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by Sam Jahan with Sailendra Sal in Kolkata SATKHIRA, Bangladesh (AFP) — At least 22 people died as the fiercest cyclone to hit parts of Bangladesh and eastern India this century sent trees flying and flattened houses, with millions crammed into shelters despite the risk of coronavirus. Millions were left without power after Cyclone Amphan, packing winds of around 150 kilometers per hour (95 miles), carried away electricity pylons, walls and roofs, officials said Thursday […]
by Sam Jahan with Sailendra Sal in Kolkata Agence France Presse KHULNA, Bangladesh (AFP) — The strongest cyclone in decades slammed into Bangladesh and eastern India on Wednesday, sending water surging inland and leaving a trail of destruction as the death toll rose to at least nine. High winds and torrid rains pounded coastal villages and cities, bringing down power lines, uprooting trees and inundating homes. “The situation is more worrying than the coronavirus pandemic. […]
KOLKATA, India (AFP) — Cyclone Amphan, one of the most powerful in decades, made landfall in eastern India on Wednesday packing winds of up to 190 kilometers (120 miles) per hour, an official said. “The cyclone has made landfall. The eye is over Sagar Island” on the coast, Sanjib Banerjee, director of the regional meteorological office in Kolkata, told AFP. Weather officials say the cyclone could wreak havoc in India and Bangladesh, and millions of […]
KHULNA, Bangladesh (AFP) — A Bangladesh Red Crescent volunteer drowned Wednesday when a boat capsized while evacuating villagers in the path of Cyclone Amphan, the organization said. “There were four of them on the boat when it sank,” Nurul Islam Khan, director of the Cyclone Preparedness Programme of the Bangladesh Red Crescent, told AFP. Amphan, one of the fiercest cyclones in decades, was due to make landfall late Wednesday afternoon with forecasts of a potentially […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing will “never tolerate” Taiwan’s separation from China, a spokesman at the mainland’s top Taiwan body said Wednesday, after President Tsai Ing-wen was inaugurated for a second term. China considers the democratic, self-governing island as part of its territory, and has repeatedly advocated for its eventual reunification with the mainland — using military force if necessary. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office, said China had “sufficient ability to defend […]
by Amber WANG Agence France Presse TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — China must find a way to live peacefully alongside a democratic Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen said Wednesday, in an inauguration speech that drew condemnation from Beijing. Taiwanese voters handed Tsai a second term with a landslide win in January, a vocal rebuke of China’s ongoing campaign to isolate the island. Tsai, 63, is loathed by Beijing because her party views Taiwan as a de facto […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Hundreds of thousands of South Korean students returned to school on Wednesday as educational establishments started reopening after a coronavirus delay of more than two months. Students lined up for temperature checks and were given sanitizers to wash their hands as they entered school premises while teachers greeted them with smiles and occasional elbow bumps. “It’s really exciting to meet my friends and teachers face to face, but we have […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — A Russian army Mi-8 helicopter crashed outside Moscow during a training flight on Tuesday, killing the crew, the defense ministry said. “As a result of a crash landing the crew of the helicopter died of their wounds,” the defense ministry said. Defense ministry spokespeople, reached by AFP, declined to specify how many crew members had died. But Russian news agencies, citing emergency services, said three people died. The helicopter, which did […]
by Sam Jahan with Sailendra Sil in Kolkata Agence France Presse KHULNA, Bangladesh (AFP) — The Bay of Bengal’s fiercest cyclone this century was bearing down on millions of people in eastern India and Bangladesh on Wednesday, with forecasts of a potentially devastating and deadly storm surge. Authorities have scrambled to stage mass evacuations away from the path of Amphan, which is only the second “super cyclone” to form in the northeastern Indian Ocean since […]
by Sailendra Sil with Abhaya Srivastava in New Delhi and Shafiqul Alam in Dhaka Agence France Presse KOLKATA, India (AFP) — Millions of people were being moved to safety as one of the fiercest cyclones in years barrelled towards India and Bangladesh on Tuesday, but with evacuation plans complicated by coronavirus precautions. “Amphan” is expected to pack winds gusting up to 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour when it hits eastern India and Bangladesh on […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong on Tuesday extended anti-virus measures limiting public gatherings until June 4, a move that means an annual vigil marking the Tiananmen crackdown will likely not take place for the first time in 30 years. The candlelight vigil usually attracts huge crowds and is the only place on Chinese soil where such a major commemoration of the anniversary is still allowed. Last year’s gathering was especially large and came […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The number of coronavirus cases in Russia hit nearly 300,000 on Tuesday as authorities registered more than 9,000 new infections after saying the virus situation had stabilised. Health officials reported 9,263 new infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 299,941, the second-highest in the world after the United States. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who along with several other senior officials has tested positive for the virus, said […]
