Feed aggregator

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.

International pressure is building on Israel to hold back in responding to Iran’s attacks, but Israel says it will retaliate. Despite the size of the Iranian assault on Israel is Iran really looking to escalate the situation? We talk to Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran program at the Middle East Institute. Ukrainian officials are voicing concern about future military support from the West, especially the United States. A bakery in Gaza City has started operating for the first time in six months with aid from the World Food Program (WFP), providing desperately needed food in a part of the territory where a U.N.-backed report has warned of imminent famine.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives will consider aid to Israel and Ukraine as separate legislation this week, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday, more than two months after the Senate passed a bill combining the two. Leaving a meeting of House Republicans on Monday evening, Johnson said the narrowly divided chamber would consider four bills altogether that would also include aid to Taiwan, U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific and U.S. national security priorities. "We know that the world is watching us to see how we react," Johnson told reporters. "They're watching to see if America will stand up for its allies and in our own interest around the globe. And we will." U.S. aid has been delayed by Johnson's unwillingness to consider a $95 billion bipartisan bill the Senate passed in February, including $14 billion for Israel as well as $60 billion for Ukraine. Also included were billions to strengthen allies in the Indo-Pacific, where China is becoming more assertive, and for international humanitarian aid. Johnson said the new House bills provide roughly the same amount of foreign aid as the Senate bill but would include differences including some aid in the form of a loan. Republicans aim to release legislative text as early as Tuesday morning but will observe a 72-hour review period before voting. Johnson said votes on passage could come late on Friday. The push to pass the aid gained urgency after Iran's weekend missile and drone attack on Israel despite fierce opposition in the deeply divided Congress. Three of the four bills Johnson suggested would cover Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific. The makeup of the fourth was not immediately clear. Backers had insisted the broad foreign aid measure passed with 70% support in the Senate would have received similar support in the House. However, Johnson had given a variety of reasons to delay, among them the need to focus taxpayer dollars on domestic issues and reluctance to take up a Senate measure without more information. Johnson also faces a threat from a hard-right Republicans to oust him as speaker if he allows the Ukraine aid to move ahead. Many on the right, especially those closely allied with former President Donald Trump, who has been skeptical of assisting Kyiv in its fight against Russia, fiercely oppose sending billions more dollars to Ukraine. The House Freedom Caucus - a group of Republican hardliners with about three dozen members - released a statement on Monday calling for aid to Israel, but not to Ukraine, and rejecting as "bogus" any suggestion that the attack on Israel should help ease the path toward more funds for Kyiv. Representative Andy Biggs, a Freedom Caucus member, told reporters he liked the idea of separate bills, but had to see them before committing to voting for them. Defense industry watching The issue is closely watched by industry. U.S. defense contractors could be in line for huge contracts to supply equipment for Ukraine and other U.S. partners if the additional funding passes. Aid supporters stress that approving the Ukraine bill would create many American jobs. The White House has been pushing Johnson to allow a vote, as have Senate Republicans and Democrats. "If House Republicans put the Senate supplemental (spending bill) on the floor, I believe it would pass today, reach the president's desk tonight and Israel would get the aid it needs by tomorrow," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in the Senate on Monday. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told his fellow lawmakers: "It’s also time for Congress to deliver the urgent investments that our industrial base, our forces, and our partners will need to meet and out-compete the growing and linked threats we face." The top House Democrat, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, sent a letter to his caucus on Monday spelling out the need to support Ukraine as well as Israel. "The gravely serious events of this past weekend in the Middle East and Eastern Europe underscore the need for Congress to act immediately. We must take up the bipartisan and comprehensive national security bill passed by the Senate forthwith," Jeffries wrote. Ukraine appealed again to allies on Monday for "extraordinary and bold steps" to supply air defenses to help defend against waves of Russian airstrikes that have targeted its energy system in recent weeks.

