Новости за 14.04.2023

Some 400,000 survivors of February’s earthquake in southern Turkey have arrived in the coastal city of Mersin over the past two months, according to its mayor, who has pleaded for more government help to cope with the influx. Located a couple hundred kilometers west of the fault lines that caused the February 6 earthquake, Mersin was spared any damage. However, the city is now struggling to cope with the influx of survivors, along with Syrian refugees, according to its mayor, Vahap Secer. “The... Читать дальше...

Nigerian lawmakers are investigating allegations of $2.4 billion in illegal sales of stolen oil to China. The House of Representatives’ ad-hoc committee on oil theft resumed its probe of the unofficial sales in 2015 of 48 million barrels of crude oil to China. Lawmakers were tipped off about the deal by a whistleblower in July 2020. The whistleblower alleged that the stolen crude had been stored at several Chinese ports and later sold by Nigeria’s national oil company, NNPC Ltd., officials said. Читать дальше...

In a sign that Washington intends to retain its historically strong ties with Bogota, U.S. President Joe Biden on April 20 will welcome to the White House Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the leftist leader who broke his predecessor’s positions on the war on drugs, Venezuela and Cuba that have been a cornerstone of the close relationship between the United States and Colombia. “Colombia is a key partner of the United States, and during the meeting, the two leaders will discuss how the United... Читать дальше...

France's constitutional court on Friday approved the key elements of President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, paving the way for him to implement the unpopular changes that have sparked months of protests and strikes. The nine-member Constitutional Council ruled in favor of key provisions, including raising the retirement age to 64 from 62, judging the legislation to be in accordance with the law. Six minor proposals were rejected, including efforts to force large companies to publish data on how many people over 55 they employ... Читать дальше...

Following the February 6 earthquake in southern Turkey and Syria, hundreds of thousands of survivors sought shelter in the nearby Turkish city of Mersin. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the city authorities say they desperately need more help to cope with the influx. Camera: Memet Aksakal

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

Russia's ambassador to the United States has said Moscow should consider cutting the number of American journalists working in Russia. Anatoly Antonov made the comments in an interview with Russia's First Channel State TV, saying that Washington has threatened retaliation after The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained on espionage charges two weeks ago. "The Americans have threatened us with retaliatory measures if we do not release Gershkovich in the near future," Antonov told Russia's First Channel state television. Читать дальше...

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) says a strong 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Friday deep in the ocean off the main Indonesian island of Java and, while it shook many areas of the nation, there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The USGS says the quake struck at 4:55 p.m. local time (0955 GMT), with the epicenter initially detected at a depth of 594 kilometers (369 miles), 96.5 kilometers (60 miles) north of Tuban, Indonesia and about 160 kilometers (99 miles) north-northwest of Surabaya... Читать дальше...

Taifa 1, Kenya's first operational 3U nanosatellite, was set to launch aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in the U.S. state of California on Friday after being delayed twice. But the launch was scrubbed at the last minute because of unfavorable weather.   Teddy Warria, with Africa's Talking Limited, a high-tech company, traveled to the University of Nairobi in Kenya from Kisumu, 563 kilometers west of Nairobi. He said he'll stay as long it takes to witness the historic day. Читать дальше...

NATO allies Greece and Turkey came to the brink of war just a few years ago over competing energy rights in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean seas. Now, as both sides near key national elections, the government in Athens is extending an olive branch, saying it is open to Turkey joining in on lucrative energy projects. In a television interview with Greece's national broadcaster, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said it was imperative for Athens and Ankara to capitalize on their thawed relations. Читать дальше...

A 50-year-old Spanish elite athlete, Beatriz Flamini, emerged Friday from a cave in southern Spain, where she had lived 70 meters underground for 500 days, as part of an experiment on the effects of isolation on the human mind and body. With her support team limiting media coverage of her emergence so as not to overwhelm her, Flamini climbed out of the Los Gauchos cave near Motril, smiled and waved to the small crowd. Noting she had been underground for a year-and-a-half, Flamini asked, "Who was buying the beer?" Elena Mera... Читать дальше...

Two journalists in northern Cameroon are calling for government protection after witnesses say a mayor publicly threatened to kill them for investigating corruption in road construction contracts.  The Cameroon Journalists Trade Union has condemned the threat, which came after the killings in January of two reporters who were outspoken on corruption. The journalists say Sali Babani, the mayor of Maroua, a city near the northern border with Chad and Nigeria publicly threatened several times this month to kill reporters there. Читать дальше...

