mardi 31 août 2021
Africa 54 - August 31, 2021| Food Insecurity Madagascar, New COVID variant in SA, Afghanistan On this edition of Africa 54: A combination of drought, sandstorms and pest infestations have destroyed harvests in southern Madagascar, leaving more than 1.1 million people in severe food insecurity; South African scientists detect a new coronavirus variant with multiple mutations but are yet to establish is transmissibility and immunity provided by vaccines and prior infection; & The United Nations marks the end of toxic leaded gasoline use in vehicles worldwide. Top Stories: A combination of drought, sandstorms and pest infestations have destroyed harvests in southern Madagascar, the United Nations has warned, leaving more than 1.1 million people in severe food insecurity. The African Union is developing guidelines for the use of genetically modified crops across the continent, officials said, amid criticism from campaigners that some policies favour big business and lack adequate public input. South African scientists have detected a new coronavirus variant with multiple mutations but are yet to establish whether it is more contagious or able to overcome the immunity provided by vaccines or prior infection. The United Nations Environmental Program held a ceremony Monday marking the end of toxic leaded gasoline use in vehicles worldwide. A company in Nairobi, where the UNEP is headquartered, is working on the next step — converting buses and utility vehicles to electric power. It’s August 31, the deadline imposed by President Joe Biden for U.S. forces to be out of Afghanistan. At least 122,000 people were evacuated by the U.S. military and coalition forces, 5,400 of them Americans
Lee 'Scratch' Perry dies at 85: Dub and reggae pioneer who worked with Bob Marley passes away in Jam All Stars, Lee 'Scratch' Perry has died at the age of 85. The pioneering dub and reggae artist is said to have passed away at the Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea, western Jamaica, according to local reports. A cause of death has yet to be determined. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed the death in a statement, saying: 'My deep condolences to the family, friends, and fans of legendary record producer and singer, Rainford Hugh Perry OD, affectionately known as 'Lee Scratch Perry.' Adding: 'Undoubtedly, Lee Scratch Perry will always be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music fraternity. May his soul Rest In Peace.' Rainford Hugh 'Lee' Perry was born in rural Jamaica in 1936 and moved to Kingston in the '60s to pursue music. He is survived by wife Mireille and six children. Lee earned accolades as a pioneer of reggae and dub music, and helped bring the sound around the world by producing groups like the Congos and Bob Marley & the Wailers
lundi 30 août 2021
On this edition of Africa 54: Internet services in South Sudan are disrupted and security forces deployed on the streets, as residents have sheltered inside after activists call for protests against President Salva Kiir's government; Suspected Islamist militants kill at least 19 people in a raid on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; & Thousands of Americans gathered in Washington to demand federal legislation to protect voting rights. Top Stories: A dinghy carrying around 55 migrants landed in the middle of the night on Sunday (August 29) on a beach in Spain's Canary Islands. Internet services in South Sudan were disrupted on Monday and security forces were deployed on the streets, which were quieter than usual as residents sheltered inside after activists had called for protests against President Salva Kiir's government. Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 19 people in a raid on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local authorities. The attackers looted houses and started fires in Kasanzi-Kithovo near Virunga National Park in North Kivu province overnight between Friday and Saturday. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. At least 30 soldiers were killed and 60 wounded on Sunday in Houthi strikes on a military base belonging to forces of the Saudi-led coalition in southwest Yemen, according to a spokesman for the southern forces and medical sources. In the Netherlands, lawyers from an international law firm representing more than 200 victims have filed a petition calling on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the six-year Saudi-led coalition war in Yemen. The lawyers from Guernica37 International Justice Chambers of London say they’ve submitted evidence compiled by survivors, their relatives and families of the deceased who were killed during the war. Toby Cadman the lead attorney spoke to VOA's Peter Clottey about the prospects of holding accountable those responsible for committing human rights violations and crimes against humanity during the war in Yemen.
Africa 54 - August 27, 2021 | Kabul Airport Bombing, Some Abducted Nigerian Students Released, VOA Africa On this edition of Africa 54: At least 13 U.S. troops and dozens of Afghans are killed by Islamic State suicide bombings at and near the Kabul International Airport; Gunmen release students abducted three months ago from an Islamic school in north-central Nigerian state of Niger; & Two surviving elders of the USA’s “Black Wall Street” massacre of 1921 are set to visit Ghana this month
dimanche 29 août 2021
samedi 28 août 2021
Africa 54 - Aug 26, 2021| Killings in Central Nigeria, Desertification in Burkina Faso, & Migration Top Stories: After dozens were killed in an attack on a village in central Nigeria, protesters have marched to government buildings in the city of Jos - some of them carrying the bodies of the deceased. Abubakar Adam sold his car, a plot of land and cleared out his savings hoping to secure the release of his kidnapped children - but for the bandits in Nigeria's northern Niger state, it still wasn't enough. In Part three of VOA’s Peter Clottey’s interview with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema they discussed the need to preserve the civil liberties of the people. President Hichilema reflected on his inability to freely express his dissatisfaction in the past under the former administration and how important it is for the will of the people to be heard. A Belgian-African company operating in Burkina Faso is planting trees to help curb desertification and open up lands for grazing cattle and farming. The project by the company, Hommes et Terre (trans: Men and Earth), is taking place in Burkina Faso’s dangerous conflict zones where expanding desertification is a cause for strife. Henry Wilkins reports from Ouagadougou. Spanish coast guards transported 46 migrants rescued in the Atlantic Ocean to the port of Arguineguin on the island of Gran Canaria on Wednesday. The dinghy which was intercepted 40 miles south of the island of Gran Canaria was carrying 30 men and 14 women, including a baby and a minor. Two migrants, both men, were taken to hospital due to dehydration and a woman and her baby were also checked by medical personnel The impact of the pandemic has increased wildlife poaching around Africa's national parks, as people who lost their jobs hunt the animals for food. To help protect the animals, anti-poaching organizations have been formed, including a squad of vegan, women rangers. Parfait Hakizimana suffered a life-changing injury as a child in an attack on his Burundian village. But now he will be chasing a taekwondo gold medal as a member of the Refugee Paralympic Team in Tokyo. The Biden administration said Wednesday it was on track to evacuate all Americans out of Afghanistan by the August 31 deadline for a military drawdown. But U.S. lawmakers say time is running out for the evacuation of Afghan allies who face significant challenges from the Taliban to make their way to Kabul airport. U.S. allies say they have no choice but to follow the U.S. timetable and withdraw their forces from Afghanistan by August 31 — despite fears that not everyone will be evacuated in time. Britain called an emergency summit of G-7 leaders Tuesday to discuss the crisis. Henry Ridgwell reports from London. Army Specialist Christopher Horton was a sniper who was killed in ambush in eastern Afghanistan on September 9, 2011. He was 26 years old. His widow, Jane Horton, is an advocate for fallen soldiers and the families they leave behind, known as Gold Star families. She's also worked as a senior adviser to the Afghan ambassador and the U.S. secretary of defense. She took VOA Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb inside her own visits to Afghanistan, her husband's legacy of service and sacrifice and what the drawdown means to her.
