In the US state of Illinois from August 4, 2018 will celebrate a new official holiday – ‘Barack Obama Day’ The corresponding order was signed by the Governor Bruce Rauner, reports The Hill.

‘Barack Obama Day’ will be celebrated annually on the birthday of the 44th President of the United States of America. In this case, according to the governor of the state, it is not that the August 4 will be officially declared a day off. This day should be simply devoted to recognizing the merits of the former president and celebrations in his honor, Rauner said.

Note that from 1997 to 2004 Barack Obama served as a senator from the state of Illinois.

Recall that on July 27 in the Senate failed to vote on the abolition of Obamacare – senators did not support such a decision in the absence of an alternative to the health program. The bill put to the vote, in fact, did not differ from what was approved by the Congress two years ago and vetoed by Barack Obama.

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“Hackers can be anywhere. They can be in Russia, Asia, America, and Latin America. It could be hackers, by the way, in the United States, which are very skillfully and professionally moved, as we say, the arrow on Russia”, — said the head of state.

He suggested that American criminals was advantageous to release certain information in the midst of the presidential race, and they released her, referring to Russia. “You can’t imagine? I can”, — said Vladimir Putin.

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The famous theoretical physicist believes that life on Earth is at ever increasing risk of being destroyed by a natural disaster, a sudden nuclear war, a genetically modified virus or the growing threat of artificial intelligence.

“I think that the human race has no future if he will not go to space”, — quotes Hawking Daily Mail. In a speech at Oxford University, he urged people to take a greater interest in space travel for the future of humanity.

Recall that such thoughts scientist expresses for the first time. In 2006, he spoke out on the need of finding new, unearthly home for humans. “Our only chance of long term survival is not to remain lurking on the Ground, and spread out in space,” says Hawking. He also firmly believes that in many parts of the Universe there is a biological life, but warns against contact with her. “Most likely, conscious aliens will be present for a person a high risk. The land can be conquered and looted. Remember what happened when in America, sailed by the conquistadors. I do not think that humanity will have better luck than the Indians,” said the British scientist.

Note, according to Australian experts, after 300 years, more than 40 percent of the land will be under water. But with the remaining piece of Land will do no good — it will quickly use up the available resources becoming unfit for human life. Scientists estimate that after three hundred years the average temperature will rise by 12 degrees, which will have a devastating impact on people. Therefore, it may be, we do not have 1000 years mentioned by Hawking.

Stephen Hawking is a famous scientist who is in the top ten geniuses of our time. His fate is striking and admirable. At 21, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a terrible disease of the Central nervous system. Usually people with such diagnosis not live 10 years, but Hawking is successfully fighting the disease for half a century. Physicist in the last years confined to a wheelchair. He communicates with people via a computer that converts his thoughts in a monotone speech. But the consciousness of the scientist is in order. In April 1988 he published the book “a brief history of time”, which became a bestseller, and then wrote a number of books about the Universe. And his work has not gone unnoticed, in 2009, President Barack Obama handed the scientist the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest state award of the USA for civilians.

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The Russian side has designated areas for upcoming talks in Astana.

According to “Izvestia“, Russia is on the eve of the fourth round of talks on Syria in Astana prepared and sent to representatives of the armed opposition to the package of proposals of the four points that should contribute to resolving the crisis in the country. However, as noted in the Federation Council, even if the opponents of the regime in Damascus will refuse to come to the Kazakh capital, the meeting, scheduled for early may, will still take place. According to experts, the negotiation process would be seriously hampered due to the recent us missile strikes on Syrian air base.

That Russia has sent representatives of the armed Syrian opposition a package of four proposals, “Izvestia” said a source close to the preparation of the negotiations in Astana. The implementation plan should become a logical continuation of the cease-fire, announced in late 2016. In particular, the document refers to the parameters of the formation of the Commission, which will develop the Syrian Constitution, the management issues in areas where abandoned fighting, will also be formulated in terms of the exchange of prisoners and mine clearing of territories.

The presence of sentences “news” confirmed the first Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on defense and security Frants Klintsevich.

— The implementation of these four items could actually promote the peace process in Syria. But the puppeteers, who are behind the armed opposition, it is not necessary. Their goals are completely the opposite, — said the Senator. According to him, in Russia consider the possibility of absence at the upcoming round of talks between representatives of the armed groups. But this is not a reason to cancel or postpone the dialogue.

The talks in Astana will continue, but there likely will not be representatives of the armed opposition. In addition, it seems to me that Turkey stood in the footsteps of American politics and in light of the prospects for the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad it is not so afraid of the possibility of deterioration of relations with Russia, — said Franz Klintsevich.

