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Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Police in Nairobi opened fire on protesters, killing at least five who were storming the parliament in protest of a new finance bill, while the first contingent of Kenyan police arrived in Haiti to launch a peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean country ravaged by gangs. The U.S. surgeon general declared gun violence in the country a public health crisis. And Protein-rich larvae are increasingly being studied for their potential as a sustainable alternative form of protein to meat amid growing hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Monday targeted a ship farther away from nearly all of the previous assaults they've launched in the Gulf of Aden, potentially part of a widening escalation by the group. The attack comes as the U.S. has sent the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower back home after an eight-month deployment in which it led the American response to the Houthi assaults. Those attacks have reduced shipping drastically through the route crucial to Asian, Middle East and European markets in a campaign the Houthis say will continue as long as the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip rages on. The attack happened Monday morning in the Gulf of Aden about 450 kilometers southeast of Nishtun, a town in the far reaches of Yemen that's close to the border with Oman, according to the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. That region has long been held by forces allied to Yemen's exiled government, which has battled the Houthis since the rebels took the capital, Sanaa, back in 2014. The attack was just off to the northeast of Yemen's Socotra Island, also held by allies of the exiled government. "The master of a merchant vessel reports an explosion in close proximity to the vessel," the UKMTO said. "The crew are reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call." The Joint Maritime Information Center, which is overseen by the U.S. Navy, identified the vessel attacked as the Liberian-flagged, Greek-managed container ship MSC Sarah V, which is bound for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. "The vessel was not hit and all crew on board are safe," it said. "JMIC assesses that the vessel was likely attacked due to perceived Israeli association." Another MSC-associated vessel, the MSC Orion, was targeted in May in a deep-sea attack claimed by the Houthis. Late Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the attack in a prerecorded message, saying without providing more details that they used a new ballistic missile in the assault. The attack happened near the outer reaches of the Gulf of Aden where it becomes the Arabian Sea and then ultimately the Indian Ocean. Of the more than 60 attacks launched by the Houthis since November that specifically targeted vessels, this would be one of the farthest. In the MSC Orion attack in May, the distance at which it was struck led experts to question whether Iran, the Houthis' main benefactor, could have launched the attack. The Houthis have claimed attacks later assessed to have been conducted by Iran, including the 2019 attack on Saudi Arabia's oil fields that temporarily halved the kingdom's energy production. The Houthis have made a series of claims without evidence they've targeted vessels at even greater distances, even though there's been no independent confirmation of any of those attacks actually taking place. The rebels have fired off other missiles and drones in their campaign that has killed a total of four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two since November. A U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say. The Houthis have maintained that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war — including those bound for Iran.

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.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with U.S Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Washington on Tuesday, a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Gallant against allowing the conflict with Hamas in Gaza to expand. Katherine Gypson reports. Kim Lewis contributed to the report.

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that Norfolk Southern repeatedly tried to interfere with the agency's investigation into the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and shape its conclusions about the flawed decision to blow open five tank cars and burn the vinyl chloride inside.  The NTSB also confirmed at Tuesday's hearing that the February 2023 derailment was caused by a wheel bearing that video showed was on fire for 32.19 kilometers (more than 20 miles) beforehand but wasn't caught in time by inaccurate trackside detectors. The board also approved more than two dozen recommendations to prevent similar disasters, including establishing federal rules for those detectors and the way railroads respond to them along with reviewing how officials decide whether to ever conduct a vent and burn again.  More than three dozen freight cars derailed February 3, 2023, on the outskirts of East Palestine near the Pennsylvania border, including 11 carrying hazardous materials. Some residents were evacuated that night, but days later more had to leave their homes amid fears of an imminent explosion. Despite potential health effects, officials intentionally released and burned toxic vinyl chloride three days after the crash, sending flames and smoke into the air. 

