One year after the war triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel, clashes between Hezbollah and Israel along Lebanon's border with Israel have intensified. The conflict has sparked a new humanitarian crisis that the UN says has displaced about 200,000 people. Elizabeth Cherneff narrates this report by Ethel Bonet, who has been traveling in southern Lebanon.
JOHANNESBURG — Whoever wins Mozambique's presidential election on Wednesday will face an economy battered by worsening cyclones, insecurity, delays to planned gas projects and high levels of debt. Ruling party candidate Daniel Chapo is the frontrunner, though there are three other candidates vying to replace Felipe Nyusi as president of the southeast African nation. Rising borrowing costs are putting pressure on Mozambique to embrace fiscal discipline, particularly as delayed gas revenues mean... Читать дальше...
BEIJING — China is "fully confident" of achieving its full-year economic and social development targets, with some funds from 2025's budget being brought forward to support projects, chairman of the country's economic planner Zheng Shanjie said on Tuesday. China stocks blasted to two-year highs after a slew of stimulus steps announced in recent weeks supported sentiment in early trade, but later retreated. Hong Kong shares also slid as investors walked back some of the stimulus excitement. Zheng... Читать дальше...
FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Florida's Gulf Coast braced Tuesday for the impact of Hurricane Milton's near-record winds and expected massive storm surge, which could bring destruction to areas already reeling from Helene's devastation 12 days ago and still recovering from Ian's wrath two years ago. Almost the entirety of Florida's west coast was under a hurricane warning early Tuesday as the Category 5 storm and its 265 kph winds crept toward the state at 14 kph, sucking energy from the Gulf of Mexico's warm water. Читать дальше...
TALLINN, Estonia — A Belarusian-American has had his prison term extended to a total of 13 1/2 years in the latest move in a relentless crackdown on dissent by Belarus' repressive government, rights activists said Monday. Yuras Zyankovich, a lawyer who has dual Belarusian and U.S. citizenship, has been held behind bars since 2021. He was convicted on accusations of plotting to assassinate Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko and seize power and given an 11-year sentence in September 2022. Читать дальше...
Solemn ceremonies and grief to mark the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel. A look at what it will take, from clearing debris to new construction to rebuild the Gaza Strip. In Europe, fears of Chinese retaliation for trade tariffs. Deadly gang violence is spreading in Haiti, a look at upcoming elections in Mozambique and illegal gold mining in Ghana.
TUNIS, Tunisia — President Kais Saied won a landslide victory in Tunisia's election Monday, keeping his grip on power after a first term in which opponents were imprisoned and the country's institutions overhauled to give him more authority. The North African country's Independent High Authority for Elections said Saied received 90.7% of the vote, a day after exit polls showed him with an insurmountable lead in the country known as the birthplace of the Arab Spring more than a decade ago. "We're... Читать дальше...
With most flights out of Lebanon canceled and ticket prices skyrocketing, a small port in Turkey is operating as an alternative route for people fleeing the country. VOA’s Onur Erdogan has more from Mersin province. Bezhan Hamdard narrates.
MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sent two proposals to Congress to reform electoral laws and implement a sweeping reform of the judiciary, her government said in a statement on Monday. Congress passed the constitutional reform, which stipulates that all judges be elected by popular vote over the next three years, in September. The ruling Morena party and its allies have championed the reform as an improvement on the current judicial system, arguing it is needed to root out corruption in the judiciary. Читать дальше...
Monday marked the first anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack that Hamas perpetrated on Israel. While reaffirming its staunch support for Israel, the United States lamented the civilian deaths caused by the ensuing war. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias has the story.
port-au-prince, haiti — Haiti's transitional presidential council transferred the rotating presidency on Monday to architect Leslie Voltaire despite opposition from outgoing president Edgard Leblanc Fils, who refused to sign a decree ratifying the move. Leblanc Fils had opposed the move citing unresolved corruption accusations against three other councilors who remain voting members and signed off on the transition. "Under my presidency the transitional presidential council will consolidate its... Читать дальше...
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are marking the anniversary of the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust as the presidential candidates approach the final weeks of the campaign during a widening conflict in the Middle East. Political leaders across the spectrum were marking the killing of about 1,200 people, including 46 U.S. citizens, by Hamas-led militants in the October 7 attack last year, and the taking of about 250 hostages. A year later... Читать дальше...
moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin is to meet Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian for talks Friday at a forum in the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan, a senior aide said Monday. Yury Ushakov, Putin's aide on foreign policy, told journalists the leaders would meet in Ashgabat while attending an event celebrating a Turkmen poet. "This meeting has great significance both for discussing bilateral issues as well as, of course, discussing the sharply escalated situation in the Middle East," Ushakov said. Читать дальше...
Tirana, Albania — Clashes broke out late Monday in Tirana between police and opposition protesters seeking that longtime leftist Prime Minister Edi Rama resign, leaving 10 officers injured police said. A few thousand people gathered in the Albanian capital at demonstrations organized by the country's right-wing opposition. Scuffles first broke out in front of the government building when demonstrators tried to break through a police cordon and some of them threw Molotov cocktails. The crowd... Читать дальше...
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The top commander of Iran's Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, is in "good health," the force's deputy commander Iraj Masjedi said Monday, after two Iranian security sources told Reuters he had been out of contact since strikes on Beirut last week. "He is in good health and is carrying out his activities. Some ask us to issue a statement... there is no need for this," Masjedi was quoted as saying by Iranian state media in reference to Qaani. The Iranian Students' News Agency... Читать дальше...
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country will speed up steps toward becoming a military superpower with nuclear weapons and would not rule out using them if enemies attacked it, state media KCNA said on Tuesday. Kim made the comments in a speech on Monday at a university, which was printed in full by KCNA. He said he has no intention of attacking South Korea, but "if the enemy attempts to use force against our country" North Korea's military will use all aggression without hesitation... Читать дальше...
