared community.”

Liu lives and works in his birth city of Chengdu, where he prioritizes the use of local materials and traditional building techniques.

His projects include the Museum of Clocks in Chengdu, a large circular structure with a skylight that illuminates an interior strip of photographs.

Alejandro Aravena, who won the award in 2016 and is chair of the jury, said Liu’s works offer “clues on how to confront the challenges of urbanization” especially because they are sometimes “a building, infrastructure, landscape and public space at the same time.”

“Cities tend to segregate functions, but Liu Jiakun takes the opposite approach and sustains a delicate balance to integrate all dimensions of the urban life,” Aravena said.

Liu, who is the 54th recipient of the Pritzker Prize, will be honored at a celebration in Abu Dhabi in spring, award organizers said.

Last year’s prize went to Japan’s Riken Yamamoto, whose projects are credited with promoting human contact and who said at the time his objective was to “design architecture that can bring joy to people around it.”
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Suicide bombings at Pakistan military base kill at least 9

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN — Attackers launched two suicide bombings to breach a wall at a military base in northwestern Pakistan while others stormed the compound and were repelled in violence that killed at least nine people and injured 25, officials and a local hospital said.

A group affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the attack in Bannu, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and said dozens of Pakistani security forces were killed. The military did not immediately confirm any casualties, but Bannu District Hospital said at least nine people were dead.

Plumes of gray smoke rose into the air and gunshots continued after the two explosions, police officer Zahid Khan said. Four of those killed were children, hospital officials said. The victims lived close to the scene of the blasts.

The two suicide bombers blew themselves up near the wall of the sprawling military area, a security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

“After a breach in the wall, five to six more attackers attempted to enter the cantonment but were eliminated. Operations in the area are still ongoing,” the security official said.

The blasts happened after sunset, when people would have been breaking their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Jaish Al-Fursan claimed responsibility for the attack, the third militant assault in Pakistan since Ramadan started Sunday. In a statement, the group said the source of the blasts were explosive-laden vehicles.

Militants have targeted Bannu several times. Last November, a suicide car bomb killed 12 troops and wounded several others at a security post.

In July, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle and other militants opened fire near the outer wall of the military facility.
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BlackRock strikes deal to bring ports on both sides of Panama Canal under American control

The Hong Kong-based conglomerate that operates ports near the Panama Canal has agreed to sell shares of its units that operate the ports to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., after President Donald Trump alleged Chinese interference with the operations of the critical shipping lane.

In a filing, CK Hutchison Holding said Tuesday that it would sell all shares in Hutchison Port Holdings and all shares in Hutchison Port Group Holdings. The two units hold 80% of the Hutchison Ports group that operates 43 ports in 23 countries.

The consortium, comprised of BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners and Terminal Investment Limited will acquire 90% interests in Panama Ports Company, which owns and operates the ports of Balboa and Cristobal in Panama, according to the filing.

In January, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, the Republican chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, raised concerns that China could exploit or block passage through the canal and that the ports “give China ready observation posts” to take action.

“This situation, I believe, posts acute risks for U.S. national security,” Cruz said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Panama in early February and told President Jose Raul Mulino that Panama had to reduce Chinese influence over the canal or face potential retaliation from the United States. Mulino rejected the idea that China had any control over canal operations.

Panama quit China’s Belt and Road Initiative following Rubio’s visit, drawing condemnation from Beijing.

But while much attention was focused on Trump’s threat to retake control of the canal, his administration trained its sights on Hutchison Ports, the Hong Kong-based consortium that manages the ports key ports at either end of the canal.

Hutchison Ports had recently been awarded a 25-year no-bid extension to run the ports, but an audit looking at that extension was already underway. Observers believed the audit was a preliminary step toward eventually rebidding the contract, but rumors had swirled in recent weeks that a U.S. firm close to the White House was being lined up to take over.
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Floods in Indonesia’s capital displace thousands

JAKARTA — Thousands of people were evacuated in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta on Tuesday after floods swamped the region, officials said, with heavy rain expected to continue until next week.

Torrential rain since Monday has triggered floods of up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) in and around Jakarta, the country’s disaster agency said in a statement, blocking some roads and submerging over 1,000 houses and many cars.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung raised the alert level to the second highest of the critical stages, calling on the local government to activate water pumps to extract water from flooded areas and conduct weather modification operations — which typically includes shooting salt flares into clouds to trigger rain before they reach land.

