Feed aggregator

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.

Tulum, Mexico — Beryl weakened to a tropical storm Friday after hitting Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane, with fierce winds causing material damage but no injuries along the touristic Yucatan Peninsula. Now headed for the Gulf of Mexico, Beryl is expected to intensify as it moves toward northeastern Mexico and the U.S. state of Texas by the end of the weekend, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC). After tearing through the Caribbean and coastal Venezuela leaving seven people dead, the storm hit southeast Mexico early Friday with winds of up to 175 kph. It flattened trees and lampposts and ripped off roof tiles, according to Mexico's civil protection authority. Electricity was lost in at least three municipalities in the southeastern Quintana Roo state as Beryl moved deeper inland and weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm. "On the initial reports, there appears to be no loss of life, and that is what matters most to us," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in his daily press briefing. Mexico's emergency authorities later told reporters there were no injuries or deaths, nor damage to critical infrastructure such as roads and the water system. Electricity had been 70% restored and would be fully recovered by Sunday, civil protection chief Laura Velazquez said. About 2,200 people had sought cover at temporary shelters and more than 25,600 security force members and employees of the CFE electricity agency were deployed to help residents and repair damage. As a precaution, 348 flights were canceled at Cancun airport, the largest terminal in the Mexican Caribbean. By Friday afternoon, state governor Mara Lezama said the airport had resumed service. Re-intensification The NHC said Beryl weakened from a Category 2 hurricane to Category 1 by the time it hit Yucatan -- milder than earlier in the week when it left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean and parts of Venezuela. It added on Friday that a hurricane watch -- signaling a forecast re-intensification from tropical storm status -- had been issued for much of the Texas coast ahead of Beryl's anticipated arrival there late on Sunday. By late Friday, the NHC tracked Beryl 995 kilometers southeast of Corpus Christi in Texas, while the storm's maximum sustained winds had slowed to 95 kph. In Mexico, hundreds of tourists were evacuated from hotels along the coast before the storm's arrival. The army, which deployed some 8,000 troops to Tulum, said it had food supplies and 34,000 liters of purified water to distribute to the population. The army also set up a soup kitchen in Tulum for people who could return home due to flooding or blocked roads. Alvaro Rueda, a 51-year-old bricklayer, told AFP his neighborhood had already started clearing up after the storm's passage. "Most of the stores are already open... we have purchased food, even if it is canned, there is food," he said. Beryl is the first hurricane since NHC records began to reach the Category 4 level in June, and the earliest to hit the highest Category 5 in July. It is extremely rare for such a powerful storm to form this early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from early June to late November. Scientists say climate change likely plays a role in the rapid intensification of storms like Beryl, since there is more energy in a warmer ocean for them to feed on. North Atlantic waters are currently between one- and three-degrees Celsius warmer than normal, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

DUBAI/CAIRO — Hamas has accepted a U.S. proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war, a senior Hamas source told Reuters on Saturday. The militant Islamist group has dropped a demand that Israel first commit to a permanent cease-fire before signing the agreement, and would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout the six-week first phase, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity because the talks are private. A Palestinian official close to the internationally mediated peace efforts had said the proposal could lead to a framework agreement if embraced by Israel and would end the nine-month-old war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. A source in Israel's negotiating team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was now a real chance of achieving agreement. That was in sharp contrast to past instances in the nine-month-old war in Gaza, when Israel said conditions attached by Hamas were unacceptable. A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. On Friday his office said talks would continue next week and emphasized that gaps between the sides still remained. The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, since Hamas attacked southern Israeli cities on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages, according to official Israeli figures. The new proposal ensures that mediators would guarantee a temporary cease-fire, aid delivery and the withdrawal of Israeli troops as long as indirect talks continue to implement the second phase of the agreement, the Hamas source said. Efforts to secure a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza have intensified over the past few days with active shuttle diplomacy among Washington, Israel and Qatar, which is leading mediation efforts from Doha, where the exiled Hamas leadership is based. A regional source said the U.S. administration was trying hard to secure a deal before the presidential election in November. Netanyahu said on Friday that the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency had returned from an initial meeting with mediators in Qatar and that negotiations would continue next week.

