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The deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in a helicopter crash sparked reaction from world leaders Monday. The United States noted Raisi's troubling human rights record. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports.

washington — As Iran’s Islamist rulers observe five days of mourning for the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a Sunday helicopter crash in the country’s northwest, many Iranians who oppose the Islamic Republic have been celebrating Raisi’s demise at home, abroad and on social media. Raisi, who died in the crash at age 63, was reviled by opponents of Iran’s authoritarian Islamist government for his pivotal role as a prosecutor who ordered mass killings of political prisoners in 1988 and for using his presidential powers to violently suppress a women’s rights protest movement that erupted nationwide in late 2022 and continued into 2023. Videos received by VOA’s Persian service on Monday and deemed credible appear to show people in different regions of Iran sharing sweets and chocolates to celebrate Raisi’s death. In one video sent to VOA Persian TV host Masih Alinejad and published by her on social media, a woman whose face is not shown carries a tray of sweet pastries in a public park and offers them to another woman whom she approaches nearby. In the ensuing brief conversation, one woman jokes about wanting to know the occasion for the pastries, while the other says they both know the occasion, in an apparent cryptic reference to Raisi’s death. VOA cannot independently verify the circumstances of the celebratory videos as it is barred from reporting inside Iran. Iranian opponents of the Islamic Republic in the diaspora engaged in more open celebratory activities outside Iranian diplomatic missions in major European cities on Monday. Videos posted to social media and shared with VOA Persian showed Iranians dancing to music in London, Copenhagen, The Hague, and Hamburg. The Islamic Republic’s Iranian critics also flooded social media with sarcasm and mockery of Raisi and his allies, using the Persian hashtag “heliclet,” a combination of the words helicopter and cutlet. Many Iranian social media users opposed to Islamist rule mocked the 2020 killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. missile strike in Baghdad by referring to him as a cutlet. The head of Iran’s cyber police warned against that type of social media activity Monday, saying "we are carefully monitoring cyberspace" and advising citizens that "in the current sensitive situation" they should "refrain" from publishing content that "provokes" public sentiments. VOA’s Persian service contributed to this report.

