RIYADMEDIA

The Biden administration says they don’t expect “tangible deliverables” from upcoming Ukraine peace plan talks hosted by Saudi Arabia but rather a continuing discussion on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “peace formula” for ending the brutal conflict.

John Kirby, director of strategic communications for the National Security Council, also told VOA on Thursday that the administration continues to work with Saudi Arabia on a process of eventual normalization with Israel, and that the administration believes that normalization is “better for our national security interests.”

The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

VOA: I’d like to start with Ukraine peace plan talks in Jeddah. Can this summit be an effective way to get more countries behind Ukraine’s peace plan, especially countries from the Global South?

John Kirby, National Security Council: I think what you’re going to see coming out of Jeddah is a continuation of a process to socialize the peace formula that President Zelenskyy has put forward and to find ways to actualize it, to move on it, to help get traction for it. So the short answer to your question is, yes. Part of the object here is to expose more of the international community to President Zelenskyy’s peace formula and try to garner some support for that moving forward. A key component of this and something we should never lose sight of is the respect for territorial integrity, for sovereignty. Because President Zelenskyy’s whole formula really hinges on that idea, that principal idea in the [United Nations] charter. And that’s something that every nation – except Russia, of course – can sign up to.

VOA: Mexican President [Andres Manuel Lopez] Obrador has said that his country will only participate if both Ukraine and Russia are at the peace talks. At what point does the administration believe that Russia can be included? What needs to happen?

Kirby: I think it’s important to remember what this is and what it’s not. This is not peace talks. This is not negotiations about ending the war. People shouldn’t look at the meeting in Jeddah as a forum through which there’s going to be certain and tangible deliverables. This is really about having an ongoing conversation about what this peace formula can look like. Whenever Mr. Zelenskyy is ready to sit down with Mr. [Vladimir] Putin – and that doesn’t appear to be anytime soon – we have said and will continue to say that Mr. Zelenskyy’s perspectives, Ukraine’s perspectives, have to be the foundational element. They have to be fully respected as negotiations occur. But we’re just not there yet. Mr. Putin has shown no indication that he’s willing to negotiate – quite the contrary. We’re seeing more attacks in just the last 24 to 48 hours on grain shipments in the Danube River. He’s doing everything possible to not only try to hold on to the territory that doesn’t belong to him in eastern Ukraine, but limit Ukraine’s ability to export grain and foodstuffs to many countries around the world, including the Global South.

VOA: Is there a timeframe that the administration believes would be most effective to find a solution for an effective, just and durable peace – and is there a concern that the 2024 presidential campaign could impact U.S. support for Ukraine?

Kirby: It’s difficult to put a timeframe on what that end is going to look like. Right now, we are focused squarely on making sure that Ukrainian armed forces can be successful in their counteroffensive so that they can claw back even more territory that belongs to them from Russian forces and hopefully push Mr. Putin to the table. But again, we’re just not at that point right now.

VOA: You’re confident that the U.S. election will not impact this?

Kirby: This has nothing to do with domestic politics and everything to do with Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

VOA: [National security adviser] Jake Sullivan was in Jeddah last week, and President [Joe] Biden is pushing for diplomatic normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. What is he willing to provide to Riyadh to secure that?

Kirby: We are having ongoing conversations with our partners in the Middle East about trying to achieve a more cooperative region, a more integrated region. And we believe that normalization with Israel can be a key part of that. And so Mr. Sullivan’s conversations were a continuation of discussions that we have been having since the beginning of the administration. We certainly would like to see normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but we understand and respect that that has got to be up to those two countries. We do believe that an Israel that is more integrated in the region is better for the region, quite frankly, it’s better for our national security interests.

VOA: Riyadh is seeking a security pact from Washington as a part of a normalization deal with Israel. Is this something the president would consider?

Kirby: I don’t want to get ahead of where we are in discussions. These are ongoing talks about how to get better regional cooperation and regional integration. And there’s no agreed-to framework right now, no set agreement or a final negotiation on what the regional integration looks like.

VOA: I want to circle back [to Ukraine-related talks] in Saudi Arabia. The fact that it’s happening there and also the fact we expect to see more representatives from countries from the Global South – what does this say to Putin? Because Moscow said they will be watching.

Kirby: I certainly hope that they are watching and I hope that they take away from this that more and more countries around the world are realizing that what Mr. Putin is doing is illegal, unprovoked and completely in violation of the U.N. charter. I also hope that when they’re watching, the Russians realize that more and more countries are beginning to see that Mr. Putin’s reckless decision to pull out of that grain deal is making them more hungry, is exacerbating existing famine conditions in many countries and contributing to food insecurity in places throughout the Global South. Many, many African leaders are realizing that the troubles that they’re experiencing at home on the continent are directly related to what Mr. Putin is doing in Ukraine. 
…

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called out Russia Thursday at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council for the effect its invasion of Ukraine is having on global hunger. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
…

Canada is publicly acknowledging for the first time that families, including Canadians, who lost loved ones when Iran shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet in 2020, have asked the International Criminal Court to take action.

The Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims announced last September that it had made a legal submission to the ICC prosecutor’s office to expand an investigation of alleged war crimes in Ukraine to include the Iranian missile strike that downed the Ukraine International Airlines plane. The incident happened as the jet took off from Tehran on January 8, 2020.

The strike killed all 176 people on board, most of them Iranians and Iranian Canadians who were flying to Canada via Kyiv. Iran says its forces mistook the plane for an incoming U.S. missile.

The prosecutor’s office at The Hague-based ICC has made no public statement about whether it has opened or intends to open a preliminary examination of the association’s nearly 12-month-old request. The ICC is a permanent international court governed by a treaty called the Rome Statute that investigates and tries individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

Under ICC rules, when considering taking up a case, the prosecutor’s office must determine whether there is sufficient evidence of a crime of sufficient gravity falling within the ICC’s jurisdiction, whether that crime is subject to genuine national legal proceedings, and whether opening an ICC investigation would serve the interests of justice and the victims.

“If the requirements are not met for initiating an investigation, or if the situation or crimes are not under the ICC’s jurisdiction, the ICC’s prosecution cannot investigate,” the court’s website says.

In a message sent to VOA on July 29, Canada’s high commissioner in Britain, Ralph Goodale, offered the first public comment by a Canadian official on the families’ request.

Goodale was appointed in March 2020 as a special adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Ottawa’s response to Iran’s downing of Flight PS752. Goodale told VOA that he has continued his advisory role since assuming the ambassadorial post in London in 2021.

“The ICC process is an option that was open to the families to request. They have done so. It is now a matter for the independent ICC Prosecutor to examine and determine,” Goodale wrote.

In an interview for the July 19 edition of VOA’s Flashpoint Iran podcast, the association’s Canada-based spokesman, Kourosh Doustshenas, expressed disappointment that neither Ottawa nor any other government has publicly supported the group’s ICC request.

ICC rules allow its prosecutor’s office to start an investigation on its own initiative or upon request from any of the 123 states that are parties to the Rome Statute. Those states include Canada, Britain and Sweden, three nations that lost citizens in the downing of Flight PS752. Ukraine, a fourth nation whose citizens were killed, is not a state party, but has accepted ICC jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed on its territory since November 2013.

Britain, Canada, Sweden and Ukraine initiated separate legal action against Iran last month at the International Court of Justice. Also based in The Hague, the ICJ is the main judicial organ of the United Nations, responsible for settling legal disputes between states.

In their July 4 application to the ICJ, the four nations alleged breaches of international legal obligations by Iran in relation to the downing. Tehran rejected the move and accused the complainants of acting in pursuit of “political objectives.”

