Satellite Photos Show Most of Syria Without Lights

More than three-quarters of the lights in Syria have been extinguished since the internal conflict began four years ago this month, according to an analysis of new satellite imagery released on Wednesday.

Scientists based in China analyzed nighttime satellite images and found that 83% of lights had gone out. The study was backed by 130 international NGOs that are part of the #withSyria coalition, which aims to raise awareness about the ongoing conflict.

“What is happening on the ground in Syria is a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe of the first order,” said former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who briefed the media on the results of the analysis. “I believe it is the single most important issue in the Middle East today, yet it sometimes feels as though the world has forgotten about it.”

More than 200,000 people have been killed and another 4 million have fled the country in a conflict that started in March 2011 between rebel groups and President Bashar al-Assad. The ensuing power vacuum paved the way for the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria, which has seized swathes of territory in both countries.

People fleeing their homes, physical destruction and power shortages can

all

contribute to the decline in night light, which provides a unique glimpse into the destruction wrought by the violence in Syria. Levels of night light have fallen more in Syria over the course of the conflict than they did in Rwanda over the course of the genocide there in 1994, according to Dr. Xi Li, the leader researcher on the project.

“Satellite imagery is the most objective source of data showing the devastation of Syria on a national scale,” he said in a statement. “Taken from 500 miles above the earth, these images help us understand the suffering and fear experienced by ordinary Syrians every day, as their country is destroyed around them.”

The eclipse was most accentuated in the northern city of Aleppo, a fierce battleground between rebel groups and government forces where night light dropped 97%. Government-held cities have fared somewhat better, including Damascus, where night light dropped 35%.

The activist groups behind the study called for the new data to serve as a wake up call for the international community. In a separate report being released this week called “Failing Syria,”several NGOs accused the UN Security Council of failing to to follow up on three resolutions to protect civilians passed in 2014. The death toll in Syria reached a new high last year.

“The international community can and must supply more intense political pressure to stop the violence and human rights abuses that are fueling this crisis,” Albright said. “I believe that we have a moral obligation to bring all partners to the table to find a solution and end the uprooting and destruction of the Syrian people.”

第二篇：时事新闻摘抄：CDC finds new virus

CDC finds new virus

The CDC says it has discovered a new virus after it killed a man in Kansas. It's called the Bourbon Virus, named after the county where the man lived. Scientists believe that it's spread by a tick or an insect bite.

When the man fell ill last year, he suffered from flu-like symptoms but doctors couldn't figure out what was making him sick.

The man, who was under the age of 50, was bitten by numerous ticks while working outside on his property in eastern Kansas. He died 11 days later. Doctors tested his blood for several possible infections but came up short. When his blood samples were sent to the CDC, it took months of testing before they realized they were dealing with something new.

"It was very frustrating. That's one of the biggest problems with my job, which I love, is when we can't answer those kinds of questions and we can't help the patients or their families."

Researchers believe it's possible other people may have been infected before, but never this severe. NBC News reports, scientists plan to visit the area when the weather gets warmer to look for insects and maybe even animals that might carry the virus.

Health officials recommend using insect repellents and wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect against tick bites.