Новости за 09.07.2017

Wildfires barreled across the baking landscape of the western U.S. and Canada, destroying a smattering of homes, forcing thousands to flee and temporarily trapping children and counselors at a California campground. Here's a look at the wildfires blackening the West. British Columbia Firefighters were contending with more than 200 wildfires burning in British Columbia that had destroyed dozens of buildings, including several homes and two airport hangars. The three biggest fires, which ranged... Читать дальше...

Refugees are likely to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the International Olympic Committee planning another refugee team after its first appearance at last year's Rio de Janeiro Games. The IOC unveiled its first team of refugees last year in an effort to raise awareness of the issue and it was one of the feel-good stories of the 2016 Olympics. The 10-member team from Syria, Congo, Ethiopia and South Sudan hogged the spotlight after marching as the penultimate team before host nation Brazil... Читать дальше...

Egyptian and Palestinian leaders met in Cairo on Sunday amid signs of a rapprochement between Cairo and the Islamic militant Hamas group that could shake up Gaza's political landscape and sideline the Palestinian president. Officials close to Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian leader met with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to seek clarifications on what appears to be an emerging power-sharing agreement between Gaza's Hamas rulers and an exiled Abbas rival, former Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan. Читать дальше...

The White House is making a final push to overhaul the U.S. health care law championed by former President Barack Obama, but opposition to the changes Senate Republicans are proposing has grown in recent days, leaving the repeal effort in doubt. One key lawmaker, Senator John McCain, told CBS on Sunday, "My view is that it's probably going to be dead." Republicans have campaigned for seven years to overturn the 2010 law, commonly known in the U.S. as Obamacare.  But even with Republicans controlling... Читать дальше...

The United States will step up pressure on China to ensure that it enforces sanctions against North Korea in the wake of Pyongyang's recent missile launch, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Sunday. Haley said that while the United States wants to avoid conflict, it is committed to halting North Korea's nuclear drive. "The fact that they launched an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) test is hugely dangerous not just for us, but for so many of our friends in the world... Читать дальше...

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

Tens of thousands of people massed in Istanbul Sunday to protest Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on critics of his government in the wake of last year's failed military coup. The demonstrators chanted "Rights, Law, Justice" in support of the main opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who was completing a 450-kilometer walk from the capital Ankara after a lawmaker from his party was imprisoned in June. It was the biggest protest in several years against Erdogan, whose government... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he and Russia's president had discussed forming a cyber security unit, an idea harshly criticized by Republicans who said Moscow could not be trusted after its alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. Tweeting after his first meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Friday, Trump said now was the time to work constructively with Moscow, pointing to a cease-fire deal in southwest Syria that came into effect on Sunday. "Putin & I discussed forming... Читать дальше...

Israel's Chief Rabbinate has compiled a blacklist of overseas rabbis whose authority they refuse to recognize when it comes to certifying the Jewishness of someone who wants to get married in Israel. The list, obtained by The Associated Press, includes a number of prominent Orthodox rabbis in North America. Among them are a social activist in New York who has advocated for greater rights for women, a Canadian rabbi who is friendly with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a close colleague of the rabbi who converted Ivanka Trump. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he twice "strongly pressed" Russian President Vladimir Putin about Russia's meddling in last year's U.S. election and it was now time to "move forward in working constructively" with Moscow. In a string of Twitter comments after returning to Washington from the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Trump noted that Putin vehemently denied any role in interfering in the election and that he and the Russian leader "discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking... Читать дальше...

Britain's scheduled exit from the European Union may never happen because its main political parties are too divided on the issue, said Vince Cable, a veteran lawmaker bidding to lead the fourth largest political party, the Liberal Democrats. Prime Minister Theresa May's failure to win an outright majority in a snap national election last month has cast doubt on her capacity to lead Britain out of the EU, sharpening a debate on what sort of exit deal the government should seek. "I'm beginning... Читать дальше...

Venezuelan jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, transferred from a military prison to house arrest in a surprise move early Saturday, pledged to continue pressuring the country's leftist government to restore democratic norms — and urged his supporters to do the same.     "Today, I am a prisoner in my house, but so are the Venezuelan people," he said in a statement read outside his house by National Assembly lawmaker Freddy Guevara, a leader of the Popular Will party that Lopez founded. "What... Читать дальше...

At least 6,000 people and 2,000 cattle fleeing conflict in Nigeria's Taraba state have been trapped under difficult humanitarian conditions in Cameroonian border villages. Dozens of the refugees are reported to have died and Cameroon medical staff are calling for assistance to care for the survivors. Twenty refugees have just arrived at the Atta Catholic health center. They look tired, hungry and thirsty after travelling long distances on foot from Nigeria's Taraba state. Their spokesman, 53-year old Bello Dewa Oumarou... Читать дальше...

