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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines' national security adviser called on Friday for Chinese diplomats to be expelled over an alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Philippine admiral in a significant escalation of a bitter row over the South China Sea. China's embassy in Manila had orchestrated "repeated acts of engaging and dissemination of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation," with the objective of sowing discord, division and disunity, Eduardo Ano said in a statement. Those actions "should not be allowed to pass unsanctioned without serious penalty," he said. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the call to expel diplomats. The office of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The two countries have been embroiled in a series of heated standoffs this past year in disputed areas of the South China Sea as the Philippines, emboldened by support from the United States and other allies, steps up activities in waters occupied by China's vast coast guard. China has accused the Philippines of trespassing and of treachery, while Manila has scolded Beijing for what it says is a policy of aggression and dangerous maneuvering inside its exclusive economic zone. The expelling of diplomats could intensify a row that has so far seen heated exchanges, diplomatic protests and the ramming and water-cannoning of Philippine ships at two disputed shoals, the closest of which is more than 850 kilometers away from mainland China. Ano was referring to a news report this week of an alleged leak of a call between a Chinese diplomat and a Philippine admiral discussing a dispute over the South China Sea, which carried a transcript that showed the admiral agreeing to concessions with China. According to the transcript published by the Manila Times, the admiral agreed to China's proposal of a "new model," where the Philippines would use fewer vessels in resupply missions to troops at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, and notify Beijing about missions in advance. Reuters has not heard the reported phone conversation and could not verify the contents of the published transcript. The report said the conversation had taken place in January and the transcript was provided by a "ranking Chinese official," which it did not name. 'Interference operations' Ano said he backed the defense minister's call for the foreign ministry to take appropriate action against embassy officials, who he claimed recorded an alleged phone conversation in violation of Philippine laws, including its anti-wiretapping act, as well as serious breaches of diplomatic protocols. "Those individuals in the Chinese Embassy ... and those responsible for these malign influence and interference operations must be removed from the country immediately," he said. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday the embassy in Manila had released details about "relevant communications" between the two countries on managing the situation at the Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines has stationed troops at a grounded warship. Lin, in comments shared by the embassy, did not elaborate on what details or communications were released, or when, but said "facts are clear and backed by hard evidence that cannot be denied." "The Philippines has insisted on denying these objective facts and seeks to mislead the international community," Lin added. China has long been vexed by the Philippines' maintaining a small group of marines at the Second Thomas Shoal aboard a rusty ship that was intentionally grounded on a reef 25 years ago. Beijing has repeatedly said the Philippines had agreed to tow that ship away, which Manila has rejected. Manila-based political analyst Julio Amador said expelling diplomats should be part of the Philippines' diplomatic tool kit and Chinese Embassy officials had shown they did not value their working relationships with Philippine officials. "Diplomacy is based on trust, yet China is trying to make it look like all meetings between its diplomats and Philippine government representatives are negotiations with binding results," he said. "It has no right to make demands on the Philippines on how the latter manages areas over which it has sovereign rights."

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NEW DELHI — India said Thursday that Canada has shared no evidence to back its allegation that the Indian government was involved in the slaying of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada last year, despite the recent arrests of three Indian men in the crime. India's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also reiterated India's longstanding allegation that Canada harbors Indian extremists. Three Indian nationals who had been living in Canada temporarily were arrested on Tuesday in the slaying last June of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had set off a diplomatic spat with India last September when he cited "credible allegations" of India's involvement in the slaying of the Sikh separatist. India rejected the accusations. Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Mandeep Mooker said after the men's arrests that the investigation into whether they had ties to India's government was ongoing. Jaiswal said the two governments are discussing the case but that Canada has forwarded no specific evidence of the Indian government's involvement. Meanwhile, Jaiswal said New Delhi has complained to Canadian authorities that separatists, extremists and those advocating violence against India have been allowed entry and residency in Canada. "Many of our extradition requests are pending," he said. "Our diplomats have been threatened with impunity and obstructed in their performance of duties," Jaiswal added. "We are having discussions at the diplomatic level on all these matters," he said. The three Indian men arrested in Canada haven't yet sought any access to the Indian diplomats there, Jaiswal said. The three — Kamalpreet Singh, 22, Karan Brar, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28 — appeared in court Tuesday via a video link and agreed to a trial in English. They were ordered to appear in British Columbia Provincial Court again on May 21. They were arrested last week in Edmonton, Alberta. They have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

