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RIO DE JANEIRO — The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state has climbed to 136, the local civil defense government body said on Saturday, up from 126 in the previous day, while another 125 people remain unaccounted for. Storms and floods battering the South American country's southernmost state have also left around 537,000 displaced, according to the local civil defense body, a significant increase from the 340,000 reported a day earlier. About 446 urban centers have been impacted, affecting the lives of more than 2.1 million people in a state whose population is about 10.9 million. Weather forecaster Metsul has reported that after a short respite, rains that started coming down over the state on Friday have begun to fill rivers in what it called a "worrying" situation. "Accumulated precipitation is occurring in the worst possible region given the current flood scenario, along the basins and in the sources of the main rivers that are still full," said the meteorological service in a public statement. The state is at a geographical meeting point between tropical and polar atmospheres, which has created a weather pattern with periods of intense rains or drought. Local scientists believe the pattern has been intensifying due to climate change. 

MALMO, Sweden — Switzerland won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on Saturday in the Swedish host city Malmo, beating runner-up Croatia.   Billed as a feel-good celebration of European diversity, this year's contest was thrust into the political spotlight with calls for Israel to be excluded because of its military campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas' deadly attack on October 7 in Israel.   Swiss rapper and singer Nemo, 24, won the contest with "The Code," a drum-and-bass, opera, rap and rock song about Nemo's journey of self-discovery as a non-binary person.  "I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person in this world," Nemo said, after receiving the Eurovision trophy on stage.  "To know that a song that has changed my life and a song where I just speak about my story has touched so many people and maybe inspired other people to stay true to their story is the most insane thing that has ever happened to me," Nemo said later during a press conference.  Swiss sing along Cheers of joy broke out in bars in central Zurich when the winner was announced, and Swiss revelers sang along as Nemo tore through a victory rendition of "The Code."  "I think it's just great, Nemo is fantastic," said Maha Nater, a 24-year-old kindergarten worker celebrating the win after watching the marathon contest.  One karaoke bar began blasting out Queen's "We Are The Champions" as patrons joined in.  Nemo's victory would blaze a trail for others who had had to cope with prejudice against non-binary people, Nater said.  "It sets an example to follow," she said.  Croatia places second Croatia's Baby Lasagna, real name Marko Purisic, 28, came second with "Rim Tim Tagi Dim," a song about a young man who leaves home aspiring to become a "city boy" with better opportunities.  Israel's Eden Golan, 20, finished fifth in the contest despite demonstrators' calls for a boycott of the country.  The female solo artist on Thursday emerged as one of the leading contenders to win after qualifying for the final.  Booing was heard during Golan's performance but also applause, a Reuters photographer in the auditorium said. The noise was partly audible in the broadcast viewed by tens of millions of people in Europe and around the world.  There was also booing when the points of the Israeli jury were presented.  Protesters claim Eurovision supports genocide Several thousand protesters gathered in central Malmo ahead of Saturday's final, waving Palestinian flags and shouting "Eurovision united by genocide,"  The contest's official slogan is "United by music."  A few hundred people later also protested outside the venue, chanting "Eurovision, you can't hide, you're supporting genocide."  Protesters have been pointing to double standards as the European Broadcasting Union banned Russia from Eurovision in 2022 because of its invasion of Ukraine.  Police hauled away some protesters before surrounding them and ushering them away, a Reuters reporter outside the arena said. Some protesters were seen lying on the ground after police used pepper spray to disband the demonstration.  25 countries compete Twenty-five countries competed in the final after Dutch artist Joost Klein was expelled earlier on Saturday because of a complaint filed by a production crew member.  Viewer votes made up half of Saturday's final result, while juries of five music professionals in each participating country made up the other half.  The Eurovision winner is awarded the contest's official glass trophy, which is shaped like a classic, old-fashioned microphone, with sand blasted and painted details. The winner also gets to host the competition the following year.  Nemo broke the fragile prize shortly after receiving it but was given a new one to replace it.  "I didn't just break the code, I also broke the trophy," Nemo said, laughing, at the press conference after the win. 