DAKAR, Senegal — Three Americans involved in a brazen weekend attack on Congo's presidential palace formed an unlikely band under the leadership of eccentric opposition figure Christian Malanga, who dabbled in gold mining and used cars — before persuading his Utah-born son to join in the foiled coup, according to officials' description of events. Six people, including Malanga, were dead and dozens arrested, including the three Americans, following that attack and another on the residence of a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi, the Congolese army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Sylvain Ekenge said. Ekenge said Malanga was killed in a shootout early Sunday with presidential guards. The situation “is under control,” he said. Authorities said they were still trying to untangle how Malanga’s 21-year-old son, Marcel, went from playing high school football to allegedly trying to unseat the leader of one of Africa’s largest countries. “My son is innocent,” his mother, Brittney Sawyer, wrote in an email to The Associated Press, declining to elaborate. Sawyer had regularly posted proud family photos on social media, including one in December showing Marcel, a young sister and a toddler hugging in matching Christmas pajamas. In 2020, she posted photos of Marcel lifting weights and dancing during COVID lockdown. In a Facebook post early Monday, Sawyer angrily wrote that her son had followed his father. “This was an innocent boy following his father. I’m so tired of all the videos being posted all over and being sent to me. God will take care of you people!” One video that circulated on social media showed her son alongside a bloodied white man, whose identity was unclear, both covered in dust and surrounded by Congolese soldiers. Marcel has his hands raised and a frightened look on his face. It was far from the persona that Marcel appeared to have been building in videos recently posted on Facebook and TikTok showing him posing with stacks of dollar bills and talking about women. His father, Malanga, had described himself on his website as a refugee who thrived after settling in the U.S. with his family in the 1990s. He said he became a leader of a Congolese opposition political party and met high-level officials in Washington and the Vatican. He also described himself as a devoted husband and father of eight. Court records and interviews paint another picture. In 2001, the year he turned 18, Malanga was convicted in Utah in incidents including assault with a firearm that resulted in a 30-day jail sentence and three years of probation. That same year, he was charged with domestic violence in one assault incident, and battery and disturbing the peace in another, but he pleaded not guilty, and all counts were dismissed. In 2004, he was charged with domestic violence with threat of using a dangerous weapon, but he pleaded not guilty, and the charges were dismissed. Since 2004, records show several cases related to a custody dispute and a child support dispute. It is unclear if the disputes involved Sawyer. Malanga described himself as the organizer of the United Congolese Party, a movement aimed at organizing emigres like him against the “current Congolese dictatorship government regime.” He also described himself as president of the “New Zaire” government in exile and published a manifesto with plans for creating business opportunities and reforming Congo’s security services. Photos on Facebook and his website show him meeting then-senior U.S. political figures, including former Utah Rep. Rob Bishop and New York Rep. Peter King. Bishop told the AP he did not recall the meeting and couldn’t tell when the photo was taken. King could not be reached for comment. Dino Mahtani, an independent researcher into African issues, said he first heard of Malanga in 2018 while serving as a political adviser to the United Nations in Congo. He said Congolese authorities voiced suspicions that Malanga was involved in a purported plot to kill then-President Joseph Kabila. In an interview, Mahtani said he had never met Malanga but thinks Malanga was obsessed with capturing some form of power in Congo. He also speculated Malanga had been set up or betrayed in the weekend attack, given the implausible way it was carried out. “Somebody put him up to this. It could be external plotters but given his previous close relationship with at least one of Tshisekedi's current military commanders, there’s some chance the plot was known about internally and this allowed them to move quickly,” Mahtani said. The alleged coup attempt began at the Kinshasa residence of Vital Kamerhe, a federal legislator and a candidate for speaker of the National Assembly of Congo. His guards killed the attackers, officials said. Malanga, meanwhile, was live-streaming video from the presidential palace in which he is seen surrounded by several people in military uniforms wandering around in the middle of the night. He was later killed while resisting arrest, Congolese authorities said. Congo officials have not commented on how the attackers were able to get inside. “It's really difficult to imagine how 20, 30 guys thought that by storming the presidential palace when nobody is around at 4 a.m. in the morning could somehow take over the Congolese state," Mahtani said. A second American allegedly involved was identified as Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, according to images of a U.S. passport circulated by Congolese media. He graduated from the University of Colorado and attended business administration classes at Georgetown University, court records indicate. He later started a commodity trading business and worked as a courier and Uber driver — the records show. His connection to Malanga appeared to be through a gold mining company that was set up in Mozambique in 2022, according to an official journal published by Mozambique's government, and a report by Africa Intelligence newsletter. No information was released on the third American. The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa said it was aware “U.S. citizens might have been involved in Sunday’s events,” adding in a statement that it would cooperate with authorities "as they investigate these violent criminal acts.”

