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Seoul, South Korea — Top leaders from South Korea, China and Japan discussed regional stability in their first meeting in five years on Monday, as they vowed to ramp up three-way cooperation. The summit brought together South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul for the countries' first trilateral talks in nearly five years, partly due to the pandemic, but also once-sour ties. While North Korea was not officially on the agenda for the talks, Kishida said after the meeting that the three countries confirmed that its denuclearization would be in their "common interest." Hours before the talks, North Korea announced that it planned to put another spy satellite into orbit imminently, which would violate rafts of U.N. sanctions barring it from tests using ballistic technology. Yoon and Kishida urged Pyongyang to call off the launch, with the South Korean leader saying it would "undermine regional and global peace and stability." He also called for a "decisive" international response if Kim goes ahead with his fourth such launch — aided by what Seoul claims is Russian assistance in exchange for sending arms for use in Ukraine. "We once again confirmed that North Korea's denuclearization and stability on the Korean Peninsula are in the common interest of our three countries," Kishida said after the meeting, with Yoon adding that the issue was a "shared responsibility and interest" for the trio. Analysts say there is a significant technological overlap between space launch capabilities and the development of ballistic missiles. China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a key diplomatic ally, and it has long resisted condemning Pyongyang for its weapons tests, instead criticizing joint U.S.-South Korea drills for raising tension. Chinese Premier Li said in his opening remarks that the three countries were willing "to seek mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation," Xinhua reported. "Li called for opposing turning economic and trade issues into political games or security matters, and rejecting protectionism as well as decoupling or the severing of supply chains," the news agency said. Yoon added that the three countries had "decided to create a transparent and predictable environment for trade and investment, and to establish a safe supply chain." Tilted diplomacy? After their talks, Yoon, Li and Kishida joined a business summit aimed at boosting trade between the countries, which was also attended by top industry leaders. Experts have warned that, due to the three countries' starkly divergent positions on key issues including Pyongyang's nuclear threats and growing ties with Russia, it is tricky for them to form a consensus on sensitive geopolitical issues. Yoon, who took office in 2022, has sought to bury the historical hatchet with former colonial power Japan in the face of rising threats from nuclear-armed North Korea. South Korea and Japan are key regional security allies of China's arch-rival the United States but are eager to improve trade and ease tensions with Beijing, experts say. After their talks, the three leaders said they had decided to ramp up three-way cooperation, including holding summits more regularly. "The trilateral cooperation system should be strengthened. We have decided to hold trilateral summits on a regular basis," Yoon said. President Xi Jinping is China's top leader, with Li serving under him as premier. Nuclear-armed North Korea successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite last November in a move that drew international condemnation, with the United States calling it a "brazen violation" of UN sanctions. Seoul said on Friday that South Korean and US intelligence authorities were "closely monitoring and tracking" presumed preparations for the launch of another military reconnaissance satellite — which could come as early as Monday, according to the launch window Pyongyang gave to Tokyo. "North Korea, China, and Russia have effectively claimed that launching reconnaissance satellites does not breach U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed on Pyongyang," Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP. "However, considering China's involvement, it appears the North will likely hold off on any launches during the trilateral meeting, convened after a significant break, in deference to Beijing's stance." 

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.

Bangladesh has evacuated nearly 800,000 people from vulnerable areas as cyclone Remal makes landfall. Georgia celebrates Independence Day as fear of a Russian like law will likely be passed in parliament. Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy releases a video urging the West for more help. We talk to Branislav Slantchev, a professor at the University of California San Diego. Another plane battered by turbulence causing 12 people to be injured. Is climate change making turbulence worse?

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.

Since the spring 2022, Dell Loy Hansen has spent over $70 million to build homes for internally displaced Ukrainians. The U.S. philanthropist says he has been to Ukraine four times and is just getting started. Anna Kosstutschenko met him in the Kyiv region and has more in this report.

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.

