ISLAMABAD — Taliban authorities in Afghanistan said Tuesday that an overnight attack on a Shiite mosque in a western region bordering Iran had killed at least six people, including a child. An Interior Ministry spokesman reported that an “unknown armed person” stormed the mosque in the Guzara district in Herat province and sprayed worshippers with bullets before fleeing. "Six civilians were martyred and one was injured," Abdul Mateen Qani said on social media platform X. No... Читать дальше...
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu is expected to strengthen ties with China following the landslide win by his party in recent parliamentary elections. The polls, held under the shadow of rivalry between India and China for influence in the archipelago, are being seen as a setback for India’s bid to limit Beijing’s presence in the Indian Ocean region. Anjana Pasricha in New Delhi has a report.
Campus protests of the war in Gaza continue, despite college administrations' warnings — and new ones are being launched. VOA Natasha Mozgovaya reports from an encampment set up Monday at the University of Washington in Seattle.
There is a cease-fire deal on the table and it’s up to Hamas to accept or not. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, British Foreign Minister David Cameron and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on behalf of U.S. President Joe Biden all sent that message to the world on Monday. Students at universities across the United States continue to protest the Gaza war. We talk to Scott Gac with Trinity College in the U.S. state of Connecticut. A twice-delayed legislative election got underway in Togo on Monday. Читать дальше...
While Washington has so far failed to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire in the Gaza conflict, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Middle East on Monday to try to improve the humanitarian situation and lay the groundwork for what happens in Gaza — and the region — after the war ends. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House.
Human Rights Watch has released crucial archives from the 1994 genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda, revealing ignored warnings that could have saved lives. These warnings by rights defenders highlight their vital role in safeguarding communities. Thirty years on, civil society groups are intensifying efforts by training more youth advocates to protect human rights in Rwanda. Senanu Tord reports from Kigali, Rwanda.
houston — Time marches on and all good things must come to an end. But don't tell that to The Rolling Stones. What many believe to be the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon as they kicked off their latest tour Sunday night at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Stones have been touring for more than 60 years. Frontman Mick Jagger and lead guitarist Keith Richards are both 80, with guitarist Ronnie Wood not far behind at 76. Their tour is being sponsored in part by AARP. Читать дальше...
NEW YORK — Columbia University on Monday began suspending pro-Palestinian activists who refused to dismantle a tent encampment on its New York City campus after the Ivy League school declared a stalemate in talks seeking to end the polarizing protest. University President Nemat Minouche Shafik said in a statement that days of negotiations between student organizers and academic leaders had failed to persuade demonstrators to remove the dozens of tents set up to express opposition to Israel's war in Gaza. Читать дальше...
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University, a small Catholic and historically Black school in New Orleans, formally signed an agreement Monday with Ochsner Health to establish a medical school. When it opens, the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine will join the nation’s four existing historically Black medical schools: Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. Another historically Black institution... Читать дальше...
new york — Unionized hotel workers demanding significant pay raises will rally on May Day in 18 U.S. and Canadian cities, as talks are beginning with hotel operators Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide Holdings and Hyatt Hotels Corp. Talks will cover about 40,000 workers who look to secure new contracts for the first time since the pandemic. Workers want to reverse pandemic-era staffing and service cuts, as well as duplicate the big pay hikes that organized workers across the nation have been winning in recent years. Читать дальше...
U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump is planning to campaign in the Midwest state of Michigan this week. It’s one of a handful of states that could swing the results of November’s presidential election. VOA Correspondent Scott Stearns has our story.
new york — A senior U.S. official warned Monday that more than 2 million people in El Fasher, in Sudan’s western Darfur region, are under imminent threat of a “large-scale massacre” from a paramilitary group’s attack and urged the international community to pressure the warring parties to de-escalate. “There are already credible reports that the RSF and its allied militias have razed multiple villages west of El Fasher,” U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters at the United Nations. Читать дальше...
geneva — Countries trying to negotiate a new global agreement on combating future pandemics began bridging their differences Monday, but they're racing against time to seal a deal. The 194 nations in the World Health Organization are back at its Geneva headquarters for one last round of negotiations, after a two-year effort to secure a landmark accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response overran last month's deadline. Issued with a new, slimmed-down draft text that kicks some of the tougher topics down the road... Читать дальше...