Новости за 18.01.2022

A presidential election was due to take place on December 24, followed by legislative polls, but the UN-sponsored electoral process was delayed in the troubled North African nation amid political tensions. Those tensions pit military strongman Khalifa Haftar and an eastern-based parliament against authorities centring around an interim government in the capital Tripoli in the west, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah. Libya has been ravaged by violence and insecurity ever since a NATO-backed... Читать дальше...

EU car sales fell to a new low last year as the auto sector was hobbled by the Covid pandemic and a shortage of computer chips, industry figures showed Tuesday.

Microsoft's buyout deal values the company at a whopping $69 billion, despite the scandal that has put an unflattering spotlight on the "Candy Crush" maker's leadership and company culture. Founded in 1979 by former Atari programmers unhappy with their pay, Activision had more than $8 billion in sales in 2020. It relies on a few major franchises, namely "World of Warcraft", a multiplayer game that is still very popular almost 30 years after it launch, the first-person shooter "Call of Duty" and the "Candy Crush" puzzle game. Читать дальше...

The large sculpture of a blue man sitting on the roof is invisible to the naked eye but it is there -- in augmented reality. The sculpture is part of an installation by the American artist Kaws at the gallery, reproduced for the hundreds of millions of users of the video game Fortnite for the first time. Artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist said the New Yorker's exhibition -- "New fiction", which opened Tuesday and ends on February 27 -- has three "layers". "It's the Serpentine Gallery on Fortnite... Читать дальше...

On an afternoon of surprises, Guinea fell 2-1 to already-eliminated Zimbabwe in Yaounde and scraped into the round of 16 as runners-up thanks to a better head-to-head record than Malawi. Brave Malawi finished third and must wait until Thursday to see if they will be among the best four third-placed teams and qualify for the second round. Senegal came to the Cup of Nations as one of the favourites but have won only once and scored only once -- from a Sadio Mane penalty -- in three matches. Malawi... Читать дальше...

Benchmark oil prices climbed to their highest since 2014 on Tuesday as possible supply disruption after attacks in the Mideast Gulf added to an already tight supply outlook.

The largest known cut diamond in the world, a rare black diamond called the Enigma, has gone on public display for the first time this week in Dubai ahead of its sale at auction, where it is expected to fetch $5 million.

Shocking images of the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano off the coast of the Tonga Islands have been flooding social networks since January 15. But several fake videos have crept in among the authentic footage, coming from near the Kampar River in Indonesia.

Tipped as one of the favourites before the tournament, the Teranga Lions failed to roar against a well-disciplined Malawi. Senegal enjoyed a near monopoly on possession but showed little creativity. Still, thanks to Zimbabwe’s win over Guinea, Senegal win Group B.

The combustible Kyrgios once famously labelled the men's world number one "a tool" but he surprisingly raced to Djokovic's defence over the past week as the unvaccinated Serbian fought against deportation from Australia. Djokovic failed and is now back home, but the 26-year-old Kyrgios hopes they can develop their newfound fondness for one another somewhere down the line. Kyrgios has even won fans in Serbia because of his support for Djokovic -- Serbian player Dusan Lajovic jokingly called him "Nick the Serb" on Monday. Читать дальше...

Hospitals elsewhere in the country's war-battered north were being forced to shut, the ICRC said, and unable to keep patients alive without medicines, electricity or water. Thousands of people have died in 14 months of fighting in Ethiopia and millions are suffering from a critical shortage of food and medical essentials in conflict-afflicted regions. The United Nations says a de facto blockade on aid reaching rebel-controlled Tigray is creating a humanitarian crisis in a region of seven million people. Читать дальше...

Moscow on Tuesday rejected new talks on Ukraine unless the West responds to its demands, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to fly to Kyiv in a show of support amid fears of a Russian invasion.

Raducanu made history by becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title in New York last year, but had won only two matches since. The 19-year-old was back to her dazzling best on Margaret Court Arena despite a second-set battle, ousting the American Stephens 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 in a performance that will make her rivals sit up and take notice. "Both me and Sloane really put everything out there. I thought it was a high-quality match with some great rallies," said the 17th seed from Britain, who was making her Australian Open debut.

Veteran lock Jones is one of several high-profile absentees, with fellow British and Irish Lions players George North, Leigh Halfpenny, Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric, Josh Navidi and Ken Owens all currently sidelined through injury. But flanker Ross Moriarty, who has been sidelined with a shoulder problem, has been included in Wales head coach Wayne Pivac's 36-man squad. The group includes three uncapped players -- hooker Dewi Lake and flanker Jac Morgan, both from Ospreys, and Cardiff No 8 James Ratti. Читать дальше...

Dr. Antoine Bondaz, Director of the Korea Program at the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), joins France 24 to discuss the latest missile test, following a series of weapons launches that began early this month. North Korea is developing a "new type of weapons system," explains Dr. Bondaz, to be able to "penetrate the missile defense system" in the region and to send a "very strong signal" to the US and South Korea that the country still has the capacity "to alter the balance of power and the... Читать дальше...

Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi granted an interview to FRANCE 24. Earlier this month, peaceful protests against a hike in energy prices in Kazakhstan sparked a brutal crackdown, backed up by military support from Russian-led troops. The official death toll stands at 225, but human rights groups believe it to be much higher. Tileuberdi said the Kazakhstani authorities were ready to share "proof" with the international community that there were foreign terrorists among the "armed militants". Читать дальше...

Security forces on Monday killed at least seven people during anti-coup protests by thousands, bringing the total fatalities from the crackdown on anti-coup demonstrations to 71, according to medics. Sudan's main civilian bloc, the Forces for Freedom and Change, called for two days of civil disobedience to begin on Tuesday. "Shop closed for mourning," said a series of small signs posted on the closed outlets at the sprawling Sajane construction supplies market in Khartoum. One of the merchants... Читать дальше...

Stock markets headed south with US Treasury yields surging on expectations the Federal Reserve will have to unveil several interest rate hikes to tackle a worrying spike in inflation. Expectations of Fed tightening continued to support the dollar. European crude benchmark Brent North Sea reached $88.13 per barrel, while US contract WTI hit $85.74 -- the highest levels since October 2014. Also supporting prices was the claim of an attack by Yemen's Huthi rebels in Abu Dhabi that triggered a fuel tank blast killing three people Monday... Читать дальше...

Eleven people were killed in coalition air strikes on Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa, a witness and medical sources told AFP Tuesday, after the insurgents launched a rare and deadly attack on the United Arab Emirates.

Millions across America's east coast and Canada's southeastern provinces hunkered down as a major winter storm continued Monday morning, disrupting travel and cutting power to thousands of homes.

Maltese lawmaker Roberta Metsola secured overwhelming support to become president of the European Parliament on Tuesday, making her the first woman to hold the post for 20 years. Metsola succeeds Italian socialist David Sassoli in the mainly ceremonial role presiding over the 705-member parliament of the European Union, after he died this month aged 65. FRANCE 24's Dave Keating tells us more about Metsola.

Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted Tuesday for a new speaker, with centre-right Maltese politician Roberta Metsola favourite to win despite controversy over her anti-abortion stance.

Amid heightened tensions between Mali and France, Mali’s transitional authorities have asked for a review of the 2013 bilateral defence accords between Paris and Bamako. FRANCE 24 examines some of the details of the agreement and the likely impact of the latest development on the ground.

A six-year cold case investigation into the betrayal of Anne Frank has identified a surprising suspect in the mystery of how the Nazis found the hiding place of the famous diarist in 1944.