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Washington — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other officials were found dead Monday at the site of a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran, state media said. Search crews found the wreckage Monday, a day after the helicopter crashed in bad weather near Varzaqan in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. State media said the passengers were traveling back to Iran from an event just across the border with Azerbaijan, where they met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate a dam project. Aliyev posted a statement on the X platform saying he was “profoundly troubled” by the crash of Raisi’s helicopter and offering prayers and assistance as a “friend and brotherly country.” News of Raisi’s death brought messages of condolence, including from Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who declared a day of mourning Monday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was shocked by the development and that “India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow.” Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani expressed “great sadness and great sorrow.” United Arab Emirates President bin Zayed Al Nahyan said the UAE “stands in solidarity with Iran at this difficult time.” Iran’s constitution says that if the president dies or is incapacitated, the role is filled by the first vice president, a position currently held by Mohammad Mokhber, until a new presidential election is held within 50 days. The role of president is subservient to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who retains his ultimate authority over the affairs of the country. Raisi, an ultraconservative Khamenei protege seen by some observers as the supreme leader’s preferred successor, was elected president in a 2021 vote that saw his most prominent rivals barred from running and a record low turnout from the electorate. Images posted to social media and deemed credible by VOA Persian showed opponents of Iran’s authoritarian Islamist rulers setting off fireworks in multiple locations late Sunday to celebrate the prospect of Raisi’s demise. In one video, a female narrator identifies the location of fireworks as southern Tehran. In another, a male narrator reacts to what he says are fireworks in the city of Saqqez in northwestern Iran’s Kurdistan province. VOA could not independently verify the circumstances of the fireworks as it is barred from reporting inside Iran. Earlier Sunday, Iranian state TV showed footage of government supporters gathering in different parts of the country to pray for Raisi’s safe return. State news agency IRNA quoted Khamenei as saying: “The Iranian nation shouldn’t be worried. There will be no disruption to the operations of the country.” IRNA also published a photo showing Vice President Mokhber chairing an emergency cabinet session to deal with the crash’s aftermath. Payam Yazdian, Farhad Poulavi and Masood Farahmand of VOA’s Persian Service and VOA Azerbaijani Service chief Asgar Asgarov contributed to this report.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Washington — Search crews reported finding no signs of life Monday after locating a helicopter that crashed while carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other senior officials in the country’s northwest, according to state media.   The helicopter crashed Sunday in bad weather near Varzaqan in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. State media said the helicopter was flying President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and two other officials back to Iran from an event just across the border with Azerbaijan, where they met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate a dam project.     Iranian media said the crashed helicopter was one of three transporting Iranian officials back from the event, where they inaugurated the Khoda Afarin and Giz Galasi hydroelectric power plants along the Aras River that marks the border between Iran and Azerbaijan. The plants are located on the stretch of river between the Azerbaijani district of Jabrayil and Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. Aliyev posted a statement on the X platform saying he was “profoundly troubled” by the crash of Raisi’s helicopter and offering prayers and assistance as a “friend and brotherly country.” Iranian state TV broadcasted footage of rescuers trudging in darkness through rain and mountainous terrain to try to locate the crash site on foot. There was no word on the condition of Raisi, Amirabdollahian or the other officials who had been on the helicopter. European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič posted on the X platform that the EU activated its Copernicus Emergency Management Service satellite mapping technology in response to an Iranian request for help with the search for the helicopter. Iran’s constitution says that if the president dies or is incapacitated, the role is filled by the first vice president, a position currently held by Mohammad Mokhber, until a new presidential election is held within 50 days. The role of president is subservient to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who retains his ultimate authority over the affairs of the country. Iran’s constitution says that if the president dies or is incapacitated, the role is filled by the first vice president, a position currently held by Mohammad Mokhber, until a new presidential election is held within 50 days. The role of president is subservient to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who retains his ultimate authority over the affairs of the country. Raisi, an ultraconservative Khamenei protege seen by some observers as the supreme leader’s preferred successor, was elected president in a 2021 vote that saw his most prominent rivals barred from running and a record low turnout from the electorate. Images posted to social media and deemed credible by VOA Persian showed opponents of Iran’s authoritarian Islamist rulers setting off fireworks in multiple