World

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's administration on Saturday put journalists at Voice of America and other US-funded broadcasters on leave, abruptly freezing decades-old outlets long seen as critical to countering Russian and Chinese information offensives. 

Hundreds of staff at VOA, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe and other outlets received a weekend email saying they will be barred from their offices and should surrender press passes and office-issued equipment.

Trump, who has already eviscerated the US global aid agency and the Education Department, on Friday issued an executive order listing the US Agency for Global Media as among "elements of the federal bureaucracy that the president has determined are unnecessary."

Kari Lake, a firebrand Trump supporter and former Arizona news anchor put in charge of the media agency after she lost a US Senate bid, said in an email to the outlets that federal grant money "no longer effectuates agency priorities."

White House press official Harrison Fields took a more casual tone, simply writing "goodbye" on X in 20 languages, a jab at the outlets' multilingual coverage.

VOA director Michael Abramowitz said he was among 1,300 staffers placed on leave Saturday.

"VOA needs thoughtful reform, and we have made progress in that regard. But today's action will leave Voice of America unable to carry out its vital mission," he said on Facebook.

"Voice of America has been a priceless asset for the United States, playing an essential role in the fight against communism, fascism, and oppression, and in the fight for freedom and democracy around the world," he said, noting that its coverage -- in 48 languages -- reaches 360 million people each week.

The head of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which started broadcasting into the Soviet bloc during the Cold War, called the cancellation of funding "a massive gift to America's enemies."

"The Iranian ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years," its president, Stephen Capus, said in a statement.

 'Negates 80 years' of US efforts 

Advocacy group Reporters Without Borders condemned the decision, saying it "threatens press freedom worldwide and negates 80 years of American history in supporting the free flow of information."

Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and senior Democratic congresswoman Lois Frankel said in a joint statement that Trump's move would "cause lasting damage to US efforts to counter propaganda around the world."

US-funded media have reoriented themselves since the end of the Cold War, dropping much of the programming geared toward newly democratic Central and Eastern European countries and focusing on Russia and China.

Chinese state-funded media have expanded their reach sharply over the past decade, including by offering free services to outlets in the developing world that would otherwise pay for Western news agencies.

Radio Free Asia, established in 1996, sees its mission as providing uncensored reporting into countries without free media including China, Myanmar, North Korea and Vietnam.

The outlets have an editorial firewall, with a stated guarantee of independence despite government funding.

The policy has angered some around Trump, who has long railed against media and suggested that government-funded outlets should promote his policies.

The move to end US-funded media is likely to meet challenges, much like Trump's other sweeping cuts. Congress, not the president, has the constitutional power of the purse and Radio Free Asia in particular has enjoyed bipartisan support in the past. 

 'Constant anxiety' 

One VOA employee described "constant anxiety, looking at your phone at all hours, and checking X in your time off" to learn the fate of the outlet. 

The employee, who requested anonymity, described Saturday's message as another "perfect example of the chaos and unprepared nature of the process," with VOA staffers presuming that scheduled programming is off but not told so directly.

A Radio Free Asia employee said: "It's not just about losing your income. We have staff and contractors who fear for their safety. We have reporters who work under the radar in authoritarian countries in Asia. We have staff in the US who fear deportation if their work visa is no longer valid."

"Wiping us out with the strike of a pen is just terrible." 

KOCANI, Republic of North Macedonia — A fire tore through an overcrowded nightclub packed with mostly young people in North Macedonia early Sunday, killing 59 people, apparently after on-stage fireworks at a hip-hop concert set the venue ablaze, authorities said.

Some 155 people who were injured in the inferno had been taken to hospitals across the country, 22 of them in critical condition, officials said. Some of the more serious cases were taken to hospitals in other European countries.

Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said that more than 20 wounded and three of those killed in the fire were minors.

"At the time of the event around 500 people were inside, while 250 tickets were sold," he said.

The blaze started in the Club Pulse in the eastern town of Kocani, which was packed with mostly young fans attending a concert by a popular hip-hop duo called DNK.

