Новости за 23.09.2017

The president of the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq, Massoud Barzani, said Monday's referendum on independence would not result in an immediate change, but instead would trigger talks with Baghdad about an independent future. Barzani told VOA's Persian service that following the referendum — which has widespread support among Iraqi Kurds — the Kurdish government would begin discussions with Iraqi officials on such issues as border demarcation, division of natural resources and a timeline for declaring independence. Читать дальше...

There were some verbal fireworks at the U.N. General Assembly Saturday as the foreign minister of North Korea responded to President Donald Trump and a senior Indian official lashed out at Pakistan. One of the most anticipated speeches of the week was North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho. He did not disappoint. Ri called Trump “a mentally deranged person full of megalomania” who is on a suicide mission of his own, and peppered his 22-minute address with other choice words and insults. Delegates audibly applauded at the end. Читать дальше...

North Korea’s foreign minister brought a dictionary full of insults for U.S. President Donald Trump when he addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday. Ri Yong Ho said he needed to respond to Trump, who on Tuesday called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “Rocket Man” and said he was on a suicide mission with his nuclear program. Ri called Trump “a mentally deranged person full of megalomania” who is on a suicide mission of his own. WATCH: North Korea's foreign minister speaks at UNGA ... Читать дальше...

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's president told the U.N. General Assembly annual gathering Saturday that his military was fighting terrorists in the center and east of the country. The fighting in the central Kasai province has displaced more than 1.4 million people. Dozens of mass graves have been uncovered. President Joseph Kabila blamed the violence on the Kamuina Nsapu militia, who he said was "sowing terror." He is heard here through an interpreter. "In Kasai, a mystical religious... Читать дальше...

As wars and rumors of war haunt halls of states, large numbers of people are fleeing their native lands to nations that are more prosperous and better governed. Meanwhile, each destination country is faced with the challenges an influx of migrants and refugees brings. The fact that a few of them might carry out terrorist attacks adds a disquieting element to the already anxious mix. Against this backdrop, a recent conversation with Netherlands’ ambassador to the United States was markedly level-headed. Читать дальше...

Royal families around the world, from Britain, to Jordan, to Nepal, have given their time, attention and resources to conservation efforts. Prince Albert II of Monaco has received numerous awards for his conservation work. This month he joined an Atlantic mission to save an endangered seal species. Faith Lapidus reports.

Authorities in Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland said on Saturday they have seized a boat loaded with weapons, officials told VOA. “We have captured the boat, named Al Faruq, loaded with different weapons, including anti-aircraft machineguns, AK47 rifles, pistols and ammunition,” said Mohamed Mohamud Hassan, the acting regional maritime police chief. Hassan said Puntland police tracked the boat at sea as it tried to escape near Mareero coastal area nine kilometers east of Bosaso, the region’s largest port and commercial hub. Читать дальше...

A powerful earthquake rocked Mexico Saturday, triggering new alarms in a country struggling to recover from two recent quakes that killed a total of nearly 400 people. The U.S. Geological Survey says the new quake had a magnitude of 6.1 and was centered in the southern state of Oaxaca, about 360 kilometers southeast of Mexico City, which is still reeling from Tuesday's 7.1 quake that killed at least 295 people. Officials say Saturday's quake was felt in Mexico City, swaying buildings in the capitol. Читать дальше...

A strong new earthquake shook Mexico on Saturday, causing new alarm in a country reeling from two yet-more-powerful quakes this month that have killed nearly 400 people. The U.S. Geological Survey said the new, magnitude 6.1 temblor was centered about 11 miles (18 kilometers) south-southeast of Matias Romero in the state of Oaxaca, which was the region most battered by a magnitude 8.1 quake on Sept. 7. It was among thousands of aftershocks recorded in the wake of that earlier quake, the most powerful to hit Mexico in 32 years... Читать дальше...

U.S.-backed Syrian fighters captured Saturday the country's largest gas field from the so-called Islamic State group in an eastern province that borders Iraq as they race with government forces to capture the energy-rich region, a senior official with the group said. Nasser Haj Mansour of the Syrian Democratic Forces said the Conoco gas field and plant came under full control of the group on Saturday morning after days of fighting with the extremists. He added that SDF fighters also captured the nearby al-Izba gas field. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Senator John McCain at a political rally in Alabama Friday for opposing the Republican party's latest attempt to repeal the nation's health care law. Speaking at a campaign event for Republican Senator Luther Strange, Trump said McCain's opposition was "sad" and "a horrible, horrible thing." "It's a little tougher without McCain's vote," Trump said, but added, "We are going to do it eventually." Trump continued to lash out at the senator from Arizona in a series of tweets Saturday morning... Читать дальше...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged her supporters to keep up the momentum in the final hours before Sunday's national election, urging a last push to try to sway undecided voters. Merkel is seeking a fourth term in office and her conservative bloc of the Christian Democratic Party and Bavarian-only Christian Social union has a healthy lead in the polls. Surveys in the last week show it leading with between 34 to 37 percent support, followed by the Social Democrats with 21 to 22 percent. Still... Читать дальше...

