Month: October 2019

Armed men stormed a mosque in the volatile north of Burkina Faso as worshippers were at prayer, killing 16 people and sending residents fleeing, security sources and locals said Saturday. The attack on the Grand Mosque in the town of Salmossi on Friday evening underscores the difficulties faced by the country in its battle against jihadists. One source said 13 people died at the scene and three succumbed to their injuries later. Two of the wounded are in critical condition. “Since this morning, people have started to flee the area,” one resident from the nearby town of Gorom-Gorom said. He said there was a “climate of panic despite military reinforcements” that were deployed after the deadly attack. Although hit by jihadist violence, many Burkinabes oppose the presence of foreign troops — notably from former colonial ruler France — on their territory. French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore in Lyon, France, Oct. 9, 2019, during the meeting of international lawmakers, health leaders and people affected by HIV, Tuberculosis and malaria. Terrorism, foreign military On Saturday, a crowd of about 1,000 people marched in the capital Ouagadougou “to denounce terrorism and the presence of foreign military bases in Africa.” “Terrorism has now become an ideal pretext for installing foreign military bases in our country,” said Gabin Korbeogo, one of co-organizers of the march. “The French, American, Canadian, German and other armies have set foot in our sub-region, saying they want to fight terrorism. But …

Britain remains a long way from agreeing on a final Brexit deal and the next few days will be critical if it is to reach departure terms with the European Union, a Downing Street source said Saturday. Negotiators for Britain and the EU entered intense talks over the weekend to see if they can break the Brexit impasse before a crucial summit next week and a deadline for Britain to leave the bloc Oct. 31. News of progress in the talks sent financial markets surging Friday after Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar identified a pathway to a deal following months of acrimony. But on Saturday the deputy leader of the Northern Irish party that holds a key role in the talks signaled his concern about the mooted proposal and the Downing Street source said Britain remained ready to leave without a deal if needed. “We’ve always wanted a deal,” the person said, on condition of anonymity. “It is good to see progress, but we will wait to see if this is a genuine breakthrough. “We are a long way from a final deal and the weekend and next week remain critical to leaving with a deal on Oct. 31. We remain prepared to leave without a deal on Oct. 31,” the source said. Ireland’s Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, right, and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson pose for a photograph at Thornton Manor Hotel, Oct. 10, 2019, as they met for Brexit talks. The Sunday Times newspaper reported …

Turkey’s military said it captured a key Syrian border town under heavy bombardment Saturday in its most significant gain since an offensive against Kurdish fighters began four days ago, with no sign of relenting despite mounting international criticism. Turkish troops entered central Ras al-Ayn, according to Turkey’s Defense Ministry and a war monitor group. The ministry tweeted: “Ras al-Ayn’s residential center has been taken under control through the successful operations in the east of Euphrates” River. It marked the biggest gain made by Turkey since the invasion began Wednesday. The continued push by Turkey into Syria comes days after President Donald Trump pulled U.S. forces out of the area, making Turkey’s air and ground offensive possible, and said he wanted to stop getting involved with “endless wars.” Trump’s decision drew swift bipartisan criticism that he was endangering regional stability and risking the lives of Syrian Kurdish allies who brought down the Islamic State group in Syria. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces was the main U.S. ally in the fight and lost 11,000 fighters in the nearly five-year battle against IS. Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters have made gains recently capturing several northern villages in fighting and bombardment that left dozens of people killed or wounded. The invasion also has forced nearly 100,000 people to flee their homes amid concerns that IS might take advantage of the chaos and try to rise again after its defeat in Syria earlier this year. Redor Khalil, a Kurdish official in the Syrian …

