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Pointe du Hoc, France — Standing alone atop a concrete bunker dug into a 100-foot cliff overlooking the cold, choppy waters off Normandy's coast, U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday explained why he came to the French countryside to deliver a forceful speech drawing a straight line from the past to the present. "Where we stand was not sacred ground on June 5th, but that's what it became on June the 6th," he said, referring to the battle that Allied forces launched that day in 1944. "The Rangers who scaled this cliff didn't know they would change the world," he said of the U.S. unit that played a pivotal role in the D-Day invasion that led to the defeat of Nazi Germany. "But they did. I've long said that history has shown that ordinary Americans can do extraordinary things when challenged. There's no better example of that in the entire world than right here at Pointe du Hoc." Biden thus capped his French tour of American wartime nostalgia, which included a dramatic day of events at the battle's main American cemetery, with this point: This tale of autocratic aggression can happen again. In fact, he argued, it is happening again, in Ukraine. That nation has spent the past two years, with substantial American military help, holding its ground against a fierce Russian assault. Biden has argued, repeatedly, that Russia will not stop at Ukraine's borders, and he has urged NATO members to show a strong front. As Biden spoke under a cloudless blue sky, he regularly met eyes with a man huddled in a wheelchair in the front row: 99-year-old John Wardell, one of the dwindling number of survivors of the Ranger battalion that scaled those rocky cliffs. "As we gather here today, it's not just to honor those who showed such remarkable bravery that day, June 6, 1944," Biden said. "It's to listen to the echo of their voices. To hear them. Because they are summoning us. They ask us, what will we do. They're not asking us to scale these cliffs. They're asking us to stay true to what America stands for." But the people Biden needs to convince are back in Washington, holding the American government's purse strings in Congress. It took six months for U.S. lawmakers to approve a package of about $61 billion in military aid for Ukraine, and some Republicans have warned that this was the last American handout to help Ukraine fend off Russia's two-year invasion. Biden referenced that fact when he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier in the day in Paris, as he announced another $225 million in funding. "You continue to fight in a way that is remarkable, just remarkable," Biden told Zelenskyy. "And I'm not going to walk away from you. I apologize for the first weeks of not knowing what's going [on] in terms of funding. Because we had trouble getting the bill, we had to pass, to have the money in. Some of our very conservative members who were holding it up. But we got it done, finally." 'You saved Europe' A day earlier, Zelenskyy attended D-Day commemorations and had emotional meetings with U.S. veterans of that 1944 battle. At one meeting, 99-year-old Melvin Hurwitz, speaking from his wheelchair, grabbed the Ukrainian leader's right hand and pulled him down, into a bear hug. "You're the savior of the people," Hurwitz said. "No, no, no," Zelenskyy replied. "You [are]. You saved Europe." A day later, Zelenskyy thanked Biden for American support. "It's very important that you stay with us," he told Biden. "This bipartisan support with the Congress, it's very important that in this unity, the United States of America, all American people, stay with Ukraine, like it was during World War II. How the United States helped to save human lives, to save Europe. And we count on your continuing support and standing with us shoulder to shoulder." But Europe, too, realizes it has a role to play here. "There is definitely a common belief in Europe that we need to step up for our own defense and security," said Leonie Allard, a visiting fellow at the Atlantic Council's Europe Center and a former French defense official. "But of course, European security and the future of the architecture in Europe cannot be without the U.S. So whatever steps are taken, I know that the U.S. is in the room and there is some form of coordination." Historians note that the diminishing number of World War II survivors means that the next American president will have even fewer ways to highlight the nation's well-regarded role in establishing peace. History professor Jeremi Suri said that for the undergraduates he teaches, World War II is "ancient, ancient history." "So it will mean we're more distant and the heroism, the defense of democracy, the Greatest Generation stories we've told ourselves for so long, those will be less compelling. They already are becoming less compelling," he said. But, said Suri, who teaches at the University of Texas at Austin — and who acknowledged that few conflicts pack the narrative punch of World War II — there are other stories to tell. "We do have many legitimate, honest stories of heroism from the Cold War, those who defended dissidents, those who participated in civil rights marches, those who stood up for solidarity workers who were striking in Poland and elsewhere," he said. "They're not the stories that have the same heroic varnish, and they don't have the same cinematography associated with them. But I do think they're compelling, and I think presidents will start to evoke those as much as they do the D-Day," he said. "It's a made-for-Hollywood moment," Suri said. That's a fact that Biden, who walked onstage accompanied by a piece of music from a popular TV series about World War II, "Band of Brothers," surely knows. Just seconds after Biden completed his speech, he made a beeline to the front row. Wardell, with help from his caretaker on one side and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the other, struggled to his feet. Atop that cliff that Wardell first scaled at the tender age of 18, he clasped hands with the president. VOA's Kim Lewis contributed to this report.

