Новости за 17.07.2023

Iranian authorities have shuttered an educational center accused of "inciting riots" during last year's mass demonstrations triggered by the death of a young woman while in police custody, state media reported Monday. Nationwide protests rocked Iran following the September death of a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, Mahsa Amini, in police custody after her arrest over violating the Islamic republic's strict dress code. "We prepared and issued a warrant for the closure of Gaj center following the directive... Читать дальше...

Mike Berent has spent more than 27 years rushing into burning houses in Detroit, pulling people to safety and ensuring his fellow firefighters get out alive. But as the 52-year-old Detroit Fire Department lieutenant approaches mandatory retirement at age 60, he says one thing is clear: He will need to keep working to make ends meet. "I'm trying to put as much money away as I can," said Berent, who also works in sales. "A second job affords you to have a little bit of extra." Thousands of city employees and retirees lost big on July 18... Читать дальше...

Bangladesh’s opposition BNP is expected to stage new protests Tuesday and Wednesday amid its call for the resignation of the current government and installation of a caretaker administration ahead of general elections likely taking place in January. Word of the protest comes as the BNP, or Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and other activists allege Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has been fast-tracking pending police cases against some of the opposition leaders to prevent them from running in the elections. Читать дальше...

The family of a German-Iranian political dissident sentenced to death in Iran is expressing concern over his condition after a phone conversation with him Sunday. Ghazaleh Sharmahd, the daughter of Jamshid Sharmahd, wrote on Twitter "After five months, today we had our first phone call with my father, Jamshid Sharmahd. It is concerning that he was deprived of contact with his daughter for two years, and now he has been allowed to speak with me." "This greatly worries me. Could this be his farewell call,” she said. Читать дальше...

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry was holding talks Monday with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing, as the U.S. seeks to restore contacts that were disrupted by disputes over trade, Taiwan, human rights and China's territorial claims. China's official Xinhua News Agency said Kerry was meeting with Xie Zhenhua for the first extensive face-to-face climate discussions between representatives of the world's two worst climate polluters after a nearly yearlong hiatus. China is the world's largest producer... Читать дальше...

Sierra Leone's new parliament will have the largest female representation in the country's history, with 41 women lawmakers, more than double that of the last election. Activists say that number could have been higher had a new law that reserves 30 percent of leadership roles for women been followed correctly. Senanu Tord reports from Port Loko, Sierra Leone.

While reports indicate the Taliban have cracked down on the practice, arms smuggling, particularly to ideologically aligned militants abroad, continues.

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts wants to make attendance as easy as possible for its international students. It has put together a series of frequently asked questions, along with details about entering the U.S., campus resources for international students and F-1 student visa compliance requirements. Check it out here. (June 2023)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the United Arab Emirates on Monday as part of a swing through the Arab Gulf states focused on energy and commerce. He met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the president of the UAE, which will be hosting the COP28 U.N. climate summit later this year. Kishida visited Saudi Arabia over the weekend, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two launched a joint initiative aimed at promoting clean energy. He will visit gas-rich Qatar on Tuesday. Читать дальше...

Elton John briefly testified Monday for the defense at Kevin Spacey 's sexual assault trial as the actor's lawyer attempted to discredit a man who claimed the Oscar winner aggressively grabbed his crotch while driving to the singer's summer ball. John appeared in the London court by video link from Monaco after his husband, David Furnish, testified that Spacey did not attend the annual party at their Windsor home the year the accuser said he was attacked. One of the alleged victims said he was... Читать дальше...

An eight-party alliance seeking to form Thailand's next government reaffirmed its backing for Pita Limjaroenrat to become prime minister, Pita said on Monday, despite his defeat last week in a parliamentary vote. Pita, leader of the progressive Move Forward party — the surprise winner of a May 14 election — failed in his initial bid to win the requisite support of more than half of the combined lower house and military-appointed upper house, or Senate. The legislature will hold another vote on Wednesday. Читать дальше...

Jomarie Oliva, 33, led an afternoon workshop with 10 teenagers on topics that many in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines consider taboo. The conversation included the reasons that some teens have sex. “Out of curiosity?” Oliva asked the group? “For pleasure,” responded one of the teens, while the rest of the group laughed. Later, Oliva talked about the responsibilities of parenthood as well as different types of birth control, including “abstinence, pills, condoms, IUDs, implants... Читать дальше...

Vietnamese authorities reportedly have heightened security and increased the persecution of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands after a deadly attack last month on government buildings there. The Central Highlands is home to Montagnards, an umbrella term for ethnic minorities native to the region, many of whom identify as Christian. They have historically been at odds with Vietnam's one-party state and have grievances going back decades, relating to issues including land appropriation and religious persecution. Читать дальше...

