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The Hague, Netherlands — The top United Nations court on Friday will rule on a plea by South Africa to order a halt to the Israeli military offensive in Gaza, with Pretoria accusing Israel of "genocide." Pretoria has urged the International Court of Justice to order an "immediate" stop to Israel's campaign, including in the southern area of Rafah, and facilitate access of humanitarian aid. Israel wants the court to toss out the request, arguing an enforced cease-fire would allow Hamas fighters to regroup and make it impossible to recover hostages taken in their October 7 assault. In a highly charged ruling in January, the court ordered Israel to do everything in its power to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza but stopped short of ordering a cease-fire. South Africa argues that the recent Israeli operation in Rafah changed the situation on the ground and should compel the court to issue fresh emergency orders. The ICJ rules in disputes between countries. Its orders are legally binding but it has no means to enforce them directly. The court has, for example, ordered Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine to no avail. Judges could agree to South Africa's request, reject it out of hand or even issue a completely separate set of orders. The ICJ's ruling comes hot on the heels of a landmark request by the International Criminal Court's lead prosecutor to seek arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders. Prosecutor Karim Khan alleges that senior Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, plus top Hamas officials, are guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the October 7 attack and the war in Gaza. 'Limited and localized' In public hearings at the ICJ last week, South Africa's ambassador Vusimuzi Madonsela alleged that "Israel's genocide has continued apace and has just reached a new and horrific stage." "Although the present application was triggered by the unfolding situation in Rafah, Israel's genocidal onslaught across Gaza has intensified over the past few days, also warranting the attention of this Court," he said. South Africa charges the only way to enable humanitarian aid in to ease the crisis in Gaza is a full halt to Israel's military operations. It wants the court to issue emergency orders -- "provisional measures" in court jargon -- while it weighs the broader South African case that Israel is breaching the 1948 U.N. Genocide Convention. Israel counters that South Africa's case is an "obscene exploitation of the most sacred convention" and the picture Pretoria paints to the court is "completely divorced from the facts and circumstances." "It makes a mockery of the heinous charge of genocide," said top Israel lawyer Gilam Noam at hearings. "Calling something a genocide, again and again, does not make it genocide. Repeating a lie does not make it true," he added. Noam described Rafah as a "focal point for ongoing terrorist activity" and said that operations there were "limited and localized," with no harm meant to civilians. Bloodiest-ever Gaza war Israel pressed ahead with the assault on Rafah, the last city in Gaza to be entered by its ground troops, in defiance of global opposition, including from top ally the United States. Washington voiced concerns that about 1.4 million Palestinians trapped in the city would be caught in the line of fire. Israel has since ordered mass evacuations from the city, and the U.N. says more than 800,000 people have fled. The bloodiest ever Gaza war broke out after Hamas's unprecedented attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 124 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,800 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. Israel has also imposed a siege that has deprived Gaza's 2.4 million people of most clean water, food, medicines and fuel.

Noumea, New Caledonia — The international airport in the New Caledonian capital, Noumea, will remain closed to commercial flights until at least 9 a.m. Tuesday (2200 GMT Monday), Charles Roger, director of the body that operates the facility, told AFP. That would extend the shutdown to nearly two weeks in total, after flights were halted on May 15 in the face of deadly rioting that broke out in the French Pacific territory. The news on Friday came as French President Emmanuel Macron warned the archipelago must not become "the Wild West" during a television interview with local media. France has dispatched about 3,000 security personnel to the territory in a bid to restore order after more than a week of rioting that has left at least six people dead. Macron justified the measure as necessary for a "return to calm," because "it's not the Wild West." "The republic must regain authority on all points. In France, not everyone defends themselves," he added, reference to local groups who have organized the defense of their neighborhoods amid the unrest. "There is a republican order, it is the security forces who ensure it," he added. Since Tuesday, New Zealand and Australia have been carrying out special evacuation flights to bring home hundreds of tourists stranded by the unrest, which was sparked by opposition to controversial electoral reforms. The Australian evacuation flights were set to continue Friday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on social media platform X Thursday evening. Military aircraft from both countries were expected to pass through Noumea on Friday, according to flight tracker site Flightradar24. Since May 13, hundreds have been injured amid looting, arson and clashes triggered by the French voting reform plan. New Caledonia has been ruled from Paris since the 1800s, but many Indigenous Kanaks still resent France's power over their islands and want fuller autonomy or independence. France had planned to give voting rights to thousands of non-Indigenous long-term residents, something Kanaks say would dilute the influence of their votes. Separatists have thrown up barricades that have cut off whole neighborhoods, as well as the main route to the international airport. Macron on Thursday conceded more talks were needed on the voting changes, and pledged they would "not be forced through in the current context." "We will allow some weeks to allow a calming of tensions and resumption of dialogue to find a broad accord" among all parties, he added, saying he would review the situation again within a month. Caledonians would be asked to vote on their future if leaders can reach an over-arching agreement, Macron said. The French parliament's lower house had approved the voting reform, but final ratification was still needed.

