Новости за 03.02.2024

COOKE CITY, Montana — As Wesley Mlaskoch motored his snowmobile across a mountain in the Montana backcountry, the slope above him collapsed into a thick slab and began rushing down the hillside.  He had triggered an avalanche. Within seconds, the fury of accelerating snow flipped the snowmobile on top of him, threatening to bury Mlaskoch in the slide's debris.  The Willow River, Minnesota, man survived the recent accident near Yellowstone National Park after pulling a cord on his backpack to... Читать дальше...

VINA DEL MAR, Chile — Intense forest fires burning around a densely populated area of central Chile have left at least 19 people dead and destroyed about 1,100 homes, officials said Saturday. Chile’s Interior Minister Carolina Toha said there were currently 92 forest fires burning in the center and south of the country, where temperatures have been unusually high this week. The deadliest of the fires occurred in the region of Valparaíso, where authorities urged people not to leave their homes so that fire engines... Читать дальше...

Iran is financing, training and supplying advanced arms to some 40 radical Islamist militia groups from the Middle East to Horn of Africa, many of them engaged in terrorist activities.

SHANGHAI — China said Saturday a small civilian vessel from the Philippines had "illegally placed itself on the beach" of an atoll in the South China Sea that both countries claim.  The vessel, which landed on the Spratly Islands atoll on Friday, was there for supply purposes, the China coast guard posted on the Weixin platform.  The Philippines' coast guard, national security council and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday about the incident.  The... Читать дальше...

DAKAR, Senegal — Senegalese President Macky Sall has postponed February 25 presidential elections in a decree announced Saturday, citing controversies over the disqualification of some candidates and allegations of corruption in election-related cases. Sall said he signed a decree repealing the law that convened the electoral body just as campaigning was set to begin in one of West Africa’s most stable democracies. “These murky conditions could seriously harm the credibility of the election by... Читать дальше...

BAGHDAD — An Iraqi militia official on Saturday hinted at a desire to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East following retaliatory strikes launched by the United States against dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Hussein al-Mosawi, spokesperson for Harakat al-Nujaba, one of the main Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, in an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad condemned the U.S. strikes, saying Washington “must... Читать дальше...

GENEVA — The World Food Program is calling for immediate, unimpeded and safe access to conflict-hit areas of Sudan to provide food to millions of displaced people facing acute hunger, amid warnings that this “forgotten war” has potential implications for regional stability.    “This conflict cannot be forgotten. The people of Sudan are not invisible. This conflict has wide-reaching implications, especially as we have seen 1.7 million people flee to neighboring countries like Chad, South Sudan,... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON — The United States launched airstrikes on Iraqi and Syrian targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and the militias Tehran backs, following an attack on one of the many sites across the Middle East where the U.S. has a military presence. Here is what we know about the U.S. military presence in the Middle East: Where are U.S. bases in the Middle East? The U.S. has operated bases around the Middle East for decades. At its peak, there were more than 100,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON — Women are far more likely than men to get autoimmune diseases, when an out-of-whack immune system attacks their own bodies — and new research may finally explain why. It's all about how the body handles females' extra X chromosome, Stanford University researchers reported Thursday — a finding that could lead to better ways to detect a long list of diseases that are hard to diagnose and treat. "This transforms the way we think about this whole process of autoimmunity, especially... Читать дальше...

TOKYO — A group of residents of towns near Japanese nuclear plants submitted a petition on Friday asking regulators to halt safety screening for the restart of idled reactors until damage to a plant that partially lost external power and spilled radioactive water during a recent powerful earthquake is fully examined. The magnitude 7.6 quake on New Year's Day and dozens of strong aftershocks in north-central Ishikawa prefecture left 240 people dead and 15 unaccounted for and triggered a small tsunami. Читать дальше...

MADRID — A poster in the southern Spanish city of Seville that depicts a young, handsome Jesus wearing only a loincloth has unleashed a storm on social media, with some calling it an affront to the figure of Christ and others posting lewd remarks and memes poking fun at the image. The poster by internationally recognized Seville artist Salustiano García Cruz shows a fresh-faced Jesus without a crown of thorns, no suffering face and minuscule wounds on the hands and ribcage. It was commissioned... Читать дальше...

SAN DIEGO — More storms, rising seas and huge waves are taking their toll on California's iconic piers that have dotted the Pacific coast since the Gold Rush, posing the biggest threat yet to the beach landmarks that have become a quintessential part of the landscape. At least a half-dozen public piers are closed after being damaged repeatedly by storms with multiple atmospheric rivers hitting the state over the past year. Repair costs have climbed into the millions of dollars. Among those shuttered... Читать дальше...

The United States on Friday launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force and affiliated militia groups, in retaliation for the deaths of three American soldiers from a drone attack Sunday on a US base in Jordan. The strikes began shortly after President Joe Biden participated in the dignified transfer of their remains, at Dover Air Force Base. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara was with the president and brings this report.

Vancouver, Canada — A group from Canada’s Uyghur community has withdrawn from a commission investigating allegations that China and other countries are interfering in the country’s elections. As the first round of hearings wrapped up on Friday, the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project announced that it was pulling out of the commission. The group says it withdrew because of its concern that two politicians with alleged sympathies to China have been given full status in the review body. The organization... Читать дальше...

In a rare intervention, a senior US official has urged Britain to reassess the size of its armed forces, given the numerous threats the West faces. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the official’s comments echo concerns of senior military commanders in Britain.

Washington — United States airstrikes hit more than 85 targets Friday linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its proxies in Iraq and Syria, in retaliation for last Sunday's deadly drone attack on an American military base in Jordan. The massive barrage targeted seven locations, including command and control headquarters, intelligence centers, storage sites for rockets, missiles, drones and ammunition, along with other facilities. President Joe Biden said the strikes demonstrate to “all those... Читать дальше...

NEW YORK — Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, facing off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore,” has died. He was 76. Matt Luber, his manager, said Weathers died Thursday. His family issued a statement saying he died “peacefully in his sleep." Weathers was comfortable flexing his muscles on the big screen in “Action Jackson” as well... Читать дальше...

Washington — A plaque honoring Voice of America's headquarters in Washington as a historic site in journalism was unveiled Thursday, with current and former newsroom leaders present to affirm the importance of the outlet's editorial independence. The Society of Professional Journalists, or SPJ, designated VOA's Washington headquarters as a historic journalism site in 2022 and formally handed over the plaque on Thursday. "We chose VOA because of its long history of ethical and independent journalism," Dan Kubiske... Читать дальше...

washington — The U.S. has bolstered defenses at a base in Jordan that was attacked by Iran-backed militants as it prepares for a wider U.S. response to the drone attack that killed three service members, a U.S. official said Friday. Even as a larger U.S. military response seemed imminent, some Iran-backed factions pledged to continue to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East. In a statement released Friday, one of Iraq's strongest Iran-backed militias, Harakat al-Nujaba, announced its plans to continue military operations against U.S. troops... Читать дальше...