World Tour: Election day in Zimbabwe

NICK EICHER, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: WORLD Tour with our reporter in Nigeria, Onize Ohikere.

SOUND: [Church singing]

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Zimbabwe elections — We begin today’s global news roundup in Zimbabwe where Christians have been praying ahead of today’s presidential vote.

Worshippers gathered inside the Mbare Gospel Fire Cathedral on Sunday, praying for peace.

MUORI: We are just praying for the peace in our nation. That’s our most important prayer, the bigger point of prayer, peace has to prevail in our nation.

Zimbabwe has a record of post-election violence. Opposition parties have also decried suppression ahead of today’s vote.

Voters at the polls today are choosing between 11 candidates. The top contenders are incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is seeking a second and final five-year term, and Nelson Chamisa.

The ruling Zanu-PF party has been in power since independence in 1980. Mnangagwa did not announce any political plans for a possible final term in office saying his work speaks for itself.

Meanwhile, Chamisa pledged to tackle corruption, restore hope, and provide free education.

SOUND: [Cheering crowds]

Zimbabwe is currently battling high unemployment, a devaluing currency, and hyperinflation. Nearly 70 percent of Zimbabweans are under 35 years old. Some of them hope for a new set of leaders.

AUDIO: I think we need young blood that is energetic, fresh minds because the current one is old fashioned, he is aging up so we need the one who can consider our feelings, that knows what’s on the ground.

Voters are also choosing members of parliament and local council representatives.

SOUND: [Christians singing]

Pakistan Christians — Over in Pakistan, some 200 Christians sat in chairs lined up in an alley on Sunday.

They gathered next to the Salvation Army Church, one of the dozens of church buildings destroyed by a Muslim mob last week in eastern Punjab province.

The mob targeted the churches and also destroyed more than 80 homes in the predominantly Christian area over rumors that someone had desecrated the Quran.

Samson Salamat is a human rights advocate.

SALAMAT: These buildings will be restored, the houses will be restored, but the trauma, especially the girls and children, they have gone through - it will be difficult for them to come out of this trauma for their whole life.

Authorities on Monday handed out nearly $7,000 to each Christian household that suffered a financial loss.

Mohsin Naqvi, the provincial interim chief minister, added that authorities have started repairing the destroyed churches. But one priest said they only painted the walls of two churches.

Police have also continued to detain more rioters in ongoing raids.

SOUND: [Cheers]

Egypt prisoner release —We head next to Egypt where friends and family members welcomed a prominent activist home after nearly 10 years in prison.

Ahmed Douma was serving a 15-year sentence over his involvement in the 2011 uprising that overthrew longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

A presidential decree pardoned Douma and four other prisoners.

ALI: [Speaking Arabic]

Khaled Ali, Douma’s attorney, says he hopes other detained youths will also regain their freedom.

Egyptian authorities have released hundreds of activists in recent months. But Douma and other activists say the government continues to arrest and detain many detractors.

SOUND: [Cheering]

Spain World Cup win — We close today in Spain where fans cheered as the country’s female soccer team won the Women’s World Cup championship on Sunday.

The players defeated the England team with a score of one to zero, earning Spain its first Women’s World Cup title.

AUDIO: [Speaking Spanish]

This fan says the team played with confidence the entire game.

The victory also makes Spain’s national female soccer team the first to hold under-17, under-20, and senior world titles at once.

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

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