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NAIROBI, Kenya — The impact of the calamitous rains that struck East Africa from March to May was intensified by a mix of climate change and rapid growth of urban areas, an international team of climate scientists said in a study published Friday. The findings come from World Weather Attribution, a group of scientists that analyzes whether and to what extent human-induced climate change has altered the likelihood and magnitude of extreme weather events. The downpours caused floods that killed hundreds of people, displaced thousands of others, killed thousands of livestock and destroyed thousands of acres of crops. To assess how human-caused climate may have affected the floods, the researchers analyzed weather data and climate model simulations to compare how these types of events have changed between today's climate and the cooler pre-industrial one. They focused on regions where the impacts were most severe, including southern Kenya, most of Tanzania and a part of Burundi. It found that climate change had made the devastating rains twice as likely and 5% more intense. The study also found that with further warming, the frequency and intensity of the rains would continue to increase. "We're likely to see this kind of intensive rainfall happening this season going into the future," said Joyce Kimutai, research associate at Imperial College London and the lead author of the study. The study also found that the rapid urbanization of East African cities is increasing the risk of flooding. Highly populated urban areas, especially high-density informal settlements, were significantly impacted by the downpours. Torrential rain flooded houses and roads, in some places exposing weaknesses in urban planning to meet the demands of fast-growing populations. March to May is "long rains" season in East Africa. It's when most of the region's average annual rainfall occurs, and is typically characterized by torrential rains. East Africa also suffered flooding during the "short rains" of October to December 2023 and before that, it endured a three-year drought. WWA scientists found that both events were worsened by climate change. Philip Omondi, climate change specialist at the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre in Nairobi and wasn't involved in the study, said human-caused impacts result in intense and high-frequency extreme floods and droughts. Shaun Ferris, senior technical advisor for agriculture and climate change at Catholic Relief Services in Nairobi, said more intense weather put a new level of pressure on old and unplanned buildings and basic infrastructure and there's a need to put up infrastructure that will be more able to cope with climate change. "There is huge pressure on basic services," he said giving the example of Nairobi, whose population has doubled over the past 20 years. Ferris said that the global community needs to start using the loss and damage fund for climate disasters so they can repair and upgrade their basic infrastructure.

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, California — High in the evergreen canopy of General Sherman, the world's largest tree, researchers searched for evidence of an emerging threat to giant sequoias: bark beetles. The climbers descended the towering 2,200-year-old tree with good news on Tuesday. "The General Sherman tree is doing fine right now," said Anthony Ambrose, executive director of the Ancient Forest Society, who led the expedition. "It seems to be a very healthy tree that's able to fend off any beetle attack." It was the first time climbers had scaled the iconic 85-meter sequoia tree, which draws tourists from around the world to Sequoia National Park. Giant sequoias, the Earth's largest living things, have survived for thousands of years in California's western Sierra Nevada range, the only place where the species is native. But as the climate grows hotter and drier, giant sequoias previously thought to be almost indestructible are increasingly threatened by extreme heat, drought and wildfires. In 2020 and 2021, record-setting wildfires killed as much as 20% of the world's 75,000 mature sequoias, according to park officials. "The most significant threat to giant sequoias is climate-driven wildfires," said Ben Blom, director of stewardship and restoration at Save the Redwoods League. "But we certainly don't want to be caught by surprise by a new threat, which is why we're studying these beetles now." But researchers are growing more worried about bark beetles, which didn't pose a serious threat in the past. The beetles are native to California and have co-existed with sequoias for thousands of years. But only recently have they been able to kill the trees. Scientists say they recently discovered about 40 sequoia trees that have died from beetle infestations, mostly within the national parks. "We're documenting some trees that are actually dying from kind of a combination of drought and fire that have weakened them to a point where they're not able to defend themselves from the beetle attack," Ambrose said. The beetles attack the trees from the canopy, boring into branches and working their way down the trunk. If left unchecked, the tiny beetles can kill a tree within six months. That's why park officials allowed Ambrose and his colleagues to climb General Sherman. They conducted the tree health inspection as journalists and visitors watched them pull themselves up ropes dangling from the canopy. They examined the branches and trunk, looking for the tiny holes that indicate beetle activity. But it's not possible to climb every sequoia tree to directly inspect the canopy in person. That's why they're also testing whether drones equipped with sensors and aided by satellite imagery can be used to monitor and detect beetle infestations on a larger scale within the forests. Tuesday's health inspection of General Sherman was organized by the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition, a group of government agencies, Native tribes and environmental groups. They hope to establish a health monitoring program for the towering trees. If they discover beetle infestations, officials say, they could try to combat the attacks by spraying water, removing branches or using chemical treatments. Bark beetles have ravaged pine and fir forests throughout the Western United States in recent years, but they previously didn't pose a threat to giant sequoias, which can live 3,000 years. "They have really withstood insect attacks for a lot of years. So why now? Why are we seeing this change?" said Clay Jordan, superintendent for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. "There's a lot that we need to learn in order to ensure good stewardship of these trees for a long time."