vendredi 27 août 2021
jeudi 26 août 2021
Africa 54 - Aug 25, 2021. Top Stories: The Somali government reopened schools this month despite a new wave of coronavirus infections. Despite COVID-19 vaccines being available to all South African adults, uptake remains low with just 20 percent of adults having received a first dose. The Muslim Association of South Africa is one of many groups combatting vaccine hesitancy by delivering jabs to doorsteps. ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA INTERVIEW PART TWO: Clottey Guest: Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia VOA’s Peter Clottey continued his conversation with newly inaugurated Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on his vision for Zambia that include encouraging democracy and developing infrastructure strategies that will help stabilize the country and the economy. Abubakar Adam sold his car, a plot of land and cleared out his savings hoping to secure the release of his kidnapped children - but for the bandits in Nigeria's northern Niger state, it still wasn't enough. UN Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi is urging support for Ethiopians fleeing to Sudan. The UNHCR chief visited Um Rakuba camp in eastern Sudan where refugees who escaped fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region have settled. A criminal trial over the $2 billion debt scandal that crashed Mozambique's economy is underway this week and South Africa says it's ready to extradite a chief suspect that it has detained. Uganda on Wednesday received 51 people evacuated from Afghanistan after the Taliban swept back into power, but officials said they would stay temporarily until resettled by the United States and other nations.The evacuees included men, women and children, according to statement by the Foreign Ministry. They are in transit to the United States and other countries, the statement said. Last week, Uganda said it had agreed to a request from the United States to temporarily take in 2,000 Afghans fleeing the country. U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday the United States will complete its mission of evacuating Americans and Afghans from Afghanistan by the August 31 deadline. While the pace of evacuations has accelerated, U.S. lawmakers remain concerned about the threat posed by the Taliban and Islamic State in Khorasan, and by the lack of U.S. preparation for the chaos unfolding in Kabul. At 23 years old, Arnold Nyendwa is a Zambian multi-award-winning inventor – who is already making headlines internationally, perhaps for a good reason. Inspired by circumstances surrounding his community, for example, unreliable electricity power supply, he set out on a mission to invent Zambia's first stainless-steel stove that uses gas, electricity, and solid fuel. For more, Africa 54 Technology Correspondent Paul Ndiho, via Skype, spoke to Arnold Nyendwa, Founder/CEO; Venturus Jumpstart Ltd, a Stainless-Steel Tech company based in Lusaka, Zambia
mercredi 25 août 2021
mardi 24 août 2021
Top Stories: Chad's former President Hissene Habre, an ally of the West during the Cold War who was later jailed for war crimes and crimes against humanity, died on Tuesday in Senegal aged 79, according to the spokesperson at the Senegalese Justice Ministry. A new presidency begins in Zambia as Hakainde Hichilema as President today. VOA’s Peter Clottey had an exclusive opportunity to sit down with President Hichilema to discuss his vision for Zambia. In Part One of this interview, the President spoke of his agenda for the future of the country, what he hopes to accomplish in the first 100 days of office and how he plans to tackle the debt situation that is choking the economy. Al Shabaab fighters stormed a military base in the center of Somalia on Tuesday and took over a nearby town, according to residents. Residents of Amara in the Galmudug region said the attack started in the morning with al Shabaab fighters setting off a suicide bomb, targeting government special force units, known as Danab and Darawish. Amid a severe fourth wave of infections, members of Kenya's Maasai community queued up to get vaccinated on Monday. Health authorities in Guinea continue to monitor people who have been in contact directly or indirectly with a man who died of Marburg virus earlier this month. To find out more about Marburg virus and the current situation in Guinea, Africa 54 Health Correspondent Linord Moudou spoke with Dr. Georges Ki-Zerbo, WHO Head of Office and Representative in Guinea. Elevated houses. Water level sensors. Rebuilt natural barriers. Coastal communities are struggling to hold back the destruction from climate change. But in our new ‘code red’ era, more radical steps are on the horizon. A vacation in Africa usually conjures images of palm-fringed beaches or safari tours - but in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, one resort is attracting tourists seeking a more adventurous skiing destination. Some international students in the United States are struggling to get fully vaccinated before returning to school this fall. As the Taliban tightens its grip on Afghanistan, the group is vowing to protect minority and women’s rights. But many Afghans in United States are concerned about the well-being of their family and friends and the future of their homeland. Greece has completed the construction of a border fence along its frontier with Turkey, as European fears grow of an influx of refugees from Afghanistan. As Henry Ridgwell reports, memories of the 2015 European migrant crisis are still powerful, – but many analysts say that six years on, it is much tougher for migrants to reach Europe
Top Stories: Bandits have released 15 more students kidnapped last month from a Baptist school in northwest Nigeria, officials told Reuters on Sunday (August 22). School administrator Reverend John Hayab said that parents had raised and paid an undisclosed ransom to free the students, who were among more than 100 taken on July 5 from the Bethel Baptist High School. Migrants from Latin America, Africa and Asia are flooding the streets of Necoclí, a town in Colombia across the Gulf of Urabá from the Panamanian border. More than 11 thousand migrants are stranded at the port as more arrive with plans to travel north to the United States. UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi met with South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir and called for lasting peace and viable solutions to help rebuild the country after years of conflict. Grandi has met with President Kiir as part of efforts to find lasting solutions. Ethiopia has begun developing its own social media platform to rival Facebook , Twitter and Whatsapp, though it does not plan to block the global services, the state communications security agency said on Monday. Uganda's foreign minister says the talks with the administration in Washington have yet to conclude about providing assistance to refugees from Afghanistan. Speaking to VOA’s Peter Clottey via skype General Al-Haji Abubaker Odongo Jeje says his country has the capacity to offer 2,000 Afghans safe refuge. The Biden administration is vowing to safely evacuate all Americans who want to leave Afghanistan even as the situation at the Kabul airport grows more tense. Evacuations continued Sunday for Americans and Afghans who helped the U.S. military, and the U.S. has ordered commercial airlines to help. Western nations, particularly the United States, have evacuated thousands from Kabul but the process is chaotic. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem was stuck at Kabul’s international airport for days. In this video story shot on her cell phone, she explains that the biggest difficulty right now for those wishing to leave Afghanistan is getting inside the airport. As the Taliban take control of the Afghan government, women say they are fearful for their future, with many skeptical of the Islamist group's pledges to respect women’s rights. President Joe Biden said Friday that if the Taliban want aid and recognition, that will depend on how they treat Afghan women and girls. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. For Italy’s journalists, covering the mafia has always been dangerous. There have been attacks recently against some reporters and almost two dozen are currently under police protection because of threats.
lundi 23 août 2021
dimanche 22 août 2021
samedi 21 août 2021
The Beverly Hillbillies (The original sales pitch pilot for CBS) UNAIRED PILOT..... "Who are these people?! Where are they from?" a narrator asks, as a 1921 Oldsmobile Model 43-A touring car rumbles down the road in sunny Southern California. This is the original opening to pilot of The Beverly Hillbillies. The episode was never aired, only used to sell the sitcom to CBS. The same familiar faces (and car) populate the episode. In fact, it is largely the same script and plot as the first aired episode, "The Clampetts Strike Oil." But there are some key differences. One major difference immediately jumps out. Perhaps you have already taken note of it. The show was initially called The Hillbillies of Beverly Hills. Additionally, the iconic theme song, "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," was not yet in place. Instead, the Clampetts drive along to some generic bluegrass banjo pickin'. There are also additional scenes tacked on in an epilogue. Overall, it's fascinating to see how a new series was pitched especially one that became an unlikely ratings behemoth. THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES..... Is an American sitcom originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from September 26, 1962 to March 23, 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr. The series is about a poor backwoods family transplanted to Beverly Hills, California, after striking oil on their land. A Filmways production created by writer Paul Henning, it is the first in a genre of "fish out of water" themed television shows, and was followed by other Henning-inspired country cousin series on CBS. In 1963, Henning introduced Petticoat Junction, and in 1965 he reversed the rags to riches model for Green Acres. The show paved the way for later culture conflict programs such as The Jeffersons, McCloud, Diff'rent Strokes, The Nanny, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Doc. Panned by many entertainment critics of its time, it quickly became a huge ratings success for most of its nine year run on CBS
vendredi 20 août 2021
Top Stories: The head of the United States' humanitarian agency says aid workers will run out of food this week for millions in need in Ethiopia's conflict-ravaged Tigray region. South Africa's government said in a statement that it will offer vaccines to those aged between 18 and 35 from Friday as it chases a target of 300,000 inoculations per day. Uganda said on Friday it had suspended the operations of 54 non-governmental organizations, a move that one of the groups described as "political persecution." The NGOs affected include charities whose work defending the rights of political activists and people affected by a crude oil production project in western Uganda has irritated some government officials. Possible Q&A with Peter Clottey on the latest developments in Zambia as the country prepares to inaugurate Hakainde Hichelima as new president following his landslide election victory. Saturday (August 21) is the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, a day that is unfortunately relevant in Burkina Faso which is engaged in fighting Islamist militants. A Burkinabe nonprofit, Go Paga, is helping widows and orphans grappling with the loss of husbands and fathers to rebuild their lives. A Burkinabe poetry collective is using words and music to create a "revolution around reforestation" in a country hammered by three decades of desertification. Elevated houses. Water level sensors. Rebuilt natural barriers. Coastal communities are struggling to hold back the destruction from climate change. But in our new ‘code red’. President Joe Biden remains defiant amid a political storm triggered by the swift Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the chaotic end of America’s longest war. Whether he can survive the crisis depends on many factors, including the safe evacuation of Americans. As the U.S. leaves a vacuum in Afghanistan, people worldwide are watching China’s response. The two countries share a border and have on-and-off ties that predate the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. A private spaceflight company sues NASA. Plus, a modified space spoon, a mega meteor shower, and an international spacecraft passes Venus. Voice of America has been hosting live-music performances by artists around the world for decades. Today we go back in time to enjoy one such vintage performance: a song by one of Zimbabwe’s greatest, late music icons
