Новости за 03.01.2024

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has once again renewed taxpayer-funded protection for former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and one of his top aides, who have been the targets of persistent threats from Iran.  The State Department notified Congress late last month that the threats against Pompeo and Trump administration Iran envoy Brian Hook remain "serious and credible" and continue to warrant government-provided security details.  The notifications are dated December 19 but were not transmitted to Congress until December 22. Читать дальше...

The Hague — The U.N.'s top court will hear submissions next week from South Africa and Israel after Pretoria opened a case for what it called Israel's "genocidal" acts in Gaza. South Africa wants to International Court of Justice to urgently order Israel to suspend its military operations in Gaza, in a case which Israel rejected "with disgust." The ICJ "will hold public hearings at the Peace Palace in The Hague... in proceedings instituted by South Africa against Israel," on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 January, the court said in a statement. Читать дальше...

kampala, uganda — A prominent Ugandan LGBTQ activist was stabbed on his way to work on Wednesday by unknown assailants on a motorbike, police and a rights campaigner said. Steven Kabuye, 25, suffered knife wounds and was left for dead in the assault on the outskirts of the capital Kampala before being found by local residents, police said. Human rights defenders have been warning about the risk of attacks on members of the LGBTQ community after Uganda last year adopted what is considered one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world. Читать дальше...

Israel is on high alert for retaliation following the assassination of a Hamas leader. Rescue teams are still trying to reach parts of Japan devastated by Monday’s earthquake. Plus, an update from Kyiv and trouble in the Horn of Africa as Ethiopia and Somalia argue over Somaliland.

washington — Prosecutors in Hong Kong alleged on Wednesday that pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai encouraged the city’s residents to engage in protests and pushed the United States to take action against China.  The British national, who founded the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was arrested in 2020 and is now standing trial on charges of conspiring to collude with foreign governments and conspiring to publish seditious material.  Lai, 76, rejects the charges against him and has pleaded not guilty. Читать дальше...

beijing — China's military will conduct routine patrols with its naval and air forces in the South China Sea from Wednesday to Thursday, the military's Southern Theater Command said, as ongoing tensions simmer in the region over disputed territories. It said troops in the area will be on high alert at all times, and will defend national sovereignty, security and maritime rights. The patrols also aim to deter activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create "hot spots," the military said... Читать дальше...

Yaounde — Chad’s military leader has appointed a former opposition leader and pro-democracy figure, Success Masra, as prime minister in a newly-appointed transitional government. Opposition and civil society groups are skeptical that Masra, who recently returned from exile, can convince military ruler Mahamat Idriss Deby to give up power. But Marsa says his appointment does not stop him from making sure Chad carries out elections later this year and returns to civilian rule. Mahamat Ahmat Alhabo... Читать дальше...

ISLAMABAD — A high-powered delegation from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban held crucial talks with Pakistan officials Wednesday in a bid to ease tensions stemming from a surge in deadly cross-border attacks blamed on terrorists based on Afghan soil.   Officials said Mullah Shirin Akhund, an influential Taliban leader, led his team of defense ministry and intelligence representatives at the meeting convened in Islamabad under what is known as the Joint Coordination Council. The council was established... Читать дальше...

Every New Year, people make resolutions to improve their lives. In Burkina Faso’s capital, a common New Year’s goal is to get in better physical shape. Gildas Da met members of Ouagadougou gyms who plan to exercise more in the coming year. Gildas Da has the story, narrated by Arzouma Kompaore.

Armenian Americans in Southern California celebrated their culture with a flowered float in the annual Rose Parade, moving on from a turbulent year that included Armenians' exodus from their former enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh inside Azerbaijan's borders. Genia Dulot has our story from Pasadena.

New Delhi — Pappu Kumar has harvested his first crop of turmeric from the farm that he abandoned many years ago when he migrated to work in the Indian capital. He hopes the spice, which is widely used in Indian cooking, will turn his farm in Hardial village in North India into a lucrative venture. “Traditional crops that we used to plant like corn and wheat often got diseases. Stray animals or even wild animals like deer used to enter the fields and eat the crops. That does not happen with turmeric,” said Kumar. Читать дальше...

A senior Hamas leader is killed in an explosion in Beirut. A Japanese passenger plane and Coast Guard aircraft collided on the runway. All 379 people on the jetliner survived. And transforming the way we learn and entertain by making three-dimensional virtual reality videos.

SEOUL, South Korea — The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has derided South Korea's conservative president for being "foolishly brave" but called his liberal predecessor "smart" — rhetoric likely meant to help stoke domestic divisions in South Korea. Her statement Tuesday came as a response to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's New Year's Day address, in which he said he would bolster South Korea's military capability and enhance its alliance with the U.S. to cope with North Korea's evolving nuclear threats. Читать дальше...