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cannes, france — Film director Mohammad Rasoulof, who has secretly fled Iran for an undisclosed location in Europe, urged the world film community on Tuesday to provide "strong support" to his colleagues. Rasoulof, who was sentenced to jail on national security charges, and whose latest movie will compete at this month's Cannes film festival, said he fears for the "safety and well-being" of fellow filmmakers still in Iran. "The global film community must provide strong support to the makers of these films," Rasoulof said in a statement to Agence France-Presse. Rasoulof announced on Monday he had escaped clandestinely from Iran, just days after it emerged that he had been sentenced to eight years in prison for "collusion against national security." Rasoulof had been under pressure from Iranian authorities to withdraw his latest film, "The Seed of the Sacred Fig," from Cannes, where it will compete for the prestigious event's top prize, the Palme d'Or. Cannes director Thierry Fremaux said the festival was working with the French Foreign Ministry in the hope of ensuring that Rasoulof, 51, can attend his premiere next week. Rasoulof's statement said he did not yet know if he could attend the premiere. "I arrived in Europe a few days ago after a long and complicated journey," said Rasoulof, who won the Berlin International Film Festival's Golden Bear in 2020 for "There Is No Evil." He said his latest movie set out to portray a version of Iran "that is far from the narrative dominated by censorship in the Islamic Republic and is closer to reality." After he and his filmmaking colleagues came under pressure from the authorities, Rasoulof learned that his "unfair" eight-year sentence would be enforced imminently, and he felt he had no choice but to flee. "I had to choose between prison and leaving Iran," he wrote. "With a heavy heart, I chose exile." While some colleagues involved in the film were also able to leave the country, others remain there. "My thoughts go to every single one of them, and I fear for their safety and well-being," he said.

tehran, iran — Iran Tuesday condemned as "interfering" a French Foreign Ministry statement accusing it of "state hostage-taking" and "blackmail" in the detention of four French nationals. "We strongly condemn such unprofessional, interfering and inappropriate positions while resorting to false references," Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani told state news agency IRNA. "The people mentioned in the statement of the French Foreign Ministry were arrested based on solid evidence and witnesses, and the French government is well aware of their crimes." Teacher Cecile Kohler and her partner, Jacques Paris, were detained in Iran in May 2022. They are accused of seeking to stir up labor unrest, accusations their families vehemently deny. "France condemns this policy of state hostage-taking and this constant blackmail by the Iranian authorities," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on May 7, calling for the couple's release. Kanani called on the French "to avoid resorting to such statements and using words outside of diplomatic decency, which have negative consequences on relations between the two countries." Kohler and Paris both made televised confessions after their arrests that France described as "forced." Two other French citizens are held by Iran: a man identified only by his first name, Olivier, and Louis Arnaud, a banking consultant who was sentenced to five years in jail on national security charges last year. The four are among at least a dozen European passport holders in Iranian custody, some of them dual nationals.

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.

