Новости за 17.10.2023

The Biden administration tells VOA that in recent months it has increased the amount of U.S. public and private funds for a multilateral program to build infrastructure in developing nations, surpassing the $30 billion figure that it announced in May. But some observers say it will be tough for the U.S. to meet its pledge to raise $200 billion in the next five years for the program launched by the Group of Seven advanced economies. The program called Partnership for Global Infrastructure, also known as PGI... Читать дальше...

Amid a growing health emergency and a staggering loss of life, U.N. humanitarian agencies warned Tuesday that thousands of Palestinians trapped in Gaza are likely to die in the coming days if they are denied access to urgently needed relief supplies. The United Nations said around 4,200 people have been killed since Hamas invaded Israel October 7. More than 2,800 of those deaths and nearly 11,000 injuries reportedly occurred in Gaza with another 1,400 deaths and more than 4,100 injuries in Israel. Читать дальше...

TOKYO — Rickshaw puller Yuka Akimoto is one of a handful of women who have chosen to pull rickshaws in Tokyo, attracted to the male-dominated profession through social media, which in turn has given some of these female pullers a strong local and international following. When the 45-minute tour comes to an end, the 21-year-old bows deeply to her clients and offers a blistered palm - covered with a clean cloth - to help the couple alight. Sweat pours down her flushed face. Now, she says she... Читать дальше...

Military rulers in Gabon on Tuesday threatened to arrest the heads of businesses who have collected money for work that was not performed. While ordering the resumption of work at utility and construction sites after years of abandonment, Gabon's military-appointed prime minister, Raymond Ndong Sima, told state TV that the junta-led government will ask contractors who abandoned work after collecting money to resume their projects or face arrest. The announcement was part of a promised crackdown on corruption. Читать дальше...

Unlike in the movies, Iron Beam’s laser is not visible to the naked eye.

As the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip spirals, Israel is preparing a full-scale ground invasion of the enclave of 2.1 million Palestinians. Analyzing the 2014 Gaza War — the last time Israel invaded the strip — could give an idea of how the coming days and weeks will play out. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed this time to "crush" Hamas' leadership in Gaza. But experts say winning this battle will be far more complex than in 2014. What happened in the 2014 Gaza War? ... Читать дальше...

Despite efforts to consolidate Republican support, hardline conservative representative Jim Jordan has fallen short of the majority needed to secure the speaker of the House position. In the House of Representatives Tuesday, Jordan received 200 votes, but 20 Republicans voted for other people. Democrats were united in support of their nominee, Hakeem Jeffries, who received 212 votes. The House then went into recess. A candidate needs 217 votes to become speaker of the 118th Congress. Some... Читать дальше...

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

Republican Jim Jordan is seeking the top leadership spot in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday. If successful, the 59-year-old, nine-term congressman’s accession to a place second in the presidential line of succession will mark a victory for one of the founding members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. In a letter last week to House colleagues announcing his candidacy for speaker of the House, Jordan outlined his values, writing, “Far-left progressive policies are destroying our communities, our security, and our future. Читать дальше...

The lawyer representing the family of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian woman who died in police custody last year, has been sentenced to a year in prison after being convicted of “conducting propaganda against the regime.” Saleh Nikbakht was charged after the Ministry of Intelligence filed a complaint against him when he discussed Amini’s case in interviews with media outlets. He was sentenced Tuesday by the Islamic Revolutionary Court, according to reports sent to VOA. Amini’s death sparked months of anti-government protests. Читать дальше...

A TVC News Nigeria report says that about 14,000 Nigerian students are currently studying in the United States, and more would like to join them. But they need information about schools and the proper processes to follow. (September 2023)

Former President Donald Trump returned to a New York City courthouse Tuesday to be a spectator at the civil fraud trial that threatens to disrupt his real estate empire, renewing his claims that the case is a baseless and politically targeted distraction from his 2024 campaign.  After attending the trial's first three days earlier this month, the Republican front-runner initially planned a return to coincide with testimony by Michael Cohen, his attorney turned foe. But Cohen's planned appearance... Читать дальше...

