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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree Tuesday offering citizenship to Russians suffering political persecution, and also to foreigners who fought on Kyiv’s side in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Zelenskiy had announced such a move last month in response to a Russian decree expanding the number of Ukrainians who can apply for fast-track Russian passports. Separately Ukraine’s state security service declared a Russian consular officer in the western city of Lviv as persona non grata, accusing him of spying. The officer had already left the country, a statement said. Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow had expelled a Ukrainian consular worker from St. Petersburg in response, TASS news agency reported. Relations between Kyiv and Moscow plunged after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support for fighters in the eastern Donbass region in a conflict that has killed 13,000 people despite a notional cease-fire. Zelenskiy has prioritized achieving peace in the Donbass region, but days after his election victory in April Russian President Vladimir Putin eased rules for residents of rebel-controlled parts of Donbass to receive passports. In July, he extended the offer to government-held areas. Zelenskiy’s decree would apply to citizens of the Russian Federation who had been …

At least 10 state attorneys general say they will join conservation groups in suing the Trump administration from making drastic changes to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. U.S. officials have announced a revision of the nearly 50-year-old set of laws that environmentalists credit with saving numerous animals, plants and other species from extinction. About 1,600 species are currently protected by the act and the administration says streamlining regulations is the best way to ensure those animals stay protected. “The revisions finalized with this rule-making fit squarely within the president’s mandate of easing the regulatory burden on the American public without sacrificing our species’ protection and recovery goals,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said.  The proposed changes include considering the economic cost when deciding to save a species from extinction. The law currently says the cost to logging or oil interests will have no bearing on whether an animal, bird, or other species deserves protection. The revised act would also end blanket protection for a species listed as threatened — a designation that is one step away from declaring an animal population as endangered — and reduce some wildlife habitat. Conservation and wildlife groups took little time in denouncing the changes, calling …

 Suzanne Sataline contributed to this report from Hong Kong Riot police clashed with pro-democracy demonstrators at the Hong Kong’s international airport Tuesday evening, with all departing flights cancelled for a second straight day. The protestors once again took over the facility’s main terminal, with periodic skirmishes with helmeted police wielding batons. Scuffles broke out between police and demonstrators as medics took an injured person out of the terminal. A contingent of riot police used pepper spray to disperse protesters as they tried to block an ambulance taking the man away. Police detained at least two people. Hong Kong’s airport authority said operations had been “seriously disrupted.” Airport security personnel stand guard as travelers walk past protesters holding a sit-in rally at the departure gate of the Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, Aug. 13, 2019. The airport protests over the past two days are part of 10 weeks of demonstrations by Hong Kong residents against their perceived erosion of freedom and lack of autonomy under Chinese control of the territory. China’s United Nations mission said the protesters had smashed public facilities, paralyzed the airport, blocked public transport and used lethal weapons, “showing a tendency of resorting to terrorism.” The …

Cameroon has threatened all journalists who it says are refusing to be patriotic, after TV reporter Samuel Wazizi was arrested for allegedly supporting separatist fighters in Cameroon’s English-speaking north, west, and southwest regions. The journalists say it is becoming impossible for them to practice their profession, as they face pressure from both separatist fighters and the government. Paul Atanga Nji, territorial administration minister, says Cameroon’s journalists are becoming highly unpatriotic. “They have one main objective, just to sabotage government action, to promote secessionist tendencies,” said Nji. “I urge them to be responsible. Those who do not want to respect the laws will be booked as being recalcitrant and will be treated as such.” Atanga Nji also says most journalists support the opposition and believe that President Paul Biya was not the true winner of the October 2018 presidential election. Macmillan Ambe, president of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ, says the threat from the government is one of many that journalists have faced since the separatist crisis began in 2016. He says journalists should be given the freedom they need to do their work. “When you get the minister of territorial administration giving lessons to journalists on how …