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united nations — A senior U.N. humanitarian official said Monday that more than 800,000 Palestinians have been displaced from the southern Gaza city of Rafah since Israel began its ground offensive there two weeks ago. “Today, the once overcrowded camps and emergency shelters in Rafah have now largely emptied, with the majority of the displaced seeking refuge in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah,” Edem Wosornu, U.N. director of operations and advocacy for the office of humanitarian affairs, told a meeting of the Security Council on the situation. She said the conditions at the displacement sites they are arriving at are “horrendous,” lacking adequate toilets, clean water, sewage and shelter. “These appalling conditions leave serious doubt as to the compliance with these basic obligations.” Wosornu said the United Nations and its partners are struggling to offer the displaced assistance, because they cannot get supplies into Gaza at the scale required. Israel’s envoy said it is “truly terrible” that civilians in Rafah have to be evacuated, but the move should be supported, not condemned. “They have moved to a designated humanitarian zone that is being filled with aid,” Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the council of the Israeli-designated sites. “And our hope is for many more civilians to leave Rafah and move out of harm’s way.” He said Israel is advancing its military operation in Gaza “slowly and carefully” to avoid civilian casualties, but that the operation must be done. Otherwise, he said, Israel would be granting immunity to the remaining Hamas terrorists in Rafah. The Palestinian envoy accused Israel of ignoring international calls to spare Rafah and of forcibly displacing its population. “People were forcibly displaced time and time again in horrific conditions,” Riyad Mansour said. “They are being displaced yet again by the hundreds of thousands, with nowhere to go, nowhere to stay, nowhere to be safe — dragging what remains of their lives, confronted with death all around them, abandoned to this terrifying fate.” The Security Council, the United States and many other countries have urged Israel not to enter Rafah because of the likelihood of high civilian casualties. Ambassador Robert Wood reiterated Washington’s “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s security but said despite “clear and consistent warnings” from the U.S. and others, Israel’s preparations to meet the needs of the displaced are insufficient. “Israel should take immediate and decisive actions to remedy this situation and ensure protection of civilians,” Wood said. “There must be no delay. Lives depend on it.” Aid crossings Wood said that included immediately reopening the Rafah border crossing. As of Monday, the main humanitarian crossing at Rafah remained closed. The Israel Defense Forces took it over on May 7, a day after launching its ground operation into eastern Rafah, and no aid trucks have crossed it since. The U.N.’s Wosornu said 82,000 metric tons of food and medical supplies are stranded and spoiling on the Egyptian side of the border, waiting to cross. The Kerem Shalom crossing is operational, but Wosornu said there is only limited access. While a new crossing into the north, known as Erez West or Zikim, is now being used for limited quantities of aid, humanitarians are not sure how much longer it can be used, since it falls within the vicinity of recent Israeli evacuation orders. Wosornu noted that 10 of 16 U.N.-supported bakeries will run out of stock and fuel within days if no additional supplies come in. She said another six in southern Gaza have stopped working, either because of fuel shortages or active fighting. Meanwhile, a $320 million U.S.-funded and -constructed floating pier off Gaza began receiving aid on Thursday, but only 10 truckloads have come through it since Saturday, a U.N. spokesperson said. Fuel supplies also remain dangerously low, limiting the movement of aid convoys. Humanitarian assistance into Gaza is particularly urgent, as the U.N. says 1.1 million Palestinians face catastrophic levels of hunger and parts of Gaza are on the brink of famine. 

The United States reassured Ukraine on Monday that it would continue providing Kyiv with support to counter the Russian offensive. But on the ground, analysts warn the humanitarian crisis is deepening. Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports.

TALLINN, Estonia — A Russian court on Monday opened the trial of a theater director and a playwright accused of advocating terrorism in a play, the latest step in an unrelenting crackdown on dissent in Russia that has reached new heights since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine. Zhenya Berkovich, a prominent independent theater director, and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk have been jailed for over a year. Authorities claim their play "Finist, the Brave Falcon" justifies terrorism, which is a criminal offense in Russia punishable by up to seven years in prison. Berkovich and Petriychuk have both repeatedly rejected the accusations against them. Berkovich told the court on Monday that she staged the play in order to prevent terrorism, and Petriychuk echoed her sentiment, saying that she wrote it in order to prevent events like those depicted in the play. The women's lawyers have pointed out at court hearings before the trial that the play was supported by the Russian Culture Ministry and won the Golden Mask award, Russia's most prestigious national theater award. In 2019, the play was read to inmates of a women's prison in Siberia, and Russia's state penitentiary service praised it on its website, Petriychuk's lawyer has said.

new york — The White House said Monday that the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation would step down, a departure that will follow the release this month of a damning report about the agency’s toxic workplace culture. The White House said Martin Gruenberg would step down once a successor was appointed and that President Joe Biden would name a replacement “soon." The announcement came after the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee earlier Monday called for Gruenberg's removal. Biden expects the FDIC "to reflect the values of decency and integrity and to protect the rights and dignity of all employees,” deputy press secretary Sam Michel said in a statement. The FDIC is one of several U.S. banking system regulators. The Great Depression-era agency is best known for running the nation’s deposit insurance program, which insures Americans’ deposits up to $250,000 in case their banks fail. Before Monday, no Democrats had called for Gruenberg’s ouster, although several came very close to doing so. But Senator Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat on the Banking Committee, who is facing a tough reelection campaign, issued a statement Monday calling for Gruenberg to step down, saying his leadership at the FDIC could no longer be trusted. Gruenberg was grilled for two days last week on Capitol Hill in hearings largely focused on the FDIC's workplace culture and the failures disclosed in the report prepared by an outside law firm. "After chairing last week’s hearing, reviewing the independent report and receiving further outreach from FDIC employees ... , I am left with one conclusion: There must be fundamental changes at the FDIC,” Brown said in a statement. Republicans have been calling for Gruenberg's ouster for some time and criticized the White House for not calling for his immediate departure. Gruenberg has held various leadership positions at the FDIC for nearly 20 years, and this was his second full term as FDIC chair. His long tenure at the agency made him largely responsible for the agency's toxic work environment, according to the report outlining the problems at the agency. The report released last Tuesday by law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton cites incidents of stalking, harassment, homophobia and other violations of employment regulations, based on more than 500 complaints from employees. Among the complaints: a woman said she was stalked by a coworker and continually harassed even after complaining about his behavior; a field office supervisor referred to gay men as “little girls”; and a female field examiner  described receiving a picture of an FDIC senior examiner’s private parts.

