Month: August 2023

England Edges Colombia 2-1 to Advance to World Cup Semifinals

Alessia Russo fired England into the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup in a 2-1 win against Colombia on Saturday. The Arsenal striker’s second-half goal completed a come-from-behind win for the Lionesses after Leicy Santos had given the Colombians a first-half lead. Lauren Hemp equalized before halftime, and Russo struck the winner in the 63rd minute as England advanced to the semifinals for the third straight time. It will face co-host Australia for a spot in the final. Sarina Wiegman is also a step closer to her second consecutive Women’s World Cup final after her Netherlands team was runner-up to …

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At Least Six Dead as Migrant Boat Crossing Channel From France Capsizes

At least six people died and more than 50 were rescued after a migrant boat trying to cross the Channel from France capsized early on Saturday, local authorities said. Local Mayor Franck Dhersin said a vast rescue operation was launched about 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) as dozens of migrant boats tried to make the crossing at the same time. “Several of the boats were facing serious difficulties,” he told Reuters. “Near [the coastal town of] Sangatte they unfortunately found dead bodies.” The maritime prefecture confirmed that there had been at least six deaths and said search and rescue operations were …

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Q&A: Why Iranian Drones Are Appealing to Belarus, Bolivia

Iran is getting a boost to its status as an international arms supplier. Tehran hosted defense ministers from Bolivia and Belarus in July and early August to discuss military cooperation with its fellow anti-American allies. Bolivia later said it is interested in obtaining Iranian drone technology, while U.S. research group the Institute for the Study of War said the visit likely indicates Belarus wants to do the same. The U.S. and Ukraine say Iranian drones have been a key weapon for Russia in the war it has waged against Ukraine since last year, something both Moscow and Tehran have denied. …

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Australia Edges France to Reach Semifinals for First Time

Australia edged France on penalty kicks Saturday to reach the Women’s World Cup semifinals for the first time. Cortnee Vine took Australia’s 10th penalty from the spot and calmly converted to give the Matildas a 7-6 win in the shootout after the quarterfinal match finished 0-0 after regulation and extra time. The Australians missed two earlier chances to clinch a dramatic shootout, but ultimately it didn’t matter as they ended a long curse for tournament hosts. The Australians became the only team other than the United States to advance past the quarterfinals of a Women’s World Cup as the host …

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Через російський удар по Оріхову загинув поліцейський, є поранені – МВС

Вранці російські війська вдарили керованою авіабомбою по місту Оріхів Запорізької області – загинув поліцейський, ще 12 людей поранені, серед яких є 4 працівників поліції, повідомив міністр внутрішніх справ Ігор Клименко. «Загиблий – 31-річний капітан поліції. Мої співчуття родині загиблого. Зараз лікарі та парамедики поліції борються за життя поранених. Декілька людей в тяжкому стані», – написав він у телеграмі.   Російські війська регулярно обстрілюють частину Запорізької області та місто Запоріжжя. Обласний центр через близькість до фронту часто зазнає атак з систем С-300. При цьому Москва заперечує обстріли цивільного населення в Україні. …

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Окупаційна влада Криму заявила про нічну атаку дронами

У ніч на 12 серпня Крим атакували безпілотники, заявив радник російського глави півострова Олег Крючков. «Над різними районами Криму спрацювали системи ППО», – написав він у телеграм-каналі. Міністерство оборони РФ заявило, що на півострів летіло 20 дронів – стверджується, що нібито 14 з них було знищено силами ППО, ще 6 – знешкоджено засобами РЕБ. У мережі також опублікували кадри, як стверджується, нічної атаки на селище Новоозерне, де журналісти фіксували велике накопичення військової техніки РФ. До 2014 року там розташовувалася Південна військово-морська база ВМС України. 10 серпня Міноборони РФ заявило про чергову атаку дронів на окуповане місто Севастополь. У соцмережах також …

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Hip-Hop Turns 50, Reinventing Itself and Swaths of the World Along the Way

It was born in the break, all those decades ago — that moment when a song’s vocals dropped, instruments quieted down and the beat took the stage. It was then that hip-hop came into the world, taking the moment and reinventing it. Something new, coming out of something familiar. At the hands of the DJs playing the albums, that break moment became something more: a composition in itself, repeated in an endless loop, back and forth between the turntables. The MCs got in on it, speaking their own clever rhymes and wordplay over it. So did the dancers, the b-boys …

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World’s Largest Cruise Ship to Set Sail as Industry Rebounds

With cruise bookings seeing a resurgence after the Covid pandemic caused luxury liners to mothball, a Finnish shipyard is putting the final touches on what will be the world’s largest cruise ship. Royal Caribbean’s luxurious new vessel Icon of the Seas is nearing completion in the Turku shipyard on Finland’s southwestern coast, its maiden voyage scheduled for January 2024. “This ship is as of today, as far as we are aware of, the biggest cruise ship in the world,” said Tim Meyer, CEO of shipbuilder Meyer Turku tasked with the construction. While some have labeled the colossal structure a “monstrosity”, …

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Chinese Surveillance Firm Selling Cameras With ‘Skin Color Analytics’

IPVM, a U.S.-based security and surveillance industry research group, says the Chinese surveillance equipment maker Dahua is selling cameras with what it calls a “skin color analytics” feature in Europe, raising human rights concerns.  In a report released on July 31, IPVM said “the company defended the analytics as being a ‘basic feature of a smart security solution.’” The report is behind a paywall, but IPVM provided a copy to VOA Mandarin.  Dahua’s ICC Open Platform guide for “human body characteristics” includes “skin color/complexion,” according to the report. In what Dahua calls a “data dictionary,” the company says that the …

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Q&A: Lithuania, Eyeing Wagner Forces, Boosts Readiness at Belarus Border 

Since Russia’s Wagner Group paramilitary forces moved to Belarus after their failed mutiny in July, that country’s three NATO neighbors – Poland, Lithuania and Latvia – have been building up their border defenses and preparing for a range of possible provocations.  In the case of Lithuania, authorities are planning for contingencies including infiltration of hostile migrants, cross-border shootings and a repetition of recent Belarusian helicopter flights that crossed into Polish airspace. Plans are also underway to close some border crossings. Rustamas Liubajevas, the commander of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service, assessed the current threat and described the measures taken to …

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VOA Immigration Weekly Recap, Aug. 6-12

Editor’s note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com. US Move Gives Hope to Stateless People Living in America Geopolitical events such as war or the dissolution of a government, like the collapse of the Soviet Union, can leave people without a country. In the United States, more than 200,000 people are living in a stateless status. VOA’s immigration reporter Aline Barros has more. Camera: Adam Greenbaum.  Ukrainians Move to North Dakota for Oil Field Jobs to Help Families Back Home Maksym Bunchukov remembers hearing rockets …

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