Новости за 20.07.2023

As the planet warms, mosquitoes are slowly migrating upward.  The temperature range where malaria-carrying mosquitoes thrive is rising in elevation. Researchers have found evidence of the phenomenon from the tropical highlands of South America to the mountainous, populous regions of eastern Africa.  Scientists now worry people living in areas once inhospitable to the insects, including the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and the mountains of eastern Ethiopia, could be newly exposed to the disease. Читать дальше...

Texas Governor Greg Abbott's escalating measures to stop migrants along the U.S. border with Mexico came under a burst of new criticism Tuesday after a state trooper said migrants were left bloodied from razor-wire barriers and that orders were given to deny people water in sweltering heat. In one account, Texas Trooper Nicholas Wingate told a supervisor that upon encountering a group of 120 migrants on June 25 — including young children and mothers nursing babies — in Maverick County, a rural Texas border county... Читать дальше...

Media associations are warning that a rise in visa rejections for Turkish citizens is affecting the ability of the country’s journalists to work. The number of journalists whose applications for a Schengen visa have been turned down has “significantly risen,” according to the European Federation of Journalists, or EFJ. The visas permit free travel across the European Union. In a statement this week, the EFJ said that journalists who travel frequently for work are being given short-term visas only... Читать дальше...

A U.S. watchdog says it has disclosed to Congress information about diversion and control of international humanitarian assistance by de facto Taliban authorities in Afghanistan. “We have just uncovered, as part of our response to the House Foreign Relations Committee, some really horrific information about the problems with the U.N. operations in Afghanistan,” John Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), told an event at King’s College London on Thursday. Sopko... Читать дальше...

The state of media repression is so dire in Belarus that authorities are now targeting people who used to work as journalists, say media analysts. The remarks come as Belarus this week raided the home of Ihar Karnei, a former reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and took him into custody. The journalist’s daughter, Polina, told RFE/RL that authorities raided their home in the Belarus capital, Minsk, on Monday and took away phones and computers. No reason was given for the arrest or raid. Читать дальше...

The restoration of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Egypt in early July is raising hopes for ending conflicts across the Middle East and Africa. For VOA, Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

Clashes between Kenya's opposition-led anti-tax protesters and police this month have left scores dead, including a prominent boxer who was shot earlier this month in Nairobi. Kenya's boxing fraternity organized an exhibition bout to honor 35-year-old Raphael Shigali, who was the capital’s reigning Bantamweight champion. Francis Ontomwa reports from Nairobi, Kenya. Camera: Amos Wangwa

Images of the red and gold Spanish flag dominate the social media feeds of Spain’s right-wing Vox party, along with videos that demonize Muslims or glorify the 15th century reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. As the country heads to a general election Sunday that polls indicate could deliver power to the populist right, Vox has been winning over first-time voters with a slick digital message. Two recent polls say the fastest rising support for the party comes from people between... Читать дальше...

RAIGAD, India — A landslide triggered by torrential rains in India's western Maharashtra state killed 10 people, with many others feared trapped under piles of debris, officials said Thursday. A team of 60 rescuers and trained trekkers have been deployed to help save people trapped by the landslide, which occurred late Wednesday, the state's deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted. Harsh weather conditions have hampered rescue efforts, and authorities have sent in medical teams to help the injured, he added. Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Tonga, New Zealand and Australia next week as the Biden administration shifts its Indo-Pacific strategy into overdrive in part to counter China's growing influence in the region. The State Department said Thursday that Blinken will dedicate a new U.S. embassy in the Tongan capital of Nukuʻalofa on July 26 before heading to Wellington, New Zealand, where he will attend the women's World Cup match between the United States and the Netherlands. Читать дальше...

Five days after Iran's morality police returned to the streets to enforce the country's mandatory veiling laws, Iran's police chief described it as a "well-intentioned" and "irreversible" mission. At a news conference in Kerman province Thursday, police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan referred to "dealing with unveiled women" as a "religious duty and legal obligation." Meanwhile, Iran's chief justice called on the judiciary to assign "special judges" for cases related to hijab enforcement. The presence... Читать дальше...

Canada’s recently launched immigration work permit program is no longer accepting new applications since receiving an overwhelming response and reaching its cap of 10,000 applicants in two days. Aiming to attract highly skilled technology professionals from the United States with H-1B work visas, Canada unveiled the initiative in late June. Within 48 hours of its July 16 launch, the system reached capacity. “Status: Closed. You can no longer apply,” said a message on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. Читать дальше...

In India, a video showing two women being paraded naked by a mob in the northeastern Manipur state, which has been wracked by ethnic violence, has sparked widespread outrage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the alleged assault “shameful” and promised tough action. They were his first comments since the conflict led to the death of about 125 people and displaced thousands in the remote state since it erupted more than two months ago. "My heart is filled with pain, it is filled with anger.... Читать дальше...

