Indaba zesiNdebele Ekuseni - Voice of America
Indaba zesiNdebele Ekuseni - September 06, 2024
This is VOA news of Tommy McNeil. President Timmanuel Micron has appointed a chief president negotiator. Protests and Tel Aviv gathered for a fifth consecutive night on Thursday as demonstrators insisted on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu negotiating a ceasefire agreement that would secure the safe return of the remaining 101 Hamas hostages. The death toll last week of six hostages after nearly 11 months and captivity sparked a waiver protest with around 500,000 people taking to the streets in Jerusalem until Aviv on Sunday night, protests continued into Monday with a general strike to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. AP correspondent Jackie Quinn reports new indictments in the U.S. against alleged Russian military cyber criminals who launched the Whisper Gate attack of 2022. The FBI special agent in charge of Maryland where some computer systems were used to launch the cyber attack in Ukraine just weeks before the war in 2022. These six criminals aim to cripple Ukraine's government and critical infrastructure by targeting their finances, agriculture, emergency services, healthcare and schools. The FBI's Bill DiBonio says the Whisper Gate attack in 2022 could be considered the first shot in Russia's war against Ukraine. Through strokes on a keyboard, these criminals crossed over borders. Some U.S. companies were unknowingly involved, so the Justice Department is offering a $60 million reward to help find the suspects. I'm Jackie Quinn. And this is V.E. News. Police in Denver suburb of Aurora see a Venezuelan street gang with a small presence in a city has not taken over rundown apartment complex. The allegation has gained steam among conservatives and was amplified by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Wednesday, Venezuela, were taking over the whole town. The unsubstantiated allegation gained momentum following last month's dissemination of video from a resident in the complex that showed our men knocking on an apartment door. The city of Aurora says that the apartment buildings into other complexes are run down due to neglect by the property manager. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on the visit to Haiti on Thursday, he hoped to see an electoral counsel established soon to organize elections in the Caribbean nation. Blinken's visit comes as Haiti continues to battle violent gangs that have taken over much of the capital, started moving in a nearby region's Haiti's Prime Minister on Wednesday expanded a state of emergency to cover the entire nation. The Canadian police officers who were part of a U.N.-backed security mission began arriving in Haiti in June. The United States secured the release of dozens of political prisoners in Nicaragua with Thursday, including religious people, students and human rights defenders following talks to the government of President Daniel Ortega among those freed on Thursday where Nicaragua is associated with the Texas-based evangelical group Mountain Gateway. Senior U.S. diplomat for Western Hemisphere Affairs Eric Jacobson says, among release prisoners there are 13 people affiliated with the religious organization Mountain Gateway, as well as Catholic laypeople, students, journalists, human rights defenders, farmers and others. Nicaraguan authorities wrongfully imprisoned these men and women with unfunded charges just because they use their fundamental liberties. The White House announced that 135 prisoners were freed from jail on humanitarian grounds adding that they will go to Guatemala before possibly moving on to the United States as well as other nations. Pope Francis wrapped up his visit in Indonesia on Friday after celebrating mass before an overflow crowd of 100,000 final celebrations before heading to Papua New Guinea for the second leg of his 11-day journey through Southeast Asia in Oceana. 87-year-old Pope had no official event Friday beyond a farewell ceremony in the six-hour flight to Port Moresby. On top of the McNeil-Boey News. The killing of an Olympic athlete shines a spotlight on violence against women in Africa. Nearly 84 percent of Kenyan girls and women aged 15 to 49 have suffered fiscal violence. More people indicted in Russia's Whisper Gate Malware attack. Five officers of the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU, as well as once of a billion Russian cyber criminals for their campaign to conduct cyber intrusions. And using artificial intelligence to help save any endangered species. The idea is to set up cameras in different locations and track what is going on. Today is Friday, September 6th, and this is the Always International Edition. I'm Scott Walterman. You just end up being abused end up in the grave. The death of Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Chepta-Guy has been described as a stark reminder that more needs to be done to stop gender-based violence. The 33-year-old was doused with gasoline and set on fire by her boyfriend in Kenya according to police. Reuters correspondent David Doyle brings us up to date. It is just the latest attack on female athletes in the country. Chepta-Guy is the third prominent sportswoman to be killed in Kenya since October 2021. Outside hospital in the Kenyan Rift Valley City of El Dorit, her heartbroken mother Agnes and Yema Chepta-Guy paid tribute to her daughter. She was a good child, very polite, and she didn't have a lot of issues. I just don't know. Consultant Dr Umbugyouakimani said the hospital had done all that we could for her. She had a severe percentage of fans, which unfortunately led to multi-organ failure. Chepta-Guy, who finished 44th in Paris, had a house in Kenya where she stayed while training in the country. Kenyan sports minister Kip Chumba Mukherman described the 33-year-old's death as a loss to the entire region. "It is," he added, "a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society." Nearly 34 percent of Kenyan