https://www.voazimbabwe.com/z/3152 The Voice of America is one of the world's most trusted sources for news and information from the United States and around the world. VOA is a multi media news organization using radio, television, and the internet to distribute content in 45 languages. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/Content/responsive/VOA/en-ZW/img/logo.png https://www.voazimbabwe.com/z/3152 en 2026 - VOA 60 Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:10:25 +0200 Pangea CMS – VOA WASHINGTON DC — The 10th Powering Africa Summit in Washington DC marked a pivotal moment in defining the strategic energy relationship between the United States and Africa, addressing the critical question: How will the new American administration shape its energy partnership with the continent? In his address, Mr. Joshua Volz, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe, Eurasia, Africa and Middle East -Office of International Affairs in the U.S Department of Energy emphasized the need for people-centered profitable partnerships between American investors and African countries - moving away from handouts to hands up approach “If we are looking at going from where we are now to an acceleration of where we want to be tomorrow, we cannot remain stagnant in how that partnership looks like and how we express that partnership together. This has been articulated by a number of folks within the administration and talking about the need to move from aid to investment and that really is going to sit at the heart of how our partnership is going to look like moving forward” The Zimbabwean delegation led by Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo expressed renewed hope that President Donald Trump’s administration will strengthen government to government partnerships. “The vision that we have is that any investor from the West has been a historical investor with us and we still think a meeting like this where we can explain our situation, where we can explain how we can protect businesses that want to come and invest in Zimbabwe, that’s what we came to explain." Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube told investors that his country is ready to sign deals, saying the energy summit continues to give Zimbabwe an opportunity to partner with other players in the industry. “First of all, Zimbabwe is looking for investors in the energy sector, but also has something to contribute in terms of how to work with investors. But also, we have come to learn from others as to how we can attract various investors as you know we have got an array of opportunities in the energy sector.” Zambezi River Authority Chief Executive Munyaradzi Munodawafa called on Zimbabwe and Zambia to work together in tackling the power crisis in both nations. “We have a lot of projects that need to be realized along the river, so this summit is an opportunity to find out who we can partner with to realize these projects.” Ms Bogolo Kenewendo, Botswana Minister of Minerals and Energy, said the Southern Africa Power Pool, a coalition of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa, is a drive that is in motion and is expected to tackle the power crisis in the region. “The Southern Africa Power Pool is a very important aspect of how we trade energy in the region and how we develop regional infrastructure, and we are looking for partners and investors for infrastructure development to ensure that the power pool functions effectively.” In the two-day summit, U.S government officials, African energy ministers and investors discussed synergies in the energy sector and the event is being held at a time the U.S government is shifting towards profitable investments in Africa and other parts of the world. The summit came at a time when Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and other African countries are facing a power crisis, with some retailers closing citing high operation costs due to power cuts. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/u-s-africa-energy-relationship-shifts-from-aid-to-investment/8010680.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/u-s-africa-energy-relationship-shifts-from-aid-to-investment/8010680.html Fri, 14 Mar 2025 16:40:37 +0200 News voadigital@voanews.com (Taboka Ncube, Evans Zininga) WASHINGTON DC — Eleven high school students from Inala Country School in Esigodini, Matabeleland South, are in the United States for a Youth Ablaze Global exchange and mentorship program. They are visiting colleges and universities and attending workshops and other important events to learn about American culture and traditions. Youth Ablaze Global founder Doctor Mlungisi Mhlophe says the exchange program, will immerse these students in programs that will propel them into leaders and entrepreneurs in their areas of interest. “The idea is to expose the children to a global understanding of things, and also to expose them educationally to make informed decisions about their future and their dreams. We are going to be doing this every year." This year, Youth Ablaze Global partnered with Inala Country School in an effort to empower rural children. The school principal Mr. Qiniso Mpofu says the program will impact young minds. “Our thinking is that, taking children to platforms where they can be taken seriously, makes them take themselves seriously, and that habit of self-consciousness, habit of being aware of themselves and what the world holds, can help shift their thinking and when they go back home they are part of a transformation.” Kuyanda Sibusiso Moyo is one of the students currently in USA.    “I am looking forward to gaining knowledge from the people here and also sharing what I have. I am also looking forward to sharing my culture and beliefs, get to know and learn more about Americans.” Another student, Kim Maphosa, says she will represent Zimbabwe well during her stay in the United States. “I really want to showcase my country here, show people how it is like. I also want to improve my country by learning a lot and improving myself in order to improve my community, city and country. Feeling so small (insignificant) is something that most people go through, but an opportunity like this one will help me gain confidence.” Ms. Paula Paloma, a teacher at Inala Country School, says the Youth Ablaze Global Exchange Program is a high-impact program. “It has a very big impact, taking students from deep, deep in rural areas to America, honestly it is a very big impact. It is really inspiring to most of the kids. The whole journey they were just happy talking about the journey. To them and us it is a very big opportunity, it’s going to have a big impact on our career choices, on how to look at other people and we are hoping it will also inspire other kids back home.” The Youth Ablaze Global Exchange Program, is the brain-child of Doctor Mhlophe, an academic born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and residing in Virginia here in the United States. Under the program, the less-privileged students visit educational institutions such as colleges and universities, museums, businesses, and some recreational facilities during their two-week stay in America. It was launched in 2018 and has been bringing students to the US every year. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/7647404.