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South Africa's treatment of its big cats has long tarnished its reputation for conservation, from allowing captive-bred lion hunting to selling lion bones to East Asia for their purported "medicinal" qualities. But now, the country is ending all that. Kate Bartlett reports from Lionsrock Sanctuary in Free State province. Camera and video editing by Zaheer Cassim.

WASHINGTON — House Democrats will vote to save Republican Speaker Mike Johnson's job should some of his fellow GOP lawmakers seek to remove him from the position, Democratic leaders said Tuesday, avoiding a repeat of when eight Republicans joined with Democrats to oust his predecessor, former Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Johnson, R-La., has come under heavy criticism from some Republicans for moving forward with aid for Ukraine as part of a $95 billion emergency spending package that passed this month. It would take only a handful of Republicans to remove Johnson from the speakership if the Democratic caucus went along with the effort. But Democratic leaders took that possibility off the table. "At this moment, upon completion of our national security work, the time has come to turn the page on this chapter of Pro-Putin Republican obstruction," said a statement from the top three House Democrats, Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar. "We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Motion to Vacate the Chair. If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed." Greene, R-Ga., earlier this month filed a resolution with the House clerk — called a motion to vacate — that would remove Johnson from office if approved by the House. And while Greene did not force the resolution to be taken up immediately, she told reporters she was laying the groundwork for future consideration. She had two co-sponsors, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. Johnson was quick to distance himself from Democrats on the issue, saying he had no conversations with Jeffries or anyone else about saving his job. "I was laser-focused on getting the supplemental done," Johnson said, referring to the aid package. "I've had colleagues from both parties come up to me on the floor, of course, and say we won't stand for this. ... I've not requested assistance from anyone. I'm not focused on that at all." Many House Republicans are eager to move past the divisions that have tormented their ranks ever since taking the majority last January. At a closed-door session Tuesday morning, much of the discussion focused on how to create unity in the party heading into the November elections. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., said Republicans heard from Michael Whatley, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee, who emphasized that Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, wants to unify the majority in the House. He said that's a message that certainly helps Johnson. "What he wants is a unified Republican majority, so my message is singing from the same song sheet as President Trump," Barr said. Still, Greene indicated she may still move forward with the effort to remove Johnson, tweeting on X that she believes in recorded votes to put "Congress on record." She also called Johnson "officially the Democratic Speaker of the House" and questioned "what slimy deal" he made for Democratic support. "Americans deserve to see the Uniparty on full display. I'm about to give them their coming out party!" Greene tweeted. "Uniparty" is a derisive term some Republicans use to describe cooperation between some fellow Republicans and Democrats.

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON — Gabon's opposition is divided over a measure proposed at the country’s national dialogue to suspend close to 200 political parties until further notice and bar members of ousted President Ali Bongo's Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) from taking part in elections for three years. Backers of the measure say it eliminates parties created for reasons of corruption and personal ego, and prevents alleged vote-buying by PDG officials. Opponents say it will snuff out democracy. Leaders of the talks, billed as Gabon's Inclusive National Dialogue, say they have given a wide range of recommendations to the transitional president, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.   The resolutions and recommendations were handed to Oligui on Tuesday in the presence of Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera. Touadera is the regional mediator for Gabon's planned return to civilian rule following an August 30 bloodless coup that ousted Bongo.  The Bongo family had ruled the oil-producing nation for 57 years before the military takeover.  In addition to the idea of indefinitely suspending political parties and temporarily banning PDG leaders from elections, officials say the dialogue recommends that legislation be enacted to avoid what it calls the proliferation of political parties for egoistic reasons.  However, some dialogue participants say suspending political parties would allow Oligui to cruise to victory in the August 2025 elections.  Joel Ngouenini, president of the political party Seven Wonders of Gabon's People, or 7MP, said Tuesday on Gabon state TV that the country should not attempt to behave as if it were inventing a strange form of democracy. Democracy, he said, means people should be given the right to express themselves through the ballot and it is not the duty of a government to decide if civilians love a political party or not. Ngouenini warned that Gabon will sink to a dictatorship should Oligui accept a recommendation that silences political freedom.  Noel Bertrand Boundzanga, who heads the commission that recommended suspending all political parties, said he has received many petitions from opposition and civil society groups describing the proposal as highly undemocratic.  He maintains that the move will benefit the country in the long run. He said the recommendation was made unanimously by members of the political commission for the sake of democracy and the general well-being of all citizens. Boundzanga added that such a suspension would show politicians who created political parties in order to illegally obtain favors that Gabon has entered a new era.  On other matters, dialogue officials recommended that the two-year period for transitioning to democratic rule should be maintained but could be extended for a maximum of 12 months in case of a crisis or unforeseen circumstance.  Under the recommendations, Gabon would move from a semi-presidential to a presidential system, with a directly elected president presiding over the executive branch, which has separate powers from the legislative and judicial arms of government.    Officials also proposed a seven-year presidential mandate renewable once from August 2025, when presidential polls are expected. No recommendations would prevent Oligui from running for president.  The month-long dialogue wrapped up Tuesday with Oligui saying a new constitution will be prepared, taking the dialogue’s recommendations into account. He said a referendum on the new charter will be held in June. 