“We have been trying to find out why these countries are reluctant to support our case at the ICC,” Doustshenas told VOA. “We understand that [the ICC prosecutors] are overwhelmed with all kinds of investigations that they are currently undertaking, namely investigations of atrocities in Ukraine and elsewhere. But we do not want our case to be forgotten.”

In his message to VOA, Goodale said that Britain, Canada, Sweden and Ukraine have “taken nothing off the table” in their pursuit of transparency, accountability and justice for the families of the Flight PS752 victims.

“But we are making certain that in the welter of legal moves that might be made, we are proceeding with proper sequencing on a solid footing without mistakes or self-imposed errors,” Goodale wrote.

In reference to the ICC, Goodale said, “As Mr. Doustshenas points out, that office has a lot on its plate right now. In the meantime, we will continue to press forward on other fronts. When you read the text of the remedies we are seeking in the ICJ, they correspond in a major way with the demands of the families from the very beginning.”

The four nations have asked the ICJ to declare that Iran violated the 1971 (Montreal) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation. They also want the court to order Iran to apologize and extradite or prosecute alleged offenders in a transparent and impartial manner, and require it to return missing belongings of victims and provide full compensation for the families’ suffering.

The families’ association, which thanked the four nations for the ICJ application, has said its primary goal is to “reveal the truth [about Flight PS752] and bring the perpetrators to justice,” which it says will “help put a stop to such heinous crimes.”
…

A Syrian national accused of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes during the early stages of the Syrian Civil War has been arrested in Germany, prosecutors announced Thursday.

The federal prosecutor’s office said the suspect was detained on July 26 in the northern city of Bremen. He was remanded in custody on Thursday.

Named only as Ahmad H., the suspect is accused of perpetrating the atrocity crimes of torture and enslavement between 2012 and 2015 as a local leader of pro-government “shabiha” militiamen in Damascus. The militiamen were tasked with helping crush local dissent.

The militia allegedly operated checkpoints where “people were arrested arbitrarily so that they or their family members could be extorted for money, committed to forced labor or tortured,” prosecutors said.

The alleged crimes took place within the broader context of Syria’s brutal, ongoing civil war, which was sparked by severe suppression of protests in 2011 by the government of President Bashar Assad.

The countrywide conflict that followed has been characterized by rampant atrocity crimes, including crimes against humanity and war crimes. Assad has denied all accusations of atrocity crimes.

Since the start of the conflict, more than 580,000 people have been killed, and nearly 13 million people have been displaced.

In 2015, Germany allowed hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees to enter the country.

Since then, Germany has become a global leader in the prosecution of Syrian war criminals under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows courts to prosecute suspects accused of committing mass atrocity crimes anywhere in the world.

Some information in this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
…

BRISBANE, Australia — Germany failed to reach the knockout stage for the first time at the Women’s World Cup after being held to a 1-1 draw against South Korea on Thursday.

Morocco’s 1-0 win over Colombia meant Germany needed a win to advance. Led by captain Alexandra Popp, Germany created numerous scoring opportunities but could not find the winner. Colombia topped Group H and Morocco took second place, both with six points. Germany finished with four.

KEY MOMENTS

South Korea struck early in the sixth minute when a defense-splitting pass from Lee Youngju found Cho Sohyun, who produced a calm finish.

In the 42nd minute, Popp equalized for Germany with a towering header off a cross from Svenja Huth.

Germany chased the winning goal throughout the second half. The Germans had a would-be winning goal from Popp overturned by video assistant referee in the 57th minute. Just a few minutes later, Popp came close to scoring with another header but was denied by the crossbar.

Germany’s final scoring opportunities came in the 11th and 12th minutes of stoppage when two shots from Sydney Lohmann missed wide and high.

WHY IT MATTERS

Germany, the second-ranked team in the world, failed to advance from the group stage for the first time in nine appearances in the Women’s World Cup.

South Korea finished in last place in the group with one point but can feel good about holding the two-time champions to a draw.

WHAT’S NEXT

As third- and fourth-place finishers in the group, Germany and South Korea will be heading home.

Colombia will face Jamaica in Melbourne, while Morocco will head to Adelaide to take on France in the round of 16.
…

A decision by Kosovo’s government to revoke the business license of one of the country’s leading media outlets has sparked criticism and protests.

The dispute centers on the business registration documents of  broadcaster Klan Kosova, which authorities say are in violation of the constitution.

But analysts say the move to revoke a business license is at odds with laws regulating corporate activities, and they expressed concerns about action against a media outlet seen as critical of the government.

The decision can be appealed in court. As of Wednesday, Klan Kosova, one of the largest privately owned broadcasters in the country, remained on the air.

The government said that in its business registration, Klan Kosova’s owners had named municipalities in Kosovo as if they belonged to Serbia.

A copy of the company’s registration certificate obtained by VOA shows the station is now registered with a Kosovo address.

The station said it had changed its business documents and as of June 20 had listed Kosovo in all its records at the request of the Independent Media Commission, the country’s media regulatory body.

Kosovo declared its independence in 2008 and is recognized by the United States and most of Europe. But Serbia does not recognize Kosovo and claims it as part of its territory. Tensions between the two can run high.

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti dismissed criticism of his government’s decision on Klan Kosova.

“Media freedoms are vital: an attack on them is an attack on democracy. But democracy is also assaulted when powerful businesspeople break the law for financial gain. And enforcing the law against such people’s violations does not — in any way — constitute an attack on media freedom,” Kurti wrote Saturday on social media.

Ardi Shita, a Kosovo commercial lawyer, said the government’s ruling is at odds with the law that regulates corporations.

“Here we have a serious problem with the interpretation and the implementation of the legal dispositions on corporations,” he told VOA.

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo said it was alarmed about what it described as a “politically motivated” decision.

“This is the first time a decision was made to shut down a media since the end of the war,” the association said in a statement.

Embassies for the U.S, Britain, France, Germany and Italy all registered concern, calling it a “disproportionate decision that will have repercussions on media plurality.”

International media watchdogs also said they were worried by the move.

“We believe that suspension of the license of a media, which can lead to revocation of its broadcasting license, is an extreme measure and should only be taken in extraordinary circumstances,” Attila Mong, Europe representative at the Committee to Protect Journalists, told VOA.

U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier said Tuesday that he hoped for “a transparent, fair and swift” resolution to the dispute.

“Every time a government takes a decision that could impact a media’s ability to broadcast, at least it should be done after a very careful consideration and as a last resort, because the freedom of media is very important,” he told reporters in the capital, Pristina.

Kurti argued on Saturday that “following registration rules is a legal duty, not a ‘technicality.’”

“Enforcing such rules against a single violator does nothing to threaten media pluralism,” he said on social media.

But Ilir Ibrahimi of the Kosovo Business Club, an independent entity that advocates for investment in Kosovo, said such moves could damage the country’s economic prospects.

“The main problem that Kosovo’s economy faces are the internal attacks against it from the government. If these big corporations leave and they decide to invest elsewhere … then Kosovo’s economy will collapse,” he told VOA.

As journalists in Kosovo marched toward the government building in Pristina on Monday holding a banner that said, “Democracy dies in darkness,” Klan Kosova’s editor-in-chief, Gazmend Syla, said the company would take the matter to the courts.

“We strongly believe in justice, and we strongly believe that the courts will not fall under the government’s or anybody’s influence,” Syla said.

Edlira Bllaca from Pristina and Isak Ramadani from Skopje contributed to this report, which originated in VOA’s Albanian Service. 
…

Pope Francis on Wednesday said the Catholic Church needs a “humble and ongoing purification” to deal with the “anguished cries” of victims of clerical sexual abuse, who he met privately on the first day of his visit to Portugal.

