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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is steadfast that Israel will make its own decisions about how to defend itself after a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones launched from Tehran last Saturday. Western countries meanwhile are pleading for a restrained response from Isarel. Jordan’s King Abdullah says his country will not be a battleground for any party in the confrontation between Israel and Iran and the protection of its citizens and sovereignty are paramount. Michael Cohen, who once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump, is now poised to serve as a star prosecution witness in the former U.S. president's criminal trial on charges of covering up hush money paid to an adult film star.

London/Cairo — From her home in Cairo, Etemad Abu Tahoun watches with terror as -- hour by hour -- the television news relays the devastation wrought on Gaza. Her only son, 23-year-old Momen, is trapped in the Palestinian territory. A brief, broken video call confirms he is still alive – before the signal cuts off. She is trying to crowdfund enough money to pay for her son’s escape. "I will help him to escape from the killing," she said. "And his presence will be my support as I navigate the challenges that lie ahead." But escaping Gaza isn’t easy. Egypt has closed the Rafah crossing to most Palestinians, fearing an exodus of refugees. Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October, Egypt has permitted just a single travel agency, called Hala, to operate cross-border journeys from Gaza into Egypt – what it terms a "coordination." The firm is based in the office of its parent company, Organi, in Cairo. Its fees have reportedly risen 14-fold from the pre-war price, to $5,000 per adult and half that for children. That’s far beyond the means of most Palestinians – especially those who have lost their homes and livelihoods in the war. Mohammed Ra’ed, a Palestinian medical student based in Cairo, is crowdfunding to pay for six displaced family members to escape a refugee camp in Gaza. "If I want to continue my studies here and succeed in my life, I want to see it [that satisfaction] in the faces and eyes of my family. If they're not here with me, all my efforts, all the things I do, it's all in vain," he said. Hala did not respond to VOA requests for comment. The agency now accounts for 40% of all crossings from Gaza into Egypt, according to the Cairo-based Arab Organization for Human Rights. Organization director Alaa Shalaby said accusations of profiteering are an attempt to divert attention from Israel’s actions – and praises Egypt’s effort to send aid into Gaza. "We commend the admirable efforts of this community and country, grappling with their own economic difficulties, for providing significant support," Shalaby said. Despite protests in Cairo calling for a change of policy, the Egyptian government says it has no plans to open the Rafah crossing with Gaza. Hamada Elrasam contributed to 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.

washington — U.S. intelligence and security agencies are trying to prepare election officials for a wave of new attacks aiming to destroy voter confidence in November's presidential election, just as a series of reports warn some familiar adversaries are starting to ramp up their efforts. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the FBI, issued a new warning on Wednesday that "the usual suspects" — Russia, China and Iran — are looking for ways to stoke tensions and divide American voters. All three countries, the guidance said, are "leveraging influence operations exploiting perceived sociopolitical divisions to undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions." The new guidance warned that the three countries are using fake online accounts and various proxies, including state-sponsored media organizations, to spread disinformation and sow doubt. It also cautioned that Russia, China and Iran are using real people, including social media influencers, "to wittingly or unwittingly promote their narratives." "The elections process is the golden thread of American democracy, which is why our foreign adversaries deliberately target our elections infrastructure with their influence operations," CISA senior adviser Cait Conley said in a statement to reporters. "CISA is committed to doing its part to ensure these [state and local] officials — and the American public — don't have to fight this battle alone." Agency warns of new tactics The latest guidance, posted on CISA's website, warns that in addition to resorting to familiar tactics, Russia, China and Iran are likely to employ new tricks to try to  confuse U.S. voters and erode confidence in the election process. One such technique is voice cloning — using a fake recording of a public official or figure to try to cause confusion. The agencies cited an example from last year's election in the Slovak Republic, when a fake recording of a key party leader purported to show him discussing how to rig the vote. The guidance also warned that Iran could try to employ "hack and leak" cyberattacks in the U.S., using lessons learned from similar