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir — Voter turnout in Indian Kashmir neared record highs Monday as residents swarmed polling stations across Srinagar in the first national election since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2019 nullification of the Himalayan region's semi-autonomous status. Marking the second-highest voting percentage in more than three decades, Monday's turnout of at least 36% reverses a long-running trend of unusually low vote counts. More than double the 2019 election turnout of 14.43%, Monday's turnout, according to regional election officials, remains lower than India's national average of 62%. “Overall, the polling process was peaceful, with no negative incidents occurring during the voting process as well as during the campaigning period,” said Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Electoral Officer Pandurang Kundbarao Pole, who said none of Srinagar's 2,135 polling booths went unused. Roiled by a 35-year insurgency against Indian rule that has killed tens of thousands, turnout in past elections was impacted by boycotts and threats of militant attacks. Pole said security throughout the Kashmir Valley, which Modi's 2019 ruling bifurcated into two federally governed territories of Jammu-and-Kashmir and Ladakh, has improved, resulting in increased turnout. “I arrived at 6 a.m. to cast my vote. This is the first time I have voted because I want to see the change,” Srinagar resident Muzamil Rashid Mir told VOA. “Our rights and dignity were snatched from us by the central government. I have shown faith in democracy by exercising my franchise. I want to see the rolling back of the special status.” While some polling stations saw enormous and demographically diverse crowds waiting in long lines amid tight security, others had a picnic-like atmosphere with people serving tea, bread and biscuits. With Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) skipping elections in Kashmir for the first time since 1996, saying it will support regional parties instead, the main players are the National Conference (NC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP), which have focused on restoration of semi-autonomy in their campaigns. Mir says he's backing NC's Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and PDP's Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra. “Mehdi has been vocal about our special status while on the other hand, Parra has been vocal, too, about the rights people of Kashmir have been demanding for years,” Mir said. “I want one among the two to win the seat.” Some locals, such as 80-year-old Fata Begum, say BJP’s style of governance has left voters no choice but to reject “forceful decisions imposed” upon them. “Inflation has surged and smart meters have been installed in our homes even though the economic conditions are weak and our youth are unemployed. This is all because of Modi,” Begum told VOA. NC Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani told VOA that all prominent candidates are prepared take a tough stance in parliament to represent the will of Kashmir Valley voters. “The outcome is the result of a 2019 decision taken by the BJP,” Wani said. “The candidates will fight for the rights that people have been demanding.” Meanwhile, President Modi praised members of the Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency for the high turnout, which he called “significant and better than before.” “The abrogation of Article 370," the constitutional clause granting Jammu and Kashmir special status "has enabled the potential and aspirations of the people to find full expression,” Modi commented on the X social media platform. “Happening at the grassroots level, it is great for the people of J&K, in particular the youth.” Kashmir is disputed by India, which rules the populous Kashmir Valley and the Hindu-dominated region of Jammu, and Pakistan, which controls a wedge of territory in the west. China holds a thinly populated high-altitude area in the north. The highest Kashmir Valley voter turnout of 40.94% was recorded in 1996, according to regional election officials. Despite large-scale allegations of "coercive voting," according to Indian journalist Anuradha Bhasin, that election cycle was largely touted by Indian government officials as "progress towards democracy after decades of separatist insurgency in Kashmir." Wasim Nabi contributed to this report. Some information came from Reuters.

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 groundbreaking clinical trial is underway in South Africa, marking a pivotal moment in the fight against tuberculosis. The new vaccine could become the first to help prevent pulmonary TB, the most common form of the disease, in adolescents and adults. It would be the first new TB vaccine in more than a century. Zaheer Cassim has the story.

Kampala — An official of the International Criminal Court has promised victims of Uganda’s rebel Lord's Resistance Army that the court will provide reparations that were promised after the conviction of a top LRA leader. However, the Tribunal Trust Fund does not have enough money to make the payments, and now some victims worry other world conflicts are drawing down donor funds. ICC Registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler, speaking to the media Tuesday in Uganda, assured victims of the violent, long-running LRA rebellion that the court would do as much as possible to ensure victims get their reparations. In February, ICC judges ordered $56 million in reparations to recognize the harm suffered by 50,000 victims of war crimes for which Dominic Ongwen has been convicted. Those include murder, rape, forced marriage, and the recruitment of child soldiers. Giler’s commitment comes despite Ongwen’s appeal of his conviction.  Giler said while the appeal is still pending, the ICC will continue efforts to raise funds to pay the reparations and comply with the court order. He also indicated not all victims would receive payments at the same time. “And that will depend on the fundraising efforts of the trust fund to do this. I am confident that there is enough interest in the international donor-based community to support the effort of the trust fund in trying to achieve its goals,” said Giler. Speaking to VOA before meeting the ICC registrar, Bishop Nelson Onono-Onweng, a community leader from Gulu district, said what he is hearing from the ICC is worrying. Bishop Onono said the promised $795 per person allocation for the 50,000 victims is too little, yet the ICC has no money. “So, if it comes now it will be great. But, we are told they are still raising the money. Fundraising today as you know with the war in the world. I don’t know. But, personally I am worried. Because the international community is now overwhelmed with the needs in the world to support the suffering people,” he said. Peter Labeja, a journalist from Gulu district, lost his father during the 20-year rebellion. He was also abducted but was lucky to escape.    Labeja told VOA victims still have questions on how the money will be shared. “Who is going to take the money? Is it the head of the family taking the money or the entire group in the household taking the money? And, we were quick to calculate. We said this is about three-million shillings in Uganda. What can three-million shillings do? It can’t even send a child to the university for two semesters,” he said. The community remains hopeful that the communal reparation will be used to build schools and health facilities and improve roads. Victims will have to wait until September, not for the money, but for the ICC to prepare the implementation plan now being developed. Dominic Ongwen is serving his 25-year prison sentence in Norway. The LRA fought the Ugandan government for 20 years resulting in the deaths of about 100,000 people. Meanwhile, 19 years after an arrest warrant was issued for LRA leader Joseph Kony, the ICC pre-trial chamber has set October 15 to hold a hearing confirming charges against him. But according to ICC Mofficials, Kony qualifies as a person who cannot be found so no confirmation hearing can be held.