INDIANAPOLIS — Josef Newgarden put his cheating scandal behind him to become the first back-to-back winner of the Indianapolis 500 since Helio Castroneves 22 years ago and give Roger Penske a record-extending 20th win in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." The Tennessean passed Pato O'Ward on the final lap of Sunday's rain-delayed race to become the first driver to win consecutive 500s since Castroneves did it for Penske in 2001 and 2002. And just like last year, Newgarden stopped his Chevrolet-powered car on the track and climbed through a hole in the fence to celebrate with fans in the grandstands. "I love this crowd. I've got to always go in the crowd if we win here, I am always doing that," Newgarden said. O'Ward slumped his head over his steering wheel in bitter disappointment. He was trying to become the first Mexican in 108 runnings to win the Indy 500. It looked as if he had been crying when he finally removed his helmet. He finished sixth in his Indy 500 debut, then fourth and then second in 2022 when he was accused of not being aggressive enough to race Marcus Ericsson for the win. He refused to back down last year and wound up crashing as he raced for the win. As O'Ward bided his time in the closing laps — he and Newgarden traded the lead several times — he waited to make the winning pass on the final lap. Newgarden got it right back two turns later. "It is hard to put it into words — we went back, we went forward, we went back, some people were driving like maniacs," O'Ward said. "We had so many near-race enders. Just so close again. ... I put that car through things I never thought it was going to be able to do. It is always a heartbreak when you're so close, especially when it's not the first time and you don't know how many opportunities you have." The win was an incredible bounceback for Newgarden, who last month had his March season-opening victory disqualified because Team Penske had illegal push-to-pass software on its cars. Newgarden used the additional horsepower three times in the win and it took IndyCar nearly six weeks to discover the Penske manipulation. Roger Penske, who owns the race team, IndyCar, the Indy 500 and the speedway, suspended four crew members, including Team President Tim Cindric. The Cindric suspension was a massive blow for Newgarden as Cindric is considered the best strategist in the series. Newgarden was thrilled to have the win and put the push-to-pass scandal behind him. "Absolutely, they can say what they want, I don't even care anymore," he said. The start of the race was delayed four hours by rain and it ruined NASCAR star Kyle Larson's chance to run "The Double." The delay in Indy made him miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Although Larson was decent most of the day, two rookie mistakes led to an 18th-place finish. He was on a helicopter headed to a plane for North Carolina within minutes of the race ending. "I'm proud to have finished but disappointed in myself," said Larson, who has a two-year deal with Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports for Indy and could return in 2025. Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing finished third as the highest-finishing Honda driver and was followed by Alexander Rossi, O'Ward's teammate at Arrow McLaren Racing. Chevrolet took three of the top four spots.

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.

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Seoul, South Korea — North Korea has notified Japan of plans to launch a satellite by June 4, Japanese media reported Monday citing the coast guard, after Seoul said Pyongyang was preparing to put another military spy satellite into orbit. The Japanese coast guard said the eight-day launch window began at midnight Sunday into Monday, with North Korea's notice designating three maritime danger zones near the Korean peninsula and the Philippines island of Luzon where the satellite-carrying rocket's debris might fall, according to the Kyodo news agency. Officials from the United States, Japan and South Korea agreed in a phone call to urge Kim Jong Un's regime to suspend the plan, as any launch using ballistic missile technology would violate U.N. resolutions, Kyodo reported. Nuclear-armed North Korea launched its first reconnaissance satellite last November in a move that drew international condemnation, with the United States calling it a "brazen violation" of U.N. sanctions. Experts say that spy satellites could improve Pyongyang's intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly over fierce rival South Korea, and provide crucial data in any military conflict. Seoul said Friday that South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities were "closely monitoring and tracking" presumed preparations for the launch of another military reconnaissance satellite. The suspected preparations were detected in North Korea's Tongchang-ri county, Seoul said, which is home to the isolated country's Sohae Satellite Launching Ground. It was also where the North staged three satellite launches last year, with only the final one being successful. Seoul has said the North received technical help from Russia for that satellite launch, in return for sending Moscow weapons for use in the war in Ukraine. The warning from the North comes as Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo's top leaders are due to meet in South Korea on Monday for their first summit in nearly five years, though differing political stances mean a discussion on North Korea is not expected to be on the table. 

