A US election watch party in Kenya, excitement at first, followed by disappointment

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nairobi, kenya — In a vibrant Nairobi community center, American citizens living in Kenya gathered with palpable excitement early Wednesday to watch the U.S. election results unfold. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as expatriates shared snacks and stories, their eyes glued to screens displaying real-time updates.

As the results of the U.S elections trickled in, a mix of American citizens and local Kenyan friends anxiously monitored the results.

Robyn Emerson, an American expatriate in Nairobi and chairperson of Democrats Abroad Kenya, which organized the event, said all American citizens were invited to the event, regardless of the party they support.

“American voters have come to a central place so that we can be together and watch the election come in so that we can really celebrate the right to vote,” Emerson said. “That we have done our part; we participated in a democratic process. And watching how the different states are coming in, and the results that are there.”

Bentley Wilson, an independent voter from the western state of Utah, agreed.

“It’s important for us to see each other as one country. And no matter whether we go for a certain party, it’s important for us to come together because it’s our country’s significance that’s at stake,” Wilson said. “So, we better come together. I like coming together no matter whether I’m leaning one side or another, to come together with citizens of my country to support the cause of … choosing an elected official.”

The Democrats Abroad Kenyan chapter estimates that approximately 30,000 American expatriates reside in the country.

Tom Wolf, an American researcher based in Nairobi, said most expatriates are keen to engage in the election process back home.

“They are well educated people … or they wouldn’t be allowed to stay in Kenya, they wouldn’t have jobs here,” Wolf said. “Whether they are diplomats or businesspeople, or with NGOs. So, they tend to be of higher education levels than the averages in their home countries. And we all know from studies of voting that people with higher education levels are more likely to vote.”

Lisa Maroni, a native of Detroit, said the event provided her with a special opportunity to interact with fellow citizens.

“I’m so grateful for the community in Kenya. I think it’s really special. I’ve lived in other countries and never had such an opportunity to spend time with other Americans and friends,” she said. “There are some allies from other countries here who are interested in what’s happening in the country, and I’m just very grateful to have somewhere to share that experience.”

Given that the event was organized by Democratic Party supporters, the early morning excitement began to dissipate as it became clear that their candidate, Kamala Harris, was losing to the Republican, former president Donald Trump.

Wilson, a Harris supporter, was among the disappointed people.

“I was really hopeful that we would vote the first U.S. woman and woman of color president this year,” Wilson said.

Disappointed in the results, most of the participants started leaving the event and it ended earlier than scheduled.
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Bangladesh interim government revokes credentials of 50 journalists

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Washington — Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include a response from the Bangladesh Embassy sent after publication.

The Bangladesh government has revoked the press credentials of dozens of journalists in a move that critics call an “alarming” form of censorship.

The interim Information Ministry in the past week scrapped the accreditation of over 50 journalists.

Over 20 senior journalists had their credentials revoked on October 30, and another 30 suffered the same fate on Sunday, local media reported.

Some of those affected include Zafar Wazed, former director-general of the Press Institute of Bangladesh; former press minister Shaban Mahmud; and journalists at outlets including ATN News, Ekattor TV, and The Dhaka Times, according to the Dhaka Tribune.

Some media watchdogs said journalists who were supportive of the ousted Awami League political party appear to have been mainly affected.

The Awami League government fell in August after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country after 15 years of power. Since then, an interim government has been formed under Nobel-laureate Muhammad Yusuf to prepare the country for new elections.

In response to a query for comment, the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, after publication, directed VOA to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The ministry did not immediately respond to VOA’s email sent Wednesday.  

The revoking of press credentials should be protested because of its “chilling” effect on other journalists in the country and around the world, Celia Mercier of Reporters Without Borders, known as RSF, told VOA in an email.

“Such decisions threaten the growth of opposition media,” she said. “This will encourage self-censorship, and critical space in media will shrink.”

Media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists also condemned the action, saying on social media, “The interim authorities must safeguard press freedom during this critical period of the country’s political transition.”

Hasina’s fall was prompted by student-led mass protests over proposed changes in university admissions policies and a deadly response by security forces. During the unrest, five journalists were killed, and others were beaten and fired at.

Reporters at the time told VOA they were being threatened for their coverage.

The country currently ranks 165 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index, where 1 shows the best environment. RSF, which compiles the index, described the country as a “hostile” environment for journalists, where editors often avoid challenging the government.

During the last months of Hasina’s rule, “draconian” laws for journalists emerged in the country, according to RSF.

Her government introduced the Cyber Security Act in January, which allows authorities to imprison journalists for up to 14 years for publishing content that goes against the prime minister and the party in power.
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Kenyan security forces accused of abduction, deaths of protesters

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NAIROBI, KENYA — Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused Kenyan security forces of abducting, torturing and killing people believed to be leaders of anti-government protests that took place between June and August.