The NATO Swift Response exercise began earlier this month in Sweden, where around 800 paratroopers from the United States, Spain, Hungary, and Italy are training together to deter any potential aggression. It is the first such exercise on Swedish soil since the country joined NATO in March. VOA’s Eastern Europe Chief Myroslava Gongadze reports from the training ground in Sweden. Video editor: Daniil Batushchak

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.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Kyiv amid Russian advances in the Kharkiv region. President Putin is preparing to visit China seeking help with his fight in Ukraine, but President Xi must not upset Western trading partners. Washington is working to resolve remaining issues in ongoing peace negotiations in Gaza as Israeli forces appear to be preparing to enter Rafah. An increasing presence of Russian military activity has some Norwegians worried, and a view of the Indian election as seen from Pakistan.

WILMINGTON, Delaware — Hunter Biden's federal gun case will go to trial next month, a judge said Tuesday, denying a bid by lawyers for the president's son to delay the prosecution.  U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika rejected Hunter Biden's request to push the trial until September, which the defense said was necessary to give the defense time to line up witnesses and go through evidence handed over by prosecutors.  President Joe Biden's son is accused of lying about his drug use in October 2018 on a form to buy a gun that he kept for about 11 days.  Hunter Biden, who has pleaded not guilty, has acknowledged struggling with an addiction to crack cocaine during that period in 2018, but his lawyers have said he didn't break the law.  His attorneys have argued that prosecutors bowed to pressure by Republicans, who claimed the Democratic president's son was initially given a sweetheart deal, and that he was indicted because of political pressure.  But the judge overseeing the case last month rejected his claim that the prosecution is politically motivated along with other efforts to dismiss the case. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week said the case could move forward to trial.  Hunter Biden was supposed to plead guilty last year to misdemeanor tax charges and would have avoided prosecution on the gun charges had he stayed out of trouble for two years. It was the culmination of a yearslong investigation by federal prosecutors into the business dealings of the president's son, and the agreement would have dispensed with criminal proceedings and spared the Bidens weeks of headlines as the 2024 election loomed.  But the deal broke down after the judge who was supposed to sign off on the agreement instead raised a series of questions about it.  Hunter Biden was indicted on three gun firearms charges in Delaware and was charged separately in California, where he lives, with tax crimes.  He's charged in the Delaware case with two counts of making false statements, first for checking a box falsely saying he was not addicted to drugs and second for giving it to the shop for their federally required records. A third count alleges he possessed the gun for about 11 days despite knowing he was a drug user.  In California, Hunter Biden is charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors over at least $1.4 million in taxes he owed between 2016 and 2019. Prosecutors have accused him of spending millions of dollars on an "extravagant lifestyle" instead of paying his taxes. The back taxes have since been paid.

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.

