Новости за 11.01.2023

A Spanish journalist whose cellphone was targeted by Pegasus spyware is fighting a civil lawsuit after Morocco demanded that he retract accusations that it spied on him. The complaint against Ignacio Cembrero, an expert on Spanish-Moroccan relations and contributor to the Spanish news website El Confidencial, will be heard by a court in Madrid in December. In 2021, an investigative journalism project found the Israeli-made spyware Pegasus installed on the devices of journalists, activists and opposition figures in dozens of countries... Читать дальше...

A congressional reassessment of American policy towards China is expected to get underway in earnest early next month.   In a 365-65 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution Tuesday creating a special Select Committee on China. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has tapped Republican Representative Mike Gallagher to chair the committee’s work.   "A lot of people are interested. I spoke to the Republican caucus this morning and a lot of people have expressed interest. I'm optimistic... Читать дальше...

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

A bomb explosion near the foreign ministry in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, Wednesday killed at least five people and wounded at least 40 others.     Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul city police, confirmed the death toll and condemned what he called a “cowardly act” targeting Afghan civilians.   An Italian-based charitable EMERGENCY hospital in Kabul is treating many of the wounded. “We have received more than 40 patients in the hospital; it is difficult to draw up a final number. We are continuing to respond,” said Stefano Sozza... Читать дальше...

The U.N.’s top human rights official warns the U.S. government’s new border enforcement measures risk undermining peoples’ basic rights to seek asylum. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk says he fears the new border policy will undercut the basic foundations of human rights and refugee law to protect the lives of people fleeing for safety. Türk’s spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, tells VOA the High Commissioner is concerned the measures will lead to an increase in collective expulsions... Читать дальше...

Ethiopia’s military says Tigrayan forces have started handing over heavy weapons as part of the peace deal to end the two-year civil war. Ethiopia’s federal defense force in a statement Wednesday confirmed Tigray forces have started handing over heavy weapons— the latest progress in line with a November peace deal. The statement said the “first round” of weapons were transported on Tuesday in Agula camp, 36 kilometers from Tigray’s capital, Mekelle. Ethiopian Army Commander Lieutenant Colonel... Читать дальше...

Fishing boats arrive back at Idenau, a coastal village near Cameroon's western border with Nigeria. Authorities say there are several hundred fishers in Idenau and most of their catch is exported to neighboring states like Nigeria as well as to Europe. But fishing authorities say many of the fishers operating in Cameroon’s waters in the Gulf of Guinea are not registered and not from Cameroon. That’s why fishers in Cameroon are urging authorities to crack down on hundreds of illegal fishers... Читать дальше...

Nigerian activists have welcomed the release of nine protesters who took part in 2020 demonstrations against police brutality. They were released along with 32 prisoners held at Agodi custodial center in southwestern Oyo state. The protesters had been held since October 2020 without trial, after they were arrested during the nationwide protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, the SARS unit of the Nigerian police. Their clemency was part of the state authorities' three-day tour to the state prisons in a bid to decongest them. Читать дальше...

New York Republicans on Wednesday called for the resignation of "disgraced" newly elected U.S. Representative George Santos, following revelations he fabricated much of his resume and life story during his campaign. They made the call in a news conference two days after a nonpartisan watchdog accused Santos of breaking campaign finance laws in a filing with the Federal Elections Committee. The Nassau County, New York, Republican Party, from the New York City suburb that includes the majority of Santos' district... Читать дальше...

On January 3, while Republicans in the House of Representatives were deadlocked over electing a speaker of the house, Democratic Senator Patty Murray was briefly second in line to the U.S. presidency. That's because the longtime Democratic senator from Washington state made history when she became the first woman to serve as Senate president pro tempore, a largely ceremonial role that will see Murray filling in as head of the Senate whenever Vice President Kamala Harris is absent. In Latin, "pro... Читать дальше...

In India, hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes in a Himalayan town where officials say the land is sinking. Experts say the crisis underlines the risks posed by unsustainable development in a fragile mountain region. Anjana Pasricha has this report. Camera: Masood Najem

A Chinese national who has been studying in Boston has been indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury for allegedly stalking and threatening another Chinese citizen for posting fliers that support democracy in China. The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday that 25-year-old Xiaolei Wu, a student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, was indicted on one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communications. He was arrested in December on a single count of stalking. Читать дальше...

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration says normal air traffic operations are gradually resuming across the U.S. after an outage affected one of its computer systems.   The FAA had earlier ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures Wednesday due to an issue with its Notice to Air Missions System but now says the “ground stop has been lifted.”   “We continue to look into the cause of the initial problem.” The FAA tweeted. “I have been in touch with FAA this morning about an outage... Читать дальше...