Italian health officials intensified heat warnings as southern Europe began a brutally hot week on Monday with temperatures expected to top 40 C — or 104 F — on a continent already overburdened by tourists. The health ministry issued 10 recommendations to protect elderly people, the sick and pets from the heat, urging people to stay indoors during the hottest hours, drink at least 1.5 liters (nearly half a gallon) of water a day and refrain from strenuous exercise at peak daylight times. The culprit... Читать дальше...

General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Army chief, traveled to Tehran to meet with Iran’s Army’s Chief of Staff, General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, to talk about a wide range of topics of mutual interest, including the expansion of bilateral relations.   The relationship between the two countries has been fraught because Iran has often been subjected to attacks from Pakistani militants.    A statement said: “Military commanders on both sides agreed that terrorism was a common threat to the region in general and both countries in particular. Читать дальше...

Britain's financial watchdog on Monday proposed toughening up safeguards against the illegal marketing of financial products on social media by applying a stringent "consumer duty" that is being rolled out to banks, funds and insurers on July 31. The Financial Conduct Authority has said its new duty will be a step change in protecting retail investors after years of mis-selling scandals, by forcing firms to demonstrate how they are giving consumer good outcomes. "Where applicable, the Consumer... Читать дальше...

The ongoing war between Sudan's military and a paramilitary force has placed the country in jeopardy of not being able to feed itself and has thrown many people into deeper depths of hunger and poverty, according to a Reuters report. Reuters said Monday that the delays in planting are also "partly due" to the farmers not being able to receiver any credit from banks and the high prices of items like fertilizer and fuel. The news agency said it talked with more than a dozen people, including farmers, experts and workers. Читать дальше...

China's economic growth missed forecasts in the second quarter of the year, adding to worries over surging youth unemployment and a weak property sector and raising the likelihood the government will double down on support for the faltering post COVID-19 recovery. The world's second largest economy grew at a 6.3% annual pace in the April-June quarter, much slower than the 7% plus growth analysts had forecast given the anemic pace of activity the year before. Unemployment of youths aged 16 to 24 rose to a record 21.3% in June... Читать дальше...

The year 2023 has so far not been a good one for Africa. Conflict has erupted in Sudan, deepened in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spread southward from the Sahel. Extreme weather, often attributed to climate change, has triggered devastating droughts and floods in places like Kenya and South Sudan, deepening poverty. Many African economies are struggling under massive debt. But the head of the African Development Bank, or AfDB, prefers to focus on the continent's promise: notably, how to better harness its assets ... Читать дальше...

South Korea has been inundated with weeks of on-and-off torrential rain that so far has killed at least 40 people, halted trains on concerns of weakened foundations, and left thousands picking up the pieces from storm damage, even as more rain is forecast. Back from a Europe tour and chairing an emergency meeting Monday, President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed officials to designate special disaster zones and spare no effort in supporting regional relief and rebuilding efforts. Yoon also criticized lax local governments... Читать дальше...

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday that the U.S. is working with India to help quicken India's transition to renewable energy.  Yellen met with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in India.  "We look forward to working with India on an investment platform to deliver a lower cost of capital and increased private investment to speed India's energy transition," Yellen said. Yellen's current visit to India follows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent state visit to Washington. Читать дальше...

Hollywood actors walked off the job Friday, striking for higher pay, an improved residuals policy and protections against the use of artificial intelligence. Hollywood writers have been on strike since May. Genia Dulot has the report.

The front-runner to be Taiwan's next president pledged Sunday to be a steady hand who would keep the peace with China, as his two opponents attended a thronged rally calling for domestic legal reforms and more action to combat high property prices. January's presidential election comes as China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up military and political pressure to force the island to accept Beijing's sovereignty, alarming the region and Washington. William Lai, Taiwan's vice... Читать дальше...

The need for alternative disposal methods significantly prolonged the timeline for the U.S. to safely destroy chemical warfare agents. The U.S. met its commitment to irreversibly destroy all its chemical warfare stocks on July 7, 2023.

Under the tall prairie grass outside this southwestern Minnesota town lies a precious seam of dark red pipestone that, for thousands of years, Native Americans have quarried and carved into pipes essential to prayer and communication with the Creator. Only a dozen Dakota carvers remain in the predominantly agricultural area bordering South Dakota. While tensions have flared periodically over how broadly to produce and share the rare artifacts, many Dakota today are focusing on how to pass on to... Читать дальше...