Local media reported floodwaters also swamped a hospital in the eastern town of Bekasi, with water entering some wards, forcing the evacuation of patients to other buildings, while other parts of the hospital were hit by power outages.

Rescuers on rubber boats sailed through thigh-high water to evacuate residents that had been trapped in floods since 4 a.m. (2100 GMT) at a housing complex in Bekasi, Reuters reporters said.

The country’s weather agency warned that heavy rain is forecast to hit the capital and surrounding cities until March 11.

“We need to be alert. … But hopefully the weather modification could reduce rainfall,” said the agency’s head Dwikorita Karnawati.

Sri Suyatni, 50, said she did not have time to collect her belongings before evacuating and her entire house was submerged in flood water.

“I hope the floods will soon recede,” she said.

The government has started building temporary shelters and distributing foods, clothes, and medications for the evacuees, said social affairs minister Saifullah Yusuf.

Residents were also evacuated to schools, mosques and churches.

The Greater Jakarta metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, is regularly hit by floods. But several local media reported the current situation, particularly in Bekasi, was the worst since 2020.

Floods killed 60 in Jakarta in 2020, following the heaviest one-day rainfall since records began in 1866.
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Japan’s worst wildfire in half a century spreads

TOKYO — Firefighters were Tuesday battling Japan’s worst wildfire in half a century, which has left one dead and forced the evacuation of nearly 4,000 local residents.

White smoke billowed from a forested area around the northern city of Ofunato, aerial TV footage showed, five days after the blaze began after record-low rainfall.

The fire also follows Japan’s hottest summer on record last year, as climate change pushes up temperatures worldwide.

As of Tuesday morning, the wildfire had engulfed around 2,600 hectares, the fire and disaster management agency said — over seven times the area of New York’s Central Park.

That makes it Japan’s largest wildfire since 1975 when 2,700 hectares burnt in Kushiro on northern Hokkaido island.

It is estimated to have damaged at least 80 buildings by Sunday, although details were still being assessed, the agency said.

Military and fire department helicopters are trying to douse the Ofunato fire, a city official told reporters.

“At the moment, there is no indication that the fire is under control,” the official said.

Snow is expected overnight, changing to rain, but the official said he could not say whether it would help extinguish the blaze.

“The poor weather may prevent helicopters from dropping water,” he warned.

Around 2,000 firefighters — most deployed from other parts of the country, including Tokyo — are working from the air and ground in the area in Iwate region, which was hard-hit by a deadly tsunami in 2011.

An evacuation advisory has been issued to around 4,600 people, of whom 3,939 have left their homes to seek shelter, according to the municipality.

The number of wildfires in Japan has declined since its 1970s peak, but the country saw about 1,300 in 2023, concentrated in February to April when the air dries and winds pick up.

‘No rain’

Ofunato had just 2.5 millimeters of rainfall in February — breaking the previous record-low for the month, of 4.4 millimeters in 1967, and below the usual average of 41 millimeters.

Since Friday, “there has been no rain — or very little, if any” in Ofunato, a local weather agency official told AFP.

Some types of extreme weather have a well-established link with climate change, such as heatwaves or heavy rainfall.

Other phenomena like droughts, snowstorms, tropical storms and forest fires can result from a combination of complex factors.

Some companies have been affected by the wildfire, such as Taiheiyo Cement, which told AFP its Ofunato plant has suspended operations for several days because part of its premises is in the evacuation advisory zone.

Ofunato-based confectionery company Saitoseika warned that “if our headquarters or plants become a no-go zone, we may need to halt production,” describing the situation as “tense.”

Japanese baseball prodigy Roki Sasaki — who recently joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in the U.S. — has offered a $67,000 donation and 500 sets of bedding, Ofunato city’s official account posted on X.

Sasaki was a high school student there, after losing his father and grandparents in the huge 2011 tsunami.
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03/04/2025 DruafAfrica

Refugees injured in clashes with Kenyan police during food ration protests

NAIROBI, Kenya — At least four people sustained gunshot wounds as police clashed with protesters in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, in the country’s north.

Thousands of refugees in the camp, which hosts people fleeing from conflict and drought in neighboring South Sudan, Ethiopia, Burundi and Congo, protested Monday against food rationing due to funding constraints.

The World Food Program, which is in charge of food distribution at the refugee camp, said last December the food rations to refugee camps were “at 45 percent of the minimum food basket due to resource constraints.”

The WFP has warned for years that it is facing shortfalls in the contributions from governments it relies on for funding, and on Monday it announced that it is closing its office in South Africa due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s cuts in foreign aid.

