Новости за 20.03.2024

United Nations — U.N. humanitarian officials said Wednesday that nearly a year into Sudan’s civil war, almost 18 million people are facing crisis levels of food insecurity — and tens of thousands of children are at particular risk of death from malnutrition. “Areas with active conflict are recording the most highly food-insecure populations,” Maurizio Martina, deputy director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. “Nearly nine out of 10 people facing emergency food insecurity ... Читать дальше...

Israel claims 90 militants killed and 160 arrested in raid on the Al Shifa hospital. American Muslim leaders avoid White House Ramadan celebrations. Europe prepares for the Russia EU Forum as Putin threatens to take more land. Climate records are shattered, and where are people the happiest?

New York — President Joe Biden's administration announced Wednesday revised pollution standards for cars and trucks meant to accelerate the U.S. auto industry's shift to electric to mitigate climate change. The rules set ambitious emission reductions for 2032 but are moderated somewhat compared with preliminary standards unveiled last April. Following carmaker criticism, the final rules give manufacturers greater flexibility and ease the benchmarks in the first three years. Those shifts were... Читать дальше...

The issue is not that people die while incarcerated, but why Navalny and so many other Kremlin critics end up in prison or dead.

Istanbul police are now using some of the world's most expensive sports cars as part of Turkey’s new bid to crack down on organized crime. Ankara hopes to escape international scrutiny over money laundering as it works to attract foreign investors. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

Geneva — Myanmar’s ruling junta “is losing” its war against a coalition of domestic forces but still remains highly dangerous, according to a U.N. special rapporteur on the human rights situation in that country.  “The tide is turning in Myanmar because of widespread citizen opposition to the junta and mounting battlefield victories by resistance forces,” said Tom Andrews, who presented his latest report to the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday. At a briefing for reporters Wednesday, Andrews said the junta is losing territory... Читать дальше...

Seattle — The National Archives at Seattle keeps 50,000 records from the Chinese Exclusion Act era that banned Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States. Volunteers working on the documents find stories of resilience and some find details of their family’s past. A group of volunteers has been gathering each week at the Seattle archives to index thousands of documents from the Chinese Exclusion Act years. Volunteers say they never know what kind of drama the files will reveal. It may... Читать дальше...

Washington — The initial backlash came quickly. Within hours of last week’s vote in the House of Representatives approving legislation that could lead to a ban of the popular TikTok app in the United States, anger and outrage poured onto multiple social media platforms. Some of the anger targeted U.S. lawmakers who supported the bill. Some focused on China. And a number of social media accounts, some with large followings, put the blame on Israel and pro-Jewish groups in the United States.... Читать дальше...

Pacific leaders are on high alert after U.S. scientists warned that the world is nearing a historic mass coral bleaching brought on by high water temperatures fueled by climate change. VOA’s Jessica Stone reports. (Produced by Jessica Stone)

ISLAMABAD — Authorities in Pakistan said Wednesday six people, mostly security personnel, were killed when a group of heavily armed “terrorists” stormed a government building in the southwestern city of Gwadar, home to a China-run port. A senior security official confirmed the casualties, telling VOA that Pakistani forces “swiftly engaged” and killed “all eight assailants” in a fierce gunfight. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to interact with the media. Читать дальше...

Johannesburg — One of South Africa’s leading news websites has filed a complaint with the country’s Press Council, alleging that another media company is trying to discredit reporters who investigated the owner's business practices. News24 and industry analysts claim that the Independent Media group is failing to respect the usual “firewall” that exists between owners and editorial departments. Independent Media is a multi-platform company with numerous newspapers and websites. News24 claims... Читать дальше...

ATLANTA, GEORGIA — The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case is allowing Donald Trump to appeal a ruling letting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis remain on the prosecution.  Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee on Wednesday granted a request by defense attorneys to ask the Georgia Court of Appeals to review the judge's decision. It's now up to the appeals court to decide whether the court will hear it.  McAfee in a ruling last week denied the defense's request to disqualify... Читать дальше...

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif says his country does not want to engage in an armed conflict with neighbor Afghanistan after Islamabad conducted airstrikes this week on alleged terrorist hideouts across the border. “Force is the last resort. We do not want to have an armed conflict with Afghanistan,” Asif said, speaking exclusively to VOA. However, he warned that Islamabad could block the corridor it provides to landlocked Afghanistan for trade with India, saying Pakistan... Читать дальше...

JAKARTA — Prabowo Subianto, a former special forces general with ties to Indonesia's current president and past dictatorship, was confirmed the victor of last month's presidential election over two former governors who have vowed to contest the result in court. Prabowo won 58.6% of the votes, while former Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan received 24.9% and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo got 16.5%, the General Election Commission said Wednesday after the official counting was completed. In Indonesia... Читать дальше...

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON — The Cameroon government has threatened to arrest members of two opposition parties, accusing them of seeking to create coalitions and alliances for a transitional government to oust 90-year-old President Paul Biya, who has been in power for more than four decades. Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji last week ordered an end to activities of the Political Alliance for Change and the Alliance for Political Transition in Cameroon. Nji said that only legally recognized... Читать дальше...

LONDON — Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who made history as his country's first gay and first biracial leader, announced Wednesday that he will step down within weeks once a successor is chosen. Varadkar announced Wednesday he is quitting immediately as head of the center-right Fine Gael party, part of Ireland's coalition government. He'll be replaced as prime minister in April after a party leadership contest.  He said his reasons were "both personal and political" and he had no firm future plans. Читать дальше...

Analysts say U.S. voters need to be alert for foreign misinformation and disinformation seeking to disrupt the November presidential election. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias looks at how Americans perceive the so-called “influence operations” threat and what the government and nonprofits are doing to help them fend it off.

Chandler, Arizona — President Joe Biden on Wednesday celebrated an agreement to provide Intel with up to $8.5 billion in direct funding and $11 billion in loans for computer chip plants around the country, talking up the investment in the political battleground state of Arizona and calling it a way of "bringing the future back to America." The Biden administration has predicted that the cash infusion should help the U.S. boost its global share of advanced chip production from zero to 20%. The Democratic... Читать дальше...

HANOI — Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned after a little over a year in the position, state media VN Express reported.  His resignation takes place amid an intense anti-corruption campaign that has hit the highest echelons of the Communist Party.  Thuong, 54, became president in March 2023, two months after his predecessor Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned to take "political responsibility" for corruption scandals during the pandemic. He was the youngest president since modern day Vietnam emerged from war in the mid-1970s. Читать дальше...