Новости за 28.04.2024

At least 16 African countries, including South Africa, will hold elections in the remaining months of 2024. Voters who go online for political news are risking exposure to disinformation and misinformation. But a new digital ethics organization aims to help journalists and activists identify false and misleading content so they can educate the public. Zaheer Cassim has the story from Johannesburg.

Tehran, Iran — Iranian authorities have banned an Egyptian TV series depicting a medieval Persian figure over historical "distortions" and "a biased approach," state media reported Sunday. "The Assassins," or "El-Hashashin" in Arabic, recounts the story of Hassan-i Sabbah, the controversial founder of an offshoot Shiite Muslim sect known for bloody political assassinations during the 11th century. The 30-episode series about Sabbah and his band of assassins, who operated out of mountain bases in northern and western Iran... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Joe Biden’s jokes were well-received by those who attended the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington Saturday. But his political rival, Donald Trump, criticized the event as he gears up for a new round of campaign stops and court appearances this week. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias has the details.

Hamas says it is reviewing a cease-fire plan for Gaza put forth by Israel. This follows a visit to Israel by an Egyptian delegation where officials described a “new vision” for a prolonged end to hostilities. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.

CHBAR MON, Cambodia — A funeral was held Sunday for 20 soldiers who died at an army base in southwestern Cambodia in a huge explosion of stored munitions that also wounded several others and damaged nearby houses.  There has been no public explanation of what caused the Saturday afternoon blast at the base in Kompong Speu province, though there were no suggestions it was triggered deliberately.  Defense Minister Tea Seiha, representing Prime Minister Hun Manet, presided over the Buddhist funeral ceremony... Читать дальше...

London — Prince Harry will return to Britain to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games in May, before joining his wife Meghan on a visit to Nigeria, his spokesperson said Sunday.  Harry, the youngest son of King Charles, lives in the United States with Meghan and their two children after he gave up working as a member of the royal family in 2020.  He has only returned to Britain on a few occasions since his departure from royal life, arriving for major events such as the funeral... Читать дальше...

NICOSIA — World Central Kitchen, or WCK, said it would resume operations in the Gaza Strip on Monday, a month after seven workers of the U.S.-based charity were killed in an Israeli air strike.  Prior to halting operations, WCK had distributed more than 43 million meals in Gaza since October, representing by its own accounts 62% of all international NGO aid.  The charity said it had 276 trucks with the equivalent of almost 8 million meals ready to enter through the Rafah crossing and will also send trucks into Gaza from Jordan. Читать дальше...

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — At least 23 members of Nigeria's civilian joint task force were killed Saturday in separate attacks by militants and an armed kidnapping gang in the north, two officials from the force said Sunday.  In northeast Borno state, the heartland of an Islamist insurgency, suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters used an improvised explosive device (IED) to blow up a vehicle carrying the Civilian Joint Tast Force (CJTF) team, a local force chairman said.  The... Читать дальше...

State Department — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Saudi Arabia for regional talks Monday and Tuesday on humanitarian assistance in Gaza, a post-war roadmap for the Palestinian territories, and stability and security in the Middle East.   “The secretary will discuss ongoing efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza that secures the release of hostages and how it is Hamas that is standing between the Palestinian people and a cease-fire,” the State Department said. Blinken will participate... Читать дальше...

HOLDENVILLE, Okla. — At least two people, including a child, died in tornadoes that swept through Oklahoma, authorities said Sunday as emergency crews assessed the extensive damage to homes and businesses from the high winds, hail and flooding.  Dozens of reported tornadoes have wreaked havoc in the nation's midsection since Friday, with flood watches and warnings in effect Sunday for Oklahoma and other states — including Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas.  In Oklahoma, a tornado ripped through Holdenville... Читать дальше...

lima — At age 75, one of Latin America’s most storied journalists had been looking forward to weaving into books the fragmented threads of more than four decades of investigative reporting that exposed high-level abuse of power in Peru and abroad. In an illustrious career, Gustavo Gorriti has endured death threats from drug traffickers, survived Peru's harrowing Shining Path insurgency and a kidnapping by silencer-toting military intelligence agents during a 1992 presidential power grab. Then an aggressive lymphatic cancer struck... Читать дальше...

