Blinken Heading to Paris, Brussels to Seek Unity on Ukraine, Gaza Wars

Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to go to France and Belgium next week to try to build unity among allies in support of Ukraine in its war against Russia and of Israel in its war against Hamas. Analysts say he faces a tough task. VOA Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. …

Stakes Are High for Turkish President, Opposition in Local Elections

washington — Millions of Turkish citizens will head to the polls Sunday to elect mayors and local administrators for their cities and districts. The elections come less than a year after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured his term for another five years last May. “Now we have 2024 ahead of us,” Erdogan said in his victory speech, adding, “Are you ready to win both Uskudar [a district in Istanbul where Erdogan’s personal residence is] and Istanbul in the local elections in 2024?” Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) aims to win back key cities, including Turkey’s largest, Istanbul, and its capital, Ankara, which it lost to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in 2019 through its alliance with the nationalist IYI Party. Istanbul race Winning Istanbul and Ankara, two cities that account for a quarter of Turkey’s population, gave the CHP a key position in power for the past five years. Some analysts observe that the Istanbul race will be one of the main contested races. “This election largely revolves around Istanbul. In the presidential elections, [opposition alliance candidate] Kemal Kilicdaroglu received more votes than Erdogan in both rounds in Istanbul,” political scientist Ismet Akca told VOA. Istanbul, with its 15 million population, is symbolically important for political parties. An old saying in Turkish politics – “Whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey” – was used by Erdogan a couple of times. Early in his career Erdogan was the city’s mayor, from 1994 to 1998. The current Istanbul mayor and CHP candidate Ekrem Imamoglu was considered one of the possible vice presidents if the opposition alliance had won the May 2023 parliamentary and presidential elections. However, after Erdogan’s victory in May 2023, the opposition alliance, headed by CHP and IYI, collapsed. The two parties are running their own candidates in the local elections. Also, new political parties, including the center-right DEVA, the far-right Victory Party and the Islamist New Welfare Party, have emerged over the past five years, and they will compete in the Istanbul race with their own candidates. In the 2019 election, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP, which is using a new name, DEM Party) did not announce a candidate and supported the opposition alliance’s Imamoglu. However, this year, the DEM Party has campaigned for prominent Kurdish politician Meral Danis Bestas, its candidate for Istanbul. Erdogan’s AKP selected Murat Kurum, 47, former minister of environment and urbanization, … “Stakes Are High for Turkish President, Opposition in Local Elections”

White House Reveals Urgency of Warning Russians of Potential Terror Attack

white house — Duty to warn. It is the obligation that the United States says it takes upon itself if the intelligence community is able to identify an impending threat to a particular country. The U.S. acted on this duty just two weeks before the deadly attack near Moscow claimed by Islamic State. U.S. officials had warned Russia that extremists had imminent plans for such an attack, but the Kremlin brushed off the warning as mere blackmail and efforts to destabilize Russian society. John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, spoke to VOA about the terrorist attack. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. VOA: First of all, let’s jump into fresh accusations coming from Russia today. Russia’s FSB [intelligence] chief accused the U.K., the U.S. and Ukraine of being behind the Moscow attack on the concert hall. What’s your response to that? Kirby: Nonsense. VOA: The United States has exercised its duty to warn the Russian counterparts of an incoming threat. Why was it important for the American side to warn Russians given that they are waging the war against Ukraine and they turned into the world pariah? Kirby: Because it was going to be innocent Russian people that were going to fall victim and in fact, did fall victim and we take our duty to warn very, very seriously. We have all kinds of problems with the way Mr. [Vladimir] Putin is leading and governing, if you want to call it that, and we certainly have significant concerns about the continued reckless and violent attacks on Ukrainian people and Ukrainian infrastructure. But we don’t have a beef with the Russian people. And we had information that they were going to put Russian people, innocent Russians at risk from a terrorist threat. So you bet we informed Russian authorities as appropriate as we would do for any country. VOA: I’m wondering what their response looked like. Was it a thank you note? Or did they say, “It’s nonsense, leave it to yourself?” Kirby: I won’t characterize what the other side did with the information that we provided. We provided useful, we believe, valuable information about what we thought was an imminent terrorist attack. We also warned Americans about staying away from public places like concert halls. So we were very direct with our Russian counterparts appropriately to make sure that they had as much useful information as … “White House Reveals Urgency of Warning Russians of Potential Terror Attack”