The White House — As U.S. President Joe Biden hosted Iraq’s prime minister Monday, all eyes were on Iran, which over the weekend made a historic first strike on Israel.  That attack has inflamed concerns of a wider regional war — a situation that effectively eclipsed the leaders’ already-planned Oval Office meeting, where they wanted to discuss their mutual fight against Islamic State, economic issues and Iraq’s progress toward energy independence and modernization. “The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the enduring strategic partnership between Iraq and the United States, and discussed their visions for comprehensive bilateral cooperation under the 2008 U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement,” the two leaders said in a joint statement after Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met with Biden.  Meanwhile, White House officials disputed reports that Iran delivered a clear warning before the strike. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby called such reports “nonsense.” “Can you imagine a world in which Iran would pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, we're about to try to schwack Israel with 300 cruise missiles and drones. We just wanted to let you know it's coming. And oh, by the way, here's what we're going to hit.’” “I'm sorry,” he said. “It just didn't happen.” He stressed that Israel’s response is “an Israeli decision to make,” and “we’re going to leave it squarely with them.” Even though the United States is describing Iran's aerial assault as a failure, Iraq’s leader acknowledged that the conflict between Israel and Hamas is of major concern in the region.  “We are actually very eager about stopping this war, which claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, women and children,” Sudani said, sitting beside Biden in the Oval Office. “And we encourage all the efforts about stopping the expansion of the area of conflict."  The two nations have a delicate relationship after decades of U.S. military involvement in Iraq. U.S. anti-aircraft assets in northern Iraq were used to shoot down some of the Iranian missiles. Biden said Iraq — a longtime adversary of Iran — has a role to play in maintaining peace.   “Simply put, our partnership is pivotal for our nations, for the Middle East, and I believe, for the world,” he said.  Earlier Monday, Sudani’s deputy met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where both men hailed the regional cooperation that thwarted the attack and urged de-escalation.  "I think what this weekend demonstrated is that Israel did not have to and does not have to defend itself alone when it is the victim of an aggression, the victim of an attack,” Blinken said.  “In the 36 hours since, we have been coordinating a diplomatic response to seek to prevent escalation.”  “We call on all parties for self-restraint and respect the rules and also international norms that we set,” said Muhammad Ali Tamim, Iraq’s deputy prime minister. The two leaders announced a raft of bilateral measures Monday, but none directly referenced Iran. “The President and Prime Minister agreed on the importance of working together to advance regional stability and reinforce and respect Iraqi sovereignty, stability, and security,” their joint statement said.  The other agreements centered on the priorities the Biden administration outlined in March ahead of the visit: energy independence, regional security and the “lasting defeat of ISIS.” But analysts say Baghdad should seize every diplomatic opportunity to seek peace.  “Iraq needs to make its preference for reduced escalation clear,” Daniel Byman, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA on Zoom. “And that's both talking to the Iranians, but also talking to other Arab states and talking to the United States, that this is negative from Iraq's point of view, and that it wants all the powers to take responsible action to try to reduce escalation.”  As Israel mulls its response, regional actors are not sitting still. On Monday, Iraq’s president met with King Abdullah II of Jordan. According to Jordan’s royal court, they spoke about the dangers of this conflict escalating further.  

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.

