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WASHINGTON — Relatively few Americans fully endorse the idea that a fertilized egg should have the same rights as a pregnant woman. But a significant share say it describes their views at least somewhat well, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.  The new survey comes as questions grow around reproductive health access in the continued fallout from the decision by the Supreme Court to end federal abortion protections. The poll found that a solid majority of Americans oppose a federal abortion ban as a rising number support access to abortions for any reason.  But anti-abortion advocates are increasingly pushing for broader measures that would give rights and protection to embryos and fetuses, which could have massive implications for fertility treatments and other areas of health care.  The poll suggests that when it comes to more nuanced questions about issues such as in vitro fertilization — which may be affected by the restrictive climate in some states, even though they were not previously considered as part of "abortion" — there is general support for reproductive health protections. But the poll also shows some uncertainty, as Americans are faced with situations that would not have arisen before Roe v. Wade was overturned.  According to the poll, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults support protecting access to in vitro fertilization, or IVF, a type of fertility treatment in which eggs are combined with sperm outside the body in a lab to form an embryo. Views on banning the destruction of embryos created through IVF are less developed, with 4 in 10 adults expressing a neutral opinion.  "I believe that it's a woman's right to determine what she wants to do with her pregnancy, and she should be cared for. There should be no question about that," said John Evangelista, 73. "And IVF, I mean, for years, it's saved a lot of people grief — because they want to have a child. Why would you want to limit this for people?"  Earlier this year, Alabama's largest hospital paused in vitro fertilization treatments, following a court ruling that said frozen embryos are the legal equivalent of children. Soon after, the governor signed legislation shielding doctors from potential legal liability in order to restart procedures in the state.  But the political damage was done. Democrats routinely cite IVF concerns as part of a larger problem where women in some states are getting worse medical care since the fall of Roe. They link delayed IVF care to cases in states with abortion restrictions, where women must wait until they are very sick to get care. Democrats say these issues show how GOP efforts to overturn Roe have profoundly affected all facets of reproductive care.  On the other hand, protections for IVF are supported by Americans across the political spectrum: About three-quarters of Democrats and 56% of Republicans favor preserving access to IVF, while about 4 in 10 independents are in favor and just under half, 46%, neither favor nor oppose protecting access.  For some, their views have been shaped by personal experience with the procedure.  "I'm about to go through IVF right now, and you're trying to get as many embryos as you can so you can have more chances at having one live birth, or more than that, if you're lucky," said Alexa Voloscenko, 30. "I just don't want people to be having more trouble to access IVF; it's already hard enough."  But the poll found that about 3 in 10 Americans say that the statement "human life begins at conception, so a fertilized egg is a person with the same rights as a pregnant woman" describes their views on abortion law and policy extremely or very well, while an additional 18% say it describes their views somewhat well. About half say the statement describes their views "not very well" or "not well at all."  This view is in tension with some aspects of IVF care — in particular, fertility treatments where eggs are fertilized and develop into embryos in a lab. Sometimes, embryos are accidentally damaged or destroyed, and unused embryos may be discarded.  Republicans are about twice as likely as Democrats or independents to say that the statement about fertilized eggs having the same rights as a pregnant woman describes their views extremely or very well. About 4 in 10 Republicans say that compared with about 2 in 10 Democrats and independents.  And views are less clear overall on a more specific aspect of policy related to IVF — making it illegal to destroy embryos created during the process. One-quarter of U.S. adults somewhat or strongly favor banning the destruction of embryos created through IVF, while 4 in 10 have a neutral view and about one-third somewhat or strongly oppose it.  "Human life begins at a heartbeat," said Steven Otey, 73, a Republican who doesn't believe created embryos should be destroyed. "Embryos ... can become babies, we shouldn't be destroying them."  About 3 in 10 Republicans and roughly one-quarter of Democrats favor banning the destruction of embryos created through IVF. Four in 10 Republicans — and nearly 6 in 10 independents — have a neutral view. 

EU says online platform falls short on transparency and accountability requirements

BERLIN — The German government said Friday that it "won't be intimidated" by Russian attempts to undermine the country's support of Ukraine but refused to comment on a report that Moscow planned to assassinate the chief executive of a leading defense company.  CNN reported Thursday, citing five unidentified U.S. and Western officials, that U.S. intelligence discovered earlier this year that Russia planned to kill Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger. It said the United States informed Germany, whose security services were able to protect Papperger and foil the plot. Rheinmetall is a major supplier of military technology and artillery rounds for Ukraine.  Neither Rheinmetall nor the German government would comment on the report. Interior Ministry spokesperson Maximilian Kall said his ministry can't comment on "individual threat situations" but added that, more broadly, "we take the significantly increased threat from Russian aggression very seriously."  "We know that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's regime wants above all to undermine our support for Ukraine in its defense against the Russian war of aggression, but the German government won't be intimidated," Kall said.  He noted that German security measures have been increased significantly since 2022, and that "the threats range from espionage and sabotage, through cyberattacks, to state terrorism."  In April, German investigators arrested two German-Russian men on suspicion of espionage, one of them accused of agreeing to carry out attacks on potential targets that included U.S. military facilities in hopes of sabotaging aid for Ukraine.  Germany has become the second-biggest supplier of weapons to Ukraine after the United States since Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.  CNN reported that the alleged Papperger plot was one of a series of Russian plans to kill defense European industry executives supporting the Ukrainian war effort.  Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the report. "All of this is again presented in the fake style, so such reports cannot be taken seriously," he told reporters Friday. 