LONDON — Newly elected British prime minister Keir Starmer on Saturday began his first full day in charge with a meeting of his Cabinet after his Labour party's landslide election win ended 14 years of Conservative rule. Starmer held his first Cabinet meeting at 11 a.m. (1000 GMT), with Britain's first woman finance minister Rachel Reeves and new foreign minister David Lammy in attendance. The Labour leader spent his first hours in Downing Street on Friday appointing his ministerial team, hours after securing his center-left party's return to power with a whopping 174-seat majority in the UK parliament. "The work of change begins immediately," Starmer said Friday shortly after being confirmed as prime minister by King Charles III and flag-waving crowds of cheering Labour activists welcomed him to Downing Street. "But have no doubt, we will rebuild Britain," he added. Reiterating his five key "missions" for government in his maiden speech, the 61-year-old vowed to get the state-run National Health Service "back on its feet," ensure "secure borders" and safer streets. But daunting challenges await his government, including a stagnating economy, creaking public services and households suffering from a years-long cost-of-living crisis. "Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while," Starmer said. 'Historic' result World leaders lined up to congratulate the new British leader. Starmer spoke by phone with U.S. President Joe Biden and "discussed their shared commitment to the special relationship between the UK and US and their aligned ambitions for greater economic growth," according to London. He also spoke to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, former -- and potentially future – U.S. president Donald Trump ignored Starmer, instead hailing the electoral breakthrough of his ally Nigel Farage's far-right Reform UK party. Its capture of five seats and around 14% of the vote, alongside Farage becoming an MP on his eighth attempt, was one of the stories of the election. But it paled in comparison to Labour's triumphs, after the party neared its record of 418 seats under ex-leader Tony Blair in 1997 by winning 412. The Conservatives suffered their worst-ever defeat, capturing just 121 constituencies, prompting Rishi Sunak to apologize to the nation and confirm that he will resign as Tory leader once a successor is selected. Former leader William Hague, a Sunak mentor who represented the same northern English constituency until 2015, conceded it was "a catastrophic result in historic terms." A record 12 senior ex-government ministers lost their seats, alongside former prime minister Liz Truss, whose economically calamitous short-lived tenure in 2022 wounded the party irreparably ahead of the election. It is now poised for another period of infighting between a moderate wing eager for a centrist leader and those who may be willing to court Farage as a new leader. 'Challenges' The election also saw the centrist Liberal Democrats make their biggest gains in around a century, claiming more than 70 seats to become the third largest party in parliament. But it was a dismal contest for the pro-independence Scottish National Party, which was virtually obliterated in Scotland. It dropped from 48 seats to just nine, with one still to declare early Saturday. The Green Party had its best general election, quadrupling its MPs count to four. Meanwhile an unprecedented six independent lawmakers were elected -- four of them defeating Labour candidates in districts with large Muslim populations and campaigns centered around the Israel-Hamas conflict. Delight within Labour at its seats landslide will be restrained by recognition that it only secured around 34% of the vote -- a drop on 2019 and the lowest ever to secure a majority. Meanwhile turnout, at just below 60%, was the lowest since 2001, suggesting widespread apathy. "While this shouldn't overshadow Labour's victory today, it may point to some challenges Labour may face," Chris Hopkins, political research director at the pollster Savanta, said of those factors. "Simply put, they likely won't be able to return 400-plus MPs (in the) next election with less than 40% of the vote."

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.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Relative moderate Masoud Pezeshkian urged people on Saturday to stick with him on "the difficult road ahead" after beating a hardline rival to win Iran's presidential election. Friday's run-off vote was between Pezeshkian, the sole moderate in the original field of four candidates, and hardline former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old cardiac surgeon, has pledged to promote a pragmatic foreign policy, ease tensions over now-stalled negotiations with major powers to revive a 2015 nuclear pact and improve prospects for social liberalization and political pluralism. However, many Iranians are skeptical about his ability to fulfill his campaign promises as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not the president, is the ultimate authority in the Islamic Republic. "Dear people of Iran, the election is over, and this is just the beginning of our working together. A difficult road is ahead. It can only be smooth with your cooperation, empathy and trust," Pezeshkian said in a post on social media platform X. "I extend my hand to you and swear on my honor that I will not abandon you on this path. Do not abandon me." Turnout was almost 50% in Friday's vote, following historically low turnout in the first round ballot on June 28, when over 60% of Iranian voters abstained. The election was called after President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in May. Pezeshkian managed to win with a constituency -- whose core was believed to be mostly the urban middle class and young -- that had been widely disillusioned by years of security crackdowns that stifled any public dissent from Islamist orthodoxy. Videos on social media showed his supporters dancing in streets in many cities and towns across the country and motorists honking car horns to cheer his victory. Foreign policy Pezeshkian's victory lifted hopes of a thaw in Iran's relations with the West that might create openings for defusing its nuclear dispute with world powers. The election coincided with escalating regional tension due to the conflicts between Israel and Iranian allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as increased Western pressure on Iran over its fast-advancing nuclear program. Under Iran's dual system of clerical and republican rule, the president cannot usher in any major policy shift on Iran's nuclear program or support for militia groups across the Middle East, since Khamenei calls all the shots on top state matters. However, the president can influence the tone of Iran's policy and he will be closely involved in selecting the successor to Khamenei, now 85. Backed by Iran's reformist camp led by former President Mohammad Khatami, Pezeshkian is faithful to Iran's theocratic rule and has no intention of confronting the powerful security hawks and clerical rulers. 

