Новости за 22.08.2023

Aviation experts are meeting in Kenya this week to examine methods to improve security and safety for Africa's airlines and airports. Beyond those topics, the eighth meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will also involve discussions on air transport facilitation and sustainability in Africa. The principal secretary for Kenya’s department of transport, Mohamed Daghar, told the conference that Kenyan airports now have technology for security measures that make travel for passengers both safe and smooth. Читать дальше...

The United States is announcing new visa restrictions on current and former Chinese officials for their involvement in what U.S. and U.N. officials say is the forcible assimilation of more than one million Tibetan children in government-run boarding schools. In a statement on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said these “coercive policies” seek to “eliminate Tibet’s distinct linguistic, cultural, and religious traditions among younger generations of Tibetans.” “We urge PRC (People’s... Читать дальше...

When it comes to violations against female journalists globally, analysts show one country accounts for around one-fifth of all cases: Turkey. The country “ranks number one worldwide for violence against women and nonbinary journalists,” said Kiran Nazish, founding director of the nonprofit organization Coalition For Women In Journalism, or CFWIJ. Her organization found that cases documented in Turkey made up more than 20% of the 277 global violations from Jan. 1 to July 31, 2023. “The whole... Читать дальше...

In a gloomy, indoor football camp on an industrial estate on the edge of Barcelona, Marta dives into tackles with the boys  without fear.   The 11-year-old has been playing with teenagers who are older — and stronger — than herself for months, but so far has held her own.  Her newfound passion for football meant she watched as Spain beat England 1-0 Sunday and carry away the FIFA Women's World Cup in Sydney, Australia.   The victory for the Spanish women's team will have knock-on effects... Читать дальше...

The recent arrest and conviction of a Malian TikTok influencer and other critics of Mali’s military government have raised concerns among human rights activists about what they say is a crackdown on the government’s political opponents and the suppression of press freedoms since the junta took power. A VOA reporter talked to human rights workers in Mali’s capital, Bamako, who say the trend is worrying and likely to continue under military rule across the Sahel.

The World Meteorological Organization reports scorching heat waves that are causing deaths and discomfort for millions of people around the world will likely peak in certain regions by the end of the week. "It is the end of the meteorological summer at the end of August … the projections that we have got at the moment, certainly for central parts of Europe, is that these extreme temperatures should peak later this week," said Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson.  "But I do not have a crystal ball... Читать дальше...

The United States believes an understanding on Iran eventually releasing five U.S. citizens remains on track, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday but declined to offer any timeline. Iran on Aug. 10 released four imprisoned U.S. citizens into house arrest, where they joined a fifth already under home confinement, in the first step of a deal under which $6 billion in Iranian funds in South Korea would be unfrozen and the five would eventually be allowed to leave the Islamic Republic. Читать дальше...

The run-up to Zimbabwe’s election Wednesday has seen political campaigns use music concerts, celebrities and sporting heroes to attract and energize young voters. But some analysts say Zimbabwe’s rural-urban divide could be the deciding factor in the election. Eleven candidates are vying for the presidency, but the main contest will be between the incumbent president, 80-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa, and Nelson Chamisa, 45, leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change, or CCC. The election marks... Читать дальше...

The first big event of the 2024 presidential election campaign in the United States will be held Wednesday when candidates of the Republican Party meet on a debate stage. The story from VOA’s chief national correspondent Steve Herman in Milwaukee. VOA footage by  Adam Greenbaum and Steve Herman

Telangana Today has an article detailing what international students can expect on arrival in the U.S. It includes what documents U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials will review and what information your passport stamp should contain. Read the full article here. (July 2023)

Drone photographers and videographers from around the world submitted more than 65,000 pieces of work in an annual online competition. VOA’s Julie Taboh highlights some of the winning entries.

Despite this year's record temperatures and inflation, tens of thousands of mostly Coptic Christian worshippers are commemorating what some believe was time spent by the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in the mountains near the Egyptian city of Asyut. For VOA, photojournalist Hamada Elrasam captures their annual pilgrimage. (Image captions by Elle Kurancid)

Pakistan's military has rescued two children out of eight people trapped in a cable car dangling over a high ravine, after a line snapped early Tuesday morning, in a high-risk operation complicated by gusty winds.   Seven students and one teacher have been stuck in the cable car since 7 a.m. (0200 GMT) when they were traveling to school in a remote mountainous area in Battagram, about 200 km north of Islamabad, officials said. Two children have now been rescued, a rescue agency spokesperson and a district official said. Читать дальше...

