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copenhagen, denmark — Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, who steered the Scandinavian country along a sometimes bumpy road to NATO membership and stood tall on supporting Ukraine, stunned the political establishment Wednesday by saying he was leaving the Swedish government next week. "It has not been an easy decision but something that I have thought about and processed for some time," Billström wrote on X. Billström became foreign minister in October 2022, when Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson formed a coalition government with his own conservative Moderate Party, the smaller Christian Democrats and the Liberals. In May 2022, Sweden and neighboring Finland sought NATO membership, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality and centuries of broader non-alignment with major powers as security concerns in Europe spiked following Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. After 18 months of delays, Sweden's membership bid cleared the final hurdle in February Hungary gave its consent. Turkey also objected to Sweden joining the alliance, but on January 23, Turkish legislators voted in favor. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan put forth a series of conditions including a tougher stance from Stockholm toward groups that Turkey regards as threats to its security, such as Kurdish militants and members of a network it blames for a failed coup in 2016. Sweden became the 32nd member of the military alliance in Marc. Billström, 50, said on X that he had taken Sweden through "a sometimes challenging NATO process." On Facebook, Kristersson said that Billström had discharged his duties with "flying colors." Billström said on X that he would "leave politics completely. This means that I am also leaving my seat in the Riksdag," the Swedish parliament. The 349-member assembly will convene next week after the summer recess. Billström has not announced what he'll do next and his replacement has not yet been named.

New Delhi — An Indian state that was rocked by the gruesome rape and murder of a trainee doctor last month is set to introduce tougher penalties for rape that include life imprisonment and death sentences.   But activists question whether stringent laws alone can help stem cases of sexual assault against women, whose numbers have remained high, although India has ramped up punishments for rape over the last decade.   The Aparjita Woman and Child Bill, unanimously passed by the West Bengal state assembly on Tuesday, raises prison terms for people convicted of rape — from 10 years that the federal law presently stipulates to either life imprisonment or execution. It also includes measures to accelerate rape investigations.   The bill still must be approved by the president before becoming law. It was passed amid outrage over the violent assault of a 31-year-old doctor at a hospital in the city last month. Three weeks on, enraged doctors in the state capital, Kolkata, continue to hold protests demanding safety for medics and justice for the victim. A police volunteer working at the hospital has been arrested and charged with the crime.   The West Bengal government said the bill aims to enhance protection for women and children and create a safer environment for them.   But stiffer punishment will do little to deter offenders in a country with a slow-moving justice system, according to lawyers and women rights activists.   “There is little fear of the law. That is because trials seldom result in convictions — the conviction rate in rape cases is only about 28%,” pointed out Abha Singh, a lawyer and social activist.   She said police investigations often face hurdles. “We have too few forensic laboratories, and the police are sometimes short staffed. Then, witness protection is not effective, so witnesses often turn hostile. So, we first need to first fix the justice system if we want women and girls to be safe.”    Women’s rights activists point out that the federal government brought in sweeping changes to criminal laws in 2013 following the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in New Delhi. Five years later, the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl led to even stiffer punishments — the government enhanced minimum prison terms from 10 to 20 years for the rape of a girl younger than 16 and from seven to 10 years for older women.  But statistics show those changes had little impact on cases of sexual violence against women. About 25,000 cases were recorded in 2012. Ten years later, in 2022, that number stood at more than 31,000, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau.    In a country where executions are rare, some also oppose the bill’s provision for giving a death sentence for rape in cases where the victim dies or enters a vegetative state. India has capital punishment for only the most serious cases, or what are called the “rarest of rare cases,” such as gruesome murders and terror attacks.   The Supreme Court imposed the death penalty on four men convicted of the 2012 rape of the 23-year-old woman after calling it the “most brutal, barbaric and diabolical” crime.   “I think stiffer punishments, particularly the death penalty, is not the way to go. Such laws come in response to the public outcry when there is a particularly horrific case,” according to Mary John, a former director at the Centre for Women’s Development Studies in New Delhi. “The death penalty is not a demand that has come from women’s groups.”   Women’s rights activists also say that rather than harsher punishments, the major challenge is to change attitudes and patriarchal mindsets that are blamed for the continuing tide of sexual violence against women.   “The need of the hour is to empower women and create safer workplaces for them. This rape in Kolkata, for example, happened inside the hospital premises,” according to Ranjana Kumari, director for Center for Social Research in New Delhi. “And what is failing women is not the existing laws but their implementation.”   In the wake of the rape of the trainee doctor, India’s Supreme Court has set up a national task force of doctors who will make recommendations on the safety of health care workers at their workplace.

