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Washington/Los Angeles — A California college is seeking the return, "no questions asked," of an iconic image of Chinese Communist Party founder Mao Zedong created by famed American artist Andy Warhol. Two weeks ago, Orange Coast College discovered that one of Warhol’s signed silkscreen prints of Mao was missing from its vault. The portrait has an estimated value of $50,000. Doug Bennett, executive director for college advancement at Orange Coast College, told VOA’s Mandarin Service that the print was purchased by a person close to the school from a gallery in Laguna Beach, California, in 1974 and donated to the school anonymously in September 2020. But now, even before it was put on display, it’s gone missing. Bennett said he hopes someone just took the print by mistake, adding that the college wouldn’t ask questions if it was returned. "Someone perhaps took it and put it in their office or put it in their home and thought it was OK to do. Or maybe it was misplaced, but I don't think it was like a ring of art thieves that stole it," he said. Warhol made the portraits of Mao in the 1970s after U.S. President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China. "When it [the portrait of Mao] first came out in the 1970s, it was very controversial, still maybe to some people," Bennett said. From 1972-73, Warhol used the image of Mao from the Little Red Book, widely circulated in China, as a template to create 199 richly colored Mao silkscreen works in five series. The school immediately launched an internal investigation after discovering the print was missing on March 13. A week later, a report was made to the Costa Mesa Police Department in Orange County, where the school is located. The police are investigating. "It's a high priority for the police department, and two detectives are assigned to the case and are working on it," Bennett said. The Costa Mesa Police Department told VOA the investigation is ongoing but did not provide any new details. Police and the school are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. Warhol, who is known as the godfather of the pop art movement, began using ubiquitous objects such as Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles as subjects for his creations in the 1960s, kicking off the movement. A summary of the Mao portraits by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York says this about the series: "As interpreted by Warhol, these works, with their repeated image painted in flamboyant colors and with expressionistic marks, may suggest a parallel between political propaganda and capitalist advertising." In 1982, Warhol visited China and took a photo in front of the portrait of Mao in Tiananmen Square. Five years later, Warhol died. In 2013, Warhol's works toured China, but the Mao series was forced to be withdrawn. At the time, Chinese state media claimed that the Mao in the works "far exceeded the officially acceptable image." However, the Mao series has become one of Warhol's most sought-after celebrity portraits by collectors. According to data from Sotheby's auction house, in 2015, a Mao painting was sold for $47.5 million. In 2017, another painting of Mao was sold for $12.7 million.

MEXICO CITY — Venezuelan migrants often have a quick answer when asked to name the most difficult stretch of their eight-country journey to the U.S. border, and it's not the dayslong jungle trek through Colombia and Panama with its venomous vipers, giant spiders and scorpions. It's Mexico. "In the jungle, you have to prepare for animals. In Mexico, you have to prepare for humans," Daniel Ventura, 37, said after three days walking through the Darien Gap and four months waiting in Mexico to enter the U.S. legally using the government's online appointment system, called CBP One. He and his family of six were headed to Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, where he has a relative. Mexico's crackdown on immigration in recent months — at the urging of the Biden administration — has hit Venezuelans especially hard. The development highlights how much the U.S. depends on Mexico to control migration, which has reached unprecedented levels and is a top issue for voters as President Joe Biden seeks reelection. Arrests of migrants for illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped so this year after a record high in December. The biggest decline was among Venezuelans, whose arrests plummeted to 3,184 in February and 4,422 in January from 49,717 in December. While two months do not make a trend and illegal crossings remain high by historical standards, Mexico's strategy to keep migrants closer to its border with Guatemala than the U.S. is at least temporary relief for the Biden administration. Large numbers of Venezuelans began reaching the U.S. in 2021, first by flying to Mexico and then on foot and by bus after Mexico imposed visa restrictions. In September, Venezuelans briefly replaced Mexicans as the largest nationality crossing the border. Mexico's efforts have included forcing migrants from trains, flying and busing them to the southern part of the country, and flying some home to Venezuela. Last week, Mexico said it would give about $110 a month for six months to each Venezuelan it deports, hoping they won't come back. Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador extended the offer Tuesday to Ecuadorians and Colombians. "If you support people in their places of origin, the migratory flow reduces considerably, but that requires resources and that is what the United States government has not wanted to do," said López Obrador, who is barred by term limits from running in June elections. Migrants say they must pay corrupt officials at Mexico's frequent government checkpoints to avoid being sent back to southern cities. Each setback is costly and frustrating. "In the end, it is a business because wherever you get to, they want to take the last of what you have," said Yessica Gutierrez, 30, who left Venezuela in January in a group of 15 family members that includes young children. They avoided some checkpoints by hiking through brush. The group is now waiting in Mexico City to get an appointment so they can legally cross the U.S.-Mexico border. To use the CBP One app, applicants must be in central or northern Mexico. So Gutierrez's group sleeps in two donated tents across the street from a migrant shelter and check the app daily. More than 500,000 migrants have used the app to enter the U.S. at land crossings with Mexico since its introduction in January 2023. They can stay in the U.S. for two years under a presidential authority called parole, which entitles them to work. "I would rather cross the jungle 10 times than pass through Mexico once," said Jose Alberto Uzcategui, who left a construction job in the Venezuelan city of Trujillo with his wife and sons, ages 5 and 7, in a family group of 11. They are biding time in Mexico City until they have enough money for a phone so they can use CBP One. Venezuelans account for the vast majority of 73,166 migrants who crossed the Darien Gap in January and February, which is on pace to pass last year's record of more than 500,000, according to the Panamanian government, suggesting Venezuelans are still fleeing a country that has lost more than 7 million people amid political turmoil and economic decline. Mexican authorities stopped Venezuelan migrants more than 56,000 times in February, about twice as much as the previous two months, according to government figures. "The underlying question here is: Where are the Venezuelans? They're in Mexico, but where are they?" said Stephanie Brewer, who covers Mexico for the Washington Office on Latin America, a group that monitors human rights abuses. Mexico deported only about 429 Venezuelans during the first two months of 2024, meaning nearly all are waiting in Mexico. Many fear that venturing north of Mexico City will get them fleeced or returned to southern Mexico. The U.S. admits 1,450 people a day through CBP One with appointments that are granted two weeks out. Even if they evade Mexican authorities, migrants feel threatened by gangs who kidnap, extort and commit other violent crimes. "You have to go town by town because the cartels need to put food on their plates," said Maria Victoria Colmenares, 27, who waited seven months in Mexico City for a CBP One appointment, supporting her family by working as a waitress while her husband worked at a car wash. "It's worth the wait because it brings a reward," said Colmenares, who took a taxi from the Tijuana airport to the border crossing with San Diego, hours before her Tuesday appointment. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has touted his own efforts to explain the recent reduction in illegal crossings in his state, where at least 95% of Border Patrol arrests of Venezuelans occur. Those have included installing razor wire, putting a floating barrier in the Rio Grande and making plans to build a new base for members of the National Guard. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has mostly credited Mexico for the drop in border arrests. Some Venezuelans still come north despite the perils.  Marbelis Torrealba, 35, arrived in Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, Texas, with her sister and niece this week, carrying ashes of her daughter who drowned in a boat that capsized in Nicaragua. She said they were robbed by Mexican officials and gangs and returned several times to southern Mexico. A shelter arranged for them to enter the U.S. legally on emergency humanitarian grounds, but she was prepared to cross illegally. "I already experienced the worst: Seeing your child die in front of you and not being able to do anything."