Uganda is ramping up efforts to curtail online content deemed immoral or hateful, a move critics say will silence dissent. Since March 2018, the Uganda Communications Commission,  a state regulator, has required certain online publishers to register and pay a fee of $20 per year. Now, the government is expanding its enforcement of the regulation, levying the fee on news organizations and social media influencers with large followings, including some journalists, celebrities, musicians and athletes. The UCC calls these people “data communicators” and will be looking at media sites, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to determine which users will be affected. Catherine Anite, executive director of the Freedom of Expression Media Hub, told VOA’s Nightline Africa  that the registration requirement curbs free speech. “It’s a very restrictive regulation,” she said. “The freedom of expression is an essential right, and it is the cornerstone of any democratic society, which I believe Uganda is, because we have ascribed to these national, regional and international freedom of expression laws.” Anite pointed to Article 29 of Uganda’s constitution, which protects freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of belief. She said this should give Ugandans wide latitude to express themselves in …

Octavia Spencer will be honored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network with its Inspiration Award at a gala later this year. The group known as GLSEN announced Tuesday that the star of “Hidden Figures and The Helpwill”” receive the honor at the group’s Respect Awards, presented in October in Beverly Hills, California.   GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard said in a statement that Spencer “has devoted her career to diverse storytelling, promoting social good and is a steadfast ally for the LGBTQ community.” GLSEN was founded in 1990 to address LGBT issues in K-12 education, and has presented the Respect Awards since 2004.   The group’s past honorees have included Kerry Washington and Ellen Pompeo. …

New missile technologies, including so-called hypersonic systems capable of traveling at more than 25 times the speed of sound, are fueling a new global arms race, according to a new report from analyst group the Russian President Vladimir Putin, fifth left, and other top officials oversee the test launch of the Avangard hypersonic missile from the Defense Ministry’s control room in Moscow, Dec. 26, 2018. The United States, China and Australia also are developing their own systems, said report author Katarzyna Kubiak of the European Leadership Network. “These are going to outmatch existing missile systems by speed and by maneuverability, and are going to be able to potentially bypass any existing air and missile defense systems for years to come. And on top of this, we also witness an exploration in anti-satellite technologies, which include missiles,” said Kubiak. Hypersonic, Dual-Capable Missiles Pose Huge Global Threat, Report Warns video player. In this grab taken from footage by the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM press service, a woman holds roses as people gather for the funerals of five Russian nuclear engineers killed by a rocket explosion in Sarov, Aug. 12, 2019. Kubiak said the global security architecture surrounding missile proliferation is …

Mongolia’s most famous horse festival is a celebrated event across the country, but in the background rights groups are concerned about the rise of performance-enhancing drugs, harsh handling of horses and lax enforcement of safety protections for child jockeys. More than ten thousand children participate in nearly four hundred races nationwide in Mongolia and according to Mongolia’s National Traumatology and Orthopaedics Research, an average of six hundred child jockeys are thrown from their horse and in 2017 169 were killed. Libby Hogan has this report from middle Gobi desert, Mongolia.   …

CNN says it completely supports anchor Chris Cuomo after he was seen on video threatening to push a man down some stairs during a confrontation after the man apparently called him “Fredo,” in a seeming reference to the “Godfather” movies. The video appeared Monday on a conservative YouTube channel. Host Brandon Recor told The Washington Post the exchange happened Sunday at a bar in Shelter Island, New York, after a man approached Cuomo for a picture. The man made the video. It doesn’t show the “Fredo” reference but depicts Cuomo’s profanity-laced reaction as he characterizes the comment as an anti-Italian slur. The man says he thought “Fredo” was Cuomo’s name. CNN spokesman Matt Dornic tweeted that Cuomo “defended himself” after being slurred in what Dornic calls “an orchestrated setup.” On Tuesday, President Donald Trump added his voice to the fray, tweeting, “I thought Chris was Fredo also. The truth hurts. Totally lost it! Low ratings (at) CNN.” …

India’s government said Tuesday it is easing its lockdown in Kashmir in a “phased manner” after cutting phone and internet access for over a week to prevent protests over its decision to end the Himalayan region’s autonomy. Fearing unrest, India cut communications and imposed a curfew in the sector of Kashmir it controls on August 4, a day before its surprise presidential decree to strip the Muslim-majority region of its special status. An Indian Home Ministry spokesperson said on Twitter that the restrictions “are being eased out in a phased manner” in the tinderbox Kashmir Valley. Normal communication in the more peaceful Jammu division of the region “has been restored after assessment by relevant local authorities”, the spokesperson added. Kashmiri Muslims shout slogans during a protest after Eid prayers in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Aug. 12, 2019. There was no independent confirmation of the easing of restrictions. On Tuesday afternoon people in Kashmir could still not be reached by phone and the internet still appeared to be inaccessible. The spokesperson said that medical services are being provided “without any hindrance” and the availability of medicines has “been ensured” in every hospital in the valley. A main highway through the region …