Helicopters plucked people from their flooded homes Sunday as rescue efforts went into full force in wide areas of Japan, including Tokyo, after a powerful typhoon unleashed heavy rainfall, leaving at least four dead and 17 missing. Typhoon Hagibis made landfall south of Tokyo Saturday and moved northward. More than 100 people were also injured in its wake, according to public broadcaster NHK, as the numbers kept growing. An aerial view shows a Japan Self-Defense Force helicopter flying over residential areas flooded by the Chikuma River following Typhoon Hagibis in Nagano, Japan, Oct. 13, 2019, in this photo taken by Kyodo. News footage showed a rescue helicopter hovering in a flooded area in Nagano prefecture where an embankment of the Chikuma River broke. The chopper plucked those stranded on the second floor of a home submerged in muddy waters. A stretch of Fukushima, in the city of Date, was also flooded with only rooftops of residential homes visible in some areas. Parts of nearby Miyagi prefecture were also under water. The Tama River, which runs by Tokyo, overflowed its banks. Authorities warned of a risk of mudslides. Among the reported deaths were those whose homes were buried in landslides. Other fatalities included people who were swept away by raging rivers. Power out for thousands About 286,000 homes were without electricity. Several train service in the Tokyo area resumed early morning, although others were undergoing safety checks and were expected to restart later Sunday. Ruling party politician Fumio Kishida said the …

A large section of a Hard Rock Hotel under construction at the edge of New Orleans’ historic French Quarter collapsed Saturday amid blinding dust and flying debris, killing one person, injuring more than 20 and leaving two unaccounted as rescue workers hastened to enter what was left of the largely unstable building. Nearby buildings were evacuated and a 270-foot (82-meter) construction crane — one of two still looming over the multi-story building — also was dangerously unstable, Fire Chief Tim McConnell said. “There is a very strong possibility of further collapse of this crane right now,” McConnell said.   McConnell said urban search and rescue teams on Saturday afternoon were entering a section of the building in hopes of finding the two missing people alive.  Neither of the missing people had been spotted, but McConnell said authorities believe they know their approximate locations based on talks with other survivors of the collapse. Camera-equipped drones were used to get closer views of the wreckage from the air but did not capture any sign of the missing. One man who had been unaccounted for turned out to have gone to a local hospital, authorities said. Officials said 18 other people were transported to the hospital from the scene and “several” others reported to hospitals on their own. No life-threatening injuries were reported among the known survivors.  McConnell said one of the missing is believed to be in a relatively stable part of the wrecked building. Another was believed to be in a …

A heavy downpour and strong winds pounded Tokyo and surrounding areas Saturday as a powerful typhoon forecast as the worst in six decades approached landfall, with streets and train stations deserted and shops shuttered. Store shelves were bare after people stocked up on water and food. Nearby beaches had not a surfer in sight, only towering dashing waves. Typhoon Hagibis, closing in from the Pacific, brought heavy rainfall in wide areas of Japan ahead of its landfall, including Shizuoka and Mie prefectures, southwest of Tokyo, as well as Chiba to the north, which had suffered power outages and damaged homes from last month’s typhoon. Under gloomy skies, a tornado ripped through Chiba Saturday, overturning a car in the city of Ichihara and killing a man inside, city official Tatsuya Sakamaki said. Five people were also injured when the tornado ripped through a house. Their injuries were not life-threatening, Sakamaki said. Men watch the Isuzu River, swollen because of heavy rain caused by Typhoon Hagibis in Ise, central Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo, Oct. 12, 2019. The rains caused rivers to swell, flipped anchored boats and whipped up sea waters in a dangerous surge along the coast, flooding some residential neighborhoods and leaving people to wade in ankle-deep waters. Authorities also warned of mudslides, common in mountainous Japan. Rugby World Cup matches, concerts and other events have been canceled. Flights were grounded and train services halted. Authorities acted quickly, with warnings issued earlier this week, including urging people to …

