Новости за 18.06.2023

Mali started counting votes on Sunday from a constitutional referendum that the ruling military junta and regional powers have said will pave the way to elections and a return to civilian rule. The junta, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, promised to hold the plebiscite as part of a transition to democracy, under pressure from West African regional bloc the Economic Community of West African States. Provisional results are expected by Tuesday. Some of the proposed clauses in the new... Читать дальше...

Two people were killed, and three others injured after police said a shooter began firing “randomly" into a crowd at a Washington state campground that was hosting people attending a nearby music festival on Saturday night, police said.  The suspect was among those injured. He was shot in a confrontation with law enforcement, said Kyle Foreman, public information officer with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.  Authorities received the first report of the shooting shortly before 8:30 p.m. at... Читать дальше...

Israel's government on Sunday granted a pro-settlement firebrand authority over planning in the occupied West Bank and lifted red tape on the settlement housing approval process. The changes make it easier for Israel to expand its settlements on land the Palestinians seek as the heartland of their future state, at a time when hopes for peace are more distant than ever. The measure was approved by the government on Sunday as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf, who is in charge of Middle East affairs... Читать дальше...

At least 20 people were shot, one fatally, early Sunday during a gathering in a parking lot in suburban Chicago, authorities said. TV news video showed the strip mall lot filled with debris and police tape in Willowbrook, about 32 kilometers southwest of Chicago. “There were at least 20 individuals shot. One victim is deceased,” said Eric Swanson, deputy chief at the DuPage County sheriff’s office. “The motive behind this incident is unclear. ... We transported numerous victims from the scene. Читать дальше...

Former President Donald Trump’s indictment over his handling of classified materials is sowing some divisions among Republicans. Veronica Balderas Iglesias has a wrap on some of the statements made over the weekend.

Relatives and media in Pakistan reported Sunday that up to 300 of its citizens were among those believed to have been killed after a migrant boat capsized off Greece. The incident occurred last Wednesday when a fishing trawler, reportedly carrying around 750 men, women, and children, sank off the Greek coast in the Mediterranean Sea five days after leaving eastern Libya for Italy. The ill-fated boat was packed with migrants from Pakistan, Syria, and Egypt, fleeing dire economic conditions in... Читать дальше...

A package of social media tools designed to protect players from online abuse will be offered to all teams at the 2023 Women's World Cup, soccer's world governing body FIFA said on Sunday. The Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), developed by FIFA and the players' union FIFPRO, monitors and moderates hate speech on social media, hiding harmful content from the players. "Discrimination is a criminal act," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. "With the help of this tool, we are identifying... Читать дальше...

Austrian authorities said Sunday they had foiled a possible attack on Vienna's Pride parade by three young men who had allegedly sympathized with the extremist Islamic State group. The head of Austria's domestic intelligence service told reporters that the suspects, aged 14, 17 and 20, were arrested one hour before the start of Saturday's Pride parade, which was attended by around 300,000 people, public broadcaster ORF reported. Omar Haijawi-Pirchner from the State Protection and Intelligence... Читать дальше...

Swiss voters voted on Sunday to introduce a global minimum tax on businesses and a climate law that aims to cut fossil fuel use and reach zero emissions by 2050, public broadcaster SRF reported. The results showed 79% of those who voted in Sunday's national referendum backed raising the country's business tax to the 15% global minimum rate from the current average minimum of 11%, while 59% supported the climate law. In 2021, Switzerland joined almost 140 countries that signed up to an Organisation... Читать дальше...

At least 96 people died in two of India's most populous states over the last several days, officials said Sunday, with swaths of the country reeling from a sweltering heatwave.  The deaths happened in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and eastern Bihar where authorities warned residents over 60 and others suffering various maladies to stay indoors during the daytime.  All the fatalities in Uttar Pradesh, totaling 54, were reported in Ballia district, some 300 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow, the state capital. Читать дальше...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday his government intends to move ahead on contentious plans to change the country's judicial system after talks aimed at finding a compromise solution appeared to be crumbling.  The government's plans to overhaul the judiciary plunged Israel into one of its worst domestic crises ever earlier this year. Negotiations between the government and opposition parties somewhat alleviated the crisis with attempts to find a middle ground over proposed changes to the country's justice system. Читать дальше...

Lebanon’s top Maronite Christian cleric said on Sunday the country's constitution and democratic system had been violated in "cold blood" during a failed attempt to elect a new president last week, and warned that divisions in the nation had widened. Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai spoke in his first sermon since the Iran-backed Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its closest allies thwarted an attempt by factions including the main Christian parties to elect an IMF official as president. Wednesday's... Читать дальше...

