DruasiaAsia

Growing space cooperation between Pakistan, China presents risks and opportunities, experts say 

Islamabad — China is ramping up cooperation with Pakistan in space exploration, but experts say Islamabad must develop its own strengths if it aims to benefit from Beijing.

Pakistan’s Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, or SUPARCO, and China Manned Space Agency, or CMSA, announced Friday they will train Pakistan’s first astronaut for a mission aboard Chinese space station Tiangong.

The agreement comes just weeks after the two sides announced China’s Chang’e-8 moon lander mission in 2028 will carry a Pakistani rover.

Last year, China put Pakistan into the moon’s orbit taking the first Pakistani lunar satellite ICUBE-Q, aboard its historic Chiang’e 6 mission, designed to retrieve samples from the little explored far side of the moon.

Weeks later, Beijing put another Pakistani communication satellite into orbit.

Picking Pakistan

The latest agreement makes Pakistan the first country with an astronaut to work at Tiangong.

Experts say picking Pakistan as the first guest for China’s space station is not surprising as Islamabad hosts the flagship project of China’s global Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. The multibillion-dollar program includes a plethora of investment projects aimed at extending Beijing’s influence, especially in the developing world.

“In this kind of increased polarization of interest in the world, China, both politically and also from the technological point of view, is trying to be the front-runner of, we can say, the Global South,” said Carlo Iorio, director of the Center for Research and Engineering in Space Technology at the Free University of Brussels.

“So, it’s quite straightforward to think that one of the possible first candidates to be granted to use the Chinese Space Station could have been Pakistani astronauts or an astronaut,” Iorio told VOA.

Last October, China announced a 25-year plan outlining its ambitious vision for space exploration.

It includes Beijing’s goals of searching for extraterrestrial life, exploring Mars, Venus, and Jupiter, sending space crews to the moon and building an international lunar research station.

“Pakistan’s participation in the China Space Station program reflects the deep-rooted ties between the two countries,” said Lin Xiqiang, director general of CMSA, according to the Pakistani statement.

Lin was quoted as saying Pakistan’s inclusion “will contribute to mutual knowledge-sharing and the broader vision of peaceful space exploration for the benefit of humanity.”

Equal footing

Collaboration with China opens access to a treasure trove of technical knowledge and expertise for Pakistan as Beijing has managed the world’s first soft landing and roving on the far side of the moon and landed a rover on Mars.

“They have capabilities to indigenously design and develop satellites and launches for all types of applications,” said Amer Gilani, secretary of the Pakistan Human Spaceflight Cooperation at SUPARCO about China’s capabilities.

“Pakistan wants to achieve self-reliance in design and development of satellites for remote sensing, communication, deep space exploration, lunar missions,” Gilani told VOA in written comments. “With collaboration with China our space ambitions can progress much better.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the latest space collaboration as “a defining moment in the nation’s space journey,” but experts say the nuclear-armed country will benefit from the collaboration only if it becomes an equal partner.

“What I want to see is cooperation on equal footing,” said Yarjan Abdul Samad, assistant professor of aerospace engineering at Khalifa University in UAE.

Samad, who is also affiliated with the University of Cambridge, said that while Pakistan may not be able to contribute equally now, it should aim to do so in the near future.

“If you go on these projects and you are just on the receiving end and you get services, what you asked for, then your technological development is very limited,” Samad told VOA.

Chinese edge

The International Space Station, or ISS, and China’s Tiangong are currently the only two space stations orbiting Earth.

Managed by a partnership among 15 countries, the ISS is set to be retired in 2030.

Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX and special advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, recently called for deorbiting the ISS soon in favor of missions to Mars.

As the market for commercial space exploration expands, Iorio said, that leaves China’s Tiangong as the only official government-based space station for further experiments and other activities for years to come.

While this makes collaborating with China attractive for developing countries, Samad said Pakistan should consider more than national pride when putting an astronaut into space.

Sending a Pakistani into space will only make sense, Samad said, if they will “assist in carrying out work which is not possible with unmanned vehicles and which is not possible in ground conditions and which is helping us in finding solutions to technological problems.”

SUPARCO has said the mission will involve “cutting-edge scientific experiments in various fields, including biological and medical sciences, aerospace, applied physics, fluid mechanics, space radiation, ecology, material sciences, microgravity studies, and astronomy.”

Despite receiving more than $25 billion in Chinese loans and investments for energy and infrastructure projects as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan is yet to turn its economy around. Experts largely blame governance issues.

Iorio warned that Pakistan must strengthen its technology landscape or risk losing some of its brightest.

“Without supporting research in the country, [it] will drain more talent towards foreign nations, including China,” the Brussels-based expert said.

For now, Pakistanis have an exciting opportunity ahead of them as SUPARCO searches for the country’s first astronaut.

The criteria?

“Pakistan will select astronauts from Pakistani citizens with background suited for astronauts which could be flying, medical fitness, physical fitness, psychological fitness, research/analytical skills, and high qualifications etc.,” Gilani told VOA. “Hopefully [we] will be able to get good candidates.”
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DruafAfrica

Kenya court allows police to hold suspects linked to British man’s death

NAIROBI, KENYA — A court in Kenya on Monday allowed police to hold for 21 days two suspects in a murder case involving a British national whose body was discovered days after arriving in the country for a conference. 

The body of Campbell Scott, 58, was found stuffed in a bag on Feb. 22, just days after he was last seen alive. The two Kenyan men were arrested after an investigation linked them to his death. 

The bag containing Scott’s body was discovered hidden in a shrub in the remote area of Mukuyuni in eastern Kenya, some 110 kilometers (68 miles) from Nairobi. 

Scott was last seen leaving his hotel with an unidentified man and they took a taxi to a residential area in Nairobi, police said. 

