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In Eswatini, only 46% of girls complete secondary education, according to UNICEF, with pregnancy and poverty being major contributing factors. A new mentorship program for young rural girls, STEM Sisters, is designed to buck these trends by teaching coding, robotics, and engineering, opening doors to careers and opportunities they never knew existed. Nokukhanya Musi reports.

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.

SYDNEY — Scientists from Australia and the United Kingdom are developing genomic sequencing technology to save parrots caught in the illegal wildlife trade.   They say their forensic methods are similar to a database used by INTERPOL, the international police organization. Parrots are among the most trafficked birds in the illegal international wildlife trade. By using samples from feathers or a speck of blood, researchers from the Australian National University and King’s Forensics in the United Kingdom are working to build a genetic database of threatened bird species.   They hope to create a DNA library that would help authorities track illegal trade routes and reveal the origin of animals seized from smugglers. The research team says the genomic techniques are like those of INTERPOL’s I-Familia database, which is used to identify people based on international genetic kinship matching. George Olah of the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University’s College of Science told that threatened species of parrots need urgent protection. He said generally, the illegal wildlife trade is the fourth most lucrative crime in the world. “Like organized crime after arms trafficking, drugs and human trafficking,” he said. “Parrots are really prevalent in that trade that is in numbers of live animals. They are the most traded bird.” Olah said genetic databases will be able to identify the source of smuggled birds. “This would help, you know, local law enforcement agencies to better focus their limited budgets to these hotspots,” he said. “So, if you could work out that most of the trade in animals are coming just from a few islands, or from a specific region, then they can focus on that to actually break the chain.” Olah will travel to Indonesia next month to meet with local authorities and researchers. He says the illegal parrot trade is rife in the Indo-Pacific nation. Scientists say that in addition to being a threat to biodiversity, wildlife trafficking is an international public health issue because of its role in spreading zoonotic diseases. The National Institutes of Health in the United States says these are “a disease or infection that can be transmitted naturally from vertebrate animals to humans or from humans to vertebrate animals. More than 60% of human pathogens are zoonotic in origin.”  

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.

Mount Hampden, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwean authorities responded swiftly to the recent decline in the new gold-backed currency by apprehending illicit moneychangers and closing the bank accounts of businesses accused of exclusively dealing in U.S. dollars. On Monday, Zimbabwe business owners pleaded with parliamentary committees to ask the government to stop arresting moneychangers and re-open the bank accounts of companies accused of only accepting foreign currency. "This is an inception process of a monetary policy shift," said Sekai Kuvarika, the chief executive officer of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries. "So, let's give ourselves time. Let's give the market time. Let's give the policymakers time to iterate how the policy is going to work in our markets. But we definitely do not support that we accompany our policies with the police.” Last week, police arrested several people it said were fueling the black market where Zimbabwe’s new currency, called ZiG, introduced earlier this month, is trading at around 20 ZiG for one U.S. dollar.  The government’s official exchange rate is 13 ZiG to a dollar.  Owen Mavengere, with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe, said  arresting moneychangers causes panic. “The parallel market and those dealers in the streets are a symptom of the problem,"  Mavengere said. "Sending the police doesn't inspire confidence. So, we would rather have a situation where we handle the root cause. And use a soft approach." He said the government, and government-related services, should be the first to move from the dollar. "There must be deliberate effort to make sure that the government starts to take the ZiG,” Mavengere said. The government said for now, commodities like fuel and import duties will still be paid with U.S. dollars.   Parliament had summoned Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mushayavanhu to explain how the ZiG currency rollout would work, but for unspecified reasons neither attended.  Last week, Mushayavanhu announced a shift in the central bank’s policies — vowing to restore confidence in an institution that has failed to stabilize the nation’s currency. Ngonidzashe Mudekunye, chairman of Parliament’s Industry and Commerce Committee said he was happy to hear from business owners about the new currency. “We want to get feedback regarding the new policy, whether it’s working, whether the industry has new suggestions that may be helpful, to ensure that this new monetary policy works," he said. "We all want a stable currency. Everyone is crying for it. We got so many views; the market wants a stable currency. This is what we are going to suggest to them.” The next stage for ZiG — introducing physical notes and coins to the public — is set for April 30.