"The fire started around 2:30 am (0130 GMT), the sparklers that were on stage ignited the styrofoam on the ceiling. I heard an explosion and the roof collapsed," one young person who was inside for the concert told local media.

"We all rushed to get out, we all ran towards one door that was for both entry and exit," they were quoted as saying.

Another, a young woman waiting outside a hospital in the capital Skopje for a friend being treated for burns, said: "Initially we didn't believe there was a fire. Then there was huge panic in the crowd and a stampede to get out."

The fire was probably caused by pyrotechnic devices "used for lighting effects at the concert," said Toskovski, who visited the scene with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.

"Sparks caught the ceiling, which was made of easily flammable material, after which the fire rapidly spread across the whole discotheque, creating thick smoke," Toskovski said.

At a later press conference Toskovski said that the authorities were investigating whether "corruption" and "bribery" were linked to the deadly nightclub fire.

"This company does not have a legal license for work," he said, referring to the club. 

"This license, as many other things in Macedonia in the past, is connected with bribery and corruption. In this case, those involved in illegal issuance of license have names and will be held responsible," he added.

More than 20 people were under investigation over the blaze, 15 of whom were in police custody, while others were in hospital, he said.

Among the suspects are the two members of the band, an owner of the club and organisers, among others.

A former director of the rescue services and a state secretary at the economy ministry were among those detained, he said.

The head of the Kocani hospital, Kristina Serafimovska, told media that "most of the dead unfortunately suffered injuries from the stampede that occurred in the panic while trying to exit".

"Seventy of the patients have burns and carbon monoxide poisoning," she said.

One of the members of the DNK duo that had performed, Vladimir Blazev, had burns to his face and needed assistance breathing, his sister told local media outlets.

 'Very sad day' 

"This is a difficult and very sad day" for the country, Mickoski wrote on his Facebook account. "The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, and the grief of their families, their loved ones and their friends is immeasurable."

The government proclaimed a seven-day mourning period and ordered flags lowered.

"A decision will also be made on an urgent and extraordinary inspection of all nightclubs, discotheques and restaurants that organise parties," the government said in a statement.

Pope Francis sent prayers to the victims and survivors and wished "the families of the dead, mostly young people, the expression of his deep condolence," the Vatican said in a message addressed to the bishop of Skopje, Kiro Stojanov.

Videos posted on social networks and shot before the fire showed there were "stage fountains" set up -- a type of indoor fireworks used during performances. 

Other videos published by media showed huge flames emerging from the building, a two-storey white structure in Kocani, a town with 30,000 residents.

An AFP photographer in the town saw military medical vehicles arrive to reinforce staff at the local hospital tending to some of the injured.

As the day unfolded, the leaders of neighbouring countries sent condolences.

Many of the patients in serious condition were transferred to other countries like Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Turkey. 

The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said on X that she was "deeply saddened about the tragic fire" and that "the EU shares the grief and pain of the people of North Macedonia".

WASHINGTON - Russia and the United States have discussed the "next steps" of how to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Sunday, hours after Kyiv's European allies urged Moscow to commit to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

The United States this week proposed the halt in fighting in the more than three-year war after talks in Saudi Arabia, which Kyiv agreed to.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given no clear answer, instead listing a string of conditions and raising "serious questions" over the proposal.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday accused the Kremlin of not wanting to end the war and warned that Moscow wanted to first "improve their situation on the battlefield" before agreeing to any ceasefire.

Moscow said Sunday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and that the pair had discussed "concrete aspects of the implementation of understandings" at a US-Russia summit in Saudi Arabia last month.

The February Riyadh gathering was the first high-level meeting between the United States and Russia since Moscow launched its invasion.

"Sergei Lavrov and Marco Rubio agreed to remain in contact," the Russian foreign ministry said, with no mention of the US-suggested ceasefire.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Saturday that the pair had "discussed the next steps" on Ukraine.

She also said Rubio and Lavrov "agreed to continue working towards restoring communication between the United States and Russia".

The call came hours after the UK hosted a virtual summit on Ukraine, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer accusing Putin of "dragging his feet" on the ceasefire.