Francis was speaking in Lisbon at the start of a five-day visit to the country in which he hopes to energize young Catholics during World Youth Day, the world’s largest Catholic festival.

Six months ago, a report by a Portuguese commission said at least 4,815 minors were sexually abused by clergy — mostly priests — over seven decades.

The crisis “calls us to a humble and ongoing purification, starting with the anguished cry of the victims, who must always be accepted and listened to,” Francis said in an address to bishops, priests and religious sisters at an evening vespers service in a monastery.

He spoke of today’s “growing detachment from the practice of the faith,” saying it had been accentuated by widespread disappointment and anger over the global abuse crisis and other scandals.

Francis met privately with 13 abuse victims at the Vatican embassy in Lisbon on Wednesday evening, with the Holy See saying in a statement that the meeting took place in an “atmosphere of intense listening” and lasted over an hour.

The Vatican added that the victims were accompanied by some representatives of institutions of the Portuguese Church responsible for the protection of minors.

The Portuguese Bishops’ Conference said in a statement that the meeting was “of the path of reconciliation that the Portuguese Church in Portugal has been following in this area, putting victims first, collaborating in their reparation and recovery, so that it is possible for them to look to the future with hope and renewed freedom.”

Young Catholics converge on Lisbon

The pope landed in Lisbon to a sea of young Catholics who have poured into the city from around the globe for the World Youth Day festival, held every two or three years in a different city. It is the fourth such event Francis will preside over since becoming pope in 2013.

In Lisbon, young believers jumped and sang as they proudly waved their country’s flag outside the Vatican embassy, where the pope is residing. Young Catholics from nearly every country in the world have registered for the event.

World Youth Day “is a sign of faith and union in which all of us get together for a cause,” said 20-year-old Carlos Hernandez. “It’s very emotional.”

Francis has enacted numerous changes in the Church and has been pushing on with a series of reforms he hopes could leave a lasting legacy.

But he faces a delicate balance between appealing to more liberal believers and upsetting conservatives by giving women more roles and making the church more welcoming and less judgmental toward some, including LGBT people.

At the opening Mass on Tuesday before the pope arrived, Australian Andrew De Santos, 35, expressed hope the next generation would be able to move on from “errors” of the past.

Three huge billboards raising awareness of clerical sexual abuse were put up overnight in Lisbon hours before Francis’ arrival. One was later removed.

‘Stir things up’

On the plane to Portugal for the youth event, Francis vowed to “continue to stir things up,” a reference to his call during an earlier World Youth Day in Brazil to not be complacent but to make noise and instill change.

The 86-year-old pope, who is making his first trip since intestinal surgery in June and uses a wheelchair and cane, appeared in good form and said he hoped to return to Rome on Sunday “rejuvenated by his encounter with young people.”

In his first speech of the trip, to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and diplomats at a cultural center, Francis said the world was “sailing amid storms on the ocean of history”, including the war in Ukraine, and urged Europe to find the resolve to help end it and other conflicts.

He said Europe should divert money spent on armaments toward boosting education and funding family-friendly legislation to help reverse a falling birth rate aggravated by prohibitive costs of housing for young couples.

He also urged Europe to rise to the challenge of “welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating” migrants, both for humanitarian reasons and as a means of boosting dwindling populations.
…

Planeloads of French citizens are returning home. Anti-French demonstrations are peppered with Russian flags. French military and political interests are once again under attack in the Sahel as another onetime ally is toppled in a coup.

Last month’s military power grab in Niger follows those of Burkina Faso and Mali, all former French colonies, amid mounting anti-French sentiment over the past two years. Not so long ago, their leaders and military collaborated closely with Paris, as part of a five-nation regional G5 Sahel alliance — including Mauritania and Chad — fighting a spreading jihadist insurgency.

Today, France’s military has left Mali and Burkina Faso and the 1,500 troops stationed in Niger face an uncertain future, although Paris says they will remain, at least for now. Citizens of those countries, who once cheered French forces for liberating cities and towns from militants, are now telling them to go home.

“An era is over, that in which France positioned itself as the anti-jihadist policeman of a region five times greater than its territory,” wrote right-wing French newspaper Challenges in an editorial calling for a serious rethink by Paris of its “broken down” Africa strategy.

“It is indispensable to listen to the concerned societies,” it added, “including that which doesn’t please.”

Early Wednesday, the first French evacuees from Niger returned home on two military planes. Another two, also carrying other European and foreign nationals, were to follow.

“I’m sad to leave Niger,” one French expatriate named Charles told reporters as he arrived at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. “I’ll be following the situation closely in the coming days.”

Besides French troops, companies mining uranium needed for France’s nuclear reactors are staying put for now, say officials.

“The departure of French military is absolutely not on the agenda,” army spokesman Pierre Gaudilliere told France-Info radio Wednesday.

Yet attacks against France are mounting. On Sunday, pro-coup demonstrators hurled gasoline bombs over the wall of France’s embassy in Niamey, chanting, “Down with France.” They trampled on the embassy’s plaque, and erected Russian and Nigerien flags in its place.

On Monday, Niger’s military junta accused France of plotting a military intervention in the country — an allegation swiftly rebutted by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.

“It’s wrong,” Colonna told France’s BFM TV channel, denouncing anti-French sentiment and misinformation circulating in the country.

She described the Russian flags and anti-French slogans in Niamey as reflecting “what one could see elsewhere,” and said they mirrored “all the usual ingredients of destabilization of the Russian-African model.”

In Burkina Faso and Mali, too, analysts say Russia has been behind anti-French propaganda, and Russian mercenary group Wagner filled the void left by French forces in Mali.

“The question is this collapse is going very, very fast,” France 24 veteran reporter Cyril Payen told the news channel, referring to the Sahel. “And Niger was the last democratic bastion.”

A big question now, he added, was the future of France’s anti-terrorism operation in the Sahel, following the coup.

“It’s clearly a situation pretty catastrophic for the French, but also for the Americans” he said, who have more than 1,000 forces stationed in Niger.

France’s waning influence and image stretches far beyond the Sahel, to democracies like Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire, where official relations are good, but anti-French views on the streets are common.

Analysts cite a mix of reasons for Paris’ sinking image, from shrinking foreign aid and growing security and economic challenges facing the countries, to new players in Africa, including China, Russia and Turkey.

Disinformation circulating in some mainstream and social media, partly driven by Russia, has helped stoke negative sentiments. That – along with the legacy of France-Afrique — a pejorative term referring to France’s relationship with its former colonies.

Successive leaders, including current French President Emmanuel Macron, have promised to reboot ties with francophone Africa. Last year, Macron announced the end of France’s anti-jihadist Barkhane operation in the Sahel, although French forces would remain in smaller numbers and alongside other European troops.

Earlier this year, he promised also to downsize France’s military presence elsewhere in Africa, including closing bases and possibly “co-managing” others with African hosts.

But some critics say a bigger reboot is needed.

“Now that the Sahel is almost lost, let’s not commit the same errors in Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire,” tweeted former French diplomat and ambassador to the United States Gerard Araud. “Let’s change the shape of our presence completely. Close our bases. Learn discretion.”
…

MOSCOW – Russia’s Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by prominent investigative journalist Ivan Safronov against his 22-year prison sentence for high treason.

Safronov, 33, was convicted last year of giving Russian military information to Czech intelligence and a Russian-German political scientist, charges he denies.

The appeal hearing was held in private and journalists were invited only to hear the court’s decision, which left his sentence unchanged, Russian news agencies reported.

His prison sentence has been criticized by human rights groups and former colleagues, who argue that he was targeted for writing about embarrassing incidents in the Russian army.

