Новости за 06.05.2017

The Hamas Islamic militant movement that controls the Gaza Strip announced Saturday that it had chosen its former Gaza prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, as the group's new political chief. Haniyeh succeeds Hamas' longtime exiled leader, Khaled Mashaal, and the move comes shortly after Gaza's rulers unveiled a new, seemingly more pragmatic political program aimed at ending the group's international isolation. Hamas is trying to rebrand itself as an Islamic national liberation movement, rather than a branch of the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood... Читать дальше...

Iran's state TV Saturday censored a documentary released by President Hassan Rouhani's campaign, ahead of the upcoming presidential election. A report by the semiofficial ILNA did not elaborate, but a Rouhani campaign official confirmed to The Associated Press that state TV had cut parts of "President Rouhani." He said one censored segment showed supporters chanting for opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has been under house arrest since 2011 and whose Green Movement hard-liners oppose. Читать дальше...

Up to 50 Chibok schoolgirls were released by Islamist Boko Haram militants on Saturday after more than three years in captivity, a Nigerian government spokesman said, the largest group yet to be freed after years of tense negotiations. The girls were among about 220 students abducted from a secondary school in the northeastern town of Chibok in 2014, sparking a global campaign #bringbackourgirls supported by then U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and list of celebrities. About 21 Chibok were released... Читать дальше...

Several hundred people rallied Saturday outside an office of Hungary's governing Fidesz party after a journalist said she had been assaulted at a party meeting by a government official. Julia Halasz, a reporter with the 444.hu news site, said a meeting organizer took away her cellphone and dragged her down several flights of steps and out of a school by the arm while she was covering a Fidesz public forum. Economy Minister Mihaly Varga and Defense Minister Istvan Simicsko spoke at Thursday's... Читать дальше...

In late November, a member of Donald Trump's transition team approached national security officials in the Obama White House with a curious request: Could the incoming team get a copy of the classified CIA profile on Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the United States? Marshall Billingslea, a former Pentagon and NATO official, wanted the information for his boss, Michael Flynn, who had been tapped by Trump to serve as White House national security adviser. Billingslea knew Flynn would be speaking to Kislyak... Читать дальше...

Hundreds of women dressed in all white marched in Venezuela's capital Saturday, continuing more than a month of demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro. Saturday's rally, led by opposition leaders and lawmakers, marched to the Interior Ministry to denounce "repression" over the past month as demonstrators have been hit with tear gas by security forces. The march came one day after a young man was shot in the head during clashes between demonstrators and security forces, bringing the death... Читать дальше...

Voters in France prepared to go to the polls Sunday, ending what observers describe as the country’s most contentious and divisive presidential campaign since the founding of the Fifth Republic. Sunday also could mark the start of a new path for France and its relationship with the rest of Europe, regardless of who wins.

The on-campus mob slaying of a journalism student and the arrest of a female medical student for allegedly planning a suicide attack underscore concerns that some of Pakistan’s highly educated youth are gravitating toward violent extremism and radicalization. Security experts say the unrelated incidents show that religious militancy isn’t limited to the disenfranchised and uneducated poor. They contend the government has to wake up to a problem that may be getting worse as the country’s conservative streak growing deeper. Читать дальше...

Thunderstorms and wind had delayed the Hindenburg's arrival in New Jersey from Germany on May 6, 1937. The father of 8-year-old Werner Doehner headed to his cabin after using his movie camera to shoot some scenes of Lakehurst Naval Air Station from the airship's dining room. "We didn't see him again," recalled Doehner, now 88 and the only person left of the 62 passengers and crew who survived the fire that killed his father, sister and 34 other souls 80 years ago Saturday. Doehner and his parents... Читать дальше...

Al-Shabab insurgents in Somalia have beheaded two government soldiers they captured on Saturday near the town of Mahaday, 35 kilometers north of Jowhar, and the provincial capital of Middle Shabelle region, officials and witnesses told VOA. The head of the Somali National Army 30th contingent, which operates in the region, Lt. Col. Omar Ali Adow, told VOA's Somali service about the soldiers’ beheadings. “The militants intercepted a civilian passenger vehicle in which the two government soldiers were traveling. Читать дальше...

Voters in France prepared to go to the polls Sunday, ending what observers describe as the country’s most contentious and divisive presidential campaign since the founding of the Fifth Republic. Sunday also could mark the start of a new path for France and its relationship with the rest of Europe, regardless of who wins.   Surveys at the official end of campaigning had centrist Emmanuel Macron in a strong lead, with 62 percent support, and nationalist anti-immigration candidate Marine Le Pen at 38 percent. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is proposing to dramatically slash funding for the White House drug control office, after Trump campaigned to fix the nation's growing opioid abuse crisis. A preliminary 2018 budget document from the Office of Management and Budget would reduce funding for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) by 95 percent, from $364 million to just $24 million. The proposal calls for eliminating ONDCP's drug-free communities and high-intensity drug trafficking programs... Читать дальше...

The U.S. Kentucky Derby, the first of three major yearly horse races in the United States, will take place on Saturday with rain in the forecast, adding another variable to an already unpredictable race. The 20-horse field lacks a clear dominant horse following winter preparatory races, and the 40 percent chance of rain predicted for Saturday could create a sloppy track ripe for an underdog victory. The last four Derby races have all been won by the favorite. However, without a dominant runner in the race... Читать дальше...