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Tbilisi, georgia — About 50,000 opponents of a "foreign agents" bill marched peacefully in heavy rain through the Georgian capital on Saturday. The bill, which would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as "agents of foreign influence," has touched off a rolling political crisis in Georgia, where thousands have taken to the streets to demand the bill be withdrawn. Earlier, the United States said the country had to choose between the "Kremlin-style" law and the people's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. "We are deeply alarmed about democratic backsliding in Georgia," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan wrote on X. "Georgian Parliamentarians face a critical choice — whether to support the Georgian people's EuroAtlantic aspirations or pass a Kremlin-style foreign agents' law that runs counter to democratic values," he said. "We stand with the Georgian people." The crowd on Saturday waved Georgian, European Union and some Ukrainian flags and, in a break with the past, included more older protesters as well as the many young people who have thronged the streets over the past month. "The government should hear the free people of Georgia," said one protester in her 30s who gave her name as Nino, waved a large Georgian flag, and led one of three columns that converged on the city center, which blocked much of the city's roads and filled the cobblestoned heart of Tbilisi's old town. "We want to enter the European Union with our proud nation and our dignity," she said. Anuki, a 22-year-old student of acting, said it was her generation's responsibility "to make sure that our future and the future of generations after us are safe, that they have freedom of speech, and they are free, basically." "And we don't want to be part of Russia," she added. "We never wanted to be part of Russia. And it has always been and always will be our goal to be part of Europe." Parliament, which is controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party and its allies, will begin committee hearings on the bill's third and final reading on Monday. Opposition groups had called for a fresh wave of protests starting Saturday. The crisis has pitted the Georgian Dream ruling party against a coalition of opposition parties, civil society, celebrities and the country's figurehead president, with mass demonstrations shutting down much of central Tbilisi almost nightly for more than a month. Georgian opponents of the bill have dubbed it "the Russian law," comparing it to legislation used to target critics of President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin. The European Union, which granted Georgia candidate status in December, has said that the bill will pose a serious obstacle to further integration if passed. Georgian Dream says the bill will promote transparency and Georgian national sovereignty. Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgian Dream, has said the law is necessary to stop the West trying to use Georgians as "cannon fodder" in a confrontation with Russia. Sullivan said that Georgian Dream appeared to be deliberately trying to break with the West, even as both the ruling party and Georgian public opinion have traditionally been in favor of the country joining the EU and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance. "Georgian Dream's recent rhetoric, proposed legislative changes, and actions go against the aspirations of the Georgian people and are designed to isolate Georgians from the United States and Europe," he wrote.

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cairo — Sudan's military and allied armed groups have staved off an attack by a paramilitary group and Arab militias on a major city in the western region of Darfur, officials and residents said Saturday.  The attack Friday was the latest by the Arab-dominated Rapid Support Forces against el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province, where hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering, many of them having fled fighting elsewhere in Darfur.  The RSF, which has been at war with the military for more than a year, has built forces up in recent months to wrestle control of el-Fasher, the last city still held by the military in the sprawling Darfur region.  Sudan's conflict began in April last year when soaring tensions between the leaders of the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.  The conflict wrecked the country and pushed its population to the brink of famine. It killed more than 14,000 people and wounded thousands more amid reports of widespread sexual violence and other atrocities that rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.  Darfur witnessed some of the worst atrocities in the war, with the RSF taking control of many cities and towns across the region. Human Rights Watch said in a report last week that RSF attacks constituted a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the region's non-Arab population.  The RSF and their allies launched the attack on el-Fasher's eastern side early Friday and clashed with military forces and other armed groups defending the city, said resident Amany Mohamed. She said the military and allied forces have repelled the attack.  "Yesterday was a very difficult day," she said over the phone Saturday. "There were fierce clashes that lasted for six hours."  'The situation is catastrophic' Another resident and activist, Ibtisam al-Doum, fled with her family to a school-turned-shelter on the southern side of the city during heavy fighting Friday. She said she saw hundreds of people escaping on foot to safer areas.  "The situation is catastrophic. We don't know when this will end," she said, speaking from the Jiser al-Jinan shelter. "What's happening is senseless."  The military-led camp and the RSF blamed each other for initiating Friday's fighting.  Local media reported heavy clashes in parts of the city including its power planet. Footage on social media platforms showed army troops and allied forces celebrating and captured fighters in RSF uniform being paraded in the streets.  "Reports of intensifying clashes in the city are deeply alarming," Martin Griffiths, the United Nations relief chief, wrote on X and called for warning parties to de-escalate. "The people of Darfur need more food, not more fighting," he said.  Friday fighting displaces hundreds The International Organization for Migration said the military launched airstrikes Saturday on the RSF positions in the northern and eastern parts of el-Fasher. It said Friday's fighting had forced about 170 households, or about 800 people, from their homes.  The United Nations last month said the RSF had encircled the city and warned an attack would have "devastating consequences" for its 800,000 people.  The RSF and allied Arab militias have launched a series of attacks on el-Fasher and its surroundings in recent weeks, taking several villages on the northern side.  Such attacks "resulted in horrific reports of violence, including sexual violence, children injured and killed, homes set on fire and destruction of critical civilian supplies and infrastructure," Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, said earlier this month.  "The fighting and growing fear of ethnically motivated violence has driven many families to overcrowded displacement camps such as Zamzam camp and informal gathering sites in and around el-Fasher city," she said. 