He had worked as a special correspondent for Russia’s Kommersant newspaper, where he wrote about Russian defense contracts and arms deliveries. After coming under increased pressure from management, he left the paper in 2019 and briefly worked at state space agency Roscosmos in an advisory role before his arrest in 2020.

Since launching full-scale hostilities against Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has ramped up efforts to stamp out independent journalism.

Dozens of journalists have left the country, and reporting about sensitive topics such as the conflict in Ukraine and the Russian military has become increasingly difficult.

Safronov is considered an expert on the Russian military. His father, Ivan Safronov Sr., also wrote about military issues before he died in a fall from his Moscow apartment in 2007.
…

Thembi Kgatlana scored early in stoppage time Wednesday to give South Africa a 3-2 win over Italy and send it into the knockout rounds of a Women’s World Cup for the first time.

On a night of high drama and low temperatures, Hilda Magaia scored in the 67th minute to put South Africa 2-1 ahead before Arianna Caruso equalized with her second goal of the match from a Cristiana Girelli corner, briefly denting South African hopes.

A draw would have been enough to put eighth-ranked Italy into the knockout rounds.

Instead, South Africa will play Netherlands in a round of 16 match on Sunday. Sweden finished atop Group G after beating Argentina 1-0 and will next play the defending champion U.S. team.

Caruso’s 11th-minute penalty and Benedetta Orsi’s own goal earlier had combined to make it 1-1 in the first half in Wellington, where a southerly wind dropped temperatures close to freezing and reduced the crowd to around 10,000, mostly South Africans.

Karabo Dhlamini cut down Chiara Beccarri from behind on the edge of the area in the 11th, and Caruso sent her spot kick low and to the right of Kaylin Swart for her first World Cup goal.

Orsi mis-timed her no-look pass back to Fransesca Durante in the 32nd and the keeper’s attempt at a sliding stop came too late to prevent the ball heading straight into the Italian goal.

Robyn Moodaly hit the post with a searing right-foot shot in the 21st and the VAR ruled out another Italy penalty for a hand ball before halftime. Italy had 66% of possession and more chances in the half but South Africa had a majority among supporters who braved the weather.

Play in Group G reached a conclusion which had elements of a well-turned thriller, with the last two matches played concurrently and almost every possibility still in play. As South Africa and Italy began their last group match in front of a small crowd, Sweden and Argentina kicked off in Hamilton.

That created the possibility of over-lapping finishes with placings established after one match still being contingent on the other.

Sweden led the group before Wednesday’s games with six points and a goal differential of + 6; Italy was second with three points, Argentina and South Africa had one point each. That meant Sweden was definitely through to the round of 16, Italy had one foot in the knockout rounds and Argentina and South Africa both still could qualify with a win — depending on the outcomes.

But South Africa’s chances were only slight Wednesday.

South Africa took its first World Cup point when it drew 2-2 with Argentina five days ago. It led that match before Argentina scored two quick goals to draw, and also led before going down 2-1 to Sweden.

South Africa already has made an indelible mark on the tournament. Always high-spirited, it projects joy at being on the big stage. The South Africa players danced and sang before Wednesday’s match in their locker room and on the field as they warmed up. They gave their song full voice at the end to hail an historic moment for South African women’s sport.
…

A much-changed Sweden side reached the Women’s World Cup last 16 with a perfect record after Rebecka Blomqvist’s second-half header and substitute Elin Rubensson’s 90th-minute penalty helped them beat Argentina 2-0 on Wednesday. 

Blomqvist met Sofia Jakobsson’s cross with a fantastic header in the 66th minute to put the third-ranked Swedes firmly on course to advance as Group G winners, with Rubensson sealing the win with a superbly taken spot kick. 

Argentina, which lost midfielder Florencia Bonsegundo to injury minutes before the break, needed a victory to stand any chance of going through but never really troubled the Swedish defense or goalkeeper Jennifer Falk. 

They remain without a win in their four World Cup appearances and finished bottom of the group. 

Sweden will next face the United States in a blockbuster clash in Melbourne on Sunday — a rematch of the Olympic quarter-finals in 2021 when the Europeans won 3-0 en route to the final. 

Having already secured qualification after winning their first two games, Sweden only needed a point to top the group and coach Peter Gerhardsson made nine changes to the side that thrashed Italy 5-0. 

Only defenders Amanda Ilestedt and Magdalena Eriksson retained their places and Sweden was far from its rampant best, with Olivia Schough’s weak free kick their only shot on target in a disjointed first half. 

Blomqvist finally got the breakthrough after the hour mark and was brought down inside the penalty area by Gabriela Chavez in the closing minutes to allow Rubensson to drive the resulting penalty into the roof of the net. 
…

The French and Japanese air forces have conducted aerial exercises in Japan, the first of their kind between the two allies. But even as Paris seeks to build its military alliances in the Indo-Pacific region, France has blocked proposals to open a NATO liaison office in Tokyo.

The four-day joint drills are part of a larger French exercise, codenamed Pegase 2023, taking place across the Indo-Pacific in the coming weeks, including in French island territories.

“It’s natural that France, a resident nation of the Indo-Pacific, is particularly concerned by the geopolitical tensions felt in the region as a result of competition between the great powers,” General Stephane Mille, chief of staff of the French Air and Space Force, told reporters at a July 28 news conference in Japan’s Saitama prefecture.

China tensions

Those tensions are also felt by NATO, which describes China as a challenge to the Western alliance’s “interests, security and values.” China rejects that characterization. The NATO Strategic Concept cites Beijing’s buildup of its armed forces, its “malicious hybrid and cyber operations,” and its efforts to subvert the rules-based international order among its reasons for concern.

Closer cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is in NATO’s interest, says Michito Tsuruoka, a security analyst at Keio University and a visiting fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre in Canberra, Australia.

“NATO’s interest is very much affected by what takes place in the Indo-Pacific region. So that means that NATO has to be more engaged for its own interest,” Tsuruoka told VOA in an interview on Saturday.

“Another increasingly important pillar in NATO-Japan cooperation is about standardization and interoperability – so standardization of equipment and interoperability between the forces,” Tsuruoka said.

NATO office

At its July annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, NATO put forward the opening of a liaison office in Tokyo. However, French President Emmanuel Macron blocked the move.

“It’s pretty clear that President Macron wants to avert any sort of escalation, or dynamic that could lead to escalation, with China,” said Fabrice Pothier, a former NATO head of policy planning and now the CEO of the consultancy group Rasmussen Global, in an interview with VOA on Tuesday. “And he probably considers putting the NATO flag somewhere in the Indo-Pacific – even though it’s a very symbolic flag – as a bit too provocative.”

China warned the opening of a NATO office in Tokyo would “destabilize” the region. There is no such danger, says analyst Tsuruoka.

“Because what we are talking about, what NATO is talking about, is just a one-person office. So, it will never change the balance of power in the region,” Tsuruoka told VOA. “It’s just a sort of technical innovation in terms of the way in which NATO deals with the Indo-Pacific region. It’s not about NATO troops coming to Asia, or NATO now having responsibility to deter China. That’s not the case.”

Bilateral relations

For now, Paris is pushing bilateral relations with Indo-Pacific allies, Pothier said.

“France is always keen on underlining that NATO is a Euro-Atlantic organization with somehow clear geographic boundaries and responsibilities. And that going beyond that is basically going beyond its core mandate.”

The idea of a NATO office in Tokyo could be revived, he added.

“It could take some compromise and some time. But I think there could also be some alternative. You could consider the Japanese in a way offering to create and host a center of excellence with some other NATO countries,” Pothier said.
…

The British government on Tuesday recognized as genocide those crimes committed against the Yazidi minority by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq in 2014.

The decision comes days before the ninth anniversary of the crimes that were perpetrated by the terror group also known as ISIS or Daesh.