It is assumed that the next, fourth, round of talks will be held in Astana in early may. The previous meeting was held on March 14-15. It was attended by delegations of the countries — guarantors of a ceasefire in Syria (Russia, Turkey and Iran), as well as representatives of the UN, the US, Syria and Jordan. The dialogue was boycotted by the armed opposition, which explained their actions by the fact that the government forces allegedly constantly violated the cease-fire.

As for the upcoming round, then, according to the inter-Arab newspaper “al-Sharq al-Awsat,” the opponents of the Syrian authorities have not yet decided on their participation. They are willing to work on issues of prisoner exchanges and clearing areas, but fundamentally reject the discussion of the two other Russian proposals.

The continuation of a dialogue questioning the missile attacks that the United States on 7 April attacked Syrian airport shirt. They led to the escalation on the battlefield: armed hostilities between government troops and opposition groups are in the provinces of Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, and several others. The actions of the US had foreign policy implications.

According to the orientalist, President of the Institute of religion and policy Alexander Ignatenko, United States their actions have caused irreparable damage to the negotiation process in Astana.

— At this site formed the preconditions for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. But once again the armed opposition refuses to participate in it. If it ultimately will come out of this format, it is not clear how in such conditions it will be possible to continue the process of negotiations, — said the expert.

The talks in Astana were organized specially for the representatives of Damascus and the armed opposition have found a common language. While the doors for dialogue remain open. If they are closed, you will suffer from it in the first place the representatives of the armed groups.

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US actions in Syria are detrimental to the already eroded relations between Moscow and Washington, the Russian side intends to draw conclusions from this situation.

This was stated on Friday, the Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“It’s detrimental already undermined relations between Russia and the United States, but I hope that these provocations will not lead to irreversible results,” Lavrov said in Tashkent during a joint press conference with the Executive Secretary of the CIS Sergei Lebedev.

Lavrov also said that Moscow will draw conclusions for relations with Washington after the incident, air strikes in Syria. Russia hopes that US provocations will not lead to irreversible results.

“Already quoted by the media such joyful utterances of former functionaries of the Obama administration that now, after these attacks, the cooperation between Russia and the U.S. is already quite unrealistic. I hope that they will be put to shame, although, of course, their findings we have for our future relations will do,” said Lavrov.

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With American ships in the Mediterranean sea, according to the channel, were fired more than 50 missiles “Tomahawk”. According to the USA, it was from this airfield took off Syrian aircraft striking strikes on Idlib. About said Advisor to the U.S. President for national security Herbert McMaster.

The US President Donald trump said that no doubt the use by the Syrian authorities banned chemical weapons in violation of UN resolutions.

As stated in the statement released Thursday by the legal counsel of the White house, the US President did not need congressional authorization for a missile strike on the Syrian air base. However, as AFP reports, the views of the Congress about the decision by Mr. trump divided.

According to CNN, the attack was carried out between 20 and 21 hours for Eastern standard time, which corresponds to 3-4 o’clock in the morning Moscow time.

Syrian state television called the missile strike, the armed forces of the United States government the basis of an act of aggression, reports Reuters. The provincial Governor of HOMS Talal Barazi said that the missile attack on the United States serves the purposes of “armed terrorist gangs” and “Islamic state” (IG; banned in Russia).

Fire fighting and rescue operations are continuing on the basis of already more than two hours. Information about victims did not arrive yet. The airbase, which the United States launched a missile attack, was used by the Syrian army to fight ISIS. According to Reuters, according to the Governor, at the airbase there are no “significant casualties” as “material damage”.

U.S. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson said that contacts with the Russian leadership before the strike on the Syrian airfield was not. “Contacts with Moscow, with Vladimir Putin was not” – said Mr. Tillerson, noting that they comply with the agreement between the U.S. military and the Russian Federation on the prevention of conflicts.

At the same time, the American military had previously reported that he contacted the Russian army at the established lines of communication to inform about the impact of, and Advisor to Donald trump on national security Herbert McMaster clarified that the US tried to minimize the risks for them.

The foreign Ministry intends shortly to make a statement in connection with the incident.

Russia will demand an urgent convocation of the UN security Council, missile U.S. attack on Syria is an act of aggression against a UN member, said the head of the Federation Council Committee on defense Viktor Ozerov. “Russia, above all, requires the urgent convocation of the UN security Council. This can be seen as an act of US aggression against the state of the UN,” he said.

He also said that this strike could undermine efforts to combat terrorism in Syria. “I do not exclude that it will be a very bad example for the armed opposition in Syria, this may call into question the agreements reached with the opposition, including in Geneva,” — said Ozerov.

According to the Chairman of the Federation Council international Affairs Konstantin Kosachev, the impact of American cruise missiles at Syrian airbase tonight, “is actually, in addition to claimed “to punish the crime,” only one purpose — powder “stamp” previously issued a verdict on Assad’s responsibility for chemical attack in Idlib”…

As reported by “Pravda.Ru”, yesterday, the US President admitted that Washington can use military force in response to the recent chemical attack in Syria, which the White house blames the government of Bashar al-Assad. Furthermore, it is alleged that the Pentagon has the capacity to strike at the alleged existing Syrian Arsenal of chemical weapons.

