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by Becky Davis Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — An Iranian oil tanker burst into flames from end to end and sank Sunday, eight days after it caught fire following a collision with a cargo ship off China, state media said. Earlier, a Tehran official said there was no hope of saving some 30 missing crewmen before the ship sank, amid concern over an oil spill as Chinese officials played down fears of a […]
by Eugene Tanner, with Maggy Donaldson in Washington Agence France Presse HONOLULU, Hawaii (AFP) — A top US official on Sunday defended government early-warning systems after a false missile alert terrified Hawaii, in what a congresswoman called an epic failure that emphasized the need for talks with North Korea. The Pacific archipelago was already on edge over fears of a North Korean attack when the phones of residents and tourists blared the alert just after […]
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) –Search and rescue teams combed the aftermath of a deadly mudslide in southern California on Sunday as authorities confirmed another death, raising the number of fatalities to 20, officials said. Four people remained missing after the mudslides, according to an update posted on Santa Barbara County’s website, which warned that the figure could “fluctuate significantly.” “The unstable environment remains a critical threat to civilians and responders. The large amounts of […]
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AFP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought to drum up EU pressure on North Korea on Sunday in Sofia, while pledging to boost economic cooperation with Bulgaria and the Balkans. “During today’s talks we discussed the constantly worsening security situation in Eastern Asia and we were unanimous with Premier Boyko Borisov about the importance of close cooperation on the North Korea issue,” Abe said. He met with his Bulgarian counterpart Borisov as […]
LIMA, Peru (AFP) — A 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook southern Peru on Sunday, killing at least two people and injuring 65, the South American country’s civil defense agency said. Homes made of adobe collapsed in coastal areas most directly affected by the quake, local authorities said. The earthquake struck in the Pacific, 31 kilometers (19 miles) from the seaside town of Acari in the region of Arequipa, according to the US Geological Survey. “There are […]
by Kaouther Larbi Agence France-Presse TUNIS, Tunisia (AFP) – Tunisia’s government on Saturday announced an increase in aid to the needy and improved health care as part of social reforms following a week of unrest triggered by austerity measures. Social Affairs Minister Mohamed Trabelsi told reporters that monthly aid to needy families would rise from 150 dinars (50 euros) to between 180 and 210 dinars (60 and 70 euros). He said reforms which have been in […]
by Yemeli ORTEGA Agence France-Presse PARACHO DE VERDUZCO, Mexico (AFP) – Salvador Meza has been making guitars since he was a boy, but his leathery hands have never had to churn them out as fast as now — thanks to the hit movie “Coco.” Meza, 41, is one of many renowned guitar-makers in the Mexican town of Paracho, which has been producing artfully crafted guitars since the 18th century. But the sleepy colonial town has never […]
CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) – The head of Egypt’s legendary Zamalek football club, Mortada Mansour, said Saturday he would be standing in the presidential election in March. “I will be a candidate in the presidential election and I will start to collect sponsors,” he wrote on Facebook. He also confirmed his intention to run on a television show, saying he “had to gather about 25,000 signatures in 15 provinces in just 10 days”. The National Elections Authority […]
by Eugene Tanner, with Maggy Donaldson in Washington Agence France-Presse HONOLULU, United States (AFP) – An alert warning of an incoming ballistic missile aimed at Hawaii was sent in error Saturday, sowing panic and confusion across the US state — which is already on edge over the risk of attack — before officials dubbed it a “false alarm.” Emergency management officials eventually determined the notification was sent just after 8:00 am (1800 GMT) during a shift […]
PARIS, France (AFP) – A salmonella scandal at French dairy group Lactalis has affected 83 countries, where 12 million boxes of powdered baby milk are being recalled, the company’s CEO said Sunday in an interview with French media. Emmanuel Besnier, scion of the secretive family behind one of the world’s biggest dairy groups, was speaking publicly for the first time since an outcry erupted over claims the company hid the salmonella outbreak at a plant making the […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Authorities in northern China have demolished a megachurch in a move denounced by a religious rights group as “Taliban-style persecution”. China’s officially atheist Communist authorities are wary of any organised movements outside their control, including religious ones. The huge evangelical Jindengtai (“Golden Lampstand”) Church, painted grey and surmounted by turrets and a large red cross, was located in Linfen, Shanxi province. Its demolition began on Tuesday under “a city-wide campaign to […]
by Jan FLEMR Agence France-Presse PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AFP) — Czech President Milos Zeman appeared Saturday to be heading for a run-off as voting began on day two of a presidential election pitting the pro-Russian incumbent against a flock of more liberal pro-European rivals. Opinion surveys show the divisive 73-year-old ex-communist, who is also staunchly anti-Muslim and pro-Chinese, leading the pack of nine candidates ahead of Jiri Drahos, 68-year-old pro-European former head of the Czech […]
