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LONDON — Britain's royal family on Wednesday set out its latest plans to reduce its carbon footprint, including the installation of heat pumps at the centuries-old Windsor Castle near London. Other environmentally friendly initiatives include the electrification of the royal family's luxury fleet of vehicles, including the Bentley State Limousines. King Charles III, a life-long environmentalist, famously owns a 1970 Aston Martin DB6 that he had converted to run on biofuel produced from surplus English white wine and whey from cheese manufacturing. The sports car was a gift from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, for his 21st birthday. Under the net-zero plans, set out in the family's annual report and accounts for the financial year of April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, jet fuel for helicopters and chartered aircraft will be replaced with sustainable aviation fuel. Royal properties in central London such as Buckingham Palace would also be connected to heat networks. These are considered a more efficient way of providing heat by producing and distributing heat from a central source, rather than relying on individual boilers. "These projects ... have substantial potential to reduce the royal household's GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions," the report said. The first solar panels, which convert sunlight into electricity, have been installed at the 900-year-old Windsor Castle, one of Charles's main residences. The report published alongside annual accounts revealed that profit from the royal family's land and property holdings, the Crown Estate, more than doubled last year to a record $1.4 billion, driven by a short-term boost from offshore wind farms. The Crown Estate is an independently run business whose profits go to the government, which hands a small portion of the money to the monarchy to support official duties of the royal family. The estate owns the vast majority of Britain's seabed, stretching up to 12 nautical miles from the mainland, and leases part of it to wind farm operators. The surge in profits was mainly the result of option fees — payments made by companies to reserve a patch of the seabed to eventually build their wind turbines. The most recent round of offshore wind leasing saw licenses granted for three wind farms in the North Sea and three in the Irish Sea. Last week, the new Labour government announced plans to widen the investment powers of the Crown Estate, giving it more scope to borrow for investments including offshore wind projects. The government said that in doing so, 20 to 30 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind would be created by the end of the decade. It has also proposed boosting investment in sustainable aviation fuel plants across the country.

Kampala, Uganda — Dozens of people who joined scattered anti-corruption rallies in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on Tuesday in defiance of an official ban have been charged and held behind bars, their lawyers said. About 60 people, including a prominent TV and radio presenter and three young protest leaders, were hurriedly brought before the courts and remanded into custody on charges including being a "common nuisance," they said. President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the East African country with an iron fist for almost four decades, had warned over the weekend that the demonstrators were "playing with fire." Riot police were out in force across Kampala, manning roadblocks especially near the business district, while officers sealed off roads to parliament. Police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke had said the authorities would not allow any demonstration that threatened Uganda's "peace and security." The call to action over corruption was organized by young Ugandans online, with colorful posters urging people to march on parliament, drawing inspiration from neighboring Kenya's mostly Gen-Z-led anti-government protests. Graft is a major concern in Uganda, with several high-profile scandals involving public officials, and the country is ranked a lowly 141 out of 180 countries on Transparency International's corruption index. "We are tired of corruption," protester Samson Kiriya shouted from between the bars of a police van as he was arrested. About 60 people who were detained during the rallies were brought before the courts in separate hearings, their lawyers said. They included well-known television and radio presenter Faiza Salima as well as a social media influencer and a doctor, lawyer Ashraf Kwezi told AFP. "The three were charged with a flimsy offense of being a common nuisance ... and disorderly after they participated in the protest today, but they denied the charges," he said. Three protest organizers identified as George Victor Otieno, Kennedy Ndyamuhaki and Aloikin Praise Opoloje were arrested as they marched to parliament and have also been charged. Bernard Oundo, president of the Uganda Law Society, told AFP that 50 people were charged at one hearing in a Kampala court and are to reappear between July 30 and Aug. 8. Another five were charged in a separate hearing at another court, their lawyer, Patience Muwanguzi, said. "This was a rushed trial. They were arrested and taken to court in a very short time and remanded to prison without securing them bail," she told AFP. "We will ensure these people receive justice." Human Rights Watch Uganda researcher Oryem Nyeko condemned the multiple arrests and said they were "a reflection of where Uganda is at the moment as far as respect for those rights is concerned." On the eve of the rally, Ugandan authorities besieged the headquarters of the opposition National Unity Platform of former presidential candidate Bobi Wine and arrested three of his party's MPs. A heavy police presence remained in place around the offices in a Kampala suburb on Tuesday, an AFP journalist said. "Salutations to all who have courageously marched and are still marching against corruption and misrule — even in the face of very brutal actions by the military and police!" Wine posted on X. His real name is Robert Kyagulanyi. Ugandan authorities have frequently cracked down on the NUP and Wine, a popstar turned politician who challenged Museveni unsuccessfully in the last elections in 2021. Corruption is endemic in Uganda, where several high-profile figures have recently come under the spotlight in graft scandals. Earlier this year, the United States and Britain sanctioned several Ugandan officials including parliament speaker Anita Among and three former or current ministers for alleged involvement in corruption. The ministers are on trial accused of stealing iron sheets destined for the poor under a government-funded project and redirecting them to politicians and their families, but no charges have been laid against the speaker. Four legislators from Uganda's ruling party and two senior civil servants are also in custody for allegedly embezzling large sums of money meant to compensate farmers who lost property during the 1980s bush war that brought Museveni to power.