Battle for Istanbul Mayor Could Determine Turkey’s Future

Turkey holds nationwide local elections Sunday, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party looking to regain control of Istanbul, Turkey’s main city and his onetime stronghold. As Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, the outcome of the local elections could set all of Turkey on a different path. …

Russia Uses Veto to Shut Down UN Sanctions Monitors on North Korea  

New York — Russia used its U.N. Security Council veto Thursday to end monitoring of U.N. sanctions against North Korea, after the monitors reported on Moscow’s violations.   “Today’s vote will only embolden the DPRK to act with further impunity, as the DPRK jeopardizes global security through the development of long-range ballistic missiles and sanctions evasion efforts,” said U.S. envoy Robert Wood.     DPRK is the abbreviation for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.      While the monitors’ work will be halted, the sanctions remain in effect, and the Security Council sanctions committee will continue to oversee their implementation.    Several council members said the reason Russia wants the panel of experts disbanded is because in its most recent report in February, it details prohibited transfers of military equipment and munitions from North Korea to Russia, for use in its war in Ukraine. Moscow has denied the allegations.     “At this moment, Russia seems to be more interested in embracing or encouraging the DPRK for its provision of munitions and ballistic missiles for the conduct of its war in Ukraine at the expense of nuclear non-proliferation regime and the proper functioning of the Security Council,” said South Korean Ambassador Joonkook Hwang.    Japan’s envoy said Russia’s veto was “irresponsible and shameful,” especially as it was being used to defend North Korea’s unlawful weapons programs.    “It’s no exaggeration to say that we are standing at a critical historical juncture for ensuring nonproliferation of WMDs in the future,” Ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki said. “Nobody, except for the proliferators, would benefit from weaking the global non-proliferation regime.”    Since 2006, the council has adopted several sanctions resolutions intended to limit North Korea’s access to funds and materials for its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile weapons programs. The council created the panel of experts in 2009, and since then they have documented implementation and alleged violations of council resolutions.     But despite tough sanctions, Pyongyang continues to advance its weapons programs. Just last week, it carried out three ballistic missile tests and in November it put a military satellite into orbit.     “In this context, who can seriously doubt the need to have an independent panel of experts allowing us to document the violations of this council’s resolutions?” asked France’s ambassador, Nicolas de Riviere.     Russia’s envoy said sanctions have not achieved their aim of normalizing the situation in the Korean Peninsula. Vassily Nebenzia added … “Russia Uses Veto to Shut Down UN Sanctions Monitors on North Korea  “

Death Toll in Moscow Concert Hall Attack Rises to 143; 80 Others Still Hospitalized 

moscow — The death toll from last week’s Moscow concert hall attack rose to 143, Russian authorities said Wednesday. About 80 other people wounded in the siege by gunmen remain hospitalized.  The Friday night massacre in Crocus City Hall, a sprawling shopping and entertainment venue on the northwestern outskirts of Moscow, was the deadliest extremist attack on Russian soil in nearly two decades. At least four gunmen toting automatic rifles shot at thousands of concertgoers and set the venue on fire.  An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the violence, while U.S. intelligence said it had information confirming the group was responsible. French President Emmanuel Macron said France also has intelligence pointing to “an IS entity” as responsible for the attack.  The updated fatalities from Russia’s Emergencies Ministry didn’t state the number of wounded, but Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said earlier Wednesday that 80 people were in hospitals and another 205 had sought medical treatment from the attack.  Russia’s Federal Security Service, or the FSB, said it had arrested 11 people the day after the attack, including four suspected gunmen. The four men, identified as Tajik nationals, appeared in a Moscow court on Sunday on terrorism charges and showed signs of severe beatings. One appeared to be barely conscious during the hearing.  Russian officials, however, have insisted that Ukraine and the West had a role, which Kyiv vehemently denies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of trying to drum up fervor as his forces fight in Ukraine.  FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov also has alleged, without providing evidence, that Western spy agencies could have been involved. He repeated Putin’s claim that the four gunmen were trying to escape to Ukraine when they were arrested, casting it as proof of Kyiv’s alleged involvement.    But that assertion was undercut by Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, who said Tuesday that the suspects were headed for Ukraine because they feared tight controls on the Belarus border.  The Islamic State group, which lost much of its territory following Russia’s military action in Syria after 2015, has long targeted Russia. In October 2015, a bomb planted by IS downed a Russian jetliner over the Sinai desert, killing all 224 people aboard, most of them Russian vacationers returning from Egypt.  The group, which operates mainly in Syria and Iraq but also in Afghanistan and Africa, also has claimed several attacks in Russia’s … “Death Toll in Moscow Concert Hall Attack Rises to 143; 80 Others Still Hospitalized “