Jakarta   — This October, 45-year-old Kevin Wu will serve in the Jakarta House of Regional Representatives for the first time, becoming part of a minority of ethnic Chinese elected officials in the Indonesian legislative body. Wu has been a staunch advocate for Chinese-Indonesian rights since 2008 and helped to establish a Buddhist house of worship in the predominantly Muslim country. Now, he is an entrepreneur who advocates for small businesses. “If we witness injustice, we have two choices — to accept our fate or to strive and hope for change. I chose to do the latter,” he said. Wu said he was inspired to fight for Chinese-Indonesian rights by late President Abdurrahman Wahid, who was known for his support for ethnic and religious tolerance. In February, nearly 205 million Indonesians were eligible to cast their votes in the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections. According to the last census in 2010, 1.2% of Indonesia’s total population is of Chinese ethnicity, at over 2.8 million people. Johanes Herlijanto, chairman of the Indonesian Sinology Forum, a group that seeks to promote Indonesia-China relations, said that in this election he saw more names of Chinese-Indonesian politicians vying for the 500 seats in the national Parliament as well as in the District Representative Council, Provincial Council and Local Council than there were during the parliamentary elections in 2019. Herlijanto said that political activism among the Chinese-Indonesian community strengthened in the last 26 years, since the Jakarta riots in May 1998 that saw many Chinese Indonesians being persecuted. He said he has seen more Chinese Indonesians serving in public offices ranging from regent, mayoral and legislative. Herlijanto explained that there have been organizations that provided political education to Chinese Indonesians since the late 1990s. “This allowed Chinese Indonesians who previously were uncomfortable, to be involved in politics, to now being elected and actively improving public welfare as politicians,” he said. For decades, under President Suharto, many Chinese Indonesians faced discrimination, persecution and social restrictions, such as being banned from using their Chinese names, practicing their traditional beliefs, showcasing Chinese culture and having their full citizenship recognized. It was only after former President Wahid came into power in October 1999 that government discrimination against Chinese Indonesians was abolished with the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 6, which protected minority rights. Wahid – commonly known as “Gus Dur” – was the former head of Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, and had Chinese, Arab and Javanese ancestry. Wu joined the Indonesian Solidarity Party, or PSI, in 2024, founded by a Chinese Indonesian TV news anchor-turned-politician, and said he was attracted to the party’s dynamic “start-up”-like work environment and idealistic approach to politics. Wu is also a member of the Young Entrepreneurs Association and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “I am keen to support industries that open up more job opportunities, offer quality human resources development programs and ease the application process for business permits and industries,” he told VOA. Daniel Johan, 52, a Buddhist, has been a legislator for the past decade and will serve his third five-year term for the Indonesian Renaissance Party, PKB, in October 2024. He said Gus Dur, and another PKB leader, Muhaimin Iskandar, both inspired him. Johan is active in the Chinese Clans Association of Indonesia and shared with VOA that it took months of working in the community for his constituents, who are mostly Muslims in West Kalimantan, to trust and vote for a Chinese Indonesian politician. “This term, I will be working on issues regarding food security, food independence and how to improve the management of natural resources and better monitor the implementation of the Mineral and Coal Production Law,” he said. Although political activism and involvement is on the rise in the Chinese Indonesian community, politicians and leaders of Chinese associations in Indonesia are still aware that stereotypes remain, especially in rural areas. Herlijanto said that the campaign teams for all three presidential candidates in the recent elections had Chinese Indonesian supporters, “so taking on divisive identity politics is not a prudent political strategy.” However, the tides could turn against ethnic and religious minorities if divisive identity politics were to be used again in future elections. Herlijanto noted the case of former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Chinese-Christian governor known as “Ahok,” who was sentenced to two years in prison in 2017 under Indonesia’s blasphemy law, based on claims he insulted the Quran during his campaign for reelection. Ahok denied wrongdoing. “Although radicalism based on religious beliefs, or a narrowed interpretation of nationalism, has faded in recent years, its re-emergence is possible and is an issue Chinese Indonesians are cautious about. That’s why it’s important for Chinese Indonesians to be inclusive, strive for equality and welfare and show that we stand for all Indonesians,” said Herlijanto. I Wayan Suparmin, head of the Indonesian Chinese Association in Jakarta, said Chinese Indonesians must strive to be more inclusive in their surroundings and better understand that in a community everyone’s lives are truly intertwined. A notion that Johan agrees with, “Moving forward, Chinese-Indonesian politicians need to be more sincere, humble and avoid being deceitful or scandalous. The majority of people can sense politicians’ sincerity and intentions.”

