Новости за 03.07.2017

Venus Williams wiped tears from her eyes during her Wimbledon news conference Monday. She shook her head, fiddled with her hair and sat, silently. The wave of emotion came as Williams attempted to answer a question about the two-car crash that police say she caused June 9 in Florida; a 78-year-old passenger in the other vehicle died 13 days later. Williams' 7-6 (7), 6-4 victory over Elise Mertens at the All England Club was the five-time Wimbledon champion's first match anywhere since the accident ... Читать дальше...

Two sites with cultural treasures separated by more than 40,000 years — caves with art dating to the Ice Age and buildings designed by a Bauhaus master less than 100 years ago — highlight Germany's submissions for the prestigious World Heritage Site designation by the U.N.'s cultural agency, UNESCO. The six caves are in the western state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, where archeologists have discovered flutes made from mammoth ivory along with other ancient instruments and carvings. The Bauhaus buildings... Читать дальше...

Iraqi forces captured the Tenek neighborhood of Mosul from Islamic State militants in mid-April. Then the troops moved on, battling their way toward Old Mosul and the militants' ultimate defeat in the city. In the months that followed, the weather grew hot and security in Tenek weakened, until only local guards remained. A large portion of Tenek lay silent during that time, seemingly abandoned. It once was an industrial zone, but now it's in tatters atop a maze of IS tunnels, caves and bombs. Читать дальше...

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced military and financial support to a group of countries fighting terrorism in Africa's Sahel region. Macron was in Mali on Sunday to consolidate western backing for a five-nation regional force against the militants. During his visit, an al-Qaida-affiliated group based in Mali released a video of six foreign hostages it is holding for ransom. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.

With Kenya's general election five weeks away, Human Rights Watch says some communities in the Rift Valley region live in fear of attacks if they vote against the ruling Jubilee party, and some people have left after young men warned them to stay away from polling centers. The rights organization is calling on authorities to investigate and prosecute those behind the threats and intimidation. "We also had some direct threat of people telling their colleagues, 'Let us wait for August 8. We shall see where you will go. Читать дальше...

Officials in Niger say suspected Boko Haram militants have killed nine people and abducted dozens more in an attack on a southern town. Local officials said Monday that the gunmen came into the village of Ngalewa, near the country's border with Nigeria, on camels and horses. They said the militants took around 30-40 people, mostly women and children, late Sunday and threatened to hold them until other extremists are released from prison. The town is near the city of Diffa, where another attack took place on Wednesday... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump has joined Pope Francis in offering any help they can for a terminally ill British infant. Trump said in a Twitter comment Monday that if there was anything he could do for Charlie Gard, the 10-month-old child with a rare genetic disease, "we would be delighted to do so." The baby's parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, have lost European court decisions to doctors who want to take the baby off life support at a London hospital after reaching the conclusion that he has no chance of survival. Читать дальше...

The 29th biannual African Union summit opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe presenting a $1 million donation to the body in a push for self-sufficiency. About 60 percent of the African Union's budget comes from foreign donors, including the European Union, World Bank and non-member countries. Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980, has repeatedly called on the bloc to become self-supporting. "Africa needs to finance its own programs,"... Читать дальше...

French president Emmanuel Macron vowed to uphold his campaign promises to bring about deep changes in France during a joint parliamentary session Monday at the Palace of Versailles. One of his first measures would be to lift the state of emergency that has been in place in France since 2015, but he promised to harden permanent security measures to fight Islamic extremism and other threats. Macron said his government "will work to prevent any new attack, and we will work to fight [the assailants] without pity... Читать дальше...

Police in Boston say a serious traffic accident in which taxi drove into a crowd of people at the city's airport does not appear to have been a deliberate act. Police spokesman David Procopio said 10 people were injured in the crash. Some were in serious condition. The taxi struck pedestrians near a "taxi pool" area at Logan International Airport. Police said the driver was cooperating with investigators, and that there was no evidence the crash was intentional.     Media reports in Boston... Читать дальше...

Qatar's top diplomat delivered a response Monday to a list of demands made by Saudi Arabia and its allies involved in a prolonged diplomatic dispute with Qatar after extending a deadline to comply by 48 hours. Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was received by Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah on Monday to deliver a handwritten letter from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, according to state-run Kuwait News Agency. The content of the letter has not been revealed... Читать дальше...

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

The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4 has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941. But the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence  Two days later, delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. Some constitutional scholars argue that Americans... Читать дальше...

The U.S. military has conducted a strike against al-Shabab militants in southern Somalia, officials tell VOA. "We are currently assessing the results of the operation, and will provide additional information as appropriate," U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) spokesman Chuck Prichard said Monday. Local sources said the strike on Sunday targeted vehicles in Kunya Barrow, in the lower Shabelle region. Sources also said the strike was conducted against a high-ranking al-Shabab militant, without going into further detail. Читать дальше...