operations against Israel in recent months. And it said Russia and China have separately sought to spark alarm among voters by spreading fake documents alleging to show evidence of security incidents impacting physical buildings or computer systems. China denied the allegations. "China has always adhered to noninterference in other countries' internal affairs," Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in an email to VOA. "Speculating or accusing China of using social media to interfere in the U.S. politics is completely groundless and malicious," Liu added. VOA also contacted representatives for the Russian and Iranian governments, who have yet to respond. For now, CISA, ODNI and the FBI are advising U.S. election officials that they can try to mitigate the impact of election meddling attempts by creating trusted portals for information, such as official U.S. government websites, and by proactively debunking false information. But the challenge is likely to grow. Russia already interfering, says Microsoft Tech giant Microsoft warned on Wednesday it is seeing signs that Russia, at least, is already ramping up its election interference efforts. "The usual Russian election influence actors kicked into gear over the last 45 days," according to a report by Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center. The Russian effort so far, the report said, "employs a mix of themes from 2020 with a renewed focus on undermining U.S. support for Ukraine." Microsoft further warned that Russia, China and Iran have "leveraged some form of generative AI [artificial intelligence] to create content since last summer." "We anticipate that election influence campaigns will include fakes — some will be deep, most shallow — and the simplest manipulations, not the most complex employment of AI, will likely be the pieces of content that have the most impact," the report added. At the same time, there is concern about domestic extremists impacting the presidential election. "There is a serious risk of extremist violence," the Council on Foreign Relations wrote in a report issued Wednesday. "While the risk of far-right election-related violence is greater, the possibility of far-left extremist violence cannot be dismissed," it said, pointing to the possibility of attacks on pre-election political events or gatherings, on polling places during Election Day, and against election offices in the days following the election. Such warnings are consistent with those issued by U.S. officials in recent months. "Some DVEs [domestic violent extremists], particularly those motivated by conspiracy theories and anti-government or partisan grievances, may seek to disrupt electoral processes," the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned in a threat assessment issued this past September. "Violence or threats could be directed at government officials, voters, and elections‑related personnel and infrastructure, including polling places, ballot drop box locations, voter registration sites, campaign events, political party offices and vote-counting sites," it said.

LONDON — Patients in the U.K. and European Union are facing shortages of vital medicines such as antibiotics and epilepsy medication, research published Thursday found. The report by Britain's Nuffield Trust think-tank found the situation had become a "new normal" in the U.K. and was "also having a serious impact in EU countries." Mark Dayan, Brexit program lead at the Nuffield Trust think tank, said Britain's decision to leave the European Union had not caused U.K. supply problems but had exacerbated them. "We know many of the problems are global and relate to fragile chains of imports from Asia, squeezed by COVID-19 shutdowns, inflation and global instability," he said. "But exiting the EU has left the U.K. with several additional problems -– products no longer flow as smoothly across the borders with the EU, and in the long term our struggles to approve as many medicines might mean we have fewer alternatives available," he said. Researchers also warned that being outside the EU might mean Britain is unable to benefit from EU measures taken to tackle shortages, such as bringing drug manufacturing back to Europe. It said that this included the EU's Critical Medicines Alliance which it launched in early 2024. Analysis of freedom of information requests and public data on drug shortages showed the number of notifications from drug companies warning of impending shortages in the UK had more than doubled in three years. Some 1,634 alerts were issued in 2023, up from 648 in 2020, according to the report, The Future for Health After Brexit. Paul Rees, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said medicine shortages had become "commonplace," adding that this was "totally unacceptable" in any modern health system. "Supply shortages are a real and present danger to those patients who rely on life-saving medicines for their well-being," he said. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the U.K. was not alone in facing medical supply issues. It said most cases of shortages had been "swiftly managed with minimal disruption to patients." 

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.

