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French President Emmanuel Macron voiced support on Wednesday for a sovereign Iraq and said its main challenges are Islamic State militants and foreign interference in its affairs.France also backs Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s efforts to “normalize” all armed forces, Macron said during a visit to Baghdad, referring to mostly Iran-backed Shi’ite militia groups.”We will remain committed because the battle against Islamic State is ongoing but this has to be in the context of an agreement and protocol that respects Iraq’s sovereignty,” he said at a joint news conference with Kadhimi.Macron’s visit was the first by a Western leader to Iraq since Kadhimi took office in May as the third head of government in a chaotic 10-week period that followed months of unrest in a country exhausted by war with Islamist militants, corruption and economic decay.Kadhimi was appointed to head a government tasked with organizing an early election, a main demand of anti-government protesters who staged months of mass demonstrations last year. He has called one, to be held in June.Iraq has also struggled to cope with the clashing regional interests of its two major allies, the United States and Iran.French officials have said Paris is worried by a resurgence in Iraq of Islamic State militants profiting from political uncertainty and rivalries between Iran and the United States.Islamic State, which once occupied a third of Iraq’s territory, has been largely defeated there but continues to carry out ambushes, assassinations and bombings.French President Emmanuel Macron and Iraq’s President Barham Salih greet each other with an elbow bump as they attend a news conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 2, 2020.”The war against Islamic State isn’t finished … we will continue to act alongside you in the framework of the anti-Islamic State coalition,” Macron said after meeting Iraqi President Barham Salih.”The second challenge is … the multiple foreign interferences that have been going on for several years.”Macron also discussed energy cooperation with Kadhimi and working together on a nuclear project that could solve Iraq’s chronic electricity shortages as well as French support for building a metro railway in Baghdad. 
 
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Tropical Storm Nana barreled westward Wednesday just off the coast of Honduras on a collision course with the Central American nation of Belize, where thousands of people were stocking up on food, water and construction materials.Long lines stretched through supermarkets and hardware store shelves were nearly bare as Belizeans bought materials to board up windows and doors ahead of Nana’s expected landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday, possibly as a hurricane.The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported that Nana was located about 160 kilometers east-southeast of Belize City with maximum sustained winds of 95 kph. The storm was moving at 24 kph and was expected to strengthen throughout the day.Belize issued a hurricane warning for its coastline. Nana was 80 kilometers north-northwest of the Honduran island of Roatan, a popular tourist destination.Heavy rains were expected in Belize, as well as in northern Honduras and throughout Guatemala as the storm crosses the isthmus Thursday.Local leaders in rural villages in the southernmost district of Toledo were awaiting word from the National Emergency Management Organization to open hurricane shelters.As evening approached, dark clouds hung on the horizon as uneasy residents awaited the storm’s arrival. 
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A Slovak court is expected to rule Thursday on whether an influential businessman ordered the murder of an investigative journalist, in a case that prompted mass street protests and led to the reshaping of the country’s political landscape.The killing of Jan Kuciak, 27, and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova forced then prime minister and longtime leader Robert Fico to step down, and ushered in a new government in March this year whose main election promise was to clean up sleaze.FILE – Demonstrators light up their mobile phones as they attend an anti-government protest rally in reaction to last year’s killing of the investigative reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova in Bratislava, Slovakia, Sept. 20, 2019.The couple were gunned down in their home outside Bratislava in February 2018, in a killing that mirrored the murder in Malta four months earlier of another journalist investigating corruption, Daphne Caruana Galizia.Bringing Kuciak’s killers to justice has been a test of Slovakia’s judicial and political system, long seen as susceptible to corruption.The verdict has been postponed from August, and it is still possible that it may be postponed again after the prosecution asked to present additional evidence.Prosecutors say Slovak entrepreneur Marian Kocner, the subject of Kuciak’s reporting on corruption involving politically connected business people, had ordered the killing of the reporter. Kocner denies the charge.The investigation has forced the resignation of several senior politicians and judicial officials on account of their previous links to Kocner.Prosecutors are seeking a 25-year jail sentence for Kocner and for each of his two co-defendants.FILE- People celebrate the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico as a way out of the political crisis triggered by the slayings of journalist Jan Kuciak, during a rally in Bratislava, Slovakia, March 16, 2018.Two others have already been convicted in the case after admitting guilt. One of them, a former soldier, received 23 years in prison for killing Kuciak and his girlfriend, while a fifth suspect admitted to facilitating the murder and was given a 15-year sentence.Kocner, who is well-known in Slovak business and political circles, has already received a 19-year sentence in a separate case after being convicted of forging 69 million euros in promissory notes.Slovaks’ anger over the killing of Kuciak and his fiancee and perceptions of persistent graft helped to usher in activist lawyer Zuzana Caputova as the country’s president last year. It also opened the way for Igor Matovic’s outsider Ordinary People party to win a February parliamentary election this year, allowing him to become prime minister. 
 
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Refugees in Turkey seeking new lives by crossing the eastern Mediterranean to Greece are increasingly subject to being robbed, beaten or even abandoned at sea. Encouraged to make the trip by Turkey, refugees — many from Syria — report they are being expelled by Greek authorities after they reach Greek territory. Heather Murdock reports from Istanbul.     
Camera: Heather Murdock  Produced by: Jon Spier 
 
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Germany said Wednesday that tests performed on specimens taken from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny showed the presence of the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. A special German military laboratory had shown proof of “a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in a statement. FILE – Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny takes part in a rally in Moscow, Feb. 29, 2020.Navalny fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20 and, after an emergency landing, at first was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk before later being flown for treatment and tests at a Berlin hospital. The 44-year-old Navalny is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s staunchest critics and an anti-corruption activist. The Kremlin has denied claims by Navalny’s allies in Russia that authorities poisoned him, calling it “empty noise.” Russian doctors who treated Navalny in Siberia contested the German hospital’s conclusion, saying they had ruled out poisoning and that their tests for poisonous substances came back negative. Novichok is the same nerve agent that was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain in 2018. Seibert said the German government will inform the European Union and NATO about its Navalny test results and consult with them on “an appropriate joint response.” 
 