Washington — U.S. police and ambulances rushed to a high school in Georgia on Wednesday after reports of an active shooter and possible injuries, with students evacuated from the scene.  The Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, sent a message to parents saying it was "currently in a hard lockdown after reports of gunfire," according to U.S. media.  "Law enforcement is here. Please do not attempt to come to the school at this time while officers work to secure the area," it added.  The local sheriff's office reported an "active shooter situation," according to USA Today.  CNN, citing the local sheriff's office, reported that there had been casualties, and that a suspect had been taken into custody.  At least one air ambulance took a patient from the scene.  The school is located in the town of Winder, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta, the state capital.  Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said on X that state agencies were responding to the incident.  Local television footage showed ambulances driving across a school field, and scores of vehicles parked around the school.  A crowd of people was visible on the football field. 

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.

rome — Workers mounted a crane Wednesday to secure Rome’s Constantine Arch near the Colosseum after a lightning strike loosened fragments from the ancient structure. A violent thunder and lightning storm that felled trees and flooded streets in the Italian capital damaged the honorary arch late Tuesday afternoon. Fragments of white marble were gathered and secured by workers for the Colosseum Archeological Park as soon as the storm cleared, officials said. The extent of the damage was being evaluated. “The recovery work by technicians was timely. Our workers arrived immediately after the lightning strike. All of the fragments were recovered and secured,’’ the park said in a statement. Tourists visiting the site Wednesday found some stray fragments that they turned over to park workers out of concern they might have fallen from the arch. “It is kind of surreal that we found pieces,″ said Jana Renfro, a tourist from the U.S. state of Indiana, who said found the fragments about 3 meters (12 feet) from the base of the monument. The group’s tour guide, Serena Giuliani, praised them for turning over the found pieces, saying it showed "great sensitivity for Roman antiquities.” The honorary arch, more than 20 meters (nearly 70 feet) in height, was erected in A.D. 315 to celebrate the victory of Emperor Constantine over Maxentius following the battle at Milvian Bridge.

BARCELONA, Spain — A British woman has been found dead while emergency services search for a man of the same nationality after both were apparently swept away in a flash flood while hiking on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, Spanish police said Wednesday.  Spain's Civil Guard said that both people were taking a trail that leads through a small canyon to the sea when the storm hit on Tuesday.  The police initially issued the erroneous information that they had found the corpse of the man and were searching for the woman. They later corrected themselves and said it was the woman who had been found dead on Wednesday.  Firefighters collaborated with police in the search.  More inclement weather was forecast for the island and parts of Spain's mainland. The Balearic Islands and a large swath of Spain's eastern coast was under alert for strong winds and heavy rains.  More thunderstorms over Barcelona forced the organizers of the America's Cup sailing event to postpone racing. That decision came after lightning struck near a yacht on Tuesday, forcing a race to be abandoned. 

Beijing continues to stonewall efforts to address its well-documented abuse of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

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 — The U.S. trade deficit widened to the highest level in more than two years in July as businesses likely front-loaded imports in anticipation of higher tariffs on goods, suggesting trade could remain a drag on economic growth in the third quarter. While the surge in imports reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday would subtract from gross domestic product, it was an indication of strong domestic demand and inconsistent with financial market fears of a recession. "The July trade data suggest that net trade will weigh on third-quarter GDP growth, but that is hardly cause for concern when it reflects the continued strength of imports, painting a better picture of domestic demand than renewed recession fears would suggest," said Thomas Ryan, North America economist at Capital Economics. The trade gap increased 7.9% to $78.8 billion, the widest since May 2022, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said. The government revised the trade data from January through June 2024 to incorporate more comprehensive and updated quarterly and monthly figures. Imports increased 2.1% to $345.4 billion. Goods imports rose 2.3% to $278.2 billion, the highest since June 2022. They were boosted by an increase in capital goods, which increased $3.3 billion to a record high, mostly reflecting computer accessories. Imports of industrial supplies and materials, which include petroleum, increased $2.8 billion. There were also rises in imports of nonmonetary gold-finished metal shapes. President Joe Biden's administration has announced plans to impose steeper tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, batteries, solar products and other goods. The government said last week a final determination will be made public in the "coming days." There are also fears of even higher tariffs on Chinese imports should former President Donald Trump return to the White House after the November 5 election. The politically sensitive goods trade deficit with China increased $4.9 billion to $27.2 billion. Exports to China fell $1.0 billion while imports advanced $3.9 billion. "Imports of goods from China increased, which shows how difficult it will be to direct U.S. manufacturers away from their dependence on lower-cost goods originating from China if that is what Congress and political candidates wish to do," said Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at FWDBONDS. Exports gained 0.5% to $266.6 billion. Goods exports climbed 0.4% to $175.1 billion. Exports of motor vehicles, parts and engines decreased $1.7 billion to the lowest since June 2022. Consumer goods exports fell $800 million. Exports of capital goods surged $1.8 billion to a record $56.1 billion, boosted by semiconductors. The goods trade deficit increased 6.9% to $97.6 billion after adjusting for inflation.

