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KYIV, Ukraine — Authorities in Ukraine have created a national registry to document cases of sexual violence allegedly committed by Russian forces, a senior prosecutor told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Viktoriia Litvinova, the country’s deputy prosecutor general, said the registry was created out of a pilot project that had already resulted in the convictions of five people in absentia. She declined to comment on details of the cases. “We used to have to visit territories where hostilities are taking place ourselves,” she said. “But now people — individuals who have experienced sexual abuse — are seeking us out for information.” Litvinova said 303 cases of conflict-related sexual violence had been registered since the start of the full-scale invasion in early 2022, with 112 involving male and 191 involving female victims. Some of the victims have suffered from multiple assaults, she said. The initiative was announced on the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence, and it has received assistance from U.N. agencies and several Western governments. Government officials said the registry could be used to make claims for financial compensation for the victims from Russia in the future. The five convictions resulted from sexual assault allegations in areas attacked or occupied by Russian forces, in Kyiv and the cities of Kherson and Chernihiv. Massimo Diana, a representative of the U.N. Population Fund, said the actual number of victims was likely to be much higher than those in the registry. “This violence has been perpetrated on women and girls, on men and boys. Nobody has been exempted from the risk of this heinous act,” Diana said. His agency had assisted in creating 12 support centers around the country for victims of domestic violence and sexual attacks, he said, along with three mobile facilities. To raise awareness for the program and to encourage victims to come forward, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna unveiled a painting by artist Julia Tveritina at a gallery and art center in Kyiv. “The [painting] is of men and women surrounded by yellow rapeseed flowers,” Stefanishyna said. “This flower renews itself after the frost, and it symbolizes hope that all of the survivors may leave their traumatic events in the past.”

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Islamabad — Afghanistan’s Taliban have labeled the latest United Nations report on alleged human rights violations as an attempt to “tarnish perceptions” in the lead-up to this month’s international meeting to discuss the crisis-ridden country. Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesman, emphasized Wednesday the need for “constructive and positive engagement” between their government and the international community.  His response came a day after Richard Bennett, the U.N. special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, alleged that the Taliban’s “pattern of systematic violations of women’s and girls’ fundamental rights” has intensified.  Bennett presented his hard-hitting report on Tuesday to a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, demanding that those responsible for Afghan human rights abuses be held to account. “Some members of the United Nations, particularly the report by Richard Bennett, are attempting to tarnish perceptions ahead of the upcoming Doha meeting,” Mujahid stated. “Unfortunately, certain individuals within the United Nations are constantly trying to present a distorted image of Afghanistan and overshadow significant progress with a few limited issues,” he added. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called a two-day conference of international envoys on Afghanistan in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on June 30.  The Taliban will attend for the first time in what will be the third meeting hosted by the Gulf state since Guterres initiated the process over a year ago. The U.N.-led dialogue is aimed at establishing a coherent and unified global approach to engagement with the de facto Afghan government, which has yet to be formally recognized by the world. Bennett said Tuesday it is essential that Afghan civil society, including women human rights defenders, meaningfully participate in the third Doha meeting and that women’s and girls’ rights be addressed both directly and within thematic discussions.  "It is hoped that reality will be understood, and a constructive stance will be adopted,” Mujahid said Wednesday. Human rights groups have criticized the U.N. for inviting the Taliban to the Doha huddle rather than holding them accountable for “crimes” against Afghan women and girls. They also have expressed concerns that, unlike the previous two Doha meetings, Afghan civil society and human rights activists would be kept from the upcoming session under pressure from the Taliban.  On Tuesday, Farhan Haq, the U.N. deputy spokesperson, defended the decision to invite the Taliban to the third Doha conference. He would not say, however, whether Afghan civil society representatives will have a session with representatives of the de facto government. “At this stage, the arrangements for the conference are still ongoing," Haq told a news conference in New York.  “This is a key concern, and we want to make sure that the rightful role of women in society is respected in Afghanistan, as it needs to be everywhere in the world,” he said when asked whether the U.N. would support Bennett’s call for the Taliban’s “gender apartheid” to be codified as a crime against humanity. “Well, I just want to underscore that we treat them as the de facto authorities on the ground. They are not treated as the recognized government of Afghanistan,” Haq explained when asked whether the U.N. would follow Bennett's advice not to treat the Taliban as a legitimate government or allow them to dictate the terms of the U.N.-hosted meetings. Guterres did not invite the Taliban to the first Doha meeting in May 2023, and the de facto Afghan rulers refused to join the second in February unless their delegates could be accepted as the sole representatives of Afghanistan.  The Taliban’s foreign ministry announced on Sunday that it has decided to send its delegation to the third Doha meeting after two months of discussions with the U.N. regarding the agenda and participation list. “If there are any changes to the agenda and participation, it would naturally affect our decision, which we will share with all sides at that time,” it stated.  The Taliban returned to power in Kabul almost three years ago, imposing sweeping retractions on Afghan women’s rights and freedom of movement in line with their harsh interpretation of Islam. Girls aged 12 and older are banned from attending secondary school, and women are prohibited from working in public and private sectors, including the U.N., except for Afghan health care and a few other departments. Females are not allowed to travel long distances by road or air unless accompanied by a male relative, and they are banned from visiting public places such as parks, gyms and bathhouses.  The Taliban dismiss international criticism of their governance and calls for reversing curbs on women as an interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.

