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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.

Bangkok — Thailand faces a critical week of court cases that could trigger a political crisis in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, with the fate of the prime minister and the main opposition hanging in the balance. Four cases before the courts on Tuesday involve the country's most powerful politicians: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, former prime leader Thaksin Shinawatra, the popular opposition Move Forward party and upper-house lawmakers. For decades, Thailand's politics has been shaped by a struggle between its conservative-royalist establishment, supported by the military, and populist parties such as those backed by Thaksin and the current opposition Move Forward party. "These cases highlight the fragility and complexity of Thailand's political climate," ANZ Research said in a note. "On the economic front, the immediate concerns are the potential for disruptive protests and delays to fiscal policy implementation." How is the prime minister involved? Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, a political novice who took office last August, has been accused by a group of conservative senators of breaching the constitution when he appointed a former lawyer with a conviction record to his Cabinet. Srettha, who denies any wrongdoing, could face dismissal if the Constitutional Court rules against him. If Srettha is removed from office, a new government must be formed, and his ruling Pheu Thai party would need to put forward a new candidate for premier to be voted on by parliament. The court will likely announce the next hearing or verdict date on Tuesday. What is the case against Thaksin? Thaksin, the influential former premier who was ousted in a 2006 military coup, is to be formally indicted in a criminal court in Bangkok Tuesday for allegedly insulting the country’s royalty and other charges linked to a 2015 media interview. The court will then decide whether to grant bail to the billionaire politician, who said he is innocent. "This case has no merit at all," he told reporters earlier this month. Thailand's lese-majeste law, one of the world's toughest, carries a maximum jail sentence of up to 15 years for each perceived royal insult. The 74-year-old returned to Thailand to a rock star's reception last August after 15 years of self-imposed exile. Hours after his arrival, the Shinawatra family-backed Pheu Thai party and Srettha sailed through a parliamentary vote to pick the prime minister, fueling speculation that Thaksin had struck a deal with his former enemies in the conservative establishment. Thaksin and the Pheu Thai party have denied this. Is the opposition under threat? Another case could lead to the dissolution of the progressive Move Forward party, which has 30% of seats in the lower house after winning last year's closely fought election but was blocked by conservative lawmakers from forming a government. The dissolution of Move Forward's predecessor party, Future Forward, in 2020 over a campaign funding violation was among the factors that triggered massive anti-government street protests. The Constitutional Court is considering an Election Commission complaint that alleges the Move Forward party breached the constitution with an election campaign to reform the country's royal insult law. Move Forward, which denies any wrongdoing, ceased efforts to change the law following a January verdict from the same court that ruled the party's plan to amend the law was a hidden effort to undermine the monarchy. The court is expected to announce the next hearing or verdict date on Tuesday. What about the senate election? The Constitutional Court will also deliver a verdict Tuesday on the ongoing selection of a new 200-member Senate, after accepting a petition questioning whether parts of the complex, three-tier process were lawful. If the process is canceled or delayed, it would temporarily extend the term of military-appointed lawmakers who have been central in determining government formation, including last year's maneuver to block Move Forward from forming a government. The current upper house was hand-picked by the military following a 2014 coup that ousted an elected Pheu Thai government that had been led by Thaksin's sister, who still lives in self-imposed exile.

Quito, Ecuador — A landslide in Ecuador killed at least six people and left 30 others missing, according to preliminary information from Ecuadorian authorities on Sunday. The "large-magnitude" landslide occurred in the center of the country, in the city of Banos de Agua Santa, the Ecuadorean Secretariat for Risk Management said in a report. "My solidarity with all the families that have been affected," wrote Roberto Luque, Ecuador's minister of public works, on the social media platform X. A heavy rainstorm caused by low pressure swept across parts of Central and South America on Sunday, with various countries warning of the increased risk of landslides, rock falls and flooding. In El Salvador, the country's civil protection agency declared a red alert due to heavy rains throughout the small nation, while in neighboring Guatemala several airlines diverted flights, according to the Guatemalan ministry of communications, infrastructure and housing.