A refugee from neighboring South Sudan, John Garang, held up a roughly 4 liter pot.

“This is the container they are now using to measure beans and oil and the other one for rice. And this is equivalent for one month for your food. Assume you don’t have another income, it’s only this. Is this enough for you,” he asked.

Kenya is currently in the process of transitioning refugees into integrated settlements as opposed to the previous system of refugee camps, which are donor reliant, and has already gazetted Kakuma and Dadaab as municipalities.
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New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras Day with costumes and revelry despite weather concerns

NEW ORLEANS — Thousands of revelers adorned in beads and outlandish costumes will fill the streets of New Orleans as the city celebrates Mardi Gras Day despite anticipated severe storms.

The city’s two biggest parades — hosted by social clubs Krewe of Zulu and Krewe of Rex — are set to go on with earlier start times, shorter routes and no marching bands, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters Monday. The parades will be required to wrap up by 11:30 a.m. local time to avoid diminishing weather.

“Bottom line, they gonna still get the Zulu parade and all the excitement, it’s just a little earlier,” said Darren Mire, a Krewe of Zulu spokesperson. “We have to err on the side of caution, we have to protect the citizens of New Orleans and the visitors, and this was the best decision possible to get things done.”

Thunderstorms and winds up to 100 kph are expected throughout Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. In neighboring Jefferson Parish, officials canceled parades.

Kirkpatrick warned parade-goers to not bring umbrellas, tents or “anything that could fly in the wind and cause mayhem.” Worsening weather Tuesday morning could still be a condition for calling off the city’s parades at the last minute, she added.

“I will cancel the parades at that point, no matter what time that is,” Kirkpatrick said. “I hold that trump card in which I will not hesitate to cancel — I won’t do it lightly, but I will do it.”

Two other parades that had been scheduled to roll through the city later on Tuesday with nearly 200 truck floats have been postponed to Sunday, Kirkpatrick said.

Other cities along the Gulf Coast, such as Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, hold their own Mardi Gras Day parades.

The culmination of the weekslong carnival season, Fat Tuesday festivities of feasting and drinking precede Ash Wednesday, traditionally the start of Lent, a period of fasting in Christian tradition in preparation for Easter Sunday. As a result, this year’s Mardi Gras Day falls unusually late in the year.

But the outsized culture of street parties, extravagant balls and spirited parades has evolved into a decidedly secular spectacle in the Big Easy.

The day kicks off with the North Side Skull and Bone Gang, a drum-playing group which for more than 200 years has gathered before sunrise to awake neighbors in the city’s historic Treme neighborhood.

Across the city, renowned Black masking Indians, whose spectacular beaded and bejeweled costumes are topped with feathered head dresses, take to the streets to represent a central part of African American culture in the city dating back to the 1800s.

One of the most beloved parades, the Krewe of Zulu, typically features hundreds of marching members tossing trinkets to spectators such as beads and highly coveted decorated coconuts.

And the Krewe of Rex, a social club led by the honorary king of carnival season, bears the traditional colors of purple, green and gold.

The festivities are also marked by enhanced security presence across the city following a devastating Jan. 1 truck attack that killed 14 people. The Department of Homeland Security upgraded Mardi Gras to its highest risk rating, leading to an influx of law enforcement agents. A zigzagging layout of barriers parallels the main parade route to guard against fast-moving vehicles and armored trucks; SWAT teams and helicopters will be present.
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VOA Uzbek: War in Ukraine has forced Central Asia to seek alternative trade routes

The Russia- Ukraine war has disrupted the existing system of trade and economic relations in region, with sanctions in Russia causing Central Asia to look for alternative trade routes.

Experts say that the Middle Corridor, which runs through Kazakhstan- Caucasus- Turkey to Europe, is becoming a safe, uncontested option for Central Asia in the current conditions.

Click here for the full story in Uzbek.

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VOA Mandarin: Who has better humanoid robots, US or China?

Chinese tech firms and state media have spotlighted humanoid robots, which have grown in popularity since the Unitree G1 appeared to run, jump, dance and perform martial arts-like movements in a recent demonstration.

Both the United States and China are leaders in humanoid robot technology. But industry analysts believe that the United States is superior in AI technology, which is responsible for the robot’s “brain,” while Chinese technology companies have flourished in the hardware manufacturing capabilities of the robot’s “body.”

Click here for the full story in Mandarin.
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03/04/2025 DruafAfrica

NGOs seek new sources of aid as traditional donors reduce funding

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — The U.N.’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict said that when military spending goes up worldwide, it increases conflicts that mainly affect women and children.

