Новости за 01.03.2017

Thousands of civilians are fleeing a Syrian town where fighting between Islamic State fighters and government forces is intensifying after IS was driven from the strategic stronghold al-Bab in recent days. VOA's Mahmoud Bali reports.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed President Donald Trump's pick to head the Interior Department as the White House seeks to increase fossil fuel production on federal lands. Ryan Zinke, a U.S. Representative from coal-producing Montana, won confirmation by a vote of 68 to 31, with several Democrats joining Republicans, who lead the chamber. The former Navy SEAL commander is an avid hunter and angler who is popular with many outdoor enthusiasts, including Trump's son Donald Jr. Many environmentalists... Читать дальше...

Federal scientists forecast that Oklahoma will continue to have the nation's biggest man-made earthquake problem but it probably won't be as shaky as recent years. In its annual national earthquake outlook, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Wednesday that a large portion of Oklahoma and parts of central California have the highest risk for a damaging quake this year: between 5 and 12 percent.   Natural elevated quake risks exist through much of California, Seattle and the area where Missouri... Читать дальше...

Seeking a path back to power in Congress, Democrats first want to hold on to the governorship in Virginia this year. Then they're setting their sights in 2018 on crucial governors' contests in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. The targeted races are part of a strategy by a new Democratic coalition led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder that aims to undo what he denounces as the "rigged political process" that has favored Republicans since congressional and state legislative districts were redrawn after the 2010 Census. Читать дальше...

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

Two early polls are giving U.S. President Donald Trump high marks for his address Tuesday night before a joint session of Congress. A CBS News/You Gov poll found more than three-fourths of those who viewed the televised speech approved of it, while 82 percent thought it was "presidential." Seventy-six percent of the viewers felt the address was "unifying," including 36 percent of those who identified as Democrats. The speech made about 70 percent of the viewers feel more hopeful about the country's future... Читать дальше...

The strengthening of cyber capabilities is an important part of China's military modernization, the government said on Wednesday, warning that the internet should not become "a new battlefield." China, home to the largest number of internet users, has long called for greater cooperation among nations in developing and governing the internet, while reiterating the need to respect "cyber sovereignty." But Beijing, which operates the world's most sophisticated online censorship mechanism known elsewhere as the "Great Firewall"... Читать дальше...

Shaka Ssali hosts this call-in program that examines topics of special interest to Africans.

Tensions are increasing between Berlin and Ankara over claims that Turkey has been using Islamic preachers in Germany to spy on supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric who President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses of orchestrating last July’s failed coup against him. German police raided the homes last week of four imams suspected of collecting information on members of Gulen’s religious movement. Authorities say the spying in Germany by clerics paid by the Turkish government is part... Читать дальше...

Insecurity to blame for relocation of 28 humanitarian workers in Mayendit, one of two counties in Unity State hit by famine

Saudi Arabia pledged $1 billion in development finance for Indonesia and expanded cooperation in other areas, deepening ties with Southeast Asia's biggest economy as the Saudi king and a huge entourage arrived Wednesday for a 9-day visit. Enthusiastic crowds lined the route of King Salman's heavily guarded motorcade as it arrived in Bogor, near the capital Jakarta, where official events were held at an imposing presidential palace. He was earlier welcomed at Jakarta's Halim airport by President... Читать дальше...

Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo have expelled a filmmaker and researcher working for Greenpeace following a trip to forest communities affected by industrial logging. The expulsions last month follow similar moves against foreign researchers over the past year that have drawn accusations the government is cracking down on criticism due to heightened political tensions. The government denies this. Government spokesman Lambert Mende told Reuters the Greenpeace representatives were expelled... Читать дальше...

Fake news and misinformation are fueling bloody xenophobic clashes in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent, according to a non-profit that promotes accuracy in African public debate and the media. Amidst growing tension, Africa Check has been debunking false information in South Africa and beyond.   The television news program Carte Blanche recently made one such claim, that one-third of nearby Malawi’s population had immigrated to South Africa.  The actual figure is much lower, and the program has since corrected the statement. Читать дальше...

Pope Francis is marking Ash Wednesday with prayer and a solemn procession between two churches on one of ancient' Rome's seven hills. The day begins the Catholic church's annual Lenten period of reflection in preparation for Easter. The day's rituals include rubbing ashes on the head of faithful in a reminder of mortality. Cloaked in purple vestments, Francis clutched his pastoral staff as he walked in procession in the fading afternoon sun. Recent warm weather helped flowers bloom on the Aventine Hill. Читать дальше...