Poignant ceremonies on the beaches of Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day as President Biden gives an impassioned speech on fighting for freedom that Allies fought and died for. While paying tribute to veterans, Biden stressed the importance of international alliances, warning democracy is facing its greatest risk since World War II. David Greenberg, historian and professor of US history and media studies at Rutgers University about how current threats to democracy add significance to anniversary of turning point in World War Two. New data this week confirms last month was the hottest May ever, marking the 12th straight monthly record high. Experts say it is going to get worse.

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washington — American forces destroyed four drones and two anti-ship ballistic missiles in areas of Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the U.S. military said Friday.  The Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in attacks they say are conducted in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.  The attacks pose a significant security threat to a key international shipping lane, and the United States and Britain have carried out strikes since January aimed at degrading the Houthis' ability to target shipping.  "U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed four UASs and two ASBMs in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," the military command said in a social media post, using abbreviations for unmanned aircraft systems and anti-ship ballistic missiles.  "USCENTCOM forces also successfully destroyed one UAS launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen into the Bab al-Mandab Strait," CENTCOM said, adding that American forces also destroyed a Houthi patrol boat.  The Houthis launched four anti-ship ballistic missiles over the Red Sea within the past 24 hours, but "there were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships," the military command said.  Houthi attacks have sent insurance costs spiraling for vessels transiting the Red Sea and have prompted many shipping firms to take the far longer passage around the southern tip of Africa instead.  Houthi television channel Al-Massirah, meanwhile, said there were airstrikes in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and elsewhere in the country on Friday, but the reports could not be independently confirmed, and it was unclear if they were related to the incidents described by CENTCOM. 

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Copenhagen, Denmark — Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was struck on Friday by a man in a Copenhagen square, her office said, with EU chiefs quickly condemning the attack. The Danish prime minister's office said in a statement to AFP that Frederiksen was "shocked by the incident," but it did not provide further details. "Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was hit by a man Friday evening on Kultorvet in Copenhagen. The man was subsequently arrested," the statement said. The incident came on the heels of a spate of attacks on politicians from across the political spectrum at work or on the campaign trail ahead of this week's European Union elections. On May 15, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot four times at close range as he greeted supporters after a government meeting in the central town of Handlova. Fico, who survived the assassination attempt, was taken to a hospital in a nearby city after the shooting, where he underwent two lengthy surgeries. EU chief Charles Michel and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Friday slammed the attack on Frederiksen. Metsola urged the Danish head of government to "keep strong," while adding in a post to X that "violence has no place in politics." Michel said he was "outraged by the assault." "I strongly condemn this cowardly act of aggression," the European Council president said in a separate post to X. Copenhagen police confirmed that an incident involving the prime minister had occurred but did not provide further details. "We have one person arrested in the case, which we are now investigating. At this time, we have no further comments or remarks on the case," police said in a statement on X. "I must say that it shakes all of us who are close to her," Danish Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke said in a post to social media. "Something like this must not happen in our beautiful, safe and free country," he said.

