https://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 https://www.voanews.com/Content/responsive/VOA/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.voanews.com en 2018 - VOA 60 Wed, 19 Sep 2018 11:59:41 -0400 Pangea CMS – VOA Kenya's Finance Minister Henry Rotich has cut the government's spending budget by 55.1 billion shillings ($546.90 million), or 1.8 percent, for the fiscal year from July this year, a Treasury document showed on Wednesday. The government is facing a tough balancing act after a public outcry over a new 16 percent value added tax on all petroleum products forced President Uhuru Kenyatta to suggest to parliament to keep the VAT and cut if by half. In the document detailing the new spending estimates, Rotich said the budget had to be adjusted because of the amendments to tax measures brought by lawmakers when they first debated it and passed it last month. The proposed halving of the VAT rate on fuel has left the government with a funding shortfall, hence the cuts in spending. Parliament will vote on a raft of proposals, including the 1.8 percent cut on spending, in a special sitting on Thursday. Kenya's economy is expected to grow by 6 percent this year, recovering from a drought, slowdown in lending and election-related worries that cut growth in 2017, but investors and the IMF have expressed concerns over growing public debt. While the next election is still four years away, the government's economic policies are chafing with citizens angered by increasing costs of living. Fuel dealers protested when the VAT on fuel kicked in this month and citizen groups have gone to court to try to block new or higher taxes. Separate documents sent by Kenyatta to parliament ahead of Thursday's sitting underscored the debate in government over how to boost revenues without hurting the poor. His government has to reduce a gaping fiscal deficit while boosting spending on priority areas such as healthcare and affordable housing. In order to balance the government's books after the reduction of the fuel tax, he is trying to reinstate several tax measures struck out by parliament, including a 2 percentage hike on excise duty for mobile phone money transfers to 12 percent. Kenya's biggest mobile phone operator Safaricom said in June it was opposed to any tax rise on mobile phone-based transfers, arguing that it would mainly hurt the poor, most of whom do not have bank accounts and rely on services such as its M-Pesa platform. The president also asked parliament to double the excise duty on the fees charged by banks, money transfer services, and other financial institutions to 20 percent. Parliament in August threw out an earlier version of proposed fees on bank transfers, a so-called "Robin Hood" tax of 0.05 percent on transfers of more than 500,000 shillings. The president has not yet signed the budget due to the dispute over the planned tax hikes. Kenyatta's Jubilee party and its allies have a comfortable majority in parliament. The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry this month said the government should widen the tax base. It also urged the state to cut expenditure, reduce wastage of public funds and deal with corruption, which some studies have found lose the government about a third of its annual budget.   https://www.voanews.com/a/kenya-s-finance-minister-cuts-spending-money-transfer-taxes-to-rise-/4578287.html https://www.voanews.com/a/kenya-s-finance-minister-cuts-spending-money-transfer-taxes-to-rise-/4578287.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 11:35:56 -0400 EconomyAfricawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) The United States is seeking to negotiate a treaty with Iran that will cover both its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, the U.S. special envoy for Iran said on Wednesday ahead of U.N. meetings in New York next week. "The new deal that we hope to be able to sign with Iran, and it will not be a personal agreement between two governments like the last one, we seek a treaty," envoy Brian Hook told an audience at the Hudson Institute think tank. But Hook said Iranian leaders have not been interested in talking despite statements by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this year that the administration was willing to meet. Trump announced in May that he was pulling the United States out of an Obama-era nuclear deal signed between Iran and six world powers. The 2015 deal was an executive agreement that was not ratified by the U.S. Senate. A treaty would require approval by the Senate. Opponents of the nuclear agreement have argued that Obama's failure to seek ratification of the deal allowed Trump to unilaterally scrap the deal in May. "They did not have the votes in the U.S. Senate so they found the votes in the U.N. Security Council. That is insufficient in our system of government if you want to have something enduring and sustainable," Hook said, without elaborating on how the administration would negotiate. Trump will chair a session on Iran during the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York next week. In July, Trump said he was willing to meet Iran's leaders "anytime