Новости за 18.04.2023

Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, announced a provisional approval of the R21 vaccine during a media briefing on Monday. The regulatory agency's consent came days after Ghana approved the vaccine. NAFDAC said the vaccine is 70 to 80 percent efficient in preventing the mosquito-borne disease and could protect millions of children. The agency's director general, Mojisola Adeyeye, spoke to journalists in Abuja. "The vaccine is indicated for prevention... Читать дальше...

China revealed on Tuesday new details of sanctions it previously announced against two U.S. weapons manufacturers, including a ban on Chinese companies doing business with them. China imposed trade and investment sanctions in February on Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a division of Raytheon Technologies Corp., for supplying weapons to Taiwan, the self-governed island claimed by China. China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement late Tuesday that the sanctions include... Читать дальше...

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt is calling for the resignation of four state officials after a local newspaper released a secret audio recording in which they appeared to discuss killing journalists and lynching Black people. “I am both appalled and disheartened to hear of the horrid comments made by officials in McCurtain County,” Stitt said in a statement. “There is no place for such hateful rhetoric in the state of Oklahoma, especially by those that serve to represent the community through their... Читать дальше...

Mozambique has asked the World Health Organization to supply an additional 2 million doses of a cholera vaccine as the country struggles to control a spreading outbreak.  The head of the Department of National Health Surveillance at the Ministry of Health, Domingos Guihole, told VOA that the government awaits the WHO's response to the cholera vaccine request, admitting difficulties due to the high global demand for vaccines. "At this moment in Mozambique, the cholera situation is not good," Guihole said. Читать дальше...

With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan languishing in many polls ahead of May elections, his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is promising to mend strained ties with Turkey's Western allies. Analysts say that could be bad news for Moscow. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

The United Nations deputy secretary-general said Monday that the organization plans to arrange a conference in the coming days to discuss granting recognition to Afghanistan's Taliban, stressing the need for engagement with the fundamentalist authorities. Amina Mohammed's remarks come as the reclusive Taliban chief, Hibatullah Akhundzada, renewed his resolve Tuesday to achieve his goal of "the religious and moral reform of the [Afghan] society" through the vigorous implementation of Islamic law, or Shariah. Читать дальше...

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

Nearly 300 Tyrannosaurus rex bones that were dug up from three sites in the United States and assembled into a single skeleton sold at Tuesday at a Switzerland auction for 4.8 million francs ($5.3 million), below the expected price. Crafted into an open-mouth pose, the T. rex skeleton measuring 11.6 meters long (38 feet long) and 3.9 meters high (12.8 feet) high came in under the anticipated range of 5 million to 8 million francs when it went under the hammer at the Koller auction house in Zurich. Читать дальше...

In a 2019 survey, more than 40% of East and South Asian students said gun violence is their biggest fear when it comes to studying in the U.S. Meanwhile, English-speaking countries with less gun violence, such as Canada, Australia and Britain, have seen a rise in international education. Are the two related? Liam Knox of Inside Higher Ed has more. (April 2023)

United Nations and international aid agencies say it is almost impossible to provide humanitarian services in and around the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, because it is too dangerous for staff to move around without assurances of safety from the warring parties.  “There are calls from various organizations and people trapped asking for evacuations,” said Farid Aiywar, head of delegation in Sudan for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Speaking on a video link from the Kenyan capital... Читать дальше...

A growing number of startups are using artificial intelligence to replicate human voices. A company is creating synthetic voices for organizations to use for advertising, marketing and training. Phil Dierking reports.

Sweden is still waiting for Turkey to approve its application to join NATO. As Henry Ridgwell reports, Sweden hopes the upcoming Turkish elections scheduled for May 14 could be a turning point. Camera: Henry Ridgwell

Being an influencer in Colombia has gained popularity. A recent study revealed that more young people are interested in joining digital platforms in the hopes of earning a high income from advertisers. From Bogota, Liz Castellon has the story, narrated by Cristina Caicedo Smit.

Syria's chief diplomat is on a three-day official visit to Tunisia meant to restore diplomatic relations that have been cut off since 2012 during the civil war that followed President Bashar Assad's brutal crackdown on mass protests against his rule. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad had a meeting with Tunisian counterpart Nabil Ammar shortly after his arrival on Monday evening. No details were disclosed about the talks and Mikdad's schedule for Tuesday or Wednesday. The visit is meant to help restore bilateral relations... Читать дальше...