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Fourteen alleged associates of two jihadist terrorists went on trial Wednesday in Paris for allegedly helping them carry out deadly attacks in 2015, including one on the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.   The attack on the magazine’s offices was the first in a series of incidents over three days in January 2015, marking the beginning of a surge in violence by Islamic State in Europe. Seventeen people were killed. Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi went on a rampage in the magazine’s offices on January 7, shooting 12 people to death in the name of al-Qaida before fleeing. The magazine had published caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad years before.  A man looks at a painting by French street artist Christian Guemy, a.k.a. C215, in tribute to the members of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo attack by jihadist gunmen in January 2015, in Paris, Sept. 2, 2020.Two days later, on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath, Amedy Coulibaly, a Malian-French man, attacked the Hyper Cacher supermarket, killing four hostages in the name of Islamic State as the Kouachi brothers seized control of a printing office outside Paris. The attackers were killed that day during police raids. Coulibaly was later found to be responsible for the random death of a policewoman the previous day. Lassana Bathily, who saved hostages during the attack on the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket, arrives for the opening of the trial of the 2015 Paris attacks, at a Paris courthouse, France, Sept. 2, 2020.A separate network of French and Belgian fighters for Islamic State attacked Paris later in 2015, killing 130 people at the Bataclan concert hall, the national stadium, and in bars and restaurants. The suspects on trial are accused of helping with the logistics of the January attacks, including buying weapons and cars. Most of the suspects said they believed they were helping to plan an ordinary crime. As the trial opened under tight security, nearby newsstands sold the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo, which includes reprints of the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad cited by the gunmen who murdered members of the magazine’s editorial staff. 
 
