Новости за 11.01.2024

AMMAN, JORDAN — A Saudi ambassador said this week that his country will normalize relations with Israel only if there is a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians. Analysts say a chief goal of U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has been the normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, after Israel established ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords. Saudi Ambassador to Britain Prince Khalid bin Bandar told BBC Radio... Читать дальше...

There is strong evidence the government cracked down on the political opposition while ruling party supporters tried to stop journalists from investigating suspected voter fraud at polling stations.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Six-time National Football League champion Bill Belichick agreed to part ways as the coach of the New England Patriots, ending his 24-year tenure as the architect of the most decorated dynasty of the league's Super Bowl era. Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft announced the move to the media Thursday at Gillette Stadium. They didn't take questions, though Kraft scheduled an availability for later in the day. Belichick, 71, is just the third coach in NFL history to reach... Читать дальше...

ISLAMABAD — The United Nations said Thursday it was deeply concerned about recent arrests and detentions of women and girls by Afghanistan's Taliban authorities for alleged non-compliance with Islamic dress code.  The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) warned in a statement that the crackdown is "pushing women into even greater isolation" and called for the immediate release of those detained. The UNAMA says it has documented "a series of hijab decree enforcement campaigns" in the capital... Читать дальше...

Albany, New York — A group of Afghan Americans in Albany, New York, have opened a community center to help resettle newly arrived Afghans in the United States.  The Afghans, who fled their country after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, received help navigating the U.S. immigration system and starting a new life in the United States.   "[When] the [Afghan] government collapsed and more Afghans came to the U.S., the [U.S.] government could not handle [the cases], so we considered it necessary to support them," Yousaf Sherzad... Читать дальше...

In 2021, a group of Afghan Americans in Albany, New York opened a community center to help resettle newly arrived Afghans in the United States. Zafar Bamyani recently visited the site to see how their efforts are working, with Roshan Noorzi contributing. Aline Barros narrates the story.

On January 13, voters in Taiwan will cast their ballots to elect the island’s next president. While each candidate has been working hard to win more votes, some remain undecided in the race, in which China has been a key issue. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee travelled to different parts of Taiwan to hear what the voters have to say. (Camera: Elizabeth Lee, Bill Gallo, Stephen Boitano; Produced by Elizabeth Lee)

WARSAW, POLAND — Polish President Andrzej Duda announced Thursday that he plans to once again pardon two senior politicians who were arrested in his presidential palace earlier this week, in a case that is at the center of a standoff between Poland's new government and its conservative predecessor.  The development comes before a planned protest in Warsaw organized by the now opposition party Law and Justice, which held power for eight years until last month and is closely aligned with Duda.  Law and Justice... Читать дальше...

In northwestern Syria, the new year has ushered in deep fears as aid workers warn of an imminent hunger crisis affecting millions. The World Food Program has stopped regular food aid in Syria, and displaced families say that when they run out of current supplies, they don’t know how they will eat. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from Istanbul with Moawia Atrash and Ahmad Fallaha in Atme village in Syria, near the border with Turkey.

Geneva — The World Health Organization is warning that millions of people caught in conflict-driven health emergencies risk dying from traumatic wounds and infectious diseases because life-saving humanitarian aid is not reaching those in need. In one of his most forceful statements to date, the WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, accused the Israeli government of blocking essential aid to Gaza. In a briefing to journalists Wednesday, Tedros said a humanitarian mission to northern Gaza planned for that day... Читать дальше...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Iran's navy seized an oil tanker on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman that once was at the center of a major crisis between Tehran and Washington, officials said. The seizure further escalates tensions in the Mideast waterways.  The vessel was once known as the Suez Rajan and was involved in a yearlong dispute that ultimately saw the U.S. Justice Department seize 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil on it.  The seizure also comes after weeks of attacks by Yemen's Iranian-backed... Читать дальше...

New York — Donald Trump 's New York civil fraud trial is back in session Thursday for closing arguments after authorities responded to a bomb threat at the home of the judge who moved this week to prevent the former president from delivering his own closing statements. Authorities responded to the threat at Judge Arthur Engoron's home on Long Island, a court official said. The proceedings are not expected to be delayed as a result. Trump, the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination... Читать дальше...

More than 60 world leaders will join hundreds of business executives and campaigners at the Swiss ski resort of Davos for the five-day annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, starting Monday. On the agenda at this year’s meeting are some of the biggest global challenges including the impact of disinformation worldwide. Henry Ridgwell reports.

As China tightens control of Hong Kong, thousands of the territory’s residents have fled to democratic Taiwan. Some are entering Taiwanese politics. Ahead of Taiwan’s general election on Saturday, VOA’s Bill Gallo and Katie Tam spoke to Hong Kongers who want to play a larger role in the island’s democracy.