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There is no vaccine for the latest identified strain of bird flu, and the routine practice of stockpiling vaccines is no indication of “planning a manmade pandemic.”

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.

Turkey is supplying weapons to Ukraine as Kyiv works to resolve its ammunition shortage. A Turkish weapons manufacturer is teaming with the U.S. to open a munitions factory, while another Turkish firm is set to open a drone factory in Ukraine. From Istanbul, Dorian Jones reports.

U.S. lawmakers are divided on President Joe Biden’s executive order imposing new limits on asylum seekers at U.S. borders. As VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, the debate over border security remains a tough issue ahead of general elections in November.

Washington — China’s military appears to be intensifying its efforts to recruit current and former Western fighter pilots, employing new and more intricate tactics to snare Western expertise.  The United States and some of its closest intelligence partners issued a new warning Wednesday, cautioning the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is using private companies, including corporate headhunters, so that Western pilots are unaware of links to the Chinese military until it is too late.  The end goal, according to the U.S. and its allies, is for China to better train its own fighter pilots while gaining insights into how Western air forces operate, something that could erode Western advantages or even give Chinese fighter jets a boost in case of a conflict.  The bulletin issued by the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – known as Five Eyes – says the PLA is using private companies based in South Africa and China to target Western pilots for job offers with lucrative salaries.  Other recruitment efforts include leveraging personal acquaintances, professional networking sites and online job platforms, according to the bulletin, which warns any links to the Chinese government or military are often hidden.  “We’re issuing this joint bulletin today because this is a persistent threat that continues to evolve in response to Western countermeasures,” an official with the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) told VOA.  “Like any illicit enterprise that seeks to conceal its activities, there have been efforts to incorporate entities [companies] in different locations under different names,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the rationale behind Wednesday's bulletin.   “There have also been variations in recruitment pitches and approaches,” the official added. “It’s critical that we keep our current and former service members informed about this threat, which is directly targeting them.”  The Five Eyes bulletin said the Chinese recruitment efforts appear to be targeting current and former military pilots from Five Eyes countries as well as those from France, Germany and other Western nations.  VOA has contacted the Chinese Embassy in Washington for comment.   Concerns about Beijing’s pursuit of Western pilots and aviation expertise are not new.  British defense officials were sounding alarms about Chinese efforts to recruit retired members of the British Royal Air Force through companies in South Africa as far back as October 2022. Australian defense officials raised similar concerns a month later, warning that retired Australian military personnel had an "enduring obligation" to protect state secrets and "to reveal any of those secrets is a crime." Britain, Australia and the other Five Eyes members have also taken action to curtail Beijing’s efforts.  The U.S. last year, for example, placed restrictions on 43 entities tied to Chinese efforts to recruit and hire Western fighter pilots.  The targeted companies included a flight school in South Africa, a security and an aviation company founded by a former U.S. Navy SEAL with operations in the United Arab Emirates, Kenya and Laos. While such work may have diminished Beijing’s efforts, the U.S. and its intelligence partners warn China has responded aggressively, rolling out new recruitment efforts aimed not only at hiring former Western fighter pilots but hiring engineers and flight operation center personnel who also could give the PLA insights into the operations and tactics of Western air forces.  Wednesday’s bulletin advises current and former U.S. military personnel approached with suspicious recruitment pitches to contact their individual military services or the FBI.  Military personnel from other countries are encouraged to contact the appropriate defense agencies.  “PLA recruitment efforts continue to evolve,” U.S. NCSC Director Michael Casey said in a statement Wednesday.   The new warning “seeks to highlight this persistent threat and deter any current or former Western service members from actions that put their military colleagues at risk and erode our national security,” he added.

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.

No deal yet on ceasefire deal backed by Joe Biden in Gaza. Gunshots at the U.S. embassy in Lebanon. Tension is on the rise at the Poland-Belarus border, and migrants are caught in the middle. Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure mean power outages for Ukrainians as President Zelenskyy prepares to attend D-Day anniversary commemorations and the upcoming G7 summit. Plus, a look at hate speech and extremism in the 2024 Presidential election.