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TOKYO — Japan's Fisheries Agency has proposed expanding commercial whaling along the country's coast to fin whales, a larger species than the three currently permitted. The proposal comes five years after Japan resumed commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone after withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission in 2019. It ended 30 years of what Japan called "research whaling" that had been criticized by conservationists as a cover for commercial hunts banned by the commission in 1988. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, whose electoral district is traditionally known for whaling, said Thursday the government supports sustainable use of whales as part of Japan's traditional food culture and plans to promote the industry. "Whales are an important food resource and we believe they should be sustainably utilized just like any other marine resources, based on scientific evidence," Hayashi told reporters. "It is also important to carry on Japan's traditional food culture." The Fisheries Agency said it is seeking public comments until June 5 on the proposed plan and will seek its approval at the next review meeting in mid-June. The agency decided to propose adding fin whales to the allowable catch list after stock surveys confirmed a sufficient recovery of the fin whale population in the North Pacific. The plan is not meant to increase whale meat supply and whalers who catch fin whales do not necessarily have to meet a quota, an agency official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the issue. For this year, the agency has set a combined catch quota of 379 for the three other whale species. Last year, Japanese whalers caught 294 minke, Bryde's and sei whales — less than 80% of the quota and fewer than the number once hunted in the Antarctic and the northwestern Pacific under the research program. Japan's whaling has long been a source of controversy and attacks from conservationists, but anti-whaling protests have largely subsided after Japan terminated its much-criticized Antarctic research hunts in 2019 and returned to commercial whaling limited to Japanese waters. Whale meat consumption in Japan was an affordable source of protein during the malnourished years after World War II, with annual consumption peaking at 233,000 tons in 1962. However, whale was quickly replaced by other meats, and supply has since fallen to around 2,000 tons in recent years, according to Fisheries Agency statistics. Japanese officials want to increase that to about 5,000 tons, to keep the industry afloat. On a visit to the former Tsukiji fish market area in downtown Tokyo, Yuuka Fujikawa from Hokkaido, said she has hardly seen whale meat sold at supermarkets. "I've actually never tried it myself," she said. "I want more people to appreciate the taste of whale," said Hideyuki Saito, from neighboring Saitama prefecture. "I want it to be more popularized." Carlos Sempere Santos, a 28-year-old tourist from Spain, said he couldn't imagine eating whale as whales are special and smart animals. Shirley Bosworth from Australia said she opposes whaling because whales "should be protected." Whales often get beached in Australia, where people unite to try and "push them back in the sea." A whaling operator Kyodo Senpaku Co. last year launched whale meat vending machines. The company also completed construction of its new 7.5 billion yen ($48 million) Kangei Maru — a 9,300-ton mother ship — and pledges to use it for sustainable commercial whaling.

NEWPORT BEACH, California — Scores of sick and starving pelicans have been found in coastal California communities in recent weeks and many others have died. Lifeguards spotted a cluster of two dozen sick pelicans earlier this week on a pier in coastal Newport Beach and called in wildlife experts to assist. Debbie McGuire, executive director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, said the birds are the latest group that they've tried to save after taking in more than 100 other pelicans that were anemic, dehydrated and weighing only half of what they should. "They are starving to death and if we don't get them into care, they will die," McGuire said. "It really is a crisis." It is not immediately clear what is sickening the birds. Some wildlife experts noted the pelicans are malnourished even though marine life abounds off the Pacific Coast. Bird Rescue, which runs two wildlife centers in Northern and Southern California, reported 110 sick pelicans in the past three weeks, many entangled in fishing line or hooks. A similar event occurred in 2022, the group said. Wildlife organizations are focused on caring for the birds until they can be released back into the wild.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Air Vanuatu filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday a day after the South Pacific state-owned carrier cancelled all international flights, stranding thousands of travelers. The airline on Wednesday canceled more than 20 flights to and from the Australian cities of Sydney and Brisbane, and the New Zealand city of Auckland for the rest of the week. The airline said it was the result of "extended maintenance requirements" on their aircraft. Ernst & Young Australia's Morgan Kelly, Justin Walsh and Andrew Hanson were appointed liquidators in an equivalent of a U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the firm said in a statement. The liquidators said safety and maintenance checks would be made before normal operations resumed. Kelly said the airline's existing management team would remain in place. "Air Vanuatu is critical to the people of the Republic of Vanuatu and a strategically important business to the nation," Kelly said. "Our team is working closely with management to ensure continuity of service to customers and to ensure services continue as seamlessly