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LONDON — A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a east London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four others, British authorities said. A 36-year-old man was arrested in a residential area near Hainault subway station, police said. The incident is not being treated as terror-related or a "targeted attack." Police said the 14-year-old died in the hospital from his injuries. Two police officers were in hospital being treated for stab wounds. Two other people were also injured. Chief Supt. Stuart Bell described the incident as "truly horrific." "I cannot even begin to imagine how those affected must be feeling," he said outside the homes in east London where the crime happened. The Metropolitan Police said they were called early Tuesday to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house in a residential street and people being stabbed. Video on British media showed a man in a yellow hoodie holding a long sword or knife walking near houses in the area. Witnesses say they heard police shouting to the suspect urging him to put down the weapon as they chased after him. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said police do not believe there is a threat to the wider community. "We are not looking for more suspects," he said. "This incident does not appear to be terror-related." Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the incident was "shocking," adding: "Such violence has no place on our streets." King Charles III said his thoughts and prayers were with the family of the young victim, and he saluted the courage of emergency workers, Buckingham Palace said. Transport for London said Hainault station was closed due to a police investigation in the area.

Washington — Scammers stole more than $3.4 billion from older Americans last year, according to an FBI report released Tuesday that shows a rise in losses through increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics to trick the vulnerable into giving up their life savings. Losses from scams reported by Americans over the age of 60 last year were up 11% over the year before, according to the FBI's report. Investigators are warning of a rise in brazen schemes to drain bank accounts that involve sending couriers in person to collect cash or gold from victims. "It can be a devastating impact to older Americans who lack the ability to go out and make money," said Deputy Assistant Director James Barnacle of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division. "People lose all their money. Some people become destitute." The FBI received more than 100,000 complaints by victims of scams over the age of 60 last year, with nearly 6,000 people losing more than $100,000. It follows a sharp rise in reported losses by older Americans in the two years after the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, when people were stuck at home and easier for scammers to reach over the phone. Barnacle said investigators are seeing organized, transnational criminal enterprises targeting older Americans through a variety of schemes, like romance scams and investment frauds. The most commonly reported fraud among older adults last year was tech support scams, in which criminals pose over the phone as technical or customer service representatives. In one such scam authorities say is rising in popularity, criminals impersonate technology, banking and government officials to convince victims that foreign hackers have infiltrated their bank accounts and instruct them that to protect their money they should move it to a new account — one secretly controlled by the scammers. Federal investigators saw an uptick between May and December of scammers using live couriers to take money from victims duped into believing their accounts had been compromised, according to the FBI. In those cases, scammers tell victims that their bank accounts have been hacked and that they need to liquidate their assets into cash or buy gold or other precious metals to protect their funds. Then the fraudsters arrange for a courier to pick it up in person. "A lot of the the fraud schemes are asking victims to send money via a wire transfer, or a cryptocurrency transfer. When the victim is reluctant to do that, they're given an alternative," Barnacle said. "And so the bad guy will use courier services." Earlier this month, an 81-year-old Ohio man fatally shot an Uber driver he thought was trying to rob him after receiving scam phone calls, according to authorities. The man had been receiving calls from someone pretending to be an officer from the local court who demanded money. The Uber driver had been told to retrieve a package from the man's home, a request authorities say was possibly made by the same scam caller or an accomplice. The staggering losses to older Americans are likely an undercount. Only about half of the more than 880,000 complaints reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Compliance Center last year included information on the age of the victim.

