Category: Новини

Protesters gathered underneath Rio de Janeiro’s famed Sugarloaf Mountain earlier this week to protest construction of four cable lines that will carry tourists over the surrounding forest.

The cables, commonly known as zip lines, will carry individuals connected to them by safety harnesses at least 755 meters over the forest to the nearby peak of Urca Hill at speeds of 100 kilometers an hour.

But demonstrators who gathered near Sugarloaf Mountain Sunday say the zip lines will cause environmental damage to the mountain and the surrounding area. Opponents are also concerned the zip lines will lead to an expansion of the visitors center at Sugarloaf’s summit. An online petition against the zip lines has collected more than 11,000 signatures.

Sugarloaf, known in Portuguese as Pao de Acucar, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each who take cable cars to the peak to take in breathtaking views of Rio’s famed beaches and the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. UNESCO ((the U.N.’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)) named Sugarloaf a World Heritage Site in 2012.

Parque Bondinho, the company that operates the 110-year-old cable car system, is installing the four zip lines. It says the lines will have limited impact on the environment, even as it brings in even more tourists to Rio. The company says it has obtained all necessary permits for the project.

The zip lines are scheduled to be completed by the middle of this year.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse.
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When Morocco stunned Spain – and the world – with a dramatic penalty shootout victory in last year’s World Cup, authorities feared riots would break out.  

None did and Morocco made history by becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals in what is arguably the world’s biggest sporting event. 

Now, with the dust barely settled, Morocco has launched a joint bid with Spain and Portugal to stage the same competition in 2030.   

Close neighbors who at times fall out over issues like immigration and autonomy, Madrid and Rabat want to join forces to host the World Cup, in a move analysts say signals closer relations between the two countries.  

“The Kingdom of Morocco announced, together with Spain and Portugal, a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup,” Rabat announced in a statement on March 15. “This joint bid, which is unprecedented in football history, will bring together Africa and Europe, the northern and the southern Mediterranean, and the African, Arab and Euro-Mediterranean worlds. It will also bring out the best in all of us – in effect a combination of genius, creativity, experience and means.”  

Relations improving 

The move to share the bid between Spain and Morocco comes after Madrid last year changed its policy on the disputed territory of Western Sahara and backed Morocco’s claim to create an autonomous region under its control.   

Co-hosted bids from either Latin America or Europe are likely to be picked in 2024.  

Haizam Amirah-Fernandez, a senior analyst for the Mediterranean and Arab world at the Real Institute Elcano, a think tank in Madrid, said the idea for the three-country bid was not new.  

“This has been an idea since 2018. (Spanish prime minister) Pedro Sánchez suggested the idea. But at that time FIFA (football’s world governing body) did not admit joint bids by different countries, so they discounted it,” he told VOA.   

He said if the joint bid proves successful, it could bring dividends.  

“For neighboring countries, with very tense relations on so many levels, it is always positive to have joint projects, especially projects which have an emotional level like football,” Amirah-Fernandez said.  

He said it was “interesting” that the announcement was made separately by both Morocco and Spain, but it was not clear why this happened.  

If part of the 2030 World Cup is held in Morocco, it remains to be seen whether any matches are played in the disputed territories of Western Sahara.  

Any games in a territory which has been subject to military action and political controversy may risk prompting security risks and attracting the wrong kind of headlines for FIFA.  

Political, economic advantages 

Paul Brannagan, a professor of sports management at Manchester Metropolitan University, jointly wrote a book examining Qatar’s bid for the 2022 World Cup, with Danyel Reiche, visiting professor at Georgetown University in Qatar.  The book is called Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup: Politics, Controversy, Change.  

“You cannot ever take out politics from sport. For countries to survive these days, they must operate like businesses. Of course, to stage the World Cup, they are going to look at the political advantages,” Brannagan told VOA.  

“What we are seeing now is a drive to co-host these World Cups. In part this is to try to limit political controversy. If Qatar had shared the World Cup with the United Arab Emirates, it would have taken the heat off Qatar.” he noted.  

World Cups spread over three countries, like the 2026 competition in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, may not be very easy for fans to enjoy given the logistical problems of attending games.  

“Fans are not at the forefront of FIFA’s mind. (FIFA) will go where there is new markets and new money. (For FIFA) this idea of sharing is great because you get a lot more for your money,” Brannagan said.  

