Новости за 26.12.2017

Vietnam has unveiled a new, 10,000-strong military cyberwarfare unit to counter "wrong" views on the Internet, media reported, amid a widening crackdown on critics of the one-party state. The cyber unit, named Force 47, is already in operation in several sectors, Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia, deputy head of the military's political department, as saying at a conference of the Central Propaganda Department on Monday in the commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City. "In every hour... Читать дальше...

Three large U.S. cities are suing the Defense Department for allegedly failing to provide "significant numbers" of records to the FBI's national background check system for gun ownership. New York, San Francisco and Philadelphia filed the lawsuit after the U.S. Air Force disclosed that it had failed to report the criminal record of a man who shot and killed 26 people at a Texas church in November. "This failure on behalf of the Department of Defense has led to the loss of innocent lives by putting... Читать дальше...

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

Since South Sudan's government captured a rebel base last week in the country's southwest, hundreds of refugees have poured into Democratic Republic of Congo. Among them may be rebels, and the Congolese army, wary of conflict spilling into their nation, is arresting any suspected fighters. Refugees, however, say innocent young men are being caught up in the crackdown, too. Grace Gaba, speaking from the border of town of Aba where some 30,000 refugees have taken shelter, said her brother... Читать дальше...

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

Before becoming president, Donald Trump railed against US wars overseas, saying it was better to spend money at home than, in his words, "waste" it overseas. But as VOA's Bill Gallo reports, Trump has at times struggled to carry out what he calls his "America First" approach to the world during his first year as president.

Amadi Onyekachi says she was sexually assaulted by a Nigerian police officer in mid-October.  Initially, she felt she would never get justice because there was "no way" she would report the incident to local police. Instead Onyekachi took to Instagram to express her thoughts and went to bed, albeit tired and traumatized. While she slept, her post, which detailed the alleged assault, went viral across Nigeria, generating hundreds of likes and comments and thousands of reposts. In her post, Onyekachi... Читать дальше...

At the age of 5, Maame Biney immigrated to the U.S. from Ghana to live with her father. She was an energetic child, and her father wanted to channel that energy into a sport. One day, they drove by a local ice rink in Reston, Virginia, where a sign in front read "Learn to Skate." Biney's father asked if she wanted to give it a try. "I brought her here, in this particular rink, and she just tried it," her father, Kweku Biney, said. "And the first day she got on the ice I was scared, you know. Читать дальше...

With the number of journalists imprisoned worldwide at an all-time high, press freedom groups are drawing a direct line between President Donald Trump’s verbal slugfest with some of America’s most venerable news institutions and the adoption of his “fake news” mantra by autocrats and dictators around the world. “We’re seeing an unprecedented attack on both the institution of journalism and the media, as well as very personal attacks on individual journalists and individual media outlets,” says Courtney Radsch... Читать дальше...

India Tuesday accused Pakistan of harassing the family members of convicted Indian spy Shri Kulbhushan Jadhav when they were permitted to visit him a day earlier. Pakistani authorities allowed Jadhav's wife and mother to visit him Monday, reiterating the step was taken "purely on humanitarian grounds." India's Ministry of External Affairs said that the meeting was held in an "atmosphere of coercion." "It appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion," the ministry said in a statement. Читать дальше...

When schoolchildren in Washington, D.C. are asked to say the first thing that comes to mind about Africa, they use words like hot, desert, sand, poverty, hunger, war and Ebola.   These are all accurate things to say about that part or the world — but they reflect an "incomplete" picture, says writer Austin Merrill, who together with photojournalist Peter DiCampo has set out to document African reality beyond common stereotypes.   They are the founders of Everyday Africa, an Instagram community... Читать дальше...

When schoolchildren in Washington, D.C. are asked to say the first thing that comes to mind about Africa, they use words like hot, desert, sand, poverty, hunger, war and Ebola.   These are all accurate things to say about that part or the world — but they reflect an "incomplete" picture, says writer Austin Merrill, who together with photojournalist Peter DiCampo has set out to document African reality beyond common stereotypes.   They are the founders of Every Day Africa, an Instagram community... Читать дальше...

A Bahraini military court sentenced six men to death and revoked their citizenship after they were convicted on charges of forming a terrorist cell and plotting to assassinate a military official, Bahrain news agency BNA reported on Monday. The men, including one soldier, were accused of several “terrorist crimes” and of attempting to assassinate a commander of the Bahraini army, BNA said. The court sentenced seven other people linked to the case to seven years in jail and revoked their citizenship... Читать дальше...

A Bahraini military court sentenced six men to death and revoked their citizenship after they were convicted on charges of forming a terrorist cell and plotting to assassinate a military official, Bahrain news agency BNA reported on Monday. The men, including one soldier, were accused of several “terrorist crimes” and of attempting to assassinate a commander of the Bahraini army, BNA said. The court sentenced seven other people linked to the case to seven years in jail and revoked their citizenship... Читать дальше...

