Новости за 31.12.2017

Protesters chant "don't fear, we are all together" in Shooshtar, Iran, on Sunday, December 31, 2017. Video provided to VOA Persian by local resident.

Protesters overturn Iranian police van on central Tehran’s Valiasr Street, on Sunday, December 31, 2017. Video provided to VOA Persian by local resident.

Protesters chant "death to the dictator" in Urmia, Iran, on Sunday, December 31, 2017. Video provided to VOA Persian by local resident.

New Zealand, Australia, and surrounding Pacific Islands were among the first places to ring in 2018 with fireworks displays, parties, and other festivities. Nearly 1.5 million people gathered to watch a rainbow fireworks display above Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge and opera house.

Concerns are being voiced in Pakistan about how a few radical groups with proven terror ties have been allowed to re-brand themselves as political parties. Taj Haider, one of the prominent and founding members of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which has been in power five times since 1970, told VOA the country is again seeing the trend of extremist groups camouflaging themselves to enter into politics. “Religion and politics cannot go hand in hand, but unfortunately this is our new reality. Читать дальше...

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

FOR THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN FARSI: Please follow @VOAIran and ir.voanews.com 12/31/17 3:22 p.m. - Watch: Protests intensify in Shooshtar, Iran 12/31/17 3:20 p.m. - Photo of protests by VOA Persian ​12/31/17 2:54 p.m. - Follow Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's coverage of protests in Iran. 12/31/17 12:45pm - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in his first comments since days of anti-government demonstrations broke out, said people have the right to protest but stressed violence is not acceptable. Читать дальше...

FOR THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN FARSI: Please follow @VOAIran and ir.voanews.com 12/31/17 11:04 p.m. ​ 12/31/17 10:39 p.m. 12/31/17 10:32 p.m. -- Statement from the White House Press Secretary: We support the right of the Iranian people to express themselves peacefully. Their voices deserve to be heard.We encourage all parties to protect this fundamental right to peaceful expression and to avoid any actions that contribute to censorship. 12/31/17 9:20 p.m. -- VOA's Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb... Читать дальше...

12/31/17 12:45pm - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in his first comments since days of anti-government demonstrations broke out, said people have the right to protest but stressed violence is not acceptable.  "Criticism is different to violence and destroying public property," he told a Cabinet meeting, according to state media. 12/31/17 11:50am - Iran's semi-official ILNA news agency is reporting that police arrested around 200 protesters in the capital Tehran on Saturday. 12/3117 11:45am... Читать дальше...

At least two civilians have been killed as violence erupted ahead of protests in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday. Police fired shots and tear gas to break up a Catholic mass and arrested altar boys who were among protesters gathering at the church to rally against President Joseph Kabila. Ida Sawyer, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said two men had been killed outside the church. The French news agency, AFP, reported that an officer and a youth in the suburbs of Kinshasa were also killed. Читать дальше...

Five sheriff's deputies and two civilians were shot as police responded to a domestic disturbance call Sunday in the Midwestern U.S. state of Colorado. The Douglas County sheriff's office said that one of the five deputies had been killed, and the suspect was shot and no longer a threat. "Suspect shot & believed to be dead & no longer a threat," the sheriff's department wrote on Twitter.     Earlier in the morning, the sheriff's office issued a "code red" in the surrounding area... Читать дальше...

According to a recent U.N. report, migration is on the rise. There are now an estimated 258 million people living in a country other than their country of birth. This has increased by almost half since the year 2000, the report says. Earlier this month 60 migrants returned from Libya to Sierra Leone with help from the International Organization for Migration, or IOM. Migrants from Kuwait were also returned earlier this year. Mariama Ndow is one of hundreds of migrants who came back to Sierra Leone this year. Читать дальше...

Two years after a state of emergency was declared in Flint, Michigan because of lead-poisoned water, residents have been assured their water is now safe. But residents are wary even though these assurances come from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. VOA's Anush Avetisyan visited Flint and spoke to residents who face a battle for clean water every day.

Two years after a state of emergency was declared in Flint, Michigan because of lead-poisoned water, residents have been assured their water is now safe. But residents are wary even though these assurances come from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. VOA's Anush Avetisyan visited Flint and spoke to residents who face a battle for clean water every day.

