Новости за 03.04.2023

"It's been more than a half century since astronauts journeyed to the moon — that's about to change," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson as he stood before the current astronaut corps as well as veterans of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs at Johnson Space Center's Ellington Field in Houston, Texas. The crowd was gathered for the historic announcement of the crew for Artemis II — Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen. "This is humanity's crew," said Nelson, emphasizing... Читать дальше...

March 20, 2023, marked 20 years since the U.S. and its coalition partners launched a military invasion into Iraq, initiated as part of a Global War on Terror following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The combat mission ended for the U.S. in August 2010, but the aftermath of the war is still being felt today.

An official pro-Taliban media outlet in Afghanistan has released an alleged audio clip of the leader of the local affiliate of Islamic State in which the man acknowledges his group's significant recent losses. "Only a few of our comrades are left, and their number can be counted on the fingers," Shahab al-Muhajir, the so-called emir of IS-Khorasan, said in Pashto language in a message to his group. The militant commander also spoke about the killings of key leaders in recent Taliban counterterrorism... Читать дальше...

A court in India has suspended a two-year prison sentence handed down to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, pending his appeal in a criminal defamation case that led to his expulsion from parliament ahead of next year's general elections. Gandhi was accompanied by his sister, Priyanka Vadra, and several senior party leaders in his Congress Party as he appeared in a Gujarat court on Monday to appeal his conviction. The court is set to hear the petition on April 13. Gandhi was sentenced in connection... Читать дальше...

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is flying from his Florida estate to New York, where he plans to spend Monday night at his Trump Tower residence and then turn himself in Tuesday to face a criminal indictment, the first ever filed against a current or former U.S. leader. It is not known how Trump’s appearance at a state courthouse will play out. But his lawyers say he emphatically will not plead guilty to charges linked to his $130,000 hush money payment to a porn actress just ahead of his 2016... Читать дальше...

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

The United Nations and humanitarian partners in Malawi are calling for $70.6 million to help more than a million people who were affected by Cyclone Freddy.  The storm, which also hit Mozambique and Madagascar, killed hundreds of people and displaced more than 650,000 in southern Malawi.  The U.N. says the flash appeal will provide shelter, nutrition, health, water and sanitation for those hardest hit by the crisis. The appeal comes on top of the $45.3 million called for earlier this year by... Читать дальше...

Ten years ago this month, Senator Chuck Schumer declared, “We all know that our immigration system is broken, and it’s time to get to work on fixing it.” Senator John McCain quoted Winston Churchill. But it was Lindsey Graham who offered the boldest prediction. “I think 2013 is the year of immigration reform,” the South Carolina Republican said. It wasn’t. And neither has any year since those “Gang of Eight” senators from both parties gathered in a Washington auditorium to offer hopeful pronouncements. Читать дальше...

Hurricane Ian briefly reached maximum Category 5 status before weakening to a Category 4 storm as it blasted ashore last September in southwest Florida, eventually causing over $112 billion in damage in the U.S. and more than 150 deaths directly or indirectly, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday. The report, which NOAA releases for all major tropical storms, also says Ian was the costliest hurricane in Florida history and the third-costliest ever in the U.S. as a whole. Читать дальше...

The media are often criticized for focusing mainly on the world's bad news. Solutions journalism, however, focuses not only on problems, but also on ways to fix them. Dino Jahic has the story.

Zimbabweans in the agriculture sector are dealing with rising fertilizer costs and poor rainfalls due to climate change. Now, some are turning to organic farming and conservation agriculture to make ends meet, and officials say they are making progress against the odds. Columbus Mavhunga has more from Mashava, one of Zimbabwe’s poorest and most drought-prone districts. (Camera: Blessing Chigwenhembe)

With tensions between the U.S. and China on the rise, how are people in other countries viewing what’s been dubbed a 'new Cold War'? VOA’s Ahadian Utama reports from Jakarta, Indonesia. (Camera: Ahadian Utama, Indra Yoga)

Muslims around the world are fasting from dawn to dusk to mark the holy month of Ramadan. In Somalia, the month-long observance is also a time for charitable giving and spiritual reflection. For VOA, Mohamed Mahmud has this report, narrated by Vincent Makori.