Cairo — More than two weeks of fighting between Sudan’s military and a notorious paramilitary group over a major city in the western Darfur region killed at least 123 people, an international aid group said Sunday. The fighting in el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province, also wounded more than 930 people in the same period, Doctors without Borders said.  “This is a sign of the violent intensity of the fighting,” the group said. “We urge the warring parties to do more to protect civilians.” Clashes between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalated earlier this month in the city, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. El-Fasher has become the center of the conflict between the military and the RSF, which is aided by Arab militias commonly known as Janjaweed. The city is the last stronghold still held by the military in the sprawling Darfur region. Sudan’s conflict began in April last year when soaring tensions between the leaders of the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country. The conflict killed more than 14,000 people and wounded thousands more amid reports of widespread sexual violence and other atrocities that rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. It also pushed the country's population to the brink of famine. The U.N. food agency warned the warring parties earlier this month that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don’t allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region. The RSF has built up forces in recent months seeking to wrest control of el-Fasher. Along with its Arab militia allies, the RSF besieged the city and launched a major attack on its southern and eastern parts earlier this month. The clashes renewed Thursday in the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people in the Salam neighborhood in the city’s northern part, as well as its southern western parts, the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration reported. On Saturday, a shell hit the house of a Doctors Without Borders aid worker close to the city’s main market, killing the worker, the charity said. The U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami blasted the “tragic” killing. The aid worker was not identified. Nkweta-Salami urged warring parties to stop fighting in the city where “hundreds of thousands of women, men, and children in North Darfur are once again caught in the crossfire of war.” “A human tragedy of epic proportions is on the horizon, but it can, and must, be prevented,” she said.

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Taipei, Taiwan — Taiwan President Lai Ching-te extended goodwill toward and offered cooperation with China on Sunday following two days of Chinese war games near the island, as a group of U.S. lawmakers arrived in Taipei. China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, carried out the military drills Thursday and Friday, calling them "punishment" after Lai's inauguration speech on Monday which Beijing called another push for the island's formal independence. China has repeatedly lambasted Lai as a "separatist." Lai rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only Taiwan's people can decide their future. He has repeatedly offered talks but been rebuffed. Speaking at a meeting of his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the southern city of Tainan, Lai called on China to "share the heavy responsibility of regional stability with Taiwan," according to comments provided by his party. Lai, who won election in January, said he also "looked forward to enhancing mutual understanding and reconciliation with China via exchanges and cooperation, creating mutual benefit and moving towards a position of peace and common prosperity." He thanked the United States and other countries for their expressions of concern about the Chinese exercises. "The international community will not accept any country creating waves in the Taiwan Strait and affecting regional stability," Lai added. The first group of U.S. lawmakers to visit Taiwan since Lai took office arrived on the island Sunday for a four-day visit, led by Michael McCaul, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. McCaul, joined by a bipartisan group of five other lawmakers, will meet Lai on Monday morning to "exchange views on peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific," Taiwan's presidential office said. "Taiwan is a thriving democracy. The U.S. will continue to stand by our steadfast partner and work to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait," McCaul said in a statement. Taiwan's government has condemned China's war games. Over the past four years, China has staged regular military activities around Taiwan as it seeks to pressure the island's government. On Sunday, Taiwan's defense ministry said the garrison on Erdan islet, part of the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands that sit next to China's Xiamen and Quanzhou cities, had discovered a "crude" cardboard box containing paper with political slogans on it, written in the simplified Chinese characters used in China. The ministry said the box was suspected of being dropped by a drone outside the line of sight, adding, "It is a typical cognitive operation trick." In 2022, Taiwan shot down a drone off Kinmen after complaining of days of harassment. China's defense ministry did not answer calls outside of office hours. China's military has kept up a barrage of propaganda videos and animations directed at Taiwan since the exercises began. Its Eastern Theater Command, which ran the drills, showed a video Sunday of rockets firing in what it referred to in English as "cross-strait lethality."