Morales, Colombia — Colombian guerrilla fighters killed two police officers and two other people Monday in separate gun and bomb attacks that injured at least seven in the country's troubled southwest, officials said. Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez pinned an attack in the town of Morales, in the Cauca department, on Central General Staff (EMC) rebels who had rejected a peace deal the FARC Marxist guerrilla group signed with the government in 2016. EMC militants opened fire and set off cylinder bombs at a police station in Morales, killing two officers and two other people in the prison holding cells in what Velasquez labeled a "terrorist attack." Three other officers were injured. The army said it had sent 100 soldiers to the town, where Police Director William Salamanca said more explosive devices have been found in the streets. Agence France-Presse (AFP) observed the police station in ruins, with multiple bullet marks in its facade — an image reminiscent of the deadly raids of the now-extinct FARC in the 1990s. "It was two hours of anguish," a Morales resident who asked not to be named, told AFP. Velasquez traveled at the request of President Gustavo Petro to Popayan, capital of the Cauca department, where he said officials had reported "harassment" by guerrillas in several other towns as well. Petro described the situation in Cauca as "unacceptable." "We will not tolerate the continued terrorization of the population with terrorist attacks," he wrote on X. In the neighboring department of Valle del Cauca to the north, a motorcycle loaded with explosives was detonated, injuring four people, including three children, officials there reported. The two departments are a hotbed of activity by EMC fighters under the control of guerrilla leader Ivan Mordisco, who quit the peace process in April after a split within the group, which had united some 3,500 combatants. The government has since launched an offensive against Mordisco's forces while continuing negotiations with the other faction.

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.