RIO DE JANEIRO — A global tax on the super-rich is proposed in a new report that Brazil commissioned for its current presidency of the leading 20 rich and developing nations. Individuals with more than $1 billion in total assets would be required to pay the equivalent of 2% of their wealth in income tax, according to the proposal in the report by Gabriel Zucman, a French economist who teaches at the Paris School of Economics. The report says global billionaires currently pay the equivalent of 0.3% of their wealth in taxes. It said a 2% tax would raise $200 billion to $250 billion per year globally from about 3,000 individuals — money that could fund public services such as education and health care as well as the fight against climate change. "The super-rich pay proportionately less in taxes than other socioeconomic groups," Zucman told journalists, adding that the practice fuels inequality. He called a progressive tax system a "key pillar of our democratic societies," essential for strengthening social cohesion and trust in governments. In wealth, billionaires currently own the equivalent of 13% of the world's GDP, up from 3% in 1987, according to the new report. The proposed tax would target billionaires who do not already pay the equivalent of 2% of their wealth in income tax, the report said. Most global billionaires probably pay below 2% but it is difficult to be more precise, Zucman said. New G20 member the African Union has expressed interest in the proposal, as well as Belgium, Colombia, France and Spain, he said. The issue of inequality is a priority for Brazil in its G20 presidency, along with the reduction of hunger, the promotion of sustainable development and reforms of global governance. A global minimum tax on billionaires is one way of raising funds to make progress on those agendas, the Brazilian Ministry of Finance's Felipe Antunes de Oliveira told journalists. He acknowledged that the way ahead would be far from smooth. "We can expect the negotiations to be long," Oliveira said, echoing similar remarks by Finance Minister Fernando Haddad in February when the proposal was first discussed in Sao Paulo. The gap between the super-rich and the bulk of the global population has grown since the coronavirus pandemic, according to anti-poverty organization Oxfam International, which praised the new report. "This is a sensible and serious proposal that is in every government's strategic economic interest," interim executive director Amitabh Behar said in a statement. According to a 2023 study by advocacy group Tax Justice Network, countries around the world could lose up to $4.8 trillion in tax revenue over the next decade due to the use of tax havens by individuals and businesses.

NIAMEY, Niger — An ambush by a "terrorist group" killed 21 Nigerien soldiers near the country's border with Burkina Faso on Tuesday, Niger's ruling military junta said in a statement read on national television. The statement Tuesday evening did not specify which group was behind the attack. Niger is struggling with a deadly security crisis involving several armed groups. Last week, the rebel Patriotic Liberation Front attacked a China-backed pipeline and threatened more attacks if the $400 million deal with China isn't canceled. The group, led by Salah Mahmoud, a former rebel leader, took up arms after the junta staged a coup last year ousting a democratically elected government. Niger and neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso are also battling movements linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State extremist group in a decade-long conflict in the Sahel region that is worsening. The violence killed thousands of people last year, and more than 2 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations Mali and Burkina Faso are also led by juntas and have experienced two coups each since 2020. Both juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russian mercenaries as they struggle to quell the Islamist groups.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea's launch of an unknown ballistic missile toward the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula appears to have failed, South Korean military said on Wednesday. North Korea earlier this week criticized the deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier to join joint drills with South Korea and Japan, and warned of "overwhelming, new demonstration of deterrence." The apparent failed missile launch originated from around Pyongyang, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Japan's coast guard said a projectile believed to be the North Korean ballistic missile appeared to have fallen. Japan's Defense Ministry said the missile flew to an altitude of about 100 km (62 miles) and range of more than 200 km (124 miles). It appeared to be a failed test of a hypersonic missile, Yonhap News Agency said citing an unnamed military source. North Korea's last missile firing was on May 30. The missile launch comes a day after the 74-year anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. North Korean state media KCNA said on Wednesday a mass rally in Pyongyang was held to commemorate the anniversary, calling it a day of "struggle against U.S. imperialism" and calling the U.S. the arch enemy. Recently, North Korea has been flying hundreds of balloons carrying trash toward the South including on Tuesday. Pyongyang also deployed a large group of soldiers to build new fortifications within the heavily armed border with South Korea, according to the South's military, occasionally inviting warning shots from South Korean counterparts.

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.

