Voice of America’s immigration news

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.

London’s Chinatown is at the beating heart of the capital’s entertainment district – with unique flavors that link back to Britain’s colonial history, as Henry Ridgwell reports

Beijing — China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe successfully landed on the far side of the moon to collect samples, state news agency Xinhua reported Sunday, the latest leap for Beijing's decades-old space program. The Chang'e-6 set down in the immense South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system, Xinhua said, citing the China National Space Administration. It marks the first time that samples will be collected from the rarely explored area of the moon, according to the agency. The Chang'e-6 is on a technically complex 53-day mission that began on May 3. Now that the probe has landed, it will attempt to scoop up lunar soil and rocks and carry out experiments in the landing zone. That process should be complete within two days, Xinhua said. The probe will use two methods of collection: a drill to collect samples under the surface and a robotic arm to grab specimens from the surface. Then it must attempt an unprecedented launch from the side of the moon that always faces away from Earth. Scientists say the moon's dark side, so-called because it is invisible from Earth, not because it never catches the sun's rays, holds great promise for research because its craters are less covered by ancient lava flows than the near side. Material collected from the dark side may shed more light on how the moon formed in the first place. Plans for China's "space dream" have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping. Beijing has poured huge resources into its space program over the past decade, targeting a string of ambitious undertakings in an effort to close the gap with the two traditional space powers: the United States and Russia. It has notched several notable achievements, including building a space station called Tiangong, or "heavenly palace." Beijing has landed robotic rovers on Mars and the moon, and China is only the third country to independently put humans in orbit. But Washington has warned that China's space program is being used to mask military objectives and an effort to establish dominance in space. China aims to send a crewed mission to the moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface. The United States is also planning to put astronauts back on the moon by 2026 with its Artemis 3 mission. 

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.

TAN TAN, Morocco — High-ranking military officials from the U.S. and its top African allies watched intently as dust and flames shot up from pieces of the Sahara Desert hit by tank and artillery fire. They looked up as pilots flew F-16s into formation. And they listened intently as Moroccan and American personnel explained how they would set up beachheads to defend the Atlantic coastline in the event of a potential invasion.  The practice scenario was among those discussed during Africa Lion, the United States' largest annual joint military exercise on the continent, which concluded Friday in Morocco.  Over the past two weeks, roughly 8,100 military forces from nearly three dozen countries maneuvered throughout Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal and Morocco as part of the war games held this year as militaries confront new challenges in increasingly volatile regions.  Generals from the United States and Morocco, which hosted the finale of the two-week event, celebrated Africa Lion's 20-year anniversary and how partnerships between the U.S. and African militaries have expanded since it began.  "This exercise has grown over the years since 2004, not only have the number of multinational service members that we train with, but also the scope of the training as well, which has expanded to more than just security," said General Michael Langley, the head of the United States' Africa Command.  But despite the spectacle of live-fire demonstrations and laudatory remarks about partnerships by Langley and Colonel Major Fouad Gourani of Morocco's Royal Armed Forces, parts of Africa are getting much more dangerous.  The United Nations earlier this year called Africa a "global epicenter for terrorism." Fatalities linked to extremist groups have risen dramatically in the Sahel, the region that stretches from Mauritania to Chad.  Since 2020, military officers disillusioned with their governments' records of stemming violence have overthrown democratically elected governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger and began distancing themselves from Western powers.  From 2021 to 2024, militants killed more than 17,000 people across the three countries, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.  The United States is holding steadfast to its strategy of coupling weapons assistance and intelligence sharing with initiatives designed to boost civilian populations and strengthen institutions.  But it faces new competition. Decades after the end of colonialism, Africa has once again become absorbed in fighting among Great Powers, with Western influence waning and countries accepting more economic and military support from Chinese firms and Russian contractors.  At Africa Lion, the U.S. military showcased part of what it offers countries facing instability inside and just beyond their borders. Besides tanks and bombers, the joint exercises included operations and practice in field hospitals, medical evacuations and humanitarian assistance.  The exercise emphasized a "whole of government" approach to addressing the root causes of instability, ranging from climate change to displacement, rather than solely focusing on military might.  "It's important that we not only be associated with kicking down doors," said Colonel Kelly Togiola, a command surgeon who helped set up a field hospital alongside Moroccan doctors as part of the exercise. "In times of crises, those relationships that matter."  That strategy differs from what's being offered by Africa Corps, the descendent of the Russian state-funded private military company Wagner, whose leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died last year. Yet it's come under scrutiny since military officers with a history of participating in training exercises have risen to positions of power after the ousters of democratically elected leaders in countries such as Guinea and Niger.  Cameron Hudson, an Africa expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said regardless of how much the U.S. military broadens its efforts, its continued focus on counterterrorism will keep empowering military leaders throughout West Africa.  "The nature of security assistance is that it's much more visible, impactful and manipulated by the recipient for ill," Hudson said. "When we come in with training and toys, we reinforce within societies these power dynamics that in the long run are not helpful to the consolidation of civilian democratic rule."  Despite training exercises like Africa Lion, U.S. military leaders face difficulties prolonging their partnerships in places they've long characterized as strategically critical. Countries such as Niger and Chad — which participated in Africa Lion — have embraced Russian trainers and paramilitaries and pushed for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.  The U.S. military officials note their assessment of the threat of "malign" Russian and Chinese influence but say they can work in countries that accept assistance from geopolitical rivals.  Curbing Russian influence while opposing the overthrow of democratically elected leaders hasn't worked everywhere, especially as the U.S. military often attaches strings to how countries can implement training and weapons provided.  U.S. law makes governments deposed in military coups ineligible for large portions of assistance, despite the military's talk of equal partnership and noninterference. 

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — In 2021, the Biden administration turned down a meeting request with El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, on a trip to Washington, snubbing the self-proclaimed "world's coolest dictator" for fear a photo op would embolden his attempts to expand his power base.  A little more than three years later, it's the United States that's courting Bukele. A high-level delegation led by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and senior White House and State Department officials, attended Bukele's inauguration in San Salvador on Saturday to a second term.  The visit caps a quiet, 180-degree shift in Washington's policy toward the small Central American nation of 6 million that reflects how the Biden administration's criticisms of Bukele's strong-armed governing style have been overtaken by more urgent concerns tied to immigration — a key issue in this year's U.S. presidential election.  "They've realized what he's been doing works," Damian Merlo, an American adviser to Bukele who is registered to lobby on the Salvadoran government's behalf, said in an interview from El Salvador. "If the U.S. is serious about wanting to address the root causes of migration, then Bukele is someone who has actually done it."  The 42-year-old Bukele, who was reelected with 85% of the vote, has been wildly popular at home for his frontal attack on powerful gangs, which has converted what was once the world's murder capital into one of Latin America's safest countries. The improvement in public security is credited with a more than 60% drop in migration from the Central American country to the U.S. since Bukele took office in 2019 — a stark contrast with a growing exodus of migrants from other parts of Latin America.  "We conquered fear, and today are truly a free nation," Bukele said in a speech Saturday to hundreds of supporters from the balcony of the National Palace after being sworn in for a second, five-year term.  Cured of what he called the cancer of gang violence, he said that his next term would be devoted to strengthening El Salvador's economy, vowing to apply the same independent, unconventional approach that has characterized his rule and won him admirers from conservatives throughout Latin America.  "I'm not here to do what others think I should do. I'm here to do what's best for our country," he said.  Until recently, Bukele's crackdown on the gangs — as well as political opponents — had drawn fire from Washington. A state of emergency originally declared in 2022 and still in effect has been used to round up 78,175 suspected gang members in sweeps that rights groups say are often arbitrary, based on a person's appearance or where they live. The government has had to release about 7,000 people because of a lack of evidence.  After Biden took office, the U.S. sanctioned several of Bukele's top aides on allegations of corruption and shifted foreign assistance from government agencies to civil society groups highly critical of Bukele.  The about-face, observers say, started a little more than a year ago when Biden sent William Duncan, a career diplomat, to San Salvador as U.S. ambassador. Then, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Salvadoran Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill in Washington. Bukele, who in the past praised former U.S. President Donald Trump and cozied up to China, has also avoided direct confrontation.  "Migration trumps everything else," said Michael Shifter, a former president of Inter-American Dialogue in Washington. "The ideal Latin American partner would be effective in its security policy while respecting human rights norms and practices and cooperating with the U.S. on migration. But rarely do all these desirable things go together, which poses tough choices for U.S. policymakers."  The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  But Ricardo Zúniga, a retired U.S. diplomat who handled migration talks with Central America in the early days of the Biden administration, said that Washington may come to regret its recent embrace of Bukele.  "Bukele will be in power for many years to come, so you need to have a working relationship," he said. "But you also have to be clear eyed. This is an authoritarian government ruled by a single party that is not sympathetic to U.S. strategic interests." 

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.

