Новости за 08.01.2024

Until recently, observers say Washington had largely sidelined Turkey in diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israel-Hamas war, but as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, the visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Turkey in the last few days signals that has changed.

Tehran — Iran on Monday threw its weight behind calls from neighboring Iraq to oust the U.S.-led anti-jihadi coalition from its territory after a U.S. strike killed a pro-Iran commander in Baghdad. "Regarding Iraq and the actions that the American government took recently, the Iraqi government has clearly announced its position," foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani told a press conference. Iran is confident that its neighbor has "the ability, strength and authority necessary to maintain security" on its territory alone, Kanani said.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Iran hopes technical problems preventing Iranian Muslims from making the Umrah pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia will soon be resolved, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on Monday. Iran initially announced in December that the first Umrah pilgrims would travel on December 19 following an agreement between Tehran and Riyadh to allow the pilgrimage to take place after a pause of eight years. However, this flight and subsequent ones were canceled due to Riyadh... Читать дальше...

Nigeria is a signatory to several international treaties aiming to end sexual and gender-based violence against women. However, the problem persists. Now some want new laws to hold offenders accountable. Timothy Obiezu has this story from Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Editor’s note: The rape survivors interviewed for this report have given consent to have their full names used.

Researchers in Taiwan are using a special robot to hunt mosquitoes that carry the virus that causes dengue fever. From the southern city of Kaohsiung, Shelley Schlender has our story.

Munich — Franz Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup both as player and coach and became one of Germany's most beloved personalities with his easygoing charm, has died, news agency dpa reported Monday. He was 78. "It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family," the family said in a statement to dpa, the German news agency. "We ask that we be allowed to grieve in peace and be... Читать дальше...

Seoul, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un turned 40 Monday with no announced public celebrations at home, after he entered the new year with artillery barrages into the sea and vows to expand his nuclear arsenal. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim, the third generation of his family to rule North Korea, is believed to have established an absolute leadership similar to his predecessors. But his birthday has yet to be officially celebrated, unlike his late father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung. Читать дальше...

Islamabad — Pakistan's Supreme Court lifted lifetime bans on politicians with past convictions from running for public office Monday, paving the way for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to run in the national elections next month.  The top court announced the widely anticipated ruling after several days of hearings in a case that critics said was launched primarily to give relief to politicians allegedly backed by the powerful Pakistani military.  Prosecutors questioned the lifetime ban and... Читать дальше...

Geneva — The U.N. rights chief on Monday condemned the violence and repression during controversial elections in Bangladesh that were boycotted by the opposition, urging the country to strengthen democracy. Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina secured her fifth term in power following Sunday's vote, after the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called a general strike and, along with dozens of others, refused to participate. "I implore the government to take the necessary steps... Читать дальше...

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Slovenia's rescuers successfully extracted five people Monday who have been trapped in a cave for more than two days because of high water levels, local media reported. The rescue operation was possible Monday after water levels inside the cave receded, Walter Zakrajsek, the head of the Cave Rescue Service, told the STA news agency. The operation was completed around midafternoon following an hours-long rescue operation by a six-member team of divers. A family of three... Читать дальше...

BEIJING — China says it has detained an individual accused of collecting state secrets on behalf of Britain's foreign intelligence agency MI6. The Ministry of State Security posted on social media Monday that Britain had been cooperating since 2015 with the person, who it said was a citizen of a third nation and had the surname Huang. The ministry said Huang had received training in intelligence gathering, was provided with equipment and had collected numerous state secrets on repeated visits to China. Читать дальше...

A possible Chinese attempt to take over self-governing Taiwan has been a threat to the island for decades. It’s a topic among the candidates in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election, but some residents on the island say the threat of a Chinese attack is more real than ever before and they are taking action. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details. VOA footage by Bill Gallo and Stephen Boitano. William Yang contributed.

The ups and downs of the one-state, two-state and three-state proposals to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Egypt’s Copts, the biggest Christian population in the Middle East, celebrate Orthodox Christmas across the Egyptian capital

The impact of climate change is increasingly evident along El Salvador’s coastlines where saltwater is slowly claiming what once was farmland. Veronica Villafañe narrates this report from Claudia Zaldaña

NEW DELHI — India's top court on Monday quashed the early release of 11 Hindu men who had been jailed for life for gang-raping a pregnant Muslim woman and murdering her relatives during Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat state in 2002, a lawyer in the case said. The court directed the men to surrender to prison authorities within two weeks, the lawyer added. The victim, Bilkis Bano, was three months pregnant when she was gang-raped and seven of her relatives, including her three-year old daughter... Читать дальше...

ISLAMABAD — Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said Monday that at least six police officers were killed and nearly two dozen injured when a roadside bomb struck their truck in a remote region bordering Afghanistan. The officers were traveling to Bajaur, a militancy-hit border district, to escort anti-polio workers on the first day of a weeklong national immunization drive. Witnesses reported that the powerful blast destroyed the police vehicle. Rescue workers expected the death toll to increase... Читать дальше...