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.

South Africa has seen several waves of immigration from China, with early generations of migrants fleeing extreme poverty at home and newer arrivals seeking business opportunities. Kate Bartlett has the story about Chinese South Africans who have established businesses Johannesburg’s old and new Chinatowns.

Washington — When the parents of Karim Sadiq and Taj Maluk fled a wrecked Afghanistan torn apart by the 1979 Soviet invasion and infighting warlords, they didn’t imagine their children — Karim and Taj — would return to reunite the war-torn nation through cricket.  Taj Maluk became the first coach of the Afghan national team. Fans refer to him as one of the founding fathers of Afghan cricket. Younger brother Karim Sadiq played a key role in Afghanistan’s qualification in the World Cup in 2010, creating history for the cricket-loving nation of more than 40 million.  The brothers were brought up in a refugee camp called Katcha Garhi, in Peshawar, Pakistan. The family left a decent life in the eastern Nangarhar province to live in a sea of mud houses and poverty.  “Life was all struggle those days,” Karim Sadiq recalls. “Doing odd jobs in the night and playing cricket in the daytime. We used a stick as a bat, used to make plastic balls from plastic waste material.”  There was an old black-and-white TV set in their refugee camp where the young and elders watched international matches, including Pakistan winning the 1992 World Cup. These events had a huge influence on aspiring cricketers in Afghan refugee camps.  The elder brother, Taj Maluk, searched for talent in refugee camps and founded the Afghan Cricket Club, which arguably laid the foundation of the future Afghanistan team.  Another Afghan cricketer, Allah Dad Noori, also played a key role by pioneering a path for cricket in Afghanistan.  Like the brothers, many international Afghan players, such as Mohammad Shehzad, Raees Ahmadzai, Mohammad Nabi, and the country’s first global star Rashid Khan, now captain, all grew up learning cricket and becoming cricketers in Peshawar, Pakistan.  “It was our passion. We didn't know then that Cricket would bring such happiness to the Afghan nation,” Karim Sadiq told VOA. “Cricket conveys a message that Afghanistan is not a country of war and drugs. It's a country of love and sports.”  In 2001, after the invasion of the U.S. forces against the Taliban rule, cricket flourished in Afghanistan, which became an associate member of the ICC, the world’s cricketing body.  A new younger generation of cricketers emerged. Now, Afghanistan is a full member of the ICC’s elite club of 12 countries, and it enjoys the status of a test-playing nation.  The Afghan team won many hearts in the 2023 World Cup after earning wins against the former world champions — Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka.  “Afghan players fight for every match as they are fighting for the nation,” Pakistan’s former captain, Rashid Latif, who coached Afghanistan, told VOA. “T20 cricket needs aggression and Afghanistan players have it. They are capable of surprises in the World Cup.”  Now, Afghanistan is playing in the T20 Cricket World Cup co-hosted by the United States and West Indies. It has strong contenders like New Zealand and West Indies in the group, along with minnows Papa New Guinea and Uganda. Some experts call it the “Group of Death” because only two teams will make it through the knockout stage.  The Taliban banned all women's sports and put restrictions on some men’s sports, but not cricket. There is speculation it’s because they enjoyed the game themselves or were apprehensive about the possible public reaction if they banned it, given its massive popularity.  A few weeks ago, when Afghanistan’s team captain, Rashid Khan, visited Afghanistan to meet family and friends, Taliban officials presented him with bouquets and took selfies with the superstar.  Rashid and his team members, including young superstars — batters Rehmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai, spinners Mujeeb-ur Rehman and Noor Ahmed — have arrived in the West Indies, as have their diehard supporters from Europe, Canada and the U.S.  Back in Afghanistan, Karim Sadiq is now working to promote the sport, while his elder brother, 49-year-old Taj Maluk, has turned to religion. “Cricket is not just a game. It reunites Afghans and brings joy to the lives of people,” Taj Maluk told VOA. “We will pray for their success.”  Karim Sadiq recalls when Afghanistan qualified for the T20 World Cup in 2010. “When we returned home, it was a festival. Everywhere, celebrating crowds held up the Afghan flag. We all wish to see such festivity again, to see Afghanistan become the World Champion.”  Across Afghanistan, fans have made special arrangements to view the matches. Some have pooled their money to buy dish antennas. Others have decorated the hujras, or living rooms, with national flags.  “Afghanistan is a wounded land. Cricket helps people stitch those wounds,“ said Shams ul Rahman Shirzad, a cricket fan in Nangarhar, from where the brothers Taj Maluk and Karim Sadiq hailed and once dreamed of having a national cricket team.   This story originated in VOA’s Afghan service.