LONDON — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a new setback to his election campaign, apologized Friday for leaving D-Day commemorations early to give an interview in which he attacked the main opposition party. Sunak's decision not to stay at the event in northern France alongside other world leaders on Thursday was met with dismay in his Conservative Party, which opinion polls suggest faces the prospect of a heavy defeat in the national election on July 4. The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, remained in Normandy for the duration of events marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings and was seen talking to leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "On reflection, it was a mistake not to stay longer, and I've apologized for that, but I also don't think it's right to be political in the midst of D-Day commemorations," Sunak told reporters. "The focus should rightly be on the veterans." Sunak said his plans had been set long before the start of the election campaign. U.S. President Joe Biden, Britain's King Charles and other leaders gathered at the events in Normandy. Sunak spoke at a British-led event but delegated other duties to ministers including Foreign Secretary David Cameron, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. "What happened was completely wrong, and the prime minister has rightly apologized," senior Conservative politician Penny Mordaunt said during a televised debate on Friday. One usually loyal Conservative politician, who asked not to be identified, said: "I can't explain it and I won't." The lawmaker said it could become the "Gillian Duffy moment" — a reference to 2010 when Gordon Brown, who was then prime minister, apologized for being caught on tape calling a voter "a bigoted woman," a moment seen as a turning point in a campaign he lost. Sunak's Conservatives are lagging about 20 points behind Labour in opinion polls. His campaign had an inauspicious start last month when he announced the election date under a downpour of rain, competing to be heard against Labour supporters blaring a pop song associated with their party's crushing 1997 election victory. In another blow, Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage took over leadership of the right-wing Reform UK party and said this week he would stand in the election. 'Shabby move' Sunak has said he is the person best placed to look after Britain's security and that he will introduce mandatory national service if he stays in power. But the wealthy former hedge fund executive has often been portrayed as out of touch with ordinary people during a campaign in which a cost-of-living crisis is a big issue, and he was asked repeatedly about the decision while campaigning Friday. Chris Hopkins, political research director at the polling company Savanta, said the prime minister's "political misjudgment seems almost laser-guided in causing Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party as much political pain as humanly possible." A Savanta poll of more than 1,000 British adults showed that 68% viewed Sunak's behavior as "unacceptable," including 61% of people who said they had voted Conservative in 2019. "It's a shabby move, to be honest," British pensioner Mark Bartlett, 73, told Reuters. Senior Labour spokesperson Jonathan Ashworth accused Sunak of "choosing to prioritize his own vanity TV appearances over our veterans," and "it is yet more desperation, yet more chaos." Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey accused Sunak of a "total dereliction of duty." Farage said Sunak's decision "was a complete and utter disgrace" and showed he was "a very unpatriotic prime minister." In the interview with ITV on Thursday, Sunak doubled down on assertions that Labour would raise taxes by 2,000 pounds ($2,500) per household if it took power. Labour denies having such a plan and accused Sunak of lying for saying the estimate came from the civil service, which has said it did not endorse it.

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The U.S. Border Patrol turned 100 years old on May 28. Its troubled origins and history form the backdrop for contemporary concerns about the agency, including impunity for abuses against migrants and citizens alike. The Border Patrol’s centennial provides an opportunity to shed light on the agency’s lack of accountability and to pursue a vision […]

The post Border Patrol’s 100th Anniversary Offers Chance to Look Back at Its Disturbing Origins appeared first on Immigration Impact.