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.

Seoul — South Korea says it has detected suspected trash-carrying balloons launched by North Korea, in the latest round of a Cold War-style psychological warfare between the war-divided rivals.  The metropolitan government of Seoul, South Korea's capital, issued text alerts Wednesday saying that objects likely to be North Korean balloons were spotted in regions north of the city. It advised people to stay indoors and beware of objects dropping from the sky. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the direction of winds suggested that the balloons could drift into the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, near Seoul. It advised people to report to the police or military if they see fallen balloons and not to touch them.  There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.  North Korea in recent weeks has flown thousands of balloons toward the South to drop waste paper, cloth scraps and cigarette butts, in what it described as a retaliation against South Korean civilian activists flying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border. North Korea is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its authoritarian leadership and the third-generation ruler Kim Jong Un.  Trash carried by at least one North Korean balloon fell on the South Korean presidential compound in July, raising concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean facilities. Officials said the balloon contained no dangerous material and no one was hurt.  South Korea, in response to the North Korean balloons, has activated its front-line loudspeakers to blast broadcasts of propaganda messages and K-pop songs.  The tit-for-tat Cold War-style campaigns are adding to the tensions fueled by North Korea's growing nuclear ambitions and the South's expansion of joint military exercises with the United States. 

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.

JAKARTA — Pope Francis urged Indonesia to live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity” and fight religious intolerance on Wednesday, as he set a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health. Despite the grueling itinerary, an energetic Francis joked and laughed his way through a packed first full day in Indonesia, meeting with outgoing President Joko Widodo and other Indonesian officials at the presidential palace and then greeting Catholic priests, nuns and seminarians at Jakarta’s main cathedral in the afternoon. Cannons boomed as Francis joined Widodo on the veranda of the palace along with President-elect Prabowo Subianto. A marching band, stiff-legged troops and children in traditional Indonesian dress welcomed the first pope to visit in 35 years. In his remarks to officials, Francis compared Indonesia's human diversity to the archipelago’s 17,000 islands. He said each one contributes something specific to form “a magnificent mosaic, in which each tile is an irreplaceable element in creating a great original and precious work.” And yet, Francis warned that such diversity in a country with the world's largest Muslim population can also become a source of conflict — an apparent reference to episodes of intolerance that have flared in recent years in Indonesia as well as a broader concern about conflicts raging around the world. “This wise and delicate balance, between the multiplicity of cultures and different ideological visions, and the ideals that cement unity, must be continuously defended against imbalances,” Francis said. Political leaders, he said, had a particular role to play but he also assured Widodo of the Catholic Church’s commitment to increasing interreligious dialogue. “This is indispensable for meeting common challenges, including that of countering extremism and intolerance, which through the distortion of religion attempt to impose their views by using deception and violence,” he said. Regionally, the internal conflict in Myanmar has forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, where thousands have fled overcrowded, violent camps to countries including Indonesia. Farther afield, Indonesia has regularly condemned Israel’s war with the militant Hamas group in Gaza and Widodo thanked Francis for the Vatican's support for Palestinian civilians. “War will not benefit anyone, war will only bring suffering and misery to the common people,” Widodo said. “Therefore let us celebrate the differences that we have. Let us accept each other and strengthen tolerance to realize peace, to realize a better world for all humanity." Francis arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday to kick off the longest, farthest and most difficult trip of his pontificate, given his myriad health problems. At 87, he uses a wheelchair, has regular bouts of bronchitis and has had multiple surgeries for intestinal problems. By the trip’s end on Sept. 13, Francis will have flown 32,814 kilometers (20,390 miles) and visited Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore — one of the longest papal trips ever in terms of days on the road and distances traveled. Francis appeared in good form Wednesday, showing his trademark sense of humor even as he had to stand for long periods and had multiple transfers from his wheelchair to chairs and the car. His dry wit never let up: To Widodo and Indonesian dignitaries, he praised Indonesia’s relatively high birthrate while lamenting that in the West, “some prefer a cat or a little dog.” To a private meeting with his fellow Jesuits