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SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's military said Sunday that North Korea fired several cruise missiles that flew over waters near a major military shipyard on the country's eastern coast, extending a streak in weapons tests that are worsening tensions with the United States, South Korea and Japan. The launches followed a separate round of North Korean cruise missile tests last week and a January 14 test-firing of the country's first solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile. Those tests reflect North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's efforts to expand his arsenal of weapons designed to overwhelm missile defenses in South Korea and Japan and remote U.S. targets in the Pacific, including Guam. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said they detected the missiles over waters near the North Korean port of Sinpo, where the North has a major shipyard building key naval vessels, including missile-firing submarines. The South's military didn't immediately provide specific launch details, including the number of missiles fired, how far they flew and whether they were launched from land or naval assets. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased in recent months as Kim continues to accelerate his weapons development and issue provocative threats of nuclear conflict with the U.S. and its Asian allies. The U.S., South Korea and Japan in response have been expanding their combined military exercises, which Kim portrays as invasion rehearsals, and sharpening their deterrence strategies built around nuclear-capable U.S. assets. North Korea said its launches last week involved a new cruise missile called Pulhwasal-3-31 and described the test as part of regular efforts to develop its military. The North described that missile as "strategic," implying a possible intent to arm it with nuclear weapons. North Korea's cruise missiles supplement the country's huge lineup of ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the U.S. mainland. While North Korean cruise missile activities aren't directly banned under U.N. sanctions, experts say those weapons potentially pose a serious threat to South Korea and Japan. They are designed fly like small airplanes and fly along landscapes where they could be harder to detect by radar. Since 2021, North Korea has conducted at least 10 rounds of tests of what it described as long-range cruise missiles fired from both land and sea. The country claims its weapons are nuclear-capable and their range is up to 2,000 kilometers, a distance that would include U.S. military bases in Japan.