UNITED NATIONS — The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday that his teams briefly halted inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities this week amid regional tensions between Israel and Iran. “What I can tell you is that our inspectors in Iran were informed by the Iranian government yesterday that all the nuclear facilities that we are inspecting every day would remain closed on security considerations,” Rafael Mariano Grossi told reporters at the United Nations in New York. He said the facilities were to reopen Monday for inspections, but he decided to wait an extra day — planning to resume work on Tuesday — to be sure the situation is “completely calm” before sending his teams back. “This has not had an impact on our inspection activity, but we always call for extreme restraint,” he added. Iran launched an attack Sunday toward Israel with over 300 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles. The massive strike caused only modest damage in Israel and no deaths. Tehran said it was in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy in Syria earlier this month that killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers, including two senior commanders. With Israel considering whether to launch a counterattack, and its concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions widely known, some analysts have questioned whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might target nuclear-related sites in Iran. On Sunday, Israel’s U.N. envoy told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss Iran’s strike that Tehran would soon have nuclear weapons capabilities. “Iran’s breakout time to produce an arsenal of nuclear weapons is now weeks — mere weeks,” Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said. Grossi told reporters that while Iran has a stockpile of enriched uranium at “very, very high levels,” that does not automatically mean they have a nuclear weapon. “As far as the agency is concerned, we don’t have any information or indication that there is a nuclear weapons program in Iran,” Grossi said. “At the same time, while we say this, which we need to say, we are telling our Iranian counterparts that this important accumulation of nuclear material, at levels that are very, very close — technically identical almost to weapons grade level — of course is not irrelevant and raises questions in the international community.” In its quarterly report in February, the IAEA said based on information provided by Iran, it had an estimated total enriched uranium stockpile of 5,525.5 kilograms (about 12,182 pounds), an increase of 1,038.7 kilograms (2,289 pounds) since the previous quarterly report in November 2023. Of that, an estimated 121.5 kilograms (267.8 pounds) of uranium is enriched up to 60% purity, which is one step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for purely peaceful civilian purposes. Grossi said outstanding questions are why it is so important that the Iranian government fully cooperate with the IAEA. Iran has barred several experienced inspectors from monitoring its nuclear program. It has also unilaterally stopped implementing the Joint Statement agreed with the IAEA in March 2023, and there are outstanding safeguards issues under the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement that need to be resolved for the IAEA to provide assurances that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful. Grossi said he hopes to visit Tehran soon to put the situation back on track. Some information in this report was provided by The Associated Press.  

pentagon — Israel appears determined to exact a measure of revenge against Iran, just days after the Iranian military and some of its allies across the Middle East launched an unprecedented aerial assault on the Jewish state. Seemingly ignoring pleas by world leaders, Israeli military officials said Monday that Tehran must pay a price for Saturday’s barrage of more than 350 missiles and drones, many launched from Iranian soil. The Iranian attack “will be met with a response,” said Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi. “Iran will face the consequences for its actions,” he said, speaking from Nevatim air base in southern Israel. Israeli military officials did not elaborate on what that response could look like, though Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said it would come “at the time that we choose.” The tough Israeli rhetoric comes even as the country's most ardent backer, the United States, has urged Israel to show restraint, arguing the failure of Iran’s drone and missile barrage to inflict much damage was itself a massive victory. "It's pretty telling that Iran launched over 300 air threats … and 99% of those were knocked down," said Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder. The White House on Monday was even more strident. “Israel today is in a far stronger strategic position than it was only a few days ago," White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters, noting the range of countries that came to Israel’s aid. Britain, France, Jordan and Saudi Arabia joined with the U.S. and Israel to shoot down the Iranian missiles and drones. "Iran's vaunted missile program, something it has used to threaten Israel and the region, proved to be far less effective,” Kirby said. “Israel's defenses, on the other hand, proved even better than many had long assumed." Senior U.S. officials have said the Iranian attack on Israel, the first ever launched from Iranian soil, involved more than 110 ballistic missiles, 30 cruise missiles and more than 150 one-way, explosive aerial drones. They said Iranian proxy forces in Iraq, Syria and Yemen also took part in the attack. Iran, which described the Saturday assault as a success, described it as a response to a suspected Israeli airstrike on its embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed seven officers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two senior commanders. Some officials from Turkey, Jordan and Iraq said Sunday that Iran shared warnings of the attack ahead of time to avoid mass casualties and to prevent hostilities from escalating further. But Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson rejected such claims during a news conference in Tehran on Monday, saying, "There was no pre-arranged deal between us and any other side.” U.S. officials also disputed reports that the attack by Tehran was meant to be symbolic. “I've seen reporting that the Iranians meant to fail, that this spectacular and embarrassing failure was all by design,” said Kirby, calling such claims, “categorically false.” “Given the scale of this attack, Iran's intent was clearly to cause significant destruction and casualties,” Kirby said. “The aim was to get as many of them [missiles and drones] through Israel's defenses as possible.” Despite Iran’s intent, U.S. President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the United States will not participate in any Israeli counteroffensive against Iran. But various U.S. officials on Monday said Washington’s support for Israel in the face of Iranian aggression remained “ironclad,” and that U.S. military assets placed in the region to fend off the Iranian barrage remained in place should Tehran try again. Still, concerns persist that the Iranian attack and a potential Israeli response could spark a wider, regional conflict. “We call on all parties for self-restraint,” said Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Tamim during a visit to the U.S. State Department in Washington on Monday. “We hope escalations and tensions in the area will end,” Tamim said, adding Iraq does not want to see the region “dragged into a wider war that will threaten international security and safety.” European officials, likewise, urged caution. "We're on the edge of the cliff and we have to move away from it," Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy chief, told Spanish radio station Onda Cero. "We have to step on the brakes and reverse gear." French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that his government would do all it could to avoid an escalation of the situation between Israel and Iran. Speaking to French media BFM-TV and RMC, Macron also urged Israel to pursue isolation of Iran rather than escalation. The White House later Monday confirmed those efforts were already underway, with members of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, or G7, already working on a new round of sanctions targeting industries that support Iran’s missile programs. The G7 consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.