DHAKA — Schools in Bangladesh reopened Sunday despite a heatwave continuing to sweep the South Asian nation, with temperatures expected to climb above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in the days ahead, according to the weather department.  Schools that had closed last week reopened on what is the first day of the week in Bangladesh, despite the latest 72-hour heat alert being extended until April 30.  Due to the recent holidays to mark Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, students received extended leave... Читать дальше...

HARARE — From ancient fertilizer methods in Zimbabwe to new greenhouse technology in Somalia, farmers across the heavily agriculture-reliant African continent are looking to the past and future to respond to climate change. Africa, with the world's youngest population, faces the worst effects of a warming planet while contributing the least to the problem. Farmers are scrambling to make sure the booming population is fed. With more than 60% of the world’s uncultivated land, Africa should be able to feed itself, some experts say. Читать дальше...

BEIRUT — French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné arrived in Lebanon Sunday as part of diplomatic attempts to broker a de-escalation in the conflict on the Lebanon-Israel border.  Séjourné was set to meet with United Nations peacekeeping forces in south Lebanon and with Lebanon's parliament speaker, army chief, foreign minister and caretaker prime minister.  The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has exchanged strikes near-daily with Israeli forces in the border region — and sometimes beyond ... Читать дальше...

VENICE, Italy — Venice has always been a place of contrasts, of breathtaking beauty and devastating fragility, where history, religion, art and nature have collided over the centuries to produce an otherworldly gem of a city. But even for a place that prides itself on its culture of unusual encounters, Pope Francis’ visit Sunday stood out. Francis traveled to the lagoon city to visit the Holy See’s pavilion at the Biennale contemporary art show and meet with the people who created it. But because... Читать дальше...

Lome, Togo — Togo on Monday holds legislative elections after a highly divisive constitutional reform that opponents say paves the way for President Faure Gnassingbe to further extend his family's decadeslong grip on power. At the helm of the small West African country for nearly 20 years, Faure Gnassingbe succeeded his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled for almost four decades. Critics say the political dynasty's hold on the small West African nation will be extended by the reform. People in the streets of the seaside capital... Читать дальше...

OKLAHOMA CITY — Republican-led states in the U.S. are rushing to give broader immigration enforcement powers to local police and impose criminal penalties for those living in the country illegally as the issue of migrants crossing the U.S. border remains central to the 2024 elections. The Oklahoma Legislature this week fast-tracked a bill to the governor that creates the new crime of "impermissible occupation," which imposes penalties of as much as two years in prison for being in the state illegally. Читать дальше...

BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — Wild horses will stay in North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park amid fears from advocates that park officials would remove the beloved animals from the rugged badlands landscape, a key lawmaker said Thursday.  Republican U.S. Senator John Hoeven said he had secured a commitment from the National Park Service to maintain wild horses in the park, though the number remains to be determined. Roughly 200 horses now roam the park.  Hoeven said the Park Service would... Читать дальше...

AUBURN, Wash. — After a series of lower-paying jobs, Nicole Slemp finally landed one she loved. She was a secretary for Washington's child services department, a job that came with her own cubicle, and she had a knack for working with families in difficult situations. Slemp expected to return to work after having her son in August. But then she and her husband started looking for child care – and doing the math. The best option would cost about $2,000 a month, with a long wait list, and even the... Читать дальше...

halifax, canada — A tightening job market in Canada, fueled by a surge of immigration that produced the fastest population growth in 67 years, is hitting the country's large cohort of international students particularly hard. With more than 1 million foreign students in the country who are largely restricted to low-wage, part-time jobs, photos are being shared on social media of long lines forming outside businesses with even a single job opening for a position such as cashier. "The present affordability crisis in Vancouver... Читать дальше...

PRETORIA, South Africa — South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag. But any sense of celebration on the momentous anniversary was set against a growing discontent with the current government. President Cyril Ramaphosa presided over the gathering in a huge white tent in the gardens of the government buildings in Pretoria as head of state. Читать дальше...