TBILISI, GEORGIA — Georgia's parliament gave initial approval on Wednesday to a bill on "foreign agents" that the European Union said risked blocking the country's path to membership and triggered protests for a third straight night. The fate of the bill is widely seen as a test of whether Georgia, 33 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, intends to pursue a path of integration with the West or move closer toward Russia. Critics compare the bill to a law that Russia has used extensively to crack down on dissent. As many as 10,000 opponents of the bill gathered outside the parliament, sitting atop cars and buildings — a day after police used pepper spray to clear protesters away from part of the building. Several thousand protesters moved over to the government building, heavily guarded by police, to demand a meeting with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, the bill's principal backer. Some demonstrators, many wearing helmets and masks, scuffled with police outside the building. Eighty-three of 150 deputies voted in favor, while opposition MPs boycotted the vote. The bill must pass two more readings before becoming law. It would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence. Soon after the vote, the EU said in a statement, "This is a very concerning development, and the final adoption of this legislation would negatively impact Georgia's progress on its EU path. This law is not in line with EU core norms and values." It said the proposed legislation "would limit the capacity of civil society and media organizations to operate freely, could limit freedom of expression and unfairly stigmatize organizations that deliver benefits to the citizens of Georgia." The EU urged Georgia to "refrain from adopting legislation that can compromise Georgia's EU path." The United States and Britain have also urged Georgia not to pass the bill. The prime minister, in comments quoted by the Interpressnews, said Western politicians had not produced a single valid argument against the bill, and their statements would not prompt the government to change its mind. President Salome Zourabichvili, whose role is mostly ceremonial, said she would veto the law if it was passed. But parliament has the power to override her veto. The ruling Georgian Dream Party, which has faced accusations of authoritarianism and excessive closeness to Russia, says the bill is necessary to promote transparency and combat "pseudo-liberal values" imposed by foreigners. Protesters call bill 'Russian' The Interior Ministry said two people were detained at the latest protest. On Tuesday, 11 were detained, and one police officer was injured in altercations. Protesters who denounced the bill as the "Russian law" appeared undaunted. "It is very hard to predict any scenario, because the government is unpredictable, unreliable, untruthful, sarcastic and cynical," said activist Paata Sabelashvili. "People here are just flowing and flowing and flowing like rivers." Parliament passed the law on first reading in a rowdy session during which four opposition lawmakers were removed from the chamber amid shouts of "No to the Russian law" and "Traitors." Russia is viewed with deep suspicion by many in the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people, which in 2008 lost a brief war with Moscow over the Moscow-backed breakaway territory of South Ossetia. Russia defends legislation as 'normal' Russia said on Wednesday it had nothing to do with the law and defended it as a "normal practice." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was being used by outside actors to stoke anti-Russian sentiment. The bill was initially introduced in March 2023. but was shelved after two nights of violent protests and has increased divisions in a deeply polarized Georgia. A coalition of opposition groups, civil society, celebrities and the president have rallied to oppose it.

