International

Western Canada wildfires force more evacuations

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — Western Canada’s spreading wildfires prompted fresh evacuation orders on Sunday as authorities registered over 100 active blazes. Around 30,000 people have been told to leave their homes in Alberta, where more than two dozen fires have not yet been brought under control. Calling the situation “unprecedented,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith declared a state of emergency on Saturday. The province — one of the world’s largest oil-producing regions — “has been experiencing […]

Continue Reading →

At least 27 dead in Peru gold mine fire tragedy

YANAQUIHUA, Peru (AFP) — At least 27 workers have died in a fire at a gold mine in a remote area of southern Peru, authorities said Sunday, making it one of the worst mining tragedies in the South American country’s recent history. Grief-stricken relatives gathered near the mine looking for news of their loved ones. “Where are you darling, where are you?” cried Marcelina Aguirre Quispe, whose husband was among the victims. “We know there […]

Continue Reading →

At least 22 dead after India boat capsizes

MALAPPURAM, India (AFP) — At least 22 people died when a double-decker tourist boat capsized in India’s southern state of Kerala, officials said Monday. The incident happened late Sunday in Tanur, a coastal town in Kerala’s Malappuram district. Rescue operations were ongoing. Dozens of people searched for survivors in and around the stricken vessel during the night, which was partially submerged. Some used ropes to stabilize the vessel while others were in the water, looking […]

Continue Reading →

Wagner says Russia promises enough ammo to stay in Bakhmut

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The head of the Wagner mercenary group said on Sunday that Russia had promised his fighters enough ammunition to stay in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, after threatening to pull out in scathing videos. Rivalries between Yevgeny Prigozhin and the conventional army had boiled over during the battle for the now-devastated flashpoint, where Wagner is leading the assault. “Overnight we received a combat order… they promised to give us all […]

Continue Reading →

Stars take centre stage as UK steps up coronation celebrations

Windsor, United Kingdom By Justin TALLIS in Windsor and Joe JACKSON in London Britain revelled in the coronation of King Charles III on Sunday as it staged a star-studded concert watched by 20,000 people at Windsor Castle and millions more across the country and world. Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, watched on from a royal box in the grounds of the castle west of London, as Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and British band Take […]

Continue Reading →

At least 7 killed in car ramming outside Texas migrant center

BROWNSVILLE, United States, May 7, 2023 (AFP) – At least seven people were killed Sunday in south Texas and several others injured when a car plowed through a group waiting at a bus stop outside a migrant aid center, police said. Law enforcement said they were treating the incident as an accident for now, though a witness told AFP the driver had yelled insults at the group before accelerating. The gray sport utility vehicle “went […]

Continue Reading →

Toll from DR Congo floods rises to nearly 400: official

BUKAVU, DR Congo, May 7, 2023 (AFP) – The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to nearly 400, an official said on Sunday. At least 394 bodies have been recovered after last week’s floods, said Thomas Bakenga, administrator of Kalehe territory where the affected villages are located. He had announced a toll of at least 203 people on Saturday. Heavy […]

Continue Reading →

Tokyo and Seoul try to bury historical hatchet, hailing ‘new future’ for ties

SEOUL, May 7, 2023 (AFP) – Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Sunday his “heart aches” for Koreans who suffered under colonialism, as Seoul and Tokyo seek a rapid reset of long-strained ties in the face of North Korean threats. Kishida was in Seoul on the first official bilateral visit by a Japanese leader to South Korea in over a decade. He met President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has made improving testy relations with Japan […]

Continue Reading →

Nigeria police rescues 58 kidnap victims near capital

  ABUJA, May 7, 2023 (AFP) – Police in Nigeria said Sunday that it rescued 58 people who were abducted and held hostage by criminal gangs in central Kogi State, while one victim died during the operation. Kidnappings are one of the many security challenges facing incoming President Bola Tinubu, who will be sworn in later this month after a February election disputed by the opposition. “The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has rescued 58 […]

Continue Reading →

Aftershocks shake Japan after quake kills one, destroys homes

TOKYO (AFP) – Aftershocks shook Japan a day after a powerful earthquake left at least one person dead, with officials assessing damage Saturday from the jolt that destroyed several buildings. The 6.5 magnitude quake hit the central Ishikawa region mid-afternoon on Friday at a depth of 12 kilometres (seven miles), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. More than 50 aftershocks, some of them strong, had occurred by Saturday morning, the agency said, as it warned […]

Continue Reading →

Nine dead after shooting rampage at Texas mall: authorities

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2023 (AFP) – A man who went on a rampage at a Texas outlet mall on Saturday shot dead eight people before he was himself killed, authorities said. “(We) found seven deceased individuals on scene. We transported nine individuals to the hospital… Of those we transported, two have since died,” said fire chief Jonathan Boyd of Allen, Texas. The shooting sparked panic at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling shopping complex in Allen, […]

Continue Reading →

Vietnam posts record high temperature: officials

HANOI, May 7, 2023 (AFP) – Vietnam reported a record high temperature late Saturday with a north-central weather station measuring 44.1 degrees Celsius (111.38 degrees Fahrenheit), officials said, breaking a previous high set in 2019. South Asia has been sweltering under a heatwave for much of April, with neighbouring countries also registering record temperatures. Vietnam’s weather varies from north to south, but the entire country is now entering its hottest summer months. The record temperature […]

Continue Reading →
1 … 306 307 308 309 310 … 2,486