Новости за 21.05.2023

Wrapping up a three-day summit with allies of the Group of Seven leading democracies in Japan, U.S. President Joe Biden sought to reassure Beijing that conflict with the West is avoidable, even as the G7 ramps up pressure to push back against China’s rising military and economic security threats. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara traveled with the president. Here is her report.

The floods that sent rivers of mud tearing through towns in Italy's northeast are another drenching dose of climate change's all-or-nothing weather extremes, something that has been happening around the globe, scientists say. The coastal region of Emilia-Romagna was struck twice, first by heavy rain two weeks ago on drought-parched ground that could not absorb it, causing rivers to overflow overnight, followed by this week's deluge that killed 14 and caused damages estimated in the billions of euros. Читать дальше...

It’s been more than a decade since the end of the Iraq War. Much of the country still bears the scars of the U.S.-led invasion. But Iraqis today are working to clean up their country, and some have turned to technology for help. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.

Stepping up a feud with Washington over technology and security, China's government Sunday told users of computer equipment deemed sensitive to stop buying products from the biggest U.S. memory chipmaker, Micron Technology Inc.  Micron products have unspecified “serious network security risks” that pose hazards to China’s information infrastructure and affect national security, the Cyberspace Administration of China said on its website. Its six-sentence statement gave no details.  “Operators... Читать дальше...

The provincial health department in the South African province of Gauteng on Sunday announced 19 new cases of Cholera in Hammanskraal, including 10 deaths. South Africa reported its first cholera death in February, after the virus arrived in the country from Malawi. It was unclear how many cholera cases there was nationally as of Sunday, but the most populous province of Gauteng, where Johannesburg and Pretoria are situated, has been hardest hit. Cholera can cause acute diarrhea, vomiting and... Читать дальше...

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) pledged Sunday to adhere to a newly agreed, short-term cease-fire with the Sudanese army. "We affirm our full commitment to the cease-fire ... to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, open passages for civilians and provide everything that would alleviate the suffering of our people," the paramilitary group said in a statement. "Today we are more insistent and determined ... to break this vicious circle that has been controlling the fate... Читать дальше...

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

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has traveled to Papua New Guinea to sign defense cooperation and maritime agreements with the Pacific island nation and meet with regional leaders. The trip comes as China exerts its influence in the region. Blinken was visiting the capital, Port Moresby, in place of U.S. President Joe Biden, who cut short an Asia-Pacific trip to return to Washington for negotiations on the U.S. debt limit. Biden would have been the first U.S. president to visit Papua New Guinea. Читать дальше...

Iranian authorities have arrested two brothers of Majid Kazemi, one of three men executed last week in a case linked to last year’s anti-government protests, according to family members. Mohammad Hashemi, a close relative of the Kazemi family, tweeted: “Last night, security agents attacked Majid Kazemi's family, and after beating his brothers and parents, they arrested Hossein and Mehdi, his two brothers.” The sister was reportedly later taken into custody. There has been no comment on the matter from Iranian police. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Joe Biden said Sunday that opposition Republicans in the House of Representatives must move away from their “extreme position” on government spending in order to reach a deal with Democrats to raise the country’s borrowing limit before it runs out of cash to pay its bills. The government could come up short to meet its financial obligations as soon as June 1, but the Democratic president said at a news conference in Hiroshima, Japan, that there will be no agreement to avert a catastrophic... Читать дальше...

Seven young activists protesting against climate change climbed into the Trevi Fountain in Rome on Sunday and poured diluted charcoal into the water to turn it black. The protesters from the "Ultima Generazione" ("Last Generation") group held up banners saying "We won't pay for fossil [fuels]," and shouted "our country is dying." Uniformed police waded into the water to take away the activists, with many tourists filming the stunt and a few of the onlookers shouting insults at the protesters, video footage showed. Читать дальше...

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his conservative party have won a clear lead in Greece's parliamentary elections, exit polls show. But they indicate he doesn't have enough votes to form a government, meaning a second election is likely unless he can form a coalition with another party.  Exit polls showed Mitsotakis' main rival, 48-year-old former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his left-wing Syriza party, in second place. The polls projected New Democracy winning between 121 and 125 seats in the 300-member parliament... Читать дальше...