Dubai, UAE — Iran called upon the Group of Seven leaders Sunday to distance itself from "destructive policies of the past," the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said, referring to a G7 statement condemning Iran's recent nuclear program escalation. On Friday, the G7 warned Iran against advancing its nuclear enrichment program and said it would be ready to enforce new measures if Tehran were to transfer ballistic missiles to Russia. "Any attempt to link the war in Ukraine to the bilateral cooperation between Iran and Russia is an act with only biased political goals," Kanaani said, adding that some countries are "resorting to false claims to continue sanctions" against Iran. Last week, the U.N. nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution calling on Iran to step up cooperation with the watchdog and reverse its recent barring of inspectors. Iran responded by rapidly installing extra uranium-enriching centrifuges at its Fordow site and begun setting up others, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report. Kanaani added Tehran would continue its "constructive interaction and technical cooperation" with the IAEA but called its resolution "politically biased." Iran is now enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the 90% required for weapons grade — and has enough material enriched to that level, if enriched further, for three nuclear weapons — according to an IAEA yardstick.

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.

Goma, DRC — A Romanian "mercenary" and two Congolese soldiers were killed, and a U.N. peacekeeper was wounded in three separate incidents in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, several sources said Sunday. A security official in the east of the country told AFP on the condition of anonymity that a private military contractor was killed, and three others wounded Saturday by a missile strike on a Congolese army base around 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Goma. The origin of the strike was not confirmed.   The capital of North Kivu has been surrounded to the north and west by the Rwandan army and M23 rebels for several months. Fighting regularly takes place against the Congolese army on the outskirts of the city, while the rebels, backed by Kigali, continue to extend their hold in the east of the country. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday that the deceased and two injured people were Romanian nationals, and that the fourth injured person was of another nationality. Several Romanian television channels — including the state-owned TVR Info — described the dead fighter as a "Romanian mercenary" under contract to the Congolese army. Around 200 kilometers north of Goma, in Butembo, at least two soldiers were killed in an ambush, local administrator Colonel Alain Kiwewa told AFP. He said he did not yet have any details of the identity of the assailants and that an investigation had been opened. But Kiwewa said the slain soldiers had been supplying others fighting against the ADF rebels. Since the start of the moth, around 150 people have been killed in attacks attributed to the ADF, which originated in neighboring Uganda and most of whose members swear allegiance to the Islamic State Group. Also, around Butembo, a MONUSCO (U.N. mission in the DRC) convoy was attacked by unidentified armed men Saturday evening as it returned from a mission. One peacekeeper was shot in the leg during the attack. Vivian van de Perre, second-in-command of the U.N. mission, condemned "the violence perpetrated against peacekeepers" and reiterated the need for "unhindered access for the protection of civilians."   On Sunday, Pope Francis deplored the surge in violence in eastern DRC and appealed to the national authorities and international communities to "safeguard the lives of civilians."

Athens, Greece — A missing American tourist has been found dead on a beach on a small Greek island west of Corfu, local media reported. The body of the man was found Sunday on a rocky, fairly remote beach on the island of Mathraki by another tourist. He had been reported missing Thursday by his host, a Greek-American friend. The tourist had last been seen Tuesday at a cafe in the company of two female tourists who have since left the island. No further details about the victim, including a name or hometown, were immediately available. Mathraki, which has a population of 100, is a 3.9-square-kilometer (1.2-square-mile) heavily wooded island, west of the better-known island of Corfu. This was the latest in a string of recent cases in which tourists on the Greek islands have died or gone missing. Some, if not all, had set out on hikes in very hot temperatures. A 74-year-old Dutch tourist was found by a fire department drone Saturday lying face down in a ravine about 300 meters (330 yards) from the spot where he was last observed last Sunday, walking with some difficulty in the blistering heat. Dr. Michael Mosley, a noted British television presenter and author, was found dead last Sunday on the island of Symi. A coroner concluded that he had died the previous Wednesday, shortly after going for a hike over difficult, rocky terrain. On Friday, two French tourists were reported missing on Sikinos, a relatively secluded Cyclades island in the Aegean Sea, with less than 400 permanent residents. The two women, ages 64 and 73, had left their respective hotels to meet. On the island of Amorgos, also in the Cyclades, authorities are still searching for a 59-year-old tourist reported missing since Tuesday, after he went on a solo hike in very hot conditions. U.S. media identified the missing tourist as retired Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Albert Calibet of Hermosa Beach, California.

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.

