The U.N. migration agency says migrant children have died or gone missing at the rate of nearly one per day worldwide over the past five years, with treacherous journeys like those across the Mediterranean or the U.S.-Mexico border continuing to take lives. In its latest “Fatal Journeys” report, the International Organization for Migration has released findings that some 1,600 children – some as young as 6 months old – are among the 32,000 people who have perished in dangerous travels since 2014.   Deaths of Father, Daughter at US Border …

The scheduled meeting Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Osaka, Japan, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit comes as tensions between the two powers have been rising.  Yet in Russia, people are viewing this latest encounter between these two leaders with some hope but also skepticism.  For VOA from Moscow, Ricardo Marquina has this report narrated by Philip Alexiou.  … From: MeNeedIt

The scheduled meeting Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Osaka, Japan, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit comes as tensions between the two powers have been rising.  Yet in Russia, people are viewing this latest encounter between these two leaders with some hope but also skepticism.  For VOA from Moscow, Ricardo Marquina has this report narrated by Philip Alexiou.  … From: MeNeedIt

According to the Energy Information Administration, the United States gets about 11 percent of its electric energy from renewable sources.  On the other hand, since 2015 Costa Rica has gotten about 98 percent of its energy from renewables. How they do it has lessons for every country.  VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. … From: MeNeedIt

According to the Energy Information Administration, the United States gets about 11 percent of its electric energy from renewable sources.  On the other hand, since 2015 Costa Rica has gotten about 98 percent of its energy from renewables. How they do it has lessons for every country.  VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. … From: MeNeedIt

In a sea of more than 20 candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, former vice president Joe Biden entered the second of two nights of early Democratic primary debates Thursday with a big bulls-eye on his back. The front-runner before he even announced his candidacy, Biden was expected to ignore attacks from fellow Democrats as much as possible and to focus instead on challenging U.S. President Trump, trying to create the impression that the real race isn’t the primary at all, but an eventual Biden v. Trump showdown. And from …

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was at center stage Thursday on the second night of Democratic presidential debates, but one of his main challengers, Sen. Kamala Harris, sharply questioned his relations with segregationist lawmakers four decades ago and his opposition to forced school busing to integrate schools. Harris, a California lawmaker and former prosecutor, turned to Biden, saying, “I do not believe you are a racist.” But the African American senator drew cheers from the crowd in an auditorium in Miami, Florida, when she said it was “hurtful to …

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was at center stage Thursday on the second night of Democratic presidential debates, but one of his main challengers, Sen. Kamala Harris, sharply questioned his relations with segregationist lawmakers four decades ago and his opposition to forced school busing to integrate schools. Harris, a California lawmaker and former prosecutor, turned to Biden, saying, “I do not believe you are a racist.” But the African American senator drew cheers from the crowd in an auditorium in Miami, Florida, when she said it was “hurtful to …

Separatists in Cameroon’s restive English-speaking regions have freed a prominent Catholic archbishop they kidnapped Tuesday.  Archbishop Cornelius Fontem Esua says he was abducted by separatist fighters in a locality called Njinikejem while on a trip to preach peace in regions where a separatist war has raged for the past two years. “The road was blocked,” he said. “I stood there for sometime, some boys came in and said, ‘No, you cannot go, you should go back.’ They gave me the number of a certain general [commander of separatist fighters]. They …

Tunisia’s 92-year-old president has been taken to a military hospital after falling seriously ill.   President Beji Caid Essebsi’s office announced the hospitalization on Thursday. Essebsi had been briefly hospitalized last week as well.   Tunisia’s first freely elected president, Essebsi won office in 2014. He recently announced he wouldn’t run again in elections this November, saying a younger person should lead the country.   … From: MeNeedIt

The first group of 10 Democratic candidates running for the party’s 2020 presidential nomination gathered on stage in Miami, Florida for a two hour debate Wednesday.  As is typical in many debates of this kind, each candidate hoped to break through the crowded filed with a memorable phrase or lengthy quote that would resonate with both voters and political commentators.  VOA’s Richard Green has some key quotes on a variety of issues from each of the candidates.   … From: MeNeedIt

Twin suicide attacks targeting security forces struck Tunisia’s capital on Thursday, killing a patrol officer and injuring at least eight people. One attacker detonated explosives in a busy commercial district near the French embassy shortly before 11 a.m., apparently targeting a police patrol. One of the officers died from his injuries, and another was injured along with three bystanders. At nearly the same time, a second bomber struck at an entrance to the anti-terrorism brigade on the outskirts of the city. Four officers were hospitalized with injuries. Tunisia has been …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared unsteady and was seen shaking for the second time in just over a week at a ceremony in Berlin on Thursday. Merkel, 64, folded her arms across her chest while her body trembled for around two minutes as she stood alongside President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at an indoor event where Germany’s new justice minister was being formally appointed.   The chancellor was handed a glass of water but rejected it. She appeared fine when she arrived in parliament half an hour later.   Merkel set off …

