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NEW YORK — Donald Sutherland, the prolific film and television actor whose long career stretched from "M.A.S.H." to "The Hunger Games," has died. He was 88. Kiefer Sutherland, the actor's son, confirmed his father's death Thursday. No further details were immediately available. "I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film," Kiefer Sutherland said on X. "Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that." The tall and gaunt Canadian actor with a grin that could be sweet or diabolical was known for offbeat characters such as Hawkeye Piece in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House." Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — parts in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More recently, he starred in the "Hunger Games" films and the HBO limited series "The Undoing." He never retired and worked regularly up until his death. "I love to work. I passionately love to work," Sutherland told Charlie Rose in 1998. "I love to feel my hand fit into the glove of some other character. I feel a huge freedom — time stops for me. I'm not as crazy as I used to be, but I'm still a little crazy." He received an honorary Oscar in 2017.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call for the culling of street dogs is provoking outrage that analysts say is crossing political lines across the country. As Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, the proposal is resurrecting dark memories of Turkey’s past.

We are extending the validity of certain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries under the designations of El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan through March 9, 2025.

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.

WASHINGTON — In 2021, the United States began one of its biggest humanitarian evacuations in history as it withdrew from Afghanistan, resettling more than 80,000 Afghans fleeing Taliban rule in the initial weeks of Operation Allies Welcome. However, they were brought into the U.S. through the humanitarian parole process that gives temporary immigration status to the displaced persons. But how has this temporary status affected Afghan evacuees in the U.S.? Upon arrival in the United States, more than 70,000 evacuees were granted humanitarian parole for two years, a temporary immigration status with no path to permanent residency. Uncertainty around the humanitarian parole status has had several concrete effects on aspects of the evacuees’ lives, including financial, employment, housing, and mental health. This process has come with many challenges for the resettled men, women and children from Afghanistan. Masi Siddiqi, who came to the United States after the Taliban took control over Kabul, was granted admission to the prestigious Columbia University in New York. However, his status hindered his ability to secure funding through loans to continue his studies. “I was admitted to Columbia University for the fall of 2023, and I did attend one semester. I thought that I may be able to afford it at first because I had my family’s support. But after doing one semester I found out that I was financially not able to do it because I did not qualify for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), for federal loans, for federal aid, grants, funds and for none of the benefits that a U.S. citizen or non-citizen would qualify for,” Masi said. Safiullah Rauf, founder of Human First Coalition, an organization providing aid primarily to Afghanistan and Afghans, leads a team of hundreds to provide food, medical care and resettlement services to more than 15,000 Afghans in need. The organization has helped evacuate more than 7,000 people, including 1,400 U.S. nationals, since the Taliban seized control of the country. Rauf is visiting communities in the United States to gather support for Congress to do more to support Afghans in the U.S., including in the form of draft legislation known as the Afghan Adjustment Act. “[The] Afghan Adjustment Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation that was introduced in 2022 to help those allies we brought to the U.S. in 2021,’’ Rauf told VOA. ‘’There are over 80,000 allies that were brought to the U.S., and many came with the humanitarian parole. They had a two-year visa to stay in the U.S. and their future was uncertain though the parole was extended for another year; but they still face an uncertain future. The Afghan Adjustment Act makes sure that all who came in 2021 go through a vetting process and after that they will become a productive member of the society. "In the United States, passing of any kind of legislation is a huge hurdle and you have to move mountains to approve any law, especially right now where [the] Senate and the House is most divided,’’ Rauf said. ‘’Because this bill is somewhat related to immigration, the Republicans are very much against any immigration bills right now. However, this bill is different than a normal immigration bill. This bill is for those allies who supported the U.S. for over 20 years in Afghanistan and their life will be in danger and it is a certain death if they go back to Afghanistan. So they must be given a permanent residency here.’’ According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, legal assistance resources and immigration processing are experiencing extreme delays that could span years. Laila Mangal, who is working for LLS resettlement agency as a case manager and cultural liaison in the state of Virginia, told VOA Deewa about the challenges faced by the Afghans who came to the U.S. on short notice and in chaotic circumstances. She expressed that the unclear nature of evacuees’ immigration status for the near future, has posed a critical structural barrier to their well-being and, ultimately, their success in the U.S. “When their legal case is in the process and it takes longer, the refugees go through stress and pressure,’’ Mangal said. ‘’Sometimes this legal battle drains their mental health.” Masi, the student, calls on the Senate and the House of Representatives to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act so the displaced Afghans can be categorized as U.S. permanent residents. “As the U.S. officials say ‘we stand by our Afghan allies,’ we do expect them to stand by their allies because I personally believe that they have not yet stood by their Afghan allies,’’ Masi said. ‘’Not only with the ones that are left behind but also the ones that are currently facing the immigration limbo here in the U.S.; just like my family and myself. I really appreciate that the senators and the representatives from my state and from the other states should support the Afghan Adjustment Act. I think the social media slogans are not enough by themselves. They must push the majority leaders to bring the act to the floor because with bipartisan support, we can have the act pass.'' Like other resettled immigrants, Afghans were encouraged to find jobs quickly and felt the pressure to do so given the high costs of living, limited aid available, and, for some, the large families they’re supporting. Many found low-wage jobs in manufacturing, hospitality, retail, food processing, trucking, or ride sharing to support themselves and their families. But with the pending expiration of employment authorization documents this fall, employment stability is at risk for some. Stakeholders shared that because of the expiration date, some employers have begun notifying people they will lose their jobs later this year or that they are now no longer needed. This story originated in VOA’s Deewa service.

