Новости за 22.05.2023

The United States and Papua New Guinea have agreed to sign a security pact, part of which is expected to give the U.S. vital access to the Pacific Island nation's waters. VOA's Ahadian Utama reports from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

The United Nation’s top envoy in Sudan on Monday welcomed a U.S.-Saudi brokered cease-fire even as he warned that the Sudan conflict shows no sign of slowing down. “This is a welcome development, though the fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite the commitment of both sides not to pursue military advantage before the cease-fire takes effect,” Volker Perthes told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. Perthes traveled to New York from Port Sudan. The United Nations has... Читать дальше...

The United Nation’s top envoy in Sudan on Monday welcomed a U.S.-Saudi brokered cease-fire that was about to go into effect, even as he warned that the Sudan conflict shows no sign of slowing down. “This is a welcome development, though the fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite the commitment of both sides not to pursue military advantage before the cease-fire takes effect,” Volker Perthes told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. Perthes traveled to New York from Port Sudan. Читать дальше...

After an anonymous TikTok user created a song using artificial intelligence that fooled many into thinking it was made by pop stars, experts say the music industry will have to decide how to handle AI music. Deana Mitchell has the story.

Members of Thailand’s eight-party coalition that won a majority of seats in Thailand’s general election May 14 have officially agreed to work together, listing their new policies as they look to lead the country's next government. Led by the Move Forward Party, or MFP, the political parties signed a memorandum of understanding, consisting of nearly two dozen terms and conditions they wish to pursue, including teams to work out any differences among the parties. The signing of the coalition deal... Читать дальше...

U.S. Senator Tim Scott on Friday launched a bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. He is the only Black Republican candidate so far, and says he is running as an antidote to racial and cultural divisiveness in the United States. Here are key facts about Scott's life and career. Raised by single mother Scott, 57, was raised in Charleston, South Carolina, by his single mother after his parents separated when he was 7. The family briefly lived with his maternal grandparents, who became major influences for him. Читать дальше...

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

South Carolina's Tim Scott, the U.S. Senate's lone Black Republican, announced Monday he is running for the party's 2024 presidential nomination, joining the growing field of challengers looking to unseat Democratic President Joe Biden in the election 18 months from now. Scott, 57, opened his long-shot candidacy in his home state at his alma mater, Charleston Southern University. He added himself to the list of Republican candidates that national polls show is dominated by former President Donald Trump... Читать дальше...

A European student currently attending San Diego State University in California said her social life in the U.S. is "drastically different" than at home. And she loves it. Jules Adamska details the joys of campus activities, college sports matches and frat parties in a piece for Business Insider. (May 2023)

The United States and Papua New Guinea signed a pair of security deals Monday during a rare visit by the U.S. Secretary of State. The agreements are part of Washington’s broader attempt to counter China’s influence in the Pacific. But the region wants more sustained engagement from the United States, as VOA’s Bill Gallo reports from Seoul.

When their homeowners association ordered Maryland residents Janet and Jeffrey Crouch to rip out the native plants in their front yard and replace them with green grass, the couple refused. Homeowners' associations, also known as HOAs, are private organizations that oversee the management of some residential communities. They’re usually run by a board of volunteer homeowners. As VOA’s Dora Mekouar [meh-kwar] reports, the couple’s battle against their HOA, and in favor of the environment, ended up changing Maryland state law. Читать дальше...

The president of minerals-rich Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, will visit China from May 24 to 29 and is expected to meet President Xi Jinping to review and sign several key trade deals. A meeting would pave the way for the two countries to formally overhaul and seal a $6 billion infrastructure-for-minerals deal with Chinese investors. The visit was announced by the Chinese foreign ministry on Monday. Tshisekedi instructed his government at a Cabinet meeting on May 19 to move... Читать дальше...

So far this year, more than 670 teenagers and children in the U.S. have been killed in gun-related violence, according to the Gun Violence Archive, an independent data collection group.  In Washington D.C., a mother who is also an army veteran is working with communities to tackle the problem. Karina Bafradzhian has the story. Videographer: David Gogokhia

Singer-songwriter Joshua Radin’s latest single “Man of the Year” offers the first taste of his upcoming EP, “Though the World Will Tell Me So, volume 2” will be out June 23.  The song features his signature acoustic guitar and gentle vocals exploring his personal struggles with intimacy and vulnterability.

