Новости за 13.05.2024

amman, jordan — Despite the recent uptick in cross-border bombardments between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, analysts say both foes may not want it to escalate their conflict given the tremendous cost to both countries — both militarily, materially and economically. Tens of thousands of people on either side of the Lebanon-Israel border have been displaced as attacks, which began on October 8 between Israel and Hezbollah as part of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance,” have intensified. Читать дальше...

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON — Opposition candidates in Chad who lost the recent presidential election have filed paperwork challenging President Mahamat Idriss Deby’s victory. The legal challenge comes as the media there appeal a decision barring them from reporting on election-related violence.  State television reported on Monday that the country's Constitutional Council received a petition from opposition candidate Succes Masra, calling for results of the May 6 vote to be annulled.  The central African state’s elections management body... Читать дальше...

London — Britain's King Charles handed over a senior military role to his son Prince William at a ceremony Monday, marking a rare joint appearance for the pair as the king steps up his return to public duties after his cancer diagnosis. Charles presented William with the title of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a position the 75-year-old monarch held for 32 years, in front of an Apache helicopter, and watched by service personnel at the Army Flying Museum in southern England. "He's a very good pilot indeed," Charles said of his son... Читать дальше...

Berlin — Burmese writer Ma Thida doesn’t like to think of herself as exiled. She left Myanmar in 2021, just a few months after the military seized power in a coup that overthrew the civilian-led government. And while Ma Thida says it would not be safe for her to return anytime soon, exile implies a permanence the writer isn’t quite comfortable with. “My aim is not to be exiled — just to keep away from the country. And as soon as I get a chance, I would definitely go back,” she said, speaking with VOA in Berlin... Читать дальше...

Antonov manipulated statistical data omitting key distinctions that point to Russia as the world’s largest sponsor of political cybercrime.

New York — Jury selection began on Monday in the corruption trial of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, a case that could affect the Democrat's political future and help determine which party controls the Senate next year. Menendez, 70, faces 16 criminal charges including bribery, fraud and acting as a foreign agent, and is being tried alongside two New Jersey businessmen in Manhattan federal court. The senator's wife, Nadine Menendez, has also been charged but will be tried separately. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. Читать дальше...

Islamabad — Pakistan announced a multi-billion-dollar grant Monday to provide urgent economic relief to residents of Kashmir under its control after a weekend of violent protests rocked the valley. Still, violence showed no immediate signs of abating as locals torched a vehicle of the Rangers, a Pakistani paramilitary force, as its convoy attempted to reach the region's capital Muzaffarabad in a rare show of force.   Reports indicate paramilitary troops fired at demonstrators blocking their way, killing at least one and injuring a few. Читать дальше...

Washington — The spectacular auroras that danced across the sky in many parts of the world over the weekend are fading, scientists said Monday, as the massive sunspot that caused them turns its ferocious gaze away from Earth. Since Friday, the most powerful solar storm to strike our planet in more than two decades has lit up night skies with dazzling auroras in the United States, Tasmania, the Bahamas and other places far from the extreme latitudes where they are normally seen. But Eric Lagadec... Читать дальше...

U.S. lawmakers, Capitol Hill staffers, famous athletes and international diplomats came together for a full day of soccer activities in Washington. The event raised money for youth soccer programs in underserved communities. Saqib Ul Islam has more from Audi Field in the U.S. capital. Igor Tsikhanenka contributed.

The South African government is hoping to strengthen protections for whistleblowers who report on corruption in business and government. Proponents say it's not only about making whistleblowers feel comfortable coming forward, but also about protecting them from retaliation. VOA’s Ihsaan Haffejee reports

Phnom Penh, Cambodia — Cambodia and China begin their annual Golden Dragon military exercise this week to strengthen cooperation and exchange military experiences, a Cambodian official said Monday. A total of 1,315 military personnel from Cambodia and 760 from China will participate in the 15-day exercise, backed by three Chinese warships and 11 Cambodian ships, Cambodian army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Thong Solimo told journalists. He said the exercise, starting Thursday, is aimed at training to... Читать дальше...

Bangkok — Refugees from Myanmar seeking shelter from their country’s grinding civil war in neighboring India tell VOA they fear a wave of arrests and forced returns following the Manipur state government’s recent moves to start deporting them. Earlier this month, on May 2, Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh announced the deportation of 77 “illegal immigrants from Myanmar” on his social media page, calling it the “first phase.” In comments on social media again last Wednesday, the... Читать дальше...

London — British police have charged three men with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service amid growing concern that hostile states are trying to interfere with democracy and economic activity in the U.K.  The three men were among 11 people arrested earlier this month in Yorkshire and London by counterterrorism police using provisions of a new law that allows suspects in national security and espionage cases to be detained without warrant. The eight other suspects were released without charge. Читать дальше...

SYDNEY — An investigation by Australia's public broadcaster accuses China's secret police service of tracking down dissidents living overseas. A former Chinese spy now living in Australia told Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s Four Corners program that a unit of the Chinese secret service had been operational in Sydney as recently as last year. The spy - named only as "Eric" - has described a shadowy world of deception and abduction.  The former Chinese agent told ABC how he’d been ordered by the... Читать дальше...

JAKARTA — Indonesia's Ibu volcano erupted on Monday morning, spewing thick columns of grey ash several kilometers into the sky, the country's volcanology agency said. The volcano on the remote island of Halmahera erupted at 9:12 a.m. for about five minutes, projecting ash into the sky as high as 5 kilometers, officials said. A smaller eruption was also recorded on Friday. The alert status of the volcano remains at the second-highest level, Hendra Gunawan, head of Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre... Читать дальше...

The United States has two main political parties – Democrat and Republican. A third-party candidate is a term used for someone who runs as a candidate for a party that forms outside of the two main political parties. A third party is most often discussed during a presidential campaign.

With Chad recently confirming Mahamat Déby as civilian president after a long-delayed election, Western powers are watching to see what role, if any, they will play in countering terror threats in the Sahel region. Henry Wilkins has more on the election, which follows a series of military coups in the region.

Mexico City — A mass shooting in a mountain township beset by crime just south of Mexico City resulted in several deaths, authorities said Sunday. Local and state officials did not give a specific death toll, saying only that there were some deaths. But Mexican news media, including the national newspapers Reforma, Milenio and El Universal, reported that eight people were slain. The government of the state of Morelos, which borders Mexico City, said the attack occurred late Saturday in Huitzilac. Читать дальше...