Voice of America’s immigration news

Jurors in Donald Trump's hush money trial finished their first day of closed-door deliberations on Wednesday without reaching a verdict. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Prague on Wednesday to attend an informal gathering of NATO foreign ministers. Polling stations closed across South Africa on Wednesday after a day of long lines as voters turned out in force for a pivotal election that could see the African National Congress (ANC) party lose its majority after 30 years in power. And giant pandas are returning to the National Zoo in Washington.

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.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Thursday fired a barrage of suspected ballistic missiles toward its eastern sea, according to South Korea's military, days after its attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite ended in failure but still drew strong condemnation from its rivals. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the North firing around 10 projectiles that appeared to be short-range ballistic missiles from an area near its capital, Pyongyang. It said the suspected missiles flew about 350 kilometers before landing in waters off the North's eastern coast. It said the South Korean military has increased surveillance and vigilance and is closely sharing information with the United States and Japan. Japan's coast guard issued a maritime safety advisory over the North Korean launches and urged ships to exercise caution if they find any fallen objects. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that the suspected missiles were believed to have landed in waters outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone and there were no immediate reports of damage. He said Tokyo "strongly condemns" the launches, which are in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against the North. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased in recent months as the pace of both North Korea's weapons testing and South Korea's combined military exercises with the United States and Japan have intensified in a cycle of tit-for-tat. Also on Thursday, North Korea hit back at international condemnation of its failed satellite launch, which drew strong rebukes from the United Nations and other countries as it involves technologies used for developing intercontinental range ballistic missiles. The North had successfully launched its first military spy satellite in November, but Monday's failure posed a possible setback to Kim's plans to launch three more military spy satellites in 2024. "We will never tolerate any moves of the hostile forces to violate the inviolable sphere under the exercise of sovereignty nor step back from having access to the space reconnaissance capability which should be done surely no matter what others may say," North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong said in a statement published on state media. Kim Son Gyong's statement came as response to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' condemnation of Monday's launch, which he called a violation of Security Council resolutions that prohibit the North from conducting any launches involving ballistic missile technology. Thursday's launches were the latest in a series of weapons tests by North Korea. On May 17, South Korea's military said that North Korea fired suspected short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast. North Korea later said it tested a tactical ballistic missile with a new autonomous navigation system. The North this year tested various cruise missiles and artillery systems and flight-tested what it described as a solid-fuel intermediate range missile with hypersonic warhead capabilities. Experts say it is designed to reach remote U.S. targets in the Pacific, including the military hub of Guam.

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.

the Pentagon   — The first Ukrainian pilots have completed F-16 fighter jet training at a military base in Arizona, with others soon to follow this summer. "The first batch has graduated, and other Ukrainian pilots are finishing their training here by the end of August," Arizona National Guard spokesperson Capt. Erin Hannigan told VOA. The graduates include a handful of Ukrainian pilots who had trained at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, according to a U.S. official who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity because of security sensitivities. Out of an abundance of caution for the pilots’ safety, officials declined to provide an exact number of how many had graduated or the number of those who remain in F-16 training. The 162nd Wing at Morris is considered the Air National Guard’s premier F-16 training unit and houses the Air Force’s only school dedicated to training pilots from more than 20 countries on the fighter. Kyiv pleaded for Western aircraft when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of their country in February 2022. In August 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden approved a plan for Western allies to send F-16s to Ukraine once pilot training was complete. Last August, Ukraine was gaining momentum in the conflict against Russia, but that was before a monthslong delay by Congress to approve new military assistance for Kyiv. Since then, Ukrainian officials reported that troops were forced to ration supplies as ammunition ran low. Analysts say Russia has capitalized on Kyiv’s disadvantage to make gains on the battlefield. Last month, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country's promised jets would be delivered to Kyiv by the end of the year. 

May 31 is World No Tobacco Day, a day when many health advocacy groups raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco. These groups have reason to celebrate: In most countries, tobacco use is declining. But not in Indonesia, where smoking rates are rising, according to the World Health Organization. Dave Grunebaum has the story.

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.

Ukrainian officials say Russia’s invasion has turned thousands of Ukrainian children trapped in occupied territories into hostages, while others have been deported to Russia and forced into reeducation programs and adoption. Anna Chernikova reports from Kyiv on Ukraine’s efforts to bring them home. VOA footage by Vladyslav Smilianets.

QUETTA, Pakistan — A speeding passenger bus fell from a highway into a rocky ravine in southwest Pakistan early Wednesday, killing at least 28 people and injuring 20 others, officials said. Local police officer Asghar Ali said the driver lost control suddenly in Washuk town as the bus was traveling from Turbat, the second-largest city in Baluchistan province, to Quetta, the province’s capital. Police were trying to collect details from the injured. Ismail Mengal, a government administrator in Washuk, said the driver of the bus was among the dead. He said officers were still trying to determine the cause of the crash.  He said rescuers and police quickly responded and provided initial medical treatment to the injured passengers. Police transported the dead and injured to a hospital, where some of the injured were in critical condition. Photos from local media showed the wreckage at the bottom of a rocky ravine.  In a statement, Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister in Baluchistan, expressed grief over the loss of lives, and he ordered the best possible medical treatment be provided to the injured. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in separate statements expressed sorrow over the deaths. Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules and safety standards are not well followed, even on battered roads in particularly rugged areas. The latest accident occurred three days after 13 members of a family were killed in a collision between a van and a truck in Multan, a city in the eastern Punjab province. At least 20 people were killed and another 30 were injured earlier this month in a similar crash.

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.

Jurors are deliberating in a criminal case against U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. He is charged with falsifying financial records to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. Campaigning continued outside the New York courthouse. VOA’s Scott Stearns reports. Camera: Michael Eckels.

Amid the ongoing Gaza war, Norway, Ireland and Spain have formally recognized the state of Palestine this week. As expected, Palestinians welcomed the move, while Israel sharply condemned it. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Jerusalem. VOA footage by Ricki Rosen.

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.

Time is the one of the most important factors in saving people who have been sexually trafficked. Swiftly relocating them away from harm is key to survival.  VOA Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti has this exclusive story about a couple of American pilots and their secret missions to get victims to safety.

Turkey's longest-running peaceful protest entered its thousandth week in May. A group known as the Saturday Mothers holds a silent vigil each week, demanding justice for relatives who disappeared after being detained by security forces. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

On a visit to Moldova Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional $135 million in aid to help the eastern European republic fight Russian disinformation and strengthen its energy resilience. Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports.