http://www.voanews.com Voice of America is an international news and broadcast organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries http://www.voanews.com/Content/responsive/VOA/img/rssLogo.gif http://www.voanews.com en 2016 - VOA 60 Mon, 21 Nov 2016 15:37:27 -0500 Pangea CMS – VOA A look at the best news photos from around the world. http://www.voanews.com/a/november-21-2016-day-in-photos/3605837.html http://www.voanews.com/a/november-21-2016-day-in-photos/3605837.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 14:16:00 -0500 Day in Photoshttp://www.voanews.com/a/november-21-2016-day-in-photos/3605837.html#relatedInfoContainer The sound of music is silence for those who cannot hear... unless they're sitting on the Musical Sofa. Faith Lapidus has details. http://www.voanews.com/a/musical-sofa-allows-deaf-to-experience-music/3605783.html http://www.voanews.com/a/musical-sofa-allows-deaf-to-experience-music/3605783.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 14:05:00 -0500 Science & Health Syrian government forces, backed by their ally Russia, have advanced inside Aleppo on Monday after launching intensified attacks against rebel-held areas. Amid international criticism, government forces pressed the offensive to recapture eastern neighborhoods. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that government forces took control of a northeastern district in the most important advance that the regime has made so far. “If they take control of Masakan Hanano, the regime will have line of fire control over several rebel-held neighborhoods and will be able to cut off the northern parts of rebel-held [areas of] Aleppo from the rest of the opposition-held districts,” Observatory Director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. It was the seventh straight day of renewed airstrikes by government warplanes leaving residents with almost no access to medical treatment after multiple hospitals were hit. Without a functional hospital inside the besieged city, the World Health Organization (WHO) says more than 250,000 people are in need of trauma care and major surgeries. “Although some health services are still available through small clinics, residents no longer have access to trauma care, major surgeries, and other consultations for serious health conditions, despite urgently needing this care,” a WHO statement said. Video footage showed the interior of a pediatric facility hit by a bomb Friday. The airstrikes hit about four hospitals in east Aleppo, effectively leaving the area without any functional hospital. Both Syria and Russian government officials have denied targeting medical facilities. Meanwhile Syria's foreign minister said on Sunday his country rejected a United Nations proposal that would grant autonomy to the devastated eastern sector of Aleppo. Under the U.N. proposal, the Damascus government would allow rebel-held eastern Aleppo to be governed by a local administration if jihadists fighting alongside rebels leave the city. http://www.voanews.com/a/syria-aleppo-government-offensive/3605746.html http://www.voanews.com/a/syria-aleppo-government-offensive/3605746.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 13:58:13 -0500 Middle Eastwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) TV producer Shonda Rhimes didn't get the president she wanted in the recent election, but she'll be receiving a special honor from the president she created at the International Emmy Awards Gala. “Scandal” star Tony Goldwyn, who plays President Fitzgerald Grant in the ABC TV drama, will be presenting the honorary International Emmy Founders Award to Rhimes Monday night at the Hilton New York.   Rhimes took time out from her television productions to help produce the short video biopic shown at the Democratic National Convention in July right before Hillary Clinton took the stage to accept the party's presidential nomination.   Bruce L. Paisner, president and CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, said Rhimes is a worthy recipient of the award because she “has truly made a global impact on television.” Besides “Scandal,” she is also the writer, executive producer and creator of such hit series as “Grey's Anatomy” and “How to Get Away with Murder.”   “Shonda Rhimes is in a league of her own - not only does she have an entire night of primetime on ABC in the United States, but her groundbreaking shows and iconic characters are avidly followed by over 300 million viewers worldwide, in 67 languages,” Paisner said. “And she repeatedly keeps surprising the industry and her audiences, with her new shows and story lines.”   The presentation to Rhimes will be the centerpiece of the International Emmy Awards Gala in which 40 nominees from 15 countries will be competing in 10 categories. The awards show, hosted by “The Good Wife” star Alan Cumming, honors excellence in television programming outside the U.S.   Brazil had a leading seven nominations, followed by Britain with six.   Oscar-winners Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench were nominated in the acting categories for their roles in the BBC One TV movie “Roald Dahl's Esio Trot,” based on Dahl's children's novel about a lonely aging bachelor who tries to woo the widow in the flat below, who is overly fond of her pet tortoise. The other British nominees are “Hoff the Record” (comedy), “My Son the Jihadi” (documentary), “Gogglebox” (non-scripted entertainment), and “Capital” (TV movie/miniseries).   Brazilian nominees include Alexandre Nero (best actor) for “A Regra do Jogo (Rules of the Game)” and Grazi Massafera (best actress) for “Verdades Secretas (Hidden Truths),” “Zorra (The Mess)” in the comedy category and “Adotada” for non-scripted entertainment.   Germany had five nominations, including best TV movie/miniseries and best actor (Florian Stetter) for “Nackt Unter Wolfen (Naked Among Wolves),” an adaptation of the novel by East German author Bruno Apitz about prisoners in the Buchenwald concentration camp who risk their lives to hide a Polish-Jewish boy.   Paisner said the competition for best drama series includes two countries represented for the first time in this category: the United Arab Emirates for “Waiting for Jasmin” and Canada for “19-2.”   The honorary International Emmy Directorate Award will be presented to Maria Rorbye Ronn, CEO and director general of the Danish Broadcasting Corp. http://www.voanews.com/a/international-emmys-rhimes/3605787.html http://www.voanews.com/a/international-emmys-rhimes/3605787.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 13:51:19 -0500 USAArts & Entertainmentwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Now that the election is over, Donald Trump supporters expect him to carry out his campaign promises. “I expect him to move quickly with his rock-the-boat agenda,” said Republican Senator David Vitter of Louisiana. By rock the boat, Vitter means making changes sure to upset people who liked the way things were done in the past. A Los Angeles Times public opinion study taken before the election found only 43 percent of Trump supporters expected him to win. But now that he is president-elect, Trump supporters expect him to act on his campaign promises and to do so quickly. Roy Beck heads Numbers USA, a group in Virginia that supports limits on immigration and efforts to reduce illegal immigration. “Politicians often make promises that they do not act on,” Beck said. “But dealing with illegal immigration was so much a part of Trump’s campaign and a large reason why many people voted for him. He has to act.” However, Beck does not expect Trump to order the removal of all 11 million undocumented immigrants as he once proposed during his campaign. Focus on American Jobs “The focus will be on how to get Americans into jobs,” Beck said. Beck argues many jobs are going to immigrants and that the numbers of both legal and illegal immigrants should be reduced. Robert Jeffress, a minister at the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, who campaigned for Trump, expects the president-elect to appoint Supreme Court justices who will vote to overturn a 1973 ruling that gave women the right to an abortion. Jeffress believes Trump is more committed than previous Republican presidents, including Ronald Reagan, to limiting the number of abortions. A Different Side of Trump During the campaign, Trump often used harsh criticism to describe his opponents. He regularly called his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, “crooked Hillary.” He called Republican primary opponent Ted Cruz, “lying Ted.” However, Jeffress does not expect those kinds of personal attacks to continue. “I think people are going to be surprised at the difference between candidate Trump and President Trump,” Jeffress told VOA. David Vitter, who is leaving the U.S. Senate just as Trump becomes president, says Trump has a good chance to win passage of proposals to cut back on government regulations and better enforce immigration laws, because he will have a Republican-controlled Congress. Senator David Vitter. But Vitter also wants Trump to push an issue not popular with Republican or Democratic members of Congress. Vitter has long proposed limiting how long a member of Congress can serve or term limits. Trump took up the Vitter proposal during his campaign for president. Trump said term limits are a good way to make sure politicians represent the people, not special interests. A Trump supporter hears the other side Some Trump supporters say they have friends who do not share their good opinions of Trump. Zach Bartman, a junior at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, has watched students at some American universities and high schools take to the streets to protest Trump’s victory. “I have a friend who is gay, and very liberal, and very upset and worried about what Trump will do as president,” Bartman said. “I told him not to worry. I think Trump will be the most pro-gay president ever.” After the election, Trump described same-sex marriage as settled law. In effect, Trump was saying the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that states cannot stop same-sex couples from marrying is unlikely to change. But many people who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton for president are worried. A new Gallup Poll said 75 percent of Clinton supporters said they were less confident in Trump’s ability to serve as president than they were during the campaign. The same study said 51 percent of U.S. adults described themselves as “more confident” in Trump after the election. Since the presidential vote, Trump has taken steps to reassure opponents. “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me,” Trump said in his victory speech. President elect Donald Trump greets his son Donald Trump Jr. after giving his acceptance speech in New York.   But some said naming Stephen Bannon to a top White House position was a bad sign. The Anti-Defamation League, an activist group, said Bannon ran a conservative news service that “provided a platform for anti-Muslim extremists.” Trump aides say Bannon is a smart political adviser who does not hold negative views of Muslims and Jews, as some critics claim. Ninety-five percent of Republicans told Gallup that they are more confident since the November 8 election in Trump’s abilities. One of those expressing confidence is Robert Straniere, a Republican from Staten Island, New York. Straniere said he got to know Trump as a successful New York businessman. “We have a president-elect who is a doer and knows how to get things done,” Straniere said. “I think he can get a lot of things done quickly.” Trump takes office on January 20, 2017. http://www.voanews.com/a/trump-supporters-expect-president-elect-to-deliver/3605610.html http://www.voanews.com/a/trump-supporters-expect-president-elect-to-deliver/3605610.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 13:10:43 -0500 USA2016 USA Voteswebdesk@voanews.com (Bruce Alpert)http://www.voanews.com/a/trump-supporters-expect-president-elect-to-deliver/3605610.html#relatedInfoContainer Imagine a world where almost everyone can be tracked, and everything can be seen by cameras linked directly to the Chinese government. The rapid growth of a little known Chinese manufacturer of high-powered surveillance technology has some people concerned that it's no longer a theory. Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology, a company controlled by the Chinese government, is now the world's largest supplier of video surveillance equipment, with internet-enabled cameras installed in more than 100 countries. Capable of capturing sharp images even in fog, rain or darkness, Hikvision claims its most advanced technologies can recognize license plates and tell if a driver is texting while behind the wheel. They can also track individuals with unrivaled "face-tracking" technology and by identifiers such as body metrics, hair color and clothing. In the United States alone, the company's surveillance systems can be found everywhere from prisons to airports to private homes and public schools, and even in places with sensitive national security concerns, such as Fort Leonard Wood military base in Missouri. Abroad, its cameras are installed in the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. According to a U.S. government procurement document published on IPVM.com, the world’s largest online video surveillance trade magazine, U.S. embassy officials decided in August 2016 to allow only Hikvision suppliers to bid on the installation contract. Stephen Bryen, a widely published expert on international affairs and cyber security, wrote an article outlining his concerns about the purchase, saying the Hikvision cameras were never proven to be any more secure than comparable models. “If the procurement officer actually thought these cameras were more secure than others, that would have been claimed as part of the sole-source justification,” he said of the embassy purchase agreement, adding that no claims of any kind were made regarding the Hikvision products. “The issue is that the U.S. embassy is installing commercial cameras in one if its most sensitive locations,” Bryen wrote. “This is a big mistake, and mistakes like this can cost lives.” It is not known if the same cameras have been installed in other U.S. embassies; a VOA inquiry to State Department officials has yet to produce a response. Spreading the word Edward Long, a former employee of a video surveillance equipment company in Florida, recently petitioned the U.S. government with a letter warning that Hikvision cameras are sending information back to China. “Over the past year, [Hikvision has] ... flooded the United States with their equipment,” he wrote. “Every time one of their machines is plugged into the internet, it sends all your data to three servers in China. With that information, the Chinese government can log in to any camera system, anytime they want.” Frank Fisherman, a general manager for Long’s former employer, IC Realtime Security Solutions, tells VOA that Hikvision devices are engineered for effortless hacking. “They have their encrypted information set up so they can access even if you change the admin [passwords] and the firewall,” he said, adding that Hikvision may have set aside a "back door" in the production process, such that the manufacturer can monitor devices remotely without the users being aware. IPVM President John Honovich, however, strikes a less alarmist tone. “So far, we haven’t found any evidence showing these cameras are sending information back to China, and there is no evidence of such back doors,” he told VOA, cautioning, however, that these facts alone do not rule out a possible security threat. “The issue that still remains is that maybe [back doors] haven’t been found yet," he said. "All devices have firmware, [which is] updated all the time, just like you update your computer [or] your PC. At any point during the firmware upgrade, back doors can be added by the manufacturers.” In April, a New York Times report addressed similar concerns about Chinese drone maker DJI — the world's largest manufacturer of small drones — that said it issued a user agreement warning customers that "if you conduct your flight in certain countries, your flight data might be monitored and provided to the government authorities according to local regulatory laws." Among well-known video surveillance equipment manufacturers, Honovich added, Hikvision products may not be worth the risk. "There are hundreds of security camera manufacturers in the world,” he said. “One can [find a reliable system] without the risk of buying products made by a company largely owned and controlled by the Chinese government.” A Beijing incubator company Established in 2001, Hikvision, which originated as a Chinese government research institute, maintains strong ties with that government. More than 42 percent of the company is owned by China’s state-owned enterprises, with the remaining stock owned by a combination of general public stockholders and venture capital investors, including 18 percent from private equity in Hong Kong. In 2015, when Chinese President Xi Jinping went on an inspection tour of the southern city of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, he