as possible." "The outlook for the airline is positive, despite pressures on the broader industry, and we will be focused on securing the future of this strategically vital national carrier," he added. Affected travelers would be informed of this disruption and rebooked on flights as soon as operations resumed, the statement said. Air Vanuatu operates four planes, including one Boeing 737 and three turboprop planes. Tourism contributed 40% of Vanuatu's gross domestic product. The Vanuatu Tourism Office apologized to travelers for the disruption. "This is an evolving situation and we will continue to post updates," the office said in a statement. The office's chief executive Adela Issachar said the administrator was in discussions with Virgin Australia and Fiji Airways, airlines that currently service Vanuatu, about flying stranded passengers. "The updated schedule should be advised soon so we're all looking forward for that," Issachar told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Kelly said Air Vanuatu had been impacted by labor shortages, rising operating costs, elevated interest rates and tropical cyclones on tourist numbers in recent years. "We'll be looking at all options. And the Vanuatu government has indicated that they would prefer to resume operations as quickly as possible. Our role as voluntary liquidators will be to look at to assess all options to achieve that and make that sustainable," Kelly told reporters. "So that might involve some kind of sale process, it may involve some kind of partnership arrangement with another airline," Kelly added. Australian tourist Sally Witchalls said she and four friends had been checking out of their Port Vila hotel on Wednesday morning when they were told at reception that their Air Vanuatu flight would not fly that day. She has since discovered that her travel insurance did not cover an airline going into voluntary administration, as Air Vanuatu had done, or bankrupt. "We're now on our own working out how we pay for the accommodation from here on out while we wait to see how the situation with Air Vanuatu unfolds," Witchalls told ABC.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a U.S. threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, indicating it might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally. The United States warned on Thursday that Israel will be dealing a strategic victory to Hamas if it carries out plans for an all-out assault on Rafah. We talk to University of California San Diego professor Michael Provence who teaches modern Middle East history, focusing on the 20th century Arab East. Displaced Palestinians are fleeing Rafah, fearing an Israeli ground offensive is imminent. And a girl born deaf can hear after breakthrough gene-therapy.

Washington — Tufail Dawar, a resident of Mir Ali in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan, recounted a harrowing day on April 30 when he and his fellow villagers were trapped in their homes by gunfire outside. "We couldn't go out for the entire day as security forces and militants engaged in a fierce shootout during a military operation in our village," Dawar explained. During the crossfire, one of his cousins was injured and is currently receiving treatment in a local hospital. Resident of the restive tribal districts of Pakistan along the Afghan border and adjacent areas tell VOA Deewa that due to increasing military operations many areas have been declared no-go zones, restricting their daily mobility. "Our village has been declared a no-go zone by security forces and no development work is happening. There are no sources of livelihoods and many families have left the area due to military operations," Maulana Naqibullah Khan told VOA Deewa over the phone. Khan said that in the past three months locals had negotiated with the security forces to secure the release of nearly 60 residents who had been arrested after being accused of providing food and medical treatment to the militants. "The situation has deteriorated; we have seen helicopter shellings in December 2023, and the security forces operation continues. Locals have suffered property and human losses and we have held meetings, but it persists," said Muhammad Amin, a village council member in Kadera, a community of 900 homes in northwestern Pakistan. The Pakistani military says that army, police, intelligence and other law enforcement agencies are carrying out more than 100 operations daily against terrorism in the country. Major-General Ahmed Sharif, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s military, said during a live broadcast news conference Tuesday that security forces have conducted 13,135 small and major intelligence-based operations so far this year against terrorists and their facilitators, "during which 249 terrorists were sent to hell while 396 were arrested." VOA reached out to Pakistan military media wing Inter Services Public Relations official Brigadier Ghazanfar via WhatsApp seeking further details on the military operations in the region, but he has not responded. Asif Durrani, Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan, told a gathering organized by the Institute of Regional Studies on Tuesday that there has been a 60% increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. Haq Nawaz, a Peshawar-based analyst, said Pakistan lacks a clear strategy to combat terrorism. "Pakistan has adopted both the dialogue and military operations strategy in the past, but terrorism is on the rise in Pakistan and Pakistan's military and political forces should work together to devise a new strategy," he said. The Center for Research and Securities Studies (CRSS), an Islamabad-based think tank tracking terrorism in Pakistan, has said that terror-related fatalities surged 17% in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the corresponding period in 2023. The report says 432 people were killed and 370 others were injured in the first three months in 245 attacks and military operations. The provincewise breakdown is not yet available, but CRSS says that 92% of the violence occurred in KP and Baluchistan. This story originated in VOA’s Deewa Service. 