Estonian Foreign Minister: ‘If Ukraine Fails, We All Fail’

washington — Ukraine was the focus of a high-level delegation from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in Washington this week. In an interview with VOA Georgian Service’s Eka Maghaldadze, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said there should be no Plan B when it comes to Ukraine, because its failure would mean the failure of democracy. The following has been edited for length and clarity. VOA: You visited Washington this week, together with your colleagues from Latvia and Lithuania, to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine and the threats for European security with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Why? Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna: Talking about Ukraine is very important. It’s the main topic. … NATO is the only working security guarantee for Ukraine and for the whole region. We discussed how we can move forward with supporting Ukraine, and [how] we can also use frozen Russian assets to help Kyiv. Estonia increased our defense spendings up to 3.2% of our GDP. We increased taxes, but the society is supportive, knowing what’s at stake. The war can come to our territories as well. VOA: The U.S. approved $228 million in military and defense aid to the Baltic States. What concerns did you share with Secretary Blinken, and what assurances did you get from the Biden administration? Tsahkna: A big portion of the money from U.S. aid is coming back to U.S. industries and economy, because we buy from the U.S. … Europe is doing its share, increasing defense spending, but we can’t carry alone the burden of European security. U.S. leadership is crucial for us. It’s a matter of image, as well. I really do hope that the aid package for Ukraine will pass in Congress soon. VOA: With U.S. aid on hold and widespread concern among Ukraine’s supporters that the U.S. and the West are not giving Kyiv what it needs to win, what signal does it send to Moscow? Do you think there is a political will and readiness for Ukraine’s victory? Tsahkna: Ukrainians are fighting because this is an existential fight. Because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin doesn’t want to have peace right now. He wants to destroy all the nation as a country. This is something crucial. We must understand that any idea or initiative [for peace talks] without Ukraine will be a trap. Putin needs this kind of initiative just to show that he’s strong and we are weak. This … “Estonian Foreign Minister: ‘If Ukraine Fails, We All Fail’”

Slovakians Form Human Chain Around Threatened Public Broadcaster

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Protesters in Slovakia formed a human chain around the country’s public television and radio building Wednesday in anger over a takeover plan by the government whose populist, pro-Russia prime minister recently labeled several private media outlets his enemies.  The takeover plan was drafted by Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova, who represents an ultra-nationalist member party of the coalition government and has worked for an internet television outlet known for spreading disinformation.  The plan has been condemned by President Zuzana Caputova, opposition parties, local journalists, international media organizations, the European Commission and others who warn that the government would be taking full control of public broadcasting. Slovak journalists have called the plan an attack on all free media.  Wednesday’s was the latest protest against the policies of Prime Minister Robert Fico, known for his tirades against journalists. His critics worry Slovakia under him will abandon its pro-Western course and follow the direction of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban.  Simkovicova has said taking over public media is needed because she believes the current broadcaster is biased, giving space only to mainstream views and censoring the rest. The broadcaster has denied that.  According to her plan, the current public radio and television known as RTVS would be replaced by a new organization. A new seven-member council with members nominated by the government and parliament would select the broadcaster’s director and have the right to fire the director without giving cause.  The current broadcaster’s director was elected by parliament, and his term in office will end in 2027.  The hundreds of protesters unveiled a banner reading “HANDS OFF RTVS!” and chanted to local journalists, “We’re by your side.” Thousands of people rallied in a similar protest earlier this month.  Fico returned to power for the fourth time last year after his leftist party Smer, or Direction, won the parliamentary election on a pro-Russian, anti-American platform.  …