visited Hikvision's main office instead of the famous Alibaba headquarters. Xi also met with Pu Shiliang, 38, Hikvision's head of research and development. According to the official website of Zhejiang Police Academy, Pu is also the director of a technology laboratory within China’s Ministry of Public Security, the main domestic security agency that has long been criticized for tracking and detaining dissidents and perceived Communist Party opponents of any stripe. Beginning in 2015, China's state Development Bank and Export-Import Bank provided Hikvision with 20 billion yuan (nearly $3 billion) in low-interest loans and a 20 billion yuan line of credit — loans of a size typically unavailable to Chinese or foreign companies. Invisible to consumers  Despite its enormous security implications, the United States appears to have made no national security assessment of Hikvision's products. As indicated by Long’s online petition, which ultimately closed with only 15 supporters, Hikvision's links with Beijing are virtually invisible to American consumers. In Britain, where many Hikvision cameras have been installed, some government officials have begun voicing concerns. “If you've got cameras that are IP enabled, or potentially could covertly be so enabled...they could potentially be used for malign purposes,” Nigel Inkster, a former British intelligence official, told The Times. Canadian-based Genetec, one of the world's leading video surveillance software companies, recently announced that it would no longer offer free technical support for products from either Hikvision or Huawei — a Shenzen-based multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company — citing ongoing "security considerations." Issuing the announcement, Genetec cited government and corporate clients who called Hikvision and Huawei products "too risky." Voice of America received no response to multiple attempts to contact Hikvision’s headquarters in Hangzhou and its branch in California. Jeffrey He, president of Hikvision’s U.S. and Canadian branch, defended the company during an undated interview with U.S. security monitoring website SourceSecurity.com. "There have been some misguided accusations targeting Hikvision’s public and industry image, sometimes seeking to create controversy where none exists," he said. "These questions are geared in general not just to Hikvision, but also to many Chinese manufacturers, and none of these accusations have been proven to be true. These accusations are baseless. "The Cold War was officially over when the Berlin Wall came down, but I am seeing that, in the minds of some, it never ended," he added. "We all would be better served if, instead of living in the past, we would look toward the future and the realities of world changes and technology changing along with it.” Hikvision now has 35 branches in mainland China and 21 overseas subsidiaries with more than 18,000 employees. This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Mandarin service. http://www.voanews.com/a/hikvision-surveillance-cameras-us-embassy-kabuk/3605715.html http://www.voanews.com/a/hikvision-surveillance-cameras-us-embassy-kabuk/3605715.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 13:01:24 -0500 USAAsiaSilicon Valley & Technologywebdesk@voanews.com (Xiao Yu)http://www.voanews.com/a/hikvision-surveillance-cameras-us-embassy-kabuk/3605715.html#relatedInfoContainer Vincent Makori heads up the reporting team to inform you about Africa, the U.S. and the world. http://www.voanews.com/a/3605707.html http://www.voanews.com/a/3605707.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:30:00 -0500 Africa 54 A man was arrested during a performance of “Hamilton” in Chicago after audience members say he shouted “We won!” and other election-related comments from the balcony. Chicago police say 56-year-old John Palmer of Chicago is charged with one misdemeanor count of criminal trespass in the incident Saturday. A day earlier, a member of the Tony Award-winning musical's Broadway cast in New York addressed Vice President-elect Mike Pence from the stage about the need for diversity in America.   Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says theater workers asked Palmer to leave but he refused, so police arrested him.   Brea Hayes of Batavia, Illinois, told the Chicago Tribune that an audience member disrupted the show by shouting profanities and political statements. Palmer doesn't have a listed phone number where he could be reached for comment. http://www.voanews.com/a/hamilton-musical-chicago-arrest/3605667.html http://www.voanews.com/a/hamilton-musical-chicago-arrest/3605667.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:26:33 -0500 USA2016 USA Voteswebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) As he tends to the flowers outside his home, a strangers’ home, Ammar Othman is reminded of the small garden he cultivated back in Syria, before he and his family fled the war. “We used to have jasmine, and I love to smell it as I walk through Athens”, he says, smiling at the thought of his old house in al-Bab, Aleppo province, now occupied by Islamic State. After months spent in Greek refugee camps, Ammar, his wife Naheed, and their three children finally have a space to call their own, an apartment given to them by someone they had never met before. The story of how they got there begins just less than a century ago. Before Izmir The Othmans live rent-free in a house nestled down a leafy road in suburban Athens, two floors below 38-year-old Adonis Tsangouris, whose family owns the building. Like many people, when Tsangouris saw video of people risking their lives on flimsy boats to make it to Greece he was deeply moved. But for the 38-year-old their journey resonated with his own family history. In 1922, his grandparents fled to Athens from their home in Smyrna on the coast of Turkey after being persecuted by Turkish forces that had regained control of the city from the Greek army, an event that formed part of a wider persecution of Greeks that is now annually commemorated in Greece as a genocide. Today, what was Smyrna is now called Izmir, a point of departure for refugees, including the Othmans, hoping to find a way into Europe. Tsangouris, who has also opened up the fourth floor of the building to an Iraqi family, recounted the songs his grandmother used to sing to him as a child. “I only remember one line, ‘and the boat rolled alone into the deep water,'” he said. “As I was looking at these boats my grandma's lyrics came to my mind,” he explained, adding his family wanted to offer the apartments in memory of his grandparents. Home for hope It is not just the Tsangouris family who have decided to help. Under a plan named Home for Hope, since April around 600 refugees have, like the Othmans, been donated an apartment to live in or are sharing a home with Greek hosts. It is part of a broader effort to offer better living conditions to some of the 50,000-plus refugees stuck in Greece and unable to leave the country since the closure of land borders this spring. Most of them are residing in state run camps of hugely varying quality, and some continue to live in tents. “This is about offering more human and decent living conditions,” explained Sophia Ioannou of Solidarity Now, the organization behind Home for Hope. The plan sought to try to make the best of Greece’s dire economic situation, which had driven Greeks from renting to living with their parents, leaving empty apartments, she said. Getting along well The Othmans are deeply appreciative of their host’s gesture, and the home that they moved into two months ago. “The first thing I felt when I got here is relief,” Ammar explains. “It is knowing that your family will be comfortable in a home, that we will be able to live independently, he says. “That my children will suffer no more illness or have to worry about insects.” Past, present and future Yet while the present may be more secure, the past and the future remain a source of tension. Ammar’s wife Naheed is upset, some of her family remain in their home town in Syria, and a fresh eruption in clashes has left her anxious for their safety. Meanwhile, like the others benefiting from Home for Hope, the family must wait to hear if they can be resettled elsewhere in Europe. Such is the state of limbo experienced by all those trapped within Greece by events well beyond their control, some of whom are likely to stay in the country not just for months, but years. Home for Hope, a pilot project, is likely to be replaced by a new approach next year, explained Solidarity Now’s Ioannou. “We need to think bigger” she said of those aiding refugees, before calling on the state to do more. “The next step is to think longer term and create more projects that will integrate people into our societies. This population is now part of our reality.” A better future Yet despite the uncertainty ahead, speaking in the garden that reminds him of a life that was destroyed by war, Ammar is heartened. He and his wife still believe a better future is possible for their two young daughters, and their four-month-old son Omar. “We risked our lives and traveled over sea so that our future will be better,” he said, “and it will be, God willing.” http://www.voanews.com/a/refugees-syrians-greece-hosting/3605356.html http://www.voanews.com/a/refugees-syrians-greece-hosting/3605356.