Taipei, Taiwan — China’s Ministry of State Security issued a fresh warning this week about overseas spy agencies and what it says are their efforts in recent years to obtain state secrets under the disguise of consulting agencies. The six-minute video released Thursday on the ministry’s official WeChat social media account reenacts what it says was a real case where overseas spy agencies instructed a consulting firm to steal classified information from a Chinese company seeking to invest abroad. The release of the video comes as Chinese leader Xi Jinping met this week with American CEOs in a bid reassure them that China remains open for business, despite concerns about its economy and worrying signals from the authoritarian government. Over the past year, foreign investment in China has shrunk as supply chains shift to other countries while Chinese authorities have rolled out a new anti-espionage law and used exit bans to keep business executives and others from leaving the country. It has also carried out raids on consulting and due diligence firms. During the same period, the Ministry of State Security has ramped up its use of social media to raise the alarm about foreign spies. Its latest video — the fourth since it launched its social media account last year — has the feel of a spy thriller with dramatic music and fast-paced video elements and graphics. It tells the story of an executive at a Chinese company who is pressed by a consulting firm representative on a string of questions, including the company’s total profit, the technical parameters of its products, and how its products are used by the Air Force. In a WeChat post released with the video, the ministry warned about the national security risks that consultancy agencies pose. "The seemingly normal investigation conducted by consulting firms are in fact attempts to illegally acquire our commercial secrets and efforts to suppress our advantageous industries," the ministry wrote, adding that these consulting firms are accomplices to foreign spy agencies aiming to infiltrate key sectors in China. Intimidation campaign against Chinese citizens Some experts say the video is tailored to the Chinese audience rather than foreign investors since the video is purely in Mandarin and features the arrest of a Chinese national working for a foreign consulting firm. The purpose of the video is "to inform and intimidate Chinese citizens by telling them that the government is watching them," said Dennis Wilder, a former U.S. national security official. He added that the campaign will likely create a chilling effect among Chinese citizens, especially those working for foreign companies. Over the last year, Chinese authorities have raided several American companies’ offices in China and detained some of their Chinese employees. Companies affected include due diligence firm Mintz Group, business consulting firm Capvision, and management consultancy Bain & Company. Chilling effect for new foreign businesses While the campaign focuses on Chinese citizens, Wilder said Beijing’s efforts to safeguard national security will also create a chilling effect for foreign businesses trying to enter the Chinese market. Unlike big foreign companies with an established presence in China, such as Apple or Qualcomm, he said companies that have no presence in China need to conduct due diligence. "They have to understand what their counterparts in China are all about, but if they can’t conduct due diligence, they won’t invest in China," he told VOA in a video interview. A survey conducted by foreign business groups in 2023 suggests foreign companies are increasingly pulling investments and operations out of China. Survey data show that only 45% of American companies view China as their primary or among their top three investment destinations while 66% of the companies surveyed by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said they found operating in China has become increasingly difficult. Despite foreign companies’ lack of confidence in the Chinese market, some analysts say the Chinese government thinks efforts to safeguard national security and enhance foreign investors’ confidence in the Chinese market are not mutually contradictory. "Beijing believes that while they try to attract more foreign businesses to invest in China, they also should ensure key national interests, such as core data or key infrastructure won’t be easily obtained by foreign businesses," said Hung Chin-fu, a political scientist at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. He said Beijing’s approach will be met with deep suspicion among foreign businesses. "At a time when the Chinese government has laid out many red lines in the name of national security, investing in China will be like walking on thin ice for foreign companies," he told VOA by phone. As foreign businesses will likely remain hesitant to increase their investment volumes in China, Wilder thinks Chinese leaders may have different views on whether to prioritize efforts to attract more foreign investment or the need to safeguard national security. "For Xi Jinping, I think if he has to choose between foreign investment and economic growth and what he perceives as national security, he will always come out on the national security side," he told VOA. But for other Communist Party leaders who must consider economic growth, such as Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Wilder thinks their consideration will be different from Xi’s. 