Sudan’s warring parties began another attempt at a cease-fire Sunday after more than two months of brutal fighting and ahead of an international conference to raise funds for humanitarian assistance. Residents in the capital, Khartoum, and its neighboring city of Omdurman reported “relative calm” in the first hours of the cease-fire Sunday morning, after fierce clashes were reported the previous day. Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. Читать дальше...

Malians voted on Sunday in a referendum on changing the constitution that the ruling military junta and regional powers have said will pave the way to elections and a return to civilian rule. The junta, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, promised to hold the plebiscite as part of a transition to democracy, under pressure from West African regional bloc the Economic Community Of West Africa States. Around 8.4 million voters are expected at the polls. Kollet Sangare, a 35 year-old medical... Читать дальше...

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang held “candid” and “direct” talks in Beijing Sunday, the State Department said, as the United States and China seek to stabilize the bilateral relationship amid rising tensions. During the seven-and-a-half hour meeting at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Qin accepted an invitation to come to the U.S.  Agreement was also reached on more flights between the two countries. In addition, both sides will continue to work on several... Читать дальше...

Today is Father's Day. On this day every year, I stare at the black and white identification photo of my father and try to remember the details of the last time I saw him. It was in Cambodia, on a September morning in 1977. I was 9 years old. At the time, I was living with my grandparents, mom and two sisters in a remote village of Kampot province, about 50 kilometers from the Vietnamese border. It had rained all night, and I was in our tiny hut alone. I couldn't remember where everyone was, but when I woke up... Читать дальше...

Nestled among Washington’s busy streets is a sprawling garden oasis that many Americans have never heard of. From the vibrant flowers in the azalea collection, to a field of native ferns and the blooming trees in the dogwood section, the U.S. National Arboretum offers the serene natural beauty of a public garden. But government scientists in charge of the 452-acre (183-hectare) complex have a top-priority mission: shore up the U.S. economy by making sure that this critical type of agriculture continues to thrive. Читать дальше...

On Monday, Americans will celebrate Juneteenth, marking the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free. For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts. The U.S. government was slow to embrace the occasion — it was only in 2021 that President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress to set aside Juneteenth, or June 19th, as a federal holiday. Читать дальше...

Nestled among the bustling city streets of Washington is a hidden oasis that many Americans don't know exists. Congress established the U.S. National Arboretum in 1927. Vital scientific research is under way at the sprawling 183-hectare compound. VOA's Dora Mekouar reports on the arboretum’s critical government mission. Camera: Adam Greenbaum

The smell of pineapple bread fills the kitchen of "Vida Libre," or "free life," a gang rehabilitation program founded in El Salvador by American pastor Kenton Moody in 2021. The trust that Moody puts in former gang members is not widely shared. Thousands of lives have been destroyed in this Central American country after decades of gang violence. Over the past year, President Nayib Bukele's security forces have cracked down harshly on gangs, arresting more than 68,000 people suspected of criminal involvement... Читать дальше...

A Philippine ferry, the M/V Esperanza Star, caught fire Sunday while it was traveling with 120 passengers and crew aboard. The Philippine coast guard was deployed to rescue the passengers and extinguish the flames. The fire broke out on the vessel after leaving the Port of Lazi in Siquijor, en route to the Port of Tagbilaran in Bohol. There was no immediate notification of injuries or deaths. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.

Malians will vote Sunday in a referendum on changing the constitution that the ruling military junta and regional powers have said will pave the way to elections and a return to civilian rule. The junta, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, promised to hold the plebiscite as part of a transition to democracy under pressure from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS. Some of the changes in the committee-drafted constitution are contentious, with proponents saying they would strengthen... Читать дальше...

Israel could find acceptable an understanding between its archfoe Iran and the United States if it includes rigorous supervision of Tehran's nuclear program, a senior lawmaker said in comments aired on Saturday. According to Iranian and Western officials, Washington is holding talks with Iran to sketch out steps that could include limiting the Iranian nuclear program. These steps would be cast as an understanding rather than an agreement requiring review by the U.S. Congress, such as the 2015... Читать дальше...

In 2014, the Yazidi minority in Iraq came under assault from Islamic State group fighters who drove them from their homes. Now some refugees are arriving back to their hometowns after years of displacement. VOA’s Kawa Omer has the story from Sinjar, Iraq, narrated by Sirwan Kajjo.

An estimated 400,000 people gathered in South Korea's capital, Seoul, on Saturday as fans from around the globe commemorated the 10th anniversary of the debut of K-Pop boy band juggernaut BTS.   The band is on temporary break as a group with two of its seven members doing their mandatory military service, but that did not stop a host of celebratory events this week catering to a loyal fan base known as ARMY.  At the "BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA" at Han River Park in Seoul on Saturday, tens of... Читать дальше...