CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Colombia is headed to the Copa America championship game for the first time in 23 years after a contentious win over Uruguay in which it played the second half a man short and players brawled with fans in the stands following the final whistle. Jefferson Lerma scored in the 39th minute for a 1-0 win Wednesday night and a matchup with Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina on Sunday. "Until you overcome your weaknesses you cannot grow," Colombia coach Nester Lorenzo said through a interpreter. Читать дальше...
LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas baked Wednesday in its record fifth consecutive day of temperatures sizzling at 46.1 Celsius or greater amid a lengthening hot spell that is expected to broil much of the U.S. into the weekend. The temperature climbed to 46.1 shortly after 1 p.m. at Harry Reid International Airport, breaking the old mark of four consecutive days set in July 2005. And the record could be extended, or even doubled, by the weekend. Even by desert standards, the prolonged baking that Nevada's... Читать дальше...
SYDNEY — Papua New Guinea's sidelined Petroleum Minister Jimmy Maladina pleaded not guilty in a Sydney court Thursday to a charge of assaulting a woman during a domestic dispute. His lawyer Margaret Cunneen entered the plea on his behalf during his brief appearance in Waverley Local Court. Neither Maladina nor Cuneen made a statement to media waiting outside court. Police allege he assaulted a 31-year-old woman Saturday at an address in nearby Bondi in Sydney's expensive eastern suburbs and she suffered facial injuries. Читать дальше...
WASHINGTON — Taliban efforts to solidify the group’s control over Afghanistan are bringing a measure of peace and stability to its residents, but intelligence gathered by United Nations member states suggests the reprieve is not likely to last. A report issued late Wednesday by the U.N. sanctions monitoring team warns that Afghanistan will almost certainly remain a source for insecurity with terror groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State either finding safe haven or finding ways to exploit the Taliban’s weaknesses. Читать дальше...
washington — A U.S. plan to boost its Pacific air power is seen by analysts as an effort to reinforce deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and counterbalance China's attempt to gain dominance in the region. The U.S. Air Force plans to upgrade more than 80 fighter jets stationed at Japanese bases over the next several years as part of a $10 billion program to modernize its forces there. The Defense Department announced the plan last week, saying it aims to enhance the U.S.-Japan alliance and bolster deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. Читать дальше...
white house — “If I’m elected president, we are going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C.,” vowed Donald Trump – in 2016. Eight years later, in his quest for a second, non-consecutive term, “drain the swamp” – meaning to rid government of those who impose policy but are unaccountable to the president – is still a key Trump campaign slogan. If the Republican is victorious in November, he will have a detailed playbook for placing the entire federal bureaucracy under his direct control. What... Читать дальше...
UNITED NATIONS — A backlog of 1,150 truckloads of humanitarian aid is waiting to be collected from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, Israel said on Wednesday, prompting the United Nations to say: "We're doing what we can." COGAT, an Israeli Defense Ministry agency tasked with coordinating aid deliveries into Palestinian territories, said another 50 aid trucks are also awaiting collecting from the Palestinian side of the Erez crossing in northern Gaza. Читать дальше...
new york — A U.S. judge on Wednesday said he would likely end bankruptcy for Rudy Giuliani, a onetime lawyer for former President Donald Trump. The move would enable lawsuits against Giuliani for defamation, sexual harassment and other claims to proceed in other courts. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane said at a court hearing in White Plains, New York, that he would rule Friday on competing requests from Giuliani - who was New York City's mayor from 1994 through 2001 - and his creditors about the future of his bankruptcy. Читать дальше...
If former U.S. president Donald Trump wins the November presidential election, he may seek to place the entire federal bureaucracy under direct presidential control. That move is outlined in a playbook crafted by more than 100 conservative organizations for a prospective second Trump term. VOA's chief national correspondent Steve Herman reports. VOA footage by Adam Greenbaum.