Californian expat Thomas Lawrence Lowers has been living in Russia for a decade after traveling to more than 70 countries.

The world's largest lithium ion battery will be installed in South Australia under an agreement between the American firm Tesla, the French company Neoen, and the state government. Officials have said Tesla boss Elon Musk has confirmed his promise to build the battery within 100 days or it would be delivered free. The 100-megawatt battery will put South Australia at the forefront of global energy storage technology, according to the authorities. They hope hope the project will stabilize a shaky electricity network... Читать дальше...

The U.N. cultural organization added an ancient temple site in Cambodia to its world heritage list, the government said on Sunday, bringing the number of heritage sites in the Southeast Asian country to three. Sambor Prei Kuk, or "temple in the richness of the forest" in the Khmer language, located 206 km (128 miles) north of the capital Phnom Penh, is home to numerous temples, ten of which are octagonal. "Some of these elements, including lintels, pediments and colonnades, are true masterpieces," UNESCO said on its website. Читать дальше...

Iraq has declared victory over Islamic State as its army fully retook the city of Mosul. "The commander in chief of the armed forces [Prime Minister] Haider al-Abadi arrived in the liberated city of Mosul and congratulated the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people for the great victory," said a statement from his office on Sunday. Iraqi officials predicted the defeat of IS several times over the past week as forces confined the militants to a small area of Old Mosul along the Tigris. In recent days... Читать дальше...

A U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire for southwest Syria was holding hours after it took effect on Sunday, a monitor and two rebel officials said, in the latest international attempt at peace-making in the six-year war. The United States, Russia and Jordan reached a cease-fire and "de-escalation agreement" this week with the aim of paving the way for a broader, more robust truce. The announcement came after a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit of major economies in Germany. Читать дальше...

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Ukraine to reaffirm American support as the country struggles with a Russia-backed insurgency in the east and attempts to crack down on corruption.   Tillerson meets Sunday with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, just 48 hours after sitting in on President Donald Trump's first face-to-face talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Germany.   His short visit to Kyiv comes as the U.S. explores taking a greater role in a European-led effort to end... Читать дальше...

By all accounts, hate crimes are rising in the United States. From an increase in the number of attacks on hijab-wearing Muslim women to threats made against Jewish community centers earlier this year, all indications suggest hate-motivated offenses are on the rise. But their true extent remains a puzzle, in part because of poor data collection. Now, policymakers, worried that hate crimes are woefully underreported, are mulling prescriptions to improve the quality of crime reporting. Legislative action In March... Читать дальше...

In the past five years, terrorist attacks have killed nearly 20,000 people across Africa. Two groups, Boko Haram and al-Shabab, accounted for 71 percent of reported incidents and 91 percent of fatalities. But, while these and other militant groups remain active, fatal terrorist attacks across the continent are on pace to fall for a second straight year, and the total number of attacks is running far below 2012 highs. These findings are part of VOA’s original analysis of data from ACLED, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Читать дальше...

With the delicacy of a conductor, Ammar Alobaidi runs his right index finger across his acrylic work — a bright, abstract piece that reflects his love for cubism and three sources of inspiration: Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian and Salvador Dalí. “The paintings and the colors look like music,” he said. “It has tones.” His bachelor pad, a modern apartment overlooking a turquoise pool, near the upscale Galleria complex in Houston, Texas, doubles as his art studio and personal gallery. The space is sparse but immaculate. Читать дальше...

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is in Singapore for medical treatment, in his third such visit this year, a newspaper reported Sunday. Africa’s oldest ruler at 93, Mugabe was last in Singapore in May for what his spokesman George Charamba said then was treatment for eye problems. The Standard said he had left again for Singapore Friday for more medical treatment. Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Chris Mushohwe told the newspaper Mugabe was in Singapore but declined to confirm the reason for the visit. Читать дальше...

Hackers who penetrated the business networks of U.S. energy and nuclear companies in recent weeks were working for the Russian government according to a report in a prominent newspaper. The Washington Post reported late Saturday that anonymous U.S. government officials confirmed the hackers were working for the Russian government. The officials told The Post the Russians’ motive is not clear because the operations of the affected companies were not disrupted. One U.S. official, however, said... Читать дальше...

Japanese rescuers continued their search for victims of freak rains that have triggered floods and landslides in southwest Japan and left at least 18 people dead and hundreds of others displaced, public broadcaster NHK reported Sunday. About 1,900 policemen and soldiers, using heavy machinery, braved the rain and grappled with debris of driftwood and mud that have cut off roads and clogged flooded homes. Authorities warned of more heavy rains later in the evening and potential landslides. The... Читать дальше...