The group said security officers held abductees in unlawful detention facilities, including in forests and abandoned buildings, and denied them access to their families and lawyers.

Mary Muthoni Mwangi of Kirinyaga, in rural central Kenya, said she lost her son in the protests, in which thousands of young Kenyans demonstrated against a bill that would have increased taxes.

Her son, 20-year-old Kennedy Njeru, took part in a protest on June 25, she said, when demonstrators stormed the parliament after lawmakers passed the tax increase.

Mwangi said she searched for her son for four days, finally finding his body in the city mortuary. She said a postmortem examination found a bullet wound to his head.

Human rights groups say 61 people were killed across the country during the weeks of protests.

Human Rights Watch blamed Kenyan security agencies for the abduction, torture and killing of people seen as leading or taking part in the demonstrations.

Mausi Segun, head of HRW’s Africa division, said, “Whoever the initial abductors were, the police were involved because people were taken to police stations and many times the torture happened while people were in police custody.”

She added, “Those who are dead, we don’t have details of what happened to them, but people who witnessed their abduction said that individuals who took them away were clearly security agents.”

HRW researchers spoke to 75 people, including victims, family members, journalists, parliament staff and police officers.

The interviewees said that police officers hunted down protesters. But because the officers wore plain clothes, covered their faces and traveled in unmarked vehicles, it was difficult for family members, rights groups, lawyers and government agencies to trace victims’ whereabouts.

Segun said some of those taken away were tortured and killed.

“Many of the bodies of those who have been abducted have showed up sometimes on the streets, sometimes in quarries, unmarked places where they have been dumped,” she said.

“Many of those bodies have shown signs of torture and dismemberment of body parts, showing what they went through at the hands of their captors,” she said. “Many of these bodies have not been released to family members.”

Kenyan security forces deny that their officers were behind the abductions and killings.

President William Ruto, speaking at a town hall gathering in Kisumu in late August, said he was not aware of any abductions and called on family members to forward the names to the government to take action.

Human Rights Watch said reports of abductions, missing people and killings are well documented and called on the president and other government institutions to hold those responsible to account.

On September 24, Mary Mwangi was among dozens of activists and victims’ family members who tried to submit a list of the missing and dead to the president’s office.

They were driven back with teargas.

Ruto ultimately declined to sign the tax increase into law.
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UN finds surge in Afghan opium poppy cultivation despite Taliban ban

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ISLAMABAD — The United Nations reported Wednesday that the cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan has increased by an estimated 19% in the second full year since the country’s de facto Taliban authorities banned the crop, but cultivation remains far below pre-ban levels.

The resurgence comes after a dramatic 95% decline in 2023 when the ban nearly wiped out poppy cultivation throughout much of the impoverished South Asian nation, which has long been the world’s leading supplier of the raw material for heroin, according to the report from the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime, or UNODC.

The Taliban outlawed the cultivation of narcotics nationwide in April 2022, months after sweeping back to power in Afghanistan, which led to a massive decline in opium poppy production.

The U.N. survey, published Wednesday, noted the ban remains largely effective.

“In 2024, the area under cultivation was estimated at 12,800 hectares, or 19% more than in 2023. Despite the increase, opium poppy cultivation is still far below the prior ban levels,” the survey stated. It noted that an estimated 232,000 hectares were cultivated in the country in 2022.

The U.N. report said that the increase in Afghan poppy cultivation came with a geographic shift this year. “While southwest Afghanistan has traditionally been the country’s opium hub, 59% of opium cultivation this year has taken place in provinces in the northeast.”

The survey indicated that dry opium prices have slightly stabilized in the first half of 2024, at around $730 per kilogram, saying that the price is several times higher than the long-standing pre-ban average of $100.

The U.N. report said that cultivation in northeastern Afghan provinces bordering Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan surged 381% this year to 7,563 hectares, four times the area cultivated in the southwest, the second-biggest producer. Most of the northeast’s production was concentrated in Badakhshan, a mountainous Afghan province sharing an international border with China, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.

The survey warned that high prices and dwindling opium stocks in the country may tempt Afghan farmers to ignore the Taliban’s ban and potentially lead to a resurgence in poppy farming in areas outside traditional cultivation centers, including neighboring countries.

The U.N. stressed that Afghan farmers in the impoverished, war-torn South Asian nation urgently need sustainable economic opportunities to enhance their resilience and discourage them from relying on poppy cultivation.

“With opium cultivation remaining at a low level in Afghanistan, we have the opportunity and responsibility to support Afghan farmers to develop sustainable sources of income, free from illicit markets,” said Ghada Waly, UNODC executive director.

