Новости за 25.02.2017

When Afghan intelligence officials, assisted by international investigators, probed a terror attack last month that killed five Emirati diplomats in Kandahar, they traced the suspects to a conservative religious seminary in Pakistan. "The attack was planned in Mawlawi Ahmad Madrassa in Chaman, Quetta," said Sediq Seddiqi, a spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Interior. The investigation shed light on the increasing links of some madrassas — Islamic seminaries — in Pakistan with Afghan Taliban... Читать дальше...

Police in Heidelberg, Germany, shot and seriously injured a man Saturday after the man hit three people with a car. The man drove his car into the people in a central square while they were standing in a pedestrian area. A brief stand-off ensued before police shot the man, who was believed to have been armed with a knife. Police said that at the moment they are unclear about the man’s motives but added they don’t suspect the attack to be terrorism-related. The man appears to have acted alone... Читать дальше...

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir made a historic visit to Baghdad Saturday, marking the highest level visit by a Saudi official to Iraq since 1990.  Jubeir met for several hours with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi as well as with Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Jubeir’s visit took many observers by surprise, amid lingering tensions between the two neighbors. It comes as Iraqi government forces advance further into the mostly Sunni city of Mosul. The announcement that Saudi Arabia... Читать дальше...

Democratic Party officials are poised to elect a leader to oversee the formidable task of rebuilding a Democratic Party that suffered a humiliating presidential election defeat at the hands of Republican Donald Trump. Four hundred and forty seven members of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will vote in Atlanta Saturday to elect a new party chairman. The frontrunners are Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison and Tom Perez, the labor secretary under former president Barack Obama. Perez, considered the establishment pick... Читать дальше...

Thousands of protesters gathered Saturday in the Philippines capital of Manila to mark the anniversary of the People Power revolution that unseated dictator Ferdinand Marcos 31 years ago. Protesters marched through the streets to the People Power democracy shrine in Manila, which marks the spot where millions of Filipinos gathered in 1986 in a mostly peaceful uprising to remove Marcos from power. The uprising served as a model for later peaceful revolts throughout the world and brought an end to a 20-year rule marked by corruption... Читать дальше...

Like other Afghan immigrants, Faisal Razmal thought he was leaving violence behind for a new life in the United States, considered the land of opportunity. After all, he survived an IED (improvised explosive device) blast in Kabul during five years as an interpreter for U.S. forces. Threats to his life were worth it, in his opinion, because fighting the “enemies” was the best way to serve his country - and because his dream was to move to the U.S. with a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV). After his visa was approved... Читать дальше...

The U.S. administration’s new national security adviser has reportedly told his staff that Muslims who carry out terrorist acts are corrupting Islam, a departure from an ideological position held by other senior advisers to President Donald Trump. Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster told members of the National Security Council that the use of the term "radical Islamic terrorism" was counterproductive because the actions of terrorists are "un-Islamic," according to the New York Times newspaper. ... Читать дальше...

Iraqi military officials say U.S.-backed forces are facing stiffer resistance as soldiers push deeper into the western half of Mosul, the last stronghold of the Islamic State group in Iraq. Lieutenant Colonel Abdulamir al-Mohammadawi told the French news agency several elite units that previously recaptured Mosul airport were moving north toward the center of the city, where they planned to retake the Turkish consulate and other government buildings. He said the troops are facing increasingly... Читать дальше...

Pakistan disclosed Saturday that it is engaged in negotiations with Afghanistan on developing a joint “mechanism” to address mutual cross-border terrorism concerns, and both sides could formalize a deal next week. Sartaj Aziz, the prime minister’s adviser on foreign policy, told reporters in Islamabad that he will hold further talks on the subject when he meets with Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani on the sidelines of a regional summit opening in Islamabad on Sunday. He said that Rabbani... Читать дальше...

FBI Director James Comey is again in a familiar spot these days - the middle of political tumult.   As a high-ranking Justice Department official in the George W. Bush administration, he clashed with the White House over a secret surveillance program. Years later as head of the FBI, he incurred the ire of Hillary Clinton supporters for public statements on an investigation into her emails. Now, Comey is facing new political pressure as White House officials are encouraging him to follow their lead... Читать дальше...

Angela Merkel's conservatives have formally nominated the German chancellor as her party's top candidate for the September parliamentary election in the region where she has her political base. The dpa news agency reported that Merkel won the support of 95 percent of delegates at a convention of the Christian Democrats' branch in northeastern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state Saturday. Merkel has held her parliamentary constituency in Stralsund since 1990. Polls show Merkel facing an unexpectedly... Читать дальше...

Turkey's prime minister has officially launched his ruling party's campaign for a “yes” vote in a referendum on ushering a presidential system, which critics fear will concentrate too many powers in the hands of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.   Binali Yildirim formally got campaigning going on Saturday telling supporters in a sports arena that the proposed new system would build a strong Turkey capable of surmounting terror threats and make its economy more robust.   Yildirim said: “We are taking... Читать дальше...

