Новости за 17.10.2017

In the past 24 hours, thousands of women have taken to Twitter and Facebook, sharing their personal stories of sexual harassment and assault under the hashtag "Me Too." The social media rallying cry comes in the wake of numerous allegations of sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. VOA’s Elizabeth Cherneff looks at how this latest social media movement has sparked a global conversation amongst women and men about sexual harassment and assault.

Former presidential strategist Steve Bannon is rebuffing President Donald Trump's public plea for him to retreat in his war on the Republican establishment, personally boosting the candidacy of a challenger to incumbent Sen. Jeff Flake. Bannon plans to appear with Arizona Senate candidate Kelli Ward on Tuesday as she announces another bid for the Senate, this time against freshman Flake. Ward lost last year to Republican Sen. John McCain, who went on to win a sixth term. The pair will participate... Читать дальше...

U.S. officials are increasingly worried tensions between Iraq's government and Iraqi Kurdish officials are playing right into the hands of the two forces Washington most wants to contain in the region: the Islamic State terror group and Iran. So far, Kurdish Peshmerga forces seem to have been willing to cede ground, leaving bases and checkpoints as Iraqi forces move swiftly to reclaim parts of the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq. Officials in Washington repeatedly have sounded the alarm... Читать дальше...

The U.S. Defense Department is changing a program that enables foreign-born military recruits to earn a fast-track path to American citizenship.   The new guidelines rolled out Friday will affect legal permanent residents (LPR), or green card holders, and recruits enrolled in the National Interest (MAVNI) program — launched in 2009 to bring in immigrants with medical or language skills. "Effective immediately, all LPRs must complete a background investigation and receive a favorable military... Читать дальше...

The United Nations reports conditions in Central African Republic have continued to deteriorate since a serious outbreak of inter-communal violence in mid-May between the Muslim Seleka and largely Christian anti-Balaka armed groups. Fighting in some parts of Central African Republic has become so intense that United Nations and private aid agencies have had to suspend their activities. The U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the C.A.R., Najat Rochdi, says security has become so bad in the East, agencies... Читать дальше...

The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) confirmed Tuesday that Riek Machar will be a no-show at an upcoming high-level meeting aimed at revitalizing the August 2015 peace agreement in South Sudan. Despite Machar's absence, he will be represented at the meeting, according to IGAD's special envoy for South Sudan, Ismail Wais, who said that "his idea, his thinking, his position and everything he is thinking about will be represented." Wais said IGAD ministers have met with all the... Читать дальше...

In a rare public speech Tuesday, the head of Britain's domestic intelligence agency said the terror threat in the country is worse now that it has ever been during his 34-year career. "It's clear that we're contending with an intense UK terrorist threat from Islamist extremists," MI5 chief Andrew Parker said. "That threat is multi-dimensional, evolving rapidly and operating at a scale and pace we've not seen before. But so too is our response." Parker said the MI5, also known as he Security Service... Читать дальше...

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge say their third child will be due in April. The royal couple had already revealed that they were having a child, but didn't previously say which month the child is due. The brief statement released Tuesday by their Kensington Palace office offered no further details. The former Kate Middleton had announced she was pregnant after missing a royal engagement in September. As with her other two pregnancies, she is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, or acute morning sickness. Читать дальше...

A new study inspired by Boston's early experiments with self-driving cars finds that the technology could ease congestion, but might also lead to more cars on the road and further encourage urban sprawl. The report, released Tuesday by the Boston Consulting Group and the World Economic Forum, is a mostly optimistic take on how autonomous vehicles could change cities. Three companies are now testing self-driving cars in Boston's Seaport District. One of them, NuTonomy, has also partnered with... Читать дальше...

U.S. law enforcement officials announced Tuesday the indictments of two Chinese nationals and several American and Canadian associates charged with manufacturing and shipping fentanyl and other deadly opioids directly from China to the United States. U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the charges against Xiaobing Yan, 40, and Jian Zhang, 38, represented the first-ever indictments brought against designated Chinese manufactures of fentanyl and other opiate substances. "Zhang and... Читать дальше...

What's most fascinating about Google's new Pixel 2 phone is what's to come. The phone sets itself apart with promises to bake in Google's powerful artificial-intelligence technology for quick and easy access to useful, even essential information. But much of the neat stuff will come later. The phone coming out Thursday is more of a teaser. To be sure, the Pixel 2 is a solid phone. It's not as elegantly designed as an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy phone. But it delivers a strong tie-in to Google's services... Читать дальше...