Austin, Texas — Ecuador says it will suspend visa-free entry into the country for Chinese citizens, starting July 1, citing a "worrying" increase in irregular migration.  Over the past few years, Ecuador has been the starting point for many of the thousands of Chinese citizens who have decided to take the long and treacherous journey through South America, Central America and Mexico to reach the southern U.S. border. Some who have already migrated to the United States say Ecuador's decision and the growing resolve of both Washington and Beijing to stop the flow of illegal migration is a sign that the door may be closing for those seeking to "zouxian" or "walk the line" – as the journey is popularly described in Chinese. Wang Zhongwei, a 33-year-old Chinese from Anhui, came to the U.S. by "walking the line" from Ecuador in May 2023. He said that after the Ecuadorian government's announcement, "the discussion [among Chinese illegal immigrants] has been heated, and this has a great impact [because] more than 80% of the people came through Ecuador." According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol statistics, the monthly number of encounters for Chinese nationals at the southwestern border hit a record high of nearly 6,000 in December of 2023. In recent months, those encounters have started to come down, slipping to just more than 3,600 in May. In addition to a recent decision by U.S. President Joe Biden to temporarily restrict asylum eligibility at the U.S.-Mexico border, there are signs that Washington and Beijing are finding ways or at least trying to work together on the issue.   In May, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Associated Press that Beijing is "willing to maintain dialogue and cooperation with the United States in the field of immigration enforcement" and accept the repatriation of people with verified Chinese nationality. In April, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told a congressional hearing that he had "engaged" with his Chinese counterparts and that China had begun to accept the repatriation of Chinese immigrants who have no legal basis to stay in the United States. VOA emailed the Department of Homeland Security to inquire about U.S.-Chinese cooperation on the deportation of Chinese nationals but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Guo Bin, a Chinese citizen from Guangxi who arrived in the United States at the end of last year with his 12-year-old daughter, said he has heard of some Chinese who "walked the line" being deported in Los Angeles since May. "There are indeed deportations, and they can be deported on the spot," he said. According to posts from social media influencer Teacher Li, Chinese authorities recently issued two documents to public prosecutors that highlight their determination to crack down on those who "walk the line" and to strengthen border control. VOA could not independently verify the authenticity of the documents, but when it asked the Chinese Embassy about the documents the spokesman did not say they were fabricated. In an emailed response to questions about the post, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. said: "China's Supreme Court performs its duty in keeping with the law." "On illegal migration, China's position is clear and consistent," he said. "We oppose and firmly combat all forms of illegal migration and human smuggling." Li also said that "China's law-enforcement agencies are working with the relevant countries to combat human smuggling and on extradition as well, in a joint effort to uphold the orderly flow of people across the countries." Earlier this year, Mexico strengthened its border control by setting up new checkpoints on major roads and increasing patrols at the more heavily used crossing points into the U.S. More illegal migrants have been intercepted as a result.  According to the Washington Office on Latin America, Mexican immigration forces set a new record for the number of immigrant arrests in a single month in January and February of this year. Guo said that he has heard about some Chinese who were intercepted while crossing Mexico.  "U.S. immigration officers cooperate with the Mexican government and go deep into central Mexico to intercept immigrants," he said.  Once Chinese migrants are intercepted, they are sent to southern Mexico, he said. If they want to continue "walking the line," they must start again from a place farther away from the U.S., which will cost them more money and time. Challenges aside, Wang and Guo say there are still ways to make it to the border.  Wang says the desire of people to leave China is still strong and that some are exploring new routes.  "You can fly to Cuba, and you can also fly to Bolivia," Wang said. In May, the Cuban government began allowing 90-day visa-free entry for Chinese citizens. Bolivia allows Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports to receive tourist visas upon arrival. Those with a transit visa can stay for 15 days or on a tourist visa for 30 days. The straight-line distance from Cuba to the southernmost tip of Florida is about 150 km. The narrow waterway has been a smuggling route for decades. And some Chinese have already tried, despite the risks. In October 2023, authorities in Florida say, 11 male and six female Chinese citizens were arrested after illegally entering Key Largo, Florida, from Cuba. Li Xiaosan, a Chinese dissident, arrived in the U.S. in February 2023 by "walking the line." He says he feels fortunate to be able to start a new life and sad for others who want to leave China now. Since arriving in the U.S., Li opened a translation company in New York and has passed his preliminary hearing for his political asylum application. He also obtained a work permit. He says that once Ecuador's new policy takes effect on July 1, even if Chinese people use other routes, the chances of successfully reaching the U.S. and staying will be significantly reduced. "The door is closed," Li said, adding that the question now is: "How many people can squeeze in through the cracks?"  Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to a single felony charge for publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that secures his freedom and concludes a drawn-out legal saga that raised divisive questions about press freedom and national security.  The plea was entered Wednesday morning in federal court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Pacific. He arrived at court shortly before the hearing was to begin and did not take questions.  Though the deal with prosecutors required him to admit guilt to a single felony count, it would also permit him to return to his native Australia without spending any time in an American prison. He had been jailed in the United Kingdom for the last five years, fighting extradition to the United States on an Espionage Act indictment that could have carried a lengthy prison sentence in the event of a conviction.  