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/7647404.html Fri, 07 Jun 2024 21:44:48 +0200 News voadigital@voanews.com (Taboka Ncube) WASHINGTON DC — Marijuana is a rare consensus issue in politically divided America, with polls showing that 88 percent of Americans support at least partially legalizing the drug. But cannabis advocates say neither of the leading presidential candidates are capitalizing on shifting attitudes. Nearly three-quarters of Americans live in states where marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes. Half the population live where it is also allowed recreationally. But cannabis remains entirely illegal under federal law, where it is classified alongside heroin and LSD as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. The overwhelming majority of American voters who think that should be changed makes cannabis a ripe opportunity for presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump, especially among young voters, according to Scotty Smart, a community organizer with the civic engagement group the New Georgia Project. “A lot of people don’t understand policy. A lot of people don’t know how policies affect their day-to-day lives. I think cannabis is an issue that ignites and excites young people to pay attention,” Smart said. At the National Cannabis Festival and Washington policy summit earlier this month, founder Caroline Phillips said neither Biden nor Trump have delivered. “For both of them, one thing that they have in common is that their track records on cannabis have been inconsistent and incremental. We’ve heard promises from both administrations, neither of which have panned out in full,” Phillips said. Under Biden, the Department of Health and Human Services recommended changing marijuana to a lighter drug classification – “rescheduling” it instead of making it legal, which would be “de-scheduling.” Phillips added, “The current White House’s policy on marijuana remains slightly unclear. They have given us great signals that they are willing to shift toward de-scheduling, but most likely rescheduling. However, we haven’t quite seen the action to back up their words.” In 2018, then-President Trump said he would “probably” support efforts to end federal prohibitions on marijuana and leave its legality up to the states. That legislation never got out of Congress. Trump told a Newsmax TV interviewer last year that studies show marijuana “does significant damage and yet, from a voting standpoint, it’s a pretty popular thing.” “Trump’s track record on cannabis has been inconsistent at best. We’ve heard him both say that people who sell drugs on the illicit market should be jailed and even put to death. I think that’s some of the scarier rhetoric around that. But we’ve also seen him pardon people who’ve been locked up for cannabis,” Phillips said. U.S. voters’ shifting attitudes about marijuana show in Gallup polling, where last year, 70 percent of adults supported legalization. That is more than double the number who said they favored legalization in 2000. Morgan Fox, a political director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws said, “This is an issue that is increasingly important to voters, particularly young voters, and any candidate that wants to get ahead, whether it’s in the presidential election, in Congress or state legislatures or local legislators, if they ignore this issue, it is going to be at their peril.” Younger voters animated by legalizing marijuana are hoping for Biden administration action on cannabis before the November election. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/trump-biden-both-cautious-vague-on-marijuana-positions/7583415.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/trump-biden-both-cautious-vague-on-marijuana-positions/7583415.html Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:36:27 +0200 NewsUSAWorldZimbabwe voadigital@voanews.com (Scott Stearns) DAKAR —  Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Sunday demanded his immediate release in the name of "equal treatment" under the constitution. "All candidates must benefit from the constitutional principles of equal treatment," said a statement from the Diomaye President coalition. "That's why the release without delay of candidate Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye is a popular demand and respectful of the Constitution," the statement said. The coalition noted the situation also required the urgent release of jailed opposition Pastef party leader Ousmane Sonko. The Constitutional Court rejected Sonko's candidacy but accepted that of Faye, the party's number two, along with about 20 others. Sonko has been in prison since July 2023 for calling for an uprising, associating with criminals linked to terrorism and harming state security. Faye has been under preventive detention since April last year but has yet to face trial. The European Union last month stressed that candidates approved by the Constitutional Council must all be allowed to campaign for election on equal terms. Dozens of opposition supporters have been set free in recent days by President Macky Sall who says there are no political prisoners in Senegal. The Diomaye coalition called for "all political prisoners who have been locked up unjustly to be immediately released." Sall plunged traditionally stable Senegal deep into crisis by postponing at the last minute the February 25 election for his successor. In power since 2012 but not running for a third term, Sall said he called off the vote over disputes about the disqualification of potential candidates and concern about a return to unrest seen in 2021 and 2023. The Constitutional Council intervened on Thursday and Sall, under strong international and domestic pressure, back-pedaled agreed to its demand to organize the election as soon as possible, but no date was set. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/supporters-of-senegal-presidential-candidate-demand-his-release-from-jail/7492669.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/supporters-of-senegal-presidential-candidate-demand-his-release-from-jail/7492669.html Sun, 18 Feb 2024 23:00:31 +0200 News Rutendo Mawere The United States says it has stopped participating in a critical program for restructuring Zimbabwe’s US$17.7 billion debt due to lack of progress on democratic reforms, alleged voter fraud and political violence targeted at opposition parties.   But the ruling Zanu PF has dismissed America's move, saying it should stop meddling in the affairs of the southern African nation.   In an exclusive interview with VOA Zimbabwe Service, Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Ms. Elaine French, said America paused its participation in the Zimbabwe Structured Dialogue Platform on Debt Clearance with creditors and development partners following President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government's failure to conduct free, fair and credible elections last year and the brutalization of opponents.  “In the dialogue the government of Zimbabwe committed to taking on reforms, but we haven’t seen the statements translating to actions especially when it comes to elections. We did not see those reforms before, during and after elections. Because of the poor conduct around 2023 elections the United States Mission Embassy had decided to press pause on our involvement in the AFDB dialogue.”  USA, the African Development Bank, representatives of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano,  Zimbabwean government and several others are part of the debt clearance program, which has so far seen the convening of four meetings in Harare in an attempt to clear an external debt of US$12.7 billion and internal debt amounting to US$5 billion.   Ms. French also said relations between Zimbabwe and USA remain strained due to lack of democratic reforms.    “Since the August 2023 elections and even before that, I would characterize the relationship as strained between Government of Zimbabwe and the U.S. partly due to lack of progress on democratic reforms on behalf of the government of Zimbabwe exemplified in the August 2023 elections.”  America imposed targeted sanctions on ruling party elite in 2003, citing human rights violations and electoral fraud. As of February 2020, there were 86 individuals and 56 companies on the sanctions list, including Sakunda Holdings, a business entity owned by Kudakwashe Tagwirei, a close associate of President Mnangagwa and his inner circle.   