“What we are seeing is that sexual violence is plaguing conflict, and is significantly impacting all civilians, but significantly women and girls, Pramila Patten told VOA at the International Humanitarian Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“We should invest more in prevention. We should invest in addressing the root cause, which is marginalization, poverty, gender inequality,” she said. “Of course, we have to respond, but I think prevention is where we should invest more.”

Many humanitarian groups at the U.N. and Saudi-organized forum held in February said traditional Western donors have reduced or halted funding.

In the United States, the Trump administration has moved to cut tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid, though its actions face legal challenges now winding their way through the courts.

Leila Pakkala, the director of UNICEF’s supply division, said her agency is seeking $9.9 billion to help more than 109 million vulnerable children and their families.

“This year as we’re looking at the humanitarian spectrum, we’re looking at increased needs, whether it’s in nutrition, whether it’s around water and sanitation, access to health, and making sure children don’t lose out on immunization,” she said.

She said resources are not keeping pace with demand.

“We have increased numbers of wasting severe acute malnutrition in children around the world, whether it’s in conflict and fragile context, or whether it’s at the onset of rapid response emergencies, natural disasters,” she said.

In southern Africa, perennial drought, floods and cyclones affect children and their families, she said.

“The needs outweigh the ability to respond,” Pakkala said.

Dereje Wordofa, president of the nonprofit SOS Children’s Villages International, said climate change is contributing to a general humanitarian crisis.

“The situation is worsening and particularly in eastern and southern Africa. There are more people who are affected by humanitarian crisis than any time before,” he said. “The sheer amount of money required to bring services and goods to these affected communities is very, very high. And the international humanitarian funding is not marching to this scale and the magnitude of need.”

Some groups are turning to organizations such as the Saudi-based King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) for funding.

Hana Omar, the center’s director of partnerships and international relations, said KSReflief is assisting many African countries as conflicts and climate change leave more people in need.

“We remain committed to deliver our aid, to find ways to advocate for the rights of these people and to make sure that we reach those in need. There is still hope people want to solve and to find solutions for all these challenges,” Omar said.

This year KSRelief organized the aid forum with the U.N. under the theme: “Navigating the Future of Humanitarian Response” as it celebrated its 10th anniversary of humanitarian work outside the borders of Saudi Arabia.

((Columbus Mavhunga, VOA News, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.))
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US skating community honors colleagues who died in Washington plane crash

The U.S. skating community came together Sunday for a fundraiser and tribute to the victims of a collision between an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29 over the Potomac River in Washington.

Sixty-seven people, all the people on both aircraft, died in the crash, including 28 members of the U.S. figure skating community — 11 young figure skaters, four couches and 13 family members — who had been to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

One of the most emotional performances Sunday night was delivered by Maxim Naumov, who skated to a favorite song of his parents, Evgenia Shishkov and Vadim Naumov, who died in the crash.

The two-hour Legacy on Ice event was hosted by Olympic figure skating champions Brian Boitano and Kristi Yamaguchi. They and other veteran skaters, including Scott Hamilton and Nathan Chen, also performed.

The event began to take shape a week after the crash. Monumental Sports and Entertainment, organizers of the tribute, said they have so far raised $1.2 million for the victims’ families and the first responders.

“We continue to be in awe of and grateful to this community, whose compassion and support was out in full force for the ‘Legacy on Ice’ event,” Monumental chairman Ted Leonsis said in a statement.

He said the money raised is set to be divided among the families impacted by the collision, first responders and U.S. Figure Skating.

The Associated Press reported that almost 500 first responders and approximately 150 family members of the victims were in the audience.

NBC is scheduled to broadcast “Legacy on Ice” on March 30.
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VOA Exclusive: State Department guidance distinguishes CCP from Chinese people

State Department    — The United States is drawing a clear distinction between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese people, setting the tone that Washington views Beijing’s government — not the general public — as an adversary in strategic competition, according to an internal document obtained by VOA.

This approach largely aligns with the State Department’s public messaging in the later years of U.S. President Donald Trump’s first administration.

In recent guidance on China-related terminology, Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructs U.S. embassies and consular posts to use more specific descriptors and avoid “Chinese” as an adjective when its use could imply a negative connotation of the Chinese people, culture or language more broadly.

This latest directive follows the removal of references to the Beijing government as the “People’s Republic of China” on the State Department’s website, which now refers to the country simply as “China” in a fact sheet.

