UNITED NATIONS — The top official for the World Health Organization in Gaza said Thursday that more routes out of the enclave are urgently needed for the medical evacuation of thousands of Palestinians, including children, in need of lifesaving medical treatment. “There should be more patients going through Rafah into Egypt, but we also want other medical corridors,” Dr. Rik Peeperkorn told reporters in a video …
Azerbaijan detains two more journalists as watchdogs denounce crackdown
Azerbaijani authorities detained two more journalists this week, bringing the number held in the past year to nearly two dozen. Police on Wednesday arrested Shamshad Agha, of the news website Argument, and Shahnaz Beylargizi of Toplum TV. A court in the capital, Baku, on Thursday ordered the journalists to be held in pretrial detention for two months and one day, and three months and 15 …
Japan’s Ishiba faces balancing act in first meeting with Trump
Seoul, South Korea — When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, his goal, according to Japanese officials, will be straightforward: reaffirm the U.S.-Japan alliance and build a strong rapport with Trump. But many in Tokyo see Ishiba’s goal as even simpler: to avoid a diplomatic disaster with a newly re-elected Trump, whose “America First” foreign …
Iran leverages Hamas’ release of hostages for propaganda purposes
An analysis shows Iran is using the release of U.S. citizen Keith Siegel and other hostages to further a misleading narrative – one that says U.S.-designated terror group Hamas has treated its captives fairly and another that Israel subjected Palestinian prisoners to systematic brutality. On Feb. 1, Hamas released three hostages from captivity in Gaza, including Siegel. Hamas abducted Siegel, who also is an Israeli …
Swedish police describe ‘inferno’ at scene of mass shooting
Police in Sweden investigating the nation’s worst mass shooting said at a news briefing Thursday that the scene at an adult learning center was an “inferno” of smoke, with injured and dead victims. The attack on Tuesday left 10 people dead, including the suspected shooter, at Campus Risbergska in the city of Orebro, about 200 kilometers west of Stockholm. The facility offers adult courses, including …
Baltic nations count final hours to ending electricity ties to Russia
VILNIUS, LITHUANIA — Nearly 3 1/2 decades after leaving the Soviet Union, the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this weekend will flip a switch to end electricity-grid connections to neighboring Russia and Belarus — and turn to their European Union allies. The severing of electricity ties to oil- and gas-rich Russia is steeped in geopolitical and symbolic significance. Work toward it sped up after …
Islamabad, Beijing pledge counterterrorism cooperation for security of Chinese workers in Pakistan
Islamabad — Pakistan has assured China it will ensure the safety of Chinese personnel working on infrastructure and development projects in the South Asian country while seeking greater security and economic cooperation during President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Beijing. Zardari is in China on a five-day visit from February 4 to 8 along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and other senior …
Russian drone attack damages Kharkiv market
Ukrainian officials reported damage Thursday at a market in the northeastern city of Kharkiv after the latest round of overnight Russian drone attacks targeting multiple parts of the country. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram that debris from a downed drone damaged power lines in the city. Ukraine’s military said its air defenses shot down 56 of the 77 total drones deployed by Russian …
Israeli defense minister tells army to prepare for Palestinians to leave Gaza
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday he instructed the army to prepare plans for large numbers of Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip via land crossings as well as sea and air routes. Katz welcomed what he called U.S. President Donald Trump’s “bold plan” for Gaza residents to leave the territory, which has been devastated by Israeli ground and air attacks targeting Hamas militants. …
UK’s Grenfell Tower to be demolished more than seven years after blaze
LONDON — London’s Grenfell Tower, which was engulfed in flames more than seven years ago in a disaster that killed 72 people, will be demolished, bereaved families and survivors said on Thursday. The fire ripped through the 23-story social housing block in one of London’s richest areas during the early hours of June 14, 2017. It was Britain’s deadliest blaze in a residential building since World …
2 years after quake disaster, Turkey’s painful recovery continues
ANKARA, TURKEY — Two years after the deadliest and most destructive earthquake in modern Turkish history, hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced, with many still living in temporary housing, as rebuilding efforts lag behind initial targets. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6, 2023, and its aftershocks rattled 11 Turkish provinces and parts of northern Syria, killing more than 55,000 people and injuring more than …
Philippine Senate can’t hear impeachment until June
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Senate can act on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte only on June 2, when Congress resumes after the midterm elections, Senate President Francis Escudero told a briefing on Thursday. Escudero said the senators who will act as jurors need to swear an oath while Congress is in session before they can convene as an impeachment court. “Legally, it …