Thousands braved a frigid New York night to celebrate the start of 2018 in Times Square, an annual celebration that dates back to 1904. Tarana Burke, a social activist who started the #MeToo movement to draw attention to sexual abuse, pushed the button that started the famed ball drop – a hallmark of the New York celebration for 110 years.2017 saw a sea change in attitudes and awareness of sexual assault and sexual harassment, as millions of people used the hashtag to show how pervasive abuse is... Читать дальше...

New Zealand, Australia, and surrounding Pacific Islands were among the first places to ring in 2018 with fireworks displays, parties, and other festivities. Nearly 1.5 million people gathered to watch a rainbow fireworks display above Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge and opera house as the country celebrated legalizing gay marriage. Hours earlier, thousands lined the streets of Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, for the annual street party and fireworks show above the Sky Tower. In preparation for celebrations... Читать дальше...

Residents and visitors across East Asia welcomed 2018 with fireworks and parties Sunday. Thousands gathered around Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor to watch a 10-minute musical firework display, which included "shooting stars" fired from rooftops and revelers dancing to "Auld Lang Syne." In the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, over 400 couples participated in a New Year's mass wedding provided for free by authorities. New Zealand, Australia and the surrounding Pacific Islands were among the first places to ring in 2018 hours earlier. Читать дальше...

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said his people have the right to protest and criticize the government, in his first public response to nationwide anti-establishment protests that have stretched into a fourth day. Iranian state media said Rouhani made the conciliatory comments about the protests in remarks to his Cabinet on Sunday.  But they also quoted Rouhani as saying the protesters should focus on solving the country's problems and improving people's lives. In similar remarks posted on his Twitter account in Farsi... Читать дальше...

An Iranian official is blaming "foreign agents" for the shooting deaths of two protesters during widespread anti-government demonstrations Saturday. "No shots were fired by the police and security forces," Habibollah Khojastehpour, a deputy governor of the province where the protesters were killed. "We have found evidence of enemies of the revolution, Takfiri groups and foreign agents in this clash," he said in an interview on state television Sunday. The shootings happened in the western town of Dorud on the third day of protests. Читать дальше...

Iran has blocked Instagram and messaging app Telegram on Sunday amid days of anti-government protests across the country. Authorities were "temporarily" blocking both applications to "maintain peace" amid growing demonstrations, state television said. Many protesters had been using the apps to upload or share photos and videos from demonstrations. Telegram's CEO said Sunday on Twitter that the app had been blocked after management refused to heed a government request to shut it down. "Iranian... Читать дальше...

U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres warns the world is likely to face many complex and new dangers in 2018. In a year-end message, Guterres appeals for greater unity to overcome these threats and create a more peaceful world. When Guterres assumed office one year ago, the world was in the midst of a hopeful moment. Negotiations to end more than four decades of division on the island of Cyprus appeared to be moving toward a successful resolution. Guterres jumped into the fray and worked tirelessly to produce that outcome. Читать дальше...

A suicide bomber killed at least 18 people in an attack targeting the funeral of former district chief in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. Afghan forces have had frequent clashes with Islamic State militants in the area in recent weeks. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.   The Taliban denied any involvement. The incident comes just days after a suicide attack on a Shi'ite cultural center in Kabul that left at least 41 people dead and more than 80 wounded.   Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack. Читать дальше...

A suicide bomber targeted the funeral of former district chief in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, where Afghan forces have had frequent clashes with Islamic State militants in recent weeks. Provincial government spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told VOA at least 15 people were killed and another 13 were wounded — most of them civilians. Earlier reports said six people had been killed and 11 wounded. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The attack comes just days after an... Читать дальше...

An Egyptian court has handed down a sentence of three years to former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and 19 other people for making statements that insulted the judiciary. The defendants were also fined various amounts of money. Morsi's lawyer said his client would appeal the verdict. The former president has faced a host of charges since his ouster and has already been sentenced to 45 years in prison. Morsi was arrested after being ousted by the Egyptian military in June 2013. He was... Читать дальше...

A seaplane crashed into a river in Sydney on Sunday, killing six people ahead of the city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations at the harbor. Police said they did not know the cause of the crash, nor the identities of the five passengers, but were speaking with several witnesses. The pilot was the sixth victim. Several Australian media reported that four of the victims were British nationals, although that was not immediately confirmed by police. In London, the Foreign Office said its officials were in contact with local authorities in Sydney. Читать дальше...