Top Stories: Ivory Coast has identified an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu near the commercial capital Abidjan and has taken steps to curb its spread, the livestock ministry said in a statement.Testing confirmed the presence of the virus after a large number of poultry started dying in the Grand Bassam commune on July 20, the ministry said on Wednesday.Ivory Coast, which last declared avian flu outbreaks in 2006 and 2015, is the latest of several West African nations to declare H5N1 outbreaks. Clashes between herders and fishermen in northern Cameroon have killed at least 32 people this month, with 19 villages torched, the U.N. refugee agency said on Thursday.Some 11,000 people fled to Chad and a further 7,300 were displaced in Cameroon's Far North after fighting broke out on Aug. 10 between Choa Arab herders and Mousgoum fishermen and farmers, the UNHCR said. Officials described the fighting as Cameroon's worst ethnic violence in years. The latest news on Zambia’s President-Elect Hakainde Hichilema transition. In northern Nigeria some men keep hyenas as pets or perform with them at festivals - but one traditional leader says the culture is dying as it clashes with modern ideas about animal welfare. For decades, African athletes have traveled all over the world to take part in the Olympic Games. Yet Africa itself has never hosted the games and some are asking what it would take for an Olympics to happen on African soil. In South Africa watersports are usually the preserve of a mostly white elite - but in the country's predominantly black Soweto Township, one canoe club is trying to change that. The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan began after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, with U.S. forces helping Afghan allies to drive out the Taliban, who gave al-Qaida safe harbor. Twenty years later, the war has ended with the Taliban back in power in Kabul. The Biden administration announced booster shots Wednesday for Americans who have been fully vaccinated. Students in America are returning to class for a new school year just as the number of Delta variant COVID-19 cases increase around the country. Experts say children seem to be more vulnerable to this variant, raising questions about how to protect students, especially those who are too young to be vaccinated. Sisters Rosy and Donna Khalife arrived in the U.S. with their family in the mid-1980s after fleeing conflict in Lebanon. After graduating from college, they started a box subscription service to encourage kids to put down gadgets and engage in the real world. Before long, the small company was worth millions.
Top Stories: When Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office in April, she vowed a U-turn in politics from her predecessor, the late John Magufuli. But the arrest of opposition leader Freeman Mbowe in July has dimmed hopes that Hassan will her turn back on Magufuli's iron-fisted style of rule. In a Nigerian port drones, helicopters and attack boats have been put on show as a part of a U.S.-backed initiative to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Guinea - the most dangerous place on earth for seafarers. But experts say hardware alone will not solve the problem. Ivory Coast expanded its Ebola vaccination drive in the commercial capital Abidjan on Tuesday , after launching a campaign to vaccinate health workers the night before in the wake of the country's first positive case in 25 years. Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency raised the death toll from Saturday’s devastating earthquake to nearly 2,000, with nearly 10,000 others injured. Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Grace disrupted search efforts for a time Tuesday. A new breed of safari vehicle is silently making its way across Kenya's Maasai Mara. Nairobi-based Opibus is converting the gas-guzzling vehicles to offer tourists a more eco-friendly and quiet experience. Thanks to carbon emissions, our oceans are turning to acid. It’s dissolving the shells of oysters and attacking global shorelines - damaging ecosystems that suck more carbon dioxide from ocean waters than all the world’s vehicles spew into the air. In this first of a series of reports. America’s NATO allies are scrambling to evacuate their citizens from Afghanistan following the U.S military withdrawal from the country, and the collapse of the Afghan government. Many European officials have voiced fears that the Taliban takeover will increase the risk of terrorism and cause a renewed influx of refugees. Several Egyptian opposition television stations are based in Istanbul, where they broadcast programming critical of Egypt’s government led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Turkey was a strong supporter of deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, but with Turkish-Egyptian rapprochement efforts underway, the opposition TV channels face an uncertain future. According to a policy statement released by the Bank of Uganda, the second wave of COVID-19 appears to have hit the economy severely and reduced prospects for a quick recovery. However, Access to the internet, a growing middle class, and the changing shopping habits due to the coronavirus pandemic have led to the rise of e-commerce businesses and a surge in online sales. . Tech accessories for women often translate to devices in assorted shades of pink. Now one startup is merging the latest technology with jewelry, creating audio earrings that it says don’t compromise style or sound.
jeudi 19 août 2021
mercredi 18 août 2021
mardi 17 août 2021
Africa 54 - Aug 16, 2021| Zambia Election, U.S.Special Forces in DRC, Update on Afghanistan & More VOA AfricaTop Stories: Supporters of Zambia's opposition leader celebrated his election victory in the early hours of Monday - but with an economy in dire straits, the partying may be short-lived. Zambian President Edgar Lungu conceded defeat on Monday after a landslide election win by opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, marking the southern African country's third peaceful handover of power to an opposition party. Special forces from the United States will soon deploy to Democratic Republic of Congo's restive east to gauge the potential for a local anti-terrorism unit to combat Islamist violence, President Felix Tshisekedi said on Sunday. Jailed former South African president Jacob Zuma has undergone unspecified surgery and remains in hospital with more operations planned, prison authorities.There was no word on a potential discharge date for Zuma. When farmers near Cape Town harvest rooibos leaves in December , they will become the first generation to grow and sell a tea with a unique regional status, a designation awarded to other such products as French champagne or Irish whiskey. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook southwestern Haiti Saturday morning, leaving hundreds dead, injured or missing, taking down buildings and cutting off communication to at least two cities. As the Taliban look set to takeover Afghanistan, aid workers vow continued civilian support but acknowledge the situation looks grim for the most vulnerable, including children. Women in particular fear a return to the harsh treatment that they endured the last time the Taliban controlled the country in the 1990s. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more. As the United States continues to pull its embassy staff from Kabul, Afghanistan, the Biden administration is defending its withdrawal from the war-torn nation while critics say the U.S. departure may create a humanitarian crisis and a haven for extremists. The resignation of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo under a cloud of sexual misconduct allegations comes four years after the #MeToo movement exploded across the world.
