Новости за 18.08.2017

The carnage in Barcelona and the shooting of five terrorists in the coastal town of Cambrils 75 miles away are not the first time Spain has found itself victim to jihadist terrorism.

Niocr25/Shutterstock

Vladimir Putin’s power in Russia can often look unassailable. However much Western media might champion potential opponents, the president maintains a tight grip, and it’s easy to see why. Any successor to Putin who was not a puppet would very likely seek to establish their anti-corruption credentials and re-establish Russia’s international credibility by expropriating Putin and others among Russia’s super rich.

It should come as no surprise that terrorists deciding to attack a target in Spain would choose Barcelona’s Las Ramblas. The driver of a van deliberately ploughed into a crowd of pedestrians, killing at least 14 people, and injuring more than 100 in the horrific incident. Beyond the immediate horror, the attack is likely to have consequences for the area.

Dan Bach Kristensen / shutterstock

The largest wildfire ever recorded in Greenland was recently spotted close to the west coast town of Sisimiut, not far from Disko Island where I research retreating glaciers. The fire has captured public and scientific interest not just because its size and location came as a surprise, but also because it is yet another signpost of deep environmental change in the Arctic.

In another setback for marriage equality in Northern Ireland, two challenges to the country’s ban on same-sex marriage were dismissed by the High Court in Belfast on August 17. The ruling involved two separate cases brought by couples who argued that their human rights were being breached because there is no law allowing for same-sex marriage, or the recognition of same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland. It is the only jurisdiction in the UK which does not allow same-sex marriage.

Rajkamal Kalamandir Film Company, CC BY-SA

Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk raised questions recently about the erasure of India from the war effort – any portrayal of Indian soldiers or reference to their contribution was noticeably absent. But even in India, the country’s role in the conflict tends to be overshadowed by the major events of the Indian independence movement that coincided with the war years.

A little piece of calm. Pexels

When you think about somewhere that is tranquil, what do you imagine? Whether it’s a wide open meadow, a deserted beach, or a river as it lazily flows along on a warm summer’s afternoon, research shows tranquillity is mainly found in natural outdoor environments.

vectorfusionart/Shutterstock

When the legends of opera were composing their works, it is unlikely they ever envisaged a time when intricate sets made by man’s hand would be replaced with virtual reality. But that is just what the Wales National Opera is doing this summer. The company has created two virtual reality accompaniments letting those who are new to opera step inside the performance.

shutterstock.com

Fifty years ago then-prime minister Harold Wilson made the decision to devalue the pound in a bid to tackle the UK’s flagging economy. Overnight the government changed the value of the pound from US$2.80 to US$2.40 – a 14% drop.

nikkytok/Shutterstock

There’s something offputting about tap water that’s cloudy or milky – it doesn’t invite you to drink it. But is cloudy water actually bad for you?

shutterstock.com

The recent BBC report on the pay of its top earners laid bare the disparities between men and women’s earnings. But it should come as no surprise. The gender pay gap has been stubbornly stagnant over the past decade. According to the EU (which calculates the gap based on hourly pay differences between men and women), men earn around 20% more. And the UK’s official statistics group, which calculates the pay gap of full-time earnings, men earn an average of about 10% more than women. Читать дальше...

Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock

Music streaming services are hard to beat. With millions of users – Spotify alone had 60m by July 2017, and is forecast to add another 10m by the end of the year – paying to access a catalogue of more than 30m songs, any initial concerns seem to have fallen by the wayside.

Shutterstock

The clash between far right protesters and anti-fascist counter-groups in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the removal of a statue of Confederate general, Robert E Lee, is the latest incident to reflect ongoing tension in American race relations. From the Black Lives Matter campaign that emerged after repeated police shootings of black people to the ongoing battles over the continued reverence of notable southern Civil War figures, such events show the legacy of slavery is still very much a live issue in modern America. Читать дальше...

ESB Professional/Shutterstock

At least 20 NHS Trust hospitals have been hit by a drug-resistant fungus, Candida auris. So far, 200 people have been contaminated or infected with the fungus, which can cause potentially deadly complications.

At last count, seven Australian MPs have been found to be under a citizenship cloud, including deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce (standing). AAP/Mick Tsikas

The wafer-thin majority of Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s government is under threat from a constitutional crisis. A series of high-profile MPs, including the deputy prime minister and another government minister, may lose their seats in parliament after revelations that their citizenship of other countries may disqualify them under Australia’s constitution. Читать дальше...

Oh please. There's no wind on the moon. wikipedia

I’m sitting on a train when a group of football fans streams on. Fresh from the game – their team has clearly won – they occupy the empty seats around me. One picks up a discarded newspaper and chuckles derisively as she reads about the latest “alternative facts” peddled by Donald Trump.

MilsiArt/Shutterstock

Young people in Britain who use e-cigarettes (vape) are nearly four times more likely to start smoking cigarettes than their non-vaping peers, our latest study has found.