Новости за 28.07.2017

President Donald Trump has named a new chief of staff, selecting Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. President Trump thanked his current chief of staff, Reince Priebus, for his service to the country and said he was proud of him. President Trump made the announcement in a series of tweets Friday afternoon following days of friction between Priebus and newly named White House Communication Director Anthony Scaramucci. Trump said John Kelly has "done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. Читать дальше...

Snapping off a leaf of crisp baby lettuce, entrepreneur Andrew Shearer can demonstrate how colored lights in a hydroponic cabinet boost nutrients or alter the flavors and colors of plants that can be grown in a restaurant kitchen. Strawberries, peppers and tomatoes are the next crops for his start-up Farmshelf, which aims to cut food miles and waste by selling the lighting units to grow vegetables for commercial use, home kitchens and even mobile vans. "Going the next step, changing the way... Читать дальше...

The east side of Houston is dotted with what look like skyscrapers from a distance, but are actually chemical plants, key parts of the Gulf Coast city's economy. "Houston, here in Texas, is in many ways the center of the petrochemical industry universe in the United States, so [there are] a very large number of chemical facilities, oil refineries," said Dave Wolf, acting deputy assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.    Houston was the site of the 2017 Chemical Sector Security Summit... Читать дальше...

Moldova's Moscow-backed President Igor Dodon said on Friday he hoped the ex-Soviet nation would be granted observer status to a Russia-led customs union before the end of 2017, despite a government push for closer integration with the European Union. Since his inauguration in 2016, Dodon has been at loggerheads with the pro-Western government over his desire for Moldova to abandon a trade agreement with the European Union and move further into Russia's orbit. Dodon told Reuters in an interview... Читать дальше...

Using the site of last week's mass arrests of notorious MS-13 gang members as a backdrop, President Donald Trump promised to "liberate our towns" from the gang during a visit to the city of Brentwood, New York. While speaking in front of a group of law enforcement officers, Trump asked Congress to approve funds for an additional 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in order to “root out the criminal cartels from our country.” “Right now we have less than 6,000 enforcement and removal officers in ICE,” Trump said. Читать дальше...

A United Nations-led polio immunization campaign to stem an outbreak of this crippling disease is under way in Syria's Deir Ezzor Governorate. The campaign, headed by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund, started on July 22. The campaign got off to a good start. The World Health Organization reports that hundreds of vaccinators going door to door in this embattled Syrian city managed to inoculate nearly 60,000 children under the age of five on the first day. Security... Читать дальше...

Six years after independence, South Sudan's flag has been raised in Dallas, Texas, at the municipal government's administration building, known as City Hall. The South Sudan flag went up this week at the culmination of South Sudan Unite, an annual diaspora event organized by the Luol Deng Foundation. The flag was raised by two-time National Basketball Association All-Star Luol Deng, a South Sudan native. Deng, who lives in Los Angeles, California, was also made an honorary citizen of Dallas. Читать дальше...

Panelists testifying at a Senate subcommittee hearing this week strongly suggested a major U.S. policy shift on South Sudan. One expert described expelling South Sudanese diplomats as the kind of bold action needed if Washington wants to send a clear message to Juba. Only three of the 9 members of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa showed up for the hearing. A perturbed Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, noted the lack of White House and State Department officials present at Wednesday's hearing. Читать дальше...

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports the migrant route from Mexico to the United States has become deadlier since the Trump administration's tougher immigration policy came into force. According to the IOM, 231 migrants have died this year trying to cross from Mexico into the United States. That, it said, is an 18-percent increase over the same period last year. The agency said the past week has been particularly deadly. Besides the eight migrants who suffocated in the back of a boiling hot truck in San Antonio... Читать дальше...

Days after the Pentagon announced it is withholding $50 million intended for Pakistan as part of its Coalition Support Fund, the South Asian country's ambassador hinted at potential retaliation, possibly coaxing Washington to renegotiate access to the country's air corridors, which Islamabad suggests have been taken for granted. Pakistan is ready to cooperate with the United States, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said, though Washington may now end up having to negotiate with Islamabad on the corridors and other tangible assets, he added. Читать дальше...

In June of 2016, Mikah Meyer set out on an ambitious journey -- to visit all 417 national park sites in America. He estimates it will take him three years to complete his non-stop journey. One-third of the way through his adventure, he shared highlights – and lowlights – with VOA’s Julie Taboh.

A new technique using artificial intelligence to predict where deforestation is most likely to occur could help the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) preserve its shrinking rainforest and cut carbon emissions, researchers have said. Congo's rainforest, the world's second-largest after the Amazon, is under pressure from farms, mines, logging and infrastructure development, scientists say. Protecting forests is widely seen as one of the cheapest and most effective ways to reduce the emissions driving global warming. Читать дальше...

Russia's new United Nations ambassador took up his post Friday, saying he would do his "utmost" to strengthen relations between Moscow and the organization. "Today the world faces unprecedented threats and challenges," Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the official presentation of credentials. "Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, will continue contributing constructively to addressing those challenges, together with the international community... Читать дальше...