lundi 16 août 2021
dimanche 15 août 2021
Top Stories: Doctors in Nigeria are on strike over unpaid salaries and poor benefits. But the strike by some 40 percent of the country’s medical workforce comes amid a fresh wave of coronavirus infections, severely straining Nigeria's healthcare system. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja. Kenya's oxygen production firm Hewatele is doubling production this year to keep up with surging demand from hospitals that are treating critically ill COVID-19 patients, the company said. Soraya Ali of Reuters reports. Malawi had nearly seven million malaria cases last year, more than a third of the population, with 2,500 lives lost to the mosquito-borne disease. However, one village has become a model for how to eradicate malaria and in June was honored as the first ever to have zero malaria cases for a whole year. Lameck Masina reports from Machinga district in southern Malawi. Zambia prepared on Friday to begin announcing results of a tight presidential election between top contenders President Edgar Lungu and main rival Hakainde Hichilema held amidst restrictions on internet access and violence in three regions. The African Union (AU) Poll Observer Mission that monitored Zambia's elections said the process was peaceful. The observers say representatives of political parties at the polling stations they visited had no problems and were pleased with how the elections were administered. Former Sierra Leonean president Ernest Bai Koroma, who led the AU poll observers, says he was pleased with how Zambians conducted themselves during the voting. VOA's Peter Clottey sat down with the former Sierra Leonean president and began by asking him about his observations of the election process. The extreme hot weather in the Mediterranean region is continuing to trigger wildfires, with dozens of people killed in Algeria, Greece, Italy and Turkey in recent days. Thousands of hectares of restored Mangroves are changing the lives of local fishing communities in Senegal by helping them tackle and adapt to the climate change. Senegal is among the worst affected countries on the continent. Today’s entertainment spotlights one artist keeping ancient Zimbabwean music and dance culture alive and well. Ethnomusicologist, Heather Maxwell speaks with him about Zimfest USA, the Harare music scene, and his hope to restore the important role of women in traditional Zimbabwean music
Top Stories: A new report by human rights group Amnesty International says Ethiopian government forces and Eritrean forces have been systematically raping and abusing hundreds of women and girls in the conflict in the country's northern Tigray region. VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. Zambians went to the polls on Thursday in a showdown between President Edgar Lungu and main opposition rival Hakainde Hichilema that looks too tight to call and comes amid mounting debt and a flagging economy. The African Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia said it had started investigating reports that civilians were killed during a gunfight between its troops and al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab fighters.The force, known as the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), said the incident occurred on Tuesday following an ambush, while its soldiers were on patrol along the Beldamin-Golweyn Forward Operating Base in the Lower Shabelle region. A trickle of Mozambican families started to return to their homes and villages after a joint force of Mozambican and Rwandan troops regained control of a strategic port from Islamic extremists. The joint Mozambican and Rwandan force is visibly in control of Mocimboa da Praia, patrolling public and private buildings, the port, the airport, the hospital, markets and restaurants The Tanzanian government on Wednesday suspended a local newspaper for running what it called a false story saying that President Samia Suluhu Hassan would not vie for office in 2025, the first newspaper suspension in Hassan's tenure.The suspended newspaper, Uhuru, is owned by the country's ruling party Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), which has in effect been in power since 1961.T Thousands of hectares of restored Mangroves are changing the lives of local fishing communities in Senegal by helping them tackle and adapt to the climate change. Senegal is among the worst affected countries on the continent. Persistent droughts linked to climate change, saw nearly 40 percent of its mangrove area lost since the 1970s. The mangroves not only cultivate wildlife and sea life like shellfish, but also act as a protective barrier between the land and the sea. Mangroves are essential for preventing soil erosion, holding back rising sea levels and promoting marine ecosystems. Funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Senegalese government, more than 50 thousand families in the region benefit from mangrove reforestation. This also includes loans and training in how to add value to their produce. Hawaiians are turning to traditional practices for insights on coping with climate change. As Mike O'Sullivan reports from Honolulu, they are seeking inspiration from the past to achieve sustainability in the future.