The internal document instructs the State Department to use “CCP” in public speeches or press releases when discussing government actions, recognizing that the CCP holds ultimate authority over political, economic, military and many other decisions in the country.

But when describing China’s malign actions, the document advises against using “Chinese” as an adjective to prevent the perception that the U.S. government attributes those actions to the Chinese people, according to the memo.

The U.S. is also advised to avoid using language that reflects the ideology of China’s leader Xi Jinping.

Under this directive, Xi should be referred to as “General Secretary” of the Communist Party, rather than “President,” reflecting the supremacy of the party over the state — a practice largely in line with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s approach.

In the internal guidance, Rubio reaffirmed the emphasis in the State Department’s fact sheet on U.S. policy toward China, which said the U.S. will address its relationship with China under the principles of “reciprocity and fairness.”

Additionally, the State Department should avoid characterizations previously used by former President Joe Biden’s administration, such as “invest-align-compete” and “responsibly managing the relationship” between the U.S. and China.

In Beijing, Chinese officials have “strongly deplored and firmly opposed” the changes in the State Department’s factsheet, accusing it of “peddling the so-called China-U.S. strategic competition.”

At a briefing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China has “lodged serious protests with the U.S.” following Rubio’s recent media interviews, which Beijing deemed as “steeped in the Cold War mentality.”

In Washington, analysts say the changes in the State Department’s policy description on its website are not unusual and often occur when a new administration takes office.

“We’re still waiting to see exactly how the [Trump] administration” casts its broader China strategy, said Brian Hart, deputy director of the China Power Project at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. However, during a Monday discussion on China hosted by CSIS, he noted that updates to official websites are common during transitions between administrations.
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Forest fire damages dozens of homes, causes evacuations in Japan

TOKYO — Japan is fighting a forest fire that has damaged dozens of homes and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate in a northeastern coastal city.

The fire has burned about 2,100 hectares (5,190 acres) of forest in Ofunato since it started Wednesday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

The agency said at least 84 homes have been damaged, and over 1,200 people evacuated. The fire has subsided in some areas. More than 2,000 troops and firefighters have been deployed from across the country.

A man was found dead on a road Thursday, and authorities are examining if the death was linked to the fire, the agency said.

The northeastern regions, including Ofunato, have had their driest winter since 1946, when the Japan Meteorological Agency started collecting data.
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03/03/2025 DruafAfrica

East Congo rebels abduct at least 130 hospital patients, UN says

GENEVA — M23 rebels launching an offensive in east Congo abducted at least 130 sick and wounded men from two hospitals in the city of Goma last week, the United Nations said Monday.

M23 fighters raided CBCA Ndosho Hospital and Heal Africa Hospital during the night of Feb. 28, taking 116 and 15 patients respectively, U.N. Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement.

The abducted men were suspected of being Democratic Republic of Congo soldiers or members of a pro-government militia known as Wazalendo.

“It is deeply distressing that M23 is snatching patients from hospital beds in coordinated raids and holding them incommunicado in undisclosed locations,” Shamdasani said, calling for their immediate release.

M23 spokespersons Willy Ngoma and Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Tutsi-led M23 marched into the city of Goma at the end of January and have since made an unprecedented advance into east Congo, seizing territory and gaining access to valuable minerals.

Their ongoing advance, which started in late December, is already the gravest escalation a long-running conflict rooted in the spill over into Congo of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the struggle for control of Congo’s vast mineral resources.

Congo, U.N. experts and Western powers accuse Rwanda of backing the group.

Rwanda denies this and says it is defending itself against ethnic Hutu-led militias bent on slaughtering Tutsis in Congo and threatening Rwanda.

About 7,000 people have been killed in east Congo since January and almost half a million people were left without shelter after 90 displacement camps were destroyed in the fighting, according to the government.

International sanctions, renewed investigations by the International Criminal Court and Africa-led peace negotiations have failed to halt the advance by the rebels, who have captured east Congo’s two major cities, Goma and Bukavu.

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03/03/2025 DruamAmericas

Lighter winds help crews fighting wildfires in South and North Carolina

Lighter winds Monday helped crews in South Carolina and North Carolina battle wildfires that caused evacuations and threatened hundreds of homes over the weekend.

Hundreds of firefighters from across the state managed to keep the massive blaze in Horry County near Myrtle Beach from destroying any homes despite social media videos of orange skies at night and flames engulfing pine trees just yards away.

