Новости за 21.12.2017

Failure by Congress to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before the law’s December 31 expiration would threaten the ability of the United States to guard against future terrorist attacks, the heads of the major US intelligence agencies and the Attorney General warned in a joint statement on Thursday.

Two men charged with felony assault for starting a street brawl during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the US this spring have pleaded guilty.

A pair of police officers in the US state of Florida have been relieved of their duties after maliciously stereotyping black people as lazy criminals and chatting about shooting “n***ers” over a series of texts.

Is Marsupial Martial Arts is the new MMA?

While protests continue to rage on in Iraqi Kurdistan, the parliamentarians of the autonomous region call upon the people to express their demands in a civilized and peaceful form. Speaking to Sputnik, Iraqi Kurdistan politicians have condemned violent rallies, suggesting that the major fault for the economic hardships lies with Baghdad.

A Thai zoo has come under fire after a video posted on Facebook Monday showed a zookeeper repeatedly poking a tiger in the face in an attempt to elicit roars for tourist photos.

Exit polls from Catalonia’s snap regional election have shown a likely victory for separatist parties, although they've given some ground to pro-union parties since 2015. The election was called in late October after the Spanish government dissolved the Catalan Parliament for participating in an independence referendum deemed to be illegal.

A popular Czech nightclub has employed a new robotic DJ to spice up the routine and attract customers with a craving for the exotic.

The South Korean government has solidified a process to acquire 20 more F-35As for the country’s air force, JoonAng Ilbo reported Thursday.

As Christmas and New Year's Eve draw near, cities around the globe bust out their festive illuminations, eager to outshine each other in glorious displays of holiday spirit.

The House of Representatives has given its final approval of a major overhaul in the US tax code, with President Donald Trump expected to sign the bill into law in the near future. Speaking to Sputnik, Dr. David Rosenbloom, a senior specialist on the US tax system, outlined what the bill means for Americans and the world when it becomes law.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan will welcome guests discussing the Republicans’ tax bill. Will it help or hurt the overall economy? Who will benefit? Who will be worse off? Will the $1.5+ Trillion price tag force severe program cuts as Speaker Paul Ryan has said?

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Tommy Yang - China’s official introduction of the world’s largest carbon trading market is unlikely to fundamentally change the nation’s energy consumption structure, which relies heavily on coal as the primary energy source, experts told Sputnik.

Moscow expressed disappointment over the US' decision to supply sniper rifles to Kiev, warning that this action may lead to further bloodshed in Ukraine's restive southeastern region.

The new US National Security Strategy unveiled by Donald Trump on December 18 has prompted a heated debate about Washington's foreign policy in the Middle East. Speaking to Sputnik, Turkish politicians shared their concerns with the US military presence in the region and pointed to America's waning global influence.

Israel's spying agency has taken to a leading social network in an effort to boost its numbers - but somehow, it isn't nearly the strangest method of recruitment adopted by an intelligence service in history.

Fifteen years ago, researchers led by Moscow State University Professor Vladimir Lipunov began work on a unique system of robotic telescopes known as the MASTER network. Speaking to Sputnik, Dr. Lipunov explained what makes his system unique, and recalled the excitement he and his team felt over MASTER's most impressive success to date.

Britain has the highest rate of acid attacks per capita than anywhere else in the world - with some parts of London now becoming "no go areas" for fear of potential incidents.

A major case, centering around a $16 million property loan, has concluded in the defendants' favor London - along the way, allegations of threats, extortion and forgery abounded.

Judges in the Netherlands have banned the Bandidos biker gang, saying it posed a "public threat". The Dutch government ultimately has plans to make all biker gangs illegal, including the infamous Hells Angels.

RIGA (Sputnik) - The Latvian parliament (Saeima) on Thursday approved a bill on granting the status of World War II participant to Latvian citizens that fought in the country’s regular armed forces both against Nazi Germany and against the Soviet Union, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Finance ministry will issue special foreign currency government bonds to facilitate the return of capital to the Russian jurisdiction in the form of Eurobonds without increasing the planned volume of external borrowings, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Thursday.

Ahead of the first official visit of a UK foreign secretary to Russia in over 5 years, London's top diplomat Boris Johnson has spoken with RIA Novosti, broaching topical issues such as Syria and North Korea, prospects of improving ties between London and Moscow, and revealing how his ancestry makes him different from his predecessors in the office.

The UN General Assembly has approved a resolution that rejects US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel after 128 member states voted in favor of the move.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution that rejects US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.