UNITED NATIONS — The head of the embattled U.N. agency that assists Palestinian refugees said Wednesday that as famine is taking hold across Gaza, the agency is facing an Israeli campaign to push it out of the occupied Palestinian territories and prevent it from carrying out its humanitarian mission. "In Gaza, the government of Israel seeks to end UNRWA's activities," Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told the U.N. Security Council. "The agency's requests to deliver aid to the north are repeatedly denied. Our staff are barred from coordination meetings between Israel and humanitarian actors." He also accused Israel of targeting UNRWA staff and premises, saying that 178 staff have been killed, and that more than 160 UNWRA premises, mostly used as shelters, have been damaged or destroyed, killing more than 400 people since the war started in October.  Lazzarini said Israeli security forces have also detained UNRWA staff, who have described mistreatment and torture in detention. "We demand an independent investigation and accountability for the blatant disregard for the protected status of humanitarian workers, operations and facilities under international law," Lazzarini told the council. "To do otherwise would set a dangerous precedent and compromise humanitarian work around the world." Israeli criticism Israeli officials have criticized UNRWA for years, alleging that Hamas uses its schools for terrorist activities and promotes an anti-Israel curriculum. After the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel, the rhetoric intensified. Lazzarini said Israeli allegations against UNRWA are politically motivated because Israel wants to end the refugee status of millions of Palestinians. "Accusations that UNRWA deliberately perpetrates refugee status are false and dishonest," he said. "The agency exists because a political solution does not." He said dismantling the agency would in the short term deepen the humanitarian crisis and speed the onset of famine, and in the long-term, hurt reconstruction of Gaza. In January, Israel alleged that 12 UNRWA staffers were involved in Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attacks. The staffers were immediately fired, and an internal investigation was launched. But in the aftermath, 16 donors, including top contributor the United States, suspended contributions totaling around $450 million. Since then, several donors have resumed funding, but the U.S. Congress has frozen further contributions until at least March 2025. Lazzarini said the agency currently has funding to cover operations through June. "The time has come to defund UNRWA," Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the council. He accused the Palestinians of having "hijacked" and "weaponized" the agency shortly after its creation in 1949. "UNRWA's goal is not aid or real education," Erdan said. "In practice, UNRWA is creating a sea of Palestinian 'refugees' — millions of them — indoctrinated to believe Israel belongs to them. And the end goal is to use these so-called refugees and their libelous 'right of return' — a right that doesn't exist — to flood Israel and destroy the Jewish state." Since 1948, U.N. resolutions have called on Israel to facilitate the return of Palestinian refugees and provide compensation for their loss of land and property. Jordan requested Wednesday's meeting. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said with 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza facing hunger and famine, UNRWA is needed more than ever. "The suffering is beyond words," Safadi said. "Only one agency has the knowledge, the ability and the infrastructure to help ease it. It is UNRWA, the backbone of humanitarian efforts in Gaza, and Israel wants to break it. Do not allow it to do so." While Washington has suspended its funding, it says UNRWA is still necessary. "We recognize UNRWA's indispensable role in distributing humanitarian assistance and maintaining continuity of care in Gaza, and we urge UNRWA's continued humanitarian access in Gaza and the lifting of onerous restrictions on its work," U.S. envoy Robert Wood said. "The United States is gravely concerned about the dire food insecurity and the very real risk of imminent famine. UNRWA is critical to averting this." He urged UNRWA to implement reforms and strengthen its management and oversight. The General Assembly established the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, in 1949 to assist some 700,000 Palestinian refugees displaced in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War that broke out after Israel became a state in May that year. Today, it operates not just in the Gaza Strip and West Bank but also in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, where there are large Palestinian refugee communities. Nearly 6 million Palestinians are eligible for UNRWA services, which include education and health care.

state department — The United States warned China on Wednesday against helping Russia in its war on Ukraine and said it is "prepared to take further steps as necessary." In Italy, foreign ministers from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations gathered to reaffirm their support for Ukraine's defense. "We believe that the PRC is supporting Russia's war effort and is doing so by helping ramp up its defense production," State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters during a briefing in Washington. "Specifically," he said, "the PRC is providing Russia with significant quantities of machine tools, microelectronics, optics, UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones] and cruise missile technology, and nitrocellulose, which Russia uses to make propellants for weapons." Patel said the United States believes these materials "are filling critical gaps in Russia's defense production cycle" and helping to revitalize Russia's defense industrial base. "China's support is actively enabling Russia's war in Ukraine, and it poses a significant threat to European security," he added. "We've sanctioned relevant firms in the PRC and are prepared to take further steps as necessary." Blinken, G7 leaders talk In Capri, Italy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is holding talks this week with foreign ministers from the other G7 countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom — as well as representatives from the European Union. Topics include Ukraine support, the Middle East crisis, Haitian instability and global partnerships. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday said the G7 ministers would discuss how to get more air defense to Ukraine as Kyiv faces increasing pressure from Russia. "We and our partners around the world must now be just as resolute in our defense against Russian terror from the air," Baerbock said in a statement. Blinken will later visit China, where he is expected to bring up Washington's concerns about China's support for Russia's defense industrial base. On the margins of the G7 meeting Wednesday, Blinken and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani signed a memorandum of understanding to counter the manipulation of information by other countries. Blinken said the two nations are collaborating on "all of the most critical issues," including aiding Ukraine in defending itself against Russian aggression, addressing challenges in the Middle East and sharing approaches to challenges posed by China. Beijing rejected what Chinese officials described as Washington's "smear." "China regulates the export of dual-use articles in accordance with laws and regulations. Relevant countries should not smear or attack the normal relations between China and Russia and should not harm the legitimate rights and interests of China and Chinese companies," Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said during a briefing. China continues supporting Russia After Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Beijing last week, Chinese officials said China would "continue to support Russia in pursuing development and revitalization under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin." They said the two nations "have committed themselves to lasting friendship" and a deepened comprehensive strategic partnership. Russian missile kills at least 17 In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The two discussed the U.S. Commerce Department's work with partners to coordinate export controls and restrict sales of advanced technologies to Russia. Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said G7 finance leaders have been working toward a plan to unlock the value of frozen Russian sovereign assets to aid Ukraine in the near term. But he noted the talks are still a work in progress. In Ukraine, officials said earlier Wednesday that a Russian missile attack hit the northern city of Chernihiv, killing at least 17 people and injuring 61 others. Denise Brown, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, condemned the latest wave of strikes. She also emphasized that under international humanitarian law, civilians and hospitals must be protected. In Chernihiv, aid workers provided on-the-ground support to those affected by the strikes, including psychosocial and legal assistance. Their efforts complement the work of first responders and rescue services. Some information for this report came from Reuters.

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phoenix, arizona — Democrats in the Arizona House of Representatives on Wednesday tried repeatedly to repeal an 1864 ban on abortion but failed to get the Republican support they needed against the Civil War-era measure poised to become state law again.  In four votes, the chamber deadlocked 30-30 on a procedural motion that would have allowed a repeal bill to come to the floor, with one Republican joining the 29 Democrats.  One more Republican vote was needed to enable a vote on repealing a law that was written when Arizona was not yet a state and women lacked the right to vote.  Democratic leaders later told reporters they did not anticipate another vote on Wednesday but would try again in future sessions.   "I will continue to call on the legislature to do its job and repeal this law," Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs said in a statement. "A law from 1864 written by 27 men cannot be allowed to govern the lives of millions of Arizona women."  Before Hobbs could sign any repeal bill, it would need to pass both chambers of the state legislature.   A similar repeal attempt is taking place in the state Senate, where Republicans hold a 16-14 edge. Two Senate Republicans joined the Democrats on Wednesday and voted to advance the bill, but it needs two more such readings before it can reach the Senate floor.  Opposing abortion rights is seen as sacrosanct to many Republican voters, and crossing party lines on such a touchstone issue would be rare in highly partisan times.  But repealing the 1864 law would still leave in place a law passed by Republicans in 2022 that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. And some Republicans have softened their hard-line stance on abortion, mindful of the same polling that has emboldened Democrats.  Confident that public opinion is on their side in supporting abortion rights, Democrats have sought to elevate the issue since the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded the constitutional right to abortion in 2022 and Republican-led states went about setting new severe restrictions.   With or without repealing the 1864 law, Arizona Democrats are also attempting to place a ballot measure before voters in November that would restore abortion rights.  Democrats are hoping the ballot measure energizes their voters in a closely divided state that could swing toward either party, possibly determining the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, and control of both houses of the state legislature.   The old law was revived by a state Supreme Court ruling on April 9, and unless the legislature intervenes it could take effect within 60 days.   It imposes a prison sentence of two to five years for anyone found guilty of inducing an abortion except for a doctor who deems it necessary to save the life of the mother.  Arizona House Democrats sought to repeal the ban a week ago but were thwarted by the narrow Republican majority of 31-29. On Wednesday, Republican Representative Matt Gress joined the Democrats, but one more vote was needed.  Democrat Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, sponsor of the repeal bill, said that Democrats would persist and that she was confident it would eventually receive a vote. 

