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VENICE, Italy — Venice has always been a place of contrasts, of breathtaking beauty and devastating fragility, where history, religion, art and nature have collided over the centuries to produce an otherworldly gem of a city. But even for a place that prides itself on its culture of unusual encounters, Pope Francis’ visit Sunday stood out. Francis traveled to the lagoon city to visit the Holy See’s pavilion at the Biennale contemporary art show and meet with the people who created it. But because the Vatican decided to mount its exhibit in Venice’s women’s prison, and invited inmates to collaborate with the artists, the whole project assumed a far more complex meaning, touching on Francis’ belief in the power of art to uplift and unite, and of the need to give hope and solidarity to society’s most marginalized. Francis hit on both messages during his visit, which began in the courtyard of the Giudecca prison where he met with the women inmates one by one. As some of them wept, Francis urged them to use their time in prison as a chance for “moral and material rebirth." “Paradoxically, a stay in prison can mark the beginning of something new, through the rediscovery of the unsuspected beauty in us and in others, as symbolized by the artistic event you are hosting and the project to which you actively contribute,” Francis said. Francis then met with Biennale artists in the prison chapel, decorated with an installation by Brazilian visual artist Sonia Gomes of objects dangling from the ceiling, meant to draw the viewer’s gaze upward. He urged the artists to embrace the Biennale’s theme this year “Strangers Everywhere,” to show solidarity with all those on the margins. The Vatican exhibit has turned the Giudecca prison, a former convent for reformed prostitutes, into one of the must-see attractions of this year’s Biennale, even though to see it visitors must reserve in advance and go through a security check. It has become an unusual art world darling that greets visitors at the entrance with Maurizio Cattelan’s wall mural of two giant filthy feet, a work that recalls Caravaggio’s dirty feet or the feet that Francis washes each year in a Holy Thursday ritual that he routinely performs on prisoners. The exhibit also includes a short film starring the inmates and Zoe Saldana, and prints in the prison coffee shop by onetime Catholic nun and American social activist Corita Kent. Francis’ dizzying morning visit, which ended with Mass in St. Mark's Square, represented an increasingly rare outing for the 87-year-old pontiff, who has been hobbled by health and mobility problems that have ruled out any foreign trips so far this year. And Venice, with its 121 islands and 436 bridges, isn't an easy place to negotiate. But Francis pulled it off, arriving by helicopter from Rome, crossing the Giudecca Canal in a water taxi and then arriving in St. Mark's Square in a mini popemobile that traversed the Grand Canal via a pontoon bridge erected for the occasion. During an encounter with young people at the iconic Santa Maria della Salute basilica, Francis acknowledged the miracle that is Venice, admiring its “enchanting beaty” and tradition as a place of East-West encounter, but warning that it is increasingly vulnerable to climate change and depopulation. “Venice is at one with the waters upon which it sits,” Francis said. “Without the care and safeguarding of this natural environment, it might even cease to exist.” Venice, sinking under rising sea levels and weighed down by the impact of overtourism, is in the opening days of an experiment to try to limit the sort of day trips that Francis undertook Sunday. Venetian authorities last week launched a pilot program to charge day-trippers 5 euros ($5.35) apiece on peak travel days. The aim is to encourage them to stay longer or come at off-peak times, to cut down on crowds and make the city more livable for its dwindling number of residents. For Venice’s Catholic patriarch, Archbishop Francesco Moraglia, the new tax program is a worthwhile experiment, a potential necessary evil to try to preserve Venice as a livable city for visitors and residents alike. Moraglia said Francis’ visit — the first by a pope to the Biennale — was a welcome boost, especially for the women of the Giudecca prison who participated in the exhibit as tour guides and as protagonists in some of the artworks. He acknowledged that Venice over the centuries has had a long, complicated, love-hate relationship with the papacy, despite its central importance to Christianity. The relics of St. Mark — the top aide to St. Peter, the first pope — are held here in the basilica, which is one of the most important and spectacular in all of Christendom. Several popes have hailed from Venice — in the past century alone three pontiffs were elected after being Venice patriarchs. And Venice hosted the last conclave held outside the Vatican: the 1799-1800 vote that elected Pope Paul VII. But for centuries before that, relations between the independent Venetian Republic and the Papal States were anything but cordial as the two sides dueled over control of the church. Popes in Rome issued interdicts against Venice that essentially excommunicated the entire territory. Venice flexed its muscles back by expelling entire religious orders, including Francis’ own Jesuits. “It’s a history of contrasts because they were two competitors for so many centuries,” said Giovanni Maria Vian, a church historian and retired editor of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano whose family hails from Venice. “The papacy wanted to control everything, and Venice jealously guarded its independence.” Moraglia said that troubled history is long past and that Venice was welcoming Francis with open arms and gratitude, in keeping with its history as a bridge between cultures. “The history of Venice, the DNA of Venice — beyond the language of beauty and culture that unifies — there's this historic character that says that Venice has always been a place of encounter," he said. Francis said as much as he closed out Mass in St. Mark's before an estimated 10,500 people. “Venice, which has always been a place of encounter and cultural exchange, is called to be a sign of beauty available to all," Francis said. "Starting with the least, a sign of fraternity and care for our common home.”