MAE SOT, THAILAND — The battle between Myanmar’s military and rebel groups for control of the southeastern border town of Myawaddy has seen thousands of refugees cross into neighboring Thailand in April. But while many return to Myanmar when there is a lull in the fighting, others are seeking a more permanent escape from the conflict. Myanmar is experiencing a critical time during its over three-year-long post-coup conflict with rebel groups gaining significant territory and launching unprecedented attacks on the Myanmar regime.  Armed ethnic groups have captured bases in northern Shan state and Rakhine state since October. The most significant success came via the Karen National Union, or KNU, who earlier in April announced it had forced the surrender of hundreds of Myanmar's military soldiers who had been in control of Myawaddy. The junta have since regained a foothold by occupying a base in Myawaddy, but are still fighting to retain full control from the KNU and its allies. Local media report that junta reinforcements were advancing on Myawaddy as of Monday evening. The border town connects billions of dollars’ worth of trade passing between Myanmar and Thailand each year. Saw Thoo Kwei is a small business owner in Myawaddy. He said the situation in the town has deteriorated since the recent conflict.  “During a particularly intense period of conflict, I found myself having to seek refuge near the border in Myanmar for one night,” he told VOA. “As the situation gradually cooled down, I returned home. [But] I can't stay here long because of the conflict,” he added.   The 30-year-old owns a grocery store in Myawaddy, but the weeks of fighting between government troops and rebels have affected everyday life in the town. “Currently, there is no policing in Myawaddy, not even traffic police. Most government offices are closed. There is no fighting in the city, but people are living in fear. Many civilians are worried about heavy artillery like mortar shells,” he said. His business is also suffering from the uncertainty, which has prompted Saw Thoo Kwei to make plans to leave Myanmar. “Small businesses don't have many stocks to sell due to road blockages. The fighting in Myawaddy has really hit our business hard. We're seeing fewer customers, which means sales are down, and sometimes we have to shut the shop. “With the power cuts and prices shooting up, it's getting tough. We have to worry about thieves targeting our shop when things get tense, showing how unsafe Myawaddy can be. My only viable option is to relocate to Thailand,” he said. Since April, the fighting has continued despite the KNU announcing its forces had retreated from one base in the town. The tussle for control of Myawaddy led to at least 1,300 refugees crossing from Myanmar into Thailand, The Associated Press reported on April 20, citing Thai officials.  But that number may be higher as volunteers aiding the refugees told Myanmar Now that 3,000 were returned to Myanmar when fighting in the border town had temporarily quietened. Thailand shares a 2,400-km (1491-mi) -long land border with Myanmar.  Thailand’s border town Mae Sot, which sits across the Moei river from Myawaddy, has long been accustomed to receiving thousands of people from Myanmar, with many fleeing the war. In one undisclosed safehouse in Mae Sot, nearly a dozen Myanmar refugees have fled the conflict in recent weeks. Kyaw Zin Oo, a physics teacher from the Ayeyarwady region, told VOA he needed to leave Myanmar to avoid being conscripted by the junta. “I arrived here 17 days ago. I had two choices, to go with the [Myanmar military] or here. I chose to come to Thailand because I see more of a future here. I have friends who have joined the revolution. I thought about joining but I thought I can still support them from here by donations and sending food to them.” Other refugees, who didn’t want to be identified, said they left Myanmar because the junta had targeted them and their family because of their participation in anti-military protests. Myanmar’s military enacted a conscription law in February that makes 14 million men and women eligible to be drafted into the military and says it will conscript up to 60,000 new recruits a year. The Irrawaddy reports that the military has begun recruiting Rohingya people despite the ethnic minority group suffering appalling atrocities by Myanmar’s military in 2017. The junta is looking to bolster its ranks so it can resist the momentum gained by rebel groups in recent months. Chi Lin Ko, a farm worker from Yangon, sits in a bamboo-crafted hut in a highway lay-by in Mae Sot, pondering his next move. The 19-year-old farm worker left Myanmar over a month ago. But the prospect of fighting for the military spooked him. “I received a [military conscription] pamphlet at my home. My neighbors joined, but I came here because I didn’t want to join the military. I’ve heard there is a paid salary, but by enlisting in the military there’s no way I can leave after I’ve joined,” he said. If Chit Lin Ko were to ever pick up arms, it wouldn’t be for the Tatmadaw. “If I didn’t have any family, I would go and fight with the revolutionary groups,” he said. One of the reasons the teenager left Myanmar was to financially support his family.  Myanmar’s conflict has devastated the country’s economy, which is 10% lower than it was in 2019, according to a December report by the World Bank. “I have a family and need to look after to them, so I need to make money," Chit Lin Ko said. The U.N. says at least 45,000 Myanmar refugees have entered Thailand since the military coup over three years ago. Although Thailand’s government has recently pledged to welcome “100,000” Myanmar refugees, Thailand is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and has no specific domestic legal framework for the protection of urban refugees and asylum-seekers. Since the military seized power in Myanmar, nearly 5,000 people have been killed and over 26,000 people arrested, according to rights groups. 

