Новости за 04.07.2023

JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN — South Sudan's leader, Salva Kiir, on Tuesday pledged that delayed elections set for next year would go ahead as planned and that he would run for president.   Kiir, a towering guerrilla commander, has been the nation's only president since he led it to independence from Sudan in 2011.   The world's youngest nation has lurched from crisis to crisis during Kiir's tenure and is held together by a fragile unity government of Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar.   A transition... Читать дальше...

As the African Union Transition in Somalia force, known as ATMIS, reduces troop numbers, a Somali official is warning the plan is ill-conceived and raises the risk of al-Shabab militants retaking areas they lost. The deputy president of Jubaland, a region where Kenyan and Ethiopian troops operate, told VOA Somali that it will be “difficult” for Somali forces to secure areas being vacated by the AU troops. “There is going to be a danger from there,” Mohamud Sayid Aden said Tuesday. “The enemy is going to get [an] advantage. Читать дальше...

ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Chinese navy is making a port call in Nigeria this week in a rare visit to West Africa, where Beijing has been seeking to expand its influence. Three warships of China's People's Liberation Army fleet arrived at Nigeria's economic hub, Lagos, on Sunday, bringing about 700 sailors.  The Nigerian Navy and Chinese Embassy on Monday said the five-day visit signified growing relations between Beijing and Africa, with the goal of tackling maritime security threats and maintaining stability in the Gulf of Guinea. Читать дальше...

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

Deeply loved but wracked by crisis, Britain's National Health Service (NHS) on Wednesday marks 75 years since it was founded as the Western world's first universal, free health care system. In a secular age, the NHS is the closest thing Britain has to a national religion — devoutly cherished, with levels of public support higher than the royal family or any other British institution. It was founded three years after World War II by a pioneering Labour government on the principle that everyone... Читать дальше...

In Kenya’s capital, a radio station has reached a loyal audience by broadcasting in a so-called street language. 'Sheng' is a dialect that draws from English, Swahili and other established languages. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi. Camera: Jimmy Makhulo

Elon Musk spent the weekend further alienating Twitter users with more drastic changes to the social media giant, and he is facing a new challenge as tech nemesis Mark Zuckerberg prepares to launch a rival app this week. Zuckerberg's Meta group, which owns Facebook, has listed a new app in stores as "Threads, an Instagram app", available for pre-order in the United States, with a message saying it is "expected" this Thursday. The two men have clashed for years but a recent comment by a Meta executive... Читать дальше...

A new report by Heritage for Peace, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving cultural artifacts in times of war, has detailed the destruction and looting of museums and cultural sites during Sudan's civil war. Meanwhile, parties outside Sudan are quickly drawing up plans to evacuate the antiquities to safety. Henry Wilkins reports from N'Djamena, Chad.

Founded by a former refugee, Minnesota-based company Epimonía turns material from life jackets worn by refugees into fashion accessories and other items of clothing. VOA’s Kahli Abdu has the story.

A Tunisian man was killed in clashes between residents and sub-Saharan African migrants in the southern city of Sfax, a judicial official said on Tuesday, following days of violent incidents between locals and migrants.  Sfax, Tunisia's economic capital, is crowded with thousands of African migrants aiming to set off to Europe on boats from local coastal areas in an exodus marking an unprecedented migration crisis for the north African country.  Faouzi Masmoudi, a spokesperson for the Sfax court... Читать дальше...

Activist groups in Zimbabwe have launched a series of nationwide 'Vote in Peace' concerts to promote unity and discourage violence as the country prepares for August 23 elections. Government critics point out much of the past election-related violence came from the state against the opposition and their supporters. Columbus Mavhunga reports from Harare, Zimbabwe. Camera: Blessing Chigwenhembe

U.S. President Joe Biden says he wants every American to have access to high-speed internet. VOA’s Julie Taboh has our story about the United States' more than $40 billion-dollar investment to expand the service.

Fierce battles broke out on Tuesday across Omdurman, the western part of Sudan's wider capital, as the army tried cut off supply routes used by its paramilitary rivals to bring reinforcements into the city. The army launched air strikes and heavy artillery, and there were ground battles in several parts of Omdurman, witnesses said. The RSF said it had shot down a fighter jet, and residents posted footage that appeared to show pilots ejecting from a plane. There was no immediate comment from the army. Читать дальше...

France said Tuesday it repatriated 25 children and 10 women from a camp in northeastern Syria holding people linked to Islamic State fighters.  The move is the latest in a series of repatriations by France this year amid calls by the United Nations for countries to boost efforts to take in their nationals from the camps.  France’s foreign ministry said the adults would be processed through the justice system while the children would be put in the custody of child services.  Thousands... Читать дальше...

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has praised Senegal President Macky Sall’s announcement that he would not seek a third term in next year’s election.  President Sall announced his decision in a nationally televised speech, ending weeks of speculation that raised the possibility of political uncertainty in the West African nation.    “Senegal is more than just me,” Sall said in Monday’s speech, “it's full of people capable of taking Senegal to the next level.”    In a statement Blinken said... Читать дальше...

A South African investigative journalism organization on Monday won a legal battle against a powerful businessman in a case that tested the country's media freedom.  The amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism had earlier been barred from using documents acquired from a source in its reporting on controversial businessman Zunaid Moti, who claimed they were stolen. But High Court Judge Roland Sutherland on Monday set aside that order, describing it as "an abuse of the process of court.”... Читать дальше...

In recent years, TV shows and movies featuring Asians, including Chinese Americans, have been on the rise, with many of them aimed at younger audiences. Students at a Taiwanese School summer camp in Washington share their thoughts on this trend. Elizabeth Lee and Graham Kanwit report.

Iran has hanged at least 354 people in the first six months of 2023, a rights group said Monday, adding that the pace of executions was much higher than in 2022.  Rights groups have accused Tehran of increasing the use of the death penalty to spread fear across society in the wake of the protest movement that erupted last September over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who had been arrested for allegedly violating strict dress rules for women.  Executions up 36%  Norway-based Iran... Читать дальше...