Новости за 03.06.2017

Jack O'Neill, the legendary promoter of the neoprene wetsuit that makes it possible for surfers and divers to withstand cold water temperatures, has died at age 94. O'Neill, known for his black leather eyepatch and bushy beard, was surrounded by family and friends when he died Friday in the small coastal community of Pleasure Point, California, according to the executive director of his nonprofit organization, O'Neill Sea Odyssey. A spokesman for the company called O'Neill "an absolute titan... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump "believes the climate is changing," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says. "President Trump believes the climate is changing and he believes pollutants are part of the equation," Haley said during an excerpt of a CNN interview released Saturday. The interview will be broadcast Sunday on CNN's State of the Union. On Thursday, Trump announced the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate change pact, tapping into his "America First" campaign theme. Читать дальше...

The U.S. unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in 16 years, hitting 4.3 percent as employers added 138,000 jobs in May. Although hiring activity fell below expectations last month, economists say it’s unlikely to change the U.S. economic trajectory, or the central bank’s plans to raise interest rates. Mil Arcega has more

Despite vowing that a renewed offensive against Islamic State in Mosul will be a “final push,” Iraqi forces continue to get bogged down in ancient parts of the city where IS remains entrenched. Days after beginning the latest offensive, the U.S.-backed forces slowed operations late last week, citing the difficulty of protecting residents trapped in remaining IS-controlled areas. Commanders admit the fight for Mosul will take longer than anticipated. “We are fighting a very difficult battle,”... Читать дальше...

Protests were under way Saturday in more than 135 cities in the U.S. and abroad to demand an impartial investigation into possible collusion between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia to influence last year's election in Trump's favor. The "March for Truth" protests were organized by a national coalition of 17 activist groups, including the Women's March and the Progressive Democrats of America. The coalition is demanding the establishment of an independent commission to oversee an... Читать дальше...

Ties between Egypt and Sudan appeared to be on the mend Saturday, following a belated visit to Cairo by Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour. Ghandour had been scheduled to meet with top Egyptian officials earlier in the week, but the visit was postponed amid a public spat between the presidents of both countries over the imposition of visas on Egyptian nationals. Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir had accused Egypt last month of supporting armed militants in both South Sudan and Darfour... Читать дальше...

Several thousand people protested in a provincial northern Moroccan town to demand the authorities release an activist arrested for leading months of demonstrations against official abuses and corruption. The protest took place late on Friday in the town of Al-Hoceima where tensions have run high since activist Nasser Zefzafi was detained at the start of the week and charged with threatening national security, among other offenses. Political unrest is rare in the North African kingdom but protests... Читать дальше...

President Donald Trump said the United States "will continue to be the cleanest and most environmentally friendly country on Earth" as he announced a U.S. pullout from an international accord designed to curb climate change.   But facts muddy that claim.   Data show that the U.S. is among the dirtiest countries when it comes to heat-trapping carbon pollution. One nation that has cleaner air in nearly every way is Sweden.   "The U.S. is well behind other countries in having the cleanest and... Читать дальше...

U.S. pop singer Ariana Grande has paid a surprise visit to young fans who were injured in a suicide attack on a concert she gave in Manchester last month, posing with them for selfies and signing t-shirts. Grande returned to Britain on Friday to lead an all-star benefit concert on Sunday and quickly headed for a hospital in the northern English city where many of the injured are being treated. The Manchester Evening News newspaper said she brought presents and chatted with young fans, including 10-year-old Jaden Farrell-Mann... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump does not plan to invoke executive privilege as a way to block former FBI Director James Comey from testifying to Congress next week, the New York Times said on Friday citing two unnamed senior administration officials. On Saturday, a White House spokesperson referred a question about the Times' story to outside council. Outside council did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Comey was leading a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged Russian... Читать дальше...

U.S.-backed military forces in Syria are poised to launch in a "few days" an offensive to capture the Islamic State's (IS) defacto capital of Raqqa, according to a spokesman for the Syrian Kurdish militia group YPG. "The forces reached the outskirts of the city and the major operation will start ...in the coming days," YPG spokesman Nouri Mahmoud said Saturday. Mahmoud confirmed Saturday remarks by American military officials who said Thursday that Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have pushed within... Читать дальше...

The United States is enlisting its Oceania allies to tackle growing threats from North Korea and counter increasing Chinese influence in the Asia-Pacific region, U.S. officials and experts say.   U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis are departing for Australia for annual ministerial consultations on June 5, aimed at deepening cooperation on “bilateral, regional and global” issues.   The top American diplomat will then travel to New Zealand June 6 to “reaffirm... Читать дальше...