The World Health Organization says that the focus of this year’s World Chagas Disease Day observation is expanding awareness of Chagas and on “providing access to crucial care and implementing disease surveillance, at the primary health care level.” The Centers for Disease Control says Chagas is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to animals and people by insects. It is often referred to as a silent killer because if it is not detected early, it can cause serious heart and digestive problems and can be fatal. Читать дальше...

An exchange of prisoners has begun in connection with the conflict in Yemen. The International Committee of the Red Cross is managing the swap between Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition supporting the government that began Friday with the first plane departing rebel-held Sanaa for government-controlled Aden. Nearly 900 detainees will be released by the two sides in the coming days. The prison swap follows negotiations last month in Switzerland. The warring parties are set to meet again in May to discuss the release of more prisoners.

Tulane University President Michael Fitts thinks that AI can make creative work easier but will never replace human creativity itself. AI “can find an answer, but it can’t be the first to ask the question,” he wrote. As long as that remains the case, universities will need to train human minds, he added. Read the op-ed from Michael Fitts in USA Today. (April 2023)

Police in northern India's Uttar Pradesh state arrested four members of a right-wing Hindu group Wednesday after charging that they slaughtered a cow near the city of Agra and tried to frame some Muslims in the case, apparently to spur hostility toward Muslims. The slaughter of cattle – considered sacred by Hindus -- is banned in many Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, where conviction can incur up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of up to about $6,000. Rakesh Kumar Singh, one of the assistant police commissioners in Agra... Читать дальше...

Two United Nations agencies said Thursday that more 100,000 migrants have made the treacherous journey through the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia this year trying to reach the United States. The UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration said in a joint statement that the spike in numbers is a “worrying increase.” The increase shows six times more people made the dangerous trip than this time last year. In addition to the criminal gangs the migrants could encounter... Читать дальше...

Iran has seen renewed poisonings of schoolchildren around the country in the first seven school days of the new Persian year after a holiday hiatus, leaving many Iranians angered but no closer to knowing who is behind the poisonings and why. In the latest poisonings that have mostly affected Iranian girls' schools, VOA’s Persian service observed credible reports of incidents in 14 cities Tuesday. Those reports, which VOA cannot independently verify because it is barred from reporting in Iran, came from the cities of Amol... Читать дальше...

A Zimbabwean actress battling cancer has asked wealthy citizens to buy a radiotherapy machine for government hospitals because she says the country's only unit has stopped working. As Columbus Mavhunga reports from Harare, many blame Zimbabwe’s high mortality rate among cancer patients on the country’s poor state of health care.] Camera: Blessing Chigwenhembe

The Republican-dominated Florida Legislature on Thursday approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, a proposal supported by the Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as he prepares for an expected presidential run. DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law. Florida currently prohibits abortions after 15 weeks. A six-week ban would give DeSantis a key political victory among Republican primary voters as he prepares to launch a presidential candidacy built on his national brand as a conservative standard-bearer. Читать дальше...

Addressing the U.N. Security Council for the first time, a former Colombian rebel leader who now heads a political party urged the country's remaining armed groups Thursday to recognize left-wing President Gustavo Petro's government as "democratic and progressive" and to stop fighting against it. Rodrigo Londono accused Petro's right-wing predecessor, Ivan Duque, of failing to implement the 2016 peace agreement with his rebel group, the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC. Читать дальше...

The U.S. Department of Justice responded Thursday to a ruling that limits access to the abortion pill mifepristone and said it would ask the Supreme Court for an emergency order to put any restrictions on hold. After conflicting rulings by various courts on mifepristone, a pill that induces abortion and is the most commonly used method in the United States, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that it could be used for now but with some restrictions. They include reducing the period of time... Читать дальше...

North Korea said Friday it has tested a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-18 to "radically promote" the country's nuclear counterattack capability, state media reported, warning of "extreme uneasiness and horror" to enemies. North Korea fired what appeared to be a new model ballistic missile Thursday, South Korea said, triggering a scare in northern Japan where Hokkaido residents were told to take cover, though there turned out to be no danger. "The development of the... Читать дальше...

Continuing his official four-day visit to Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, President Joe Biden spoke to the houses of Oireachtas in Dublin, becoming the fourth American leader after John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton to address a joint sitting of the Irish parliament. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has the story.