The taxi driver who dropped them off is in custody and assisting police in the investigation. 

Kenya’s government pathologist Johansen Oduor last week told local media that the autopsy on Scott’s body was inconclusive and that further toxicology tests were being conducted.
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DruchinaChina

China hosts political meetings as US tariffs loom

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — China kicks off its biggest political meetings of the year this week as additional tariffs from the United States loom and the leadership in Beijing looks to address what Chinese President Xi Jinping has called “complex and multifaceted” economic challenges.

Starting on Tuesday, thousands of Chinese elites and lawmakers will begin gathering in the Chinese capital for the “Two Sessions,” or “lianghui,” which will set and discuss a wide range of policy agendas for 2025.

A gathering of a broad swath of representatives, from business and academia to those inside the government and the party, called the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, meet on Tuesday. The day after that, China’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress, or NPC, will begin its annual legislative session.

Premier Li Qiang will deliver the highly anticipated government work report at the opening meeting of the NPC, outlining the Chinese government’s economic growth target for 2025 and other key economic policies.

This year’s meetings come amid a sluggish economy, weak domestic demand, low investor and consumer confidence, a lingering property sector crisis and a looming trade war with the United States. The additional 10% tariff that the U.S. government has threatened to impose on all Chinese imports is set to take effect on Tuesday.

Faced with a slew of domestic and external challenges, analysts say this year’s NPC will be an important occasion for the Chinese leadership to project “political unity” and demonstrate that “China is on the right track to greatness under the leadership of Xi Jinping.”

“For Beijing, strong leadership from the Chinese Communist Party and strengthening China’s economic and technological resilience against external shocks are more necessary than ever – and the only way to ensure China’s long-term rise,” said Nis Grunberg, an expert of Chinese politics at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, or Merics, in Germany.

In an article published in the Chinese Communist Party’s magazine Qiushi on Saturday, President Xi Jinping said some top priorities for economic work, which he characterized as “complex and multifaceted,” include facilitating an efficient relationship between the market and the government, ensuring a balance between supply and demand, optimizing the allocation of resources and balancing quality and scale in development.

As the Chinese economy continues to face “difficulties and challenges,” some experts say Beijing’s 2025 official growth target will be “around 5%,” matching the GDP increase in 2024. 

The 5% target “reflects a tacit acknowledgement of economic headwinds but signals continuity and stability,” said Lizzi Lee, a fellow on Chinese economy at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Since all Chinese products exported to the U.S. could face a 20% tariff starting Tuesday, Lee said the Chinese government will focus on rolling out policies to boost domestic demand and consumption.

“We are likely to see stronger policy efforts to revitalize spending beyond just trade-in subsidies for cars, home appliances and digital products,” she told VOA in a written response. She added that Chinese policymakers are likely to pour resources into live-stream commerce and that the “silver economy” – goods and services for the elderly – will be areas that Chinese policymakers will likely pour resources into.

Additionally, Lee thinks China may also raise the fiscal deficit, set up state-backed investment funds to support strategic industries, and roll out policies to “push banks to support struggling local economies.”

Tech innovation and the private sector

In addition to boosting domestic demand and consumption, the Chinese government is looking to expand high-tech manufacturing and drive innovation by boosting private sector sentiment and encouraging leading tech giants to expand both domestic and international operations.

During a symposium with leaders from several Chinese tech giants on Feb. 17, Xi “urged efforts to promote the healthy and high-quality development of the country’s private sector.” He also vowed to dismantle obstacles that prevent private companies from “competing in the market fairly.”

Those remarks stood in sharp contrast to a series of crackdowns that the Chinese government has initiated against tech giants such as Alibaba, Tencent and Ant Group since 2020.

Some analysts say Beijing may reinforce state-led support for companies working on artificial intelligence or semiconductors, while ensuring these private companies are aligned with the national priorities to help China remain strong in the ongoing competition with the U.S., including in several high-tech sectors.

“The private sector has an important role to play, but always under the guidance of the party,” Antonia Hmaidi, a senior analyst at Merics, said during a webinar on Feb. 27.

While “AI is a fundamental priority for party and state, a comprehensive law is unlikely to emerge at the Two Sessions as the party-state grapples with using AI for development while ensuring its safe use,” she added.

Tariffs countermeasures

On the foreign policy front, the international community will be closely watching how China decides to counter the tariffs that the U.S. government has vowed to impose on Chinese imports.

Lee at ASPI said the Chinese government may double down on supply chain resilience, diversifying export markets and strengthening its domestic tech ecosystem.

“I expect policies that emphasize boosting domestic demand to offset trade risks, increasing fiscal support for industrial upgrading and further deepening economic ties with ASEAN, the Middle East and the Global South,” she told VOA.

On Monday, Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times reported that the Chinese government is “studying and formulating” countermeasures against the U.S. tariffs, including potentially targeting U.S. agriculture and food products with tariff and non-tariff measures.

In light of the changes in foreign policy that the U.S. has implemented since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, Wen-ti Sung, a Taipei-based political scientist for the Australian National University, said China will try to “project an image of continuity and certainty” in terms of foreign policy during the Two Sessions.

“It used to seem like China was the revisionist power in the international system, but as the U.S. changes the rules of the game that it set up, China will try to repackage itself as the pro-status quo power,” he told VOA by phone.
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DruamAmericas

Suspect changes plea in July 4th parade shooting in Chicago suburb

WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS — An Illinois man pleaded guilty Monday to killing seven people and injuring dozens more when he opened fire on a 2022 Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb, a stunning development moments before opening arguments in his trial on charges of murder and attempted murder. 

Appearing in a Lake County circuit courtroom, Robert E. Crimo III, 23, withdrew his earlier not-guilty plea in the Highland Park shooting. 