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President Joe Biden returned to the White House Tuesday after an eventful news week that he spent entirely out of the spotlight – yet still managed to dominate with news of his exit from the presidential race. Meanwhile, his vice president hit the road launching her presidential campaign. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House.

washington — Who will she pick? That's the big political question in America after U.S. President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who has quickly collected a critical mass of Democratic Party support and funding. The selection in question is Harris' running mate, the person who would step into the role she will shed if the Democrats are victorious in November's presidential election against Republicans Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and his law firm are vetting Harris' potential vice presidential candidates, according to media reports. The campaign has requested vetting materials from five Democratic governors — Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tim Walz of Minnesota and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois — and one U.S. senator, Democrat Mark Kelly of Arizona, reports The Wall Street Journal. Those who pass the vetting "will probably have a one-on-one conversation with Harris and then she'll make a choice, probably in the week or so before the convention," William Galston, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told VOA. "The danger of an accelerated process is that you know things will be overlooked. Mistakes will be made that a more leisurely process would have prevented. But she has no choice. She has to do it fast and get it right." Quest to balance ticket  It "is most likely" that Harris, as the daughter of a Black father and a mother who emigrated from India, will choose a white man to be her number two, according to Joel K. Goldstein, a scholar of U.S. vice presidents and the Vincent C. Immel professor of law emeritus at the St. Louis University School of Law. Geographical balance is another factor. Harris, who is from California, a solidly Democratic state, likely desires someone who can boost the party's chance in one of the critical swing states — territory that spans westward from Pennsylvania to Michigan, as well as the southern state of Georgia. "Someone from the Midwest or even from the South would be a good choice," said Jay Chen, Democratic National Committee delegate from California and co-chair of Taiwanese Americans for Progress. "Andy Beshear, he's a governor from Kentucky. I think he would make a good choice. We want to make sure that we're balancing out the ticket, because we have someone [Harris] from California," said Chen. "I think we do have to make sure that folks in the Midwest on the East Coast from the South, that they don't feel like they're going to be ignored by this administration and this is an excellent opportunity to try to try to balance out the ticket." Historically, geographic balance "was perhaps the most common type of balance that you would see on tickets," according to Goldstein. Nowadays, "the idea of geographic balance is not really as important a calculation as some other things." The governors of both Pennsylvania and Michigan, who are Democrats, endorsed Harris on Monday. That quashed any speculation that Shapiro or Whitmer might challenge Harris for delegates ahead of the party's national nominating convention next month. It also appeared to automatically place them into consideration to be the vice presidential nominee. Pennsylvania in play Pennsylvania is practically a must-win for either party. The Keystone State offers 19 electoral votes — the most of any 2024 battleground state — of the 270 required to reach the threshold for victory in a U.S. presidential election. In an on-air conversation about Shapiro, CNN chief national correspondent John King said the governor is a contender, but "he's Jewish. There could be some risks with putting him on the ticket." Commentators on social media quickly responded that Harris may be hesitant to select Shapiro, who is a strong supporter of Israel, as he could jeopardize her chances in Michigan, where there has been a primary election backlash against the Biden-Harris ticket from Arab American voters because of the president's support for Israel's war against Hamas. "It says a lot about the state of American politics, and perhaps especially in progressive circles that one of the 'cons' of Kamala Harris selecting" Shapiro as her vice president, is that he is Jewish and the pushback this might receive, Arsen Ostrovsky, CEO of the International Legal Forum, a global network of lawyers supporting Israel, wrote on X on Sunday. Harris' husband, second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, is Jewish. Stella Hsu and Kim Lewis contributed to this report.