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ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION — Oleksandr Taran's mobile artillery unit isn't officially part of Ukraine's military, but that hasn't stopped his men from destroying Russian targets on their own dime. "We ... get by thanks to the pension fund," the 68-year-old commander - whose call sign is "Grandpa" - said with a chuckle. Taran's all-volunteer unit, the Steppe Wolves, is comprised of dozens of Ukrainian men mostly over 60 years old who are considered too old to be drafted but still want to fight. Roving behind the front line with truck-mounted rocket launchers, they take orders from field commanders and work with other troops, contributing to the war effort despite lacking official support from the military. The unit is funded by donations and stocked with faulty rounds they repair themselves as well as weapons captured from the enemy. Both are delivered to them by front-line troops. When Reuters recently visited their base in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, they were preparing 122 mm Grad rocket rounds that were later fired by troops from another unit. "The commanders that provide us with targets are happy," said a 63-year-old fighter with the call sign "Zorro." "They give us more targets [and] help us with ammunition however they can." Taran, the commander, said his unit has been attempting to officially join Ukraine's armed forces to directly receive ammunition - and salaries - but has been unsuccessful. The unit also includes younger men who have been ruled unfit to fight.  Willing and able More than two years into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's mobilization effort is struggling amid flagging enthusiasm. Russian troops have been advancing in the east, and analysts say Ukraine's shortage of manpower needs to be addressed. Some prominent Ukrainian and foreign supporters of the war effort have urged Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy to significantly reduce the mobilization age. Earlier this month, Zelenskyy approved new measures allowing the military to call up more troops and tighten punishment for evasion. He also reduced the mobilization age from 27 to 25. Taran, who has been fighting since Moscow launched its war in 2014, said coercion would be unlikely to replace genuine enthusiasm from a potential recruit. "Beat him with a stick if you want, but he won't fight," he said. "If a person wants to, he can go on for 100 years to fulfill his tasks and destroy the enemy."

TEL AVIV, Israel — A senior Qatari official has urged both Israel and Hamas to show "more commitment and more seriousness" in cease-fire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds on both sides to move toward a deal that would set Israeli hostages free and bring potential respite in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza. The interviews with the liberal daily Haaretz and the Israeli public broadcaster Kan were published and aired Saturday evening. They came as Israel still promises to invade Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah despite global concern for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering there and as the sides are exchanging proposals surrounding a cease-fire deal. Qatar, which hosts Hamas headquarters in Doha, has been a key intermediary throughout the Israel-Hamas war. Along with the U.S. and Egypt, Qatar was instrumental in helping negotiate a brief halt to the fighting in November that led to the release of dozens of hostages. The sides have held numerous rounds of negotiations since, none of which produced an additional truce. In a sign of its frustration, Qatar last week said it was reassessing its role as mediator. In the interviews, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari expressed disappointment in both Hamas and Israel, saying each side has made its decisions based on political interests and not with the good of civilians in mind. "We were hoping to see more commitment and more seriousness on both sides," he told Haaretz. He did not reveal details of the current state of the talks, other than to say they have "effectively stopped," with "both sides entrenched in their positions." "If there is a renewed sense of commitment on both sides, I'm sure we can reach a deal," he said. The Israeli journalists conducted the interviews in Qatar, which has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel. Relations between Qatar and Israel have been strained throughout the war, as some politicians in Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have criticized Qatar for not putting enough pressure on Hamas. Israeli legislators have also cleared the way for the country to expel Al Jazeera, the Qatar-owned broadcaster. Al-Ansari's remarks came after an Egyptian delegation had discussed with Israeli officials a "new vision" for a prolonged cease-fire in Gaza, according to an Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to freely discuss the developments. Hamas meanwhile said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a cease-fire, which came in response to a Hamas proposal from two weeks ago. Negotiations earlier this month centered on a six-week cease-fire proposal and the release of 40 civilian and sick hostages held by Hamas in exchange for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. There is growing international pressure for Hamas and Israel to reach a cease-fire deal and avert an Israeli attack on Rafah. A letter penned by U.S. President Joe Biden along with 17 other world leaders urged Hamas to release the hostages immediately. Hamas in recent days has released new videos of three hostages it holds, which appear to be meant to push Israel to make concessions. Israel meanwhile has massed dozens of tanks and armored vehicles ahead of an expected offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population is seeking shelter. The planned incursion has raised global alarm because of concerns over potential harm to civilians. The troop buildup may also be a pressure tactic on Hamas in the truce talks. Israel sees Rafah as Hamas' last major stronghold and has vowed to attack the militant group there in its bid to destroy its military and governing capabilities. The war was sparked with Hamas' attack on October 7 into southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, who say another 250 people were taken hostage. Hamas and other groups are holding about 130 people, including the remains of about 30, Israeli authorities say. Israel's retaliatory assault on Hamas has killed more than 34,000 people, most of them women and children, according to health authorities in Gaza, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their tally. The Israeli military says it has killed at least 12,000 militants, without providing evidence to back the claim.

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.