India’s Supreme Court rejected a plea to legalize same-sex marriage Tuesday, saying that it was up to parliament to legislate the issue. However, it said the community must be protected from discrimination. The ruling by a five-judge bench sent a wave of disappointment through the LGBTQ community, which had hoped that the top court would grant the right to marry. Two Asian countries currently allow same-sex marriage. The livestreamed verdict was closely followed by tens of thousands of community... Читать дальше...

Tensions have been rising on the Lebanese-Israeli border since Israel began military action against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Lebanese militant political group Hezbollah has warned that an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza would bring them into the conflict, a promise that would inevitably drag Lebanon into a costly and especially complicated war. Jacob Russell has this report from Beirut.

West African artist Amoaka Boafo has a new exhibit of portraits in the Western U.S. state of Colorado. VOA correspondent Scott Stearns has our story

Poland’s ruling nationalist conservative party has lost its majority in parliament after eight years in power. Official electoral results announced Tuesday show the Law and Justice party winning 35% of the vote. By contrast, the liberal Civic Coalition party won 30.7% of the vote, followed by the centrist Third Way party with 14.4% and the New Left 8.6%, giving the three parties a combined 53.7% of the vote and with it a majority of seats in the 460-seat lower house of parliament, the Sejm. The... Читать дальше...

Artificial Intelligence is being used to create musical “deepfakes” – songs that sound like one artist but were made by a computer. Deana Mitchell brings us the story of one artist who is engaging with machine learning to create new kinds of music.

When the Israel-Hamas war began more than a week ago, the only entrance to Gaza was destroyed, and Palestinian workers in Israel couldn’t get home. Now thousands of men are trapped on the outside, while their parents, siblings, wives and children try to survive the bombings in Gaza. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from Ramallah in the West Bank. Camera: Yan Boechat

Authorities in Belgium say the suspected gunman in Monday’s deadly terrorist attack in the capital Brussels has been shot and killed by police.  The suspect was caught Tuesday in the city’s Schaerbeek area. Amateur videos posted on social media depict a man wearing an orange vest and riding a scooter drove down a busy street, pulling out a gun and opening fire on pedestrians.  The gunman then chased people into a building and resumed shooting before fleeing the scene. Two Swedish nationals were killed in the attack... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Joe Biden will visit Israel Wednesday, as a humanitarian crisis grows in the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground invasion by Israeli forces. VOA’s Michael Brown reports.

Latest developments U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announces agreement to develop plan on humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza after marathon talks with Netanyahu.   Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns Iran and Hezbollah, ‘Don’t test us in the north’ United Nations says majority of people in Gaza without access to water.  More than 1,400 Israelis, 2,800 Palestinians have been killed.   U.S. President Joe Biden will head to Israel Wednesday, as a humanitarian crisis grows... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He made the early Tuesday announcement after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for more than seven hours. Meanwhile, China sends a special envoy to the Middle East to facilitate a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching has more.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is pressuring Hamas to give it access to at least 199 Israeli hostages that its militants kidnapped more than a week ago. From Tel Aviv, Israel, Linda Gradstein reports on how hundreds of Israeli civilians have set up a war room in a desperate effort to find the hostages. Videography by Ricki Rosen.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands and the U.S. signed agreements Monday evening that will give Washington a stronger presence in the Western Pacific and the right to deny China and other nations access to the islands’ territorial waters.  The agreements put in place Washington’s offer to provide $2.3 billion in economic assistance to the Marshall Islands over 20 years. In exchange, Washington will be able to deny access to the 2.1 million square kilometers surrounding the Marshall Islands. ... Читать дальше...

The U.S. and Israel develop a plan for humanitarian aid for Palestinians as President Biden plans to travel to Israel on Wednesday. We visit Jerusalem’s Old City, and we revisit the Turkish border with Armenia. Plus, we’re in Poland to examine the election results.