Новости за 09.08.2023

Many American states permit cameras to televise courtroom proceedings, but federal courts do not. Some U.S. lawmakers are trying to change that rule for the expected federal trials of former President Donald Trump. VOA's Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports.

Currently spreading COVID-19 variants such as EG.5, or Eris, do not represent a major shift in COVID variants, and updated vaccines in September will offer protection, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.  "Right now, what we're seeing with the changes in the viruses, they're still susceptible to our vaccine, they're still susceptible to our medicines, they're still picked up by the tests," Dr. Mandy Cohen said in an interview on former Biden administration... Читать дальше...

The White House on Wednesday said it had launched a multimillion-dollar cyber contest to spur use of artificial intelligence to find and fix security flaws in U.S. government infrastructure, in the face of growing use of the technology by hackers for malicious purposes.   "Cybersecurity is a race between offense and defense," said Anne Neuberger, the U.S. government's deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology. "We know malicious actors are already using AI to accelerate... Читать дальше...

Broadcasters from more than 45 African countries, meeting this week in the Cameroonian capital of Yaounde, said radio reigns supreme over all other mass media on the continent, including TV, internet, newspapers, and social and digital media. No more than 600 million of the continent's more than 1.3 billion people have access to the internet, African broadcasters said, and even when they do, connectivity is either slow or too expensive for a majority of the continent's poor, hungry civilians. Radio... Читать дальше...

Wind-whipped wildfires raced through parts of Hawaii on Wednesday, burning down businesses in a historic town on the island of Maui, injuring several people, forcing evacuations and leading some to flee to the relative safety of the ocean, where they were rescued by the Coast Guard. Fire was widespread in Lahaina Town, including on Front Street, an area that is popular with tourists, County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin said by phone early Wednesday. Traffic has been very heavy as people try to evacuate... Читать дальше...

In the early days of the United States, a candidate’s charisma did not matter as much in a presidential election. But in the era of electronic and social media, a candidate’s ability to individually connect with voters could determine whether he or she sits in the Oval Office. The story, from VOA’s chief national correspondent Steve Herman at the White House.

It’s been three days since coup leaders in Niger ignored a deadline by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS to return Niger to civilian rule or face serious repercussions, including the possible use of force. On Tuesday, the coup leaders refused entry to a joint delegation from African countries and the United Nations ahead of yet another meeting by ECOWAS on Thursday to decide what to do next. Meanwhile tensions are high as many in Niger disagree with the idea of a West African military intervention. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Joe Biden is planning Wednesday to impose restrictions on U.S. investments in some high-tech industries in China. Biden’s expected executive order could again heighten tensions between the U.S., the world’s biggest economy, and No. 2 China after a period in which leaders of the two countries have held several discussions aimed at airing their differences and seeking common ground. The new restrictions would limit U.S. investments in such high-tech sectors in China as quantum computing... Читать дальше...

A dam partially burst on Wednesday following days of heavy rain that triggered landslides and flooding in mountainous southern Norway, a police official said. Communities downstream already had been evacuated. The Glomma, Norway’s longest and most voluminous river, is dammed at the Braskereidfoss hydroelectric power plant, which was under water and out of operation. Authorities initially considered blowing up part of the dam to prevent communities from getting deluged. But the idea was scrapped since water later broke through the dam... Читать дальше...

With President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program shelved, many families are wondering whether school is affordable. Ron Lieber and Tara Siegel Bernard, financial aid experts, answer reader questions on international tuition, savings plans, merit scholarships and more. See the questions – and ask one of your own – in The New York Times.

American nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter were freed Wednesday, nearly two weeks after they were kidnapped in Haiti's capital, according to aid organization El Roi Haiti. The Christian group founded by Dorsainvil's husband asked that neither she nor her family be contacted: "There is still much to process and to heal from in this situation," the group said in a statement. The group added that it confirmed the safe release "with a heart of gratitude and immense joy." No other details were immediately available... Читать дальше...

Indonesia's capital Jakarta topped the list as the world's most polluted city on Wednesday, having consistently ranked among the 10 most polluted cities globally since May, according to data by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.   Jakarta, which has a population of over 10 million, registers unhealthy air pollution levels nearly every day, according to IQAir.   Resident Rizky Putra lamented that the worsening air quality was putting his children's health at risk.   "I think the situation is very worrying," Rizky... Читать дальше...

Rains and winds were growing in southern South Korea Wednesday as a tropical storm drew closer to the Korean Peninsula, where it was forecast to slam into major urban areas. Dozens of flights and ferry services were grounded and tens of thousands of fishing vessels evacuated to ports as government officials raised concerns about potentially huge damages from flooding, landslides and tidal waves triggered by the typhoon-strength winds. The storm, named Khanun, was gaining strength as it moved slowly towards the country... Читать дальше...