“The Yazidi population suffered immensely at the hands of Daesh nine years ago, and the repercussions are still felt to this day,” Britain’s minister of state for the Middle East, Tariq Ahmad, said in a statement. “Justice and accountability are key for those whose lives have been devastated.”

Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking religious minority viewed as infidels by IS extremists.

In August 2014, IS carried out a massive attack on Sinjar, once home to the largest Yazidi community in the world. At least 5,000 Yazidis, mostly men and boys, were killed during the attack on the northern Iraqi city.

IS then kidnapped thousands of Yazidi children and women, who subsequently were used as sex slaves and child soldiers. More than 2,000 of them are still missing.

Yazidi activists welcomed the move by Britain, saying this could help alleviate their suffering years after IS was militarily defeated in Iraq and Syria.

“Thousands died, thousands more were enslaved and so many of us are displaced and traumatized. I hope this step … brings us closer to justice,” tweeted Nadia Murad, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was kidnapped by IS in 2014.

Zara Saleh, a London-based Kurdish affairs analyst, said the decision came after years of intensive lobbying by the Yazidi community.

“This means the British government will dedicate more resources to try to hold ISIS criminals accountable for their crimes against Yazidis, Kurds and other ethnic and religious groups in Iraq and Syria,” Saleh told VOA.

A United Nations team in 2021 determined that IS atrocities against Yazidis constituted genocide.

In 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution acknowledging that IS was perpetrating genocide against Yazidis and Christians. In 2018, the U.S. Congress passed the Iraq and Syria Genocide and Relief and Accountability Act.
…

Ukraine and Poland called in the ambassadors from each other’s countries on Tuesday as a dispute escalated after a foreign policy adviser to Poland’s president said Kyiv should show more appreciation for Warsaw’s support in its war with Russia. 

The adviser, Marcin Przydacz, also said the Polish government must defend the interests of the country’s farmers – a reference to a ban on imports of Ukrainian commodities which will expire next month. 

Kyiv and Warsaw have been firm allies throughout the conflict that erupted with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But the exchanges reflected contentious issues. 

Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko said the Polish ambassador was told in the meeting that statements about Ukraine’s alleged ungratefulness for Poland’s help were “untrue and unacceptable.”  

“We are convinced that Ukrainian-Polish friendship is much deeper than political expediency. Politics should not call into question the mutual understanding and strength of relations between our peoples,” a Ukrainian statement said.  

Poland also called in the Ukrainian ambassador to Warsaw in response to the “comments of representatives of Ukrainian authorities,” Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.  

The tweet did not specify what comments it referred to.  

Polish media had on Monday quoted Przydacz as speaking about the possible extension of Poland’s import ban on Ukrainian agricultural produce. 

“What is most important today is to defend the interest of the Polish farmer,” Przydacz was quoted as saying.  

He also said, “I think it would be worthwhile for (Kyiv) to start appreciating what role Poland has played for Ukraine over past months and years.” 

The European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds. 

After the Russian invasion blocked Black Sea ports, large quantities of Ukrainian grain, which is cheaper than that produced in the EU, ended up staying in central European states due to logistical bottlenecks, hitting prices and sales for local farmers. 

The five countries want the ban on grain imports to be extended at least until the end of the year. It is set to expire on Sept. 15.  

Poland’s prime minister said recently that it would not lift the ban on Sept. 15 even if the EU did not agree on its extension. 

Kyiv has described the Polish decision as “unfriendly” and urged Ukraine’s partners and the European Commission to ensure the unimpeded export of all Ukrainian agriculture products to the EU. 

The Polish foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.  
…

Denmark captain Pernille Harder converted a first-half penalty to register her maiden Women’s World Cup goal, setting up a 2-0 victory over Haiti on Tuesday and a spot for her side in the last 16.

The result ends a long drought for the Danes, who last advanced to the knockout stage in 1995. After defeating China 6-1, England topped Group D and will face Nigeria in Brisbane on Monday. Runner-up Denmark will meet Australia in Sydney.

“I’m so proud of the girls and of the team that we made it through the group stages. It’s been a long time since a Danish team did that in a World Cup,” Harder told reporters.

Denmark started with a bang and remained undeterred after a third-minute goal by defender Simone Boye was ruled offside by the video assistant referee.

Haiti midfielder Dayana Pierre-Louis conceded a penalty for handball in the 21st minute, which gave Harder her moment, coolly slotting the ball in the bottom-left corner from the spot.

The Bayern Munich player could have had two more, with a 45th-minute effort ruled offside and an 83rd-minute header disallowed after forward Signe Bruun was found to have fouled the Caribbean goalkeeper Kerly Theus outside the box.

Haiti, ranked 55th in the world, showed great spirit in search of an equalizer, dominating periods after the break, but ultimately the experience of the 18th-ranked Danes shone through and substitute Sanne Troelsgaard sealed the result in stoppage time.

Haiti ends its first World Cup campaign winless from three games.

“We’re very, very proud of our team. I’m not scared of what the future may hold, and I’m not scared of dealing with these defeats,” said Haiti Coach Nicolas Delepine.
…

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 17,000 Ukrainian refugees have moved to the Los Angeles area. Olena Kochetkova fled after a rocket strike killed her husband in their Mariupol bakery. For VOA, Svitlana Prystynska has the story of how one new business has helped other immigrants along the way.
…

The Netherlands powered into the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup as group winners ahead of the United States with a 7-0 demolition of Vietnam Tuesday.

Esmee Brugts and Jill Roord both scored twice in the biggest win yet at the Women’s World Cup, eclipsing Germany’s 6-0 thumping of Morocco.

A crowd of 8,215 were treated to the Dutch goal bonanza in Dunedin.

In the build-up, Dutch coach Andries Jonker said he wanted the 2019 finalists to finish top of the group in order to stay clear in the last 16 of Group G leaders Sweden, who routed Italy 5-0 at the weekend.

Jonker’s team made his wish come true by blitzing Vietnam, who have lost all three games on their Women’s World Cup debut.

The Dutch scored their first four goals inside the opening 23 minutes, the pick of which saw Brugts hit the top corner.

Vietnam were under pressure from the opening minute as the Dutch chalked up 42 shots on goal over the 90 minutes.

Lieke Martens grabbed the first goal with eight minutes played when she lobbed her marker and Vietnamese goalkeeper Thi Kim Thanh Tran.

Forward Katja Snoeijs made it 2-0 three minutes later when she stroked her effort inside the post past the stranded Tran.

After Brugts’ superb third, Roord volleyed in a cross for her first goal on 23 minutes.

With half-time approaching, Tran put in a superb save to deny Roord, but midfielder Danielle van de Donk was on hand to slot home the rebound to make it 5-0 at the break.

Tran was replaced in the Vietnam goal by Thi Hang Khong for the second half, while 17-year-old Wieke Kaptein came on to make her third appearance for the Dutch.

Brugts scored again, from outside the area, when she fired into the opposite corner with a fierce strike that gave Khong no chance.

Martens had a goal ruled offside by the VAR before Roord, who had also clattered the woodwork, headed in the seventh goal with seven minutes left.
…

Megan Rapinoe’s energy as a second-half substitute failed to spark the listless United States, which slipped through to the round of 16 in the Women’s World Cup despite an uninspiring 0-0 draw against Portugal on Tuesday. 

The tie helped the U.S. avoid the biggest upset in tournament history and was just enough to ensure the Americans advanced to the knockout round. The U.S. team looked shaky at best in a game the team was expected to win. 

The Americans, the most successful team ever at the World Cup with four titles, have never been eliminated in the group stage at the World Cup. It’s the first time in tournament history that the U.S. won just one game in group play. 