The abrupt conclusion enables both sides to claim a degree of victory, with the Justice Department able to resolve without trial a case that raised thorny legal issues and that might never have reached a jury at all given the plodding pace of the extradition process.   WikiLeaks, the secret-spilling website that Assange founded in 2006, applauded the announcement of the deal, saying it was grateful for "all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom."  The deal, disclosed Monday night in a sparsely detailed Justice Department letter, represents the latest and presumably final chapter in a court fight involving the eccentric Australian computer expert who has been celebrated by supporters as a transparency crusader but lambasted by national security hawks who insist that his disdain for government secrecy put lives at risks, and strayed far beyond the bounds of traditional journalism duties.  The U.S. Justice Department agreed to hold the hearing on the remote island because Assange opposed coming to the continental U.S. and because it's near Australia, where he will return.  The guilty plea resolves a criminal case brought by the Trump administration Justice Department in connection with the receipt and publication of war logs and diplomatic cables that detailed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prosecutors alleged that he conspired with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to obtain the records and published them without regard to American national security, including by releasing the names of human sources who provided information to U.S. forces.  But his activities drew an outpouring of support from press freedom advocates who heralded his role in bringing to light military conduct that might otherwise have been concealed from view. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists.  The indictment was unsealed in 2019, but Assange's legal woes long predated the criminal case and continued well past it.  Weeks after the release of the largest document cache in 2010, a Swedish prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Assange based on one woman's allegation of rape and another's allegation of molestation. Assange has long maintained his innocence, and the investigation was later dropped.  He presented himself in 2012 to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he claimed asylum on the grounds of political persecution, and spent the following seven years in self-exile there, hosting a parade of celebrity visitors and making periodic appearances from the building's balcony to address supporters.  In 2019, his hosts revoked his asylum, allowing British police to arrest him. He remained locked up for the last five years while the Justice Department sought to extradite him, in a process that encountered skepticism from British judges who worried about how Assange would be treated by the American criminal justice system.  Ultimately, though, the resolution sparing Assange prison time in the U.S. is a repudiation of sorts of years of ominous warnings by Assange and his supporters that the American criminal justice system would expose him to unduly harsh treatment, including potentially the death penalty — something prosecutors never sought. 

moscow — Russia said on Tuesday it was banning access inside Russia to the broadcasts of 81 different media outlets from the European Union — including Agence France-Presse and Politico — in retaliation for a similar EU ban on several Russian media outlets.  The European Union said in May it was suspending the distribution of what it described as four "Kremlin-linked propaganda networks," stripping them of their broadcasting rights in the bloc.  It said at the time that the ban applied to Voice of Europe, to the RIA news agency, and to the Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspapers.  The Russian Foreign Ministry hit back on Tuesday, releasing a list of 81 media outlets from 25 EU member states, as well as pan-European outlets, whose broadcasts it said would no longer be available on Russian territory.  It accused the outlets of "systematically distributing inaccurate information" about what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine.   France's Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency, Austria's ORF state TV company, Ireland's RTE broadcaster, digital outlet Politico and Spain's EFE news agency were among the outlets affected by the move, along with many other national broadcasters and newspapers.   "The Russian Federation has repeatedly warned at various levels that politically motivated harassment of domestic journalists and unjustified bans on Russian media in the EU will not go unanswered," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.  "In spite of this, Brussels and the capitals of the bloc's countries preferred to follow the path of escalation, forcing Moscow to adopt mirror and proportional countermeasures."  It said it would review its ban if the EU lifted its restrictions on RIA, Izvestia and the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper, all of which it described as Russian media outlets.   Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma lower house of parliament, said in May that the EU move had shown that the West refused to accept any alternative point of view and was destroying freedom of speech.  'Unjustified measure'  Italy's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the Russian decision to ban access to outlets including Italian broadcasters Rai and La7 and newspapers La Repubblica and La Stampa.  "We regret the unjustified measure taken against these Italian broadcasters and newspapers, which have always provided objective and unbiased information on the conflict in Ukraine," the ministry said.  AFP declined to comment, and RTE did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the measures, announced a day before the Russian trial of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges is due to begin.   Jamil Anderlini, Politico's editor-in-chief for Europe, described the measures as "completely unacceptable" and said in a statement that it was "not the first time press freedoms have been restricted through politically motivated attacks."  "We call for the immediate lifting of these restrictions and continue to call for Evan's immediate release," he wrote.  The first American journalist to be detained on spy charges in Russia since the Cold War more than three decades ago, Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has denied he is a Central Intelligence Agency spy. The Journal says Gershkovich was doing his job and denies he is a spy.  Many Western news organizations pulled staff out of Russia after it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and passed laws soon afterwards that set long prison sentences for "discrediting" the armed forces.  Russian officials say large parts of the Western media spread false, unbalanced stories about Russia, and that Western media organizations are waging an information war. 

