Новости за 24.09.2017

The sighting of an Islamic State flag spread fears among residents in Pakistan’s capital, prompting authorities to order an investigation of the incident. “The Caliphate is coming,” read an inserted slogan on an IS flag which was put up over a billboard Sunday on a major expressway in Islamabad. Pakistan Interior Ministry authorities told VOA a committee has been formed to investigate the incident, denying reports IS may have established a foothold in the country. “The group does not have an organized presence... Читать дальше...

One person was killed and seven wounded in a shooting at a church Sunday in the southern U.S. state of Tennessee. Six of those wounded were shot, while a seventh was pistol whipped, police said on Twitter.  The woman who was killed died in the parking lot of the church. The gunman was also injured and is currently in the hospital.  No details were given about his condition or those of the shooting victims, who have not yet been identified. All but one of the victims at the Burnette... Читать дальше...

Hurricane Maria, which ravaged Puerto Rico last week, is growing weaker as it moves north. But the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Sunday the storm could still cause dangerous surf and rip currents at beaches on the U.S. east coast. Maria, which hit the island of Puerto Rico as a category 4 storm, weakened to a category 2 with maximum sustained winds of 165 kph. Puerto Rico remains without power, except for generators, and phone service is spotty, as officials struggle to provide food... Читать дальше...

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

A key Republican U.S. senator said Sunday she finds it "very difficult" to imagine herself voting for the party's latest plan to dismantle nationwide health care policies championed by former Democratic President Barack Obama, a crucial vote that likely would doom the repeal effort this week. Senator Susan Collins of Maine told CNN she was not ready to declare with certainty that she would vote against the overhaul of the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, and wanted to wait for... Читать дальше...

Seventeen Islamic State militants were killed during precision strikes carried out by the United States in Libya, officials said Sunday. "In coordination with Libya’s Government of National Accord and aligned forces, U.S. forces conducted six precision airstrikes in Libya against an ISIS desert camp on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7:06 p.m. local time, killing 17 ISIS militants and destroying three (3) vehicles," U.S. Africa Command said in a statement. According to the statement, the camp targeted was... Читать дальше...

At least three U.N. peacekeepers were killed in Mali's troubled north, the U.N. mission to the country said Sunday. MINUSMA said its vehicle hit an explosive device on the road between the city of Gao and the village of Anefis. The attack wounded another five peacekeepers. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it resembles attacks carried out by al-Qaida in the region. Clashes between rival armed groups in northern Mali, which is also a haven for jihadist activity, are frequent. Читать дальше...

A Syrian war monitoring group says airstrikes have targeted rural Aleppo for the first time in months since a cease-fire took hold in the province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the airstrikes Sunday pounded Syria's rural Idlib and Hama, where insurgents led by an al-Qaida-linked group began an offensive against government troops in the area. There was no immediate word on casualties in Sunday's bombings. A "de-escalation" deal reached in May has dramatically reduced the violence in most of Syria. Читать дальше...

Iran has stopped all flights to the Kurdish region of Iraqa day before the Kurds' independence vote. The move is the first concrete retaliation to the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) referendum on independence from Iraq, which is opposed by the national government as well as by powerful neighbors Iran and Turkey. The Kurdish region has repeatedly ignored calls to cancel the referendum, and the supreme court, which moved to suspend the referendum last week, has little power to implement its order. Читать дальше...

Zimbabwe police have arrested activist and pastor Evan Mawarire for broadcasting a message on social media calling for Zimbabweans to demonstrate against the current shortage of fuel and the sudden price hikes of commodities in shops. As he was leading a church service Sunday, Zimbabwe police were waiting for Mawarire outside. The leader of His Generation Church had broadcast a video Saturday calling for Zimbabweans to protest against fuel shortages and recent price increases of most commodities. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump is waging a war of words this weekend over U.S. professional athletes who refuse to stand before games for the playing of the country's national anthem, saying they should be fired and suggesting that fans should boycott the games in protest of the players. For several days in a row, Trump has railed against the athletes, most of them black players in the National Football League, who have refused to stand for the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, a tradition at most... Читать дальше...

The Vatican on Sunday denounced its ousted auditor general for revealing that he resigned under threat of arrest for what he says were trumped-up charges. In a statement, the Vatican admitted that Libero Milone resigned in June after Vatican investigators determined his office had "illegally hired an outside company to conduct investigations into the private lives of Holy See personnel." Milone told reporters Saturday that he was told on June 19 that Pope Francis had lost confidence in him. He... Читать дальше...

Thousands of Catalan separatists are rallying in public squares in Barcelona and other towns in support of a disputed referendum on independence of the northeastern region from Spain. Many are carrying pro-independence flags and signs calling for the Oct. 1 independence vote that the Spanish government calls illegal and has pledged to stop. The crowds have been asked by secessionist politicians to print and distribute posters supporting the vote. Carme Forcadell, the speaker of Catalonia's regional parliament... Читать дальше...