China is taking further retaliatory steps against South Korea and Japan over the two countries' strict coronavirus testing requirements on Chinese visitors.    China’s National Immigration Administration announced Wednesday it is suspending its travel visa exemptions for South Korean and Japanese nationals. The decision comes a day after Beijing suspended issuing short-term visas for citizens of both countries.    Beijing abruptly reversed its strict “zero-Covid” strategy on December 7. The strategy... Читать дальше...

Authorities in France say an attacker armed with a knife wounded six people Wednesday morning at a busy train station in Paris.  Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters police shot the attacker, who was “between life and death” after being taken to a hospital.  The attack happened at the Gare du Nord station, one of the busiest in Europe.  The motive for the attack was unclear, and authorities say they have opened a criminal investigation.  Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.

China’s ambassador to Australia said in rare public comments that relations between the two nations have reached a period of “stability.”          Xiao Qian suggested the improving relationship might give Chinese companies more confidence to resume imports from Australia and that bans on coal shipments to China might be lifted.   China’s ambassador made the remarks Tuesday during a news conference in Canberra.  He told reporters that differences should not be allowed to “hijack” their relationship... Читать дальше...

U.S. filmmaker Steven Spielberg was among the honorees at the annual Golden Globes awards ceremony Tuesday night.  The director of such classics as “Jaws,” “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan” won the best director trophy for his autobiographical film “The Fabelmans,” which was named best movie drama. It was the third Golden Globes award for the 76-year-old Spielberg, who previously won for “Schindler's List” and “Saving Private Ryan.”  “The Banshees of Inisherin,” a dark story about two feuding Irishmen... Читать дальше...

The U.S. Navy said Tuesday it intercepted a shipment of assault rifles last week bound for Yemen that it believes came from Iran.  A statement from the U.S. 5th Fleet said 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles were found on a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman that was traversing “a route historically used to traffic illicit cargo” to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.  The statement said U.S. forces had intercepted two other fishing vessels in the same area during the past two months that were also carrying weapons from Iran to Yemen. Читать дальше...

Wayne Chiang Wan-an, the ostensible great-grandson of Chiang Kai-shek who was sworn in as mayor of Taipei City late last month, is the latest scion of an Asian political dynasty to assume public office. From President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Philippines to Hun Manet, the son of longtime leader Hun Sen, in Cambodia and even Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar, second, third and even fourth generation legacies wield major political influence across the region. Analysts say Chiang Wan-an cuts a slightly... Читать дальше...

Sinkholes swallowed cars and floodwaters swamped towns and swept away a small boy as wild weather wracked California and another powerful storm loomed on the horizon. Millions of residents faced flood warnings, nearly 50,000 people were under evacuation orders, and more than 110,000 homes and businesses were without power because of heavy rains, lightning, hail and landslides. At least 17 people have died from storms that began late last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a visit to the scenic... Читать дальше...

For months the gaze of U.S. counterterrorism officials has been shifting, moving from scrutiny of foreign terrorist organizations to individuals in the United States seeking out ideologies to justify their use of violence.  The most likely attackers, according to the government's most recent terrorism advisory, are lone actors or small groups motivated by a wide array of beliefs and personal grievances who pose a "persistent and lethal threat to the homeland."  But while attacks like the May... Читать дальше...

VOA Persian journalist on how Iranians mobilize on social media and in real life to try to save jailed protesters from execution. FDD analyst on impact of four months of protests on Iran’s Islamist rulers. CNAS analyst on why petrochemicals are so important for Iran as the US toughens sanctions on Iranian oil.

There were 18 weather and climate disaster events in the United States last year that each exceeded $1 billion in losses, making 2022 the third-costliest year in records spanning more than four decades, a federal report showed on Tuesday. Last year was also the third-highest disaster count ever, the Assessing the U.S. Climate in 2022 report by the National Centers for Environmental Information said. The centers counted six severe storms, three tropical cyclones, three hail events, two tornadoes and one each for drought... Читать дальше...

Calls are mounting for the Biden administration to revoke the visa of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently staying in Florida, following riots in Brazil by his supporters. But experts warn that efforts to force his return involuntarily, especially through extradition, could face legal challenges that could drag on for years. Bolsonaro has been in Orlando, Florida, since late December. He left Brazil just days before the inauguration of his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva... Читать дальше...

Constantine, the former and last king of Greece who spent decades in exile, died Tuesday. He was 82. Doctors at the private Hygeia Hospital in Athens confirmed to The Associated Press that Constantine died late Tuesday after treatment in an intensive care unit but had no further details pending an official announcement. When he rose to the throne as Constantine II 1964 at the age of 23, the youthful monarch who had achieved glory as an Olympic gold medalist in sailing was hugely popular. By the... Читать дальше...