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.

Rights groups accuse French authorities of "social cleansing” ahead of the Paris Olympics by uprooting migrants, sex workers and others around the capital — undermining promises of making these Games the most inclusive ever. The government says it’s simply trying to address a longstanding problem. Lisa Bryant has more from the French capital.

As the country continues to dissect the ramifications from President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race, the attention has quickly shifted toward Vice President Kamala Harris. While she has not been confirmed as the nominee for the Democratic ticket, she has obtained commitments from most of the required delegates, received key […]

The post Kamala Harris Has an Opportunity to Reframe the Immigration Conversation as the Democratic Nominee for President appeared first on Immigration Impact.

WASHINGTON — The United States has invited the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for U.S.-mediated cease-fire talks starting on August 14 in Switzerland, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.  The talks will include the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations as observers, Blinken said in a statement. Saudi Arabia will be a co-host for the discussions, he added.   "The scale of death, suffering, and destruction in Sudan is devastating. This senseless conflict must end," Blinken said, calling on the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, to attend the talks and approach them constructively.  The war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, has forced almost 10 million people from their homes, sparked warnings of famine and waves of ethnically driven violence blamed largely on the RSF.  Talks in Jeddah between the army and RSF that were sponsored by the United States and Saudi Arabia broke down at the end of last year.  State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Tuesday that the goal of the talks in Switzerland was to build on work from Jeddah and try to move the talks to the next phase.  "We just want to get the parties back to the table, and what we determined is that bringing the parties, the three host nations and the observers together is the best shot that we have right now at getting the nationwide cessation of violence," Miller said.

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london — Sunday, July 21 was the hottest day ever recorded, according to preliminary data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, which has tracked such global weather patterns since 1940. The global average surface air temperature on Sunday reached 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit) — slightly higher than the previous record set last July of 17.08 C (62.74 F) — as heatwaves scorched large swathes of the United States, Europe and Russia. Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus service, said that it was possible the beginning of this week could eclipse Sunday's record as heatwaves continue to sizzle across the world. "When you have these peaks, they tend to cluster together," he said. Last year, saw four days in a row break the record, from July 3 through July 6, as climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, drove extreme heat across the Northern Hemisphere. While Sunday's record was only marginally higher than last year's reading, "What is remarkable is how different the temperature of the last 13 months is with respect to the previous records," said Buontempo. Every month since June 2023 has now ranked as the planet's hottest since records began, compared with the corresponding month in previous years. Some scientists have suggested 2024 could surpass 2023 as the hottest year since records began, as climate change and the El Nino natural weather phenomenon — which ended in April — have pushed temperatures ever higher this year. "As a consequence of the increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere — we are bound to see new records being broken in the next few months, in the next few years," Buontempo said. Scientists and environmental advocates have long called for global leaders and wealthier countries to phase out and end the reliance on fossil fuels to prevent catastrophic effects of climate change, including increased heatwaves.