Central Asians in Russia Face Backlash After IS-K Terror Attack

Washington — Russian media and analysts are reporting a spike in hate crimes and violence against migrants from Central Asia following last week’s terror attack on a Moscow concert hall, which has led to the arrests of seven people of Tajik origin. Responsibility for the attack, which killed at least 139 people and injured nearly 200, has been claimed by the Islamic State terror group’s Afghan affiliate, known as Islamic State-Khorasan, or IS-K, which includes a number of Central Asians in prominent roles. “A market owned by Tajiks in Blagoveshchensk, Amur Region, was torched. Unknown persons beat three Tajik migrants in Kaluga,” said Edward Lemon, president of the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs in Washington. “Tajiks have reported being evicted without reason. Screenshots have circulated on social media showing taxi riders on apps like Yandex refusing to ride with Tajik drivers. Law enforcement have launched raids across the country to find and detain illegal immigrants,” Lemon added. “Viral videos are circulating on social media calling for Tajiks to be deported, claiming they are all ‘terrorists’ and calling for the death penalty to be reintroduced.” Tajiks are not the only victims of the backlash, according to Russian media reports and activists. In Yekaterinburg, security officials have reportedly threatened to fine businesses that refuse to list any Central Asians working for them. Kyrgyzstan has warned its citizens to avoid travel to Russia, while Uzbekistan’s External Labor Migration Agency issued a travel advisory outlining security precautions. While publicly seeking to lay blame for the attack on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has behind the scenes been in talks with his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rahmon, to discuss ways to strengthen counter-terrorism measures. Lemon said that one possible outcome could be the extradition of some Tajik citizens to Russia. “From the Tajik side, my sources say that the government is already hoping to link the attacks to the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan in a bid to crack down on its actual and alleged supporters,” Lemon told VOA. “Rahmon will seek to ensure that we don’t see mass violence against Tajik migrants in Russia or deportations that could destabilize his regime,” he said. “Putin needs to tread a tightrope as the Russian economy needs migrants.” Other analysts see Central Asian migrants, who already face a difficult life in Russia despite the vital role they play in the economy, as convenient targets for the public’s … “Central Asians in Russia Face Backlash After IS-K Terror Attack”

Prosecutor Seeks 2-1/2-Year Jail Term for Spain’s Ex-Soccer Chief Rubiales Over Kiss

MADRID — A prosecutor at Spain’s High Court is seeking a prison sentence of 2-1/2 years for former soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales over his unsolicited kiss on player Jenni Hermoso, a court document seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed. Prosecutor Marta Durantez charged Rubiales with one count of sexual assault and one of coercion for his alleged actions in the aftermath of the kiss, offenses carrying jail terms of one year and one-and-a-half years, respectively. Rubiales, 46, unleashed a furor when he grabbed Hermoso and kissed her on the lips on Aug. 20 of last year during the awards ceremony after Spain’s victory in the women’s World Cup in Sydney.   Hermoso and her teammates said the kiss was unwanted and demeaning, but Rubiales argued it was consensual and denied any wrongdoing.   The prosecutor also accused the former coach of the women’s national team, Jorge Vilda, the team’s current sporting director, Albert Luque, and the federation’s head of marketing, Ruben Rivera, of coercing Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual. All three have denied wrongdoing when they appeared before the court. Durantez seeks to have Rubiales pay $54,080 in damages to Hermoso, and another $54,080 jointly paid by Rubiales, Vilda, Luque and Rivera. If the court were to convict Rubiales and impose the sentencing sought by the prosecutor he would not necessarily have to go to prison. Spain’s criminal code allows judges to “exceptionally” suspend the execution of the sentence if – as in this case – none of the sentences imposed individually exceeds two years. …

