Новости за 30.03.2017

Only days before Serbia's presidential election, seven major newspapers have hit the stands with the same front pages: the ruling candidate's campaign poster. The propaganda coup on Thursday by populist Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic's campaign team further stoked fears about the overall fairness of the Sunday vote. The papers splash the red and blue AV logo and carry no headlines or news on the front pages. Former Serbian President Boris Tadic said "today's print media have revealed the real... Читать дальше...

A 5-foot (1.5-meter) debris shield being installed on the International Space Station floated away Thursday during a spacewalk by two veteran U.S. astronauts, a NASA TV broadcast showed. Peggy Whitson, who became the world's most experienced female spacewalker during the outing, told ground control teams that a bag containing the debris shield floated away at about 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT). At the time, Whitson, 57, and station commander Shane Kimbrough, 49, were about midway through a planned... Читать дальше...

Chile's president criticized isolationist foreign policies and protectionism in trade Thursday, saying during a state visit to Portugal that multilateralism is "crucial" to address global challenges. Michelle Bachelet said during a news conference that "we must have coordinated and cooperative responses to make the voices of the many heard." She said she hoped to bring about an increase in trade with Portugal through her two-day visit, which includes presiding at a bilateral trade conference Friday. Читать дальше...

A federal court sentenced Brazil's former speaker of the lower house, Eduardo Cunha, to more than 15 years in prison on Thursday for corruption, making him the highest-profile political conviction yet in the "Operation Car Wash" scandal. The former politician's defense team said they would appeal the decision but Cunha will remain imprisoned pending appeal. Cunha, who drove the successful impeachment of former President Dilma Rousseff, was forced from his position as speaker in July and arrested... Читать дальше...

Armenia's ruling party goes into an election on Sunday neck-and-neck in the polls with a former coalition partner, making it hard to predict the winner of a vote that will usher in a new parliamentary system of government. Under constitutional changes critics say were designed to prolong the political life of President Serzh Sarksyan, parliament, not voters, will elect the president for the first time and the office of prime minister will become more powerful, with the presidency becoming a largely ceremonial role. Читать дальше...

A South Korean court on Friday approved a warrant to arrest Park Geun-hye, the country's first democratically elected president to be thrown out of office, on accusations of bribery and abuse of power. Park can be held in a cell for up to 20 days while she is investigated over allegations that she colluded with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to pressure big businesses to contribute to now-defunct foundations set up to back her policy initiatives. A judge at the Seoul Central District Court said in... Читать дальше...

Peru said Thursday that it was recalling its ambassador to Venezuela and condemned the recent decision by Venezuela's Supreme Court to take over the functions of Congress as a "flagrant breach of democratic order." Peru's Foreign Affairs Ministry added in a statement that it has started consultations with other members of the Organization of American States to discuss urgent measures to preserve democracy in Venezuela. The pro-government court in Venezuela, which has previously annulled most... Читать дальше...

Zika, like dengue fever and West Nile virus, is in a family of mosquito-borne viruses called flaviviruses. A new study suggests that Zika can be much worse for people previously infected with another flavivirus. In pregnant women, it may put their babies at higher risk for serious birth defects, including microcephaly, a condition in which infants are born with abnormally small heads. The study highlights the potentially deadly effects of a phenomenon called antibody dependent enhancement, or ADE. Читать дальше...

The priorities laid out in President Donald Trump's budget message have some small business owners strategizing how they might benefit from a big boost in defense spending, and others thinking about how to make up for revenue they could lose to cuts in grant programs and subsidies. While Trump's plan, released March 16, is far from the final word on the subject, he has called for a $54 billion increase in the Pentagon's budget. He has proposed cuts elsewhere, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Commerce Department... Читать дальше...

About 200 meters outside Mosul’s Old City, you can hear the battle raging inside. But families, which typically flee Islamic State militants as soon as Iraqi forces get close, are no where to be seen.   Civilians who did escape say fewer people are coming because IS militants are executing anyone they can catch and forcing the rest of the people to remain in their homes. Many people are in hiding, trapped as “human shields.”   Besides IS snipers, Mosul residents are victims of airstrikes... Читать дальше...

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hailed Turkey as a trusted ally after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other leaders Thursday during his visit to Ankara. Tillerson underlined the importance of Turkey in the battle against Islamic State militants.   But the two NATO allies remain at loggerheads over Washington's support for the Syrian Kurdish PYD and its militia, the YPG, in fighting IS. Ankara accuses the PYD of being a terrorist organization affiliated with the PKK or Kurdistan Workers' Party... Читать дальше...

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 700 km drive through exceptional scenery and 10,000 years of North American history.