At least 10 people were killed Saturday in Kabul when three explosions hit the funeral of a senator’s son who was killed during protests Friday in Afghanistan's capital city. Several government officials and members of parliament, including Afghan chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, were in attendance at the funeral for the son of Sen. Alam Ezadyar. The funeral attack came as a large portion of Kabul is on lockdown following protests Friday that have continued into Saturday. At least four Afghans... Читать дальше...

National parks traveler Mikah Meyer left Texas and headed to southern New Mexico, just in time to celebrate a milestone; he’s exactly one-third of the way through his 3-year journey to visit all 417 sites within the U.S. National Park Service. He didn’t realize what spectacular beauty awaited him at his first two sites. Geological wonders While in Texas, Mikah had explored the natural beauty among the mountains and canyons of the Chihuahuan Desert, but he soon discovered other natural gems... Читать дальше...

The Twitter account of Bahrain's foreign minister has been hacked. The hackers posted a series of threats and insulting videos against Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa Saturday. The foreign ministry said in a message on its Twitter account that "The Account of H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs has been hacked. Kindly be aware." No group has claimed responsibility for taking over the account, although they are apparently allied with Shiite militants. Tension has been simmering in the kingdom... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump said he represented “the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris” when he announced the U.S. withdrawal from the historic climate agreement signed in the French capital. But Bill Peduto, the mayor of Pittsburgh, said he was “personally offended” by Trump’s remarks. Peduto said Trump’s speechwriter used Pittsburgh as a stereotype of a “dirty old town that relies on big coal and big steel to survive.” He said Trump’s reference “completely ignores the sacrifices that we made... Читать дальше...

National parks traveler Mikah Meyer recently celebrated a milestone. He's exactly one-third of the way through his three-year journey to visit all 417 sites within the U.S. National Park Service. He spent it exploring white sand dunes and mystical caves at two of New Mexico's many national park sites. He shared highlights of his visits with VOA's JulieTaboh.

Streets in the center of the Afghan capital Kabul were closed Saturday as authorities tried to prevent a repeat of a demonstration that degenerated into clashes between protesters and police and left four people dead. A rally against the government Friday following Wednesday’s devastating truck bomb attack in Kabul saw hours of angry confrontation between protesters and police, who fired into the air to drive back crowds trying to cross security cordons and reach the presidential palace. At least... Читать дальше...

Maltese voters went to the polls a year early Saturday in a snap election called by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat following an official investigation into allegations his wife owned a company related to the Panama Papers scandal. Surveys showed Labour Party’s Muscat was likely to win a second, five-year term. But polls indicated one-fifth of voters were undecided, giving the National Force made up of the Nationalist Party and newly formed Democratic Party a slight chance. The Panama Papers scandal... Читать дальше...

Pakistan has frozen the accounts of 5,000 suspected terrorists, taking about $3 million out of their pockets, but Islamabad could still come under scrutiny at a crucial June meeting of an international watchdog that tracks terror financing.    Analysts and government officials say political foot-dragging and sympathetic supporters throughout Pakistan makes it difficult to cut off the money supply to banned terrorist groups.   Next month in Spain, the Financial Action Task Force will update its... Читать дальше...

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis applauded China’s efforts to work with the international community on North Korea at an annual security forum in Singapore Saturday. But when it came to the South China Sea, he called China’s ongoing militarization of man-made islands there and its disregard for international order, unacceptable. “We cannot accept Chinese actions that impinge on the interests of the international community, undermining the rules-based order that has benefited all countries here today (at the forum)... Читать дальше...

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is under way, and many believers are carrying out one of the five pillars of Islam with fasting and reflection. VOA's Mariama Diallo reports on various local traditions among Muslims around the world and how they observe the breaking of each day's fast.

Questions about the U.S. commitment to the Asian region will be a key focus as Secretary of Defense James Mattis attends the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend. In recent years, the annual meeting has been an opportunity for countries in the region to voice frustrations and concern about China. This year, analysts say, Washington may be getting most of the attention. VOA's Bill Ide has more from Singapore.

H1B visas were created to bring high-tech professionals from other countries to the US. The hub of high-tech innovation, Silicon Valley, has long benefited from the program. But the Trump administration has vowed to re-examine the program. In this report, narrated by Miguel Amaya, VOA's Chu Wu talked to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs about the potential impact, at the opening of VOA's new bureau there.

Dozens of U.S. companies spoke out against President Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord. Analysts say the improving economic case for renewables has boosted support for green energy in the once-skeptical business community; but, as VOA's Jim Randle reports, some coal companies supported the president's action.