DHAKA, BANGLADESH — Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, celebrated for his pioneering work in microfinance, is facing a new trial in a criminal case next week in Bangladesh on charges of embezzling more than $2 million from the workers' welfare fund of his nonprofit, Grameen Telecom. Yunus — a political rival of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — was sentenced in January to six months in jail for violating labor laws at the nonprofit. He remains out on bail but faces nearly 200 additional charges, mostly civil cases, all of which he denies. In the current case, the prosecution alleges that Yunus and his codefendants diverted funds from Grameen Telecom workers' welfare fund, a major stakeholder in Grameenphone, Bangladesh's largest mobile phone operator. Yunus has denied the charges. Yunus' trial, set to start July 15, has drawn global attention amid concerns about his potential imprisonment. His lawyer, Abdullah Al-Mamun, told VOA that if convicted, the 83-year-old could face a "substantial prison term, potentially up to a life sentence." Yunus has described his treatment by authorities as humiliating, being held in an iron cage during court proceedings. "Any accused person — against whom a case has been filed — is taken to the cage. ...  As far as I know, the accused is innocent until proven guilty," he told reporters after appearing at the June 12 indictment hearing and pleading not guilty, "Is that fair?" Concerns over fair trial Rights activists and supporters fear that the government might imprison Yunus as part of the legal and political battle against him. Dhaka-based political analyst Zahed Ur Rahman expressed concerns about imprisonment driven by "vengeance" from Hasina. "From the highest levels of government, including the prime minister, aggressive statements have been made about subjudice matters. She has not held back. Given the state of the law and justice system in the country, Dr. Yunus will not receive fair treatment," Rahman told VOA. Yunus's legal team argues that the embezzlement charges are purely "baseless and frivolous" arguing that for embezzlement to occur, funds must be misappropriated from someone's custody, which he asserts did not happen. "The money in question was properly deposited into a bank account as mandated by a settlement agreement between the workers' trade union and Grameen Telecom, in accordance with labor laws. Thus, there is no basis for embezzlement charges." Al-Mamun told VOA. He expressed concern that a fair trial will not be possible, given government participation in a "smear campaign" against Yunus, and expressed fear Yunus would not receive justice even in the highest court. "We are progressing through each step and will go to the highest court eventually. But sadly, what we have repeatedly seen is that the country's highest court has not given verdicts independently based on the merits of these cases. It is likely that we will not receive justice this time either. However, we will follow all procedures." Hasina's campaign against Yunus Tensions between Yunus and Hasina began in 2007 after Yunus proposed forming a political party, Citizens' Power, to combat corruption and polarization. Though brief, analysts say the move solidified Hasina's view of Yunus as a rival. Her administration began a series of investigations of Yunus after coming to power in 2008. "She couldn't tolerate that Dr. Yunus was viewed as a political alternative. Her jealousy was fueled by his Nobel Prize and the global support he received," Rahman said. "Dr. Yunus began to openly criticize the regime, and that has put pressure on the government. These appears to be the motivations behind the campaign to discredit and humiliate him." The outside world has expressed significant concern over Yunus' treatment. Last year, more than 100 Nobel laureates, including former U.S. President Barack Obama, wrote an open letter to Hasina, urging an end to what they describe as "continuous judicial harassment." Amnesty International has condemned Yunus' treatment as emblematic of the broader erosion of human rights in Bangladesh. The United Nations rights body has raised concerns about ongoing harassment and smear campaigns from the "highest levels of government," which could jeopardize a fair trial. Despite numerous appeals, Hasina has remained firm. In 2011, her administration ousted Yunus from Grameen Bank, and she has consistently accused him of acting against Bangladesh's interests. A significant instance is the World Bank's decision to withdraw funding from the Padma Bridge project, the country's major infrastructure endeavor and longest bridge. Hasina has attributed this withdrawal to Yunus' influence, an accusation that he denies. At a press briefing on June 25 at her residence, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina criticized the open letter signed by more than 100 Nobel laureates and notable individuals supporting Muhammad Yunus as nothing more than "advertisements" funded by Yunus himself. "He has money, so he can pay for publicity. All these endorsements by Nobel laureates and others are merely promotional efforts. If he truly were so popular, why would he need to resort to advertisements to garner so much support? The whole world would naturally rally behind him otherwise," she said. Hasina who often called Yunus a "bloodsucker of the poor" and criticized Grameen's microlending practices, accused Yunus of taking credit for poverty reduction efforts that she claims her administration achieved, stating that her government reduced poverty significantly over the last 15 years. "I have eradicated poverty. In the last 15 years, I have reduced it from 41.6% to 18.7%, and he takes the credit. Some international organizations even write that down," she said. US keeping wary eye on the trials The U.S. State Department is closely monitoring the case against Yunus, voicing concerns about potential misuse of Bangladesh's labor laws to harass him. During a press briefing on July 9, spokesperson Mathew Miller emphasized that such misuse could undermine the rule of law and discourage foreign investment. "We continue to monitor closely developments in the case against him. We have expressed for some time our concern that these cases may represent a misuse of Bangladesh's labor laws to harass and intimidate Dr. Yunus," Miller said. "We also worry that perceived misuse of labor and anti-corruption laws could raise questions about rule of law and dissuade future foreign direct investment."