"The 'yes, but' from Russia is not good enough," Starmer said, calling for a stop to the "barbaric attacks on Ukraine once and for all".

Kyiv the next day said Russia launched 90 Iranian-made Shahed drones onto nine Ukrainian regions.

In his reaction to the ceasefire earlier this week, Putin said the initiative would benefit primarily Ukraine and not Russian forces, who he said are "advancing" in many areas.

He raised "serious questions" over the initiative.

It has ousted Ukrainian forces from parts of its Kursk region, where Kyiv hopes to hold onto Russian territory as a potential bargaining chip in any future negotiations.

Putin said he wanted to discuss Moscow's concerns with Trump in a phone call.

Zelensky said Saturday that by not agreeing to the ceasefire, Putin was also going against Trump -- who has made overtures towards Russia -- and accused Moscow of trying to find ways not to end the war.

He accused Putin of "lying about how a ceasefire is supposedly too complicated".

Ukraine said Sunday that one person was killed by a Russian drone strike on the city of Izyum -- in the Kharkiv region, which fell to Russia at the start of its Ukraine invasion before being retaken by Kyiv's forces.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is receiving "thousands" of letters a day from around the world as he slowly recovers from pneumonia in a Rome hospital, said Italy's postal service.

The 88-year-old pontiff marked one month in Rome's Gemelli hospital Friday, where doctors now consider his condition stable and slowly improving after a critical period marked by breathing crises that risked his life.

Well-wishers have been flooding the city's postal service with letters "from the time of his hospitalisation until today," the postal service said in a statement. 

The "surge" in correspondence was being felt at the postal service's Fiumicino sorting centre, with "up to 150 kilograms more mail per day," said the unit's head, Antonello Chidichimo. 

"These days, the flow of letters and messages addressed to Pope Francis is particularly intense, a sign of the affection and closeness of the international community," said the statement.

In a bit of self-promotion, the postal service said it was playing a "fundamental role... in ensuring that every message of support and prayer reaches its destination".

The Vatican has yet to say when Francis could be released from the hospital, where he is in a special papal suite on the 10th floor.

On Friday, it again said the pope was "stable" after passing a "quiet night", but did not publish a medical bulletin in the evening as had been expected. The press office later said there was "no striking news to report". 

On the anniversary of Francis's 12 years as pope Friday, his favourite football team, Buenos Aires' San Lorenzo club, posted a video message of support, with other messages arriving from Brazilian footballer Neymar and Italy's former player and manager Ciro Ferrara. 

The Argentine pontiff has previously thanked well-wishers for their letters and prayers, noting their "affection and closeness".

In February, ten days after Francis was hospitalised, the Vatican published a message written by him in which he cited the "many messages of affection". 

"I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children," wrote Francis.

LONDON - British Prime Minister KeirStarmer on Saturday said military chiefs would meet in the UK on Thursday to discuss plans for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine to protect any eventual ceasefire.

"We agreed to accelerate our practical work to support a potential deal, so we will now move into an operational phase," Starmer said after hosting a virtual meeting of some 25 fellow leaders.

In a statement released by Starmer's Downing Street office, he added: "We agreed that now the ball was in Russia's court."

"President Putin must prove he is serious about peace, and sign up to a ceasefire on equal terms. The Kremlin's dithering and delay over President Trump's ceasefire proposal, and Russia's continued barbaric attacks on Ukraine, run entirely counter to President Putin's stated desire for peace."

The British leader told some 26 fellow leaders as they joined the group call hosted by Downing Street that they should focus on how to strengthen Ukraine, protect any ceasefire and keep up the pressure on Moscow.

While Ukraine had shown it was the "party of peace" by agreeing to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, "Putin is the one trying to delay," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskywarned that Russia wanted to achieve a "stronger position" militarily ahead of any ceasefire, more than three years since it invaded his country. 

"They want to improve their situation on the battlefield," Zelensky told a Kyiv press conference. 

The ceasefire proposal by Trump's team comes as Russia has momentum in many areas of the front in Ukraine. 

The Russian leader did not commit to an immediate ceasefire proposed by the US, instead listing a string of demands. 