COLUMBIA, South carolina — U.S. President Joe Biden doesn't need to worry about his prospects in South Carolina's Democratic primary next week. He's got that locked up.  He also knows he's not likely to win the solidly red state come November. South Carolina hasn't voted for a Democrat since 1976.  Nonetheless, Biden spent the weekend in the state, intent on driving home two messages: He's loyal to the state that saved his campaign in 2020 and he's determined to win back Black voters here and elsewhere who were central to his election last time but are less enthused this go-round.  "You're the reason I am president," Biden told attendees at the state party's fundraising dinner ahead of its first ever "first-in-the-nation" Democratic primary on February 3. "You're the reason Kamala Harris is a historic vice president. And you're the reason Donald Trump is a defeated former president. You're the reason Donald Trump is a loser. And you're the reason we're going to win and beat him again."  Biden received raved applause and chants of "four more years" from attendees at the dinner, as he criticized his predecessor's policies and highlighted his efforts to support Black Americans. He was set to spend Sunday in the state where politics and faith are intertwined at a political event at St. John Baptist Church.  Deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks said of the primary that Biden's team was working to "blow this out of the water" by running up the score against long shot challengers. The Biden campaign also wants to learn lessons about activating Black voters — the backbone of the party — ahead of an expected 2024 rematch with Republican front-runner Donald Trump.  Challenger invites Biden to pass torch It was the first time Biden shared a stage with Representative Dean Phillips, a long-shot challenger for the Democratic nomination, who called on the president, 81, to step aside for a younger generation of leaders to take on Trump.  "The numbers do not say things are looking good," Phillips said of Biden's poll numbers. "My invitation to President Biden is to pass the torch." Struggling to hold the attention of the crowd — many of whom were holding Biden campaign signs ahead of the president's appearance — Phillips repeatedly asked the audience to quiet down and listen to him. Phillips told The Associated Press he did not interact with Biden at the event, saying of Biden's staff, "No. I don't think they want him to see me."  Supporters talk up accomplishments Ahead of the dinner, Biden stopped into Regal Lounge Men's Barber & Spa in Columbia, greeting, owners, employees and customers mid-haircut at the barbershop.  The president has been getting mixed reviews from some Black voters in the state that came through for him in 2020, including discontent over his failure to deliver on voting rights legislation and other issues.  Last year, at the outset of Biden's reelection bid, conflicting views among the same South Carolina Democratic voters whose support had been so crucial to his nomination provided an early warning sign of the challenges he faces as he tries to revive his diverse winning coalition from 2020.  Overall, just half of Black adults said they approved of Biden in a December poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs. That is compared with 86% in July 2021, a shift that is generating concern about the president's reelection prospects.  APVoteCast, an extensive national survey of the electorate, also found that support for Republican candidates ticked up slightly among Black voters during the 2022 midterm elections, although Black voters overwhelmingly supported Democrats.  The Biden campaign is running TV ads in South Carolina highlighting Biden initiatives that it hopes will boost enthusiasm among Black voters.  "On his first day in office with a country in crisis, President Biden got to work — for us," the ad states. "Cutting Black child poverty in half, more money for Black entrepreneurs, millions of new good-paying jobs and he lowered the cost of prescription drugs."  The campaign is spending more than $270,000 on the ads through the primary, according to tracking data. The Democratic National Committee also launched a six-figure ad campaign across South Carolina and Nevada, which is next on the Democratic primary calendar, to boost enthusiasm for Biden among Black and Latino voters. And first lady Jill Biden was in the state on Friday evening to rally voters.  Biden's campaign has also hired staff in South Carolina to organize ahead of the primary and through the general election, although for nearly 50 years the state has picked a Republican for president.  'We know Joe...Joe knows us' Meanwhile, a pro-Biden super PAC, Unite the Country, is airing an ad featuring Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina ticking through what he says are major Biden accomplishments such as reducing student loan debt and cutting insulin costs for older people.  It was Clyburn's 2020 endorsement of his longtime friend Biden that helped the then-candidate score a thundering win in South Carolina's presidential primary.  In the new advertisement, Clyburn references his late wife, Emily, who influenced his 2020 endorsement of Biden. She said that "if we wanted to win the presidency, we better nominate Joe Biden," Clyburn says in the ad. "She was right then, and she's still right today."  Clyburn greeted Biden at the airport and accompanied him throughout his visit.  While Trump has seen slightly improving levels of support among Black and Latino voters, Biden's team is more concerned that a lack of enthusiasm for Biden will depress turnout among voters who are pivotal to the Democratic coalition.  Biden's team is using South Carolina as a proving ground, tracking which messages and platforms break through with voters.  South Carolina, where Black voters make up a majority of the Democratic electorate, is now the first meaningful contest in the Democratic presidential race after the party reworked the party's nominating calendar at Biden's call. Leading off with Iowa and New Hampshire had long drawn criticism because the states are less diverse than the rest of the country.  A co-chairman of Biden's reelection campaign, Clyburn has remained one of the president's most stalwart advocates in Congress, as well as in his home state.  Frequently, he reminds people of the same message he delivered in his 2020 endorsement: "We know Joe, and Joe knows us."  Biden's decision to campaign in the state "helps solidify South Carolina's place as the first in the nation primary moving forward," said Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler.  It also provides Biden an opportunity to re-engage with Black voters who have connections that extend beyond South Carolina.  "Obviously the diaspora is strong, familial ties are strong with other key swing states in the area like Georgia and North Carolina," Tyler said.  This is Biden's second trip to South Carolina this month. He spoke earlier in the month at the pulpit of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, where nine Black parishioners were shot to death in 2015 by a white stranger they had invited to join their Bible study. 

