On Friday, Hamas released 24 hostages in total, including 13 Israeli nationals, as part of the first round of a coordinated swap between Israel and Hamas. VOA’s Esther Githui-Ewart spoke to reporter Ricki Rosen in Tel Aviv for more on the status of care they are expected to receive from the Israeli government now that they are freed.
Bangladesh’s Election Commission set the country on a familiar but gravely uncertain path last week when it announced Jan. 7 as the date for the 12th parliamentary elections.
Residents in northern Myanmar are contracting diseases from nearby chemical waste, residents told Radio Free Asia. In Kachin state, rare earth mining produces toxic chemicals that end up in water sources, they said.
Very few Christians live in Kashmir,but people from the region put their blood and sweat into preparing gifts for Christmas celebrations.With cameraperson Wasim Nabi,Muheet Ul Islam for VOA has more from Srinagar.
Mines and explosives in the de-occupied regions of Ukraine pose a threat to people as the Ukrainian forces continue their counteroffensive. Mines have injured over 830 civilians and killed at least 264 since the start of the Russian invasion, according to the Ukrainian authorities. Various entitles are spearheading the ongoing demining efforts.
Nearly 100 civilians were caught in a battle in western Myanmar on Tuesday, locals told Radio Free Asia. As fighting in Rakhine state between the Arakan Army and junta forces continues over the disputed town of Pauktaw, residents report an increase in abductions and injuries across the region.
Nanjing dissident journalist Sun Lin, who used the pen name Jie Mu, has died following a raid by state security police on his home last week, Radio Free Asia has learned.
North Korean authorities are cracking down on people who use unregistered laptops and tablets to keep them from watching foreign “anti-socialist” videos, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.
A Gaza-based journalist told VOA of his “overwhelming experience” covering the Israeli-Hamas war on the besieged territory when the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked on October 7. Living in the southern part of Gaza,Fuad Abu Khamash says he is embedded with an emergency team covering the war within an ambulance.
Over 20,000 Ukrainian children are allegedly being forcibly deported or transferred to Russia or Russian-occupied territory, according to accusations made by Kyiv authorities against Moscow. And to mark World’s Children Day on November 20, Human rights activists are drawing attention to Russia’s violation of international child protection laws.