Новости за 19.12.2017

Less than a month after a military intervention forced longtime leader Robert Mugabe to step down, the new leaders of ruling ZANU-PF party have big plans for Zimbabwe. Retired General Sibusiso Moyo announced the military takeover on November 15 and has been appointed to serve as foreign minister. He sees opportunities to revive Zimbabwe's struggling economy. "Our primary interest at the moment is economic development and emancipation of our people," Moyo told VOA's Zimbabwe Service. Zimbabwe's long-ailing economy will recover... Читать дальше...

Nearly two-thirds of Americans have a favorable view of the U.S. economy, according to a new poll, even as they give President Donald Trump negative reviews for his handling of the world's largest economy and an array of other issues. In its latest poll, Quinnipiac University said 63 percent of voters consider the U.S. economy to be "excellent" or "good," while 34 percent say it is "not so good" or "poor." Three-fourths of voters described their own financial situation as "excellent" or "good,"... Читать дальше...

The U.N. Security Council approved cross-border aid deliveries to Syria for another year Tuesday, despite some concerns from Russia. The renewed authorization will help the United Nations and its partners get life-saving aid to more than three million people in northern and southern parts of the war-torn country. The resolution was adopted with a vote of 13 in favor and three abstentions - Russia, China and Bolivia. The Russian envoy, Vladimir Safronkov, said when the council mandated cross-border deliveries in 2014... Читать дальше...

British Prime Minister Theresa May telephoned U.S. President Donald Trump Tuesday and discussed his recent decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which prompted the United Nations General Assembly to convene a rare emergency meeting at the request of Arab and Muslim states. The phone call was first disclosed by a Downing Street spokesperson, who said the two leaders discussed their "different positions" on Jerusalem. The phone call occurred one day after May and leaders of 13 other... Читать дальше...

The U.S. Senate prepared to vote late Tuesday on an overhaul of the federal tax code, a step toward President Donald Trump’s first major legislative victory on a bill that is expected to trigger far-reaching consequences for the U.S. and global economy. If approved by the Senate, the bill will have to go back to the House of Representatives for another vote. Earlier Tuesday, the House passed a version of the legislation that leaders expected would be their final action on the matter.  But Senate... Читать дальше...

A U.S. tax overhaul passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, setting the stage for a final Senate vote expected to give President Donald Trump his first major legislative victory and trigger far-reaching consequences for the U.S. and global economy. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was approved 227 to 203, with nearly all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposed. If enacted, the bill permanently slashes corporate taxes, temporarily cuts taxes paid by American wage and salary earners... Читать дальше...

Since September 2017, al-Shabab militants have overrun four Somali government military bases, killing more than 60 soldiers and seizing large quantities of weapons. Now, a military assessment by the Somali government found some of the troops manning these bases are completely unarmed. The "Operational Readiness Assessment" conducted by the government found that approximately 30 percent of the soldiers in the bases do not have weapons. The evaluators said some units also lack medium and heavy weaponry... Читать дальше...

Debate on age limits and term length for the president of Uganda came to a sudden halt Tuesday when a lawmaker reported seeing soldiers on the premises.  The allegation led to a scuffle between legislators and parliamentary police. The legislature was already on edge because of the proposals being discussed. Parliament is debating a bill that would abolish the age limit for 75 presidential candidates, a move that would enable longtime President Yoweri Museveni to run for another term in the 2021 election. Читать дальше...

Saudi air defenses have shot down a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh by Yemen's Houthi militia group. Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of supplying ballistic missile technology to the Houthis. Amateur video showed a salvo of the fourth-generation Saudi Patriot missiles being launched at the approaching ballistic missile, before blowing it up in a cloud of smoke over the skies of the capital, Riyadh. Debris from another missile fired from Yemen landed close to Riyadh's international airport in November. Читать дальше...

Catalonia will hold regional elections Thursday, two months after separatist campaigners tried to declare independence from Madrid following a disputed referendum. Many leaders of the secessionist movement have been arrested – prompting comparisons among some supporters to the actions of former Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco. As Henry Ridgwell reports from Barcelona, history plays a key role in the Catalan independence movement.

The U.N. children’s fund reports an alarming rise in violence and criminality in Central African Republic, with children and women most victimized from the lack of security and humanitarian aid. As the year draws to a close, a look back at 2017 finds nothing but shattered hopes in Central African Republic. The U.N. Children’s Fund says the year has been very difficult for children and women with little chance of improvement in sight. It says violence and instability continues to spread throughout the country. Читать дальше...