Hundreds of Iranian students already accepted into U.S. graduate programs may not be able to come next fall because of the uncertainty around President Donald Trump's proposed travel ban, potentially derailing research projects and leaving some science programs scrambling to find new students. With admission season still in full swing, 25 of America's largest research universities have already sent more than 500 acceptance letters to students from the six affected countries, according to data provided... Читать дальше...

Venezuela’s Supreme Court is taking control of the opposition-controlled legislative branch, a move that gives the Maduro administration license for a "dictatorship," some observers say. In a wide-ranging ruling issued late Wednesday, the court criticized the National Assembly for what it called “disrespect and invalidity of its proceedings.” It said as long as that persisted, “this Constitutional Chamber will ensure that the parliamentary powers are exercised directly by this chamber or by the... Читать дальше...

The Vietnamese blogger known as Mẹ Nam, or Mother Mushroom, missed meeting Melania Trump when the first lady awarded the International Women of Courage Award to 13 women in Washington on Wednesday. Social activist Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh spent the day in a Khanh Hoa Province prison, where she has been held since she was detained on October 10 after posting about people dying in police custody. Mother Mushroom, who started blogging under that name in 2006, is a founding member of the Vietnamese Bloggers Network. Читать дальше...

As Iraqi forces continue to battle for Mosul’s Old and New City neighborhoods, soldiers say Islamic State resistance is fierce, and many areas are only accessible on foot. Despite the dire circumstances inside these crowded neighborhoods, militants are forcing families to stay in their homes, and fleeing civilians say entire families are being slaughtered as they run. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from Mosul.

At least seven people were injured in Mogadishu Thursday when mortar shells landed in and around the presidential palace compound as cabinet members met inside. “One of the mortar rounds landed inside the compound and injured three female janitors serving for the presidential guards,” a senior official in charge of security at the compound told VOA Somali on condition of anonymity.   At least three other mortars hit a residential neighborhood near the palace.   “A mortar shell hit near a house... Читать дальше...

Qatar Airways is offering loaner laptops to its business class passengers in the wake of a U.S. ban on them on flights from several countries. “As an award-winning and global airline we truly appreciate the importance of being able to work on board our aircraft and that is why I have insisted on offering only the best possible solution for our customers,” said Akbar Al Baker, the company’s CEO. “By providing this laptop loan service we can ensure that our passengers on flights to the US can continue to work whilst on-board. Читать дальше...

The U.S. National Hockey League (NHL) has become the latest major sports league to attempt to tap into the lucrative Chinese market. The NHL announced it will hold two pre-season games in China, September 21 and 23 in Shanghai and Beijing, between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks.   "This is an historic moment for the National Hockey League," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in Beijing. "We look forward to our first games in China and to a variety of initiatives that will inspire... Читать дальше...

Failing eyesight, poor digestion, bad teeth, limbs no longer so limber: With captive giant pandas living longer than ever, the list of their physical and even emotional needs is growing.   China, the pandas' native home, is seeking to cater to those requirements with a special home for the old timers along with customized diets, exercise and other care aimed at improving their quality of life.   “Of course we spend more energy taking care of old pandas,'' said Xu Yalin, a panda keeper for 19... Читать дальше...

Residents of Rockville, Maryland, pride themselves on living in a diverse community, the mid-sized city’s most celebrated strength, they say. So proposing sanctuary status seemed like a realistic move, until a rape case brought the endeavor into question. City councilwoman Julie Palakovich Carr introduced the sanctuary ordinance in early March. It would add Rockville to the list of about 600 sanctuary cities and counties, jurisdictions that choose not to inform immigration officials when undocumented immigrants... Читать дальше...

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

A federal judge in Hawaii who temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's revised travel ban hours before it was set to take effect issued a longer-lasting order Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson held a hearing Wednesday on Hawaii's request to extend his temporary hold. Several hours later, he issued a 24-page order blocking the government from suspending new visas for travelers from six Muslim-majority countries and from halting the U.S. refugee program. Hawaii Attorney General... Читать дальше...

In the U.S., people often measure “success” as fifteen minutes of fame, or a blockbuster financial quarter. This focus on short term results doesn’t always build the skills needed to solve long-term problems, such as reducing disease outbreaks or maintaining species diversity. Concerns about the nation’s short attention span have prompted some visionaries to create a playfully serious way to think ahead. From San Francisco, Shelley Schlender reports about the Long Now Foundation.

The State Department has fired six employees at the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan for allegedly using or possessing prohibited drugs, a particularly troubling infraction given the years-long U.S. effort to eradicate opium production in the country. A senior State Department official said those who were embassy employees were fired and others who were contractors were released from their contracts. The official declined to say what led to the investigation, but the Wall Street Journal reported it... Читать дальше...