Новости за 03.08.2017

U.S. security agents have arrested the British hacker known for discovering a "kill switch" that nullified a widespread ransomware attack earlier this year. Marcus Hutchins, a 23-year-old malware researcher who uses the name Malware Tech, was detained by the FBI on Wednesday at the Las Vegas airport, where he was preparing to return to Britain after attending two hacking conferences in the city. Court documents unsealed on Thursday indicated Hutchins was arrested on hacking charges unrelated to the ransomware attack known as WannaCry. Читать дальше...

The Maldives will make a big mistake if it ends a six-decade moratorium on the death penalty, an independent U.N. human rights expert said Thursday, after a senior government minister said executions might take place within days. "The resumption of executions in the Maldives after more than 60 years would be a great setback for the country and entire region, and would run counter to international trends towards abolition," Agnes Callamard, U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said in a statement. Читать дальше...

Donald Trump once questioned the wisdom of taking vacations. "What's the point?" he asked. But now the president is getting ready to join the annual August exodus from this town he calls "the swamp." Trump is due to set out Friday on his first extended vacation from Washington since the inauguration — a 17-day getaway to his private golf club in central New Jersey. The president's vacation could be driven, in part, by necessity. Everyone who works in the White House West Wing, including the Oval Office occupant himself... Читать дальше...

The U.S. military is moving toward more global exercises to better prepare for a more assertive Russia and other worldwide threats, a senior officer said in an interview with Reuters. Air Force Brigadier General John Healy, who directs exercises for U.S. forces in Europe, said officials realized they needed to better prepare for increasingly complex threats across all domains of war — land, sea, air, space and cyber. Some smaller-scale war games with a global focus had already occurred, but the... Читать дальше...

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has seated a grand jury, The Wall Street Journal reports, meaning his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election is growing. Investigators and prosecutors use grand juries to examine evidence, grill witnesses and subpoena documents to determine if a crime has been committed. It is a serious step in any investigation. The Journal says the panel began its work in recent weeks and will likely continue for months. Mueller and his team of lawyers... Читать дальше...

Myanmar must protect the rights of its Rohingya Muslim minority, the chief of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said on Thursday, urging the government to work with neighboring Muslim-majority countries to tackle a refugee crisis. About 75,000 people have fled to Bangladesh after a military crackdown, with accompanying allegations of rape, torture and extrajudicial killings by security forces, followed an attack on a Myanmar border guard post on Oct. 9. Aung San Suu Kyi's fledgling... Читать дальше...

Turkey's top diplomat vowed Thursday to root out militants plotting against China, signaling closer cooperation against suspected Uighur militants hailing from China's far west who have long been a sore point in bilateral relations. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters during a visit to Beijing that his government would treat threats to China's security as threats to itself and would not allow any "anti-China activity inside Turkey or territory controlled by Turkey." Cavusoglu's tough comments... Читать дальше...

In a rare move, Pakistan’s military chief Thursday condemned as terrorism a Taliban attack in neighboring Afghanistan in which two U.S. troops were killed and four others wounded. The denunciation by General Qamar Javed Bajwa came on a day when the U.S. special envoy for the region, Alice Wells, began a two-day official visit to Islamabad to discuss ways to end the armed Afghan conflict, among other issues. “We fully understand the loss and pain of victims' families as Pakistan is undergoing... Читать дальше...

One day after President Donald Trump endorsed a plan to reduce and reshape legal immigration to the United States, Republican lawmakers unveiled border security legislation to stem the flow of illegal immigration. Senator John Cornyn of Texas said Thursday during a news conference at the Capitol that U.S. border agents should have "100 percent situational awareness" and "100 percent operational control" of America's border with Mexico. "Since 9/11, we've seen how important it is for us to know... Читать дальше...

The Venezuelan state prosecutor's office said late on Wednesday it has opened an investigation into accusations that the country's elections council manipulated turnout figures in Sunday's controversial election for a legislative superbody. Voting technology firm Smartmatic, which provides the South American nation's voting machines, said the turnout figure of 8.1 million had been inflated by at least 1 million votes. It did not describe its methodology in reaching that conclusion. President... Читать дальше...

A suicide bomber in Afghanistan killed at least four people Thursday night in an attack on a convoy of foreign troops in Kabul. Adding to initial reports that three Afghan civilians were killed, U.S. officials said one soldier from NATO's Resolute Support mission was among the dead The convoy that came under attack was made up of both Afghan and NATO troops. The military statement indicated the assailant detonated a suicide vest he was wearing. Five NATO troops and one Afghan interpreter... Читать дальше...

A majority of American voters say that transgender people should be allowed to serve in the U.S. military, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll published Thursday. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said they thought transgender people should be allowed to serve in the armed forces. Twenty-seven percent said they thought transgender individuals should not serve.    A little over a week ago, President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that the U.S. military would no longer let transgender people serve in the military... Читать дальше...

