Новости за 09.09.2017

A Spanish judge ordered police to search a printer's shop and two offices of a regional newspaper in Catalonia as part of an investigation into alleged preparations for an illegal referendum on independence for the prosperous northeastern region. A Barcelona-based court said Saturday that the police searches took place Friday in Valls and Constanti in southern Catalonia. The court said the searches formed part of an investigation into possible disobedience, prevarication and the embezzlement of public funds by Catalan officials. Читать дальше...

The Dalai Lama on Sunday will begin a 20-day tour of Europe, where he will give public teachings on Buddhism and also meet with scientists. The Tibetan spiritual leader arrived Friday in New Delhi, India, from which he will depart for his four-nation tour. Calling it an educational visit, he said he was looking forward to the trip, especially to a meeting with scientists in Frankfurt, Germany. "I am looking forward to the Frankfurt's meeting. [I will be] meeting with some scientists, and also... Читать дальше...

Rohingya insurgents in Myanmar have called for a monthlong cease-fire starting Sunday in order to allow humanitarian aid to reach those affected by the conflict. Insurgents from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacked dozens of police posts and an army base late last month. Fighting led to the displacement of more than 300,000 people. In a statement Saturday, the group encouraged aid groups to "resume their humanitarian assistance to all victims of the humanitarian crisis, irrespective of ethnic or religious background... Читать дальше...

Egypt announced on Saturday the discovery of a pharaonic tomb belonging to a royal goldsmith, who lived more than 3,500 years ago and whose work was dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god Amun.

Pope Francis continued his trip around Colombia Saturday in the city of Medellin, where he held a mass with an expected attendance of as many as one million people. Francis’s trip to Medellin hit a slight snag Saturday morning as heavy rains forced him to alter his travel arrangements into the city. He originally was scheduled to take a helicopter from the airport to the Mass, but opted instead to drive out of the Andes, which slightly delayed the mass. The weather didn’t have much of an effect on turnout... Читать дальше...

Saudi Arabia says it has suspended dialogue with Qatar to resolve an ongoing conflict with its Gulf neighbors, following a fresh row over a phone conversation between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Saudi Arabia claims the Qatari News Agency misrepresented the substance of the call. Saudi Arabia and Qatar appear to be engaging in diplomacy-by-megaphone once again, as the media of both states wrangle over a phone call Saturday between leaders of the two countries... Читать дальше...

President Donald Trump ignored seething Republicans and made good on his deal with Democrats, signing legislation that links $15.3 billion in disaster aid to an increase in the U.S. borrowing limit.   The law is a first installment in replenishing depleted federal emergency coffers. Trump signed it Friday as Hurricane Irma approached Florida and as Texas picks up the pieces after the devastation of Harvey.  All 90 votes in opposition were cast by Republicans, some of whom hissed and booed administration... Читать дальше...

Turkey cautioned its citizens on Saturday to take care when traveling to Germany, citing what it said was an upswing in anti-Turkish sentiment ahead of a German national election later this month. The advisory is likely to further exacerbate tensions between the two NATO allies, whose ties have soured following last year's failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his subsequent crackdown on alleged coup supporters. "The political leadership campaigns in Germany are based... Читать дальше...

The U.N. refugee agency warns overcrowding and deteriorating conditions on Greece’s eastern Aegean islands are causing serious distress among refugees, leading to self-harm and riots in protest. UNHCR reports that refugees from Syria, Iraq and other destitute and conflict-ridden countries are arriving on Greece’s islands faster than the government can transfer them to the mainland for processing. In August, it notes, nearly 3,700 people arrived by sea - nearly 1,500 more than in July. UNHCR spokeswoman... Читать дальше...

The head of United Nations peacekeeping says rising ethnic tensions in Central African Republic are likely to spur greater conflict between the Muslim and Christian communities unless action is taken to defuse the situation. U.N. Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix says ethnic hate speech is running in parallel with an increase in violence in the Central African Republic.  And, he says, he finds this very worrisome. “We are seeing a surge in very negative messages... Читать дальше...

Firefighters in Australia are bracing for what they fear will be one of the worst bushfire seasons on record.  They say warmer conditions have combined with a very dry winter to raise the threat level. Australia had one of warmest-ever winters in 2017, and forecasters are predicting dry conditions for spring, prompting fears that the bushfires that rage every year will begin earlier than usual.   Traditionally, summer and fall are the most dangerous periods in the heavily-populated southeast of Australia. Читать дальше...

