Russian opposition members in exile took to the streets of Berlin Sunday to demand a pullout of Russian troops from Ukraine and the resignation of President Vladimir Putin in a protest that would have been impossible in Russia due to police and judicial pressure on opposition movements. Elizabeth Cherneff narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina in Berlin.
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Month: November 2024
South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool
The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked debate in higher education, raising questions about ethics and integrity in teaching, learning and knowledge creation. In South Africa, some academic institutions are taking a proactive approach, integrating AI into their curricula. Experts say this step is not only innovative but also helps level the playing field among students. Zaheer Cassim reports from Johannesburg.
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Los Angeles Holocaust Museum installs freight car that transported Jews to camps
The Holocaust Museum LA recently installed a new exhibit on its roof: a German-made freight car that was used to deport Jews across Nazi-occupied Europe to the Majdanek concentration camp near Lublin, Poland. From Los Angeles, Angelina Bagdasaryan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.
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UK sanctions Iran Air and IRISL over military transfers to Russia
London — Britain on Monday imposed sanctions against Iran’s national airline and shipping carrier, measures it said were taken in response to Iran’s transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia.
The state-owned Iran Air and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) will face an asset freeze for their role in supplying weapons to Russia for use on the battlefield against Ukraine, Britain said.
“Iran’s attempts to undermine global security are dangerous and unacceptable,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. “We reiterate our call on Iran to cease its support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.”
The sanctions will further restrict Iran Air’s direct commercial air services to and from the U.K.
Britain also sanctioned the Russian cargo ship PORT OLYA-3 for its role in transporting military supplies to Russia, it said.
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India’s capital chokes as air pollution levels hit 50 times the safe limit
NEW DELHI — Authorities in India’s capital shut schools, halted construction and banned non-essential trucks from entering the city on Monday after air pollution shot up to its worst level this season.
Residents of New Delhi woke up to thick, toxic smog enveloping the city of some 33 million as the air quality became increasingly hazardous. It rose further into the severe category, according to SAFAR, the country’s main environmental agency, which measures tiny particulate matter in the air that can enter deep into the lungs.
The deadly haze covered monuments and high-rise buildings in the capital, with visibility so low that airlines warned of delays.
In several areas of the city, pollution levels were more than 50 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended safe limit. Forecasts say the poor air quality will continue into the week.
Air pollution in northern India rises every year, particularly in winter, as farmers burn crop residue in agricultural areas. The burning coincides with colder temperatures, which trap the smoke in the air. The smoke is then blown into cities, where auto emissions add to the pollution.
Emissions from industries and the burning of coal to produce electricity are also linked to the pollution, which has been steadily ticking up in recent weeks.
Starting Monday, authorities began enforcing stage 4 of a graded response action plan, or GRAP 4, based on the severity of the air pollution. Earlier stages of the plan were already in place, and stage 4 includes stricter curbs.
Classes for all grades except 10 and 12 will be held online and no trucks will be allowed to enter the city except for those carrying essential items. Some older, diesel guzzling vehicles have been banned inside the city, and all construction activities have been halted. Authorities also urged children, the elderly and others with chronic diseases or respiratory issues to avoid going outside as much as possible.
Over the weekend, farmers in neighboring Uttar Pradesh state burned their fields, releasing plumes of gray smoke that winds likely carried into New Delhi and other nearby areas. Despite the poisonous air, many in the capital continued their usual routines, including morning walks in the city’s beloved Lodhi Garden.
“Everyone has a sore throat,” said Sanjay Goel, a 51-year-old shopkeeper in New Delhi. “They should ban crop residue burning … it’s just smoke everywhere.”
The worsening air quality in the capital also sparked outrage from residents on social media. Many complained of headaches and hacking coughs, describing the city as “apocalyptic” and a “gas chamber.” Others urged officials to solve the public health crisis once and for all. Several studies have estimated more than a million Indians die each year from pollution-related diseases.
Authorities have invoked similar measures in the past and have at times deployed water sprinklers and anti-smog guns in an attempt to control the haze. But critics say there needs to be a long-term solution that drastically reduces pollution itself, instead of actions that aim to mitigate the effects after it has already plagued the region.
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Sudanese who escaped from war-torn Tuti island speak of hunger, disease
OMDURMAN, Sudan — Muhammad Awad and his family are among dozens who escaped Sudan’s Tuti island earlier this year amid a siege by the Rapid Support Forces, finding refuge at a shelter after surviving for months on scant food and the risk of disease.