girls and women aged 15 to 49 have suffered physical violence according to government data from 2022 with married women at particular risk. In October 2021, Olympian runner Agnes Tiropp, a rising star in Kenya's highly competitive athletic scene, was found dead in her home in the town of Iten with multiple stab wounds to the neck. Ibrahim Rottich, her husband, was charged with her murder and has pleaded not guilty. That case is ongoing. Uganda's Minister of State for Sports said Kenyan authorities are investigating Chepta-Guy's killing. Reuters correspondent David Doyle, the death has been a stark reminder that more needs to be done to stop gender-based violence. According to the United Nations, globally, an estimated 736 million women, almost one in three, have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life. That's 30 percent of women aged 15 and older. In Africa, the percentage jumps to 42 percent. Joining us now to talk about this is American University Professor Nina Yamanas. So thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us about this. Absolutely. This case, as horrific as it is, shines the spotlight once again on a problem in particularly Sub-Saharan Africa where the rate of this kind of violence is above the global average. Can you talk about the problem in that global sense? Sure. Violence against women happens everywhere, so singling out Africa as a region where it occurs is the rate is higher in Africa for femicide, meaning homicides committed against, particularly against women, for their gender. But it does happen everywhere, so it's not something that should be ignored in any context. I think that gender norms that put women as in a position lower to men and lower social status to men or lower economic status to men are often related with violence against women, and particularly on the African continent, you know, there are, of course, gender norms that, like everywhere, you know, prevent women from achieving high social status compared to men, and there are, unfortunately, also, you know, structural issues at play here, so fewer response is offered by the government, so less prosecution, less availability of resources directed towards violence against women for prosecution, detainment of perpetrators, and so that has a systematic effect on discouraging victims from coming forward and maintaining the rates as high as they are. I believe that was the case here. Her father said that complaints had been filed with the police, and that essentially they were brushed off. Yes, I think that's not uncommon. You know, police are under-resourced in the region, and often, you know, even if they wanted to, sometimes they don't have the training and the resources necessary to go after perpetrators, so sometimes, actually, in communities, people are dealing with the issue without police, you know, so there will be community members that kind of take it upon themselves to address gender-based violence, but as we know in the U.S., I mean, having recourse, like, restraining orders and attorneys who are willing to prosecute cases without victims coming forward is really important to going after perpetrators and doing something of when, you know, pre-existing issues come up, like, there's a lot of controlling behavior or there's physical violence. And unfortunately, those resources just don't exist at the same level in countries like Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and other countries in Africa. Is there a -- is there an effort, a continent-wide effort, trying to correct that? I think there have been some efforts, yes, I mean, Kenya actually has been noted as a country that has made more progress in terms of policies towards violence against women, but again, it depends on the local resources that are available to the police and also just training, you know, having the training to do that kind of work, having the attorneys available, and so on. And then -- and I would say norms around violence and should women or men who are -- who are victims come forward, sometimes violence is normalized and people don't think that it's wrong, so victims have a harder time, you know, coming forward and making these cases known. So it's something that has to be systemic, it has to be cultural, it has to be built into the society. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. At every level. Mm-hmm. Thank you so much for the time and the information. Oh, absolutely. Yes. Thank you again for doing the story. Professor Nina Yamadas with American University in Washington. They was Justice Department has widened its indictment of Russians in the so-called Whisper Gate malware attacks aimed at destroying computer systems in Ukraine and 26 NATO allies, including the United States. Today we are announcing a superseding indictment against five officers of the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU, as well as one civilian Russian cyber criminal for their campaign to conduct cyber intrusions. Can Matthew Olson, Assistant Attorney General for National Security? These defendants are responsible for carrying out the series of destructive computer attacks that are commonly referred to as the Whisper Gate campaign. This campaign targeted computers in Ukraine shortly before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. More generally, the indictment alleges conspiracies related to cyber intrusions targeting victims in the United States, in Ukraine, and elsewhere. It's alleged they broke into and damaged the computer systems of Ukraine's civilian agencies like emergency services to disrupt the country's ability to respond to the impending Russian invasion. The government says they also attacked everyday Ukrainians. Seeking to sap the morale of the Ukrainian public, the defendants also stole and leaked the personal data of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, including by posting patient health information and other sensitive private data for sale online and then taunting those victims. Computers