Новости за 01.07.2023

Dutch King Willem-Alexander apologized Saturday for his country's role in slavery and asked for forgiveness in a historic speech greeted by cheers and whoops at an event to commemorate the anniversary of the abolition of slavery. The king's speech followed Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's apology late last year for the country's role in the slave trade and slavery. It is part of a wider reckoning with colonial histories in the West that have been spurred in recent years by the Black Lives Matter movement. Читать дальше...

Botswana and the London-based international diamond consortium De Beers have ended uncertainty over their long-standing partnership after announcing a 10-year extension to their diamond sales agreement.              In a joint statement released late Friday, Botswana and De Beers indicated their sales agreement has been extended until 2034, while the mining license will be in place for the next 25 years.  No value was given for the agreement and there were no further details on the allocation of rough stones... Читать дальше...

Bosnia's international peace overseer, Christian Schmidt, annulled two laws Saturday that the Bosnian Serb parliament had adopted that defy the constitution and the terms of a peace deal that ended the Balkan country's war in the 1990s.  Schmidt, who as international High Representative in Bosnia has powers to impose laws and sack obstructive officials, also amended a law so that those seen as attacking the state institutions can be criminally prosecuted.  "Recent decisions by the National... Читать дальше...

Germany’s Federal Administrative Court has upheld a determination that activities conducted by the Islamic Center in the city of Hamburg, known as the Blue Mosque, are those of an "extremist Islamic organization."     Acting on an objection and complaint lodged by the Islamic Center against action by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Germany, the Administrative Court of Hamburg on Friday upheld the categorization of the center's activities as "Islamic extremism."    In both 2018 and 2019... Читать дальше...

It was a smell that invoked a memory. Both for Emily Kuchlbauer in North Carolina and Ryan Bomba in Chicago. It was smoke from wildfires, the odor of an increasingly hot and occasionally on-fire world.  Kuchlbauer had flashbacks to the surprise of soot coating her car three years ago when she was a recent college graduate in San Diego. Bomba had deja vu from San Francisco, where the air was so thick with smoke people had to mask up. They figured they left wildfire worries behind in California... Читать дальше...

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Haiti on Saturday to shine a spotlight on the crises faced by the impoverished Caribbean country as it struggles to combat violent gangs that have largely overrun the capital Port-au-Prince.   Guterres' visit comes nearly nine months after he backed a request by Haiti's government for help and proposed that one or more nations send a "rapid action force" to support the Haitian security services. No such force has yet been deployed as no country has stepped up to take the lead. Читать дальше...

A man accused of killing five neighbors in Texas after some of them complained that gunfire was keeping a baby awake was indicted Friday for capital murder of multiple persons, which allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty.  Prosecutors said they do not yet know whether they will seek the death penalty against Francisco Oropeza, 38, who is a Mexican national and had been deported multiple times in the years prior to the April attack outside Houston. He was already charged in May with five counts of murder. Читать дальше...

For more than six decades, Ghulan Mohammad Wani guided oxen around a circular track, driving the wooden oil press that generations of his family have operated in the town of Pampore for more than 200 years. At 82 years old, Wani has no known plans to retire. But whenever that day comes, it will bring the curtain down on the last manually operated seed oil mill in the Kashmir Valley and the age-old skills required to run it. That day will mark more than a quaint historical milestone. For Ghulam’s loyal customers... Читать дальше...

China's ruling Communist Party appointed central bank Deputy Governor Pan Gongsheng as the bank's party secretary Saturday, a move The Wall Street Journal said would be a prelude to becoming governor. The party's Central Organization Department announced the decision at a meeting Saturday afternoon, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said in a statement on its website. The Journal reported hours earlier that Pan, chosen for his international background, would be named to the party post before... Читать дальше...

Canada is engaged in a losing race to keep up with an unprecedented level of demand for rental housing, leaving a record number of new immigrants to scramble for a place to live.  In several of the country's major cities, including Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax, vacancy rates stand at 1% or lower. In Toronto, the nation's largest city, the rate is only slightly better at 1.8%, with monthly rents averaging more than $2,260.  "When we say Canada has a housing crisis, we mean it," said Lisa Hayhurst... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON - A recent attempt by Thailand to reengage with Myanmar's junta appears to be aimed at creating an alignment with China, a close ally of the military regime in Myanmar, analysts said. On June 19, the outgoing Thai government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former general who seized power in a 2014 military coup, hosted informal talks for foreign ministers from member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Myanmar's foreign minister, Than Swe, appointed... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court just finished issuing its biggest decisions of the term, killing President Joe Biden's $400 billion plan to cancel or reduce federal student loan debts, ending affirmative action in higher education and issuing a major decision that impacts gay rights. The decisions over the past week cap off a term that began in October in which the justices also considered big issues involving voting rights and religion.The court will next meet in the fall to resume hearing cases. Читать дальше...