locations late Sunday to celebrate the prospect of Raisi’s demise. In one video, a female narrator identifies the location of fireworks as southern Tehran. In another, a male narrator reacts to what he says are fireworks in the city of Saqqez in northwestern Iran’s Kurdistan province. VOA could not independently verify the circumstances of the fireworks as it is barred from reporting inside Iran. Earlier Sunday, Iranian state TV showed footage of government supporters gathering in different parts of the country to pray for Raisi’s safe return. State news agency IRNA quoted Khamenei as saying: “The Iranian nation shouldn’t be worried. There will be no disruption to the operations of the country.” IRNA also published a photo showing Vice President Mokhber chairing an emergency cabinet session to deal with the crash’s aftermath. In a VOA Persian TV interview on Sunday, Germany-based independent Iranian journalist and researcher Reza Talebi said that if Raisi has died, Iran’s Islamist rulers may declare him a martyr who died as a result of foul play by their chief external enemies, Israel and the United States. There is no evidence of foul play. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Washington is closely following reports of the Iranian helicopter crash. “We have no further comment at this time,” the spokesperson said. Payam Yazdian, Farhad Poulavi and Masood Farahmand of VOA’s Persian Service and VOA Azerbaijani Service chief Asgar Asgarov contributed to this report.

The helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed on Sunday as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog. We talk to Alex Vatanka, the founding Director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute. Volodymyr Zelenskyy marks five years in power as Ukraine's president. We talk to Sergey Sanovich, a Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. And the first U.S. Black astronaut candidate from the 1960s flew on the Blue Origin space craft more than 60 years after his selection as an astronaut.

LONDON — Britain and Finland will sign a new strategic partnership on Monday to strengthen ties and counter the "threat of Russian aggression," the U.K. foreign minister said. The two countries will declare Russia as "the most significant and direct threat to European peace and stability," according to a Foreign Office press release. The agreement will be endorsed by U.K. foreign minister David Cameron and his Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen in London. "As we stand together to support Ukraine, including through providing military aid and training, we are clear that the threat of Russian aggression, following the war it started, will not be tolerated," said Cameron. "This strategic partnership, built on our shared values, will see the UK and Finland step up cooperation to bolster European security as well as seize new opportunities, from science and technology to closer energy ties," he added. The countries will work together to counter Russian disinformation, malicious cyber activities and support Ukraine's recovery, reconstruction, and modernization, according to the Foreign Office. Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Finland has joined the NATO military alliance and shut off much of its border with Russia. Britain is a major military supporter of Ukraine.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Cannes, France — Filmmakers Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir spent so much time following an all-girl theatre troupe in a remote Egyptian village that at one point someone tried to sell them a house. "He thought we were always there so we might as well live there," Riyadh told AFP after the premiere of their documentary at the Cannes Film Festival. "The Brink of Dreams" follows a group of teenage girls in rural southern Egypt over four years, between rehearsals, as they navigate the tough decisions that will determine their adulthood. Majda dreams of studying theatre in Cairo, Monika wants to become a famous singer and Haidi is being pursued by the hottest guy in the village. In their feminist street performances, they boldly rail against the patriarchy, challenging members of the crowd on issues such as self-fulfillment and early marriage. But soon life takes over and the teenagers from Egypt's Coptic Christian minority find themselves confronted with these concepts for real. The camera discreetly captures conversations in the family shop, between a father and daughter, or two lovers, as neighbors and animals go about their daily lives. "In the beginning there was a lot of people always looking at the camera. Everybody was self-conscious," said Riyadh. But "once the trust had been built between them and us, we had that chance to blend in." Riyadh said the documentary, which is screening in a sidebar section of the festival, was driven by her and co-director Amin discovering the troupe in 2017. The film "is intentionally feminist in every way but I think it was also dictated by what this inspiring group of women was already doing," she said. It's "mind-blowing because they're demanding answers about very important things and opening a dialogue with everybody in their community." Co-director Amin said the main challenge was editing down 100 hours of footage to tell this coming-of-age tale and convey a seldom seen side of Egypt. "Most mainstream films in Egypt tell stories about living in gated compounds and shopping in malls," Amin said. "It's very rare to see stories that take place in the south outside of Cairo or Alexandria and see girls like those girls on screen." The documentary has a French distributor, but the filmmakers also hope to show the film widely in Egypt, including in the rural south. Until then, six of the actors in the film got to attend the Cannes premiere, after a last-minute rush to get them their first passports and visas on time. Monika, the aspiring singer, has two children now. But on the red carpet, the DJ played the catchy song that she made with a popular Egyptian producer called Molotof for the film's final credits.