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Lome, Togo — Togo on Monday holds legislative elections after a highly divisive constitutional reform that opponents say paves the way for President Faure Gnassingbe to further extend his family's decadeslong grip on power. At the helm of the small West African country for nearly 20 years, Faure Gnassingbe succeeded his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled for almost four decades. Critics say the political dynasty's hold on the small West African nation will be extended by the reform. People in the streets of the seaside capital, Lome, were split over the election, the role of Togo's leader, and who it should be. Building painter Komlan Gato said he hoped the vote could usher in a new leader but was unsure about the fairness of the ballot. "I am certain that if these elections are transparent, there will be change in this country. We are tired of seeing the same family in power," he said. "I was born in January 1970, and I only know the Gnassingbe family in power." The reform, adopted by lawmakers on April 19, makes the president's post a largely ceremonial one. The president will now be elected by parliament and not the people for a four-year term. Power will reside with the president of the council of ministers, a sort of super-prime minister who happens to be the leader of the majority party in the new assembly. If the ruling Union for the Republic (UNIR) party -- which has an overwhelming parliamentary majority -- wins on Monday, Gnassingbe can assume the new post. Critics say that will allow him to skip presidential term limits. As president he would have been able only to run for one more five-year term in an election next year. The opposition boycotted the last elections in 2018, citing irregularities. But they have asked supporters to turn out massively to challenge the UNIR's stranglehold on power. "The youth are desperate. The country is poorly managed and we are tired of the system in place," said trader Ayaovi Sohou, 32. Bernado Agbve, a baker, 28, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to "publish results from the polls: good results and not fictitious results." Gnassingbe has been reelected four times since being put in power in 2005 by the military to succeed his father after his sudden death. Each of the votes was rejected as a sham by the opposition. 'Much remains to be done' For Elvire Atchou, 38, an accountant in an insurance company, Gnassingbe should be allowed to continue. "Togo is changing, let President Faure Gnassingbe continue the major projects: construction of roads, schools, health centers," she said, adding, "I know that much remains to be done." With the country facing the risk of spillover from jihadist conflicts in the Sahel to its north, security and stability are key concerns. Nutsugan Koffi, 25, a taxi driver, said Gnassingbe should be allowed to stay as long as Togo is stable. "There is peace in Togo. It is very important for the development of a country. President Faure Gnassingbe can remain at the head of this country as long as possible, that does not bother me, provided that we are comfortable," he said. "The only thing that young people expect is employment." The constitutional reform also means Togo can shift away from presidential elections that have often sparked violence, he said. All the presidential elections since the start of democracy in 1990 have been contested by the opposition, often with waves of violence, notably during the April 2005 vote. Violence left at least 105 and perhaps more than 800 people killed, depending on figures from the government or from the opposition. The United Nations estimated at the time that there were between 400 to 500 deaths. Leaders of opposition parties and civil society organizations brand the reform an "institutional coup" tailor-made to keep Faure in power. They have announced "large-scale actions" without giving details, though the last attempt to bring supporters to the streets was quickly banned and blocked by authorities.

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Manila, Philippines — The Philippines will suspend in-person classes in all public schools for two days due to extreme heat and a nationwide strike by jeepney drivers, the education department said Sunday. Extreme heat has scorched Southeast Asia in recent weeks, prompting thousands of schools to suspend in-person operations and authorities to issue health warnings. Many schools in the Philippines have no air conditioning, leaving students to swelter in crowded, poorly ventilated classrooms. "In view of the latest heat index forecast... and the announcement of a nationwide transport strike, all public schools nationwide shall implement asynchronous classes/distance learning on April 29 and 30, 2024," the department said on Facebook. The education department oversees more than 47,000 schools across the archipelago nation. Some jeepney drivers also plan to hold a three-day nationwide strike starting Monday to protest the government's plan to phase out the smoke-belching vehicles used by many Filipinos to commute to work and school. The suspension of in-person classes comes after Manila recorded its highest ever temperature. The temperature in the city hit a record high of 38.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday with the heat index reaching 45 degrees, data from the state weather forecaster showed. The heat index measures what a temperature feels like, taking into account humidity. The hot weather persisted on Sunday with many people flocking to air conditioned shopping malls and swimming pools for relief. "This is the hottest I've ever experienced here," said Nancy Bautista, 65, whose resort in Cavite province near Manila was fully booked due to the hot weather. "Many of our guests are friends and families. They swim in the pool to fight the heat." The months of March, April and May are typically the hottest and driest of the year, but this year's conditions have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon. "All places in the country, not necessarily just Metro Manila, are expected to have hotter temperatures until the second week of May," Glaiza Escullar of the state weather forecaster told AFP. "There is a possibility that the areas will exceed those temperatures being measured today until the second week of May." Camiling municipality in Tarlac province, north of Manila, recorded a temperature of 40.3 degrees on Saturday -- the country's highest this year. As the mercury rose, Gerise Reyes, 31, planned to take her 2-year-old daughter to a shopping mall near Manila. "It's hot here at home. This is the hottest I've ever experienced, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.," she said. "We need a free aircon to cut our electricity bill." Global temperatures hit record highs last year, and the United Nations weather and climate agency said Tuesday that Asia was warming at a particularly rapid pace. The Philippines ranks among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

halifax, canada — A tightening job market in Canada, fueled by a surge of immigration that produced the fastest population growth in 67 years, is hitting the country's large cohort of international students particularly hard. With more than 1 million foreign students in the country who are largely restricted to low-wage, part-time jobs, photos are being shared on social media of long lines forming outside businesses with even a single job opening for a position such as cashier. "The present affordability crisis in Vancouver, along with the declining job opportunities, is becoming very stressful," said Dhvani Malik, a fourth-year international relations student at the University of British Columbia. "International students already pay so much in fees, and the increasing rent and living costs have only added to the financial pressure," Malik told VOA. "In my circle, students are taking multiple part-time jobs to address this burden. … Students have to make the bargain of getting certain groceries at some point and then leaving the rest for when they can afford it." Youth unemployment hovers near 12% Unemployment in Canada has been inching up in recent months, hitting 6.1% in March and roughly twice that for young people, according to the federal government's statistical agency. The trend is attributed in part to rapid population growth, fueled almost entirely by immigration and the arrival of temporary residents such as seasonal workers and foreign students. In public remarks this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau effectively acknowledged that his government's strategy of addressing a severe labor shortage by opening the door to record numbers of immigrants and temporary residents has overshot the mark. "To give an example, in 2017, 2% of Canada's population was made up of temporary immigrants," Trudeau was quoted by Global News as saying during a housing announcement in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. "Now we're at 7.5% of our population comprised of temporary immigrants. That's something we need to get back under control." Statistics Canada reported that the country's population of about 39 million grew last year at its fastest rate since 1957, with immigration accounting for almost all the growth. But while helping address a post-pandemic labor shortage, the rapid increase has placed pressure on housing costs and government-financed health care. "We want to get those numbers down," Trudeau was quoted as saying in Nova Scotia. "It's a responsible approach to immigration that continues on our permanent residents, as we have, but also hold the line a little more on the temporary immigration that has caused so much pressure in our communities." International students, who are offered pathways to employment in Canada and eventual citizenship after graduation, have been an important part of the rapid growth. Canada has roughly the same number of foreign students as the United States with eight times the population, The Washington Post reported this week. Regulations restrict work hours Because the foreign students pay much higher fees than Canadian citizens, they are also an important source of revenue for the nation's universities. However, facing mounting political pressure, the government in January announced new caps on the number of foreign students that would be admitted, and last month announced a plan to scale back the total number of temporary residents. For foreign students seeking to support themselves in Canada while pursuing their degrees, the problem is exacerbated by regulations that restrict the kinds of jobs they can accept and the number of hours they can work. "The main issue is that they cannot work full time," said Al Parsai, an immigration expert based in Toronto. "They also do not have a Canadian degree or Canadian work experience, yet. Consequently, they end up looking for hourly minimum wage jobs." Malik, the UBC student, said she finds herself shut out of many job opportunities because she cannot provide a referral from a prior employer or relative in Canada. "My field has several job opportunities in the nonprofit sector and the government, but those jobs are reserved for domestic students and refugees," she said. "I have celiac disease, and the groceries are already so expensive that with the current crisis, it is becoming unaffordable to get through my grocery list," she said. "In a nutshell, the current crisis is making it difficult to stay in Canada." The decision to cut back student visas, meanwhile, is expected to create financial headaches for universities such as UBC, one of the most prestigious in Canada, where tuition-paying international students accounted for 27% of the school's enrollment in 2022. The harshest province to crack down on international students has so far been Ontario, which has aimed to give 96% of its foreign study permits only to public universities and colleges, shutting out private colleges that have been criticized as "diploma mills." Quebec might go even further, as the Parti Quebecois has asked the provincial government to freeze all temporary immigration to Canada.

AUBURN, Wash. — After a series of lower-paying jobs, Nicole Slemp finally landed one she loved. She was a secretary for Washington's child services department, a job that came with her own cubicle, and she had a knack for working with families in difficult situations. Slemp expected to return to work after having her son in August. But then she and her husband started looking for child care – and doing the math. The best option would cost about $2,000 a month, with a long wait list, and even the least expensive option would cost around $1,600, still eating up most of Slemp's salary. Her husband earns about $35 an hour at a hose distribution company. Between them, they earned too much to qualify for government help. "I really didn't want to quit my job," says Slemp, 33, who lives in a Seattle suburb. But, she says, she felt like she had no choice. The dilemma is common in the United States, where high-quality child care programs are prohibitively expensive, government assistance is limited, and daycare openings are sometimes hard to find at all. In 2022, more than 1 in 10 young children had a parent who had to quit, turn down or drastically change a job in the previous year because of child care problems. And that burden falls most on mothers, who shoulder more child-rearing responsibilities and are far more likely to leave a job to care for kids. Even so, women's participation in the workforce has recovered from the pandemic, reaching historic highs in December 2023. But that masks a lingering crisis among women like Slemp who lack a college degree: The gap in employment rates between mothers who have a four-year degree and those who don't has only grown. For mothers without college degrees, a day without work is often a day without pay. They are less likely to have paid leave. And when they face an interruption in child care arrangements, an adult in the family is far more likely to take unpaid time off or to be forced to leave a job altogether, according to an analysis