Tagwirei is accused of allegedly siphoning state funds through shady deals but he denies these accusations. French says lack of visible reforms demanded by the West over the years led to Zimbabwe's disputed elections last year. She says her nation is not happy over the outcome of the polls and the current political violence gripping Zimbabwe that has resulted in the death of an opposition activist.   “We are deeply disturbed by some of the events that have happened since elections in particular some of the violent acts against opposition members and their supporters some of which have been injured and others killed. Our message is very clear to the government of Zimbabwe. We urge them to take meaningful steps towards open accountable and democratic governance reforms.”  But the Zimbabwean government has dismissed French's remarks saying USA should stop meddling in the affairs of the African nation.   Zimbabwe's international communications director, Richard Mahomva, says his country conducted free, fair and credible elections last year contrary to America's belief that the polls were fraudulent.   “The Americans has never at any point endorsed any election outcome as long as it is in favour of the Zanu PF government that has perennially drawn its mandate from the people. Zimbabwe has made it clear that it is willing to interact with any state, it is willing to play an inclusive role with other multilateral institutions so Zimbabwe will still maintain that position.”  Mnangagwa got almost 53% of the presidential vote while former opposition Citizens Coaliition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa garnered about 44%. The opposition rejected the outcome of the election saying Zanu PF “stole” the vote. However, Zanu PF's director of information Farai Marapira says the U.S. is annoyed that the ruling party won the elections.  “Our doors remain open, the President has been very clear, we are friends to all and an enemy to none. We remain friends with Americans; we are not their enemies. We simply await them should they choose to reconsider and re-engage and come back to the table as equals, the door as President E.D Mnangagwa has always said its open.”  Director for Youth Platform Claris Madhuku, a non-governmental advocacy organization, says Zimbabwe should implement democratic reforms in order to improve relations with the West.  “Zimbabwe has shown willingness to mend relations with other nations in terms of its policy to say Zimbabwe is open for business, Zimbabwe is a friend of all and an enemy to none. When you get this feedback from America, it is something Zimbabwe must take seriously. It shows Zimbabwe needs to work on its own institutions and work on itself to ensure its people has processes they are participating freely and people feel they are part of Zimbabwe.”  The Zimbabwe sanctions program implemented by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) began on March 7, 2003, when then President George Bush issued an Executive Order imposing restrictive measures against specifically identified individuals and entities in the country. Former presidents Barrack Obama and Donald Trump also maintained the sanctions regime during their term of office.   https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/united-states-suspends-role-in-zimbabwe-s-debt-restructuring-program-citing-electoral-fraud/7463023.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/united-states-suspends-role-in-zimbabwe-s-debt-restructuring-program-citing-electoral-fraud/7463023.html Tue, 30 Jan 2024 16:03:02 +0200 NewsZimbabwe LONDON — Russia’s heavy losses in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine mean that Moscow now sees its battlefield nuclear weapons as increasingly important in deterring and defeating NATO, according to a new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which warns that the West must wake up to the rising nuclear threat. On February 24, 2022, as the first tanks rolled over the Ukrainian border at the outset of the invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a televised address warning the world of “consequences you have never faced in your history” if anyone tried to stop Russia, a threat widely seen as nuclear saber-rattling by the Kremlin. The IISS report says fear of escalation with Russia has caused the West to hesitate in supplying arms to Kyiv. But nearly two years on, a declassified U.S. intelligence report last month estimated Russia has lost around 315,000 troops in Ukraine since the outset of the invasion, nearly 90% of its pre-war army – much of it at the hands of weapons donated by the West. “Russia has less confidence now in their conventional capabilities because of everything they’ve lost in the Ukraine war,” said William Alberque, the report author and Director of Strategy, Technology and Arms Control at IISS. That means Moscow’s shorter-range atomic weapons, known Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons or NSNW – designed for use on the battlefield – are becoming increasingly important to the Kremlin, according to Alberque. “Russia has basically short range and medium range, air-launched, ground-launched and sea-launched missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads throughout the theater and able to hold all of NATO at risk. NATO itself lacks sort of a countervailing capability to match the Russian capability.” Deterrence efforts Russia has already placed non-strategic nuclear weapons in the territory of its ally Belarus, which neighbors several NATO states. Last week, Belarus announced it had adopted a new military doctrine. “The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarus territory is an important component of the preventive deterrence of potential adversaries from unleashing armed aggression against Belarus. This is our forced measure,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said on January 20. The IISS report also highlights a paper published in June by the high-profile Russian political and military analyst Sergei Karaganov, head of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy in Moscow, in which he endorsed a tactical nuclear strike on a European state supportive of Ukraine, in order to restore deterrence against NATO. In the paper, titled “A Difficult but Necessary Decision,” Karaganov wrote “It is necessary to arouse the instinct of self-preservation that the West has lost and convince it that its attempts to wear Russia out by arming Ukrainians are counterproductive for the West itself. We will have to make nuclear deterrence a convincing argument again by lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons.” “Morally, this is a terrible choice as we will use God’s weapon, thus dooming ourselves to grave spiritual losses. But if we do not do this, not only Russia can die, but most likely the entire human civilization will cease to exist. By breaking the West’s will to continue the aggression, we will not only save ourselves and finally free the world from the five-century-long Western yoke, but we will also save humanity,” Karaganov wrote. Alberque notes that several other well-known political scientists in Russia have engaged in this nuclear debate following the publication of Karaganov’s paper. Karaganov even has presidential approval. In October last year, at an annual political conference at Valdai, a lakeside town between Moscow and St Petersburg, Putin himself picked out Karaganov among the audience. “Putin said (to Karaganov), ‘Yes, I read all of your papers. And I don't think we need to strike NATO, but I do think I need additional options in terms of escalation with the U.S. and NATO in order to maintain deterrence,’” Alberque said, adding that those options increasingly involve non-strategic nuclear weapons. “They're constantly thinking about what sort of dosage of nuclear weapons would they need to make us acquiesce, to make us basically sue for peace, without escalating the conflict beyond their control, where we start actually hitting targets deep inside Russia? So, basically, how do they prevent us from striking Moscow? How do they keep the conflict at the theater level?” “I think that they believe that smaller uses of nuclear weapons could be contained and could be advantageous for Russia. So, this is what we would consider nuclear warfighting to win the battle, to knock out the U.S., to prevent the U.S. from joining in the war by, for instance, preventing us from being able to reinforce from the continental United States,” Alberque told VOA. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the use of any nuclear weapon by Russia in Ukraine would “fundamentally change the nature of the conflict” and would have “consequences.” Russia believes NATO does not have the resolve to respond with its own nuclear weapons, according to the IISS report, which says it is vital for the West to re-calibrate its own deterrence. “Do we have to introduce the same (NSNW) systems? Or do we take the Russian options off the table through better-integrated air and missile defenses? These are the things that we have to figure out. This is a new dilemma - or a dilemma, I should say, that we've ignored for such a long time,” Alberque said. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/russia-eyes-nuclear-deterrent-after-military-losses-in-ukraine-report-warns/7455405.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/russia-eyes-nuclear-deterrent-after-military-losses-in-ukraine-report-warns/7455405.html Wed, 24 Jan 2024 18:58:30 +0200 News LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization downgraded its assessment of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, saying it no longer qualifies as a global emergency. The action reverses a declaration that was first made on January 30, 2020, when the disease had not even been named COVID-19 and when there were no major outbreaks beyond China. A look at what WHO's decision means: WHY END THE GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY? WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the pandemic has been “on a downward trend for more than a year, with population immunity increasing from vaccination and infection." That, he said, has allowed most countries “to return to life as we knew it before COVID-19,” meaning that the worst part of the pandemic is over. Tedros said that for the past year, WHO and its emergency committee experts have been analyzing COVID-19 data to decide when the time would be right to lower its level of alarm. On Thursday, the experts recommended to Tedros that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency and the WHO chief said he accepted that advice. WHAT ARE THE PRACTICAL EFFECTS? For the average person, nothing. The classification of a health threat as a global emergency is meant to warn political authorities that there is an “extraordinary” event that could constitute a health threat to other countries and requires a coordinated response to contain it. WHO's emergency declarations are typically used as an international SOS for countries who need help. They can also spur countries to introduce special measures to combat disease or release extra funds. Many countries, including Britain, France, Germany and the U.S., have long dropped many of their pandemic-era restrictions. The U.S. is ending its public health emergency next Thursday, which Dr. Rochelle Walensky cited Friday in announcing her decision to leave as head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention next month. IS COVID-19 STILL A PANDEMIC? Yes. Although WHO chief Tedros said the coronavirus emergency was over, he warned that the virus is here to stay and that thousands of people continue to die every week. “The risk remains of new variants emerging that cause new surges in cases and deaths,” Tedros said. “What this news means is that it's time for countries to transition from emergency mode to managing COVID-19 alongside other infectious diseases." In April, there were nearly 3 million cases and more than 17,000 deaths reported, including spikes in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, the United Nations agency noted. SO WHEN WILL THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC END? It's unclear. WHO emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan said the coronavirus is still a public health threat and that its continued evolution could yet cause future problems. “It took decades...for the pandemic virus of 1918 to disappear,” he said, referring to the Spanish flu that is thought to have killed at least 40 million people. “Pandemics only truly end when the next pandemic begins,” he said. Ryan said that while COVID-19 will continue to spread among people for a very long time, it is doing so at a much lower level of threat that does not require the extraordinary measures taken to try to curb the virus' spread. WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY? WHO has previously declared global emergencies for outbreaks of swine flu, Zika, Ebola, polio and mpox, formerly called monkeypox. Polio was declared nearly nine years ago. Its emergency status has persisted even as officials work to wipe out the disease from a shrinking number of countries. Last July, WHO chief Tedros declared the explosive spread of mpox to dozens of countries to be a global emergency, overruling the emergency committee he had convened to assess the situation. The disease peaked in Europe and North America shortly after, but technically remains a global emergency. DO WE STILL NEED TO TAKE COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS? Yes. Health officials say the virus isn't going anywhere and advise people to get vaccinated, including getting booster doses if they qualify. Although many of the measures seen at the height of the pandemic — including masks and social distancing — aren't required except in certain settings, like hospitals or nursing homes, officials say people with other health conditions or compromised immune systems may still want to continue with some of those precautions. Unlike in the early years of COVID-19, high immunization levels, both from vaccination and previous infection, have helped dramatically reduce disease spread. Simon Clarke, an associate professor of microbiology at Britain's University of Reading, warned against people dropping all COVID-19 protections. “The message to the public should still be to take care and think of others. If you’re ill with a respiratory infection, like a bad cough, don’t put others at risk, especially not those who are vulnerable,” he said. “If you pass on a COVID infection, no one will thank you. If you're fit and young, COVID can still be nasty and if you're old and frail, it can kill you.” ____ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/7082195.