The path for the Americans also hinged on the results of the Netherlands match against Vietnam, played simultaneously in Dunedin. With a decisive 7-0 victory, the Netherlands bumped the United States from the top of Group E. 

The Americans, the two-time reigning World Cup champions who are seeking an unprecedented third consecutive title, move on as the second seed. 

Lynn Williams had a chance on a header in the 14th minute but Portugal goalkeeper Ines Pereira smothered it. While the U.S. controlled possession and had the better chances, the team could not finish and the game was scoreless at the break. 

Rose Lavelle picked up a yellow card in the 38th minute, her second of the group stage, and she won’t be available for the team’s round of 16 match. 

The frustration of the U.S. fans at Eden Park was evident at the break, when there were scattered boos among the crowd as the teams headed for the tunnel. Early in the second half, a fire alarm went off in the stadium. It turned out to be a malfunctioning sprinkler. 

The United States had a free kick from a dangerous spot in the 57th minute, but Alex Morgan’s header popped up well over the goal. She put her hands to her face in exasperation. 

Rapinoe came in as a sub in the 61st minute, but the top scorer at the 2019 World Cup couldn’t find that elusive goal. 

The Americans had a serious scare in stoppage time when Ana Capeta nearly scored for Portugal, but her shot hit the right post. 

U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski tweaked his starting lineup for the match and started forward Williams and midfielder Lavelle for the first time at this World Cup. He had started Trinity Rodman at forward and Savannah DeMelo in the midfield for the team’s first two games. 

Lavelle boosted the team when she came in at halftime against the Netherlands on Thursday in Wellington when a lackluster opening half sent the Americans into the break down 1-0 to the Dutch. Lavelle’s corner to Lindsey Horan gave the Americans a 1-1 draw in the match. 

But the energy just wasn’t there against Portugal and the Americans seemed lost and unorganized for most of the match. 

The United States last lost in the group stage to Sweden at the 2011 World Cup, but the Americans still advanced to the final match before losing on penalties to champion Japan. 

The Americans have not needed the third and final group-stage match to learn their tournament fate since 2007, when there was a slim chance for elimination. 

Going into the match against Portugal, the United States sat atop Group E, even on points with the Netherlands but holding an edge on goal differential. 

The United States had won all the previous 10 matches against Portugal. The Portuguese have never scored against the Americans. 

With its decisive victory over Vietnam, the Netherlands heads to Sydney to face the second-place team from Group G, which includes Sweden, South Africa, Italy and Argentina. The United States plays the group’s top team. 
…

France said it would start an evacuation effort Tuesday from Niger for its citizens and citizens of other European nations, nearly a week after a military junta seized power. 

France’s foreign ministry said in a statement the decision to carry out the evacuations was prompted by violence against the French Embassy in Niamey and the closure of Niger’s airspace.  The ministry said French citizens were left unable to leave the country on their own. 

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on social media Tuesday that Italy also was offering its citizens in Niamey a special evacuation flight. 

The regional bloc ECOWAS has imposed sanctions against the coup leaders and said it could use force to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum if he is not returned to power.   

The United States and European Union have also called for Bazoum’s government to be reinstated immediately. 

Burkina Faso and Mali, two of Niger’s neighbors operating under military governments, issued a joint statement Monday saying any military action against Niger would be considered “a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali.” 

Guinea, another neighboring junta-led country, expressed its opposition to the ECOWAS sanctions and the possibility of military intervention. 

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters .
…

Latest developments:

Croatia allocated $1.1 million for the demining of Ukrainian agricultural lands, Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Monday.   





United Nations humanitarian office says a $3.9 billion appeal for humanitarian aid for Ukraine is less than 30% funded. 





Ukraine's Defense Ministry signed an agreement with Turkish company Baykar to build a service center for the repair and maintenance of drones in Ukraine, a ministry official said Monday.   

Russian officials said Tuesday air defenses shot down several Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow, with the wreckage from one drone striking a high-rise building in the Russian capital. 

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram the building was the same one struck during another Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday. 

There were no injuries reported from the Tuesday attack. 

Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s capital region multiple times in July, revealing Moscow’s vulnerability as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on into its 18th month. 

The attacks, including the one Tuesday, have included targeting of the Moskva-Citi business district several miles west of the Kremlin, causing nervousness among employers and employees there who felt the war’s reach to Russia’s nerve center.   

Tech giant Yandex, which has offices around the Russian capital including in Moskva-Citi, asked employees to vacate offices at night when strikes on the Russian capital have tended to occur.   

The United States is not encouraging or enabling attacks inside Russia, White House National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told CNN on Monday.  

Russian attacks 

Russian attacks on Ukrainian towns have left a trail of dead and injured, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stress Ukraine’s need for long-range weapons.   

At least six people were killed by two Russian missiles that hit the city of Kryvyi Rih in southern Ukraine, Zelenskyy’s hometown, Ukrainian officials said Monday.   

Regional Governor Serhiy Lysak announced a day of mourning in the city, saying that among the dead were a 10-year-old girl and her mother. Seventy-five others were wounded, including six children ages 4 to 17 years.    

Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said the missiles hit an apartment building and a university building.    

At the damaged residential building, nearly 150 of the building’s residents managed to get out by themselves, and 30 were helped by rescuers, the governor said.    

During his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said preliminary data show that the two missiles were fired at Kryvyi Rih from the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea from the area of Dzhankoy.  

“This proves again and again that for the safety of our cities, for the protection of the normal life of Ukrainians and our children, our military must have enough long-range weapons, enough means to defeat terrorists. The world’s sanctions pressure against Russia deserves a significant increase,” he said.  

“This is already a kind of genocidal everyday reality … Kryvyi Rih,” Zelenskyy’s adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on X, formerly known as Twitter.  “International law will never work if the aggressor does not see a real power behind it. The power begins with closing the Ukrainian skies with missile defense and air defense systems,” he added.   

Attack on Kherson  

Russian strikes in Kherson Oblast killed four people and wounded 17 others on Monday, among them a 16-year-old girl. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said that one of the people killed, as well as six of those injured, were working at a utility company when it came under fire. Five others injured were volunteers.  

Later Monday, Russian forces launched a new attack against Kherson, targeting the Korabel district; meanwhile, an attack on the city of Beryslav killed another man.  

Prokudin said the intense shelling is due to Russia replenishing its forces on the east bank of the Dnipro River.  

Peace summit in Saudi Arabia    

U.S. government officials will attend the Ukraine summit scheduled in Saudi Arabia, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced during a briefing on Monday, saying that he could not provide more details.  

The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that Saudi Arabia would invite Western states, Ukraine and major developing countries to the high-level talks.  

Saudi Arabia’s summit is reportedly scheduled to be held in Jeddah over the weekend to discuss implementation of Zelenskyy’s peace plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.      

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called for an end to the “irrational” war in Ukraine and urged the upcoming peace talks in the Middle East to include representation from both Ukraine and Russia.     

Lopez Obrador said Mexico would only participate in the peace talks if both sides were present.   

The Mexican president has tried to keep his country neutral in the war, though his government has backed some major U.N. resolutions against Russia. Mexico has refused to send arms to Ukraine and has not imposed sanctions against Russia.   

The Kremlin said Monday it would “follow” the meeting but did not currently see conditions for peace talks with Kyiv.   

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.  
…

When Pope Francis made the first foreign trip of his papacy — to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day in 2013 — he urged young people to make a “mess” in their local churches, to shake things up even if it ruffled the feathers of their bishops. 

As he embarks this week on another edition of World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, Francis in many ways has taken his own advice to heart. After 10 years as pope, Francis is accelerating his reform agenda and making revolutionary changes in personnel and policy that are definitely shaking up things. 

Unencumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, who died seven months ago, and despite recovering from a second intestinal surgery in as many years, the 86-year-old Francis is opening a frenetic second half of the year with his Portugal visit.  

He seems aware that he has a limited sweet spot of time to solidify the changes he believes are necessary for the 21st century church and is looking to the next generation of faithful and leaders to execute them. 

“The sense I get is that this is the consolidation phase of the pontificate,” said papal biographer Austen Ivereigh. “He’s laying the basis now, laying the ground, for the future.” 

And no better place to put it on display than at a World Youth Day. The international rally, which St. John Paul II launched in 1986 to galvanize young Catholics in their faith, is expected to draw up to 1 million people for the first post-pandemic event of its kind. 

Looking ahead, involving everyone

Francis’ perennial social justice concerns about climate change, social inequality and fraternity, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine, are expected to be major themes at World Youth Day.

Beyond Portugal, though, Francis’ multifold strategy for laying the groundwork for the future is coming together and will hit significant marks in the coming months. 

His global canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics about their vision for the future comes to fruition this October with a big synod at the Vatican. The meeting is intended to give direction on such hot-button issues as the place of LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in the church, and for the first time will feature women and young people voting on proposals alongside bishops. 

“I really think that for Pope Francis, he felt that ‘OK, now it’s mature’ and it would be good really to involve all the members, all the people in the synod as members” with the right to vote, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, who is one of the key synod organizers. 

To then implement the vision that emerges from the synod, Francis has been naming a slew of unusually young bishops for key archdioceses — in his native Buenos Aires, Madrid and Brussels, among others. At the same time, he’s elevated several cardinals in their 50s — and in some cases their 40s — including the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon who is organizing World Youth Day. 

Putting such young clerics in such important positions ensures a generation’s worth of likeminded leadership in the Vatican and archdioceses around the world. While not all are cookie-cutter proteges of Francis, many are seen as similarly pastorally minded and thus more game to implement his reforms, especially as the older generation of bishops and cardinals dies out. 

After Francis is gone, the youngest of these new cardinals will have some three decades’ worth of local leadership and conclave votes to select future popes, suggesting a generational and ideological shift in the church leadership is very much underway. 

‘A seed for the world’s future’

Francis’ most important young “legacy” appointment was that of the Vatican’s new doctrinal czar, Argentine Cardinal-elect Victor Manuel Fernandez, 61. Francis’ theological ghostwriter ran into Vatican problems in the past over questions about his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his appointment sent shockwaves through the conservative and traditionalist wings of the church. 

Fernandez sees his appointment as part of Francis’ longer-term agenda. “He is proposing a more inclusive church, more respectful of different ways of living, even of thinking,” Fernandez said in an interview. 

Portuguese Cardinal-elect Americo Aguiar, who is in charge of World Youth Day, is another young churchman who also understands his appointment as part of a generational turning point for the Catholic hierarchy. 

At 49, he will become the second-youngest member of the College of Cardinals when he is installed Sept. 30. He is just six months older than the current youngest cardinal, whom Francis elevated this time last year: Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, head of the church in Mongolia where Francis will travel at the end of August. 

“My reading of it is that this has to do with young people, it has to do with youth, it has to do with Portugal, it has to do with World Youth Day, it has to do with all of that,” Aguiar said in an interview. “I think that his objective and his underlining was exactly to send a signal to the young people, to every young person who is preparing the day, whether in Portugal or in the world, to feel identified with this decision.” 

Francis said as much in his monthly prayer intentions for August, this time dedicated to the Lisbon event. 

“In Lisbon, I would like to see a seed for the world’s future,” Francis said. “A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are sisters and brothers.” 

His wish in many ways echoed his words at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio, which now seem prescient in outlining many of the key pastoral messages Francis has emphasized over the past decade. Delivering a spontaneous, off-the-cuff exhortation to a gathering of Argentine pilgrims that was organized at the last minute, Francis urged the young to get out into the streets, spread their faith and “make a mess.” 

“I want to see the church get closer to the people,” Francis said then, speaking in his native Spanish. “I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures.” 

Realizing the radical nature of his message, Francis apologized to the bishops for what was about to come, even though in the 10 years since, he has only gone further than anyone could have imagined at the time. 

“The true reform of the church, you know, is not a revolution bringing something completely from outside,” said Becquart, the French nun, as she reflected on Francis’ agenda. “It’s a path of change that is a way to unfold tradition, but in a very dynamic way.” 
…

The United States arrived at the Women’s World Cup as the favorite to win an unprecedented third consecutive title. But after an underwhelming draw against the Netherlands, there’s a real chance the Americans could be eliminated in group play for the first time in tournament history. 

The U.S. plays Portugal in the third and final match of Group E play, and if Portugal pulls off an upset Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland, the Americans could be in big trouble. 

The United States needs to either win or draw against Portugal, one of eight teams playing in its first World Cup, to ensure the Americans continue to play in this tournament. 

“I think we feel like we have to win everything all the time,” said American star Megan Rapinoe. “That’s the expectation for ourselves. That’s the expectation playing for [the] U.S. national team. It’s just kind of like, ‘Why would you come into the World Cup if you don’t think that you should win it, and if you don’t think that you can win it?'” 

‘We have to stay focused’

The United States sits atop the group after a 3-0 victory over Vietnam in the tournament opener, and a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands last Thursday in Wellington. The Dutch are tied with the U.S. on points, but the Americans have the tiebreaker on goals scored. 

Portugal lost to the Dutch in its opener but then beat Vietnam 2-0. So, if the Portuguese beat the United States, they’ll move on, and the Americans would then need Vietnam to beat the Dutch in Dunedin — while keeping their advantage on goal differential — to advance. 

“One thing is for sure, that we have a job to do, and that’s first and foremost to take care of our game. So, our main focus right now is our performance, our team, and Portugal,” U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “What happens on the other side is something we can’t control. We have to stay focused on the things we can control.” 

Portugal could use a swarming defense to try to prevent the United States from scoring the way Vietnam — unsuccessfully — played the Americans in the opener. 

Portugal defender Ana Borges said her team will be prepared. 

“This is the stage where we want to be. It’s against these teams that we want to play because we’re going to learn and grow from them,” Borges said. “Not saying anything about the other team, but if we weren’t prepared for this challenge, we wouldn’t be playing football.” 

China-England  

England is in very good shape headed into its Group D finale against China, needing only a draw Tuesday night in Adelaide, Australia, to win the group and advance to the round of 16. 

Even a loss would be OK and push England through as group winners so long as Denmark doesn’t beat Haiti. If Denmark won and England lost, the group winner would be decided by FIFA tiebreakers. 

England edged out a 1-0 victory over Haiti to open the tournament, then beat Denmark by the same score. 

China lost 1-0 to Denmark in the opener but rebounded with a 1-0 win over Haiti and is now trying to keep its streak intact of advancing out of group play in all eight of its World Cup appearances. 

It will be a tough task: China can advance to the round of 16 if the Chinese beat England. But if Denmark beats Haiti, coupled with a China win, then FIFA tiebreakers would come into a play. A loss would mean China’s only chance at advancing would be if Haiti beat Denmark. 

England and China meet for just the fifth time, but first since a 2-1 China victory in 2015. 

England has scored in each of its last 15 matches at the Women’s World Cup for a tally of 25 goals since 2015. A goal against China would make England the first team to score in 16 consecutive matches in the tournament. 

China is looking to win consecutive World Cup games for the first time since 1999. 

Vietnam-Netherlands  

The Netherlands wants to win every match in the Women’s World Cup, but none more than Tuesday’s game against Vietnam. 

At stake: avoiding Sweden in the knockout round. 