“The women and men of Afghanistan continue to face dire financial and humanitarian challenges, and alternative livelihoods are urgently needed,” Waly added.

Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the U.N. mission in Kabul, hailed the survey findings.

“This is important further evidence that opium cultivation has indeed been reduced, and this will be welcomed by Afghanistan’s neighbors, the region, and the world,” Otunbayeva stated.

She also cautioned, however, that rural Afghan communities have lost a vital income source and urgently require international assistance to ensure a sustainable shift away from opium production. “If we want this transition to be sustainable … they desperately need international support.”

Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, following the withdrawal of the United States-led NATO forces after nearly two decades of involvement in the Afghan war, no country has formally recognized them as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan.

The fundamentalist de facto Afghan leaders have imposed their strict interpretation of Islamic law of Sharia, banning female education beyond the sixth grade and prohibiting most Afghan women from working in public and private sectors.

Restrictions on Afghan women and other human rights concerns have discouraged the international community from engaging with the Taliban in economic and development cooperation, although humanitarian assistance continues in a country where millions of people are in urgent need. 
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Toxic smog wreathes India’s capital as winter nears

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NEW DELHI — A toxic smog shrouded the Indian capital on Tuesday, driving air quality in some areas into the “severe” range ahead of winter, when cold air traps pollutants and brings a spike in respiratory illnesses.

The mix of smoke, emissions, and dust is an annual problem for authorities in New Delhi, with vehicles, construction dust, and smoke from farm fires in the adjoining northern states of Punjab and Haryana among the major contributors.

“The outlook for the subsequent six days: the air quality is likely to be in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ category,” said the earth sciences ministry.

The city’s overall score on an air quality index kept by India’s top pollution authorities was “very poor” at 384, the ministry added, and was likely to stay there until Thursday.

An index range of 401 to 500 falls into the “severe” category, implying it affects healthy people, but is more serious for those already fighting disease.

Ministry data showed farm fires have increasingly swelled the pollution over the last three days, for a share of more than 23% on Monday, from about 15% on Saturday.

About a third of the city’s 39 monitoring stations showed a “severe” score of more than 400 on Tuesday, said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), well short of an air quality score of zero to 50 that it rates as “good.”

Swiss group IQAir also rated Delhi the world’s second most polluted city on Tuesday, after Lahore in neighboring Pakistan, where authorities also took emergency measures in the wake of Sunday’s unprecedented pollution levels.

The government in the eastern province of Punjab, home to Lahore, has blamed deteriorating air quality on pollution wafting in from India, an issue it has vowed to take up with its neighbor through the foreign ministry.
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Two Chinese nationals shot and injured in southern Pakistan

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ISLAMABAD — Authorities in Pakistan said Tuesday that a local security guard at a factory in the southern port city of Karachi shot and injured two Chinese nationals, the third attack this year in the country targeting workers from China.

Zia ul Haq Langar, the home minister of the Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, confirmed the shooting incident, saying it took place in an industrial area. He said an investigation was underway. 

Police officials reported that a “heated argument” and subsequent “scuffle” with the Chinese workers prompted the guard to open fire on them. The foreigners were taken to a local hospital, where one of them was said to be in “critical condition.” 

The shooting comes amid Islamabad’s rare tensions with close ally Beijing that stem from growing security threats to Chinese workers and engineers working on infrastructure development projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI. 

At a seminar in Pakistan’s capital last week, the Chinese ambassador criticized the repeated attacks on Chinese citizens in the country, labeling them as “unacceptable” and a barrier to their investments in the South Asian nation. 

It is extremely rare for Beijing to publicly admonish Islamabad over the security threats to its workers. 

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry, in an unprecedented response, described the Chinese envoy’s remarks as “perplexing” and inconsistent with “the diplomatic traditions” that exist between the two nations.

Last month, a suicide car bomber in Karachi killed two Chinese engineers and wounded another, along with several local security personnel. The Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

In March this year, a suicide car bombing in northwestern Pakistan killed five Chinese workers and their local driver traveling to a major hydropower project in the area. 

The attacks have increased the number of Chinese workers killed in the country to 21 since the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) nearly a decade ago, which is a major infrastructure project stemming from President Xi Jinping’s global BRI plans.

Beijing has repeatedly urged Islamabad to improve security for its nationals working in Pakistan. 

CPEC has resulted in roads and highways, primarily coal-fired power plants in Pakistan, and the strategic deepwater Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea in the southwestern province of Balochistan. 
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Chad president threatens to withdraw from regional force after Boko Haram attack kills over 40 Chad troops

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Yaoundé, Cameroon — Chad says it will withdraw its troops from the United Nations-supported Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, which combats Boko Haram in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

Officials from Chad say its military is not getting enough assistance to fight the terrorist group since an attack last week killed more than 40 of Chad’s soldiers.