SAVANNAH, Ga. — An argument between two women led to a gunfight that left 11 people hurt in a busy tourist area of Savannah, Georgia, late Saturday, one of five weekend shootings in the city, two of which were fatal, authorities said. Two people were injured in separate shootings Friday. Two more shootings Saturday resulted in two deaths. Then came the gunfire just before midnight Saturday near Savannah's Ellis Square. The shooting broke out as two women argued in an area business, according to Police Chief Lenny Gunther, who didn't name the establishment. "One shot rang out. That triggered other individuals to shoot," he said. "We had multiple individuals discharge their weapons to shoot at each other, which resulted in multiple people getting shot." Ten of the 11 injured were hit by gunfire. Authorities did not say what caused the 11th injury. Victims were treated at the scene and "several" were taken to a hospital, police said. None of the injuries appeared life threatening. Mayor Van Johnson said a proliferation of guns was a factor in the shootings and that reasonable gun control laws are needed. He also stressed the need for gun owners to keep their weapons from being stolen and for people carrying guns to know how and when to use them. "We have to insist on smart gun laws," Johnson said at a Sunday news conference. "And then, on the other end, we have to insist that people act responsibly with those weapons." The mass shooting happened a week ahead of the tourist-heavy Memorial Day weekend. Gunther sought to assure people that police staffing will be sufficient to keep the public safe. Ellis Square is in Savannah's historic district, an area popular among tourists and locals. It was developed in 2010 and is known for a large fountain and a life-sized statue of songwriter Johnny Mercer. The first two of Savannah's weekend shootings happened Friday. Each of those resulted in a non-life-threatening injury and an arrest. On Saturday, police answering a call about a home invasion found a dead juvenile at the home. Initial reports are that shots were fired after a resident confronted an armed intruder. Still another shooting was reported at a Savannah intersection Saturday night that left one man dead and a juvenile injured.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Almost half a million Ukrainian immigrants have moved to the U.S. since the start of Russia’s invasion, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Two of the biggest challenges they face are finding health care and a job. In one small Colorado city, a local clinic owner, herself a Ukrainian immigrant, is helping out as much as she can. Svitlana Prystinska has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.

