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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned of a new response against South Korea if the South continued with loudspeaker broadcasts and scattering leaflets. "If the ROK simultaneously carries out the leaflet scattering and loudspeaker broadcasting provocation over the border, it will undoubtedly witness the new counteraction of the DPRK," Kim Yo Jong said in a statement late Sunday carried by state news agency KCNA, using the official names of South and North Korea. South Korea resumed loudspeaker broadcasts directed at North Korea on Sunday, its military said, following through on a warning that it would do so if Pyongyang kept sending balloons carrying trash into the South. North Korea on Saturday launched about 330 balloons with trash attached; about 80 of them landed over the border, South Korea's military said. On Monday South Korea said a further 310 balloons had been launched, with about 50 landing in the South. "This is a prelude to a very dangerous situation," said Kim, a vice department director in the ruling Workers' Party, referring to the South's loudspeaker broadcasts. Pyongyang started sending balloons carrying trash and fertilizer, including possible manure, across the border in May, calling it retaliation for anti-North leaflets flown by South Korean activists as part of a propaganda campaign. "Seoul does not want military tension at the inter-Korean border, and Pyongyang does not want outside information threatening the legitimacy of the Kim regime," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. "For both sides, ‘escalating to deescalate’ is a risky proposition." The U.S.-led United Nations Command, which oversees the armistice that established the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas as fighting ended in the 1950-1953 Korean War, has said it is investigating the balloons, including the reports of possible fecal matter and other waste products. "We’d hope that everyone would come to the table to resolve their issues," said U.S. Army Colonel Isaac Taylor, a spokesman for United Nations Command. North Korea has in some cases fired weapons at the balloons and speakers. South Korea stopped the broadcasts under an agreement signed by the two Koreas’ leaders in 2018, but tensions have increased since then as Pyongyang pushed ahead with weapons development. South Korea's broadcasts include world news and information about democratic and capitalist society, with a mix of popular K-pop music. The sound is believed to travel more than 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) into North Korea. North Korean troops have been seen clearing trees and building fences within the Demilitarized Zone in recent weeks. Taylor said that United Nations Command does not assess that the intent of the work is to enable a "disparate" military buildup in the border zone, which would be a violation of the armistice. He noted that since North Korea's recent declaration that unification with the South is no longer a goal, it has pursued measures to "harden" its boundaries.

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.

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 Sudan's North Darfur state, displaced people and doctors say the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are attacking hospitals and camps in the capital, El Fasher. Meanwhile, nonprofit groups say the world is paying little attention as a city that was supposed to be a haven for those forced out of their homes by war is being torn apart. Henry Wilkins has the story.

Far-right parties made major gains in European Union parliamentary elections, dealing stunning defeats to two of the bloc’s most important leaders: French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday (June 9) said he would dissolve parliament and call new legislative elections later this month. We talk with Matt Klink a political consultant with Klink Campaigns. Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-man war Cabinet, announced his resignation Sunday. And hundreds of naked cyclists rode through London and Mexico City streets to protest against car culture and demand rights for cyclists.

LOS ANGELES — Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Hollywood on Sunday for the L.A. Pride Parade, one of the biggest events during a month of celebrations honoring the LGBTQ+ community in and around Los Angeles.  Rainbow flags ruled the day as revelers cheered the lively procession that featured "Star Trek" star and activist George Takei as the Icon Grand Marshal.  "As someone who has witnessed the struggles and triumphs of our community over the years, I am filled with gratitude for the progress we have made and inspired to continue the fight for full acceptance and equality for all," Takei said in a statement.  The parade's Community Grand Marshal was L.A. Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley. The department's first openly gay chief said she was "overjoyed" by the honor.  Following the parade, the L.A. Pride Block Party offered DJs, live performances, food trucks and a beer garden.  On Saturday night, Latin pop superstar Ricky Martin headlined a concert dubbed Pride in the Park at Los Angeles State Historic Park.  Other events scheduled for Pride Month include celebrations at Dodger Stadium and Universal Studios Hollywood. 

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia marked the first anniversary Sunday of the rescue of four Indigenous children who survived a small plane crash in the Amazon rainforest in an operation that gripped the world's attention. A small ceremony was held in a Bogota military base that included an emotional reunion between soldiers and Indigenous volunteers.  But the four children, who were found in a remote patch of rainforest a year ago after fending for themselves for 40 days, still face an uncertain future as authorities wait for a case worker to decide who should be awarded custody.  The siblings from Colombia's Huitoto tribe were 13, 9, 4 and 11 months old when the single-engine plane they were traveling in nosedived into the rainforest's canopy, killing their mother, Magdalena Mucutuy, and the other two adults on board. The group was traveling from the small village of Araracuara, deep in the Colombian Amazon, to the town of San Jose del Guaviare.  On Sunday, Colombia's Institute for Family Welfare posted a photo of the four children with their faces blurred on its X account, formerly Twitter, and published a statement saying they were healthy and were growing up successfully under state care.  "The Mucutuy siblings today spend their days enjoying life and learning. They have been accompanied by a team that specializes in ethnic affairs and works so that they don't lose their customs while they are far from their territory," the statement read.  The siblings survived on fruits and seeds from the rainforest before they were found on June 9 by a team of special forces soldiers and Indigenous volunteers. They had been combing the rough terrain around the plane crash for three weeks and used sniffer dogs and helicopters to locate the children.  However, a custody battle over the children broke out after their rescue that pitted their maternal grandparents against their deceased mother's partner, Manuel Ranoque.  Ranoque is the biological father of the two youngest children, Tien and Cristin. He also lived with the two older children and their mother for several years before the crash.  Ranoque was imprisoned in August over accusations that he had sexually abused one of the children before the crash.  In October, prosecutors in Colombia formally charged Ranoque with sexually assaulting a minor, an accusation he denies and says he will challenge in an upcoming trial.  On Sunday some of the relatives of the Mucutuy children also joined the soldiers and volunteers who were part of last year's rescue effort, known as "Operation Hope." They heard a mass and shared a barbecue with the rescue team and spoke briefly with the local press.  "I'm sad because I am still not with the children," Fatima Valencia, the children's grandmother, told Colombia's Caracol TV. "But I am very thankful to those who helped us rescue them." 

