Новости за 21.03.2023

The government of Niger says it negotiated the release of a U.S. aid worker and a French journalist who were held captive by Islamist militants in the Sahel region. Aid worker and missionary Jeffery Woodke was held for more than six years, while reporter Olivier Dubois spent nearly two years in captivity. Kidnappings in the Sahel are growing at an alarming rate. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger saw a combined 532 abductions in 2022, up from to 33 in 2017, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Читать дальше...

USGS said the quake was centered near Jurm in northeastern Afghanistan and had a depth of 187 kilometers

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Human rights advocates in Kenya are condemning what they call "barbaric acts" by police in their response to protests over the high cost of living. One university student was killed, 31 officers were injured and nearly 240 people arrested Monday in demonstrations organized by opposition leader Raila Odinga. In a joint statement, the Kenya Human Rights Commission, along with the Constitution and Reform Education Consortium, and Muslims for Human Rights say the violent and excessive use of force... Читать дальше...

Next month marks an important step in the reconstruction of Paris’ iconic Notre Dame cathedral, heavily damaged by fire four years ago. The base of the new spire is to be built, and officials hope to reopen the cathedral by the end of next year. From Briey, France, where the work on the spire is being done, Lisa Bryant reports.

Ethiopia’s government has rejected a U.S. assertion that all sides in the two-year Tigray war committed war crimes, calling the statement “inflammatory.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday on Twitter that the Ethiopian and Eritrean armies, Amhara region forces and Tigray People’s Liberation Front forces all committed “atrocity crimes” during the Tigray war that ended in November. Blinken said he condemns these atrocities and welcomes commitments to pursue transitional justice. Читать дальше...

After weeks of raucous parliamentary debate and public anger spilling onto garbage-choked streets, French President Emmanuel Macron has won his battle – for now - to raise France’s retirement age from 62 to 64. But what happens next? After Monday’s defeat of two no-confidence motions, in the National Assembly, that would have toppled Macron’s government — one short by only nine votes — opposition lawmakers and unions vow to repeal Macron’s pension reform by other means, including ongoing strikes and protests that could paralyze the country. Читать дальше...

Saudi Arabia, home of the holiest shrines in Islam in Mecca and Medina, has announced that the fasting month of Ramadan will start on Thursday. The kingdom's supreme court ruled on Tuesday evening that the Islamic calendar month of Shaban, which precedes Ramadan, will end on Wednesday, meaning Ramadan will begin the following day, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. Authorities earlier on Tuesday called on residents to try to spot the crescent moon that marks the start of Ramadan, but it was not visible, state media said. Читать дальше...

Cairo's artisans and shopkeepers are contending with an acute cost-of-living crisis, following last month's record core inflation rate

Many South Africans stayed home from work Monday after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party called for a nationwide shutdown to protest frequent power cuts and high unemployment. The highly anticipated demonstration ended Monday with small and isolated incidents of public violence and the arrest of at least 550 people across the country. The party's leader, Julius Malema, had called for businesses to close and people to stay home to protest record unemployment and ongoing power cuts. The... Читать дальше...

The Israeli parliament on Tuesday paved the way for Jewish settlers' return to four settlements in the occupied West Bank by amending a 2005 law that ordered their evacuation in a move condemned by the Palestinian Authority and the European Union. The repeal of certain clauses in a previous disengagement law would allow Jewish residents to return to four West Bank settlements they were ordered to vacate in 2005 on condition of approval by the Israeli military. Yuli Edelstein, head of the Israeli... Читать дальше...

Gay rights activists in Namibia are decrying a Supreme Court decision that will effectively deny citizenship to a child born through surrogacy to a same-sex couple in South Africa. The case has ignited public debate in Namibia on what constitutes a family. The ruling Monday by the Supreme Court of Namibia overturned a lower court decision that ordered the government to process a gay couple’s citizenship application for their child. The high court ruled last year that the minister of Home Affairs... Читать дальше...