FLORENCE, Italy — Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished by the thousands of refrigerator magnets and other souvenirs sold around Florence focusing on the statue's genitalia, The Galleria dell'Accademia's director, Cecilie Hollberg, has positioned herself as David's defender since her arrival at the museum in 2015, taking swift aim at those profiteering from his image, often in ways she finds "debasing." In that way, she is a bit of a David herself against the Goliath of unfettered capitalism with its army of street vendors and souvenir shop operators hawking aprons of the statue's nude figure, T-shirts of it engaged in obscene gestures, and ubiquitous figurines, often in Pop Art neon. At Hollberg's behest, the state's attorney office in Florence has launched a series of court cases invoking Italy's landmark cultural heritage code, which protects artistic treasures from disparaging and unauthorized commercial use. The Accademia has won hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars) in damages since 2017, Hollberg said. "There was great joy throughout all the world for this truly unique victory that we managed to achieve, and questions and queries from all over about how we did it, to ask advice on how to move," she told The Associated Press. Legal action has followed to protect masterpieces at other museums, not without debate, including Leonardo's Vitruvian Man, Donatello's David and Botticelli's Birth of Venus. The decisions challenge a widely held practice that intellectual property rights are protected for a specified period before entering the public domain — the artist's lifetime plus 70 years, according to the Berne Convention signed by more than 180 countries including Italy. More broadly, the decisions raise the question of whether institutions should be the arbiters of taste, and to what extent freedom of expression is being limited. "It raises not just legal issues, but also philosophical issues. What does cultural patrimony mean? How much of a stranglehold do you want to give institutions over ideas and images that are in the public domain?'' said Thomas C. Danziger, an art market lawyer based in New York. He pointed to Andy Warhol's famous series inspired by Leonardo's Last Supper. "Are you going to prevent artists like Warhol from creating what is a derivative work?'' Danziger asked. "Many people would view this as a land grab by the Italian courts to control and monetize artworks in the public domain that were never intended to be charged for." Italy's cultural code is unusual in its scope, essentially extending in perpetuity the author's copyright to the museum or institution that owns it. The Vatican has similar legislative protections on its masterpieces and seeks remedies through its court system for any unauthorized reproduction, including for commercial use and for damaging the dignity of the work, a spokesperson said. Elsewhere in Europe, Greece has a similar law, adopted in 2020, which requires a permit to use images of historic sites or artifacts for commercial use, and forbids the use of images that "alter" or "offend" the monuments in any way. France's Louvre museum, home to some oft-replicated masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, notes that its collection mostly dates from before 1848, which puts them in the public domain under French law. Court cases have debated whether Italy's law violates a 2019 European Union directive stating that any artwork no longer protected by copyright falls into the public domain, meaning that "everybody should be free to make, use and share copies of that work." The EU Commission has not addressed the issue, but a spokesperson told the AP that it is currently checking "conformity of the national laws implementing the copyright directive" and would look at whether Italy's cultural heritage code interferes with its application. Hollberg won her first case against ticket scalpers using David's image to sell marked-up entrance packages outside the Accademia's doors. She also has targeted GQ Italia for imposing a model's face on David's body, and luxury fashion brand Longchamp's cheeky Florence edition of its trademark Le Pliage bag featuring David's more intimate details. Longchamp noted the depiction was "not without irony" and said the bag was "an opportunity to express with amused lightness the creative force that has always animated this wonderful city.'' No matter how many lawsuits Hollberg has initiated — she won't say how many — the proliferation of David likenesses continues. "I am sorry that there is so much ignorance and so little respect in the use of a work that for centuries has been praised for its beauty, for its purity, for its meanings, its symbols, to make products in bad taste, out of plastic," Hollberg said. Based on Hollberg's success and fortified by improved search engine technology, the private entity that is custodian of Florence's landmark Cathedral has started going after commercial enterprises using the famed dome for unauthorized, and sometimes denigrating, purposes — including men's and women's underwear. So far, cease-and-desist letters have been enough to win compliance without turning to the courts, adding an extra half a million euros ($541,600) a year to revenues topping 30 million euros ($32 million), Luca Bagnoli, president of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, told the AP. "We are generally in favor of the freedom of artistic expression,'' Bagnoli said. "When it comes to reinterpreted copies, it becomes a little more difficult to understand where artistic freedom ends and our image rights begin." Italy's cultural heritage code in its current form has been on the books since 2004, and while Hollberg's cases were not the first, they have represented an acceleration, experts said. The jurisprudence is still being tested. A court in Venice ordered Germany's Ravensburger jigsaw puzzle maker to stop using the image of Vitruvian Man in the first case to involve a company outside Italy. The ruling implicitly rejected Ravensburger's argument that the law was incompatible with the EU directive on copyright, lawyers said. Experts say the aggressive stance could backfire, discouraging the licensing of Italy's artworks, a source of revenue, while also limiting the reproduction of masterpieces that serve as cultural ambassadors. "There is a risk for Italy, because you can select a work of art that is not covered by this legislation,'' said Vittorio Cerulli Irelli, an intellectual property lawyer at Trevisan & Cuonzo in Rome. "In many instances, it is the same for you to use Leonardo's painting which is in the U.K. or Leonardo's painting which is in Italy. You just go for the easiest choice."