Exile Offers Little Protection for Russian Journalists

When Russia imposed harsh laws on reporters covering its invasion of Ukraine, dozens fled. But physical distance doesn’t always keep exiled journalists safe. Steve Baragona narrates this story by Liam Scott in Berlin. (Camera and Produced by: Jonathan Spier ) …

Bus Accident in Eastern Germany Kills at Least 5 People 

Berlin — At least five people were killed Wednesday when a bus headed from Berlin to Switzerland came off a highway in eastern Germany and ended up on its side, authorities said. The accident happened on the A9 highway near Leipzig at about 9:45 a.m. and the road was closed in both directions. It wasn’t immediately clear why the bus, which was operated by Flixbus and en route from Berlin to Zurich, came off the road. Rescue helicopters and ambulances were at the scene. Police spokesman Olaf Hoppe told n-tv television that there were “numerous injured and at least five dead.” Flixbus said there were 53 passengers and two drivers on board, German news agency dpa reported. The company said it was working closely with local authorities and rescue services and would do everything to clear up the cause of the accident quickly. The A9 is a major north-south route that links Berlin with Munich. The scene of the accident was just north of a highway interchange at Schkeuditz, next to the Leipzig/Halle airport. …

Ukraine Raises Country’s Spirits with Euro 2024 Qualification

WROCLAW, Poland — Ukraine’s qualification for the Euro 2024 soccer finals has cheered a country suffering hardship in its conflict with Russia and for a few weeks in June and July the tournament will provide a welcome distraction from the harsh reality of war. The team came from behind to defeat Iceland 2-1 in their playoff final in neutral Poland Tuesday and book a fourth successive appearance in the continental finals. They will be in Group E with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania, who they face in their opening game in Munich on June 17. Russia’s war with Ukraine has now entered a third year and, despite heavy casualties on both sides, it shows no sign of coming to an end following Russia’s invasion of February 2022. “I am very proud to be a Ukrainian, to be of the same blood as those who are now giving their lives for our freedom,” team captain Oleksandr Zinchenko said after Tuesday’s victory. “We need to talk about it, shout about it every day. This is the only way we can win. It was one of our most emotional games. “It is an amazing feeling. I am very happy because it is another dream come true. A big thank you to our fans, they helped us through these difficult times amazingly.” Coach Serhiy Rebrov said in the build-up to the Iceland match that it was hard for his team to concentrate on football. “The missiles are flying every day. Our mission is to show that we’re all alive and fighting against the Russians and that we need Europe’s support,” Rebrov said. He added that his players were “watching the news about the shelling of Odessa and Kyiv (and made) even more angry and eager to show our potential on the football field.” The coach hailed the “character of our players and our nation” to keep going in a qualifying campaign where, as refugees from the war themselves, Ukraine have staged ‘home’ matches spread across Europe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the team’s resilience in difficult times. “Thank you, team. For the important victory and making it to EURO,” Zelenskiy said in a post on X. “For proving once again, whenever Ukrainians face difficulties they do not give up and continue to fight, Ukrainians certainly win. “In times, when the enemy tries to destroy us, we demonstrate every day that Ukrainians are and will be. Ukraine … “Ukraine Raises Country’s Spirits with Euro 2024 Qualification”