The Dutch, the tournament runner-up in 2019, need only a win or a draw in the Group E match played in Dunedin, New Zealand. And even a loss would be OK so long as the United States beats Portugal in a game being played simultaneously. 

But the Netherlands has mapped out the tournament and wants no part of Sweden anytime soon. 

“The first aim is always to win and get to the last 16. And then after that, if we can score goals. We will, of course,” Dutch coach Andries Jonker said. “But looking at our colleagues from the U.S. and Portugal, we’ve noticed it’s not all that easy. We’ve never shown any kind of arrogance, but if we get chances to score goals, we will. We would prefer to play against the number two in this group and not Sweden.” 

The Netherlands are tied with the United States for the top spot in the group after playing to a 1-1 draw against the Americans and a 1-0 win over Portugal. 

Vietnam has already been eliminated from its first Women’s World Cup following losses to the United States and Portugal. Vietnam has lost its last five internationals by a combined score of 18-1. 

“The Netherlands tries to have as many goals as possible, and I have to say, we are at a low level,” Vietnam coach Mai Duc Chung said. “If we compare with Asia, we’re still at a low level. So, if we compare with the world, we are still quite behind. It is a success for us already. In the past two matches, we have tried our best. Great effort already.” 

Haiti-Denmark  

First-time Women’s World Cup participant Haiti would like to stick around a bit longer but needs a miracle in the Group D finale against Denmark to have any shot to advance. 

Haiti needs to beat Denmark in the Tuesday match played in Perth, Australia, and hope England beats China. If both those things happen, Haiti’s only chance would still come down to FIFA’s tiebreaker system. 

It’s very long odds for Haiti, which has played better in this tournament than its 0-2 record shows. Haiti held both England and China to one goal each in the first two matches. 

Haiti is on a six-game losing streak headed into what is probably its final game of this tournament. 

Denmark, meanwhile, is trying to advance to the group stage for the first time since 1995. Denmark was a 1-0 winner over China to start the tournament, then lost 1-0 to England and heads into the game tied for second in the group with China with three points each. 

A win over Haiti pushes Denmark through to the next round so long as England doesn’t lose to China. That scenario would put tiebreakers into play. 

The Danes, in the tournament for the first time since 2007, can also get through with a draw, but again, only if England beats China. 

Denmark has won five of its last seven international matches. 
…

Venice’s famed Rialto Bridge was jammed with tourists on Monday, the same day UNESCO recommended the watery city be put on its endangered list, citing overtourism and other concerns.

Taking selfies, licking gelato and wheeling suitcases, the hordes of visitors seemed happily oblivious to the possible downgrade UNESCO said was due to the risk of “irreversible” damage. 

New York tourist Ashley Park, 28, said she knew it would be crowded in Venice, but it wasn’t ruining her vacation.

“Obviously, if we lived here with all these tourists, it wouldn’t be fun,” she acknowledged.

Among the crowds on the historic bridge was city worker Diego Nechifrovo, 23, wearing an #EnjoyRespectVenezia T-shirt, who was busy keeping an eye out for misbehaving tourists.

“Sometimes I see someone throwing away his cigarette or walking around without a T-shirt,” he said, noticing a bag of potato chips discarded on the doorstep of a jewelry shop.

The worst? One time a family “sat down right in front of the Doge’s Palace and started to set up a picnic.”

A few weeks ago, a distracted tourist fell into the water, Nechifrovo said. “He was trying to get a good photo.”

Not far away, a seller of watercolors had a sign on his stand pointing to St. Mark’s Square.

“That’s all they want to know,” said the native Venetian, Claudio, who declined to give his last name. “They come to Venice because it’s Venice. That’s all.”

Go to the beach

The days of educated tourists visiting and enjoying the city’s many churches and museums were over, he said.

“Those who come now don’t even know what a museum is. It’s not cultural tourism,” he said.

“They need to go to the beach, or the mountains, but not here!” he lamented. “Please don’t come anymore!”

The list of Venice’s challenges are many, from environmental damage to its lagoon to its fleeing residents – with only about 50,000 left – leaving what many critics charge is now a city without a soul.

Two years ago, Venice narrowly avoided being placed on the same UNESCO list – which is intended to spur governments into action to preserve places deemed of “universal value to humanity” – after the city imposed a ban on massive cruise ships traveling past the center.

Environmental groups warned the ships, carrying thousands of day-trippers and sailing exceptionally close to shore, caused large waves eroding Venice’s foundations and harming the lagoon’s fragile ecosystem.

But the rerouting of the ships to the more distant industrial port of Marghera did not address the issue of overtourism itself.

Some 3.2 million tourists stayed overnight in Venice’s historic center last year, according to official data, a number that does not include the thousands of daily visitors who do not spend the night.

“It’s pretty beautiful – it’s a draw!” said U.S. tourist Mike McWilliams, 53, who had just arrived in the city for a two-day visit with his family.

UNESCO, the U.N.’s cultural wing, put Venice on its heritage list in 1987 as an “extraordinary architectural masterpiece,” but it has warned of the need for “more sustainable tourism management.”

On Monday, it said progress had been insufficient while citing “a lack of overall joint strategic vision” by authorities.

Critics say measures put in place to check tourism are ineffective and have come too late.

A long-discussed plan to introduce a paid booking scheme for day-trippers has been repeatedly postponed, now until 2024, over concerns it will seriously dent tourist revenue and compromise freedom of movement.

Back at St. Mark’s Square, city worker Lorenzo Seano, 21, was struggling to keep tourists from sitting on the steps of the surrounding arcades.

The problem of too many tourists invading cities went well beyond Venice, Seano said, but no one in government had tried to tackle the problem “on a structural level.”

“After all, there’s a ton of money coming in,” he said.   
…

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions against four top Bosnian Serb officials, including the Serb member of the country’s presidency, for undermining a U.S.-sponsored peace deal that ended the Balkan country’s war in the 1990s.

Bosnia’s presidency member Zeljka Cvijanovic, along with the prime minister, justice minister and parliament speaker of the Serb Republic, facilitated the passage of a law that undermines the Bosnian constitution, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

The constitution is part of the Dayton peace accords that ended the 1992-1995 Bosnian war in which 100,000 were killed, dividing the country into two autonomous regions, the Serb Republic and the Bosniak-Croat Federation, linked via a weak central government.

Late in June, lawmakers in the Serb Republic voted to suspend rulings by Bosnia’s constitutional court, a vote initiated by the region’s separatist pro-Russian President Milorad Dodik, who is already under U.S. and U.K. sanctions.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Cvijanovic, Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic, Justice Minister Milos Bukejlovic and parliament speaker Nenad Stevandic for obstructing and threatening the implementation of the Dayton accords by providing the passage of the law.

“This action threatens the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the hard-won peace underpinned by the Dayton Peace Agreement,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.

“This behavior further threatens the country’s future trajectory and successful integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions,” Nelson added.

Cvijanovic was put under U.K. sanctions last year along with Dodik for what were described as attempts to undermine the legitimacy and functionality of the Bosnian state.

In reaction to the sanctions, Stevandic said that he saw them as a “decoration for consistency, steadfastness and non-indulgence in the face of blackmail and threats from those considered powerful.”

A spokesman for Dodik’s ruling SNSD party said the U.S. decision was “shameless and hypocritical.” “No sanctions will prevent us from doing our job,” Radovan Kovacevic said.

The designations build on prior U.S. sanctions and visa restrictions designed to promote accountability of persons who undermine democratic processes or institutions, the U.S. Department of the Treasury said.

Dodik and his allies have long promoted the secession of the region from Bosnia and its unification with neighboring Serbia. They stepped up activities undermining state institutions in recent months, including suspension of decisions by an international peace envoy.
…