At least six people were killed and 12 others were injured when a roadside explosion hit a minibus in southern Somalia on Wednesday morning, the local governor says. Mohamed Ibrahim Barre, the governor of the Lower Shabelle region, told VOA Somali that the minibus was travelling between Marka and Qoryoley towns. All the victims were civilians, including women and children, Barre said. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but Barre blamed the al-Shabab militant group. Al-Shabab frequently... Читать дальше...

Two Navy sailors who allegedly spied for China appeared in separate federal courts in California on Tuesday for pretrial detention hearings, days after being arrested and accused of providing sensitive government information to intelligence officials from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In separate cases announced together on August 3, the Department of Justice said Petty Officer 2nd class Jinchao “Patrick” Wei, 22, was charged with espionage and Petty Officer Wenheng “Thomas” Zhao, 26, was... Читать дальше...

U.N. agencies warn health conditions are deteriorating in Sudan and neighboring countries as growing numbers of people flee escalating fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Before the conflict erupted on April 15, 4.5 million Sudanese already were displaced — more than 3.7 million inside Sudan and another 800,000 as refugees in Chad, South Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia. Since the rival generals went to war, the U.N. refugee agency says nearly an equal number ... Читать дальше...

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia this week, Beijing said Wednesday as it seeks to build ties in the region. Wang, who returned to the post last month after the unexplained disappearance of predecessor Qin Gang, will travel to the three countries from Thursday to Sunday, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement. "China hopes to strengthen strategic communication with the three Southeast Asian countries through this visit," the foreign ministry said. Читать дальше...

Fire officials say nine bodies have been recovered from the rubble of a massive fire at a vacation cottage in eastern France, where 11 people had been reported missing. The fire broke out early Wednesday morning in the town of Wintzenheim. Authorities say the cottage was rented by an association that assists disabled people. The missing residents, including 10 adults with learning disabilities and a staff member, were from the nearby eastern city of Nancy.   Christopher Marot, the secretary-general of the Haut-Rhin district... Читать дальше...

The Venezuelan Supreme Court's sacking of the president of the national Red Cross raises serious concerns about the independence of humanitarian work in the country, the organization's international headquarters said Wednesday.  The Geneva-based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said in it was "aware of the involvement of government authorities in the reorganization of the Venezuelan Red Cross' leadership and board." "Any governmental intervention in our... Читать дальше...

Forty-one migrants died in a shipwreck last week in the central Mediterranean, the Ansa news agency reported on Wednesday, citing accounts from survivors who have just reached the Italian island of Lampedusa. Ansa said four people who survived the shipwreck told rescuers that they were on a boat carrying 45 people, including three children. The boat set off on Thursday morning from Tunisia's Sfax, a hot spot in the migration crisis, but capsized and sank after a few hours, the survivors were quoted as saying. Читать дальше...

Darwin, the capital city of Australia’s Northern Territory, can be brutally hot and humid.   Many of its 150,000 residents seek refuge from the tropical elements in air-conditioned homes, offices and cars. But research from the Australian National University, the ANU, suggests that air-conditioning, which is often set at 21 degrees Celsius, is making people more vulnerable to heat-related death. Heatwaves are Australia’s deadliest natural hazard.  They kill more people than bushfires, floods and storms put together. Читать дальше...

LinkedIn, the U.S.- based social media network owned by Microsoft Corp. that focuses on building networks among business professionals, shut down its China-focused job application on Wednesday, marking the end of an era for Western social media networks struggling to grab a share of the huge Chinese market. The closure was not a surprise. InCareer, the Chinese app for LinkedIn, told users three months ago that "fierce competition and a challenging macroeconomic climate ... ultimately led us to... Читать дальше...

New laws designed to avoid a repeat of the destruction of an ancient Indigenous site by resources giant Rio Tinto have been scrapped by the Western Australian state government. Thousands of years of art, traditions and stories disappeared when ancient Indigenous rock shelters were destroyed in May 2020 as part of an iron ore project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Juukan Gorge was one of Australia’s most significant First Nations archaeological sites. Indigenous leaders said they mourned a tragic loss... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Joe Biden was in Arizona Tuesday to mark the creation of a new national monument near the Grand Canyon to protect more than 4,000 square kilometers of land sacred to Native Americans. Matt Dibble has the story.

U.S. military and intelligence officials are wary of writing off the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria despite a series of setbacks that has seen the terror group lose fighters, senior leaders and yet another would-be caliph. The assessment comes less than a week after the Islamic State group, also known as IS, ISIS, or Daesh, announced Thursday the death of Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, who had led the terror organization since last November. It also comes as there is some confusion about how Abu al-Hussein met his end. Читать дальше...