Washington — The United States on Saturday appealed for urgent support for a U.N.-backed law-and-order mission to Haiti, which has been thrown into doubt after a Kenyan court ruled against Nairobi's plan to send its police to the gang-plagued nation. "The United States' commitment to the Haitian people remains unwavering," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. "We reaffirm our support of ongoing international efforts to deploy a Multinational Security Support mission for Haiti... and renew our calls for the international community to urgently provide support for this mission." Kenya had been meant to lead the mission but a High Court judge on Friday ruled that sending police to Haiti "contravenes the constitution and the law and is therefore unconstitutional, illegal and invalid." The Kenyan government has vowed to challenge the decision, a move noted by Miller in his statement. Nairobi had previously said it was ready to provide up to 1,000 personnel — an offer welcomed by the United States and other nations that had ruled out putting their own forces on the ground. "It is urgent that the international community respond to the unprecedented levels of gang violence and destabilizing forces preying upon the Haitian people," Miller said. "At the same time, we call for the restoration of democratic order through an inclusive political process in Haiti," he said, adding that the "only legitimate path to long-term peace and stability is through free and fair elections." Haiti, the Western hemisphere's poorest nation, has been in turmoil for years, with armed gangs taking over parts of the country and unleashing brutal violence, leaving the economy and public health system in tatters. The 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise plunged the country further into chaos. No elections have taken place since 2016 and the presidency remains vacant. Haiti's foreign minister pleaded Thursday for the deployment plans to be accelerated, telling the U.N. Security Council that gang violence in the country was as barbaric as the horrors experienced in war zones. 

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Known as "the Las Vegas of Asia," Macao — with its glitzy casinos and huge gaming industry — also has become home to a unique ethnic group — the Macanese. Twenty-five years after the former Portuguese colony's handover to China, however, there is worry among some Macanese that a part of Macao's unique identity is fading away. Reporter Cindy Sui explains why from Macao

washington — U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to have a phone call in the spring, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken is slated to make another trip to Beijing this year as the two nations pursue additional high-level diplomacy to manage competition in the bilateral relationship.   On Saturday, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded their more than 12 hours of talks during a two-day meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.     A senior U.S. administration official said "the quiet low-profile channel" between Sullivan and Wang is "an important way to manage competition and tensions responsibly" between the two countries.   The official also confirmed to VOA that top U.S. diplomat Blinken will return to Beijing this year. Blinken was the first U.S. Cabinet official to travel to China last year, and his counterpart has since traveled to the United States on a reciprocal visit.   The White House described the talks in Bangkok as candid, substantive and constructive discussions that touched on global and regional issues, including Russia's war against Ukraine, the Middle East, North Korea, the South China Sea, and Burma.   In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry said both countries will make good use of current strategic communication channels to properly handle sensitive issues.   Houthi aggression   During the latest talks, Sullivan asked Wang to use Beijing's "substantial leverage" over Iran to call for an end to the attacks on Red Sea trade routes by Yemen-based Houthi rebels.   U.S. officials have expressed reservations about whether China is "actually raising" the issue, despite repeated requests from Washington.  "We're looking to actually facts on the ground, and those attacks [by Houthis] seem to be continuing," said the official when asked if China is playing a positive role during a Saturday phone briefing.  Earlier Saturday, the U.S. Central Command said its forces had destroyed an anti-ship missile in Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, which posed an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea. The missile was prepared for launch into the Red Sea. This action follows sanctions and military strikes earlier this month from the U.S. and its allies against the Houthis.   In Beijing, Chinese officials criticized military strikes by the U.S. and United Kingdom against the Houthis rebels.   "We believe that the [United Nations] Security Council has never authorized the use of force by any country on Yemen, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen and other coastal countries of the Red Sea need to be earnestly respected," said Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs during a briefing last week.   He said tension in the Red Sea is "a manifestation of the spillover of the Gaza conflict" and the priority is to push for a cease-fire in Gaza.    The Houthis have launched attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November, which they said are in support of Palestinians in conflict with Israel.   The U.S. has condemned these actions by the Houthis as disruptions to international supply chains and violations of navigational rights and freedoms.   Counternarcotics efforts   The U.S. and China will hold a formal working group on counternarcotics in Beijing on January 30-31.    As the U.S. and China resumed their counternarcotics cooperation, American officials said Washington is seeing a reduction in the amount of precursor chemicals originating from China at some U.S. airports.  U.S. officials have identified China as the main source of precursor chemicals used in the synthesis of fentanyl by drug cartels in Mexico.    The working group is aimed at stopping the flow of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals into the U.S. that contribute to the fentanyl crisis.   Myanmar military coup     While in Bangkok, Sullivan held talks with Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, the Thai foreign minister.   The senior U.S. official told VOA they discussed the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, also known as Burma, and efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the Burmese people. Civil war has engulfed Myanmar following a military coup on February 1, 2021, that overthrew the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyy. "It's fair to say that China certainly does have influence in that region," the official noted. "We hope to have follow up discussions at [a] lower level in the coming weeks and months, given the need to really remain focused on promoting a return to the path of democratic transition in Burma." Upcoming AI, military talks       In addition, the U.S. and China are preparing for a dialogue on artificial intelligence in the spring, along with the upcoming counternarcotics working group talks in Beijing next week. Both countries also will hold Military Maritime Consultative Agreement meetings this spring, alongside communications between defense ministers and theater commanders.       Sullivan and Wang have been holding talks approximately every four months outside the U.S. since last May. They met in Vienna on May 10-11, 2023, in Malta on September 16-17, 2023, and in Bangkok on January 26-27. They also had discussions in Washington last October during Wang's visit to the U.S. capital. 

