RABAT, Morocco — Morocco’s King Mohammed VI welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to Morocco on Monday, kicking off a state visit with a series of bilateral agreements, including major investments in renewable energy and transportation. Macron’s trip to Morocco — his first in six years — comes as immigrants, including North Africans, face continued scrutiny in France and while France reassesses its role in its former …
Hungary’s Orban arrives in Georgia after disputed election
TBILISI — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Georgia on Monday after having congratulated the ruling party on its victory in an election which the opposition says was marred by voting violations. Georgia’s electoral commission said Georgian Dream won Saturday’s election with nearly 54% of the vote, but opposition parties disputed the results and called for protests. The election results are a blow for pro-Western …
For Japanese Unit 731 survivor, speaking truth carries a cost
Iida City, Japan — In August 1945, as Soviet troops closed in on Japanese positions in occupied China, 14-year-old Hideo Shimizu was given a grim task: Collect and dispose the burnt bones of prisoners who had been murdered. Only later did he realize he had helped destroy evidence of one of the 20th century’s most horrific war crimes: the actions of Unit 731, a covert branch …
For Japanese Unit 731 survivor, speaking truth carries a cost
Japan remains divided over how to confront its violent past, with parts of the country’s World War II history still sparking controversy. Now, one man with direct ties to that history is breaking decades of silence at great personal cost. VOA’s Bill Gallo reports from Iida City, Japan. Camera: Ken Watanabe, Gallo …
Lithuania leftist opposition win election, eyes coalition
VILNIUS — The opposition Social Democrats claimed victory in Lithuania’s parliamentary election on Sunday, which was dominated by frustration with the cost of living and worries over potential threats from neighboring Russia. The left-leaning grouping has pledged to maintain the Baltic state’s hefty defense spending program, while criticizing the center-right coalition government of Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte over raising taxes to fund it. Official government data …
North Korean troops deployed to Russia’s Kursk region to fight Ukraine incursion
NATO confirmed Monday that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia to help Moscow fight its war against Ukraine and have also been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region where Kyiv’s forces invaded in a surprise attack in August and still hold territory. “The deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security,” NATO Secretary General Mark …
UN Security Council to discuss Israeli attack on Iran
The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the situation in the Middle East following Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran. Council president Switzerland said Iran requested the meeting with the support of Algeria, China and Russia. “Israeli regime’s actions constitute a grave threat to international peace and security and further destabilize an already fragile region,” Iran’s Foreign Minister …
Indonesia labor group urges state bailout for troubled textile giant Sritex
JAKARTA, Indonesia — A major labor group in Indonesia has called on the government to bail out troubled textile giant Sritex, after President Prabowo Subianto ordered his ministers to save the firm from bankruptcy. Prabowo, who took office last week, has ordered his cabinet to find solutions for Sritex quickly, after a court last week accepted a petition by one of its trade partners over unpaid …
Seven European countries match US in startup-friendly laws, report says
STOCKHOLM — Seven European countries have changed their laws to increase employee ownership in startups to rival the U.S. in attracting talent and investment, while other countries are lagging, a report by venture capital firm Index Ventures found. While stock options were integral to Silicon Valley’s success, Europe has been hampered by bureaucracy and by taxing employees too early, among other restrictions. The European Union needs …
Police out in force to prevent rowdy Halloween celebrations in Shanghai
SHANGHAI — Shanghai police patrolled the downtown streets over the weekend to crack down on Halloween celebrations in China’s most international city. Local authorities appeared to be trying to prevent a repeat of last year, when Halloween revelers thronged central Shanghai, with some dressed in costumes that poked fun of the Chinese stock market, youth unemployment and strict COVID-19 policies. This weekend, the police presence, online …
Russian aerial attacks hit Kherson, Kharkiv
Ukrainian officials said Monday that Russian aerial attacks overnight killed at least one person in Kherson and injured several people in Kharkiv. Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram that Russian shelling hit residential buildings in the city of Kherson. In Kharkiv, officials reported strikes from Russian guided bombs and shelling, including attacks that damaged an apartment building and a house. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov …
Bavarian tradition honors St. Leonhard, patron saint of farmers, horses and livestock
WARNGAU, Germany — Farmers and their horses walked in a festive parade through the small Bavarian town of Warngau on Sunday to honor their patron saint, St. Leonhard. Their manes neatly combed, the massive horses were decorated with ribbons and greenery as they pulled the adorned carriages to a local church as part of the procession some 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Munich. Farmers donned …
Georgian president calls for protests after ruling party wins disputed election
TBILISI — Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili called on Sunday for people to take to the streets to protest the results of Saturday’s disputed parliamentary election, which the electoral commission said the ruling party had won. The Georgian Dream party clinched nearly 54% of the vote, the commission said, as opposition parties contested the result and vote monitors reported significant violations. Zourabichvili, a former Georgian Dream ally …
Egypt’s el-Sissi proposes 2-day Gaza cease-fire, release of 4 hostages
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Sunday proposed a two-day cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with the militant group also freeing four hostages during the halt in fighting if implemented. Neither Israel nor Hamas offered any immediate response to el-Sissi’s plan, the first he has proposed during months of playing a role, along with the United States and Qatar, in trying to broker a …
Lithuania left-wing opposition leading in early election results
VILNIUS, Lithuania — The opposition Social Democrats took an early lead in the second round of Lithuania’s parliamentary election on Sunday, with voters focusing on concerns over the cost of living and potential threats from neighboring Russia. Official government data showed the center-left grouping leading with 33 seats after 64% of the vote was counted on top of 20 secured in the first round, in the …
Iran: 4 ‘terrorists’ killed after Saturday’s jihadist attack
Tehran — Iranian armed forces killed at least four “terrorists” in the southeast of the country on Sunday after a deadly jihadist attack on police the day before. At least 10 police officers were killed in the attack, one of the deadliest claimed by a jihadist group in a border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The attack targeted police cars in Taftan county, part of Sistan …
Indonesia’s Marapi volcano erupts, spewing ash and hot clouds
Padang, Indonesia — One of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes erupted Sunday, spewing thick columns of ash at least three times and blanketing villages with debris, but no casualties were reported. Mount Marapi, in Agam district of the province of West Sumatra, is known for sudden eruptions that are difficult to predict because they are not caused by a deep movement of magma, which sets off tremors …
Opposition decries results of Georgia’s parliamentary election
The former Soviet republic of Georgia’s ruling party is claiming victory following Saturday’s parliamentary elections. Opposition groups call the election rigged, as polls show that most Georgians say they want closer ties to the European Union, not Moscow. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has this story. …
Real Madrid, Spanish league and government condemn racist insults against Yamal in league ‘clasico’
Madrid — Real Madrid, the Spanish league and the local government on Sunday condemned racist insults against Lamine Yamal during Saturday’s “clasico,” and Madrid said it was working to identify those who abused the Barcelona forward. Madrid said it “has opened an investigation in order to locate and identify the perpetrators of these deplorable and despicable insults so that the appropriate disciplinary and judicial measures can …
Israel strikes military targets in Iran
Israel is bracing for a possible Iranian response to its strikes on Iran early Saturday. Israel said the strikes were “precise and targeted” and focused on military targets in a number of areas in Iran. Iranian media reported that four soldiers were killed. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem. Camera: Ricki Rosen …
South Korean Christian groups in massive protest against rights for same-sex couples
SEOUL — Hundreds of thousands of members of South Korea’s Christian groups held a service in Seoul on Sunday to protest against a landmark court ruling that acknowledged same-sex the rights of partners in same-sex couples to state health insurance. The supreme court in July upheld a high court ruling that a same-sex partner was eligible for spousal benefits from the National Health Insurance Service, a …
War casts shadow over Lebanon’s ancient Baalbek
Baalbek, Lebanon — Since war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah, the famed Palmyra Hotel in east Lebanon’s Baalbek has been without visitors, but long-time employee Rabih Salika refuses to leave — even as bombs drop nearby. The hotel, which was built in 1874, once welcomed renowned guests including former French President Charles de Gaulle and American singer Nina Simone. Overlooking a large archaeological complex encompassing the …
Thousands turn out for Thai royal barge pageantry
Bangkok — Thousands of well-wishers lined the banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River Sunday to watch King Maha Vajiralongkorn ride a glittering royal barge procession to mark his 72nd birthday. A flotilla of 52 ornately decorated boats, paddled by more than 2,000 oarsmen decked out in scarlet and gold, carried the king and Queen Suthida in formation through the heart of the Thai capital to a …
Satellite images show damage from Israeli attack at 2 Iranian military bases
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An Israeli attack on Iran damaged facilities at two secretive military base southeast of the Iranian capital, satellite photos analyzed Sunday by The Associated Press show. In the past, experts have linked one site to Tehran’s onetime nuclear weapons program and the other to its ballistic missile program. Some of the damaged buildings sat in Iran’s Parchin military base, where the …