Sanaa, Yemen — Yemen's Houthi rebels and its internationally recognized government are locked in a fight for control of the country's banks that experts warn is threatening to further wreck an economy already crippled by nearly a decade of war. The rivalry over the banks is throwing Yemen's financial system into deeper turmoil. Already, the Houthis who control the north and center of the country and the government running the south use different currency notes with different exchange rates. They also run rival central banks. The escalating money divide is eroding the value of Yemen's currency, the riyal, which had driven up prices for clothing and meat before the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha started on Sunday. For weeks, Yemenis in Houthi-controlled areas have been unable to pull their money out of bank savings accounts, reportedly because the Houthi-run central bank, based in the capital, Sanaa, has stopped providing liquidity to commercial and government banks. Protests have broken out in front of some banks, dispersed by security forces. Yemen has been torn by civil war ever since the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels took over Sanaa and much of Yemen's north and center in 2015. The Saudi-backed internationally recognized government and its nominal ally the Southern Transitional Council, a group supported by the United Arab Emirates, govern the south and much of the east, centered in the southern port city of Aden. Yemen was already the Arab world's poorest country before the war began. Punitive actions by each side against the other's banks over the past week now threaten to undermine merchants' ability to import food and basic commodities and to disrupt the transfer of remittances from Yemenis abroad, on which many families depend, said Edem Wosornu, director of operations and advocacy for the U.N. humanitarian coordination office known as OCHA. "All these factors will likely deepen poverty, worsen food insecurity and malnutrition, and increase reliance on humanitarian assistance," she told a U.N. Security Council briefing on Thursday. The dispute could escalate to the point that banks in Houthi-run areas are barred completely from international financial transactions, which she said would have "catastrophic ramifications." The internationally recognized government moved the central bank to Aden in 2016, and since then began issuing new banknotes to replace worn-out riyals. Houthi authorities, which set up their own central bank in Sanaa, banned the use of the new money in areas under their control. In March, the Houthi-controlled central bank announced it was rolling out its own new 100-riyal coins. The international community and Yemen's recognized government denounced the move, saying the Houthis were trying to set up their own financial system and warning it will deepen Yemen's economic divide. Adding to the confusion, the bills have different exchange rates — riyals issued in Sanaa go for about 530 to the dollar, while those from Aden are around 1,800 to the dollar. In response, the Aden-based central bank gave banks 60 days to relocate their headquarters to the southern city and stop operating under Houthi policies, or else risk facing sanctions related to money laundering and anti-terrorism laws. The central bank was "forced to make these decisions, especially after the Houthi group issued their own currency and took unilateral steps towards complete independence from the internationally recognized Central Bank in Aden," said Mustafa Nasr, an economic expert and head of the Studies and Economic Media Center SEMC. No banks met the deadline — either because they needed more time or because they feared Houthi sanctions if they moved, Nasr said. When the deadline ran out last week, the central bank in Aden banned dealing with six banks headquartered in Sanaa, meaning currency exchange offices, money transfer agencies and banks in the south could no longer work with them. In retaliation, the Houthi-run central bank in Sanaa banned all dealings with 13 banks headquartered in Aden. That means people in Houthi-controlled areas can't deposit or withdraw funds through those banks or receive wire transfers made through them. Even as the fight for control is going on, both sides are facing a cash crunch. The Houthi government has few sources of foreign currency and its new coins aren't recognized outside its territory. In January, the United States designated the Houthis as a global terror group in response to the rebels' attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. The Houthis say the attacks are in retaliation for the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Because of the U.S. decision, banks around the world might be concerned and reluctant to continue any financial dealings with banks that have headquarters under Houthi control, said Youssef Saeed, a University of Aden economic professor. The economy in Aden isn't significantly better. The government's revenues have been hit hard ever since Houthi attacks on oil ports in late 2022 forced a halt in oil exports, the main earner of foreign currency. Since March, depositors in Houthi-run areas have been unable to pull money out of their accounts. The central bank in Sanaa hasn't announced any formal restrictions, but several economists told The Associated Press that it has informally stopped releasing funds that individual banks have put in its coffers — in part because of a lack of liquidity. At one bank that saw protests by depositors last month, the International Bank of Yemen, a note hung in the lobby said, "In coordination with the Central Bank, withdrawals from old accounts have been suspended until further notice." Um Ahmed, a 65-year-old woman who was among those protesting outside the bank, said that she was trying to withdraw money to help her son buy a motor scooter for work, but the bank refused. "I served this country as a teacher for 35 years and saved every penny and deposited my money at the bank, but they took it all," she said. "This money belongs to my husband and me and our children."