Washington — U.S. consumers appear less optimistic about the jobs market and more worried about future financial conditions, bringing a closely watched confidence metric to its lowest level since July 2022, a survey showed Tuesday. The consumer confidence index fell to 97.0 in April, said The Conference Board, significantly below the 104.0 reading that analysts anticipated. This marks the third straight month consumer confidence has worsened, the report said, and comes as President Joe Biden struggles to boost perceptions about the economy as his reelection campaign ramps up. "Consumers became less positive about the current labor market situation, and more concerned about future business conditions, job availability, and income," said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board. But she added that despite the slip, "optimism about the present situation continues to more than offset concerns about the future." The biggest worries surrounded "elevated price levels, especially for food and gas," said Peterson. Meanwhile, politics and global conflicts were "distant runners-up," she added. While consumers rated current business conditions "positively," their views of the labor market weakened with more reporting that jobs are hard to get, said The Conference Board. Consumers also became less upbeat about their families' financial situations, both currently and in the future. "Perceptions about the labor market deteriorated even as job growth remains robust, and the unemployment rate is historically low," noted Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. "A deteriorating trend in sentiment could persist," she cautioned. This risks bogging down spending and growth, given that inflation remains persistent and interest rate cuts are "not imminent," she said.

Nairobi, Kenya — Mali’s military government says its forces have killed a senior Islamic State commander, Abu Huzeifa, during a joint operation with Burkina Faso and Niger. Huzeifa, who had a $5 million bounty on his head, has been linked to high-profile attacks in Africa’s Sahel region, including the killing of four U.S. soldiers. Some experts say the junta will use this success to justify its stay in power. Malian authorities said Monday their forces killed Islamic State commander Abu Huzeifa in a security operation in the northern region of Menaka. Huzeifa, a Moroccan, was wanted for acts of terrorism and the deaths of civilians and security officers, including four U.S. soldiers killed in Niger in 2017. Oluwole Ojewale is a regional coordinator at the Senegal-based Institute of Security Studies. He said the killing of a terror commander does not equate to the end of terrorism. "It is always celebrated within the security community and the communities that they have also terrorized. But there's no sufficient evidence to show that maybe those groups begin to decline after the killing of their strategic leaders. But I think it's a symbolic victory, particularly for the military government in Mali in the context of the security rearrangement that has been going on in that region for a while, now they came into power, the taking of Kidal and this particular one," said Ojewale. The killing comes several weeks after Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger formed a joint force to fight the insurgent groups. The three West African nations are battling terror threats and attacks by groups affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaida. Experts say the killing of a terror group leader rarely changes the attacks against civilians and security forces. David Otto, head of security and defense analysis with the Geneva Center for Africa Security and Strategic Studies, said the ability of Islamic State to launch more attacks and remain a threat will depend on how Abu Huzeifa ran the group's affairs. "It depends on the structure or how centralized the leadership was of the Sahel province. So if he had all the power, then of course, it would disrupt at a strategic level and may have some operational impact negative to what the group wants to achieve. But if he were to have commanders that were already in line of succession, then of course it's just going to be a new replacement. Now the problem is that the new man could be more dangerous than himself, but he could also be a much weaker leader," he said. Attacks by terror groups have killed thousands and displaced more than 500,000 from their homes in the Sahel in recent years.  