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U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun says Washington and its European partners will continue to press Belarusian authorities to free political prisoners, end violence against protesters, and allow citizens to choose their government through a free and fair election.Speaking in an interview with RFE/RL by telephone on September 1 following a European tour that brought him to Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, and Austria last week, Biegun also warned that a Russian military intervention in Belarus would have a “very negative” impact on Moscow’s ties with the United States and European countries.“You, the people of Belarus, have reminded us how important democracy and freedom are. We are in awe of the courage that you have shown, and we wish you the very best,” he said, vowing that the United States and its international partners “will work as closely as possible to ensure that you have the right to select your own government through a free and fair election under independent observation that is guaranteed to you by the Belarusian Constitution and by relevant international documents.”“Please know that you have the support of the world as you advance your goals toward that end.”WATCH: VOA Interview with Belarus opposition leaderSorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 13 MB480p | 18 MB540p | 23 MB720p | 55 MB720p | 66 MBOriginal | 978 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioBelarusian Opposition Leader Rejects Western HelpBiegun’s comments came as President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is showing no signs of giving in to hundreds of thousands of citizens who have taken to the streets across Belarus since the results of the August 9 presidential election were published.Lukashenka, who has kept a tight grip on Belarus for 26 years, was declared the winner of the vote, which was widely viewed as rigged in his favor, with just above 80 percent of the ballots.The demonstrators want the 66-year-old Belarusian leader to step down, release all political prisoners, and hold new elections.Western criticismThe United States and the European Union have criticized the vote as neither free nor fair and have called on the government to begin a dialogue with the opposition.“We don’t see any progress at all” in the crisis, Biegun told RFE/RL, adding that the United States and the international community “will continue to press the Belarusian government” to meet its obligations under the charter of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.“Our basic demands are the immediate release of the unjustly detained…[and] an end the violence against protesters,” he said.Amid Western condemnation of the post-election crackdown, Russian officials have backed Lukashenka and condemned what they said were attempts from abroad to take advantage of unrest in the former Soviet republic.Russian President Vladimir Putin last week announced that a contingent of Russian security forces was prepared to deploy to Belarus in the event of “looting” by demonstrators.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who met his Belarusian counterpart in Moscow on September 2, has claimed that “no one is making a secret of the fact that this is about geopolitics, the fight for the post-Soviet space.”However, Biegun told RFE/RL that the United States has “never seen Belarus as a contest between East and West, nor do we see it in that manner now.”“This is a contest between the Belarusian leader and his own people. And we’re trying to work with our partners to keep this at the front of this,” he said.Biegun also said he had told Russian officials during his visit to Moscow that “while we did not seek or see this as a geopolitical contest, there would be substantial consequences for the relationship between Russia and the United States, between Russia and Europe” in the event of a deployment of Russian forces to Belarus.“The last four years has been very challenging for U.S.-Russian relations, but it is possible that it could be worse. And one of the things that would limit the ability of any president, regardless of the outcome of [the U.S. presidential election in November], in developing a more cooperative relationship with Russia, in any sphere, would be direct Russian intervention in Belarus.” 
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The shaky video taken with a mobile phone shows sunbathers on a beach in Gran Canaria gazing out to sea at the boat heads to land. A coast guard vessel, Salvamar Menkalinan, races to reach the 49 migrants crammed into one fragile boat. Meanwhile, tourists amuse themselves on jet-skis. Two very different worlds collide as African migrants get their first sight of the Europe they have risked their lives to reach. Once, these precarious dinghies were a rare sight in the Canary Islands. Now they are an almost daily occurrence.  Traffickers have switched routes, moving their human cargo along the dangerous route between western Africa to Spain’s archipelago in the Atlantic instead of across the Mediterranean to the southern coast of the country’s mainland.  So far this year, there has been a 520% rise in migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands compared with the same period in 2019, with 3,448 migrants reaching the seven islands up until August 15, according to the Spanish government figures. In comparison, there was a 26.6% decrease in the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Spain this year compared with the same period in 2019, year, with 10,716 arriving in Europe compared to 14,597 last year. The more perilous Atlantic route has claimed its toll. A total of 239 migrants have died trying to reach the Canaries between January 1 and August 19, compared to 210 during all of last year, and 43 in 2018, according to the International Organization for Migration, IOM. “It is the grim toll which the sea takes. This is a very dangerous route,” Maria Greco, of the migrant rights group Entre Mares, told VOA in an interview. “The longest route is between Africa and the island of Fuerteventura which can involve a journey up to five days at sea.” Traffickers Innovate Traffickers have lowered their prices from around $2,377 to about $951. The boats depart not only from Morocco and Mauritania, the two nations closest to the archipelago, but also from Senegal and Gambia, over 1,000 kilometers further south. Most migrants attempting the crossing come from Africa’s Sahel region and Western Africa, Greco said.African migrants wait to be assisted by crew members of the Louise Michel and Astral rescue vessels, after being located sailing adrift on an overcrowded rubber boat, 70 miles southwest Malta, in the Central Mediterranean sea, Aug. 29, 2020.But some arrivals have originated from as far away as South Sudan and the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, she added. The change in routes owes nothing to the way the COVID-19 pandemic has forced countries to close their borders and is due more to international politics, says Ms. Greco. She believes governments play a “macabre game” by influencing how the traffickers work. “The route to the Canary Islands is not new. In September last year, Frontex (the EU frontier security force) noted that the route was changing. Investments by Spain and other EU countries in countries like Morocco – where the migrants had come from – has meant these countries have tightened security. It has forced the traffickers to go elsewhere.” The decision of Morocco to move migrants away from its north shore in September 2019 to prevent them from setting off in dinghies or even toy boats towards Spain proved crucial, Txema Santana, of the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid, CEAR, said. Anti-Migration Measures Anxious to halt the tide of migrants arriving on Spanish beaches, the European Union paid Morocco $463 million to support reforms including border management – shorthand for aid for clamping down on migrant departures. Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said at the time: “Morocco has long been an essential partner of the European Union with which we share borders and aspirations. “Faced with shared challenges, the time has come to give new impetus to our relationship through deeper and more diversified cooperation, including towards Africa, in order to link our futures and bring our peoples closer together.” Morocco completed its side of the deal and moved migrants away from its northern shore in September to the south of the country. Similar deals had been struck between the European Union and Libya and Turkey, which have also served as launching pads for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. “If you move them away from the north, you push them south. And the Canaries are in the south,” Santana said. “The south of Morocco is near the Western Sahara and Mauritania – two places where the migrants can get on boats to leave for the Canary Islands.” One migrant dies for every 16 who reach the archipelago alive, Mr Santana estimates. “People set off on packed, shaky boats which are driven by people without experience,” he said. Migrants who arrive in the islands are tested for COVID-19 and anyone found to be infected must quarantine. However, Santana said that migrants can wait up to six months for their asylum cases to be considered and, meanwhile, have to live in cramped, unhygienic conditions. “I don’t see any indication that the situation will change quickly,” he said. A spokeswoman for the Spanish government said, “We are processing cases as fast as we can be we have seen a large surge in cases recently.” The Canary Islands have been a hotspot for migrants before — in 2006, some 30,000 migrants managed to reach the archipelago before stepped-up Spanish patrols then slowed the pace. At the time, Spain struck a deal with African countries that were the source of these migrants, promising financial aid in return for development programs which made it less attractive for them to leave their home countries. In an unusual move, Madrid opened its only police station on foreign soil, posting five officers permanently in Mauritania to halt the flow of migrants. Together, both measures halted the surge of migrants to the Canary Islands – until now.  
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The United States and Mexico plan to hold talks within 90 days to discuss U.S. concerns that imports of Mexican fruits and vegetables could be harming U.S. farmers. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s office announced Tuesday the United States wants to specifically look at imports of strawberries, bell peppers and other seasonal perishable goods, and that the review could lead to the imposition of tariffs. “President Trump recognizes the challenges faced by American farmers and is committed to promoting and securing fair trade and a level playing field for all American producers,” Lighthizer said in a statement. Mexico’s economy ministry committed to participating in the talks and, in a statement, said it wants to “find mutually satisfactory solutions to the concerns raised by the agricultural industry of both countries.” Mexico also said it would seek to “defend the preferential access of Mexican agricultural exports to the United States.” The two countries, along with Canada, began a new trade deal called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement two months ago, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement that had governed trade in the region for 26 years. 
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Thrill-seeking swimmers in Hungary recently challenged the fast-flowing waters of the Danube at an event aimed at encouraging Hungarians to take advantage of Budapest’s parks and waterways. Organizers see the event as a way to literally bring sports enthusiasts to the Hungarian capital.  VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has the story.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
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After a pandemic hiatus, more than a thousand mask-wearing Extinction Rebellion climate activists marched back onto London’s streets Tuesday, calling for swifter action to halt global warming as a huge contingent of police looked on. With Britain’s Parliament returning to work this week after a summer recess, protesters blocked the square in front of the building and called for legislators to take up a proposed climate and ecological emergency bill. It aims to expand Britain’s pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 to cover so-far excluded sectors such as international shipping and air travel, and for actions toward the goal to be faster and determined by a citizens’ assembly. “The important thing is having the government admit they’re too slow. Right now they’re not taking responsibility,” said Reece Evans, 24, an Extinction Rebellion activist and actor who held a placard reading, “Back the Bill.” Extinction Rebellion climate activists sit in the road and meditate in front of a line of police officers outside of Parliament during a “peaceful disruption” of British Parliament in London, Sept. 1, 2020.Holly Cullen-Davies said she wanted Parliament “to take climate change to the top of the agenda”, while her two young children drew with colored chalks on the pavement. Cullen-Davies said she had joined the grassroots movement in March, as the coronavirus lockdown began and planet-warming emissions temporarily crashed with economies on hold worldwide, showing how rapidly change could happen. “I thought if the world can stop for COVID, it can stop for climate change,” she said. Many activists said they thought the return to street protests, despite the ongoing pandemic, was justified because of fast-growing climate risks and because the movement was taking sufficient precautions to prevent spread of the virus. Nearly all of the activists at Parliament Square in London on Tuesday wore face masks, while simultaneous demonstrations in Cardiff and Manchester were planned to allow protesters to take part closer to home, organizers said. An Extinction Rebellion climate activist holds a placard during a “peaceful disruption” of British Parliament, in Manchester, England, Sept. 1, 2020.”COVID is likely to go on another couple of years and we don’t have that much time,” said Angie Nicholas, a child psychiatrist in green medical scrubs. “We’re super-aware of COVID – but climate and ecological threats are an emergency too,” she added. Chris Newman, a doctor and spokesman for Doctors for Extinction Rebellion, said the situation was comparable to a medic handling a patient with two serious problems. “You can’t just address one problem,” he said in a speech to the crowd in Parliament Square, with many listeners waving colored flags with Extinction Rebellion’s hourglass symbol or carrying homemade placards. Rows of police in yellow vests flanked the protest, and more than 70 police vans were parked nearby in a show of force as Extinction Rebellion – which last year blocked major roads and bridges, causing widespread disruption – resumed its actions. Police said 90 climate activists had been arrested in London as protesters blocked streets in violation of a police order. Police officers detain a priest protesting during a “peaceful disruption” of British Parliament, at Parliament Square in London, Sept. 1, 2020.”The reason we have implemented these conditions is that we know these protests may result in serious disruption to local businesses, commuters and our communities and residents, which I will not tolerate,” Metropolitan Police commander Jane Connors said in a statement Monday. But an Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman said the police had rowed back on restrictions that initially appeared to ban protests anywhere in the city except at Parliament Square, after lawyers for the group filed a letter saying it would dispute them. ‘Frustrating’ Activists said they were glad to be back on the streets after months of waiting for conditions to be safe enough. “It’s wonderful to feel the energy again and try to hold the government to account,” said Grace Onions, 52, who took part in the group’s large-scale protests in 2019. Increasingly clear evidence of climate-related disasters, from floods to droughts, made it urgent to keep up pressure on governments, she added. Marion Phillips, 73, said she was disappointed the UK government was giving stimulus funds to spark a coronavirus recovery without requiring recipients such as airlines to cut emissions, in line with its net-zero goal. “It’s been very frustrating these few months,” she said. Tuesday’s protests were the start of 10 days of action around Britain, organizers said. “I don’t know if it will be effective, but if we’re not doing this, then we’re guaranteed to lose,” said Nathan Nuckhir, 27, a furloughed jobs coach for people with disabilities on his first “nonessential” outing since the lockdown. “There are fewer of us, but it doesn’t change what we have to do,” he said. “I hope as a world we’ll get hold of this virus and more people can come out to join.” 
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French President Emmanuel Macron has given Lebanese politicians three months to take concrete steps to rebuild the country, or face sanctions and lose out on crucial aid.Macron has been central to international efforts to help Lebanon recover from a deep-rooted economic and political crisis arising from decades of mismanagement and corruption, a persistent pandemic, and a deadly explosion in capital city Beirut last month.
 