Top Stories: The United Nations says armed attacks in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria region are still being witnessed. Gunmen have attacked and killed residents and left many others nursing serious injuries. A team of peacekeepers have stepped up patrols in the area to help improve security and assess the human rights situation there. The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Karim Khan discussed with Sudanese officials accelerating steps to hand over those wanted by the court, two senior Sudanese government sources said on Wednesday.The cabinet has already agreed to extradite those wanted by the court, but the decision needs approval in a meeting between the cabinet and the sovereign council, a joint military and civilian body formed to run Sudan's transitional period following the ousting of long-time president Omar al-Bashir, who is among the accused. The leader of an armed group that Ethiopia's government has designated a terrorist organization says his group has struck a military alliance with the Tigray forces who are now pressing toward the capital, as the conflict that erupted in the Tigray region last year spreads into other parts of Africa's second most populous country For more than six decades, the cocoa that Richard Ambassa Mbassiga harvested from his plantation in central Cameroon faithfully paid for everything his family needed. Now he's battling drought. Zambia will hold it’s general elections on Thursday . The polls will take place in a tense political environment and also in the midst of a serious economic crisis as well as the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic. VOA’s Peter Clottey is in Lusaka covering the election. The Zambia Federation of Disability Organizations (ZAFOD) is expressing excitement over the increased number of members to contest in the general election. But the organization, which advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, says it is disappointed with negative comments that sought to undermine the candidacy of their members during the campaign period. Paul Mbewe is the vice president of ZAFOD. He tells VOA's Peter Clottey that members of the group will continue to monitor the elections to ensure the electoral commission fully complies with the court's ruling. Virginia Giuffre, an accuser of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has filed a lawsuit against Britain’s Prince Andrew – alleging that he raped and sexually abused her several times when she was 17 years old; a claim Andrew has consistently denied. The Coronavirus Pandemic fueled an online shopping boom in Nigeria that resulted in E-commerce sales rising to nearly 66 percent, according to business analysts. A54 Technology Correspondent Paul Ndiho via Skype, spoke to Paul Orajiaka, CEO of Auldon Toys – a leading manufacturer of African themed toys “unity girl dolls - in perhaps one of the largest and busiest open-air markets in Africa is called Idumota, located on Lagos Island. He says his online sales have boosted his business. When the pandemic paused global travel in 2020, some tour guides moved online to lead livestreamed tours of popular destinations.
Top Stories: Ethiopia’s office of the prime minister said on Tuesday that "all capable Ethiopians" should join the fight against Tigrayan forces. The statement came roughly six weeks after the government declared a unilateral ceasefire. Aid groups say COVID-19 has caused greater suffering, both psychologically and economically, to women than men, especially in developing countries like Kenya. Lenny Ruvaga looks at one aid group helping women get through the pandemic in this report from Nairobi. Ifrah was born in Somalia and fled the outbreak of war in 2006 at the age of 17. Now she is an international campaigner against FGM and a High-Profile Supporter for the U.N. Refugee Agency, UNHCR. Clara Frenk has the story The mining industry has long been one of South Africa’s largest sectors, but women are still a minority in its workforce. Now, a group called Women in Mining South Africa is trying to change that through a mentorship program to help young women enter the field. For VOA, Linda Givetash reports from Johannesburg. A South African court on Tuesday again postponed a long-delayed corruption trial against former president Jacob Zuma to September 9 following his hospitalization last week. Zuma was expected to appear at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday for a $2 billion arms deal corruption case that led to his sacking as South Africa's deputy president in 2005.Zuma, 79, is serving a 15-month sentence at Estcourt prison in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal after he failed to heed a court order to attend an inquiry in corruption during his time as president. He was moved to a hospital on Friday for medical observation. In Nigeria's northern Kano state, Janet Peter stirs a thick and frothy brown liquid inside a large cast iron pot, worrying all the while that religious police will come and chase her from the restaurant where she operates. Health authorities in Guinea have confirmed one death from Marburg virus, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, the World Health Organization said on Monday. It marks the first time that the deadly disease has been identified in West Africa. There have been 12 major Marburg outbreaks since 1967, mostly in southern and eastern Africa. Guinea's new case was first identified last week, just two months after the country was declared free of Ebola following a brief flare-up earlier this year that killed 12 people. The World Health Organization is calling for urgent action to improve practices regarding the disposal of electronic waste. The W-H-O says those most severely affected by the impact of E-waste are women and children in low and middle-income countries. Humans are unequivocally to blame for global climate change – and massive cuts to greenhouse gas emissions are urgently required if the world is to avoid catastrophic warming, according to a report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published Monday.
Top Stories: As new and more potent coronavirus variants emerge and reports show some vaccines declining in efficacy, countries -- mostly in the developed world -- are getting ready to provide booster shots. But many health experts say they are not needed – at least yet – and the World Health Organization says available vaccines should go first to the unvaccinated in less-developed countries. Migrants rescued by the charity rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 on Saturday night were transferred to the "SNAV Adriatico" ship for a mandatory two-week quarantine. At least 51 people were killed when Islamist militants raided three villages in central Mali near the border with Niger, according to a regional administrator. Rwandan and Mozambican security forces say they have recaptured the port town of Mocimboa da Praia, an insurgents' stronghold. Last month, the Rwandan government deployed a thousand -strong force to Mozambique to fight alongside the country's army and troops of the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC). Zambians are set to choose a new president, parliament and local representatives on Thursday . Analysts say the country remains tense due to the much-anticipated competitive contest between incumbent President Edgar Lungu and main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema.The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) is calling on all political parties and their supporters to accept the outcome of the general election. The group is also encouraging political parties that dispute the results to seek redress in court. Abyudi Shonga is the president of the Law Association of Zambia. He tells VOA's Peter Clottey that it is important for the political parties and their supporters to respect the results of the polls. The U.S. intelligence community is expected to send a report to President Joe Biden later this month examining the two leading theories on the origins of COVID-19. One claims the virus was accidentally released from a lab; the other that it emerged from human contact with an infected animal. VOA’s Jesusemen Oni reports from Washington. The Russian government’s COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy with its Sputnik V vaccine has run into some problems. China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy represents China as an aggressive, rising s)uperpower. The name is inspired by the Chinese blockbuster Wolf Warrior film franchise, whose first film debuted in 2015. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke with experts on film and Chinese diplomacy about the franchise, its Hollywood influence and its phenomenal appeal with Chinese audiences
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Chimp escape: Primate swings from live power lines, falls from electrici. Description Chimp escape: Primate swings from live power lines, falls from electricity pole euronews72 096 403 vues14 avr. 2016 An escaped male chimpanzee was captured by city officials after falling off an electricity pole in northern Japan on Thursday. The chimpanzee escaped from the Yagiyama Zoological Park in Sendai city, Miyagi Prefecture, in the early afternoon, according to city officials. The chimpanzee was on the loose for over an hour before climbing an electricity pole, where officials shot the simian with a sedative ..