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched an overnight drone attack across Ukraine on Saturday, hitting an energy facility in the Sumy region in the northeast of the country, officials said. Ukrainian mobile drone hunter groups and air defense units shot down 24 of the 27 Russian drones fired on 12 regions, the air force said. National grid operator Ukrenergo said the energy facility in the Sumy region was damaged, forcing emergency electricity shut-offs for industrial consumers in the city of Sumy. Repair teams were working to restore supplies, it said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or other damage details from the regions. Since March, Russian forces have intensified their bombardments of the Ukrainian power sector, knocking out the bulk of the thermal and hydropower generation and forcing long blackouts across the country. Ukrenergo planned scheduled cut-offs of electricity throughout the day across the country as domestic generation and electricity imports could not cover the deficit. Ukraine's energy system was already hobbled in the first year after Russia's invasion in February 2022. The power system lost about half of its available generation capacity due to the Russian missile and drone attacks in the past four months.  

Niamey, Niger — A divided West Africa hosts two presidential summits this weekend -- one in Niger between Sahel region military regime leaders, followed by another in Nigeria on Sunday with leaders of a wider economic bloc. Saturday's summit in Niger's capital, Niamey, will mark the first between the military leaders of a new regional bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger set up the mutual defense pact in September, leaving the wider Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc in January. Their ECOWAS exit was fueled in part by their accusation that Paris was manipulating the bloc and not providing enough support for anti-jihadist efforts. The exit came as the trio shifted away from former colonial ruler France, expelling anti-jihadist French troops, and turned towards what they call their "sincere partners" -- Russia, Turkey and Iran. Given the deadly jihadist violence the three countries face, "the fight against terrorism" and the "consolidation of cooperation" will be on Saturday's agenda, according to the Burkinabe presidency. Sunday's summit in the Nigerian capital Abuja then offers heads of ECOWAS states the opportunity to discuss relations with the AES. Saturday's summit After several bilateral meetings, the three Sahelian strongmen are gathering for the first time since coming to power through coups between 2020 and 2023. In mid-May, the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger agreed in Niamey on a draft text creating the confederation, which the heads of states are expected to adopt at Saturday's summit. Niger's General Abdourahamane Tiani welcomed his Burkinabe counterpart Ibrahim Traore in the capital Friday, while Malian Colonel Assimi Goita will arrive Saturday morning. "Don't expect many announcements, this is primarily a political event," said Gilles Yabi, founder of the West African think tank Wathi. "The aim is to show that this is a serious project with three committed heads of state showing their solidarity." In early March, AES announced joint anti-jihadist efforts, though they did not specify details. Insurgents have carried out attacks for years in the vast "three borders" region between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, despite the massive deployment of anti-jihadist forces. The trio have made sovereignty a guiding principle of their governance and aim to create a common currency. 'Path of no return' Sunday's summit comes as several West African presidents have called in recent weeks for a solution to resume dialogue between the two camps. Notably, Senegal's new President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said in late May that reconciliation between ECOWAS and the three Sahel countries was possible. In June, his newly reelected Mauritanian counterpart, President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, called on West African countries to unite again against the expansion of jihadism. But successive summits on the same weekend raises fears of a stiffening of positions between AES and ECOWAS. "I do not see the AES countries seeking to return to ECOWAS. I think it's ECOWAS will have to tone it down (the situation)," Nigerien lawyer Djibril Abarchi told AFP. While AES is currently an economic and defense cooperation body, its three member countries have repeatedly expressed their desire to go further. At the end of June, Colonel Goita assured that cooperation within the AES had taken "a path of no return" during a visit to Ouagadougou, Burkina's capital. The potential creation of a new common currency would also mean leaving behind the CFA franc they currently share with neighboring countries. "Leaving a currency zone is not easy," warned Yabi. "Any country can change its currency, but it takes a lot of time and requires a clear political choice as well as a technical and financial preparation process." Issoufou Kado, a Nigerien financial expert and political analyst, agreed: "They have to be very careful, because the mechanism takes time."

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.