Renewables are a fast-growing part of the energy that powers the United States, but a government report shows fossil fuels still provide energy for most of the economy. The Energy Information Administration says petroleum, natural gas, and coal provided 81 percent of the energy for the world's largest economy in 2016. That is lowest rate of U.S. fossil fuel use in a century, and the change is partly due to a major fall in coal usage to generate electricity. In many cases, coal has been replaced... Читать дальше...

A U.S. congressional delegation has visited a troubled region of Pakistan and called on both Islamabad and Washington to continue working closely to combat regional terrorism and to promote peace and stability in neighboring Afghanistan. The delegation, led by Senator John McCain, includes fellow senators Lindsey Graham, Elizabeth Warren, David Perdue and Sheldon Whitehouse.  The visit comes as the Trump administration is expected to unveil a new Afghan strategy later this month.   The five-member... Читать дальше...

The U.N. refugee agency is calling on the U.N. sanctions committee to extend international sanctions on the sale of weapons to Libya to include financial and travel bans on human smugglers and traffickers responsible for gross violations against refugees and migrants. “We need absolutely to take radical action,” said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean. A new UNHCR study issued Monday documents the abuse and exploitation of refugees and migrants in Libya that push... Читать дальше...

Feted by some British newspapers as proof of a Brexit vote windfall, Britain's recent export recovery ranks as the worst among Europe's major economies, according to one closely-watched measure. Surveys of manufacturers across Europe published by data firm IHS Markit on Monday underlined Britain's challenge as it tries to become an export-led dynamo outside the European Union. The export orders gauge of the UK Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers' Index slid to a five-month low in June. While still indicating growth in exports... Читать дальше...

As cities across the United States prepare to commemorate the anniversary of the country's independence, local law enforcement and federal officials are working together to ensure the celebrations remain safe. More than three million people are expected to watch the nation's largest fireworks show Tuesday in New York City. Though the New York Police Department has found "no credible threat" of an attack during the festivities, Mayor Bill de Blasio said counterterrorism and other "well-armed police officers" will be deployed. Читать дальше...

Elon Musk’s SpaceX accomplished another space first when its reusable Dragon cargo ship capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after its second successful mission to the International Space Station. The commercial spacecraft completed its first mission in September 2014. Its second journey to the ISS began on June 3 when it was launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The ship took about 2,700 kilograms of supplies to the ISS and brought back about 2,000 kilograms of scientific samples as well as unneeded equipment. Читать дальше...

The International Court of Justice has begun hearings in a maritime and land boundary dispute between Costa Rica and Nicaragua involving their Pacific and Caribbean borders. Costa Rica started presenting its case Monday, asking the U.N.'s highest court to define the borders between the two countries off both their eastern and western shores.   Nicaragua starts presenting its case Thursday at the court, based in The Hague, Netherlands.   The countries have been arguing for years notably over... Читать дальше...

Recent progress in forecasting the intensity of hurricanes —  which has lagged behind storm track forecasting — could be undermined by proposed cuts in federal funding for tropical weather research, says the retiring chief of a team of U.S. hurricane specialists. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program in 2009 with a $13 million budget. Funding has shrunk to less than half that, and President Donald Trump's proposed budget includes... Читать дальше...

A dispute in Turkey over the removal of the theory of evolution from schools is set to escalate further.   Turkey’s main teachers' union, Egitim Sen announced it is turning to the courts.  “Excluding the theory of evolution from the curriculum and obliging all schools to have a prayer room and water closet (for ablution) destroys the principle of secularism and the scientific principles of education,” said Egitim Sen chair Mehmet Balik, “We will open a lawsuit against these regulations and take... Читать дальше...

The annual July Fourth concert near the U.S. Capitol will include an appearance by two droids who fought for independence in a galaxy far, far away. The two "Star Wars" characters will be on stage Tuesday evening while the National Symphony Orchestra plays John Williams' music from the beloved sci-fi movie. The performance will celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Star Wars," which was released in 1977.   R2-D2 and C-3PO are veterans of the Washington stage, having participated in the Kennedy Center... Читать дальше...

The European Union on Monday urged Myanmar to protect journalists from "intimidation, arrest or prosecution" after several cases of reporters running into trouble with the law, including three detained by the army last week. The three reporters were accused of breaching the colonial-era Unlawful Associations Act after covering the burning of drugs by the rebel Ta'ang National Liberation Army to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse. Journalists and rights groups say that over a year since... Читать дальше...