DALLAS — Millions of people along a narrow band in North America will look up when the sky darkens during a total solar eclipse on April 8. When they do, safety is key. Staring directly at the sun during a solar eclipse or at any other time can lead to permanent eye damage. The eclipse is only safe to witness with the naked eye during totality, or the period of total darkness when the moon completely covers the sun. Those eager to experience the eclipse should buy eclipse glasses from a reputable vendor. Sunglasses are not protective enough, and binoculars and telescopes without a proper solar filter can magnify light from the sun, making them unsafe. "Please, please put those glasses on," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. Where to find eclipse glasses Since counterfeit glasses abound, consider purchasing glasses from a local science museum or order online from a seller cleared on the American Astronomical Society's website. Eclipse safety experts say legitimate eclipse glasses should block out ultraviolet light from the sun and nearly all visible light. When worn indoors, only very bright lights should be faintly visible – not household furniture or wallpaper. Old eclipse glasses from the 2017 total solar eclipse or October's "ring of fire" annular eclipse are safe to reuse, as long as they aren't warped and don't have scratches or holes. Glasses should say they comply with ISO 12312-2 standards, though fake suppliers can also print this language on their products. NASA does not approve or certify eclipse glasses. How to view the eclipse without glasses If you don't have eclipse glasses, you can still enjoy the spectacle through indirect ways such as making a pinhole projector using household materials. Poke a hole through a piece of cardstock or cardboard, hold it up during the eclipse and look down to see a partial crescent projected below. Holding up a colander or a cracker will produce a similar effect. Another trick: Peering at the ground under a shady tree can yield crescent shadows as the sunlight filters through branches and leaves. Eye experts warn against viewing the eclipse through a phone camera. The sun's bright rays can also damage a phone's digital components. Why looking at a solar eclipse is dangerous Eye damage can occur without proper protection. The sun's bright rays can burn cells in the retina at the back of the eye. The retina doesn't have pain receptors, so there's no way to feel the damage as it happens. Once the cells die, they don't come back. Symptoms of solar eye damage, called solar retinopathy, include blurred vision and color distortion. In a rare case of eclipse eye damage, a woman who viewed the 2017 eclipse without adequate protection came to Mount Sinai's New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, complaining of a black spot in her vision. Doctors discovered retinal damage that corresponded to the eclipse's shape. "The dark spot she was describing was in the shape of a crescent," said Dr. Avnish Deobhakta, a Mount Sinai ophthalmologist. There's no set rule for how long of a glance can lead to permanent damage. Severity varies based on cloudiness, air pollution and a person's vantage point. But doctors say looking at a solar eclipse for even a few seconds unprotected isn't worth the risk. There are reports of solar retinopathy after every solar eclipse, and U.S. eye doctors saw dozens of extra visits after the one in 2017. Spectators who plan ahead can secure a stress-free eclipse viewing experience. "It can be dangerous if we aren't careful, but it's also very safe if we take the basic precautions," said Dr. Geoffrey Emerson, a board member of the American Society of Retina Specialists.