N'DJAMENA, Chad — Nine people were killed and more than 40 injured when a fire set off explosions at a military ammunition depot in Chad’s capital, an official said Wednesday. Government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah said 46 people were being treated for various injuries after the explosions jolted residents from their sleep late Tuesday in the Goudji district of N’Djamena. The situation has been brought under control, Koulamallah said. The explosions lit up the sky as thick smoke covered the clouds in the West African nation, setting off frantic efforts to extinguish the fire as residents fled their homes for safety. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, and President Mahamat Deby Itno said an investigation would be conducted. “Peace to the souls of the victims, sincere condolences to the bereaved families and quick recovery to the injured,” Deby said on Facebook. He later visited the accident scene and hospitals where the injured were treated. People living in the area panicked, thinking the explosion was an armed attack, resident Oumar Mahamat said. Local media reported the blasts started just before midnight as nearby buildings shook and ammunition was thrown from the depot with explosive force. Authorities called on residents to stay out of the area, which was taken over by security forces gathering the scattered artillery shells. Allamine Moussa, a resident, called on the government to “come to our aid urgently” after he and other residents fled their homes. “Many families have recorded deaths, and it’s sad,” Moussa said. Chad, a country of nearly 18 million people, has been reeling from political turmoil before and after a controversial presidential election that resulted in Deby Itno’s victory. He had led the country as interim president during the period of military rule that followed the death of his father in 2021. Cameron Hudson, an Africa expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the explosions might not be entirely coincidental and “feels more like a message” to the government, which has been embroiled in internal political tensions and as well as regional tensions over the war in neighboring Sudan. Recent claims about Chad's alleged involvement in the war in Sudan create an untenable position at home for Deby Itno, said Hudson, a former U.S. official. “A house divided cannot stand.”

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Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un formalize their anti-Western alliance. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterates that Hamas is to blame for the lack of progress in ceasefire talks. A look at Israel’s northern border and the increasing tension with Hezbollah. Ukraine sees progress now that it can use Western-supplied weapons on Russian territory, but the fighting in Kharkiv is getting worse. Plus, there are problems with Iran’s partnership with Russia and a look at the heat wave.

Mexico City — Mexico's President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday her government would pursue responsible spending and reduce the fiscal deficit next year without raising taxes, while defending a judicial overhaul that has spooked markets since her party secured a landslide victory in general elections.   "We are preparing a very responsible budget," Sheinbaum told business people at an event in Mexico City. "Our objective is that the deficit in 2025 will be a maximum of 3.5% of GDP, this year it will be closing over 5%."   Sheinbaum said her administration would look to boost tax take via other avenues, such as digitizing customs and the internal revenue service.   Mexico's budget deficit this year is the highest rate since the 1980s as outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador splurged on social spending and to complete major infrastructure works such as a new refinery and tourist train.   Sheinbaum defended again a major judicial reform, proposed earlier this year by Lopez Obrador, which would look to elect judges - including the Supreme Court - by popular vote. The president-elect said the judicial reform would not represent a concentration of power or a shift towards authoritarianism.   The increasing likelihood that a version of this reform could be passed when the newly elected legislature takes office in September has scared markets, with the peso down around 8.5% since the June 2 election.   Some investors fear the overhaul could allow the political capture of the judiciary and remove vital checks and balances over the president and ruling party.