“It’s a risky bet I’m making, I am aware of it,” Macron told Politico in an interview Monday night. “I am putting the only thing I have on the table: my political capital.”
 
Macron was in the Middle Eastern country, a former French protectorate, for the second time since the August 4 blast that destroyed much of its main port, a lifeline for a country heavily reliant on food imports.
 
Macron told Politico the next three months are “fundamental” to the process of making real change and forming a government in Lebanon. He said he wanted Lebanese political party leaders to make credible commitments to that end, including a concrete schedule for introducing changes and a parliamentary election within “six to 12 months.”  
 
Macron said he would make “demanding” follow-ups on Lebanese political leaders. If the responses were found lacking, he threatened sanctions on the country’s ruling class, and said he would withhold critical aid, pledged at a 2018 donor conference in Paris, until donors are satisfied.  
 
Lebanese politicians hastily agreed Monday on a new prime minister, Mustapha Adib, hours before Macron’s arrival, but after weeks of French pressure. The country’s previous government resigned in the aftermath of the Beirut explosion.
 
Macron said he was not personally involved in decision-making and was instead pushing for change by visiting Lebanon often and threatening to impose sanctions or withhold aid.An anti-government protester uses a tennis racket to return a tear gas canister towards riot police during a protest near Parliament Square, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 1, 2020.”I don’t know him, I didn’t choose him, and it’s not my job to interfere or approve,” said Macron about Adib, Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany since 2013, who called for immediate reforms.
 
“It’s time for work to dovetail efforts and join hands, to restore hope among the Lebanese,” Adib told reporters Monday, according to Al Jazeera. “By the grace of God Almighty, we hope we will be successful in selecting professionals with proven expertise and efficiency to implement the necessary financial and economic reforms.”
 
Macron told reporters Monday he would host an international conference in mid-October on helping Lebanon, Reuters reported.
 
Macron also called Tuesday while in Beirut for an audit of the Lebanese banking system.
 
“Today everything is blocked, and Lebanon can no longer finance itself, so there needs to be an audit,” he said. “There is likely money that has been diverted. So, we need to know the truth of the numbers and then that judicial actions are taken.”
 
Lebanon contracted New York-based company Alvarez & Marsal in July to conduct a forensic audit of the central bank’s accounts. The country also contracted two other companies, KPMG and Oliver Wyman, for traditional audits.  
 