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MBABANE, ESWATINI — Eswatini, in an ambitious bid to overhaul its health care system, is partnering with Belarus, paving the way for what officials in the southern African nation hope will be increased access to critical medicines, and the sharing of expertise between Belarusian and Eswatini health care professionals.  An Eswatini delegation led by Prime Minister Russell Dlamini signed the health care roadmap with Belarus during a weeklong visit in late June. Principal Secretary Bertram Stewart, who was part of the delegation, said the agreement will unlock new access to medicines, medical equipment, and training opportunities, and introduce new models that could alleviate Eswatini’s health care procurement challenges. "We do look forward to long-term collaborations with Belarus and, of course, the intention is to have reciprocal relations with Belarus wherein whatever we can export to Belarus, they will, subject to quality and price, they will be able to take it and likewise, we will reciprocate by procuring from Belarus whatever we feel is of the right quality for the Kingdom of Eswatini," he said. According to the World Health Organization, Eswatini has the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer in the world, with 56 new cases per 100,000 women annually. Eswatini also has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world, with more than 27% of adults living with the disease. And the country has a limited number of doctors and nurses, and many rural areas lack access to basic health care services.    While the government’s partnership with Belarus could usher in a new era of improved healthcare in Eswatini, for people like Sheila Coleman, who lost both her son and sister to chronic illnesses, the lack of advanced cancer care in the country has been devastating. For many patients, this has meant costly, life-or-death journeys to South Africa for treatment—a burden the government says it is now working to alleviate. "I am proud of my country but of late, have been so disappointed with the health sector of this country," Coleman said. "I feel that the government has failed us as Emaswati and I say this because of experiences that I have had. … Being diagnosed with a chronic illness in this country is basically a death sentence." Thys Louren, a doctor in Eswatini, sees great potential in this health care partnership that could lead to job creation, expert skill attraction, and technology transfer. But he cautions that there are critical questions to answer before this collaboration can be deemed a success. "What will Belarus benefit from this proposed joint venture," he asked. "Is the purpose of this joint venture for research purposes because it would provide a very attractive cheaper research cost? Or would it focus on import consumables into Eswatini, which is of concern because we already have pharmaceutical companies in Eswatini and cash flow and availability of stock import is the problem. "Then lastly, is it for the production of pharmaceuticals which could be highly beneficial to Eswatini because it could, one, stimulate local economy and, two, cater for the significant shortage that we are experiencing especially in the cancer care section where chemotherapy is available locally and patients actually have to cross border for treatment." For many in Eswatini, this is a time of unprecedented need. And the nation is placing its health care hopes in the hands of Belarusian expertise. As the partnership unfolds, the nation awaits a pivotal moment, where either an era of medical breakthroughs is born, or the promise of a new dawn fades into the shadows.

ISLAMABAD — In a much-awaited decision Friday, Pakistan's top court declared former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party was entitled to its share of reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies, handing the incarcerated leader's supporters a major legal victory. The 8-5 decision, broadcast live, overturned an earlier verdict of the Election Commission of Pakistan, and backed by a provisional court, that deprived Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, of close to 80 reserved seats in the national and provincial legislatures. The decision that will see more than 20 seats in the National Assembly go to PTI deprives Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's ruling coalition of a two-thirds majority. However, with more than 200 seats in hand it will retain a majority required to rule in the body of 336. PTI leaders hailed the victory, calling it a golden day in Pakistan's history. "It is a day of joy for supporters in and outside Pakistan. We finally got our right," PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan told media outside the court. The court's short order affecting the makeup of national and provincial assemblies comes five months after Pakistan went to the polls on February 8. The election that saw PTI-backed candidates win the largest number of seats in the National Assembly, the lower house of the country's bicameral parliament, faced widespread allegations of pre-poll rigging and result manipulation. The election commission and Sharif's ruling coalition have rejected foreign calls to investigate alleged electoral discrepancies. Addressing a press conference soon after the verdict came, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told media the decision was painful. "It's painful that apparently the articles of the constitution were not interpreted but rewritten," Tarar said. He said repealing the verdict would be the Cabinet's decision. Background According to Pakistan's elections laws, seats reserved for women and non-Muslims are allotted to parties in proportion to the number of seats they win in the general elections. PTI was forced to run candidates as independents in the February 8 polls after the country's top court upheld the election commission's decision to strip it of a unified electoral symbol. The election commission took away the party's symbol after it declared PTI's intraparty elections invalid. PTI candidates still won 93 seats in the National Assembly, leaving behind Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party of the Bhutto dynasty. To maintain a unified presence in the legislature, PTI-backed candidates joined the Sunni Ittehad Council, or SIC, making the right-wing religious party the parliamentary face of PTI. However, the election commission rejected SIC's claim to reserved seats in March, citing technicalities, including that it did not submit a list of names for reserved seats before the election. The ECP then doled out reserved seats to other parties boosting PTI's opponents' position across national and provincial legislatures. Later the same month, the Peshawar High Court upheld the election commission's decision. In May, however, the Supreme Court suspended those verdicts, putting the ruling alliance's two-thirds majority on hold and the status of several lawmakers occupying reserved seats in limbo. Overturning the election commission and provincial court's decisions on Friday, the top court's majority declared PTI did not lose its status as a political party in the assemblies despite losing its electoral symbol prior to polls and running candidates as independents. The court asked PTI-backed lawmakers to declare their party affiliation with the commission. It ordered the commission to allot the party its share of reserved seats across all legislatures.