Chad’s President Mahamat Idiss Deby says his country will pull out of the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, which has some 11,000 troops, because of the absence of what he calls coordinated efforts among member states troops in jointly fighting Boko Haram terrorism.

A release read on Chad’s state TV on Monday says Deby is surprised at the slow pace at which the task force, a regional group that includes rescue workers, reacts to Boko Haram attacks.

The task force was created in April 2012 by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin and Nigeria to jointly fight Boko Haram and bring back peace in areas affected by terrorism in Lake Chad Basin shared by the five countries.

The African Union, or AU, authorized the force to operate in February 2015. The force says it receives regular technical support from the United Nations to protect civilians affected by terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin. 

Deby did not say when Chad will withdraw troops. The Central African state’s president, however, says Chad’s military will protect civilians from all forms of terrorism, including Boko Haram.

Remadji Hoinathy is a lecturer at the Department of Anthropology at the University of N’Djamena in Chad and a researcher on strategic development in central Africa and the Lake Chad Basin Commission. 

He said Deby is disgruntled because Chad is not receiving the assistance it needs to track and eliminate several hundred Boko Haram fighters who attacked and killed more than 40 Chad government troops in the Lake Chad Basin last week. He said Deby, who is in the Lake Chad area to supervise a security operation to fight the assailants after the deadly attack, is dissatisfied that his troops are not getting immediate assistance from Cameroon, Benin, Niger and Nigeria.

Remadji spoke Monday on Chad state TV.

Chad’s government sait it informed the task force after last week’s attack on its troops in Ngouboua, a western village in Lake Chad, on the island of Bakaram, near the border with Nigeria.     

Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and Benin are yet to react to Deby’s threats to pull his troops from the task force.

The statement about Chad troops leaving was issued after media reports that the central African state’s military recently deployed to fight Boko Haram mistakenly killed at least a dozen fishermen in Lake Chad thinking that they were militants.

Chad’s government said reports that its fighter jets bombed the fishermen were unfounded. 

Belngar Larme Laguerre is the president of Chad’s National Commission on Human Rights. He spoke via a messaging app from N’Djamena.

He said Boko Haram hides among civilians or uses civilians as human shields when attacked, but that Chad troops are well-trained to find terrorists hiding among civilians. He said he has not received complaints from civilians that the Chad soldiers deployed to fight Boko Haram last week disrespected human rights.

Local media reported that the attack on fishermen took place in Tilma, an island on the border with Nigeria. 

VOA could not independently verify if there was an attack on civilians.

Some 40,000 people have been killed and 3 million have fled their homes since 2009, when fighting between Nigerian government troops and Boko Haram militants degenerated into an armed conflict and spread to Cameroon, Niger and Chad, according to the United Nations. 
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Nigerian president orders release of underage protesters following outrage

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Abuja, Nigeria — Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate release Monday of some 29 minors detained during anti-government protests in August after their court trial sparked outrage and widespread condemnation.

The protesters faced treason charges punishable by death according to Nigerian law.

But human rights groups saaid recent suppression of protesters is an attempt by authorities to stifle dissent.

Nigeria’s information minister, Mohammed Idris, told reporters that Tinubu ordered the immediate release of all minors arraigned in connection with the anti-government protests in early August.

He said Tinubu also called for a probe of the security operatives involved in their arrest and ordered the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to help rehabilitate the minors.

The children were among 76 protesters who had been detained since early August. They appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, most of them looking frail and sick. 

Their arraignment sparked widespread condemnation of the government by human rights groups including Amnesty International.

Amnesty said putting underage protesters on trial shows the government’s disregard for the rule of law, and it called for the minors to be released unconditionally and immediately. 

Among the charges they face are treason and attempting to destabilize the government. 

Under Nigerian law, treason is punishable by a possible death sentence.

“Any form of trial that has a child as a defendant is illegal, unconstitutional and null and void,” said Marshal Abubakar, a lawyer for the protesters. “We have informed the court through our notice of criminal objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to try those children.”

Abubaker said the proceedings were a violation of the children’s fundamental human rights.

Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission also criticized the trial, accusing authorities of manipulating state institutions to punish citizens. 

In early August, many Nigerians took to the streets to denounce government policies they said had increased the cost of living. 

 

The so-called “Ten Days of Rage” protests aimed to pressure the government to abandon unpopular economic policies. However, security forces cracked down and quelled the demonstrations.  

Nigerian police accused the protesters of attempting to foment violence.  

Before the minors were ordered to be released, Nigerian police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the protesters were criminally liable even if they were underage.  