The island in the middle of the Nile serves as a microcosm for the devastation unleashed by a war that began in April 2023.
More than 61,000 people are estimated to have died in Khartoum state during the first 14 months of Sudan’s war, significantly more than previously recorded, according to a new report.
Activists report that the RSF charged people large sums to evacuate them.
“There is no good food, and there’s a lot of diseases, there is no sleep, no safety,” Awad said, holding one of his children at the shelter for displaced residents in Omdurman, an army-controlled refuge.
The island is one of 14 places across Sudan at risk of famine, according to experts. Dengue fever has ravaged Tuti, a close-knit farming community.
Sarah Siraj, a mother who left with her two children, said six or seven people were dying daily, and that she was only able to have her children treated for dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, once she reached Omdurman.
Charity kitchens have been forced to close in Tuti and elsewhere in the capital Khartoum due to lack of funding and supplies, and high prices.
Rabeea Abdel Gader, a nutrition guide, has been treating newly arrived families at a city shelter.
“We ask the mother about what they eat…. Sometimes the mother responds with her tears. She cannot reply because of their conditions,” she said.
The RSF did not respond to a request for comment by Reuters.
your ad hereSouth Africa’s Ramaphosa calls for safe recovery of illegal miners stuck underground
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday lives should not be put at risk in a standoff between police and hundreds of illegal miners stuck underground in a disused mine shaft and the miners should be recovered safely.
The police have blocked miners’ supplies of food and water to force them out and arrest them for illegally entering the abandoned mine in North West province in search of leftover gold — an issue that has plagued South Africa for decades.
More than 1,000 illegal miners have resurfaced in recent weeks but police said last week that hundreds could still be underground. Local residents and human rights groups have criticized authorities for blocking their supplies.
In a weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said the situation was precarious and could potentially turn volatile.
“The Stilfontein mine is a crime scene where the offense of illegal mining is being committed. It is standard police practice everywhere to secure a crime scene and to block off escape routes that enable criminals to evade arrest,” he said.
Ramaphosa urged the police to respect the miners’ rights and not put their lives at risk and said his government would work with the mining industry on the issue of illegal mining.
“The police will carry out their duties and responsibilities to bring the illegal miners to the surface safely,” he said.
Illegal mining has thrived in South Africa through small-time pilfering and organized criminal networks, costing the economy billions of rands in lost income and royalties.
It was unclear if those still in the mine were unwilling or unable to get out. Public broadcaster SABC said that volunteers had brought 12 miners to the surface since last Wednesday.
your ad hereRussian attack kills 11, injures 89
A Russian attack on Ukraine’s northeast city of Sumy killed 11 people and injured at least 89, Ukrainian officials said.
“Sunday evening for the city of Sumy became hell, a tragedy that Russia brought to our land,” military administrator Volodymyr Artyukh said in a post on the Telegram messaging channel.
Sumy regional prosecutors said the attack damaged 90 apartments, 28 cars, two educational institutions and 13 buildings.
The attack followed a massive Russian bombardment of Ukraine’s power infrastructure earlier in the day, as well as news reports that the United States granted clearance for Ukraine to use long-range U.S. weapons to hit military targets in Russia.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country and its allies should focus on “really forcing Russia to end the war.”
“Today marked one of the largest and most dangerous Russian attacks in the entire war – 210 drones and missiles launched simultaneously – including hypersonic and aeroballistic ones,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
Zelenskyy has long been lobbying for permission to use the Army Tactical Missile System, known by its initials ATACMS, to hit targets inside Russia. He said in his address that negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin is not an effective strategy to end the war.
“This is the answer to all those who wanted to achieve something with Putin through conversations, phone calls, hugs – appeasement. Today, this ‘dove of peace’ sent us yet another barrage of ‘Kinzhal’ and ‘Kalibr’ missiles. That’s his diplomacy. His language is treachery,” Zelenskyy said.
Long-range capabilities
President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, easing limitations on the longer range weapons as Russia deploys up to 12,000 North Korean troops to reinforce its war, according to a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter, the Associated Press reported.
In recent weeks, Putin has positioned troops – including those from North Korea – along the northern border of Ukraine in a push to regain territory.
Biden had been opposed to any escalation of the war in Ukraine, and Putin has said Moscow could provide long-range weapons for others to hit Western targets if NATO allies allow Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.