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's supreme leader issued a thinly veiled warning Tuesday to the sole reformist candidate in the country's upcoming presidential election, saying anyone who believes "all ways to progress" come from the United States shouldn't be supported.  While often speaking in parables like many Iranian politicians, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to directly undercut the candidacy of 69-year-old heart surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian, who has aligned himself with officials from the administration of former President Hassan Rouhani. Rouhani helped reach Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, an accord Pezeshkian has fully embraced in contrast with his five hard-line opponents, who want an agreement fully on Iran's terms.  Khamenei also called for maximum turnout for Friday's vote, which analysts say could support Pezeshkian. The doctor's rallies have drawn large crowds in major cities, though it remains unclear whether his candidacy alone would be enough to push an apathetic public to vote to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of Khamenei who died in a helicopter crash in May.  "Some politicians in our country believe they must kowtow to this power or that power, and it's impossible to progress without sticking to famous countries and powers," Khamenei said in a speech marking the Shiite holiday of Eid al-Ghadir. "Some think like that. Or they think that all ways to progress pass through America. No, such people can't" run the country well, he said.  Khamenei's comments in his hourlong speech drew repeated cries of "Death to America, death to Israel" from a raucous crowd.  Khamenei's call comes after a parliamentary election that saw a record low turnout earlier this year. Voters across the capital, Tehran, who have spoken with The Associated Press have expressed widespread apathy over the election as Iran faces an economy crushed by Western sanctions and after widespread anti-government protests in recent years, particularly after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and women refusing to wear the country's mandatory headscarf, or hijab.  Pezeshkian, little known to the general public before registering for the campaign, has drawn large crowds in Tehran and other major cities. Among his most-prominent allies is former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who led negotiations for the nuclear deal.  Khamenei's remarks also can be seen as a warning to Zarif and even Rouhani himself, whose former administration has been blasted by hard-liners in the time since the collapse of the deal in 2018 after then-U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from it. Since then, Iran has advanced its program to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels while also hampering the ability of international inspectors to monitor it.  Pezeshkian also has been trying to adopt symbols of previous campaigns by popular reformists who seek to change Iran's theocracy from inside. His campaign slogan "For Iran," a call to nationalism rather than religion, mirrors an earlier campaign slogan used by former reformist President Mohammad Khatami.  Pezeshkian also has been photographed wearing green scarves — apparently trying to associate himself with the 2009 Green Movement protests that swept Iran after the disputed vote and bloody crackdown that saw hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected as president.  Khamenei made a point to seemingly link the upcoming election to the wider tensions in the Mideast amid the Israel-Hamas war.  "The Islamic Republic has enemies. One thing that helps the Islamic Republic overcome its enemies are the elections," Khamenei said. "If a good turnout is seen in these elections, it will make the Islamic Republic proud."  If all of the hard-line candidates stay in, they could split the vote against Pezeshkian and force a second round of voting a week later as Iranian law requires a winner to receive more than 50% of all votes cast. Typically, candidates drop out after the last debate and coalesce around one clear front runner.  "Pezeshkian is leading and over the next three days he will definitely widen the gap with others," said analyst Abbas Abdi, who is aligned with reformists. "Withdrawing is not going to help them."  Khamenei's remarks appeared timed to give his opponents ammunition for the last televised debate before the election, which happened just a short time later. Pezeshkian did not directly acknowledge the supreme leader's remarks but stuck to his stance that talks to restore the deal remained key. 

