More than 80 passengers killed in the latest boat accident in Congo
Updated 12 June 2024
AP
KINSHASA, Congo: A boat carrying more than 270 passengers has capsized on a river near Congo’s capital of Kinshasa, leaving more than 80 dead, President Félix Tshisekedi said Wednesday.
It was the latest deadly boat accident in the central African country where overloading is often blamed, including in February when dozens lost their lives after an overloaded boat sank.
A statement quoting Tshisekedi said the locally made boat capsized late Monday in Maï-Ndombe province along the Kwa River.
The boat was carrying 271 passengers to Kinshasa when it broke down due to an engine failure, according to the UN-backed Radio Okapi, citing Ren Maker, the water commissioner in the Mushi district where the accident happened.
Eighty-six of the passengers died while 185 managed to swim ashore, some 70 kilometers (43 miles) near the closest city of Mushie, Maker said.
He said the boat hit the edge of the river bank and broke up.
Congolese officials have often warned against overloading and vowed to punish those violating safety measures for water transportation. But in remote areas where most passengers come from, many are unable to afford public transport for the few available roads.
First election in a decade is planned in Indian-administered Kashmir. Here’s what to know
Opposition Congress party has formed alliance with National Conference, the region’s largest pro-India Kashmiri political party
Modi’s BJP has a weak political base in the Kashmir Valley, the heartland of decades of anti-India rebellion, while it is strong in Jammu
Updated 9 sec ago
AP
SRINAGAR: Residents of Indian-administered Kashmir are gearing up for their first regional election in a decade that will allow them to have their own truncated government, also known as a local assembly, instead of remaining under New Delhi’s direct rule.
Muslim-majority Kashmir is divided between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan and claimed in its entirety by both. The Indian-administered part has been on edge since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government ended its special status in 2019 and also scrapped its statehood.
The three-phased polls will take place amid a sharp rise in rebel attacks on government forces in parts of Hindu-dominated Jammu areas that have remained relatively peaceful in the three decades of armed rebellion against Indian rule.
With campaigning picking up in the runup to the election, India’s main opposition Congress party has formed an alliance to jointly seek the vote with the National Conference, the region’s largest pro-India Kashmiri political party. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has a weak political base in the Kashmir Valley, the heartland of decades of anti-India rebellion, while it is strong in Jammu.
Here is what you need to know about the coming election: The history of disputed Kashmir
Kashmir’s future was left unresolved at the end of British colonial rule in 1947 when the Indian subcontinent was divided into predominantly Hindu India and mainly Muslim Pakistan. Pakistan has long pushed for the right to self-determination under a UN resolution passed in 1948, which called for a referendum on whether Kashmiris wanted to merge with either country.
Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989, while India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, a charge Islamabad denies. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict which most Kashmiri Muslims consider a legitimate struggle for freedom.
In this file photograph, taken on May 31, 2019, Kashmiri protesters throw bricks and rocks at an armored vehicle of Indian police during a protest in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP/File)
What is the current status of the region?
Indian-administered Kashmir has been without a local government since 2018 when India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ended its support to the local Kashmiri People’s Democratic Party, bringing down the coalition government and causing the assembly to dissolve. A year later, Modi’s government revoked the region’s semi-autonomy and downgraded it to a federally controlled territory.
As a result, Indian-held Kashmir lost its flag, criminal code, constitution and inherited protections on land and jobs. It was also divided into two federal territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir, ruled directly by New Delhi, allowing it to appoint an administrator to run it along unelected government officials.
Since then, a slew of legal and administrative changes have been installed without public input, much to the anger of the region’s people whose civil liberties have also been curbed and media intimidated.
Indian officials have repeatedly said that the move — to shape what it calls “Naya Kashmir,” or a “new Kashmir” — was necessary to tackle separatism, foster greater economic development and fully integrate the region into the country. Even after the election, India’s federal government will still make the decisions
The election will take place between Sept. 18 and Oct. 1, and votes are set to be counted on Oct. 4.
Ashok Bhat, left, a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) talks to a voter, while campaigning door-to-door ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir state assembly elections, in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir on August 29, 2024. (AP)
In theory, the polls will see a transition of power from New Delhi to a newly elected local assembly with a chief minister serving as the region’s top elected official with a council of ministers, a similar setup to before 2018.
But the new polls will hardly give the new government any legislative powers as Indian-controlled Kashmir will continue to be a “Union Territory” — a region directly controlled by the federal government — with India’s parliament remaining as the region’s legislator. The elected assembly will only have nominal control over education and culture.
Kashmir’s statehood status has to be restored for the new government to have power. Even Kashmiri pro-India parties, like the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party, have vowed to politically and legally fight for the return of Kashmir’s semi-autonomy. How do Kashmir residents view the upcoming election?
Many are indifferent, while some believe their vote could be a way to express deep resentment of Modi’s party. Most Muslim residents of the region want independence from India or unification with Pakistan.