Washington — Iran says a search for a helicopter that crashed while carrying its president and other senior officials in the country’s northwest extended into the pre-dawn hours Monday, as the fate of Ebrahim Raisi remains unclear. Iranian state media said the helicopter crashed Sunday in bad weather near Varzaqan in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. They said it was flying President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and two other officials back to Iran from an event just across the border with Azerbaijan, where they met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate a dam project. Iranian media said the crashed helicopter was one of three transporting Iranian officials back from the event, where they inaugurated the Khoda Afarin and Giz Galasi hydroelectric power plants along the Aras River that marks the border between Iran and Azerbaijan. The plants are located on the stretch of river between the Azerbaijani district of Jabrayil and Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. Aliyev posted a statement on the X platform, formerly Twitter, saying he was “profoundly troubled” by the crash of Raisi’s helicopter and offering prayers and assistance as a “friend and brotherly country.” Iranian state TV broadcast footage of rescuers trudging in darkness through rain and mountainous terrain to try to locate the crash site on foot. There was no word on the condition of Raisi, Amirabdollahian or the other officials who had been on the helicopter. European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic posted on the X platform that the EU activated its Copernicus Emergency Management Service satellite mapping technology in response to an Iranian request for help with the search for the helicopter. Iran’s constitution says that if the president dies or is incapacitated, the role is filled by the first vice president, a position currently held by Mohammad Mokhber, until a new presidential election is held within 50 days. The role of president is subservient to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who retains his ultimate authority over the affairs of the country. Raisi, an ultraconservative Khamenei protege seen by some observers as the supreme leader’s preferred successor, was elected president in a 2021 vote that saw his most prominent rivals barred from running and a record low turnout from the electorate. Images posted to social media and deemed credible by VOA Persian showed opponents of Iran’s authoritarian Islamist rulers setting off fireworks in multiple locations late Sunday to celebrate the prospect of Raisi’s demise. In one video, a female narrator identifies the location of fireworks as southern Tehran. In another, a male narrator reacts to what he says are fireworks in the city of Saqqez in northwestern Iran’s Kurdistan province. VOA could not independently verify the circumstances of the fireworks as it is barred from reporting inside Iran. Earlier Sunday, Iranian state TV showed footage of government supporters gathering in different parts of the country to pray for Raisi’s safe return. State news agency IRNA quoted Khamenei as saying: “The Iranian nation shouldn’t be worried. There will be no disruption to the operations of the country.” IRNA also published a photo showing Vice President Mokhber chairing an emergency cabinet session to deal with the crash’s aftermath. In a VOA Persian TV interview on Sunday, Germany-based independent Iranian journalist and researcher Reza Talebi said that if Raisi has died, Iran’s Islamist rulers may declare him a martyr who died as a result of foul play by their chief external enemies, Israel and the United States. There is no evidence of foul play. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Washington is closely following reports of the Iranian helicopter crash. “We have no further comment at this time,” the spokesperson said. Payam Yazdian, Farhad Poulavi and Masood Farahmand of VOA’s Persian Service and VOA Azerbaijani Service chief Asgar Asgarov contributed to this report.

Bratislava, Slovakia — When four bullets fired by a lone gunman hit Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Matus Kostolny's life as a journalist quickly went from hard to harder. The 49-year-old editor-in-chief of the independent Dennik N daily, branded "hostile" by the government, immediately started getting threats from readers and accusations from Fico's political allies. "Ten minutes after we ran the story about the prime minister being shot, I started receiving messages that I am to blame, that I have blood on my hands and will pay for it," Kostolny told AFP. "From day one some politicians from the governing coalition have been saying that... it is certain media including Dennik N that bear responsibility for the attack," he said in an interview. Domestic media had in 2018 unveiled links between the Italian mafia and Fico's government, sparking protests that led to his resignation. Fico is in intensive care following two long operations, but his life is no longer in danger. He is serving his fourth term as prime minister of the EU and NATO member of 5.4 million people, leading a coalition of two centrist parties and a smaller nationalist one. He secured this