Returning Sight to the Blind

Kenya's opposition has suspended protests following deadly unrest Monday as the country struggles to finalize a seemingly never-ending presidential election. As tensions rise, some see traces of the decades-long rivalry between two of Kenya's top political families coming to the fore. The clash between President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga echoes that of their fathers, who were the country's first president and vice president following independence in 1963. "During those early '60s... Читать дальше...

“Call someone Arab inside the city and then you can go in,” the Iraqi Special Forces soldier told my Kurdish colleague as we pulled into the main entrance of Kirkuk city. “Really? But we are journalists!” my colleague replied, hoping to skirt the rule by sounding shocked.   “Just joking,” the soldier said, laughing.  “You can go in.” At that, we really were shocked.  On Monday evening we were reporting on what looked like the beginning of a civil war between Arabs and Kurds, with mortars reaching... Читать дальше...

U.N. agencies say the number of Rohingya refugees arriving in Bangladesh from Myanmar has jumped to 582,000. Nearly 60 percent of them are children.  The U.N. children’s fund warns the children are living in life-threatening conditions and are susceptible to killer diseases. U.N. Children’s Fund Spokeswoman Marixie Mercado has just returned from Bangladesh near the border with Myanmar, where she saw children living in shelters perched precariously on hillsides. She says the makeshift shelters are... Читать дальше...

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

A U.N. report warns gender inequality and the denial of reproductive rights and family planning threatens development goals, weakens national economies and will undermine efforts to eliminate poverty by 2030. In its annual State of World Population report, the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) describes the poorest women in most developing countries as the most powerless members of society.   It says the poorest women have the least access to care during pregnancy and childbirth. And it says the inequality... Читать дальше...

U.S. homebuilders are feeling more optimistic than they have in months, looking past a recent slowdown in new home sales and the risk of rising labor and materials costs following hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Tuesday rose four points to 68 this month. That's the highest reading since May. Readings above 50 indicate more builders see sales conditions as good rather than poor. The index has remained above 60 since September of 2016. Читать дальше...

We are live. In Extra Time Shaka answers your questions about politics in Africa.

The Somali government said search and rescue operations have ended, three days after a massive explosion killed hundreds of people at a busy intersection in Mogadishu. Official casualty figures stand at 281 dead and more than 300 wounded, but the death toll could still rise, Information Minister Abdurrahman Omar Osman said Tuesday. "The number can increase because there may be other victims either taken by their relatives who later died or others who died from their wounds," he told VOA's Somali service. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump's net worth declined by some $600 million to $3.1 billion in the past year, according to Forbes magazine. The biggest contributing factor to Trump's declining fortune was his real estate holdings, much of which is in New York City. Several of his Manhattan properties have declined in value, reducing his fortune in this sector by nearly $400 million. Some of Trump's golf properties overseas and in the United States also have declined in value, the apparent result... Читать дальше...

Spain's top court ruled Catalonia's independence referendum illegal Tuesday, saying that the regional law backing it violated Spain's constitution. The Catalan government had passed the "self-determination referendum law" on September 6. Spain's high court said the law must be suspended temporarily as it assessed the Spanish government's opposition to it, but Catalonia went ahead with the referendum on October 1. According to court regulations, the suspension was to last five months while judges come up with a ruling... Читать дальше...

Unless the courts intervene, President Donald Trump’s latest order restricting travel goes into effect Wednesday just after midnight Eastern Daylight Time. The order would largely ban travelers from seven countries and certain government officials from Venezuela. It also would subject Iraqi nationals to increased security screening before entry to the U.S. Protests were held in Seattle and Los Angeles on Sunday with more scheduled for Wednesday. And even before its effective date, the new travel... Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump meets Tuesday at the White House with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for talks that are expected to focus on military cooperation, energy security and economic investment. A White House statement issued earlier this month said the two leaders will seek to "enhance our partnership and demonstrate our shared commitment to enduring democratic values that are so important to securing peace and prosperity around the world." Trump's talks with the key ally come as U.S.... Читать дальше...

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Monday described U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision not to re-certify Iran's compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal as an "internal U.S. process". European countries, along with Russia and China - the other signatories - say Tehran is keeping its end of the bargain. Henry Ridgwell looks at how other parties to the deal will likely respond should the U.S. withdraw from the agreement.