Новости за 25.04.2023

After weeks of hinting he would run for reelection, U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday formally announced his candidacy for 2024 in a three-minute video that drew a stark picture of what he believes is at stake: the very soul of America. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Washington on the prospect of another election battle between Biden and his likely challenger, former President Donald Trump.

The use of a public health policy known as Title 42, which allowed U.S. immigration officials to quickly expel migrants to their country of origin or Mexican border towns and denied them a chance at asylum, expires May 11. With the end of Title 42 and the summer months approaching, an increase in migrant encounters is expected. In anticipation of more encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently said the Biden administration will announce changes there. Читать дальше...

A dissident Iranian journalist has been arrested again, barely three months after his release from prison following two years of incarceration, his family said on Tuesday.  Keyvan Samimi, known for his activism, was arrested on Thursday, a family member told Agence France-Presse. "We still have no further information on the (security) service responsible for his arrest or his whereabouts," they added. The 74-year-old was released from Semnan prison in January after being sentenced to three... Читать дальше...

Iran has charged two prominent actors for publishing pictures of themselves flouting the country's dress code for women, just weeks after announcing a crackdown on breaches, local media reported. Police in Tehran have referred the case against Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram to Iran's judiciary, accusing them of "the crime of removing the hijab in public and posting photos on the internet," the Tasnim news agency said late Monday. If prosecuted, the pair could face fines or prison terms. Earlier... Читать дальше...

Islamic State appears to be losing the ability to strike effectively in areas that were once part of the terror group's self-declared caliphate.  U.S. defense and military officials say they are seeing a "dramatic decrease" in IS activity and effectiveness across Iraq and Syria, with a noticeable decline in attacks during the just completed Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "All aspects of ISIS that we are tracking continues to decline or degrade," the commander of the U.S.-led anti-IS mission, Major General Matthew McFarlane... Читать дальше...

Former Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido arrived in Miami on Tuesday following a surprise visit to Colombia the previous day, where he had hoped to meet with participants at an international summit. Guaido unexpectedly arrived in Colombia on the eve of the summit, organized by the government of leftist President Gustavo Petro with the aim of restarting stalled negotiations between Venezuela's government and opposition politicians. He boarded a plane in Colombia's capital Bogota on Monday... Читать дальше...

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

A Japanese company tried to land its own spacecraft on the moon early Wednesday, but its fate was unknown as flight controllers lost contact with it moments before the planned touchdown.  Flight controllers peered at their screens in Tokyo, expressionless, as the minutes went by with still no word from the lander.  A webcast commentator urged everyone to be patient, as the controllers investigated what might have happened.  "Everyone, please give us a few minutes to confirm," he urged.  If successful... Читать дальше...

The first phase of talks between Ethiopia's government and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) began in Tanzania on Tuesday, a spokesman for the rebel group told AFP.  The foes kicked off preliminary negotiations in the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, said the spokesman Odaa Tarbii.  "These initial talks are intended to establish a foundation for more extensive discussions in the very near future," he said, adding that Kenya and Norway were mediating. "The focus at this point is confidence... Читать дальше...

The U.S. is reiterating its support for Mozambique in the country’s fight against Islamist militants in oil-rich Cabo Delgado province. A visiting U.S. official said the U.S. will continue to provide security assistance and work with the World Bank to help build schools and hospitals in the troubled region. Dafna Rand, the U.S. State Department's director of the office of foreign assistance, spoke with VOA during a three-day visit to Mozambique that wrapped up Tuesday. Rand said that to undermine support for the militants... Читать дальше...

A massive evacuation of foreigners from Sudan remains underway as the conflict there reaches the 10-day mark. Analysts tell VOA, while foreigners scramble to leave the country, it does not mean they are gone for good, because there is a lot at stake — including the stability of East and Central Africa if the war in Sudan drags on. The past couple of days have seen many foreign nationals in Sudan pack up their belongings and leave in a hurry as countries try to pull their citizens out of harm’s way. Читать дальше...

Lithuania's parliament passed legislation Tuesday to make it legal to deny entry to asylum seekers, the EU member's latest move to fight illegal immigration from Belarus to the dismay of rights activists. The Baltic state had already been engaging in so-called pushbacks since 2021, when thousands of migrants and refugees — mainly from the Middle East and Africa — began trying to enter the European Union via Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. The EU argued that the influx was a "hybrid attack" orchestrated... Читать дальше...

Cameroon's military plans to redeploy troops to its borders with Nigeria and the Central African Republic after an increase in attacks from militants and rebels. The military said hundreds of Boko Haram fighters are hiding in the bush after last week's invasion of the Mayo Moskota district on the northern border with Nigeria. The Cameroon government reported several hundred homes were set on fire, leaving thousands homeless. Joseph Beti Assomo, Cameroon's defense minister, said President Paul... Читать дальше...

