VOA News for Wednesday, March 31st, 2021

VOA News for Wednesday, March 31st, 2021
Thanks to gandalf.ddo.jp/ for transcribing
This is VOA news. Via remote, I'm Marissa Melton.
The international community pledged $4.4 billion on Tuesday to assist millions of Syrian refugees and internally [placed *dispersons] displaced persons this year. Syria is entering its second decade of civil war this month with no end in sight.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message Tuesday, "For 10 years, Syrians have endured death, destruction, displacement and deprivation." He spoke to the 5th Brussels conference on "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region," which was held virtually.
The 4.4 billion figure falls far short of the more than 10 billion the United Nations says is needed to fully support vulnerable Syrians and [re...] refugee-hosting communities this year. The U.N. figure includes at least 4.2 billion for the humanitarian response inside Syria and 5.8 billion to support refugees and host communities in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, as well as Egypt and Iraq.
Guterres expressed concern that the situation inside Syria is not improving but is instead drifting toward a state of what he called "no war, no peace." Efforts to make progress on a political settlement have continued to flounder.
In the meantime, the daily struggle for ordinary Syrians inside the country and those seeking haven in the region has worsened over the past year due to the combination of conflict, financial crises and COVID-19.
The U.N. says more than 13 million people inside Syria need humanitarian assistance this year. That's a 20 percent increase over 2020. More than 12 million Syrians are facing food insecurity as poverty and soaring food prices both hit record levels.
This is VOA news.
Iranian state TV said Tuesday that Iran will not stop its 20 percent uranium enrichment before the United States lifts all sanctions as both countries seek a graceful way to return to international nuclear talks.
The 2015 international nuclear deal removed economic sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program to make it harder to develop a nuclear weapon. That's an ambition that Iran denies having.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018, after which Iran began ramping up its enrichment activities again.
Asked if the Biden administration still planned to submit a proposal to bring Iran back to the table, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday that "we remain committed to pursuing a diplomatic process to determine a way forward." "Sometimes," she added "that takes some time.”
China's national legislature has approved several new changes to Hong Kong's electoral system that further shuts out the city's pro-democracy forces.
The changes passed Tuesday by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and signed into law by President Xi Jinping include the creation of a special committee that will review the qualifications of potential candidates to ensure Hong Kong is governed by so-called "patriots.”
The new rules would also reduce the number of directly elected lawmakers in the city's Legislative Council, while expanding the total number of seats from 70 to 90, as well expanding the number of members on Hong Kong's electoral commission that selects the city's chief executive.
The electoral changes were praised by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who said bringing in more "patriots" into the legislature means that the "excessive, [politita..., politize...] pardon me, [ah, i, pol...] politicization in society and the internal rift that has torn Hong Kong apart can be effectively mitigated." Not laughing at the news, of course, but at my own struggles with that word.
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández's brother was sentenced to life in prison by a New York judge Tuesday for large-scale drug trafficking. Prosecutors said President Hernández himself had been a "co-conspirator" in his brother's crimes although he wasn't charged in the case.
Tony Hernández, who is 42, was found guilty in October, 2019 on four counts, including conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, possessing machine guns and making false statements.
Hernández defense team had called for the mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years. Prosecutors had demanded life, stressing Hernández had "shown no remorse" and was "a central figure in one of the largest cocaine trafficking conspiracies in the world.”
Marissa Melton, VOA news.

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Somethings a word gets stuck on the tongue get you tongue tied. I know I appreciate all you guys do to posting non bias news