He said the bid by Morocco, Spain and Portugal may appeal to FIFA because they would see it as an opportunity to improve political and trade relations between Rabat and Madrid.  
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Artist Danielle SeeWalker says she is attempting to paint an accurate and insightful representation of contemporary Native American life. Her work is on exhibit in the Western U.S. state of Colorado. VOA’s Scott Stearns gives us a look.

Camera: Scott Stearns
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The arrest of actor Jonathan Majors has upended the Army’s newly launched advertising campaign that was aimed at reviving the service’s struggling recruiting numbers. 

Majors, who authorities said was arrested Saturday in New York on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment, was the narrator of two ads at the heart of a broader media campaign that kicked off at the start of the NCAA’s March Madness college basketball tournament. 

Army leaders were hopeful that the popularity of the star of the recently released “Creed III” and “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,” would help them reach the youth audience. 

In a statement Sunday, the Army’s Enterprise Marketing Office said that the Army was aware of Majors’ arrest and was “deeply concerned by the allegations.” It added that while Majors “is innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete.” 

New York City police said the actor was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman. “The victim informed police she was assaulted,” a police spokesperson said in a statement. 

A lawyer for Majors, Priya Chaudhry, said in a statement Sunday there was evidence clearing Majors and that the actor “is provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.” 

The Army ads, titled “Overcoming Obstacles” and “Pushing Tomorrow,” are part of the plan to revive the Army’s “Be All You Can be” motto. They highlighted the history of the Army and some of the many professions that recruits can pursue. 

The “Be All You Can Be” slogan dominated its recruiting ads for two decades starting in 1981. A nearly two-minute preview video, made available before the campaign rollout in early March, featured soldiers jumping out of airplanes, working on helicopters, climbing obstacle courses and diving underwater. A voiceover said: “We bring out the best in the people who serve, because America calls for nothing less.” 

In the Army’s worst recruiting year in recent history, the service fell 25% short of its goal to enlist 60,000 recruits in 2022. The new ads were a key element in the Army’s drive to find creative new ways to attract recruits and ensure that the service has the troops it needs to help defend the nation.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the Army has set a difficult goal for this year: aiming to bring in 65,000 recruits, which would be 20,000 more than in 2022. 
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Choirs from across the world joined their voices to sing for peace in Ukraine Sunday, with nearly 300 singers gathering in Madrid where the initiative began a year ago. 

Under cloudless blue skies, singers from 46 choirs in and around the Spanish capital gathered outside the Reina Sofia art museum and began singing at midday (1000 GMT) in an event involving thousands of others across Europe and Latin America.

This year, choirs joined from 81 locations in nine countries, with 1,000 singers from Ukraine joining their voices with others from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Portugal and Venezuela.

Standing in the museum square, they sang “Dona Nobis Pacem,” the Hebrew slaves’ chorus from Verdi’s Nabucco and finally “Sing an Anthem for Our Peace,” which was written specially by U.S. composer Jim Papoulis. 

The simultaneous event, which was broadcast live on YouTube, was organized by Choirs for Peace, an initiative started by Madrid choir a month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine whose first event drew over 25,000 singers. 

“We are here to support Ukraine and say we need peace now, that we have to stop this war,” said Elvira Polyenova, a 48-year-old Ukrainian soprano who used to perform at the Odesa opera house, and who sang the opening solo in “There is Peace.” 

“Music unites people, so the choir is a perfect instrument for spreading messages of peace and unity,” said Mariano Garcia, choir director at Santiago Apostol church which started Choirs for Peace last year.

“Although its power of influence is limited, we believe all choral music has the capacity to make us all a little more aware … and might even reach those with the capacity to decide,” he told AFP.

After seeing last year’s event, Elena Redondo, 54, decided to join a choir so she could be part of this year’s initiative.

“We all forget there’s not only this war in Ukraine but others all over the world, and we seem to get used to it. So, events like this are an important wake-up call,” she said. “Music changes many things, not only on a global level, but also on an individual level, it really changes the way you see things. I think it’s important to join together with other voices.”
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“John Wick: Chapter 4,” the fourth installment in the Keanu Reeves assassin series, debuted with a franchise-best $73.5 million at the box office, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Lionsgate film, starring Reeves as the reluctant-but-not-that-reluctant killer John Wick, exceeded both expectations and previous opening weekends in the R-rated franchise. Since first launching in 2014 with “John Wick” ($14 million on its opening weekend), the Chad Stahelski-directed series has steadily grown as a ticket-seller with each sequel. The 2017 follow-up opened with $30.4 million, and the 2019 third chapter, “Parabellum,” debuted with $56.8 million.