Congressional Democrats are praising Republican Senator John McCain after he helped them defeat a proposed law Thursday night that would have repealed the seven-year old Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he and McCain have "been friends for a very long time" and McCain showed "amazing courage" in voting with the Democrats. "Last night was an amazing moment, and the credit goes to a lot of people, but at the top of the list are the three... Читать дальше...

Macedonian and United States troops have started two weeks of joint military manoeuvers in central Macedonia as part of the Balkan country's drive to join NATO. About 300 U.S. soldiers with 120 military vehicles and tanks arrived on Friday from neighboring Bulgaria to participate in the "Dragoon Guardian 17" exercise that will run until August 10. They will be joined by some 100 Macedonian soldiers. Macedonia's defense ministry says the main goal of the exercise is to strengthen military cooperation... Читать дальше...

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is already the world’s oldest living head of state. The 93-year-old says he is fit enough to run for re-election next year, and has batted away whispers about who he will choose to follow him when he inevitably succumbs. But as the increasingly frail leader shuttles back and forth to Singapore for medical treatment, the call for him to name a replacement has grown louder. The most recent -- and loudest -- voice to call for a successor is also the most unexpected: his own wife. Читать дальше...

The U.S. House of Representatives closed its summer session with a key legislative accomplishment Friday that included a gift for President Donald Trump.   House Republicans included a $1.6 billion request to build part of Trumps promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border in a “mini-bus” package of bills.   “We must be vigilant in protecting our homeland. That’s our priority. This legislation funds the most critical functions of government. It secures our borders by providing funding for a wall... Читать дальше...

Charlie Gard, a British baby who became the subject of a bitter dispute between his parents and doctors over whether he should be taken to the United States for experimental treatment, has died, the Daily Mail newspaper's website said on Friday. The 11-month-old baby suffered from an extremely rare genetic condition causing progressive brain damage and muscle weakness, and his parents' long struggle to save him drew an international outpouring of sympathy.

Married country stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are sharing the love by handing out wedding gifts to fans. Jude and Jamie Blanchard attended Brooks' show in Lafayette, Louisiana, last month with a sign that read: "Best Week Ever. Garth this Friday, our wedding next Friday." Brooks took notice and serenaded them with "To Make You Feel My Love." He also asked if they wanted anything off their wedding registry, and Jamie passed along a wedding invitation to the stage. The Lafayette Daily Advertiser reports a pair of lounge chairs... Читать дальше...

Normally, African election campaigns like the one taking place in Rwanda generate a lot of "noise," meaning tension and worries of unrest, according to Moody Awori, head of the East African Community team tasked with observing the August 4 presidential vote. In Rwanda, however, "I have not seen that, I have not heard that and, in fact, sometimes it is difficult to know that an election campaign is going on," he said. "To me, that is a plus." Of course, a campaign is taking place. Incumbent President... Читать дальше...

A man with a knife fatally stabbed one person at a supermarket Friday in the northern German city of Hamburg and wounded four others as he fled, police said. He was then arrested.   The assailant entered the supermarket in the Barmbek district on Friday afternoon and stabbed one person, who died at the scene, police said. As he fled, he wounded another four people.   He was overwhelmed by passers-by and slightly injured in the process, police said. Officers then arrested the man.   Police spokesman... Читать дальше...

Mexican authorities say nine bodies have been found in a bloody pile in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, across from Laredo, Texas. A Tamaulipas state official says the dead include five women and four men, and a hand-lettered sign was left atop the bodies in front of a house near a border bridge. Such signs are frequently left by drug cartels as messages to rivals. The official was not authorized to be quoted by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. The state prosecutors' office said in... Читать дальше...

In India, the Supreme Court has turned down a request for a 10-year-old rape survivor to undergo an abortion after doctors advised that terminating the pregnancy would be too risky for her. The girl comes from a poor family and once lived in a one-room house in the northern city of Chandigarh. The girl said she was raped several times by her uncle, who has since been arrested. Her parents were not aware of her pregnancy until two weeks ago when she complained of stomach pains. She is now 32 weeks pregnant. Читать дальше...

For some youngsters, “unboxing” YouTube videos are all the rage. They involve a pair of hands – some small, some big with lacquered nails or others with hairy knuckles -- unwrapping and playing with new toys. The concept looks and feels mundane, but some of these videos have clocked hundreds of millions of views. Now this YouTube sensation is influencing the toy industry. 'Blind bag' items Toymakers are creating “blind bag” items, small inexpensive toys packaged in opaque plastic bags. Kids... Читать дальше...

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus may have little left of his job but his title. In the swirl of Shakespearean intrigue that surrounds Donald Trump's White House, Priebus' fortunes have long been a source of speculation, given his limited role, colorful band of rivals and the president's public slights. Those questions sharply escalated this week with the arrival of Trump's new communications director, who was hired over Priebus' objections and reports directly to the president. Priebus'... Читать дальше...