Hundreds of people attended a memorial service in Lusaka on Tuesday for a Zambian student who died fighting for Russia in Ukraine as Tanzania confirmed the death of another student who was also recruited in a Russian jail.

Family members broke down as they filed past the coffin of Lemekani Nyirenda at Lusaka Baptist Church, where the 23-year-old was a regular worshipper before moving to Russia to study nuclear engineering.

Nyirenda was recruited by Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group last year while serving a nine-and-a-half year jail term for a drug offense and sent to fight in Ukraine.

His death in September sparked a diplomatic spat, with Zambia demanding an urgent explanation from the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, Tanzania on Tuesday confirmed that another student, Nemes Tarimo, had been killed after also being recruited in jail by Wagner.

“When Tarimo was serving jail, he was given an opportunity to join the Russian army group called Wagner for payment and the promise that he would be freed after the war,” Tanzanian Foreign Minister Stergomena Tax said.

“Tarimo agreed, and he was taken to Ukraine where he was killed on October 24.”

In recent months, men have been recruited from Russian prisons to fight on the front lines in Ukraine with the promise of reduced sentences and attractive fees.

Tarimo, who had been studying in Russia since 2020, was arrested in March 2022 and sentenced to a seven-year jail term for undisclosed reasons.

“It’s illegal for a Tanzanian national to join any foreign army,” added the foreign minister.

On Tuesday, Nyirenda’s father paid tribute to his son, saying he was a hard worker who helped set up a beehive business for the family.

Edwin Nyirenda told mourners his son had sought a part-time job and “started working as a courier” after posting an advertisement online when he got into trouble.

The two were last in touch at the end of August when Nyirenda told his father he would return home after going to fight in Ukraine.

Nyirenda’s body was repatriated in December and will be laid to rest in a private ceremony in Rufunsa, east of Lusaka, on Wednesday.

Funerals were delayed after some family members raised concerns that the remains might not belong to the student.

But doubts were dispelled by a DNA test, said family spokesman Ian Banda.

“There may be some parts missing but by and large, we have the remains of Lemekhani,” Banda told journalists after the service.
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Several key U.S. lawmakers endorsed the next major step in American assistance to Ukraine on Tuesday, encouraging the White House to move forward with a plan to send M1 Abrams tanks to combat Russian aggression. 

“Seldom in the history of modern warfare has so much depended on so few tanks,” Republican Lindsey Graham told reporters Tuesday after returning from a congressional trip to Ukraine. “Three hundred tanks given to the Ukrainians who have an ability to take any weapon system and maximize its benefit.”

Despite the difficulties of running M1 Abrams tanks on jet fuel, the Biden administration is reportedly weighing sending the tanks to Ukraine, hoping it would increase chances of Germany sending its own Leopard tanks. 

Poland announced Monday it would seek German approval to send tanks from its stock of Leopards, and Great Britain announced last week it would send Challenger 2 tanks. Ukrainian officials said Challenger 2 tanks were “not sufficient to meet operational goals.”

Ukraine has consistently asked Western nations to supply tanks to defend itself against Russia. Last week at a meeting of NATO officials, Germany said it would consider supplying Leopard 2s – seen as the most advanced tanks – if the United States would supply M1 Abrams. 

German news outlet Der Spiegel and others cited unconfirmed reports late Tuesday that the German government has decided to send the Leopard 2 tanks. American news service The Associated Press reported officials saying the U.S. will announce it will send M1 Abrams tanks as soon as this Wednesday.

“If press reports are true, I am very pleased with the Biden Administration’s apparent decision to send Abrams tanks to help Ukraine evict Russia from Ukrainian soil,” Graham said in a statement.

“The Ukrainians can win if they have the tools that are necessary – beginning with tanks,” said Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who was also part of the delegation that met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine. “The Leopard 2 tanks are important because they are there. They’re in Europe, thousands of them within easy transport, training, fueling. They are essential. And just very bluntly, if it takes sending three, five, 10 Abrams tanks there, let’s do it.”