State College, Pennsylvania — Looking out over a sea of graduates at Penn State Law school's recent commencement, one could be forgiven for thinking it was in Central Asia. One after another, 47 Uzbek men and women were called up on stage to be conferred an LLM (Master of Laws) degree by this American institution founded some 200 years ago. Nearly a third of the Class of 2024 hails from Uzbekistan, a country of 37 million people that has sent scores of students to this university in recent years. But this year's size is unprecedented: No American university has ever admitted and bestowed this many degrees to Uzbeks at the same time. "They are the true ambassadors of their country," Associate Dean Stephen Barnes told VOA. "We are a better community, better university, and a better country because of their contributions." Barnes sees in these Uzbeks an "insatiable desire" to engage with the wider world. As he explains, since 2021, Penn State has been forging ties with Tashkent State University of Law, Uzbekistan's premier legal education provider, and the University of World Economy and Diplomacy based in Tashkent, which has an international law program. An undergraduate diploma from these schools qualifies one for an LLM, bypassing the JD (Juris Doctor), America's most common initial law degree. Temurbek Polatov, 23, who spoke at the commencement, believes his cohort carries a unique responsibility to serve their homeland. He and others aspire to shape U.S.-type law firms and an independent bar association in Uzbekistan, which still largely retains a Soviet-style legal profession and judiciary. Experts often mention corrupt courts and the lack of the rule of law as systemic problems hindering investment. Most Uzbeks studying at Penn State were awarded grants, while three received full scholarships from their government. Law grad priorities Doniyorbek Davronov, 26, who served in two ministries before coming to the United States, wants to launch a legal clinic assisting Uzbek migrants worldwide. "With millions working abroad," Davronov said, "the state and civil society must work together to defend their interests." He observed the U.S. immigration system up close while doing clinical training, attending court hearings and visiting detention centers. Davronov said thousands of Uzbeks are constantly stranded on the U.S.-Mexico border, and many are behind bars. "We can help them from Uzbekistan, collaborating with our American colleagues, providing necessary facts." Classmate Shahboz Murodullayev, 23, shares his passion, proposing to create a network of services for migrants. Jamshidbek Ibrohimov, 27, who earned an LLM from Penn State last year, is now working at Rogers & Rogers, a Pittsburgh-based immigration law firm that often represents Central Asians. "We should never underestimate the role of community organizations, which are crucial in fighting for the interests of their own people. They can provide the first line of assistance to migrants," he said. Ibrohimov sees value in gaining practical experience in the U.S. before returning to Uzbekistan, where he worked at the Justice Ministry. "I want to be part of positive change, something I already feel I'm doing from here," Ibrohimov told VOA. Shakhrizoda Mamasolieva, 23, plans to train at U.S. firms while translating legal literature into Uzbek and helping youth get into American schools. "We are supporting Uzbekistan's development. I'm more capable of contributing from here because of my network and opportunities available," she says. She, too, received a scholarship from the university and worked on campus to earn extra money. Farzin Vahidov, 25, from the Class of 2023, is Penn State Law's student adviser, connecting it with Central Asia. "We have the most open-minded and enthusiastic youth coming here. This is why Penn State accepts them and cherishes their presence on campus," Vahidov said. "As for the alumni, some already work in high levels back at home, but I think the greatest achievements are yet to come." Rejoining legal community at home Azizjon Jamolov, 32, will return to a new job in Uzbekistan's Supreme Court. He will head the human resources department and hopes to introduce new ethics norms and best practices. "I'm inspired by what I learned here, especially the way the judiciary functions and the level of professional integrity," Jamolov said. He acknowledges that it will be extremely difficult to change people's mentality, especially in the fight against corruption, but he is optimistic that the administration will back his initiatives. Jamolov studied through the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation, a state program aiming to curb Uzbekistan's "brain drain" and create a cadre for the government and other sectors. Since 2018, the foundation has sponsored roughly 2,000 degrees and trainings abroad, with some 550 currently underwritten. Applicants must be admitted to one of the top 300 schools in the world and convince authorities that they will come back to Uzbekistan to lead in their field. This is quite a small contingent among the over 110,000 Uzbeks studying internationally, according to UNESCO, mostly in neighboring countries and Russia, and only about 1,500 in America. Uzbekistan is one of the top five countries with students abroad, along with China, India, Vietnam and Germany. But El-Yurt Umidi and state educators urge quality over quantity. Penn State graduates agree and point to individual freedom and ambition as driving factors. Along with Davronov and Jamolov, Behruz Shamsuddinov, 28, is an El-Yurt Umidi fellow, ready for any position the government has in store for him "as long as there is enough space to push for the rule of law." Shamsuddinov has a background in criminal justice and wants to see the system reform. Professor Stephen Ross, whose contract law classes many Uzbeks have taken at Penn State, believes his students have gained vast comparative knowledge. "I would hope that the president and the ministers would have the confidence to know that they are trying to shape Uzbekistan in the best way for Uzbeks, and they can borrow the things that work from the U.S. for Uzbekistan," Ross told VOA. Professor Lara Fowler, who teaches environmental, energy and natural resources law, says these graduates have a better understanding of issues because of deep exchanges with classmates from around the globe. Associate Dean Barnes and the faculty argue that legal skills, critical thinking and mastering professional English, in particular, are universally applicable. Penn State Law, fostering ties with counterparts in Central Asia, is expecting another batch of some 50 students from Uzbekistan this year.