“Once you’re more than 7 [years old], you can be charged to court,” said Muyiwa Adejobi of the national police. “The only thing is that you need to follow certain procedures to do that. The youngest should be 13. So, we have charged them to court on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria, because these are those who actually leveraged on the protests, they hijacked the protests, and they’re so violent.” 

Last year, Tinubu introduced several reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies, which he says will boost Nigeria’s economy.  

But citizens facing higher living costs have been pushing back against the policies and have blamed the government for their hardship.

Abubakar said the government wants to curb demonstrations of any kind.

“Over the months this government has shown that they are interested in curtailing the civic space and denying Nigerians of their fundamental human rights to dissent and to demand for a better life for themselves,” Abubakar said.

 
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Somali Americans gear up for US elections

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Somali Americans in Minnesota last month took part in a town hall involving Democratic and Republican party representatives encouraging them to participate in the 2024 election, arguing the stakes are high for them and their grandchildren.

During a VOA town hall event in Minneapolis, Somali Americans listened to remarks by panelists from both political parties, who answered questions about the economy, immigration, and foreign policy, explaining what their candidate would do to win the votes of Somali Americans.

Economic policy

While many Somali Americans are traditionally Democratic-leaning, there are rising numbers who support former President Donald Trump, crediting him for stronger economic conditions during his presidency, despite concerns over his immigration policies.

Faisal Deri, chair of the African Republicans of Minnesota, urged Somali Americans to vote for Trump, stating that Somali Americans, including truck drivers, experienced positive economic conditions during his presidency.

“Truck drivers’ business was thriving, with a high volume of work and plenty of income flowing in. That brought significant money into the community, and they were able to send substantial support to their relatives in Somalia. But, under [President Joe] Biden’s term, business was down, and many have been forced to park their trucks,” Deri said.

Nimo Ahmed, a Democrat and an activist, is the chair of the Somali American Coalition Action Fund. She said there’s no way the community will vote for Trump, claiming his policies primarily benefit millionaires.

“[Vice President Kamala] Harris will support small businesses, which are essential for many Somali families in Minnesota who run small stores. Trump had focused on supporting millionaires and would continue to do so, but we are middle-class people, and only the Democratic Party truly supports the middle class,” Ahmed said.

Habon Abdulle, director of Ayada Leads, an organization that empowers African diaspora women, stressed that it is crucial for everyone to vote.

“Vote for whoever you choose, but please vote, because your vote reflects your values and who you’re negotiating with. Please make your voice heard,” Abdulle said.

On the economy, the other questions posed to the panelists included: Why is the U.S. spending billions of dollars on foreign wars while homelessness persists in America? What actions can Harris take to address high interest rates, given the community’s desire for affordable homeownership?

In response, Deri asserted that the ongoing wars abroad have contributed to rising interest rates. He noted that when Trump was in office, interest rates were low, allowing many Somalis to purchase homes. However, that is no longer the case, as affordability has decreased.

“If Trump returns to the White House, his first action would be to end the wars and cut foreign aid to Ukraine, rearranging those funds for use within the United States,” Deri said.

Nimo Ahmed defended Harris on economic policies, asserting that her policies aim to support lower and middle-class Americans.

Immigration policy

Trump’s plans for “mass deportations” as well as tightening immigration policy are also concerns for Somali Americans, as well as a travel ban that affected many foreign visitors during his last term in office. Community members said they worry reinstating travel bans could halt family reunifications, and mass deportations could impact many Somali residents in the United States.

Ahmed, the Democrat party supporter, said Trump’s policies would not be good for Somali American communities.

“Trump doesn’t respect immigrants and has referred to them as ‘poisoning the blood.’ We must support Harris to prevent deportations so Somalis without legal status can live with dignity here. When Trump talks about ‘poisoning the blood,’ he’s including some Somalis in that group, so we need to protect them,” Ahmed said.

In contrast, Deri, the Republican panelist, argued that Trump’s immigration policies focus on preventing criminals from entering the United States, a benefit to all American communities, including Somalis.

“The deportation policy targets criminals who bring drugs into the country, which especially harms minorities like us. The focus isn’t on Somalis, and each country’s rules must be respected,” Deri said.

Foreign policy

Ahead of the election, opinion surveys have indicated that many American Muslims oppose the Biden administration’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas. During the VOA town hall, some participants questioned why they should support Harris when there seems to have been no significant action in ending the conflict in Gaza.

“I don’t support Biden and Harris for failing to establish a cease-fire in Gaza. It’s disheartening, but Trump doesn’t have anything for Gazans; their lives would only be worse if he were to be elected. I prefer Harris’s party because they can be held accountable, while Trump’s administration lacks that accountability,” Democrat Nimo Ahmed said.