National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah, center, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti, second right, and other leaders sit during an all parties meeting on restoration of the special status that was stripped last year from Indian-administered Kashmir, in Srinagar, India. (AP)
However, Kashmir’s pro-India political elite, many of whom have been jailed for allegedly disrupting peace and slapped with corruption cases in 2019, see an opportunity in these elections to politically oppose the changes by India’s ruling party.
Historically, elections in Indian-held Kashmir have remained a sensitive issue, with many believing that they have been rigged multiple times in favor of the region’s pro-India politicians.
Previous elections have seen Kashmiri Muslim separatist leaders who challenge India’s sovereignty over the region call for a boycott of the vote, calling it an illegitimate exercise under military occupation.
China says no scientific, factual basis for Philippines’ damage claims at Sabina Shoal
Survey report finds that key habitat index values in the reef area were within the suitable growth range of the coral reef system
Xianbin Reef, also known as Sabina Shoal, is in disputed waters of the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands, which China calls the Nansha Islands
Updated 28 min 50 sec ago
Reuters
BEIJING: China released on Friday its first survey report of the South China Sea’s disputed Sabina Shoal, saying there was no scientific or factual basis for reef damage claims made by the Philippines.
In the report by the natural resource ministry conducted from May to July, it found that key habitat index values in the reef area were within the suitable growth range of the coral reef system.
“As for the claim concocted by the Philippines that China’s artificial accumulation of coral debris at Xianbin Reef has caused a large number of coral bleaching and death in the region, there is no scientific or factual basis,” the report said.
Xianbin Reef, also known as Sabina Shoal, is in disputed waters of the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands, which China calls the Nansha Islands.
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. Both countries have had clashes over competing claims at several atolls in the sea, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually.
The Philippine coast guard has accused China of building an artificial island at Sabina Shoal, while China has said “illegal” beaching by Philippine warships at the Nansha Islands had “gravely damaged” the coral reef ecosystem in the area.
In the report, China said a Philippine coast guard ship that has “illegally” stayed at the shoal has had an adverse impact on the surrounding natural environment.
“Affected by waves and currents, anchors and anchor chains will cause continuous damage to the surrounding reefs, and (the Philippines) have also sent small boats to operate on the surrounding reefs many times,” said a senior engineer for China’s Ministry of Natural Resources.
On Sunday, near the Sabina Shoal, the Philippine South China Sea task force said Chinese vessels rammed and used water cannons against a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries ship transporting food, fuel and medical supplies for Filipino fishermen.
Harris widens lead over Trump with boost from women, Hispanics, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Harris leads Trump by 13 points among women and Hispanic voters, while Trump leads among white voters and men
73 percent of Democratic voters more excited after Harris entered race, replacing President Biden
Updated 30 August 2024
Reuters
WASHINGTON: Democrat Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump 45 percent to 41 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Thursday that showed the vice president sparking new enthusiasm among voters and shaking up the race ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
The 4 percentage point advantage among registered voters was wider than a 1 point lead Harris held over the former president in a late July Reuters/Ipsos poll. The new poll, which was conducted in the eight days ended Wednesday and had a 2 percentage point margin of error, showed Harris picking up support among women and Hispanics.
Harris led Trump by 49 percent to 36 percent — or 13 percentage points — among both women voters and Hispanic voters. Across four Reuters/Ipsos polls conducted in July, Harris had a 9 point lead among women and a 6 point lead among Hispanics.
Trump led among white voters and men, both by similar margins as in July, though his lead among voters without a college degree narrowed to 7 points in the latest survey, down from 14 points in July.
The findings illustrate how the US presidential race has been shaken up over the summer. President Joe Biden, 81, folded his flailing campaign on July 21 after a disastrous debate performance against Trump sparked widespread calls from his fellow Democrats to abandon his re-election bid.
Since then, Harris has gained ground against Trump in national polls and those in critical swing states. While national surveys including Reuters/Ipsos’ give important signals on the views of the electorate, the state-by-state results of the Electoral College determine the winner, with a handful of battleground states likely to be decisive.
Survey screen grab courtesy of IPSOS
In the seven states where the 2020 election was closest — Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan and Nevada — Trump had a 45 percent to 43 percent lead over Harris among registered voters in the poll.
A separate Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll published later on Thursday showed that Harris was either leading or tied with Trump in each of those states.
That poll showed Harris led Trump by 2 percentage points among registered voters across the seven states and was ahead by 1 point — a statistical tie — among likely voters. The margin of error was 1 percentage point across the seven states.
“It’s obvious that running against Harris is more challenging for Trump given the shift in these numbers, but it’s certainly not insurmountable,” Matt Wolking, a Republican campaign strategist who worked on Trump’s 2020 campaign, said in response to the Reuters/Ipsos poll results.
He said Trump needs to stay as focused as possible in his campaign “so he’s not scaring” away voters who were leaning his way because they didn’t like Biden.
Since formally accepting the Democratic nomination last week, Harris has embarked on a tour of battleground states including Georgia, where Biden had been hemorrhaging support before he ended his campaign.