Tbilisi, Georgia — The president and prime minister of Georgia on Sunday lashed out at each other at a ceremony marking the country's independence day as strong tensions persist over a law that critics say will obstruct media freedom and damage Georgia's bid to join the European Union. The measure would require media and nongovernmental organizations to register as “carrying out the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their budget from abroad. Opponents denounce it as “the Russian law” because of similar regulations there. Large protests have repeatedly been held in the capital Tbilisi as the measure made its way through parliament. After the legislature passed the bill, President Salome Zourabichvili vetoed it on May 18, but the Georgian Dream party of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and its backers have enough votes in parliament to override the veto. “As the specter of Russia looms over us, partnership and rapprochement with Europe are the true path to preserving and strengthening our independence and peace. Those who sabotage and undermine this path trample upon and damage the peaceful and secure future of our country, hindering the path towards becoming a full member of the free and democratic world,” Zourabichvili said at the ceremony celebrating the 106th anniversary of Georgia's declaration of independence from Russia. At the same ceremony, Kobakhidze lauded Georgia's development and sharply criticized Zourabichvili. “It was the unity and reasonable steps of the people and their elected government that gave us the opportunity to maintain peace in the country for the past two years despite existential threats and multiple betrayals, including the betrayal of the president of Georgia,” he said. In the evening, thousands of opponents of the measure marched along one of the main avenues of the capital. Some previous demonstrations against the law have brought clashes between protesters and police. The European Union's foreign policy arm has said “the adoption of this law negatively impacts Georgia’s progress on the EU path.” Critics say it may have been driven by Russia to thwart Georgia's chances of further integrating with the West. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Thursday that travel bans would be imposed on Georgian officials “who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia” and “it remains our hope that Georgia’s leaders will reconsider the draft law and take steps to move forward with their nation’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”

La Oroya, Peru — Four people were killed, and more than 30 others were injured after a passenger bus and a cargo train collided Sunday in central Peru, the country's national police said.  Authorities said the crash happened after 4 a.m. in the district of La Oroya, about 177 kilometers east of the capital, Lima. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications in a statement said the cause is under investigation. The train and bus, both privately operated, had all the required permits, it added.  The ministry said all the injured were taken to a nearby hospital. The agency did not immediately release the names of the deceased.  The bus set out from Lima and was headed to Huancayo. Images released by police show the overturned bus on the Central Highway.

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Vilnius, Lithuania — Lithuania's Gitanas Nauseda announced his reelection in a presidential ballot on Sunday, following a campaign dominated by security concerns in the European Union and NATO member next door to Russia. The Baltic nation of 2.8 million people has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion. Like other countries in the region, it worries it could be Moscow's next target. Ballots from nearly 90% of polling stations showed Nauseda, 60, winning roughly three quarters of the vote, followed by Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, 49, from the ruling center-right Homeland Union party. If confirmed by final results, Nauseda's backing in his bid for a second term will be highest in the country since it split from the Soviet Union in 1991. A former senior economist with Swedish banking group SEB who is not affiliated with any party, Nauseda won the first round of the election on May 12 with 44% of the votes, short of the 50% he needed for an outright victory. Just over half of Lithuanians believe a Russian attack is possible or even very likely, according to a ELTA/Baltijos Tyrimai poll conducted between February and March. Russia has regularly dismissed concerns that it might attack a NATO member. Nauseda told jubilant supporters in the capital Vilnius that he will continue working on the country's defense capabilities. "Lithuanian independence and freedom is like a fragile vessel which we need to cherish and keep from cracking," he said. Both Nauseda and Simonyte support increasing defense spending to at least 3% of Lithuania's gross domestic product, from the 2.75% planned for this year. But Nauseda, who is a social conservative, has clashed with Simonyte on other issues, including whether to give a legal recognition to same-sex civil partnerships, which Nauseda opposes. He has said it would make such unions too similar to marriage, which Lithuania's constitution only allows between a man and a woman. Simonyte, a former finance minister and a fiscal hawk, said on Thursday that if she won, "the direction for the country - pro-European, pro-Western - would not change." "But I would like quicker progress, more openness and understanding, larger tolerance to people who are different from us," she said. Lithuania's president has a semi-executive role, which includes heading the armed forces, chairing the supreme defense and national security policy body and representing the country at EU and NATO summits. The president sets foreign and security policy in tandem with the government, can veto laws and has a say in the appointment of key officials such as judges, the chief prosecutor, the chief of defense and the head of the central bank.