Brussels — Brussels has refused to host a Nations League football match between Israel and Belgium on September 6 because it could spark demonstrations, city authorities said on Wednesday. They said holding such a match while the war in Gaza was continuing "will undoubtedly provoke large demonstrations and counterdemonstrations, compromising the safety of spectators, players, Brussels residents and also the police." The Belgian Football Federation said it would have accepted that the match, at the King Baudouin Stadium, take place behind closed doors, but it deeply regretted that the Belgian capital refused to host the game at all. "We deplore the decision taken by the City of Brussels — which has a lot of experience of organizing big events — to not organize the match in our stronghold," the federation said. The federation said it was in contact with several cities and security services about finding an alternative venue. The city of Louvain has already said it would not host the match. A spokesperson for the Israeli football federation, Shlomi Barzel, told AFP: "This is a matter concerning Belgium; it's not our problem." Concerns were likely raised by the attack in Brussels in October in which an Islamist gunman killed two Swedish football fans before a Euro 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden, although the motive of the attack was not anti-Semitic. France and Italy are in the same Nations League Group A2 as Belgium and Israel.

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.

Aid groups say crises in Sudan, Somalia, the Sahel, and other places are receiving a lot less funding that they need to handle the challenges they face. Earlier this month, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council's (NRC) said "the utter neglect of displaced people has become the new normal." Henry Wilkins reports on what refugees and non-profit groups think about current funding levels.

GENEVA — Independent investigators have accused Sudan’s warring parties of driving the country into a humanitarian abyss by blatantly disregarding fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law.  The three-member International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan presented its first oral update Tuesday and Wednesday at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.   The investigators told the council that the lack of concern for the suffering of millions of Sudanese civilians by the warring parties has led to killings, looting, mass displacement, rape and other forms of sexual violence, “and resulted in a grave humanitarian crisis.”  They accused the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of preventing humanitarian aid from reaching millions of people who are at risk of famine.  Citing the World Food Program, they warned that around 18 million people deprived of sufficient food will face acute hunger, with 5 million on the brink of starvation.  The U.N. reports that rampant violations and abuses, along with the deprivation of essential lifesaving aid, have led to the mass displacement of nearly 9 million people inside Sudan, as well as to more than 1.8 million people fleeing to neighboring countries.  Since the conflict began in April 2023, other armed groups have sprung up to support the two main military forces. Fact-finding mission chair Mohamed Chande Othman said the deadly conflict “now involves multiple actors within and outside Sudan and has spread from Khartoum and Darfur to most of the country.”  “We are deeply concerned that the fighting persists with tragic consequences and enormous suffering of the civilian population,” he said.   “We have received credible accounts of indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian objects, including through airstrikes and shelling in heavily populated residential areas, as well as ground attacks against civilians in their homes and villages,” he said. He added that in the capital, Khartoum, and in nearby towns, killings, looting and sexual violence have “forced many to leave their homes and property to seek refuge in other locations.”  The investigators expressed particular concern about the situation in the Darfur region, especially the siege of the capital, El Fasher — the last stronghold of the SAF, where 1.5 million inhabitants and some 800,000 internally displaced people are in great danger.  “Already, heavy fighting between the warring parties in different parts of the city has led to significant civilian casualties, damaged homes and caused mass displacement,” Othman said. “The attack on one of the main and last functioning hospitals in the city on June 8 led to its closure, leaving the civilian population without access to lifesaving medical care.”  The fact-finding mission said it is investigating earlier large-scale attacks against civilians based on their ethnicity in other areas of Darfur. These, said Othman, “have included killings, rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture, forced displacement and looting.”  The investigators said they also have received credible reports of rampant sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, and that they are investigating reports “of sexual slavery and sexualized torture in detention facilities, including against men and boys.”  Othman said the mission has received worrying reports about the “widespread recruitment and use of children at checkpoints to gather intelligence, as well as to participate in direct combat and commit violent crimes,” thereby putting the lives and future of many children at risk.  A June 3 report from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on children and armed conflict ranks Sudan among the countries with the highest number of “grave violations against children” in the world.   The fact-finding mission to Sudan is calling for an immediate cease-fire, without which, it said, "it is hard to see the human rights and humanitarian situation in Sudan improving.”  Following the presentation of the report, Yassir Bashir Elbukhari Suliman, the chief prosecutor of Sudan, spoke as the representative of the concerned country. He accused the RSF of multiple crimes and atrocities against unarmed civilians, without assigning any blame to the SAF for the commission of similar acts.  Commanders of the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces have previously denied committing war crimes as they battle for control of the country.  Commenting on the situation in Sudan last month, Guterres accused both warring factions of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