Meta Platforms on Tuesday launched the web version of its new text-first social media platform Threads, in a bid to retain professional users and gain an edge over rival X, formerly Twitter. Threads' users will now be able to access the microblogging platform by logging-in to its website from their computers, the Facebook and Instagram owner said. The widely anticipated roll out could help Threads gain broader acceptance among power users like brands, company accounts, advertisers and journalists... Читать дальше...

The African Union on Tuesday suspended Niger from all of its institutions and activities "until the effective restoration of constitutional order" following last month's coup. The council of the 55-nation bloc made the decision after mutinous soldiers overthrew Niger's democratically elected president last month and quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffing most dialogue efforts. President Mohamed Bazoum, his wife and son have been kept under house arrest in the capital, Niamey. This... Читать дальше...

Indian scientists are aiming to put a lander on the moon Wednesday, hoping that the country will become the first to touch down on the lunar surface’s south pole.    India’s attempt will be made days after Russia’s Luna-25 lander, also headed for the unexplored south pole, crashed into the moon.   The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) expressed optimism about its moon mission on Tuesday. “The mission is on schedule. Systems are undergoing regular checks.  Smooth sailing is continuing. Читать дальше...

Palestinian health officials said Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager during a raid Tuesday in the West Bank. The militant group Islamic Jihad said the teenager was one of its fighters. Israeli forces carried out the pre-dawn raid in in Zababdeh, near Jenin in the northern part of the West Bank, in the latest of what the military says are operations to disrupt militant networks and prevent attacks. An Israeli military statement said troops opened fire Tuesday after explosive devices were thrown at them. Читать дальше...

In a third-grade classroom bustling with laughing children, only the teacher knew that Tara was a trafficking victim.  "Instead of helping me, he asked me if I had any female friends my age back at the village, so that she could work at his house. I refused," said Tara, who asked to use a pseudonym as she does not want to use her real name for safety reasons, during a recent telephone interview with VOA.  After returning from school to the house where she lived and worked, Tara sometimes slipped... Читать дальше...

Google, Facebook, TikTok and other Big Tech companies operating in Europe are facing one of the most far-reaching efforts to clean up what people encounter online. The first phase of the European Union's groundbreaking new digital rules will take effect this week. The Digital Services Act is part of a suite of tech-focused regulations crafted by the 27-nation bloc — long a global leader in cracking down on tech giants. The DSA, which the biggest platforms must start following Friday, is designed... Читать дальше...

A massive wall of flames raced through forests toward a port city in northeastern Greece overnight, prompting authorities to evacuate another eight villages and a city hospital as firefighters battled dozens more wildfires across the country on Tuesday. Gale-force winds and high summer temperatures have hampered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters backed by dozens of water-dropping aircraft as they tackle wildfires breaking out across Greece. The fire risk level for several regions, including the wider Athens area... Читать дальше...

Located on the 10th floor of an office and commercial building and in a space of just 47 square meters, Boundary Bookstore can be described as low-key. But it’s one of about a dozen independent book shops in Hong Kong that are testing the government’s limits on what can and cannot be read, in a city that is facing increasing political pressure and some would say an erosion of liberties. Like similar bookshops that have opened in the past five years, it sells books that are becoming hard to find in Hong Kong... Читать дальше...

Six children and two teachers are trapped in chair lift hanging 274 meters (900 feet) above a ravine in Pakistan after a cable snapped, with a tricky helicopter rescue mission being hampered by high winds, rescue officials said on Tuesday. The children, who have been stranded since 7 a.m. local time, were using the chair lift to get to school in a mountainous area in Battagram, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Islamabad, officials said. Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority... Читать дальше...

The Economic Community of West African States has rejected a plan by Niger’s coup leaders to relinquish power within three years. The three-year transition plan proposed by Niger's military junta was unacceptable, ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, told a Nigerian television channel Monday. He said the regional bloc ECOWAS insists on the return of constitutional order as quickly as possible, and that the junta proposed the transition plan as a distraction to remain in power for longer. Читать дальше...

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday accused Facebook of putting profits over people's safety during the emergencies created by Canada's record wildfire season. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced earlier this summer it would keep its promise to block news content from Canada on its platforms because of a new law that requires tech giants to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online. Fires raging in Canada have pushed tens... Читать дальше...

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was taken to prison Tuesday shortly after arriving in Bangkok, ending a 15-year self-imposed exile. Thaksin was greeted by hundreds of supporters at Bangkok's Don Muang airport before he was taken by police to the Supreme Court, which ordered him to serve an eight-year prison sentence based on previous convictions on corruption charges. His daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra posted pictures on social media of her father posing with his three children and seven grandchildren after his arrival... Читать дальше...