The United States and four Western countries offered help Tuesday to Serbia and Kosovo to restart their European Union-sponsored talks aimed at normalizing ties between the former wartime foes. Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the U.S. said in a joint statement that they “stand united in our aim to see the full normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia via a comprehensive, politically sustainable, and legally binding agreement that contributes to regional stability.” A former Serbian province, Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move that Belgrade and its ally Russia do not recognize. The U.S. and over 100 countries recognize Kosovo’s statehood following a NATO intervention in 1999 that stopped a Serbian crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists. Talks between the two stalled last year over Kosovo’s decision to impose a 100% tax on goods from Serbia. The statement urged Kosovo to lift the tariffs, but also asked Serbia to suspend “the de-recognition campaign against Kosovo.” Serbia has recently stepped up efforts — mostly among developing African countries — to suspend recognition of Kosovo’s statehood. “The status quo prevents progress on Kosovo’s and Serbia’s path toward the European Union and is simply not sustainable,” the statement said, adding “We stand ready …

A senior U.S. diplomat says Washington is consulting with its allies as it proceeds with plans to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Asia, a move China says it will respond to with countermeasures. Washington has said it plans to place such weapons in the Asia-Pacific following the U.S. withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.   The U.S. accused the other treaty signatory, Russia, of cheating by developing weapons systems banned under the treaty. However, many analysts say Washington has long sought to deploy intermediate-range missiles to counter China’s growing arsenal.    In a conference call Tuesday, State Department Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Andrea Thompson said governments would decide whether or not to host such missiles.    “That’s a sovereign decision to be made by the leaders of those governments,” Thompson said. “Any decision made in the region will be done in consultation with our allies — this is not a U.S. unilateral decision.”   U.S. mutual defense treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Australia are considered the prime missile base candidates, although Beijing has warned that any nation that accepts such an arrangement will face retribution, likely in the form of an economic boycott or similar …

More than one in 10 voters could cast ballots on paperless voting machines in the 2020 general election, according to a new analysis, leaving their ballots vulnerable to hacking.   A study released by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law on Tuesday evaluates the state of the country’s election security six months before the New Hampshire primary and concludes that much more needs to be done. While there has been significant progress by states and the federal government since Russian agents targeted U.S. state election systems ahead of the 2016 presidential election, the analysis notes that many states have not taken all of the steps needed to ensure that doesn’t happen again.   The report also notes that around a third of all local election jurisdictions were using voting machines that are at least a decade old, despite recommendations they be replaced after 10 years. The Associated Press reported last month that many election systems are running on old Windows 7 software that will soon be outdated.   “We should replace antiquated equipment, and paperless equipment in particular, as soon as possible,” the report recommends.   The analysis comes as Congress is debating how much federal …

If all goes as planned, Thai citizens suffering from cancer and a handful of other diseases and disorders could start taking the country’s first legal doses of medical cannabis within days. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization delivered its premier batch of cannabis oil to the Ministry of Public Health last week, eight months after Thailand became the first country to legalize the drug for medical use in Southeast Asia, a region known more for its harsh anti-drug laws. The 5-milliliter bottles are being rolled out to 12 hospitals across the country that will in turn dole out doses to the first 4,000 registered patients. Somsak Akkslip, director general of the Health Ministry’s Medical Services Department, told VOA that those hospitals could start prescribing the medicine as soon as the end of this week. Thailand’s then-military junta amended the country’s tough narcotics laws in December in a bid to cash in on a flowering global medical cannabis industry projected to be worth $5.8 billion by 2024 in Asia alone, according to Prohibition Partners, a UK-based research group. The cause received a major boost in March, when the Bhumjaithai party made a strong showing in the general election on a platform to fully …