Spanish media report that several hundred students have spent the night inside a Barcelona university to protest the government's efforts to stop a referendum over Catalonia's secession from the country. The protesters have said on social media that pro-independence politicians are expected to give talks at Barcelona University on Saturday. Jordi Vives, a spokesman for the students, told Catalan public television: "We are showing that as students we have a part to play and that for now we are... Читать дальше...

North Korea's neighbors said Saturday they have detected a shallow 3.4-magnitude earthquake in North Korea. South Korea and China disagree on whether the earthquake was natural.  Previous earthquakes in North Korea have indicated nuclear tests. Seoul's Meteorological Administration assessed the quake as natural, while China called the earthquake a "suspected explosion." They do, however, agree that the location of the earthquake was near the site where the reclusive state conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3. Читать дальше...

China’s earthquake administration said Saturday it had detected a magnitude 3.4 earthquake in North Korea that was a “suspected explosion,” raising fears the isolated state had conducted another nuclear bomb test. The administration said in a statement on its website that the quake, which occurred around 0830 GMT, was recorded a depth of zero kilometers. Previous quakes from North Korea have indicated nuclear tests by the reclusive state, the most recent earlier this month. Quake near nuclear... Читать дальше...

Lesotho’s new prime minister, Thomas Thabane, told VOA that his government will focus on ending hunger and reducing crime, especially against women. He also said the country’s political space is open to all, though he made clear he wouldn’t tolerate those who, in his words, “go outside the rules.” Thabane spoke with VOA this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. June election Thabane, who took office in June, also brushed off criticism that his government is trying to... Читать дальше...

A British government minister has criticized the London authorities for deciding to strip Uber of its taxi license, a major setback to the U.S. technology firm that has become a big player in the city’s transport system. The British capital’s transport regulator deemed Uber unfit to run a tax service and said its license would not be renewed when it expires Sept. 30. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, a member of the opposition Labour Party, backed the move. “At the flick of a pen Sadiq Khan is threatening... Читать дальше...

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government forces have been killing civilians in an insurgency-hit region, prompting the latest influx of refugees into northern Zambia, a senior U.N. official said, citing accounts of asylum seekers. Zambia fears a looming humanitarian crisis after more than 6,000 refugees fleeing turmoil in the DRC entered its territory in one month. Pierrine Aylara, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) chief representative in Zambia, told Reuters that... Читать дальше...

New Zealanders went to the polls Saturday after the most hotly contested race in recent history, with changes to the country’s openness to migration and trade and the central bank’s approach to monetary policy among the possible outcomes. The ruling National Party and opposition Labour Party had been neck-and-neck in opinion polls and will likely have to rely on minor parties to form a coalition in New Zealand’s German-style proportional representation voting system. A record 1.2 million votes were cast in advance... Читать дальше...

Iran has successfully tested a new ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 km (1,200 miles), which it displayed at a military parade Friday, state media reported Saturday. The test-firing of the Khorramshahr missile, which Iran said could carry several warheads, is likely to raise concerns in Washington. State broadcaster IRIB carried footage of the missile test without giving its time and location, including video from an on-board camera, which it said showed the detachment of the cone that carries multiple warheads. Читать дальше...

An Egyptian ultraconservative Muslim preacher hears on his car radio news of the death of Michael Jackson, the pop singer he idolized in his teens, and he becomes so distraught he crashes his car.   The news of the passing of the King of Pop is the start of a crisis of conscience for Sheikh Khalid Hani, the main character of the movie Sheikh Jackson, Egypt’s first feature film to focus on the religious movement known as Salafis, followers of one of the strictest interpretations of Islam.   It follows Sheikh Hani... Читать дальше...

Melania Trump is set to take her biggest step yet as first lady. She’s leading the U.S. delegation to an international sporting event for wounded service members, her first solo trip outside of the U.S. to represent her adopted country without President Donald Trump at her side. The daylong stop Saturday in Toronto also includes a brush with royalty. The first lady is scheduled to meet for the first time with Britain’s Prince Harry, who founded the Invictus Games in 2014. She is also to meet... Читать дальше...

The United Nations is being very clear about the situation for the mostly Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar, calling it catastrophic. Neighboring Bangladesh is awash in hundreds of thousands of refugees and tens of thousands more civilians are trapped in areas of Myanmar's Rakhine state. VOA's Kevin Enochs reports.

While Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs dominated headlines, countering terrorism and extremism took center stage at the U.N. General Assembly this week. Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and top officials from 24 countries highlighted progress made in the fight to defeat the Islamic State militant group in Iraq. VOA Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine has more from Washington.

Presidential job approval is a simple yet powerful measure of the public's view of the president's job performance at a particular time. It is important because it helps summarize how people are feeling about their president and measures the ability of the president to get things done. But it also has other implications, says Gallup's Editor in Chief Frank Newport, in an interview with VOA's Jela De Franceschi.