In Photos: Hurricane Irma's Aftermath in Haiti

Emergency services in southern Spain say they are fighting a wildfire that has forced the evacuation of 400 residents from seven towns in the province of Seville.   Authorities said Saturday that the evacuations had taken place mostly overnight because of the smoke produced by the blaze, which broke out Friday. About 120 people have been given shelter in a public library, sports center and school.   More than 130 firefighters are combating flames that they say have reached 20 meters (65 feet)... Читать дальше...

Thousands of migrants desperate to get to Europe are being held in detention centers across Libya. Some are run by foreign aid agencies, others by the myriad armed groups vying for power and money. Joanne Liu, international president of the aid group Doctors Without Borders, has recently returned from visiting detention centers in Libya and told reporters that militia groups are detaining migrants in horrific conditions where they are subject to torture, rape, starvation and killing. “Basically... Читать дальше...

The White House’s decision this week to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), carries enormous repercussions for the nearly 800,000 beneficiaries: The undocumented young people who were brought to the United States as children. But the cost, which is difficult to quantify for a workforce faced with the real possibility of losing their job and forced to leave the country, is evident to employers, who largely view both the moral and economic implications of ending the program as intertwined. Читать дальше...

U.S.-backed Syrian fighters are preparing an offensive against the Islamic State group in eastern Syria along the border with Iraq in a race with government forces marching in the same direction against the extremists in their last major holdout in Syria.    The dueling battles for Deir el-Zour highlight the importance of the oil-rich eastern province, which has become the latest epicenter of the international war against the Islamic State group, raising concerns of an eventual clash between the two sides. Читать дальше...

The White House's decision to repeal DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, carries enormous repercussions for the nearly 800,000 beneficiaries who arrived in the U.S. as children. Over the next two years, more than 700,000 employed recipients will find themselves without a job. And for their employers, laying off a qualified workforce carries not only moral implications, but billions in lost revenue and an overall reduction in U.S. economic growth. VOA's Ramon Taylor reports.

A leading humanitarian aid group has accused the European Union of being complicit in the torture, killing and rape of migrants in detention camps in Libya. The system is partially run by armed militias and people smugglers, and critics say the EU is supporting these groups in return for stemming the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.

Public statues and tributes to early Spanish conquerors are facing mounting criticism tied to the brutal treatment of American Indians centuries ago by Spanish soldiers and missionaries, with activists drawing ethical parallels to the national controversy over Confederate monuments. From California to Florida, historical markers and commonplace names trace the path of the 16th century Spanish conquistadors and missionaries who explored and settled land inhabited by American Indians in what is now the U.S. Few... Читать дальше...

Protests have popped around the world over the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. Even the Dalai Lama and South African rights leader Desmond Tutu have weighed in, seeking better treatment for the Muslim minority group. Protesters rallied Friday in Jakarta, shouting "God is great," while in Tokyo, police had to separate those who support the Rohingya from counterprotesters who call them terrorists. In Afghanistan's western Herat province, protesters demanded an end to violence against the Rohingya, and in Islamabad... Читать дальше...

Pope Francis on Saturday travels to Medellin, once notorious as the stomping grounds of drug lord Pablo Escobar, to find a city transformed since his predecessor Pope John Paul visited in 1986. In the 1980s and early 1990s, violence between cartels, paramilitary groups and guerrillas raged in the poor “comuna” neighborhoods on its outskirts, and the late pontiff was moved to decry drug violence. The city is now heralded as a model of urban development. It has installed cable cars up the steep... Читать дальше...

Japanese F-15 fighter jets Saturday conducted an air exercise with U.S. B1-B bombers in the skies above the East China Sea, Japan’s Air Self Defense Force (ASDF) said. The joint drill comes as South Korea braces for a possible further missile test by North Korea as it marked its founding anniversary, just days after its sixth and largest nuclear test rattled global financial markets and further escalated tensionsin the region. The exercise involved two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers flying... Читать дальше...

Emergency officials in the U.S. are dealing with one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricane seasons in recorded history. As Hurricane Irma moves toward Florida, VOA's Bill Gallo got an inside look at the operations center at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

We know that fingerprints can be lifted off various surfaces. But now technology is available to steal fingerprints from a digital photograph. VOA's Deborah Block explains how.

Two back-to-back storms will have a significant impact on U.S. growth and productivity, according to economists tracking the impact of Hurricanes Harvey in Texas, and Irma — expected to make landfall in Florida this weekend. Despite the potential catastrophic loss in lives and capital, economists who spoke with VOA say the damage to the U.S. economy is likely to be short-lived. Mil Arcega has more.