Prosecutors initially charged him with 21 counts of first-degree murder — three counts for each person killed — as well as 48 counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors dropped the less serious 48 counts of aggravated battery before the start of the trial with jury selection last week. 

On Monday, Judge Victoria Rossetti read the charges to Crimo and asked questions to be sure he understood before any open plea was read to the court. He was sitting next to his lawyers wearing a dark suit. 

“Is that what you went over with your attorneys?” Rossetti asked. 

“Yes,” Crimo replied to the judge. 

He gave one-word answers, indicating he understood the charges. His mother, Denise Pesina, had a brief outburst at the news and was called up to the judge for a warning. 

“We’re going to move forward. You are not a party to this proceeding. If you would like to stay in the courtroom please have a seat and be quiet,” the judge said to her. 

She was allowed to stay. 

The judge said with the plea change, there would be no trial or further motions on the case. 

“He has knowingly and voluntarily waived those rights and pleaded guilty,” Rossetti said. 

Lake County prosecutors read the names of all those killed in the shooting and of those injured in the shooting, with the judge stopping to ask questions to make sure Crimo understood. 

They went over the substantial evidence, including his prints on the gun used in the crime, and statements to police admitting to the mass shooting. 

Sentencing will come April 23, but Crimo is certain to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Each count of first-degree murder carries a natural life prison sentence. 

Crimo did not further address the court or ask questions before leaving the courtroom. 

His defense attorneys declined comment ahead of the trial. 

Security was very tight for the proceedings at the courthouse in Lake County, with multiple bag checks and observers required to lock up their phones. The crowd at what was supposed to be opening statements included survivors and their family members. 

Jurors, who were chosen last week, had not even been let into the courtroom yet when the plea change happened. 

The trial that began Feb. 24 was expected to last about a month with testimony from survivors and police. Prosecutors had submitted thousands of pages of evidence, as well as hours of a videotaped interrogation during which police say Crimo confessed to the shooting. But the 24-year-old had then pleaded not guilty. 

Dozens of people were wounded in the shooting in the suburb about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Chicago. The wounded ranged in age from their 80s down to an 8-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed. 

Witnesses described confusion as the shots began, followed by panic as families fled the downtown parade route, leaving behind lawn chairs and strollers to find safety inside nearby businesses or homes. 

Authorities said Crimo perched on a roof and fired into crowds assembled for the annual Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park. 

The criminal case proceeded slowly for months, partly due to Crimo’s unpredictable behavior. In June 2024, when he was expected to accept a plea deal and give victims and relatives a chance to address him publicly, Crimo showed up to court in a wheelchair and rejected the deal, surprising even his lawyers. 

He also fired his public defenders and said he would represent himself. Then he abruptly reversed himself. 

As potential jurors were questioned last week, he sporadically appeared in court, at times refusing to leave his jail cell. 

Father charged, tried earlier

The trial came almost two years after his father’s case focusing on how Crimo obtained a gun license. 

In 2019, at age 19, Crimo was only allowed to apply for a gun license with the sponsorship of a parent or guardian. His father agreed, even though a relative had reported to police that his son had a collection of knives and had threatened to “kill everyone.” 

His father, Robert Crimo Jr., a onetime mayoral candidate, was charged in connection with how his son obtained a gun license. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct and served less than two months in jail. 

He has attended his son’s hearings, sometimes making eye contact with him during court. He declined to discuss the case in detail ahead of the trial. 

“As a parent, I love my son very much,” he said. “And Bobby loves this country more than anyone would ever know.” 

Residents in the wealthy Highland Park community of roughly 30,000 set along Lake Michigan have mourned the losses deeply. Some potential jurors were excused because of their connections to the case. 

The victims killed in the shooting included Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35. 

Survivors and their families have filed multiple lawsuits, including against the maker of the semiautomatic rifle used in the shooting and against authorities they accuse of negligence.
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DruafAfrica

Namibia lays founding president to rest 

Windhoek, Namibia — Thousands of Namibians gathered on the outskirts of the capital Windhoek on Saturday to bid farewell to the country’s founding president, Sam Nujoma, who died last month in a private hospital at the age of 95. Heads of state from southern African countries joined Namibians at the funeral for Nujoma, who led the country to independence from apartheid-era South Africa.

As early as six o’clock on Saturday morning, Namibians could be seen making their way, some on foot and others in their vehicles, to the National Shrine, the Heroes Acre, on the outskirts of Windhoek.

They came pay their final respects to the man who is credited with bringing independence to the southern African country thirty-five years ago.

Sam Nujoma died in a Windhoek hospital on February 8th after being hospitalized for three weeks.

Namibia’s current president, Nangolo Mbumba, described Nujoma as a giant who stood firm in the country’s 24-year armed struggle for independence from South Africa.

“Although our hearts are laden with grief, we take solace that President Sam Nujoma will now rest amongst his fellow illustrious heroes and heroines,” he said. “[He] has completed his mission with distinction, fulfilling his destiny and leaving behind the most precious gift of freedom and independence for the people of Namibia.”

Among the VIPs in attendance Saturday were South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and Angola’s President João Lourenco.

Former presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique could also be seen in the crowds of mourners who came to pay their last respects to the elder statesman.

Nujoma was the first leader of Namibia’s independence movement, the South West Africa People’s Organization, and later served three terms as Namibia’s president.

Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana is his niece and a former cabinet minister who served as Namibia’s Attorney General. She is also vice-chairperson of the Sam Nujoma Foundation.

“Nujoma united the people of Namibia who were divided according to the ethnic languages,” she said. “During the war our people were made to fight against each other and at independence he introduced a policy of national reconciliation to forgive one another as brothers and sisters.”

Public servant Chrispin Kapalu was also among the mourners who sang and danced as they braved the burning hot Namibian sun to bid farewell to the leader, whose name is captured in revolutionary struggle songs like “Sema Uulipeni Elula Ee pandela, eelula epandela ola Namibia.”