they want" prompting speculation that a meeting could occur at the U.N. meetings next week. "The ayatollah, the president and foreign minister have all indicated they are not interested in talking," Hook said, referring to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. "We respect that though that does not change our plans. We have a sanctions regime that is underway, stronger measures are yet to come," he added. Hook said the administration was expanding its diplomatic efforts to ensure that purchases of Iranian oil were "close to zero" by Nov. 4 when Washington reimposed oil sanctions against Tehran. https://www.voanews.com/a/envoy-us-seeking-to-negotiate-treaty-with-iran/4578281.html https://www.voanews.com/a/envoy-us-seeking-to-negotiate-treaty-with-iran/4578281.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 11:35:41 -0400 Middle EastUSAwebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) A Hungarian appeals court will make its final verdict Thursday in the case of a man convicted of terrorism for throwing stones at police and trying to enter the country illegally, at the height of the migrant crisis in 2015. Amnesty International says his actions can in no way be interpreted as terrorism, and says the case is the first big test since the European Parliament voted last week to sanction Hungary over its record on fundamental rights. Henry Ridgwell reports. https://www.voanews.com/a/migrant-terror-trial-tests-rights-hungary/4578288.html https://www.voanews.com/a/migrant-terror-trial-tests-rights-hungary/4578288.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 11:33:00 -0400 Europewebdesk@voanews.com (Henry Ridgwell) Pakistan's new prime minister, former cricket player Imran Khan, is in Saudi Arabia as part of his first official overseas trip. Khan arrived in the kingdom on Tuesday and will later travel to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.   While in Saudi Arabia, Khan traveled to Medina and visited the Prophet's Mosque. He then flew to Jiddah, Saudi Arabia's port city on the Red Sea, where he met with Saudi King Salman at a luncheon at Peace Palace.   He is expected to meet leaders in the kingdom on Wednesday before traveling to Abu Dhabi.   Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE provide vital overseas jobs for Pakistanis abroad. Saudi Arabia in particular maintains close security ties to Pakistan, while its Muslim holy sites draw many Pakistani pilgrims each year. https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-s-new-pm-imran-khan-visits-saudi-arabia/4578240.html https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-s-new-pm-imran-khan-visits-saudi-arabia/4578240.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 11:11:44 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) China has held talks with the U.S. in an attempt to urge Washington not to require some Chinese state media outlets to register as foreign agents, China's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing "communicated" with the U.S. about the issue and added it was opposed to "politicizing" the media. The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported Tuesday the U.S. Justice Department has demanded that China's Xinhua news agency and its English language television station, CGTN, register as foreign agents. The demand, also reported by Bloomberg News, came amid increasing scrutiny of foreign media groups that could influence U.S. public opinion. Registering as a foreign agent could limit the news outlets' access in Washington. It would put them in the same legal category as lobbyists who work for overseas entities and could cause them to lose their congressional media credentials. Most news outlets in China are state-run and heavily controlled. Beijing maintains strict limits on the presence of foreign media and its ability to cover events and travel in the country. The issue could further escalate tensions between the two countries, which are engaged in an increasingly intense trade war. https://www.voanews.com/a/china-talks-with-us-on-demand-for-media-to-register-as-foreign-agents/4578145.html https://www.voanews.com/a/china-talks-with-us-on-demand-for-media-to-register-as-foreign-agents/4578145.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 10:38:16 -0400 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) Thousands of people who were recently displaced by violence in northwest Syria have returned home following a Russia-Turkey deal that averted a government offensive on the last major rebel stronghold, Syrian opposition activists said Wednesday. The United Nations said that in the first 12 days of September, over 38,000 people were internally displaced by an intense government aerial bombing campaign in Idlib and neighboring provinces. Most of them headed toward the border with Turkey, packing already overcrowded camps there, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. It said over 4,500 are estimated to have spontaneously returned to their homes shortly afterward when government bombardment stopped. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that some 7,000 people have returned to their towns and villages since Monday when Russia and Turkey announced the deal. Syria-based opposition activist Yazan Mohammed said the flow of people back to their homes started days before Monday's deal was announced between Russia and Turkey as residents were expecting it. The demilitarized zone will be established by Oct. 15 and be 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) deep, with troops from Russia and NATO-member Turkey conducting coordinated patrols. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the agreement would allow civilians and Turkey-backed anti-government rebels to remain in the demilitarized zone and "retain light arms." Idlib is home to some of the government's staunchest opponents, including civilians and insurgents. Insurgent groups include al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — or Levant Liberation Committee — the Turkistan Islamic Party and Horas al-Din, or Guardians of Religion. Speaking against the deal, some in Idlib said they feared it would pave the way for a massive attack. The Observatory said some hard-line groups including Guardians of Religion and the Soldiers of God, rejected the deal and said they will not withdraw from the demilitarized zone. The groups warned that they will fight any side that will try to disarm or remove them from the planned demilitarized zone, the Observatory said. https://www.voanews.com/a/thousands-back-home-in-north-syria-after-russia-turkey-deal/4578169.html https://www.voanews.com/a/thousands-back-home-in-north-syria-after-russia-turkey-deal/4578169.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 10:35:15 -0400 Middle Eastwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) A South African man has been ordered to leave Italy after flying his drone near the Vatican, Italian police said Wednesday. Police arrested the 25-year-old as he flew his drone over the main Via della Conciliazione that leads toward Saint Peter's Square where the pope was leading Sunday prayers. "He was given an order to leave the country and his drone and camera confiscated," Rome police said in a statement. The South African embassy declined to comment on his arrest and expulsion. Under Rome's strict security measures, it is illegal to overfly the city, including with a drone. Two French tourists flying a drone near the Colosseum last year were fined around 3,000 euros ($3,500) and had their equipment confiscated and destroyed, police said. https://www.voanews.com/a/italy-expels-south-africa-man-drone-vatican/4578164.html https://www.voanews.com/a/italy-expels-south-africa-man-drone-vatican/4578164.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 10:28:14 -0400 EuropeAfricawebdesk@voanews.com (Agence France-Presse) Congolese ex-vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba will appeal his sentence for bribing war crimes witnesses and hopes to overturn his conviction in a case which has barred him from elections, his lawyer said Wednesday. The International Criminal Court on Monday confirmed a one-year sentence and 300,000-euro ($350,000) fine against Bemba for tampering with witnesses in his main trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Any fresh appeal will however come too late to get Bemba on the official list of candidates for the Democratic Republic of Congo's December 23 election, from which he has been barred by the bribery conviction. "It is my intention to appeal the decision issued by the Trial Chamber" within the 30-day deadline allowed by the ICC, Bemba's lawyer Melinda Taylor said in an email to AFP. Bemba has already lost an earlier appeal, but Taylor said Bemba had a right to make a fresh challenge as Monday's decision was by lower trial judges, and not the ICC's higher appeals chamber. "I have also identified several grounds of appeal which could, if upheld by the Appeals Chamber, result in the termination of the [bribery] case against Mr Bemba," she added. Bemba was freed from a decade in jail in The Hague and made a triumphant return home after his separate conviction for war crimes and humanity was itself overturned on appeal in June. He had been condemned in 2016 to an 18-year jail term for murder, rape and pillaging by his private army in the neighboring Central African Republic in 2002-2003. But the Congolese election commission has since excluded Bemba from December elections because of the the conviction for bribery, corruption and coaching 14 defense witnesses during his main war crimes trial. The panel is expected to give the green light to opposition figures Felix Tshisekedi and Vital Kamerhe, as well as to Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a hard-line former interior minister backed by President Joseph Kabila, Bemba's main rival. Bemba was found guilty in 2016 in the witness tampering case along with four other people, and the ICC's appeals chamber rejected his appeal against the original conviction and sentence in March this year. The appeals judges also sent the case back to trial judges for re-sentencing as they said the original penalties were too low, but the trial judges reconfirmed their earlier sentences on Monday. https://www.voanews.com/a/lawyer-dr-congo-s-bemba-to-file-new-icc-appeal/4578157.html https://www.voanews.com/a/lawyer-dr-congo-s-bemba-to-file-new-icc-appeal/4578157.