Japan says it does not understand why it has been removed from South Korea’s list of trusted trade partners, the latest move in an escalating trade dispute between the Asian neighbors. Seoul announced Monday that it had moved Tokyo to a new category that brings more restrictions on exports of sensitive goods. Trade Minister Sung Yun-mo said the new category was for countries that have managed their export controls in a way that violates international norms. Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko said on Twitter Tuesday that South Korea has not adequately explained how Japan does not conform to the global export standards.   The move is the latest in a back-and-forth trade dispute between the two countries which has included Japan dropping South Korea from its own list of preferred trading partners. Tokyo insists its trade decisions were motivated by national security concerns, while the moves are widely seen as retaliation for recent South Korean court rulings ordering Japanese companies to compensate Koreans who were forced to work during Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea.  A trade war between Japan and South Korea, the world’s third and 11th largest economies, respectively, would have wide-ranging ramifications. It could threaten global technology supply chains, …

One of the unintended consequences of Venezuela’s economic collapse is that many women aren’t able to afford basic health services – and even things like sanitary napkins are now increasingly out of reach for many economically strapped women. From Caracas, Adriana Nuñez has this report narrated by Cristina Caicedo Smit.  …

The Trump administration has announced a new policy that would impede immigrants already in the United States from obtaining permanent residency or citizenship if they use public benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps or housing assistance. Activists are protesting the rule, unveiled Monday – saying it unfairly targets poor immigrants. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story. …

Rarely has a candidate gone far in a US presidential race highlighting a singular issue, but Democrat Jay Inslee is aiming to buck that trend with his commitment to tackling climate change. Unless he does something to dramatically change his trajectory — he has less than one percent support in polls — Inslee, currently the governor of Washington state, likely will be an also-ran in the crowded race to decide who challenges President Donald Trump in 2020. But what he has already achieved makes his candidacy worthy: launching a Democratic policy debate on climate change and how to prevent environmental disaster over the coming decades. Since entering the race in March, Inslee has repeatedly hit the panic button on climate, demanding the United States reverse course and take global warming and environmental protections far more seriously. For Inslee and several other Democratic candidates, the science is clear: dramatic action over the next decade is needed to reduce carbon pollution, or irreparable harm will result. “Unless we defeat the climate crisis, everything else we’ve worked on will be moot,” the square-jawed Inslee, 68, told voters at the Iowa State Fair. Inslee is quick to highlight his economic accomplishments as governor. He …

Guatemala’s incoming president Alejandro Giammattei has vowed to seek better terms for his country from an unpopular migration deal agreed with Washington last month, but any room for maneuver is seen as likely to be hampered by weakness in the national Congress. Preliminary results from Sunday’s election gave Giammattei, a conservative, a runoff victory with 58% of the vote, well ahead of his center-left opponent, former first lady Sandra Torres, on 42%. Still, his Vamos Party won just 8% of the vote in June’s congressional election, giving it around a tenth of the seats in a legislature bristling with nearly 20 parties. The biggest bloc of seats will be controlled by his rival Torres. Speaking a few hours before he was declared the winner, the 63-year-old Giammattei said he wanted to see what could be done to improve the accord that outgoing President Jimmy Morales made under pressure from his American counterpart Donald Trump that seeks to stem U.S.-bound migration from Central America. Giammattei will not take office until January, by which time Guatemala may be under severe pressure from the deal, which effectively turns the country into a buffer zone by forcing migrants to apply for asylum there rather …

Australia on Tuesday announced a Aus$500 million ($340 million) climate change package for Pacific island countries, which have been increasingly vocal in demanding their powerful neighbor curb its carbon emissions. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding, drawn from Australia’s existing international aid budget, would help Pacific island nations invest in renewable energy and climate change resilience. The climate-sceptic leader made the announcement before traveling to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Tuvalu, where island nations threatened by rising seas have vowed to put global warming at the top of the agenda. Smaller members of the 18-nation grouping have been sharply critical of Australia’s climate policies ahead of this year’s summit amid a diplomatic push from Canberra to counter China’s growing power in the region. High-level representatives from the likes of Tuvalu, Palau and Vanuatu have criticized Australia for not doing enough, with Fiji’s Frank Bainimarama saying Canberra’s reliance on coal poses an “existential threat” to low-lying islands. There has also been disquiet in the Pacific that Australia recently approved the giant Adani coal mine in Queensland state. Morrison has staunchly defended Australia’s climate record, insisting the country will meet its 2030 emissions reduction target set under the Paris Agreement.  …

