Новости за 26.06.2023

A Sudanese Canadian citizen has been separated from an adopted sister and her children and is trying to help them secure safe passage out of Sudan where they have been stranded for more than 10 weeks by the war between rival military factions.  Sami Atabani said he hoped the Canadian government would consider evacuating his adopted sister, 43-year-old Kholoud Yagoob Abdallah, even though she does not hold Canadian citizenship like the rest of his close relatives. Abdallah lives with her seven children in Omdurman... Читать дальше...

Sudan's army confirmed Monday that the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had taken the main base of a well-equipped police brigade in Khartoum and there were reports of fighting spreading for the first time to Blue Nile state near Ethiopia. The RSF said it had captured dozens of armored vehicles and pick-up trucks after seizing the Central Reserve Police headquarters Sunday, consolidating its position in southern Khartoum where several important military camps are situated. The army had leant... Читать дальше...

The Pakistan army revealed Monday that more than 100 people are being prosecuted in military tribunals for their alleged roles in last month's nationwide violent protests over the sudden arrest of former prime Minister Imran Khan. The revelation comes despite strong criticism from local and global rights groups of incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government for pressing ahead with military trials of civilians, mostly members of Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, party. Читать дальше...

The lawyer for Zambia's former President Edgar Lungu has denounced a government takeover of some 20 properties linked to his family, calling it a political witch hunt. Zambia's current president has been cracking down on corruption, but critics say he is targeting political opponents. The government officially seized the properties from the Lungu family last week. They include 15 two-story flats, a three-story lodge, a farm and a house. The properties were seized under the 2010 Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crimes Law... Читать дальше...

A 23-year-old Colorado Springs resident on Monday pleaded guilty to murder and other crimes in a 2022 shooting that killed five people at a gay nightclub in that southern Colorado city, his lawyers said at a court hearing. Anderson Lee Aldrich faces life in prison without the possibility of parole after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors. On Nov. 19, 2022, Aldrich, wearing body armor, opened fire at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub. Apart from those killed, nearly two dozen others were wounded by... Читать дальше...

A Somali American who came to the U.S. as a refugee is now helping chart the future of her state as an elected representative. Mohamud Mascadde sat down with Hodan Hassan for a one-on-one interview in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in this story narrated by Salem Solomon

There are currently only about 350 Americans studying in China, down from 15,000 a decade ago. Meanwhile, there are over 300,000 Chinese nationals studying in the U.S. The mismatch is due to growing mistrust in the U.S. of China’s government, as well as the impact of China’s "zero-COVID" strategy on foreign travel – and it has consequences for the future. "It just seems like China is knowing much more about the rest of the world, but the U.S. is not getting to know much more about what’s going... Читать дальше...

UNESCO member states meet later this week on the Biden administration’s bid to rejoin the Paris-based U.N. scientific and cultural body, a move that will inject hundreds of millions of welcome dollars into its coffers and give the United States a say in shaping programs ranging from climate change to education and artificial intelligence. Few expect any surprises on the outcome of the deliberations, which will be held at an extraordinary UNESCO session Thursday and Friday. There have been no... Читать дальше...

According to the U.N., in 2021, Nigeria had the most child deaths caused by pollution-related pneumonia in the world, at nearly 70 thousand. UNICEF says 40 percent of those deaths are a result of breathing air pollution caused by burning solid cooking fuels in the home. Timothy Obiezu has this report from Abuja, Nigeria.

Market researchers have noted that since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Americans have been spending more time on the water. And that has helped keep the recreational boating industry afloat. Liliya Anisimova has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Videographer: Aleksandr Bergan

The work of journalists can range from covering crime scenes to conflict zones, among other stories. The University of Toronto is looking at the toll journalism can take on reporters and offering newsrooms insights into what they can do to help. From New York, VOA’s Cristina Caicedo Smit has the details.

The upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday, or the major Muslim Feast of Sacrifice, highlights the difficulties that Egypt's most vulnerable households are facing in the country's deepening economic crisis.

The West Bank is witnessing some of the worst violence between Israelis and Palestinians in years. It’s an explosive mix, observers say, as the Palestinian Authority appears unable to rein in militants while the Israeli military is doing little or nothing to stop attacks by extremist Jewish settlers. Violence in the West Bank has sharply escalated in recent days. Palestinian militias have attacked Israeli troops and Jewish settlers, while the Israeli military has used drones and helicopter gunships to kill Palestinians. Читать дальше...