Launching a startup is no easy feat. Launching one outside your native country is even harder. But for certain French startups, the French government is there to help. A government-sponsored competition that began last year offers startups marketing and promotional assistance.   The Creative Next Challenge is a series of competitions sponsored by Business France, the nation’s international business development agency. Each competition offers French entrepreneurs working abroad the chance at official endorsement and international exposure. Читать дальше...

Indonesian President Joko Widodo is making his first visit to Australia Saturday, in a sign that tensions early this year have eased and relations between the two Asia-Pacific neighbors are stable. Australia’s relationship with its heavily populated northern neighbor is often turbulent. It soured when Australia supported East Timorese independence from Indonesia in 2002.  More recently in 2015, diplomatic tension rose when Jakarta executed two members of an Australian drug trafficking gang despite pleas for mercy from Canberra. Читать дальше...

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs had until three weeks ago driven the trade in crystal methamphetamine underground, according to residents and drug users in some of the slum areas of the nation’s capital city. As thousands of users and dealers were shot dead by police and vigilantes in the first seven months after Duterte came to power last June, open dealing in the drug, known here by its street name shabu, largely stopped. Instead, deals were done on the quiet between people who knew each other... Читать дальше...

Malaysia said Saturday it would issue an arrest warrant for a North Korean diplomat wanted for questioning in the murder of Kim Jong Nam if he doesn’t voluntarily cooperate with the police. Reasonable time will be given for 44-year-old Hyon Kwang Song, a second secretary at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur to come forward before police take further action, said Abdul Samah Mat, the police chief for Selangor state. It was unclear if the embassy official can be detained since police have said he has diplomatic immunity. Читать дальше...

A lawyer says the son of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali was detained by immigration officials at a Florida airport.   Chris Mancini told the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, that 44-year-old Muhammad Ali Jr. and his mother Khalilah Camacho-Ali, the second wife of Muhammad Ali, arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport February 7 after returning from Jamaica.   Mancini says officials questioned Ali Jr. for nearly two hours, repeatedly asking him, “Where did you get your... Читать дальше...

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is celebrating his 93rd birthday amid granite hills where ancient spirits are said to dwell, defying calls to resign after nearly four decades in power in a region known for opposing the man who says he’ll run again in 2018 elections.   Thousands of government supporters, some wearing clothing adorned with Mugabe’s image, converged in Matabeleland on Saturday for a birthday bash and show of strength for the ruling ZANU-PF party, beset by squabbling in the past... Читать дальше...

Vice President Mike Pence assured the Republican Jewish Coalition that he and President Donald Trump will work tirelessly on foreign and domestic issues important to the group, such as enacting business-friendly policies at home and supporting Israel abroad.    “If the world knows nothing else, the world will know this: America stands with Israel,” Pence told the group Friday night. The Republican administration is assessing whether to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, he said, and has put Iran... Читать дальше...

Using sweet treats and months of patient coaching, scientists in England have taught a group of bumblebees how to play soccer. The 18-month study at Queen Mary University of London saw scientists train 50 bees to move a small yellow ball to a circled location in order to score a goal and receive a sugary food reward. The first group of bees then showed others in the colony how to play, with the second group impressing scientists by expanding the game. “The bees solved the task in a different way than what was demonstrated... Читать дальше...

Facing pushback from industry and Republicans in Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency delayed Friday a proposal that would require mining companies to show they have the financial wherewithal to clean up their pollution so taxpayers aren’t stuck footing the bill. Contaminated water from mine sites can flow into rivers and other waterways, harming aquatic life and threatening drinking water supplies. Companies in the past avoided cleanup costs in many cases by declaring bankruptcy. Читать дальше...

Twin suicide attacks in the western Syrian city of Homs Saturday killed at least 42 people, including a senior intelligence officer. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least six attackers blew themselves up near the headquarters of both state security and military intelligence. An al-Qaida affiliate has claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying five of its militants stormed two heavily guarded districts in the center of Homs. Homs has been under full government control for nearly three years. Читать дальше...

This is Black History Month in the U.S. A dance school in the nation's capital has been making history for more than 75 years with its commitment to high-quality dance training. The school, which started at a time when African-American dancers had few opportunities to study classical ballet, is thriving. VOA's June Soh introduces us to Jones-Haywood Dance School in Washington. Carol Pearson narrates.

The Clean Air Act is one of those laws that people either love or hate. No matter what side of that emotional spectrum people fall on, there’s no denying its overarching role in American society. The Clean Air Act was originally passed by the U.S. Congress in 1963, with an incredibly broad agenda: to protect and enhance the quality of the nation’s air resources so as to promote the public health and welfare; to initiate and accelerate a national research and development program to achieve... Читать дальше...

“I wanted something that looked like a fairy tale,” says German-born Canadian filmmaker George Mendeluk, describing what compelled him to tackle one of the darkest chapters in Ukrainian-Russian relations. Opening with a picturesque scene of a Ukrainian village in the 1930s, the historical juxtaposition is stark: Bitter Harvest, a historical drama that weaves a love story around cataclysmic events surrounding the Holodomor — the devastating state-sponsored famine in Ukraine that killed millions ... Читать дальше...