Feed aggregator

Hundreds of women in Afghanistan say the United Nations should not recognize the Taliban government until women's access to work and education is restored, according to a new survey. About 46% of the 592 Afghan women who spoke to U.N. surveyors in July said the world body should not recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan "under any circumstances." Half of the survey respondents said that any recognition of the Taliban government should hinge on tangible improvements in women's rights, including their rights to education and work. Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban have shuttered secondary schools and universities for girls, leaving countless young women without access to education, and have enforced sweeping restrictions on women's employment. The Islamist regime has also imposed myriad other restrictions on women's social rights such as access to sports and entertainment sites prompting the U.N. and human rights organizations to call Afghanistan a country under "gender-apartheid." "They [survey responders] expressed concern that recognition would only encourage the de facto authorities to continue becoming stricter in their policies and practices against women and girls," the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a report on Tuesday. The Taliban's appeals for international recognition have met with resounding calls for change. Many countries have demanded that the regime abandon its misogynistic policies, form an inclusive government, and respect human rights. However, Taliban officials contend that their "Islamic Emirate" is inclusive and respects human rights, albeit within the framework of Islamic Sharia law. "Steps toward normalization, I think, are not going to be possible. And I think there will remain remarkable unity among the international community until and unless we see a significant change in their [Taliban] treatment of the population," Thomas West, United States' Special Representative for Afghanistan, said last week. "We will not give up until Afghan girls' rights to education and women's rights to work are restored," Toor Pekai, the mother of Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, told VOA Afghanistan service in an online interview on Monday. Worsening indicators The U.N. survey has also revealed remarkable setbacks in women's health, income and social influence under the Taliban rule. "Women consulted frequently describe their lives as that of prisoners living in darkness, confined to the home without hope of a future," states the UNAMA's report. Most of the women surveyed, 80%, reported a drop in their ability to undertake income-generating activities. In July, the Taliban banned women's beauty salons in Afghanistan, depriving some 4,000 women of income. This loss of income has had a profound impact on women's social and familial roles, diminishing their influence in household decision-making. "Sixty-nine percent reported that feelings of anxiety, isolation and depression had grown significantly," the U.N. report says. The plight of Afghan women is further exacerbated by a deepening humanitarian crisis in the country and a sharp reduction in humanitarian funding. A U.N. appeal for $3.227 billion for 2023 has received less than 28% of the required funding as of September 19. This shortfall has forced aid agencies to cut essential food aid and health care services, affecting millions of vulnerable Afghans, including women and children.

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.

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday that he has delayed a key procedural vote for a 30-day stopgap funding measure intended to avert a government shutdown after current funding for federal agencies expires on Sept. 30. Speaking to reporters in the U.S. Capitol, McCarthy said the House of Representatives would consider a vote to open debate on the measure sometime, after lawmakers vote on whether to open debate on a defense appropriations bill. The stopgap measure vote had been scheduled to happen first.   "We changed the order," the Republican speaker told reporters, saying the delay would provide more time for his fractured Republican majority to muster the votes needed to pass the measure.   The stopgap, known as a continuing resolution or "CR," faces opposition from more than a dozen Republican hardline conservatives, enough to block its path forward in the House.   The CR would keep federal agencies afloat until Oct. 31 but cut discretionary spending by about 8% for agencies outside of defense, veterans affairs and disaster relief. It would also impose certain restrictions on immigration and resume construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Republican hardliners who oppose the measure say it does not go far enough to cut spending and constrain the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat. The measure also faces stiff opposition from Democrats in both the House and Senate, who have decried its spending cuts and immigration policy changes.

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.

Ray Epps, an Arizona man who became the center of a conspiracy theory about Jan. 6, 2021, has been charged with a misdemeanor offense in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot, according to court papers filed Tuesday.  Epps, a former Marine who claimed in a lawsuit filed this year that Fox News Channel made him a scapegoat for the Capitol riot, is charged with a count of disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds, court records show. Messages seeking comment from an attorney representing Epps in his lawsuit against Fox were not immediately returned Tuesday. There was no attorney listed in the court docket in the criminal case filed in Washington's federal court.  Epps was falsely accused by Fox of being a government agent who was whipping up trouble that would be blamed on Trump supporters, his lawsuit claims. Although the lawsuit mentions Fox's Laura Ingraham and Will Cain, former Fox host Tucker Carlson is cited as the leader in promoting the theory. Epps was featured in more than two dozen segments on Carlson's prime-time show, the lawsuit said. Messages seeking comment were sent Tuesday to Fox News and a lawyer for Carlson.  Epps' lawsuit against Fox says the Justice Department told him in May that he faces criminal charges for his actions on Jan. 6 and blames that on "the relentless attacks by Fox and Mr. Carlson and the resulting political pressure."