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:21:59 -0500 Middle EastEuropewebdesk@voanews.com (John Owens)http://www.voanews.com/a/refugees-syrians-greece-hosting/3605356.html#relatedInfoContainer Pakistan’s military says intense clashes with India along the disputed Kashmir frontier Monday killed at least four Pakistani civilians and wounded 10 others. The army’s media wing, in a statement said, “effective retaliatory fire" killed six Indian soldiers. It did not cite sources for the Indian casualty toll and there has been no immediate reaction from India on the Pakistani claims. On Saturday, Pakistan alleged that “unprovoked” firing by Indian forces on civilian areas in Kashmir killed at least four children. Islamabad summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner to the Foreign Ministry earlier on Monday to issue a formal protest over the incident and to urge New Delhi to respect the Kashmir cease-fire truce, according to an official statement. Clashes between the two nuclear-armed rival nations in the divided Kashmir region have become routine in recent weeks, causing civilian and army casualties on both sides. Islamabad and New Delhi blame each other for firing the first shot in violation of a 2003 cease-fire deal in the Himalayan region. The military tensions have raised fears of a wider conflict between them as a wide-ranging bilateral peace dialogue remains suspended. http://www.voanews.com/a/india-pakistan-clashes/3605636.html http://www.voanews.com/a/india-pakistan-clashes/3605636.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:10:47 -0500 Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Ayaz Gul) U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says he will soon make more key appointments to his new government and is promising they will be "incredible people." "We've made a couple deals," Trump told reporters Sunday after meeting with more would-be Cabinet members before returning from his luxury golf resort in New Jersey back to his Trump Tower home and office in New York. He is meeting Monday with two more possible Cabinet picks, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, one of the Republicans Trump defeated for the party's presidential nomination, and Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin. Perry is under consideration as the country's energy or defense chief, with Fallin a possible interior secretary overseeing the country's vast parklands and forests. Trump is also meeting with a longtime political ally, former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich. Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said that not all of the parade of visitors Trump has met with in recent days will wind up working in his administration. But she said, "They are all incredibly important in offering their points of view, their experience and certainly their vision for the country." On Sunday, Trump met with two of his staunchest defenders during the lengthy presidential election campaign: former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.   Staunch supporters Giuliani, a symbol of American resolve against Islamist terrorism after the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, has little foreign affairs experience but has sought appointment as secretary of state, the country's top diplomatic job. Vice President-elect Mike Pence told Fox News that Mitt Romney, the losing 2012 Republican presidential nominee who met with Trump Saturday, is "under active consideration" as secretary of state, "along with some other very distinguished Americans." Trump defeated Christie and 15 others for this year's Republican presidential nomination, but the New Jersey governor later endorsed the billionaire real estate mogul and campaigned for him. Christie led Trump's transition-to-power team until Trump dismissed him in favor of Pence after Trump's stunning upset win two weeks ago over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Christie's stock in Republican circles was assumed to have diminished in recent weeks after two of his aides were convicted for their role in a politically motivated, traffic-clogging scheme over a bridge from New Jersey into New York. But Trump said Saturday, "We like Chris a lot." Defense, immigration, commerce Trump tweeted that he is considering naming a 66-year-old retired Marine Corps General James Mattis, whom he characterized as "Mad Dog," to be defense secretary. Trump said he talked with Mattis on Saturday, describing him as "very impressive... a true General's General!"     Trump also met Sunday with Kris Kobach, a Kansas official who is a hardliner against illegal immigration, one of the key themes of Trump's victory. In addition, the president-elect talked with billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, a possible choice for commerce secretary, global investor David McCormick, Hollywood talent agent Ari Emanuel and others. Romney, who had been one of Trump's harshest Republican critics during early stages of the U.S. political campaign, was one of a parade of officials who met with him Saturday. Education Others who traveled to Trump's New Jersey golf course for meetings included education activists Michelle Rhee and Betsy DeVos, as well as Mattis. Trump, outside the Trump National Golf Club, displayed a thumbs-up gesture and said, "Went great," as he and Romney exited. But it was not immediately clear what role, if any, Romney would play in the new Trump government that takes over January 20 as President Barack Obama leaves office. Romney is a business investor and a former Massachusetts governor. http://www.voanews.com/a/trump-interviews-potential-cabinet-members-/3605515.html http://www.voanews.com/a/trump-interviews-potential-cabinet-members-/3605515.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:08:44 -0500 USA2016 USA Voteswebdesk@voanews.com (Ken Bredemeier) On its website, Kellogg touted a "Breakfast Council'' of "independent experts'' who helped guide the company's nutritional efforts.   Nowhere did it say this: The maker of Froot Loops paid the council members and fed them talking points, according to a copy of a contract and emails obtained by The Associated Press.   The company paid the experts an average of $13,000 a year, prohibited them from offering media services for products "competitive or negative to cereal'' and required them to engage in "nutrition influencer outreach'' on social media or with colleagues.   "I'm still feeling great from my bowl of cereal & milk this morning! Mini-Wheats are my fave,'' a dietitian on the council posted during a Twitter chat with Kellogg. Another council member and dietitian chimed in to say they were her favorite, too, and included a photo of the cereal.   For Kellogg, the council — in existence between 2011 and this year — deftly blurred the lines between cereal promotion and impartial nutrition guidance. The company used the council to teach a continuing education class for dietitians, publish an academic paper on breakfast and try to influence the government's dietary guidelines.   Kellogg said the council's activities were clearly sponsored.   Yoni Freedhoff, an obesity expert at the University of Ottawa who writes about industry influence in nutrition, said he didn't believe it was clear to the public that the council members were compensated, especially since Kellogg described them as "independent.''   "It's not an automatic leap. I don't think people think about these conflicts that deeply,'' he said.   Dayle Hayes, a dietitian who participated in the Twitter chat in 2014, said in an email that she prides herself on her ethics and transparency and that her disclosure practices have changed as standards have evolved. Based on current standards, she said she would include the word "ad'' in tweets referencing Kellogg products. She said she did not share any information without appropriate disclosures.   