term when his centrist Smer party won a general election in September, calling for a truce over Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Shortly after, Fico banned four Slovak media — Dennik N, Aktuality, Denník SME and TV Markiza — from entering the government building, labeling them as "hostile media" and "unwelcome guests." "We have earned the label of a hostile outlet by existing and doing the kind of journalism we are doing, asking without flattering and publishing critical texts," said Kostolny. "Politicians don't like this, not only Robert Fico... who actually assaulted us from the day we were established." Fico's government is also pushing a controversial bill giving it control over the RTVS public television and radio broadcaster. A breaking point As an independent daily, Dennik N gets most of its income from readers, Kostolny said. It was founded by a group of journalists in 2014. Four years later, Slovakia was shaken by the murder of Aktuality journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée. An article by Kuciak, published posthumously, reported on government links with the mafia and open war followed between the prime minister and the media. "Jan Kuciak's murder was a breaking point. At that time, the society split into us and them," said Kostolny. He added Fico had to become more pragmatic as he was trying to avoid prison, chased by media looking for motives behind the Kuciak murder. "He needed to win the (2023) election and come back to salvage his freedom," Kostolny said. Fico shifted toward extreme politics, using a stronger language to woo voters outside the typical Smer electorate. Extremely dangerous His uncompromising stance on journalists was reflected by the international Media Freedom Index for 2024, published by Reporters Without Borders, in which Slovakia slid 12 places to 29th in the world. Its authors singled Fico out — alongside Hungary's Viktor Orban — as "politicians... trying to reduce the space for independent journalism." Kostolny said Wednesday's attack had made things even worse and that he now expected politicians to interfere in media work. Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak, Fico's closest ally, said that media "lies" were the reason "why Robert Fico is fighting for his life today." "At the moment the atmosphere is so heated. They are pointing fingers and saying journalists, especially those from Dennik N, are partly responsible for the attack," said Kostolny. "This is extremely dangerous, because once you start dealing with problems using violence, you can't be sure it will not continue." A father of two sons, Kostolny said he "would be lying" if he said he was not afraid. "I'm not sure what we are in for. Over the six years since Jan Kuciak's murder, we have found out what Fico is capable of," he said. "On the other hand, I'm absolutely determined to continue the service we have to provide. I can't take fright just because they're attacking us."

SANTA ANA ZEGACHE, Mexico — Mexican farmer Floriberto Matias carefully picks up a honeycomb teeming with bees, as he and fellow activists in southern Mexico carry the delicate structures to a nearby apiary for the buzzing creatures. In the town of Santa Ana Zegache, in the state of Oaxaca, Matias and other farmers are worried that an ongoing drought and the resulting loss of local flora could hurt the local bee population. Such a turn would threaten the farmers themselves, said beekeeper Eloy Perez, who is part of the town's rescue efforts. "Without the work of pollination, which is what bees do, there would be no type of food production, from the smallest grass to the gigantic watermelons," he said. Scientists are warning of declining bee populations in different parts of the world, with vast implications for ecosystems and agricultural production. Studies have shown that habitat loss, pesticides, monoculture agriculture, and the spread of pathogens are all risks to Mexico's bee populations. While there's a need for more research into the effects of Mexico's drought on bees, the farmers in Oaxaca see a clear connection. Matias explained that a lack of water has led to the growth of fewer plants and flowers in the area, which in turn has decreased the available nectar and pollen for the bees to feast on. The group transports the honeycombs to apiaries stocked with food and water in what farmer Bernardino Blas calls a labor of love. "It's our mission in this world: to rescue the bees," he said.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Accra, Ghana — Anita Akpeere prepared fried rice in her kitchen in Ghana's capital as a flurry of notifications for restaurant orders lit up apps on her phone. "I don't think I could work without a phone in my line of business," she said, as requests came in for her signature dish, a traditional fermented dumpling. Internet-enabled phones have transformed many lives, but they can play a unique role in sub-Saharan Africa, where infrastructure and public services are among the world's least developed, said Jenny Aker, a professor who studies the issue at Tufts University. At times, technology in Africa has leapfrogged gaps, including providing access to mobile money for people without bank accounts. Despite growing mobile internet coverage on the continent of 1.3 billion people, just 25% of adults in sub-Saharan Africa have access to it, according to Claire Sibthorpe, head of digital inclusion at the U.K.