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/7082195.html Sun, 07 May 2023 03:34:19 +0200 News The Ministry of Finance has authorized the suspension of duty on commodities including cooking oil, maize  meal, toothpaste, bath soap, rice and others in an attempt to ensure that people with access to “free money” can purchase them from different nations. In a letter written to a Ms. R. Chinamasa, Acting Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Finance Secretary George Guvamatanga said the measures are in line with an announcement made recently by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, who said the move is designed to ensure that Zimbabweans have access to affordable basic commodities. Guvamatanga said other goods that can be imported duty free are flour, margarine, salt, sugar, milk powder, infants milk formula, tea, petroleum jelly, laundry bar and washing powder. He said ZIMRA is requested to “urgently draft the necessary legal instrument and implement the duty suspension beginning midnight, that is 17 May 2022, which should coincide with the gazetting of the relevant legislation. “Furthermore, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is expected to compliment the measure through inclusion of the above goods on the Open General Import Licence.” Zimbabwe lowered import tariffs in an effort to allow people to buy basic commodities in neighboring nations amid an economic downturn fueled by the devaluation of the local currency. Ncube said this is designed to improve people’s access to affordable basic commodities. “To further ensure that citizens have access to affordable basic commodities, in the face of recent substantial price increases in shops, the government hereby opens up imports of basic commodities by citizens, through the lowering of import tariffs and other accompanying measures. This is with immediate effect. Those with free funds are, with immediate effect, permitted to make use of these funds and other resources to import basic commodities.” Ncube said the government has also introduced incentives for maize deliveries to the state-owned Grain Marketing Board (GMB) “In the quest to incentivize farmers and encourage early deliveries of maize and other grains to the Grain Marketing Board, government has taken the decision to pay the maize farmers 30% of the amount due on grain delivered in United States Dollars and 70% in domestic Zimbabwe dollars. The US Dollar payment will be calculated by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on the date of delivery. The payments will be backdated to the date of the first deliveries of this season’s maize to GMB.” He said government has been seized with various initiatives aimed at stabilizing the economic, contain inflationary pressures, and “therefore to restore the purchasing power of the local currency, with the primary goal being to increase the domestic and external competitiveness of the economy, create and preserve jobs, improve livelihoods whilst limiting damage to the economy particularly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently, the impact of the geo-political tensions in eastern Europe.” The government recently banned banks from giving people and companies loans in an attempt to contain the rapid devaluation of the Zimbabwe dollar.      https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6576011.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6576011.html Tue, 17 May 2022 01:27:50 +0200 NewsAfricaZimbabwe Ukraine said Monday its forces had pushed back Russian troops in the Kharkiv region in a counter-offensive that allowed the Ukrainians to reach the Russian border. The Ukrainian defense ministry posted a video showing what it said were its troops at the border, with one soldier telling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “We are here.” A senior U.S. Defense official said the Ukrainian troops were within three or four kilometers of the Russian border. After repelling Russian advances on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Ukrainian forces have regained territory in the region and sought to push Russia from its staging area in Izyum as it focuses on the eastern Donbas region. “Kremlin dreamed of capturing Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, then at least the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” Zelenskyy adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted Monday. “Now, Russian troops are concentrated on the Luhansk region due to lack of forces. We continue the treatment of imperial megalomania and make Moscow face reality.” Zelenskyy said in a video address late Sunday that Ukraine was preparing for new Russian attacks in the Donbas and southern Ukraine. “The occupiers still do not want to admit that they are in a dead-end and their so-called ‘special operation’ has already gone bankrupt,” Zelenskyy said. In Washington, the senior U.S. defense official reported heavy artillery fighting Monday in Donetsk, but said Russian gains were "uneven, slow, incremental, short and small." "We do know that the Russians continue to take casualties,” the official said. “They continue to lose equipment and systems every day." Western countries allied with Ukraine are continuing to send more weaponry to Kyiv’s forces, with10 deliveries via airlift from seven nations in past 24 hours, the U.S. defense official told reporters during a background call Monday. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West Monday that Moscow would respond if NATO bolsters its military presence in Finland and Sweden after the two Nordic countries declared Sunday they want to join the U.S.-dominated Western military alliance. Putin told leaders of a Russian-dominated military alliance of former Soviet states that the expansion of the 30-nation NATO was being used by the United States in an "aggressive" way to aggravate world stability. The Russian leader said there was no direct threat from NATO by adding the two countries to its alliance but said, "The expansion of military infrastructure into this territory would certainly provoke our response.” "What that (response) will be - we will see what threats are created for us," Putin said at the Grand Kremlin Palace. "Problems are being created for no reason at all. We shall react accordingly." Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced the NATO membership bid Sunday at the presidential palace in Helsinki. “This is a historic day,” Niinisto said. “A new era begins.” Hours later, Sweden also said it would seek NATO membership, ending two centuries of military non-alignment. On Sunday, Sweden’s governing party dropped its opposition to joining the military alliance. On Monday, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told lawmakers in parliament that joining NATO was "a historic change in our country's security policy." "We will inform NATO that we want to become a member of the alliance," she said. "Sweden needs formal security guarantees that come with membership in NATO." The two Nordic countries’ NATO applications will likely move swiftly, with the alliance’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, saying in recent days that they will be welcomed. “Finland and Sweden are already the closest partners of NATO,” NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana said Sunday in Berlin, where members were meeting to discuss their continued support of Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and the expansion of the Atlantic alliance. Russia cut off electricity to Finland in apparent retaliation for its bid to join NATO. Finland gets 10% of its energy from Russia and the void is now being filled by Sweden. Turkey initially expressed concerns about Finland and Sweden joining the security alliance, but Saturday said it isn’t closing the door on the possibility. Any NATO enlargement requires the unanimous consent of the existing members. “I’m not that worried,” Niinisto said of Turkey’s stance. NATO and the United States said Sunday they both were confident that Turkey would not stand in the way of Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Turkish officials Sunday told foreign ministers in Berlin they want the Nordic countries to halt support for Kurdish militant groups present in their territory, and lift bans on some sales of arms to Turkey. The top diplomats from the U.S. and Ukraine met Sunday in Berlin to talk about Russia’s invasion and the impact it has had not only on Ukraine, but the rest of the world. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba of the support that Ukraine has from its allies and discussed this week’s Group of Seven industrialized nations and NATO foreign ministerial meetings. Cindy Saine contributed to this report. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6575857.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6575857.html Mon, 16 May 2022 22:27:11 +0200 NewsZimbabwe The Zanu PF Youth League has endorsed President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the sole candidate for the ruling party in the 2023 presidential election amid moves to resuscitate the feared national youth service program ahead of the crucial harmonized polls. In a tweet, the Youth League, which ended its two-day elective conference today, said they were confident in the current party executive, comprising Mnangagwa and vice presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi. The Zanu PF Youth League also resolved that they will undergo ideological training in order to follow the ruling party’s principles. The tweet read in part, “Youth (are expected) to play their vanguard role and go for training at the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology.” A similar national service program was discontinued when some of the young people, who undertook quasi-military training, were linked to serious cases of political violence in previous elections. Addressing the youth today in Harare, Mnangagwa encouraged them to enroll at the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology. He said, “The new leadership has the responsibility to mobilise and encourage people to vote for ZANU PF … Take advantage of the Chitepo School of Ideology. During the liberation struggle I was among the first youth. When we went to China, the Chinese Communist Party had a program in three parts. The first three months at the ideology school we learnt about Mao Tse Tung. The second six months we spent at the military academy and another two months in engineering. You can't be trained without an ideology or lead in ZANU PF unless you go through Chitepo College.” He said youth are expected to play a critical role in the forthcoming general elections. “I was encouraged by your zeal during this conference. As leadership we are impressed … Let's take all local authorities and run them. During our time what we wanted was to win. Toda kuvasvasvanga (defeat them thoroughly) at all levels for a thunderous victory for ZANU PF. Never leave anything to chance. You need to serve wholeheartedly and use realistic scientific strategies using musangano kumacell (engaging people are cell level). We have already begun now so that we will win the 2023 elections. It's all systems go in our party’s mobilization drive. “Now that you have elected a new leadership the youth league has been energised renewed and galvanized towards the growth of the Party towards the 2023 elections. A program will be arranged for you to study the ideology of the party at Chitepo School of Ideology. Be humble and accept to be teachable. I urge you to refuse to be owned by individuals. Don't belong to clicks for political expedience. Musabvuma kuiswa muhomwe yemunhu (don’t allow yourself to be placed in some people’s pockets). Always remain patriotic, loyal and disciplined as ZANU PF members. The party is bigger than all of us. Always adhere to the party constitution.” The Youth League also praised the government for crafting the Patriotic Bill, which will make it a crime for Zimbabweans to engage foreigners in other nations without state consent. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6560792.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6560792.html Fri, 06 May 2022 17:55:36 +0200 ZimbabweNewsAfrica voadigital@voanews.com (Gibbs Dube) JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Flooding in South Africa's Durban area has taken at least 259 lives and is a “catastrophe of enormous proportions,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said Wednesday. “This disaster is part of climate change. It is telling us that climate change is serious, it is here," said Ramaphosa, visiting flooded areas of Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area. "We no longer can postpone what we need to do, and the measures we need to take to deal with climate change,” he said. The death toll is expected to continue rising as search and rescue operations continue in KwaZulu-Natal province, officials said. The province is about to be declared a disaster area by the national government, said Ramaphosa. “KwaZulu-Natal is going to be declared a provincial area of disaster, so that we are able to do things quickly. The bridges have collapsed, the roads have collapsed, people have died and people are injured,” said Ramaphosa. He said one family had lost 10 members in the devastating floods. Residents have had to flee their homes as they were swept away, buildings collapsed and road infrastructure severely damaged. Durban port was flooded and shipping containers were swept away into a jumbled heap. Authorities were also seeking to restore electricity to large parts of the province after heavy flooding at various power stations. Rescue efforts by the South African National Defense Force were delayed as the military’s air wing was also affected by the floods, Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya said. The military was able to deploy personnel and helicopters around the province on Wednesday, he said. The South Africa Weather Services has warned of continued winds and rains and the risk of continued flooding in Kwazulu-Natal and other provinces over the upcoming Easter weekend. South Africa's Eastern Cape, Free State and North West provinces could be affected, it said. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6528840.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6528840.html Thu, 14 Apr 2022 02:29:54 +0200 NewsAfricaZimbabwe The U.S. said Wednesday it is sending an additional $800 million in weapons, ammunition and other security assistance to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia’s onslaught in the eastern region of the country. U.S. President Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the new shipment in an hourlong phone conversation and later said in a statement, "The Ukrainian military has used the weapons we are providing to devastating effect." "As Russia prepares to intensify its attack in the Donbas region," Biden said, “the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities to defend itself." Biden’s agreement to send more weaponry to Ukraine, along with additional helicopters, came after Zelenskyy said in a video plea for more arms that “freedom must be armed better than tyranny. Without additional weapons, this will turn into an endless bloodbath that will spread misery, suffering and destruction.” Biden said the steady Western supply of arms to Ukraine "has been critical in sustaining its fight against the Russian invasion. It has helped ensure that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin failed in his initial war aims to conquer and control Ukraine. We cannot rest now." Biden’s announcement came on the same day the presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – all NATO countries bordering Russia – visited Kyiv to show support for Ukraine and one day after Putin vowed to continue Moscow’s offensive against Ukraine until its "full completion." The leaders of the four NATO countries, all worried that Russia could attack them if Ukraine were to fall to Moscow, traveled by train to the Ukrainian capital to meet with Zelenskyy. While failing to capture Kyiv and much of Ukraine, Russian forces have bombarded numerous cities, killed thousands of Ukrainian civilians and destroyed housing and hospitals before Moscow pulled back its forces from western Ukraine. A U.S. Defense Department official said Russia is regrouping its forces, including helicopters and artillery systems, in Belarus for a "renewed push" targeting eastern Ukraine. United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths recently went to Moscow and Kyiv to seek a ceasefire. But U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters Wednesday that does not look possible right now. However, Guterres said there are "a number of proposals that were made and we are waiting for an answer from the Russian Federation in relation to those proposals –including different mechanisms for local ceasefires, for corridors, for humanitarian assistance, evacuations, and different other aspects that can minimize the dramatic impact on civilians that we are witnessing." Guterres said the U.N. also proposed the creation of a mechanism involving Russia, Ukraine, the U.N., and potentially other humanitarian entities, to help guarantee the evacuation of civilians from areas where the fighting is going on and to guarantee humanitarian access. While recently acknowledging it has sustained a significant loss of troops, Moscow claimed Wednesday that more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops had surrendered in the besieged port of Mariupol. The information could not be verified. Biden for the first time on Tuesday called Russia’s attack on Ukraine "a genocide" and contended that "Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian." Biden Decries Russia's War in Ukraine as 'Genocide' Zelenskyy commended Biden's use of the word, saying "calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil." But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rebuffed Biden’s description, saying, "We consider this kind of effort to distort the situation unacceptable. This is hardly acceptable from a president of the United States, a country that has committed well-known crimes in recent times." Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said the European leaders visiting Ukraine planned to deliver "a strong message of political support and military assistance.” Nauseda, Estonian President Alar Karis, Poland's Andrzej Duda and Egils Levits of Latvia also planned to discuss ongoing investigations into alleged Russian war crimes, including the massacre of civilians. Putin has denied Russia has committed atrocities against Ukraine and said it “had no other choice” but to invade Ukraine to protect Russian-speaking people in eastern Ukraine and to "ensure Russia’s own security." He vowed Russia would "continue (its offensive) until its full completion and the fulfillment of the tasks that have been set," although he did not elaborate on his end goals. One key goal for Russia in eastern Ukraine is to take over Mariupol, a Sea of Azov port where Ukraine says thousands of residents have been killed during weeks of Russian attacks. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said 1,026 troops from the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade had surrendered at a metals factory in the city. But it was unclear when it purportedly occurred or how many forces were still defending Mariupol. Ukraine said it is investigating a claim that a drone dropped a poisonous substance on the city, although there were no serious injuries reported. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said it was possible phosphorus munitions that had been used in Mariupol. Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. Some information also came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6528441.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6528441.html Thu, 14 Apr 2022 01:23:17 +0200 NewsAfricaUSAWorldZimbabwe The United Nations says it is deeply concerned about ongoing incidents of violence, intimidation and harassment of foreign nationals in South Africa, including the brutal killing last Wednesday of Zimbabwean immigrant, Elvis Nyathi, in Johannesburg’s Diepsloot township. In a statement, the acting resident coordinator of the U.N. in South Africa, Dr. Ayodele Odusola, said, “It is deeply worrisome and unfortunate that this is happening in a country with one of the most inclusive Constitutions globally. “Over the recent past we have noted with deep concern as movements such as Operation Dudula are illegally forcing people suspected to be undocumented foreign nationals to show their papers. Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Nyathi and with all of those families affected by similar violence in the recent months.” The United Nations said it is important to note that the government of South Africa has ratified several international human rights and refugee instruments that are also an integral part of national law. Odusola said, this requires that the human rights of all persons residing in South Africa, regardless of their nationality or immigration status, must be respected. He said this includes individuals who may be refugees, asylum seekers or stateless persons. He expressed deep concerns about violence in all its forms, noting that the U.N. stands by the recent statements by government representatives opposing actions by the violent protesters and urging people not to take the law into their hands. One example of this, said Odusola, includes President Cyril Ramaphosa, stating that “As a country founded on tolerance, respect for diversity and non-discrimination, we must never allow ourselves to turn against people who come from beyond our borders … Acts of lawlessness directed at foreign nationals, whether documented or undocumented, could not be tolerated”. Nyathi was set on fire in Diepsloot by a vigilante group in Diesploot, which claimed that it was looking for criminals. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6527477.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6527477.html Wed, 13 Apr 2022 12:28:22 +0200 NewsAfricaUSAWorldZimbabwe voadigital@voanews.com (Gibbs Dube) Russia faced mounting international condemnation amid reports of possible war crimes committed by Russian forces in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha and other parts of Ukraine. In a post on Twitter on April 3, European Council President Charles Michel said Moscow will face "further EU sanctions." Michel said he was “shocked by haunting images of atrocities committed by Russian army in Kyiv liberated region.” U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement that her government has seen “increasing evidence of appalling acts by the invading forces in towns such as Irpin and Bucha.” Bucha Mayor Anatoly Fedoruk said on April 2 that some 300 local civilians had been shot during the time the town was occupied by Russian forces. About 280 were allegedly dumped in a mass grave, while the rest were left in the streets. Moving and graphic images of the bodies have been distributed on social media. “These are the consequences of Russian occupation,” Fedoruk was quoted as saying. Russia has not responded to the reports. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told Germany’s Bild newspaper that “what happened in Bucha and other suburbs of Kyiv can only be described as genocide.” He said Russian President Vladimir Putin bore responsibility. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba said the “Bucha massacre was deliberate.” “I demand new, devastating G7 sanctions NOW,” Kuleba wrote in an April 3 post on Twitter, referring to the Group of Seven leading economies. The accusations of alleged atrocities have emerged as Russian forces pull back from positions around Kyiv and the northern cities of Chernihiv and Kharkiv. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on April 3 that it had “documented several cases of Russian military forces committing laws-of-war violations against civilians in occupied areas of Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions of Ukraine.” The NGO said that, on March 4, Russian forces in Bucha shot at least one man in the back of the head. Truss said on April 2 that she was “appalled by atrocities in Bucha and other towns in Ukraine” and promised that perpetrators would be prosecuted. In his post on Twitter, Michel said the European Union was assisting Ukraine “in gathering of necessary evidence for pursuit in international courts.” The International Criminal Court had earlier opened an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. The Human Rights Watch report included several allegations of rapes, two cases of summary executions involving seven victims, and other instances of threats and violence against civilians. “The cases we documented amount to unspeakable, deliberate cruelty and violence against Ukrainian civilians,” Hugh Williamson, HRW’s Europe and Central Asia director, was quoted as saying. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6513541.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6513541.html Mon, 04 Apr 2022 00:38:38 +0200 NewsAfricaUSAWorldZimbabwe Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia are the first African countries to receive technology needed to produce mRNA vaccines from the World Health Organization. Two of the vaccines used in the fight against COVID-19 are mRNA vaccines. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the award Friday in Brussels at the European Union-African Union summit. “No other event like the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that reliance on a few companies to supply global public goods is limiting, and dangerous,” Tedros said. “In the mid- to long-term, the best way to address health emergencies and reach universal health coverage is to significantly increase the capacity of all regions to manufacture the health products they need, with equitable access as their primary endpoint.” More than 80% of the population of the African continent has yet to receive a single dose of the COVID vaccine. “Much of this inequity has been driven by the fact that globally, vaccine production is concentrated in a few mostly high-income countries,” said Tedros. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports that it has received a document that says the Biden administration will “surge” more than $250 million to 11 African countries for coronavirus vaccine campaigns. The countries slated to receive the “intensive support” are: Angola, Ivory Coast, Eswatini – formerly known as Swaziland, Ghana, Lesotho, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported early Friday that it has recorded more than 420 million global COVID cases and nearly 6 million deaths. The center said 10.3 billion vaccines have been administered. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6449700.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6449700.html Sat, 19 Feb 2022 00:30:56 +0200 NewsAfricaHealthWorldZimbabwe “You must not underestimate the tension that surrounds the situation that we are living through, its unprecedented nature,” Macron said in Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.“I do not believe this crisis can be solved thanks to a few hours of discussions.” https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/macron-russia-crisis-months-to-resolve/6433201.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/macron-russia-crisis-months-to-resolve/6433201.html Fri, 18 Feb 2022 18:01:58 +0200 NewsAfricaZimbabwe Eritrea's Shannon Ogbnai-Abeda placed 39th in the men’s giant slalom, the only African who managed to complete his run in the event. A double blast of heavy snow and temperatures dropping to minus 22 degrees Celsius made the downhill race treacherous on Sunday, and only 46 of 87 skiers were able to finish the course. Abeda clocked runs of one minute, 17.95 seconds and one minute, 22.50 seconds, totaling 2 minutes, 40.45 seconds. Skiers from Ghana, Morocco and Madagascar were among those who did not complete the race. The only African female skier in the women's giant slalom, Madagascar's Mialitiana Clerc, placed 41st out of the 49 skiers who finished the race. In the men’s cross-country sprint, Nigeria’s Samuel Ikpefan came in 73rd out of 88 contestants. Meanwhile, Jamaica made history at the Olympics fielding by its first Alpine skier. Benjamin Alexander, a former DJ who took to the sport at age 32 six years ago, came in last out of the 46 skiers that completed the men's giant slalom. The 38-year-old said he was hopeful that his participation in the Olympics would be an inspiration to others. In December last year, Alexander told Time.com that ''my gold medal is walking in the opening ceremonies.” https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6442593.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6442593.html Tue, 15 Feb 2022 18:01:00 +0200 NewsAfricaUSASportsWorldZimbabwe “A 20 percent increase in the Zimbabwe Dollar salary component backdated to 1 January 2022 will be implemented across the board; US$100 per month in hard currency will be paid to every civil servant with effect from the 1st of March 2022 ...” https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/zimbabwe-pay-increase-civil-servants/6433177.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/zimbabwe-pay-increase-civil-servants/6433177.html Wed, 09 Feb 2022 00:42:57 +0200 NewsAfricaZimbabwe Retired Pope Benedict on Tuesday asked for forgiveness in what he called “errors” on how allegations of sexual abuse were handled while he was archbishop of Munich. While he admitted to errors, his lawyers have argued he bears no direct responsibility. He did not apologize. Then known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict, now 94, was archbishop from 1977 to 1982. He made the admission in a letter attached to a report released last month that looked into abuse in Munich from 1945 to 2019. The report, which was commissioned by the archdiocese, identified around 500 victims of abuse. It alleged Benedict, who retired unexpectedly in 2013, failed to take action in four cases. The letter is his first response to the report. "I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church. All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate," he wrote. He also expressed sympathy for the victims. "I have come to understand that we ourselves are drawn into this grievous fault whenever we neglect it or fail to confront it with the necessary decisiveness and responsibility, as too often happened and continues to happen. ...Once again, I can only express to all the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness." Benedict’s letter was accompanied by an analysis of the report by four lawyers he hired. “As an archbishop, Cardinal Ratzinger was not involved in any cover-up of acts of abuse,” they wrote, adding that the report did not prove any evidence Benedict knew about the four cases. Benedict’s letter drew the ire of abuse survivors who said the church was responsible for the “permanent relativizing on matters of abuse — wrongdoing and mistakes took place, but no one takes concrete responsibility.” The group added, “Joseph Ratzinger can’t bring himself simply to state that he is sorry not to have done more to protect the children entrusted to his church. That would be an honest sentence.” Some information in this report comes from Reuters and The Associated Press. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6433206.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6433206.html Tue, 08 Feb 2022 18:05:44 +0200 NewsAfricaWorldZimbabwe Calling it the “TOGETHER Trial,” researchers predominantly in Brazil and Canada refer to their method as “adaptive platform clinical trial,” which permits several potential treatments to be tested simultaneously, reducing costs and the number of people who need to be tested. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/covid-19-researchers-see-hope-in-existing-drugs/6433198.html https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/covid-19-researchers-see-hope-in-existing-drugs/6433198.html Tue, 08 Feb 2022 18:01:55 +0200 NewsUSAWorldZimbabwe