The lyrics mean “Sam Nujoma where are you, raise the flag.”

“Growing up we knew about Nujoma, different interpretations but after independence as young people then we could see the reality why our forefathers have to sacrifice their lives,” said Kapalu.
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DruasiaAsia

Myanmar’s head of military government travels to ally Russia for talks with Putin

BANGKOK — The head of Myanmar’s military government arrived in Russia on Monday on an official visit to a major ally of the Southeast Asian nation that has been shunned by much of the West for overthrowing a democratically elected government and subsequent brutal repression. 

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who landed in Moscow on Monday and was greeted by a military orchestra on the tarmac, will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The general is accompanied by fellow members of the ruling military council and Cabinet, as well as military officials, state television MRTV reported. 

The report said Min Aung Hlaing will also meet with other top Russian officials and discuss bilateral ties, economic affairs and security with the aim to strengthen strategic cooperation. 

Russia, along with China, is a major supporter and arms supplier of Myanmar’s military government. Russian-made fighter jets are used in attacks on territory under the control of ethnic minority groups, many of which are allies with pro-democracy resistance forces. 

Russia defends Myanmar’s military government in international forums, and the ruling generals generally support Moscow’s foreign policy agenda. 

Western nations have ostracized Myanmar’s ruling military and imposed economic and political sanctions against them because of their takeover and violent repression of opposition, which has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and given rise to an armed conflict widely seen as a civil war. 

The trip is Min Aung Hlaing’s fourth to Russia since his army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. His one known previous meeting with Putin was on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum held in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok in September 2022. 

Russia and Myanmar have also held joint military drills and signed a pact on developing nuclear power. Myanmar’s military government is planning to allow general laborers to go to Russia for work.
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DruafAfrica

‘Wildlife corridors’ are encouraged to support Kenya’s recovering animal populations

LEWA, Kenya — As nations mark World Wildlife Day, conservationists in Kenya are warning of shrinking wildlife spaces in the east African country that generates substantial revenue from wildlife tourism.

While conservation efforts over the past two decades have led to the recovery of many threatened species, the animals are losing wide swaths of habitat because of threats stemming from climate change and destructive human behavior, activists warn.

But they also cite an opportunity in what are known as wildlife corridors — strips of land connecting areas that would otherwise be separated by human activities. By allowing free movement of animals and reducing incidents of human-wildlife conflict, such corridors support the growth of wildlife populations.

One conservation group that is trying to create such corridors is Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which lies about 260 kilometers north of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. Lewa is owned by a nonprofit that has acquired more land in recent years in a bid to connect Mount Kenya forest preserve to rangelands in northern Kenya. The sanctuary is home to 14% of Kenya’s remaining black rhinos, in addition to other mammal species ranging from lions to zebras.

An annual wildlife census was underway when the AP visited Lewa, where animal numbers have been going up over the years. The census involved the manual counting of each animal, with both ground rangers and aerial teams participating in the dayslong effort.

“All this is an effort to ensure that we undertake the responsibility of accounting for every species that is found on Lewa, especially the most critically endangered ones and the threatened ones,” said Dominic Maringa, head of conservation and wildlife at Lewa. “We make sure it’s a full census.”

Lewa’s elephant population increased from 350 individuals in 2014 to over 450 in 2024, according to figures provided by the conservancy. Similar growth was seen among white and black rhinos, a major draw for visitors.

But rising wildlife populations strain ecosystems and need to be matched by stronger efforts to protect habitats and create new corridors, Maringa said.

“As conservationists, you have to be looking at these trends, relate them to climate change, relate them with people and human-wildlife conflict,” he said. “Maybe you are enjoying seeing a lot of elephants or buffalos. But at the end of the day what does that mean? You have to make sure you think ahead of the population.”

Kenyan authorities report wildlife population growth trends across the country. Figures from the wildlife authority show that elephant numbers have grown from around 16,000 in the late 1980s to nearly 37,000 in 2024. Black rhinos have increased from fewer than 400 in the 1990s to over 1,000 today. Critically endangered Grevy’s zebras now number over 2,000, while lions have grown to approximately 2,600.

But that success is threatened in some areas by growing human populations: Kenya’s population has grown from 22 million in 1989 to over 55 million in 2025.

Kenya Wildlife Service, or KWS, is encouraging conservancies such as Lewa and private landowners to open up wildlife corridors for free animal movement, with translocation efforts also underway to redistribute animals from crowded ecosystems into less populated areas.

KWS, in a recent statement, cited the Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem, an expansive protected area in southern Kenya that hosts key elephant migration routes, as “increasingly under pressure due to human activities affecting the free movement of wildlife.”

Similarly, the wildlife corridor known as Kitengela, which connects Nairobi National Park to the grasslands of southern Kenya, has faced fragmentation due to human settlements and infrastructure development.

Beside climate change, rapid urbanization driven by population growth is a major factor in the shrinking of wildlife corridors, according to KWS.

There is also the additional problem of wildfires, with Kenya Forest Service reporting over 180 wildfires that have damaged more than 1,358 hectares of vegetation across the country since the beginning of this year.
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DruasiaAsia

Thailand mulls wall at Cambodia border as scam center crackdown widens

Bangkok — Thailand is studying the idea of building a wall on part of its border with Cambodia to prevent illegal crossings, its government said on Monday, as a multi-national effort to dismantle a sprawling network of illicit scam centers mounts.

The crackdown is widening against scam centers responsible for using the internet to contact potential victims and carrying out massive financial fraud out of Southeast Asia, especially those on Thailand’s porous borders with Myanmar and Cambodia, where hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked by criminal gangs in recent years, according to the United Nations.