Kellogg Co. said the experts disclosed their affiliation with the company in public engagements. Still, the company said it could see how its use of "independent'' could create confusion. It said later it decided not to continue the council, and the website page is no longer online.   'Are those regular fritos?'   Kellogg said on its website that the breakfast council helped guide the company. But it wasn't always clear who was providing the guidance.   When Kellogg sent the council research it commissioned, Hayes expressed enthusiasm and requested language to share the information. Hayes and Sylvia Klinger, another dietitian on the council, tweeted the lines Kellogg provided verbatim. Hayes included the word "advisor'' and Klinger included the word "client.''   Kellogg also supplied the experts with a "toolkit'' of tweets for a promotional event in New York. When the council members received a critical email from someone they didn't know criticizing their work with the company, the company suggested a response for that, too.   "I appreciate and share you[r] interest in the health of our children,'' the suggestion read. "It's for this very reason that I work with Kellogg.'' The council members decided not to respond.   The work with dietitians wasn't unusual. Coca-Cola has paid dietitians who wrote columns casually suggesting mini-sodas as a snack. Disclosures said the author is a "consultant'' for food and beverage companies, "including Coca-Cola.''   Jessica Levinson, a dietitian who has appeared in TV news segments for Coke and PepsiCo's Frito-Lay, told the AP producers were told if her healthy eating tips were sponsored. Yet the disclosures weren't always shared with viewers.   In a segment on NBC Baltimore on "dos and don'ts'' in 2009, Levinson presented bags of Fritos with dip — as an example of a "do.''   "Are those regular Fritos?'' asked the reporter, indicating her surprise.   'Key messages' One of the breakfast council's accomplishments was publishing an academic paper defining a "quality breakfast,'' which Kellogg touted as being written by "our independent nutrition experts.''   A Kellogg employee oversaw the editing and provided feedback, including asking for the removal of a line saying a recommendation that added sugar be limited to 25 percent of calories might be "too high.''   Kellogg said the paper was a supplement and that its involvement should have been clear. It noted a disclosure said a draft was written by an agency that represents Kellogg.   The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics said editorial rules for supplements are the same as for regular articles. The paper underwent peer review, and an editor suggested reducing or eliminating the detailed discussion of cereal, especially since the sponsor was a cereal company.   To amplify the paper, Kellogg planned to reference it in comments submitted for the government's dietary guidelines, emails obtained by the AP through a public records request show. Kellogg also sent its breakfast council a plan with "Key Messages'' to promote the paper.   One message: "A variety of Kellogg's products and tools make it easier to enjoy a quality breakfast." http://www.voanews.com/a/kellogg-cereals-independent-expert/3605669.html http://www.voanews.com/a/kellogg-cereals-independent-expert/3605669.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:07:11 -0500 EconomyScience & Healthwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) If Donald Trump is waiting for an apology from the cast of  "Hamilton,'' he will have to continue to wait. Actor Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Aaron Burr in the celebrated musical, told "CBS This Morning'' on Monday that "there's nothing to apologize for.'' Dixon gave Vice President-elect Mike Pence an onstage earful about equality at the end of Friday's performance. Trump has taken to Twitter several times to demand an apology. Pence on Sunday said he wasn't offended by the message.   Dixon said "Hamilton'' creator Lin-Manuel Miranda had a hand in crafting Dixon's remarks, although Dixon said he "made some adjustments.''   Dixon said that both Trump and Pence are welcome to come backstage and meet with the cast at any time, adding, "Art is meant to bring people together.''   From the stage on Friday night, he sparked controversy by saying he and the cast were "alarmed and anxious'' that the Trump administration "will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights.''   The musical is by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the story, music and lyrics. It stresses the orphan, immigrant roots of first U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton and has been cheered for reclaiming the nation's founding story with a multicultural cast.   Dixon's unprecedented address of the vice president-elect has divided many, with critics saying theater should be a safe place and the "Hamilton'' cast comments seemed aggressive. But supporters contend Dixon was respectful and note that artists speaking out is a timeless ritual.   The debate has even divided members of Bruce Springsteen's The E Street Band, with Steven Van Zandt calling the Pence address "the most respectful, benign form of bullying ever.''   Van Zandt said on Twitter on Saturday that the statement was "beautiful,'' but "completely inappropriate at that time.'' He added that singling out an audience member to "embarrass him from the stage'' is "a terrible precedent to set.'' But Nils Lofgren, his bandmate, supported the protest, arguing: "Everywhere and anytime you can raise your voice is appropriate, especially right now.''   Springsteen himself attended the Broadway show with his wife, Patti Scialfa, on Sunday and went backstage to have their picture taken with Mandy Gonzalez, an actress in the show. Springsteen and Scialfa posed for a photo in front of a poster of the show. She later called it "joyous and necessary.'' http://www.voanews.com/a/hamilton-actor-says-theres-nothing-to-apologize-for/3605604.html http://www.voanews.com/a/hamilton-actor-says-theres-nothing-to-apologize-for/3605604.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:52:14 -0500 Arts & Entertainmentwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) He claimed to be a native of Mosul and said he had just escaped his embattled neighborhood. When his cell phone chirped cheerfully, he said it was his mother calling and picked up.   But the clean-shaven man seemed to have a Syrian accent, not Iraqi. His conversation with whoever was on the other end of the line was strange at times as he gave details on the situation in the nearby districts. “We're wearing enough and we have everything we need,” he assured the caller.   Iraqi troops nearby eyed him suspiciously as he spoke to The Associated Press on Nov. 12  just after he showed up with his wife and toddler daughter among dozens of people fleeing fighting in Mosul. The troops then took him aside and detained him, believing he was an Islamic State group member.   The man illustrated the difficulty of knowing friend from foe in a chaotic war. Iraqi forces assaulting the city are on the lookout for IS fighters or members trying to slip out of the city with other residents, whether to escape or to sneak behind the lines to carry out attacks. A strange accent or odd behavior can draw suspicion.   Government forces are already struggling to deal with thousands of civilians trying to escape the fighting and thousands more still in the middle of it, hunkered down in their homes. One Iraqi official told the AP that 25 militants had previously been caught hiding among refugees.   That same day, a contact inside IS-held parts of the city called the AP and said the group was having its fighters shave their signature beards - required of all men in Mosul under their own rules - and sending them out among civilians.   From the thousands leaving the city, troops separate men from women and children and question the men, even young adolescents, trying to determine if any are fighters.   The Iraqi president, Fuad Massoum, said often other locals recognize IS members. “They (the locals) inform us about them.... Those who are exposed (by civilians) are imprisoned,” Massoum said, speaking to the AP in Morocco, where he was attending a climate conference.   The man, who appeared to be in his 30s or early 40s, approached an AP team in Gogjali, one of several districts on Mosul's eastern edge that Iraqi forces have retaken from IS. The neighborhood had theoretically been seized by Iraqi forces two weeks ago, but was still in chaos. The Islamic State group singled out Gogjali for “an exhausting war on the streets” against Iraqi troops as recently as last week.   In one compound that soldiers said had been cleared of IS fighters, the small yard was littered with melted explosives and a severed human spine. In the driveway was a charred armor-plated car of the kind IS sends out by the dozens as suicide bombs.   The man pulled up in a truck along with about 60 others he said were his relatives. His 2-year-old daughter, wearing a full-length black dress, ambled alongside him. His wife, also in black, pulled down a full-face veil when the interview started.   Freshly shaven except for a small patch of facial hair on his chin, the man said he was a native of Mosul and gave his name as Omar Danoun, though it is not known if that was his real name. He had no problem appearing on camera, but insisted on wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap. His wife reluctantly agreed to sit alongside him.   The group of men, women and children he arrived with initially sat in the shade by a wall but then all rose at once and walked away, rolling suitcases behind them as they disappeared into the streets of Gogjali, without going through the processing Iraqi troops carry out before allowing people into the camps.   Listening later to an audio recording of the interview, two Iraqi AP journalists and a Syrian said his accent in Arabic was Syrian, not Iraqi. His wife's accent seemed to be Iraqi, but not from Mosul, which has its distinct linguistic particularities.   The family said they fled that morning from their home in eastern Mosul's Saddam neighborhood, the old name for Zahra, a district captured several days ago by Iraqi forces.   The man said he had vowed that if he ever got out of Mosul he would tell the world what life there had been like under IS rule. He complained about not being able to move freely and said he and his family were detained by IS at one point for trying to escape to Turkey. But while many who have fled Mosul are thin and make a point of talking about the city's lack of food and communication, he said he managed to run businesses in Baghdad and Irbil and never wanted for food.   Then his phone rang and he asked to pause the camera while he took a call he said was from his mother.   Perhaps attracted by his accent, Iraqi soldiers silently encircled the family from a few meters away. Smoking and speaking on the phone, he seemed not to notice, although he and his wife both anxiously asked again if the camera had been turned off. One of the soldiers quietly told the AP team that he was a member of the Islamic State group.   The man, meanwhile, told his caller he was speaking to journalists but denied he was being filmed. He then advised them to stay away from the neighborhood he had fled, saying the Iraqi army was at his house.   “If any of you come near the Iraqi army they'll kill him,” he told the caller, then paused to listen to the response. “Ehsan will come to give them a mobile credit. Do not speak with each other by phone. And now, when you hang up, remove the SIM card from the phone.”   He put the phone down and struggled to answer one last question: How is it he and those he spoke with freely used their mobile phones, something that under IS rule in Mosul meant death if they were caught?   His cell rang again. Gunshots rang out in a nearby street.   The interview was over. The soldiers moved in. He pulled out an Iraqi passport and told them he was from Mosul. What appeared to be a second passport peeked from his pocket. He calmly explained his situation, his face betraying neither fear nor distress.   He was taken into custody. http://www.voanews.com/a/iraq-mosul-islamic-state-syrian-accent/3605609.html http://www.voanews.com/a/iraq-mosul-islamic-state-syrian-accent/3605609.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:49:44 -0500 Middle Eastwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Yulia Zaripova, the Russian gold medalist in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2012 London Olympics, was among 12 more athletes sanctioned Monday after testing positive in a reanalysis of their doping samples. Zaripova was among seven medalists -- all from countries of the former Soviet Union -- disqualified retroactively from the London Games after their stored samples were retested with improved techniques and came back positive for banned substances. Also sanctioned Monday by the International Olympic Committee were nine weightlifters, a hammer thrower and a long jumper. Zaripova tested positive for the steroid turinabol on a urine sample she provided after winning the steeplechase final on Aug. 6, 2012, the IOC said. Zaripova was already expected to lose the gold medal over a separate doping violation prosecuted by the IAAF. She had previously served a 2{-year ban for irregularities in her biological passport. As a result of that violation, the Court of Arbitration for Sport had disqualified all of her results from July 2011 to July 2013, including the London Olympics. IOC ruling A three-person IOC disciplinary commission said in its ruling that a decision in Zaripova's case "has already been issued and has become final and binding" and "there is no longer any interest to continue the present proceedings and to issue a decision." The panel recommended that the IOC implement the IAAF decision to amend the Olympic results and strip Zaripova of the gold medal. Under the revised results, Habiba Ghribi of Tunisia takes the gold, with Sofia Assefa of Ethiopia moving to silver and Milcah Chemos Cheywa of Kenya the bronze. Other athletes stripped of London medals on Monday were: Alexander Ivanov, Russia, silver, men's 94-kilogram weightlifting division; Natliya Zabolotnaya, Russia, silver, women's 75kg weightlifting; Cristina Iovu, Moldova, bronze, women's 53kg weightlifting; Hripsime Khurshudyan, Armenia, bronze, women's 75kg weightlifting; Irina Kulesha, Belarus, bronze, women's 75kg weightlifting; and Anatoli Ciricu, Moldova, bronze, men's 94kg weightlifting. The non-medalists were Andrei Demanov, Russia, fourth place, men's 94kg weightlifting; Oleksandr Dryhol, Ukraine, 34th place, men's hammer throw; Rauli Tsirekidze, Georgia, ninth place, 85kg weightlifting; Margaryta Tverdokhlib, Ukraine, 26th place, women's long jump; and Almas Uteshov, Kazakhstan, seventh place, men's 94kg weightlifting. The IOC reanalyzed more than 1,000 stored samples from the London Games and 2008 Beijing Games in order to catch cheats who escaped detection at the time. The new tests can detect the use of steroids going back weeks and months, rather than days. The IOC recorded at least 98 positive tests from the London and Beijing retesting program, with more expected in the pipeline. The IOC also plans to retest samples from the 2014 Sochi Winter Games after the former Russian lab director said samples were manipulated to cover up doping by Russian athletes. http://www.voanews.com/a/yulia-zaripova-2012-steeplechase-champ-fails-doping-retest/3605599.html http://www.voanews.com/a/yulia-zaripova-2012-steeplechase-champ-fails-doping-retest/3605599.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:47:35 -0500 Europewebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Entertainer Douglass Fearon attributes part of his success to the fact that "I'm an anomaly -- I'm a black man in China." For some of the relatively few black Americans who have moved to China, it has become a land of dreams. Fearon, a successful banker in the U.S., reinvented himself as a musician, model and actor. Mekael Turner was a computer programmer before flying across the world and becoming a TV host, Chinese-language rapper and actor. Shane Olff came to China to teach English because he wanted to play ping pong. Black people in China regularly describe instances of prejudice, partly owing to China's overwhelming ethnic homogeneity and a lack of contact with black foreigners. Over the past year, China has seen an advertisement for laundry detergent that showed a black man ``washed'' into a fair-skinned Asian man and an Air China in-flight magazine that advised readers to take care in London when entering areas populated by black people. While Fearon, Turner and Olff have all encountered racism in China, that has not eclipsed the opportunities they've enjoyed. 