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MANILA, Philippines — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered his government to strengthen its coordination on maritime security to confront "a range of serious challenges" to territorial integrity and peace, as a dispute with China escalates. The order, signed on Monday and made public on Sunday, does not mention China but follows a series of bilateral maritime confrontations and mutual accusations over a disputed area of the South China Sea. Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce. China's claims overlap those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China's claims had no legal basis. The latest flare-up occurred last weekend, when China used water cannon to disrupt a Philippine resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal for soldiers guarding a warship intentionally grounded on a reef 25 years ago. "Despite efforts to promote stability and security in our maritime domain, the Philippines continues to confront a range of serious challenges that threaten territorial integrity, but also the peaceful existence of Filipinos," Marcos said in the order. The president vowed on Thursday to implement countermeasures against "illegal, coercive, aggressive and dangerous attacks" by China's coast guard. His order expands and reorganizes the government's maritime council, adding the national security adviser, solicitor general, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency chief and the South China Sea task force. The order appears to expand the role of the military by naming the Armed Forces of the Philippines, not just the navy, among the agencies supporting the council. The renamed National Maritime Council will be the central body to formulate strategies to ensure a "unified, coordinated and effective" framework for the Philippines' maritime security and domain awareness. Marcos increased the number of agencies supporting the council to 13 from nine, including the space agency and the University of the Philippines' Institute for Maritime Affairs and the Law of the Sea. 

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DES MOINES, Iowa — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $975 million after no one matched the six numbers drawn Saturday night, continuing a nearly three-month stretch without a big winner. The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 13, 33, 50, 52 and the red Powerball 23. No one has won Powerball's top prize since New Year's Day when a ticket in Michigan hit for $842.4 million, bringing the number of consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner to 38. That winless streak nears the record of 41 consecutive drawings, set twice in 2022 and 2021. The $975 million prize is for a sole winner who chooses an annuity paid over 30 years. A winner opting for cash would be paid $471.7 million. The prizes would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings. As the prizes grow, the drawings attract more ticket sales and the jackpots subsequently become harder to hit. The game's long odds for Saturday's drawing were 1 in 292.2 million. Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

MOSCOW — Foreign diplomats in Russia laid flowers Saturday at the site of last week's attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed 144 people. Those in attendance included ambassadors from the United States, EU countries, Africa and Latin America. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said the "around 130 diplomatic missions" taking part included representatives of "unfriendly states." Since the attack, thousands of people have brought bunches of flowers, wreaths and other tokens such as teddy bears, creating a makeshift memorial at the Crocus City Hall. Russian state news agency Tass reported Saturday that the number of people wounded in the attack was 551, quoting figures from the Moscow regional department of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry. Previous figures have been much lower and it did not explain the discrepancy. The death toll rose to 144 on Friday when a severely injured victim died in a hospital, according to Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko. Russia's Investigative Committee said Saturday that 134 of the dead had been identified. "Genetic tests are being carried out for other, as yet unidentified, victims," the committee said in a statement on messaging app Telegram. An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest on Russian soil in years. The Kremlin, however, has insisted that Ukraine and the West had a role, something Kyiv has vehemently denied. Nine people were detained by Tajikistan's state security service in relation to the attack, RIA Novosti said Friday. In Russia, a total of nine suspects have faced court so far and were remanded in pre-trial detention. The latest hearing took place Friday, with a judge in the Basmanny District Court ruling that suspect Lutfulloi Nazrimad should be held in custody until at least May 22. Russian independent news site Mediazona cited Nazrimad as saying in court that he was born in Tajikistan. Since the attack, Tajikistan's Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment has recorded an outflow of migrants workers from Moscow back to Tajikistan. "There are a lot of calls. These are most likely not so much complaints about harassment, but about our citizens' fear, panic. Many want to leave. We are now monitoring the situation; more people are coming (to Tajikistan) than leaving," Deputy Labour Minister Shakhnoza Nodiri told Tass, the news agency said Saturday. Russian officials previously said that 11 suspects had been arrested, including four who allegedly carried out the attack. Those four, identified as Tajik nationals, appeared in a Moscow court on Sunday on terrorism charges and showed signs of severe beatings. One appeared to be barely conscious during the hearing. Russia's Investigative Committee additionally said Thursday it had detained another suspect in relation to the raid on Crocus City Hall, on suspicion of being involved in financing the attack. It did not give further details of the suspect's identity or alleged actions.

