DR Congo crisis: Thousands flee clashes in South Kivu
Escalating fighting between M23 rebels and Congolese troops has caused thousands of people to flee, with many heading towards the provincial capital, Bukavu – where UN humanitarian agencies in the east are now located following the fall of Goma. Local…
China’s DeepSeek banned by several countries out of censorship fear
Several governments, including the U.S., Taiwan and Australia, have banned the use of China’s AI software DeepSeek on official devices. Analysts say these restrictions are justified, as tests show DeepSeek not only collects excessive user data but also filters sensitive…
Zelenskyy marks 6-month anniversary of Ukraine’s Kursk operation
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid tribute to the country’s “warriors” in the Kursk operation in an address Thursday marking the six-month anniversary of the operation in Russia. “With our active operation on Russian territory, we have brought the war home…
‘Confusion’ in South Africa over US HIV funding
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — Some South African organizations that assist people with HIV are in limbo, after the United States put a 90-day freeze on most foreign aid. The U.S. State Department later added a waiver for “lifesaving” aid, but…
Momentum lost for North Korean troops in Russia
Thousands of North Korean troops helped Russia regain some of its territory in the Kursk region following Ukraine’s counterattack, but the Russian army is now using them less on the front line and have pulled some back. VOA Russian spoke…
Robots learn problem-solving from each other, internet
Robots with reasoning power are becoming a reality thanks to massive amounts of training data and breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. VOA’s Matt Dibble visits a lab where robots are learning to solve problems themselves. Cameras: Matt Dibble, Tina Trinh. Source:…
House lawmakers push to ban AI app DeepSeek from US government devices
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan duo in the U.S. House is proposing legislation to ban the Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek from federal devices, similar to the policy already in place for the popular social media platform TikTok. Lawmakers Josh Gottheimer,…
Syria: Assad’s armed forces must face accountability, says rights probe
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria’s latest report follows the lightning operation led by mainly Hayat-Tahrir al-Sham fighters that toppled President Bashar al-Assad last December, ending the 13-year war that decimated the country and destabilised the entire region. The…
Gaza: UN health agency urges rapid scale-up of medevacs as thousands remain in critical condition
Speaking from Gaza, WHO Representative Rik Peeperkorn described a scene of widespread destruction, overwhelmed medical facilities and growing mental health needs, as the population in the enclave gradually returns to what is left of their homes after nearly 16 months…
Iraq: How the world helped Mosul rise from the rubble of war
Now, with UN support, Mosul has risen from the ashes of war and its historic monuments which had been reduced to rubble, dot the skyline once again. The devastating nine-month-long battle to liberate the city from the terrorist group killed…