washington — Cyberattacks against U.S. water utilities are becoming more frequent and more severe, the Environmental Protection Agency warned Monday as it issued an enforcement alert urging water systems to take immediate protective action.  About 70% of utilities inspected by federal officials over the last year violated standards meant to prevent breaches or other intrusions, the agency said. Officials urged even small water systems to improve protections against hacks. Recent cyberattacks by groups affiliated with Russia and Iran have targeted smaller communities.  Some water systems are falling short in basic ways, the alert said, including failure to change default passwords or cut off system access to former employees. Because water utilities often rely on computer software to operate treatment plants and distribution systems, protecting information technology and process controls is crucial, the EPA said. Possible impacts of cyberattacks include interruptions to water treatment and storage; damage to pumps and valves; and alteration of chemical levels to hazardous amounts, the agency said.  "In many cases, systems are not doing what they are supposed to be doing, which is to have completed a risk assessment of their vulnerabilities that includes cybersecurity and to make sure that plan is available and informing the way they do business," said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe.  Attempts by private groups or individuals to get into a water provider's network and take down or deface websites aren't new. More recently, however, attackers have targeted utilities' operations.  Geopolitical rivals Recent attacks are not just by private entities. Some recent hacks of water utilities are linked to geopolitical rivals and could lead to the disruption of the supply of safe water to homes and businesses.  McCabe named China, Russia and Iran as the countries that are "actively seeking the capability to disable U.S. critical infrastructure, including water and wastewater."  Late last year, an Iranian-linked group called "Cyber Av3ngers" targeted multiple organizations including a small Pennsylvania town's water provider, forcing it to switch from a remote pump to manual operations. They were going after an Israeli-made device used by the utility in the wake of Israel's war against Hamas.  Earlier this year, a Russian-linked "hacktivist" tried to disrupt operations at several Texas utilities.  A cyber group linked to China and known as Volt Typhoon has compromised information technology of multiple critical infrastructure systems, including drinking water, in the United States and its territories, U.S. officials said. Cybersecurity experts believe the China-aligned group is positioning itself for potential cyberattacks in the event of armed conflict or rising geopolitical tensions.  "By working behind the scenes with these hacktivist groups, now these [nation states] have plausible deniability and they can let these groups carry out destructive attacks. And that to me is a game changer," said Dawn Cappelli, a cybersecurity expert with the risk management firm Dragos Inc.  The world's cyberpowers are believed to have been infiltrating rivals' critical infrastructure for years, planting malware that could be triggered to disrupt basic services.  The enforcement alert is meant to emphasize the seriousness of cyberthreats and inform utilities the EPA will continue its inspections and pursue civil or criminal penalties if they find serious problems.  "We want to make sure that we get the word out to people that, 'Hey, we are finding a lot of problems here,' " McCabe said.    Broader federal effort Preventing attacks against water providers is part of the Biden administration's broader effort to combat threats against critical infrastructure. In February, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to protect U.S. ports. Health care systems have been attacked. The White House has pushed electric utilities to increase their defenses, too. EPA Administrator Michael Regan and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan have asked states to come up with a plan to combat cyberattacks on drinking water systems.  "Drinking water and wastewater systems are an attractive target for cyberattacks because they are a lifeline critical infrastructure sector but often lack the resources and technical capacity to adopt rigorous cybersecurity practices,'' Regan and Sullivan wrote in a March 18 letter to all 50 U.S. governors.  Some of the fixes are straightforward, McCabe said. Water providers, for example, shouldn't use default passwords. They need to develop a risk assessment plan that addresses cybersecurity and set up backup systems. The EPA says it will train water utilities that need help for free. Larger utilities usually have more resources and the expertise to defend against attacks.  "In an ideal world ... we would like everybody to have a baseline level of cybersecurity and be able to confirm that they have that," said Alan Roberson, executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators. "But that's a long ways away."  Some barriers are foundational. The water sector is highly fragmented. There are roughly 50,000 community water providers, most of which serve small towns. Modest staffing and anemic budgets in many places make it hard enough to maintain the basics — providing clean water and keeping up with the latest regulations.  "Certainly, cybersecurity is part of that, but that's never been their primary expertise. So, now you're asking a water utility to develop this whole new sort of department" to handle cyberthreats, said Amy Hardberger, a water expert at Texas Tech University.  States, industry groups object The EPA has faced setbacks. States periodically review the performance of water providers. In March 2023, the EPA instructed states to add cybersecurity evaluations to those reviews. If they found problems, the state was supposed to force improvements.  But Missouri, Arkansas and Iowa, joined by the American Water Works Association and another water industry group, challenged the instructions in court on the ground that EPA didn't have the authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act. After a court setback, the EPA withdrew its requirements but urged states to take voluntary actions anyway.  The Safe Drinking Water Act requires certain water providers to develop plans for some threats and certify they've done so. But its power is limited.  "There's just no authority for [cybersecurity] in the law," said Roberson.  Kevin Morley, manager of federal relations with the American Water Works Association, said some water utilities have components that are connected to the internet — a common but significant vulnerability. Overhauling those systems can be a significant and costly job. And without substantial federal funding, water systems struggle to find resources.  The industry group has published guidance for utilities and advocates for establishing a new organization of cybersecurity and water experts that would develop new policies and enforce them, in partnership with the EPA.  "Let's bring everybody along in a reasonable manner," Morley said, adding that small and large utilities have different needs and resources.

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.