GENEVA — U.N. agencies are banding together in coordination with Afghanistan’s de facto Taliban rulers to aid hundreds of thousands of survivors of devastating flash floods that struck northeastern Afghanistan Friday. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, reported Monday that search and rescue operations continue. It said that 14 U.N. teams have been deployed to jointly assess the damage and needs, and that humanitarian partners “have identified available emergency stocks in the region.” Speaking to journalists in Geneva from Kabul Tuesday, World Food Program official Timothy Anderson stressed the critical need to provide emergency food aid in the worst-affected areas, which were already facing multiple crises. “There has been widespread destruction, death and injury in areas where people are least able to absorb shocks,” said Anderson, the WFP’s head of program in Afghanistan. “On our current information, about 540 people are dead and injured, around 3,000 houses fully or partially destroyed, 10,000 acres of orchards destroyed, and 2,000 livestock killed. “Many of those who have survived have nothing left, no homes to return to and no food,” he said, adding that the full impact of this disaster will not be known until U.N. personnel are able to reach currently inaccessible areas. “We are taking food via donkeys, as that is the only way we can reach some of these districts. ... So far, WFP provided the survivors with emergency food assistance, and we are planning to distribute blanket cash assistance in the coming days, which is enough to cover their basic needs for a month,” he said. WFP reports that two of the hardest-hit areas, Baghlan and Badakhshan, are in so-called "hunger hotspots” — areas where the seasonal harvest has been destroyed and little food is available. “These communities will still need food assistance over the summer just to survive,” Anderson said. “Our staff on the ground tell me everyone they speak to is worried less about the homes they lost and more about their destroyed agricultural land. As subsistence farmers, it is their sole source of livelihood — and already marginal to meet their basic needs.” UNICEF reports 3.2 million Afghan children under the age of 5 suffer from malnutrition, a figure that “is set to climb.” UNICEF says undernutrition is responsible for nearly half of all deaths in children under 5 as it puts them at greater risk of dying from common infections. Anderson said this worries him because WFP is suffering from a severe funding shortfall. He said WFP has received only 30% of the $1 billion it needs for its operation this year, forcing the agency to make drastic cuts in food aid. Anderson said the agency is currently serving about 2 million people in Afghanistan, down from 12 million previously. The World Health Organization reports the heavy rainfall that triggered the violent flooding has rendered several health facilities nonoperational, making it difficult for people to access essential services. “The full extent of the damage caused by the floods is still being assessed, and WHO and local health authorities are closely looking into the situation on the ground to see what we can identify,” said Christian Lindmeier, WHO spokesperson. He noted that WHO so far has delivered seven metric tons of essential medicines and medical supplies and has “immediately deployed a surveillance support team and other experts for flood-response activities.” Prior to the disaster, he said, WHO had already provided enough medication for pneumonia and acute watery diarrhea, as well as enough malnutrition treatments for some 20,000 people, plus supplies for 500 trauma cases. Additionally, he said, “Seventeen mobile health teams were deployed by WHO and health partners to support the delivery of health care.” WFP’s Anderson said that to date, there have been no reported problems with the Taliban regarding “the integration of our female staff members” into WFP’s humanitarian operation. “We are always very keen to ensure that all beneficiaries, all affected populations, male or female, are adequately and equally covered in our response mechanisms and processes,” he said. While acknowledging the many competing crises in the world, the WFP official said this was no time to abandon Afghanistan. He repeated his appeal for international support, saying, “You cannot just stop feeding starving people.”

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.