But “Chapter 4,” running two hours and 49 minutes and costing at least $100 million to produce, is the biggest film yet in the once-lean action series. Critics also said it was a franchise high point, scoring 95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The film, which drew a 69% male audience, added $64 million overseas. It’s Lionsgate’s biggest success of the pandemic era.

“When you make a fourth in an action franchise, you have to expect it to go down. That is the nature of these franchises,” said Joe Drake, chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “But we kept seeing signals and it was wonderful to see the movie they delivered. We saw the audience wanting more.”

Though “John Wick” has been bigger at the box office with each new release — an enviable and rare trajectory among Hollywood franchises — “Chapter 4” brings some finality to Reeves’ character. The actor hasn’t entirely dismissed continuing the series, telling interviewers, “Never say never.”

Regardless, the franchise is set to keep humming. A spin-off titled “Ballerina” starring Ana de Armas and co-starring Reeves has already been shot. The miniseries “The Continental,” with Mel Gibson, is upcoming on Peacock.

“Chad and Keanu have created this world and that world continues to expand. I don’t know what all the edges of that world are, still,” said Drake. “As best they can, they’ll continue to try to seduce Keanu to come back and do things. He gets beat up in these shows. He really does. And at the end he’s like, ‘I’m not doing it anymore.’ Then you watch him sit in the theater and feel that audience.”

“So, we’re going to continue to look for ways to meet that demand.”

The release of “John Wick: Chapter 4,” which included a surprise premiere at SXSW, was also bittersweet. Lance Reddick, who plays the Continental Hotel concierge, Charon, in the films, unexpectedly died at the age of 60 a week before the film’s release.

But the success of “John Wick: Chapter 4” adds to a strong start in 2023 for Hollywood. After ticket sales rebounded to about 67% of pre-pandemic levels last year, the release lineup is steadier and more packed this year. Sequels have led the way, including “Creed III” and “Scream VI.” Ticket sales are up 28% from last year, according to the data firm Comscore.

But there have been some exceptions. After its disappointing $30.5 million debut last weekend, the superhero sequel “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” slumped to second place with $9.7 million in its second weekend. The Warner Bros. release dropped steeply, tumbling 68% from its launch.

“Scream VI” took third place with $8.4 million in its third weekend, bringing its total thus far to $90.4 million domestic and $139.3 million worldwide. “Creed III” followed in fourth with $8.4 million. Michael B. Jordan’s sequel is up to $140.9 million domestic.

The weekend’s other new releases were more modest.

Zach Braff’s “A Good Person,” starring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman, opened at 530 theaters. The MGM release grossed $834,000. IFC Films’ “The Lost King,” with Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan, debuted with $575,000 in 753 locations.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “John Wick: Chapter 4,” $73.5 million.

2. “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” $9.7 million.

3. “Scream VI,” $8.4 million.

4. “Creed III,” $8.4 million.

5. “65,” $3.3 million.

6. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” $2.4 million.

7. “Cocaine Bear,” $2.1 million.

8. “Jesus Revolution,” $2 million.

9. “Champions,” $1.5 million.

10. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $1.4 million.
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A former Formula One champion has been fined nearly $1 million in damages for racist and homophobic remarks about Lewis Hamilton, the sport’s only Black driver.

Nelson Piquet, 70, a three-time Formula One champion, used a Brazilian racial and homophobic slur in a 2021 television interview about a crash, involving Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who is in a relationship with Piquet’s daughter.

Piquet’s comments went viral, and he has since apologized.

World champion Hamilton called for “archaic mindsets” to change after footage of the interview emerged.

A court statement noted that Piquet has apologized, but it also said his words “affect not only the individual rights of the victim, but the values of the entire community, and of the black population and the LGBTQIA+ community in particular.”

Judge Pedro Matos de Arrudo said the nearly $1 million fine was allotted “so that, as a society, we can someday be free from the pernicious acts that are racism and homophobia.”

Four human rights groups brought the charges to court.
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