Новости за 09.02.2024

GENEVA — UNICEF warns 300 days of conflict in Sudan has unleashed a wave of atrocities on children, with hundreds of thousands suffering from hunger, violence, and horrific abuse.  According to the U.N. children's agency, four million children in Sudan have been displaced, in what is seen as "the world's largest child displacement crisis." To break down the magnitude of the conditions, UNICEF said 13,000 children have been displaced and thrust into a situation of chaos and despair every day for the past 300 days. Читать дальше...

Washington — Joe Biden's Republican rivals are pouncing on questions about his mental acuity, following a verbal slip by the U.S. president that has exacerbated Democrats' anxiety about his age. "Biden's not going to be any sharper in November," Jason Miller, senior adviser to the Trump campaign, said in a statement to VOA. The Make America Great Again Political Action Committee, which supports former President Donald Trump, released a statement saying, "Joe Biden isn't just senile, he put our... Читать дальше...

The University of the People, a tuition-free online university, was founded in 2009 and accredited in 2014. The game-changing goal of the U.S. nonprofit is to make education accessible to some 140,000 students from 200 countries. Maxim Adams has the story. Video: Dana Preobrazhenskaya.

Having enough feed for livestock is critical to the food security of many African countries. Some farmers are considering adopting a Chinese-engineered grass called Juncao, advertised as high-yielding and fast-maturing. Some scientists advise caution. Francis Ontomwa has more from Kajiado, Kenya. Video: Amos Wangwa.

Hungary has rejected criticism of its new ‘sovereignty protection’ law, after the European Union instigated legal action against Budapest Wednesday. The EU has concerns that the legislation breaches basic democratic rights. Henry Ridgwell has more from the Hungarian capital. Camera: Ancsin Gábor

About 10,000 people born between 1946 and 1964 leave the workforce each day

Four months after the Hamas attacks on Israeli communities bordering Gaza, some of the estimated 125,000 Israelis displaced from those areas are returning to their homes. Others, however, say they still don’t feel safe and are not sure when they will go back. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Sderot. Video: Ricki Rosen  This video contains graphic images and may not be suitable for all viewers.

SAN FRANCISCO — A bounty of 10 African penguin chicks has hatched in just over a year at a San Francisco science museum as part of an effort to conserve the endangered bird. The penguins began hatching in November 2022, ending a four-year period without any new chicks, and continued through January of this year, the California Academy of Sciences announced Wednesday. African penguins have dwindled to 9,000 breeding pairs in the wild, the academy said in a statement. Threats such as overfishing... Читать дальше...

Tensions were building in the Middle East on Thursday, a day after the US took out a commander of an Iranian-backed militant group in a drone strike in Baghdad. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has more.

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday pushed back on claims he incorrectly handled sensitive government documents, forcefully contrasting his case with that of former President Donald Trump – and drawing a contrast with Trump’s own high-stakes legal travails the same day the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could remove Trump from the presidential race. Biden, at turns defiant and bitterly jocular with the reporters called in for the last-minute remarks Thursday evening... Читать дальше...

Four months after the October 7 Hamas terror attack in southern Israel, Israelis are still grappling with the consequences of the intrusion on their territory, the trauma to their families, and concerns about the future. VOA’s Celia Mendoza reports from Jerusalem. Camera: Celia Mendoza

white house — President Joe Biden on Thursday gave his sharpest criticism yet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign, which has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza. “I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza, in the Gaza Strip, has been over the top,” Biden said in response to a reporter’s question at the White House. Biden said he has been “pushing very hard” for a temporary cease-fire in exchange... Читать дальше...

vancouver, british columbia — The Canadian government is delaying access to medically assisted death for people with mental illness. Those suffering from mental illness were supposed to be able to access Medical Assistance in Dying — also known as MAID — starting March 17. The recent announcement by the government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the second delay after original legislation authorizing the practice passed in 2021. The delay came in response to a recommendation by... Читать дальше...

Pentagon — The United States is giving no indication of relenting after its latest airstrike in Iraq — targeting an Iranian-backed militia commander in downtown Baghdad — sparked renewed anger and fresh calls for the removal of U.S. troops from the country. Instead, officials in Washington on Thursday defended Tuesday’s strike and warned that the U.S. would not hesitate to act again should its forces come under further attacks. "We fully respect Iraq’s sovereignty,” White House National Security... Читать дальше...

Key funding to counter China in the Pacific is missing from a spending package under consideration on Capitol Hill. After weeks of being included in a tranche of emergency supplemental funding, $7 billion for the Compacts of Free Association was dropped from the bill. VOA’s Jessica Stone reports.

Since the October 7 Hamas terror attack, reporting on the West Bank has been more challenging and riskier than ever. VOA’s Celia Mendoza reports from Jerusalem.

united nations — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed his appeal Thursday for a humanitarian cease-fire before a "gigantic tragedy" develops in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where Israel's military is reported to be planning to expand its offensive. "Looking into the situation in Rafah, where you have now more than half the population of Gaza that were pushed there — they didn't go because they wanted to, they were pushed there," Guterres told reporters. "Looking at that situation... Читать дальше...