Voice of America

A year on, Turkey mourns loss of more than 50,000 killed in earthquake

Most people in northwest Syria were already displaced when the magnitude seven-point-eight earthquake struck February 6, 2023, killing thousands in the region and rendering 170,000 people homeless again. A year later, emergency aid has dried up, and some people are sheltering in condemned buildings.

With the new year, the World Food Program has stopped regular food aid deliveries to Syria, and displaced families say they don’t know what they will eat. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from Istanbul with Moawia Atrash and Ahmad Fallaha in Atme village in Syria, near the border with Turkey.

In 2021, a group of Afghan Americans in Albany, New York opened a community center to help resettle newly arrived Afghans in the United States. Zafar Bamyani recently visited the site to see how their efforts are working, with Roshan Noorzi contributing. Aline Barros narrates the story.

On January 13, voters in Taiwan will cast their ballots to elect the island’s next president. While each candidate has been working hard to win more votes, some remain undecided in the race, in which China has been a key issue.

A bill outlawing the selling of dog meat for consumption was approved in the South Korea’s National Assembly by an overwhelming vote of 208-to-0 with two abstentions Tuesday. Anyone convicted of violating the ban, which officially takes effect in 2027, faces up to three years in prison or fines of more than $22,000. Tuesday’s passage of the bill was the culmination of a decades-long effort by animal rights activists to end the centuries-long culinary practice.

A possible Chinese attempt to take over self-governing Taiwan has been a threat to the island for decades. It’s a topic among the candidates in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election, but some residents on the island say the threat of a Chinese attack is more real than ever before and they are taking action. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee reports from Taipei, Taiwan.

Freedom of speech in American universities is scrutinized days after Harvard University President Claudine Gay stepped down following criticism of her record and her congressional testimony on antisemitism

Videos capture the moment a series of major earthquakes rocked Japan's western coastline Monday afternoon. The largest quake had a magnitude of 7.6, started a fire and collapsed buildings on the west coast of Japan's main island, Honshu. Four people have been confirmed dead from the powerful earthquake. At least six homes were damaged by the quakes, with people trapped inside, government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said. A fire broke out in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, and electricity was out for more than 30,000 households, he said.

Developers at the University of Maryland are using a holographic camera to capture people’s movements in three dimensions for what could be high-impact training, education and entertainment. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. VOA footage and video editing by Adam Greenbaum.

Malawi’s government is sending young people to work on Israeli farms amid the conflict with Hamas. Critics say the program is shrouded in secrecy. Human rights activists argue that young people are willing to take opportunities abroad, despite the risks. Chimwemwe Padatha reports from Lilongwe.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has renewed his threat to take over the democratic island of Taiwan, while, while Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen called for peaceful coexistence with Beijing. The New Year comments come just ahead of the Taiwan presidential election.

Around the world, New Year's firework celebrations lit up the sky as the world welcomed 2024.

Jerusalem's Old City, usually bustling with holiday tourists and businesses open for shoppers, is nearly empty for New Year's Eve as Israel's war on Gaza continues. Israel launched new bombing strikes on Hamas militants Sunday, with hospital officials saying at least 35 people were killed in Gaza City and no signs that the fighting will end soon as the calendar turns to 2024. Israeli forces targeted the central part of the Gaza Strip, the narrow Palestinian territory along the Mediterranean Sea, while also carrying out operations in Khan Younis, Gaza’s second largest city in the south toward the border with Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu predicted Saturday that the Jewish state’s offensive, sparked by the shock October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, will last for “many more months” despite increasing international calls for a cease-fire.

Israel’s prime minister says the war on Hamas is far from over. This, as the increasingly widening conflict spills into 2024. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has the story.

Several climate change activists smeared a Christmas tree sponsored by Gucci with washable paint in a shopping precinct in the center of Milan, Friday. Last Generation environmental activists said they were blaming the luxury fashion industry for being part of a non-sustainable business model that widens the economic wage gap and exploits natural resources. (AP)

Some women confused when it comes to pregnancy and abortion care

With most international journalists finding it impossible to report from inside Gaza amid the Israel/Hamas war, the world relies on local journalists inside Gaza for information. Despite calls from press watchdogs like Reporters Without Borders urging Israel to allow access, its military has informed international news organizations that it won't guarantee the safety of journalists in Gaza since the conflict began in October. Journalists argue that this denial of access denies the world essential context and makes oversight of Israel and Hamas' operations, which right organizations have alleged may include war crimes on both sides, much more difficult. VOA’s Henry Wilkins reports from one of the restricted viewpoints over Gaza that the international media is confined to.

In Israel's Dead Sea tourist resorts, visits have plummeted since the country's war with Hamas started in October, according to workers. The Ministry of Tourism says tourist visits nationwide experienced a 90% decrease in November compared to the same month in 2022. But it's not only Israel that's being impacted. Neighboring Jordan said this week it has also seen tourist bookings fall sharply.

The U.S. has a strong First Amendment, but its limits were tested in 2023. The year saw raids, searches and subpoenas — often directed at local media — some advocates have flagged as troublesome. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has the story, for Liam Scott. VOA footage by Saqib Ul Islam and Afshean Hessam.

Members of a migrant caravan that set off on Christmas Day walked to the southern Mexican town of Villa Comaltitlan on December 26 chasing their dreams of starting anew and, for some, meeting their loved ones in the United States. Migrants, many from Honduras and other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, walked in groups under the watch of the Mexican National Guard, occasionally stopping to rest and pray. Local authorities had estimated that the average number of people per day was around 8,000. U.S. and Mexican officials are set to meet Wednesday in Mexico City to discuss what the White House has described as a dramatic increase in the flow of migrants through the region in recent months. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House Homeland Security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall are representing the U.S. side, with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador hosting the talks. #Mexico #Migrants #reels #videography #voanews

A recent poll suggests that support for Hamas in the West Bank has risen dramatically since Israel's war started in October, with 44% now in support of the group, up from 12% in September. Reporting from the West Bank, Henry Wilkins asks what could be behind the rise.

Israel continues to reject any PA role

Ukraine struck a large Russian landing warship in Crimea with cruise missiles in an overnight attack that killed at least one person and could hinder any Russian attempt to seize more Ukrainian territory along the Black Sea coast. Ukrainian forces struck a Russian naval landing ship in Crimea on Tuesday, inflicting another blow to Russia’s Black Sea fleet. The Ukrainian air force said it used cruise missiles and claimed that the attack destroyed the Novocherkassk. Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson of Ukraine’s Air Forces Command, told VOA the Ukrainian military had information about the ship’s location and cargo, as well as Russian air defenses protecting the region. #Ukraine #Russia #Crimea #reels #videography #voanews

A year of bitter battles in Ukraine has left the front lines virtually at a stalemate. As war fatigue plagues Ukrainian forces, observers say they foresee a drawn-out war of attrition. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from Ukraine’s southern front lines and the capital, Kyiv. Camera: Yan Boechat.