At the weekend, Thai police received 119 Thai nationals from Cambodian authorities after a raid in the town of Poipet, pulled more than 215 people out from a scam compound.

“If it is done, how will it be done? What results and how will it solve problems? This is a study,” Thai government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said of the wall proposal, without specifying its length.

A spokesperson for Cambodia’s government declined to comment on the wall proposal. Its foreign ministry spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Thailand and Cambodia share a border of 817 kilometers. The Thai defense ministry has previously proposed a wall to block off a 55 kilometer natural crossing between Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province and Poipet, which at present is only protected by razor wire.

Telecom fraud centers have been operating for years in Southeast Asia, ensnaring people of multiple countries, as far away as West Africa.

They have faced heightened scrutiny after the rescue in January of Chinese actor, Wang Xing, who was lured to Thailand with the promise of a job before being abducted and taken to a scam center in Myanmar.

In Myanmar’s Myawaddy, more than 7,000 foreigners – mostly from China – are waiting to cross into Thailand, which is coordinating with embassies to try to streamline their repatriations.

Hundreds of foreigners pulled out of the compounds are in limbo, in squalid conditions in a militia camp in Myanmar, and are struggling to secure a route home, according to some detainees. A top Thai lawmaker last week said the crackdown is insufficient, estimating 300,000 people have been operating in compounds in Myawaddy alone.
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DruamAmericas

French company announces new US factory for night vision goggles component

A French company that makes a key component in night vision systems used by some NATO countries announced Monday it is building a new factory in the United States amid a push for NATO members to increase their defense spending.

Exosens said the new factory in the northeastern state of Massachusetts is expected to begin operations in 2027, and is part of a $21 million overall investment that also includes expanded operations in Europe.

“The return of high-density combat has underscored the critical importance of night operation abilities as a key tactical advantage,” the company said in a statement.

Last week, Exosens announced a contract with a maker of night vision goggles in NATO member Finland.

Some information for this story was provided by Reuters
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DruasiaAsia

China’s factory activity picks up but trade uncertainties weigh

BEIJING — China’s factory activity grew at a faster pace in February, driven by stronger supply and demand, including a rebound in export orders, a private-sector survey showed on Monday, partly due to seasonal factors related to the holiday period.

The Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, rose to 50.8 in February, from 50.1 the previous month, marking a three-month high and beating analysts’ forecasts in a Reuters poll of 50.3. The 50-mark separates growth from contraction.

The PMI offers a snapshot of operating conditions in the manufacturing sector.

The positive trend in the Caixin survey aligned with an official PMI for China released over the weekend, that showed manufacturing activity expanding at the fastest pace in three months.

“The holiday period saw robust consumption momentum, and technological innovations in certain industries added to the positive sentiment, helping sustain the manufacturing market recovery,” said Wang Zhe, economist at Caixin Insight Group.

Factory production in China accelerated in February from the previous month, while total new orders increased at the quickest pace in three months. New export orders increased at their fastest pace since April last year.

However, manufacturers faced rising input costs, particularly for materials like copper and various chemicals, putting pressure on profit margins.

To mitigate these challenges, factory owners focused on cost-cutting. Employment in the sector continued to decline, and output prices remained subdued, reflecting weak pricing power.

Despite these pressures, business sentiment improved from January, buoyed by signs of recovering domestic demand and expectations of additional government support for the economy.

China’s GDP officially grew 5% last year, reaching the government’s target, largely due to extensive government stimulus measures. But the economy has been grappling with challenges including a faltering property market, weakening domestic demand and rising trade tensions.

Trump on Thursday said he would slap an extra 10% duty on Chinese goods on March 4, on top of the 10% tariff that he levied on February 4, worsening the trade outlook.

Wang Zhe emphasized the importance of timely policy support, saying “March represents a critical policy window. Supportive measures should address market expectations and societal concerns, focusing on key economic bottlenecks.”

 
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DruasiaAsia

Lithuanian rower plucked from path of tropical cyclone off Australia

Sydney — A Lithuanian rower was rescued from storm-tossed seas off Australia on Monday after paddling into a tropical cyclone while trying to cross the Pacific Ocean alone.  

An Australian navy vessel plucked long-distance rower Aurimas Mockus from the Coral Sea, where Tropical Cyclone Alfred on Monday was whipping up 100-kilometer (60-mile) per hour winds and seven-meter (20-foot) swells.

Mockus first activated his emergency beacon Friday evening, enduring three nights at sea as the looming cyclone hampered rescue efforts.  

Vice Admiral Justin Jones said Mockus — who has used the attempt to drum up support for Ukraine’s war effort — was safely on board and undergoing medical checks.  

“The ship is on its way back to Australian shores,” said the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in a statement.  

Aerial photos taken before the rescue showed his modified rowboat bobbing on white-capped waves in a turbulent, dark ocean.  

Mockus fell just short of his goal to row 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) across the Pacific Ocean from the United States to Australia.  

He started the grueling journey in September 2024, according to his website.  

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to bring damaging waves and strong winds as it moves toward Australia’s eastern coast later this week, the government weather bureau said.
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DruamAmericas

Crews battle wildfires in Carolinas amid dry conditions, gusty winds

Crews battled wildfires in North and South Carolina on Sunday amid dry conditions and gusty winds and evacuations were ordered in some areas.

The National Weather Service warned of increased fire danger in the region due to a combination of critically dry fuels and very low relative humidity.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Sunday to support the wildfire response effort, and a statewide burning ban remained in effect.

Crews worked to contain a fire in the Carolina Forest area west of the coastal resort city of Myrtle Beach, where residents were ordered to evacuate several neighborhoods, according to Horry County Fire Rescue.

The South Carolina Forestry Commission estimated Sunday afternoon that the blaze was burning about 4.9 square kilometers (1.9 square miles) with 0% containment. No structures had succumbed to the blaze and no injuries had been reported as of Sunday morning, officials said.