Macron said he would work with Lebanon’s leaders to “create the necessary conditions for reconstruction and stability,” in an Arabic-language tweet Monday.أقول للبنانيين إنكم كأخوة للفرنسيين. وكما وعدتكم، فها أنا أعودُ إلى بيروت لاستعراض المستجدّات بشأن المساعدات الطارئة وللعمل سوياً على تهيئة الظروف اللازمة لإعادة الإعمار والاستقرار.— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 31, 2020 
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The number of COVID-19 infections has been rising in Spain, one of the early epicenters of the pandemic. In this report narrated by Jonathan Spier, Alfonso Beato has more from Barcelona on the dilemmas the country faces as it prepares to reopen schools.
PRODUCER: Jon Spier
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French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo is republishing caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad which unleashed a wave of anger in the Muslim world to mark the start of the trial of alleged accomplices in the militant attack against it 2015.
Among the cartoons, most of which were first published by a Danish newspaper in 2005 and then by Charlie Hebdo a year later, is one of Mohammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse protruding.
“We will never lie down. We will never give up,” editor Laurent “Riss” Sourisseau wrote in a piece to accompany the front cover that will be published in print on Wednesday.
Twelve people, including some of the magazine’s best-known cartoonists, were killed when Said and Cherif Kouachi stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo and sprayed the building with automatic gunfire.
The Kouachi brothers and a third Islamist gunman who killed five people in the 48 hours that followed the Charlie Hebdo massacre were shot dead by police in different stand-offs, but 14 of their alleged accomplices go on trial on Wednesday.
The decision to republish the cartoons will be seen by some as a defiant gesture in defense of free expression. But others may see it as a renewed provocation by a magazine that has long courted controversy with its satirical attacks on religion.
After the 2006 publication of the cartoons, Jihadists online warned the weekly would pay for its mockery. For Muslims, any depiction of the Prophet is blasphemous.
“The freedom to caricature and the freedom to dislike them are enshrined and nothing justifies violence,” the French Council of the Muslim Faith wrote on Twitter in response.
Muslims have previously said the turban cartoon branded all Muslims as terrorists, as did a Charlie Hebdo cartoon showing the Prophet reacting to Islamist militants by saying: “It’s hard to be loved by idiots.”
In 2007, a French court rejected accusations by Islamic groups that the publication incited hatred against Muslims.
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The U.S Geological Survey says a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the coast of Northern Chile early Tuesday.   Initially, local media reported some minor damage near the epicenter.  There are reports of people living along the coast being evacuated as a precaution, but  no immediate word of anyone being injured.The earthquake was felt in the western region of neighboring Argentina.The earthquake has already produced more than a dozen aftershocks.Chilean authorities say the earthquake posed no threat of a tsunami.
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Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček Monday pushed back on his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi’s assault over the Czech Senate delegation’s visit to Taipei — signs, observers say, that suggest the tide is turning against China in Europe. Relations between Prague and Beijing may take another plunge. While visiting in Slovenia, Petříček tweeted that Wang’s comments toward the delegation were “over the edge,” shortly after the Chinese official warned of “a heavy price” for Czech Senate President Milos Vystrčil to pay, now that he has defied China’s objection to the visit to Taiwan. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province.     “Minister Wang’s statements are over the edge. Such strong words do not belong in the relations between the two sovereign countries,” Petříček tweeted, calling on China to pursue “factual, practical cooperation without emotions that do not belong in diplomacy.”   Exchanges of protests   The Czech foreign minister said he had instructed his deputy to summon China’s ambassador in Prague and expressed the Czech ministry’s “fundamental disagreement” with China’s repeated negative words toward the delegation. Although the Czech government does not support the delegation’s visit to Taiwan, Petříček added that he has demanded an explanation from China and anticipated the delegation’s trip would have a negative impact on its relations with China. The Czech government, led by Czech President Miloš Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babis, still favors closer ties to China.   But while meeting U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in the Czech Republic in mid-August, Babis complained that the Chinese have not invested in the Czech Republic in the way he would imagine they should.  Pompeo’s warm reception was considered a warning sign to the once-promising relationship between Prague and Beijing.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, front left, shakes hands with Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek, right, during a ceremony at the General Patton memorial in Pilsen near Prague, Czech Republic, Aug. 11, 2020.A heavy price to pay According to a statement released by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, Wang described Vystrčil’s trip to Taipei as “an unendurable provocation for which there will be retribution.”   He was quoted as saying “the Chinese government and Chinese people won’t take a laissez-faire attitude or sit idly by and will make him pay a heavy price for his short-sighted behavior and political opportunism,” the statement said. In return, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Qin Gang Monday also summoned the Czech Republic’s ambassador in Beijing to tell him that Vystrcil “violated China’s sovereignty by openly supporting Taiwan ‘independence’ and splittist forces.” Another outcry in Czech   Wang’s threats, part of China’s coercive diplomacy that backfired and failed to stop the Senate delegation’s visit to Taiwan, are expected to provoke another public outcry, said Karel Picha, a Czech who has lived in Taiwan for eight years and currently runs the only Czech cuisine restaurant in Taipei.   “I think most of the Czech people, they will respond negatively to these threats. They are probably not going to be polite,” Picha told VOA. He said that the wounds from 30 years of occupation by communist Soviet Union are too fresh to the Czech people, who hate it more than anything else when another communist country threatens them.   Doing the right thing Vystrčil also responded to Wang’s threat in Taipei by saying that “delegation members made the trip voluntarily, and we believe we are doing the right thing. In the short run, the outcome looks negative. But there will be long-term benefits.” He said the Czech people know how it feels to be controlled by a big brother who will never relent.   Two analysts who spoke to VOA said China’s repeated bashing of Vystrčil can only result in soured relations, while it is also likely for China to make good on its threat.   “China is too pushy. It turns even more aggressive when other countries or companies have been willing to go along (with its one-China policy),” DPP legislator Lo Chih-cheng told VOA. “But there comes a time when people say, ‘Enough is enough.’ “China has turned into such a bully because for a long time, Western countries have put up with it,” he added, referring to Wang’s threat to punish the Czech Republic. Worsening relations  Lo urges China to realize that any coercive move it plans to take will only backfire and worsen their relations.   Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a political science professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, agreed that China will make the Czech Republic pay. But it remains to be seen how damaging China’s sanctions will be, since the Czech economy isn’t heavily dependent upon China.   He said the Czechs are “courageous” to have made the trip to Taiwan regardless of the Chinese pressure.  “I think it kind of underscores a pushback from a number of countries in Europe which feel much more sympathy with Taiwan, a democratic country, as opposed to authoritarian China,” Cabestan told VOA by phone. China-Europe relations are on a rocky path, as more European countries have become vocal over the situation in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and the potential flash point in Taiwan or the South China Sea, according to Cabestan. China’s popularity in Europe has fallen in recent years and will take some time to improve, he said. Cabestan said Wang was touring Europe because the country’s “wolfish” diplomacy has done harm to its relations with many European countries, and Wang was there to minimize the damage. 
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Trinidad and Tobago have adopted a stringent face mask policy to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the Caribbean.  Starting Monday, anyone eight years of age and older caught not wearing a mask in public without good reason faces a $1,000 fine. The penalty increases to $2,000 for a second offense and $3,000 if someone is caught a third time without a mask. Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley’s poignant advice for those who cannot afford the fines is to put their mask on. Rowley said the burden is on everyone to abide by all measures that aim to slow the spread of the coronavirus.  So far, Trinidad and Tobago have confirmed more than 1,700 COVID-19 cases and 22 deaths. 