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

The October 7 terror attack by Hamas pushed Israelis out of their kibbutz on the border with Gaza. Palestinian workers employed in Israel found themselves without a place to go. VOA’s Celia Mendoza shares from East Jerusalem, Israel, the journeys of two men displaced by this conflict. Camera: Walid Sababa

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

islamabad — Pakistan confirmed Saturday that nine of its nationals were killed by gunmen in neighboring Iran, demanding an immediate investigation into the "terrorist incident" to punish the perpetrators.    Iranian media reported that the early morning shooting occurred in a home in the southeastern city of Saravan in Sistan-Baluchistan province bordering Pakistan.    "It is a horrifying and despicable incident, and we condemn it unequivocally," said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson.    "We are in touch with Iranian authorities and have underscored the need to immediately investigate the incident and hold to account those involved in this heinous crime," Baloch said. No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack that targeted a group of Pakistanis reportedly working at an auto repair shop in the Iranian border region.    Baloch said that a senior Pakistani diplomat was on the way to the hospital where several injured people were being treated, promising to arrange for an urgent repatriation of the victims' bodies.     "We are fully seized of this grave matter and are taking all necessary measures in this regard…Such cowardly attacks cannot deter Pakistan from its determination to fight terrorism," she said.     Saturday's incident came more than a week after Pakistan's military launched cross-border retaliatory strikes, targeting alleged militant hideouts in the same Iranian city. Iran said that attack in Saravan killed nine people, mostly women and children.     Islamabad said the Pakistani military had hit bases of outlawed Baluch militant groups orchestrating attacks against Pakistan from Iranian border areas.    The unprecedented strikes came two days after Iranian security forces staged "drone and missile strikes" against what Tehran said were the "strongholds" of the anti-Iran Jaish al-Adl militant group in Pakistan's southwestern border province of Balochistan.    Islamabad condemned the Iranian raid as a "blatant breach" of its territorial sovereignty, saying it resulted in the deaths of two children. Pakistan immediately recalled its ambassador from Iran and barred the Iranian ambassador from returning to the country.    Both countries have long accused each other of not doing enough to deny fugitive militants safe havens in their respective territories.    The military tensions raised fears of a broader conflict between Iran and Pakistan. However, the two countries announced last Monday that they had decided to immediately "de-escalate" and restore diplomatic relations.     Officials on both sides confirmed Friday that Pakistani and Iranian ambassadors had returned to their respective embassies to resume their routine diplomatic missions.    Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is also due to arrive in Islamabad on Monday for official talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Jalil Abbas Jilani.