Rising enthusiasm
Some 73 percent of Democratic registered voters in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they were more excited about voting in November after Harris entered the race. And while a March Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 61 percent respondents who intended to vote for Biden were doing so mainly to stop Trump, 52 percent of Harris voters in the August poll were voting to support her as a candidate rather than primarily to oppose Trump.
“We see it in this poll that people are more motivated about the future than the past,” said Aimee Allison, founder of She the People, a liberal group that aims to grow the numbers of women of color in elected office. “They see Kamala Harris as the future, and Republicans see this election as just about Trump. Voters are more likely to be engaged when given the option of ‘more than’ beating Trump.”
But Trump voters also voiced enthusiasm about their candidate, with 64 percent saying their choice was more motivated by backing Trump than opposing Harris.
Voters picked Trump as having a better approach to managing the US economy, 45 percent to 36 percent, a wider margin than Trump had in another Reuters/Ipsos poll this week.
Harris, by contrast, had a 47 percent to 31 percent advantage on abortion policy. The issue is salient for Democrats after the conservative US Supreme Court in 2022 struck down women’s national right to abortion. Trump nominated three conservative justices to the court during his 2017-2021 presidency. Some 41 percent of voters in the poll — and 70 percent of Democrats — said they were worried the next president might sign a national ban on abortions.
The latest poll’s survey period partially overlapped with the Aug. 19-22 Democratic National Convention in Chicago where Harris formally accepted her party’s nomination, and it remains to be seen whether the same level of enthusiasm for Harris will continue.
The poll was conducted nationally and gathered responses from 4,253 US adults, including 3,562 registered voters.
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who suspended his campaign on Aug. 23 while the poll was still being conducted, had the support of 6 percent of voters in the survey.
Serbia announces $3 billion deal to buy 12 French warplanes, in a shift away from Russia
Macron hails deal as “historic and important” and part of a strategy to bring Serbia closer to the European Union
Russia has been a traditional supplier of military aircraft to Serbia, which has refused to join international sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine
Updated 30 August 2024
AP
BELGRADE, Serbia: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday announced a $3 billion deal to buy 12 French warplanes, in a move that shifts his country away from its dependence on Russian arms.
The announcement about the Rafale multi-purpose fighter jets was made during a joint news conference in Belgrade with French President Emmanuel Macron during a two-day visit to Serbia as part of what French officials have called a strategy of bringing Serbia closer to the European Union.
Macron called called the deal “historic and important,” and said it demonstrated Serbia’s “strategic courage.”
“The European Union needs a strong and democratic Serbia at its side and Serbia needs a strong, sovereign Europe to defend its interests,” Macron said. ″Serbia’s place is in the EU, and it has a role to play to be an example for all the region.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, reviews the honor guard along with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during a welcoming ceremony in Belgrade, Serbia, on Aug. 29, 2024. (AP)
Serbia is formally seeking European Union membership, but under Vucic’s increasingly autocratic rule it has made little progress in the fields of rule of law and democratic reforms, which are the main preconditions for membership in the 27-nation bloc.
Selling Rafales to Russian ally Serbia, which has occasionally expressed an aggressive stance toward its Balkan neighbors, has raised some concerns, one of which is how France plans to prevent sophisticated Rafale technology from being shared with Russia.
Asked about whether the warplane deal includes restrictions on Serbia’s sharing of Rafale technology to its ally Russia, or the use of the military hardware in the Balkan region, Macron said the deal included ″full guarantees like any defense agreement,” without elaborating.
Russia has been a traditional supplier of military aircraft to Serbia, which has refused to join international sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
Vucic described the purchase of the Rafale jets as a “big” development. “It will contribute considerably to improving operational capabilities of our army, a completely different approach and we are happy to become part of the Rafale club,” Vucic said.
File photo showing a French Air Force Dassault Rafale fighter jet on flight. (Shutterstock)
Vucic dismissed any concerns among Western nations of the possibility that Serbia would transfer technology to Russia because of the Balkan country’s traditional close ties with Moscow.
“For the first time in history Serbia has Western jets,” Vucic said. “You wish to have Serbia as a partner and then you voice suspicions?”
The French maker of Rafale, Dassault Aviation, said in a statement that Serbia’s decision to buy the warplanes confirms “Rafale’s operational superiority and its proven excellence in serving the sovereign interests of a nation.”
Serbia had been considering the purchase of the new Rafale jets for more than two years, since neighboring Balkan rival Croatia purchased 12 used fighter jets of the same type for about 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion).
The acquisition allows Serbia to modernize its air force, which consists mainly of Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters and aging Yugoslav combat aircraft.
Kamala Harris says ceasefire and hostage release deal needed in Gaza
Updated 30 August 2024
Reuters
WASHINGTON: Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris told CNN on Thursday that a ceasefire and hostage release deal was needed in Gaza while she reiterated support for Israel and maintained her position that “too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”
“Israel has a right to defend itself .. and how it does so matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed, and we have got to get a deal done,” Harris told CNN in an interview, without offering any change in the current status quo policy.