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Roberto Marrero, the chief of staff to Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido, has been released from prison in Caracas hours after the government announced President Nicolas Maduro pardoned more than 100 opposition politicians. Venezuelan Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez said the government’s intention is to deepen the process of national reconciliation so that political issues are settled by peaceful and electoral means. Guaido, the self-declared acting president, and leading opposition figures have vowed to boycott the election, fearing a lack of transparency.Opposition leader Juan Guaido waves to supporters during a rally at Bolivar Plaza in Chacao, Venezuela, Feb. 11, 2020.The head of Venezuela’s oldest party, Henry Ramos Allup of the Democratic Action party, is among those pardoned, as well as individuals with outstanding court cases and exiled opposition lawmakers. The pardons also follow the release from house arrest of lawmaker Juan Requesens, who was jailed for two years and accused of participating in a failed attack on President Maduro with two drones that exploded during an outdoor military ceremony. It is unclear if the pardons will impact Guaidó’s ongoing effort to remove Maduro from power. 
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Canada reached an agreement in principle on Monday with both Novavax and Johnson & Johnson for millions of doses of their experimental coronavirus vaccines, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. Canada’s two agreements follow separate deals with Pfizer and Moderna announced weeks ago, and are the latest example of countries rushing to secure access to vaccines. Canada is also in “the final stages of negotiations” to secure AstraZeneca’s potential vaccine and is in talks to secure more doses of the Pfizer vaccine candidate, Procurement Minister Anita Anand said. “What we are trying to do is make sure that when a vaccine is developed, we are at the front of the line,” Anand told reporters. Canada has a population of about 38 million, and the four vaccine agreements signed so far “give Canada at least 88 million doses with options to obtain tens of millions more,” Trudeau said when he announced the deals in Montreal. More doses possibleAll four agreements announced so far have options to purchase more doses if needed, officials said. Trudeau also said the government will invest C$126 million ($96.7 million) over two years to build a biomanufacturing facility at the Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre in Montreal capable of producing up to 2 million doses of a vaccine per month by next year. Last week, Canada’s National Research Council said it had ended its partnership on a coronavirus vaccine with China’s CanSino Biologics because the company lacked the authority to ship the vaccine. Help for businessesSeparately, Canada extended to the end of October a program to provide loans of up to C$40,000 ($30,666), a quarter of which is forgivable, to small businesses struggling amid the pandemic. It had been due to expire Monday. Novavax said it expects to finalize an advance purchase agreement to supply doses of the vaccine, beginning as early as the second quarter of next year. Novavax has agreed to supply up to 76 million doses of its experimental vaccine, while Johnson & Johnson will supply up to 38 million doses of its vaccine candidate. Both agreements are subject to the vaccines obtaining licenses from Health Canada. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Shares of Novavax were up 1.7% at $109.59 and Johnson & Johnson shares were little changed at $153.72 on Monday afternoon. 
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Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček Monday pushed back on his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi’s assault over the Czech Senate delegation’s visit to Taipei — signs, observers say, that suggest the tide is turning against China in Europe. Relations between Prague and Beijing may take another plunge. While visiting in Slovenia, Petříček tweeted that Wang’s comments toward the delegation were “over the edge,” shortly after the Chinese official warned of “a heavy price” for Czech Senate President Milos Vystrčil to pay, now that he has defied China’s objection to the visit to Taiwan. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province.     “Minister Wang’s statements are over the edge. Such strong words do not belong in the relations between the two sovereign countries,” Petříček tweeted, calling on China to pursue “factual, practical cooperation without emotions that do not belong in diplomacy.”   Exchanges of protests   The Czech foreign minister said he had instructed his deputy to summon China’s ambassador in Prague and expressed the Czech ministry’s “fundamental disagreement” with China’s repeated negative words toward the delegation. Although the Czech government does not support the delegation’s visit to Taiwan, Petříček added that he has demanded an explanation from China and anticipated the delegation’s trip would have a negative impact on its relations with China. The Czech government, led by Czech President Miloš Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babis, still favors closer ties to China.   But while meeting U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in the Czech Republic in mid-August, Babis complained that the Chinese have not invested in the Czech Republic in the way he would imagine they should.  Pompeo’s warm reception was considered a warning sign to the once-promising relationship between Prague and Beijing.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, front left, shakes hands with Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek, right, during a ceremony at the General Patton memorial in Pilsen near Prague, Czech Republic, Aug. 11, 2020.A heavy price to pay According to a statement released by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, Wang described Vystrčil’s trip to Taipei as “an unendurable provocation for which there will be retribution.”   He was quoted as saying “the Chinese government and Chinese people won’t take a laissez-faire attitude or sit idly by and will make him pay a heavy price for his short-sighted behavior and political opportunism,” the statement said. In return, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Qin Gang Monday also summoned the Czech Republic’s ambassador in Beijing to tell him that Vystrcil “violated China’s sovereignty by openly supporting Taiwan ‘independence’ and splittist forces.” Another outcry in Czech   Wang’s threats, part of China’s coercive diplomacy that backfired and failed to stop the Senate delegation’s visit to Taiwan, are expected to provoke another public outcry, said Karel Picha, a Czech who has lived in Taiwan for eight years and currently runs the only Czech cuisine restaurant in Taipei.   “I think most of the Czech people, they will respond negatively to these threats. They are probably not going to be polite,” Picha told VOA. He said that the wounds from 30 years of occupation by communist Soviet Union are too fresh to the Czech people, who hate it more than anything else when another communist country threatens them.   Doing the right thing Vystrčil also responded to Wang’s threat in Taipei by saying that “delegation members made the trip voluntarily, and we believe we are doing the right thing. In the short run, the outcome looks negative. But there will be long-term benefits.” He said the Czech people know how it feels to be controlled by a big brother who will never relent.   Two analysts who spoke to VOA said China’s repeated bashing of Vystrčil can only result in soured relations, while it is also likely for China to make good on its threat.   “China is too pushy. It turns even more aggressive when other countries or companies have been willing to go along (with its one-China policy),” DPP legislator Lo Chih-cheng told VOA. “But there comes a time when people say, ‘Enough is enough.’ “China has turned into such a bully because for a long time, Western countries have put up with it,” he added, referring to Wang’s threat to punish the Czech Republic. Worsening relations  Lo urges China to realize that any coercive move it plans to take will only backfire and worsen their relations.   Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a political science professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, agreed that China will make the Czech Republic pay. But it remains to be seen how damaging China’s sanctions will be, since the Czech economy isn’t heavily dependent upon China.   He said the Czechs are “courageous” to have made the trip to Taiwan regardless of the Chinese pressure.  “I think it kind of underscores a pushback from a number of countries in Europe which feel much more sympathy with Taiwan, a democratic country, as opposed to authoritarian China,” Cabestan told VOA by phone. China-Europe relations are on a rocky path, as more European countries have become vocal over the situation in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and the potential flash point in Taiwan or the South China Sea, according to Cabestan. China’s popularity in Europe has fallen in recent years and will take some time to improve, he said. Cabestan said Wang was touring Europe because the country’s “wolfish” diplomacy has done harm to its relations with many European countries, and Wang was there to minimize the damage. 
