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Washington — The closed-door trial of American journalist Evan Gershkovich is set to begin on Wednesday in Russia, nearly 15 months after he was jailed on espionage charges that are widely viewed as baseless and politically motivated. A correspondent with The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 on spying charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny. The State Department has also declared Gershkovich wrongfully detained. Press freedom experts have said that the trial against Gershkovich will almost certainly be a politically motivated sham. The trial is taking place in Yekaterinburg, where Gershkovich was first detained. The city in the Ural Mountains is about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) east of Moscow. Russian authorities have accused Gershkovich of “gathering secret information” about a military facility. But to date, Moscow has not publicly provided any evidence to substantiate the charges against Gershkovich, who was accredited by Russia’s foreign ministry to work in the country. Russia’s Washington Embassy did not immediately reply to a VOA email requesting comment. Secret trials are common practice in Russia for cases of alleged treason or espionage involving classified state material. The charges against Gershkovich carry a sentence of up to 20 years behind bars. In an open letter on Tuesday, The Journal’s editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, reaffirmed her view that the trial will not be a fair display of justice. “To even call it a trial, however, is unfair to Evan and a continuation of this travesty of justice that already has gone on for far too long,” she wrote. It is not clear whether U.S. officials will be permitted to observe the trial. But Daniel Kanigan, the spokesperson of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, told VOA that the mission “will make efforts to attend any future proceedings.” Gershkovich is one of two American journalists currently jailed in Russia. Alsu Kurmasheva, a U.S.-Russian national who works at VOA’s sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague, has been jailed since October 2023 on charges of failing to self-register as a “foreign agent” and spreading what the Kremlin views as false information about the Russian army. Kurmasheva rejects the charges against her, and the U.S. government has called for her immediate release.

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.

Trident Pier, off Gaza Coast — Baking under the summer sun, U.S. troops find shelter in containers stationed on what is known as the "parking lot" of a floating pier in the Mediterranean Sea that aims to boost the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.   Just over the horizon, destroyed buildings and thick black smoke can be seen rising in the enclave of 2.3 million people, more than eight months into a war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas. Reuters was given rare access to the pier on Tuesday and saw aid pallets being moved from a vessel onto the 370-meter-long pier as it bobbed around with the incoming waves. The pallets were then taken by trucks to the coast.   For U.S. Army Sergeant Ibrahim Barry, who is a forklift operator on the pier, the operation is personal. Barry, who is Muslim, was in the U.S. when war broke out and watched as families in Gaza during Ramadan in March and April had no food with which to break their fast.   "Being in this mission [is] on a personal level for me," he said. "Helping to help them get food ... just taking care of people." U.S. President Joe Biden announced in March the plan to put the pier in place for aid deliveries as famine loomed in Gaza. As of Tuesday, 8,332 pallets had been delivered via the pier.   But nearly 6,900 pallets of those have just been sitting on Gaza's coast, in a marshaling area, waiting to be picked up by the United Nations for distribution. The World Food Program paused deliveries earlier this month over security concerns.   For many troops working on pier operations, this is their first combat zone. But not for Captain Joel Stewart, commander of Naval Beach group 1. "War is a terrible thing. I don't care where it is. I don't care what it is. It is destruction. It is never pretty. It is certainly not something that I ever want to see again," Stewart said while standing on the pier.   "The sailors, marines, merchant men, soldiers are all behind this mission because they see they are making a difference for the people of Gaza," Stewart said.   The pier's usage has been paused multiple times because of sea conditions and at one point was towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod for repairs.   A senior U.S. official said on Tuesday the pier may be extended well beyond its July 31 authorization date if the United States and aid organizations can get aid flowing again to Palestinians in the coming days and weeks.

Blantyre, Malawi — Malawi has started investigations into the cause of a plane crash that killed Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others June 10 in northern Malawi. Government spokesperson Moses Kunkuyu said Sunday that German experts will look into several areas leading to the crash of the Dornier 228 aircraft, including the condition of the plane and circumstances.  The military plane went missing soon after it was advised not to land at an airport in northern Malawi because of bad weather.   The arrival of the German experts comes after Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said last week he was puzzled with what caused the crash of the plane he has long used.  Chakwera said he asked foreign governments to help probe the accident, despite investigations being carried out by the Malawian Defense Force.  Michael Kaiyatsa, executive director for the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, one of several organizations in Malawi that asked for an independent investigation into the crash, welcomes the move.  “However, it is important that the government should not interfere in any way in the investigation,” Kaiyatsa said. “This should be a totally independent investigation so that whatever comes out of it should be credible.”  The sudden death of Chilima sparked conspiracy theories in Malawi and abroad, with some suggesting it was an assassination plot.  Last week, police in Malawi arrested lawmaker Kamlepo Kalua and rights activist Bon Kalindo for circulating messages on social media alleging the plane crash was planned.  The two were charged with cybercrimes and were expected to appear in court June 25.  But Kaiyatsa said arresting those expressing their views on the plane crash would prevent some people from giving information to investigators.  “That’s why we have issued a statement strongly condemning the arrests, because what these arrests would do is to create an atmosphere of fear at a time when we need people to freely open up and clearly come out and provide information about what they know about the cause of the accident,” Kaiyatsa said.  Malawian security expert Sheriff Kaisi said transparency is needed in such investigations to win the confidence of Malawians regarding the investigators.  “We need to know if they are from Germany, which company in Germany, and what is the track record that they have been doing similar jobs. For example, investigating such accidents, and for how long they have done that, and what are the reports they have,” Kaisi said.  Kunkuyu said two of the investigators are from the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation, and one is from General Atomics, a company that has taken over the manufacture of Dornier 228 aircraft.

