Port-au-Prince, Haiti — A surprise announcement that revealed Haiti's new prime minister is threatening to fracture a recently installed transitional council tasked with choosing new leaders for the gang-riddled Caribbean country. Four of seven council members with voting powers said Tuesday that they had chosen Fritz Belizaire as prime minister, taking many Haitians aback with their declaration and unexpected political alliance. The council members who oppose Belizaire, who served as Haiti's... Читать дальше...
Paris — After the United States, France is now seeing spreading pro-Palestinian protests at universities, with students calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and ending support for Israel. Palestinian flags were out in force during the annual Workers Day rally in Paris. Protesters like university student Zinedine Amiane are calling for an end to the war in Gaza — and for a change in French policy. “We believe there’s a genocide happening and it cannot continue that way,” Amiane said in French. “France has to take its responsibility... Читать дальше...
Berlin — It's a cold, overcast afternoon, but Su Yutong is in a cheerful mood as she walks in a Berlin park. Her hat askew and hair in pigtails, the 47-year-old proves popular among the animals. A French bulldog runs over to greet her. Swans and ducks paddle close. Swinging her sequined purse as she walks, Su brags to me about how well she plays ping pong. Her manner is a contrast to the Berliners hurrying by on this windy day. But the journalist's seemingly carefree attitude belies something darker. Читать дальше...
Washington — For the fifth year in a row, about eight out of 10 Americans have unfavorable views of China, with many saying limiting Beijing’s power is a top priority, according to a public opinion survey released Wednesday. According to the Washington-based Pew Research Center, 81% of Americans have an unfavorable view of China, including 43% who hold a very unfavorable view of the country. “Views of China across all Americans remain critical — pretty negative,” Pew research associate Christine Huang told VOA. Читать дальше...
YAOUNDE, CAMEROON — Hundreds of thousands of workers across Cameroon are observing International Labor Day on May 1 by marching against abuses they say include illegal dismissals and failure to pay the $70 monthly minimum wage, even as the cost of living increases. Trade unions say tens of thousands of trained teachers, doctors and nurses have fled the country in the past year because of unemployment and tough working conditions, with monthly salaries at half the minimum. Celestin Bama, secretary... Читать дальше...
London — Climate change will cut the average income of people around the world by one-fifth by 2050, according to a new report published in the journal Nature by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. As many parts of the world experience extreme weather, the global impacts of a changing climate are set to cost $38 trillion a year by the middle of the century, the report warns — a reduction in the world’s average income of some 19%. The losses are already locked in, independent of future emission choices, the report says. Читать дальше...
Kigali — Hate speech fueled Rwanda’s tragic 1994 genocide against the Tutsis, resulting in the loss of around 800,000 people. Today, a new generation – including some very determined Generation Z members in Rwanda – is leading the charge to stop hate speech from spreading again and working towards a future of unity and understanding. In a quiet dark room, Clara, a young Rwandan, tearfully confronts her mother. Born long after a genocide forced her family to flee, she seeks the truth about her roots. Читать дальше...
The average income of people around the world will be cut by one-fifth because of climate change by the middle of the century, according to a new report by Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, published in the journal Nature. Henry Ridgwell has more.
LONDON — The Scottish government survived a vote of no confidence on Wednesday, giving the Scottish National Party a chance to pick a new leader to replace outgoing First Minister Humza Yousaf. Yousaf's decision to step down as first minister and SNP leader on Monday has thrown the party into chaos and boosted hopes in Britain's opposition Labour Party that it can regain Scottish seats to win a national election later this year. Polls show that Labour is ahead of or level with the SNP in Scotland for the first time in a decade. Читать дальше...
Jerusalem — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday as talks continue in Cairo to resolve details of an elusive bid for a cease-fire in Israel’s war with Hamas militants in Gaza. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken “emphasized that it is Hamas that is standing in the way of a cease-fire.” The militants so far have refused to accept a plan calling for a several-week halt in nearly seven months of warfare... Читать дальше...
NAIROBI, Kenya — Tourists were evacuated by air from Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve Wednesday after more than a dozen hotels, lodges and camps were flooded as heavy rains continue to batter the country. Tourist accommodation facilities were submerged after a river within the Maasai Mara broke its banks early Wednesday. The reserve, in southwestern Kenya, is a popular tourist destination because it features the annual wildebeest migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania. The Kenya Red Cross... Читать дальше...
Egypt’s eighth annual Aswan International Women Film Festival took place from April 20 to 25. This year's focus was on the resilience of women, with Egypt's economic turmoil and the war in neighboring Gaza as a backdrop. Cairo-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam captured scenes around the festival in Aswan, Egypt's southernmost city known as the country's ancient gateway. Captions by Elle Kurancid.
According to the World Health Organization, 1.3 million people died from tuberculosis in 2022. The disease is fully treatable but relies on timely diagnosis. Mireille Kamariza, a molecular bioengineer from the University of California, Los Angeles, has developed a test that can detect the bacteria quickly, precisely and inexpensively. VOA’s Genia Dulot has the story.
Washington — A majority of Americans believe that China uses TikTok to shape U.S. public opinion, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted as Washington moves closer to potentially banning the Chinese-owned short-video app. Some 58% of respondents to the two-day poll, which closed on Tuesday, agreed with a statement that the Chinese government uses TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance, to "influence American public opinion." Some 13% disagreed, and the rest were unsure or didn't answer the question. Читать дальше...
TBILISI — Georgian lawmakers tussled in parliament on Wednesday as lawmakers resumed debating the second reading of a bill on "foreign agents" that has sparked weeks of protest, and a violent police crackdown on Tuesday. Georgian television showed commotion in the chamber. One pro-government deputy was seen throwing a book at opposition legislators, while others shouted and physically confronted opponents. The foreign agent bill has prompted an upsurge of violence in Georgia's often-rowdy parliament. Читать дальше...