The 410 personnel involved in the effort were expected to remain until the fire was contained, county fire officials said. Evacuations were expected to remain in place Sunday and officials warned residents in the Carolina Forest area to be prepared with go-bags and emergency plans if more evacuations were called in their neighborhoods.

In North Carolina, the U.S. Forest Service said fire crews were working to contain multiple wildfires burning on more than 161.87 hectares (400 acres) in four forests across the state Sunday. The largest, about 121.41 hectares (300 acres), was at Uwharrie National Forest, about 80.47 kilometers (50 miles) east of Charlotte.

The small southwestern town of Tryon in Polk County, North Carolina, urged some residents to evacuate Saturday as a fire spread rapidly there. On Sunday, officials said those evacuations remained in effect.

That fire was burning about 161.87 hectares (400 acres) Sunday afternoon, with 0% containment, according to the Polk County Emergency Management/Fire Marshal’s office. The North Carolina Forest Service was conducting water drops and back-burning operations on the ground, and area residents should expect a lot of smoke during those operations, officials said.

Officials have not said what caused any of the fires.
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DR Congo says handover of 20 alleged Hutu rebels was staged

Kinshasa, DRC — The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army denied Sunday that 20 fighters linked to the Rwandan genocide had been captured on its territory, calling a video of their handover to Rwanda “faked.”

The statement came after the M23 armed group in eastern DRC said Saturday it had captured fighters from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia founded by ethnic Hutus who took part in the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994.

Rwanda has long pointed to the alleged presence of the FDLR in eastern DRC.

The M23 has seized swathes of the DRC’s troubled, mineral-rich east in recent months, including the key provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.

The M23 released a video showing its forces handing over 20 alleged FDLR fighters to Rwanda at a border post between the two countries.

“This is a faked incident in poor taste orchestrated with the sole aim of discrediting our army,” the Congolese armed forces chiefs of staff said in a statement.

“This is part of the Rwandan strategy to justify the invasion of parts of the DRC’s territory,” it added.

“The Rwandan authorities, who specialize in the art of lies and manipulation, took old FDLR detainees, dressed them in new military fatigues, and passed them off as FDLR fighters newly captured in Goma.”

The DRC high command also accused the Rwandan army of “summary executions” of wounded and ill soldiers at a field hospital in Goma, which “constitutes a war crime and crime against humanity,” it said.

The escalating conflict in eastern DRC has raised fears it could spiral into a wider regional war, drawing in Rwanda, Uganda and other countries.

The DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, a claim that Rwanda denies. Kigali, in turn, alleges that Kinshasa collaborates with the FDLR, an allegation the DRC rejects.

Military operations in the region remain fluid, with clashes leading to significant displacement and humanitarian concerns. Analysts warn that continued instability risks deepening the regional conflict and several peacekeepers from the Southern African Development Community, or SADC, have already been killed since the recent rebel offensives. 
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‘Captain America: Brave New World’ on top during weak Oscars’ weekend

LOS ANGELES — “Captain America: Brave New World” kept falling but still hovered above all others at a weak weekend box office. 

The latest Disney-Marvel offering brought in another $15 million according to studio estimates Sunday, when most of Hollywood’s attention was on the Oscars. 

The Anthony Mackie-led “Captain America: Brave New World” opened strong at about $120 million on a three-day weekend last month, but plunged to $28.2 million last week in one of the most significant second-week drops for a Marvel movie. It’s earned $163.7 since its release. 

It was slammed by many critics and audiences, failing to bring the Marvel reset some had hoped for. That task now falls to May’s “Thunderbolts” and July’s “Fantastic Four: First Steps.” But “Captain America” will face little competition through March and could remain at No. 1 for a while. 

The weekend’s only significant new release, Focus Features’ “Last Breath,” earned just $7.8 million. The based-on-a-true-story adventure starring Woody Harrelson, Simi Liu and Chris Lemons is about a routine deep-sea diving mission that goes terribly wrong when a young diver is stranded some 300 feet below the surface. 

It got strong reviews, with Lindsey Bahr of The Associated Press praising the “white-knuckle experience” and “pure suspense and anxiety” it brings. 

At No. 3 was Oz Perkins’ “The Monkey,” which brought in $6.4 million for a two-week total of $24.6 million. It’s among the strongest openings for indie distributor Neon, whose film “Anora,” and its director Sean Baker could make a major mark at the Oscars later Sunday. 

“The Monkey” marks another successful low-budget collaboration between Perkins and Neon, whose “Longlegs” brought in $126.9 million globally last year. 

“Paddington in Peru” was fourth with $4.5 million in its third weekend for a total of $31.4 million. 

Top 10 movies by domestic box office 

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. 

  1. “Captain America: Brave New World,” $15 million. 

  2. “Last Breath,” $7.8 million. 

  3. “The Monkey,” $6.4 million. 

  4. “Paddington in Peru,” $4.5 million. 

  5. “Dog Man,” $4.2 million. 

  6. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $1.9 million. 

  7. “Ne Zha 2,” $1.8 million. 

  8. “Heart Eyes,” $1.3 million. 

9 “The Unbreakable Boy,” $1.2 million. 

  1. “One of Them Days,” $925,000. 
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Airstrikes taking deadly toll on civilians in Sudan’s Darfur region

Airstrikes in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, have intensified, causing widespread civilian casualties. From Adre, Chad, Henry Wilkins shares the story of Khadijah, a refugee who lost her son to one of these aerial attacks in the ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. (Warning: This video contains graphic images and subject matter that some may find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.)
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DruamAmericas

Ukraine, Gaza expected to feature in Trump’s address to Congress

The need to end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The United States imposing tariffs on other countries, and the downsizing of the U.S. federal government. Those are some of the topics that President Donald Trump is expected to highlight when he delivers the first address of this second term in office to Congress this week. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports.
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DruasiaAsia

8 dead in India avalanche as rescue operation ends

Dehradun, India — Rescuers recovered the eighth and final body from the site of an avalanche in a remote area of northern India, the army said Sunday, marking the end of a marathon operation in sub-zero temperatures.

