Новости за 02.05.2017

President Donald Trump's nominee to be the next American ambassador to China says he will continue to press Beijing for cooperation in helping to rein in North Korea's nuclear aggression. "They recognize, as other nations in Asia recognize, that this nuclear obsession that the leadership of North Korea has with guided missiles and everything, is a very serious threat to humankind, and that we all need to look at ways that we can work together," Iowa Governor Terry Branstad told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday. Читать дальше...

Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton blamed FBI Director James Comey and the website WikiLeaks, which published emails hacked from her campaign director, for her loss in the 2016 presidential election. Speaking at an event Tuesday with CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour, Clinton said she “was on the way to winning” before WikiLeaks began releasing emails stolen from campaign manager John Podesta and Comey told Congress he was reviewing additional emails related to Clinton's use of a private server. Читать дальше...

Israel's prime minister on Tuesday accused UNESCO of diminishing Jewish ties to Jerusalem after the U.N. cultural agency passed a resolution criticizing Israeli excavations in the city's Israeli-annexed eastern sector as a violation of international law. Israel considers the entire city to be its capital, including East Jerusalem, which it captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Most of the international community considers East Jerusalem to be occupied territory, a view the U.N. Security Council reaffirmed in December. Читать дальше...

Several public buses were torched in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday in what Brazilian military police said was likely gang retaliation for a large anti-drug operation. Images on Globo News showed buses burning alongside a highway in the northern part of the city. Traffic was snarled for a few hours and black smoke filled the air. Local media reported that eight buses and two cargo trucks were set ablaze, though those numbers could not be independently confirmed. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Читать дальше...

The United States says it will allow lemon imports from Argentina's top producing region for the first time in 16 years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that it would lift the ban on lemons from northwestern Argentina on May 26. The decision came days after President Donald Trump said that he was reviewing the position of his administration on the issue. In December, then-President Barack Obama's administration said it would lift the ban. It had been imposed following complaints... Читать дальше...

The surviving members of the legendary rock band The Eagles, are suing a Mexican hotel that calls itself Hotel California, which is also the title of what is likely the band’s most famous song. The suit was filed Monday against the 11-room hotel in Baja California Sur, saying the hotel owners “actively encourage” the notion that the hotel is somehow associated with the band. Allegedly one way the owners do this was through playing the song and other Eagles hits over the hotel’s sound system. Читать дальше...

Turkey could be seeking to play Moscow off Washington, according to some analysts, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set for separate meetings this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. “Mr Erdogan thinks he is offering Turkey to the highest bidder,” political consultant Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners told VOA, “so it's between Trump and Putin (that) whoever puts up the biggest bid will gain Turkey's favor.” Putin will host Erdogan Wednesday in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Читать дальше...

Members of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces say they soon hope to oust Islamic State (IS) fighters from their occupation of Syria's largest dam. Ridding IS from the dam at Tabqa is crucial as the SDF advances toward the de-facto IS capital of Raqqa, 40 kilometers downstream on the Euphrates River. VOA's Mahmoud Bali reports.

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

May Day is marked by marches in support of workers’ rights all around the world. In Washington, D.C., immigrants and allies rallied, not only in support of workers' rights but to stand against President Donald Trump’s tough stances on immigration. VOA's Aline Barros traveled to the rally in a van hired by a local business.

Does Russia have a “mystery weapon” capable of threatening the entire U.S. Navy? Russian media have claimed that the Russian military has developed technology capable of neutralizing an adversary’s aircraft, ships and missiles within a 5,000-kilometer radius. The claim, first reported by Vesti News on April 14, said a Russian warplane had successfully tested the electronic jamming device on a U.S. warship, the destroyer Donald Cook in the Black Sea. The report, which used a mock-up simulation to demonstrate the exercise... Читать дальше...

A privacy group sued the New York Police Department on Tuesday to demand the release of documents related to its use of facial-recognition technology, which rights groups have criticized as discriminatory and lacking in proper oversight. The lawsuit is the latest attempt to compel U.S. law enforcement agencies to disclose more about how they rely on searchable facial-recognition databases in criminal investigations. NYPD has previously produced one document in response to a January 2016 freedom of information request... Читать дальше...

President Donald Trump's nominee to be the U.S. ambassador to China said on Tuesday he would do everything possible to address what he called China's "unfair and illegal" sales of underpriced steel in the world market. "I want to do everything I can to make sure that we stop the unfair and illegal activities that we've seen from China in the steel industry," the nominee, Iowa's Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, said at his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing.