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — The leader of a recently formed Cambodian opposition party has been charged with inciting social disorder, his lawyer said Saturday, in the third major legal action this month targeting critics of the government of Prime Minister Hun Manet. Sun Chanthy of the Nation Power Party, established late last year, was formally charged Friday by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court and sent to pre-trial detention in the northwestern province of Pursat, according to Choung Chou Ngy. He said his client could be sentenced to six months to two years in prison if convicted, and that on Monday he will seek his release on bail.  Cambodia's government has long been accused of using the judicial system to persecute critics and political opponents. The government insists it promotes the rule of law under an electoral democracy, but political parties seen as mounting strong challenges to the ruling Cambodian People's Party have been dissolved by the courts or had their leaders jailed or harassed.  Sun Chanthy, 41, was arrested Thursday at Phnom Penh International Airport after returning from a trip to Japan where he held a meeting with several hundred Cambodian overseas workers. He spoke there about the desire for the government to allow more freedom for opposition parties.  In remarks shown on his Facebook page, he also criticized Hun Manet's government for policies that forced people to fall into debt to banks, while running up the nation's debt to foreign countries.  Sun Chanthy also reportedly criticized the government's system of issuing special cards to poor families that allow them to receive social welfare handouts.  The Justice Ministry said in a statement that he was charged for his remarks about the cards because he had "twisted information" to dishonestly suggest that they would only be distributed to those who join the ruling Cambodian People's Party.  Sun Chanthy's Nation Power Party said his arrest was an act of intimidation that critically affected the country's process of democracy. It called for his unconditional release.  Cambodia under its former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who held power for almost four decades, was widely criticized for human rights abuses that included suppression of freedom of speech and association. He was succeeded last year by his son, Hun Manet, but there have been few signs of political liberalization.  Sun Chanthy's detention comes just days after labor union leader Morm Rithy was sentenced to 18 months in prison by the same court in connection with comments he made during a live broadcast on Facebook two years ago that criticized the arrest of a casino worker.  On May 3, Cambodia's high court upheld the two-year prison sentence of a prominent female labor union leader. Chhim Sithar, president of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld, had originally been convicted in May 2023 of incitement to commit a felony during a long-running strike of workers at a casino resort in Phnom Penh.  Sun Chanthy had been a top leader of the former Cambodia National Rescue Party and was closely associated with its chief Sam Rainsy, the harshest critic and most popular opponent of the Cambodian People's Party for decades. Sam Rainsy has been in exile since 2016 to avoid serving prison sentences on defamation, treason and other charges, which his supporters consider politically motivated.  The Cambodia National Rescue Party had been expected to present a strong challenge to the ruling party in the 2018 general election. But as part of a sweeping crackdown on the opposition before the polls, the high court dissolved the party, and the Cambodian People's Party subsequently won every seat in the National Assembly.  Sun Chanthy joined the Candlelight Party, the successor to the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was barred from competing in last year's general election on a technicality. He left the Candlelight Party to help form the Nation Power Party in October last year. 