The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, following a terror attack in southern Israel by Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror group.

Deri, the pro-Republican activist argued that the Biden-Harris administration’s policies have been tested, and they missed their opportunity to deliver aid to Gaza.

“If we vote for Harris, we are rewarding someone who has failed. Trump is a strong leader, and he could potentially resolve the Gaza situation quickly,” Deri said.

Amin Harun, a lawyer in Minneapolis, said the division of opinion among American Muslims is a significant issue.

“Some are voting, some are rejecting, and others are supporting different candidates. Unifying the voices of Muslims is essential for expressing their collective thoughts,” Harun said.

Abdulle, the director of the Ayada Leads organization, underscored the importance of voting.

“Even if you don’t vote for the president, you need to participate in local elections, vote for local seats so that your votes make an impact,” Abdulle said.

Ifrah Farah, a town hall attendee, said there should not be a reason to equate the policies of Biden with those of Harris, who she said has her own political agenda.

Farah urged participants to vote, stating, “Elections are crucial. If you’re a citizen of this country, you should vote because it will benefit you and your children in the future.”

As the community gears up for these crucial elections, there are dozens of Somali American candidates vying for seats to represent a rapidly growing immigrant community that has exceeded 300,000.

This story originated in VOA’s Somali Service. The townhall was recorded on October 19, 2024, and was conducted in Somali. The discussion has been translated into English for this story.
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Canadian police arrest 3 men, following violence at Hindu temple

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Canadian officials pressed charges against three people Monday, following the violence that erupted Sunday at a Hindu temple near Toronto where Sikh activists staged a Pro-Khalistan demonstration, according to a Reuters report. 

Local police say a 43-year-old man was charged with causing a disturbance and assaulting a peace officer and a 23-year-old man was charged with assault with a weapon. Meanwhile, a 31-year-old man was charged with mischief. 

In addition, police say they have been made aware of the video of an off-duty police officer who was seen participating in the protest. Police say they are investigating that case and the officer has been suspended. 

The prime ministers of India and Canada have denounced the violence that erupted Sunday at several locations in suburban Toronto, including the Hindu temple. 

“I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the “acts of violence” were unacceptable.

Video of the disturbance at the temple appeared to show an altercation between Hindus and Sikhs that included footage of people hitting each other with flagpoles outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir in the city of Brampton, according to Reuters. It was not clear, however, how the violence was initiated. 

“The Hindu community in Canada is feeling that they are not being provided a safe place for the worship,” Arunesh Giri, president of the Canadian Hindu Foundation told Agence France-Presse. 

A spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry called on Canada to “ensure that all places of worship are protected” from attacks like the ones on Sunday. “We also expect that those indulging in violence will be prosecuted,” the ministry said.

Sikh activists told Reuters that pro-Khalistan activists at the Hindu temple demonstration were protesting the presence of Indian diplomats. The activists said another rally was held at a Sikh temple. 

Khalistan is the Sikh homeland that some activists want created out of India’s Punjab state. Canada is home to the largest Sikh community outside of India. Footage of the disruptions posted on social media shows some people carrying the yellow flags of the pro-Khalistan movement. 

The violence comes amid frayed diplomatic ties between India and Canada. Canada recently expelled six Indian diplomats over the 2023 killing in Canada of a Sikh separatist leader. India’s tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of its diplomats from Canada was to expel six Canadian diplomats from India. 

Canada has accused India of targeting Sikh activists in Canada. India has said that allegation is “absurd and baseless.”  

Some information provided by Reuters and Agence France-Presse. 

 
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Pakistan’s parliament extends army chief’s term amid opposition outcry

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Islamabad — Pakistan’s ruling coalition lawmakers approved a series of bills Monday that extend the terms of the heads of the armed forces, including the military, from three years to five years, despite noisy opposition protests.

The legislative action ensures that Army Chief General Asim Munir, who has been in office for two years, will continue to lead the country’s powerful military at least until November 2027.

The parliamentary proceedings, telecast live, witnessed disruptive protests from lawmakers of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, with some of them tearing up copies of the bills and throwing them at the house speaker.

PTI members argued that the government hastily approved key constitutional amendments without allowing for proper debate, calling the move detrimental to an already fragile democracy in Pakistan. They reiterated their complaints about the ongoing government crackdown on party workers and demanded Khan’s release, asserting that he is being jailed on false charges.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government dismissed PTI’s claims as politically motivated.

“Pakistan’s parliament has pushed through a bill extending the army chief’s tenure from 3 to 5 years, and with little debate,” Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at Washington’s Wilson Center, said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The most powerful post in Pakistan is poised to become even more powerful. When a legislature is reduced to a rubber stamp, democracy is never a winner,” Kugelman wrote.