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karachi, pakistan — British author George Orwell once said, "Sports is war minus the shooting." In modern sport, when we speak about the greatest rivalries, a cricket match between archrivals India and Pakistan truly lives up to the saying. One such battle will occur Sunday in the T20 Cricket World Cup at the newly built Nassau Stadium in New York. Unfortunately, there is space for just 34,000 spectators. With armies of Indian and Pakistani fans ready to descend on the Big Apple, ticket prices are soaring. The tickets are reportedly selling for thousands of dollars each, but die-hard fans still go after them. After all, both are former champions, India having won the title in 2007 and Pakistan two years later. Legendary Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram believes India versus Pakistan is an ideal match for expats living in the United States. "The interest and passion involved in this match – and of course, the matches in the USA – will also give Americans an idea of what cricket is all about, and they will get a hang of it,"  Akram told VOA. "India versus Pakistan is the ultimate rivalry in cricket," Pakistan’s former captain and batter Javed Miandad told VOA. "I always enjoyed the rivalry to the hilt, and even now, when I sit in front of the television to watch a current match, I feel amped and animated as if I am still playing.” Such a game is fire versus fire, riveting to the last ball, as proved by the legendary batter Miandad's six to seal a match in Sharjah nearly four decades ago and India's sensational win inspired by Indian maestro Virat Kohli against Pakistan in Melbourne in the 2022 T20 World Cup. And with long gaps due to political tension and play restricted to multinational events, the India-Pakistan contest keeps fans' hunger unsated. "A contest between India and Pakistan motivates players from both sides to give their best, because if you do well, you become an instant hero. It will be a unique experience for the fans in the USA,” Miandad said. But the not-so-positive aspect is that since such matches are few and far between, many believe the sheen is coming off them. Indian batting supremo-turned-popular commentator Sunil Gavaskar believes other rivalries are taking over. "The India-Pakistan contests used to be iconic some time back, but as far as India is concerned there is hardly any contest between India and Pakistan. The new iconic rivalry is India versus Australia," Gavaskar, himself involved in some iconic Indo-Pak contests, told VOA. His views may perturb some loyal fans in both countries, but Gavaskar always plays with a straight bat. Pakistan's recent one-sided losses against India may become a bane in this rivalry. India has won all eight ODI World Cup matches against Pakistan and has lost only one of seven T20 World Cup face-offs. Meanwhile, after the upset defeat against the U.S., the match against India is a must win for Pakistan to qualify for the next round of the World Cup. But results aside, the two uncompromising sets of players are never ready to give an inch to their rivals, for they know a defeat is unacceptable to their fans. Those involved try to play it down by terming it "just another game," but it is the opposite. A contest evoking such strong emotions that losing players get death threats cannot be "just another game.” Ask Pakistan’s former captain, Akram, who could not return to his hometown, Lahore, after Pakistan lost to India in the quarterfinal of the 1996 World Cup — a match the left-arm pacer missed with a shoulder injury. The bitter Pakistani fans accused him of faking the injury. With so much sentiment involved, former Pakistan pacer Aqib Javed reckons an Indo-Pak game is special. “It’s more than a game,” he said. “Whichever side loses doesn’t swallow a defeat easily," said the fast bowler whose seven-wicket haul in Sharjah in 1991 left Indian players and fans fuming. Pakistan's defeats against India in the 1999, 2003, 2011, 2019 and 2023 World Cups prompted inquiries to ascertain reasons for the losses and ended in major upheavals. "No one accepts defeat in an India-Pakistan match," former Pakistani fast bowler Wahab Riaz, who took five wickets in the 2011 semifinal defeat against India at Mohali, told VOA. "It is not war, but it is very sentimental. Allegations were hurled at us after the defeat, but after all, it was a cricket match, and we lost by playing badly." India-Pakistan matches draw hundreds of millions of viewers in the two countries and among expats living around the world. They comfortably surpass every other cricket event in terms of eyeballs and broadcast revenue. The International Cricket Council, the sport's governing body, has repeatedly acknowledged wanting a schedule in which Pakistan and India play a match in the first round of a tournament. Fans and organizers wish to see these archrivals in action again in the tournament's knockout stage. The big game in the Big Apple will create a big splash.  This story originated in VOA’s South Central Asia Division. 