Researchers from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration are in Australia carrying out research that will help future missions to Mars. The NASA delegation is looking for the earliest signs of life on Earth that will eventually be compared to rocks brought back from Mars. NASA officials have said that parts of the Pilbara region in Western Australia are like “stepping back in time.” Some areas date to 3.5 billion years old. In the red Outback dust, they have found some of the earliest evidence of life on Earth ... Читать дальше...

The Supreme Court is getting ready to decide some of its biggest cases of the term. The high court has 10 opinions left to release over the next week before the justices begin their summer break. As is typical, the last opinions to be released cover some of the most contentious issues the court has wrestled with this term including affirmative action, student loans and gay rights.  Here's a look at some of the cases the court has left to decide from the term that began back in October:  AFFIRMATIVE... Читать дальше...

With nearly all of the votes counted, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his New Democracy party won just over 40 percent, giving him the mandate to press ahead with promises to remake the Greek economy and rebrand the nation among the European Union. A Harvard-educated former banker, Mitsotakis crushed his leftist rival, Alexis Tsipras, by 22 percentage points. In a victory speech, Mitsotakis vowed to get back to work fast. “I am grateful for the resounding faith that has been expressed,” Mitsotakis said in his victory speech. Читать дальше...

Forest fires in Canada left Montreal blanketed with smog on Sunday, giving it the worst air quality of any major city in the world, according to a pollution monitor. Quebec province's most populous city had “unhealthy” air quality according to IQAir, which tracks pollution around the globe, as hundreds of wildfires burned across the country. Environment Canada issued smog warnings in several Quebec regions due to the fires, saying, "high concentrations of fine particulate matter are causing poor... Читать дальше...

The Wagner Group’s rebellion in Russia appears to be over for now, we get the latest. The Hajj begins in Saudi Arabia and IS fighters go on trial in Syria; the plight of Somali refugees in Kenya and a movement to ban all guns in the United States.

Polling stations closed on Sunday evening in Guatemala's tight presidential election, which has been dominated by international concerns over corruption, the exclusion of a leading candidate, and the cost of living.  The contest is expected to go to a runoff in August, with former first lady Sandra Torres tipped to win the first round though expected to fall short of the 50% plus one vote needed for an outright victory.  Torres is up against more than 20 other candidates, including Edmond Mulet... Читать дальше...

Five people were killed on Sunday when armed assailants attacked two villages in Lamu county in southeast Kenya, police said.  The attackers also burnt houses and destroyed property.  Police described the incident as a "terrorist attack," a phrase they typically use to refer to incursions by Somalia's Islamist al-Shabab group.  Lamu is near Kenya's border with Somalia and fighters from al-Shabab frequently carry out attacks in the area as part of efforts to press Kenya to withdraw troops from Somalia... Читать дальше...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a brief freeze in construction on a wind turbine project in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that set off a rare clash between Druze residents and police. Netanyahu said late Saturday he agreed to a pause on the project during this week's Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, which is meant to allow time for talks to defuse the crisis. The project is expected to resume next week. A statement from Netanyahu’s office said he made the decision based on advice from security officials. Читать дальше...

When the International African American Museum opens to the public Tuesday in South Carolina, it becomes a new site of homecoming and pilgrimage for descendants of enslaved Africans whose arrival in the Western Hemisphere begins on the docks of the Lowcountry coast. Overlooking the old wharf in Charleston at which nearly half of the enslaved population first entered North America, the 150,000-square-foot (14,000-square-meter) museum houses exhibits and artifacts exploring how African Americans' labor... Читать дальше...

Cocaine demand and supply are booming worldwide, and methamphetamine trafficking is expanding beyond established markets, including in Afghanistan where the drug is now being produced, a United Nations report said Sunday. Coca bush cultivation and total cocaine production were at record highs in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available, and the global number of cocaine users, estimated at 22 million that same year, is growing steadily, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime said in its annual World Drug Report. Читать дальше...

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" slung its webs back atop the box office ranks while "The Flash" saw a drop faster than the film's speedy character.  The Spidey animated sequel — starring Shameik Moore as the teenage webslinger Miles Morales — reclaimed the No. 1 spot in its fourth week in North American theaters, scoring $19.3 million. The latest number helped the Sony film reach $317.1 million domestically and an impressive $560.3 million worldwide.  "Spider-Verse" beat out "Elemental,"... Читать дальше...

Lithuania's president warned Sunday that if Belarus is to host Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin then NATO will need to strengthen its eastern flank. The head of state, whose Baltic country neighbors both Belarus and Russia and will host next month's NATO summit, spoke after a state security council meeting to discuss Wagner's aborted revolt against the Kremlin.   After Prigozhin called off his troops' advance on Saturday, Moscow said the Wagner chief would leave Russia for Belarus and would not face charges. Читать дальше...