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BEIRUT — Three United Nations observers and a translator were wounded on Saturday when a shell exploded near them as they were carrying out a foot patrol in south Lebanon, the U.N. peacekeeping mission said, adding it was still investigating the origin of the blast.  The U.N. peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL, as well as unarmed technical observers known as UNTSO, are stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, known as the Blue Line. Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has been trading fire with the Israeli military across the Blue Line since October in parallel with the war in Gaza. UNIFIL said in a statement on Saturday that the targeting of peacekeepers is "unacceptable" and that the wounded staff had been evacuated for treatment. Two security sources had earlier told Reuters the observers were wounded in an Israeli strike outside the border town of Rmeish. The Israeli military denied involvement in the incident. "Contrary to the reports, the IDF did not strike a UNIFIL vehicle in the area of Rmeish this morning," the military said in a statement. Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati spoke with UNIFIL commander Aroldo Lozaro, condemning the "targeting" and wounding of U.N. staff in southern Lebanon, according to a statement from Mikati's office. The mayor of Rmeish, Milad Alam, told Reuters that he had spoken with the Lebanese translator and confirmed his condition was stable. "From Rmeish, we heard a blast and then saw a UNIFIL car zipping by. The foreign observers were taken to hospitals in Tyre and Beirut by helicopter and car," Milad said, without providing details on their condition. One of the observers was a Norwegian citizen, who was slightly injured, the Nordic country's defense ministry told Reuters. Lebanon's National News Agency said the other two wounded observers were Chilean and Australian. Israel's shelling of Lebanon has killed nearly 270 Hezbollah fighters but has also killed about 50 civilians – including children, medics and journalists - and hit both UNIFIL and the Lebanese army. UNIFIL last month said that the Israeli military violated international law by firing on a group of clearly identifiable journalists, killing Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah. The U.N.'s Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, said in a statement that she was "saddened" to learn of the injuries and that the incident served as "another reminder of the urgent need to return to a cessation of hostilities across the Blue Line."  The U.S. and other countries have sought to secure a diplomatic resolution to the exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah said it will not halt fire before a cease-fire is implemented in Gaza. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the explosion and called for the safety of peacekeepers to be ensured, according to a statement from U.N.  spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "These hostile actions have not only disrupted the livelihoods of thousands of people, but they also pose a grave threat to the security and stability of Lebanon, Israel, and the region," Dujarric said.

ROME — Pope Francis presided over the Vatican's somber Easter Vigil service on Saturday night, delivering a 10-minute homily and baptizing eight people, a day after suddenly skipping the Good Friday procession at the Colosseum as a health precaution. Francis entered the darkened, silent St. Peter's Basilica in his wheelchair, took his place in a chair and offered an opening prayer. Sounding somewhat congested and out of breath, he blessed an elaborately decorated Easter candle, the flame of which was then shared with other candles until the whole basilica twinkled. Over an hour later, Francis delivered a 10-minute homily in a strong voice, clearing his throat occasionally. The evening service, one of the most solemn and important moments in the Catholic liturgical calendar, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. The Vatican had said Francis skipped the Good Friday procession to ensure his participation in both the vigil service Saturday night, which usually lasts about two hours, and Easter Sunday Mass a few hours later. The 87-year-old Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been battling respiratory problems all winter that have made it difficult for him to speak at length. He and the Vatican have said he has had bronchitis, a cold or the flu. He has canceled some audiences and often asked an aide to read aloud some of his speeches. But the alarm was raised when he ditched his Palm Sunday homily altogether last week at the last minute and then decided suddenly Friday to stay home rather than preside over the Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum reenacting Christ’s crucifixion. The Vatican said in a brief explanation that the decision was made to "conserve his health." The decision appeared to have paid off Saturday night, as Francis was able to recite the prayers of the lengthy vigil service and perform the sacrament of baptism for the eight adults. The baptism is a traditional feature of the Vatican's Easter Vigil service. In his homily Francis referred to the stone that the faithful believe was removed from Christ’s tomb after his death. Francis urged Catholics to remove the stones in their lives that "block the door of our hearts, stifling life, extinguishing hope, imprisoning us in the tomb of our fears and regrets." "Let us lift our eyes to him and ask that the power of his resurrection may roll away the heavy stones that weigh down our souls," he said. Holy Week is trying for a pope under any circumstance, given four days of liturgies, rites, fasting and prayer. But that is especially true for Francis, who canceled a trip to Dubai late last year, just days prior, on doctor’s orders because of his respiratory problems. In addition to his respiratory problems, Francis had a chunk of his large intestine removed in 2021 and was hospitalized twice last year, including once to remove intestinal scar tissue from previous surgeries to address diverticulosis, or bulges in his intestinal wall. He has been using a wheelchair or cane for nearly two years because of bad knee ligaments. In his recently published memoirs, Life: My Story Through History, Francis said he isn’t suffering from any health problems that would require him to resign and that he still has " many projects to bring to fruition."