NEW YORK — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has added Israel's military to a global list of offenders for committing violations against children in 2023, said Israel's U.N. envoy Gilad Erdan, describing the decision as "shameful."  Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad will also be listed, according to a diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity.   Erdan said he was officially notified of the decision on Friday. The global list is included in a report on children and armed conflict that Guterres is due to submit to the U.N. Security Council on June 14.  It covers six violations — killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction, recruitment and use of children, denial of aid access, and attacks of schools and hospitals. It was not immediately clear what violations Israel, Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad had been listed for.  Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the decision "will have consequences for Israel's relations with the U.N."   Israel has long had a contentious relationship with the U.N. that has only worsened during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.   The U.N. said last month that at least 7,797 children have been killed in Hamas-ruled Gaza during the eight-month-long war, citing data on identified bodies from Gaza's Ministry of Health, which the U.N. considers reliable.  The Gaza government media office says in total some 15,500 children have been killed.  According to Israel's National Council for the Child, 38 children were killed in the October 7 Hamas-led terror attack that sparked the war and 42 of some 250 people taken hostage into Gaza on October 7 were children. All but two children have been released.  'Shocking'  U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Guterres' chief of staff called Erdan on Friday as "courtesy afforded to countries that are newly listed on the annex of the report."  Erdan posted a video on social media of him responding during the phone call.  "I am utterly shocked and disgusted by this shameful decision of the Secretary-General," said Erdan. "Israel's army is the most moral army in the world, so this immoral decision will only aid the terrorists and reward Hamas."  Dujarric described the video and its partial release as "shocking and unacceptable and frankly something I've never seen in my 24 years serving this organization."  The report is compiled by Virginia Gamba, Guterres' special representative for children and armed conflict. The list attached to the report aims to shame parties to conflicts in the hope of pushing them to implement measures to protect children.  The list is split into two: parties that have put in place measures to protect children and parties that have not.  Erdan said he was told Israel had been included on the list of parties that had not put in place adequate measures to protect children.  Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the U.N. had "added itself to the blacklist of history when it joined those who support the Hamas murderers."   Accountability  Israel is retaliating against Hamas over an October 7 attack by its militants. More than 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, according to Israeli tallies. More than 100 hostages are believed to remain captive in Gaza.  Israel's invasion and bombardment of Gaza since then has killed at least 36,731 people, including 77 in the past 24 hours, Gaza's health ministry said in an update on Friday.  Thousands more are feared buried dead under rubble, with most of the 2.3 million population displaced.   A spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the U.N. decision was "a step in the right direction towards holding Israel accountable for its crimes" and that Israel should have been added long ago.  The move comes nine years after the U.N. special envoy for children and armed conflict recommended Israel and Hamas be added to the list for violations during a 2014 war in Gaza, when 540 children were among more than 2,100 Palestinians killed.  Israel lobbied then-U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to stay off the list, though it denied pressuring him. Ultimately, Ban did not add Israel or Hamas to the list of offenders, though the report did strongly criticize Israel over the 50-day conflict.   Russia's armed forces were added to the list last year for killing and maiming children in Ukraine, attacks on schools and hospitals, and using children as human shields. Russia has denied targeting civilians since it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.  A Saudi-led military coalition — listed for killing and injuring children in Yemen — was removed from the list in 2020, several years after it was first named for killing and injuring children in Yemen.