Lausanne, Switzerland — In the battle against drug use at the Paris Olympics, the International Testing Agency plans to deploy a more streamlined, high-tech approach to identify and target potential cheats. In an interview with Agence France-Presse, Benjamin Cohen, director general of the ITA, said potential tools at its disposal included biological and performance passports as well as a mountain of other data. Upgraded software, possibly using artificial intelligence, could also help; an investigative unit aided by whistleblowers was making inroads; and increased cooperation with sports bodies and police was bearing fruit. The ITA, which was founded in 2018, runs the anti-doping program for the Olympics, the Tour de France and "more than 65 international organizations," said Cohen. The challenge was to refine the "risk analysis" and identify athletes to monitor using as little time and resources as possible, said Cohen, a Swiss lawyer who has headed the agency since its creation. The problem is accentuated in the run-up to the Paris Games. "We still have 30,000 potentially qualifying athletes and we cannot wait to have the final list to focus on the 11,000 participants," Cohen said. "Certain doping practices enable athletes to achieve results very quickly," he said. "Traditionally the pre-Olympic period is high-risk time ... the last moment to make a difference. Athletes know that they will be very closely monitored at the Olympics, so I would hope that very few, if any, will be tempted to take drugs in the Olympic Village in Paris." At the Games, only medalists are automatically tested, but the ITA wants to find ways to target potential dopers before the finish. Cohen said the ITA tries to identify patterns. It looks at the demands of each discipline and the substances it might tempt athletes to use. Then the ITA looks at delegations and "the history of doping in that country." Finally, it scrutinizes each individual athlete and "the development of his or her performances, any suspicious biological passport profiles, suspicious anti-doping tests and so on." "That's hundreds of thousands of pieces of data." “Risk analysis” "Today we have our own software, and the next stage" will involve "programming computers to extract this data, because we still do a lot of this work manually." After that, the ITA hopes to "seize all the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence," provided "we use these new tools ethically." "If it's done properly," he said, "AI will enable us to go much further in risk analysis and prediction." The ITA is developing a "performance passport" as a counterpart to the long-established biological passport. The objective is to "predict results on the basis of what an athlete has done over the last four years," said Cohen. "Artificial intelligence will enable us to say: 'This is really an unusual result, which could suggest doping,'" he said. "It could help us flag them." The performance passport project was initially tested in swimming and weightlifting, two indoor sports in which athletes compete in identical environments each time. Weightlifting also is one of the sports that have returned a vast number of positive tests at Summer Olympics. In 2021, the ITA carried out "a major investigation into weightlifting," and that enabled them to set up a specialized unit in cooperation with the sport. Focus on cycling It now has more than 10 such units. "Cycling is a particular focus," but "other sports are beginning to understand the benefits of gathering intelligence, having anonymous sources and promoting whistleblowers.” "It's a new method that complements traditional testing." Cohen said the ITA has been working to build links with law enforcement and exploit “synergies.” "They are bearing fruit," he said, referring to the case of 23-year-old Italian cyclist Andrea Piccolo, arrested on June 21 by the Italian Carabinieri who caught him returning to the country with growth hormones. "ITA asked the Italian authorities to open his luggage, which would not have been possible six years ago," Cohen said. "We carry out the controls, we monitor the performances of these athletes, we know the networks, the doctors involved and the drugs they are taking. And they can seize and open suitcases and enter hotel rooms."

Koh Tao, Thailand — A diver glides over an expanse of bone-white coral branches, recording the fish that dart between the ghostly arms extending from the sea floor off the Thai island of Koh Tao. Nannalin Pornprasertsom is one of a growing number of scuba divers learning conservation and citizen science techniques as coral reefs experience a fourth global bleaching event. After a two-week course in Koh Tao, the 14-year-old can identify coral types, carry out reef restoration, and help scientific research on coral health by recording the color and tone of outcroppings at dive sites. "It's just something that I can do that will have a good consequence for the environment," Nannalin, who has been diving since she was 12, told AFP after a series of dives. "I want to help the reef." And she is not alone. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors -- better known as PADI, one of the world's leading dive training organizations -- says conservation certifications jumped over six percent globally from 2021-2023. This year, it is launching a major shark and ray census, harnessing its network of divers to collect data that will shape protection policies. On Koh Tao, Black Turtle Dive offers courses on everything from how to properly "dive against debris" -- collecting marine plastic or stranded fishing nets -- to coral restoration techniques. "There's an increased awareness," said Steve Minks, a certified conservation instructor at Black Turtle. "There's a lot of bleaching going on and there's a lot of concern about the marine environment." Death spiral Coral polyps are animals that depend on algae to provide most of their food. These algae also generally give the reef its color. But when the sea is too warm, the polyps expel the algae. The reef turns white and the coral begins to starve. Coral bleaching has been recorded in more than 60 countries since early 2023, threatening reefs that are key to ocean biodiversity and support fishing and tourism globally. The death spiral is everywhere in the waters of the Gulf of Thailand around Koh Tao. Worst affected are branching species that grow quickly, but are also less resilient. If water temperatures come down, they will have a chance at recovery. But for now, their spectral stems are even visible from the surface, glimmering through the aquamarine water. "I was not ready for that much bleaching, it's quite an impact," admits instructor Sandra Rubio. The 28-year-old says bleaching and other marine degradation are driving divers to take her conservation courses. "People want to start learning because they see these kinds of changes," she told AFP. "And even if they don't really understand why, they know it's not good." She walks students through how to identify species, including soft coral. Wave at it, she explains, mimicking wiggling a hand in the water, and wait to see if it "waves back." The skills taught at Black Turtle and other dive shops are not simply theoretical. Artificial coral reefs are dotted around Koh Tao, actively rebuilding marine habitats. And Nannalin's data on coral health is part of Coral Watch -- a global citizen science project that has produced numerous research papers. "What we're doing is collecting data for scientists so they can actually work with governments and authorities," explained Minks. 'Doing our best' On a sunny afternoon on Koh Tao, a boat carries a starfish-shaped rebar structure designed by schoolchildren out to sea, where it will become Global Reef's latest coral restoration project. Since it was founded two years ago, Global Reef has transplanted around 2,000 coral colonies, with a survival rate of about 75 percent, said Gavin Miller, the group's scientific program director. "It's not really going to maybe save coral reefs globally... but what it does do is have a very, very large impact locally," he said. "We have snappers returning. We have resident puffer fish." Global Reef also hosts interns who are training artificial intelligence programs to identify fish in 360-degree videos for reef health surveys, and collaborates regularly with the dive school next door. And they are studying the surprising resilience of some local coral to persistently high temperatures. "These might be sort of refuges for coral," explained Miller. This year's bleaching has left many marine enthusiasts despondent, but for conservation divers on Koh Tao, it is also a call to arms. "In the previous generations, we didn't have this research and education that we have now," said Nannalin. "I think people my age should make the most of it and try their best to reverse the things that have already been done." The work also helps Rubio balance the sadness she feels at the changes below the water. "It's not like we are going to change things from one day to another, but we are doing our best, and that is the best feeling," she said. "I'm working every day to do something good for the environment and for the reef that I love."

IBADAN, Nigeria — Dimly lit and stuffy classrooms stir with life every morning as children file in. Rays of sunlight stream through wooden windows, the only source of light. Pupils squint at their books and intermittently the blackboard as teachers try to hold their attention. It's a reality for many schoolchildren across Nigeria, where many buildings don't have access to the national electricity grid. In Excellent Moral School in Olodo Okin in Ibadan, "the entire community is not connected, including the school," said school founder Muyideen Raji. It acutely affects pupils, he said, who can't learn how to use computers or the internet and can't study in the evenings. About half of Nigeria's more than 200 million people are hooked up to a national electricity grid that can't provide sufficient daily electricity to most of those connected. Many poor, rural communities like Olodo Okin are off the grid entirely. In a country with abundant sunshine, many are looking to solar energy to help fill the gaps, but getting risk-averse investors to finance major solar projects that would give Nigeria enough reliable energy is an uphill struggle. It means that millions in the country are finding ways to live with little to no electricity. Lots of sun, few funds Studies have shown that Nigeria could generate much more electricity than it needs from solar energy thanks to its powerful sunshine. But 14 grid-scale solar projects in the northern and central parts of the country that could generate 1,125 megawatts of electricity have stalled since contracts were signed in 2016. Those trying to develop solar projects in the country blame interest rates for borrowing which can be as high as 15 percent, two to three times higher than in advanced economies and China, according to the International Energy Agency. That means it's more costly for solar companies to work in