Issues in the News - Voice of America

Poignant ceremonies on the beaches of Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day as President Biden gives an impassioned speech on fighting for freedom that Allies fought and died for. While paying tribute to veterans, Biden stressed the importance of international alliances, warning democracy is facing its greatest risk since World War II. David Greenberg, historian and professor of US history and media studies at Rutgers University about how current threats to democracy add significance to anniversary of turning point in World War Two. New data this week confirms last month was the hottest May ever, marking the 12th straight monthly record high. Experts say it is going to get worse.

President Joe Biden reveals details of a three-phase ceasefire plan in Gaza he said was proposed by Israel as its military pushed deeper into central Rafah. Will international pressure and last week’s ruling by the World Court have influence on ending what has become a humanitarian catastrophe? Amanda Ghahremani, criminal law attorney and research fellow at the Human Rights Center at the University of California Berkeley weighs in. Former President Donald Trump remains defiant after being found guilty of 34 felony charges. Criminal defense attorney Jack Rice describes the historic nature of the verdict. Environmental extremes reach new levels as the world struggles to cope with the impacts of climate change. A look at how the ‘Doomsday Seed Vault’ is helping protect the world’s food supply deep in a frozen cave in Norway.

International pressure on Israel escalated significantly this week. The top United Nations court on Friday ordered Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The decision followed an announcement by Ireland, Spain, and Norway acknowledging Palestinian statehood. And on Monday, the International Criminal court’s chief prosecutor said he has asked ICC judges to approve arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three top Hamas leaders. Also, the Israeli army said three more hostages killed on October 7 were recovered from Gaza.

Aid groups welcome the start of operations to send aid into Gaza from a floating pier but say it's no substitute for land-based aid shipments. UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram on the war's dire consequences for children in Gaza. As Russian forces advance along the frontlines in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin shores up Moscow's alliance with China in a two-day visit meeting with his counterpart in Beijing Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security, Transatlantic Security Program and co-author of the new eBook 'The Origins of Elected Strongmen' on why authoritarianism appears to be on the rise across the globe.

The UN says at a time when fragile humanitarian operations urgently require expansion, border closures in southern Gaza are further limiting the ability to reach thousands of people living in dire conditions. Ciarán Donnelly with the International Rescue Committee describes how even the limited operation Israel launched earlier this week has thrown humanitarian operations into crisis. Despite deep divisions and a rise in antisemitism incidents, Jewish donors raise unprecedented funds to feed people in Gaza. Amid protests and cheers, an Israeli singer will compete in this weekend's Eurovision Song contest.

Marking World Press Freedom Day, a media watchdog report on global press freedom paints a discouraging picture of lack of political will to defend a free press. The number of writers jailed reached a five-year high as governments looked to silence critics. Massive protests on college campuses across the U.S. are giving journalism students on-the-job-training.

Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war are digging in at Columbia University and inspiring more and more demonstrations at university campuses across the United States. The protests are causing rising tensions on all sides of emotionally charged issues that have leadership at institutions facing a delicate balance to encourage free speech while protecting students.

Will Israel and Iran heed the call of world leaders to de-escalate tensions that could potentially lead to a region-wide war. Iran vowed a massive response but has so far had a muted reaction. In another tense part of the world, U.S. and European leaders stress the urgency of air defense for Kyiv as Russin attacks intensify. After months of delay, U.S. lawmakers plan to vote on aid for Ukraine Saturday. And a look at a coordinated international effort to support Ukraine’s government in its investigation and prosecution of Russian war crimes since its invasion in February 2022.

The White House says reports of an imminent attack by Iran on Israel is a real and viable threat. The U.S. and other countries warn their citizens against travel to the region. Families of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza rallied outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv Friday, pleading for President Joe Biden to help secure the release of their loved ones. Russia’s war on Ukraine could also be reaching a dangerous turning point. A look at what it could mean for U.S. and European national security.

Israel opens more aid routes and delivery access to Gaza, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden’s call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatening a shift in U.S. policy towards Israel unless it reduced harm to civilians in Gaza. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Edward P. Djerejian, Senior Fellow for the Harvard Kennedy Belford Center’s Middle East Initiative gives his take on what he believes needs to happen. The deaths of seven World Central Kitchen staffers have shaken the humanitarian community as groups now weigh the safety risks of their own workers. Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children who just returned from Gaza talks about the serious impacts even a short pause in aid would mean for millions of starving civilians. Tensions heat up as Iran accuses Israel of carrying out an airstrike in Syria that killed some of its top military commanders and threatens to retaliate.