Новости за 05.02.2024

BANGKOK — Chinese shares gyrated on Monday, sinking to 5-year lows after market regulators sought to reassure jittery investors with a promise to crack down on stock price manipulation and "malicious short selling."  Shares in Shanghai and the smaller market in Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, swung between big losses and small gains throughout the day. The markets have languished on heavy selling of property shares, which are enduring a slump in the real estate market.  The China Securities Regulatory... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Monday it is rolling out a new policy that will allow it to impose visa restrictions on foreign individuals involved in the misuse of commercial spyware. The administration's policy will apply to people who’ve been involved in the misuse of commercial spyware to target individuals including journalists, activists, perceived dissidents, members of marginalized communities, or the family members of those who are targeted. The visa restrictions could... Читать дальше...

Baghdad, Iraq — Iraq is working for regional "de-escalation," Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani said Monday as he welcomed a senior Iranian security official to Baghdad, with tensions high over U.S. strikes in the country and the war in Gaza.  Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, also spoke with the Iraqi national security councilor Qassem al-Araji and discussed the "regional political and security" situation.  Tehran, one of Iraq's leading trade partners... Читать дальше...

Viña del Mar, Chile — Chile began two days of national mourning Monday for at least 122 victims of a raging wildfire, as the search continued for the missing and survivors picked through the scorched remains of their lives. "All of Chile weeps for Valparaiso," President Gabriel Boric said Sunday as the central coastal region reeled from the weekend inferno that has become the world's third-deadliest wildfire this century. Crowded hilltop neighborhoods that overlook the tourist hotspot found themselves... Читать дальше...

How US military names its weapons and equipment

NEW YORK — An oversight board is criticizing Facebook owner Meta's policies regarding manipulated media as "incoherent" and insufficient to address the flood of online disinformation that already has begun to target elections across the globe this year.  The quasi-independent board on Monday said its review of an altered video of President Joe Biden that spread on Facebook exposed gaps in the policy. The board said Meta should expand the policy to focus not only on videos generated with artificial intelligence... Читать дальше...

A year after a massive earthquake killed more than 56,000 people and displaced 3 million in Turkey and northern Syria, hundreds of thousands of people still live in containers in Turkey, grieving, traumatized and not knowing whether or when they will have new homes. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from Istanbul with videographers Umut Çolak in Istanbul and Orhan Erkılıç in Kahramanmaraş.

BUDAPEST — The U.S. envoy to Budapest along with ambassadors from some other NATO allies including Denmark and Poland attended a session of the Hungarian parliament on Monday in a surprise show of pressure on Budapest to approve Sweden's bid to join the alliance. The extraordinary meeting of parliament was called by the opposition to vote on ratification on Monday, but lawmakers from his ruling Fidesz party went ahead with their boycott of the session and now ratification will be further delayed. Читать дальше...

Most people in northwest Syria were already displaced when the magnitude seven-point-eight earthquake struck Feb. 6, 2023, killing thousands in the region and rendering 170,000 people homeless again. A year later, emergency aid has dried up, and some people are sheltering in condemned buildings. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from Istanbul, with Moawia Atrash in the countryside of Idlib, Syria.

SYDNEY — A new study finds that marine heatwaves are changing the base of the marine food chain, disrupting ecosystems and potentially global food supplies. Researchers in the investigation led by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, say their work has global implications. The study monitored the health of microorganisms that lie at the base of the marine food chain. The survey is part of a long-term project spanning 12 years. Tiny phytoplankton species developed smaller cells that are not easily consumed by larger animals. Читать дальше...

Seoul, South Korea — A South Korean court acquitted Samsung Electronics chief Lee Jae-yong on Monday of a raft of crimes linked to a controversial 2015 merger, Lee's lawyers said.  Yonhap news agency reported that the court said it did "not recognize intention to harm shareholders" through the merger, which critics had claimed was bad value and done mostly to ensure a smooth third-generational power transfer to Lee, a scion of Samsung's founding family. "Solidifying Lee's control and ensuring... Читать дальше...

LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift won album of the year at the Grammy Awards for “Midnights,” breaking the record for most wins in the category with four.  She began her speech by thanking her producer and friend Jack Antonoff and added, “I would love to tell you this is the happiest moment of my life,” she told the crowd, but said she feels this happy when she creates music and plays shows. Earlier in the night, Taylor Swift used her 13th Grammy win on Sunday to announce her new album, “Tortured Poets Department,” will arrive April 19. Читать дальше...

Sydney — Australian Chinese writer Yang Hengjun, who was arrested and accused of spying five years ago, has been given a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court. Australia’s foreign affairs minister Penny Wong said the Chinese court's decision was "harrowing" and “appalling.” She said she had summoned China's ambassador in Canberra for an explanation. Australian officials say the death sentence imposed on the writer and activist may be commuted to life imprisonment after two years for good behavior. Читать дальше...

Sydney — A senior U.S. state department official urged Papua New Guinea (PNG) to turn down China's offer of a potential security pact, warning the Pacific nation that any security guarantee with Beijing comes with consequences and costs. "We've seen that the Chinese commitment in defense or investment comes with a high cost. That's what we'd say to PNG," United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma told the Sydney Morning Herald in an interview published on Monday local time. Papua New... Читать дальше...

Karachi, Pakistan — There's a scrum of people trying to get photos with the married couple at the Radiance banquet hall, and you can barely hear someone talk above the din of 400 guests tucking into biryani and chicken tikka, music and the drone whirring around the room. The bejeweled bride and her natty groom are beaming. Outside, the street is jammed with cars heading to wedding parties in neighboring banquet halls, L'Amour, Candles and Hill Top. Hill Top, a multiplex, has three weddings going on at once. Читать дальше...

With both a show of military might and a stronger push for a diplomatic solution, the United States is trying to contain a broader war in the Middle East. With the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hamas, Iran-backed forces in the region are committed to continuing their attacks against Western interests. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports.