Новости за 06.07.2017

The families come in waves, trudging through the ruins of Old Mosul as Iraqi and coalition forces capture buildings one by one. They are starving and cry out for water. Children are covered in rashes. It is more than 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees F), and dead IS fighters rot in the searing rubble. Many people have no shoes. These are Islamic State's last victims in Mosul as the militants' rule here collapses. Many of the people fleeing the city now are widely believed to be the families of IS militants, both living and dead.

The first time a new country songwriter named Kacey Musgraves saw one of her songwriting heroes, John Prine, she had an unusual proposition when she approached.   "I said, 'Hey, my name is Kacey and I am a really big fan. I don't want to offend you or anything, but is there any way you might want to burn one with me?''' Musgraves recalled saying after one of his shows in Nashville, Tennessee.   Musgraves, who would later go on to win two Grammy Awards for her 2013 major label debut album, was... Читать дальше...

Syrian Kurdish officials say Turkey's shelling of Kurdish militias in northwestern Syria and its troops' mobilization in the border region are preparation for a full-fledged military assault on northern Syria, which could impede U.S.-backed operations to rout  Islamic State from its de facto capital, Raqqa. Following intense, cross-border Turkish artillery attacks and military deployments near northwestern Syria's Afrin region since last week, Nasser Haj Mansour, a senior military adviser to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)... Читать дальше...

Thousands of residents in northern Syria's Afrin district took to the streets July 5, 2017, to protest Turkish artillery shelling from across the border. Turkey said its military targeted Syrian Democratic Forces, whom Ankara accuses of having ties to the outlawed Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. VOA's Nawroz Rasho reports.

Venezuela's security forces have arrested at least 102 members of the armed forces for alleged crimes such as rebellion and abandonment of duty since a wave of protests began against President Nicolas Maduro's government in early April, according to apparent military documents obtained by The Associated Press. The majority of the soldiers are being held in Ramo Verde prison outside Caracas, according to the lists provided by an army official on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. While 13... Читать дальше...

President Donald Trump labeled North Korea's behavior a threat and promised, "we will confront it very strongly." North Korea carried out a test launch Tuesday of its first intercontinental ballistic missile, complete with a re-entry vehicle that would allow it to be equipped with a nuclear warhead.  U.S. military officials estimated the missile had a range of 5,500 kilometers, potentially putting parts of the northwestern United States within Pyongyang's reach. Speaking at a news conference... Читать дальше...

The government ethics director who prodded President Donald Trump's administration over conflicts of interest is resigning to take a new job. Walter Shaub, director of the Office of Government Ethics, is joining the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit in Washington that mostly focuses on violations of campaign finance law. Both Shaub and the Campaign Legal Center posted the news on their Twitter accounts, and Shaub confirmed his move to The Associated Press. President Barack Obama appointed Shaub... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump warns that the values of the West are under attack and questions whether its people have the will to fight for them. During a speech in Poland to mark his second trip to Europe, Trump delivered some of his strongest remarks yet about Russia, warning Moscow that it must stop what he termed its ‘destabilizing’ actions in Ukraine and Syria. Henry Ridgwell reports from Warsaw.

There were balloons, flowers and tears of happiness. Mexican parents were reunited Wednesday with sons and daughters they hadn't seen in decades because their children have been living in the United States. The parents came through a family-reunification program organized by the Mexican state of Morelos that allows Mexican families to stay together for about three weeks. The U.S. granted the visitors tourist visas. “I am so happy,” said Candido Macoto, a worker at a flower shop in Brooklyn who had not seen his mother... Читать дальше...

European Union officials on Thursday reaffirmed the need to tackle Europe's migrant crisis in Libya and surrounding countries, amid continued resistance in Europe to welcome refugees. Italy announced some 30 million euro (US$34 million) in new investments aimed at preventing migrants from ever reaching or leaving Libya's lawless shores where smugglers operate. And EU interior ministers warned they might sanction migrants' home countries with visa restrictions if they refuse to take their people back when their European asylum bids fail. Читать дальше...

The Trump administration says Texas has scrubbed its voter ID law of any potential discrimination and wants a judge who once compared the measure to a “poll tax” on minorities and the poor to resist further action. That stance from the U.S. Justice Department, filed in court Wednesday, continues a reversal from Washington over what critics call one of the most restrictive voter ID laws in the nation. Under former President Barack Obama, the federal government joined minority rights groups in suing... Читать дальше...

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia are suing the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary Betsy DeVos over a recent decision to delay protections for student loan borrowers attending for-profit colleges. In a filing Thursday, Massachusetts, the District of Columbia and 17 other states claimed the Department of Education broke federal law in announcing the delay without public comment. "By delaying the Rule, the Department effectively canceled a duly promulgated regulation without soliciting... Читать дальше...