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 10:27:31 -0400 EuropeAfricawebdesk@voanews.com (Agence France-Presse) An Iraqi court on Wednesday sentenced to death on terror charges a prominent jihadist described as a deputy of Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, after he was captured in Turkey. "The Karkh criminal court in Baghdad sentenced to death by hanging one of the most prominent leaders of IS, who served as a deputy of Baghdadi," judicial spokesman Abdel Sattar Bayraqdar said. The Iraqi authorities announced in February that Ismail Alwan Salman al-Ithawi had been extradited from Turkey after fleeing first Iraq and then Syria as the group's self-proclaimed "caliphate" crumbled. The jihadist was tracked and detained through cooperation between Turkish, Iraqi and US intelligence agencies, a senior Iraqi official told AFP at the time. He said the arrest came after an elite Iraqi unit hunting IS members "infiltrated the highest levels" of the jihadist group, which has claimed a string of deadly attacks in the West in recent years. A native of the Iraqi city of Ramadi, Ithawi was accused of holding several positions including IS "minister" in charge of religious edicts. Originally from Iraq, Baghdadi has been dubbed the "most wanted man on the planet" and the United States is offering a $25 million reward for his capture. He has been pronounced dead on several occasions, but an Iraqi intelligence official said in May that he remained alive in Syrian territory by the Iraqi border. In a purported new audio recording released last month, the IS chief called on Muslims to wage "jihad." He made his only known public appearance in Iraq's second city of Mosul in July 2014. Iraq has condemned several hundred people, including around 100 foreign women, to death for IS links, and dozens of convicted jihadists have already been executed. Many more have been handed life terms, including nine Tajik women who were sentenced by an Iraqi criminal court on Wednesday for belonging to IS, a judicial official said. The country has repeatedly faced criticism from international human rights groups over the high number of death sentences handed down by its anti-terrorist courts. Iraq declared "victory" over IS in December after a three-year war against the jihadists who once controlled nearly one third of the country as well as swathes of neighboring Syria. The Iraqi military has kept up operations targeting mostly remote desert areas where jihadists have continued to carry out attacks. Over the border in Syria, U.S.-backed fighters last week launched a fierce assault against a dwindling pocket of territory held by IS in eastern Deir Ezzor province.       https://www.voanews.com/a/iraq-court-condemns-to-death-deputy-of-is-leader-/4578155.html https://www.voanews.com/a/iraq-court-condemns-to-death-deputy-of-is-leader-/4578155.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 10:23:38 -0400 Middle Eastwebdesk@voanews.com (Agence France-Presse) Award-winning Egyptian-French actor Gamil Ratib died Wednesday in Cairo. He was 92. Ratib is widely considered one of the greatest Egyptian movie actors of all time because of his screen presence and personal style. He acted in French and Egyptian movies, including David Lean's 1962 epic "Lawrence of Arabia" with Anthony Quinn and Omar Sharif. Ratib once said on an Egyptian television show that he was a very good friend of Quinn, that the late American movie star helped him several times to find a job in the movie industry. He later became an icon of cinema and theater. Ratib was one of Egypt's top-grossing movie stars, performing in many films in a career spanning 65 years. He was honored several times in film festivals and picked up many awards, including the French Legion d’Honneur, the highest French order of merit for military and civil merits.   Ratib was born in Cairo, Egypt, in November 1926. He studied law and arts in France and performed in several French plays.   He made his movie debut in 'I Am The East' in 1945. Later, he played leading roles in such films as Deuxième Bureau Contre Terroristes (1961), Réseau Secret (1967), L’Alphomega (1973), L'Étoile du Nord (1982), and Un été à La Goulette (1996). He lived between Paris and Cairo. https://www.voanews.com/a/egyptian-french-movie-star-gamil-ratib-dies/4578156.html https://www.voanews.com/a/egyptian-french-movie-star-gamil-ratib-dies/4578156.