Recall, April 4, the national coalition opposition and revolutionary forces of Syria, said about 80 victims of the attacks using chemical weapons in Khan Sheyhun Idlib and 200 wounded. The blame for the attack, the opposition has placed on Syrian government forces.

For its part, the defense Ministry announced that the Syrian air force struck near the outskirts of the village of Khan shaykhun in Idlib province in the warehouse of ammunition of terrorists, where were the arsenals of chemical weapons, which were delivered to Iraq.

Note that the Western countries have accused the Syrian government troops to use chemical weapons without conducting any investigation and even threatened, if necessary, to act in circumvention of the security Council. In January 2016, the OPCW confirmed the total elimination of chimurenga Syria.

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After an unsuccessful attempt to pass a bill to change the health insurance system, Obamacare, introduced by the previous administration, the White house initiated the consideration of a new document — the act on tax reform. Now in the President’s plan — tax cuts for US citizens, the abolition of tariffs for the poor, increasing the duties on imports and higher taxes for foreign companies.

The population of the country, especially the “one-storey America”, the initiative supports, and the White House need to be rehabilitated in the eyes of the electorate after the failure of the law on health insurance. Experts believe that the authors of the reform will be difficult to find support in Congress, given that the financing of the new bill was expected due to the tangible cost savings inherent in the discarded draft Trumpcare.

According to the President of the United States, the country needs fundamental overhaul of the tax code and tariffs. The Minister of Finance Steven Mnuchin said that the reform project will be submitted to Congress soon.

The plans of the owner of the Oval office are to reduce taxes for the middle class and business. Donald Trump is going to lower the rate on income from 39% to 33%. There are tax initiatives of the Republican and items for the poor. For example, the intention to exempt from income tax U.S. citizens earning up to $29 thousand. a year.

The plan of tax reform is not bypassed corporate America. Donald Trump promised to abolish inheritance tax, against which objection traditionally middle-class and wealthy Americans.

The so-called corporate tax want to reduce up to 15%. We will remind that today it is 35% — one of the highest rates in the world.

In the plans of Donald Trump included reductions in the tax burden for the representatives of virtually all social strata of the country. At the same time, a Republican, which is, as he said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, “economic nationalist” is going to raise taxes on imports, as well as the rates for foreign corporations operating in the territory of the United States. It is assumed that the White House will propose the introduction of fees of up to 20% on all imported U.S. products.

However, the main problem in the reform project of Donald Trump lies in the fact that the reduction of the tax burden will inevitably reduce revenues to the Federal budget. To recover costs expected due to the money saved on health care reform — by repeal, perhaps, the most expensive project in the modern history of the United States — Obamacare. But now, after the failure in this matter, the White House will have to find new sources of funding tax initiatives.

Experts believe that consideration of the bill will be very difficult — too many corporate interests intersect in the field of tariff policy.

— Many are against reforming the tax system. Here are interwoven the interests of businesses, corporations and many lobbyists. Trump promised to reduce taxes, and he will do everything to make this bill was passed. The part of the Republicans support a tax reform, Democrats against.

Chief researcher of the Institute of USA and Canada studies Sergei Vasiliev believes that to push through reform of the tax system will be even more difficult than the act to abolish Obamacare.

— The complete repeal of Obamacare would allow Donald Trump to save more than $40 billion from the funds would go to reform the tax system. However, this did not happen, and now the main question that is decided by the advisers of trump, where to get the money. The White House, especially after the failure with Obamacare, you need to show the result of the electorate.

While Donald Trump has time for a quick “legislative victories.” According to established political practice, usually a new administration is pursuing key initiatives in the Congress in the first months of the presidential term. Then begins the period of preparation of the interim congressional elections and parliamentarians are already occupied no bills, and his own campaign.

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The head of the Senate Committee on intelligence, Republican Richard Burr has stated that the public hearings about the relationships of the team of Donald Trump with Russia would be held but a specific date could not name, assuring that it will happen “very soon”. In the house of representatives meanwhile has already decided on the date — “debriefing” will begin March 20. However, to dump all the “blame” for the initiation of hearings on the Democrats would be wrong. Among Republicans also enough of those who criticize Donald Trump. For example, actively calls the FBI, which does not report about the investigation of “dangerous relations,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close friend of John McCain, known for his tough stance towards Russia.

The President of the American University in Moscow Edward Lozansky believes that congressmen are going to have discussions not only about relationships, people, President of Russia, but also in the whole to consider in detail the “Russian factor” in American politics. It is possible that in the process of the hearing can “fly to new head” in the administration. Recall that the only victim of “contacts with Russia” was the former adviser to trump, Michael Flynn, which, however, was later declared as the Turkish agent.

