port louis, mauritius — Mauritius held a parliamentary election Sunday in which Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and his main rivals all promised to tackle a cost-of-living crisis in the Indian Ocean archipelago. Polls closed at 6 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) and results were expected Monday, according to the country's electoral body. The country of about 1.3 million people markets itself as a link between Africa and Asia, deriving most of its revenues from a flourishing offshore financial sector, tourism and textiles. Mauritius also receives aid from China. It has forecast 6.5% economic growth this year compared with 7.0% last year but many voters are not feeling the benefits. Jugnauth's Alliance Lepep coalition has promised to raise minimum wages, increase pensions and reduce value-added tax on some basic goods. It says it will use payments from the U.K. under an October agreement for Britain to cede the Chagos Islands while retaining the U.S.-U.K. Diego Garcia air base. "The alliance led by the prime minister is selling the economic prosperity card, with promises of more money to different segments of the population," said political analyst Subash Gobine. The opposition has also pledged to increase pensions as well as introduce free transport and internet services and reduce fuel prices. It is dominated by the Alliance du Changement coalition led by Navin Ramgoolam and two other parties running in the Linion Reform alliance, whose leaders, Nando Bodha and Roshi Bhadain, plan to alternate as prime minister if they win. Voters were picking lawmakers for the 62 seats in parliament for the next five years, from a list of 68 parties and five political alliances. Music instructor Ivan Mootooveeren, 41, who cast his ballot at a polling center in the capital, Port Louis, told Reuters he was voting for the opposition because the country needed a new direction. Another voter, David Stafford, 36, said young people would make the difference in the election. He did not say who he was voting for but added that people were looking for economic innovation and job opportunities as much as fiscal changes. Arvin Boolell, deputy leader of the Labour Party, a member of the opposition coalition, told Reuters voter turnout had likely exceeded 75%. The electoral body could not be immediately reached to give an official figure for turnout. Whichever party or coalition gets more than half the seats in parliament also wins the prime minister's post. Earlier this month, Jugnauth's government blocked social media platforms until a day after the election, citing national security concerns after conversations between public figures were leaked. It lifted the ban a day later after opposition parties criticized the move.

Abidjan, Ivory Coast — Burkina Faso's military regime wants to reinstate the death penalty after the West African country abolished it in 2018, a government source told AFP on Saturday.  The latest execution in Burkina Faso was in 1988, according to Amnesty International.  Reintroducing capital punishment to the penal code "is being considered. It's up to the government to discuss it, then make the proposal to the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT) for adoption," the source said, adding that the date had not been chosen.  Justice Minister Rodrigue Bayala said Friday — after parliament passed a bill introducing community service — that "the issue of death penalty, which is being discussed, will be implemented in the draft criminal code."  Bayala also said there could be further amendments to the criminal code, "to follow the vision and the guidelines given by the head of state, Captain Ibrahim Traore," who seized power in a September 2022 coup.  The Burkinabe government in July passed a bill that included plans to ban homosexuality.  Amnesty International has reported a surge in the use of the death penalty on the African continent, saying in a statement in October that "recorded executions more than tripled and recorded death sentences increased significantly by 66%."  On the other hand, the rights group noted that "24 countries across sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death penalty for all crimes while two additional countries have abolished it for ordinary crimes only."   "Kenya and Zimbabwe currently have bills tabled to abolish the death penalty for all crimes, while Gambia ... has commenced a constitutional amendment process that will ... effectively abolish the death penalty," it said. 