A center in Lome, Togo, is offering free training to young unemployed mothers looking for a way to support their families. The goal of the “Moms in Digital” program is to get more women into digital careers. Amen Assignon has the story, narrated by Salem Solomon. Arzouma Kompaore contributed.

Britain has invited China to its global artificial intelligence summit in November, with foreign minister James Cleverly saying the risks of the technology could not be contained if one of its leading players was absent. "We cannot keep the UK public safe from the risks of AI if we exclude one of the leading nations in AI tech," Cleverly said in a statement on Tuesday.   Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants Britain to become a global leader in AI regulation and the summit on Nov. 1-2 will bring together governments, tech companies and academics to discuss the risks posed by the powerful new technology. Britain said the event would touch on topics such as how AI could undermine biosecurity as well as how the technology could be used for public good, for example in safer transport.   Cleverly, who last month became the most senior minister to visit China in five years, has argued for deeper engagement with Beijing, saying it would be a mistake to try to isolate the world's second largest economy and Chinese help was needed in areas such as climate change and economic instability. "The UK's approach to China is to protect our institutions and infrastructure, align with partners and engage where it is in the UK's national interest," Cleverly said on Tuesday.   London is trying to improve ties with Beijing but there has been growing anxiety about Chinese activity in Britain in recent weeks after it was revealed that a parliamentary researcher was arrested in March on suspicion of spying for China. The Chinese embassy in London was not immediately able to say if China would attend the AI summit. Britain has appointed tech expert Matt Clifford and former senior diplomat Jonathan Black to lead preparations for the summit.   The Financial Times reported that government officials want a less “draconian” approach to regulating the technology, compared with the European Union's wide-sweeping AI Act.   Under the incoming EU legislation, organizations using AI systems deemed "high risk" will be expected to complete rigorous risk assessments, log their activities, and make sensitive internal data available to authorities upon request.   Clifford told Reuters last month that he hoped the UK summit would set the tone for future international debates on AI regulation.

Measles, diarrhea and malnutrition, among other preventable diseases, kill about 100 children every month in Sudan where armed conflicts have uprooted more than five million people from their homes, according to the United Nations. Between May 15 and September 14, at least 1,200 children under the age of five died from a deadly combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition in nine camps for internally displaced people in Sudan's White Nile state. There have also been reports of cholera, dengue, and malaria cases emerging in various parts of the country, sparking concerns about the looming threat of epidemics. "Children younger than five are worst impacted, accounting for nearly 70% of all cases and 76% of all deaths," the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. The U.N. warning comes as Sudan's health sector is teetering on the brink of collapse, crippled by a severe lack of funding and essential resources. "Health facilities are at breaking point, due to shortages of staff, life-saving medicine and critical equipment, exacerbating current outbreaks and causing unnecessary deaths," the WHO said. Ongoing-armed hostilities between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which started in April, have generated and exacerbated humanitarian crises in the African country. The conflict has taken an immense toll on Sudan's civilian population, with the Health Ministry acknowledging over 1,500 civilian deaths since the conflict started. However, aid agencies contend that the actual death toll far exceeds the officially reported figures. Both warring factions, the SAF and RSF, have faced accusations of committing egregious acts of violence against civilians, including arbitrary detentions and killings.   "The conflict has paralyzed the economy, pushing millions to the brink of poverty," Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said last week. "More than 7.4 million children are without safe drinking water and at least 700,000 are at risk of severe acute malnutrition," he said. Humanitarian appeal  In May, the U.N. appealed for $2.57 billion in humanitarian assistance for 18 million people in Sudan. However, the situation remains dire, with aid agencies estimating that more than 24 million Sudanese are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. As of September 19, the appeal has garnered $788 million, approximately 30% of the required funds, with the United States leading the list of donors with a contribution of $472.5 million. "The world has the means and the money to prevent every one of these deaths from measles or malnutrition," Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said in a statement on Tuesday. "And yet dozens of children are dying every day — a result of this devastating conflict and a lack of global attention. We can prevent more deaths, but need money for the response, access to those in need, and above all, an end to the fighting," he said, according to the statement. 

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.