Nigeria or other developing nations than in rich countries. Africa only has one-fifth the solar power capacity of Germany, and just 2% of global clean energy investments go to the continent. "The same project put up in Nigeria and Denmark; the Danish project will get funding for 2 to 3 percent" interest rate, said Najim Animashaun, director of Nova Power, one of the stalled solar projects. Meanwhile he struggles to get loans even with interest rates of 10 percent or higher, "even though my solar project can produce two and half times more power," than a Danish one. Nigeria also does not set so-called cost-reflective tariffs, meaning the price consumers pay for electricity doesn't cover the costs to produce and distribute it. This means distribution companies can't fully pay producers and the industry relies on government interventions to stay afloat, scaring off lenders from investing in the solar industry. Currently, power producers say they are owed up to 3.7 trillion Naira ($2.7 billion) by the government, making it difficult to meet obligations to their lenders and contractors. One option would be getting World Bank guarantees that would put investors at ease and make them more willing to put money into solar projects. But the government is wary of signing up to anything that would force them to pay large sums even if electricity from the projects does not get to consumers because of inadequate transmission and distribution infrastructure. Without World Bank guarantees "nobody will develop or finance a project with a government subsidy, because it can dry off," said Edu Okeke, the managing director of Azura Power. Azura Power has a stake in the now-stalled 100 megawatt Nova solar project in Nigeria's northern Katsina State. Stop-gap solutions With less than 8,000 megawatts of capacity and an average supply of less than 4,000 megawatts — less than half of what Singapore supplies to just 5.6 million people — power outages are an everyday occurrence in Nigeria. Communities like Excellent Moral School's in Ibadan that have no access to electricity are often surrounded by more fortunate ones that are connected to the grid but experience frequent outages and have to use gasoline and diesel-run private generators. With the long-running petroleum subsidies now removed, many households, schools, hospitals and businesses struggle with the cost of the fuel for their backup generators. "We have stopped using a diesel generator as an alternative due to costs," said Abdulhakeem Adedoja, the head of Lorat Nursery and Primary School in Ibadan. He added that although the school is in an Ibadan area that is connected to the grid, they could go two weeks without a power supply. The problem is not just the lack of electricity for computer-aided learning, proper lighting, and fans to make classes less stuffy for pupils and teachers, but also that students are unable to complete their school assignments at home, Adedoja said. For more energy-hungry small businesses like restaurants, they either close shop or continue with alternative power generation, incurring high costs that hurt their capacity for expansion. Ebunola Akinwale, the owner of Nature's Treat Cafe in Ibadan, said she pays 2.5 million Naira ($1,700) monthly to power backup generators in her four branches. "If nothing changes, I probably would have to close one or two branches," she said, though she is planning to go solar which she enthuses will help us cut "pollution from the diesel (generators)." She's in talks with her bank for a low-cost loan package specially designed for young women entrepreneurs to finance the solar alternative. However, not every business and household has such access or can afford the upfront capital for a private solar system. School heads Raji and Adedoja said they find the costs prohibitive. Finding a way forward The stalled solar projects aren't happening as finances don't add up, but even for other sources of electricity generation, Nigeria struggles to attract desperately needed private financing. The power minister, Adebayo Adelabu, said in May that in order to address the financial crisis affecting the electricity sector, prices must reflect the true costs of service because a broke "government cannot afford to pay 3 trillion Naira ($2.4 billion) in subsidy." The government also insists that Nigerians paying fully for the electricity they consume would encourage investments in the sector. There has been some pushback to that, as labor unions went on strike in early June in part to protest electricity tariff increases. But businesspeople like Akinwale understand the government's position because regularly supplied grid electricity, even without a subsidy, is "still cheaper and cleaner" than diesel for generators, she said. If finances for grid-scale solar projects do not add up, the government should offer incentives such as tax relief and payment plans to encourage private solar adoption, Akinwale said. "Sunlight is there abundantly," she said. Former regulatory chief Sam Amadi doubts if consumers in Nigeria — where the minimum wage is 30,000 Naira ($20) a month — "can today pay for energy consumed without subsidy." He also wants a policy that makes it more affordable to have smaller-scale solar projects dotted across communities, businesses and homes. Until then, there are consequences to the frequent blackouts, he said. "I have the story of a person who died in hospital because the electricity went out during operation," he said. "Every day, we see the real-world effects of the lack of electricity."