'I just knew that there was more' In the U.S., Douglass Fearon accomplished his goal of being "a superbanker" until his career no longer made sense to him. "My pockets were full but my soul was empty," he said. "I made a lot of money but I had nothing to show for it. I just knew that there was more." Partly wanting to reinvent himself, he arrived in China a few months after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. What kept him here was "opportunity after opportunity after opportunity." He is now an actor, DJ and an international business broker. "I knew I wanted to get into entertainment," said Douglass, 37, who grew up in Queens. He called himself Mr. OneTwo -- the name of a character in a favorite film of his, and a conversation starter. He became part of a rap band with singing in Mandarin, Cantonese and English -- a group he describes as "a Chinese-mixed version of Black Eyed Peas." He taught himself to rap by watching videos, tutorials, listening to music and trying out various lyrics to a beat. "Hip hop is my culture, so it's not that far off." TV shows, commercials and modeling followed. "One of the things that has been a major factor in my success is that I'm an anomaly, I'm a black man in China." His profile rocketed when he became the first black man to win the popular Chinese dating show, "If You Are The One." In eight years living in Guangzhou, he has seen Chinese attitudes toward black people improve, especially among the younger generations who see black Americans in Hollywood movies. But racist incidents persist, something he attributes to "a lack of thinking." Chasing ping pong dreams "Ping pong brought me to China," says Shane Olff, who came to Beijing to teach English to earn money to enable him to play. He chose China three years ago over offers for teaching and study programs in Germany and South Korea because it is "No. 1 for ping pong." "I figured I would come here so I could have the chance to increase my playing level, my skill level and I would be able to compete on a more competitive field," said Olff, 25. For Shane, who grew up in Brooklyn, being in China is the first time he has stood out because of the color of his skin. His hair, which he wears as an afro or braided, is a particular point of interest. Some people try to touch it on the subway, and others take photos of him as he is walking down the street. "Sometimes I feel like I'm in a zoo behind bars and people are taking pictures," he said. "Let's take that one home and share with our kids over dinnertime. It's kind of awkward." "There's just lots of things Chinese people haven't been taught, they just don't know that this is not something that is considered polite or good manners," Shane said. Negative views of black people persist. "I've had a couple of ladies look at me or see that I was near them and cover up their purses, or hug their things much more tightly," he said. "A few times I've had people come to me and ask me if I have drugs for sale but I'm like 'Nope, sorry, I'm just waiting for my friends.' " 'You speak Chinese and they need a black guy' Mekael wanted to be in the kind of Chinese action movies that he had grown up loving to watch, so he came to Guangdong province because it neighbors Hong Kong, the city most associated with them. A New Yorker raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Mekael has now been in China for 13 years. In the U.S., he was a self-taught programmer. "What I wanted was to try another side of my personality," he said. "I did the computing part, which is the super logical, math side. I wanted to try the arts side, the more expressive side." He first taught English to kids and taught himself Mandarin and Cantonese. Wanting to become fluent, and find a foothold in the entertainment industry, Mekael, 35, turned to poetry. "I figured, for any language, usually the best speakers or the best users of that language are poets." So he wrote poetry in Chinese and turned it into a rap. He played in clubs and at store openings, and went on Chinese TV shows as a contestant and host. He got his break in movies when a makeup artist he knew said, "Hey, would you like to be in movies? You speak Chinese and they need a black guy." Now he has appeared in a handful of action movies, including "Chinese Salesman," a film with Steven Seagal and Mike Tyson that is awaiting release. He plays Seagal's bodyguard. In China, "it's a sort of superficial racism, it's not as deep as it is in America," he says. "And the reason I say it's superficial is because it's easy to get past." Once they see that "I can do the job just as good or my Chinese is just as good ... then they're like, 'I think we like the black guy.' " http://www.voanews.com/a/black-americans-see-opportunity-in-china/3605574.html http://www.voanews.com/a/black-americans-see-opportunity-in-china/3605574.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:21:15 -0500 USAAsiawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) A newly launched weather satellite could save lives by better predicting extreme weather. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-R satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on November 19 and will be in geostationary orbit some 36,000 kilometers above Earth. NOAA said it could “ boost the nation’s weather observation network and NOAA’s prediction capabilities, leading to more accurate and timely forecasts, watches and warnings.” NOAA said the satellite will require testing of its six instruments and will be operational “within a year.” “The next generation of weather satellites is finally here. GOES-R is one of the most sophisticated Earth-observing platforms ever devised,” said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan. “GOES-R’s instruments will be capable of scanning the planet five times faster and with four times more resolution than any other satellite in our fleet. With these new instruments and powerful new capabilities, GOES-R will strengthen NOAA’s ability to issue life-saving forecasts and warnings and make the United States an even stronger, more resilient Weather-Ready Nation.” The greater detail “will help improve hurricane tracking and intensity forecasts, the prediction and warnings of severe weather, including tornadoes and thunderstorms,’ according to a NOAA news release. “Additionally, GOES-R’s improved rainfall estimates will lead to more timely and accurate flood warnings.” GOES-R will also help the aviation industry by giving better estimates of wind strength, as well as better detection of fog, ice or lightning. One of the six instruments aboard GOES-R allows scientists to monitor lightning strikes and map them. This, NOAA says, will help track severe storms and issue more detailed warnings. “GOES-R will significantly improve the ability of emergency managers across America to prepare for, and respond to, weather-related disasters. Better situational awareness will result in better outcomes -- from where to best position resources ahead of a storm to delivering more targeted information to local officials to decide if an evacuation is necessary,” said Craig Fugate, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator. In addition to better weather forecasting, the satellite will be part of an international satellite-based search and rescue network and will be equipped with a “special transponder” that will be able to detect distress signals from emergency beacons. http://www.voanews.com/a/mht-next-gen-goes-r-weather-satellite-launches/3605497.html http://www.voanews.com/a/mht-next-gen-goes-r-weather-satellite-launches/3605497.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:19:51 -0500 Science & Healthwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)http://www.voanews.com/a/mht-next-gen-goes-r-weather-satellite-launches/3605497.html#relatedInfoContainer A contingent of Japanese troops arrived in South Sudan on Monday to join U.N. peacekeepers — a mission with an expanded role that critics fear could embroil them in their country's first overseas fighting since World War II. The newly arrived soldiers will help build infrastructure in the landlocked and impoverished country torn apart by years of civil war. But, under new powers granted by the Japanese government last year, the troops will be allowed to respond to urgent calls for help from U.N. staff and aid workers. There are also plans to let them guard U.N. bases, which have been attacked during the fighting. The 350 soldiers are taking over from a previous contingent of Japanese peacekeepers who served in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, but were not authorized to use force. Tsuyoshi Higuchi, a Japanese military information official, told Reuters that 67 troops arrived Monday morning. Another 63 are expected to land in the afternoon. The last of the 350 troops are scheduled to arrive December 15. Japan policy The new mandate is in line with security legislation enacted last year to expand the overseas role of Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF), as the military is known. Critics said the move violates the country's anti-war constitution and could embroil Japan in overseas conflict. South Sudan has been mired in violence since clashes erupted in December 2013 between supporters of President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar. Fighting largely along ethnic lines has caused the economy to sink, killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 2 million, and created a dire humanitarian situation, with nearly 5 million believed to be severely food insecure. Machar returned to Juba this year after the sides reached a peace deal, but fresh fighting erupted outside the presidential palace on July 8 while Machar was inside. Some information in this report was provided by Reuters. http://www.voanews.com/a/japanese-troops-arrive-in-south-sudan/3605532.html http://www.voanews.com/a/japanese-troops-arrive-in-south-sudan/3605532.