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sao paulo, brazil — Record floods that killed over 170 people and displaced half a million in southern Brazil are a warning sign of more disasters to come throughout the Americas because of climate change, an official at the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday.   Roughly 389,000 people in the state of Rio Grande do Sul remain displaced from their homes because of the intense rain and flooding, which local officials say was the worst disaster in the region's history. Scientists say climate change made the flooding twice as likely to happen.  Andrew Harper, special adviser on climate action to the refugee agency, UNHCR, visited a flooded neighborhood in state capital Porto Alegre over the weekend and called it "a ghost town."  "It was underwater for almost 40 days. There wasn't even any rats running around. Everything had died," Harper said in an interview on Tuesday.  Since the floodwaters subsided, residents have not returned to the neighborhood, where streets are piled high with waterlogged garbage and debris. Many are still living in shelters, including Venezuelan refugees who had resettled in Porto Alegre.  UNHCR is helping the local government build temporary housing.  Residents of some hard-hit areas may never return, having been forced to move by repeated flooding, Harper said. But how many would become so-called climate migrants will only be known years after the disaster.  The floods surpassed all expectations that local authorities had for climate disasters, and governments need to do more to prepare for these events, Harper said.   "We're seeing the emergence in Brazil of what we may be seeing throughout the Americas. So to ignore this, they do it at their own peril," Harper said.  Governments need to understand where the people most vulnerable to climate change live, such as the neighborhood he visited in Porto Alegre, and include those people in their climate plans, he said.  "It's a warning signal, but we've been seeing warning signals now for five, 10 years," Harper added. "At what point do you basically have to slap somebody in the face and say, 'Wake up, you're not going to ignore this.'" 

london — Britain's King Charles welcomed Japan's Emperor Naruhito and his wife to London at a Buckingham Palace banquet on Tuesday, celebrating economic, diplomatic and cultural ties on the first day of a three-day state visit.   "Our governments are working together to provide a stable world for future generations," said Charles, flanked by Queen Camilla on one side and Naruhito on the other.  "Supporting all these shared endeavors are the enduring ties between our people that transcend geography — and that does not just mean how much we enjoy tea and talking about the weather."   The emperor's trip, postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, seeks to deepen the military, cultural and scientific links between the two countries.   Naruhito paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, who was on the throne when the invitation was first issued, highlighted Charles' work on environmental projects and spoke of the strength of diplomatic ties.  "The multi-layered collaboration and exchange between our two countries is accelerating in various areas, including politics and diplomacy, the economy, culture and the arts, science and technology, as well as education," he said. "Our bilateral relations have never been more robust."   Charles' son and heir to the throne, Prince William, had earlier traveled to the hotel where the 64-year-old emperor and Empress Masako were staying, before the trio arrived for a ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade on Tuesday.  The two heads of state — Charles wearing a top hat — then inspected the Guard of Honor as the rows of soldiers in their traditional scarlet uniforms and black bearskin hats stood in the summer heat.   They then traveled to Buckingham Palace in a gold-edged horse-driven carriage.   The visit is taking place in the run-up to an election in Britain on July 4, meaning that some of the usual political elements will be missing.   There will be no meeting at Downing Street between the emperor and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, although Sunak and opposition leader Kier Starmer both attended the banquet.  The visit comes at a difficult time for the British monarchy, after Charles, 75, was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, and as William's wife, Catherine, undergoes preventative chemotherapy treatment for cancer.  In another setback, Princess Anne, Charles' younger sister, suffered a head injury on Sunday after an incident believed to have involved a horse. While she is expected to make a full recovery, she pulled out of attending the state banquet.  Naruhito came to London in 2022 to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral and is fond of Britain, having studied here in the early 1980s.   He has spoken of the kindness the British royals showed him at that time, including a visit to the royal family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where Charles took him fly fishing.   The pair took lunch at Buckingham Palace and then viewed Japanese-related items from the royal collection before a tour of Westminster Abbey.