World Tour: Opposition parties win in South Africa

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

AUDIO: [Celebrations]

South African election — We start today in a South African province as opposition parties celebrate their local victory in a historic election, where no party won a clear parliamentary majority.

For the first time in three decades, the ruling African National Congress party lost its majority—emerging with only 40 percent of the votes.

Here’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.

RAMAPHOSA: Our people have spoken, whether we like it or not, they have spoken.

The ANC said it has started negotiations with other major parties.

The Democratic Alliance opposition party came in second while former President Jacob Zuma’s MK party came in third.

Parliament must elect the country’s president in the next two weeks.

AUDIO: [Sound from hospital]

Indian heat wave — Over in India, a scorching heat wave has killed more than 50 people.

Authorities said some 33 people died in the northern Uttar Pradesh state over the weekend. Meanwhile, heat stroke killed another 20 people in Odisha state.

People rushed family members to nearby hospitals for care.

AUDIO: [Man speaking Hindi]

This man in the eastern Bihar state says his family member was struggling to breathe, then died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

The heatwave coincided with India’s extensive six-week general election, which wrapped up this week.

Guatemala prison grab — In Guatemala, authorities transferred more than 200 gang members from a prison some 43 miles south of the capital.

Police said members of the Barrio 18 gang had operated a call center for criminal activities out of the prison nicknamed “Little Hell.”

Here’s Deputy Interior Minister Claudia Palencia.

PALENCIA: [Speaking Spanish]

She says here that police also found air conditioners, music equipment, refrigerators, and other comforts.

The Barrio 18 and MS-13 gangs are fighting over territory in Guatemala.

Authorities blamed previous governments for handing over control of prisons to criminals. Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez said authorities will tear down the prison and replace it with a maximum-security prison.

AUDIO: [Protest]

Tiananmen Square anniversary — We wrap up today with activities around the world marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Hong Kong residents previously commemorated June 4 when Chinese authorities used tanks and troops to crush peaceful protests on the mainland in 1989.

But Hong Kong’s national security law has outlawed all memorials since 2020, including an annual candlelight vigil in Victoria Park.

AUDIO: [Singing]

In London, people from Hong Kong, Tibet, and Taiwan shouted chants and sang together to commemorate the day.

AUDIO: [Sound of arrest]

And in Hong Kong, police detained performance artist Sanmu Chen after he appeared to write the date of the massacre in the air. He’s one of at least eight people authorities arrested ahead of the anniversary.

Here’s Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee.

LEE: The government position on public events is very clear. All activities by any person must be conducted according to the law.

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

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