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:12:52 -0500 AsiaAfricaSouth Sudan In Focus webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)http://www.voanews.com/a/japanese-troops-arrive-in-south-sudan/3605532.html#relatedInfoContainer Despite a struggling economy, Russian agriculture recently outpaced Canada and the United States in wheat exports, becoming the world’s largest supplier of the key ingredient for making bread.  But Russia’s rise as a grain superpower has been accompanied by a drop in the overall quality of wheat being produced.  VOA’s Daniel Schearf reports from Moscow. http://www.voanews.com/a/russia-record-wheat-harvest-raises-quality-issue/3605553.html http://www.voanews.com/a/russia-record-wheat-harvest-raises-quality-issue/3605553.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:04:00 -0500 Europewebdesk@voanews.com (Daniel Schearf)http://www.voanews.com/a/russia-record-wheat-harvest-raises-quality-issue/3605553.html#relatedInfoContainer American companies from appliance makers to auto parts suppliers have lined up to offer a quiet caution to President-elect Donald Trump as he considers pulling the United States from trade deals: most lost manufacturing jobs aren't coming back, but higher costs for consumers could. Consider the sneaker industry, one of the first to move to Asia because of the sharply lower cost of production in China and Vietnam. Nike Inc. and its smaller, privately held rival New Balance Shoes Inc. split over the question of whether the United States should back the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. But if Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress nix that trade deal as expected, both companies and the analysts who track them agree Asia is poised to keep its dominance as the in the industry's manufacturing hub. Companies like Nike have invested too much in those lower-wage economies to consider moving factories, even if tariffs rise and push up costs for American consumers, analysts say. Any new hiring in the United States will be years down the road and depend on refining production technologies like 3-D printing that could make it profitable to hire relatively small numbers of American production staff. The same dynamic applies to other industries, like auto parts, which have moved production to Mexico over the past two decades, executives say. That suggests a problem that the Trump administration will bump against if it tries to pursue a harder line on trade agreements from NAFTA to TPP. Shoe companies, like other manufacturers, could be forced to pass on higher costs to consumers, but few executives see a serious case for new hiring in the United States because of a change in tariffs on imports. "The idea of moving shoe manufacturing to advanced countries is a little bit of a farce," says Ed Van Wezel the CEO of Hi-tech International Holdings BV, an Amsterdam-based shoemaker that sells about 30 percent of its shoes in the U.S. The U.S. imports about 98 percent of its footwear - 2.5 billion pairs last year, or nearly eight pair for every man, woman and child. Shoemaking went offshore decades ago, mainly to China, because the process is so labor intensive. Making a single pair of running shoes can require up to 80 production steps. The average shoe worker in Vietnam earns about $245 a month, while shoe tariffs can range from zero up to 48 percent, according the U.S. International Trade Commission. The average is just over 13 percent. "The ones that stand to lose out here are consumers, because if we start to eliminate trade deals, they'll be paying a lot more for shoes," says Matt Priest, president of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, which represents the industry in Washington. The same dynamic is seen in other industries. Ford Motor Co. CEO Mark Fields said last week that big tariffs on cars and trucks imported from Mexico would hurt the auto industry and the U.S. economy. But he remained committed to making small cars in Mexico because the profits on making those cars in the U.S. are so low. Taking the other side of trade New Balance, based in Boston, makes only about a quarter of the shoes it sells in the U.S. at its five New England factories, and figures that costs 25 percent to 35 percent more than it would to make them in Asia. The private company, owned by former marathoner Jim David and his wife Ann, says it makes up for that cost disadvantage in part by producing higher-end and customized shoes in those U.S. plants. If the company were publicly traded, it would likely face pressure from shareholders to move all its production abroad. Beaverton, Oregon-based Nike imports nearly all its shoes, and fought for the Trans Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that became a lightning rod in the recent presidential campaign. Nike said last year that it would create 10,000 manufacturing and engineering jobs in the U.S. if the deal were adopted. Nike has clarified that those jobs would largely be aimed at creating more automated factories, not old-style production that would employ thousands of assemblers. New Balance fought the TPP, arguing that it would jeopardize its U.S. plants by giving competitors like Nike more profits they could pour into developing new machines, products and advertising. That opposition has proven costly for the iconic brand. In the wake of the election, a New Balance spokesman welcomed what he saw as a likely defeat for TPP. Many critics seized on his comments as an endorsement of Trump, and some consumers burned their shoes. Backlash flared again after a neo-Nazi website proclaimed New Balance the "official shoes of white people." The company said the original comments were only meant to reflect its opposition to the TPP, not support for Trump. "For us, this is and always has been about the creation and retention of manufacturing jobs in support of our five New England factories," the company said in a statement. Turning to robots, not people Beyond the furor, shoemakers are experimenting with ways to take human labor out of manufacturing their goods, wherever they are made. Reebok, the Canton, Massachusetts-based shoe company now owned by Germany's Addidas AG, is building a laboratory in Rhode Island to refine a process to make shoes with liquid plastic. "We're looking at the entire process of shoe making from end to end with a clean sheet," says Bill McInnis, who heads up the program to develop the company's manufacturing process. Skeptics like Hi-tech's Ed Van Wezel emphasize that the industry's advanced automation efforts are still years away from being able to produce whole shoes at large scale and at low prices. He says at least for now, many of the materials used to make shoes will continue to come from Asia because that's where suppliers are clustered. "At this point, what you have is what we call 'lick and stick,' putting together uppers and outsoles imported from Asia," Van Wezel said. "It's as much about a public relations story — that you're producing close to the market." Matt Powell, an analyst who follows the shoe and other sports industries for NPD Group, a market research group, said the main problem with the new technologies is that Americans like cheap shoes and demand them in huge quantities. "The only process of scale today is Nike's Flynet," he said. "They've made 1 million of those. But it's important to remember that they sold 400 million shoes last year. So it's still tiny." http://www.voanews.com/a/sneakers-trade-policy-trump/3605562.html http://www.voanews.com/a/sneakers-trade-policy-trump/3605562.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 10:59:54 -0500 USAEconomywebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)