Sharif took power after general elections in February, which Khan and his party allege were rigged by the military leadership to keep them out of power. Election officials and the army reject the allegations.

Khan, cricket star-turned-prime minister, was removed from office through a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022.

The 72-year-old deposed leader was jailed in August 2023 over controversial allegations of corruption and inciting violence against the military, among dozens of other charges.

Khan rejects all the lawsuits as fabrications by the military, accusing Munir’s predecessor, former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, of orchestrating the downfall of his government. The former prime minister has led a defiant campaign against the military while his party continues to protest in parliament and on the streets, demanding the return of their “stolen mandate.”

Last month, more than 60 Democratic lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to secure the release of Khan and all other political prisoners in Pakistan.

The American lawmakers expressed concern about what they denounced as the “ongoing widespread human rights violations” in the South Asian nation. Without naming Sharif’s coalition government, the letter stated that “Pakistan’s current system amounts to ‘military rule with civilian facade.’”

Islamabad hit back at the letter, saying it is based on “an incorrect understanding of the political situation in Pakistan.”

Pakistan’s military and its intelligence agencies are frequently accused of influencing the rise or fall of elected governments through election rigging and pro-army political parties.

Army generals have staged three coups against elected governments and ruled the South Asian nation for over three decades since it gained independence in 1947. Pakistani politicians, including Khan and several of his predecessors, have publicly stated that military generals influence policy-making even when they are not in power. 
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Widow of slain Pakistani journalist losing hope for justice

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Two years after one of Pakistan’s best-known journalists was killed in Kenya, his widow is losing hope of getting justice. The case comes as media watchdogs highlight Pakistan’s record of failing to investigate attacks on media. Sarah Zaman narrates this story by Tabinda Naeem. Video: Iram Abbasi
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New president says Botswana’s smooth transfer of power sets example

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gabarone, botswana — Botswana’s newly elected leader, Duma Boko, says Africa can draw vital lessons from his country’s smooth transfer of power. Boko spoke after the Botswana Democratic Party, which had ruled the country since independence in 1966, suffered a crushing defeat in last week’s elections.

Addressing the media after an official handover of office Monday, Boko praised outgoing President Mokgweetsi Masisi for ensuring a seamless transfer of power.

Boko’s party, the Umbrella for Democratic Change, will form the next government.

“Botswana today, sends a message to the whole world and says democracy is alive here, democracy is in action,” Boko said. “This is democracy in motion; this is democracy exemplified, sent as an abiding lesson to the whole world to say to the African continent — it must happen, it can happen and when it does, it is one of the most beautiful experiences a country can go through.”

Masisi’s former ruling Botswana Democratic Party was soundly beaten, winning only four out of 61 National Assembly seats. Analysts blamed mounting economic grievances, particularly among young people, for the party’s downfall.

The former president said he had a duty to ensure that the first change of government since 1966 was seamless.

“I knew I had a responsibility to make sure we set a standard, because we have never had a change of government as in a different party taking over in this country,” Masisi said. “So the onerousness of the responsibility on me was massive and I had to lead.”

Masisi, who served only one out of a possible two five-year terms, said he will not run for political office again.

Piers Pigou of the Institute of Security Studies in Pretoria said the smooth transition in Botswana was expected.

“The fact that we have had an expedited and smooth transfer of power should really surprise no one given Botswana’s pedigree,” Pigou said. “Of course, there are many lessons for the region where such reflections of such pluralism are largely absent. One hopes there will be lessons learned.”

Pigou said Botswana has always been a shining example of democracy in the region, backed by independent public institutions.

“Notwithstanding the fact that Botswana has been ruled by one party for almost six decades until this recent election, it is nevertheless held out as an example of democratic practice, strong independent institutions for the most part in the southern Africa region,” he said.

“There have been concerns of late of compromising those institutions, corruption and so forth under the Masisi administration. But I think by and large what this election has showed is that the institutions have held firm.”

Masisi said his hands are clean and is prepared to defend himself if called to answer for any supposed improprieties while in office.
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India’s Modi condemns ‘deliberate’ Canada Hindu temple attack

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New Delhi — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday condemned a “deliberate attack” on a Hindu temple in Canada blamed by some on Sikh activists, as already frosty bilateral ties plunged to a fresh low.

“I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada,” Modi said in a statement on X. “Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats.”

Canada is home to the largest Sikh community outside of India, and includes activists for “Khalistan”, a fringe separatist movement seeking an independent state for the religious minority carved out of Indian territory.

Relations between India and Canada nosedived after Ottawa accused the Indian government of orchestrating the 2023 killing in Vancouver of 45-year-old naturalized Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistan activist.