They are also accused of committing human rights violations against the population living in areas under their control. Just like in Burkina Faso and Niger, Mali’s military overthrew the civilian-led government, accusing it of failing to effectively fight the jihadists. Political and media freedoms have been shrinking in Mali for years, but Ojewale fears the military junta will use the killing of a commander to further suppress critical voices. "They can use that to justify their stay in power. There is a constant erosion of civil liberty. Just a few days ago, they are locking the media out, which resulted in a complete blackout. That has happened in Mali, that is happening in Burkina Faso, that is also happening in Niger. The opposition, dissenting voices, cannot express themselves. To the extent to which that is taking place, then we can't give them a thumbs up for whatever they are doing," he said. Mali’s government ordered French troops to leave the country 2022 and for the U.N. mission to close its mission in the country last year.  Meantime, it formed closer relations with the Russian government and the Wagner mercenary group. Now, with the killing of the IS commander, regional experts say the prospect of the military returning power to a civilian government seems distant.

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.

Paris, France — G7 environment ministers committed on Tuesday to ramp up the production and deployment of battery storage technology, an essential component for increasing renewable energy and combating climate change.   Here is how and why batteries play a vital role in the energy transition:    Growing demand Batteries have been central to the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) but are also critical to wind and solar power because of the intermittent nature of these energy sources.   Surplus electricity must be stored in batteries to stabilize distribution regardless of peaks in demand, or breaks in supply at night or during low winds.    Battery deployment in the energy sector last year increased more than 130 percent from 2022, according to a report released last week by the International Energy Agency (IEA).     The main markets are China, the European Union and the United States.  Following closely are Britain, South Korea, Japan and developing nations in Africa, where solar and storage technology is seen as the gateway to energy access.   Six-fold goal To triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030 -- a goal set at the UN climate conference in December -- the IEA says a six-fold increase in battery storage will be necessary.   Clean energy is essential to reduce emissions from burning fossil fuels and to hope to keep the international target of restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.    The total storage capacity required to achieve this target is an estimated 1,500 gigawatts by 2030.   Of this, 1,200 GW will need to be supplied by batteries. Cost challenges In less than 15 years, the cost of batteries has fallen by 90 percent.   "The combination of solar PV and batteries is today competitive with new coal plants in India. And just in the next few years, it will be cheaper than new coal in China and gas-fired power in the United States," IEA chief Fatih Birol said last week.    "But still the pace is not fast enough to reach our goals in terms of climate change and energy security."   Costs will have to come down further, he said, while calling for supply chains to be diversified.    Most batteries are currently produced by China.    But some 40 percent of planned battery manufacturing projects are in the United States and Europe, according to the IEA.    If those projects are realized, they would be nearly sufficient to meet the needs of those countries. Metal matters Another thorny issue is the availability of critical metals like lithium and cobalt that are essential to make batteries.   Experts say the development chemical alternatives could complement the dominant lithium-ion technology.   "Transition in the technology will reduce the amount of lithium" needed, said Brent Wanner, head of the IEA's power sector unit, adding, "this includes shifting to sodium-ion batteries."  Beyond 2030, high-density solid-state batteries that offer a longer lifespan are expected to become commercially available.  There are other storage options, although not as widely applicable or available as batteries. Pumped storage hydropower has long been used in the hydroelectric sector. The transformation of electricity into hydrogen, which can be stored and transported, is a new technology expected to become more readily available.  Be flexible Renewable energy is not entirely reliant on storage and measures can be taken to improve the flexibility of its production to meet demands.    Industry and governments are gearing up for the transition.    The European Union's Energy Regulators Agency called on member states in September to assess their "flexibility potential" based on estimates that renewables will need to double by 2030.    Such a rise requires greater "flexibility" in grids, meaning energy can be stored and distributed consistently despite fluctuating production and demand.    The G7 said Tuesday it would not only support more production and use of battery storage, but promote technological advancements in the sector as well as grid infrastructure.  