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA — Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley made history November 5 by becoming the first Kenyan-born immigrant elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives. She describes her victory as a testament to resilience, determination and the realization of the American dream. Standing in the State Capitol for the first time on the morning of her orientation, Hiltsley told VOA she was overwhelmed with emotions and eager to start her journey as an elected official. “I am super excited,” Hiltsley said. “Today is orientation day for new legislators, and to be standing in this Capitol as an African immigrant woman is a tremendous honor. I’m just overexcited right now.” She said this milestone did not come easily. Her path to the Minnesota State Capitol was marked by struggles, including a fight against an immigration system that nearly led to her family’s deportation. She credits much of her success to the community support and the intervention of the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone, whose advocacy she said ultimately secured her family’s green cards and, later, citizenship. “Getting to this moment honestly is just a testament to the struggles that my family has gone through to be in this country,” she said. There has been a media frenzy surrounding Hiltsley’s victory and it has captured the attention of Kenyan media, with celebrations taking place in her hometown, Nyamemiso village, which is eight hours from Nairobi, Kenya's capital. Despite the attention, Hiltsley said she remains humble.  “I’m that little girl from that little village somewhere in the middle of Kenya, and now I’m in the spotlight of this media frenzy. And so, I’m still trying to really appreciate the magnitude of the moment,” she said. Hiltsley said she has a desire to inspire others, particularly young girls in Kenya and the United States. "It is still surreal,” she said, adding that “if I can make it to this point, I can be a role model to somebody to remind them that it is possible that our wildest dreams are possible. And that would be something that I would look back and say, wow, I’ve made a difference in somebody’s life.” Her legislative priorities Looking ahead, Hiltsley said she is committed to championing issues that matter to her constituents in Minnesota’s Legislative District 38A. Her priorities include community-centered public safety policies, affordable housing options, workers’ rights and support for small businesses — many of which are run by African immigrants. “The resources are out here,” she said, promising to empower her community. “It is my job to go back to my community and tell them, hey, there are resources here. This is how this system works. Let’s work together to mobilize and make sure that we are also taking a piece of the pie,” she said. As the first Kenyan American woman in Minnesota's Legislature, Hiltsley said she recognizes the weight and responsibility of her position. She described it as “an honor that I don’t take lightly.” “I don’t want to be the last,” she, adding that she hopes "this moment right here is a testimony that you can come to this country, work hard, take care of business, know your craft, stick to it, be consistent and get to where you want to.” Her message to those who have yet to succeed in their political campaigns is clear: Perseverance is key. “Be consistent. Keep going. There’s enough space in this Legislature for more people of color, especially immigrants, because that’s the voice that is missing,” Hiltsley said. Changing political scene Hiltsley shared her thoughts on the changing political landscape in Washington, particularly with the coming administration under President-elect Donald Trump. While acknowledging the challenges, she said she will stay focused on serving her constituents in Minnesota, regardless of politics. “We are here to serve the people, and it doesn’t matter if you are Democrat or Republican,” she said. “We are here as legislators to serve the people of Minnesota.” Hiltsley also shared her heartfelt message to fellow Kenyans who have been celebrating her historic achievement. “This is a historical moment, and I’m honored to be a Kenyan American,” she said. “Let’s continue celebrating this victory, but after that, we have work to do.” She said her eyes are set on not just her role in Minnesota, but also finding ways to collaborate with Kenya’s leaders to address issues facing the country, including corruption and a lack of strong leadership. “Kenya has unlimited potential,” she said. “It’s up to our leaders to do right by the people.” Hiltsley will officially take her seat in the Minnesota State House of Representatives and be sworn in on January 7. Representatives are elected to serve two-year terms. This story originated in VOA’s Swahili Service. Salem Solomon contributed to the report from Washington.

STREETS across China were alive with energy yesterday, as thousands of runners jogged, smiled and celebrated in what’s been dubbed a “super marathon weekend.” Data show that about 30 marathons took place

IN a country with a rich tea-drinking tradition spanning thousands of years, China saw its first cohort of university students majoring in coffee science and engineering start the new semester this month. This

DESPITE the sweltering summer heat, tourists visiting Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, now has a new attraction to explore — the world’s largest indoor ice and snow theme park. The

CHINA’S first commercial spacecraft launch site is ready for operations in south China’s Hainan Province, having completed a rocket launch simulation rehearsal using its two launch pads. According to

THE International Horticultural Exhibition 2024 — which opened in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, last week — offers a comprehensive and on-site “101 handbook” for gardening devotees

A group of young foreign tourists went on a fantastic journey to Sanya, a popular coastal destination in south China’s Hainan Province. The exhilarated youngsters were fascinated by the picturesque scenery,

THAILAND extended a warm welcome to the first batch of visa-exempt flights from China yesterday, marking the launch of the nation’s fresh initiative to reinvigorate its Chinese tourist market. Approximately

HOST China snapped up more gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games yesterday. A shooting world record fell to Chinese teenager Sheng Lihao in the men’s 10-meter air rifle with his 253.3 points surpassing

CHINA’S top-two ranked male tennis players Zhang Zhizhen and Wu Yibing will partner each other for the first time. The duo is paired in the doubles competition at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. Shanghai

CHINA contributed nearly one-third of the academic papers published in the most influential international journals in 2022, marking the first time it surpassed the United States to secure the top position,