HARARE, ZIMBABWE — Officials in Zimbabwe, which is facing a growing problem of substance abuse — especially among unemployed youth, say arrests have surged in 2024, with close to 2,400 people taken into custody so far. Officials say economic difficulties are hampering efforts to curb the problem. Zimbabwean Information Minister Jenfan Muswere said the Cabinet recently approved a review of fines ranging from $30 to $400 or imprisonment not exceeding two years for any business convicted of selling illicit drugs. He said that in addition to the 2,373 people who have been arrested in 2024, 48 bases in six provinces have been raided and destroyed. “The fight against the scourge of drug and substance abuse will continue across all provinces of Zimbabwe,” Muswere said. “Religious organizations have embraced the fight against drug and substance abuse through campaigns encouraging particularly the youths to live drug-free lives.” Oscar Pambuka, who was recently released from jail after serving time for drug use, said more tools are needed to fight the vice, such as creating more jobs. He said he started taking crystal methamphetamine after he and his wife divorced and he had no job. “I began to associate with the new characters,” Pambuka said. “They became my new friends. And within those associations, I fell in love with a drug called crystal meth. ... It used to make me feel comfortable. It used to give me temporary joy.” But his drug use led to losing financial resources and his networks, he said, because many people don’t want to associate with drug users. He also lost weight — 20 kilograms (44 pounds) between 2016 and 2020 — although he started regaining some in jail. "I thank God for the incarceration,” he said. Officials say Zimbabwe’s economy has been hurt by U.S. sanctions against the government for alleged corruption and human rights abuses in the early 2000s. Critics attribute the economic decline to corruption and bad policies by Harare. Inflation is running at an annual rate of 55% — lower than the hyperinflation that plagued Zimbabwe in the past but still high enough to make the cost of living difficult for most ordinary Zimbabweans. Representatives from government and United Nations agencies in Zimbabwe are expected to meet with President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare this Wednesday to devise a national plan on drug and substance abuse.

NEW YORK — A judge on Tuesday modified Donald Trump's gag order, freeing the former president to comment publicly about witnesses and jurors in the hush money criminal trial that led to his felony conviction but keeping others connected to the case off limits at least until he's sentenced July 11.  Judge Juan M. Merchan's ruling — just days before Trump's debate Thursday with President Joe Biden — clears the presumptive Republican nominee to again go on the attack against his former lawyer Michael Cohen, adult film actor Stormy Daniels and other witnesses. Trump was convicted May 30 of falsifying records to cover up a potential sex scandal, making him the first ex-president convicted of a crime.  Trump's lawyers had urged Merchan to lift the gag order completely, arguing there was nothing to justify continued restrictions on Trump's First Amendment rights after the trial's conclusion. Trump has said that the gag order has prevented him from defending himself while Cohen and Daniels continue to pillory him.  The Manhattan district attorney's office asked Merchan to keep the gag order's ban on comments about jurors, court staffers and the prosecution team in place at least until Trump is sentenced on July 11 but said last week they would be OK with allowing Trump to comment about witnesses now that the trial is over.  Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records arising from what prosecutors said was an attempt to cover up a hush money payment to Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. She claims she had a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier, which he denies.  The crime is punishable by up to four years behind bars, but prosecutors have not said if they would seek incarceration, and it's unclear if Merchan would impose such a sentence. Other options include a fine or probation.  Following his conviction, Trump complained that he was under a "nasty gag order" while also testing its limits. In remarks a day after his conviction, Trump referred to Cohen, though not by name, as "a sleazebag."  In a subsequent Newsmax interview, Trump took issue with jury and its makeup, complaining about Manhattan, "It's a very, very liberal Democrat area so I knew we were in deep trouble," and claiming: "I never saw a glimmer of a smile from the jury. No, this was a venue that was very unfair. A tiny fraction of the people are Republicans."  Trump's lawyers, who said they were under the impression the gag order would end with a verdict, wrote a letter to Merchan on June 4 asking him to lift the order.  Prosecutors urged Merchan to keep the gag order's ban on comments about jurors and trial staff in place "at least through the sentencing hearing and the resolution of any post-trial motions." They argued that the judge had "an obligation to protect the integrity of these proceedings and the fair administration of justice."  Merchan issued Trump's gag order on March 26, a few weeks before the start of the trial, after prosecutors raised concerns about the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's propensity to assail people involved in his cases.  Merchan later expanded it to prohibit comments about his own family after Trump made social media posts attacking the judge's daughter, a Democratic political consultant. The order did not prohibit comments about Merchan or District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office prosecuted the case.  During the trial, Merchan held Trump in contempt of court, fined him $10,000 for violating the gag order and threatened to put him in jail if he did it again.  In seeking to lift the gag order, Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove argued that Trump was entitled to "unrestrained campaign advocacy" in light of Biden's public comments about the verdict, and Cohen and Daniels' continued public criticism. 

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.

The Israeli Supreme Court, in a landmark decision, said that the ultra-orthodox are not exempt from military service. Protesters in Nairobi have raided parliament over a new tax and budget bill. An update from Kyiv as Ukraine proceeds with EU accession negotiations and two high-ranking Russians are accused of war crimes. Plus, the latest on Julian Assange and Evan Gershkovich.

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.

New York — The situation in the Gaza Strip remains catastrophic and there is a high and sustained risk of famine across all of Gaza as long as the Israel-Hamas war continues and humanitarian access is restricted, a United Nations-backed food security report concluded Tuesday. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, found that nearly a half-million Gazans are on the brink of famine, while 745,000 are facing emergency levels of hunger. Overall, the experts said about 96% of Gazans — some 2.15 million people — are currently facing high levels of acute food insecurity that will continue at least through the end of September. Fears of a famine in northern Gaza, projected in the IPC analysis conducted in February, have been averted for now. The analysts said the quantity of food deliveries and nutrition services provided to the north have increased, temporarily alleviating the hunger situation. But the danger remains, with 225,000 people still in emergency or catastrophe levels of food insecurity. In southern Gaza, especially in the Rafah governorate where more than 1 million Palestinians fled seeking safety in the spring, some 70,000 people are one step away from famine and another 70,000 are in emergency levels of food insecurity, the IPC said. The latest IPC update is based on data collected remotely from May 27 to June 4 by more than 35 experts from 27 agencies, applying standard IPC protocols. The IPC does not declare famine but provides the evidence for an official declaration to be made. “To truly turn the corner and prevent famine, adequate and sustained levels of humanitarian assistance must be provided, including: greater availability of fresh food and better nutritional diversity, clean water and sanitation, access to health care and the rebuilding of clinics and hospitals,” the World Food Program said in a statement following the report’s release. “A broad, multi-sectoral response is urgently needed.” The IPC experts noted that after eight months of war and a poor diet and sanitary conditions, Gazans are more vulnerable, which can increase the probability of famine occurring. The IPC — which comprises about 18 different U.N. and non-U.N. agencies — said only an end to the fighting and sustained humanitarian access can reduce the risk of famine from happening in Gaza. Israel denies that it obstructs aid delivery into Gaza, saying it is the United Nations and aid agencies that are not delivering aid fast enough. Under increased U.S. and international pressure, Israel has started allowing more aid to flow into Gaza, including the north. The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, recently began daily tactical pauses of military activity along the road from the Kerem Shalom crossing into southern Gaza so humanitarians could move aid convoys. A breakdown in public law and order, however, has impeded aid workers’ ability to collect aid from Kerem Shalom. The U.N. says criminal activities and the risk of theft and robbery have prevented their collecting any aid from Kerem Shalom since June 18. “As the latest IPC report makes alarmingly clear, humanitarian needs inside Gaza are catastrophic, and humanitarian assistance must be scaled up and reach all in need across all of Gaza,” U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said at a U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday about the situation in the Middle East. She said the Biden administration continues to press Israel to create better conditions to facilitate aid delivery inside Gaza, including to improve the mechanism that coordinates aid deliveries with the Israeli military to prevent attacks on aid convoys. “The figures in this report are a shameful testament to the failure of world leaders to heed earlier warnings and hold Israel to account for its deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war,” said Sally Abi Khalil, international charity Oxfam’s regional director for the Middle East. “The slight improvement of conditions in the north shows that Israel can end human suffering when it chooses — but just as quickly those gains can vanish when access is again constrained, as the report warns it is now.”