More than 50 workers were submerged under snow and debris after the avalanche hit a construction camp Friday near Mana village on the border with Tibet in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.

Authorities had revised down the number of workers on site at the time of the avalanche from 55 to 54 after one worker, previously believed to be buried, was found to have safely made his way home before the avalanche hit.

The army used a drone-based detection system to assist in its search operations.

Multiple drones and a rescue dog were also employed.

Construction worker Anil, who only gave his first name, recalled his rescue hours after being buried by the avalanche.

“It was if God’s angels had come to save us,” Anil, who is in his late 20s, told AFP on Sunday by phone from his hospital bed.

“The way we were engulfed in snow, we had no hope of surviving.”

Being alive now felt “like a dream,” he said.

Not all made it

Working on a project by the Border Roads Organization, the workers were living on site in steel containers considered stronger than tents and capable of withstanding harsh weather.

Anil said many workers were fast asleep and a few others were in makeshift toilets when the avalanche struck around 6 a.m. local time Friday.

As the ground beneath them shook, the container in which Anil and his colleagues were in began to slide down.

“At first we did not understand what was happening but when we looked out of the window of the containers, we saw piles of snow all around,” he said.

“The roof of the containers was also slowly bending inwards.”

Everyone started screaming for help and a few men were lucky to get out of their containers.

“But not all of them made it out and they remained trapped,” he said.

Like thunder

His colleague Vipan Kumar thought “this was the end” when he found himself unable to move as he struggled for air under the thick layer of snow.

“I heard a loud roar, like thunder … before I could react, everything went dark,” he told the Times of India newspaper.

At an altitude of more than 3,200 meters (10,500 feet), minimum temperatures in the area were down to minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit).

Dhan Singh Bisht said his son and nephew were alive only because of the prompt action by the relief teams.

“I am grateful to them,” an overwhelmed Bisht told AFP by phone Saturday.

Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, especially during the winter season.

Scientists say climate change is making weather events more severe, while the increased pace of development in the fragile Himalayan regions has also heightened fears about the fallout from deforestation and construction.

In 2021, nearly 100 people died in Uttarakhand after a huge glacier chunk fell into a river, triggering flash floods.

And devastating monsoon floods and landslides in 2013 killed 6,000 people and led to calls for a review of development projects in the state. 
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US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea, days after North test-fired missiles

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — A U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Sunday in a show of force, days after North Korea test-launched cruise missiles to demonstrate its counterattack capabilities.

The arrival of the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group at the South Korean port of Busan was meant to display a solid U.S-South Korean military alliance in the face of persistent North Korean threats, and boost interoperability of the allies’ combined assets, the South Korean navy said in a statement.

It said it was the first U.S. aircraft carrier to travel to South Korea since June.

The deployment of the carrier is expected to infuriate North Korea, which views temporary deployments of such powerful U.S. military assets as major security threats. North Korea has responded to some of the past deployments of U.S. aircraft carriers, long-range bombers and nuclear-powered submarines with missile tests.

Since his Jan. 20 inauguration, President Donald Trump has said he will reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again to revive diplomacy. North Korea hasn’t directly responded to Trump’s overture but alleged U.S.-led hostilities against North Korea have intensified since Trump’s inauguration.

North Korea said Friday it test-fired strategic cruise missiles earlier last week to inform its adversaries of its military’s counterattack capability and the readiness of its nuclear operations. After watching the launches, the North’s fourth missile testing event this year, Kim ordered his military to be fully ready to use its nuclear weapons.

Experts say Kim won’t likely accept Trump’s overture anytime soon as he is now focusing on his support of Russia’s war against Ukraine with provision of weapons and troops. They say Kim could consider resuming diplomacy with Trump when he thinks he cannot maintain his country’s current booming cooperation with Russia.

Kim and Trump met three times from 2018 to 2019 during Trump’s first term to discuss the future of North Korea’s nuclear program. Their high-stakes diplomacy eventually collapsed due to wrangling over U.S.-led economic sanctions on North Korea. 
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Uganda reports second Ebola death, a 4-year-old, WHO says

KAMPALA, UGANDA — A second Ebola patient, a 4-year-old child, has died in Uganda, the World Health Organization said, citing the country’s health ministry.

The fatality brings the number of confirmed cases in Uganda to 10.

The East African country declared an outbreak of the highly infectious and often fatal hemorrhagic disease in January after the death of a male nurse at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital of Kampala.

The WHO’s Uganda office posted late on Saturday on X that the ministry had reported “an additional positive case in Mulago hospital of a 4 1/2-year-old child, who tragically passed away” on Tuesday.

Mulago is the country’s sole national referral hospital for Ebola cases.

The ministry said on Feb. 18 that all eight Ebola patients under care had been discharged but that at least 265 contacts remained under strict quarantine in Kampala and two other cities.

Ebola symptoms include fever, headache and muscle pains. The virus is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissue. 
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Rubio expedites delivery of $4 billion in military aid to Israel

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday he had signed a declaration to expedite delivery of about $4 billion in military assistance to Israel.

The Trump administration, which took office on Jan. 20, has approved nearly $12 billion in major foreign military sales to Israel, Rubio said in a statement, adding that it “will continue to use all available tools to fulfill America’s long-standing commitment to Israel’s security, including means to counter security threats.”

Rubio said he had used emergency authority to expedite the delivery of military assistance to Israel, which is now in a fragile ceasefire in its war with Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.

