Новости за 30.08.2023

Intensifying clashes between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and one of its local affiliates in eastern Syria have left at least 28 people dead, according to local news reports. The violence in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour erupted Monday after the SDF launched a campaign to target what it called “criminal elements,” a reference to some leaders within the Deir al-Zour Military Council, the SDF’s local affiliate. The clashes have spread to several towns and villages in the restive province... Читать дальше...

England will bring forward the start of its autumn flu and COVID-19 vaccination programs as a precautionary step after the identification of highly mutated COVID variant BA.2.86, which has been found in Britain.  Scientists have said BA.2.86, an offshoot of the omicron variant, was unlikely to cause a devastating wave of severe disease and death, given immune defenses built up worldwide from vaccination and prior infection.  However, Britain's health ministry said annual vaccination programs... Читать дальше...

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell appeared to briefly freeze and be unable to answer a reporter's question during an event in Kentucky on Wednesday, weeks after he had a similar episode in Washington.  According to video from a local news station, the 81-year-old was asked whether he would run for reelection in 2026. The senator asked the reporter to repeat the question before trailing off and staring straight ahead for about 10 seconds.  A woman standing at the front of the room with... Читать дальше...

The U.S. has opened new migrant processing centers in Latin America as part of the Biden administration’s strategy to prevent people from making the dangerous trek north to the U.S.-Mexico border. For VOA, Austin Landis visited the first one to open in Colombia.

The trial has begun in Iran of the lawyer for Mahsa Amini, the young Iranian Kurdish woman whose death last September triggered a widespread protest movement, a media report said Wednesday. Saleh Nikbakht is charged with "propaganda against the system," the daily Etemad reported. The first hearing "was on Tuesday and he was notified of the charge of propaganda activity against the regime for having spoken to foreign and local media, concerning the Mahsa Amini affair in particular," it said. ... Читать дальше...

There is a lot less plastic pollution floating on the surface of the oceans, according to a recent study published in the scientific journal, Nature Geoscience. And while that sounds like good news, it means there must be much more plastic deep within the oceans, the study added. The report also indicated the amount of plastic that reaches the sea is 10 times less than some scientists previously thought.  Still, using 3D computer modeling of beaches, sea surfaces and ocean depths to determine the flow of the plastics... Читать дальше...

A rare 'super blue Moon' that won't be seen again for more than a decade

Christian Glass was a geology geek, a painter and a young man beset by a mental health crisis when he called 911 for help getting his car unstuck in a Colorado mountain town last year. When sheriff's deputies arrived, he refused to get out of the car after saying that supernatural beings were after him, body camera video shows. The officers shouted, threatened and coaxed. Glass made heart shapes with his hands and prayed: "Dear Lord, please, don't let them break the window." They did, and the 22-year-old grabbed a small knife. Читать дальше...

Washington is following events in Libreville “very, very closely,” the White House said Wednesday, hours after military officers in the West African nation of Gabon seized power from the family that has ruled the nation for more than half a century. The White House also defended U.S. commitments to Africa after being asked whether a wave of coups in the region was a sign that Washington has taken its eye off the resource-rich, volatile continent. “It all kind of unfolded overnight,” said John Kirby... Читать дальше...

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

Hate speech is becoming the new norm in Malaysia, says a media organization that monitored online posts during state elections this month.  Based in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) set up teams to monitor social media sites over four weeks.  Focusing on key areas of race, religion, royalty, gender, sexual orientation, and migration, the CIJ teams spent hours poring over activity from politicians, political parties, media outlets, government agencies and key opinion leaders. Читать дальше...

Myanmar’s military is systematically targeting civilians by burning and bombing villages amid allegations of other atrocities and rights violations.

A federal judge on Wednesday held Rudy Giuliani liable in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers who say they were falsely accused of fraud, entering a default judgment against the former New York City mayor and ordering him to pay tens of thousands of dollars in lawyers' fees. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said the punishment was necessary because Giuliani had ignored his duty as a defendant to turn over information requested by election workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter... Читать дальше...