In a sign of warming relations between America’s two closest allies in Asia, U.S. President Joe Biden met Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, in a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven advanced democracies’ summit in Hiroshima, Japan. “You have Japan stepping up in a way that's a real consequence in terms of the defense budget number one, and a beginning of a rapprochement with South Korea, Biden told reporters after the talks. Читать дальше...

Iran said Sunday that a "terrorist" attack had killed at least six security guards near the border with Pakistan, claiming the assailants were trying to infiltrate Iran.    The deadly incident happened in the Saravan region in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, some 1,360 kilometers southeast of the capital Tehran, said the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman in a statement on the government’s website.    Nasser Kanaani said Iran "condemns the sinister act and expects the Pakistani government…... Читать дальше...

It is a growing trend that defies conventional wisdom: Some people of color are joining forces with groups that openly champion right-wing causes, including white supremacy and racism. Spurred by shared resentments and hatreds, American Latinos, Blacks and other nonwhites are swelling the ranks of some of America’s right-wing groups in rising numbers. The recent mass killing in Texas shone a light on the phenomenon, reigniting a debate about what draws nonwhites to far-right militancy and why extremist groups embrace them. Читать дальше...

The Lebanese army said on Saturday it had arrested a prominent al-Qaida leader in Deir Ammar town, northeast of the city of Tripoli. The army identified the arrested man only as "T.M." and said in a statement that the arrest took place on Friday. "T.M. is one of the most prominent leaders of al-Qaida and the founder of its cells in Lebanon," it added. "He has also played a key role in establishing the terrorist Fatah al-Islam organization," the statement added, referring to an al-Qaida-inspired... Читать дальше...

A Nigerian student who earned a graduate degree at the University of Arkansas Little Rock has scored a job as a data engineer at American Express. “Coming in as an international student, it’s like a dream come true for me," Ifeanyichukwu Umoga said. "I am very excited to graduate and see what awaits me.” The school's website has the full story. (May 2023)

Democratic Republic of Congo security forces fired tear gas and fought running battles in the streets of the capital Kinshasa with anti-government protesters demonstrating Saturday over alleged irregularities in voter registration. The protesters are also angry over the rising cost of living and prolonged insecurity in the east of the country, where armed militias and rebel groups have killed hundreds and displaced over a million. Around a dozen protesters were detained by security forces just after the start of the demonstration... Читать дальше...

A powerful Auschwitz-set psychological horror film, The Zone of Interest, is emerging as the hot ticket at the Cannes Film Festival, with reviews Saturday were near-unanimous in their praise. British director Jonathan Glazer's film focuses on the family of Rudolf Hoess, the longest-serving commandant of the Auschwitz camp, who lived a stone's throw from the incinerators. While the screams and gunshots are audible from their beautiful garden, the family carries on as though nothing was amiss.... Читать дальше...

Tens of thousands of people rallied in Serbia's capital Friday for a third time in a month in protest at the government's handling of a crisis after two mass shootings in the Balkan country earlier this month, even as officials rejected the criticism and ignored their demands.  In a show of defiance, the nationalist right-wing party of autocratic Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic organized a counter-protest in a town north of Belgrade attended by thousands of his supporters.  The opposition... Читать дальше...

A man charged with setting a fire at a Minnesota mosque told authorities he is Muslim and set the fire to protest homelessness, according to court records. Said Murekezi, 42, is charged with second-degree arson, second-degree burglary of a religious building and fifth-degree drug possession in the fire Wednesday at the Oromo American Tawhid Islamic Center in St. Paul. The center was last used as a mosque in 2021 and was currently being used as office space. The arson was one of at least six... Читать дальше...

As Bangladesh and Myanmar gear up to repatriate about 1,100 Rohingya refugees in a pilot project, rights group Human Rights Watch, or HRW, says conditions in Myanmar’s state of Rakhine are still not favorable for sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees. “Bangladesh and Myanmar are organizing returns of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar’s Rakhine State without consulting the community or addressing the grave risks to their lives and liberty,” the HRW statement released on May 18 said. Читать дальше...