The U.N. children’s fund reports an alarming rise in violence and criminality in Central African Republic, with children and women most victimized from the lack of security and humanitarian aid. As the year draws to a close, a look back at 2017 finds nothing but shattered hopes in Central African Republic. The U.N. Children’s Fund says the year has been very difficult for children and women with little chance of improvement in sight. It says violence and instability continues to spread throughout the country. Читать дальше...

Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it would begin using facial recognition technology to tell people on the social network when others upload photos of them, if they agree to let the company keep a facial template on file. The company said in a statement it was making the feature optional to allow people to protect their privacy, but that it thought some people would want to be notified of pictures they might not otherwise know about. The feature would not immediately be available in Canada and the European Union, Facebook said. Читать дальше...

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

The United States asked the United Nations Tuesday to blacklist 10 ships that carried banned items from North Korea. The vessels, including two Hong Kong-flagged ships and two North Korean tankers, are accused of “conducting illegal ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels, or illegally transporting North Korean coal to other countries for exports,” according to the U.S. proposal. If none of the U.N.'s 15 Security Council member states reject the proposal by Thursday... Читать дальше...

The United States has proposed that the United Nations Security Council blacklist 10 ships for transporting banned items from North Korea, according to documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday. If none of the 15 members of the Security Council's North Korea sanctions committee object to the ships being designated by Thursday afternoon, then the U.S. proposal will be approved. The committee operates by consensus. Countries are required to ban ships blacklisted under this measure from entering their ports.

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

Activists in Indonesia are warily celebrating the Constitutional Court's narrow rejection last week of a conservative group's petition to ban gay and extramarital sex. The surprising 5-4 verdict in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation came during a long anti-LGBT crackdown that began in January 2016. The ruling, while welcomed by the LGBT community, does not end their battle for acceptance. The Constitutional Court’s decision focused more on the fact that it was the wrong venue to consider... Читать дальше...

U.S. single-family homebuilding and permits surged to more than 10-year highs in November, in a hopeful sign for a housing market that has been hobbled by supply constraints. Builders have struggled to meet robust demand for housing, which is being fueled by a labor market near full employment. Land and skilled labor have been in short supply, while lumber price increases have accelerated. The Commerce Department said on Tuesday that single-family homebuilding, which accounts for the largest share of the housing market... Читать дальше...

The president of Honduras declared himself re-elected on Tuesday despite calls from the Organization of American States (OAS) for a fresh vote over allegations of fraud and deadly protests following last month’s disputed election. In Washington, his rival asked the United States and others to reject the result and cut off aid, warning that protests in which more than 20 people have died could escalate into generalized violence unless there is a new election. The opposition alliance said it would... Читать дальше...

Turkey will take the resolution calling on the United States to withdraw its declaration of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital to the United Nations General Assembly, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. The resolution was introduced to the U.N. Security Council on Monday by Egypt, a non-permanent member, but was vetoed by the United States, despite the 14 other votes in favor. "Now, God willing, we will carry the resolution to the U.N. General Assembly," Erdogan a joint news... Читать дальше...

In an annual report required by the US Congress, President Donald Trump unveiled a national security strategy that lays out his vision of America’s place in the world. VOA White House correspondent Peter Heinlein reports the plan emphasizes economic competitiveness, identifying China and Russia as America’s chief rivals for global influence.

A high-level forum to revive South Sudan's 2015 peace agreement is underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – and the stakes could not be higher. The internal conflict that began four years ago has driven two million people from the country and left more than a million others a step away from famine, according to the United Nations. The peace agreement signed in Addis two and half years ago fell apart in July 2016 after clashes between supporters of President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar left hundreds dead in the capital, Juba. Читать дальше...

In laying out his national security strategy, President Donald Trump sold short the records of his predecessors, speaking as if the energy boom started with him and the gates of America were wide open before he came along.   On Twitter, meanwhile, Trump tweeted a wrong score in the game of politics and got ahead of the facts in the deadly Washington state Amtrak crash.   A look at some of his statements Monday:   TRUMP on his predecessors: “They put American energy under lock and key.”   THE FACTS... Читать дальше...

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote Tuesday on a Republican $1.5 trillion tax bill that will provide tax relief for most Americans, but benefit the wealthy the most, according to a non-partisan tax analysis group. Following the House vote, the Senate will vote on the measure later Tuesday, according to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.  If both houses approve the measure, it will be sent to President Donald Trump for him to sign into law, completing the first extensive modification... Читать дальше...