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Washington — Seoul is mulling over sharing advanced military technology with the U.S., the United Kingdom and Australia through what is known as AUKUS Pillar II, a move that would enhance its security capabilities at the risk of angering its powerful neighbor, China. AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership formed among Australia, the U.K. and U.S. in 2021 to push back against China’s growing aggression in the Indo-Pacific. The Pillar II of AUKUS aims to deliver and share advanced military technology among its partners, including hypersonic, artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber technology. Its Pillar I is designed to deliver nuclear-powered attack submarines to Australia. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, objected to the arrangement, telling VOA’s Korean Service on Monday, "Despite being called a ‘trilateral security partnership,’ AUKUS is essentially about fueling military confrontation through military collaboration." "It creates additional nuclear proliferation risks, exacerbates the arms race in the Asia-Pacific and hurts regional peace and stability. China is deeply concerned and firmly opposed to it," Pengyu said. He made the comments without naming South Korea. Seoul has not been admitted officially to AUKUS but talks about South Korea's inclusion in Pillar II were held between Seoul and Canberra earlier this month. On May 1, after a meeting with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Melbourne, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik told reporters that he had discussed with his Australian counterparts the possibility of joining AUKUS Pillar II. A U.S. Defense Department spokesperson told VOA’s Korean Service on May 2 that "AUKUS partners have developed principles and models for additional partner engagement." The spokesperson added that the U.S. "will undertake consultations in 2024 with prospective partners regarding areas where they can contribute to and benefit from this historic work." Talks about bringing Japan into Pillar II are even more advanced. Washington announced during a U.S.-Japan summit on April 10 that the three AUKUS partners are "considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects." A day after talks with the South Korean defense minister, Marles met with the Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Hawaii where they reaffirmed their consideration for Japan’s involvement in Pillar II. A spokesperson for the British Defense Ministry told VOA’s Korean Service on May 2 that the U.K. "will continue to seek opportunities to engage allies and close partners as work on AUKUS Pillar 2 progresses, however, no decisions have been made on which countries, beyond Japan, we could collaborate with." The spokesperson said any decisions on bringing other states into the arrangement would be announced at an appropriate time. Terence Roehrig, a professor of national security and Korea expert at the U.S. Naval War College, said, "There is a strong possibility that South Korea will join AUKUS Pillar II" as it "has a solid reputation in developing advanced technologies" such as "semiconductors, AI, hypersonic, robotic, and unmanned systems." Roehrig continued, "No doubt, Beijing will protest Seoul’s inclusion," but "South Korea has much to gain from joining AUKUS, and if managed carefully, can reduce the risk of any major Chinese response." Melanie Hart, the China policy coordinator for Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose Fernandez at the State Department, said the U.S. will do all it can to help South Korea if it is faced with a Chinese economic retaliation. She made the remark in an interview with South Korean media Yonhap earlier in the month. David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, said Seoul’s involvement in AUKUS fits into South Korea’s goal of becoming a global pivotal state and its alignment with countries supporting a rules-based international order. He said Beijing would expose "its own weakness and malign activities if it chooses to attack South Korea" economically and that Seoul should not base its decision on how China might respond. Michael O’Hanlon, director of research in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, agreed that Seoul would be a good fit for AUKUS. But, he said, "South Korea must have its main eye on North Korea" whereas AUKUS is focused on China. Therefore, he continued, "There are limitations to what could likely be expected in any tightening of the collaboration." An involvement in AUKUS would entail "significant cost-sharing," said James Przystup, senior fellow at Hudson Institute and Japan chair specializing alliance management in the Indo-Pacific. But both Seoul and Tokyo joining the Pillar II "is an idea whose time has come." 