Kremlin forces pressed forward in Ukraine’s war-ravaged northeast, adding pressure to Kyiv’s outnumbered and outgunned forces as they wait for delayed Western military aid to arrive. Anna Chernikova provides an update from Kyiv. Ukraine’s troop levels could soon get a boost. Thousands of men completed required registration following a controversial mobilization law that went into effect over the weekend. Russia expert Nicole Wolkov with the Institute for the study of war on the growing alliance between Russia and China. A Ukrainian boxer gives his war weary country something to celebrate.

washington — All of Donald Trump's top opponents for the Republican nomination for president dropped out of the race weeks ago, but the whole gang will be back together on Kentucky's primary ballot Tuesday. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie all suspended their campaigns after Kentucky finalized its ballot in January, as did pastor Ryan Binkley. Trump has easily won nearly every Republican contest so far, but Haley has won a significant number of votes in several recent primaries, including Maryland (20%) and Nebraska (18%) this week. President Joe Biden's opponents in Kentucky are author Marianne Williamson and U.S. Representative Dean Phillips. Democrats can also vote for “uncommitted,” which has attracted protest votes in other states. Kentucky voters will also decide six primaries for the U.S. House. One race to watch is the 4th Congressional District Republican primary. Representative Thomas Massie, who backed DeSantis’ presidential bid and co-sponsored a motion to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, is facing a challenge from Eric Deters, a staunch Trump supporter. However, Deters hadn’t reported raising any money as of the latest filing deadline and placed fourth in the 2023 gubernatorial primary. Here’s a look at what to expect on Tuesday.  Primary day Kentucky will hold presidential primaries and will also choose nominees for the U.S. House, the state legislature and the state Senate. Polls will close locally at 6 p.m. across the state. However, Kentucky is nearly cut in half by time zones; most of it falls in the Eastern time zone, while 41 counties in the western part of the state are on Central time.   Who gets to vote  Kentucky has a closed primary system, which means that only voters registered with a political party may participate in that party’s primary. Democrats may not vote in the Republican primary or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may not participate in either primary. Delegate allocation rules Kentucky Republicans allocate their 46 delegates proportionally to any candidate who receives more than 15% of the vote, meaning any of Trump's opponents could qualify for delegates. They could also splinter the anti-Trump vote, increasing Trump’s chances of being the only candidate to receive 15% of the vote and therefore the only candidate to receive any delegates.  Kentucky’s 53 pledged Democratic delegates are allocated according to the national party’s standard rules. Twelve at-large delegates are allocated in proportion to the statewide vote, as are six PLEO delegates, or “party leaders and elected officials.” The state’s six congressional districts have a combined 35 delegates at stake, which are allocated in proportion to the vote results in each district. Candidates must receive at least 15% of the statewide vote to qualify for any statewide delegates, and 15% of the vote in a congressional district to qualify for delegates in that district.  Decision notes  While Republican state parties that hold primaries this late in the cycle tend to embrace a winner-takes-all system for delegate allocation, Kentucky Republicans are dividing their delegates proportionally among candidates who receive at least 15% of the vote.  For signs that a candidate not named Trump could reach that 15% threshold, look to suburban areas like Louisville and Lexington. Those areas — Jefferson and Fayette counties — are also the biggest sources of GOP votes in the state.  In the 2020 presidential primary, “uncommitted” and Trump were the only two options on the Republican ballot. Statewide, “uncommitted” received 13% of the vote in the GOP primary. In Jefferson County, however, “uncommitted” received 23%.  In the 4th Congressional District — which runs along the Ohio River, sharing its northern boundary with Indiana and Ohio — the United Democracy Project, a group that has criticized Massie for his record on Israel, had spent $328,672 on the race as of last Tuesday. However, those ads have not supported an alternative candidate.  The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.  Kentucky mandates a recount if the top candidate wins by less than 0.5 percentage point. However, that recount rule does not apply to the presidential race. Candidates can ask for a recanvass of the vote, which entails retabulating the vote totals, if the margin is less than 1 percentage point. However, to request a recount, in which each ballot is hand-counted, a court must approve and prescribe the procedure.  What do turnout and the advance vote look like?  As of March 31, there were 3,487,292 registered voters in Kentucky. Of those voters, 43% were Democrats and 46% were Republicans.   In 2022, 17% of voters cast their ballots before Election Day.   How long does vote-counting usually take? In the 2023 primary election, the AP first reported results at 6:03 p.m. Eastern time, or three minutes after the first polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 9:56 p.m. with about 98% of total votes counted.  Are we there yet? As of Tuesday, there will be 168 days until the November general election. 

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.