White House clarifies Trump’s Gaza plan amid global backlash
The White House on Wednesday said President Donald Trump has not committed to using U.S. troops for his plan to redevelop Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” and that the relocation of Palestinians will only be temporary. The shift comes amid global backlash and a United Nations’ warning against “any form of ethnic cleansing.” White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report. …
British foreign minister meets with Zelenskyy, announces $68.7M financial package
British Foreign Minister David Lammy met Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and announced a new $68.7 million financial package for Ukraine as its war with Russia continues. “Our support for Ukraine remains unbreakable,” Lammy said. “We are determined to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, both in its fight against Russia and beyond.” Later Wednesday, Zelenskyy told reporters that an international …
Greenlanders explore Pacific Islands’ relationship with Washington
WASHINGTON — Greenland’s representative in the United States met recently with at least one ambassador from the Pacific Islands to learn more about a political arrangement that some think could create an opportunity for the Arctic island and Washington, VOA has learned. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his interest in either buying or taking control of Greenland, a resource-rich semiautonomous territory of Denmark, noting its …
VOA Kurdish: Syrian ISIS families in al-Hol waiting to return home
Syrian Islamic State families at the al-Hol camp are waiting for the implementation of a decision made by the self-ruled administration allowing them to leave the camp. The camp administration says it is still waiting for a response from the Damascus government to begin the process. The families say they want to return, despite the destruction of their homes. Click here for the full TV …
French PM survives no-confidence vote
France’s prime minister survived a no-confidence vote by parliament on Wednesday after he invoked special constitutional powers to force through the country’s 2025 budget. Only 128 lawmakers voted in favor of the no-confidence motion against Francois Bayrou, falling short of the 289 votes required to pass. Far-left lawmakers called for the measure after Bayrou invoked Article 49.3, which grants the minority government special constitutional powers …
VOA Mandarin: Chinese firms relocated to Mexico face new problems amid Trump tariffs
President Donald Trump’s 25% tariff on imports from Mexico, temporarily put on hold this week, could disrupt the strategy of Chinese companies that have relocated to northern Mexico in recent years. By moving production closer to the U.S. market, these firms have been able to bypass U.S. tariffs toward China through the USMCA trade deal. Experts warn that these companies now face two significant challenges. …
Earthquakes keep rattling Greece’s volcanic island of Santorini every few minutes
ATHENS, GREECE — Earthquakes rattled Greece’s volcanic island of Santorini every few minutes through the night and into Wednesday as authorities bolstered their emergency plans in case the hundreds of temblors over the past few days are a harbinger of a larger quake to come. A coast guard vessel and a military landing craft were in the wider area as a contingency should an evacuation be …
China says it is willing to work with EU on ‘global challenges’
BEIJING — China is willing to work with the European Union on boosting cooperation and responding to “global challenges,” its foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as the bloc faces potential U.S. tariffs on its shipments to the world’s largest economy. China attaches great importance to EU ties and hopes the bloc will become a reliable cooperation partner, said Lin Jian, spokesperson at the Chinese ministry. The …
Thailand cuts power, fuel and internet supply to parts of Myanmar
Bangkok — Thailand has cut electricity, internet and fuel supplies to five border areas in Myanmar, a senior Thai minister said on Wednesday, as the Southeast Asian nation steps up efforts to choke scam centers that have become a growing security concern. “They may face challenges of lower power supply, but we are at the point now where no one can blame Thailand for being part …
Swedish police warn of online misinformation after mass school shooting
OREBRO, Sweden — Swedish police said on Wednesday there was no evidence of “ideological motives” behind a mass shooting at an adult education center on Tuesday, and warned of misinformation spread on social media about the Nordic country’s deadliest gun attack. At least 11 people died and many others were wounded in the shooting at the Risbergska school in Orebro, a town of over 100,000 people, …
Islamic State members held for years in a Syria prison say they know nothing of the world
HASSAKEH, Syria — Men of various ages and nationalities sit silently in their cells, a small window in the metal doors their only opening to the world. All are alleged members of the Islamic State group, captured during the final days of the extremists’ so-called caliphate declared in large parts of Iraq and Syria. The Gweiran Prison, now called Panorama, has held about 4,500 IS-linked detainees …