The U.S. military command in Africa has said it conducted an airstrike in central Somalia that killed five al-Shabab militants.  In a press statement Thursday, AFRCOM said the "collective self-defense" airstrike occurred July 19 in a remote area near Hareeri Kalle, approximately 15 kilometers south of Galcad. AFRICOM said the strike was in support of Somali National Army forces fighting al-Shabab. The strike came at the request of the federal government of Somalia, the statement added.  AFRICOM... Читать дальше...

Zambia's national women's football (soccer) team will make its World Cup debut Saturday (July 22) against Japan at the games in Australia and New Zealand. The national team's success has encouraged many young women to take up the sport. But Zambia's football association is also investigating allegations of sexual abuse by coaches on the team that tarnished its image. There was a thunderous welcome for the Zambia national women‘s soccer team, popularly known as the Copper Queens, on arrival in... Читать дальше...

In the United States, degrees are usually split between academic ones (English, math, physics, dance) and professional ones (law, nursing, business). The public can often be skeptical of academic degrees because they seemingly don’t lead directly to a career. But Rick Van Kooten, the dean of arts and sciences at Indiana University, writes in The Hechinger Report that the sciences and humanities are essential in a world fueled by AI artificial intelligence and automation. (June 2023)

U.S. officials say that North Korea has yet to respond to their efforts to discuss the fate of the American soldier who dashed across the Koreas’ heavily militarized border, even as he had been ordered to return to the United States to face possible discipline and discharge from the military. For unknown reasons, Private 2nd Class Travis King ran into North Korea while on a civilian tour of the Demilitarized Zone on Tuesday, a day after he was supposed to leave for a military base in the U.S. Читать дальше...

Nigeria's weak electric grid had led many of its citizens to rely on gasoline-fueled generators for power. But the president's controversial removal of a costly fuel subsidy in May saw gasoline prices triple, spurring Nigerians to switch to generators fueled by cheaper and cleaner propane. Rasheed Ayodeji, a lawyer in Abuja, is one of more than 10,000 Nigerians who have switched to generators powered by liquefied petroleum gas. The switch to LPG, also known as propane, is in response to the cost of gasoline... Читать дальше...

A senior British member of parliament deleted a video Thursday praising the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan and apologized for what he said was the outcome of his "poor communication." Tobias Ellwood of the Conservative Party released the video commentary Wednesday on Twitter after his trip to the war-ravaged South Asian nation last week. He argued in his now-deleted video that the security situation in Afghanistan had "vastly improved" since the Taliban returned to power two years ago. Ellwood... Читать дальше...

In Cameroon, authorities say separatists have set up roadblocks to at least 20 western districts to protest what they call excessive brutality by government troops. The rebels accuse Cameroon's military in the past week of killing at least 27 people and burning scores of homes. Cameroon's military denies the allegations and blames separatists for the killings. The Northwest, one of two regions where separatists are active, produces maize, potatoes, beans, rice and other produce for Cameroon’s major cities. Читать дальше...

Iraq's prime minister ordered the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from Iraq and the withdrawal of the Iraqi charge d'affaires from Sweden on Thursday as a man desecrated of a copy of the Quran in Stockholm with permission from Swedish authorities. The diplomatic blowup came hours after protesters angered by the planned burning of a copy of the Islamic holy book stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad early Thursday, breaking into the compound and lighting a small fire. Online videos showed... Читать дальше...

Artificial intelligence was the dominant topic at the United Nations Security Council this week. In his opening remarks at the session, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “AI will have an impact on every area of our lives” and advocated for the creation of a “new United Nations entity to support collective efforts to govern this extraordinary technology.” Guterres said “the need for global standards and approaches makes the United Nations the ideal place for this to happen” and urged... Читать дальше...

Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said twin suicide bombings killed at least two police officers Thursday and wounded 10 others in a volatile district bordering Afghanistan.   Police in Khyber in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said the attackers targeted a government compound, which houses district police headquarters.   A senior police official said two suicide bombers detonated explosives strapped to their bodies when security forces intercepted them at the main entrance to the building. Читать дальше...

A survey of Asian Americans released Wednesday found that more than three-fourths had a favorable view of the United States, while only 20% had a favorable view of China. The Pew Research Center surveyed more than 7,000 Asian American adults between July 2022 and January 2023, with questions focused on views of their homelands and others in Asia. The respondents included those with Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Indian and Chinese ties. When asked about their own homeland... Читать дальше...

SEOUL/WASHINGTON - U.S. Army Private Travis T. King had finished serving nearly two months in detention in South Korea and was being escorted to the airport to fly home and likely face disciplinary action. But he never made it to his plane. Instead, roughly 24 hours later, he sprinted into North Korea while on a civilian tour of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the border between the two Koreas. So began a bizarre odyssey that landed an active-duty American soldier in North Korean... Читать дальше...