Former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio's sentencing for orchestrating the far-right extremist group's attack on the U.S. Capitol was delayed until September 5 because the trial judge was sick on Wednesday.  The government is seeking a 33-year sentence for Tarrio in one of the most significant prosecutions in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. That is nearly twice the length of the longest prison term so far among the hundreds of riot prosecutions.  U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly... Читать дальше...

Keystone Masterstudies, which specializes in student recruitment, higher education marketing and enrollment management, has a roundup of scholarships for international students seeking a master's degree in the United States. They include university scholarships, scholarships funded by governmental bodies and external organizations, and major-specific scholarships. Get the full list here. (July 2023)

The apparent military coup in Gabon Wednesday is raising concern about the future of countries in the Central African economic bloc CEMAC, which has some of the world's longest serving leaders. Several dozen youths, a majority of them students from the University of Yaounde, watch attentively as soldiers declare on Gabonese TV that the military, united in a transitional committee, is putting an end to the leadership of President Ali Bongo. The 64-year-old Bongo has ruled Gabon, an oil-producing nation... Читать дальше...

An original animated series from Africa has made its debut on the Netflix streaming platform. The series, dubbed "Supa Team 4,” was written by a young Zambian and takes place in a futuristic version of Zambia's capital, Lusaka. Kathy Short reports from Lusaka. VOA footage by Richard Kille.

Gotion Inc. is the US subsidiary of a Chinese EV battery maker. It plans to build a plant on a parcel of farmland in Michigan. But that’s dividing local residents. VOA's Carolyn Calla Yu reports from Green Charter Township, Michigan. Camera:  Songlin Zhang, Contributor: Bo Gu

Allegations of crimes against humanity continue to surface from Western Darfur. In one refugee camp, on Chad's border with Sudan, VOA spoke to widows who claim ethnic militias are targeting men for ethnic cleansing. (Camera and Produced by: Henry Wilkins)

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo wrapped up a four-day visit to China on Wednesday in the latest move by U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to stabilize commercial and trade links between the world’s two largest economies. In public remarks Wednesday, Raimondo said that she is hopeful about holding regular and direct talks with Chinese officials, but that she is “very clear-eyed” and does not expect every issue with Beijing will be resolved “overnight.” Earlier in her visit, she said... Читать дальше...

Hōkūle'a, a traditional Polynesian deep-sea canoe, is on a four-year-long voyage around the Pacific Ocean to raise awareness about climate change. During its stop in the U.S. state of Washington, local Native American tribes welcomed members of the crew. Natasha Mozgovaya has the story from Seattle. (Camera: Natasha Mozgovaya; Produced by: Natasha Mozgovaya, Jason Godman)

People across Pakistan are hailing local zipline expert and volunteer rescuer Sahib Khan for saving school children trapped in a cable car over a ravine in the mountainous Allai valley region of northern Pakistan. Over generations, Sahib Khan's family has built a reputation as lifesavers. Ihsan Muhammad Khan reports from Pakistan

Two Ugandan males have become the first people who may face the death penalty under Uganda’s new anti-homosexuality law. Prosecutors accuse Julius Byaruhanga in the eastern district of Jinja of performing a sexual act with a boy aged 12. Another man, 20-year-old Michael Opolot allegedly performed an unlawful act of sexual intercourse with a 41-year-old male in the eastern city of Soroti. Justine Balya, a lawyer from the group Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum, is defending Opolot.... Читать дальше...

A court in Pakistan has blocked the immediate release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from prison.   The court ruled Wednesday that Khan will have to remain in jail for another 14 days while authorities investigate him on charges of leaking state secrets.  The order comes a day after another court suspended Khan’s conviction on a separate charge of selling state gifts in office and allegedly concealing their proceeds.  He had been sentenced to three years in prison on August 5 and immediately... Читать дальше...

The recent killing of three Black people in Jacksonville, Florida, has drawn attention to a grim reality that researchers have long documented: Black Americans are the most frequent victims of racially motivated hate crimes in the United States. A new report released Tuesday confirms the trend, showing that Black people were the targets of more than one-fifth of all hate crimes reported in major U.S. cities last year, the highest share of any group. The report, based on police data analyzed by... Читать дальше...