But Zelenskyy has argued that the restriction on long-range weapons has hampered Ukraine’s defense against Russian attacks. Long-range capabilities, he said, are a key component of Ukraine’s victory plan.
“Today, there’s a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for respective actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves,” Zelensky said. “They certainly will.”
Russia downs 59 drones
Meanwhile, Russia shot down 59 Ukranian drones overnight, according to the Russian defense ministry.
“During the past night, attempts by the Kyiv regime to carry out terrorist UAV attacks against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation were thwarted,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said most of the drones were shot down across three regions bordering Ukraine: 45 in Bryansk, six in Kursk and three in Belgorod, Agence France-Presse reported.
Three drones were intercepted in the region of Tula, south of the capital, while two others were downed over the Moscow region.
Ukraine’s air force said on Monday that it shot down eight out of 11 Russian drones during an overnight attack.
Information from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Press was used in this report.
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UK to put Sudan resolution to vote by UN Security Council
LONDON — Britain will seek backing from other United Nations Security Council members on Monday for its demand that Sudan’s warring parties stop hostilities and allow deliveries of aid, the British foreign ministry said.
With London holding the rotating presidency of the council, British foreign minister David Lammy is due to chair a vote on a UK/Sierra Leone-proposed draft resolution, which also calls for the protection of civilians.
Lammy will say “the UK will never let Sudan be forgotten” and announce a doubling of Britain’s aid to $285 million, according to a statement from his ministry.
A power struggle between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces broke out in April 2023 ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, killing thousands and triggering the world’s largest displacement crisis.
The ministry said Lammy would also criticize restrictions by Israel on humanitarian aid in Gaza and call for an immediate ceasefire along with the release of all hostages.
On the war in Ukraine, he was due to say that Britain “will keep standing with Ukraine until reality dawns in Moscow.” He was due to speak to media with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
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Gabon votes yes on new constitution a year after the military seized power
LIBREVILLE, Gabon — Voters in Gabon overwhelmingly approved a new constitution, authorities said Sunday, more than one year after mutinous soldiers overthrew the country’s longtime president and seized power in the oil-rich Central African nation.
Over 91% of voters approved the new constitution in a referendum held on Saturday, Gabon’s Interior Minister Hermann Immongault said in a statement read on state television. Turnout was an estimated 53.5%, he added.
The final results will be announced by the Constitutional Court, the interior minister said.
The draft constitution, which proposes sweeping changes that could prevent dynastic rule and transfer of power, needed more than 50% of the votes cast to be adopted.
In 2023, soldiers toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba and put him under house arrest, accusing him of irresponsible governance and massive embezzlement that risked leading the country into chaos. The junta released Ondimba a week later on humanitarian grounds, allowing him travel abroad for medical treatment.
The soldiers proclaimed their Republican Guard chief, Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, as president of a transitional committee to lead the country. Oligui is a cousin of Bongo.
Bongo had served two terms since coming to power in 2009 after the death of his father, who ruled the country for 41 years. His rule was marked by widespread discontent with his reign. A coup attempt in 2019 failed.
The draft constitution imposes a seven-year term, renewable only once, instead of the current charter that allows for five-year terms renewable without limit. It also says family members cannot succeed a president and abolishes the position of prime minister.
The former French colony is a member of OPEC, but its oil wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few — and nearly 40% of Gabonese aged 15 to 24 were out of work in 2020, according to the World Bank. Its oil export revenue was $6 billion in 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
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Latvian company to send drones to Ukraine
The Baltic states have committed to continue providing financial and material support to Ukraine’s fight against Russia in 2025. Part of that support is coming from the Latvian-led Drone Coalition. Vladislav Andrejevs has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Video editing by Sergii Dogotar.
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Protesters in separatist Georgian region occupy government buildings, call for leader’s ouster
Tbilisi, Georgia — Opposition protesters in Georgia’s breakaway province of Abkhazia on Sunday refused to cede control of key government buildings seized during rallies earlier in the week during which at least 14 people were injured in clashes with police.
Demonstrators stormed the buildings Friday to protest new measures allowing Russians to buy property in the seaside region.
Protesters on Sunday continued to demand the ouster of self-styled Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania, and one prominent politician vowed that the opposition would form a rival government if he refuses to step down.
“If our demands for the president’s resignation are not met, we will have to form a temporary government to ensure the normal functioning of state bodies,” Temur Gulia told his supporters, according to local agencies.
