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united nations — As Syrians celebrate the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime after more than 50 years of brutal father-son rule, the search continues for tens of thousands of Syrians who are still missing after having been arrested, detained or “disappeared.” Human rights experts are urging the preservation of evidence of the torture and death of political prisoners as the doors of the country’s prisons …

WASHINGTON — U.S. lawmakers and diplomatic officials stressed the need for close cooperation among the United States, South Korea and Japan in response to the possible impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.  The officials say that Yoon, who could be removed from office as soon as this weekend over a short-lived imposition of martial law that threw his country into turmoil, has played an …

WASHINGTON — As the deadline approaches for ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face a ban in the United States, the Chinese company made an appeal Monday to U.S. courts to extend the date of the ultimatum until after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. The current deadline requires ByteDance to divest from TikTok by Jan. 19, 2025, a day before Trump is sworn into office. Despite an …

Anger in the Syrian capital is palpable as families search for loved ones who are now missing or have died in their fallen government’s brutal prison system. At a rally in Damascus, VOA’s Heather Murdock reports that crowds are calling for the execution of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Camera: Yan Boechat, Moawia Atrash and Ahmad Fallaha …

WASHINGTON — When news broke about the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria this week, photojournalist Paul Conroy found himself thinking about a former colleague, Marie Colvin.   An American journalist, Colvin was killed in February 2012 in the city of Homs when the Syrian military shelled the media center she was in. French photographer Remi Ochlik was also killed, and Conroy and two other …

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and other foreign leaders to his January 20 inauguration, but it is not known yet whether any of them plan to attend the ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News it was yet “to be determined” whether Xi will accept Trump’s invitation, which was extended in …

JERUSALEM — Israeli troops this week took over a buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the wake of the Syrian government’s fall, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they will remain for now. After a meeting with Biden administration national security advisor Jake Sullivan in Jerusalem, Netanyahu’s office said that Israeli troops will stay in the buffer zone next to the Golan Heights until some …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday that Israeli forces will remain in a Syrian buffer zone adjacent to the Golan Heights until a force on the Syrian side can guarantee security. The Israeli troops advanced from their side of the Golan Heights into the buffer zone and onto the Syrian side after rebels ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “Israel will not permit jihadi …

Israeli forces withdrew Wednesday from a strategic town in southern Lebanon and were replaced by Lebanese troops as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah. The withdrawal from Al-Khiam came two weeks after the start of the ceasefire brokered by the United States and France. “This is an important first step in the implementation of a lasting cessation of hostilities …

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — South Korea’s top court upheld on Thursday a two-year jail term for an opposition lawmaker on charges including bribery and academic fraud in a scandal that has deepened the political divide in the country and disenchanted many young voters. The verdict stripped Cho Kuk, a former justice minister and President Yoon Suk Yeol’s adversary, who now runs the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea …

Washington — Closure has been elusive for Penny Sukhraj-Hammerl for more than a decade.  Her husband, South African photojournalist Anton Hammerl, was shot and killed in the Libyan desert on April 5, 2011, by pro-Moammar Gadhafi forces.  Since then, the questions have outnumbered the answers, and justice has remained a far-off hope, Sukhraj-Hammerl, also a journalist, told VOA from London.  At the time of Hammerl’s killing, …

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — From plastic surgery clinics to tour firms and hotel chains, South Korea’s hospitality sector is wary of the potential impact of a protracted political crisis, as some overseas travelers cancel trips following last week’s brief bout of martial law. South Korea’s travel and tourism industry, which generated $59.1 billion in 2023, around 3.8% of GDP, has held up through previous bumps in …

The U.N. General Assembly demanded on Wednesday an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages still being held by Palestinian militants. “The message that it is sending is that we are with you,” Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said after the vote. He added that it shows that Israel and its main backer, the …

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s president defended his martial law decree as an act of governance and denied rebellion charges in a statement Thursday, suggesting he has no intention of resigning and rejecting the impeachment attempts and investigations into last week’s move.  Yoon Suk Yeol’s televised statement came hours before the main liberal opposition Democratic Party was to submit a new impeachment motion against Yoon. …

Ankara/Washington — Turkey is helping several countries that want to ensure the safe departure of their citizens from Syria after rebels captured Damascus and toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government last week. According to Turkish diplomatic sources who spoke to VOA Turkish on the condition of anonymity, Turkey’s foreign and defense ministries are coordinating the evacuations of third-country nationals from Syria with the logistical support of …