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.

Ugandan film producer Allan Manzi is an award-winning filmmaker known for his work on a Ugandan local series called “Juniors Drama Club.” VOA’s Jackson Mvungani spoke with him about the state of the Ugandan film industry. Videographer: Mugue Davis Rwakaringi.

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.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the West responded, sending military weaponry and aid to the embattled nation. But as the war drags on, there is also a need for doctors. One nonprofit is sending American surgeons to Ukraine, and Ukrainian surgeons to train in the United States. Iryna Solomko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by Pavlo Terekhov.

Rawalpindi, Pakistan — Pakistan fans were dejected Monday after a loss to arch-rivals India compounded their cricket T20 World Cup misery, with some declaring their campaign a lost cause after only two matches.  "Cricket is finished for Pakistan," one spectator told his companions in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, among fans who abandoned a big-screen viewing event before the final ball was bowled.  As night fell on Sunday, crowds had surged into the 15,000-seat Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium hoping to see a victory for captain Babar Azam's beleaguered side in a match halfway around the globe in New York.  However, a low-scoring thriller saw India beat Pakistan by six runs on a tricky batting surface, and in the moments after midnight supporters hurled plastic bottles at the screens in frustration.  "Fate had something else in mind," 26-year-old Ahsan Ullah told AFP, as resigned fans streamed out of the stadium. "Right now, our hearts are a little broken." The loss follows the major humiliation of Pakistan's defeat to USA on Thursday, with the co-host debutants beating the 2022 finalists and 2009 champions in a Super Over thriller in Texas. ‘Used to embarrassment’ Pakistan and India's cricket rivalry is one of the world's great international sporting feuds. The game is by far the most popular sport in both countries, which have a combined population of more than 1.6 billion.  Matches attract staggering numbers of viewers -- though the sides face each other only in larger tournaments and in third countries because of long-standing political tensions.  Sunday's match was the 13th time the nuclear-armed neighbors have clashed in cricket's shortest format, with India now dominant as the victors of 10 of those face-offs.  The rivalry runs so deep that India's national anthem was muted on the big screens at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where queues snaked outside ahead of a rain-delayed coin toss.  Green spotlights raked the skies as the match began and Pakistan flags whipped back and forth in stands named after storied players like Imran Khan and Shoaib Akhtar. Whistles, chants and cheers blared in the early overs, before midnight passed and a sober mood took hold as Pakistan struggled to chase down India's 119 runs.  Asked for his diagnosis of the team's ills, Mohammad Hisham Raja -- seeking solace at a nearby restaurant after the match -- responded with one word: "batting.”  "Maybe we got too much in our heads," the 24-year-old said. "It's not an embarrassment because we're used to it now."  "Cricket is an escape for us -- from our daily routine, from our daily lives, from things that cause us problems," he added. "But there are more problems in this."  "I think once they come back, they'll see how dissatisfied the population is, so they will obviously make some big changes," he added, predicting Azam would be ousted from his post. ‘Choked’ "Pakistan choked in the final sequence of their World Cup 2024 clash with India to somehow surrender a tie they dominated for large parts of the game," said the website of the English-language Dawn newspaper.  ] "For the first time, it seems Pakistanis are struggling to find comfort in the hopes of a 'next time.' "  Pakistan next face Canada in New York on Thursday and then take on Ireland in Florida on Sunday.  They may still advance to the Super Eight in the tournament co-hosted by the USA and West Indies, with a final slated for Barbados on 29 June.  ] But 32-year-old Abdul Rasheed, among the final straggling fans in the stadium, predicted "a comeback is going to be very difficult.”  "Previously, things were great but now I don't know what's going on," chimed in 17-year-old Adan Mustafa. "The future doesn't seem bright."

Washington — An American cargo plane dropped more than 10 metric tons of rations into northern Gaza on Sunday, the U.S. military said, after a suspension of such deliveries due to Israeli operations in the area. Gaza's population is in dire need of humanitarian assistance after eight months of devastating conflict, and the United States turned to delivering it by air and sea as Israel delayed the entry of aid via land. The air drop provided "life-saving humanitarian assistance in northern Gaza," the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. "To date, the U.S. has airdropped more than 1,050 metric tons of humanitarian assistance" in addition to aid delivered via a temporary pier attached to the Gaza coast, it said. "These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow-on aerial deliveries," CENTCOM added.  The Pentagon said in late May that factors including Israeli operations and weather conditions were affecting the drops, while deputy CENTCOM commander Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said Friday that they had been "suspended due to the kinetic operations happening in the north" but were expected to resume soon.  The latest air drop came a day after aid deliveries were restarted via the pier, which was damaged by bad weather last month and had to be repaired in a nearby port before being reattached to the coast.  Gaza is suffering through its bloodiest-ever war, which broke out after Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.  Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,084 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

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.