World Tour - Unrest in Northern Ireland

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

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Violence wracks Northern Ireland—We start today in Europe.

AUDIO: SOUNDS OF RIOT

Northern Ireland is enduring it worst unrest in years. Frustration over Brexit has reignited long-simmering sectarian anger.

The violence began earlier this month when groups loyal to the United Kingdom threw rocks, fireworks, and Molatov cocktails at police. Last week, groups that support Irish unification clashed with officers in riot gear.

Lawmakers in Northern Ireland condemned the violence from both sides and called for calm. This, even as they acknowledged the disagreement over Brexit policies. Naomi Long is Northern Ireland’s Minister for Justice.

LONG: We have all been aware of the simmering tensions in parts of our community over the outworkings of Brexit for some months. Most of us including those who oppose Brexit have some sympathy for those people out there who feel betrayed.

Those in Northern Ireland who align with Britain are angry over border checks and trade restrictions that are part of the U.K.’s exit from the European Union. The rest of Ireland remains in the EU, which deepens the divide among the island’s opposing communities.

North Korea faces severe economic crisis—Next we go to Asia.

AUDIO: CLAPPING, CHEERING

Community leaders in North Korea’s Workers Party held their first conference since 2017 last week. They were enthusiastic, although their leader Kim Jong Un delivered a sobering message.

AUDIO: MAN SPEAKING KOREAN

Kim warned that the country is facing its worst economic crisis since the 1990s. That’s when a severe famine killed hundreds of thousands of people. He blamed the pandemic, U.S.-led sanctions, and last summer’s natural disasters for the problems.

Although it’s difficult to get reliable information about what’s happening in the isolated country, groups that monitor North Korea say they have not yet detected signs of a humanitarian crisis.

Volcano erupts on Caribbean island—Next to the Caribbean.

AUDIO: PEOPLE ON FERRY

Thousands of people living on the island of St. Vincent boarded boats last week to flee a volcano that suddenly rumbled to life.

La Soufriere is the highest peak in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Its eruption on Friday sent plumes of hot ash and smoke 20,000 feet into the air. More eruptions followed over the weekend, knocking out power to most of the island.

The ash that blanketed the surrounding communities looked like a layer of snow. It drifted as far as Barbados, about 100 miles away. But the government said it had no reports of death or injury.

La Soufriere last erupted in 1979. Geologists warn this year’s explosive phase could last for several weeks.

Archaeologists discover ancient city in Egypt—And finally, we end today here in Africa.

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered the remains of the largest ancient city ever unearthed in the country. Famed Egyptologist Zahi Hawass explained the find’s importance to reporters on Saturday.

AUDIO: This is really a large city that was lost. It was lost because we never thought that this city could be discovered.

Researchers found the site near Luxor, home of the legendary Valley of the Kings. They believe it dates back to the golden age of the pharaohs, about 3,000 years ago.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

(Peter Morrison/Associated Press) In this Wednesday, April 7, 2021 file photo, police form a line on the Springfield road to stop Nationalists and Loyalists attacking each other, as a hijacked bus burns in the distance in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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