Bzhania, who is backed by Russia, signaled Sunday that he was prepared to step aside temporarily and hold early elections, even as he continued to slam the demonstrations as “an attempted coup d’etat.”
Opponents of the property agreement say it will drive up prices of apartments and boost Moscow’s dominance in the region.
On Saturday, Bzhania announced that he would only agree to a snap election if demonstrators vacated the region’s parliament building. But crowds that gathered in the Abkhazian capital, Sukhumi, rejected the deal and opposition leaders said they would only accept Bzhania’s unconditional resignation.
Meanwhile, protesters on Sunday began dismantling the security barriers around the government complex in Sukhumi.
One prominent opposition figure called the metal barriers a symbol of the authorities being out of touch.
“This barrier shows that the government has decided to fence itself off from its people,” Adgur Ardzinba said, according to local media.
Most of Abkhazia broke away from Georgia in fighting that ended in 1993, and Georgia lost control of the rest of the territory in the short war with Russia in 2008. Russia recognizes Abkhazia as an independent country, but many Abkhazians are concerned that the region of about 245,000 people is a client state of Moscow.
Abkhazia’s mountains and Black Sea beaches make it a popular destination for Russian tourists and the demand for holiday homes could be strong.
At least 14 people were injured Friday when opposition protesters clashed with police, Russian state agencies reported.
Lawmakers had gathered at the region’s parliament building to discuss ratifying measures allowing Russian citizens to buy property in the breakaway state. However, the session was postponed as demonstrators broke down the gate to the building’s grounds with a truck and streamed inside. Some threw rocks at police, who responded with tear gas.
The arrest of five opposition figures at a similar demonstration Monday set off widespread protests the next day in which bridges leading to Sukhumi were blocked.
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New global carbon trade rules adopted at UN climate summit expand inclusion, draw ire
Baku, Azerbaiijan — A new set of global carbon credit trade market standards has been agreed to during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, or COP29, following years of deadlock. Some analysts say that under the guidelines, a bigger number of entities could join a more regulated voluntary carbon credit trading system to reduce emissions.
Known as Article 6.4, delegates agreed on the rules for establishing a system that allows trade in carbon credit between individual countries and companies, under the supervision of a centralized U.N. body. These include how to validate, verify and issue credits.
Another option, known as Article 6.2, allows countries to set their own terms to trade carbon credits bilaterally. Countries weren’t able to agree on the standards for either option before COP29.
Under the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, countries have committed to green goals, including slashing carbon emissions.
The new deal could “reduce the cost of implementing national climate plans by $250 billion per year by enabling cooperation across borders,” the COP29 presidency said in a statement, which hailed the outcome as a “game-changing tool to direct resources to the developing world.”
Controversial move
The agreement is more a recognition from countries of the new rules, but negotiations are still ongoing and details are still being worked out so they are not fixed, according to Je-liang Liou, researcher at the Chung-Hua Institute for Economic Research in Taiwan.
“In the previous COP, the supervisory body usually drafted a bill for countries to discuss and decide if they approve it or not. But this year, the body of Article 6.4 approved their own draft before COP29 started so it became more of a situation for countries to give their votes,” Liou explained to VOA.
The hasty process drew ire from some countries’ negotiators, including Tuvalu’s. It said that “adopting decisions without prior consultations by the governing bodies does not reflect the Paris Agreement’s party-driven process,” according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
Some climate advocates also said the agreement isn’t a success, as regulations have been an issue for voluntary carbon credit trading in the past.
“We should be very concerned in the Global South, especially if we don’t have sufficient safeguards in place to protect against the possibility of land grabs, human rights abuses, threats to subsistence and forest-based livelihoods, gender and indigenous interests,” Tara Nair van Ryneveld, climate policy coordinator at the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute, or SAFCEI, told VOA News.
She cautioned against carbon credit trading as part of “false solutions” that distract from work to be done on phasing out fossil fuels.
Last year, Human Rights Watch found that the carbon offsetting projects that Cambodia’s government agreed to, the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project, violated the rights of the indigenous Chong people. Authorities reportedly made decisions on incorporating villages into a national park two years before consulting the community.
Rights abuses aside, amid the prospect of companies joining in for carbon trading, voluntary carbon offsetting projects from companies were revealed to be ineffective in serving their purpose, according to a 2023 investigation from The Guardian newspaper and trade watchdog Corporate Accountability.
Nearly four in five of the top carbon offset projects are considered “worthless” as they can’t guarantee cutting greenhouse gases, the report found.
