Новости за 15.08.2023

The presidents of 13 universities in the United States are elevating free speech on their campuses this academic year, as part of a new nonprofit initiative announced Tuesday to combat what organizers call dire threats to U.S. democracy.  The Campus Call for Free Expression will take different forms on different campuses. The campaign, created by The Institute for Citizens & Scholars with funding from the Knight Foundation, is designed to cultivate the freedom of expression on campuses and... Читать дальше...

Proposed bill in Ghana would essentially criminalize living as an LGTBQ+ person. It bears no resemblance to controversial laws in U.S. states.

The United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education said Tuesday that the International Criminal Court should investigate and pursue charges against the Taliban for their denial of basic rights to Afghan women and girls. "The legal opinion we have received shows that the denial of education to Afghan girls and employment to Afghan women is gender discrimination, which should count as a crime against humanity, and it should be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court," Special Envoy Gordon Brown told reporters in a video briefing. Читать дальше...

Four months into the war in Sudan, humanitarian leaders are highlighting the devastating impact the brutal conflict has had on millions of people whose lives have been destroyed and whose basic human rights have been violated. In a statement issued Tuesday, the heads of 20 United Nations and international humanitarian organizations called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities” that have engulfed and terrorized the Sudanese people for months and for the international community to “step up today... Читать дальше...

For years Turkey has been a haven for Uyghurs fleeing China, in part because Ankara sees members of the ethnic group as fellow Turkic Muslims, refusing to extradite asylum seekers to China.     But some Uyghurs say there has been a marked increase in recent months of arrests specifically aimed at Uyghurs who have pursued studies abroad, especially in Turkey.   "In recent months, our organization has received detailed information of more than 10 Uyghurs who were apprehended in recent months," said Abduweli Ayup... Читать дальше...

A former high-ranking FBI counterintelligence official pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge Tuesday, admitting that he agreed after leaving the agency to work for a Russian oligarch he had once investigated to seek dirt on the oligarch's wealthy rival in violation of sanctions on Russia. Charles McGonigal, 55, entered the plea in federal court in Manhattan to a single count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and to commit money laundering, saying he was "deeply... Читать дальше...

Former President Donald Trump’s legal woes keep mounting. On Monday, prosecutors in the southern U.S. state of Georgia unveiled a new indictment, charging Trump and 18 others in connection with efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. This is the fourth indictment against Trump in less than five months — two at the state level and two at the federal level. The former president is now facing 91 criminal charges, ranging from falsifying business records in New York to seeking to subvert the 2020 presidential election. Читать дальше...

A special court dealing with sexual crimes against children has sentenced two men to life in prison for gang raping and murdering two Dalit sisters in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh about a year ago. The POCSO, Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses court, also sentenced two other men found guilty of destroying evidence of the crime, to six years in prison. After the bodies of the two siblings, 15 and 17, were found hanging from a tree in the Lakhimpur district of U.P. on September 14... Читать дальше...

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

Officials of the West African bloc ECOWAS say they are “stupefied” by the charge of high treason that Niger’s military rulers have leveled against Niger’s ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum. If convicted of the charge, Bazoum could face the death penalty. In a statement Monday, the reginal bloc called the attempt to bring charges of high treason against President Mohammed Bazoum provocative and said it contradicted the coup leaders' recent willingness to pursue a peaceful resolution. While calling for his immediate release and reinstatement... Читать дальше...

Despite the end of COVID-19 restrictions in many places, international students say they’d prefer that about a third of their classes be online. Students say they appreciate the flexibility, and students whose first language isn’t English can benefit from being able to rewatch a lecture afterward. However, 25% of students said they would like all their classes to be in person. Patrick Jack reviews the survey data in The Times Higher Education. (July 2023)

Two of the Libyan capital's most powerful armed factions battled across the city on Tuesday, stranding civilians in their homes and raising fears that Tripoli's worst violence this year could escalate. The death toll from the clashes remains unclear but a medical unit linked to the Defense Ministry said it had recovered three bodies from Furnaj, Ain Zara and Tarik Shok districts. The Health Ministry appealed to citizens to donate blood to help casualties. Usama Ali, a spokesperson for the ambulance service... Читать дальше...

Tensions are rising between China and the Philippines in connection with a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. The dispute may create a sense of anxiety in Southeast Asia while pushing the Philippines to increase security cooperation with the United States, analysts say. “What China did was place the Philippines in a position from which it cannot de-escalate without risking international humiliation, so the Philippines is acting right now in ways that are designed to project strength,” Justin Baquisal... Читать дальше...

The music genre hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with events across the United States. A Los Angeles art gallery is showing photographs of hip-hop legends. Genia Dulot visited the gallery and files this report. (Camera: Genia Dulot)

For the deaf-blind person, the combination of vision and hearing loss can make for a confined and isolating existence. A startup in Boston is developing a robot to expand communication and access to information. VOA’s Tina Trinh has more.

Republican candidates are campaigning at the Iowa State Fair to court voters who will be the first in the nation to choose their preference for the party’s presidential nominee in next year’s election. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh has more from Iowa.

A clinical trial in Australia is developing a treatment for sleep disturbances caused by wildfires. The study, which is supported by Natural Hazards Research Australia, a research organization, and Federation University Australia, is now seeking participants in Australia, the United States and Canada. The trial is aimed at people who have disturbed sleep, including nightmares, insomnia or symptoms of trauma after surviving a wildfire. Participants will be asked about their experiences with wildfires... Читать дальше...

At least 26 members of the Nigerian security forces were killed and eight wounded in an ambush by gunmen in central Nigeria late Sunday, two military sources told AFP.    Additionally, an air force spokesman said a helicopter rescuing the wounded crashed on Monday morning in the area, where the army is fighting criminal groups, without specifying whether the crew and passengers had survived.    The two military officers asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak on the... Читать дальше...

Spain will play for its first Women's World Cup championship after Olga Carmona's goal in the 89th minute lifted La Roja to a 2-1 victory over Sweden in the Tuesday semifinal. Spain, which overcame last year's near mutiny by its players against coach Jorge Vilda, will play the winner of tournament co-host Australia and England on Sunday in the final in Sydney. The winner Sunday will be a first-time World Cup champion. Sweden has now lost in four of five semifinals and will play for a fourth third-place finish. Читать дальше...

A broad array of Chinese data on Tuesday highlighted intensifying pressure on the economy from multiple fronts, prompting Beijing to cut key policy rates to shore up activity but analysts say more support is needed to revitalize growth. Just before the release of a batch of July data, China's central bank unexpectedly chopped one set of key interest rates and followed it with cuts on other rates hours later, underlining the rapid loss of the post-COVID economic rebound that has shaken global financial markets. Читать дальше...

A strong tropical storm lashed central and western Japan with heavy rain and high winds Tuesday, causing flooding and power blackouts and paralyzing air and ground transportation while many people were traveling for a Buddhist holiday week. The storm weakened from Typhoon Lan early in the morning and made landfall near Cape Shionomisaki in the central prefecture of Wakayama, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. On Tuesday afternoon, it was just south of Fukuchiyama city and had sustained winds of up to 90 kph as it headed north. Читать дальше...

In Afghanistan's western province of Herat, a woman has established a successful sewing workshop, employing eight other female workers. VOA Afghan Service brings us her story, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.