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 — As U.S. President Joe Biden was hosting Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Monday, a group of demonstrators held a protest outside the White House, demanding the release of a Princeton doctoral candidate kidnapped in Iraq a little over a year ago. Elizabeth Tsurkov was abducted in Baghdad in March 2023 shortly after her arrival in the Iraqi capital. The dual Israeli-Russian citizen had traveled to Iraq to conduct fieldwork for her dissertation. "We have tried every way to reach out to the Iraqi government, but to no avail," said her sister, Emma Tsurkov. Emma Tsurkov and two other siblings flew in from Israel to advocate for their sister's release during the Iraqi prime minister's weeklong visit in the U.S. They participated in the Monday protest as well. "I've reached out to the Iraqi ambassador in the U.S. I have sent emails, and even letters with snail mail, to the Iraqi government, but I have heard nothing from them," Emma Tsurkov told VOA in a phone interview on Wednesday. The Israeli government said in July 2023 that Tsurkov was being held by Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Shia militia that has ties with the Iraqi government and Iran. Israeli citizens are forbidden from traveling to Iraq, but Tsurkov used her Russian passport to enter the country, according to the Israeli government. In November 2023, Kataib Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, released a proof of life video of Tsurkov. Emma Tsurkov said she met an adviser of the Iraqi prime minister who is accompanying him on his U.S. trip. "He told me they had information about Elizabeth's case since the day she was kidnapped and that their task force team assigned to this case was still looking for her whereabouts and those responsible for her abduction," she said. The State Department had confirmed that Biden would raise the case of Tsurkov with al-Sudani. Emma Tsurkov said that she had since learned the case was discussed during the meeting. At a roundtable discussion with a group of journalists in Washington, the Iraqi leader said Tsurkov's kidnapping was "unacceptable and against the law." "The Iraqi government has formed a special team to investigate the fate of this woman and arrest those responsible for her kidnapping," al-Sudani said, noting that he had discussed Tsurkov's case during many of his meetings in Washington. But her sister said that al-Sudani's "absurd" comments were not helpful in bringing Tsurkov home. "With such comments, the Iraqi prime minister is admitting that he is incompetent to control his security forces," she said. "It's been 13 months since Elizabeth has been kidnapped, and they can't find her. We all know who is holding her. Kataib Hezbollah is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, which is part of the Iraqi defense system." Tsurkov said she hoped their public campaigning in Washington would help secure the release of her sister.

washington — An American journalist jailed in Russia will mark six months behind bars on Thursday over charges that press freedom groups have condemned as bogus and politically motivated. Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor at the Tatar-Bashkir Service of VOA’s sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was arrested on October 18, 2023, and has been held in pretrial detention since then. The dual U.S.-Russian national stands accused of failing to register as a “foreign agent” and spreading what Moscow views as false information about the Russian military. Kurmasheva and her employer reject the charges against her, which carry a combined sentence of 15 years in prison. U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy told VOA in an emailed statement that cases of all U.S. citizens detained in Russia have her full attention. “Six months in, we remain deeply concerned by Alsu’s continued detention,” Tracy said. “We have been outspoken in condemning the Kremlin’s continued attempts to silence, intimidate and punish journalists, civil society voices and ordinary Russians who speak out against the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.” International press freedom groups have widely called for Kurmasheva’s immediate release. “The six-month anniversary of Alsu’s detention is important because she shouldn’t have been jailed even for a single day. It’s an absolutely unjust, absurd case with fabricated charges,” said Gulnoza Said, Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ. “Alsu should be freed from jail immediately and be able to travel back to Prague and see her family,” she told VOA from New York. Russia’s embassy in Washington did not reply to VOA’s email requesting comment. Emergency visit Based in Prague, Kurmasheva traveled to Russia in May 2023 for a family emergency. Her passports were confiscated when she tried to leave the country in June, and she was waiting for them to be returned when she was arrested about four months later. Earlier in April, Kurmasheva’s pretrial detention was again extended, this time until June. “It’s not a legal process, it’s a political ploy, and Alsu and her family are unjustifiably paying a terrible price. Russia must end this sham and immediately release Alsu without condition,” RFE/RL President Stephen Capus said in a statement about the latest extension. The Russian government labeled RFE/RL as an “undesirable organization” in February. At her recent court hearing, Kurmasheva told reporters she was “not very well physically” and that she was receiving “minimal” medical care. The