LONDON — The Scottish government will face a no-confidence vote Wednesday, one it is expected to win after First Minister Humza Yousaf said he would resign. Yousaf's resignation Monday came just 13 months after he replaced Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland's leader and sparks another leadership contest in the Scottish National Party. The crisis in the SNP gives an opportunity for the U.K. opposition Labour Party to regain ground ahead of a national election expected this year. The motion of no confidence in the government was submitted by Scottish Labour last week, after Yousaf said he was ending a coalition with the Scottish Green Party. Scottish parliament listings showed the vote was scheduled for Wednesday. Facing a separate vote of no confidence in his own position as first minister, Yousaf said he would step down as Scotland's leader, as opposition parties, including the Greens, lined up to vote against him. That vote now won't take place. However, Labour's wider motion of no confidence in the whole government is set to be opposed by the Greens, meaning that it will likely fail and that the SNP will have chance to form a new minority government under another leader. Former leader John Swinney has said he is considering standing, while Yousaf's former leadership rival Kate Forbes is seen as a possible candidate. If the Labour no confidence motion passes, it will result in the resignation of the government and likely Scottish elections thereafter. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said it would be a democratic outrage for the SNP to choose another leader — and thus First Minister — without a parliamentary election.

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.

London — A smiling and healthy-looking King Charles returned to public duties on Tuesday for the first time since he was diagnosed with cancer in February, telling patients at a treatment center for the disease in London that he was "all right."  Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that doctors were sufficiently pleased with the 75-year-old king's response to treatment for the unspecified form of cancer that he would be able to resume some public-facing engagements.  The first of these saw the king and his wife Queen Camilla visit the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre where he looked cheerful, waving to those gathered outside on his arrival.  "I'm all right, thank you," Charles told one patient, while he said to another that he would be having treatment himself later.  The visit also marked Charles becoming the new patron of the Cancer Research UK charity, and was designed to help raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis of the disease.  Charles' health issues began in January when it was revealed that he would be admitted to hospital to have a corrective procedure for a benign enlarged prostate.  The following month, the palace said tests had uncovered the presence of a "form of cancer," but gave no further details beyond saying it did not involve his prostate.  He has rested and undergone treatment since then, continuing with official state duties in private. He was well enough to greet well-wishers after an Easter church service at the end of March. Although his diary will be carefully managed to minimize any risks to his health, the palace said he might attend some annual events such as the “Trooping the Colour” military parade in June, as well as commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the World War Two D-Day landings, also in June.  The palace has confirmed Charles and Camilla will host a state visit by the Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako in late June.  Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman said the king's return was "great news." "We all continue to wish him a full and speedy recovery as he returns to public duty," the spokesman told reporters.  Charles' illness came less than 18 months after he succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth. His nephew Peter Phillips has said the monarch, who is known for his desire to keep busy, had found the limitation imposed by his treatment frustrating.  Also absent has been Charles' daughter-in-law Kate, wife of his son and heir Prince William, who is undergoing preventative chemotherapy after tests in the wake of major abdominal surgery revealed cancer had been present.