The Pentagon said earlier Tuesday that M1 Abrams are “complex weapons systems that are challenging to maintain.” Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters, “Our focus has been on providing Ukraine with capabilities it can employ right now on the battlefield.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned on the Senate floor Tuesday that the West’s failure to act could have devastating consequences.

“Germany has not only resisted calls to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine but has also prevented other European nations to transfer their own German-produced Leopards to Ukraine. Time is short, and while Berlin agonizes over its own decision whether to provide Leopards to Ukraine, it should proactively and explicitly make clear that other allies are free to do so,” McConnell said.

He added that the Biden administration’s “latest deliveries failed to include the longer-range missiles and more sophisticated munitions that Ukraine has been requesting for months. Mr. President, Ukraine’s brave resistance deserves our continued praise. But more importantly, it needs our concrete and consistent material support.”

Ukraine on Tuesday marked the 11-month anniversary of the Russian invasion. Since then, the United States has provided nearly $50 billion in humanitarian, economic and military aid. But U.S. assistance to Ukraine could face a roadblock in the House of Representatives, where Republicans holding the majority have expressed concern about oversight of the aid. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said last year the United States would not continue to write a “blank check” on aid while Americans face a difficult domestic economic situation. 

But Graham pushed back against the perception the aid is not being properly managed.

“We’re very reassured that that our military assistance is going to where it should be going to and that accountability and transparency is there,” Graham said. “To my House colleagues, to those who believe we shouldn’t write a blank check, I agree. To those who have concerns about what’s going on in Ukraine – go. Don’t talk about it in Washington, get on a plane, get on a train, rest up, drink a lot of water, take your vitamins, and they will open up the books.”   
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For the past few months, human rights activists have been sounding alarms about the Russian private military company Wagner Group using convicts to fight Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Now, the White House says casualties are “extraordinarily high” among the estimated 40,000 convicts fighting for the mercenary group on front lines in Ukraine. Igor Tsikhanenka has more. Patsy Widakuswara contributed.
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Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership is in doubt with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voicing opposition after demonstrators burned a Quran in Stockholm.

Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told a news conference Tuesday that he did not expect any progress on Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership bid until after the Turkish elections later this year.

Haavisto’s comments follow Ankara’s outrage over demonstrators Saturday in Stockholm burning the Muslim holy book, the Quran, close to the Turkish Embassy.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday ruled out supporting Sweden’s bid.

Erdogan said, the “Swedish government does not need to (talk) about the rights and freedom to us. If you really do respect rights and freedom, at first, you need to respect the Turkish republic or Muslims’ religious beliefs. If you do not show that respect, I am sorry, you will not see any support from us regarding NATO membership.”

Even before the Quran burning, the Turkish government was outraged over a protest earlier this month in Stockholm in which demonstrators hanged from a lamp post an effigy of the Turkish leader.

The Swedish government, while condemning the protests, says they fall within freedom of expression, a stance supported Monday by United States. 

Speaking in Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price said, “We have a saying in this country: something can be lawful but awful. I think in this case, what we’ve seen in the context of Sweden falls into that category.”

Washington is strongly backing both Sweden and Finland’s bids to join NATO.

But with Sweden granting asylum to many of Erdogan’s opponents, some of whom Ankara accuses of being terrorists, Turkey is demanding concessions from Stockholm in exchange for lifting its veto.

Last year NATO brokered a deal among Stockholm, Helsinki, and Ankara to resolve the impasse. But Ilhan Uzgel, an analyst for the Kisa Dalga news portal, said that with Erdogan facing reelection by June, the Turkish president sees a political opportunity in prolonging the dispute.

“This issue can be handled in diplomatic corridors. But Erdogan prefers to make it public that he has the power. He is still a world leader. He can bend the will of NATO and to aspiring countries, even the United States. So, I guess that he’s going to use it until the elections,” said Uzgel.

Saturday’s Quran burning, some analysts say, will likely be a political opportunity by the Turkish president to rally his base of religious and nationalist voters.

Standing up to NATO also will play well with his supporters, said Sebnem Ayse Duzgit, an international relations professor at Sabanci University close to Istanbul.

“It has to do with the sort of anti-NATO sentiment that’s very closely related with the anti-Western and anti-American sentiment in Turkey and the sort of perception that NATO has never really helped Turkey to fight with its own terrorism problem,” said Duzgit.

With Turkey’s president lagging in many opinion polls as the country grapples with economic problems, few predict any softening in Ankara’s stance before elections that are due by June. 
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Police in the U.S. state of California said seven people were killed Monday in two related shootings at agricultural facilities. 

The shootings happened in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco. Authorities said at a news conference that four people were found dead and a fifth person had gunshot wounds at one site, while another three people were found dead at the second site several kilometers away. 

San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus identified the suspected shooter as 67-year-old Chunli Zhao, and said he worked at one of the shooting locations. 

Authorities said the suspect was arrested after apparently driving to a police station parking lot to turn himself in. A weapon was found in the vehicle. 

Corpus said the suspect was cooperating with investigators, but that a motive was not yet clear. 

“We’re still trying to understand exactly what happened and why, but it’s just incredibly, incredibly tragic,” said state Sen. Josh Becker, who represents the area and called it “a very close-knit” agricultural community. 

Monday’s shooting followed a mass shooting Saturday in the southern California city of Monterey Park that killed 11 people and wounded nine others. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted that he was at a hospital meeting with those hurt in the Saturday shooting when he heard about the Monday attacks. 

“Tragedy upon tragedy,” he wrote. 

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. 
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Turkey’s president cast serious doubt on NATO’s expansion Monday after warning Sweden not to expect support for its bid for membership into the military alliance following weekend protests in Stockholm by an anti-Islam activist and pro-Kurdish groups. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Rasmus Paludan’s Quran-burning protest on Saturday, saying it was an insult to everyone, especially to Muslims. He was particularly incensed at Swedish authorities for allowing the demonstration to take place outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm under “the protection” of security forces. 

“It is clear that those who allowed such vileness to take place in front of our embassy can no longer expect any charity from us regarding their NATO membership application,” Erdogan said in his first comments regarding the weekend protests, saying Sweden must have calculated the consequences of permitting Paludan’s demonstration. 

The burning of Islam’s holy book angered people across the political spectrum in Turkey, just as Sweden and Finland appeared on the cusp of NATO membership after dropping their longstanding policies of military nonalignment following Russia’s war on Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin now stands to benefit as the potential enlargement of the world’s most powerful military alliance appears to be stymied. 

Erdogan also criticized Sweden for allowing pro-Kurdish protests where demonstrators waved flags of various Kurdish groups, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency against Turkey. The PKK is considered a terrorist group in Turkey, the European Union and the United States, but its symbols aren’t banned in Sweden. 

“So you will let terror organizations run wild on your avenues and streets and then expect our support for getting into NATO. That’s not happening,” Erdogan said, referring to Sweden and Finland’s accession bids for the military alliance. He said if Sweden won’t show respect to NATO-member Turkey or Muslims, then “they won’t see any support from us on the NATO issue.” 

A joint memorandum signed by Turkey, Sweden and Finland in June averted a Turkish veto of their membership bid at NATO’s Madrid summit where they confirmed the PKK as a terror group and committed to prevent its activities. Continued protests are infuriating Ankara who has said Sweden must address Turkey’s security concerns and demands for the Turkish parliament to ratify their NATO request. 

“If they love terror organization members and enemies of Islam so much, we recommend that they refer their countries’ security to them,” he added. Several hundred pro-Kurdish protesters walked over a photo of Erdogan on Saturday and an Erdogan effigy was hung from a lamppost in a previous protest. Turkish officials canceled bilateral meetings in response. 

Swedish officials have stressed that freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Swedish Constitution and gives people extensive rights to express their views publicly, though incitement to violence or hate speech isn’t allowed. Demonstrators must apply to police for a permit for a public gathering. Police can deny such permits only on exceptional grounds, such as risks to public safety. Top Swedish officials have said freedom of expression is crucial to democracy while criticizing Paludan’s actions as disrespectful and ones they disagree with. 