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Sydney — Two Russian-born Australian citizens have been accused of spying for Russia.  Australian federal police arrested the married couple at their home in Brisbane on Thursday, accusing them of accessing documents related to national defense. Kira Korolev, a 40-year-old private in the Australian army, and her 62-year-old husband, Igor Korolev, appeared in court Friday. They have both been charged with one count of preparing for an espionage offense, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment.   It is the first time this type of charge has been brought since foreign interference laws were enacted in Australia in 2018.  Investigators allege that Kira, an army information systems technician, traveled to Russia and that while there, she instructed her husband how to access material from her official work account with the intention of providing it to Russian intelligence officials. Mike Burgess, the head of ASIO, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the national security agency told reporters in Canberra Friday that spying is a serious crime. “Espionage was not some quaint Cold War notion," he said. "Espionage damages our economy and degrades our strategic advantage.  It has catastrophic real-world consequences.  Foreign intelligence services are capable, determined and patient.  They play the long game.  The problem for them is ASIO does, too.” It is unclear whether the two defendants passed on any documents to Russian intelligence or anyone else, or the nature of the information they are accused of trying to pass on. Australia police said that "no significant compromise" of military secrets had been identified. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Canberra Friday that spies will be tracked down. “Australia’s security agencies are doing their job and they are doing it well.  People will be held to account who interfere with our national interests and that is precisely what these arrests represent.”    Authorities say Kira Korolev was employed by the army for several years and held a security clearance within the military.  She became an Australian citizen in 2016. She and her husband did not apply for bail and have been remanded into custody.  A magistrate in Queensland state has adjourned the case until September 20.   The Australian Federal Police, which is leading the investigation, said Australia’s Five Eyes security alliance partners, the United States, Britain, New Zealand and Canada, could be confident that Australia would “continue to identify and disrupt espionage and foreign interference activity.” 

beijing — China said Friday it was conducting joint military drills with Russia along its southern coast, after a U.S.-led Western defense alliance met in Washington and Japan warned of a growing threat from Beijing's strong ties with Moscow. China's defense ministry said the two militaries had begun the exercises, called Joint Sea-2024, in "early July" and they would last until the middle of this month. The drills in the waters and airspace around Zhanjiang, a city in southern Guangdong province, are "to demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability," the ministry said. It added that the exercises "will further deepen China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era." They were taking place in accordance with Beijing and Moscow's annual plan for military engagement, according to the ministry. The announcement came in the same week that NATO leaders convened in Washington to reaffirm support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion. China and Russia have drawn closer in recent years and tout their friendship as having "no limits," and both share hostile relations with NATO. NATO leaders said in a declaration on Wednesday that China had "become a decisive enabler" of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, prompting Beijing to warn NATO against "provoking confrontation." China maintains that it is not a party to the Ukraine conflict but has been criticized by Western leaders for giving political and economic support to Russia, including in the trade of goods with both civilian and military uses. Chinese forces are also staging drills this week with Belarus, another Russian ally, on NATO's eastern border. And Japan said Friday that joint China-Russia activities near its territory pose a "grave concern from the perspective of national security."

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.

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.