Britain's Prince William has settled a phone-hacking claim against Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper arm for a "huge sum" after a secret deal struck with Buckingham Palace, lawyers for the heir's brother Prince Harry said in court documents. Harry, the younger son of King Charles, is suing Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) at the High Court in London for multiple unlawful acts allegedly committed on behalf of its tabloids, the Sun and now defunct News of the World, from the mid-1990s until 2016. Читать дальше...

The defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Iran, Russia, Syria and Turkey held talks on Tuesday that Ankara and Moscow described as constructive, as part of efforts to rebuild Turkey-Syria ties after years of animosity during the Syrian war. NATO alliance member Turkey has backed political and armed opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the 12-year civil war, and sent its own troops into the country's north. Moscow is Assad's main ally and Russia has encouraged a reconciliation with Ankara. Читать дальше...

Drones are routinely used in warfare, law enforcement and agriculture. Now more and more U.S. businesses are using them to deliver cookies and coffee right to your front door. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. Camera: Adam Greenbaum, Chad Baugh

At least 57 bodies have been washed ashore after two migrant boats sank in the Mediterranean off different towns in western Libya, a coast guard officer and an aid worker said on Tuesday. One survivor, Bassam Mahmoud from Egypt, said there were about 80 passengers on one of the boats that set off for Europe at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday. There was an argument as the boat was sinking but the man in charge refused to stop, he said. "We kept fighting until someone caught up with us. The scene was... Читать дальше...

Thailand’s current soaring heat will continue until the end of summer, experts say. Scorching temperatures, which have felt like more than 50 degrees Celsius mixed with the humidity, have forced local authorities to warn people not to go outside over the weekend. The Thai Meteorological Department had warned about rising temperatures across the country. Saturday's highest heat index – which measures what the temperature feels like due to humidity – had forecast nearly 54° C in the eastern province... Читать дальше...

German authorities have detained a Syrian man on suspicion of planning to carry out an explosives attack motivated by Islamic extremism, officials said Tuesday. Federal police said officers detained the 28-year-old man early Tuesday in the northern city of Hamburg. Investigators say the man is suspected of trying to obtain substances online that would have allowed him to manufacturer an explosive belt "in order to carry out an attack against civilian targets." Police say the man was encouraged... Читать дальше...

EU countries Tuesday gave the final approval to the biggest revamp to date of Europe's carbon market, which is set to make it more costly to pollute and sharpen the 27-member bloc's main tool for cutting carbon dioxide emissions. The world's first major carbon trading system has since 2005 forced power plants and factories to buy permits when they emit CO2 and has cut emissions from those sectors by 43%. European Union members approved a deal agreed last year by negotiators from EU countries... Читать дальше...

Donald Trump goes to trial on Tuesday, where the writer E. Jean Carroll is accusing the former U.S. president in a civil lawsuit of raping her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. Jury selection is expected to begin in Manhattan federal court, where the former Elle magazine advice columnist is also accusing Trump of defamation. Trump, 76, has denied raping Carroll, 79, He called her claim a "hoax" and "complete Scam" in a October 2022 post on his Truth Social platform. He has... Читать дальше...

Almost every category of higher education in the U.S. has declining enrollments. But trade programs – short certificates that offer real-world skills like auto repair and industrial automation – are a hit. The Hechinger Report’s Olivia Sanchez looks at one program in Tennessee to discover why: students love the flexibility, practicality and high wages. Read her story published by The Associated Press. (April 2023)

U.S. President Joe Biden officially launched his re-election campaign Tuesday, appealing to voters in a video to grant him more time to "finish the job" his administration began two years ago. The official candidates from the country's two main political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, will not be selected for more than a year, just months ahead of the November 2024 election. But Biden's incumbent status means it would be unlikely, given precedent, that Democrats would select someone else as their candidate. Читать дальше...

Human Rights Watch said Iranian security forces who are suppressing mass protests in the country have killed, tortured and sexually assaulted children. “Iranian authorities have also arrested, interrogated, and prosecuted children in violation of legal safeguards, and judges have barred children’s families from hiring lawyers of their choice to defend them, convicted children on vague charges, and tried them outside of the youth courts that have sole jurisdiction over children’s cases,” HRW said in a report released Tuesday. Читать дальше...

Fears were growing in Kenya on Tuesday that there could be more victims of a starvation cult as investigators resumed their searches after finding dozens of corpses in mass graves.    Police have spent days scouring the Shakahola forest near the coastal town of Malindi after receiving a tip-off about a cult led by Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, who urged his followers to starve to death in order to find God.    Police sources told AFP late Monday that the death toll was now 73, with several people rescued and taken to hospital. Читать дальше...