in other European nations and the United States were also allegedly hit in the same scheme. More money for Haiti, announced by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken Thursday during his visit to Port of Prince. The United States is also committed to using this foundation of security to support and unlock the potential of the Haitian people, with the largest contributor of humanitarian assistance to Haiti. That includes an additional $45 million in humanitarian aid that I'm announcing today, bringing the total USA to over $210 million this year. Blinken said he planned to convene a ministerial meeting of the United Nations General Assembly this month to encourage more financial contributions as well as to renew the mission's mandate. Following these other stories from around the world, the United States has secured the release of 135 political prisoners in Nicaragua on the humanitarian grounds. The White House says they are in Guatemala before seeking a lawful move to the United States or other nations. Venezuela's opposition chief Maria Carina Machado on Thursday called on the world to recognize candidate that Londo Gonzalez has president-elect, President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in the July 28th vote, but many in the international community have refused to acknowledge that result. New research suggests that volcanoes were still erupting on the moon when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Researchers based their conclusion on an analysis of tiny glass beads brought back from the moon by a Chinese spacecraft. They reported Thursday that moon volcanoes may have persisted until about 120 million years ago. It's longer than they thought the volcanoes on the moon were active. In our continuing coverage of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, a shooting at a Georgia high school on Wednesday was a reminder that firearms killed more Americans per capita than in any other large high-income country in the world, according to health experts. Vice President Kamala Harris wants stricter gun regulation. Her opponent, former President Donald Trump, pledges to roll back gun restrictions. Few ways Veronica Balderas Iglesias takes us through their positions. A shooting at the Appalachian High School in Winder, Georgia on Wednesday left several people killed and others injured. Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris reflected on the incident during a campaign stop in New Hampshire. We have to end this epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all. You know, it doesn't have to be this way. The topic of gun violence in the United States featured prominently in this year's Democratic National Convention. Harris laid out her priorities on the issue early on in her campaign. "When we win in November, we are finally going to pass universal background checks. Red flag laws and an assault weapons ban." Harris says she seeks reasonable gun safety measures and is, quote, "not trying to take everybody's guns away." The president of the Brady Center to prevent gun violence, Chris Brown, trusts Harris will deliver. Brown was interviewed via Skype. Candidate Harris and Vice President Harris have been very, very clear that gun violence, the number one killer of American kids, is a problem that needs a multi-level approach to solve it. We need better policy. Former President Donald Trump reacted to the Georgia shooting with a post on his true to social media platform. He expressed his support for the victims and called the shooter a, quote, "seek and arrange monster." Conservatives often advocate for gun rights, but this year's Republican National Convention didn't prioritize the narrative. The event took place in July, just two days after Trump, their presidential nominee, was targeted in an assassination attempt. The experience did not change his stance on Americans' access to guns. "If you take your way guns, you can't do any of the guns for protection." Trump stood with gun owners when he was president and has promised to roll back restrictions enacted by the Biden administration. Pro-gun rights groups say if gun owners turn out to vote in November, they could tilt the scale to their favor in battle for states. Alan Gottlieb, Executive Vice President of the Second Amendment Foundation via Skype. "To take back the White House, so we have an executive branch of government that isn't infringing on gun rights and in congressional districts, strengthening gun rights in the House of Representatives and getting control of the United States Senate." Gottlieb notes, however, that gun rights haven't historically topped the economy or immigration on the list of voters' concerns. Veronique van der Silesia's VOA News, Washington. "And an update to the Georgia High School shooting authorities say the father of the teen who was charged with killing four people has himself been arrested on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. The man is alleged to have knowingly allowed his son to 'possess a weapon.'" VOA's International Edition continues. I'm Scott Walterman, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday appointed Michel Banyé, the European Union's former Brexit negotiator as his new prime minister, in a bid to end the political paralysis following an inconclusive snap election. We get more on this now from Reuters correspondent Sean Hogan. A string of potential prime ministers have been considered in recent weeks, but none must did enough support to guarantee a stable government, which was Macron's key criteria. As the hunt dragged on, public finances deteriorated, and now time is running out to prepare France's 2025 budget. Banyé will quickly face this particular baptism of fire, and if parties in the bitterly divided parliament are not satisfied with the budget, a vote of no confidence could be triggered. At 73, Banyé will be the oldest Prime Minister in France's modern political history, taking over from Gabriel Attal, who was the youngest. A staunch