Hong Kong’s airport reopened on Tuesday but its administrator warned that flight movements would still be affected, after China said protests that have swept the city over the past two months had begun to show the “sprouts of terrorism.” Some flights resumed but many others were cancelled. Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific said it had cancelled more than 200 flights into and out of the airport on Tuesday, according to its website. The airport, one of the world’s busiest, blamed demonstrators for halting flights on Monday. The exact trigger for the closure was not clear because protesters occupying the arrivals hall since Friday have been peaceful. The airport was the latest focus of protests that began two months ago. The sometimes violent protests began as opposition to a now-suspended bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China but have grown into wider calls for democracy. The protests have plunged the Chinese-ruled territory into its most serious crisis in decades, presenting Chinese leader Xi Jinping with one of his biggest challenges since he came to power in 2012. Analysts said the disruptions and protests in Hong Kong were unsettling Asian stock markets, and the Hang Seng index opened 1.1% …

Arrests and deportations of foreign teachers in China have soared this year, lawyers, schools and teachers say, amid a broad crackdown defined by new police tactics and Beijing’s push for a “cleaner,” more patriotic education system. Four law firms told Reuters that requests for representation involving foreign teachers had surged in the past six months by between four and tenfold, while teachers and schools confirmed arrests and temporary detentions for minor crimes had become commonplace. Switzerland-based Education First (EF), which runs 300 schools across 50 Chinese cities, has seen a “significant” increase in detentions in China for alleged offenses including drugs, fighting and cybersecurity violations, according to a June 27 internal notice sent to employees and seen by Reuters. It said EF staff had been “picked up by police at their home and work as well as in bars and nightclubs and have been questioned and brought in for drug testing”. The notice said the school had also received warnings from embassies about the rise in arrests. A spokeswoman for EF declined to comment on the content of the notices but said the company “values our close collaboration with the Chinese authorities,” adding that it “regularly reminds staff of important …

Singer Taylor Swift has urged her millions of fans to get behind the U.S. women’s soccer team’s fight for equal pay, saying the world champions had taken a “historic stand” for equality. Gender discrimination on pay was “happening everywhere,” the American singer-songwriter said as she accepted the inaugural Icon Award at this year’s Teen Choice Awards from Alex Morgan, co-captain of the women’s team, on Sunday. “While they were winning the World Cup, they were also taking a historic stand in terms of gender equality, gender pay gap,” said Swift, 29. “Please, please, please support her and her teammates because this isn’t over yet. It’s not resolved. Get online and talk about it.” The U.S. women’s soccer team celebrates at City Hall after a ticker tape parade, July 10, 2019, in New York. The squad’s 2-0 victory in the World Cup final in July capped a campaign that attracted vast television audiences. In March they sued the U.S. Soccer Federation, arguing that their pay and working conditions amounted to gender discrimination. The players, who include stars Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan, said they had been consistently paid less than their male counterparts despite performing better. The prize money …

More El Paso residents than ever before crowded into a class over the weekend to become certified to carry a concealed gun in public in Texas after this month’s mass shooting at a Walmart store that killed 22 people. Guadalupe Segovia, 35, was at the class with her two children. She said her military husband had long been pushing for her to get a concealed-carry license, which allows the holder to wear a gun hidden under their clothes or carry it in a purse when they are in public. Segovia said she felt urgency to do the required training now after the attack hit close to home. “I’m still going to be scared, even carrying a weapon,” she said. The vast majority of people at the classes were Hispanic; El Paso is a predominantly Latino city. Police say the accused gunman deliberately attacked Hispanics in the Walmart. Michael McIntyre, general manager of Gun Central, one of the largest gun shops in El Paso and the host of the class, on Friday said his store tallied double the usual number of sales in the week following the attack, something that did not happen after previous mass shootings in Texas. Most of …