Edwin Bernard, 73, is no stranger to flames that have frequently menaced his sunburned corner of Los Angeles, but they never arrived as quickly or came as close to his home before. Fire swept down the hill across the street and spit embers over his home of 30 years, sizzling through dry grass and igniting trees and bushes. He and his wife scrambled to go, leaving behind medication, photo albums and their four cats. “It was a whole curtain of fire,” Bernard said. “There was fire on all sides. We had to leave.” Bernard’s home and the cats left inside survived — barely. His backyard was charred. Bernard and his wife were among some 100,000 residents ordered out of their homes because of a wind-driven wildfire that broke out Thursday evening in the San Fernando Valley. It spread westward through tinder-dry brush in hilly subdivisions on the outskirts of the nation’s second-largest city and was only 13% contained Friday night. Los Angeles City firefighters battle the Saddleridge fire near homes in Sylmar, Calif., Oct. 10, 2019. Fire officials said 13 buildings were destroyed, many probably homes. Another 18 were damaged. A middle-aged man who was near the fire went into cardiac arrest and died after apparently trying to fight the fire himself, authorities said. Those under mandatory evacuation orders packed shelters. On Friday, police allowed some to return to their homes for five minutes to gather precious items. They won’t be allowed to return permanently until the danger had passed. …

Jane Fonda was arrested at the U.S. Capitol Friday while peacefully protesting climate change. The actress and activist was handcuffed on the east side steps and escorted into a police vehicle. Video of the arrest circulated online. Fonda was one of 16 people arrested for unlawfully protesting and was charged with “crowding, obstructing or incommoding.” She was released hours later. On Thursday, the actress vowed to join Friday protests at the Capitol “inspired and emboldened by the incredible movement our youth have created.” Ira Arlook, of the group Fire Drill Fridays, confirmed that Fonda was arrested at the inaugural demonstration Friday. Before her arrest, Fonda in a speech called climate change “a collective crisis that demands collective action now.” …

From celebrities to paparazzi, media crews to music bands, hundreds gathered and attended the fourth annual Slemani International Film Festival in Sulaymaniyah city of Iraqi Kurdistan. This year, 154 films from 78 countries are competing to win awards in different categories. VOA’s Rebaz Majeed has more in this report narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.    …

The Human Life Protection Act, passed in May, will impose a near-total ban on abortions in Alabama starting in November 2019. Court challenges make it unlikely the bill will be allowed to go into effect, but it is one of many recently passed state laws that ban abortion and make no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. Andrey Nazarbekian traveled to Huntsville where the only abortion clinic in the state still operates.   …

Editor’s note: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was named Friday as this year’s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In late May, he gave his first interview to a Western news organization when he spoke to the Voice of America’s Horn of Africa service reporter Eskinder Firew, in Addis Ababa, in Amharic. These highlights from their conversation have been edited for brevity and clarity. For the past year, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has led Ethiopia through dramatic changes. Entrenched ethnic tensions and complex regional conflicts have posed ongoing challenges to the young leader’s reform agenda, but he remains resolute in his desire to make the most of his time in office. Abiy spoke to VOA’s Eskinder Firew about Ethiopia’s relationship with neighbor Eritrea, judicial reforms and the imprint he hopes to leave. Eskinder Firew: On the occasion of your first anniversary as prime minister, you said, “I am only planning to elevate Ethiopia to high standards, awaken the public and lift up a country that is hanging its head. I don’t have any other ill intentions other than that.” What did you mean by that? Abiy Ahmed: I don’t believe that it’s proper to stay in power for long periods of time. And as long as I have power, I believe that I should use that to change people’s lives. But within my efforts working to bring change, there may be errors — but all of my intention and action is aimed at elevating Ethiopia. My agenda is not to …

Labor rights advocates are warning that an Oct. 1 U.S. ban on imports from a Malaysian rubber glove maker over evidence of forced labor won’t be the country’s last if employers fail to act quickly to mend conditions for long-suffering migrant workers. Washington announced the ban on the Malaysian firm WRP Asia Pacific along with products from four other countries because of evidence that they were being made with forced labor. Other companies and commodities include a Chinese apparel maker and gems from Zimbabwe’s Marange Diamond Fields. The importers hit with the U.S. “withhold release orders” can either re-export the shipments that have arrived or prove that they were not made with forced labor to get them through customs. “Our message here is clear,” Brenda Smith, executive assistant commissioner in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Trade, told reporters in Washington. “If you are a trading partner that does not abide by and uphold your commitments to end child or forced labor, the U.S. will do what it takes to protect vulnerable workers from exploitation, safeguard American jobs and create a fair and level playing field for companies and countries that do play by the rules.” Andy Hall, a migrant worker rights specialist, told VOA that forced labor remains “systemic” throughout Malaysia’s manufacturing sector. He said he helped with the U.S. probe of WRP and was told by U.S. authorities that several more Malaysian companies in the rubber glove industry and others, more than a dozen in all, were …