Despite the criticisms, Article 6.4 can be a “push toward stronger regulation and accountability” and bolster transparency in climate finance, according to Luca Taschini, director of the Centre for Business, Climate Change and Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh.
Expanded inclusion
For non-U.N. member regions like Taiwan that have long been excluded from discussions and the country-to-country trading system, the expanded system under Article 6.4 can be positive news, Liou said. This allows companies to invest in projects, potentially allowing its participation, he added.
“Taiwan isn’t eligible for bilateral carbon credit trading because it’s not a U.N. member party, so it wasn’t able to join in directly to purchase credits from developing countries and fulfill our climate commitment, but Article 6.4, compared to Article 6.2, allows Taiwan a higher chance to trade carbon credits internationally,” he elaborated.
Liou said the expanded carbon credit system – if set up and starts next year – can boost governments’ climate ambitions, amid nations’ looming submission deadline for a new climate plan by February 2025.
Self-ruled Taiwan imports almost all of its energy from other countries. Under its climate goal to source 15 percent of its power from renewables by 2025 and reaching net-zero in 2050, slashing emissions in the medium term can be challenging and carbon trade can be beneficial for the island, according to Liou.
Taschini said that Article 6 allows countries to invest in actions beyond their borders and raise global ambition.
“This is because, even if all NDCs [national determined contributions] are met, we will still fall short of our climate goals,” he explained.
The year’s largest climate conference is set to end November 22.
Some information for this article came from Reuters.
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Russia launches massive airstrike campaign in Ukraine
Russia launched a massive airstrike campaign against neighboring Ukraine on Sunday. Local officials say several people died and the power system suffered “severe damage.” VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.
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Indian, Nigerian leaders pledge stronger security ties and support for Global South
ABUJA, Nigeria — The leaders of Nigeria and India pledged stronger ties in maritime security and counterterrorism during a meeting on Sunday where they also agreed on more support for Global South nations.
In his first visit to Nigeria, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosted by President Bola Tinubu in capital Abuja, where both spoke of a new chapter in their strategic partnerships in the areas of defense, energy, technology, trade and development.
Modi has often touted India as the voice of the Global South, the group of countries primarily considered developing nations, including Nigeria, but which also includes China and several wealthy Persian Gulf states.
“Together we will also continue to highlight at the global level the priorities of the Global South and thanks to our joint efforts, we will achieve success as well in this,” said Modi.
A joint statement said both leaders pledged greater collaboration in counterterrorism, maritime security and intelligence sharing to cope with growing threats in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea, the area off the coast of West Africa that is one of the world’s most dangerous for piracy.
Nigeria is India’s largest trading partner in Africa with total bilateral trade between estimated at $14.9 billion in 2022. There are also at least 60,000 Indian nationals and 200 Indian companies in Nigeria, authorities say.
The Nigerian leader conferred on Modi the title of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, Nigeria’s second-highest national honor, describing Modi as a representation of a “very strong commitment to democratic values and norms.”
“Nigeria values its excellent relationship with India and will work to broaden the same for the mutual benefits of our two friendly countries,” Tinubu said.
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Bangladesh will seek extradition of ex-premier Sheikh Hasina from India
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladesh’s interim leader and Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus said Sunday that his administration will seek the extradition of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India, where has been in exile since fleeing a mass uprising in August.
In a televised address to the nation on his first 100 days in office, Yunus said that the interim government will try those responsible including Hasina for hundreds of deaths during the student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule. Yunus took the helm on Aug. 8, three days after Hasina fled the country.
He said that not only the deaths in the uprising but all other violations of human rights, including alleged enforced disappearances while Hasina was in power, would be investigated. Bangladesh has sought help from the global police organization Interpol in issuing a red notice for the arrest of Hasina and her associates.
“We will seek the return of the fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina from India,” Yunus said. “I have already discussed the issue with chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan.”
While Hasina and her close associates are facing numerous criminal charges at home, the Yunus-led government is also pushing for the ICC to take up the case.
Yunus said his government’s most important task was to hold a new election to hand over power to an elected government, but he did not spell out any timeframe. He said his administration would first bring about reforms in various sectors including in the electoral system.
He promised that once the electoral reforms are completed, a roadmap for the new election would be unveiled.
Yunus downplayed as “exaggerated” reports of attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, many of whom complained that hard-line Islamists are becoming increasingly influential since Hasina’s ouster.
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