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Anthony LaBruto

Produced by Anthony LaBruto

July 20, 2024
Red Carpet: British guitarist moves to Africa in pursuit of ‘African spirit’

John Collins, a British guitarist who visited Ghana as a child, has returned to the West African nation to embrace the “African spirit” and to contribute towards the growth of the music sector in Accra. For Red Carpet, reporter Isaac Kaledzi filed this report which was narrated by VOA’s Anthony Labruto.
July 19, 2024
Worldwide IT outage disrupts billions

A temporary IT outage disrupted computer internet access worldwide Friday, leaving billions of lives impacted. Major airlines have grounded flights, banks have halted transactions, and digital broadcasters have been left scrambling to maintain programming. VOA’s Anthony LaBruto spoke to Christopher Painter, an Associate Fellow at the International Security Program for Chatham House, for a look into what caused this global outage and what is being done to fix it.
July 12, 2024
The 2024 NATO Summit meets amid enhanced security

In close proximity to the convention center where the NATO Summit is wrapping up, VOA’s Phillip Alexiou takes a look at security at the meeting and how local businesses handled the closures.
July 05, 2024
Washington DC celebrates US Independence Day

Each year on July 4th, the United States celebrates its Independence Day. Filled with celebrations from coast to coast, the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. is expected be filled with excitement. For more, Linord Moudou spoke to VOA’s Anthony LaBruto.
July 01, 2024
Folklife festival draws attention in Washington, D.C

Coinciding with the United States’ Independence Day celebrations, the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival honors the rich cultural heritage and traditions of America as a unique ‘melting pot’ of cultures. Established in 1967, the festival is seen as a hallmark of cross culture diplomacy, representing the diversity of the United States. VOA’s Anthony LaBruto was live on the National Mall in downtown Washington, D.C. to report on the event.
June 13, 2024
Africa’s youth look to US to protest against conflict in Gaza

Student protests in the United States have long been a form of activism seeking to inspire change around the world. Anti-Vietnam War protests in the 1960s inspired youth in Africa to create their own anti-war and anti-colonial movements. As student-driven protests in the U.S. against the conflict in Gaza gain attention, how will Africa’s students respond? VOA’s Anthony LaBruto reports.
June 05, 2024
Illegal small-scale mining threatens Ghana’s forest reserves

Ghanaian authorities say illegal small-scale mining, also known as galamsey, has led to widespread deforestation across the West African nation. VOA’s Anthony LaBruto has more.
May 29, 2024
South Africa’s youth unenthused over general election voting

Analysts have said that one of the biggest voting blocs, youth, have remained frustratingly disillusioned from political parties throughout the campaign period. VOA’s Anthony LaBruto spoke to Phumlani Majozi, a South African macroeconomic and political analyst, for more on what’s on the minds of young South Africans going into the election.
May 17, 2024
Washington, DC area colleges graduation ceremonies

Collegiate students from across the United States are celebrating their graduation, an important milestone in their education journey. VOA’s Anthony LaBruto spoke to VOA Africa intern Omolemo Kale, who graduated on Friday from Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland.
May 11, 2024
US teacher designs curricula to help students understand genocide

Teacher Appreciation Week, celebrated annually across the United States, honors educators for their continued work in schools and universities. While not in the classroom anymore, one teacher has been using her expertise to design curricula and inspire teachers across Africa to tackle one of the painful aspects of world history. VOA’s Anthony LaBruto reports.
May 06, 2024
US-Africa Business Summit aims to deepen business cooperation across the continent

Seven African leaders have confirmed their participation in a three-day 16th US-Africa Business Summit 2024 in Dallas, Texas. The conference, which is organized by the Corporate Council on Africa, is being held from May 6 to 9. Florizelle Liser, the president and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa, tells VOA’s Peter Clottey the meeting will provide a major platform for deepening U.S.-Africa business ties across key sectors including agribusiness, energy, health, infrastructure, trade facilitation, ICT, and finance.
April 29, 2024
UN Security Council expresses ‘deep concern’ over imminent attack in Sudanese town

The United Nations Security Council over the weekend expressed “deep concern” over an imminent attack in Al-Fashir, a town in Sudan’s North Darfur region, by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, RSF. For updates on the ongoing conflict in the Northeast African nation, VOA’s Nabeel Biajo spoke to Raga Makawi, a Sudanese editor and researcher.
April 25, 2024
Port of Baltimore closure slows US energy trade with Egypt

WASHINGTON — The prolonged closure of the Port of Baltimore in the U.S. state of Maryland has led to complications in global trade, including in Egypt, where the North African country's ability to import coal used for powering industrial plants and household electricity has been slowed.
April 19, 2024
US lawmakers join Rwanda genocide commemorations

U.S. lawmakers this week joined Rwandans in commemorating 30-years since the East African nation’s genocide where an estimated 800,000 people, majority Tutsis and some moderate Hutu’s were killed. VOA’s Anthony LaBruto attended the commemorations in Washington and filed this report.
April 02, 2024
US Braces for Economic Impact of Bridge Collapse

The United States Governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, has warned of ripples across the nation from the economic fallout from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Port of Baltimore. VOA’s Esther Githui-Ewart spoke to VOA’s Jackson M’vunganyi live from the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, who says that businesses both in the city and across the country are bracing for significant economic disruptions.
March 30, 2024
Rescue Efforts Continue After Collapse of Baltimore Bridge

Rescue efforts continued this week after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on Tuesday killing at least two people, according to authorities. VOA’s Jackson Mvunganyi visited the site where the bridge collapsed and provided updates.
March 25, 2024
Senegalese Opposition Leader Wins Presidential Race

Senegalese opposition candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Monday won the nation’s presidential race after his main rival, Amadou Ba, the leader of the governing coalition, reached out to concede. Africa 54 Managing Editor Vincent Makori has more.
March 22, 2024
Russia Boosts Influence in Africa with ‘Regime Survival Packages’

A paper written for the Royal United Services Institute in the U.K. says Russia is seeking to increase its influence across Africa. With the death of the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, President Vladimir Putin has utilized the private mercenaries for "regime survival packages." VOA’s Anthony LaBruto spoke to Oleksandr Danyluk, the paper’s author and former head of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, to learn more about how Russia tries to undermine democracies across the continent.
March 21, 2024
South Africa Minister Visits Washington DC

South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, is visiting Washington, D.C. this week and said the Biden administration’s unwavering support for Israel’s assault on Gaza has strained relations between the two nations. VOA’s Anita Powell questioned Pandor at the South African embassy about the frosty relations as the United States is considering a law that would further inflame tensions. VOA’s Carol Van Dam reports.
March 15, 2024
Female Kenyan High Court Advocate Brings Change to Sexual Violence Laws

The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, or RAINN, says around 40% of partnered women in Kenya have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetimes; 15% of those experienced it under the age of 18. While progress has been made against sexual violence in Africa, judicial protocols and laws remain a persistent barrier to women seeking justice. VOA’s Anthony LaBruto spoke to Kanga Rasi, a Kenyan High Court Advocate and member of the BRAVE Initiative, who is working to end childhood and female sexual violence through survivor advocacy.

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