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.

Phnom Penh — “He brutally used violence against me. … He hit me. He grabbed my neck. I really had a hard time when I was with him, and my mental health was very unstable.” When Thach Chanty, a 35-year-old woman from the southeastern Cambodian province of Kampong Cham recalls life with her former husband, “My tears almost fall down.” Chanty, who works as a garment worker, now struggles to support her two children in the aftermath of a marriage she describes as colored with neglect and violence. Escaping the brutality left her alone in a society that continues to judge divorced women as having failed in their primary social role of wife and mother. Chanty found solace in her family’s support. “I felt sorry for my two sons after I divorced my husband,” she said. “A lot of people judge me for being divorced, but luckily my parents and sister have been there to support me.” A recent report titled Separate Ways, released in late 2023 by the small nonprofit organization Klahaan, sheds light on the struggles faced by Cambodia’s divorced women. Beyond enduring significant social shame and judgment, the report says the divorced women are more likely to face financial and mental issues compared to their former husbands. The report also finds little has changed since a November 2015 study by Cambodia’s statistics ministry in conjunction with a U.N. agency found approximately 20% of Cambodian women faced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner during relationships including marriage. The report also found emotional abuse affected one-third of women, violence often occurred in the presence of children and few victims sought assistance. Gender disparities after divorce Conducted online, the Klahaan study involved 40 female and male participants from Phnom Penh, the capital city, and remote areas, including Ratanakiri and Kep provinces. Among the participants, 22 women reported having gone through a divorce. The study revealed significant gender disparities in the aftermath of divorce. Most participants — 87% — said women bear a heavier burden of shame or stigma following divorce, while only 1% considered men to be more affected than their partners. The report also highlighted regional differences: 48% of survey respondents believed rural women experience more pronounced effects in the aftermath of divorce, compared to 8% who felt urban women faced social stigma and judgement. Klahaan founder Mao Map told VOA Khmer the new study, which is based on FPAR methodology, aims to address the controversial choice of divorce for both women and men. According to Mao Map, the prevailing belief in Cambodia is that women can marry only once in their lifetime — a notion that influences perceptions of divorce. To support women, Mao Map is pushing the government to establish policies that expedite the divorce process, lessening the need for court mediation and increasing protections for women’s health by eliminating victim-blaming by law enforcement. Sar Sineth, spokesperson for Cambodia’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs, emphasized the government’s commitment to assisting women and girls who have experienced violence, particularly those navigating divorce and coping with post-traumatic stress disorder. She said the ministry coordinates closely with government and the legal system to provide swift support. “We’re working hard to expedite the proceedings ... in providing legal assistance to victims of ... divorce due to chronic violence,” she said. “And with this provision of lawyers, the National Women’s Action Council has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bar Association to support the victims and provide timely services.” Sar Sineth did not respond when VOA Khmer asked for details about how women could access those services. Infidelity prompts divorce The study revealed that infidelity is a significant factor influencing women’s decisions to get divorced, with 81% of survey respondents identifying “cheating and affairs” as a likely cause for women choosing divorce. In contrast, only 68% selected the same response for men. One participant said that while her husband began cheating on her soon after their marriage, after their children were born “he went too far — he brought her to sleep at the house that we had built together. In the end, I decided to sell that house and get a divorce.” Thach Chanty said she no longer cares about how others judge her for divorcing to escape violence and focus on her sons. “Initially, when I contemplated my divorce, I cried and sometimes even considered ending my life,” she said. “But now, I have let go of those thoughts and am living my normal life, driven by my desire to do everything for my kids.”