living conditions in the prison “are very bad,” she said, adding that a hole in the floor of her cell functions as the toilet. That description has press freedom advocates concerned. “The living conditions are quite bad, and we’re worried about the deterioration of her health,” said Jeanne Cavelier, the Paris-based head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at Reporters Without Borders, or RSF. To date, the Russian government has denied the U.S. Embassy’s requests for consular access to Kurmasheva. “We are deeply concerned about Alsu Kurmasheva’s detention in Russia,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. “The charges against Ms. Kurmasheva are another sign of the weakness of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s regime.” RFE/RL’s parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, or USAGM, has also advocated for Kurmasheva’s immediate release. “Alsu’s time in detention is unlike anything anyone could imagine,” USAGM CEO Amanda Bennett told VOA in an emailed statement. “Russia’s delaying and obfuscating shows this is purely a political stunt to advance the Kremlin’s agenda. She is being treated like a bargaining chip as opposed to a human being.” First to be targeted Kurmasheva is the first person to be targeted by Russia for not self-registering as a foreign agent, according to press freedom experts. Her arrest has had a chilling effect on other journalists in Russia who fear they could be targeted next. “Russian laws, and Russian repressive legislation more specifically, is broad by nature. It’s conceptualized as something intentionally broad and vague,” said Karol Luczka, who leads the International Press Institute’s work on Eastern Europe. He cited Russia’s foreign agent law as an example. “Most anyone these days in Russia can be considered a foreign agent because of any past activity. So, it’s very significant that they weaponize this legislation, because it shows that even when they have no real charges against anyone, they will always be able to find something,” said Luczka, who is based in Vienna. For months, press freedom groups have called on the State Department to declare Kurmasheva wrongfully detained, which would open up additional resources to help secure her release. Earlier this month, Roger Carstens, the U.S. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, told VOA that U.S. officials were still deciding whether to declare Kurmasheva wrongfully detained. "We’ve been looking at her case very closely. It’s not yet been decided that she’s wrongfully detained,” Carstens said. “But it’s something that we’re still sussing out.” “The Department of State continuously reviews the circumstances surrounding the detentions of U.S. nationals overseas, including those in Russia, for indicators that they are wrongful,” a State Department spokesperson said in response to a detailed list of questions, in a statement identical to ones previously sent to VOA. “When making assessments, the department conducts a legal, fact-based review that looks into the totality of the circumstances for each case individually,” the statement said. Kurmasheva is one of two American journalists jailed in Russia. The second, The Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich, has been declared wrongfully detained by the State Department. That determination came less than two weeks after Russian authorities arrested Gershkovich and accused him of espionage in late March 2023. Like Kurmasheva, the 32-year-old is still being held in pretrial detention. Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. government deny the charges against him. The reporter marked one year behind bars last month. In November 2023, Washington made a prisoner swap offer to the Russian government to secure the release of Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, another U.S. citizen jailed in Russia and declared wrongfully detained. Moscow rejected that offer. Carstens told reporters earlier this month that the U.S. government was putting together a new offer. “We are working exceedingly hard and creatively to cobble together that offer,” he said. Kurmasheva and Gershkovich count themselves among 22 journalists jailed in Russia, according to CPJ data from the end of 2023. Russia ranks fourth in the world in terms of journalist jailings, but it has the most jailed foreign journalists. Of the 22 journalists imprisoned in Russia, 12 are foreign nationals. Beyond Kurmasheva and Gershkovich, Moscow has jailed 10 Ukrainian reporters, according to the CPJ. Pressure stepped up Tracy said Moscow’s repression has only intensified since the Russian army invaded Ukraine in February 2022. “Authorities have shuttered dozens of outlets using fines and repressive legislation, censored thousands of websites and continue to persecute journalists,” she said.  “This trend is deeply concerning, and the U.S. will continue to call for respect for Russians' fundamental freedoms — including freedom of speech — that are guaranteed in Russia’s own constitution.” One of the main factors that unites the cases of Gershkovich and Kurmasheva is that trials won’t be what ultimately gets them free, according to Said. “There is no way for their lawyers to prove their innocence through court, because courts are not independent in Russia. Political solutions and diplomatic solutions are the only way to get them free,” she said. “That’s why it’s important that the U.S. uses all it has to put pressure on the Russian authorities and to get them free,” she said. Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.