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The Omani village which gets 3.5 hours of sunlight a day 9 JUN 2016 SHARE Rumours that residents in remote village in Oman only have to fast 3.5 hours a day this Ramadan excite other Muslims in the country who have to endure 15 hours of fasting in 40C temperatures. Wekan village, Oman. Wekan village, Oman. (TRT World and Agencies) This week Muslims all over the world began fasting for the holy month of Ramadan. According to Islamic teachings, Muslims who are healthy enough to do so are required to abstain from eating and drinking from the onset of dawn till sunset. As fasting times are dependent on the position of the sun, the length of time a Muslim spends fasting depends on his or her location. In the far north, such as countries like Norway and Finland, Muslims are fasting up to 21 hours a day, but in places like southern Chile and New Zealand fasting lasts around nine hours. (TRT World and Agencies) Due to the fact that the Islamic calendar is based on a lunar system, which consists of 12 months that are 29-30 days each, the Islamic year is approximately 10 days shorter than the commonly used Gregorian year. Therefore, Ramadan moves forward by around 10 days every year. While Muslims in the southern hemisphere are enjoying an easier Ramadan this year in comparison to their northern counterparts, Ramadan is now beginning to gradually move into the winter months, meaning that within a matter of years it will be Muslims in the north who will be fasting just a few hours a day. Men in traditional Omani garb. Men in traditional Omani garb. (Public Domain) But for Muslims closer to the equator, where daylight hours and temperatures are more stable throughout the year, this makes very little difference. However, Muslims in the Sultanate of Oman, a relatively quiet and peaceful country in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, were briefly overjoyed this week when news went viral of a remote mountain village where the residents only have to fast for three and a half hours a day. Located around 150 kilometres west of the capital Muscat, the village of Wekan is situated at an altitude of 2,000 metres above sea level. Famous for its apricots, grapes and pomegranates, the village is surrounded by cute, picturesque gardens and is popular with hikers who appreciate the untouched, natural beauty of Oman's Green Mountains. : .. ..## pic.twitter.com/WikESzJDY5 — f_balushi (@f_balushi) January 17, 2016 The village is largely overshadowed by mountains, leaving it with access to direct sunlight only between 11:00am and 2:30pm every day. This has led commentators to speculate that people in Wekan only have to fast for three and a half hours, perhaps in a quest to find a loophole that would allow them to escape fasting for 15 hours a day in 40C temperatures. Muslims attend Friday prayers at Sultan Qaboos grand mosque in Muscat, October 26, 2007. Muslims attend Friday prayers at Sultan Qaboos grand mosque in Muscat, October 26, 2007. (Reuters) The rumours were quickly dispelled by Oman's tourism ministry, while the country's Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs dismissed the claims as an incorrect interpretation of fasting rules. "Even if it is difficult to see the sun in some mountainous areas, it doesn't mean that the sun has not risen," an official from the ministry told the Times of Oman
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Top Stories: The United Nations children's agency has said that more than 100,000 children in Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray could suffer life-threatening malnutrition in the next 12 months, a 10-fold increase to normal numbers. Representatives of the Sudanese government, its security forces, and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) met in Juba to jointly address challenges faced by peacekeepers and humanitarian agencies during efforts to reach people that need protection, food, medical supplies and other urgent assistance. According to data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, the housing deficit in the country stood at 17 million units in 2012. But with Nigeria’s rising population and urbanization, the deficit in housing has continued to rise.The country's housing deficit has made the real estate market a natural attraction for developers and investors. Many isolated and even uncontacted tribes have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. One such tribe in Indonesia, the Baduy Tribe has been devastated economically. To survive, some members of the community have embraced a local taboo. Africa has a unique opportunity to develop its competitiveness through artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report released recently by International Research Centre for AI – Under the auspices of UNESCO. In Tunisia, FabSkill, a Tunis-based artificial intelligence startup using AI to recruit new talent for companies worldwide, gives traditional web recruitment platforms a run for their money. Small, self-navigating drones designed to think and move like bees could revolutionize the future of agriculture, search and rescue missions, and more
Top Stories: More than two dozen people are the latest group among hundreds of migrants rescued from the Mediterranean sea during the past three days. Twenty-Six people were rescued Monday from a sinking boat on the Mediterranean sea, following a weekend of operations in what is the busiest period for migrant crossings. A record number of migrants has crossed the English Channel this year from France to Britain in small boats. The British government is aiming to deter the migrants by making it a criminal offense to arrive in the country without permission. At least 30 corpses have washed up on the Sudanese banks of a river that adjoins Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray, according to two Ethiopian refugees and four Sudanese witnesses who told Reuters on Monday they had retrieved the bodies. The bodies were found in the Setit River, known in Ethiopia as the Tekeze, which is the current de facto borderline between territory controlled by Tigrayan forces and those controlled by Amhara forces allied with Ethiopia's federal government. Resident doctors in Nigerian public hospitals began an indefinite strike on Monday over grievances that include the delayed payment of salaries and allowances, according to the doctors' union. This comes as the country faces rising COVID-19 infections. Skype Guest: Akunna E. Cook, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Haydé Adams, Host of VOA’s Straight Talk Africa, sat down with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Akunna E. Cook to discuss the U.S.'s donation of 25 million vaccines to African countries to help stop the spread of COVID-19 infections. Kenyan officials have given citizenship to 1,600 stateless Shona community in the country, fifty years after their ancestors migrated. The ethnic Shona, who have been struggling as stateless people for rights and benefits, celebrated their new status. Democrats and Republicans clash over voting rights and election security. As Zimbabwe’s first Black swimmer participating in an Olympic swim event, Donata Katai showed promise in Tokyo despite being eliminated before reaching the semi-finals of the 100 meter backstroke.The 17-years-old represents a breakthrough not only for Zimbabwe, also for long underrepresented black swimmers