ISTANBUL — Turks vote Sunday in nationwide municipal elections focused on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's bid to reclaim control of Istanbul from major rival Ekrem Imamoglu, who aims to reassert the opposition as a political force after bitter election defeats last year. Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu dealt Erdogan and his AK Party the biggest electoral blow of two decades in power with his win in the 2019 vote. The president struck back in 2023 by securing re-election and a parliament majority with his nationalist allies. Sunday's votes could now reinforce Erdogan's control of NATO-member Turkey, or signal change in the major emerging economy's divided political landscape. An Imamoglu win is seen fueling expectations of him becoming a future national leader. Polling stations open at 7 a.m. local time, 0400 GMT, in eastern Turkey, with voting elsewhere starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. Initial results are expected by 10 p.m., 1900 GMT. Polls suggest a tight race in Istanbul, a city of 16 million people that drives Turkey's economy, where Imamoglu faces a challenge from AKP candidate Murat Kurum, a former minister. The results are likely to be shaped in part by economic woes driven by rampant inflation near 70%, and by Kurdish and Islamist voters weighing up the government's performance and their hopes for political change. While the main prize for Erdogan is Istanbul, he also seeks to win back the capital Ankara. Both cities were won by the opposition in 2019 after being under the rule of his AKP and Islamist predecessors for the previous 25 years. Erdogan's prospects have been helped by the collapse of the opposition alliance that he defeated last year, though Imamoglu still appeals to voters beyond his main opposition Republican People's Party. Voters of the main pro-Kurdish party were crucial to Imamoglu's 2019 success. Their DEM party this time is fielding its own candidate in Istanbul, but many Kurds are expected to put aside party loyalty and vote for him again. In the mainly Kurdish southeast, DEM is looking to reaffirm its strength after the state unseated pro-Kurdish party mayors following previous elections over alleged ties to militants. One factor working against Erdogan is a rise in support for the Islamist New Welfare Party due to its hardline stance against Israel over the Gaza conflict and dissatisfaction with the Islamist-rooted AKP's handling of the economy. 

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.

beirut, lebanon — A bomb exploded in a market in a north Syrian city held by pro-Turkish forces early Sunday, killing eight people and wounding more than 20 others, a war monitor said.  At least "eight people were killed and 23 others wounded" when "a car bomb exploded in the middle of a popular market" in Azaz, in Aleppo province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, adding the toll was provisional.   The Britain-based Observatory, which has a network of sources inside Syria, said the blast caused "significant damage" and sparked a fire, adding that ambulances and rescue personnel were at the scene.  Syria's war began after the government repressed peaceful protests in 2011 and escalated into a deadly conflict that pulled in jihadists and foreign armies.  The war has killed more than 507,000 people, displaced millions, and battered the country's infrastructure and industry.  Turkey has launched successive military offensives in Syria, most of them targeting Kurdish militants that Ankara links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.  Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies hold swathes of the border, including several major cities and towns such as Azaz.