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.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said that the United States is looking into allegations of human rights abuses by Israel in its operations against Hamas in Gaza. Two people were seen being taken into custody during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University on Monday. A prosecutor told jurors that Donald Trump tried to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election by preventing damaging stories about his personal life from becoming public. The statement came Monday at the start of the former president’s historic hush money trial. And on Earth Day a ship which emits no pollution as it sails the seas.

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.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to China this week for talks with senior officials in Shanghai and Beijing to discuss a range of issues, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Middle East crisis, the South China Sea, and human rights. State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching has more.

NEW YORK — Columbia University held virtual classes Monday on the sixth continuous day of student protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict.  University president Nemat “Minouche” Shafik sent an email to the Columbia community announcing that classes would be held virtually.  “The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days,” Shafik wrote. “These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas. We need a reset.” More than 100 students were arrested at the school April 18, after the university’s president authorized police to clear away protesters. Some of the students also received suspension notices from the school.  Columbia’s action prompted an onslaught of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at other universities and responses from faculty and politicians. The arrests occurred after students calling themselves Columbia University Apartheid Divest erected dozens of tents on a lawn at the center of the campus, establishing it as the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment." Following the arrests and the demolition of the original encampment, another pro-Palestine encampment sprung on an adjacent lawn. Students aren’t the only demonstrators experiencing tensions on campus and with the university administration. Monday morning, Business School assistant professor Shai Davidai was denied entry to the university for an attempted pro-Israel counter-protest on the occupied lawn after he refused to comply with the university’s counter-protest policies.  “I am a professor here; I have every right to be everywhere on campus. You cannot let people who support Hamas on campus, and me, a professor, not on campus. Let me in now,” he said after Columbia COO Cass Halloway stopped him and other pro-Israel protesters at the entrance gates. He has repeatedly called student protesters “violent maniacs” and “pro-Hamas terrorists.” A petition calling for Davidai’s dismissal has amassed nearly 9,000 signatures as of last Thursday night; additional grievances have been shared on social media and with the university. Some Jewish students at Columbia say that many criticisms of Israel are antisemitic and make them feel unsafe. Since the arrests, many student groups and Columbia affiliate groups have released statements condemning the university’s decision to arrest students, citing discriminatory enforcement of rules that limit students' freedom of speech.  Monday, hundreds of faculty members from across Columbia and Barnard staged a rally and walkout to urge the university to reverse the students’ suspensions. Some faculty members wore their graduation regalia and sashes reading “We support students.” The backlash from the protests has even reached the ear of U.S. President Joe Biden. When asked about the recent events at the university by reporters Monday, Biden said, “I condemn the antisemitic protests. That’s why I have set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.” Other campuses, such as Yale, Stanford, and New York University have also rallied around the Palestinian cause, calling for their universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel and for a ceasefire in Gaza. Many have put up tent encampments on their campuses. About 50 students were arrested at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, Monday after they refused to leave their encampment. Student protesters at Columbia have urged organizers of rallies outside the campus to “remember what we are protesting for” and focus on the war in Gaza, rather than just expressing solidarity with protesters.  Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and the Associated Press.  

Farmers in rural Malawi are learning to move away from over-dependence on maize, the country’s primary staple crop. A local charity Never Ending Food is teaching farmers about 200 types of food crops they can grow and eat. Lameck Masina reports from Lilongwe.

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.