Top Stories: German NGO rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 was busy with more migrant rescues on Monday. The ship is now carrying 263 migrants on board and "urgently" seeking a port of safety, according to the head of mission of German NGO.The humanitarian ship was one of two rescue ships that pulled 394 migrants from a dangerously overcrowded wooden boat in the Mediterranean overnight on Sunday in an operation lasting about six hours. Experts say South Africa is seeing growing drug addiction among young people during the pandemic. A medical research center found that some teenagers are abusing cough syrup that contains the drug codeine. Nigeria has been hit by a surge in cholera cases in recent weeks, focused on the country's north and adding to a public health crisis accompanied by a rise in COVID-19 cases. The state epidemiologist and deputy director of public health for northern economic hub Kano State, told Reuters that the rainy season was making it worse, while insecurity in the north, where the authorities have been battling Islamist militants and armed criminals, was also hindering the authorities' ability to respond. An exhibition that opened Thursday in the Kenyan capital aims to shed light on a long list of cases in which Kenyan police are accused of extra-judicial killings. Madagascar has arrested 21 more suspects, including 12 military personnel, in connection with a plot to kill President Andry Rajoelina and topple the government, according to a senior prosecutor. Six people, one of them a French citizen, were arrested last month on suspicion of involvement in the plot, following what officials described as a months-long investigation in the Indian Ocean island. Recent unrest in South Africa damaged hundreds of businesses but property developers, retailers, and entrepreneurs say they remain committed to the fast-growing consumer markets of its predominantly black townships. The International Committee Of The Red Cross is warning that a growing climate crisis combined with conflict is pushing herders in Somalia to abandon their way of life. Some Nigerian companies are using coconut and palm shells to make charcoal briquettes in an effort to slow ongoing deforestation. Nigeria banned charcoal exports after a World Bank report showed the country lost nearly half its forest cover in just a decade. With the delta variant of the coronavirus spreading in the United States, officials are instituting new mask guidance and some employers and even restaurants are requiring proof of vaccination. President Joe Biden says that all federal employees will now have to attest to their COVID-19 vaccination status, and those who are unvaccinated will face numerous restrictions. This comes as major U.S. businesses require employee vaccinations, and as U.S. health experts urge even the vaccinated to mask up again due to the virulent delta variant, now the most prevalent in the United States
Top Stories: U.S.-based transport worker Idrissa Lo returned to Senegal when his family members started dying from COVID-19. This week he mourned his fifth relative as a third wave leaves hospitals in the capital without spare beds for the most severe cases, and many race to get vaccinated. Once seen as a vaccine hoarder, the U.S. is now sharing its COVID-19 doses, acting on the Biden administration's pledge to deliver a half-billion doses around the world over the next year. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched people’s mental health everywhere and Zimbabwe is no exception. But some Zimbabweans hit hard by the stress have found unique support at the "Friendship Bench," the country’s biggest counseling service. Vaccination programs against some of the world’s deadliest diseases have saved millions of lives over the past 20 years, according to researchers – but continuing progress is threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic's impact has led to cuts in foreign aid from donors like Britain, which this month slashed its aid budget by $5.5 billion, hitting those on the ground in Africa. The funding loss is felt in Burkina Faso where it could possibly shut down a group that helps thousands of gender-based-violence and rape survivors. On Wednesday Ibrahim Zakzaky, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, and his wife Zeenah were acquitted of all charges against them having been in detention since 2015. Kenya's Kakuma settlement is home to three athletes competing for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team in Tokyo whose families have been sending messages of support ahead of their competitions. Experts say in a few years, billionaires and their friends won’t be the only ones who can afford to go to space. Plus, the Mars rover begins the search for ancient life, and new hardware arrives at the International Space Station. Dobet Gnahoré, a multidimensional artist and Grammy Award winner originally from la Côte d’Ivoire, recently released her newest album, Couleurs. Ethnomusicologist and Host of Music Time in Africa Heather Maxwell joined up with her earlier this week to find out more
Top Stories: Protesters in Ethiopia's Somali region, angry at a deadly attack that has been blamed on a militia from neighboring Afar, have reportedly blocked a vital trade corridor. It's the latest example of how simmering ethnic and regional tensions threaten to destabilize the country. Riots across South Africa this month exposed a long-simmering anger over inequality and insecurity in the country. That, analysts say, is an issue South Africa has not been able to overcome despite nearly three decades of democracy since the end of apartheid. In stark contrast from the COVID-skeptic policies of her predecessor, Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday received her COVID-19 vaccination and encouraged others to do the same. Cryptocurrencies make headlines for shaking up the financial world but, they’re also gaining ground in less developed countries. In Kenya, an American Economist who introduced Blockchain Technology for low-income urban customers has extended the cashless system to the countryside. West African food, right out of the box: this is the new undertaking by Washington DC-based Chef Eric Adjepong. Chef Adjepong is a finalist on American network TV Bravo's cooking competition Top Chef, and first-generation Ghanaian-American born. Passionate about introducing diners to West African cuisine globally, he is sharing some of his recipes in partnership with AYO Foods, through a selection of products featuring flavor-rich, frozen entrees that are conveniently packaged, and can be found in grocery stores across the U.S. The success of Nigeria’s national basketball team, D’Tigers, in pre-Olympic games this month is inspiring amateur players back home. The Nigerians beat the top ranked U.S. team at a friendly match and are currently the only African team competing at the Olympic games in Tokyo
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