At least 34 people were killed Saturday when a bus carrying students and teachers in Tanzania crashed, according to local police. Arusha Region Police Commander Charles Mkumbo also said that four others were injured in the accident in Karatu. The bus was carrying students and teachers from Lucky Vincent Primary School in Arusha to take an examination on Saturday. Innocent Mushi, the director of the school, said 12 boys and 17 girls were among those killed. "We lost 29 students and two of our staff... Читать дальше...

For the first time in recent history, French voters on Sunday will cast ballots in a presidential election with no candidates from traditional establishment parties. Their choice: Emmanuel Macron, a centrist from the left who is pro-business and pro-Europe and Marine Le Pen, a nationalist who wants France out of the European Union and an end to most immigration, especially from Muslim countries. VOA Europe Correspondent Luis Ramirez reports from Paris.

France's election campaign commission says "a significant amount of data" has been leaked on social networks following a hacking attack allegedly suffered by centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, 36 hours before the nation votes Sunday in the crucial runoff against Marine Le Pen. The commission said Saturday that leaked data apparently came from Macron's "information systems and mail accounts from some of his campaign managers." In a statement released after a morning meeting, the watchdog... Читать дальше...

Several national U.S. television news outlets - ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN - have refused to air advertisements from President Donald Trump touting the accomplishments of his first 100 days in office. The paid ads feature nationally recognized television anchors with a "fake news" graphic superimposed on their faces. Trump has used the term "fake news" largely for any reporting that is critical of him and his administration. The networks contend that the ad is inaccurate.  CNN and NBC said they... Читать дальше...

Relative calm prevailed Saturday in wide parts of Syria despite sporadic violations and clashes in the country’s center after a deal by Russia, Turkey and Iran to set up “de-escalation zones” in mostly opposition-held areas went into effect, opposition activists and government media outlets said.   There were no immediate reports of casualties after the plan — the latest attempt to bring calm to the war-ravaged country — kicked in at midnight Friday. The establishment of safe zones is the latest... Читать дальше...

It is what every aspiring baseball player strives for: a Major League appearance. “This is what you’ve been working hard for all the years,” 27-year-old South African Gift Ngoepe said. “This is what you dreamed of since you were a little kid.” Ngoepe’s dream came true April 26 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. At the top of the fourth inning at PNC Park, Ngoepe got the call to take the field, playing second base. He had just been added to the Pirates roster, promoted from their minor league affiliate Indianapolis Indians. Читать дальше...

The venture fund 500 Startups has been making a splash in Southeast Asia, most recently with Khmerload, a Cambodian entertainment news website modeled after the American media giant Buzzfeed. Binh Tran, a venture partner with the firm, sat down with Sophat Soeung of VOA’s Khmer service to talk about how entrepreneurs in developing countries could attract such investors. Here's some of his advice for them: Remember, Silicon Valley investors are a click away I think first is to understand the whole startup ecosystem. Читать дальше...

J.K. Rowling is launching a free online book club for fans and newcomers to her “Harry Potter” series. The Wizarding World Book Club will launch in June in celebration of the 20th anniversary of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” the first in what would become a seven-book series. The online community “aims to surprise and delight those who have never read a Harry Potter book, as well as returning readers who want to join the conversation,” says Pottermore, Rowling’s digital publishing arm. Читать дальше...

Taliban militants captured a district just outside the northern Afghan city of Kunduz Saturday, officials said. Mahfouz Akbari, a police spokesman for eastern Afghanistan, said security forces pulled out of Qala-i-Zal district, west of Kunduz city, Saturday to avoid further civilian and military casualties after more than 24 hours of heavy fighting. In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents had taken the police headquarters, the governor’s compound and all security checkpoints. Читать дальше...

The retirement of Britain’s Prince Philip from public life led world headlines Thursday, but his most devout and remote followers have only just heard the news. A tribe in Vanuatu was shocked and dismayed to discover Saturday that the man they pray to as the son of an ancestral local mountain god will likely never return to their Pacific Island home. The British royal, who said he would no longer take part in public engagements, alone or alongside his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, is part of the... Читать дальше...

Aliyah Hussein and the 25 family members sheltering with her in Mosul’s western Mahatta neighborhood are surviving by picking wild greens growing in a park near their home. Hussein mixes the vegetables with small amounts of rice and tomato paste to make a thin soup that is often her family’s only meal.    Her cousin Zuhair Abdul Karim said on a recent day that even with the wild greens, the food ran out.    “I swear to God, we are hungry. (The Islamic State group) made us hungry. They didn’t leave anything for us... Читать дальше...

Eliud Kipchoge was 25 seconds from making history Saturday, but the Olympic champion was just short of becoming the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours.   Kipchoge ran the 26.2 miles in 2 hours and 24 seconds, beating Dennis Kimetto’s world record of 2:02:57, but the Kenyan failed to run the first sub-two hour marathon.   The attempt at Monza’s Formula One racecourse did not go down as an official world record, sanctioned by the IAAF, because of variables like pacers entering... Читать дальше...