washington — The Senate has passed a $105 billion bill designed to improve air safety and customer service for air travelers, a day before the law governing the Federal Aviation Administration expires.  The bipartisan bill, which comes after a series of close calls between planes at the nation's airports, would boost the number of air traffic controllers, improve safety standards and make it easier for customers to get refunds after flights are delayed or canceled.  The bill passed the Senate 88-4. The legislation now goes to the House, which is out of session until next week. The Senate is considering a one-week extension that would give the House time to pass the bill while ensuring the FAA isn't forced to furlough around 3,600 FAA employees.  The bill stalled for several days this week after senators from Virginia and Maryland objected to a provision that would allow an additional 10 flights a day to and from the heavily trafficked Reagan Washington National Airport. Other senators have tried to add unrelated provisions, as well, seeing it as a prime chance to enact their legislative priorities.  But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called a vote Thursday evening after it became clear that senators would not be able to agree on amendments to the bill before it expires. After the bill passed, leaders in both parties were still working out how to pass an extension and ensure the law does not expire on Friday. The House passed a one-week extension earlier this week.  The FAA has been under scrutiny since it approved Boeing jets that were involved in two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019. The Senate legislation would govern FAA operations for the next five years and put several new safety standards in place.  The bill would increase the number of air traffic controllers and require the FAA to use new technology designed to prevent collisions between planes on runways. It would require new airline planes to have cockpit voice recorders capable of saving 25 hours of audio, up from the current two hours, to help investigators.  It would also try to improve customer service for travelers by requiring airlines to pay a refund to customers for flight delays — three hours for a domestic flight and six for an international one.   In addition, the bill would prohibit airlines from charging extra for families to sit together and triple the maximum fines for airlines that violate consumer laws. And it would require the Transportation Department to create a "dashboard" so consumers can compare seat sizes on different airlines.  The FAA says that if the law expires on Friday, the 3,600 employees would be furloughed without a guarantee of back pay starting at midnight. The agency would also be unable to collect daily airport fees that help pay for operations, and ongoing airport improvements would come to a halt.  No one in "safety critical" positions — such as air traffic controllers — would be affected if the deadline is missed, the FAA says, and the safety of the flying public would not be at risk. 

washington — President Joe Biden on Thursday proposed a new regulation to expedite the asylum claims process for specific migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, but the plan drew objections from both immigrant advocates and administration critics. The order would target individuals with criminal backgrounds and those likely to be found ineligible for asylum for other reasons.   The proposed change would allow an asylum officer to decide whether someone qualifies for asylum during the initial screening at the border, rather than waiting months or years for a judge to decide. This would affect a small group of migrants who likely wouldn't qualify for asylum anyway. In a call with reporters on Thursday, a senior administration official from the Department of Homeland Security could not estimate how many people the proposed rule would affect but did say the rule would allow asylum officers to quickly decide that a given migrant poses a threat to national security or public safety and therefore does not qualify for asylum. “I think it's important that everybody understand that this really only applies to individuals who have a serious criminal history or who are, you know, linked to terrorist activity, and that's inherently a small fraction of the individuals that we encounter or interview on a given day,” the DHS official said. According to federal law, people who are considered dangerous to national security or public safety can't receive asylum. This includes those who have committed serious crimes, helped in persecuting others, or are a threat to the country's security. Currently, these individuals are detained while their asylum eligibility is determined. But the proposed rule allows asylum officers to make that determination during the credible-fear interview, earlier in the immigration process. The rule will be published Monday, and comments will be accepted for 30 days. Immigration officials expect the final rule to be issued this year. Reactions Immigration advocates worry that migrants, who often undergo these interviews right after dangerous journeys to the U.S., might not get a fair chance. They argue that the initial interviews should be more lenient to prevent wrongful deportations. They also question whether migrants in custody can get enough legal assistance to prepare for this crucial step in seeking asylum. The chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Mark Green of the state of Tennessee, objected later Thursday that the administration’s proposal does not go far enough. "The proposed rule will only apply to illegal aliens who are believed to be either a national security or public safety threat," Green said. "The rule will not impact or reduce the millions of illegitimate asylum claims being filed by economic migrants." The Biden administration is between “a rock and a hard place,” said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law at Cornell Law School, in an email to VOA. "But the public is demanding immigration changes. The Biden administration seems damned if it tries to do anything to resolve the border crisis and damned if it doesn't,” he wrote. A sharp increase in the number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border has presented a political crisis for Biden since the beginning of his administration. Many migrants come to the U.S. seeking better economic prospects or to escape violence. The Biden administration introduced strict asylum measures in 2023 and is trying to address the causes of migration. Biden asked Vice President Kamala Harris to spearhead a "root causes" strategy at the beginning of his presidency, banking heavily on using American investments to improve living conditions in three Central American nations known as the Northern Triangle: Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.  