Venezuelan authorities have so far released 44 opponents of the socialist government from prison over Christmas, but scores more remain in prison, a rights group said on Tuesday. President Nicolas Maduro's administration said it is freeing about 80 jailed activists in all, but giving them alternative punishments such as community service for crimes from violence to subversion during protests in 2014 and 2017. Opponents say those being released - and the nearly 200 others still detained - are... Читать дальше...

Authorities in eastern Libya have announced a conference in March to drum up support to rebuild the country's second-largest city Benghazi heavily damaged during three years of fighting between military forces and Islamist fighters. The announcement signals a desire to demonstrate a return to normality in the port, where top military commander Khalifa Haftar declared the end of a campaign to oust Islamist fighters in July. Clashes have sporadically continued in some isolated areas, while life has returned in the rest of the city... Читать дальше...

Oil moved higher above $65 a barrel on Tuesday, within sight of its highest since mid-2015, supported by an explosion on a crude pipeline in Libya and voluntary OPEC-led supply cuts. The move towards restart of a key North Sea pipeline, Forties, capped the rally. The pipeline is being tested after repairs and full flows should resume in early January, its operator said on Monday. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose 19 cents to $65.44 a barrel at 1447 GMT. Prices hit $65.83 on December 12... Читать дальше...

Egypt said Tuesday the World Bank should be brought in to resolve tensions with Ethiopia over a massive dam on the Nile River that Egypt says threatens its water security. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry spoke in Addis Ababa after a 10-month impasse over technical negotiations for the dam, which will be Africa's biggest hydro-electric plant. The talks also involve Sudan. "Egypt has recognized the importance of economic development to Ethiopia . but science should be the determining factor on how... Читать дальше...

Turkey will rebuild a ruined Ottoman port city on Sudan's Red Sea coast and construct a naval dock to maintain civilian and military vessels, Sudan's foreign minister said on Tuesday, as Ankara expands military and economic ties in Africa. The restoration at Suakin was agreed during a visit to the ancient port by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said. Making the first trip by a Turkish president to Sudan, Erdogan said Turkey had been temporarily granted part... Читать дальше...

Saudi Arabia has released 23 of the 200-or-so powerful individuals detained since November on corruption charges after they reached deals with the government, Okaz newspaper reported on Tuesday. The report did not name those involved in what appeared to be the first large-scale release since the royals, business people and government officials were detained in a crackdown spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The suspects have been held at Riyadh’s luxurious Ritz Carlton hotel since... Читать дальше...

Sudan is to devalue its currency to 18 Sudanese pounds per dollar in January from the current exchange rate of 6.7, the finance minister said on Tuesday. The International Monetary Fund urged Sudan earlier this month to float its currency to boost growth and investment, but the government has ruled out a market-determined exchange rate. The devaluation which includes the customs exchange rate — the rate used to calculate customs duties —  is timed to take place when the 2018 budget begins, in the first week of January... Читать дальше...

Chinese diplomacy apparently has succeeded in persuading Afghanistan to begin a wide-ranging dialogue proposed by Pakistan for mending strained bilateral relations. The decision came at Tuesday’s first trilateral talks Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted in Beijing between his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts. Last month, Islamabad shared with Kabul what it called an “Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Solidarity" (APAPS) for a “constructive and meaningful” engagement between the two countries. Читать дальше...

Peru's ailing former president, Alberto Fujimori, Tuesday asked the public for forgiveness, two days after receiving a controversial pardon from current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. In a Facebook video filmed from his hospital bed, Fujimori said, "I am aware that the results of my government were well received on one side, but I admit that I have let down other compatriots, and I ask them to forgive me with all my heart." On Sunday, Kuczynski granted a medical pardon to the former authoritarian leader... Читать дальше...

The shops in Mali are full of imported goods from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. This, Mali’s captains of industry maintain, is not necessary. Mali can produce a lot of what it consumes at home. But for that to happen, there needs to be a wholesale revival of its industrial sector. Can it be done? This used to be a very familiar sound throughout most of Mali’s territory. From Gao to Sikasso, factories produced a wide range of consumer goods. But a lot of that is gone. “We are,” said industry representative Cyril Achcar... Читать дальше...

As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump promised a radically different approach to foreign intervention than that of his predecessors. At campaign events, Trump railed against U.S. military intervention so frequently that it eventually became a part of his stump speech. “We’ve spent $6 trillion in the Middle East,” Trump repeatedly lamented. “We could have rebuilt our country twice.” In his first year as president, Pentagon data suggests Trump has struggled to carry out his “America First” approach to the world... Читать дальше...