The fire burned 6.5 square kilometers (2.5 square miles). It was the biggest fire in the area since a 2009 wildfire nearby did $42 million in damage and burned down about 75 homes.

The danger wasn’t over Monday. Officials in all of South Carolina banned almost all outdoor fires, including burning yard debris and campfires. They told residents to call 911 if they see a neighbor setting a fire.

“You can and will go to jail for starting a fire outdoors in South Carolina. Period,” Gov. Henry McMaster wrote on social media.

Burn bans were also in place in western North Carolina. Some residents in Polk County remained evacuated from their homes as fire crews Monday morning set their own blazes to burn possible wildfire fuel to make it easier to contain a 480-acre (190-hectare) fire that was about 30% contained.

Polk County is on the fringes of an area badly hit by Hurricane Helene last year. Fallen trees that have not been cleared are increasing the risk of fires across the region.

In eastern North Carolina, nearly 80 mostly small wildfires were reported in Robeson County. Emergency officials said 15 structures were damaged, but they did not give specifics on the types of buildings.

The North Carolina Forest Service reported more than 200 wildfires across the state Monday, although almost all of them were small and not threatening any structures.

Officials across the Carolinas warned of poor air quality because of smoke.

A drier-than-normal winter across the Carolinas combined over the weekend with high winds as a cold front without the usual rain that accompanies the weather systems in the South moved through the area to increase the fire danger.

The area near Myrtle Beach is one of the most dangerous for wildfires in South Carolina as hundreds of years of decomposing vegetation creates peat, which when it dries out can burn for a long time.

Pine trees and other waxy vegetation provide fuel for fires to rapidly spread in dry, windy conditions.

Horry County’s population has doubled to 400,000 people over the past 25 years. Many of those newcomers have moved into neighborhoods being rapidly built right next to the oval Carolina Bays where the peat and flammable vegetation all grow together. Fires have been part of the natural landscape of the bays for centuries.

Officials have not said what caused any of the fires.
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03/03/2025 DruchinaChina

Trump, Taiwanese chipmaker announce new $100 billion plan to build five new US factories

WASHINGTON — Chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. announced on Monday plans to make an additional $100 billion investment in the United States and build five additional chips factories in the coming years.

TSMC CEO C.C. Wei announced the plan in a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump.

“We must be able to build the chips and semiconductors that we need right here,” Trump said. “It’s a matter of national security for us.”

TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, is a leading supplier to major U.S. hardware manufacturers.

The $100 billion outlay, which would boost domestic production and make the United States less reliant on semiconductors made in Asia, is in addition to a major prior investment announcement. TSMC agreed in April to expand its planned U.S. investment by $25 billion to $65 billion and to add a third Arizona factory by 2030.

With his Nov. 5 election victory largely driven by voters’ economic concerns, Trump has stepped up efforts to bolster investments in domestic industries to create jobs.

The TSMC announcement is the latest in a string of such developments. In February, Apple said it would invest $500 billion in the next four years. Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani and SoftBank also have promised multibillion-dollar investments in the U.S.

TSMC said on Monday it looks “forward to discussing our shared vision for innovation and growth in the semiconductor industry, as well as exploring ways to bolster the technology sector along with our customers.”

The U.S. Commerce Department under then President Joe Biden finalized a $6.6 billion government subsidy in November for TSMC’s U.S. unit for semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona.

Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act legislation in 2022 to provide $52.7 billion in subsidies for American semiconductor production and research.

Taiwan’s dominant position as a maker of chips used in technology from cellphones and cars to fighter jets has sparked concerns of over-reliance on the island, especially as China ramps up pressure to assert its sovereignty claims.

China claims Taiwan as its territory, but the democratically elected government in Taipei rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

Under Biden, the Commerce Department convinced all five leading-edge semiconductor firms to locate factories in the U.S. as part of the program to address national security risks from imported chips.

Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told lawmakers last month that the program was “an excellent down payment” to rebuild the sector, but he has declined to commit grants that have already been approved by the department, saying he wanted to “read them and analyze them and understand them.”

A TSMC spokesperson said last month the company had received $1.5 billion in CHIPS Act money before the new administration came in as per the milestone terms of its agreement.

TSMC last year agreed to produce the world’s most advanced 2-nanometer technology at its second Arizona factory expected to begin production in 2028. TSMC also agreed to use its most advanced chip manufacturing technology called “A16” in Arizona.

TSMC has already begun producing advanced 4-nanometer chips for U.S. customers in Arizona.

The TSMC award included up to $5 billion in low-cost government loans.