Новости за 20.12.2017

A U.S. federal court sentenced a Brooklyn resident to 15 years in prison on terrorism charges, according to the Department of Justice. Kazakhstan citizen was charged with conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, Islamic State. He first expressed support for Islamic State in 2014, according to court filings. "Saidakhmetov's plan was to become a battlefield soldier for ISIS, but should that not come to pass, he was prepared to bring the fight to our... Читать дальше...

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The United States has financially blacklisted five Russians, including Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, whom it accused of carrying out deadly repression against people trying to expose government corruption. The U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday, as head of the Chechen republic, Kadyrov "oversees an administration involved in disappearances and extra-judicial killings. One of Kadyrov's political opponents was believed to have been murdered at Kadyrov's direction, after making allegations... Читать дальше...

Two opposition parties, the Gorran and the Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal), have withdrawn from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), party sources said. The withdrawals came Wednesday after two days of violence in the region, as Kurdish demonstrators protest years of austerity measures and unpaid public sector salaries. Regional tensions escalated after the central government in Baghdad imposed stringent measures due to the KRG's holding of an independence referendum, on September 25... Читать дальше...

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday vowed to ensure the rule of law, fight corruption, enact laws that attract investors and conduct free and fair elections next year. But the opposition says the country’s new president and his government are no different from the old regime of Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa pledged that Zimbabwe would unveil a "robust" re-engagement policy and open up to foreign investment, as he delivered his first State of the Nation address since taking office nearly a month ago. Читать дальше...

North Dakota is America's leading state in drone research and testing, the Silicon Valley of drone innovation — testing, developing applications and training operators. Four elements came together in North Dakota to give the Roughrider State a head start in the unmanned aerial systems industry (UAS) — its emptiness, its weather, its university and its UAS-friendly policies. North Dakota's drone industry is part of a global market, one that is expected to grow from $11.3 billion in 2015 to $140 billion in 2025... Читать дальше...

Scientists warn a campaign to eradicate polio in central Africa is falling short because of upheaval in the Lake Chad Basin area, where the Boko Haram militant group remains active.  On the positive side, on country – Gabon - has been declared polio-free. Professor Rose Leke, who heads the Africa Regional Certification Commission for polio eradication, says Central Africa has seen no cases of polio in the past 15 months.  But, she adds, scientists cannot be sure the polio virus has been eradicated in the region. Читать дальше...

Shaka Ssali discusses U.S. - Zimbabwe relations with Harry K. Thomas, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Blessing Zulu, VOA, Zimbabwe Service Reporter, and with Dr. Frenk Guni, ZANU/PF Party Representative.

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President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital looms large in Christmas festivities this year in the traditional birthplace of Jesus, biblical Bethlehem. Some vendors and a leading hotelier in Bethlehem say Palestinian protests, triggered by what many here view as a provocative show of Trump's pro-Israel bias, have hurt their Christmas business. Yet Bethlehem also offers a stage for a Palestinian rebuttal: banners proclaiming Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Palestine... Читать дальше...

The U.S. State Department confirmed Wednesday that "multiple" Americans were among those killed in a bus crash in Mexico a day earlier. "We can confirm the deaths of multiple U.S. citizens in #Mexico bus accident, and several injuries," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert wrote on Twitter. She also voiced condolences to those affected by the tragedy. State officials in Mexico said that eight Americans, two Swedes and one Canadian were among the 12 people killed, the Associated Press reported. Читать дальше...

Twelve people have been killed – with eight Americans among them - in Mexico Tuesday after a tour bus carrying passengers from Royal Caribbean cruise ships crashed along a highway. Two Swedes, one Canadian and a tour guide were also among the dead. Local officials said excessive speed and driver negligence were to blame when the bus carrying 31 passengers flipped and struck a tree.   The bus was traveling to Mayan ruins in the state of Quintana Roo - home to the popular resort city of Cancun. Читать дальше...

Hundreds of South Sudanese refugees entered the Democratic Republic of Congo this week after South Sudanese government forces captured a rebel base near the border. Amid gunfire late Sunday, South Sudanese troops entered Lasu town, which had been the rebels' second general headquarters. The rebels pulled out the next day. Mary Awate fled her home to the forests when the clashes began. With her children to take care of, she spent two days hiding in the bush before reaching the Congo border on Tuesday. Читать дальше...

