Новости за 12.03.2024

Tehran, Iran — Iran has arrested four people on suspicion of giving a foreign-based broadcaster video of an argument between a Shiite cleric and a woman not wearing the mandatory headscarf, Iranian media reported Tuesday.  Closed-circuit television footage of the row in Iran's Shiite clerical center of Qom has gone viral on social media and has also been aired by the London-based news channel Iran International, regarded as an "enemy media" outlet by the Tehran authorities.   In the video, the... Читать дальше...

Critical funds to counter China in the Pacific are finally approved for three U.S. allies: Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. Over the weekend, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law $7 billion over 20 years in funding for the Compacts of Free Association as part of a partial government funding bill. VOA’s Jessica Stone reports. Camera: Jessica Stone, Greg Harong

According to the Hamas-affiliated Ministry of Health, more than 13,400 children have been killed in Gaza since the war with Israel began on October 7th. The education system has been nearly frozen and Palestinian officials worry about the long-term effects of the war on Gaza’s children. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem. (Camera: Ricki Rosen)

Turkey's new naval agreement with Somalia places the Turkish navy in a strategically vital region, underlining Ankara's growing naval ambitions. However, analysts warn that the agreement threatens to escalate current tensions with Somalia’s neighbor Ethiopia. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

Gaborone — Scores of people from communities living near wildlife in Botswana marched Tuesday against an anti-hunting bill presented to Britain’s House of Commons. The protesters delivered a petition to the British High Commission as Botswana prepares to send a delegation to the U.K. to lobby against the bill. The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, which goes for a second reading later this month, seeks to ban the importation of legally obtained wildlife trophies from Africa. Trophy... Читать дальше...

No ceasefire in Gaza, but humanitarian aid is on the way. Congress is still unable to pass a bill to help in deepening crises around the world. The interim prime minister of Haiti resigns and Tibetans remember an uprising 65 years ago. Plus, a look at politics and economy in Russia and in China.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to approve legislation Wednesday that would force the popular TikTok video app to either separate from its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance or sell the U.S. version of the software. The bipartisan Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act “gives TikTok six months to eliminate foreign adversary control — which would include ByteDance divesting its current ownership — to remain available in the United States,” said Representative Mike Gallagher... Читать дальше...

Tensions between Taipei and Beijing have been heating up in the waters around Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands, which sit a few kilometers from the Chinese mainland. Residents have endured artillery barrages in the past and persistent military threats. Even so, many say they doubt conflict will reach their shore. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee explains.

Taiwan-ruled Kinmen is an island only a few kilometers from China. It has been the first line of defense against China for Taiwan’s government. One blacksmith in Kinmen, made famous by what he recycles, is trying to turn objects of the island’s violent past into a symbol of peace. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has more.

Taiwan’s Kinmen Islands are known for their sorghum wine, wind lion gods, and knives made from old mortar shells. And because they are just a few kilometers from China's southeastern coast, they often are caught in the middle of tensions between Taipei and Beijing. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has more on the unique history of Kinmen and the perspectives of the people who live there.

KINMEN, TAIWAN — From the Kinmen Islands, a Taiwanese outpost just three kilometers at its closest point from China, residents can stand on a beach and look across at the growing forest of skyscrapers in the Chinese city of Xiamen. But far from feeling threatened by their proximity to the country that vows to "reunify" with Taiwan — by force if necessary — most Kinmen residents say they feel safer on China's doorstep than they would on the main island of Taiwan. That is not to say that Beijing has never threatened Kinmen. Читать дальше...

New Delhi — India has dismissed China’s objections to a recent visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims is its territory. The spat is the latest flare-up in a four-year-long military standoff between the two countries’ that shows no signs of easing. A day after Beijing lodged a diplomatic protest over Modi’s visit, India’s foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said that Chinese objections do not “change the reality that Arunachal... Читать дальше...

Washington — The U.S. prosecutor who sparked a political firestorm last month with a report saying President Joe Biden had a "poor memory" appeared before a congressional committee on Tuesday to defend his assessment. Special Counsel Robert Hur arrived to speak to the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, which has been one of the panels conducting an impeachment inquiry into Biden, 81. "My assessment in the report about the relevance of the President's memory was necessary and accurate... Читать дальше...

Scientists in Alaska are developing a cloud-based approach to storing and analyzing data about volcanoes, in hopes of increasing the speed with which they can predict eruptions. Phil Dierking has our story. (Camera and Produced by: Philip Dierking)

Islamabad — Prison authorities in Pakistan on Tuesday abruptly banned all meetings and visits to incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan for two weeks over a “security alert,” drawing a sharp rebuke from his political party and legal counsels. The 71-year-old former Pakistani leader is serving long prison terms in Rawalpindi, a garrison city adjacent to the capital, Islamabad. Khan was convicted of graft, leaking state secrets while in office, and a fraudulent marriage just days before national elections last month... Читать дальше...

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The trial began Tuesday in Norway for a man accused of aggravated terrorism for the deadly shooting at an LGBTQ+ festival in Oslo's nightlife district.  Two people were killed and nine seriously wounded in the shooting at three locations, chiefly outside the London Pub, a popular gay bar, on June 25, 2022.  Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo said Zaniar Matapour, 44, allegedly fired 10 rounds with a machine gun and eight shots with a handgun into a crowd. Matapour, a Norwegian citizen originally from Iran... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON — Consumer prices in the United States picked up last month, a sign that inflation remains a persistent challenge for the Federal Reserve and for President Joe Biden's reelection campaign, both of which are counting on a steady easing of price pressures this year.  Prices rose 0.4% from January to February, higher than the previous month's figure of 0.3%, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Compared with a year earlier, consumer prices rose 3.2% last month, faster than January's 3.1% annual pace. Читать дальше...

Taipei — During China's top legislative meetings this year, which wrapped up Monday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping ordered the military to develop what he called "new quality combat capabilities,” a phrase analysts say highlights a focus on the use of artificial intelligence, high-tech and intelligent warfare. It also could signal, they say, plans to build forces of unmanned ships and submarines to support military operations. Speaking at a gathering of the People’s Liberation Army or PLA and Armed... Читать дальше...