pro-European and a moderate-career politician, he first became a lawmaker aged 27. Banyé held roles in several French governments, including Foreign Minister and Agricultural Minister, but is best known abroad for having led the EU's talks with Britain over its exit from the bloc from 2016 to 2021. It is of the far-right national rally, Parliament's biggest single-party signaled on Thursday that the party would not immediately block Banyé, but could do so later if their demands were not met. The left-wing alliance, that won June's election, accused Macron of ignoring the snap election result by picking a conservative. It called for demonstrations against Banyé's selection, but does not have enough seats to block the choice on its own. Reuters correspondent Sean Hogan, the China Africa Cooperation Summit, continues in Beijing with 50 African nations attending. African leaders want more Chinese investment, but huge loan obligations to China have drained several African nations, governments like Kenya, which has $35 billion worth of external debt. 30 percent of that owed to China, they're desperately trying to raise revenue to pay it off and avoid default. Kevin Gallagher is a professor and director of Boston University's Global Development Policy Center and tells Vyoy's Carol Van Damme, "The biggest problem is that several African nations have now turned to private bondholders after shunning loan conditions directed by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank." Their payments are through the roof, just about as many countries have huge debt payments that go to creditors each year, basically at the same level of the 1990s when there was a major debt crisis and we had to have this, this HIPAA initiative. In fact, many African countries right now are spending more on external debt payments than they are for education, health and climate finance, and so not only is that really grieved for the present, but it's really going to take a bite out of their future. So your saying was killing them isn't the actual amount of the loan, but the interest that they have to pay back? Yeah, the interest and the maturity. So they borrowed a lot of money and now it's coming due, and it's coming due at a very tough time when needs are so high after years of COVID and climate shocks. Kevin Gallagher, professor and director of Boston University's Global Development Policy Center talking to view ways, Carol Van Damme, "A central Budapest district is holding a two-week referendum on a possible ban on short-term rentals like Airbnb. If it passes, Reuters corresponding Christie Kilburn says it would be the first of its kind in one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations." District Mayor Thomas Soprini says the city's popularity has justified asking locals about their impact on housing affordability and quality of life. "You cannot sit idle and wait for something to just happen." "More and more flats are becoming Airbnb's, it's true for all the districts." Eurostat figures show almost 719 million guest nights spent in the European Union last year were booked via online platforms such as Airbnb, Expedia Group, Booking and Trip Advisor. In central Europe, Budapest was the most popular for short-term stays with 6.7 million guest nights. That's ahead of cities like Vienna and Prague. Real estate website in gatlin.com set a ban in the 6th district where apartment prices are 22% above the Budapest average could temporarily curb long-term rental prices. Locals were mixed on the proposal. Gabriel Cyclosi says Airbnb's should be regulated, put within limits, but not banned. Malmatild, who didn't give her surname, says short-term visitors cause problems. But there are also worries about the effect on local businesses catering largely to foreign tourists. "This owner of a ruin bar, popular with visitors, says local councils, lawmakers and organizations should deal with the issue, but not go so far as a ban." Holding ends on September 15th, and if adopted, a ban would start from the beginning of 2026. The outcome could have wider implications with Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government mulling regulation on short-term rentals, which the economy minister says contributes to a housing shortage and high prices. "Weirder's correspondent, Kristi Kilburne." "So, Western Luland gorillas, as well as all other kinds of gorillas, are critically endangered." "That is Gerard de Mela, A.A.'s with the Department of Artificial Intelligence and Intelligence Systems at the University of Potsdam." "The population has been shrinking and there's the risk of extinction." "They have a plan that may be able to help the gorillas survive extinction." "The idea is to set up cameras in different locations and track what is going on and immediately see when there's a new disease or if certain gorillas have disappeared." "The cameras and the data they collect are analyzed by computers using artificial intelligence. AI technologies are becoming increasingly important in species conservation as they can analyze huge amounts of data, recognize behavioral patterns and make precise predictions. Now, they want to deploy the system in the Congo, but before they do, they're testing it at the Berlin Zoo." "So, we've been developing these ideas now in our lab, but we wanted to test it and flying all the way to the Congo Republic is quite difficult. So, we contacted the zoo here in Berlin and they were very welcome. They were very happy to work with us and so we've set up three cameras here and they're capturing video footage of these six gorillas that live here and so we're testing our ideas and testing the artificial intelligence as well as the satellite connection here." "This has been International Edition on the Voice of America. On behalf of everyone here at VOA, thank you so much for joining us. For pictures, stories, videos and more, follow VOA News on your favorite social media platform and online at VOANews.com. In Washington, I'm Scott Multerman. (upbeat music)