-based mobile phone lobbying group GSMA. Expense is the main barrier. The cheapest smartphone costs up to 95% of the monthly salary for the poorest 20% of the region's population, Sibthorpe said. Literacy rates that are below the global average, and lack of services in many African languages — some 2,000 are spoken across the continent, according to The African Language Program at Harvard University — are other reasons why a smartphone isn't a compelling investment for some. "If you buy a car, it's because you can drive it," said Alain Capo-Chichi, chief executive of CERCO Group, a company that has developed a smartphone that functions through voice command and is available in 50 African languages such as Yoruba, Swahili and Wolof. Even in Ghana, where the lingua franca is English, knowing how to use smartphones and apps can be a challenge for newcomers. One new company in Ghana is trying to close the digital gap. Uniti Networks offers financing to help make smartphones more affordable and coaches users to navigate its platform of apps. For Cyril Fianyo, a 64-year-old farmer in Ghana's eastern Volta region, the phone has expanded his activities beyond calls and texts. Using his identity card, he registered with Uniti, putting down a deposit worth 340 Ghanaian Cedis ($25) for a smartphone and will pay the remaining 910 Cedis ($66) in installments. He was shown how to navigate apps that interested him, including a third-party farming app called Cocoa Link that offers videos of planting techniques, weather information and details about the challenges of climate change that have affected cocoa and other crops. Fianyo, who previously planted according to his intuition and rarely interacts with farming advisors, was optimistic that the technology would increase his yields. "I will know the exact time to plant because of the weather forecast," he said. Kami Dar, chief executive of Uniti Networks, said the mobile internet could help address other challenges including accessing health care. The company has launched in five communities across Ghana with 650 participants and wants to reach 100,000 users within five years. Aker, the scholar, noted that the potential impact of mobile phones across Africa is immense but said there is limited evidence that paid health or agriculture apps are benefiting people there. She asserted that the only beneficial impacts are reminders to take medicine or get vaccinated. Having studied agricultural apps and their impact, she said it doesn't seem that farmers are getting better prices or improving their income. Capo-Chichi from CERCO Group said a dearth of useful apps and content is another reason that more people in Africa aren't buying smartphones. Dar said Uniti Networks learns from mistakes. In a pilot in northern Ghana designed to help cocoa farmers contribute to their pensions, there was high engagement, but farmers didn't find the app user-friendly and needed extra coaching. After the feedback, the pension provider changed the interface to improve navigation. Others are finding benefit with Uniti's platform. Mawufemor Vitor, a church secretary in Hohoe, said one health app has assisted her to track her menstruation to help prevent pregnancy. And Fianyo, the farmer, has used the platform to find information on herbal medicine. But mobile phones are no substitute for investment in public services and infrastructure, Aker said. She also expressed concerns about the privacy of data in the hands of private technology providers and governments. With digital IDs in development in African nations such as Kenya and South Africa, this could pave the way for further abuses, Aker said. Uniti Networks is a for-profit business, paid for each customer that signs up for paying apps. Dar asserted that he was not targeting vulnerable populations to sell them unnecessary services and said Uniti only features apps that align with its idea of impact, with a focus on health, education, finance and agriculture. Dar said Uniti has rejected lucrative approaches from many companies including gambling firms. "Tech can be used for awful things," he said. He acknowledged that Uniti tracks users on the platform to provide incentives, in the form of free data, and to provide feedback to app developers. He acknowledged that users' health and financial data could be at threat from outside attack but said Uniti has decentralized data storage in an attempt to lessen the risk. Still, the potential to provide solutions can outweigh the risks, Aker said, noting two areas where the technology could be transformative: education and insurance. She said mobile phones could help overcome the illiteracy that still affects 773 million people worldwide according to UNESCO. Increased access to insurance, still not widely used in parts of Africa, could provide protection to millions who face shocks on the front lines of climate change and conflict. Back in Fianyo's fields, his new smartphone has attracted curiosity. "This is something I would like to be part of," said neighboring farmer Godsway Kwamigah.