China is widely forecast to bolster its military power next year in the South China Sea to resist Japan, India and the United States, as well as the Asian states that dispute Beijing's maritime claims. Scholars believe China will eventually enhance radar surveillance and let fighter jets use tiny islets for stopovers. Beijing might declare an air defense identification zone or other means of maritime control, too, they suggest. It probably hopes the United States, along with militarily powerful allies such as Japan and India... Читать дальше...

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley has warned other United Nations envoys that she will be ‘taking names’ when the U.N. General Assembly holds a rare emergency session on Thursday to consider a resolution rejecting U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “The President will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us,” the letter, seen by VOA, says. “We will take note of each and every vote on this issue.”   In a reversal of long-standing U.S. policy... Читать дальше...

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley has warned other United Nations envoys that she will be ‘taking names’ when the U.N. General Assembly holds a rare emergency session on Thursday to consider a resolution rejecting U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “The President will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us,” the letter, seen by VOA, says. “We will take note of each and every vote on this issue.”   In a reversal of long-standing U.S. policy... Читать дальше...

We're thawing out the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending Dec. 23, 2017. It's a festive time of year for many of us, so here's something to celebrate: a new number one single! Number 5: Imagine Dragons "Thunder" Imagine Dragons remains your fifth-place act with "Thunder." We're only about six weeks away from the Super Bowl … and this band will take part in the festivities. On Feb. 1, 2018, Imagine Dragons will give a headlining performance in Minneapolis... Читать дальше...

Vladimir Putin's torso, which he sometimes bares during sporting pursuits, is a familiar part of his public image. How much Putin reveals of the man behind the buff exterior is another question. After 18 years as Russia's leader — and with another six-year term sure to follow a March election — Putin doesn't show the appetites or vulnerabilities that can personalize Western politics, even when staged or spun. If he has moments of merriment or melancholy, they happen in private. His air of shadow... Читать дальше...

A Turkish prosecutor has called for an American basketball player to be arrested for insulting president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, state-run Anadolu news agency reported Wednesday. Kanter, who lives in the United States and plays for the New York Knicks, is accused of insulting president Erdogan on Twitter. Kanter responded to the call for his arrest by tweeting "I have said less than that honorless [man] deserves. Add another 4 years for me, master" along with screenshots of media reports on the indictment. Читать дальше...

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A survey by the U.N. refugee agency reveals heightened worries by the Rohingya refugee population in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh over their health and safety. It has been nearly four months since the mass exodus of Rohingya refugees began from Myanmar into Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. More than 645,000 Rohingya who escaped violence and persecution in Myanmar are living in squalid, overcrowded settlements.   A survey by the U.N. refugee agency and 13 other organizations finds the refugees have developed... Читать дальше...

The European Court of Justice ruled Wednesday that ride-hailing company Uber should be regulated like a taxi service instead of a technology firm, a decision that limits its business operations in Europe. The decision was handed down in response to a complaint from a Barcelona taxi drivers association, which tried to prevent Uber from expanding into the Spanish city. The drivers maintained that Uber drivers should be subject to authorizations and license requirements and accused the company of engaging in unfair competition. Читать дальше...

Republicans celebrated the all-but-certain passage of a U.S. tax overhaul on Wednesday, the first major legislative victory of Donald Trump’s presidency. Trump called it a "historic victory for the American people." House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement. “Americans are going to see relief almost immediately in the form of bigger paychecks and lower taxes.” The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate with overwhelming Republican backing and unified Democratic opposition. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump and his Republican supporters in Congress are celebrating the passage of a U.S. tax overhaul, the first major legislative victory of Trump's presidency. "We are making America great again," Trump told a crowd gathered on the lawn of the White House on Wednesday. He praised by name the lawmakers who supported the bill, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Vice President Mike Pence, and others. "It's the largest tax cut in our history. Читать дальше...

The executive arm of the European Union has launched unprecedented disciplinary proceedings against Poland, contending that Warsaw's controversial judicial reforms undercut the independence of Polish courts. European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans of the Netherlands told reporters in Brussels that 13 laws adopted by Poland in the past two years created a situation in which the Polish ruling majority "can systematically politically interfere with the composition, powers, the administration... Читать дальше...