Новости за 23.12.2023

New Delhi — Anger has spread in some remote parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir after three civilians died while in army custody, officials and residents said Saturday.  Locals said the Indian army detained at least eight civilians on Friday for questioning. A day earlier, rebels fighting against Indian rule ambushed two army vehicles in the southern Poonch district, killing four soldiers and wounding three others. Poonch is close to the highly militarized line of control that divides the disputed Himalayan region between India and Pakistan. Читать дальше...

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Taiwan reported Chinese warplanes and warships around the island Saturday, including aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing continues military activities with three weeks to go before Taiwan votes. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for four years of regular Chinese military patrols and drills near the island. Campaigning is underway for Taiwan's January 13 presidential and parliamentary polls. Читать дальше...

BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI — Gunmen killed at least 20 people and wounded nine others near Burundi's western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, the government told reporters Saturday, in an attack claimed by the Reb Tabara rebel group. Those killed in the Friday night raid on a village called Vugizo included 12 children, two pregnant women and a police officer, government spokesperson Jerome Niyonzima said. Red Tabara, which has been battling Burundi's government from bases in eastern Congo since 2015... Читать дальше...

PRAGUE — The Czech Republic came to a standstill at noon Saturday as people across the country observed a minute of silence as part of a national day of mourning to honor the victims of the worst mass killing in Czech history. National flags on public buildings were at half-staff, and bells tolled at noon. A Mass at St. Vitus cathedral in Prague, the biggest in the country, was celebrated for the victims. President Petr Pavel and speakers of both houses of Parliament attended the service, which was open to everyone. Читать дальше...

BEIJING — The strong earthquake that hit northwest China this week and killed at least 148 people has caused economic losses estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars, state media reported Saturday. Officials in Gansu conducted preliminary assessments that showed the province's agricultural and fisheries industries have lost about $74.6 million, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Authorities were considering the best use of the relief fund, set up days before, for the agricultural sector to resume production as soon as possible... Читать дальше...

SYDNEY — Australia’s national weather agency on Saturday warned of extreme to severe heatwave conditions over northern parts of the country through Sunday. A lower-intensity heatwave is expected for much of the east coast starting Tuesday. The heatwaves continue the scorching start of summer in Australia. In early December, a heatwave warning affected areas in every state and territory, with the exception of Tasmania. Weather is considered a heatwave when the maximum and minimum temperatures are unusually hot over three days. Читать дальше...

ISLAMABAD — Only 12 children around the world have been paralyzed by wild poliovirus so far this year, all of them in Pakistan and Afghanistan — with six reported in each. They are the last two countries in which the highly infectious disease still exists. Moreover, the World Health Organization has warned that the countries’ vaccination programs continue to miss a large number of children, posing a significant risk to gains made against the crippling wild Type 1 poliovirus. In addition, Pakistan’s... Читать дальше...

BANGKOK — Southeast Asia’s online scam hubs are drawing growing attention from governments and law enforcement agencies well beyond the region as the criminal syndicates behind them search further afield for victims of their cons and human trafficking. On December 8, the United Kingdom announced sanctions against nine people and five companies accused of trafficking people into Southeast Asia’s "scam farms." The same day, Interpol unveiled the results of a major operation against trafficking "hot spots" in 27 countries... Читать дальше...

AUSTIN, Texas/WASHINGTON — Students and faculty alike at universities in Florida are still unsure about the impact of a new state law restricting cooperation between the institutions and their counterparts in China and a handful of other countries six months after it went into effect. "Some people only found out about this after seeing news reported in China, and no one knew how the law would actually be implemented," said Zhang, a graduate who told VOA the law has caused anxiety and uneasiness among Chinese students she knows. Читать дальше...

Prague, Czech Republic — Czechs mourned the victims of the Czech Republic's worst mass shooting as police tightened security around schools and other public buildings across the country on Friday after authorities said a student gunman killed 14 people at a Prague university building on Thursday. At the Charles University headquarters, crowds that included Prime Minister Petr Fiala and U.S. Ambassador Bijan Sabet paid tribute to the victims. Some knelt to light candles and lay flowers while others stood crying and hugging each other. Читать дальше...

Coral Springs, florida — Joyce Loaiza lives alone, but when she returns to her apartment at a Florida senior community, the retired office worker often has a chat with a friendly female voice that asks about her day. A few miles away, the same voice comforted Deanna Dezern, 83, when her friend died. In central New York, it plays games and music for Marie Broadbent, 92, who is blind and in hospice, and in Washington state, it helps Jan Worrell, 83, make new friends. The women are some of the first in the country to receive the robot ElliQ... Читать дальше...

Jerusalem — A U.S.-Israeli man believed to have been taken captive by Hamas militants on October 7 was killed on the day of the attack, his kibbutz community said Friday. Palestinian militants took the body of Gad Haggai, 73, from his community of Nir Oz in southern Israel to the Gaza Strip, the kibbutz said in a statement. His wife is believed to have been abducted alive. The Israeli army, contacted by AFP, confirmed Haggai had died on October 7. He is the latest confirmed fatality among about... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON — The United States on Friday reopened two rail crossings between Texas and Mexico, five days after they were closed in response to increased migrant traffic. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said operations resumed midafternoon Friday at the international railway crossing bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas. The closures had prompted alarm from railroads, the agriculture industry and some lawmakers over the economic impact to export trade. The White House said the United States... Читать дальше...

phnom penh, cambodia — Cambodia is still struggling to fulfill its ambitious goal of becoming a Chinese tourist hub, building on its pre-pandemic reputation as an attractive destination. Last month, it opened a new China-funded airport not far from the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This came after the 2016 rollout of a "China Ready" tourism strategy, aimed at equipping tour guides with Chinese language skills, providing signs and travel documents in Chinese... Читать дальше...

KINSHASA/BENI, Democratic Republic of the Congo — Congo on Friday released a few early results from general elections after an unscheduled daylong ballot extension that prompted some opposition candidates to cry foul and call for a rerun.  The provisional results from the few thousand voters in the Congolese diaspora showed President Felix Tshisekedi with a comfortable lead over challengers.   The CENI election commission said results cast within Congo by its 44 million registered voters would be released beginning Saturday. Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON — Iran was "deeply involved" in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and its intelligence was critical to enable Yemen's Houthi movement to target ships, the White House said Friday. Iran-backed Houthis, who say their attacks are in support of Palestinians under siege by Israel in Gaza, have targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea with drones and missiles, forcing shippers to change course and take longer routes around the southern tip of Africa. "We know... Читать дальше...

washington — The Supreme Court said Friday that it would not immediately take up a plea by special counsel Jack Smith to rule on whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted for his actions to overturn the 2020 election results.  The ruling is a win for Trump and his lawyers, who have sought repeatedly to delay this and other criminal cases against him as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024. It averts a swift ruling from the nation's highest court that could have definitively... Читать дальше...