U.S. stocks hit record highs in Wednesday's trading, with the Dow Jones Industrial average exceeding 21,000 for the first time. U.S. stock markets have been hitting a series of record highs since the election of President Donald Trump, who encouraged businesses by promising to cut taxes and regulations, and make major investments in rebuilding roads, bridges and other infrastructure.  Trump repeated these pledges Tuesday evening in an address to both houses of congress, but has not offered many details of these plans. Читать дальше...

Opposing sides in the fight for control of Aleppo committed war crimes, according to a new United Nations report. The U.N.'s latest report on the six-year conflict said the Syrian government's aerial bombing and strafing of a humanitarian convoy that killed 14 aid workers and halted relief operations were among the war crimes that were committed. Syrian and Russian forces executed indiscriminate "daily air strikes" using cluster munitions on the rebel-held eastern part of Aleppo between July... Читать дальше...

From international tourism to federal employment prospects, every new president alters the fabric of life in the nation's capital. But for local restaurateurs such as Ashok Bajaj, a new White House administration is just another president waiting to be fed. "It takes a little while for the administration to find a restaurant," Bajaj, the owner of several Washington establishments, told VOA's Russian Service. "For the first month or so they are trying to find out what is going on in the White House... Читать дальше...

Snap - owner of popular messaging app Snapchat - is going public on Thursday. And it expects anyone buying up to a quarter of its shares to agree not to sell them for a year. Applying lock-ups helps companies moderate stock volatility. A year-long lock-up period is atypically long, potentially signifying strong demand for the IPO, says Lauren Hirsch who covers the story for Reuters. "There is at least one investor who, we're hearing from our sources, have asked to buy a really big chunk in the Snapchat IPO... Читать дальше...

President Donald Trump will continue to defend his original travel ban even after a revised executive order limiting travel to the United States is finalized in the coming days, Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday. “The president is just determined to not only defend the first executive order in the courts, which we continue to believe is fully within his purview and his presidential authority, but also to take that authority that is undisputed in the law with a new executive order,” Pence said on the CBS television program This Morning.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging speech Tuesday to a joint session of Congress painted a bright future for America, but drew a mixed reaction from world leaders. Japan Japan was receptive to Trump’s plan to significantly boost defense spending as the island nation continues to face a nuclear threat in North Korea and increasing Chinese hostility in the Pacific. Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said Wednesday the country would have to wait and see how much Trump actually boosts defense spending... Читать дальше...

Oprah Winfrey says President Donald Trump's victory has her rethinking whether she could be elected to the White House. Winfrey, a Hillary Clinton supporter, spoke with financier David Rubenstein in December for an interview for his Bloomberg Television show, which premiered this week.   Winfrey says before Trump's election she thought that she didn't have the necessary government experience to run the country but now she thinks differently. The billionaire businessman had never before held public... Читать дальше...

President Donald Trump set a record on Twitter Tuesday night as his speech before a joint session of Congress became the most-tweeted presidential Congressional speech ever, the company said. According to Twitter spokesman Nick Pacilio, 3 million people tweeted about Trump’s speech Tuesday night, beating out the previous record of 2.6 million held by former President Barack Obama for his 2015 State of the Union speech. Twitter launched in 2006, making it a relatively new phenomenon in U.S.... Читать дальше...

Late last year, the United Nations vowed to intensify the fight against a deadly cholera outbreak its peacekeepers inadvertently carried to Haiti. To date, however, it has raised just a small fraction of the estimated $400 million needed over the next two years to wage that campaign, according to a letter from the new secretary-general.   “The voluntary contributions that have been received are not yet sufficient and constitute only 2 percent of the amount," Antonio Guterres wrote in the letter... Читать дальше...

U.S. consumer spending rose at only a sluggish pace in January, even as signs of growing optimism about the economy have emerged. Consumer spending increased 0.2 percent in January, after a 0.5 percent gain in December, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Spending on services — from haircuts to health care — was flat, and Americans spent less on long-lasting goods such as autos and appliances.   Prices also rose in a sign that inflation has perked up a bit. A measure of inflation closely... Читать дальше...

The World Health Organization says it has noticed mutations in the bird flu virus now spreading in China, but says the risk of the disease spreading easily between people remains low. In a press briefing Wednesday, the U.N. health agency said in about 7 percent of the people infected with the H7N9 strain of bird flu, scientists have identified genetic changes suggesting the viruses are resistant to Tamiflu, the recommended treatment for the disease and the drug that is being stockpiled worldwide in preparation for a flu pandemic. Читать дальше...