But Zelensky said that Putin is "lying about how a ceasefire is supposedly too complicated."

'Just and lasting peace' 

EU chief European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a message on X that Russia has to show "it is willing to support a ceasefire leading to a just and lasting peace".

Overnight fighting continued in the relentless three-year war, with Russia saying it had taken two more villages in its Kursk border region where it has launched an offensive to wrest back seized territory.

As moves have gathered pace for a ceasefire, Moscow has pushed this week to retake a large part of the land that Ukraine originally captured in western Kursk. 

But Zelensky denied any "encirclement" of his troops in the Kursk region.

"Our troops continue to hold back Russian and North Korean groupings in the Kursk region," he said on social media.

The Russian defence ministry said troops took control over the villages of Zaoleshenka and Rubanshchina -- north and west of the town of Sudzha, the main town that Moscow reclaimed this week.

ROME — Florence was out of danger due to the "decisive" role of a key floodgate that prevented the Arno River from bursting its banks after heavy rains, Italian authorities said.

Dozens of people were evacuated from their homes Friday after the equivalent of a month's worth of rain fell in six hours, flooding streets and swelling waterways in Tuscany, the region where Florence is located.

"The important flood peak of the Arno passed along the entire length without any critical issues," Tuscany's president, Eugenio Giani, wrote on social media Saturday. 

Giani said the region's floodgate and expansion basins were "decisive" in lowering the threat to the famous Renaissance city and surrounding areas, including Pisa. 

"In these difficult hours, the hydraulic safety system of the region has made the difference despite the intense and persistent rainfall," he said.

On Saturday morning, the level of the Arno was at 3.87 metres and slowly receding, said Florence mayor Sara Funaro, who added that the levels of all tributaries had fallen below warning levels.

On Friday evening, the river had surpassed four metres. 

A red weather alert remains in effect Saturday till 1400 GMT, with parks, cemeteries, markets, museums and libraries closed. 

The Arno, which runs through Florence and Pisa, is prone to flooding in spring and fall. 

A floodgate located between Pisa and Florence, which authorities ordered opened Friday afternoon, "literally knocked down the Arno flood wave that was rising," Giani said. 

Construction of the floodgate began after a devastating flood in 1949. But it was not completed in time to help avert another massive flood in 1996 which killed over 100 people and destroyed or damaged countless works of art. 

Approximately 500 fire-fighters worked over the past 24 hours to carry out 430 interventions in the provinces of Florence, Prato, Pisa and Livorno, including rescues, due to flooding, landslides, the fire service said. 

Authorities were still responding to "critical issues" in certain towns outside Florence, he said. 

Friday's red weather alert caused Florence's world-famous Uffizi Galleries to close early, along with the Duomo cathedral.

WASHINGTON —US President Donald Trump's administration is mulling a new travel ban that would affect citizens from dozens of countries to varying degrees, the New York Times reported Friday. 

Citing anonymous officials, it said the draft list featured 43 countries, divided into three categories of travel restrictions.

The red category of countries whose citizens would be completely barred from entering the United States includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.

Another 10 countries in the orange category, Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Turkmenistan, would see their visas sharply restricted. 

"In those cases, affluent business travelers might be allowed to enter, but not people traveling on immigrant or tourist visas," the New York Times said. 

Citizens from countries on the orange list would also have to undergo in-person interviews to receive a visa. 

Another 22 countries on a yellow list would have 60 days to address US concerns or risk being moved up to one of the more stringent categories. 

"The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal deliberations, cautioned that the list had been developed by the State Department several weeks ago, and that changes were likely by the time it reached the White House," the New York Times said.

As one of his first acts in office, Trump froze the United States' refugee admission program and almost all foreign aid.

Trump ordered the US government to identify countries whose nationals should be banned from entering on security grounds, a move akin to the so-called "Muslim ban" of his first term.

That ban, which in 2017 targeted citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, ignited international outrage and lead to domestic court rulings against it. 

Iraq and Sudan were dropped from the list, but in 2018 the Supreme Court upheld a later version of the ban for the other nations, as well as North Korea and Venezuela.