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 10:21:46 -0400 Middle EastArts & CultureEuropewebdesk@voanews.com (Diaa Bekheet) Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Egypt's government of mounting a crackdown on freedom of expression that had turned the country into an "open-air prison" for critics. The international human rights group said authorities had arrested at least 111 people since December for criticizing President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Egypt's human rights situation in a campaign that surpassed any under ousted President Hosni Mubarak. "It is currently more dangerous to criticize the government in Egypt than at any time in the country's recent history," Amnesty's North Africa Campaigns Director Najia Bounaim said in a statement. "Egyptians living under President al-Sisi are treated as criminals simply for peacefully expressing their opinions." A government spokesman had no immediate comment on the Amnesty report when contacted by Reuters. The security services had ruthlessly clamped down on independent political, social and cultural spaces, Amnesty said. "These measures, more extreme than anything seen in former President Hosni Mubarak's repressive 30-year rule, have turned Egypt into an open-air prison for critics," it said. Sisi's supporters maintain the president, who was re-elected in March, has been trying to combat an Islamist insurgency and restore order to the country following years of chaos after Arab Spring demonstrations forced Mubarak to step down in 2011. They say that Sisi has improved security since 2013, when as army chief he ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi following mass protests against his rule. Among those arrested were at least 35 people held on charges of "unauthorized protest" and "joining a terrorist group" after a peaceful protest against metro fare increases, and comics and satirists who posted commentary online, Amnesty said. They also include prominent figures and possible presidential contenders, such as former military chief of staff Sami Anan and former presidential contender Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh, as well as former state auditor Hesham Genena. Amnesty said at least 28 journalists were among those detained since December 2017. "President al-Sisi's administration is punishing peaceful opposition and political activists with spurious counterterrorism legislation and other vague laws that define any dissent as a criminal act," Bounaim said. https://www.voanews.com/a/amnesty-crackdown-turns-egypt-into-open-air-prison-for-critics/4578154.html https://www.voanews.com/a/amnesty-crackdown-turns-egypt-into-open-air-prison-for-critics/4578154.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 10:15:57 -0400 Middle Eastwebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) EU regulators are quizzing merchants and others on U.S. online retailer Amazon's use of their data to discover whether there is a need for action, Europe's antitrust chief said on Wednesday. The comments by European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager came as the world's largest online retailer faces calls for more regulatory intervention and even its potential break-up because of its sheer size. Vestager said the issue was about a company hosting merchants on its site and at the same time competing with these same retailers by using their data for its own sales. "We are gathering information on the issue and we have sent quite a number of questionnaires to market participants in order to understand this issue in full," Vestager told a news conference. "These are very early days and we haven't formally opened a case. We are trying to make sure that we get the full picture." Seattle-based Amazon had no immediate comment. Vestager has the power to fine companies up to 10 percent of their global turnover for breaching EU antitrust rules. https://www.voanews.com/a/amazon-s-use-of-merchant-data-under-eu-microscope/4578135.html https://www.voanews.com/a/amazon-s-use-of-merchant-data-under-eu-microscope/4578135.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 10:04:14 -0400 EuropeSilicon Valley & Technologywebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) President Donald Trump is renewing his attacks on Jeff Sessions, saying, “I don't have an attorney general.” Trump says in a Hill.TV interview released Wednesday he's “so sad over Jeff Sessions,” whom he has repeatedly denounced for recusing himself from the Russia investigation. The president claims in the interview Sessions did not need to do so. But Department of Justice guidelines recommended the attorney general step away because of his own contacts with Russian officials during his time with the 2016 Trump campaign. Trump escalated his attacks beyond the recusal, saying he's unhappy with Sessions' performance on several issues, including “the border.” Trump says “we'll see what happens” with Sessions' future. Trump allies have suggested Sessions is safe through the midterm elections. Sessions has said his recusal was necessary. https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-rips-sessions-i-don-t-have-an-attorney-general-/4578110.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-rips-sessions-i-don-t-have-an-attorney-general-/4578110.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 09:59:29 -0400 USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Palestinian protests are escalating after the failure of Egyptian-led efforts to broker a deal between Hamas and Israel to ease the Gaza blockade. In the third protest this week, Palestinians are gathering Wednesday along Israel’s perimeter fence in Central Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, they marched near the Erez people crossing between Gaza and Israel, and a day earlier they marched on the beach boundary. Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, vowed to step up the campaign that had been limited to weekly protests on Fridays. The group accuses the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority of derailing regional efforts to broker a deal to end the marches in exchange for lifting of the closure, which Israel and Egypt imposed in response to Hamas’ takeover of Gaza. Israeli fire has killed 133 people who were either present or participating in the protests since March.   https://www.voanews.com/a/gaza-protests-escalate-after-deal-to-end-blockade-fails/4578123.html https://www.voanews.com/a/gaza-protests-escalate-after-deal-to-end-blockade-fails/4578123.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 09:58:56 -0400 Middle Eastwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) A campaigner for the legalization of euthanasia in South Africa has been charged with murder relating to the death of a man in 2013, police said on Wednesday. Sean Davison, who founded right-to-die organization Dignity SA, is accused of assisting in the suicide of his friend Anrich Burger who was left quadriplegic after a car crash, local media reported. "A 57-year-old man was arrested on a charge of murder [Tuesday] relating to an incident in Sea Point on November 2, 2013 which led to the death of a 43-year-old man," said police spokesman Andre Traut in a statement. Davison appeared in court, was charged with premeditated murder and released on bail of 20,000 rand ($1,366, 1,169 euros), the News24 site reported. Prosecutors told the court that "new information has come to light... the accused might have committed other similar offences," the site added. In December 2016, South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal overturned a ruling that granted a man the right to medically-assisted death and could have opened the way to legalize euthanasia. The government appealed against the initial judgement, saying it could lead to assisted-suicide legislation that would be open to abuse. Medically-assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia is illegal in South Africa, but in recent years there have been growing calls for it to be legalized. South African retired Anglican archbishop and anti-apartheid icon Desmond Tutu, 86, has previously said he would like to be allowed the option of a dignified assisted death.   https://www.voanews.com/a/s-africa-euthanasia-activist-charged-with-murder/4578115.html https://www.voanews.com/a/s-africa-euthanasia-activist-charged-with-murder/4578115.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 09:58:12 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Police in Indian-controlled Kashmir have fired tear gas and used batons to break up religious processions marking the Muslim month of Muharram. Authorities imposed a curfew in Lalchowk, the commercial hub of disputed Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar, fearing the religious processions Wednesday could morph into anti-India protests. Clashes erupted when police attempted to stop groups of Muslims who were trying to break the curfew and hold processions at several places in the city.   Muharram, one of the most important holy days for Shiite Muslims, marks the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, in the battle of Karbala on Ashura.   Police detained over a hundred mourners, who were expected to be released later in the day.   Indian authorities "provide state facilities and protection to facilitate the annual Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir but ban our traditional religious processions," said Hakim Adil, a participant in Wednesday's processions.   Officials say the processions are only banned in Srinagar's main commercial hub to avoid a "law and order situation," a euphemism for anti-India protests. Residents of Indian-controlled Kashmir have often defied bans on large public gatherings since the outbreak of an armed insurgency in 1989 demanding the Himalayan region’s independence from India, or its merger with neighboring Pakistan. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim it in its entirety. Most Kashmiris support the rebel cause.   Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown. https://www.voanews.com/a/police-mreak-up-religious-gatherings-in-indian-held-kashmir/4578105.html https://www.voanews.com/a/police-mreak-up-religious-gatherings-in-indian-held-kashmir/4578105.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 09:53:56 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Ethiopia's stunning political reforms are now threatened by long-standing ethnic tensions that have roared back to life since a young prime minister took power just five months ago and promised greater freedoms. While exiled groups once banned as terror organizations are welcomed home to join political dialogue, deadly violence erupts on the fringes of celebrations. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people gathered peacefully in Addis Ababa's Meskel Square to cheer one group's return. Two days later, police fired tear gas there to disperse people protesting killings blamed by some on youth from the same ethnicity. Suddenly, the government of 42-year-old Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appears to be reaching for security tactics whose unpopularity helped to bring down the previous government, while some Ethiopians who cheered Abiy's reforms now accuse him of being soft on the unrest that poses his biggest challenge so far. The internet winked off this week across the capital, a once-common act to control dissenting voices. The National Security Council has vowed "all necessary measures" against those spreading anarchy, the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported. Some have even called for the return of the state of emergency that Abiy lifted in one of his first acts in office. The prime minister himself, who shocked the country with a dizzying series of reforms that included freeing imprisoned opposition figures and vowing free and fair elections in 2020, has made warning sounds against the unrest. "There's nothing more shameful than a group of people committing these types of crimes against their fellow citizens," Abiy said Tuesday while visiting a camp for those displaced by the latest violence. Stability is crucial in a country whose fast-growing economy, 100 million-strong population and security ties make it the powerhouse of the turbulent but strategic Horn of Africa region. Ethnic-based conflicts mainly over scarce resources are common in Ethiopia, which is home to more than 80 ethnic groups, but now the communal violence is spiraling at a scale that alarms many. "If this trend continues, I fear a time will come soon when Ethiopians yearn for the old dictatorial times," Mussie Tefera, a university student, told The Associated Press. Ethiopia since 1991 has been led by a ruling coalition and allied parties that hold every seat in Parliament and for years were accused by human rights groups of suppressing critical voices. That grip on power slipped after anti-government protests that began in late 2015 in the Oromia and Amhara regions, home of the country's two largest ethnic groups. Abiy's arrival in power was a surprise. He is the first prime minister from Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, the Oromo. As the son of a Muslim father and Orthodox Christian mother who converted to Islam he has spoken out for tolerance. On an exuberant tour of the United States that drew large crowds, he spoke to Ethiopian communities and invited emotional exiles long wary of the government to return. His appeals to peace and openness, however, have not healed long-standing ethnic fractures between groups such as the Oromo and the Somalis. Some disputes have worsened. The number of the country's internally displaced people has reached 2.8 million, up from 1.6 million at the beginning of the year, according to the United Nations. For some, the surge in unrest comes with the recent shifts in power. "Local cadres and officials are instigating this violence for a petty political gain," Ethiopia's disaster prevention chief, Mitiku Kassa, told The Associated Press after fighting between the Oromo and others in the Gedeo and West Guji zones. Over the weekend, the U.S. Embassy was among those issuing safety warnings amid the violence on the outskirts of the capital as many Ethiopians expressed outrage over the alleged targeting of people based on ethnic identity. More than 20 people were killed. "We demand justice," some protesters chanted as they passed by the prime minister's office on Monday en route to Meskel Square. By the end of the day, mobile internet service across Addis Ababa was blocked as citizens and Amnesty International pointed out hate speech against non-Oromo groups on social media. Internet service returned on Wednesday. While some accuse "paid agents" of trying to paint a bad image of Oromo youth emboldened by Abiy's rise to power, others suggest some unrest is being orchestrated by groups in the ruling coalition that lost power when he took office. Any internal frictions could be exposed when the ruling coalition holds its congress early next month, when it is expected to take steps to implement Abiy's whirlwind political and economic reforms. "In a system where party and state have long been indistinguishable, the [coalition's] fragmentation would be a dangerous thing," Michael Woldemariam, assistant professor of international relations at Boston University, wrote this month in Foreign Affairs. Ethiopians have long expressed grievances over the country's federal structure that is largely based on ethnic lines and has been held together by the ruling coalition and its security forces. "If the federal structure is implemented properly, it is fine," said Berhanu Nega, whose Patriotic Ginbot 7 opposition group had been listed by Ethiopia as a terror group alongside the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab before being welcomed home from exile by the new government. "But what we have now here is a structure based mainly on ethnic identities and hence creating all these problems." Abiy's administration is failing to guarantee law and order, said Awol Kassim Allo, a lecturer in law at Keele University School of Law in Britain. "At this defining moment for this country and its people, the state needs a commander-in-chief that stirs the ship out of the storm," he said. "If we fail to defend this moment of ours and support this understandably challenging transition, we will all lose a great deal." https://www.voanews.com/a/ethiopia-s-stunning-reforms-challenged-by-deadly-unrest/4578100.html https://www.voanews.com/a/ethiopia-s-stunning-reforms-challenged-by-deadly-unrest/4578100.