Anti-Islam activist Paludan, who holds both Danish and Swedish citizenship, established far-right parties in both countries that have failed to win any seats in national, regional or municipal elections. In last year’s parliamentary election in Sweden, his party received just 156 votes nationwide. His burning of the Quran sparked counterprotests in Turkey over the weekend, where demonstrators burned his photograph and a Swedish flag. 
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The death count has risen to 11 in Saturday’s shooting near the small city of Monterey Park near Los Angeles. Nine others were injured in the attack at a dance club that was popular with older Chinese Americans as Chinese New Year celebrations got underway. The suspected gunman, who was also Asian, died of a self-inflicted gunshot. Mike O’Sullivan spoke with residents about the tragedy that has shaken the quiet community.
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Human rights activists are welcoming the United States’ appointment of an envoy for North Korean human rights, a position that had been vacant for six years. 

The White House late Monday announced it would appoint Julie Turner, a veteran State Department foreign affairs officer, who has long focused on North Korea human rights issues.  

Turner, who must be confirmed by the Senate, is currently the director of the East Asia and Pacific office of the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.  

She has worked in the office for 16 years, during which she has “primarily focused on initiatives related to promoting human rights in North Korea,” according to a White House press release. 

Under a law initially passed by Congress in 2004, the U.S. president must appoint a special envoy for North Korean human rights. However, no one has served in the position since 2017, when U.S. President Barack Obama’s special envoy stepped down.  

Former President Donald Trump, who prioritized his personal relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, never appointed a North Korean human rights envoy. Trump’s first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, at one point proposed eliminating the position. 

It’s unclear why it took President Joe Biden two years to name an appointee, especially since Biden has said he will prioritize human rights issues. Nonetheless, activists praised the move, calling Turner an ideal fit.  

Turner is “terrific, with full awareness and understanding about the North Korean human rights situation,” according to Lee Shin-hwa, South Korea’s human rights envoy for North Korea.  

“I am so pleased to get the news and look forward to closely cooperating with this highly capable lady,” Lee told VOA.  

Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director for the Washington D.C.-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said Turner is “a truly great scholar and champion of North Korean human rights.”  

Once confirmed, Scarlatoiu said he hopes the new envoy will adopt a “human rights up front approach” to North Korea.  

North Korea is a totalitarian state that tightly restricts nearly every aspect of its citizens’ civil and political liberties, including freedom of expression, assembly, association, religion and movement. It consistently ranks at or near the bottom of global human rights rankings.  

Activists say the situation has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been used as a pretext to sever the country’s already fragile links to the outside world.  

“It’s the darkest period in the history of human rights in North Korea, believe it or not,” Scarlatoiu said.  

During Turner’s time at the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the office has been involved with several projects that aim to promote the free flow of information into and out of North Korea and raise awareness of North Korea’s rights violations. 

North Korea has not reacted to Turner’s nomination. It often becomes enraged when other countries or international bodies mention its rights violations. 

However, at various points, North Korea has interacted with the U.S. human rights envoy — including in 2011, when Ambassador Robert King led a mission to assess North Korea’s food situation. 

It’s unclear whether any similar humanitarian initiatives can succeed now. In recent years, North Korea has ignored U.S. offers of pandemic assistance, shunning virtually all contact with U.S. officials. 

While placing human rights at the forefront of engagement with North Korea is not easy, Turner is “precisely the sort of savvy and strategic representative to get difficult things like this done,” said Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.  

“Turner has excelled on promoting and protecting human rights across her portfolio,” Robertson said, “And she is precisely the kind of dogged advocate that rights issues in the DPRK require for any sort of change to occur.” 

Activist groups have long complained that human rights were not discussed during the Trump-Kim talks, which instead focused on eliminating North Korea’s nuclear weapons and improving Pyongyang’s relations with Washington and Seoul. 

The talks broke down in 2019. North Korea has since resumed major weapons tests and says it will not resume talks until the United States drops what it calls its “hostile policy.” Specifically, North Korea objects to U.S.-led sanctions that have battered its economy and the heavy U.S. military presence in the region. 
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