While India’s foreign ministry has repeatedly denied accusations by Canada, and New Delhi has accused Ottawa for decades of harboring fringe religious extremists, these were Modi’s first comments on the furious diplomatic row.

“Such acts of violence will never weaken India’s resolve. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law,” Modi added.

 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier said that the violence at the Hindu temple on Sunday in Brampton, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Toronto, was “unacceptable”.

Video circulating on social media appears to show individuals carrying yellow Khalistan flags clashing with a rival group, including people holding Indian flags. There were also isolated fist fights, videos show.

India’s foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal had earlier said the attack on the temple was carried “perpetrated by extremists and separatists”, and asked Canada to “ensure that all places of worship are protected” from such attacks.

“We also expect that those indulging in violence will be prosecuted,” he added.

“We remain deeply concerned about the safety and security of Indian nationals in Canada.”

Beyond Nijjar’s killing, Canada has accused India of directing a broad campaign targeting Sikh activists on Canadian soil, which Ottawa says has included intimidation, threats and violence.

Trudeau charged the government of Prime Minister Modi with violating Canadian sovereignty.

India has rejected the allegations.

On Saturday, New Delhi denied that interior minister Amit Shah had plotted to target Sikh activists on Canadian soil, and said it had officially rebuked Ottawa over the “absurd and baseless” allegation.

New Delhi and Ottawa earlier this month each expelled the other’s ambassador and other senior diplomats.
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At least 36 dead in northern India after overcrowded bus skids into deep gorge

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Lucknow, India — A poorly maintained and overcrowded bus veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in northern India on Monday, killing at least 36 people and injuring several others, officials said.

The accident occurred in Almora district in the mountainous state of Uttarakhand. The bus was carrying around 60 people, and more than 20 have been injured, said Deepak Rawat, a senior state government official.

Authorities said earlier they believed there were 42 passengers, which was how many people the bus could accommodate.

Teams of rescue and relief workers were deployed to the site and officials feared the death toll may rise further, especially as seven passengers in hospital were in critical condition.

Television footage showed parts of the bus mangled and destroyed as it lay overturned on a rocky slope, close to a stream. Rescuers were seen working to pull out passengers and carrying bodies on stretchers.

The state’s chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami earlier said rescue teams were working to quickly evacuate the injured passengers to nearby hospitals and that authorities have been instructed to airlift those seriously hurt.

The state government has opened an investigation into the accident, said Vineet Pal, another official in the state. He added that preliminary information suggested that the dilapidated bus skidded before tumbling down a 60 meter-deep gorge.

A number of passengers managed to escape or were thrown out by the impact, and then alerted authorities about the accident. Two transport officials have been suspended for approving a bus that was in poor condition, Pal said.

India has some of the highest road death rates in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people killed and injured annually. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.

In July, at least 18 people died after a double-decker passenger bus collided with a milk truck in Uttar Pradesh state. In May, a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims skidded and rolled into a deep gorge on a mountainous highway in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing at least 21 people.
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India’s factory growth accelerates in October, purchasing managers’ data shows

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BENGALURU, India — India’s manufacturing growth gained momentum in October after decelerating for three months as demand improved significantly, helping in job creation and leading to a better business outlook, according to a business survey released on Monday.

The HSBC final India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, compiled by S&P Global, rose to 57.5 in October from an eight-month low of 56.5 in September and was above a preliminary estimate of 57.4.

“India’s headline manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) picked up substantially in October as the economy’s operating conditions continue to broadly improve,” noted Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC.

“Rapidly expanding new orders and international sales reflect strong demand growth for India’s manufacturing sector.”

The output and new orders sub-indexes rose to three-month highs with a notable increase in demand.

International demand improved from a year-and-a-half low in September. A desire for Indian goods led to orders from Asia, Europe, Latin America and the U.S.

Buoyant demand also boosted the outlook for the year ahead.

“Business confidence is also very high due to expectations of continued strong consumer demand, new product releases, and sales pending approval,” Bhandari said.

To meet growing demand, firms took on many more workers than in September. Hiring increased for an eighth consecutive month.

That would probably bring some relief to the government, which has failed to create enough well-paying jobs for those entering the workforce. Economists cautioned job creation will remain muted over the next 12 months, a Reuters poll published a week ago showed.

Inflationary pressures increased with both input and output prices rising faster. Input cost inflation was the highest in three months, elevated by higher material costs, wage bills and transportation fees.

Firms passed on the extra costs to their clients at a much quicker pace than in September.

India’s inflation rose to a nine-month high of 5.49% in September, largely driven by higher food prices and close to the upper end of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 2-6% target.

Despite that, a separate Reuters poll last week showed a slim majority of economists expected the RBI to cut interest rates in December, to 6.25% from 6.50% currently.
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