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.

In his “peace plan,” the Russian president repeated all the false excuses he used to start the war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un upgraded their countries’ relationship as they met Wednesday in Pyongyang. Both men signed a treaty they say contains a mutual defense clause. The developments are being criticized by the U.S. and its allies, who say the relationship is a threat to global peace. More from VOA’s Bill Gallo in Seoul, South Korea. Contributor: Kim Lewis

BRUSSELS — The European Union's executive arm on Wednesday criticized France for running up excessive debt, a stinging rebuke at the height of an election campaign where President Emmanuel Macron is facing a strong challenge from the extreme right and the left. The EU Commission recommended to seven nations, including France, that they start a so-called “excessive deficit procedure,” the first step in a long process before any member state can be hemmed in and moved to take corrective action. “Deficit criteria is not fulfilled in seven of our member states," said EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, also pointing the finger at Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia and Poland. For decades, the EU has set out targets for member states to keep their annual deficit within 3% of Gross Domestic Product and overall debt within 60% of output. Those targets have been disregarded when it was convenient, sometimes even by countries such as Germany and France, the biggest economies in the bloc. This time, however, Dombrovskis said that a decision “needs to be done based on, say, facts and whether the country respects the treaty, reference values for a deficit and debt and not based on the size of the country.” The French annual deficit stood at 5.5% last year. Over the past years, exceptional circumstances such as the COVID-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine allowed for leniency, but that has now come to an end. Still, Wednesday's announcement touched a nerve in France after Macron called snap elections in the wake of his defeat to the hard right of Marine Le Pen in the EU parliamentary polls on June 9. Le Pen's National Rally and a new united left front are polling ahead of Macron's party in the elections, and both challengers have put forward plans in which deficit spending is essential to get out of the economic rut. In the election campaign, Macron’s camp could use the wrist-slap as a warning that the extremes will drive France to ruin, while the opposition could claim that Macron had overspent and still impoverished the French, leaving them no choice but to spend more still. Despite the rebuke over excessive debt, EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni stressed France was also moving in the right direction to address certain “imbalances,” sending a “message of reassurance" to the EU institutions. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that the French economy will grow at a relatively sluggish 0.8% of GDP in 2024, before rising to 1.3% in 2025. Unlike the measures imposed on Greece during its dramatic fiscal crisis a decade ago, Gentiloni said, excessive austerity was not an answer for the future. "Much less does not mean back to austerity, because this would be a terrible mistake,” he said. He also disputed a claim that it was austerity itself that drove voters to veer to the extreme right, pointing out that lenient budget conditions had been in force for the past years and still allowed the hard right to come out as victors in many member states. “Look to what happened in the recent elections. If the theory is ‘less expenditure, stronger extremes,’ well, we are not coming from a period of less expenditure,” Gentiloni said.

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June 19th is known as Juneteenth, a U.S. holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the former Confederate states of the American Civil War. In observance of the day, international collaborators gathered in California to connect history with the future using an augmented reality app. Matt Dibble has our story from Oakland.