of Census survey data by The Associated Press in partnership with the Education Reporting Collaborative. In interviews, mothers across the country shared how the seemingly endless search for child care, and its expense, left them feeling defeated. It pushed them off career tracks, robbed them of a sense of purpose, and put them in financial distress. Women like Slemp challenge the image of the stay-at-home mom as an affluent woman with a high-earning partner, said Jessica Calarco, a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "The stay-at-home moms in this country are disproportionately mothers who've been pushed out of the workforce because they don't make enough to make it work financially to pay for child care," Calarco said. Her own research indicates three-quarters of stay-at-home moms live in households with incomes less than $50,000, and half have household incomes of less than $25,000. Still, the high cost of child care has upended the careers of even those with college degrees. When Jane Roberts gave birth in November, she and her husband, both teachers, quickly realized sending baby Dennis to day care was out of the question. It was too costly, and they worried about finding a quality provider in their hometown of Pocatello, Idaho. The school district has no paid medical or parental leave, so Roberts exhausted her sick leave and personal days to stay home with Dennis. In March, she returned to work and husband Mike took leave. By the end of the school year, they'll have missed out on a combined nine weeks of pay. To make ends meet, they've borrowed money against Jane's life insurance policy. In the fall, Roberts won't return to teaching. The decision was wrenching. "I've devoted my entire adult life to this profession," she said. For low- and middle-income women who do find child care, the expense can become overwhelming. The Department of Health and Human Services has defined "affordable" child care as an arrangement that costs no more than 7% of a household budget. But a Labor Department study found fewer than 50 American counties where a family earning the median household income could obtain child care at an "affordable" price. There's also a connection between the cost of child care and the number of mothers working: a 10% increase in the median price of child care was associated with a 1% drop in the maternal workforce, the Labor Department found. In Birmingham, Alabama, single mother Adriane Burnett takes home about $2,800 a month as a customer service representative for a manufacturing company. She spends more than a third of that on care for her 3-year-old. In October, that child aged out of a program that qualified the family of three for child care subsidies. So she took on more work, delivering food for DoorDash and Uber Eats. To make the deliveries possible, her 14-year-old has to babysit. Even so, Burnett had to file for bankruptcy and forfeit her car because she was behind on payments. She is borrowing her father's car to continue her delivery gigs. The financial stress and guilt over missing time with her kids have affected her health, Burnett said. She has had panic attacks and has fainted at work. "My kids need me," Burnett said, "but I also have to work." Even for parents who can afford child care, searching for it — and paying for it — consumes reams of time and energy. When Daizha Rioland was five months pregnant with her first child, she posted in a Facebook group for Dallas moms that she was looking for child care. Several warned she was already behind if she wasn't on any wait lists. Rioland, who has a bachelor's degree and works in communications for a nonprofit, wanted a racially diverse program with a strong curriculum. While her daughter remained on wait lists, Rioland's parents stepped in to care for her. Finally, her daughter reached the top of a waiting list — at 18 months old. The tuition was so high she could only attend part-time. Rioland got her second daughter on waiting lists long before she was born, and she now attends a center Rioland trusts. "I've grown up in Dallas. I see what happens when you're not afforded the luxury of high-quality education," said Rioland, who is Black. "For my daughters, that's not going to be the case." Slemp still sometimes wonders how she ended up staying at home with her son – time she cherishes but also finds disorienting. She thought she was doing well. After stints at a water park and a call center, her state job seemed like a step toward financial stability. How could it be so hard to maintain her career, when everything seemed to be going right? "Our country is doing nothing to try to help fill that gap," Slemp said. As a parent, "we're supposed to keep the population going, and they're not giving us a chance to provide for our kids to be able to do that."

BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — Wild horses will stay in North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park amid fears from advocates that park officials would remove the beloved animals from the rugged badlands landscape, a key lawmaker said Thursday.  Republican U.S. Senator John Hoeven said he had secured a commitment from the National Park Service to maintain wild horses in the park, though the number remains to be determined. Roughly 200 horses now roam the park.  Hoeven said the Park Service would abandon its proposed removal of the horses under an environmental review process begun in 2022 and would continue to operate under an existing 1978 environmental assessment that calls for a reduction in their numbers.  "They've committed to me that we will have a thoughtful and inclusive discussion on how many horses they keep in the park," Hoeven told The Associated Press. There is no timeline on that, he said.  In a statement, the park said its decision to terminate the review "was made after careful consideration of the information and public comment received during the [environmental assessment] process." Park visitors, much to their delight, often encounter the horses while driving or hiking in the rolling, colorful badlands where a young future president, Theodore Roosevelt, hunted and engaged in cattle ranching in the 1880s in what was then Dakota Territory.  "People love horses," Hoeven said. "And where do you go to see wild horses? I mean, it's not, like, an easy thing to do, and most people don't have horses, and they love the idea of wild horses. They see it as part of our heritage in America."  Earlier Thursday, Hoeven's office said in a statement the decision "will allow for a healthy herd of wild horses to be maintained at the park, managed in a way to support genetic diversity among the herd and preserve the park's natural resources."  The horses roam the park's South Unit near the Western tourist town of Medora. In 2022, park officials began the process of crafting a "livestock plan" for the horses as well as about nine longhorn cattle in the park's North Unit near Watford City. Park officials have said that process aligned with policies to remove non-native species when they pose a potential risk to resources.  "The horse herd in the South Unit, particularly at higher herd sizes, has the potential to damage fences used for wildlife management, trample or overgraze vegetation used by native wildlife species, contribute to erosion and soil-related impacts ... and compete for food and water resources," according to a Park Service environmental assessment from September 2023.  Proposals included removing the horses quickly or gradually or taking no action. Park Superintendent Angie Richman has said the horses, even if they ultimately stay, will still have to be reduced to 35 to 60 animals under the 1978 environmental assessment. The park will continue to manage the longhorns as done previously, according to Hoeven's office.  Thousands of people made public comments during the Park Service review, the vast majority of them in support of keeping the horses. North Dakota's Republican-controlled Legislature made its support official in a resolution last year. Governor Doug Burgum offered state help to maintain the horses.  The Park Service reached out to the five tribal nations in North Dakota to find out if the tribes wanted to be involved in managing the horses, Hoeven said. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe indicated interest, he said.  The senator's announcement came after Congress passed and President Joe Biden recently signed an appropriations bill with a provision from Hoeven strongly recommending the Park Service maintain the horses. The legislation signaled that funding to remove the horses might be denied.  Chris Kman, president of Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates, said she was in tears when she read Hoeven's announcement. She said she planned to pursue federal protection for the horses and explore potential state legislation.  "If they don't have federal protection, then they're at the mercy of the next administration that comes in or whatever policy they want to pull out and cite next time and try to get rid of the horses again," Kman said by phone from the park.  The horses descend from those of Native American tribes and area ranches and from domestic stallions introduced to the park in the late 20th century, according to Castle McLaughlin, who researched the horses as a graduate student while working for the Park Service in North Dakota in the 1980s.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Republican-led states in the U.S. are rushing to give broader immigration enforcement powers to local police and impose criminal penalties for those living in the country illegally as the issue of migrants crossing the U.S. border remains central to the 2024 elections. The Oklahoma Legislature this week fast-tracked a bill to the governor that creates the new crime of "impermissible occupation," which imposes penalties of as much as two years in prison for being in the state illegally. Oklahoma is among several Republican-led states jockeying to push deeper into immigration enforcement as both Republicans and Democrats seize on the issue. That was illustrated in February when President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both visited the U.S.-Mexico border the same day and tussled from a distance over blame for the nation's broken immigration system and how to fix it. Here are some things to know about the latest efforts in various states to target immigration: What's happening in Texas? Lawmakers in Oklahoma followed the lead of Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill last year that would allow the state to arrest and deport people who enter the U.S. illegally. That law is currently on hold while the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals considers a challenge brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. Opponents consider the law to be the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since an Arizona law more than a decade ago, portions of which were struck down by the Supreme Court. What does Oklahoma's bill do? Oklahoma's law would make it illegal to remain in the state without legal authorization, with a first offense a misdemeanor punishable by as much as a year in jail. Violators would be required to leave the state within 72 hours of being released from custody. A second and subsequent offense would be a felony punishable by as much as two years in prison. Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, who carried the bill in the Senate, voiced frustration with the federal government and Congress for not taking more definitive steps to solve the immigration problem. "The federal government has failed. The U.S. Congress, they have not done anything to impact it," said Treat, an Oklahoma City Republican. "So what can we do? We can say you have to be here legally in Oklahoma." Outside the state Capitol, more than 100 people gathered Tuesday in opposition to the bill. Sam Wargin Grimaldo, 36, an attorney from south Oklahoma City whose mother emigrated from Mexico in 1979, urged those who rallied to register to vote and become more politically engaged. Grimaldo said many Latinos in Oklahoma are frightened about the new law. "We feel attacked," said Grimaldo, wearing a shirt that read, "Young, Latino and Proud." "People are afraid to step out of their houses if legislation like this is proposed and then passed." What are other states doing? Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed a bill requiring law enforcement agencies to communicate with federal immigration authorities if they discover people are in the the country illegally, and it would broadly mandate cooperation in the process of identifying, detaining and deporting them. That bill takes effect July 1. Another proposal there would allow sentencing enhancements up to life in prison for someone in the country illegally who commits a violent crime. In Iowa, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill this month that mirrors part of the Texas law. Another approach at a Texas-style bill is advancing in Louisiana. Idaho lawmakers considered a similar measure but adjourned without passing it. In the U.S. state of Georgia lawmakers passed a bill that seeks to force jailers to check immigration status, part of a continuing political response to the killing of a nursing student on the University of Georgia campus, allegedly by a Venezuelan man. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill last month to increase prison and jail sentences for immigrants in the United States illegally if they are convicted of felonies or of driving without a license. What happens next? Like Texas' new law, many of the bills are almost certain to face legal challenges because immigration is a federal, not a state, issue under the U.S. Constitution, said Kelli Stump, an immigration attorney in Oklahoma City and the president-elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "The whole thing is a mess and the system is broken, but the Constitution says that states handle state issues and the feds handle federal issues," Stump said. "This will ultimately end up at the Supreme Court if I'm a betting person."