he quipped at the end that “The police have come to take me away.” To priests and nuns he warned against greed, saying “the devil enters through your pockets.” That said, Francis' prepared remarks were shorter than usual in a possible bid to spare him the strain of speaking for long periods. In the afternoon, Francis met with Indonesian clergy and nuns in Jakarta’s Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral for his traditional pep talk to the local church. Catholics make up just 3% of Indonesia's population of 275 million, but the country is home to the world’s largest Catholic seminary and has long been a top source of priests and nuns for the Catholic Church. Addressing the priests, nuns and lay church leaders, Francis continued the theme of encouraging greater fraternity among people of different faiths and cultures. “This is important, because proclaiming the Gospel does not mean imposing our faith or placing it in opposition to that of others, but giving and sharing the joy of encountering Christ always with great respect and fraternal affection for everyone,” he said. Sister Rina Rosalina was chosen to address the pope, and offered some constructive criticism of the inordinate amount of time it takes for the Vatican to approve Indonesian-language translations of his official texts. "Holy Father, we are always trying to learn from you. Unfortunately, due to distance and language barriers, sometimes we have difficulties studying the documents issued from Rome," she said, drawing knowing nods from the pope. Outside the cathedral, several hundred well-wishers gathered to greet the pope, including at least one boy dressed as a tiny pope. They waved Indonesian and Holy See flags and children played traditional bamboo instruments. The location of the cathedral is symbolically important for Indonesia's push for interfaith and intercultural harmony — it is located across from the country's main Istiqlal mosque and connected to it by an underground “Tunnel of Friendship," which Francis is to visit on Thursday with the mosque's grand imam. While Francis wants to highlight Indonesia’s tradition of religious tolerance, the country’s image as a moderate Muslim nation has been undermined by flare-ups of intolerance. In 2021, a militant Islamic couple blew themselves up outside a packed Catholic cathedral on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island during a Palm Sunday Mass, injuring at least 20 people. Amnesty International said it hoped Francis' visit would encourage an end to acts of intolerance and discrimination against minority groups and truly promote a respect for religious freedom that is enshrined in the country's constitution. In a statement, Amnesty noted that from January 2021 to July 2024, there were at least 123 cases of intolerance, including rejection, closure or destruction of places of worship and physical attacks. “The pope’s visit has an important role to play in encouraging Indonesia to end intolerance and discrimination against all minority groups,” said Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia.

Yangon, Myanmar — Myanmar's embattled junta chief has warned civilians in territory recently captured by ethnic minority armed groups to prepare for military counterattacks, state media reported on Wednesday. The military has lost swaths of territory near the border with China in northern Shan state to an alliance of armed ethnic minority groups and "People's Defence Forces" battling to overturn the junta’s 2021 coup. The groups have seized a regional military command and taken control of lucrative border trade crossings, prompting rare public criticism by military supporters of the junta's top leadership. Junta troops "will... launch counterattacks," junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said on Tuesday in the Shan state capital Taunggyi, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar. He accused the alliance of using "administrative buildings and innocent civilians as human shields," according to the newspaper. "Therefore, the people residing in towns and villages where the terrorists unlawfully occupied should be aware of security so as not to face exploitation." The junta is battling widespread armed opposition and its soldiers are accused of bloody rampages and using air and artillery strikes to punish civilian communities. It announced this week that the three main ethnic minority armed groups battling the military in Shan state had been officially declared "terrorist" organizations. The declaration will not affect the fighting against the Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA); however, those found supporting or contacting them can now face legal action. The alliance and PDF groups have battled closer to the second city of Mandalay, home to around 1.5 million people and the military's central command. Opponents of the military launched a rocket attack on Mandalay on Tuesday, damaging buildings and wounding one person, local media reported, in a rare attack on an urban area. An opinion piece in Wednesday's Global New Light of Myanmar criticized the military's recent losses in Shan state. "Who would have thought that Lashio would fall," it said, referring to a Shan town of 150,000 people that was captured last month. "Who would then give the definite assurance that nothing will happen to whatever you own in Mandalay?" "Once the artillery shells started to rain down upon the city, it would be too late to move out of the city in an orderly manner," it said.