Новости за 29.01.2024

Beijing — The Chinese government has protested to the United States over the treatment of Chinese arriving to study in America, saying some have been interrogated for hours, had their electronic devices checked and in some cases were forcibly deported from the country. Xie Feng, the Chinese ambassador in Washington, said dozens of Chinese have been denied entry every month for the past few months when returning to school from overseas travel or visiting relatives in China, according to a post on the Chinese Embassy website. Читать дальше...

BANGKOK — Australian mining companies operating in Myanmar are contributing to military government funding, according to a new report. Justice for Myanmar, an activist group that focuses on campaigning against military-rule, says the mining companies listed in a new report titled “Mines Against Humanity” remain active and create revenue for the military. That activity, the report says, aids the junta in its attacks on opposition forces in the country. Myanmar has been in chaos since military... Читать дальше...

Hundreds of cargo ships traveling from Asia to Europe are now avoiding the Red Sea and the Suez Canal route due to persistent attacks and hijackings by Houthi militants responding to the Israel-Hamas war. The International Chamber of Shipping, a major trade group, says these incidents have caused significant disruptions in global trade, leading to increased costs and delays. Jonathan Spier narrates this report from Alfonso Beato in Barcelona, one of the main ports in Europe handling cargo from the Red Sea.

BELGRADE, Serbia — A trial started Monday for the parents of a Serbian teenager accused of fatally shooting 10 people and injuring six more at his school last May.  The suspected shooter, Kosta Kecmanovic, 13, has been held in a mental institution since the incident at Belgrade’s Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School and cannot be held criminally liable under Serbian law because of his age.  The parents are charged with a “serious act against general safety” in connection with the attack. Prosecutors... Читать дальше...

Washington  — Myanmar’s military government has approved resumption of construction of the Chinese-backed Kyaukphyu deep-sea port after years of delay.    The project is a significant step in China’s push to develop an outlet to the Indian Ocean and bypass the Strait of Malacca, a pirate-infested chokepoint on busy trade routes to the Middle East, Africa and Europe.    The State Administration Council and the Chinese state-owned firm CITIC signed the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port deal, a “supplementary... Читать дальше...

GENEVA — The World Health Organization says great progress has been made in the global elimination of industrially produced trans fat, with nearly half the world's population protected against the harmful effects of this toxic product. "Five years ago, WHO called on countries and the food sector to eliminate industrially produced trans fats from the food supply. The response has been incredible," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday. "So far, 53 countries have implemented best practice policies... Читать дальше...

Nairibi — The school year is well under way across Kenya, but education officials say that not every high school aged student has made it to class. The enrollment is at less than 100%.  Social media pages in Kenya are filled with primary school graduates, holding placards asking well-wishers to help them with school fees to continue their education.    Some have received help from ordinary citizens and businesses, and some politicians have come forward to help; however, more than two weeks after secondary school classes began... Читать дальше...

Abuja, Nigeria — Analysts in West Africa are reacting to the sudden exit of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the regional economic bloc ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, and are raising security concerns. The three nations led by military juntas announced the withdrawal in a televised broadcast Sunday, accusing the regional body of becoming a threat to member states. According to a joint communique issued by the military juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the withdrawal... Читать дальше...

Washington — A former contractor for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service was sentenced by a judge on Monday to five years in prison on Monday for leaking the tax records of former President Donald Trump and thousands of other wealthy Americans to media organizations. Charles Littlejohn, 38, in October had pleaded guilty to a charge of disclosing income tax return information without authorization.   U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes decided on his sentence.   Federal prosecutors had sought a five-year sentence... Читать дальше...

Washington — The United States on Monday offered a reward of up to $5 million for the arrest of a former Sudanese official sought over alleged Darfur war crimes who escaped from prison when war erupted last year. Ahmed Harun, a former top aide to deposed dictator Omar al-Bashir, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for helping form the notorious Janjaweed militia which carried out a scorched-earth campaign in Darfur in the 2000s. Harun announced in April that he and other former regime... Читать дальше...

London — King Charles III and his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, have both left a private London hospital following unrelated medical treatments that have made the health of the royal family headlines news in the United Kingdom. The 75-year-old monarch was admitted to the London Clinic on Friday for treatment of an enlarged prostate, which Buckingham Palace described as benign. The princess, formerly Kate Middleton, has been at the hospital in central London for the past two weeks following... Читать дальше...

Washington — Schools in the United States are not being spared from a dramatic rise in hate crimes that has swept across the country. A new report released Monday from the Federal Bureau of Investigation finds that 10% of all hate crimes in the U.S. in 2022 took place at schools, making them the country's third most common location for hate crimes. Only homes (27%) and highways, roads or alleys (16%) saw more hate crime offenses. The report found that the number of reported hate crimes at schools ... Читать дальше...

Nairobi — Kenyan President William Ruto says he will appeal a court ruling last week rejecting a planned deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti. Ruto promised last year that Kenya would lead a multinational force to help fight gangs in the troubled Caribbean nation, but critics challenged his legal authority. Friday’s court ruling didn’t come as a surprise because procedure was not followed said, Dr. Francis Khayundi, assistant professor of international law at the United States International University Africa in Nairobi. Читать дальше...

In Mogadishu, the troubled capital of Somalia, elderly citizens gather every afternoon in the Bondere district for an archery contest. The activity is part of a deeper historical tradition. Jamal Ahmed Osman has more about this unique activity, in this story narrated by Kevin Enochs. Camera and video editing by Abdulkadir Zubeyr.

Islamabad — Pakistan and Iran agreed Monday to broaden political and security cooperation to confront terrorism after exchanging unprecedented missile strikes earlier this month against alleged militant bases in each other’s territories.  The understanding stemmed from a meeting Pakistani Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani hosted with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, in Islamabad. "There was an agreement to cooperate to fight terrorism in our respective areas. We need to address... Читать дальше...

Paris — Iran on Monday hanged four members of its Kurdish minority on charges of spying for Israel, defying a campaign for their lives to be spared by rights groups who had described their trial as grossly unfair. The four men were executed at dawn after they were convicted of collaborating with Israel on a plan to sabotage an Iranian defense site in the central province of Isfahan, according to the judiciary's Mizan Online website. It accused them of being "members of a group affiliated with the Zionist spy organization"... Читать дальше...

SYDNEY — Australia said it will spend $23 million to support policing in East Timor, boosting disaster response and technology capabilities in the small Southeast Asian neighbor that recently upgraded ties with China. Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy arrived in East Timor on Monday and met with Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão. "Australia is committed to working with Timor-Leste to deliver skilled and professional policing services that contribute to a stable and secure Timor-Leste," Conroy said in a statement. Читать дальше...