washington — A senior U.S. intelligence official is casting doubt on China’s ability to make good on plans to possibly reunify Taiwan by force by its self-imposed deadline. Various U.S. military and intelligence officials have testified publicly in recent years that Beijing’s own planning documents show President Xi Jinping has ordered the Chinese military to be ready to take Taiwan by force should efforts to reunify the island by other means fail. They also have said China’s unprecedented military modernization and expansion efforts have been in line with the order to have an invasion plan ready to go by 2027 at the latest. But Dave Frederick, the U.S. National Security Agency’s assistant deputy director for China, is not sure they can meet that deadline. "It's a pretty ambitious goal, so [I] won't make any predictions on whether they hit it or not," Frederick said at a security conference in Nashville, Tennessee. He added that China “remains focused on that 2027 capabilities” goal but that obstacles remain. One of those challenges, he said, is the ability of China’s military to land troops on the island of Taiwan. An amphibious landing “would be a really, really challenging military problem for them,” Frederick said. “[A] very difficult military problem for them to pull off.” However, he acknowledged that China is building a fourth amphibious landing craft and that “history’s got many examples of [a] government deciding to pursue a policy that may not even be in their best self-interest, and certainly in cases where military victory isn’t guaranteed.” Chinese officials dismissed the talk, though, telling VOA by email the situation with Taiwan is “a matter that must be resolved by the Chinese [people].” “If the U.S. truly hopes for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués,” said Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington. Washington should “stop meddling in the Taiwan question and stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” Liu added. Frederick is not the first U.S. official to caution that China’s military expansion, buoyed by new equipment and weapons systems, may be outpacing its actual capabilities. The U.S. Defense Department’s annual China Military Power Report issued late last year cautioned that Beijing itself believes it still faces some deficits as it tries to field a force capable of fighting and winning wars against other capable adversaries. “They still have a long way to go in terms of having the level of military capability that we judge that they think that they need to advance their global security and economic interests,” a senior U.S. defense official told reporters at the time. The official called the lack of combat experience "one of the shortcomings that the PRC highlights in a lot of their own self assessments.” Top U.S. intelligence officials have said that despite China’s desire to be able to take Taiwan by force, perhaps as early as next year, they believe Xi has not decided whether to use that option. “Beijing will continue to apply military and economic pressure as well as public messaging and influence activities while promoting long-term cross-Strait economic and social integration to induce Taiwan to move toward unification,” according to last month’s annual threat assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. A separate assessment by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency published last week concluded that “Beijing appears willing to defer the use of military force as long as it calculates that its unification with Taiwan ultimately can be negotiated.” “The costs of armed conflict would outweigh the benefits, and its stated red lines have not been crossed by Taiwan, the United States, or other countries,” the DIA report added.