Tbilisi, Georgia — Chinese investment in Georgia is set to increase significantly after a Chinese-led consortium was awarded the contract to develop a deep-sea megaport on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, part of Beijing’s envisaged ‘Middle Corridor’ trade route to Europe. But critics say the Georgian government is putting the country’s economy and democracy at risk by turning away from Western partners and toward the east. Anaklia, on Georgia’s Black Sea shoreline, is currently little more than a small coastal resort of some 1,500 people. Under the plans, it is set to become a port capable of handling large volumes of containers and other cargo, to be built and run by Chinese firms. The Georgian government last month awarded a 49% stake in the project to a Chinese-Singaporean consortium, thought to be worth several billion dollars. The exact details of the deal have not been revealed. The remaining 51% stake is held by the Georgian state. The announcement was made a day after the government passed its so-called “foreign agent” law, similar to one in Russia, widely seen as a clampdown on Western-funded non-governmental organizations and independent media. The legislation triggered ongoing anti-government protests amid fears the ruling “Georgian Dream” party is turning away from a Western-aligned future in the European Union. “That also obviously coincides with the very direct and open anti-Western rhetoric that we've been hearing from the government,” said Giga Bedineishvili, a Georgian financier and dean of the business school at Tbilisi Free University.   “So, the speculation — and I think it's a well-founded one — is that the Georgian government is thinking about the possibility of losing Western investment and compensating for it [with] some money from Russia and China,” he told VOA. Georgia’s government denies it is seeking to turn away from the West and says publicly it still aims to join the European Union by 2030.   Georgia maintains EU aspirations   Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze defended the awarding of the Anaklia port contract to the consortium led by the China Communications Construction Company.   “At this time, it is one of the largest Chinese companies, which has extensive experience, including in this type of project. The successful bid by the Chinese company ensures the highest-level implementation of the Anaklia project,” Kobakhidze told reporters May 30. The Anaklia port project has been in the pipeline for several years and was set to be built by a joint American-Georgian consortium in a contract worth $2.5 billon. However, the government canceled that deal in 2020, claiming the group had not met contractual terms. The consortium partners accused the ruling party and its oligarch founder Bidzina Ivanishvili of deliberately sabotaging the project. Why Chinese investment? So, what’s in it for China? The port would lie at the western end of what Beijing calls the ‘Middle Corridor,’ an envisaged trade route to Europe through Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Georgia’s Black Sea coast, and beyond to the European Union. Currently, most rail and road freight from China to Europe goes through Russia, but the future of that route is in doubt, with Moscow now heavily sanctioned by the West after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Tinatan Khidasheli, a former Georgian defense minister who now chairs the Civic IDEA organization, which analyzes China’s activities in Georgia, fears the project could leave Georgia in a so-called “debt trap.” The big question, Khindasheli said, is where the Georgian government will get its funding for the project.   “They are going to [borrow] the money for fulfilling the obligations they have under this 51%,” he said. “And I'm pretty sure — it's not fact yet — but I'm pretty sure that that money is going to come from China as well. And we will end up in a situation like Sri Lanka ended up, or Philippines, or in Malaysia. They had also similar problems, Tanzania, they had similar problems.” The state-owned Chinese firm that is leading the Anaklia port consortium, the China Communications Construction Company, is subject to U.S. sanctions over its role in building artificial islands in disputed regions of the South China Sea. The firm was also banned from World Bank contracts until 2017 over corruption scandals. China already has a visible presence in Georgia, including the Hualing Tbilisi Sea Plaza, a vast 420-hectare shopping mall, hotel and housing complex on the outskirts of the capital. Chinese companies are also involved in building new highways.   In 2023, Georgia signed a strategic partnership agreement with China, and is part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative and Global Security Initiative.   Despite Georgia’s overtures to Beijing, direct Chinese investment in Georgia remains relatively small at just over $47 million in 2023, making it the ninth largest investor — and far smaller than European and American investment in the country. In 2023, Britain was the biggest single direct investor in Georgia at $392 million, according to official statistics.   “When people just drive throughout the country, they see all these Chinese signs from different companies. It creates an image that we have such a huge Chinese investment. Everywhere you go, you have Chinese companies working. In reality, none of that is an investment,” said Tinatan Khidasheli of Civic IDEA. “It's all Georgian [state] budget money, which is granted to the contractors, whomever wins the bid. And the reality of Georgian bidding story is that every single contract that is over $100 million usually is won by a Chinese company,” she said. Georgia’s government says China could become its leading trading partner. Others urge caution.   “China and Russia, they strategize when they do something like that — they want to invest to then have political influence and have an impact on the local situation. And therefore, we need to be careful on that,” said Bedineishvili. A NATO official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, or RFE/RL, that the alliance had concerns about China’s development of the port. “It’s well known that China has long sought influence in major overseas infrastructure projects. The Black Sea remains an area of strategic importance to NATO,” RFE/RL reported the NATO official as saying.

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.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: With opportunities for journalists limited since the Taliban’s return to power, Farogh Tarin and her family left Afghanistan in pursuit of a better life. Now in Paris, France, the journalist wants to be a voice for those silenced in her home country.

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.

Manila — Chinese coast guard sailors brandished knives, an axe and other weapons in a clash with Philippine naval vessels near a strategic reef in the South China Sea, dramatic new footage released by Manila showed. The clash took place Monday as Philippine forces attempted to resupply marines stationed on a derelict warship that was deliberately grounded atop the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert Manila's territorial claims. It was the latest in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to the disputed area. Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner said the "outnumbered" Filipino crew had been unarmed and had fought with their "bare hands." A Filipino sailor lost a thumb in the clash, in which the Chinese coast guard confiscated or destroyed Philippine equipment including guns, according to the Philippine military. Fresh footage released by the Philippine military late Wednesday showed small boats crewed by Chinese sailors shouting, waving knives and using sticks to hit an inflatable boat as a siren blares. A voice speaking Tagalog can be heard in one clip saying someone had "lost a finger." Manila's footage of the clash stands in stark contrast to photos released by Beijing's state media on Wednesday, which did not show Chinese forces wielding weapons. 'Violent confrontation' Asked about the videos on Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Manila's comments on the clash were "totally bogus accusations that confuse black with white." He blamed the Philippines for the confrontation, saying they had "escalated tensions" and accused them of ramming Chinese boats. Lin said the Philippine boats had been trying "to sneak in building materials, but also tried to smuggle in military equipment." Beijing has insisted that its coast guard behaved in a "professional and restrained" way and claimed "no direct measures" were taken against Filipino personnel. But in a clip shared by Manila, a Chinese sailor standing on the deck of one of the boats can clearly be seen waving an axe. Another shows a Chinese coast guard sailor striking the inflatable boat with a stick. A second man can also be seen stabbing the boat with a knife. The Philippines military said an axe-wielding sailor had "threatened to injure" a Filipino soldier, while others were "explicitly threatening to harm" Filipino troops. "The [Chinese coast guard] personnel then began hurling rocks and other objects at our personnel," Manila said. "They also slashed the [inflatable boats], rendering them inoperable." The Filipino sailors, wearing brown camouflage with helmets and vests, are not carrying weapons in the clips. "Amidst this violent confrontation, the CCG [Chinese coast guard] also deployed tear gas, intensifying the chaos and confusion, while continuously blaring sirens to further disrupt communication," the caption said. Manila has accused Beijing of an "act of piracy" against its forces. It has also demanded the return of items "looted" by the Chinese side, including seven guns, and reparations for damaged equipment. 'Perilous' situation Analysts say Beijing is escalating confrontations with the Philippines in a bid to push it out of the South China Sea. Jay Batongbacal, director for the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea in Manila, told AFP that China's forces could be poised to seize the grounded Philippine warship, the Sierra Madre. "The deployment of their forces at present around the Sierra Madre and then the many reefs around the Kalayaan island group is indicative that they're ready to do it," he said, referring to Manila-claimed areas in the Spratly Islands. The United States has said that "an armed attack" against Philippine public vessels, aircraft, armed forces and coastguard anywhere in the South China Sea would require it to come to Manila's defense as a treaty ally. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken "emphasized that [China's] actions undermine regional peace and stability" in a call with his Philippine counterpart Enrique A. Manalo on Wednesday, according to the State Department. Blinken said they also "underscored the United States' ironclad commitments to the Philippines under our Mutual Defense Treaty." Another analyst said the clashes "brought us perilously close" to a point where the United States would be required to intervene militarily. "The Philippines will likely need to continue resupply missions to the Sierra Madre, one way or another," said Duan Dang, a Vietnam-based maritime security analyst. "Backing down and accepting Beijing's terms regarding these operations would mean relinquishing sovereign rights within its Exclusive Economic Zone," he said.

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.