Nicosia, Cyprus — A Cyprus health official said a second elderly person has died from heatstroke after a weeklong heatwave that baked the east Mediterranean island nation with reportedly record temperatures for the month of June. An 84-year-old woman died a day after her admission to a hospital on Friday, said State Health Services Organization spokesman Charalambos Charilaou. He said another three elderly patients were in serious condition. Temperatures on the island have soared all week, exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The high temperatures and strong winds also have hampered firefighting efforts, including in a mountainous area southwest of the capital Nicosia, where over 3.2 square kilometers (1.2 square miles) of forest were scorched, threatening a village. Last week, 49 residents in two communities in the island's western Paphos district were evacuated to hotels as a wildfire threatened their homes, while aircraft from Greece and Jordan joined in firefighting efforts.

Johannesburg — South Africa's uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party will join an alliance of smaller opposition parties in parliament in a bid to take on the African National Congress and Democratic Alliance-led coalition government, it said on Sunday. The ANC and its largest rival, the white-led, pro-business Democratic Alliance, agreed on Friday to work together in a coalition it called "government of national unity," a step change after 30 years of ANC rule. Former President Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto we Sizwe party came in a surprisingly strong third in the May 29 election which saw the ANC lose its majority. MK won 14.6% of the vote, which translated into 58 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly. However, MK lawmakers boycotted the first sitting of the National Assembly on Friday after filing a complaint at the country's top court alleging vote-rigging, which the court dismissed as without merit. Reading a statement on behalf of Zuma, spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela told reporters that the MK party will join the alliance called the "Progressive Caucus," which includes the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the center-left United Democratic Movement. This alliance commands close to 30% of the seats in the National Assembly, Ndhlela said, sitting next to Zuma - who had a cough but answered questions after the statement - and the leaders of a number of small parties. "This united effort is necessary because the 2024 election has also resulted in the consolidation of right-wing and reactionary forces who are opposed to economic freedom, radical economic transformation, racial equality and land repossession," he said. Ndhlela said that MK had decided to take up its seats in the National Assembly after receiving legal advice and that it would continue to raise its allegations of a rigged election in parliament and in courts. The Independent Electoral Commission has said the election was free and fair. Zuma also slammed the unity government -- which includes two smaller parties, the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance -- calling it "meaningless" and a "white-led unholy alliance."

New York — The 28 Broadway shows that earned at least one Tony Award nomination are hoping Sunday is the day the sealed envelopes break in their favor. The three-hour main telecast from New York City's Lincoln Center will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m. Eastern, with a free pre-show on Pluto TV at 6:30 p.m. 'A time of transformation'   The awards cap a Broadway theater season that had something for everyone — fun musicals like "Back to the Future," sweeping romance in "The Notebook," political rallying cries like "Suffs" and intimate ensembles like "Mother Play" and "Appropriate." Filipinos took center stage in "Here Lies Love" and autism was explored in "How to Dance in Ohio." "I think it has been a year of real flexibility. I also think Broadway is in a time of transformation," said Tonys host Ariana DeBose. "A total of 36 productions opened on Broadway this season alone and each one spoke to a very different audience. I do believe that we are learning, 'If you build it, they will come.' So we are continuing to find our voice and who Broadway wants to be." DeBose has said she expects the show to move "like a Broadway show" — in other words, briskly and with scene changes in front the audience. "We want to give you a full Broadway experience," she said. Nicole Scherzinger will anchor the "In Memoriam" section and the late Chita Rivera will get a separate tribute from Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Bebe Neuwirth. Some key awards to watch Two shows share the most nominations with 13: a piano prodigy's coming-of-age in "Hell's Kitchen" and the back-and-forth struggles to create a rock album in the play "Stereophonic." They are competing in different categories, best new musical and best new play. Of the 26 competitive categories, two are virtual locks: "Stereophonic," a critical and box office triumph, and "Merrily We Roll Along," the Stephen Sondheim- George Furth musical that flopped when it premiered on Broadway in 1981 but is the strong favorite for best musical revival. A case could also be made that "Appropriate," Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' play about a family reunion in Arkansas where everyone has competing motivations and grievances, will comfortably earn the best play revival award. Looking to beat "Hell's Kitchen" for the top new musical crown are "The Outsiders," an adaptation of the beloved S. E. Hinton novel and Francis Ford Coppola film; "Illinoise," the dance-heavy, dialogue-less stage adaptation of Sufjan Stevens' 2005 album "Illinois"; "Suffs," based on the American suffragists of the early 20th century; and "Water for Elephants," which combines Sara Gruen's 2006 bestseller with circus elements. Hoping to knock down "Stereophonic" are "Mother Play," Paula Vogel's look at a mother and her kids spanning 1964 to the 21st century; "Mary Jane," Amy Herzog's humanistic portrait of a divorced mother of a young boy with severe health issues; "Prayer for the French Republic," Joshua Harmon's sprawling family comedy-drama that deals with Zionism, religious fervency and antisemitism; and "Jaja's African Hair Braiding," Jocelyn Bioh's comedy about the lives of West African women working at a salon. The leading actress in a musical race is between veteran Kelli O'Hara in "Days of Wine and Roses" and "Hell's Kitchen" newcomer Maleah Joi Moon. On the play side, Sarah Paulson from "Appropriate" is expected to win the best lead actress trophy over a challenge by Jessica Lange in "Mother Play." On the men's side, former "Hamilton" standout Leslie Odom Jr. from "Purlie Victorious" is up against "Succession" star Jeremy Strong in the revival of "An Enemy of the People," while Jonathan Groff is the favorite to win on the musical side for "Merrily We Roll Along," competing against Eddie Redmayne in "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club" and Brian d'Arcy James from "Days of Wine and Roses."

Gorman, California — A wildfire that forced the evacuation of at least 1,200 people in southern California has burned over 40 square kilometers, officials said Sunday. The blaze, named the Post Fire, started Saturday and was burning near the Interstate 5 freeway in Gorman, about 100 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. California State Park Services evacuated 1,200 people from the Hungry Valley recreation area in Gorman and both Hungry Valley and the Pyramid Lake reservoir were closed as a result of the fire threat, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. The flames broke out at around 1:45 p.m., authorities said. The cause isn't known. No homes were threatened by the fire but two commercial buildings have been damaged, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said Sunday. The fire was moving southeast toward Pyramid Lake and crews were constructing perimeter fire lines while aircraft worked against limited visibility to stop the fire's progress, the fire department said. Fire lines had been built around 2% of the perimeter as of Sunday morning, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. Strong winds will impact firefighting efforts, especially after 8 p.m., the department 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.

Beijing — China is being buffeted by two weather extremes, with heavy rain and flooding forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in the south and a heat wave prompting fears of a drought for farmers in the north. At least one person has died in the flooding. The body of a student who fell into a swollen river in the southern city of Guilin was found two days later on Saturday, state broadcaster CCTV said in an online report. Elsewhere in the Guangxi region, heavy rains flooded homes in some villages. To the east, landslides and flooding hit parts of Fujian province, and 36,000 people have been moved, according to state media. One landslide trapped a truck in Songxi county, and videos posted online by the Quanzhou government showed vehicles inundated with muddy flood waters in a part of the historic city. The Chinese government has issued repeated calls to step up disaster prevention and preparedness in anticipation of more severe weather events because of climate change. Violent rain and hailstorms killed seven people in eastern China's Jiangxi province earlier this year. Much of northern China, including the capital, Beijing, has endured high temperatures for the past week. The National Meteorological Center has issued a heat warning, forecasting highs around 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) for Monday in parts of Beijing and nearby areas and in the Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia regions to the west. Hot weather was also reported in Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by China off its east coast. The temperature reached 36.6 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit) in one township in Taitung county on Sunday, the island's Central News Agency reported, citing the government weather agency. A lack of rainfall in northern China has raised concerns about farm production this year. A Chinese vice premier, Liu Guozhong, called for drought prevention efforts Saturday on an inspection tour of Hebei province, which borders Beijing. He said that water resources should be allocated scientifically and the conservation of water for farming should be strengthened, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. He also called for helping farmers plant drought-resistant crops to firm up the foundation for the autumn grain harvest.