KYIV, Ukraine — Even amid war, Ukraine finds time for the glittery, pop-filled Eurovision Song Contest. Perhaps now even more than ever. Ukraine's entrants in the pan-continental music competition — the female duo of rapper alyona alyona and singer Jerry Heil — set off from Kyiv for the competition Thursday. In wartime, that means a long train journey to Poland, from where they will travel on to next month's competition in Malmö, Sweden. "We need to be visible for the world," Heil told The Associated Press at Kyiv train station before her departure. "We need to show that even now, during the war, our culture is developing, and that Ukrainian music is something waiting for the world" to discover. "We have to spread it and share it and show people how strong (Ukrainian) women and men are in our country," added alyona, who spells her name with all lowercase letters. Ukraine has long used Eurovision as a form of cultural diplomacy, a way of showing the world the country's unique sound and style. That mission became more urgent after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied that Ukraine existed as a distinct country and people before Soviet times. Ukrainian singer Jamala won the contest in 2016 — two years after Russia illegally seized the Crimean Peninsula — with a song about the expulsion of Crimea's Tatars by Stalin in 1944. Folk-rap band Kalush Orchestra took the Eurovision title in 2022 with Stefania, a song about the frontman's mother that became an anthem to the war-ravaged motherland, with a haunting refrain on a traditional Ukrainian wind instrument. Alyona and Heil will perform Maria & Teresa, an anthemic ode to inspiring women. The title refers to Mother Theresa and the Virgin Mary, and the lyrics include the refrain, in English: "All the divas were born as the human beings" — people we regard as saints were once flawed and human like the rest of us. Heil said the message is that "we all make mistakes, but your actions are what define you." And, alyona added: "with enough energy you can win the war, you can change the world." The song blends alyona's punchy rap style with Heil's soaring melody and distinctly Ukrainian vocal style. "Alyona is a great rapper, she has this powerful energy," Heil said. "And I'm more soft." "But great melodies," alyona added. "So she creates all the melodies and I just jump in." Ukraine has been at the forefront of turning Eurovision from a contest dominated by English-language pop songs to a more diverse and multilingual event. Jamala sang part of her song in the Crimean Tatar language, while Kalush Orchestra sang and rapped in Ukrainian. Ukraine's Eurovision win in 2022 brought the country the right to host the following year, but because of the war the 2023 contest was held in the English city of Liverpool, which was bedecked in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags for the occasion — a celebration of Ukraine's spirit and culture. Thirty-seven countries from across Europe and beyond — including Israel and Australia — will compete in Malmö in two Eurovision semifinals May 7 and 9, followed by a May 11 final. Ukraine currently ranks among bookmakers' top five favorites alongside the likes of singer Nemo from Switzerland and Croatian singer-songwriter Baby Lasagna. Russia, a long-time Eurovision competitor, was kicked out of the contest over the invasion. The Ukrainian duo caught a train after holding a news conference where they announced a fundraising drive for a school destroyed by a Russian strike. The duo is joining with charity fundraising platform United 24 to raise 10 million hryvnia (about $250,000) to rebuild a school in the village of Velyka Kostromka in southern Ukraine that was destroyed by a Russian rocket in October 2022. The school's 250 pupils have been unable to attend class since then, relying on online learning. Teacher Liudmyla Taranovych, whose children and grandchildren went to the school, said its destruction brought feelings of "pain, despair, hopelessness." "My grandchildren hugged me and asked, 'Grandma, will they rebuild our school? Will it be as beautiful, flourishing, and bright as it was?'" she said. From the rubble, another teacher managed to rescue one of the school's treasured possessions — a large wooden key traditionally presented to first grade students to symbolize that education is the key to their future. It has become a sign of hope for the school. Alyona and Heil have also embraced the key as a symbol, wearing T-shirts covered in small metal housekeys. "It's a symbol of something which maybe some people in Ukraine won't have, because so many people lost their homes," Heil said. "But they're holding these keys in their pockets, and they're holding the hope."

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.

PRETORIA, South Africa — South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag. But any sense of celebration on the momentous anniversary was set against a growing discontent with the current government. President Cyril Ramaphosa presided over the gathering in a huge white tent in the gardens of the government buildings in Pretoria as head of state. He also spoke as the leader of the African National Congress party, which was widely credited with liberating South Africa's Black majority from the racist system of oppression that made the country a pariah for nearly a half-century. The ANC has been in power ever since the first democratic, all-race election of April 27, 1994, the vote that officially ended apartheid. But this Freedom Day holiday marking that day fell amid a poignant backdrop: Analysts and polls predict that the waning popularity of the party once led by Nelson Mandela is likely to see it lose its parliamentary majority for the first time as a new generation of South Africans make their voices heard in what might be the most important election since 1994 next month. "Few days in the life of our nation can compare to that day, when freedom was born," Ramaphosa said in a speech centered on the nostalgia of 1994, when Black people were allowed to vote for the first time, the once-banned ANC swept to power, and Mandela became the country's first Black president. "South Africa changed forever. It signaled a new chapter in the history of our nation, a moment that resonated across Africa and across the world." "On that day, the dignity of all the people of South Africa was restored," Ramaphosa said. The president, who stood in front of a banner emblazoned with the word "Freedom," also recognized the major problems South Africa still has three decades later with vast poverty and inequality, issues that will be central yet again when millions vote on May 29. Ramaphosa conceded there had been "setbacks." The 1994 election changed South Africa from a country where Black and other nonwhite people were denied most basic freedoms, not just the right to vote. Laws controlled where they lived, where they were allowed to go on any given day, and what jobs they could have. After apartheid fell, a constitution was adopted guaranteeing the rights of all South Africans no matter their race, religion, gender or sexuality. But that hasn't significantly improved the lives of millions, with South Africa's Black majority that make up more than 80% of the population of 62 million still overwhelmingly affected by severe poverty. The official unemployment rate is 32%, the highest in the world, and more than 60% for young people between the ages of 15 and 24. More than 16 million South Africans — 25% of the country — rely on monthly welfare grants for survival. South Africa is still the most unequal country in the world in terms of wealth distribution, according to the World Bank, with race a key factor. While the damage of apartheid remains difficult to undo, the ANC is increasingly being blamed for South Africa's current problems. In the week leading up to the anniversary, countless South Africans were asked what 30 years of freedom from apartheid meant to them. The dominant response was that while 1994 was a landmark moment, it's now overshadowed by the joblessness, violent crime, corruption and near-collapse of basic services like electricity and water that plagues South Africa in 2024. It's also poignant that many South Africans who never experienced apartheid and are referred to as "Born Frees" are now old enough to vote. Outside the tent where Ramaphosa spoke in front of mostly dignitaries and politicians, a group of young Black South Africans born after 1994 and who support a new political party called Rise Mzansi wore T-shirts with the words "2024 is our 1994" on them. Their message was that they were looking beyond the ANC and for another change for their future in next month's election. "They don't know what happened before 1994. They don't know," said Seth Mazibuko, an older supporter of Rise Mzansi and a well-known anti-apartheid activist in the 1970s. "Let us agree that we messed up," Mazibuko said of the last 30 years, which have left the youngsters standing behind him directly impacted by the second-worst youth unemployment rate in the world behind Djibouti. He added: "There's a new chance in elections next month."