French carmaker Renault dismissed its chief executive officer on Friday, overhauling its leadership once again after the jailing of its previous chairman and CEO. It came days after Nissan, with which Renault shares a deep alliance, named a new CEO, indicating the two companies were intent on cleaning house after a scandal over former chief Carlos Ghosn rattled their upper ranks. The decision by the board to dismiss Thierry Bollore was effective immediately. Bollore replaced Ghosn after the former CEO was jailed in Tokyo in last November on charges of falsifying financial reports in under-reporting compensation and breach of trust. Ghosn, who led the Nissan-Renault alliance, is currently awaiting trial and denies wrongdoing. The company said Bollore will be replaced on an interim basis by current Chief Financial Officer Clotilde Delbos. Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard will become president during the interim period. Renault owns 43% of Nissan but their alliance came under strain after Ghosn’s jailing. Renault considered a merger offer from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles that would have created the world’s third-largest automaker, but the talks fell apart due to concern over Nissan’s role. …

More small scale farmers in central Kenya have switched from growing food crops to planting and harvesting an herbal stimulant known locally as “Muguka” – a variety of the drug, Khat.  The farmers say they now make almost three times as much from growing the drug instead of food crops, but the local county government wants farmers to create a balance between producing “Muguka” and food.  Rael Ombuor has more from Embu, Kenya. …

EMBU, KENYA – More small scale farmers in central Kenya have switched from growing food crops to planting and harvesting an herbal stimulant known locally as “Muguka” – a variety of the drug, Khat.  The farmers say they now make almost three times as much from growing the drug instead of food crops, but the local county government wants farmers to create a balance between producing “Muguka” and food.  Rael Ombuor has more from Embu, Kenya. 41-year-old Wilkister Njeri grows Muguka at her farm in Embu county in central Kenya. It is the crop that puts food on the table and will provide, she hopes, the money to send her 18-year old son to college next year.     She used to farm maize, but it was not profitable.  “I used 5,000 Kenya shillings to plough, I bought fertilizer worth 3,000 Kenya shillings and two bags of maize, one of which cost 700 Kenya shillings,” she says. ” Everything cost me more than 10,000 Kenya shillings but I did not harvest anything. We got little rain, and that happened for about two seasons.”   Wilkister cleared her maize and planted Muguka in two of her three acre farm. She now makes on average 20,000 Kenyan shillings, or about $190 (U.S. dollars) a week.   Muguka is a variety of Khat that is a green and bushy. It is a stimulant that produces a mild high when chewed.  The crop is fast growing and does well in the semi-arid lowlands of …

Sudan’s ruling council has appointed the country’s first woman chief justice. The appointment is seen as another step forward for female representation in the new transitional government.  The Sovereign Council has officially confirmed the pick of Neemat Abdullah as chief justice of the country’s judiciary, a first in Sudan and the entire Arab world. Many in Sudan see the appointment as a major step forward for Sudanese women. Researcher and politican Nahid Jabrallah, the founder of the Sima center for children, said the appointment of Judge Neemat Abdullah is a victory for Sudanese women and very symbolic of Sudanese women’s participation in the 30-year fight [against Bashir].  It also shows a commitment to women and women’s issues. Sudan’s Copts See Hope in Appointment of First Christian Sudanese Copts who fled Bashir era begin returning with new hopes for equal rights Abdullah was initially appointed chief justice soon after military leaders and the opposition signed a power-sharing agreement in August.  She was quickly replaced, only to be re-appointed after huge street protests. The demonstrators demanded an unbiased judiciary, which they think Abdullah can provide based on her background. She has been a judge in the High Court for years, and has never been a part of a political party, unlike most judges at her level, the majority of whom were loyalists to ousted president Omar al-Bashir. At the recent U.N. General Assembly, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Amok praised women’s role in the protests that toppled Bashir and ensured there would be …