EXPRESSWAYS in China will likely see a record traffic volume during the upcoming holiday due to travel demand, an official said yesterday. According to Wang Xiuchun, from the Ministry of Transport, the

CHINESE President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou and hold a welcoming banquet and bilateral events for foreign leaders attending the opening ceremony,

TORCHBEARERS in the virtual and physical worlds will jointly light up the cauldron for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou tomorrow, organizers said yesterday. “A green, digital and intelligent Asian Games

THE China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone has almost witnessed the establishment of a new enterprise every hour over the past decade, statistics show. By the end of 2022, the Shanghai FTZ, which was

CHINA’S first domestically built luxury cruise ship, the “Adora Magic City,” will set sail from the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Liner Terminal on January 1, 2024. Passengers can make reservations

IF you want to have a taste of Jiangnan (regions to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) delicacies, you should visit Jinjiang Amusement Park in Minhang District. The park has been turned

Yu Huaying, a woman accused of trafficking 11 children for illicit gains, was sentenced to death by a court in southwest China’s Guizhou Province yesterday. It was discovered during the trial that from

Senior Chinese and US officials held multiple rounds of meetings in Malta on Saturday and Sunday, agreeing to maintain high-level exchanges and hold consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs, maritime affairs

WANG Yi, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, will hold the 18th round of China-Russia strategic security consultation in Russia this week, China’s Foreign Ministry said

CHINA yesterday urged the United States to stop attacking and slandering the country, following the release of a US presidential memorandum that identified China as one of the major drug transit or illicit

THIS year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, with both nations elevating their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. As the Guest Country of Honor at

JAPANESE rescuers battled the clock and powerful aftershocks yesterday to find survivors of a New Year’s Day earthquake that killed at least 48 people and caused widespread destruction. The 7.5-magnitude

South Korean opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck during a visit to the southern city of Busan yesterday and was airlifted to Seoul after receiving emergency treatment,

ONLINE platform X could introduce a monthly fee for all users, its owner Elon Musk said on Monday, citing the need to cut down on bots. The tech tycoon has made multiple changes since taking over the

TOUR products for Thailand with departure dates during the National Day holiday plus the Mid-Autumn festival have mostly sold out, major Chinese travel operators say, attributing the boom to a temporary

RESCUERS raced against time yesterday to find survivors in the rubble more than 48 hours after Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in over six decades, with nearly 2,500 killed in a disaster that devastated

THE Ministry of Commerce yesterday added two United States companies to the Unreliable Entity List over their involvement in arms sales to China’s Taiwan region. In a statement, the ministry said it

South Korean-born eSports player Lee “Scout” Ye-chan, who won his first League of Legends World Championship last year, fits right into Chinese eSports culture.

Ten years ago I was posted to South Korea to cover news.

Lee Seung-woong didn’t have an auspicious start when he first came to Shanghai from South Korea in 2005 and worked in an Italian restaurant.

An obscure three-story shikumen (stone-gate) building, tucked away in Shanghai’s busy Xintiandi commercial hub, has become a site of pilgrimage for tens of thousands of South Koreans every year.

Kim Seung-ho initiated the idea to host an exhibition featuring artworks by 30 Chinese and South Korean artists born in 1992, when China and the Republic of Korea established formal diplomatic relatio

The Yamal-Europe pipeline that usually delivers Russian gas to Western Europe was sending the fuel back to Poland for a ninth straight day yesterday, as per data from German network operator Gascade.

A HOTEL clerk gravely wounded in a Denver-area shooting spree died on Tuesday, bringing to five the number of people killed in Monday night’s rampage by a gunman, who was slain by police, authorities

Japan braced for a feared rebound in coronavirus cases as the highways and airports filled with travelers at the start of New Year’s holidays yesterday.

Greek divers have discovered the wreckage of an Italian submarine 80 years after it was sunk by the Allied Forces in the Aegean Sea during World War II.

A LAWYER for Britain’s Prince Andrew on Tuesday questioned whether Virginia Giuffre is legally entitled to pursue her civil lawsuit accusing the Duke of York of sexually abusing her when she was under

Russia has conducted a third launch of its new heavy-class Angara rocket, the first developed after the fall of the Soviet Union 30 years ago this month.

Body-camera video released on Monday showed the chaotic, violent moments leading to the fatal Los Angeles police shooting of an assault suspect in a clothing store, and of a 14-year-old girl caught in

Japan revised the schedule of its space exploration plans yesterday, aiming to put a Japanese person on the moon by the latter half of the 2020s.