The head of the U.N. refugee agency says Bangladesh needs "massive international assistance" to feed and shelter the Rohingya who have fled Myanmar. UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said Sunday in the Bangladeshi town of Cox's Bazar the needs of more than 430,000 people who have fled violence in Myanmar are enormous and Bangladesh is facing "immense" challenges. "I spoke to many of the refugees that have just arrived and I must say that on the one hand I was struck by the incredible magnitude of their needs. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump has responded to insults from North Korea's foreign minister with more threats. "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!" Trump said on Twitter. North Korea’s foreign minister brought a dictionary full of insults for 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... Читать дальше...

Turkey's top diplomat has visited two Turks imprisoned in the United States for their alleged involvement in an infamous brawl that has raised tensions between the two countries. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted that he visited Sinan Narin and Eyup Yildirim late Saturday and said he passed on "our nation's love and greetings." The men were photographed in orange jumpsuits with the minister.   The two defendants are among 19 suspects accused of attacking protestors outside the Turkish... Читать дальше...

'For the sake of the sacrifices and blood of the martyrs, let's all say yes for Kurdistan independence," reads a large billboard in the center of Kalak, a small town in Iraq's northern Kurdish region. "Independence is not given, it's taken!" reads another banner hanging below a cluster of red, green, yellow and white Kurdish flags.   Iraq's Kurds are set to vote Monday in a referendum on support for independence that has stirred fears of instability across the region as the war against the Islamic State group winds down. Читать дальше...

Germany's national election Sunday is widely expected to give Chancellor Angela Merkel a historic fourth mandate and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party seats in parliament for the first time in 60 years.

Thousands of residents have been evacuating from areas surrounding a rumbling volcano on the resort island of Bali, Indonesia as officials say an eruption could be imminent. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency said Sunday that the number of people fleeing their homes had tripled since Friday as the magnitude of tremors has increased, prompting fears that Mount Agung could erupt for the first time in more than 50 years. Authorities warned tourists and residents to avoid camping or hiking within... Читать дальше...

The powerful earthquake that rocked Mexico Saturday killed at least two people, triggering new alarms in a country struggling to recover from two recent quakes that killed a total of about 400 people. The U.S. Geological Survey said the new quake had a magnitude of 6.1 and was centered in the southern state of Oaxaca, about 360 kilometers southeast of the capital, which is still reeling from Tuesday's 7.1 quake that killed at least 300 people. Officials said Saturday's quake was felt in Mexico City, swaying buildings in the capital. Читать дальше...

Germans headed to the polls Sunday in federal elections that will decide in effect whether Angela Merkel should serve a historic fourth term as Chancellor. Merkel’s center-right Christian Democratic Union, along with its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, appear to be heading to a handsome victory, according to eve-of-poll surveys. The two parties are expected jointly to win between 36 to 39 percent of the vote. Germany’s second largest party, the center-left Social Democrats... Читать дальше...

A small earthquake that hit North Korea Saturday near the country's nuclear test site was likely a natural tremor and not a nuclear explosion, neighboring countries said. A South Korea Meteorological Agency spokesman said that acoustic waves from a man-made explosion should have been detected but were not. China's Earthquake Administration said the quake was not a nuclear blast after saying earlier the 3.4 magnitude quake detected at 0829 GMT was a "suspected explosion." The U.S. Geological Survey... Читать дальше...

The leaders of New Zealand’s main parties prepared Sunday to start talks with Winston Peters, the leader of a nationalist party who emerged as kingmaker after an inconclusive general election, but Peters indicated he was in no rush to pick a side. Prime Minister Bill English’s National Party won the largest number of votes in Saturday’s general election, securing a comfortable margin over the Labour opposition after what had shaped up as one of the closest votes in recent history. Kingmaker... Читать дальше...

France is electing about half of its senators Sunday, in an important vote for President Emmanuel Macron’s reform plans, threatened by his declining popularity just four months after his election in May. Macron’s centrist Republic on the Move! party, which emerged just last year, won a large majority in the lower house of parliament in June elections, but is unlikely to enjoy a similar margin in the Senate. Surveys suggest the conservative Republicans party will consolidate its majority in the chamber of 348 seats. Читать дальше...

A suicide bomber has struck a NATO convoy in the Afghan capital, Kabul, injuring at least three people. The Ministry of Interior described the injured as Afghan civilians but would not say whether foreign forces suffered any casualties. The Taliban insurgency has taken credit for plotting the suicide car bombing. Its spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed a American military convoy was targeted, destroying several vehicles and inflicting heavy casualties on the “invading” forces. The insurgents... Читать дальше...