washington — President Joe Biden urged the U.S. House to immediately take up Senate-passed supplemental funding for Ukraine and Israel on Monday as he hosted Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in the Oval Office.  The visit came as Biden aimed to highlight the efforts other nations are making to support Ukraine. It followed the Czech government's announcement that it is sending 1 million rounds of artillery ammunition to Ukraine, which Kyiv says is badly needed on the battlefield against Russia's invasion.  "As the Czech Republic remembers, Russia won't stop at Ukraine," Biden said. He appealed to Congress to pass the supplemental funding so the U.S. could do its part to help Ukraine. "They have to do it now," he said.  Fiala praised the U.S. president for his leadership in support of Ukraine, adding, "We are also doing our best."  He said, "In 1968 I saw Russian tanks in the streets of my town, and I don't want to see this again."  Biden called the Czech Republic a "great ally" in NATO, as Fiala said his country's decision to purchase F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. will "make our cooperation and security much stronger."  Fiala told reporters following his meeting with Biden that he would meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to further discuss Ukraine aid.  "The support from U.S., the help from U.S., is very important," Fiala said. 

united nations — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency warned Monday that the danger of a major nuclear accident at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains “very real.” “We are getting dangerously close to a nuclear accident,” Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told the U.N. Security Council. The nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, came under several attacks in the early part of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces have occupied the facility since March 2022. The IAEA worked out an agreement to station one of its teams there to monitor the facility and any damage to its systems. Grossi said that over the past 10 days, the plant has sustained several direct attacks — the first since November 2022. He did not say who carried them out. In one direct hit, the containment dome of a reactor building was struck. Grossi said the damage to the structure was not significant, but the attack set a dangerous precedent. Two other attacks were near the main reactor buildings and resulted in at least one casualty. “These reckless attacks must cease immediately,” Grossi said. He warned that two years of war are weighing heavily on nuclear safety at the plant. “We cannot sit by and watch as the final weight tips the finely balanced scale,” he said. Russia and Ukraine each blame the other for the strikes. “Ukraine’s shelling of ZNPP cannot be justifiable on any grounds, including military goals,” Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said, referring to the plant by its initialism. He claimed that Russia has never stationed heavy weaponry at the plant nor attacked from its territory. Grossi confirmed to reporters that “there is no heavy weaponry there” but added that “the vicinity is something else.” Ukraine’s ambassador said the recent attacks were “a well-planned false flag operation” by Russia. “The only way out of the current, very precarious situation is complete demilitarization and deoccupation of the ZNPP and adjacent territories,” Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said.

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.

Ukrainian officials are voicing concern about future military support from the West, especially the United States. Military commanders say they urgently need additional aid, including advanced weaponry, to regain a strategic advantage against the more powerful Russian forces. Eastern Europe Bureau Chief Myroslava Gongadze reports.

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.

Abortion is one of the central issues of the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign. President Joe Biden says access to abortion is an issue of personal freedom, while Republican candidate Donald Trump says states should continue to decide their own abortion laws. VOA Correspondent Scott Stearns reports.

Without fail, each Tax Day a prevalent myth resurfaces that conceals the truth about immigrants’ contributions to federal, state, and local taxes. Bolstered by social media and other outlets, it misleadingly asserts that immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, evade taxes. The facts don’t back up these claims. Immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, pay taxes. Our […]

The post Immigrants Contribute Billions to Federal and State Taxes Each Year appeared first on Immigration Impact.