Abuja, Nigeria — Regional analysts have voiced skepticism about a so-called standby counterterrorism force announced Sunday by West African bloc ECOWAS. The critics say despite the comments from Nigeria’s president suggesting the force is ready for deployment, ECOWAS has not provided any details about its size, base, funding or mode of operation. Nigerian President and ECOWAS chair Bola Tinubu announced what he called the “activation” of a standby force on counterterrorism while addressing African leaders during an African Union meeting in Ghana on Sunday. The force, first proposed in August 2023 after a coup in Niger, is projected to consist of military, police and civilian components and be jointly sponsored by ECOWAS members. However, ECOWAS members have yet to decide which countries will contribute the personnel and from where they will operate.  Tinubu told leaders at Sunday's summit that ECOWAS is exploring options for funding the force. His comments came two weeks after three of the bloc's former members — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — announced a confederation, signaling their exit from ECOWAS was permanent. All three countries withdrew from ECOWAS after being suspended from the bloc following military takeovers of their governments.  Security analyst Senator Iroegbu says creating a joint ECOWAS force to fight terrorism is a good idea but questions the regional bloc's readiness. "With Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso pulling out and forming their own [confederation], it tends to dilute whatever arrangement, because these three countries are actually the epicenters of the terrorism we're talking about,” he said. “This ECOWAS standby force, where's it going to operate? Is it in Nigeria that already has its own arrangement?” ECOWAS said it will continue to dialogue with the military leaders of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and plans to convene a special summit on the future of the bloc. In April, ECOWAS held a counterterrorism summit in Abuja to strategize on combating terrorism affecting its remaining member states. Sub-Saharan Africa has become an epicenter of terrorism, accounting for more than half of the global terror-related deaths according to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index report.  Burkina Faso suffered the highest number of deaths, with Mali, Nigeria and Niger not far behind. Ahmed Buhari, a political affairs analyst, says he is skeptical about the success of the ECOWAS force amid uncertainty and instability within the region. "I do not see anything new with what ECOWAS is reiterating,” he said. “This is what we've been hearing for the past 15 years or so. It's been in the conversation. The terror hasn't declined. As a matter of fact, it looks like the terrorists are seemingly gaining ground and becoming more daring.”  Iroegbu said ECOWAS countries should focus more on improved governance if they want to address the causes of terrorism.  "More than setting up a force on counterterrorism, other aspects of non-kinetic measures are needed,” he said. “If you check, the root cause of these [problems] are non-kinetic issues like issues of good governance, development, inclusiveness, sound electoral process. These are issues that once they're in place even terrorists will find it hard to thrive in such environment." It's not clear when ECOWAS will hold the summit on its three former member states. Analysts say the chances of successful dialogue among the West African states are slim but it is not impossible.

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.