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new york — A senior U.N. humanitarian official expressed concern Friday about rising casualties in Ukraine, saying the toll in May was the highest in nearly a year, and that more than half of the casualties could be attributed to Russia’s recent offensive in the Kharkiv region. “Shopping centers, homes, educational establishments, shops, office buildings, parks and public transport have all been struck in recent weeks,” said Joyce Msuya, assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs. The U.N. human rights office, which verifies casualties, said at least 174 civilians were killed and 690 injured in May, with more than half attributed to the fighting in Kharkiv. “At least 18,100 people in the Kharkiv region have been newly displaced, according to estimates by the International Organization for Migration,” Msuya noted. On May 10, Russia began an offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region, resulting in some of its largest territorial gains in the past 18 months. Msuya said the United Nations and its humanitarian partners have provided assistance, including food, clothes and cash, to more than 12,000 people at a transit center in Kharkiv city. She said civilians who remain in the frontline areas face “dire conditions.” “Many are cut off from access to food, medical care, electricity and gas,” Msuya said. “In May, Russian forces carried out 76 airstrikes against Kharkiv, three times more than in April,” Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Security Council. “The air raid alerts in the city in May lasted for 474 hours and 55 minutes. That is 15 hours per day. Just imagine — 15 hours out of 24. Every day and every night. That is what Russia is doing to Kharkiv.” Peace conference The Security Council discussed the situation one week before the start of a two-day peace conference hosted by Switzerland to address the war in Ukraine. “This summit aims to increase the understanding for peace and to form a platform for high-level discussions to initiate a peace process,” Swiss Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl told the council. Ukrainian envoy Kyslytsya said a successful summit would be a clear signal that the world does not support the war and wants peace. “Ukraine needs a strong voice from all countries in favor of a just peace,” he said. Russia was not invited to the conference and has dismissed the talks as an “anti-Russian gathering” that will not lead to peace. “At the heart of this is a primitive attempt to advance an ultimatum to the Russian Federation, and the advancement of this as a conference — the conference in the Swiss city of Bürgenstock — is nothing other than a propagandistic hangout among friends with zero-added value,” Russian Deputy Ambassador Anna Evstigneeva told the council of the meeting planned for June 15-16 in the Swiss resort town. “It is increasingly clear to more and more members of the international community that any discussions related to Russia’s sovereignty and security are futile if they are carried out without Russia’s representation, without taking into account its interests,” she added. The Swiss ambassador said the conference is not directed against Russia. “This is about offering a platform to a broad range of countries so that they can express their points of view and make proposals,” Baeriswyl said. “So as to move forward and contribute to preparing future possible talks on peace between the parties.” Russia’s close ally China has said it wants a peaceful political solution to the crisis but has turned down an invitation to the conference because Russia is not invited. The United States has voiced strong support for the Swiss conference. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to attend. “We regret Russia has shown no support or readiness for good-faith negotiations or engagement on a durable peace,” U.S. Deputy U.N. Ambassador Robert Wood said. “We hope this will change and allow for a successful second summit with Russia’s participation.”