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 09:48:41 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) The United Nations says the number of civilian casualties in the conflict in eastern Ukraine has surged in the past three months. Fighting between Ukrainian government troops and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014. Hostilities have subsided since both sides signed a truce in 2015 but sporadic fighting persists and no progress has been made towards a political solution. The U.N.'s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a report published Wednesday that 12 civilians were killed and 93 injured between mid-May and mid-August, which is 30 percent more than in the previous three-month period. The U.N. said it lays the blame both on Moscow and Kiev for the uptick in hostilities. https://www.voanews.com/a/un-reports-uptick-in-civilian-casualties-in-ukraine/4578095.html https://www.voanews.com/a/un-reports-uptick-in-civilian-casualties-in-ukraine/4578095.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 09:47:40 -0400 Europewebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Thousands of Prince fans are asking federal authorities to open a grand jury investigation into his death. The petition to the U.S. Attorney's Office has been signed by more than 6,000 people. One of the petition's organizers, Nicole Welage, says more answers are needed about the rock star's accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016. Welage tells the Star Tribune that the person who supplied the drug must be held accountable. Federal, state and county investigators spent nearly two years looking into Prince's death , but were unable to trace the source of the drug that killed him . Prosecutors have said there is no credible evidence that will lead to federal criminal charges. The U.S. Attorney's Office has declined to comment on the petition.   https://www.voanews.com/a/thousands-of-fans-request-grand-jury-probe-of-prince-s-death/4578097.html https://www.voanews.com/a/thousands-of-fans-request-grand-jury-probe-of-prince-s-death/4578097.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 09:46:09 -0400 USAArts & Culturewebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Uganda on Wednesday banned rallies to welcome a prominent opponent of President Yoweri Museveni home from the United States where he received treatment for injuries he said were sustained during torture by security forces. The homecoming of Robert Kyagulanyi, a pop star and opposition lawmaker, could present a significant challenge to Museveni, who has ruled since 1986. Kyagulanyi, 36, attracted a youth following through songs critical of Museveni. His prominence rose due to an incident in August in which his driver was shot dead and he was detained and charged with treason over what authorities said was the stoning of Museveni's convoy. Kyagulanyi said the police ban was evidence of their impunity. He said in an earlier tweet he was "headed home" and showed a picture of himself at an airport holding a walking stick. Police said they had received information that supporters of Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, planned to stage rallies and processions on his return but had not sought permission. "As a result, they [the rallies] are unlawful and would disrupt normal business activities," a police statement said. In a series of tweets, Kyagulanyi criticized police: "I am a free Ugandan with the right to move freely in my country. The police has no business telling me who receives me and who cannot or where I go ... this impunity must stop now." The MP has pleaded not guilty to treason charges. He said he was beaten with an iron bar in detention in northern Uganda. The government denies that he was mistreated. Kyagulanyi's case sparked protests in Uganda's capital Kampala and drew international condemnation from the government's major backers, including the EU and the U.S. The Pentagon has donated equipment and weapons to the unit of the Ugandan military accused by Kyagulanyi of torturing him. In a statement Tuesday, five U.S. legislators said they were "gravely concerned" by the torture of the legislators and their supporters and described it as "unacceptable." Five legislators in all were detained — two say they were badly beaten and all say they were mistreated. https://www.voanews.com/a/uganda-s-opposition-pop-star-bobi-wine-set-to-return-home/4578081.html https://www.voanews.com/a/uganda-s-opposition-pop-star-bobi-wine-set-to-return-home/4578081.html Wed, 19 Sep 2018 09:31:48 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)