NANTERRE, France — Young rioters clashed with police and looted stores overnight Friday in a fourth night of unrest in France triggered by the deadly police shooting of a teen, piling more pressure on President Emmanuel Macron after he appealed to parents to keep children off the streets and blamed social media for fueling violence. While the situation appeared to be somewhat calmer compared to previous nights, turmoil gripped several cities across the country. Protesters overturned garbage bins... Читать дальше...

MINA, Saudi Arabia — As hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims walked in the footsteps of the prophets beneath a sweltering sun, contracted cleaners in lime-green jumpsuits held out matching plastic bags to collect their empty water bottles. It takes tens of thousands of cleaners, security personnel, medics and others to make the annual Hajj pilgrimage possible for 1.8 million faithful from around the world. As the Hajj concludes Friday, the workers will begin a massive, weeklong cleanup effort. Читать дальше...

Iran has dialed up its diplomacy this year, hoping to improve its economy and reduce its isolation. Its president and foreign minister have traveled to Latin America, hosted diplomats from its former foe Saudi Arabia, and attended indirect talks with the U.S. involving its nuclear program. The efforts have paid off: This weekend, Iran formally joins the Shanghai Cooperative Organization. "At the meeting of heads of state on July 4, the full membership of Iran will be approved," Russian Foreign... Читать дальше...

BANGKOK - A Hong Kong radio station shut down Friday, citing the city’s “dangerous” political situation. Citizens’ Radio, a Cantonese-language station, said it was forced to close after officials blocked it from accessing funds via crowdsourcing and donations. The closure came on the third anniversary of Hong Kong's enactment of its national security law, which roughly a dozen other media outlets have cited for their decisions to close since 2020. Separately, Hong Kong officials denied entry to a freelance journalist from Japan. Читать дальше...

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government is not required to help the Navajo Nation Reservation supply Colorado River water to thousands of homes on its reservation. Matt Dibble has the story.

WASHINGTON — The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has agreed to readmit the United States as a member.  UNESCO's governing board voted 132-10 on Friday to accept the U.S. proposal to rejoin the Paris-based agency. America's membership will become official once Secretary of State Antony Blinken or a designee formally accepts the invitation, according to Biden administration officials.  Blinken said the vote would "restore U.S. leadership on a host of issues of importance... Читать дальше...

BASRA, IRAQ - Thousands of followers of a firebrand Iraqi Shiite cleric rallied in major cities in Iraq on Friday, condemning the burning of a Quran during a protest in Sweden earlier this week. Some of the demonstrators called for the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from Iraq.  At rallies in Baghdad and Basra, followers of Muqtada al-Sadr, a cleric and political leader with a large grassroots following, burned Swedish flags and rainbow LGBTQ+ pride flags and chanted “Yes, yes to Islam” and “No... Читать дальше...

NAIROBI, KENYA - At least 48 people were killed Friday when a truck apparently lost control and plowed into other vehicles and pedestrians at a busy junction in western Kenya, police said.  Television images showed scenes of devastation at the crash site with the mangled wreckage of several minibuses and the overturned truck as rescue workers hunted for people feared trapped.  "So far we can confirm 48 dead and we are suspecting one or two are still trapped under the truck," local police commander... Читать дальше...

Mehdi Taj, head of the Iranian Football Federation, has renewed the promise of allowing women into stadiums. This time, he says he has approval from the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Taj assured women's entry to stadiums in a recent interview with Radio Sport of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He announced the approval by the Supreme National Security Council, with a dedicated task force assigned to oversee its implementation. The Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Sports and Youth... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON - A U.S. State Department report on Friday criticized the handling of the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan, saying decisions by President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump to withdraw troops had "serious consequences for the viability" and security of the former U.S.-backed government.  Adverse findings in the report also reflected on Secretary of State Antony Blinken, without naming him. They included the department's failure to expand its crisis-management task force as the... Читать дальше...