The European Union fined Meta a record $1.3 billion on Monday and ordered it to stop transferring user data across the Atlantic by October, the latest salvo in a decadelong case sparked by U.S. digital snooping fears. The privacy fine of 1.2 billion euros from Ireland's Data Protection Commission is the biggest since the EU's strict data privacy regime took effect five years ago, surpassing Amazon's 746 million euro penalty in 2021 for data protection violations. The Irish watchdog is Meta's... Читать дальше...

Though fighting has continued through previous cease-fires, this is the first truce to be formally agreed to following negotiations

An Iranian professor at the University of Delaware is protesting the school's decision to represent Iranian students with the country's official United Nations flag. Calling the banner "the flag of the Islamic regime," he submitted a petition to school officials calling for it to be replaced with a flag suggested by Iranian faculty. (May 2023)

A Malaysian comedian better known for mocking attempts by Western chefs at Asian cooking has seen his Chinese social media account suspended after making jokes about China. Nigel Ng, who uses the name Uncle Roger, is the latest comedian to feel the consequences of jokes that could be perceived as reflecting negatively on China under increasingly intense censorship and rising nationalism. Last week, a Chinese comedian came under police investigation for a joke about stray dogs. Ng posted a video... Читать дальше...

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi appointed a new head of the country’s top security body on Monday. State media said Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a Revolutionary Guards commander, would serve as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Ahmadian replaces Ali Shamkhani, who served in the post for a decade and played a key role in thawing relations with regional rival Saudi Arabia. Ahmadian has served as the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ joint staff and the head of its strategic center. ... Читать дальше...

Delegates from the Group of 20 nations arrived in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Monday to participate in a tourism meeting condemned by China and Pakistan, as authorities significantly reduced visibility of the security in the disputed region's main city.  The meeting scheduled for later Monday is the first significant international event in Kashmir since New Delhi stripped the Muslim-majority region of semi-autonomy in 2019. Indian authorities hope the meeting will show that the controversial changes... Читать дальше...

A Nepali guide on Monday reached the top of Mount Everest for the 27th time, equaling the record for the most ascents of the world's highest peak. Pasang Dawa Sherpa, 46, is now tied with famed Nepali climber Kami Rita Sherpa, and the race between the two for the most Everest summits has captivated the mountaineering community. Pasang Dawa reached the Everest summit, at 8,849 meters (29,032 feet), for the 26th time only last week, matching Kami Rita's record. But the 53-year-old Kami Rita... Читать дальше...

Three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli army raid in a West Bank refugee camp early Monday, Palestinian health officials said, while the Biden administration sharply condemned Israel's latest act of settlement expansion.  The Palestinian Health Ministry said the three men were killed during a raid in Balata, a refugee camp near the city of Nablus. Six people were wounded, including one who was in critical condition, the ministry said.  The army later confirmed soldiers had raided Balata;... Читать дальше...

Weather-related disasters have surged over the past 50 years, causing swelling economic damage even as early warning systems have meant dramatically fewer deaths, the United Nations said Monday.  Extreme weather, climate and water-related events caused 11,778 reported disasters between 1970 and 2021, new figures from the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) show.  Those disasters killed just more than 2 million people and caused $4.3 trillion in economic losses.  "The most vulnerable... Читать дальше...

An alliance led by Thailand's progressive Move Forward party hopes to draft a new constitution, end monopolies and allow same-sex marriage, among other aims, according to a draft of objectives that made no mention of a divisive royal insult law.   The opposition Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties dominated last week's election in a resounding defeat of conservative parties backed by a royalist military that has controlled government since a 2014 coup.  They are seeking to form a coalition government with six other parties... Читать дальше...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is joining Pacific leaders at a summit in Papua New Guinea Monday as New Delhi seeks to counter China's influence in the region.  Papua New Guinea is hosting the third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation as the United States is seeking to increase Washington’s presence in the Indo-Pacific. It brings together leaders from India, 14 Pacific Island nations as well as Australia and New Zealand.    Energy supplies, climate change and regional security are expected to be on the agenda. Читать дальше...