Istanbul/Washington — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and his delegation last weekend in Istanbul amid growing criticism in Turkey of his government's stance on the Israel-Hamas war. There was no news conference after the meeting.  Erdogan’s office released a statement on the topics discussed with Haniyeh, who lives in exile in Qatar. According to the statement, Erdogan and the Hamas leader talked about "Israel's attacks on Palestinian territory, especially Gaza, what needs to be done to ensure adequate and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a fair and lasting peace process in the region." Erdogan also emphasized the importance of Palestinians acting in unity, which he called "the most robust response to Israel and the way to victory go through unity and integrity." In another statement, Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) revealed that a Hamas delegation, including key members of the militant group, was present in the meeting. Haniyeh's visit came at a time when Erdogan's stance on the Israel-Hamas war and his support for the Palestinian people were questioned by the Islamist New Welfare Party, which came in third nationally in the local elections last month. On April 9, Turkey's Trade Ministry announced export restrictions of several product groups to Israel as a response growing calls in Turkey for a boycott. Some analysts think that Erdogan's meeting with Haniyeh is to consolidate his base. "AKP and Erdogan have been very worn out recently regarding the Palestine issue after it was revealed that there was trade with Israel," Erhan Kelesoglu, an Istanbul-based Middle East expert, told VOA. "Meeting with Hamas leaders actually provides President [Erdogan] with the opportunity to refresh his image before the public. It shows that he is behind the Palestinian cause and Hamas," Kelesoglu added. On April 17, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan went to Doha, Qatar, where he met Haniyeh. Later in a joint news conference with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Fidan said that Hamas has accepted the establishment of a Palestinian state with the 1967 borders. "They have told me that following the establishment of the Palestinian state, Hamas would no longer need an armed wing and they would continue as a political party," Fidan said. Some experts view Ankara’s recent involvement with Hamas as its intent to play a mediator role. “Turkey intends to reassert its influence in the region by playing a mediator role, particularly as Qatar’s mediating capacity reaches its limits, and Turkey has recently emerged as one of the intermediary countries in relations with Iran,” Evren Balta, a non-resident scholar at Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, wrote in an analysis for MEI’s blog.  “However, it is unlikely that either Israel or the United States will agree to the role that Turkey wishes to play or see the dissolution of the military wing of Hamas as a sufficient move to engage with the organization,” Balta added.   Israel's reaction Following the meeting on April 20, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz shared a photo of Erdogan shaking hands with Haniyeh on his X account. "Erdogan, shame on you," Katz wrote in a post in Turkish. He also listed his allegations of "rape, murder, and the desecration of corpses" committed by "the Muslim Brotherhood." Hamas shares the Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Erdogan's AKP also backed in the past. Oncu Keceli, Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, reacted to Katz's statement on X, saying, "It is the Israeli authorities who should be ashamed. They have massacred nearly 35,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children." "Türkiye's priority is to bring the massacre in Gaza to an end, and the establishment of a Palestinian state to ensure lasting peace in our region," Keceli added. More than 34,000 people have been killed, Palestinian health authorities say, since the beginning of the war in Gaza last October. Comparison with Turkish militia On April 17, in his ruling AKP's parliamentary group meeting, Erdogan accused critics of his handling of the Israel-Gaza war of slandering him, his party, his government, and the Turkish Republic. "Some of our steps may not be visible. We may not be able to explain some of what we do. However, those who question our sensitivity on Palestine will sooner or later be embarrassed and disgraced," Erdogan said. "I say it very clearly and openly: Hamas is the same as Kuva-yi Milliye in Turkey during the war of independence," Erdogan added. He also called Hamas "a group of mujahideen waging a battle to protect its lands and people" in the past after the Oct. 7 attack. Mujahideen is an Arabic word meaning those who fight for Islam. The U.S., the U.K. and European Union have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. Kuva-yi Milliye, founded in 1918, is the name of the Turkish militia forces that fought in the early period of Turkey's War of Independence and was later organized under the command of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Erdogan's statement stirred a debate in Turkey as the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) rejected such a similarity between Turkish national forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. "Identifying Hamas with Kuva-yi Milliye means 'the Palestinian cause started with Hamas.' However, everyone knows very well that the [Palestinian] struggle is a struggle that has lasted for decades. And it certainly did not start with Hamas," Oguz Kaan Salici, CHP's Istanbul deputy and a Turkish Parliament's Commission of Foreign Affairs member, told VOA. CHP calls for a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians.