Experts from the University of Tennessee have reported that antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain have been found in blood samples from domestic cats in the United States. United, collected long before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, writes the newspaper Izvestia. p>
According to scientists, this can only be explained by the fact that the animals have come in contact with another virus, whose spike protein is so similar to a similar protein from the causative agent of COVID-19 that it causes the release of cross-reacting antibodies in the body.
Scientists have noted that a potentially dangerous virus for humans is currently circulating in the American cat population.
In Russia, no such virus has been detected in domestic animals, according to national experts interviewed.
Previously, WHO CEO Tedros Ghebreyesus expressed the opinion that the global community can end the coronavirus pandemic as soon as possible. like next year.
In a column for the release, he noted that this requires all countries to meet the global target by mid-2022 & mdash; & nbsp; vaccinate 70% of the world's population.
The press service of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported that a new mineral, kufarite, was discovered in Kamchatka, reports RIA Novosti.
It is reported that it was discovered in 2021 in the Koryaksko -Kamchatka platinum belt. The new mineral has a simple chemical composition: PtPb & mdash; platinum-lead.
“ It is named kufarite in honor of Farid Shakirovich Kutyev, a former employee of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern branch of the Far East 39; Russian Academy of Sciences, a brilliant specialist in the field of ore genesis & # 39; & # 39 ;, & mdash; explained the director of the institute, Alexey Ozerov.
In 2020, during research in Kamchatka, previously unidentified minerals in Russia were discovered. & nbsp;
According to the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the Far Eastern branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the research was conducted under the Presidential Grant, which has was won last year by Elena Zhitova, candidate for geological and mineralogical sciences.
Protests in Kazakhstan began on January 2 in the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau, where residents rallied against the sharp rise in liquefied gas prices. The protests then covered many cities across the country. Later, riots began, attacks on administrative buildings, police stations, shops. On January 5, the President of Kazakhstan Tokayev established a state of emergency for 2 weeks in the Mangistau and Almaty regions, as well as in Almaty and Nour-Sultan. On January 6, an anti-terrorist operation against riot participants began in Alma-Ata. January 10 President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev declared national mourning in the country for those killed in the riots. Since the riots in Kazakhstan began in January 103 people have died in the city of Alma-Ata, Kyzylorda region – 21 people, Zhambyl region – 10 people, Alma region -Ata – 8 people. Consequences of the riots in Alma -Ate & mdash; in the AiF.ru photo strip.
Plot Spread of a new strain of coronavirus “omicron”
Scientists at the University of Helsinki have created a molecule called TriSb92, which can protect humans from covid for at least eight hours, even with high risk of infection. This was reported on the university's website.
According to one of the study's authors, Anna Mäkeli, the molecule developed by scientists is able to suppress the function of infection in all known strains of the virus, including the omicron.
Scientists have noted that TriSb92 begins to work immediately after entering the body. However, it does not interfere with the work of the vaccine and only complements it. Studies in mice have been presented as evidence. Thus, animals that received the molecule through the nose were not infected with the coronavirus, unlike ordinary rodents.
Earlier, World Health Organization (WHO) Special Envoy David Nabarro said the timing of the end of the coronavirus pandemic is starting to be felt in the world.
According to headquarters, in the past 24 hours in Russia, 15,830 new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in 84 regions.
The US Department of Justice has withdrawn the request for extradition from Germany of Russian musician Denis Kaznacheev, accused of money laundering, writes TASS with reference to Ivan Melnikov, vice-president of the Russian branch of the International Committee for the Defense of Human Rights.
“ In fact, it was possible to prove that Kaznacheev was not involved in the crime complained of by the American authorities. All the charges against him seemed absurd, & ndash; said the agency contact. & ndash; Whereas Denis & ndash; a simple musician who had no skills in economics, computer science, who periodically borrowed money from friends for a living, it was rather strange to accuse him of involvement in embezzlement of several million dollars. ”
Melnikov noted that such a result was obtained “ attention to this problem of Russian and foreign media, participation of caring citizens, competent work of lawyers, human rights defenders and support of the Russian Foreign Ministry. & # 39; & # 39;
Earlier, the German Court of Appeal decided to extradite Kaznacheev to the United States. In the US it was claimed he used the darknet's shadow network and from 2010 to 2020, along with his accomplices, he laundered over $ 1 million. He was arrested in Berlin on May 29, 2020, and then released on bail. Kaznacheev denies his guilt.
Previously, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, protested against the US plan to extradite the Russian musician.
At the end of December, it was reported that the founder of the WikiLeaks portal, Julian Assange, had filed a motion to appeal the extradition order to the United States. The appeal is currently being considered by the High Court in London.
The coming year 2022 promises to remind the people of Ukraine of the forgotten word 'coupons'. The country's authorities are considering the introduction of a voucher system in & nbsp; as a way to help the poor.
Gas is everything
The reason for these hypothetical proposals so far was the rapid rise in gas prices in & nbsp; Europe in & nbsp; 2021 & nbsp; year. Ukraine, which does not have long-term contracts for the supply of “blue fuel”, is forced to buy it at market prices. In fact, fuel costs Ukrainians more today than members of the EU.
The introduction by the Ukrainian authorities of fixed prices for & nbsp; fuel for citizens cannot solve all problems & nbsp; because the industrial enterprises of Nezalezhnaya are obliged to pay & nbsp; 36 & nbsp; hryvnia for & nbsp; cubic meter of gas and more, which harms the & nbsp; competitiveness of Ukrainian products.
“ Now the government is making sure people don't overpay & nbsp; seven times. For the & nbsp; gas, the price is 8 & nbsp; hryvnia (29 cents) at retail, while the market & mdash; 45 & nbsp; hryvnia ($ 1.66) & raquo ;, & nbsp; & mdash; lamented in mid-December 2021 the head of the company “ Naftogaz Ukraine & # 39; & # 39; Yuriy Vitrenko , claiming that his business is suffering huge losses.
If the problem with & nbsp; the price of & nbsp; fuel for heating the homes of Ukrainians was temporarily resolved, so & nbsp; with & nbsp; things are much worse.
“The so-called 'food controls'
Since the use of gas is the most important factor in industries such as the production of baked goods (gas is needed for dry cereals), poultry and & nbsp; eggs (heating poultry farms), greenhouse vegetables (heating greenhouses), the rise in food prices becomes inevitable.
The Ukrainian government ordered private companies to sell some of their gas to producers of socially important products at regulated prices, but businessmen were not enthusiastic about it. elimination of VAT on basic food products.
Since the VAT on the value of Ukrainian food products is around 20%, such a measure could really be significant. But & nbsp; this will directly affect the revenue side of the Ukrainian budget, because & nbsp; the authorities are not & nbsp; ready. & Nbsp;
Economic advisor to the President of Ukraine Oleg Ustenko In a & nbsp; conversation with & nbsp; the BBC noted that in this situation the best solution would be & nbsp; a targeted assistance program for the poor: & nbsp; In & nbsp; the office of the president, the position is more than clear: in & nbsp; first, the support should receive the most vulnerable layers and & nbsp; vulnerable population. How? 'Or' What? The options will be considered. This can be & nbsp; additional payments to compensate for price increases, and & nbsp; the introduction of food stamps in the & nbsp; system & bdquo; Diya & ldquo; & nbsp; & mdash; the so-called & bdquo; food controls & ldquo; as practiced in & nbsp; USA. These are anti-crisis measures that can be implemented if necessary. & # 39; & # 39; American coupons: how it works and & nbsp; Why You Need It 1930s to the present day. For the first time, the food aid program in the country was launched in the year 1939. Its first & nbsp; leader is Milo Perkins said: “ The earth is divided by an abyss. From a & nbsp; of a & nbsp; of it & nbsp; farmers, & nbsp; who have a surplus of products, & nbsp; from the other & nbsp; & mdash; malnourished townspeople walking with outstretched hands. We must & nbsp; build a bridge across this chasm. & # 39; & # 39;
The program was based on the principle that citizens who received state benefits and bought food on them received an additional state subsidy in the amount of 50% of the cost. food. , which, in turn, could be used to purchase additional products. Receipt of aid was regulated by paper coupons for food. During the period of & nbsp; 1939 to & nbsp; 1943, 20 & nbsp; millions of Americans in need have benefited from the program. Almost immediately after closing the program, the & nbsp; need his & nbsp; reprise. In & nbsp; 1961 it was & nbsp; reintroduced in & nbsp; experimental mode. Since & nbsp; 1964, the program was given permanent status, and & nbsp; since & nbsp; 1974 & nbsp; & mdash; nationwide.
At the time of coming to power Donald Trump Over 50 million people have used food ration cards in the United States. Under Trump, the rules for getting food aid were tightened, leading to a & nbsp; reduction in the number of people included in the program from & nbsp;, first to & nbsp; 46 & nbsp; millions, and & nbsp; then & nbsp; to & nbsp; 35 & nbsp; millions. But & nbsp; the coronavirus pandemic has led to a further increase in the number of those who are forced to depend on & nbsp; ration cards.
Malnutrition in the & nbsp; Agrarian superpower
In & nbsp; Russia in & nbsp; in recent years there have been over & nbsp; suggestions for using a similar technique, but & nbsp; they don't have found support. First of all, this is due to the & nbsp; very negative memories of the older generation & mdash; the vouchers for & nbsp; food were an attribute of the growing deficit in the USSR in the & nbsp; 1980s and & nbsp; culminated in & nbsp; by the time the country collapsed.
Almost simultaneous use in & nbsp; all the countries of the former USSR techniques of the so-called 'shock therapy' finished the national history of food stamps & mdash; the products appeared on the & nbsp; shelves, but & nbsp; money, for & nbsp; buy, people often don't have & nbsp;
The difference between the modern Ukrainian situation and & nbsp; American is & nbsp; the fact that the abundance of farmers with & nbsp; A glut of products in & nbsp; Independent in & nbsp; currently is not observed. In addition, the country is & nbsp; to some extent dependent & nbsp; foreign food supplies.
In & nbsp; 2021, Ukrainian media reported that Nezalezhnaya entered the & nbsp; Top 4 major suppliers of agrifood products in l & nbsp; EU with & nbsp; Great Britain, the United States and & nbsp; Brasil.
At the same time, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in the summer of 2021 Ukraine to & nbsp; many Old World countries suffer the most from food shortages. According to the organization, 9.8 million Ukrainians suffer from malnutrition, 1.1 million suffer from severe food shortage.
A well-nourished life remained in the & nbsp; Ukrainian SSR: conclusions of statisticians
According to data from the State Statistics Service, in Ukraine over the past six years the consumption of meat has increased from 4.6 to 5.2 kg per month, but & nbsp; by & nbsp; other indicators are down. Ukrainians began to consume less milk and & nbsp; dairy products, fish, vegetables and & nbsp; t. & Nbsp; d.
Interesting indicators and & nbsp; for & nbsp; calories: in & nbsp; 2021, the daily rate of a Ukrainian was 2,862 & nbsp; kilocalories, in & nbsp; then & nbsp; under Viktor Yanukovych & nbsp; & mdash; 2969. And & nbsp; under Leonid Brezhnev, the diet of a resident of the Ukrainian SSR was 3378 kilocalories per & nbsp; day. The picture is more than descriptive.
But & nbsp; the saddest thing is that Ukrainians get these calories for & nbsp; to the detriment of foreign products. Ukrainian portal “ Vesti & # 39; & # 39; gives statistics on exports and & nbsp; pork imports to & nbsp; Ukraine for & nbsp; 8 & nbsp; month of 2021 according to & nbsp; data from the National Customs Service. During & nbsp; this period, Ukrainian farmers sold & nbsp; 2.9 & nbsp; thousand. tons of pork, receiving $ 5.8 million. At the same time, imports of foreign pork to the Ukrainian market amounted to 21.2 miles. tonnes of pork, for which $ 39.9 million was paid. What does Ukraine spend today on buying pork abroad six times what it receives from its export. With & nbsp; each year, food imports of & nbsp; Nezalezhnaya increase, outpacing the growth in exports. According to data from the East-fruit portal, for the first 8 months of 2021, Ukraine imported a record amount of fresh cucumber for this time of year & nbsp; & mdash; 12.1 & nbsp; thousand. tons. The main suppliers to the Ukrainian market are Belarus and Turkey. Ukraine has grown and & nbsp; exporting cucumbers from its own production, but & nbsp; she & nbsp; in & nbsp; four times less & mdash; 4 & nbsp; thousand. tons.
Who owns the lard in & nbsp; Ukraine?
In & nbsp; November 2021 and & nbsp; scandal happened. It turned out that the “agrarian superpower” for the first time in & nbsp; its history imported greenhouse cucumbers … from & nbsp; Russia. As for Russian pork purchases, & nbsp; on & nbsp; this in & nbsp; Nezalezhnaya ne & nbsp; pay attention & mdash; are used to it.
And & nbsp; if in the years of perestroika the slogan of Ukrainian nationalists was the cry 'Muscovites have eaten your bacon', then & nbsp; now it's time for the radicals to cry out “ We have eaten Muscovite fat. & # 39; & # 39;
In general, if the case in & nbsp; Ukraine still comes to & nbsp; coupons for & nbsp; food in order to prevent hunger riots, then & nbsp; they will not stimulate & nbsp; Ukrainian producers, but & nbsp; those who import foreign products. And & nbsp; if the inhabitants of the post-Soviet space in & nbsp; in the early 90s were fed 'Bush's legs', so & nbsp; poor Ukrainians will most likely expect Putin's borscht.
The president of & nbsp; Turkmenistan & nbsp; Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov & nbsp; ordered to find a way to eliminate the Darvaza gas crater, which has been burning in the Karakum desert for more than 50 years. & nbsp; Officially, it bears the beautiful name “ Shining Karakum. It is unofficially called the Gates of Hell. & Nbsp;
Where does it come from?
In 1971, geologists discovered and began to develop a natural gas field near the settlement of Darvaza in the Turkmen SSR. During the excavation, they came across a cavity – an underground cavity filled with gas. Soon an accident happened: the earth's surface collapsed, the drilling rig & nbsp; along with the equipment fell to the bottom of this cavity and got covered in dirt. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
It was impossible to recover the equipment, and in addition, the scientists were faced with a more urgent task – gas was escaping from the resulting blackout, which already posed a danger to local residents. It was decided to set it on fire & ndash; geologists expected the gas in the cavity and other associated cavities to extinguish within days, and the fire to go out on its own. But they were wrong: for more than half a century, the flame in this funnel 70 meters wide and & nbsp; 20 meters deep burns continuously, day and night.
The authorities of & nbsp; Turkmenistan have previously attempted to extinguish the crater & nbsp; Darvaz (aka & nbsp; Shining of the Karakum, aka “ Gates of Hell & # 39; & # 39;), but to no avail. Then it was decided to make it a local attraction in order to attract tourists, especially foreigners. In November 2013, one of them, the Canadian traveler and explorer George Coronis , even went down to the bottom of the crater to take soil samples for analysis. They have found bacteria that can live at high temperatures that are not found anywhere else on the Earth's surface.
Nonetheless, environmentalists have continued to talk about the crater's negative impact. Darvaza & nbsp; on the environment and the health of the local population. Having heeded their arguments, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at a government meeting held on January 7 ordered to “ find a solution to put out the fire. '' In addition to environmental damage, he drew attention to the economic component. “We are wasting precious natural resources for which we could profit from, and this would improve the well-being of our people,” Berdymukhamedov said.
“Gates to Hell”. Mysterious gas crater in Turkmenistan
Now to the Deputy Prime Minister & nbsp; Shakhym Abdrakhmanov overseeing the country's fuel and energy complex, will have to find specialists (most likely, foreigners) who represent how it is possible to “ shut down '' forever the Gates of Hell, and ready to take it. Meanwhile, experts doubt that this is possible in principle. Russian geologist Alexander Soliony believes that only a directed explosion can stop combustion in a giant crater, which will lead to the collapse of this object, but such work is expensive and not ; will not prevent further leakage of natural gas from the bowels of the earth.
If the funnel is “ clogged '', for example, by filling it with concrete (there is also such an idea), the gas will run out. will accumulate inside and in any case will find a way out of the ground. Only this can happen as a result of an explosion, and it is impossible to predict where it will happen. This is warned by another Russian scientist, doctor of geological and mineralogical sciences Vladimir Polevanov.
'Athlete' successfully passed the condition tests. & nbsp; By decision of the state commission, two versions of the armored car were recommended for adoption for the supply of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. The MIC noted that the next step will be the preparation of documents and standard procedures for the official acceptance of “ Athletes ''. to supply the Russian armed forces and start their series production.
Armored car “ Athlete ''. Photo: Frame YouTube/OBORONKA
How has it been tested?
Preliminary testing of athletes was held at the bases of the Automotive Technology Research Institute (Bronnitsy), the Armored Vehicle Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Kubinka) and the “ NAMI '' Automotive Technology Test Center (Dmitrovsky district of the Moscow region). First of all, the operating characteristics of the equipment were checked. Experienced Athletes have covered thousands of kilometers on various routes of various natures and with various obstacles. Their behavior over water obstacles has been studied. We also verified the performance of the machines over the full range of specified climatic conditions.
On the training ground of one of the research organizations, an 'Athlete' experienced subject to explosions, bombardments and other influences characteristic of a combat situation. & nbsp; As part of these tests, the car was the target of fire with the use of ammunition corresponding to the level of protection intended, detonations were carried out under the car and beside it. The resistance of the armored vehicle to arson was also tested using a fire mixture. During these checks, it turned out that the ballistic protection is able to withstand the impact of a 7.62mm armor-piercing rifle bullet. Mine protection saves crew from explosion of 2kg TNT under wheel or bottom.
How is it going?
Athlete is a universal platform suitable for the installation of various equipment or weapons. On the roof can be mounted remote control combat modules of different models with one or the other weapon & ndash; at the customer's request. In the future, the appearance of specialized modifications with special equipment is possible. The possible development of a civilian version of the chassis was discussed.
The armored car is seen as a complement or replacement for the 'Tiger' existing, which is characterized by increased characteristics & ndash; first of all, protection. The characteristics obtained during the tests do not yet allow the attribution of an 'Athlete'. to the MRAP class (wheeled armored vehicles with reinforced protection against mines), but it distinguishes it advantageously from its predecessor, the Tiger. Compared to the latter, the level of protection of the Athlete several times higher.
At the moment there are two options for the 'Athlete'. with different armored hull design. Body with bulletproof and shatterproof protection can have a set of three or five doors. A three-door car is considered a special vehicle, a five-door car & ndash; as versatile. In terms of the level of protection, the two modifications are identical.
The cars are fitted as standard with anti-trauma seats for all crew members and an air conditioning system in the cabin, as well as other systems. Depending on the modification, the armored car can carry two to eight fully equipped soldiers. The landing party can use personal weapons by using the doorways in the glazing.
Specifications
& nbsp; & laquo; Athlete & raquo; has a 4×4 wheel arrangement and is equipped with a Yaroslavl YaMZ-5347-24 diesel engine with a capacity of 240 hp. The transmission offers four-wheel drive. A car weighing about 9 tons develops a speed of at least 120 km/h on the highway, cruising range & ndash; 1000 km. It was previously mentioned that from the 'Athlete' perspective can get a new more powerful motor. As a result of this, the main characteristics will increase, in & nbsp; including load capacity. The main differences between the new car and the Tiger & mdash; increased to 1600 kilograms of load capacity, which in the future can be increased to 2500 kilograms.
According to experts, the armored car can be used in the Russian army or in law enforcement. Also & nbsp; the machine may interest foreign customers.
Today at the Federal War Memorial 'Pantheon of Defenders of the Fatherland' & # 39; & # 39; a farewell ceremony was held with the hero of the Russian Federation, ex-chief of general staff of the armed forces of the RF, General of the army Anatoly Kvashnin, who died in at the age of 76, the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the RF Ministry of Defense Report.
Secretary of the Security Council attended the funeral Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of State – Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Nikolai Pankov, the leadership of the Ministry of Defense Defense and veterans of the armed forces Russian.
“ Through his personal business qualities, he served as a role model for those who worked with him. He could be entrusted with the most difficult cases and, it seems, in desperate situations he found solutions that led to positive results '', & ndash; Patrushev said about Kvashnin.
“ He could take his responsibilities, he loved people, loved life, always maintained his physical condition, loved sports. After speaking with him there was always inspiration. A good memory will stay with us, and it will inspire us to do good deeds & # 39; & # 39 ;, & ndash; added the head of the Security Council.
Pankov expressed his deep condolences to Kvashnin's relatives. “ His whole life has been devoted to protecting our homeland, strengthening the country's defense and developing the Russian armed forces & # 39; & # 39 ;, & ndash; he said, noting the general's invaluable personal contribution to defeating bandit formations and restoring constitutional order in the North Caucasus.
Anatoly Kvashnin died from the effects of the coronavirus at the age of 75.
Earlier, Vladimir Putin and RF Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu expressed their deep condolences on the occasion of his death.
AiF.ru told in detail the biography of the general.
Russians will be able to participate in court hearings by video link, as well as receive court documents through the state services portal, writes Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
It is clarified that in order to participate in the hearing, the citizen must write a statement to the authority and at the agreed time follow the link by logging into the portal of public services. Also online it will now be possible to get acquainted with case documents, receive court notices and copies of court decisions.
Recall that in the first quarter of 2022 a number of important laws in various fields entered into force in Russia. Thus, from January 1, 2022, certificates of incapacity for work will begin to be issued in electronic form.