Geneva, Switzerland — The World Health Organization annual assembly on Saturday gave member countries another year to agree on a landmark accord to combat future pandemics.  Three years of effort to reach a deal ended last month in failure. But WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed what he called historic decisions taken to make a new bid for an accord.  The WHO agreed in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic eased to launch talks on an accord to counter any new global health crisis. Millions died from COVID-19 which brought health systems in many countries to their knees.  The talks hit multiple obstacles however with many developing countries accusing rich nations of monopolizing available COVID-19 vaccines.  They have sought assurances that any new accord will make provision of medicines and the sharing of research more equitable.   The WHO annual assembly "made concrete commitments to completing negotiations on a global pandemic agreement within a year, at the latest," said a statement released at the end of the Geneva meeting.  The assembly also agreed on amendments to an international framework of binding health rules. The changes introduce the notion of a "pandemic emergency," which calls on member states to take rapid, coordinated action, the statement said.  "The historic decisions taken today demonstrate a common desire by member states to protect their own people, and the world's, from the shared risk of public health emergencies and future pandemics," Tedros said.  He said the change to health rules "will bolster countries' ability to detect and respond to future outbreaks and pandemics by strengthening their own national capacities, and [through] coordination between fellow states, on disease surveillance, information sharing and response."  Tedros added: "The decision to conclude the pandemic agreement within the next year demonstrates how strongly and urgently countries want it, because the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if." 

WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders have invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver an address the Capitol, a show of wartime support for the longtime ally despite mounting political divisions over Israel's military assault on Gaza. The invitation from House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, along with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, has been in the works for some time. No date for the speech was set. Leaders said the invitation was extended to “highlight America’s solidarity with Israel.” “We invite you to share the Israeli government’s vision for defending democracy, combatting terror and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region,” they wrote. A speech by Netanyahu would almost certainly expose election-year divisions in the U.S., where a growing number of Democrats have turned away from the right-wing prime minister, while Republicans have embraced him. Johnson first suggested inviting the Israeli leader, saying it would be “a great honor of mine” to invite him. That came soon after Schumer, who is the highest ranking Jewish elected official in the U.S., had delivered a stinging rebuke of Netanyahu. Schumer said in the speech that Netanyahu had “lost his way" amid the Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza. Even so, Schumer had said he would join in the invitation because “our relationship with Israel is ironclad and transcends any one prime minister or president.” The Israel-Hamas war, now in its seventh month after the October 7 terror attack by the Palestinian militant group, has caused widespread concerns in the U.S. and abroad over Israel's conduct and the extensive civilian death toll. As Israel pushes into Rafah in Gaza, the International Criminal Court has accused Netanyahu and his defense minister, along with three Hamas leaders, of war crimes — a largely symbolic act but one that further isolates the Israeli leader. President Joe Biden in supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas lambasted the ICC’s case against Netanyahu, but he has nevertheless grown critical of Israel’s war plans and has pressed for assurances of humanitarian aid. On Friday, Biden encouraged a three-phase deal proposed by Israel to Hamas militants that he says would lead to the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and could end the war. He urged Israelis and Hamas to come to an agreement to release the remaining hostages for an extended cease-fire, arguing that Hamas is “no longer capable” of carrying out another large-scale attack on Israel as it did in October. Biden called the proposal “a road map to an enduring cease-fire and the release of all hostages.” It is unclear if Biden and Netanyahu would meet in Washington. Spain, Norway and Ireland recently recognized a Palestinian state, a move that was condemned by Israel. Slovenia's government also endorsed a motion to recognize a Palestinian state and asked the parliament to do the same. Typically, a high-profile congressional invitation is issued jointly and in consultation with the White House. But in 2015, Netanyahu was invited to address Congress in a rebuff to then-President Barack Obama by a previous Republican speaker during disputes over Iran. On Capitol Hill, the debates over the Israel-Hamas war have been pitched, heated and divisive, amplified during the college campus protests this spring, showing how the once ironclad support for Israel has weakened and splintered. Republicans, including presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, have been eager to display their support for Netanyahu and expose the Democratic divisions over Israel. More recently, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, became the highest ranking Republican elected official from the U.S. to deliver a speech before the Israeli parliament.

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.