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Wednesday giving state officials authority to suspend or shut down horse races with little notice after 30 horses died this year at Santa Anita track. “Business as usual has resulted in too many horse deaths,” Newsom said as he signed the bill that state lawmakers passed unanimously. The new law expands the authority of the California Horse Racing Board, which can now act in emergency cases instead of being forced to give public notice first. Newson had already created a state panel that would …

Forces allied to Libya’s internationally recognized government on Wednesday seized part of the town of Gharyan south of Tripoli previously held by eastern forces, witnesses said. Gharyan is the main forward base for the eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar in their campaign to take control of Tripoli.   … From: MeNeedIt

Forces allied to Libya’s internationally recognized government on Wednesday seized part of the town of Gharyan south of Tripoli previously held by eastern forces, witnesses said. Gharyan is the main forward base for the eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar in their campaign to take control of Tripoli.   … From: MeNeedIt

Palestinian leaders accused the Trump administration of punishing them with one hand and offering to reward them with the other, as protesters turned out in the West Bank and Gaza on Wednesday to demonstrate against a U.S. economic peace plan. At a U.S.-led conference in Bahrain U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner urged Palestinian leaders boycotting the event to think outside the “traditional box” and consider the $50 billion plan to boost the Palestinian and neighboring economies. The event drew fiery criticism both within the Palestinian territories, where demonstrations …

Palestinian leaders accused the Trump administration of punishing them with one hand and offering to reward them with the other, as protesters turned out in the West Bank and Gaza on Wednesday to demonstrate against a U.S. economic peace plan. At a U.S.-led conference in Bahrain U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner urged Palestinian leaders boycotting the event to think outside the “traditional box” and consider the $50 billion plan to boost the Palestinian and neighboring economies. The event drew fiery criticism both within the Palestinian territories, where demonstrations …

Just a month after a state visit to Japan, U.S. President Donald Trump is heading to the East Asian country again. In Osaka, Trump will attend the Group of 20 leaders’ summit, during which he is scheduled to meet one-on-one on the sidelines with such fellow world leaders as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Before leaving Wednesday, Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn that he’ll be meeting with leaders of a lot of different countries “many of whom have been taking advantage of …

Just a month after a state visit to Japan, U.S. President Donald Trump is heading to the East Asian country again. In Osaka, Trump will attend the Group of 20 leaders’ summit, during which he is scheduled to meet one-on-one on the sidelines with such fellow world leaders as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Before leaving Wednesday, Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn that he’ll be meeting with leaders of a lot of different countries “many of whom have been taking advantage of …

Join us every Wednesday as Shaka and his guests discuss topics of special interest to Africans, including politics, economic development, press freedom, health, social issues and conflict resolution.   Broadcast Schedule Straight Talk Africa is broadcast live every Wednesday from 1830-1930 UTC/GMT simultaneously on radio, television and the Internet.   Join the Discussion Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Watch us on YouTube Contact Us: E-mail africatv@voanews.com Postal Mail Voice of America TV to Africa – Suite 1613 330 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20237 USA Internship Opportunities …

Kenya’s only ice hockey team is still trying to earn a bid for the 2022 winter Olympics, being held in Beijing. In a two-day friendly event held in Nairobi last weekend, the team qualified for the finals but fell to team USA in a nail biter.  In eastern Africa’s only ice rink – Kenya’s only ice hockey team, the Ice Lions, took on their first opponents in a home tournament. Team member Hassan Ali Shah says the Ice Lions got off to a great start even though the matches didn’t …

U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who issued a report in April on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election,  will testify in open session before the House of Representatives Judiciary and Intelligence Committees on July 17, the panels’ Democratic chairmen said on Tuesday. Representative Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the judiciary panel, and Representative Adam Schiff, head of the intelligence panel, said in a joint statement that Mueller had agreed to testify after the two committees issued subpoenas on Tuesday. This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates. … …

U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who issued a report in April on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election,  will testify in open session before the House of Representatives Judiciary and Intelligence Committees on July 17, the panels’ Democratic chairmen said on Tuesday. Representative Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the judiciary panel, and Representative Adam Schiff, head of the intelligence panel, said in a joint statement that Mueller had agreed to testify after the two committees issued subpoenas on Tuesday. This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates. … …

VOA’s Victoria Macchi contributed to this report. WASHINGTON — More than 200 children held in a border facility described as unsafe and unsanitary last week were transferred to the care of another U.S. agency by Tuesday, U.S. health authorities confirmed. In a statement emailed to VOA, U.S. Health and Human Services acknowledged it worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to remove 249 unaccompanied children from the CBP Clint Station facility in Texas. The statement came after the Associated Press reported unsanitary living conditions and inadequate food and medical treatment …

VOA’s Victoria Macchi contributed to this report. WASHINGTON — More than 200 children held in a border facility described as unsafe and unsanitary last week were transferred to the care of another U.S. agency by Tuesday, U.S. health authorities confirmed. In a statement emailed to VOA, U.S. Health and Human Services acknowledged it worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to remove 249 unaccompanied children from the CBP Clint Station facility in Texas. The statement came after the Associated Press reported unsanitary living conditions and inadequate food and medical treatment …