Dutch Hyperloop Center Aims to Advance Futuristic Transport Technology

VEENDAM, Netherlands — A 420-meter, or quarter-mile, white steel tube running alongside a railway line in the windswept northern Netherlands could usher in a new era for the transportation of people and freight. The tube is the heart of the new European Hyperloop Center that opens Tuesday and will be a proving ground in coming years for developers of the evolving technology. Hyperloop, once trumpeted by Elon Musk, involves capsules floating on magnetic fields zipping at speeds of around 700 kph (435 mph) through low-pressure tubes. Its advocates tout it as far more efficient than short-haul flights, high-speed rail and freight trucks. But since Musk unveiled the concept that he said could shuttle passengers the nearly 645 kilometers (400 miles) between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 30 minutes, it has progressed at a much slower pace from the drawing board toward the real world. “I expect by 2030, you will have the first hyperloop route, maybe 5 kilometers (3 miles) in which people will actually be transporting passengers,” said the center’s director, Sascha Lamme. “Actually, there’s already preparations being done for such routes in, for example, Italy or India.” Not everybody is as optimistic about Hyperloop’s future. “This is just another example of policymakers chasing a shiny object when basic investment in infrastructure is needed,” Robert Noland, distinguished professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, said in comments emailed to The Associated Press. “It costs too much to build,” he added. Lamme said skeptics should come and look for themselves. “We built the European Hyperloop Center and from what we have built, we know that we can be competitive with high-speed rail,” he said. “And then, we have not even included all the cost optimizations that we can do in the coming decade to reduce that even further.” The test center’s tube is made up of 34 separate sections mostly 2½ meters (more than 8 feet) in diameter. A vacuum pump in a steel container next to the tube sucks out the air to reduce the internal pressure. That reduces drag and allows capsules to travel at such high speeds. A test capsule built by Dutch hyperloop pioneer Hardt Hyperloop will take part next month in the first tests at the center that is funded by private investment as well as contributions from the provincial government, the Dutch national government and the European Commission. A … “Dutch Hyperloop Center Aims to Advance Futuristic Transport Technology”

Thousands Protest Against Hungary’s Orban After Leaks of Graft Case Tape

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Thousands of people protested in Budapest near parliament on Tuesday demanding the chief prosecutor and Prime Minister Viktor Orban resign after a former government insider accused a senior aide to Orban of trying interfere in a graft case. Protesters marched from the chief prosecutor’s office toward parliament shouting “Resign, resign,” with many carrying torches. Peter Magyar earlier published a recording of a conversation with Judit Varga, then his wife and Hungary’s justice minister, in which she detailed an attempt by aides to Orban’s cabinet chief to remove certain parts from documents in a graft case. The case is centered on former justice ministry state secretary Pal Volner, who was charged in 2022 with accepting bribes from the former head of the Court Bailiffs, Gyorgy Schadl. Both have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors are seeking jail terms for the pair. Prosecutors said in a statement they would analyze the tape, which Magyar said he recorded in January 2023, and further evidence would be collected. “It is legally and physically impossible to eliminate and meddle into prosecution documents,” the statement said. Prosecutors were scheduled to hold a press conference on Thursday. The allegations come at a politically sensitive time for Orban ahead of European parliamentary elections in June, and follow a sex abuse scandal that brought down two of Orban’s political allies – the former president and the former justice minister Judit Varga – last month. Magyar, 43, a lawyer formerly close to the government, plans to launch a new party to challenge Orban. “Hungarians thank you … for coming in the thousands tonight … to tell those in power that we have had enough,” he told protesters in a speech. On the audio tape, recorded in the then-couple’s home, and published on Magyar’s Facebook page, Varga says aides linked to cabinet chief minister Antal Rogan suggested to prosecutors what should be deleted from documents related to the Volner/Schadl case. “They told the prosecutors what should be deleted but they (prosecutors) did not entirely follow up on that,” Varga is heard on the tape as saying. Former justice minister Varga, who could not be reached for comment, did not dispute the authenticity of the tape in a post on her Facebook page. “Peter Magyar made a secret recording of his former spouse, me, in our home and now used this to achieve his political goals. He is not worthy of anybody’s … “Thousands Protest Against Hungary’s Orban After Leaks of Graft Case Tape”

British Judges Want Guarantee Wikileaks’ Assange Won’t Face Death Penalty

Britain’s high court has ruled the United States must guarantee that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will not get the death penalty if he is extradited to the U.S. on espionage charges. Assange’s lawyers are fighting to allow a full appeal against his extradition on accusations related to Wikileaks’ publishing of stolen military files. For VOA, Henry Ridgwell reports from London. …