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islamabad — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump sparred over Afghanistan in their Thursday night debate, but both were silent on the worsening human rights crisis following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.     During the presidential debate hosted by CNN, Trump blasted Biden for his handling of the August 2021 U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Biden defended his record, but neither of them discussed the human rights and women's rights crisis in the South Asian nation under Taliban rule.     The fundamentalist group stormed back to power as the U.S.-led foreign forces departed the country after almost two decades of war with the Taliban. The de facto Afghan rulers have imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, banning girls from schools beyond the sixth grade and many Afghan women from public and private workplaces, among other curbs on their freedoms.    "Since the U.S. withdrawal, Afghanistan has sadly become out of sight and out of mind in both public and policy debate in the U.S., so it's not that surprising that the two candidates would fixate on the last days of the pullout instead of the broader and quite depressing state of play in Afghanistan today," Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, told VOA.     The U.S. presidential debate came as the United Nations prepares to host crucial talks between Taliban and international envoys in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday. Afghan civil society and women representatives will not be involved, however, a move drawing strong backlash from global human rights defenders.     "It's hardly surprising that neither Trump nor Biden has a word to spare for the rights of Afghan women and girls," said Heather Barr, women's rights associate director at Human Rights Watch.     "I wish the moderator had asked them specifically about the contributions they both made to creating what is now the world's most serious women's crisis, and a crisis that deepens every day," Barr told VOA via email.     She noted that Trump oversaw the Doha agreement his administration signed with the then-insurgent Taliban in 2020, and those negotiations did not involve Afghan women, nor were their rights on the agenda. The pact set the stage for all American and allied troops to pull out from what is described as the longest war in U.S. history.     "Now Biden is sending his diplomats off to the Doha 3 meeting, where it will be exactly the same — no women on the agenda, no women at the table," Barr said. 'Doha process'    The two-day conference will be the third in Qatar's capital since U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres initiated what is referred to as the "Doha process" a year ago to try to establish a unified international approach to increase engagement with the Taliban.     The de facto Afghan leaders were not invited to the first Doha meeting in May 2023 and refused an invitation to the second in February.     John Fortier, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said Afghanistan and post-withdrawal issues facing the country are no longer high on the American people's agenda.    "I think American institutions and foreign policy experts have concerns, but as a political matter … we are not thinking about Afghanistan in the same way as we were after the events of September 11 [2001]. For many years, we do not have troops in the same way that we had for many years," Fortier told VOA.     Speaking on Thursday, Trump accused Biden of being responsible for the deaths of 13 American soldiers in an Islamic State group-claimed suicide bombing of the Kabul airport just days before the last American troops left Afghanistan.     "No general got fired for the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country, Afghanistan, where we left billions of dollars of equipment behind; we lost 13 beautiful soldiers. … And by the way, we left people behind, too. We left American citizens behind," Trump stated. "I was getting out of Afghanistan, but we were getting out with dignity, with strength, with power. He got out, it was the most embarrassing day in the history of our country's life," he claimed. Biden defended his Afghan exit policy, saying he "got over 100,000 Americans and others out of Afghanistan during that airlift" and sharply criticized Trump's blistering attacks. "I've never heard so much malarkey in my whole life," the president stated.    VOA's Afghan Service contributed to this report.

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new york — The United States and its allies warned Friday that expanding military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is dangerous, illegal and a growing threat to the wider international community. "Last week, Russian and DPRK leaders signed a 'Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,' paving the way for further deepening their military cooperation," Robert Wood, U.S. deputy U.N. ambassador, told reporters, surrounded by representatives of nearly 50 like-minded countries. "We are deeply concerned about the security implications of the advancement of this cooperation for Europe, the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific region and around the world." DPRK is the abbreviation for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Wood spoke ahead of a meeting of the U.N. Security Council requested by the United States, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea to discuss North Korea's transfer of arms and munitions to Russia, which are helping drive the Kremlin's war machine in Ukraine. Such transfers would violate a U.N. arms embargo on North Korea. "Before February 2022, it was hard to imagine that the war in Ukraine would pose such a direct threat to the security of the Korean Peninsula," South Korean Ambassador Joonkook Hwang told council members. "But now we are facing a new reality." He said South Korea's national defense ministry has assessed that since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in Russia in September, Pyongyang has shipped at least 10,000 containers to Russia that can hold a total of as many as 5 million artillery shells. His government has also determined that 122-millimeter artillery shells made in North Korea were included in the weapons Russia has used against Ukraine. In return for the weapons, North Korea is seeking trade and military assistance from Russia, which would violate U.N. sanctions. It is also benefiting from Russia’s political protection in the Security Council. "All these developments can bring about a shift in the global security landscape, and the potential long-term effects are dangerously uncertain," Hwang said, adding that Seoul would "resolutely respond" to any threats to its security in a "prudent and measured" way. U.N. sanctions experts detailed prohibited transfers of military equipment and munitions from North Korea to Russia in a report in February — which Moscow denied. Russia then used its Security Council veto to shut down the 14-year-old monitoring panel in April. Russia's envoy again dismissed accusations it is getting weapons from North Korea at Friday's meeting. "This is completely false," Vassily Nebenzia told the council, adding that the two countries' cooperation "is exclusively constructive and legitimate in nature." Nebenzia dismissed the panel of experts' findings as controlled and directed by the West. "The panel of experts have been following those orders given them and turning in the direction they were told to turn," he said. North Korea's envoy defended Pyongyang and Moscow's treaty, saying relations between the two countries "are completely peace-loving and defensive in nature." "Therefore, there is no reason whatsoever to be concerned about development of their bilateral relations, unless they have intention to undertake a military invasion of the DPRK and Russian Federation," Ambassador Song Kim said. China, which has traditionally been North Korea's closest ally, expressed concern about heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. "China calls on parties concerned to be rational and pragmatic and to find joint efforts to find a solution," Deputy Ambassador Geng Shuang said. Washington's envoy urged Beijing to use its influence with both Pyongyang and Moscow to persuade them to cease their "increasingly dangerous cooperation." "So I appeal to my Chinese colleague to understand that if indeed the situation on the Korean Peninsula continues on the trajectory it's going, the United States and its allies will have to take steps to defend their security," Wood said.