ASSIS BRASIL, Brazil — Dozens of migrants sleep in a mosquito-infested six-bedroom wooden shelter in the Brazilian Amazon, their dreams of a better life in the U.S. on hold because of President Joe Biden’s halt on asylum. Johany “Flaca” Rodríguez, 48, was ready to leave behind the struggles of life in Venezuela. She has been waiting in the shelter holding 45 people in Assis Brasil, a city of 7,000 residents bordering Peru, because others told her how difficult the journey to the U.S. has become. Migrants, police, officials and analysts say Biden’s actions have caused a wait-and-see attitude among migrants who are staying in Latin America’s biggest economy, at least for now. Like anywhere along migrants’ routes toward hoped-for new lives, local communities are finding it hard to meet new populations’ needs. After sleeping on dirty mattresses and in half-torn hammocks, and eating rice, beans and ground beef, Rodríguez decided this month that she and her dog Kiko would spend a few weeks with friends in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Wearing a headband, leggings and a small backpack, Rodríguez woke early to walk more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) for two days to a nearby city of 27,000 residents. There, she hopes to make some money and take a bus to Brazil’s south, then reach the U.S. one day. “I have to stay here until it is safer to go,” Rodríguez said. “I am not super happy about staying (in Brazil), but that’s what I can do.” Brazil saw waves of migrants passing through to North America in the first part of the year. There were Indians, Bengalis, Senegalese and Nigerians, among others, said Rêmullo Diniz, the coordinator of Gefron, Acre state’s police group for border operations,   When Biden said he was going to crack down, many people in those groups began staying in their countries instead of heading to Latin America, Brazilian government officials and independent analysts said. For citizens of South American countries, it's easier. Brazil allows residents of its 10 neighboring nations to stay visa-free for up to two years.   The Biden administration said last week that arrests for illegal crossings from Mexico fell more than 40% since asylum processing was temporarily suspended at the U.S. border with Mexico on June 5. Arrests fell below 2,400 a day for the first time during Biden’s presidency.  Acre state offers a snapshot of the attitude among many migrants, and raises the possibility that Acre and other resting spots will become long-term hosts. The city of Assis Brasil has little to offer to migrants but the wooden shelter where Rodríguez was staying and a school gymnasium where 15 men can sleep. There are two small hotels and a bus stop used by vans crossing into Peru. It has five restaurants scattered along its main road, two grocery shops and an ice cream parlor that has Amazon flavors like local fruits cupuacu and tapereba. Migrants frequently beg for money at the city’s only square.   There are three daily flights into state capital Rio Branco, where 21-year-old Jay came from India en route to the U.S. to study engineering. He declined to disclose his hometown and his last name.   Wearing a white cap reading “RIO DE JANEIRO,” he said that “it would take too long if I just sat and waited,” in India.   “It is a long trip, very risky. But it is my dream to study there and I will accomplish it,” he said. Brazil’s westernmost state is a remote enclave in the middle of the rainforest, used by tourists as part of an alternative route to visit Cuzco, once the capital of the Inca empire in Peru.   One of Assis’ main attractions for locals is sitting on the benches of its main square Senador Guiomard to watch soccer on TV and eat barbecue. The small city's founders came to the Amazon in 1908 to start a rubber plantation that 50 years later became a city. Not much has changed since, despite the BR-317 road that runs by it, the only land connection between Brazil and Peru. When residents of Assis Brasil are bored, and they often are, they go to neighboring Peruvian city of Iñapari to have a drink, generally a pisco sour.   Venezuelan migrant Alexander Guedes Martinez, 27, said he will stay as long as needed to get more cash and maybe in a year go to Houston, where he has family. He came with his 17-year-old partner and their 5-month-old baby.   At the Assis Brasil shelter where they were staying last month, he said that he hopes “to go (back) to Venezuela and get key documents to try to cross in a better fashion.”   “I want to be cautious because of my daughter,” he said. “Being here helps.”   Acre state’s patrol has about 40 agents to inspect 2,600 kilometers (1,615 miles) of border with Peru and Bolivia. A main road connects the three countries, but local police say that many migrants also move through the forest, some of them carrying drugs.   Cuban migrant Miguel Hidalgo, 52, tried to get to the U.S. years ago. He left the island to Suriname, then came to Brazil and doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon.   “I like Brazil. I have been here for a short time, but people are not prejudiced against me, people are lovely,” he said. “I want to live like a human being. I am not asking for any riches. I want to live in tranquility, help my family in Cuba.”   Acre Gov. Gladson Camelli said in a statement to the AP that he is worried about a bigger influx of South American migrants coming soon.   “Our government has tried to do its part in the humanitarian support,” he said.   Assis Brasil's Mayor Jerry Correia also is bracing for more demand. City hall is feeding about 60 migrants every day and voters are feeling upset in a year of mayoral elections.   “This is all on our back. This is a policy that has to be handled by the federal government,” Correia said. “People don’t know what happens on our border. We need to be seen.”