The Philippines identified on Monday four more of its military bases that the United States will get access to, almost doubling the number included in a defense agreement that seeks to advance a decades-old alliance between them. The expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) underlines the Philippines' strategic importance to the former colonial ruler the United States, coming at a time of growing concern over China's conduct in the South China Sea and tension over self-ruled Taiwan. Читать дальше...

As more people become concerned about the effects of climate change on their lives, journalists in an otherwise struggling industry are becoming specialized in the environmental beat. But that wasn’t always the case, said Frederick Mugira, founder of Water Journalists Africa, the largest network of journalists on the continent reporting on water. Mugira said that when he started the organization in 2011, “not so much was being tackled about water.” But now, “we have more journalists preferring... Читать дальше...

A review by U.N. independent experts of the human rights situation in the Central African Republic reveals rampant ethnic violence and systemic gross violations throughout the country with children suffering appalling abuse and brutality at the hands of armed groups, defense and security forces, and private military and security companies. “It is rare to find a country with a human rights record so alarming, which has been forgotten by the rest of the world,” said Volker Türk, U.N. high commissioner... Читать дальше...

Malaysia's parliament passed a bill Monday to remove mandatory death sentences, with rights groups welcoming the vote as an "important step" that could have a knock-on effect elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Convictions for several offences, including murder and drug trafficking, previously came with automatic death penalties, giving judges no leeway. The bill does not scrap death sentences, but grants judges the option to instead impose lengthy prison sentences of between 30 to 40 years under certain conditions. Читать дальше...

A panel of U.N. rights experts on Monday named several high-ranking South Sudanese officials they say warrant criminal investigation and prosecution for their part in grave atrocities against civilians.    Top government and military leaders were identified in a new report by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan that details state responsibility for widespread murder, rape and sexual slavery.    The commission, which conducted a year-long investigation across six states in South... Читать дальше...

One of Australia’s most prominent First Nations leaders of the past century has died.  Yolŋu tribal elder Yunupingu passed away at the age of 74 in his homelands in the Northern Territory after a lifetime fighting for the rights of Indigenous people.  Yunupingu was a revered political warrior who fought for Indigenous land rights and recognition in Australia. His name meant “sacred rock that stands against time.” He challenged powerful mining companies and established Australia’s first Aboriginal owned and run bauxite mine. Читать дальше...

The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia spoke by telephone Sunday evening and agreed to meet each other in the coming days, according to Iranian state media.  The exact time and place for the meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was still to be determined, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. Tehran and Riyadh cut diplomatic relations in January 2016 after the attacks of supporters of the Iranian... Читать дальше...

NASA is to reveal the names on Monday of the astronauts — three Americans and a Canadian — who will fly around the Moon next year, a prelude to returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time in a half century.    The mission, Artemis II, is scheduled to take place in November 2024 with the four-person crew circling the Moon but not landing on it.    As part of the Artemis program, NASA aims to send astronauts to the Moon in 2025 — more than five decades after the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972. Читать дальше...

Achieving economic stability is typically the main reason that many Puerto Ricans migrate to the U.S. mainland. At the same time, thousands return to Puerto Rico annually, describing their homecoming as "a dream come true." After 22 years abroad, married doctors Sheila Perez Colon and Lionel Lazaro Collazo decided to practice medicine in Puerto Rico. “We always wanted to return to the island, but we couldn't find the way,” Lazaro Collazo told VOA. According to the orthopedic surgeon, attending... Читать дальше...

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga said Sunday he was suspending anti-government protests temporarily as he was ready for talks after an appeal from President William Ruto.    Early Sunday, Ruto addressed the nation live on television. It is the first time he has done so publicly since nationwide protests began over the high cost of living and alleged elections irregularities. Thousands have attended the protests that began March 20 and were organized by Odinga.    Ruto said, “Our country has experienced grave acts of lawlessness... Читать дальше...

A U.S. citizen who moved his family to Syria to join the Islamic State terrorist group has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Emraan Ali, 55, a U.S. citizen born in Trinidad and Tobago, was sentenced Tuesday in Miami federal court, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in November to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. According to court records, Ali moved his family from Trinidad and Tobago to Brazil, and then to Turkey and eventually Syria in March 2015. Читать дальше...

A student in Congo has developed a tool that allows people to control or move objects using their brain signals. Andre Ndambi visited the department of engineering at the University of Kinshasa and has this story narrated by Salem Solomon. Jean-Louis Mafema contributed.