Новости за 27.10.2017

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday welcomed President Donald Trump's declaration of the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency, saying he agreed with Trump that the war on addiction was “winnable.” Trump on Thursday directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to declare a 90-day public health emergency, but he stopped short of declaring the epidemic a national emergency or asking Congress for additional funds. Trump’s declaration nonetheless gives states more flexibility to use federal funds... Читать дальше...

We’re interacting with the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending October 28, 2017. It’s a good week in the Top Five: not only do we get a new song, we also greet a new champion. Number 5: Portugal. The Man "Feel It Still" It all starts in fifth place, where Portugal. The Man advances a slot with “Feel It Still.” Why the wacky name? This alternative rock act first came together in Alaska about 16 years ago, then moved to Portland, Oregon and released its debut album in 2006. Читать дальше...

After spending weeks in the desert landscape of the American southwest, national parks traveler Mikah Meyer is happily immersing himself in the cooler climate of America's Pacific northwest. Along with the cooler temperatures, he found pristine waters, lush rainforests and snow-capped mountains at Olympic National Park in Washington state. He shared highlights of his experiences with VOA’s Julie Taboh.

Oregon's two senators are demanding an explanation from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after viewing a video showing plainclothes ICE agents arresting a man without a warrant. The cellphone video was shot by a co-worker of the arrested man as the two were renovating a house in Portland, Oregon, on October 19. Posted on Facebook, the video has gotten more than 1.1 million views. In the video, "plainclothes agents appear to have illegally entered a private residence, exclaiming, 'We don't... Читать дальше...

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

Residents of a displaced persons camp in South Sudan say they were deeply disappointed when a visit by U.S. envoy Nikki Haley was cut short Wednesday, with several residents accusing the French charity that runs the camp of preventing Haley from seeing their wretched living conditions. Officials said at the time that Haley's visit to the UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) camp in Juba was cut short because of security concerns over a turbulent demonstration against President Salva Kiir. Читать дальше...

A Kenyan university student has won a $100,000 research grant for an idea aimed at decreasing maternal and infant deaths among cattle-raising families on the Kenya-Ethiopia border. Dahabo Adi Galgalo secured the 2017 innovation award from AESA, Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa, for designing a GPS-like device to track expectant mothers in the area and ensure they seek health care for themselves and their babies. Born into a pastoralist family in Kenya's Marsabit County... Читать дальше...

The Correspondents is VOA’s weekly discussion of the world’s top stories, as seen through the eyes of our dedicated reporters in the US and around the globe. Hosted by Mil Arcega, our panel of journalists goes beyond the headlines to give listeners and viewer real context and understanding of what’s driving the story.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans now favor the legalization of marijuana, the highest percentage yet. According to a poll by Gallup, 64 percent of Americans favor legalizing the plant. When Gallup starting asking Americans the question in 1969, only 12 percent of Americans were for legalizing marijuana. “The trajectory of Americans’ views on marijuana is similar to that of their views on same-sex marriage over the past couple of decades,” Gallup said in an online post. “On both issues, about... Читать дальше...

Political and religious leaders in western Kenya warn that plans to re-attempt presidential polling in four counties will further inflame tensions. The electoral commission postponed voting in those areas Thursday due to security concerns amid an opposition boycott. Late Friday, the electoral commission postponed the voting again, citing threats to electoral staff. No new date has been announced. Residents in western Kenya, a stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga, say they plan to respect Odinga's call to boycott the polls again. Читать дальше...

The U.N refugee agency says a potential crisis may be developing as hundreds of Togolese refugees flee political instability and escalating violence. More than 500 Togolese have recently arrived in Ghana seeking asylum, according to the UNHCR. "Togolese seeking safety, including women and children, told UNHCR staff earlier this month that they had fled on foot, walking from their homes in Togo's Mango region, bordering Ghana. They said they were fleeing human rights abuses after the recent political... Читать дальше...

Two prominent Haitian journalism organizations have rejected a request to share video recorded during anti-government protests with authorities. The Association of Haitian Journalists (AJH) and the Association of National Haitian Media (ANMH) said Thursday that they consider the request, made by Port-au-Prince district attorney Clame Ocmane Dameus in a press statement Sunday, to be an extreme infringement on press freedom. The request asked television stations to send to officials any copies... Читать дальше...

Kenya’s electoral commission has called for patience and calm as it tallies the results of Thursday's re-run presidential election. However, some analysts already fear that the low turnout — just 35 percent compared to nearly 80 percent in the previous poll in August — may undercut the credibility of the results. The chief of Kenya's electoral commission says 6.5 million voters, about one-third of all registered voters, cast ballots in the election Thursday. Opposition leader Raila Odinga told his supporters to boycott the vote... Читать дальше...

The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State announced Friday morning a cease-fire between Iraqi forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga in Northern Iraq, but quickly backtracked on the claim, saying it is not an “official” cease-fire. Army spokesman Ryan Dillon posted a clarification on Twitter to say “both parties (are) talking with one another,” but that a “cease-fire” had not been reached. ​     The Iraqi military and the Kurdish minority have been clashing for several weeks after... Читать дальше...

The United Nations said Friday the Myanmar government has agreed to allow it to resume its food distribution operations in northern Rakhine State after a two-month suspension. The agreement was announced as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund reported that Rohingya children fleeing into Bangladesh were "close to death" from malnutrition. Bettina Luescher, spokeswoman for the World Food Program (WFP), the food assistance branch of the U.N., said the timing and extent of... Читать дальше...

History is a battlefield in the contentious independence standoff between Spain and Catalan secessionists, pressed into service by each, shaped as a weapon and hurled with abandon. Both sides in the confrontation that threatens the territorial integrity of Spain have raised the political temperature by citing some of the darkest chapters in Spanish and Catalan history to provoke or to bolster support. Underscoring the struggle for hearts and minds are disputes about who did what to whom, stretching back to 1714... Читать дальше...

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Even before the U.S. State Department determines whether ongoing atrocities by Myanmar’s military against ethnic Rohingya Muslims qualify as ethnic cleansing, members of Congress are trying to pressure the country’s government to address the crisis. Resolutions in the House and Senate condemn the violence and call on Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to speak out more forcefully on the issue. Those measures are a first step in Congressional action that could eventually include a stand-alone bill... Читать дальше...

The U.S. economy expanded at a three percent annual pace in July, August and September, about the same pace as the prior quarter. Friday's Commerce Department data surprised economists, who thought damage from two hurricanes would cut growth to a lower level. The data show the world's largest economy is now about 2.3 percent larger than it was at this time last year. Stuart Hoffman of PNC bank says the "solid" growth data is likely to help corporate profits and reinforce the U.S. central bank's... Читать дальше...

British Security Minister Ben Wallace said Friday Britain believed "quite strongly" that North Korea was responsible for a global cyberattack earlier this year. The cyberattack, which occurred in May, disrupted government services and businesses throughout the world, including one-third of English hospitals. "North Korea was the state that we believe was involved in this worldwide attack on our systems," Wallace said in an interview with the BBC. He added the British government was "as sure as... Читать дальше...

Al-Shabab militants in Somalia have stoned a mother of eight to death for allegedly committing adultery. Hundreds of residents gathered at a public square in the town of Saakow, about 400 kilometers south of Mogadishu, to watch the execution on Thursday, residents said. In an audio posted on an al-Shabab website, an al-Shabab judge said the woman, identified as Habiba Ali Ishaq, married a second husband while already married to another man, and as a result was convicted for adultery. The al-Shabab... Читать дальше...

U.S. envoy Nikki Haley says the Democratic Republic of Congo must hold long-delayed elections next year or it won't receive international help with the vote. Haley spoke to reporters in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, after a meeting Friday with the country's electoral commission. "We need free and fair elections to happen in 2018 at the latest, and not the end of 2018 — we need to have them sooner," she said. She called on President Joseph Kabila to announce elections will take place next year. Читать дальше...

A group of unknown assailants in Pakistan have attacked and seriously wounded an investigative journalist in Islamabad. The attackers on motorcycles intercepted Ahmed Noorani’s car on a busy road, dragged him out and beat him with clubs before fleeing the scene, witnesses and police said.   Doctors reported Noorani was under treatment in a main hospital of the capital city, and they described his condition as “stable.” Outspoken Noorani works for the English-language newspaper The News. The... Читать дальше...

Two religious leaders from Myanmar's ethnic Kachin minority were found guilty on Friday of assisting an insurgent group in a trial derided by rights monitors. Dumdaw Nawng Lat, a 67-year-old assistant pastor with the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), and Langjaw Gam Seng, a 35-year-old KBC youth leader, were convicted under the Unlawful Associations Act. The human rights monitor Fortify Rights confirmed the convictions, which were handed down by the Lashio District Court in northern Shan State. Читать дальше...

Jose wears an ankle monitor on his right leg. Caught crossing the U.S.-Mexican border, the Honduran native was detained for about 17 months in an immigration facility, first in Texas and then in New Jersey, where his bail was set at $20,000. Jose, who asked not to be identified by his real name, did not have the money. Usually the full amount is required in illegal immigration cases because immigrants are considered flight risks. His pro bono immigration lawyer could not help him with the bond amount... Читать дальше...