The share of Americans who volunteer their time to help charities build houses, serve food, do environmental cleanup, and much else has been on the decline nationwide but nowhere as sharply as in Florida, where only 16% of residents donate their free hours to local organizations, according to the latest available statistics. That's a drop from the nearly 23% of residents who volunteered in 2017. Florida's volunteer rate slumped in large part because of the pandemic, which made it especially risky for older Americans ... Читать дальше...

Bakery owner Sean Young was thrilled when high school art students covered the big blank wall over his doorway last spring with a painting of the sun shining over a mountain range made of sprinkle-covered chocolate and strawberry donuts, a blueberry muffin, a cinnamon roll and other pastries. The display got rave reviews, and Young looked forward to collaborating with the school on more mural projects at his roadside bakery in Conway, New Hampshire. Then the town zoning board got involved, deciding... Читать дальше...

Florida is home to New College, whose roughly 700 students largely devise their own degree programs. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has accused Florida’s public education system of indoctrinating students in left-wing ideas and has removed New College’s president and board. (DeSantis is expected to announce this summer as a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential race.) Supporters of his actions say it brings accountability to colleges run with taxpayer money; opponents claim it threatens academic freedom. Читать дальше...

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has outlined her government's ambition to “avert war and maintain peace” in the Indo-Pacific region. Wong addressed the National Press Club in Canberra, saying Australia wants to ensure there is a "strategic equilibrium" in Asia where “no country dominates, and no country is dominated.”                    Wong said Monday that Australia did not want competition between the United States and China to “career into conflict.”    She warned that China... Читать дальше...

J-Hope, a member of Grammy-nominated K-pop boy band BTS, began his mandatory military service in South Korea on Tuesday, the second member of the group to do so.  The singer kept a low profile as a van carrying him entered the venue for his military enlistment ceremony in the city of Wonju, some 87 kilometers away from Seoul, news agency Yonhap reported.  "I'll be back later," the singer whose real name is Jung Ho-seok said on Monday in a post on fan platform Weverse, alongside a picture of his shaved head. Читать дальше...

At least two people are dead after a landslide buried dozens of trucks on the main road between Pakistan and Afghanistan Tuesday.  More than 20 trucks were buried in the disaster, which struck at the border crossing on the Khyber Pass, a major point of trade between the South Asian nations. Several people were also injured.    Officials said a heavy rain storm overnight could have triggered the landslide.

Fighting persisted in Sudan's capital Tuesday evening despite pledges by the military and a rival paramilitary group to observe a 24-hour cease-fire. Witnesses reported hearing explosions and shooting in multiple parts of Khartoum after the declared 6 p.m. start of the cease-fire. "The fighting remains underway," Atiya Abdulla Atiya of the Sudan Doctors' Syndicate told The Associated Press. "We are hearing constant gunfire." Earlier, leaders of Sudan's warring parties publicly declared they... Читать дальше...

A very wet winter has left California's reservoirs looking healthier than they have for years, as near-record rainfall put a big dent in a lengthy drought.    A series of atmospheric rivers -- high altitude ribbons of moisture -- chugged into the western United States, dousing a landscape that had been baked dry by years of below-average rain.    The state's 40 million residents had chafed under repeated warnings to save water, with restrictions on irrigating gardens that left lawns dead or dying. Читать дальше...

In the heart of Jakarta, the grand Istiqlal Mosque was built with a vision for it to stand for a thousand years.  The mosque was conceived by Soekarno, Indonesia's founding father, and was designed as an impressive symbol for the country's independence. Its seven gates — representing the seven heavens in Islam — welcome visitors from across the archipelago and the world into the mosque's lofty interior.  But they don't just see the light here. It fuels them.  A major renovation in 2019 installed... Читать дальше...

For many people who have emigrated to the United States, helping their native countries is a big part of their lives. Recently a group of East Africans gathered to discuss ways to assist those back home. Abdulaziz Osman has the story, narrated by Salem Solomon. Videographer: Jafar Fidow

An Islamic center in Minnesota held an interfaith Ramadan meal to celebrate the holy month and build bridges between people of different faiths. Mohamud Mascadde reports from Minneapolis in this story narrated by Salem Solomon.