The families come in waves, trudging through the ruins of Old Mosul as Iraqi and coalition forces capture buildings one by one. They are starving and cry out for water. Children are covered in rashes. It is more than 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees F), and dead IS fighters rot in the searing rubble. Many people have no shoes. One woman sinks to the ground. Her 6-month-old daughter, Elaf, lost consciousness in the airstrike that sent them running. Now Elaf is dead. "She's gone!" her mother wails... Читать дальше...

As many as 20,000 civilians are trapped and in “extreme danger” in Mosul as the Iraqi military attempts to remove the last remaining Islamic State jihadists in the city, a United Nations official is quoted as saying. “Our estimate at this stage is that in the final pockets of (Mosul's) Old City, there could be as many as 15,000 civilians, possibly even as high as 20,000,” Lise Grande, a U.N. humanitarian official in Iraq, told AFP. Grande said those left are “in extreme danger from bombardment... Читать дальше...

Human rights organization Amnesty International said Thursday that Turkish police had detained its Turkey director along with a number of other activists. Idil Eser, Director of Amnesty International Turkey, seven other human rights activists and two IT trainers, were detained Wednesday and are being investigated for alleged membership in an armed terrorist organization, Amnesty International said in a statement Thursday. “The absurdity of these accusations against Idil Eser and the nine others... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump is now in the German port city of Hamburg for the start of the G-20 summit of the world’s leading economies. After a successful visit to Poland, the U.S. leader faces a difficult scenario at the G-20 that includes meetings with leaders of China, Germany, and Russia and a long list of contentious issues.  VOA Europe Correspondent Luis Ramirez reports from Hamburg.

The United Nations says as many as 20,000 civilians may still be trapped in Islamic State-held Old Mosul as Iraqi forces battle for their last strip of the city, only 150 meters wide. Families coming out are starving, sick and facing an ominous future. VOA's Heather Murdock is on the scene in Mosul, Iraq.

Sixty years ago today, July 6, 1957, Althea Gibson showed the world she was an athlete to contend with, breaking America's race barrier as the first black woman to win the women's singles tennis title at Wimbledon, defeating Darlene Hard, 6-3, 6-2.  Born the daughter of sharecroppers in 1927 in South Carolina, and raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, Gibson’s athletic power would emerge during her teen years, when she twice won the national black women’s tennis championship.  At 5’11,’ Gibson was all muscle and grace. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump urged the leaders of central and eastern European nations Thursday to enter into agreements to purchase U.S. energy exports, instead of relying heavily on imports from Russia. "America stands ready to help Poland and other European nations diversify their energy supplies, so that you can never be held hostage to a single supplier," Trump said in Warsaw, Poland, where he attended a meeting of 12 European nations. Trump did not mention Russia, but many observers believed... Читать дальше...

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

The health of China's lone Nobel laureate, the dissident Liu Xiaobo, has dramatically deteriorated, according to the hospital treating him for liver cancer in Shenyang, China. Doctors at China Medical University No. 1 Hospital released a statement Thursday, saying that they suspect Liu has a blood clot in one of his calf muscles and that his liver functioning "has deteriorated." Liu, 61, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for co-writing and distributing Charter 08, a petition that called for liberal reforms in mainland China. Читать дальше...

German police and anti-capitalist demonstrators clashed Thursday in Hamburg during a march protesting the upcoming Group of 20 summit. Thousands of people are taking part in protests against the G-20 summit, which will be held Friday and Saturday. As U.S. President Donald Trump met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday afternoon, thousands of protesters gathered in the historic Hamburg Fish Market and confronted police, some tossing bottles. Police responded with water cannons and batons. Читать дальше...

Without adequate power, even the best smartphone or laptop can quickly become useless.  It’s a simple concept that’s often taken for granted in industrialized nations.  But not in the developing world where basic internet access is a challenge. “You have a very large population of people who are not on the electrical grid, so you can’t bring them internet access if you can’t also solve issues around energy access,” said Paul Garnett, director of Microsoft’s Affordable Access Initiatives.  “Companies... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump met late Thursday in Hamburg with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, one of his frequent critics on the world stage, just ahead of Friday's start of the G-20 summit of the leaders of the world's biggest economies. The two leaders got together in a hotel, briefly greeting each other in front of reporters before heading behind closed doors for their talks, expected to include discussions about trade issues, climate change and immigration. Merkel has voiced her displeasure... Читать дальше...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Israel ended in unusually cozy circumstances — a stroll on the beach with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. Even before their barefoot walk along the Mediterranean shore, Netanyahu praised Israel's ties with the world's most populous democracy as a "marriage made in heaven." The two leaders traveled to the beach in the northern city of Hadera Thursday to see a demonstration of a mobile water desalination unit. They toasted before drinking the water out of wine glasses. Читать дальше...