Two-year anniversary marked of detention of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Supporters of a British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran on espionage charges have demanded the UK government take a bigger role in securing her release, two years after the young mother was detained during a visit to Tehran. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is being held in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, while her infant daughter is being cared for by grandparents. Speaking to VOA, Nazanin’s husband says his wife is caught in the middle of a diplomatic tussle. Henry Ridgwell reports.
Lagos in Nigeria is likely to grow five-fold
We could see the world's first city with a population of 100 million by the end of this century. That's the conclusion of new research into the speed of urbanization in many fast-growing countries in Africa and Asia, which suggests even small cities could balloon into huge metropolises in the coming decades. Henry Ridgwell has more.
It could soon be cheaper to operate a factory of robots in the United States than employing manual labor in Africa. That is the stark conclusion of a report from the Overseas Development Institute, which warns automation could have a devastating effect on developing economies unless governments invest urgently in digitalization and skills training. Henry Ridgwell has more.
Cheap automation could trigger so-called ‘re-shoring’ of jobs
German police arrest former Catalan president under international warrant
Spain has been plunged back into political turmoil after violent protests over the weekend in the wake of the arrest of the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont. He was arrested in Germany under an international arrest warrant. The semi-autonomous region of Catalonia voted overwhelmingly for independence in a referendum last year, viewed as illegal by Madrid — though turnout was below 50 percent. Pro-independence parties won a slim majority in subsequent elections. Henry Ridgwell reports.
Vorkuta’s population began to plummet in the 1990s and it reflects a wider Arctic trend
In Russia’s far north, the city of Vorkuta is slowly being reclaimed by the Arctic tundra. Its population has plummeted as the local coal mines have closed, and the very future of the city is in doubt. As Henry Ridgwell reports for VOA, Vorkuta’s fate reflects a wider population crisis across Russia’s far north as old Soviet industries have crumbled.
European Union leaders have given their unqualified backing to Britain over its accusation that Russia used a nerve agent to try to kill a former double agent and his daughter in Southern England earlier this month. At a two-day summit in Brussels that ended Friday, EU leaders also demanded a permanent exemption from proposed U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Henry Ridgwell reports.
At key summit, Europe presses for permanent exemptions from US steel tariffs
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, eight of Vorkuta's 13 coal mines closed, and two-thirds of its residents have left
About 150 kilometers inside the Arctic Circle lies the Russian city of Vorkuta, a mining outpost that is rapidly being reclaimed by the elements. Many residents abandoned the city after the fall of the Soviet Union, but 70,000 people remain, largely cut off from the rest of Russia, seemingly trapped in a decaying city. Henry Ridgwell reports on the challenges facing this remote icebound settlement, far beyond the bright lights and billionaire mansions of Moscow.
Russians vote Sunday for their next president, with Vladimir Putin all but certain to secure another six-year term. Putin remains popular among Russians who admire his strongman leadership. Eight candidates are running, but there are accusations the genuine political opposition has been silenced. The election comes at a time of high tension with the West following British accusations that the Kremlin directed the poisoning of a former double agent on British soil. VOA's Henry Ridgwell has more.
Commonwealth has its origins in British Empire – most members were former colonies - and Britain is hoping to rekindle those ties as it leaves European Union
Delegates from across Africa are attending the Commonwealth Africa Summit in London – where the theme this year is the 'Common Good.' Topics under discussion include climate change and improving gender equality. The Commonwealth has its origins in the British Empire – most members were former colonies – and as Henry Ridgwell reports from London, Britain is hoping to rekindle those ties as it leaves the European Union.
British PM said it is highly likely' Russia was behind the attack on a former Russia spy
Britain’s prime minister says it is 'highly likely' that Russia was behind the attack on a former spy and his daughter, who remain critically ill in the hospital following apparent exposure to a nerve agent just over a week ago in their home city of Salisbury in Southern England. As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, the accusations against Moscow have raised the pressure on the British government to deliver a robust response.
Protesters demand fresh elections after murder of 27-year-old journalist
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