SHANGHAI — The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China staged a sit-in protest outside his lab after authorities locked him out of the facility — a sign of the Beijing's continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus. Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab, the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since the virologist published the sequence in January 2020 without state approval. When Zhang tried to go to the lab over the weekend, guards barred him from entering. In protest, he sat outside on flattened cardboard in drizzling rain, pictures from the scene posted online show. News of the protest spread widely on Chinese social media and Zhang told a colleague he slept outside the lab — but it was not clear Tuesday if he remained there. "I won't leave, I won't quit, I am pursuing science and the truth!" he wrote in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo that was later deleted. In an online statement, the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center said that Zhang's lab was being renovated and was closed for "safety reasons." It added that it had provided Zhang's team an alternative laboratory space. But Zhang wrote online that his team wasn't offered an alternative until after they were notified of their eviction, and that the lab offered didn't meet safety standards for conducting their research, leaving his team in limbo. Zhang's latest difficulty reflects how China has sought to control information related to the virus: An Associated Press investigation found that the government froze meaningful domestic and international efforts to trace it from the first weeks of the outbreak. That pattern continues to this day, with labs closed, collaborations shattered, foreign scientists forced out and Chinese researchers barred from leaving the country. When reached by phone on Tuesday, Zhang said it was "inconvenient" for him to speak, saying there were other people listening in. In an email Monday to collaborator Edward Holmes seen by AP, Zhang confirmed he was sleeping outside his lab after guards barred him from entering. An AP reporter was blocked by a guard at an entrance to the compound housing Zhang's lab. A staff member at the National Health Commission, China's top health authority, said by phone that it was not the main department in charge and referred questions to the Shanghai government. The Shanghai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Zhang's ordeal started when he and his team decoded the virus on Jan. 5, 2020, and wrote an internal notice warning Chinese authorities of its potential to spread — but did not make the sequence public. The next day, Zhang's lab was ordered temporarily shut by China's top health official, and Zhang came under pressure by Chinese authorities. Around the time, China had reported several dozen people were being treated for a respiratory illness in the central city of Wuhan. Possible cases of the same illness had been reported in Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan involving recent travelers to the city. Foreign scientists soon learned that Zhang and other Chinese scientists had deciphered the virus and called for him to publish. Zhang published his sequence of the coronavirus on Jan. 11, 2020, despite a lack of government permission. Sequencing a virus is key to the development of test kits, disease control measures and vaccinations. The virus eventually spread to every corner of the world, triggering a pandemic that disrupted lives and commerce, prompted widespread lockdowns and killed millions of people. Zhang was later awarded prizes in recognition for his work. But Zhang's publication of the sequence also prompted additional scrutiny of his lab, according to Holmes, Zhang's collaborator and a virologist at the University of Sydney. Zhang was removed from a post at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and barred from collaborating with some of his former partners, crippling his research. "Ever since he defied the authorities by releasing the genome sequence of the virus that causes COVID-19 there has been a campaign against him," Holmes said. "He's been broken by this process and I'm amazed he has been able to work at all."

Images of African senior citizens walking a fashion runway created a buzz on social media, with AI-generated pictures challenging traditional depictions of elderly Africans. VOA’s Karina Choudhury has all the looks in this week’s episode of LogOn. Videographer: Samuel Okocha

Kenyan start-up is producing water for dry communities literally out of air. The company Majik Water uses an Indian-built device that pulls humidity out of the air using an electrostatic filter. With the technology, it is able to supply up to 500 liters of water per day in arid regions. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi. (Camera and Produced by: Jimmy Makhulo)