The Swedish Academy’s decision to bestow the 2018 Nobel Prize in literature on Polish author Olga Tokarczuk has given a rare morale boost to liberal Poles only three days before a national election that is likely to be won by the country’s right-wing populist party. Tokarczuk, 57, is a literary celebrity in Poland, whose reputation has risen fast in the English-speaking world, particularly after she won the Man Booker International prize in 2018 for her novel “Flights.” She won the Nobel for what the prize committee said was “a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life.” Polish Author Tokarczuk and Austria’s Handke Win Nobel Literature Prize The Swedish Academy did not name a winner for the prize last year following accusation of sexual abuse and other wrongdoing by people connected to the academy But she is not loved by all in her native land. She has been criticized by Polish conservatives _ and received death threats _ for criticizing aspects of the country’s past, including its episodes of anti-Semitism. Some of her works have celebrated the rich ethnic heritage of Poland, which was a cultural and religious melting pot before the Nazi German genocide during World War II and the postwar resettlement of ethnic populations. Her very appearance, with a dreadlock style known as a “plica Polonica” or Polish tangle, which has roots in Polish history, makes her stand out as a progressive icon as the country’s leadership seeks to put …

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has denied that his American counterpart, Donald Trump, tried to blackmail him. Claims that Trump requested a corruption investigation into Hunter Biden, son of Democrat Joe Biden – in return for military aid – are the subject of an impeachment inquiry in the United States. Henry Ridgwell has more from Kyiv. …

Migrants, returned to Mexico to await their U.S. asylum hearings, block the Puerta Mexico international border crossing bridge to demand a faster asylum process, in Matamoros, Mexico, Oct. 10, 2019. U.S. border officials shut down two bridges between the United States and Mexico early Thursday after hundreds of mostly Central American migrants protested at the ports of entry. The demonstration occurred in Matamoros, the Mexican city across from Brownsville, Texas. “Bridge traffic at Gateway International Bridge and B&M International Bridges was temporarily halted at about 1:30 a.m. after a group of 250 to 300 migrants without entry documents had gathered at the midpoint of the Gateway Bridge,” a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official told VOA. Traffic at the B&M International Bridge resumed roughly two hours later. But traffic at Gateway Bridge remained closed in both directions more than seven hours later, the CBP official said. Mexican media at the scene reported the protesters were primarily Honduran and attempted to cross into the U.S. as a single large group overnight. They were demanding immediate processing of their requests for asylum in the United States, according to a report from Mexico City-based radio, MVS Noticias. Photos posted by Mexican journalists on social media show men and women standing or lying down on the bridge. Sigue cerrado el puente nuevo internacional migrante centro americanos lo mantienen bloqueado a #Matamoros#Tamaulipaspic.twitter.com/Oe00D3TtCF — Esteban Martinez (@Martinez1MX) October 10, 2019 Brownsville is one of the ports of entry where a temporary U.S. court was built to …

To mark World Mental Health Day, the International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for greater psycho-social support for millions of people caught in violence and armed conflict. A survey finds more than one in five people in conflict-affected areas live with a mental health condition ranging from depression and anxiety to post-traumatic stress.  That is three times more than the general population worldwide. Despite the growing problem, the International Committee of the Red Cross says mental health conditions among people subjected to war and violence are generally overlooked. It warns the hidden wounds will have long-term, even life-threatening impacts, if left untreated. Ida Andersen is ICRC lead psychologist for Africa. She works with people in crisis in countries such as Nigeria, the Central African Republic, Burundi and South Sudan.  She says people exposed to extreme violence often have sleep disorders, including insomnia or nightmares. Some suffer from schizophrenia, become overly aggressive or have suicidal tendencies. She tells VOA on Skype from Nairobi that mental health needs for victims of war are as important as water, food and shelter. She says therapeutic help must be part of an integrated response. “Mental health and psycho-social needs need to be considered along with other needs and the response to them should occur simultaneously…It is about providing what is needed as soon as it is needed,” said Andersen. Andersen says talking about problems is what works best with adults in distress. Drawing, however, works best with children. “We carry out these mental …