An oil tanker that has been leaking fuel since sinking last month off the coast of the central Philippines has been located.   Humerlito Dolor, the governor of Oriental Mindoro province, said Tuesday that the Princess Empress was found by an underwater robot donated by Japan. He said photos taken by the robot will help determine the tanker’s condition and what steps need to be taken to plug the leaks. The MT Princess Empress was carrying about 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank on February 28. Читать дальше...

Education and literacy are a challenge in rural Africa, where teachers and electricity are often lacking, and many students speak languages different from their country’s primary tongue. A startup in Kenya is tackling the problem by providing learning software in multiple languages on thousands of solar-powered tablet computers. Ahmed Hussein reports from Wajir County, Kenya

A sports group in South Africa is encouraging more women to not only play basketball but also coach the game. African Grassroot Hoops runs a basketball leadership academy for young women with the lofty goal of getting a basketball in the hands of every young African. Vicky Stark reports from Cape Town. Camera: Shadley Lombard.

Officials in Mozambique say the death toll from cholera after Cyclone Freddy has doubled in the last week to 16 and they fear it will continue to jump as thousands of displaced are living in overcrowded shelters.  The U.N Children's Fund, UNICEF, says nearly 10,000 cholera cases have been reported in Mozambique - more than tripling since early February. The health director in Mozambique’s Zambezia province, the area worst hit by the cyclone, told state run Radio Mozambique Monday night they are... Читать дальше...

This year’s World Water Day (March 22) is about accelerating change to solve water and sanitation crises. With much of the world grappling with a shortage of clean drinking water, a French company has developed an autonomous robot that’s helping to better maintain and preserve existing water supplies. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more in this week’s LogOn. Produced by Julie Taboh, Miguel Amaya

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is trying to lower any possible animosity from China over an upcoming visit to the United States by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.   President Tsai will stopover in California and New York later this month before embarking on an official mission to Central America.  An unnamed administration official says the Biden administration has told Beijing that past Taiwanese presidents have routinely made stopover visits in the U.S. on their way to other nations... Читать дальше...

Sri Lanka has secured a $ 2.9 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, raising hopes the funding will mark the beginning of economic revival in a country confronting its worst crisis in decades.   The IMF approval Monday came about a year after the island nation of 22 million was plunged into turmoil as it grappled with crippling shortages of food, fuel and medicine, triggering massive street protests.     Although the situation has improved marginally, the country still faces an uphill task in repairing its broken economy. Читать дальше...

A Hong Kong pro-democracy activist was arrested Tuesday just months after he was released from prison for violating the city’s draconian national security law.  Reuters news agency says 71-year-old Albert Ho was handcuffed and taken away from his home in a vehicle, according to a witness.    Albert Ho once led the pro-democracy Hong Kong Alliance before he was arrested in 2021 and charged with inciting subversion. He spent more than a year in jail before he was released last August for medical treatment, according to Reuters. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday the United States stands with the “brave women and all the citizens of Iran” who are inspiring the world with their conviction and courage as they fight for their “human rights and fundamental freedoms.”  Speaking at a White House event celebrating Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, Biden said the United States and its partners will “continue to hold Iranian officials accountable for their attacks against their people.”  Biden also highlighted the people who have been unjustly detained in Iran... Читать дальше...

The United States has welcomed an agreement between Yemen’s warring sides to free nearly 900 detainees.  “This important step builds on the positive environment created by a truce in Yemen that has effectively stopped the fighting for the past 11 months,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.  “We thank UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and the International Committee of the Red Cross for their hard work finalizing the agreement.”  Monday’s agreement... Читать дальше...

Saudi Arabia has released a U.S. citizen who was sentenced to 19 years in prison for tweets critical of the Saudi government.  Saad al Madi was freed Monday and was at home with family in Riyadh, his son said.  Madi is a dual U.S.-Saudi citizen who had been living in Florida.  He was arrested on charges that included working to destabilize the kingdom and funding terrorism in 2021 after traveling to Saudi Arabia.  There was no immediate comment from U.S officials about Madi’s release.  The... Читать дальше...

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he expected to be arrested by the Manhattan district attorney as soon as Tuesday on charges stemming from an investigation into a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. Laurel Bowman reports on reaction among U.S. political leaders.