A Moscow court on Tuesday declined to hear an appeal by The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against a ruling that extended his pretrial detention by three months, according to Russian state media. Gershkovich has been in detention since his arrest in March on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny. The U.S. government has said the journalist is wrongfully detained.  The court decision marks the latest setback in the legal fight for the reporter, whose pretrial detention has been extended twice — the first being in May. That pre-trial detention was supposed to expire May 29 but it was extended to August and then again to November. With his appeal rejected, his pretrial detention will now last until at least November 30.  No date has been set for his trial.  Gershkovich failed in two previous appeals against his pretrial detention. Press freedom groups have condemned the court's latest decision.    “The latest denial of Evan Gershkovich's appeal is disappointing but unsurprising. Gershkovich is a Kremlin hostage, so we can't expect any remedy to come from the Russian legal system," Clayton Weimers, the head of Reporters Without Borders’ U.S. bureau, said in a statement. Gershkovich appeared in public Tuesday for the first time in months at the court hearing. In photos from the courtroom, he appeared in a glass box surrounded by Russian security officials with covered faces.  Gershkovich’s lawyers tried to challenge the extension of his pretrial detention, but the judge declined to consider their appeal, citing unspecified procedural violations.  Wearing a yellow sweatshirt and jeans, he smiled occasionally to members of the media who were briefly allowed inside the courtroom.  Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately reply to a VOA email requesting comment. The U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, was present at the hearing on Tuesday.  “The U.S. position remains unwavering. The charges against Evan are baseless. The Russian government locked Evan up for simply doing his job. Journalism is not a crime,” Tracy told reporters outside the courthouse. “Evan is fully aware of the gravity of his situation, yet he remains remarkably strong,” Tracy added. The ambassador last visited Gershkovich in jail on Friday. After her visit, the U.S. Embassy in Russia said, “He remains strong and is keeping up with the news.”   

The Daily Northwestern, the student newspaper at Northwestern University, has advice for international students bound for the U.S. The tips include:  Familiarizing yourself with the restrictions that come with an F-1 visa holder. Tapping on-campus resources like the Office of International Students for support. Read the full story here. (August 2023) 

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.

The future of a milestone agreement between South Korea and North Korea, signed five years ago to reduce military tensions, is now uncertain following what Seoul considers a series of violations and military provocations by Pyongyang. Signed by the two Koreas on September 19, 2018, the Comprehensive Military Agreement outlined steps to ease military tensions and prevent unintended accidents. The signing took place during a period of reconciliation between Seoul and Pyongyang, but relations have soured in recent years. North Korea has intensified its weapons programs, conducting numerous ballistic missile tests, including the launches of the Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile in April and July. Pyongyang has also pledged to launch a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit this year. Tuesday, South Korean officials restated their reservations about continuing the implementation of the inter-Korean agreement. “An agreement that is only kept unilaterally by us and not followed by North Korea is not desirable,” said officials from the Unification Ministry during a background briefing. Last Friday, South Korea's defense minister nominee, Shin Won-sik, told reporters that he thought "it would be desirable to abolish the September 19 military agreement" because it would expose South Korea's "military vulnerability” amid North Korea’s repeated military provocations. Seoul has been conducting a legal review on the suspension of the deal after North Korea launched five drones that crossed into South Korea on December 26, 2022. One of them flew over no-fly zones designated around the presidential office in Seoul, and the others flew near the west coast of the peninsula. In January, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol threatened to suspend the deal if North Korea continues its provocations and invades South Korea’s territory again. North Korea violated the pact 17 times from its signing in 2018 up to the end of 2022, according to South Korea’s defense white paper. Former South Korean officials opposed the ending of the tension-reduction deal. “Abolishing the inter-Korean military agreement would be irresponsible, akin to removing the last safety pin,” said former South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday during a public event that marked the fifth anniversary of its signing and the “September 19th Pyongyang Declaration.” Both documents were signed when Moon traveled to Pyongyang in 2018 for direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The two Koreas agreed to end hostilities at fortified regions, including the Demilitarized Zone, as well as resolve family separation issues and further cultural exchanges. “As relations deteriorate and military tensions increase, the military agreement must be kept to the end by the two Koreas to prevent the worst-case scenario and pave the way for dialogue,” Moon said. Others maintained that the pact has reduced risks of a military conflict between the Koreas. “Military tensions in the border area have eased,” said Choi Jong-kun, who was South Korea’s former first vice foreign minister. He said the inter-Korean military agreement “has epoch-making measures to lower the threats of conventional war on the Korean Peninsula, including the sky, land and sea. And it has actually been implemented by two Koreas.” Lee Juhyun contributed to this report.

Le Diner en Blanc – or 'dinner in white' – has gone global since its inception in Paris about three decades ago. In 2014, Washington launched its own version of the visually striking event, and since then some 25,000 people have attended. VOA’s Laurel Bowman reports.

Los Angeles authorities have come up with a plan to house homeless people in city hotels, but that idea isn’t sitting well with some locals. Angelina Bagdasaryan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian.

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.