President-elect vowed to tear up Paris climate deal
Over 100 children killed in past month alone
Among the areas deemed vulnerable are air traffic control and power infrastructure
Senior officials reveal huge cash stockpiles, luxury cars, expensive watches and artwork
Amnesty International found big variations in security, saying apps lack sufficient encryption
The president of the International Olympic Committee this week urged Tokyo’s mayor not to ‘change the rules of the competition’ after city authorities announced several changes to the venues for the 2020 Games in order to cut spiraling costs. The budget had been estimated at $15 billion, six times the original cost. It’s the latest setback for the IOC, which has seen several cities pull out of bidding to host the Games over cost concerns. Henry Ridgwell reports.
Tokyo announces several venue changes to slash budget, as host cities reject spiraling costs
Syrian government forces began a 3-day cease-fire in Aleppo Thursday, but their Russian allies have refused to extend the deal
The closer the Iraqi and coalition forces get to the city, the more difficult the fighting is likely to become
Aid agencies in Iraq are bracing for a humanitarian catastrophe, as the assault on the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul gets under way. Up to a million civilians are expected to flee the fighting, adding to the already desperate refugee situation. The director of healthcare in the region, who has been working alongside the charity AMAR International in refugee camps, told VOA’s Henry Ridgwell the government lacks the funds to pay for doctors and nurses.
Aid organizations overwhelmed; observers fear Islamic State militants will use civilians as human shields, kill those trying to escape city
Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers amounts to torture under international law, according to a new report by the human rights group, Amnesty International. About 1,200 asylum seekers have been forcibly transferred to what Australia calls an offshore processing center on the Pacific island of Nauru. As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, Amnesty interviewed refugees and whistleblowers from companies contracted to run the asylum centers.
Human rights group issues report of abuses at Nauru, PNG camps
Currency lost about 20 percent of its value since Britain’s vote to leave EU as American tourists splurge on surging dollar
The British pound has fallen sharply over the past two weeks – and is now at record lows against the U.S. dollar, losing about 20 percent of its value since Britain’s vote to leave the European Union. Analysts say the realization that Britain could be headed for a so-called "hard Brexit" – likely to involve leaving the European Union’s Single Market – has triggered a major sell-off. But as Henry Ridgwell reports from London, the fall in value is a boon for foreign visitors.
Even with departure of Alexander Zhukov, Moscow will struggle to regain global sporting community's trust, analysts say
Following Wednesday's resignation of the head of Russia's Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, analysts say Russia is seeking to move on from the doping scandal that saw dozens of its athletes banned from this summer's Rio Olympics. But Moscow will struggle to regain the full trust of the global sporting community. VOA's Henry Ridgwell reports.
Putin cancels visit to France amid war crimes accusations
Britain has warned that Russia faces becoming an international outcast for its bombing campaign in support of Syrian government forces, which the West says has killed hundreds of civilians. The war of words has escalated sharply in recent days, after Russia vetoed a French motion at the United Nations Security Council calling for an end to airstrikes on Aleppo. VOA's Henry Ridgwell reports.
Analysts say Russia’s deployment of nuclear-capable missiles in its enclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea is a "wake-up call’ to current dangers for the West. The deployment comes as Germany warns that tensions between Moscow and the West are more dangerous now than during the Cold War. Henry Ridgwell has more from London.
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