Voice of America

state department — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Riyadh from Monday through Tuesday to participate in regional talks on humanitarian assistance in Gaza, a post-war roadmap for the Palestinian territories, and stability and security in the Middle East.     "The secretary will discuss ongoing efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza that secures the release of hostages and how it is Hamas that is standing between the Palestinian people and a cease-fire," according to the State Department. Читать дальше...

ISLAMABAD — Germany's ambassador to Pakistan faced backlash on social media Saturday for asking pro-Palestinian demonstrators to leave a human rights conference instead of “shouting” and interrupting his speech. Alfred Grannas was speaking on civil rights at the live-streamed event in the eastern city of Lahore when a young man rose from his seat and spoke to the German diplomat. “Excuse me, Mr. ambassador. I am shocked by the audacity that you are here to talk about civil rights while your country... Читать дальше...

LONDON — British troops may be tasked with delivering aid to Gaza from an offshore pier now under construction by the U.S. military, the BBC reported Saturday. U.K. government officials declined to comment on the report. According to the BBC, the British government is considering deploying troops to drive the trucks that will carry aid from the pier along a floating causeway to the shore. No decision has been made, and the proposal hasn’t yet reached Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the BBC reported, citing unidentified government sources. Читать дальше...

MAE SOT, THAILAND — Thailand is staying alert as conflict in Myanmar continues, according to Thai government officials who visited Thailand’s border with Myanmar this week. The comments come as renewed fighting continues between anti-junta ethnic groups and the military for control over Myawaddy, a crucial trade hub just across the border from Mae Sot. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a military coup in February 2021. The country has devolved into armed conflict with civilian, political and ethnic groups opposing junta rule. Читать дальше...

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Twenty soldiers were killed, and several others injured in an ammunition explosion at a base in the west of Cambodia on Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Hun Manet said.  Hun Manet said in a Facebook post that he was “deeply shocked” when he received the news of the explosion at the base in Kampong Speu province.  It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, and Hun Manet did not say in his post on Facebook.  He offered condolences to the soldiers’ families... Читать дальше...

HAVANA — Alejandro Fonseca stood in line for several hours outside a bank in Havana hoping to withdraw Cuban pesos from an ATM, but when it was almost his turn, the cash ran out. He angrily hopped on his electric tricycle and traveled several kilometers to another branch, where he finally managed to withdraw some money after wasting the entire morning. “It shouldn’t be so difficult to get the money you earn by working,” the 23-year-old told The Associated Press in a recent interview. Fonseca... Читать дальше...

NEW YORK — Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at universities across United States, some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, remained defiant Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters. As Columbia University continues negotiations with those at a pro-Palestinian student encampment on the New York school's campus, the university's senate passed a resolution... Читать дальше...

CAIRO — Hamas said Saturday that it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the war and stave off a planned Israeli ground offensive into the southern city of Rafah. Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya gave no details of Israel's offer but said it was in response to a proposal from Hamas two weeks ago. Negotiations earlier this month centered on a six-week cease-fire proposal and the release of 40 civilian and... Читать дальше...

Washington — Two U.S. congressmen have introduced a bill to rename the street in front of Hong Kong’s de facto embassy in Washington as "Jimmy Lai Way" in honor of the jailed media entrepreneur. The bill would also apply the name change to the mailing address for the office, officially known as the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office. Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey announced the bill in a statement Thursday, saying he and the bill’s co-author, Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, wanted to honor the... Читать дальше...

KIGALI, Rwanda — Rwanda says it's ready to receive migrants from the United Kingdom after British Parliament this week approved a long-stalled and controversial bill seeking to stem the tide of people crossing the English Channel in small boats by deporting some of them to the East African country. There is even a place ready and waiting for the migrants — a refurbished Hope Hostel in the vibrant upscale neighborhood of Kagugu, an area of the Rwandan capital of Kigali that is home to many expats and several international schools. Читать дальше...

washington — About one-quarter of U.S. adults age 50 and older who are not yet retired say they expect to never retire, and 70% are concerned about prices rising faster than their income, an AARP survey finds. About 1 in 4 have no retirement savings, according to research released Wednesday by the organization that shows how a graying America is worrying more and more about how to make ends meet even as economists and policymakers say the U.S. economy has all but achieved a soft landing after two years of record inflation. Читать дальше...

JERUSALEM — Ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels caused "minor damage" to a Panama-flagged oil tanker traveling through the Red Sea on Friday, authorities said. The attack follows an uptick in assaults launched by the Houthis in recent days after a relative lull in their monthslong campaign over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The rebels fired three missiles in the attack, one of which damaged the Panama-flagged, Seychelles-registered Andromeda Star, the U.S. military's Central Command said. Читать дальше...

sydney — Analysis of more than 25,000 images from divers, tourism operators and recreational boats on Australia’s annual Great Reef Census is getting under way. Now in its fourth year, one of the world’s fastest-growing conservation projects is helping to gauge the health and degradation of the world’s largest coral system, which is suffering from another mass bleaching event. The Great Reef Census collects a trove of images of what is arguably Australia’s greatest natural treasure. Each picture... Читать дальше...

Washington — British officials formally charged two men Friday with spying on behalf of China in the latest in a series of European arrests of suspected Chinese intelligence agents. The two men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, were charged with violations of the Official Secrets Act by "providing prejudicial information to a foreign state, China” between 2021 and February 2023. Their arrests on Monday occurred at the same time that German authorities arrested three people suspected of... Читать дальше...

Washington — Iran's handing of a death sentence this week to dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi has drawn outrage from the Islamic republic's domestic and international critics, including a German lawmaker who says Tehran risks fueling the backlash if it moves toward executing the artist. In an interview for the Friday edition of VOA's Flashpoint Global Crises program, German parliament member Ye-One Rhie said the Iranian government is using the death sentence to monitor who is still reacting to developments... Читать дальше...

Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war are digging in at Columbia University and inspiring more and more demonstrations at university campuses across the United States. The protests are causing rising tensions on all sides of emotionally charged issues that have leadership at institutions facing a delicate balance to encourage free speech while protecting students.

Sulaymaniyah, Iraq — Four Yemeni workers were killed Friday in a drone attack on an Emirati-owned gas complex in Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdistan region, local authorities said.   The Khor Mor complex owned by the United Arab Emirates firm Dana Gas has been hit several times in recent years, but Friday's drone strike was the first deadly attack.   "Four Yemeni workers were killed and the field was severely damaged," Kurdistan regional government spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani said.    He... Читать дальше...