Britain wants to boost trade ties with Africa after it leaves the European Union, a project some have called "Empire 2.0." As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, British hopes to build on historical links could face resistance in many African countries, as exporters face years of uncertainty over future trading relations with Britain.

If Emmanuel Macron wins Sunday's French presidential runoff, Europe's pro-EU liberals will finally have their champion. For centrists who have been licking their wounds since Britain voted to quit the EU a year ago, the 39-year-old will be the gallant young hero who slew the most dangerous populist dragon of them all, the National Front's Marine Le Pen. From a Paris dinner party with the young leaders of Belgium and Luxembourg, to a conspicuous Twitter bromance with Italy's ex-premier Matteo Renzi... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump, after failing to win congressional approval for many of his spending and policy priorities for the next five months, said Tuesday the government "needs a good 'shutdown' in September" when lawmakers will be debating the 2018 funding plan. In a tweet, Trump blamed the result of his first fight over federal spending on lawmaking rules in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 52-48 majority. But most major legislation requires a 60-vote super majority in the 100-member chamber for approval... Читать дальше...

On a sunny afternoon in May 2016, members of Virginia’s Pamunkey Indian Tribe gathered for a formal photograph celebrating a milestone after three decades of effort: Official recognition by the U.S. government. When the English arrived in Virginia in the 1600s, the Pamunkey were one of the most powerful tribes of the Powhatan federation led by Chief Wahunsenacawh Powhatan – remembered today as the father of the Pocahontas.   His domains stretched across nearly 10,000 square kilometers; today... Читать дальше...

A thunderous drumbeat echoed through the cocktail reception at the Met Gala. Either an earthquake was hitting the Upper East Side of Manhattan, or the glittering assembly of guests was being called in to dinner.   Hasan Minhaj, a correspondent on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," was standing with the show's host, Trevor Noah, and marveling about the week he was having. Just two days earlier, he'd made a huge splash with his blistering speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and now... Читать дальше...

Bison once roamed North America by the millions. But they were hunted to near extinction in the 19th century for their meat and hides. Today, their numbers are growing again, thanks in part to the important role they can play in land restoration. Erika Celeste has that story from Morocco, Indiana.

The European Union clashed on Tuesday with the visiting leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, by publicly supporting an international mission to look into alleged human rights abuses by the country's security forces against Rohingya Muslims. The EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini, speaking at a news conference with Suu Kyi, said an agreed resolution of the U.N. Human Rights Council would help clear up uncertainty about allegations of killings, torture and rape against Rohingyas. On the basis of that resolution... Читать дальше...

African military expenditures have finally slowed down after more than a decade of steady increases, according to a new report on global defense spending. The main reason, the report found, is a drop in oil prices. “The sharp decreases in oil prices has affected quite a number of African countries, namely South Sudan and Angola.  This has kind of driven almost the entire regional trend,” said Nan Tian, a researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) Arms and Military Expenditure Program... Читать дальше...

The Spy chiefs of Pakistan and Afghanistan have held official talks in Kabul on bilateral security and counterterrorism cooperation. Director General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, ISI, Lt. General Naveed Mukhtar, traveled to the Afghan capital Tuesday in a bid to ease tensions between security establishments of the two countries, Pakistani and Afghan security sources confirmed to VOA. There were no immediate details available from the meeting General Mukhtar held with his Afghan counterpart... Читать дальше...

Bette Midler, Cate Blanchett and Sally Field received best actress nominations in Broadway's Tony Awards on Tuesday, while "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" scored a leading 12 nominations including the top prize, best musical. Close behind was the hit revival of "Hello, Dolly!" which took 10 nominations, including one for actor David Hyde Pierce. "Dear Evan Hansen," "Groundhog Day The Musical" and "Come From Away" received best musical nominations as well. Best play nominees... Читать дальше...

The human rights group Amnesty International condemned what it called “draconian” internet laws being used in Bangladesh to silence government critics. In a new report released Tuesday, Amnesty said members of the media are “under siege” in Bangladesh from both the police and armed groups that threaten them. “Between the violence of armed groups and repression of the state, secular voices in Bangladesh are being consistently silenced. Not only is the government failing to protect people’s freedom of expression... Читать дальше...

Russian President Vladimir Putin denied Tuesday that Russia interfered in last year's U.S. presidential election, saying such allegations are "simply rumors" that are being leveraged for political reasons in the United States. Putin's denial came at a joint news conference in Sochi, Russia, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the two leaders met amid increasingly strained relations over the war in Syria, and Russia's annexation of the Crimea region in neighboring Ukraine. Putin's remarks... Читать дальше...