state department — U.S. President Joe Biden's administration said it remains “intensely focused on” its foreign policy agenda in the final six months of his term, despite the challenges often faced by so-called lame-duck leaders. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at the State Department that the United States will continue the work, “particularly trying to bring peace to the Middle East, ending the war in Gaza,” dealing effectively with the ongoing aggression by Russia against Ukraine, and maintaining engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. This week, Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin head to Asia to reassure allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific of the U.S. commitment, as the U.S. presidential election in November casts uncertainty over Washington's foreign policy. On Sunday, Biden announced he will not run for reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. Earlier this month, the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, survived an assassination attempt. By late Monday, most Democratic delegates pledged their support for Harris, making her the likely nominee. Blinken endorsed Harris on Tuesday. "What I've observed is someone who asks, time and again, the penetrating questions, who cuts to the chase and is intensely focused on the interests of the American people and making sure that our foreign policy is doing everything it can to advance those interests,” he said. 2+2 security talks Blinken and Austin will hold the so-called 2+2 security talks with U.S. allies Japan and the Philippines. The U.S.-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogues will discuss "extended deterrence" for the first time amid growing, unprecedented threats in the region, according to U.S. officials. The term refers to the U.S. commitment to use its nuclear and conventional forces to deter attacks on its allies. The first U.S.-Philippines 2+2 meeting to be held in Manila follows a crucial deal reached between China and the Philippines on Sunday, amid recent collisions near the waters around Second Thomas Shoal, known as Rén'ài Jiao in China. The agreement aims to establish a mutually acceptable arrangement at the shoal without conceding either side's territorial claims. “As the Philippines’ ally, we do support the diplomacy that they’ve chosen to conduct. We welcome the announcement of this outcome,” Daniel Kritenbrink told VOA during a phone briefing on Monday. Kritenbrink is the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. After returning to the United States, the top U.S. diplomat and the defense chief will host their Australian counterparts in Annapolis, Maryland, for the 2024 Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations, or AUSMIN, on August 6, according to the Pentagon. Vietnam Blinken’s 10-day trip to Asia will start in Hanoi, where he will attend the funeral of General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, head of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, who died last Friday. In 2023, the U.S. and Vietnam elevated their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The United States, China, and Russia are among the countries that maintain top-tier relations with Vietnam. ASEAN in Laos Blinken will then attend meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in Vientiane, Laos, where he will hold face-to-face talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. State Department officials said they do not anticipate Blinken meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov or North Korean officials on the sidelines of ASEAN-related regional talks. Japan In Tokyo, in addition to the 2+2 security talks, Blinken will join his Australian, Indian and Japanese counterparts for a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting to reaffirm their collective commitment to regional stability. The Quad is a security dialogue involving the four countries. The United States and Japan will demonstrate responsibly how they will ensure not just the defense of Japan but also their contribution to regional security, according to Kritenbrink. In April, Tokyo and Washington announced a series of initiatives to strengthen their military ties, which the Biden administration described as the most significant upgrade since the U.S.-Japan alliance began in 1951. The Philippines In Manila, Blinken and Austin will meet with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. They will discuss ways to deepen coordination on shared challenges, including in the South China Sea, and advance our bilateral economic agenda, according to the State Department. Singapore In Singapore, Blinken will meet with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the city-state's new leadership to discuss the U.S.-Singapore strategic partnership. U.S. officials said the focus on critical and emerging technologies highlights the partnership's role in promoting a free, open, connected, and resilient Indo-Pacific region. Mongolia Tuesday, Blinken held talks with Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh at the State Department. The inaugural U.S.-Mongolia Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue highlighted the growing ties between the two countries, as evidenced by ongoing initiatives to strengthen people-to-people connections through professional and educational exchanges, English-language programs and the establishment of direct flights.

Kampala, Uganda — A heavy military and police presence in and around Kampala left the streets deserted as pockets of young people marched toward parliament Tuesday. Under the hashtag #March2Parliament, demonstrators demanded the resignation of Speaker of Parliament Anita Among along with four members of parliament who recently shared an award of $460,000 for "public service." They also called for an audit of legislators' income. Many of the unarmed, placard-wielding protesters were thrown into police vans. Salim Papa Were spoke to journalists from under police van seats, where he had been pushed. "We are protesting against escalating levels of corruption in Uganda," he said. "I was marching because I want Anita Among to resign, she has stolen from this country. These resources are not hers, this is taxpayers' money." Almost an hour later, another group of nine youth appeared just meters from parliament before they were arrested and thrown into the police van. Kirya Samson was among those arrested. "No drugs in hospitals, bad roads, Kampala is the pothole capital," said Samson. "It’s because of corruption. We are tired." Parliamentary spokesperson Chris Obore told VOA that protesters should have addressed their concerns through proper channels instead of demonstrating. "This one is something disguised as a petition. If it is about the speaker of parliament, the speaker of parliament is not appointed by anybody. The speaker of parliament is elected by members of parliament. Is it members of parliament demanding her to resign?" asked Obore. "The campaign around the Speaker Anita Among is a smoke screen by those who have their ulterior motives." In May, both the United States and United Kingdom sanctioned Speaker Among over reports of corruption and abuse of office. There was hope that today’s protests would mimic events in neighboring Kenya, where youth have been protesting since June and successfully forced Kenyan President William Ruto to withdraw a proposed tax hike and overhaul his cabinet. Activist and law professor Busingye Kabumba said it is unfortunate that Uganda's parliament has gone ahead to sit without acknowledging protestors' demands. He thinks protests in Uganda could still unfold the way they did in Kenya. "I see today as being the starting shot in what is likely to be a longer struggle," said Kabumba. "But either way, the critical similarities are to do with the joining concerns of the youth and their determination to change the political systems in which they find themselves." While Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni warned protestors that they were playing with fire by marching on parliament, no tear gas was fired Tuesday to disperse onlookers. It was not immediately clear how many protesters were arrested or when they might appear before courts.