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.  Armed men raided the coastal community of Gressier in the western tip of Port-au-Prince late Friday, injuring people, burning cars and attacking homes and other infrastructure as scores of people fled into the nearby mountains following a barrage of gunfire overnight.  It was not immediately known if anyone died.  Videos posted on social media showed people fleeing into the early dawn balancing bags and suitcases on their heads as men clad in sandals and carrying heavy weapons celebrated with gunfire.  "The town is ours," said one man who filmed himself with others who were armed, noting they were in Gressier. "We have no limits."  The attack comes roughly a week after gang attacks in central Port-au-Prince forced more than 3,700 people to flee their homes.  "The situation is critical and catastrophic," Garry Jean-Baptiste, a spokesperson for the SPNH-17 police union, told The Associated Press.  He called Frantz Elbe, director of Haiti's National Police, incapable and incompetent: "Monsieur Elbé has failed."  Jean-Baptiste said the union wants a newly installed transitional presidential council to demand Elbe's resignation and order justice officials to launch an investigation into the crisis.  "Police continue to lose their premises and equipment and officers," he said, adding that at least 30 police stations and substations have been attacked and burned in recent months.  He also accused Elbe and other high-ranking officials of being complicit with gangs.  Elbe did not immediately return a message for comment.  Jean-Baptiste said the officer who was stationed in Gressier "resisted for a while" but was unable to stave off the gang attack given a lack of staff and resources.  "The police could not prevent the worst," he said.  Jean-Baptiste said the attack was planned by gunmen who came from the neighboring communities of Village de Dieu, Martissant and Mariani.  Gressier is in an area controlled by Renel Destina. Best known as "Ti Lapli," he is a leader of the Grand Ravine gang and considered a key ally of Izo, another powerful gang leader, according to the United Nations. The Grand Ravine gang has some 300 members and is accused of killings, kidnappings, rapes and other crimes.  Those fleeing Gressier now join more than 360,000 other Haitians who have been forced to abandon their homes as gangs raze communities in rival territories to control more land. Tens of thousands of Haitians have squeezed into squalid, makeshift shelters, including schools and government buildings abandoned due to gang violence.  The violence surged starting February 29, when gangs launched coordinated attacks. Gunmen have burned police stations, opened fire on the main international airport that remains closed since March 4, and raided Haiti's two biggest prisons, freeing more than 4,000 inmates.  Veteran politician Andre Michel wrote on the social media platform X that the most recent attack targeting Gressier shows "Haiti will not be able to get out from under the gangs without an international force. … We will not be able to secure the country ourselves."  A U.N.-backed deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti has been repeatedly delayed, although some believe the first officers might arrive in late May.  Scores of U.S. military planes have been landing at the shuttered airport in Port-au-Prince in recent weeks, carrying civilian contractors, life-saving supplies, building materials and heavy equipment ahead of the anticipated arrival of a multinational mission. 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's hard-liners won most of the remaining seats in an election runoff to give them full control over the country's parliament, authorities said Saturday, while not sharing any details on the turnout.  The result, and that of the previous vote in March, gives hard-liners 233 of the 290 seats in Iran's parliament, according to an Associated Press tally.  Hard-liners seek more cultural and social restrictions based on Islamic sharia, including demanding that women wear the Islamic veil in public. They also express enmity toward the West, particularly the United States.  Those politicians calling for change in the country's government, known broadly as reformists, were generally barred from running in the election. Those calling for radical reforms or for abandoning Iran's theocratic system were also banned or didn't bother to register as candidates.  Vote counting began after the ballots closed late Friday, with the election authority publishing the names of the winners the day after.  Interior minister Ahmad Vahidi said Saturday the election saw "good participation," without elaborating.  "All elected people have had a relatively good and acceptable" number of votes, he said.  The result requires approval by a constitutional watchdog. It is expected next week. The new parliament will begin its job on May 27.  The parliament in Iran plays a secondary role in governing the country though it can intensify pressure on the administration when deciding on the annual budget and other important bills. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say in all important state matters.  In March, a total of 25 million ballots were cast, for a turnout of just under 41%, the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought Islamists to power. 

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YAOUNDE, CAMEROON   — Chad says it has deployed combat-ready troops to stop armed attacks and maintain peace as the death toll increased to 12 people in post-election violence on Saturday. At least 90 people have sustained severe injuries in the capital, N'djamena.  Chad state TV reports that keeping and using war weapons and firearms is prohibited until further notice by the central African state's military. It noted the prohibition of weapons was imposed after 9 people were killed and upwards of 60 were injured in shootings in N'djamena on Thursday night, after provisional results of the May 6 presidential elections were announced.   Chad's police say three other injured victims died in two hospitals in N'djamena on Friday night. About 30 other civilians were injured in confrontations and shootings, and they were rushed to hospitals, where the government has ordered they be treated at no charge.  Opposition and civil society say several hundred civilians who protested the May 6 presidential election results have been arrested and detained, especially in the capital city and in Moundou, Chad's second-largest city.  Chad's elections management body, known as ANGE, has proclaimed transitional ruler General Mahamat Idriss Deby the winner, with more than 61% of the vote. His main challenger, Succes Masra, is second, scoring 18.53% of the vote. Masra claimed he won, but Deby stole his victory.  Chad's military said among the shooters were armed supporters celebrating Deby's victory. They may have run into a confrontation with armed opposition supporters, Chad's military said Saturday, noting that illegal arms proliferation is rampant in the central African state.  Mbairamadji Desire, president of the N'djamena headquarters of the Rainbow Youth Association for Social Stability in Africa, said he is pleading with armed civilians to drop their weapons and spare Chad from looming civil strife.   Mbairamadji said all Chadians, especially youths, should put down their weapons they are keeping illegally because peace is priceless. He warned that Chad could descend into worsening chaos because it is very difficult for its military to be effective on multiple fronts, including seizing weapons hidden in homes, fighting Boko Haram terrorists who are infiltrating the Lake Chad basin, and stopping violence between farmers and nomadic herders that has worsened all over Chad in recent years. In a message after ANGE proclaimed the results, Deby said he is the democratically elected president of all Chadians, including opposition party leaders who are contesting his victory. Deby said he will do everything possible to strengthen Chad's internal security to guarantee threatened peace and stability.   Hussein Abdoulaye, a political analyst and lecturer at the University of Ndjamena, spoke with VOA via a messaging app from N'djamena.   He said civilians are increasingly aware that Chad's government has a tradition of rigging elections and using the military to crack down on the opposition, but that Chadians know their rights and may use violence if they think the opposition was deprived unfairly of victory.  In several messages shared on social media, including WhatsApp and Facebook, Masra is calling on civilians to calmly mobilize and demonstrate peacefully for what he calls his stolen victory to be restored.   Chad's government and the elections body say candidates have five days from the date of publication of provisional results to file complaints at the constitutional council.    The action could cancel the elections if it establishes that there was massive fraud, including stuffing of ballot boxes and intimidation of civilians at polling stations as the opposition claims.    Definitive results are scheduled to be declared by Chad's Constitutional Council on May 21. 

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.

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.

HONG KONG — Eight Chinese cities have joined a program allowing their residents to travel to Hong Kong on their own, rather than as part of a tour group, as part of efforts to boost Hong Kong's economy.  Hong Kong is battling to revive its economy following a national security crackdown and COVID-related controls, which led to many locals and expats leaving the city and caused tourist numbers to dwindle to a fraction of prepandemic levels.  The Individual Visit Scheme began in 2003 as part of a cooperation agreement between mainland China and Hong Kong to boost the city's economy by allowing Chinese residents to apply for individual travel, rather than in a tour group.  Fifty-one cities have already joined the program and will be joined by Taiyuan in Shanxi Province, Hohhot in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Harbin in Heilongjiang Province, Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region, Lanzhou in Gansu Province, Xining in Qinghai Province, Yinchuan in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.  Hong Kong city leader John Lee said, "These eight cities are all provincial capital cities with large populations, significant economic growth and high spending power."  Although recent official figures showed the territory growing 2.7% in the first quarter compared with the year before, local businesses have described shopping malls as "dead," with low foot traffic and shops covered with "for lease" or "coming up soon" signs.  One lawmaker recently told the city's legislature that more than 20,000 companies had deregistered in the first quarter of 2024, up more than 70% from the same period last year.  China imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 after months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. In March, authorities enacted another set of security laws that some foreign governments say further undermine rights and freedoms.  The Hong Kong and Chinese governments have repeatedly said the security laws have brought stability.