Human rights proponents say political repression in Pakistan has increased in the year since supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan stormed military properties to protest his arrest. VOA Pakistan bureau chief Sarah Zaman has the details. Wajid Asad contributed.
Despite the fact that many of their encampments at university campuses have been dismantled, pro-Palestinian demonstrators in the United States are standing their ground. If the protests continue, some analysts say they could have an impact on the 2024 presidential election. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias explains.
Can immigrants vote in U.S. elections? The answer is — not until they become naturalized citizens. Naturalization is a lengthy process that begins with obtaining a green card, also known as a permanent resident card. VOA’s Aline Barros explains the process.
Some residents of Nairobi’s suburbs are up in arms over what they say is illegal construction of high-rise buildings in their neighborhoods, mainly by Chinese developers. Juma Majanga reports from Nairobi. Camera and video editing by Amos Wangwa.
DEBRECEN — A rising challenger to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held what he called the largest countryside political demonstration in the country’s recent history Sunday, the latest stop on his campaign tour that has mobilized thousands across Hungary’s rural heartland. Some 10,000 people gathered in Debrecen, Hungary’s second-largest city, in support of Péter Magyar, a political newcomer who in less than three months has shot to prominence on pledges to bring an end to problems like official... Читать дальше...
Islamabad — Afghanistan’s hardline Taliban leaders have threatened to militarily suppress unprecedented violent public protests in a northeastern border region against a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation. The unrest erupted last Friday when the Taliban’s anti-narcotics forces began destroying poppy fields in Badakhshan province, prompting angry farmers to resist it with the support of local residents. Multiple sources confirmed Sunday that Taliban security forces used firearms to disperse the demonstrators... Читать дальше...
Sydney — Australia has agreed to strengthen its security cooperation with the United States, Japan and the Philippines. Analysts say the move is a response to China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. China's ambitions in the South China Sea continue to alarm Australia, its Indo-Pacific allies and the United States. In response, Australia, the United States, and Japan have agreed to step up military drills with the Philippines. Defense officials from the four countries met in Hawaii on Friday... Читать дальше...
Washington — A driver died after crashing a car into the exterior gate of the White House late Saturday, the US Secret Service said. "Shortly before 10:30pm a vehicle traveling at a high speed collided with an outer perimeter gate on the White House complex," the service said in a statement on social media platform X, adding there was "no threat" to the White House itself. Officers arriving at the scene "attempted to render aid to the driver who was discovered deceased," the statement said. Читать дальше...
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his government has voted unanimously to shut down the local offices of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera. Netanyahu announced the decision on X, formerly Twitter, but details on the implications of the step on the channel, when it would go into effect or whether the measure was permanent or temporary were not immediately clear. There was no immediate comment from the channel headquarters in Doha, Qatar. An Al... Читать дальше...
Jerusalem — Israel's Holocaust commemorations this year have a searing significance for six elderly survivors now deeply scarred by the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7 that sparked the ongoing Gaza war. The killing and kidnapping spree by Palestinian infiltrators on a Jewish holiday morning shook the sense of security of Israelis - not least, those who had witnessed the state emerge as a safe haven after the Nazi genocide. For Bellha Haim, 86, the upheaval is especially profound. Her grandson Yotam ... Читать дальше...
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — Tanzania said a cyclone that made landfall on Saturday has lost its strength and was no longer a threat to the country. Tropical Cyclone Hidaya had triggered heavy rains and winds as it rolled towards Tanzania and neighboring Kenya, countries already battered by torrential downpours and floods that have left more than 400 people dead across East Africa in recent weeks. In a statement published early Sunday on X, the Tanzania Meteorological Authority said that Hidaya... Читать дальше...
CAIRO — Hamas leaders held a second day of truce talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators Sunday, with no apparent progress reported as the Islamist group maintained its demand that any agreement must end the war in Gaza, Palestinian officials said. One Palestinian official, close to the mediation effort, said the Hamas delegation had arrived in Cairo with a determination to reach a deal "but not at any price." "A deal must end the war and get Israeli forces out of Gaza and Israel hasn't yet... Читать дальше...
RIO DE JANEIRO — Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans. It was the last show of The Celebration Tour, her first retrospective, which kicked off in October in London. The "Queen of Pop" began the show with her 1998 hit Nothing Really Matters. Huge cheers rose from the buzzing, tightly packed crowd, pressed up against the barriers. Others held house parties... Читать дальше...
Porto Alegre, Brazil — Raging floods and mudslides have killed at least 57 people in southern Brazil and forced nearly 70,000 to flee their homes, the country's civil defense agency said on Saturday. At least 74 people were injured and another 67 missing from the catastrophic flooding, civil defense said. The toll did not include two people who died in an explosion at a flooded gas station in Porto Alegre, witnessed by an AFP journalist, where rescue crews were attempting to refuel. Fast-rising... Читать дальше...
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — With the midday sun blazing, an experimental orange and white F-16 fighter jet launched with a familiar roar that is a hallmark of U.S. airpower. But the aerial combat that followed was unlike any other: This F-16 was controlled by artificial intelligence, not a human pilot. And riding in the front seat was Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. AI marks one of the biggest advances in military aviation since the introduction of stealth in the early 1990s, and the Air Force has aggressively leaned in. Читать дальше...
CHENGDU, China — In 2018, the censors who oversee Chinese media issued a directive to the nation's entertainment industry: Don't feature artists with tattoos and those who represent hip-hop or any other subculture. Right after that, a well-known rapper, GAI, missed a gig on a popular singing competition despite a successful first appearance. Speculation went wild: Fans worried that this was the end for hip-hop in China. Some media labeled it a ban. The genre had just experienced a banner year... Читать дальше...
NAIROBI, Kenya — When Ademola Adesina founded a startup to provide solar and battery-based power subscription packages to individuals and businesses in Nigeria in 2015, it was a lot harder to raise money than it is today. Climate tech was new in Africa, the continent was a fledgling destination for venture capital money, there were fewer funders to approach and less money was available, he said. It took him a year of "running around and scouring" his networks to raise his first amount — just under $1 million ... Читать дальше...