In Russia the congressional investigation react calmly and do not think that they can somehow influence relations between Moscow and Washington. First, despite the claims of Donald Trump, no “deal” or attempts to “get along” is not observed. Apparently, to wait for serious changes to the personal meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump is not worth it. Second, the debate about Moscow’s influence on the American elections and the inadmissibility of contacts of representatives of trump with Russia reflect a greater political controversy in the United States.

They remember about Russia, because they have infighting. Through the foreign policy of the Congress to solve their internal Affairs. The team of Barack Obama, before leaving, made a “bookmark” in the language of the special services that help them to treat Trump. It was in a sense a stroke of genius. Pledged during the election campaign bombs are still used today. They will not stop until it has completed the anti-Russian theme. And who else are they to do this, use the — EU, Canada or Mexico? It is not productive looks. In their opinion, the theme here is harmless.

In any case, public hearings in Congress do not add to the positive in Russian-American relations. And while in Moscow, I think that is much to worry about in Washington initiated the investigation makes no sense, since they are largely political in nature, the General atmosphere of such events still affect. What is happening in the U.S. once again confirms that the administration of Donald Trump still has not formulated a clear foreign policy strategy and the basic forces are thrown on internal political strife.

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Lieutenant-General Herbert McMaster will coordinate between the state Department and the power unit USA.

The US President Donald Trump has appointed Lieutenant-General Herbert McMaster the national security adviser. In seven days, law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Department of State must submit to the American President, “a Plan to destroy ISIS” (the organization was banned in Russia). Experts believe that consultation between different departments without the participation of the national security Advisor would be very difficult and therefore the White house was rushing with the appointment of a new employee.

— It would be strange if the document, one of the main foreign policy — “Plan to destroy ISIS” — there would be no national security Advisor. Its task is the coordination of positions of various departments before taking such important decisions, — said an informed source “News” in diplomatic circles in Washington.

29 Jan Donald Trump instructed to prepare within 30 days “Plan to destroy ISIS”. On this document there are several agencies, including the Pentagon, the state Department, the Ministry of Finance and internal security.

After the resignation of Michael Flynn, this post was temporarily taken, General Keith Kellogg. He will continue to work as chief of staff of the Council for national security. Another candidate, former U.S. permanent representative to the UN John Bolton, and a place in the new administration. Donald Trump has asked him to work “in another post”.

According to a source, the post of national security Advisor claimed four candidates. Former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton, head of the Military Academy at West point Robert Caslen and the already mentioned generals Kellogg and McMaster. All candidates take tough positions on international issues, and the press attributed them to the so-called hawks. On the eve of the appointment of the head of the Oval office held a series of meetings with the main contenders for the position.

— He is a man of immense talent and vast experience. He is highly respected in the army, and we are very proud that he is with us — he described Donald Trump as their new Advisor.

According to sources, “News”, this post also considered the candidacy of the former head of an elite unit of the special operations forces of the US army, Stanley McChrystal and ex-CIA chief David Petraeus. However, both candidates refused the post.

The policy of the national security Advisor is in any case determined by the President.

— The national security Advisor should coordinate and harmonize the positions of different departments. This position is key from the standpoint of addressing issues of foreign and security policy in the United States. At different times this position was occupied by Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski. But the national security Advisor in the current environment, rather, the coordinator for foreign and defense policy, not its author. So everything will still depend on the President, the diplomat said.

Meanwhile, the American political scientist, leading expert of the center of Gulf State Analytics (WA) Theodore Karasik noted that the new administration would not be able to fully engage in foreign and defense policy without the national security Advisor, as it depends on the work of the power unit.

54-year-old McMaster — military personnel, who took part in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before appointment to the White house he was Director of the center for the integration of forces and means of the US army. McMaster had no connections with the team and Trump was not involved in his campaign. However, he is more of a technocrat and performer than the author of the foreign policy concept. In any case, to work at this position need to have a trust relationship with the American President. Henry Kissinger became an influential politician, because he fully trusted President Richard Nixon. The same applies to Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was supposed to Jimmy Carter. Whatever personal qualities may possess McMaster, he will implement the foreign policy program of the President of Donald Trump.

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Among the escort ships are only named the destroyer Wayne E. Meyer Arleigh Burke class, the full composition of the group is not disclosed.

Commanded carrier strike group, rear Admiral U.S. Navy James Kilby.

Earlier, the US administration has confirmed its intention to protect the interests of partners in the region – namely, Japan. The Secretary of state Tillerson said that the actions of China concerning the disputed Islands in the South China sea invalid. The President of the United States Trump promised Tokyo that Washington will protect the territory under the administrative control of Japan.

Beijing responded by saying that by the end of the Second world war, Japan should return to China all the territories seized illegally.

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