Rwandans head to the polls Friday with President Paul Kagame widely expected to win a third term despite allegations of political repression. Nine of the 11 registered political parties have endorsed the incumbent but a few candidates of other parties are still challenging Kagame. More than 200,000 people attended Kagame's final pre-election rally on Wednesday near Kigali. Supporters drove for hours to the massive hilltop venue. They sang, danced and cheered while waiting for their candidate to arrive. Читать дальше...

Facebook is to send more potential hoax articles to third-party fact checkers and show their findings below the original post, the world's largest online social network said on Thursday as it tries to fight so-called fake news. The company said in a statement on its website it will start using updated machine learning to detect possible hoaxes and send them to fact checkers, potentially showing fact-checking results under the original article. Facebook has been criticized as being one of the main distribution points for so-called fake news... Читать дальше...

Kosovo's new parliament convened Thursday for the first time since a snap election in June, but deputies did not appoint a new speaker or hold a debate as the winning coalition struggled to secure a majority. The PAN coalition of parties made up of former guerrillas who fought in a war in 1998-99 gained 33.7 percent of votes but remained two votes short of a majority in the 120-seat parliament. Two other players, the nationalist Vetevendosje party and the LAA coalition, remained opposed to a deal that would give PAN a majority. Читать дальше...

Fatemah Qaderyan, 14, captain of a team of Afghan schoolgirls who captured the world's attention at a U.S. robotics competition, lost her father in a deadly suicide attack on a Shi'ite mosque in the city of Herat, a provincial governor's spokesman said. Mohammad Asif Qaderyan was wounded and later died after two suicide bombers detonated grenades in a packed mosque.

Under a best-case scenario, a newly negotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would not be implemented before the end of next year or the start of 2019, Mexico's economy minister said Thursday. Among other issues, NAFTA talks would focus on how to provide more certainty in dispute resolutions, Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said in a radio interview. "According to the possible calendars of approval, the best of the scenarios that we could have ... would be the start of implementation... Читать дальше...

You can expect some fresh faces on the ballots in Kenya in August. The political newcomers include a rapper seeking a seat in parliament, a businessman running for president, and a prominent activist who has decided to try to improve the system from within. For VOA, Lenny Ruvaga joined Boniface Mwangi on the campaign trail in Nairobi and has this report.

U.S. President Donald Trump and the Department of Veterans Affairs announced new steps Thursday to use technology to expand health care for veterans.  The new initiatives include the use of video technology and diagnostic tools to remotely conduct medical examinations, and allow veterans to use mobile devices and computers to schedule, reschedule or cancel appointments at VA facilities. "This will significantly expand access to care for our veterans, especially for those who need help in the area of mental health... Читать дальше...

Developments in Washington, D.C., on Thursday include President Donald Trump tweeting that the U.S.-Russia relationship is at a distinct low point, suggesting he may pressure China over trade and North Korea, the leaking of transcripts of contentious phone calls from January between the president and the leaders of Mexico and Australia, as well as a report that says Trump wants to fire U.S. general heading Afghanistan fight. Trump, Russia Agree: Relationship at Distinct Low Point -- Trump blamed... Читать дальше...

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

We’re in the mix with the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending August 5, 2017. Lo and behold, we get a new song this week to supercharge our lineup. It happens in fifth place, where French Montana and Swae Lee jump four slots with “Unforgettable.” Number 5: French Montana & Swae Lee "Unforgettable" French Montana is Karim Karbouch – born in Morocco, he was 13 when his family immigrated to New York City. French made his first mix tape in 2007... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump sparred with the leaders of Mexico and Australia in contentious phone calls shortly after he assumed power in January, newly leaked transcripts show. According to the documents, Trump demanded that Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto stop saying that Mexico would not pay for a wall that Trump wants built along the U.S.-Mexico border to thwart illegal immigration into the United States. During his months-long run for the White House, Trump vowed that he would make Mexico foot the bill. Читать дальше...

In an email to HBO staff Wednesday, CEO Richard Plepler said the company's email system likely was not affected in Monday's hacking of the cable network. "We do not believe that our email system as a whole has been compromised," Plepler wrote, warning his staff to be wary of media speculation about the breach. A script outline for the next episode of Game of Thrones, along with episodes of Ballers, Barry and Room 104, were published online Monday. A company called IP Echelon reportedly submitted... Читать дальше...

Watching over his kids at a water fountain in Warren, Detroit’s largest suburb, Republican Jason Marchand says he approves of Trump — a president who has done things “that should have been done a long time ago” — and credits him for improvements in the auto industry. But he acknowledges that their views differ on the role of immigrants. “Everybody deserves to have a change of life and populate [the city of Detroit, Michigan] more. It wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Marchand told VOA. Yet Marchand, who is a mechanic... Читать дальше...