ISLAMABAD — The Supreme Court of Pakistan issued notices Wednesday to nearly three dozen news channels, demanding explanations for airing two press conferences critical of the judiciary.  A three-member bench of the top court headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faiz Isa issued the “show-cause” notices to 34 channels, seeking a response within two weeks.  The bench is hearing a case against two parliamentarians for making remarks against the judiciary in separate press conferences.  In mid-May, news channels aired press conferences by Faisal Vawda and Mustafa Kamal in which they criticized the judicial system and senior judges. Taking notice of the speeches, the top court demanded the two politicians explain their remarks.  “TV channels say someone spoke and we aired it, [that] this is freedom of expression,” Chief Justice Isa said Wednesday, criticizing news media’s decision to air the pressers live.  Ban on court reporting  Separately, the high court of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad clarified Wednesday that there was no ban on reporting court proceedings.  On May 21, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, or PEMRA, directed cable news channels to refrain from airing headlines, news tickers, and commentary about ongoing court cases until a final verdict was issued.  Hearing the pleas of journalist bodies against the regulator’s decision, the Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Amir Farooq said the media was free to report on judicial proceedings.  “There is no ban on court reporting,” Farooq said. “Only a prohibition on irresponsible reporting.”  The court adjourned the hearing until June 11.  Judiciary under pressure  Pakistan’s political turmoil is casting a shadow over the country’s judiciary. Since former Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted in April 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence and publicly fell out with the powerful military, the judiciary in Pakistan has faced public criticism for its decisions, as well.  While some verdicts dealt a blow to Khan’s political prospects — like stripping his party of its electoral symbol cricket bat just a few weeks before the elections — other decisions provided him relief by throwing out charges, such as fomenting riots and leaking state secrets.  Senior judges also have complained of interference by intelligence agencies. In March of this year, a majority of the judges of the Islamabad High Court wrote a rare letter to the country’s chief justice alleging the military-run spy agencies were intimidating them and their relatives through abduction, torture, and surveillance of personal spaces to influence judgments.  In April, the personal documents of a high court judge and his family members were posted on X. The social media platform has been suspended in Pakistan since February 17, but it is accessible through VPNs or virtual private networks.  Journalists under pressure  Three media persons in recent days have also come under attack in Pakistan by unidentified assailants, prompting the Committee to Protect Journalists to call on the government to investigate the incidents.  According to CPJ, on May 29, unidentified gunmen shot journalist Haider Mastoi and cameraman Khan Muhammad Pitafi in the southern Sindh province.  On May 30, armed men shot journalist Chaudhry Ikhlaq in the country’s eastern province Punjab.  “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government must stop this alarming rise in attacks against journalists and end this cycle of impunity that fuels a culture of violence against Pakistan media,” CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi said in a statement.  CPJ is investigating if the journalists were attacked for their reporting.  2024 has quickly become a deadly year for journalists in Pakistan, with four killed in May and one in March.  Media watchdogs regard Pakistan as a dangerous country for journalists. Since 1992, when the CPJ started keeping a tally, at least 64 media persons have lost their lives. Most cases of journalists targeted for their work, however, remain unresolved.