Hamas started the war with its terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, an attack which left 1,200 dead in Israel, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostages. The Israeli military offensive has, since then, killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, more than half of whom have been women and children.

The Pentagon said on Friday that the State Department had approved the potential sale of nearly $3 billion worth of bombs, demolition kits and other weaponry to Israel.

The administration notified Congress of those prospective weapons sales on an emergency basis, sidestepping a long-standing practice of giving the chairs and ranking members of the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees the opportunity to review the sale and ask for more information before making a formal notification to Congress.

Friday’s announcements marked the second time in recent weeks that President Donald Trump’s administration has declared an emergency to quickly approve weapons sales to Israel. The Biden administration also used emergency authority to approve the sale of arms to Israel without congressional review.

On Monday, the Trump administration rescinded a Biden-era order requiring it to report potential violations of international law involving U.S.-supplied weapons by allies, including Israel. It has also eliminated most U.S. humanitarian foreign aid.

The Jan. 19 Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement halted 15 months of fighting and paved the way for talks on ending the war, while leading to the release of 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza and around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. 
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DruasiaAsia

VOA Mandarin: China releases plan to improve consumer environment

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation and five other departments issued the “Three-Year Action Plan for Optimizing the Consumer Environment (2025-2027).” It states that in implementing the action to optimize consumer order, they will continue to carry out special actions to regulate the internet market and crack down on illegal activities, such as traffic fraud, order manipulation, vulgar sales, and illegal advertising in the internet market.

Click here for the full story in Mandarin. 
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Former Governor Andrew Cuomo announces run for New York City mayor

NEW YORK — Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that he is running for mayor of New York City, relaunching his political career following a yearslong exile over sexual harassment accusations. 

In a 17-minute video announcing his campaign, Cuomo pitched himself as an accomplished moderate who could save a city that felt threatening and “out of control,” and who could navigate the delicate balance between working with Republican President Donald Trump and fighting him when necessary. 

“I am not saying this is going to be easy. It won’t be easy, but I know we can turn the city around and I believe I can help and that is why I announce my candidacy today for mayor of New York City today,” he said. 

The Democrat is expected to mount a formidable campaign, despite the scandal that forced his resignation from New York’s governor’s office in 2021. 

He takes on a large field of primary opponents with low name recognition plus an incumbent, Mayor Eric Adams. 

Cuomo enters the race with fundraising prowess, a record of accomplishments over his three terms as governor, and potential support among many of the same moderate voters who helped propel Adams to office. 

Yet it is unclear whether voters are willing to give Cuomo another chance following his remarkable downfall 3½ years ago, when he went from being hailed for his leadership during the onslaught of COVID-19 to being castigated for his behavior with women and questioned about his response to the pandemic. 

Adams, asked for comment by a Politico reporter after Cuomo’s announcement, welcomed the former governor to the race. 

“Come one, come all. Everybody should put their position forward. I have a great record to run on. We look forward to the campaign,” he said. 

Adams is also seeking reelection but is facing a tempest over the criminal case against him, and the U.S. Justice Department’s extraordinary effort to end the case over the objection of the prosecutors who brought the charges. 

An indictment said Adams accepted luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from people who wanted to buy his influence, including a Turkish official and other foreign nationals. After Trump took office, a top Justice Department official ordered prosecutors to dismiss the charges so Adams could focus on assisting the president’s immigration agenda, while leaving open the possibly that the case could reemerge after the mayoral election. 

That dynamic led critics to claim that Adams had struck a deal to help with Trump’s immigration crackdown in exchange for legal salvation. 

Cuomo started in politics working for his father, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, and later rose to become U.S. housing secretary under President Bill Clinton and New York attorney general before being elected governor in 2010. 

His national star power was highest during the coronavirus pandemic, when his televised daily briefings attracted admirers nationwide who saw him as a steady hand of leadership at a chaotic time. 

Women, though, began coming forward in late 2020 and early 2021, accusing Cuomo of misconduct. He faced a potential impeachment before he stepped down. 
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US to deploy more troops to southern border

The United States will deploy nearly 3,000 additional troops to its border with Mexico, bringing the total number of active-duty personnel there to around 9,000, U.S. Northern Command, or NORTHCOM, said Saturday.

Border security is a key priority for President Donald Trump, who declared a national emergency at the U.S. frontier with Mexico on his first day in office.

“Approximately 2,400 soldiers from elements of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 4th Infantry Division” will be sent to the border, along with “approximately 500 soldiers from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade,” NORTHCOM said in a statement.

“Tasks carried out by 2nd SBCT will include detection and monitoring; administrative support; transportation support; warehousing and logistic support; vehicle maintenance; and engineering support. Personnel will not conduct or be involved in interdiction or deportation operations,” it said.

Troops from the aviation unit will “assist in the movement of personnel, equipment, and supplies; and provide aerial medical evacuation capabilities,” NORTHCOM said.

“These deployments will bring additional agility and capability to further efforts to stop the flow of illegal migrancy and drugs at the southern border,” its commander, General Gregory Guillot, said.

The Trump administration has launched what it cast as a major effort to combat illegal migration that has included immigration raids, arrests and deportations, including via the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Trump unveiled a surprise plan last month to hold up to 30,000 migrants at the base — a facility notorious for abuses against terror suspects detained after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks — and U.S. forces have detained dozens of people there in recent weeks, many of whom have since been deported.
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VOA Uzbek: Activists say no Central Asian countries are ‘free’

Freedom House, like other human rights organizations, considers Central Asia to be a region far from democracy. According to the report, none of the Central Asian republics allow political competition; there is no opposition, and therefore, elections are unfair and undemocratic; parliaments and courts are not independent; presidents are autocratic.

Regional analysts are concerned about that and human rights in Central Asia.

Click here for the full story in Uzbek.
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