Voice of America’s immigration news

The Iraqi parliament recently passed a law to return occupied Kurdish and Turkmen lands. However, over the weekend, Kurdish farmers in Kirkuk were stopped by the Iraqi army while trying to work on their lands, even though local forces should handle security. Kurdish politicians protested. They argue that Article 140 of the constitution has not been enforced. Click here for the full story in Kurdish.    

Fawzia Amin Saydo's move comes nearly six months after she was rescued from Gaza in a secret US-led operation

The International Coalition against ISIS has expressed its support for the dialogue between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the new Syrian government. On Monday, the SDF, the Autonomous Administration, and the Syrian Democratic Council decided in a meeting that SDF will join the Syrian army. Officials and commentators evaluate this topic. Click here for the full story in Kurdish.

District Judge Tanya Chutkan says there are legitimate questions about Musk's authority but no evidence of grave legal harm that would justify a temporary restraining order

Tuesday's signing follows up on a campaign pledge

Fourteen-year-old Gesma fled Sudan's Darfur region after armed militias killed her parents and brother, leaving her to care for her younger siblings. Now living in a refugee camp in Chad, she works long hours to keep her family fed, a reality faced by many displaced children. Henry Wilkins reports.

Louis DeJoy’s tenure marked by pandemic, surges in mail-in ballots and plan to modernize operations

The Uzbek authorities confirmed two deaths in the country’s prisons last week. Both incidents occurred in penal colonies in the Tashkent region, adjacent to the capital, Tashkent. One was the death of a 21-year-old man, from what officials said was a heart attack and acute pancreatitis. Uzbekistan's Chief Prosecutor's Office said it is investigating. The other death was an inmate who was fatally injured during repair work in the prison kitchen. No further information was available on the...

The U.S. destroyer USS Johnson and the naval survey ship USS Bowditch passed through the Taiwan Strait successively within three days. In response, the Chinese People's Liberation Army took the initiative to announce it to the world and released a tough statement. Moreover, the USS Bowditch took nearly three days to cross the Taiwan Strait, indicating the ship was not just passing by, but was conducting sea lane exploration and investigation under the surveillance of the PLA ships. Click...

U.S.-based supporters of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny marked one year since his sudden and unexplained death in an arctic prison with vigils and protests in many U.S. cities, including Washington, New York and Los Angeles. VOA Russian correspondents spoke to Navalny supporters who urged the U.S. authorities to demand a release of Russian political prisoners as part of a U.S.-Russia deal on the war in Ukraine.  Click here for the full story in Russian. 

Former Haitian senators Nenel Cassy and Alfredo Antoine have been placed on Haitian National Police's wanted list. The former lawmakers are accused of plotting to undermine national security, financing criminal organizations and participating in murder plots. Cassy was sanctioned by the United States in 2023 for corruption and participating in activities that undermine Haiti's government.    Click here for the full story in Creole. 

In Mexico, relatives say that their undocumented relatives in the United States are sending them less money because they avoid leaving their homes to go to work for fear of being deported.  Click here for the full story in Spanish. 

Germany is set to hold an election on Sunday, with voter frustrations over migration and the cost of living at the forefront of a bitter campaign. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the lead candidate to be Germany’s next chancellor has accused Washington of interfering in the election.

US officials tell VOA that 13 flights have brought more than 120 'high-threat' migrants and about 50 nonviolent migrants to the naval station in Cuba, where they await deportation

U.S. and Russian officials held more than four hours of talks in Riyadh on Tuesday, their first on ending the war in Ukraine, as Kyiv and its European allies watched anxiously from the sidelines and Moscow raised a major new demand. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy postponed a planned visit to Saudi Arabia Wednesday. France plans to a host a second meeting to discuss Ukraine and European security on Wednesday. Analysis with Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow with the Center for a...

AP reports that while the two were traveling around the world on motorbikes, they crossed Armenia's border into Iran on December 30

At the United Nations, Russia claimed the potential of a nuclear catastrophe is squarely on Ukraine’s shoulders. VOA’s William Echols explains why this is false.

Leaders also discuss impact of U.S. aid cuts on the continent

Analysts say US boycott could benefit other big powers, such as Russia and China, whose foreign ministers will be attending