BANGKOK — Thailand kicked off its celebration of the LGBTQ+ community's Pride Month with a parade Saturday, as the country is on course to become the first nation in Southeast Asia to legalize marriage equality.  The annual Bangkok Pride Parade filled one side of a major thoroughfare with a colorful parade for several hours in one of the Thai capital's busiest commercial districts. Pride Month celebrations have been endorsed by politicians, government agencies and some of the country's biggest business conglomerates, which have become official partners or sponsors for the celebration.  Ann "Waaddao" Chumaporn, who has been organizing Bangkok Pride since 2022, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that she hopes the parade can be "a platform that allows everyone to call out for what they want and express who they really are."  Waaddao thinks Thai society has shifted a lot from a decade ago, and the issue has now become a fashionable social and business trend.  Thanks in part to her work, a marriage equality bill granting full legal, financial and medical rights for marriage partners of any gender could become reality sometime this year.  But the public celebration of gender diversity was not always so popular in Thailand despite its long-standing reputation as an LGBTQ+ friendly country.  The first big celebration for the community in Thailand was held on Halloween weekend in 1999 and called the "Bangkok Gay Festival." It was organized by Pakorn Pimton, who said that after seeing Pride parades on his overseas travels, he wanted Thailand to have one, too.  It was hard organizing such an event back then, when Thai society was much less open, he said.  "Everyone told me, even my boyfriend, that it would be impossible," he said in an interview with AP.  Organizing such an event in a public space requires permission from authorities, and it didn't go that smoothly for Pakorn, yet he eventually pulled it off.  Pakorn said some police officers treated him well, but there were others who gave him dirty looks, or were dismissive. He recalled hearing one officer say, "Why do you even need to do this? These katoey ..."  "Katoey," whose rough equivalent in English would be "ladyboy," has generally been used as a slur against transgender women or gay men with feminine appearances, although the word now has been claimed by the community.  After getting the permit, Pakorn, who then was actively working in show business, said he tried contacting television stations for advertising and finding sponsors for his project, but they all rejected him.  "There were no mobile phones, no Facebook, no nothing. There were only posters that I had to put up at gay bars," he said.  Because of that, Pakorn said, he was bewildered to see thousands of people, not only Thais but many foreigners, take to downtown Bangkok's streets for that first celebration in colorful and racy costumes, carrying balloons and dancing on fancy floats.  The event got attention from both domestic and international media as both Thailand's first gay parade and one of the first in Asia. It was described as energetic and chaotic, not least because the police did not completely close it off from traffic, resulting in marchers, dancers and floats weaving their way through moving buses, cars and motorbikes.  Only recently did the political significance behind the term "Pride" gain much importance in the event, said Vitaya Saeng-Aroon, director of an advocacy group Diversity In Thailand.  Previously, there were not a lot of organized LGBTQ+ communities who joined in, "so there were no messages in the parade. It became like a party just for fun," he said.  Now the parade carries a more political tone because the observance has been organized by people like Waaddao who have long worked to raise awareness on gender equality and diversity.  Waaddao said she became inspired to organize the parade after taking part in the youth-led pro-democracy protests that sprang up across the country in 2020. She said the protests convinced her that street action can also advance a political agenda. 

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.

BUDAPEST, Hungary — A crowd of tens of thousands gathered in Hungary’s capital Saturday in a show of strength behind Prime Minister Viktor Orbán a week ahead of European Parliament elections, a contest he has cast as an existential turning point between peace in Europe and a world war. The demonstration, dubbed by organizers as a “peace march,” brought Orbán’s supporters from all over Hungary and neighboring countries, who marched along the Danube River in Budapest from the city's iconic Chain Bridge onto Margaret Island, waving flags and signs reading “No War.” Orbán, whose 14 years in power make him the European Union’s longest serving leader, has focused his campaign for the June 9 ballot on the war in Ukraine, portraying his domestic and international opponents as warmongers who seek to involve Hungary directly in the conflict. Critics say his appeals for an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine would allow Russia to retain territories it has occupied and embolden it further. On Saturday, he told supporters it was time for his party to “occupy Brussels” — the European Union's de facto capital — and transform the continent's approach to support for Ukraine as it fends off Russia's invasion. “We can only stay out of the war if Hungarian voters support the government,” he said during a speech on Margaret Island. "We must win the European elections in such a way that the Brussels bureaucrats in their fear will open the doors of the city to us and leave their offices in a hurry." Orbán and his Fidesz party have built a reputation as being among the friendliest in the EU to Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. Hungary has refused to supply neighboring Ukraine with weapons to assist in its fight against Russia’s invasion and has threatened to derail EU financial aid to Kyiv and to block sanctions against Moscow. His party appears set to gain the most seats in the EU legislature in next week's election. But a series of scandals and a deep economic crisis has given room for one political newcomer, Péter Magyar, to seize on Orbán’s moment of weakness and build a major political movement in the last three months that looks poised to take a significant portion of votes. Magyar, who has risen to prominence through publicly accusing Orbán’s party of corruption and turning Hungary's media into a pro-government propaganda machine, has himself held numerous large protests and called for “the largest political demonstration in Hungary’s history” on the eve of the elections. But the crowd in Budapest on Saturday showed that Orbán's brand of right-wing populism — and threats that military support to Ukraine by the EU and United States is leading toward a new world war — still resonates among large parts of Hungarian society. “I trust Viktor Orbán. Let our children have a livable country, not a bombed-out country," said Budapest resident József Fehér at the demonstration. "The weapons that Europe has given to the Ukrainians could be turned back against us. And we don’t want that.” Orbán has condemned his EU and NATO partners who assist Ukraine as being “pro-war,” and advocated for an election victory for former U.S. President Donald Trump. In his speech, he said a Trump victory in November would lead to he and the U.S. administration forming a “transatlantic peace coalition” that could bring an end to the fighting in Ukraine.