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In an interview with VOA, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya appears to reject any idea of imminent Western intervention or help, saying, “The Belarusian people have a responsibility for what’s going on. We think that we have to solve this problem by ourselves.” Belarusians have protested nearly nonstop since the election Aug. 9, in which President Alexander Lukashenko won a disputed sixth term. Protesters claim the election was rigged, an accusation that Lukashenko has denied. Tsikhanouskaya fled to Lithuania with her children after the election.  Here is a transcript of her recent interview with VOA’s Henry Ridgwell. It has been edited for clarity and length. VOA: Do you believe that you have defeated Lukashenko and that most people in Belarus voted for you on Aug. 9? The Belarussian authorities claim that Lukashenko has won. What evidence do you have of your leadership? Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: All the people who are on the streets now, and the evidence that Mr. Lukashenko didn’t win, and all the people who came to their polling station for voting. VOA: How realistic is that, that Lukashenko will sit down at the negotiating table with you? Tsikhanouskaya: It is realistic because the authorities will not have a way out of this situation. The only way out of this political crisis is negotiations. VOA: Some say you don’t have any plan or strategy. If you do, what is it? Tsikhanouskaya: Our plan is absolutely clear. It’s organization of new elections, fair and transparent. VOA: Do you think Lukashenko should be allowed to participate in new presidential elections? Tsikhanouskaya: No. So, as our elections are absolutely free and clear and transparent, so every person is allowed to participate in these elections. And so, Mr. Lukashenko is a citizen of our country, so physically, he can. But if he has a moral right to participate is a big question. VOA: This weekend, we saw more and more women come out to protest. What’s your message to them? Tsikhanouskaya: I’m so proud that women are playing a great role in these demonstrations, in this so-called revolution. Because our women showed that women play a great role in everyday life. And maybe we inspired them for this movement is because we had to stand instead of our men. So, as they stand in front of their men and beside their men, and it’s wonderful. And I don’t think that the world had ever seen such a demonstration of women in white. VOA: Your countrymen are protesting on the streets of Belarus — cities. You’re in Vilnius, Lithuania. Why did you leave the country?  Tsikhanouskaya: I had big reasons to make this step. I can’t talk about this now. Maybe somewhere in the future I will talk about all my story, but now, I can’t comment on it. VOA: Were you pressured or threatened? Tsikhanouskaya: Sorry, I can’t comment.  VOA: If you knew back in May, what you know now, would you have done it again? Tsikhanouskaya: You know, I have been thinking about this a lot, and of course I had great stress during all this election campaign. And a lot of times, I was ready to step away because I wasn’t sure that I had enough strength to continue. But I see now that it’s so important for Belarusian people. This year is extremely important for the history of Belarus, that we are, at last, woken up, and we are ready to fight for our rights. So now, I think that, yes, I would do this again. VOA: Should Russia or any other Western countries be involved in negotiations between you, the coordination council and Lukashenko? Tsikhanouskaya: “You know, I have to admit that this political crisis that takes place in our country is absolutely an internal affair. And we have — the Belarusian people — have a responsibility for what’s going on. And we think that we have to solve this problem by ourselves. But if it happens then we will need one day (the) help of other countries, help in organizing this — maybe in mediation of these negotiations. So of course, any country that would like to help us with this question is invited.”   
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Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has told VOA that the country’s political crisis is “absolutely an internal affair” as she appeared to reject any idea of imminent Western intervention or help. Speaking Monday from Vilnius, Lithuania, Tsikhanouskaya said, “The Belarusian people have a responsibility for what’s going on. We think that we have to solve this problem by ourselves. “But if it happens that we will need one day the help of other countries, help in organizing this, maybe mediation or negotiation, of course any country that would like to help us with this question is invited,” she added. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, candidate for the presidential elections, reacts during a news conference after the Belarusian presidential election in Minsk, Belarus, Aug. 10, 2020.Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Belarusian cities in recent weeks to demand the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko, who refuses to step down. Lukashenko claimed victory in elections August 9. Opposition parties, along with the United States and the European Union, say the poll was heavily rigged.  Lukashenko has denied rigging the election, yet he has used riot police and special forces personnel in a crackdown on demonstrations. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested, and widespread evidence of abuse and torture has been reported. At least four people were reported to have died during the demonstrations. Tsikhanouskaya was briefly detained and fled to neighboring Lithuania following the election, fearing for her and her family’s safety. She refused to elaborate further on why she left Belarus.  “I had big reasons to make this step. I can’t talk about this now. Maybe some [time] in the future I will talk all about my story but now I can’t comment on it.” VOA Interview: Belarus Opposition Leader Tsikhanouskaya Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya tells VOA, ‘Our plan is absolutely clear. It’s organization of new elections, fair and transparent’ Tsikhanouskaya stood for the presidency after her husband, Sergei Tsikhanousky, a prominent YouTube blogger, was arrested in May and barred from taking part in the election. Several other opposition figures were also arrested, and their wives joined the political opposition movement.  Tsikhanouskaya praised the hundreds of women who have taken part in the protests in recent days, many wearing white and red, the traditional colors that have become emblematic of the political opposition to Lukashenko’s rule. “I’m so proud that women are playing a great role in these demonstrations in this so-called revolution,” Tsikhanouskaya told VOA. “Our women showed that [they] play a great role in everybody’s lives and maybe we inspired them for this move because we had to stand instead of our men. So, as they are standing in front of their men, and beside their men, it’s wonderful and I don’t think the world has ever seen such demonstrations of women [in white].” The 37-year-old former English teacher reiterated her stance that Belarus must hold fresh elections overseen by international observers.  “The only way out of this political crisis is negotiation,” she said.   VOA asked Tsikhanouskaya whether Lukashenko should be allowed to stand in any new elections.  “Mr. Lukashenko is a citizen of our country so physically he can. But whether he has the moral right to participate is a big question,” she said. Lukashenko has been in power for 26 years and shows little sign of any willingness to compromise with the opposition, despite the ongoing protests and mass strikes that have paralyzed parts of the country for the past three weeks. His government has recently canceled the visas of many foreign journalists reporting on the crisis. Russian President Vladimir Putin last week said that he had a police reserve force ready to intervene in Belarus if necessary. WATCH: Behind Russia’s Take on Mass Protests in Belarus Behind Russia’s Take on Mass Protests in Belarus Concerns within the Kremlin: The same could happen in RussiaOn Monday, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia placed travel restrictions on Lukashenko and nearly 30 other Belarusian officials. The Baltic countries are targeting officials they accuse of having played a role in vote-rigging and violence against Belarusian voters. Lukashenko responded Monday by threatening to cut off European transit routes through Belarus.  Many outside observers have compared the crisis in Belarus to the revolution in Ukraine in 2014, when Russia invaded the country following the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych. That revolution was marked by the presence of European Union flags among the anti-government protesters, and opposition calls for U.S. and other Western help. Observers also say the future of the Belarusian opposition movement, and Tsikhanouskaya’s role, remain highly uncertain.  
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Canada reached an agreement in principle on Monday with both Novavax and Johnson & Johnson for millions of doses of their experimental coronavirus vaccines, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. Canada’s two agreements follow separate deals with Pfizer and Moderna announced weeks ago, and are the latest example of countries rushing to secure access to vaccines. Canada is also in “the final stages of negotiations” to secure AstraZeneca’s potential vaccine and is in talks to secure more doses of the Pfizer vaccine candidate, Procurement Minister Anita Anand said. “What we are trying to do is make sure that when a vaccine is developed, we are at the front of the line,” Anand told reporters. Canada has a population of about 38 million, and the four vaccine agreements signed so far “give Canada at least 88 million doses with options to obtain tens of millions more,” Trudeau said when he announced the deals in Montreal. More doses possibleAll four agreements announced so far have options to purchase more doses if needed, officials said. Trudeau also said the government will invest C$126 million ($96.7 million) over two years to build a biomanufacturing facility at the Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre in Montreal capable of producing up to 2 million doses of a vaccine per month by next year. Last week, Canada’s National Research Council said it had ended its partnership on a coronavirus vaccine with China’s CanSino Biologics because the company lacked the authority to ship the vaccine. Help for businessesSeparately, Canada extended to the end of October a program to provide loans of up to C$40,000 ($30,666), a quarter of which is forgivable, to small businesses struggling amid the pandemic. It had been due to expire Monday. Novavax said it expects to finalize an advance purchase agreement to supply doses of the vaccine, beginning as early as the second quarter of next year. Novavax has agreed to supply up to 76 million doses of its experimental vaccine, while Johnson & Johnson will supply up to 38 million doses of its vaccine candidate. Both agreements are subject to the vaccines obtaining licenses from Health Canada. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Shares of Novavax were up 1.7% at $109.59 and Johnson & Johnson shares were little changed at $153.72 on Monday afternoon. 
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With mass protests in Belarus showing no signs of letup following contested presidential elections August 9, the country’s longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko is turning to Russia for his political survival. But behind the Kremlin’s response lies a mix of geopolitical and domestic concerns, as Charles Maynes reports from Moscow.
Camera: Ricardo Marquina, Agencies   Produced by: Ricardo Marquina 
 
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