LONDON — A new exhibition looking at the evolution of Barbie opens in London this week as the famed Mattel doll celebrates her 65th birthday this year.  "Barbie: The Exhibition," running at the Design Museum from July 5 to February 23, features more than 250 items from the Barbie universe, including an array of dolls showing her changing appearance, design sketches and dream houses.  On display is a first edition of the first Barbie released in 1959 with blonde hair, angled eyes, dressed in a black-and-white swimsuit, along with later models representing different races, hair textures and shapes.  Other "firsts" include a Black Barbie and one in a wheelchair. One section dedicated to careers includes a police officer, scientist, doctor, presidents and a voter, while another focuses on Barbie's long-term companion Ken, who was introduced in 1961.  "I hope that whatever your reason for coming to this show ..., whether you're a Barbie fanatic or whether you're a Barbie skeptic, you come away with an appreciation of detailed research and the rigorous design thinking that goes into the making of Barbie," curator Danielle Thom said in an interview.  "I do hope that people come away having learned something about ... how this brand has come into being and managed to dominate the toy market for such a long period of time."  The exhibition coincides with Barbie's 65th birthday this year and follows the huge success of last year's "Barbie" movie starring Margot Robbie, which grossed $1.4 billion at the global box office.  "Barbie's resonance and culture has never been larger, more prominent," Kim Culmone, senior vice president of design for Mattel, said. 

Kyiv, Ukraine — On his way to the Kyiv train station to greet his wife and daughter returning from Poland to Ukraine, Oleksander Tryfonov made a stop.    He bought two red roses from one of a half-dozen flower shops lining a dimly lit underpass — something beautiful for the two most precious people in his life.    "I haven't seen them for two years," Tryfonov, a burly 45-year-old driver said of his family. "Flowers are important for women."    Flowers have always been linked with Ukraine's culture, but since Russia's 2022 invasion, their significance has only grown, with blooms becoming a symbol of both resistance and hope.  Despite hardships brought by war — or perhaps because of them — Ukrainians take every chance they can to fill Kyiv and other cities with flowers from the country's vast rural heartland, anxious to reconnect with and rediscover their roots.  Deep purple petunias and yellow rock roses burst out of planters that line Kyiv's backroads and grand boulevards. Some are fixed to lampposts; flowers can even be spotted in Ukraine's prison yards.  They are depicted on Ukrainian banknotes, textile patterns and murals — next to advertising billboards and army recruitment posters. Across the country, young men on dates and soldiers, sometimes missing a limb, carry bouquets on their return home.    Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy famously brought a bouquet on a hospital visit in 2022 to a teenage girl injured while fleeing advancing Russian forces outside Kyiv.  At an underpass flower stall below Kyiv's central Maidan Square, vendor Olha Semynog sells bunches of flowers for $2.50 each. For those with more in their pockets, she can go all the way up to a giant bouquet for $75.  Even during wartime, her busiest day, she says, is March 8 — International Women's Day. Her business has also picked up with men drafted into the military sending flowers home with online orders.  On the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, where the Russian advance was halted two years ago, residents still tend to the gardens of their damaged or completely destroyed homes. A park in Kyiv, near the left bank of the Dnieper River, features a large flower installation, welcoming F-16 fighter jets due to arrive this summer from Ukraine's Western allies.  Flowers, explains Iryna Bielobrova, head of Ukraine's Florists' Association, are inextricably linked with Ukrainians' culture, traditions and celebrated stages of life. They are also an emotional connection with the land.    "Life cannot be bright, full, and rich without flowers," she said. "Wreaths of flowers are preserved for years, and embroidered shirts are passed down to younger generations." Bielobrova fled in the aftermath of Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion, moving to the Netherlands, the world's flower-producing powerhouse. In comparison, Ukraine had a modest pre-war export market.    Once in the Netherlands, she worked with other florists who fled to make sure flowers were present whenever solidarity events for Ukraine were held in European capitals.  Sunflowers, grown since the 1700s in Ukraine, have become the country's national flower — a symbol of Ukraine's defiance and resilience in the war.    Fields of the shoulder-high flowers are often seen across Ukraine and Zelenskyy's Cabinet named the flower the symbol of national Remembrance Day in 2020.    "They provide an escape from the horrors of bombings, destruction, pain, and tears," said Bielobrova, who has returned to Ukraine from the Netherlands and lives in Kyiv.  "Emotions are easily expressed with flowers," she said. "Each flower speaks for itself, and together in a bouquet, they tell a whole story."    Flowers, Ukrainians say, stand not only for tradition but also for hope and healing.  Dobropark, a 370-acre (150 hectare) privately run garden and recreation area west of Kyiv, was rebuilt after a Russian attack and occupation that lasted for more than a month in 2020.  "This entire area was occupied by the Russian military," the park's landscape designer Olha Lyhvar said.  When the Russian forces pulled out, the park's tractors and electric buggies were also gone, she said. A three-story hotel that once stood on the property was leveled to its foundations.    Today, people come to the park to "reconnect with nature," she said, standing next to a door frame — all that remains of the bombed-out hotel.  "People come here and can feel the force of life and see that it continues despite everything," Lyhvar said. "We must live on and find for ourselves joy and beauty in what surrounds us."