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Russia pounded Kharkiv with missiles on Thursday, killing seven people inside a printing house, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy chided Ukraine's Western allies for not providing enough military support to rebuff Russian attacks. Sweden, NATO's newest member, this week announced a three-year plan to provide additional support for Ukraine totaling more than $7 billion. China launched "punishment" drills around Taiwan on Thursday in what it said was a response to "separatist acts," sending up heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has projected an exceptionally active Atlantic hurricane season this year. And 'I still remember it like it was yesterday' - D-Day survivor on 80th anniversary

US President Joe Biden lavished Kenyan President William Ruto with more than just pomp and polish on his first state visit: On Thursday, Biden announced he would make the East African nation a major non-NATO ally – the first sub-Saharan nation to receive that status. The move signals the shifting of US security cooperation to East Africa right as US troops prepare to depart Niger. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House.

Private land in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is being auctioned off by its owner, with strong interest from Chinese buyers, according to a lawyer responsible for the auction. Such a sale would likely cause geopolitical headaches for Norway and NATO because of Svalbard’s strategic location in the Arctic Ocean. Henry Wilkins has more. Camera: Henry Wilkins

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.

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — Heavy rains once again pounded parts of Brazil's southernmost state on Thursday, ruining days-long cleanup efforts and flooding areas that had previously been untouched in Rio Grande do Sul's capital city of Porto Alegre. Record flooding over the past month has killed 163 people and displaced 600,000 more. Another 64 people are still missing. Rains had lightened to a drizzle over the past few days, with stores beginning to open and residents working to rebuild. But the skies opened on Thursday morning, dumping heavy rains and flooding areas of Porto Alegre all over again. One day care in the neighborhood of Menino Deus, which reopened Wednesday after a weeklong cleanup, was forced to evacuate as the rain rushed in. "It all happened very quickly, [the flooding happened] much faster than last time," said the director of the child care center, who did not give her name. In a span of 12 hours, parts of Porto Alegre received more rain than they typically do in a month, according to data from the national meteorological institute. The flooding Thursday also hit areas of Porto Alegre, including the south, which had previously gone unscathed. Gimena Samuel had to call for her elderly parents to be rescued in the neighborhood of Cavalhada, where streets were flooded and cars unable to get through. "There are a lot of elderly people here who can't get out by themselves," she said. Earlier this week, the city of Porto Alegre had asked residents to leave their trash out on the sidewalk to be thrown away. However, the fresh rain carried the trash out onto the street, clogging drains and worsening the flooding. Porto Alegre Mayor Sebastiao Melo told reporters the city was not surprised by the downpour, but that it was "excessively heavy." Residents, however, complained about the lack of warning.

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.

washington — Three U.S. servicemembers suffered noncombat injuries in the effort to make a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza into a conduit for humanitarian aid, with one in critical condition at an Israeli hospital, U.S. officials said Thursday.  The injuries were the first for U.S. forces during the latest operation to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians.  The pier was announced by U.S. President Joe Biden in March, and the military assembled the floating structure off the coast. Estimated to cost $320 million for the first 90 days and involve about 1,000 U.S. servicemembers, it went into operation last week.   U.S. Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that two servicemembers suffered "very minor, routine injuries" - a sprained ankle and a back injury. "Those individuals returned to duty." A third servicemember, injured on a ship at sea, was medically evacuated to a hospital in Israel, he said. A U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the individual was in critical condition.   U.S. lawmakers have voiced concern about the risks of positioning U.S. troops off the coast of Gaza. Biden has said they will not enter the war-torn city.   The Pentagon has said it will prioritize the safety of U.S. military personnel.  "We're clear-eyed, and we continue to look at force protection all day, every day. And as it stands now, we assess the operations can continue," Cooper said.   Social media images showed a U.S. air defense system, known as the Counter Rockets, Artillery and Mortars (CRAM), firing into the sky while on the pier. U.S. officials said troops were testing the system.   Daniel Dieckhaus of the U.S. Agency for International Development said that since the pier opened last week, about 506 metric tons of aid had been handed off to humanitarian groups inside Gaza. About a third of that has not yet been distributed but will be soon, he said.

The U.S. assertion this week that Russia has launched a satellite capable of inspecting and destroying other satellites prompted a denial from the Kremlin and concern from U.S. lawmakers. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports. Camera: Saqib Ul Islam.