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The leader of the Taliban said Sunday that his movement is committed to a political settlement to end decades of war in Afghanistan, even as the insurgents battle in dozens of districts across to country to gain territory. The statement by Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada came as Taliban leaders were meeting with a high-level Afghan government delegation in … continue reading -> “Taliban Want Afghan Deal, Leader Says, Even As They Battle On”
Hundreds of Jewish pilgrims visited a contested Jerusalem holy site under heavy police guard on Sunday, shortly after Muslim worshippers briefly clashed with Israeli security forces at the flashpoint shrine. No injuries were reported, but the incident again raised tensions at the hilltop compound revered by Jews and Muslims. Heavy clashes at the site earlier … continue reading -> “Hundreds of Jews Visit Contested Holy Site in Jerusalem”
COVID-19 is taking a devastating toll on medical professionals in Indonesia, where 114 doctors have died so far this month, more than double the number of doctors who died in June, according to a physicians’ network known as the Mitigation Team of the Indonesian Medical Association, or IDI. The rising number of doctor … continue reading -> “Indonesian Doctors Dying of COVID-19 Amid Surge”
With COVID-19 cases rising in the United States, some cities and counties are telling residents to wear masks indoors, even if they are vaccinated, while the Biden administration points to the prevalence of misinformation about vaccinations, especially on social media, as one of the drivers keeping people from getting shots. Michelle Quinn reports. Video editor: … continue reading -> “Biden Administration Struggles to Boost Vaccination Rates as COVID-19 Surges”
Once part of a balanced ecosystem, the number of native sea urchins in Australia is multiplying. Scientists have offered a solution, but will people find it palatable? VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more. Produced by: Arash Arabasadi …
Britain’s National Health Service has contacted Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his finance minister, Rishi Sunak, to let them know that they have been close to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Downing Street said Sunday in a statement the men will participate in a daily contact testing pilot that will allow them to continue … continue reading -> “Britain’s Prime Minister, Finance Minister Exposed to COVID-19”
Two athletes have become the first to test positive for the coronavirus in the Tokyo Olympic Village, officials said on Sunday, just days before the pandemic-delayed Games open.The cases will heighten concerns over the Olympics, which are facing opposition in Japan over fears they will bring new cases to a country already battling a surge … continue reading -> “First Athletes Positive for COVID-19 in Tokyo Olympic Village”
More than 100,000 people protested Saturday across France against the government’s latest measures to push people to get vaccinated and curb rising infections by the delta variant of the coronavirus. In Paris, separate protest marches by the far right and the far left wound through different parts of the city. Demonstrations were also held in … continue reading -> “Thousands Protest Against Vaccination, COVID Passes in France”
Martine Moise, the wife of Haiti’s assassinated president who was injured in the July 7 attack at their private home, returned to the Caribbean nation on Saturday following her release from a Miami hospital. Her arrival was unannounced and surprised many in the country of more than 11 million people still reeling from the assassination … continue reading -> “Martine Moise, Wife of Slain President, Returns to Haiti “
Former Haitian justice ministry official Joseph Felix Badio may have ordered the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise, the head of Colombia’s national police has said, citing a preliminary investigation into the killing. Moise was shot dead at his private residence in a suburb of Port-au-Prince before dawn on July 7. An investigation by Haitian … continue reading -> “Colombian Police Say Former Haiti Official Suspected of Ordering Moise Killing “
Raul Castro was among thousands who attended a government-organized rally in Havana on Saturday to denounce the U.S. trade embargo and reaffirm their support for Cuba’s revolution, a week after unprecedented protests rocked the communist-run country. Government supporters gathered on the city’s seafront boulevard before dawn to wave Cuban flags and photos of late revolutionary … continue reading -> “Cuban Government Holds Mass Rally in Havana After Protests”
Temple elephants in southern India’s Kerala state began their monthlong wellness camp at Vadakkunnathan temple, Saturday, July 17. Eating fruits, rice sweet balls, and other items, the elephants were seen happily interacting with people. The elephants are ritualistically relieved from daily chores for a monthlong restorative treatment called Aanayoottu, beginning from Saturday. Aanayoottu means feeding the elephants with specially prepared … continue reading -> “India Temple Tuskers Begin Their Monthlong Wellness Camp”
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South African authorities in the port city of Durban said Saturday they were investigating a coastal chemical spill that may have been caused by a warehouse fire during unrest this week.Other possible sources are also being investigated as the cause of the spill, which is affecting marine and bird life, the eThekwini municipality said late … continue reading -> “South African Authorities Probe Coastal Chemical Spill in Durban”
Forces in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have released about 1,000 government soldiers captured during recent fighting, the head of its ruling party said, as both sides prepared for a showdown over contested land in the west of the region. Debretsion Gebremichael, leader of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), told Reuters by satellite phone late … continue reading -> “Ethiopia’s Tigray Forces Say They Released 1,000 Captured Soldiers”
Issues in the News moderator Kim Lewis talks with VOA Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson and correspondent for Marketplace Kimberly Adams about the ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans over voting rights legislation, what’s next after Senate Democrats agree to a $3.5 trillion human infrastructure package, the impact of the crises in Haiti and Cuba on … continue reading -> “US Politicians Battle over Voting Rights Legislation”
The U.S. is experiencing a rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths. The highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus among unvaccinated people is largely responsible for the outbreak.Four states with low vaccination rates were responsible for 40% of last week’s new cases, but cases have risen in all 50 states, officials say.Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director … continue reading -> “US Experiencing ‘A Pandemic of the Unvaccinated’”
Rescue workers searched flood-ravaged parts of western Germany for survivors on Saturday as water levels remained high in many towns and houses continued to collapse in the country’s worst natural disaster in half a century. At least 133 people have died in the flooding, including some 90 people in the Ahrweiler district south of Cologne, … continue reading -> “German Floods Kill at Least 133, Search for Survivors Continues”
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Pope Francis cracked down Friday on the spread of the old Latin Mass, reversing one of Pope Benedict XVI’s signature decisions in a major challenge to traditionalist Catholics who immediately decried it as an attack on them and the ancient liturgy. Francis reimposed restrictions on celebrating the Latin Mass that Benedict relaxed in 2007 and … continue reading -> “Pope Reverses Benedict, Reimposes Restrictions on Latin Mass”
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Oliver Daemen, 18, received exciting news Thursday from the Blue Origin flight team: He will be flying into space on July 20.Daemen, who will attend Utrecht University in the Netherlands this fall, will be the youngest person to reach space when he departs on Blue Origin’s New Shepard flight. A press release from his family … continue reading -> “Teen Chosen to Fly Into Space With Bezos “
The World Meteorological Organization is calling for action to halt climate change as extreme weather becomes the norm rather than the exception. Heavy rainfall this week has triggered devastating floods across western Europe, killing and injuring scores of people, destroying homes and livelihoods. At the same time, parts of Scandinavia — northern Europe’s coldest region — … continue reading -> “Extreme Weather Becoming the Norm, Not the Exception”