LOS ANGELES — On a recent afternoon, Grant Oh zigzagged across the University of Southern California campus as if he was conquering an obstacle course, coming up against police blockade after police blockade on his way to his apartment while officers arrested demonstrators protesting the Israel-Hamas war. In many ways, the chaotic moment was the culmination of a college life that started amid the coronavirus pandemic and has been marked by continual upheaval in what has become a constant battle for normalcy. Oh already missed his prom and his high school graduation as COVID-19 surged in 2020. He started college with online classes. Now the 20-year-old will add another missed milestone to his life: USC has canceled its main commencement ceremony that was expected to be attended by 65,000 people. His only graduation ceremony was in middle school and there were no caps and gowns. "It's crazy because I remember starting freshman year with the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which came after senior year of high school when the Black Lives Matter protests were happening and COVID, and xenophobia," he said "It feels definitely surreal. It still shocks me that we live in a world that is so fired up and so willing to tear itself apart." Oh, who is getting a degree in health promotion and disease prevention, added that his loss of a memorable moment pales in comparison to what is happening: "At the end of the day, people are dying." College campuses have always been a hotbed for protests from the civil rights era to the Vietnam war to demonstrations over apartheid in South Africa. But students today also carry additional stresses from having lived through the isolation and fear from the pandemic, and the daily influence of social media that amplifies the world's wrongs like never before, experts say. It's not just about missed milestones. Study after study shows Generation Z suffers from much higher rates of anxiety and depression than Millennials, said Jean Twenge, a psychologist and professor at San Diego State University, who wrote a book called "Generations." She attributes much of that to the fact that negativity spreads faster and wider on social media than positive posts. "Gen Z, they tend to be much more pessimistic than Millennials," she said. "The question going forward is do they take this pessimism and turn it into concrete action and change, or do they turn it into annihilation and chaos?" Protesters have pitched tents on campuses from Harvard and MIT to Stanford and the University of Texas, Austin, raising tensions as many schools prepare for spring commencements. Hundreds of students have been arrested across the country. Inspired by demonstrations at Columbia University, students at more than a dozen U.S. colleges have formed pro-Palestinian encampments and pledged to stay put until their demands are met. The campus will be closed for the semester at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, which has been negotiating with students who have been barricaded inside a campus building since Monday, rebuffing an attempt by the police to clear them out. USC announced Thursday that it would be calling off its main graduation ceremony after protests erupted over not only the Israel-Hamas war but the school's decision earlier this month to call off the commencement speech by its valedictorian Asna Tabassum, who expressed support for Palestinians. Officials cited security concerns. "By trying to silence Asna, it made everything way worse," Oh said, adding that he hopes there will be no violence on graduation day May 10 when smaller ceremonies will be held by different departments. Maurielle McGarvey graduated from high school in 2019 so was able to have a ceremony but then she took a gap year when many universities held classes only online. McGarvey, who is getting a degree in screenwriting with a minor in gender and social justice studies at USC, called the cancellations "heartbreaking," and said the situation has been grossly mishandled by the university. She said police with batons came at her yelling as she held a banner while she and fellow demonstrators said a Jewish prayer. "It's definitely been like an overall diminished experience and to take away like the last sort of like typical thing that this class was allowed after having so many weird restrictions, so many customs and traditions changed," she said. "It's such a bummer." She said the email by the university announcing the cancellation particularly stung with its link to photos of past graduates in gowns tossing up their caps and cheering. "That's just insult to injury," she said. Students at other universities were equally glum. "Our grade is cursed," said Abbie Barkan of Atlanta, 21, who is graduating from the University of Texas in two weeks with a journalism degree and who was among a group of Jewish students waving flags and chanting at a counter-protest Thursday near a pro-Palestinian demonstration on campus. University of Minnesota senior Sarah Dawley, who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, is grateful graduation plans have not changed at her school. But she said the past weeks have left her with a mix of emotions. She's been dismayed to watch colleges call in police. But she said she also feels hope after having gone through the pandemic and become part of a community that stands up for what they believe in. "I think a lot of people are going to go on to do cool things because after all this, we care a lot," she said.