World Tour - A flash flood in India, and a rapping ambassador

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: World Tour with Africa correspondent, Onize Ohikere.

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Political turmoil in Haiti—We start today in the Caribbean.

AUDIO: [Man speaking French]

Opposition parties in Haiti named a top judge as the country’s interim leader late Sunday night. In a video statement, the judge said he accepted the choice of civil society, although no one else has recognized his authority.

AUDIO: [Man speaking French]

That announcement came hours after government officials said they had foiled an attempt to assassinate President Jovenel Moise. Police arrested 23 people allegedly involved in the plot.

The latest political turmoil in Haiti began in 2018, a year after Moise took office in 2017 following a disputed election. He won a majority of votes in 2016, but only 21 percent of voters participated. Opposition parties denounced the election as fraudulent.

Haiti’s constitution allows presidents to serve five-year terms. Moise’s critics say his term began in 2016 and should therefore end this year. He claims his term did not begin until he took office, in 2017. That would give him one more year as the country’s leader.

Protests in Myanmar grow—Next we go to Southeast Asia.

AUDIO: [Protesters chanting]

Protesters in Myanmar braved water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets to rally in support of their toppled government. Many held signs bearing the face of leader Aung San Suu Kyi and shouted, “No dictatorship!”

AUDIO: [Woman speaking Burmease]

This woman says the protesters want the military to solve the crisis peacefully and restore democracy. Military leaders deposed the elected government last week. They banned rallies and issued a nighttime curfew to prevent gatherings. But hundreds of thousands of angry protesters have taken to the streets anyway.

Glacier breaks in India—Next to India.

AUDIO: [Sound of beeping, heavy equipment]

More than 100 people are missing after a sudden flash flood in the country’s mountainous Himalayan region. A wall of water and debris roared down a tight valley Sunday, destroying bridges and roads before hitting two hydroelectric power plants.

At least 31 people are confirmed dead, but officials expect that total to rise. Search crews used heavy equipment to dig through rubble and mud, looking for survivors trapped in two tunnels. Most of those missing worked at the power plants.

AUDIO: [Man speaking Hindi]

This man said he had lost all hope of being rescued.

Officials aren’t sure what caused the sudden flood. Initial reports blamed a chunk of glacier ice that broke off and fell into the river. But later reports say the water might have come from a glacial lake that suddenly ruptured.

U.S. Ambassador turns rap star—And finally, we end today in Vietnam.

AUDIO: [MUSIC]

U.S. Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink has taken diplomacy to a new level with a rap written for the upcoming Lunar New Year, known in Vietnam as “Tet.”

RAP: Time for introductions are at hand. Hi, my name is Dan. I’m from Nebraska. I’m not a big city boy. Then three years ago, I moved to Hanoi. Check the calendar, Tet is coming soon.

That’s this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

(AP Photo) Demonstrators gather calling for the release of detained Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, Myanmar Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. 

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.