Porto Alegre, Brazil — Teams raced against the clock Thursday to deliver aid to flood-stricken communities in southern Brazil before the arrival of new storms forecast to batter the region once again. About 400 municipalities have been affected by the worst natural calamity ever to hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with at least 107 people dead and hundreds more injured. More than 164,000 people have been forced from their homes in the state capital Porto Alegre, a city of some 1.4 million people, and hundreds of other cities and towns. Many in the region have no access to drinking water or electricity, or even the means to call for help, with telephone and internet services down. At least 134 people were reported missing and nearly 1.7 million have suffered damage in flooding that government and experts have linked to climate change. On Thursday, rescuers in boats and on jet skis were traveling streets turned into rivers, looking for people trapped in their homes or those reluctant to leave for fear of looting. In the town of Canoas outside the state capital, a horse was hauled from a rooftop by rescuers in inflatable boats, according to images on local media. The state's Guaiba River, which runs through Porto Alegre, reached historic levels this week, and officials have warned five dams were at risk of rupturing. "The focus is still on rescues ... but we are working very hard on delivering humanitarian aid," Sabrina Ribas, a spokesperson for the civil defense force that handles disaster relief, told journalists. These efforts may be hindered in the coming days, she added, given warnings of new downpours from Friday to Sunday. In a sports complex in downtown Porto Alegre, a makeshift shelter accommodated 450 people on mattresses scattered around the floor, as well as a few dozen dogs and a small pig. "The solidarity is impressive," school director Resplande de Sa, 57, told AFP at a donation center as volunteers sorted through bedding, clothes and diapers. Several prisons have sought federal assistance after being left without potable water, according to the non-governmental Criminal Justice Network. At one jail, prisoners had to be moved to higher floors as floodwaters entered the complex. The disaster has damaged more than 60,000 homes and devastated the economy of the largely agricultural state, which normally supplies more than two-thirds of the rice consumed in Brazil. The federal government said Thursday it would set aside $10 billion for reconstruction of the region. And the Inter-American Development Bank pledged $1.1 billion for infrastructure rebuilding, support to businesses and measures to help people keep their jobs.  The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro was lit up Wednesday night in homage to the victims, with a message appealing for more donations.  Help arrived from outside Brazil as well.  Pope Francis sent $107,000 to help care for evacuees, and tycoon Elon Musk said his Starlink satellite company will donate 1,000 terminals to emergency responders "and make usage for all terminals ... free until the region has recovered."  Only two of Porto Alegre's six water treatment plants were functioning, the mayor's office said earlier this week, and hospitals and shelters were being supplied by tankers.  The federal government, meanwhile, said it would import 200,000 tons of rice to guarantee supplies and preempt price speculation.  

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The first shipment of humanitarian aid bound for a U.S.-built pier in Gaza left a port in Cyprus on Thursday on the U.S. container ship Sagamore. VOA Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb reports the aid is desperately needed as the Rafah border crossing remains closed by Israeli forces.

N'DJAMENA, Chad — Chad's state election body said on Thursday interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby had won the May 6 presidential election outright with more than 61% of the vote, citing provisional results, even as his main challenger declared himself the winner. Chad's junta has become the first of the coup-hit countries in West and Central Africa to stage a return to constitutional rule via the ballot box, but some opposition parties have cried foul over vote-rigging concerns. With tensions running high, large numbers of security forces deployed at major intersections in the capital, N'Djamena, ahead of the results announcement. National Election Management Agency chief Ahmed Bartichet said Deby had secured 61.3% of the vote, comfortably more than the 50% needed to avoid a runoff. He said Deby's prime minister and top opposition candidate Succes Masra, 40, had won 18.53%. Just before the ceremony, Masra claimed victory in a live broadcast on Facebook and called on security forces and his supporters to oppose what he called an attempt to steal the vote. "A small number of individuals believe they can make people believe that the election was won by the same system that has been ruling Chad for decades," he said. "To all Chadians who voted for change, who voted for me, I say: mobilize. Do it calmly, with a spirit of peace," he said. What happens next is unclear. While Masra drew larger-than-expected crowds on the campaign trail, analysts had widely predicted that the victor would be Deby, who seized power when rebels killed his long-ruling father, Idriss Deby, in April 2021. "Post-election protests are possible, though the threat of police repression could dissuade many people from taking to the streets," Crisis Group experts said ahead of the vote. The election is being closely watched from abroad. While other juntas in the insurgency-torn Sahel region, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have told Paris and other Western powers to withdraw and turned to Moscow for support, Chad remains the last Sahel state with a substantial French military presence. Security and the economy have been key campaign issues. One of the world's least-developed countries, Chad's meagre resources have been stretched thinner by multiple shocks including climate change-fueled heatwaves and a refugee crisis linked to the civil war in Sudan.