World Tour: Bangladesh slashes job quotas

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

AUDIO: [Street sound]

Bangladesh quota unrest — We begin today on the now calmer streets of Bangladesh after student-led protests against a government job quota system turned deadly last week.

The country’s top court on Sunday scaled back the quota system in response to the protests that began earlier this month. That’s after more than 100 people died during the demonstrations in the past week, according to local reports.

AUDIO: [Protesters chanting]

Demonstrators argued that the system that reserves 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans is discriminatory.

Shah Monjurul Hoque is the lawyer representing the students.

HOQUE: [Speaking Bengali]

He explains that the Supreme Court has now ordered the quota to be slashed to five percent. Ninety-three percent of government jobs will be earned on merit while the final two percent will be reserved for minorities.

AUDIO: [Chanting]

Venezuela election prep — Over in Venezuela, opposition leaders and their supporters chanted and prayed together ahead of elections on Sunday.

Millions of Venezuelans will choose between President Nicolás Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González.

González replaced opposition leader María Corina Machado after government officials barred her from contesting.

GONZALEZ: [Speaking Spanish]

González calls here for reconciliation among Venezuelans ahead of the vote.

In a separate rally, Maduro pledged to build a society of equals if he wins a third term.

GONZALEZ: [Speaking Spanish]

He says here that voters will decide whether they want a Venezuela of peace or war.

The National Electoral Council said it has distributed all voting equipment nationwide.

AUDIO: [Sound from meeting]

Libya-EU migration — Next to Libya, where African and European Union leaders are trying again to tackle illegal migration.

The participating countries will form a working group to identify and launch development projects in African countries that could stem migration.

Walid Ellafi is the Libyan state minister for communications.

ELLAFI: [Speaking Arabic]

He says European nations are now clearly seeking viable partnerships on the continent.

Libya is a major transit point for migrants leaving African countries for Europe across the dangerous Mediterranean Sea.

Libyan authorities have said that four out of every five foreigners in the country are undocumented.

AUDIO: [Cheering]

Eritrea sprinter — We wrap up with crowds cheering for Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay at the Tour de France.

Girmay won three categories of the road cycling contest and clinched the overall best Sprinter award.

He competed with the Belgian-based Intermarché–Wanty team, but is the first African rider to win those titles.

Girmay says his victory marks a much larger win.

GIRMAY: We must be proud because this time is our time. We need to enjoy, because it’s not only about me. It can describe Eritrea and all of Africans. So I'm proud.

Cycling is one of the most popular sports in Eritrea.

AUDIO: [Fans chanting]

The Tour de France wrapped up on Sunday.

That’s it for today’s WORLD Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

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