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pentagon — The United States and 28 partner nations have begun the world's largest naval war exercise off the shores of Hawaii, known as the Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC.  This year's exercise brings international cooperation on a scale like no other: 40 surface ships, more than 150 aircraft, three submarines and 25,000 people. Nations from around the globe are practicing a wide range of missions, from natural disaster response to attack skills needed for war. While most participants are nations with Pacific coastlines, this year's RIMPAC also includes non-Pacific nations, including the United Kingdom, France, Brazil and Israel. "Every nation in the world that has interests in the Pacific and will adhere to the same values is more than welcome to participate," said Chilean Navy Commodore Alberto Guerrero, RIMPAC deputy commander. One country not invited? China. Why? Because the warm welcome RIMPAC gave to China in 2014 and 2016 backfired, according to Markus Garlauskas, director of the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council. "There was this outreach to China, and definitely the U.S. and its allies and partners were essentially burned by the Chinese taking advantage of it … as an opportunity to essentially collect intelligence and to try and get more acceptance of what should be considered unacceptable behavior," Garlauskas told VOA. Since China's last RIMPAC in 2016, he said, Beijing ramped up its aggressive behavior, building and militarizing more artificial islands in international waters, conducting aggressive maneuvers around Taiwan in recent months and pummeling Philippine ships with water cannons in recent days. But the biennial exercise, officials say, can send a strong message to China to stop bullying its neighbors. RIMPAC nations this year will practice targeting the decommissioned assault ship USS Tarawa, in a rare chance to learn how effective their weapons are at sinking a large and protected adversary in open waters.  "They're not just going to be facing the United States in the country they're targeting, but they're potentially going to have to deal with a response from a wide range of countries that have common interests in deterring and confronting Chinese aggression as threats to a free and open Indo-Pacific," Garlauskas said. Israel's inclusion this year sparked calls from pro-Palestinian activists wanting countries to skip the exercise in protest. Malaysia's prime minister addressed the protesters ahead of the exercises, saying that while his country would continue to speak out in support of the Palestinian people, Malaysia needed to act in a way that was "not driven by anger," while also considering the practical implications of missing the major military exercise. RIMPAC is set to end in early August.  

washington — The temporary, floating pier built by the U.S. military to deliver aid to civilians in Gaza has been disconnected and officials say there is a chance it will not be reattached. Pentagon officials Friday announced the pier, also known as the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) capability, was detached from its connection on the Gaza shoreline and was being moved to the Israeli port of Ashdod because of high seas. It is not the first time the temporary pier has been taken offline because of rough weather off the coast of Gaza. And officials said, as with previous disruptions, they intend to monitor sea conditions before deciding what happens next. "I don't have a date," said Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh, briefing reporters Friday. "The commander will continue to assess the sea states over the weekend,” she said. “We're going to continue to monitor the environmental and weather factors." But even if the waters calm, there is a chance the temporary pier will not go back into service. The U.S. credits the pier with helping to bring more than 8,800 metric tons of aid into Gaza since operations began.  However, because of ongoing fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror group, much of the aid has not left the Gaza beach. "We are pretty close to full on the marshaling yard in terms of how much aid is there," Singh said. "If there's not enough room on the marshaling yard, then it doesn't make sense to put our men and women out there when there's nothing to move,” she said. “We do need to see that marshaling yard open up to allow for aid groups to continue that distribution so that we can get more aid in as we get it from Cyprus." The U.N. World Food Program suspended distribution of aid coming in via the U.S. military pier on June 9, saying it was not confident its staff or the staff of partner agencies could move safely. U.S. officials envisioned the temporary pier to Gaza, which has cost at least $230 million, as a supplemental route to deliver aid to civilians impacted by the fighting. In recent weeks, however, it has become one of the main routes to get aid shipments into Gaza. “The pier provided the second-highest volume of aid from any entry point into Gaza this past week,” Singh said, adding that more than 4,500 metric tons of aid had transited the pier over the past seven days. But she said the U.S. remained engaged with Israel to try to make sure other avenues for delivering aid expand. "We continue to urge for those land routes to be opened. That is the most effective way to get aid in," she said. "We continue to urge the Israelis to open up those crossings."

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.

Many Afghans are applying for resettlement in the U.S., including Nizakat Parsa. The journalist and his family embarked on a three-month journey through the Americas in search of freedom and security. From California, Fahim Sediqi reports, narrated by Elizabeth Cherneff. Camera: Fahim Sediqi .

This week the United States and 28 partner nations began the world’s largest naval war exercise off the shores of Hawaii. Known as Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, analysts say this year’s exercise gives partners a chance to work together while sending a strong deterrence message to China. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has details.

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.

Blantyre, Malawi    — Malawi’s Constitutional Court on Friday dismissed the case of two applicants who wanted it to legalize same-sex relationships. State lawyers welcomed the ruling while lawyers for the applicants expressed disappointment. The applicants, Jan Willem Akster from the Netherlands and a Malawian transgender man, Jana Gonani, brought their case to the Constitutional Court for interpretation of Malawi's anti-homosexuality laws following their arrest in 2021. Akster is currently facing nine charges of sexual abuse and sodomy, while Gonani is charged with unnatural offenses. They said Malawi’s laws violate their fundamental rights, including a right to privacy and dignity. However, Judges Joseph Chigona, Vikochi Chima and Chimbizgani Kacheche rejected their arguments. Chigona said the applicants failed to bring evidence of how the provisions in the country's laws discriminated against homosexuals. Chigona also said Akster failed to prove that Malawi’s laws violated his right to health. “The first applicant was asked in a cross examination if he had ever accessed a public hospital and replied that he had gone to Zomba Central Hospital after he had been involved in a car accident," Chigona said. "When he was asked about his experience there, especially if he was asked about his sexual orientation before he was assisted, he said he was not. He actually said that he was medically assisted so well. The only complaint he had about the facility were spiders in the ward.” Chigona said the court also dismissed claims that Malawi police violated Gonani’s right to privacy when they ordered him to undress, to confirm his claims that he was transgender. “We know that by Section 24 of Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code that police are empowered to search a suspect who is reasonably suspected of having committed a particular offense and who has been arrested," the judge said. "The caveat is that the search only extends as it is reasonably required for discovering a thing upon this person in connection to the offenses he was suspected of.” Minority rights activists and religious leaders attended the delivery of the judgment, which took over six hours. Rights activist Michael Kaiyatsa of the Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation said he was not happy with the ruling but would comment more after going through the written judgment. Defense attorney Bob Chimkango said, “To be honest, we are satisfied with the process, but the only thing that we may not be agreeing with is the judgment itself. But it’s too early to comment as you will notice it’s a 135-page document. We were just listening — we were not working on it. So we will be waiting for it to be given to us, analyze it and then advise the client accordingly.” A spokesperson for Ministry of Justice, Frank Namangale told reporters outside the court that the government was happy with the ruling. Same-sex marriages have been a controversial issue in Malawi. In July 2023, religious leaders led street protests across the country against the potential legalization of same-sex marriage. Friday’s judgment means homosexuality remains an offense in Malawi, punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. The Constitutional Court said Friday that the applicants were free to ask parliament to amend the country’s homosexuality laws if they were not satisfied with its judgment.

In Kenya, where same-sex relations constitute a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison, the only option for the LGBTQ+ community to meet is through dating apps and social media. But now, those Kenyans say, the platforms are being used to trap victims in a web of blackmail, extortion and physical and sexual assault. Juma Majanga reports from Nairobi, Kenya. Camera: Amos Wangwa.

OXFORD, England, — Japan's Emperor Naruhito and his wife took a trip down memory lane Friday, the final day of their weeklong stay in Britain, with a visit to the medieval university city of Oxford where they both studied in the 1980s. The imperial couple's formal state visit concluded Thursday with a goodbye from King Charles and Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace, but they squeezed in a trip to Oxford before flying home. The 64-year-old emperor attended Oxford's Merton College in 1983-1986, while his wife Empress Masako, 60, studied international relations in the late 1980s down the road at Balliol College. Tracing its history back to 1096, the University of Oxford is the oldest in the English-speaking world, famous as a prestigious seat of learning which has educated dozens of British prime ministers including the current one, Rishi Sunak. At Balliol, Naruhito and Masako met Oxford University's chancellor Chris Patten and the master of the college, Helen Ghosh, as well-wishers waved Japanese and British flags. Naruhito was due later to plant a cherry tree at Merton College, in what will be the final part of a trip that has been focused on celebrating the cultural, business and military ties between Japan and Britain. Before his trip, Naruhito had said he was looking forward to visiting Oxford with his wife as it would be the first time they would spend time there together in the city with its winding lanes and honey-colored gothic spires. Both had a memorable time at Oxford, the emperor said, with his wife particularly fond of the city's majestic buildings and beautiful gardens.