International

Rolling red carpet to Africans, US warns of ‘destabilizing’ China, Russia

by Shaun Tandon Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States warned Tuesday that China and Russia were destabilizing Africa with their growing inroads as it rolled out the red carpet to the continent’s leaders and pledged billions of dollars in support. Forty-nine African leaders flew into the Washington cold for the first continent-wide summit with the United States in eight years as President Joe Biden seeks to use personal diplomacy to win […]

Around 100 dead as floods strike DR Congo capital

by Joel LUMBALA Agence France-Presse KINSHASA, DR Congo (AFP) — Around a hundred people died on Tuesday as the worst floods in years battered DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa following an all-night downpour, according to state television. Major roads in the centre of Kinshasa, a city of some 15 million people, were submerged for hours, and a key supply route was cut off. State television said that around 100 people had died in the floods, as […]

Hong Kong leader says Google has ‘moral obligation’ to remove wrong anthem

HONG KONG, China (AFP) – Google has a “moral obligation” to stop a democracy protest song appearing in search results, Hong Kong’s leader said Tuesday, as row over China’s national anthem widened to include the tech giant. Hong Kong officials have been infuriated by a series of mistakes at international sporting events in recent weeks when a protest song has been played instead of China’s national anthem for the city’s athletes. Their ire has increasingly focused […]

Video game hub Japan confronts problem of addiction

by Kyoko HASEGAWA  Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — From Super Mario to Final Fantasy, Japan has long been synonymous with gaming, but some experts and parents fear a growing addiction problem is going unaddressed. While nearby nations like China and South Korea have imposed drastic restrictions on youth gaming in recent years — with mixed results — some Japanese families feel they are being left to deal with the issue on their own. Each […]

Ukraine needs extra gas and weapons, Zelensky tells G7

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) – President Volodymyr Zelensky urged G7 nations on Monday to provide extra gas and weapons to help Ukraine survive a brutal winter, which threatens to bring further suffering to millions in the war-torn country. With snow on the ground and Ukraine’s energy grid battered by Russian strikes, many are facing freezing temperatures without power or heating. During a video conference with the G7 club of wealthy nations on Monday, Zelensky said Ukraine needs […]

Deadly attack on Kabul hotel popular with Chinese

by Abdullah HASRAT Agence France-Presse KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — At least three people were killed when gunmen attacked a hotel popular with Chinese business people in the Afghan capital Monday, with witnesses reporting multiple blasts and several bursts of gunfire, as the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Smoke could be seen pouring from the multi-storey Kabul Longan Hotel as Taliban security forces rushed to the site and sealed off the neighborhood. The Taliban claim to […]

Musk relaunches Twitter Blue after fake account fiasco

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) – Elon Musk relaunched a subscription service for Twitter on Monday after a first attempt saw an embarrassing spate of fake accounts that scared advertisers and cast doubt on the site’s future. The first try last month came just 10 days after Musk’s $44 billion takeover of the influential platform and a mass round of layoffs that saw company staff levels halved, including teams of workers moderating content. The relaunch […]

Jin from BTS begins military service, marking end of an era

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — BTS star Jin starts his mandatory South Korean military duty on Tuesday, the band’s first member to enlist since a hiatus announcement this year left fans heartbroken over the K-pop juggernaut’s uncertain future. The septet is widely considered the country’s biggest-ever cultural phenomenon — selling out stadiums around the world and dominating the charts while raking in billions and building a global legion of fans known as ARMYs. But all […]

Nestle to open new $43-mn Ukraine factory

ZURICH, Switzerland (AFP) – Swiss food giant Nestle said Monday it was opening a new production site in war-torn Ukraine, and would invest tens of millions in a factory and production network set to employ 1,500 people. “Nestle is announcing the opening a new production site in Ukraine,” the company, which had three facilities in Ukraine before the war broke out, said in a statement. It said that “40 million Swiss francs ($43 million) will be […]

Alleged Lockerbie bombmaker due in US court

  Washington, United States (AFP) The Libyan accused of making the bomb that destroyed a Pan Am flight over Scotland in 1988, killing 270 people, has arrived in the United States and will appear in court Monday, Justice Department officials said. Abu Agila Mohammad Masud was charged by the United States two years ago for the Lockerbie bombing, in which Americans made up a majority of the victims. After arriving in the United States he […]

One in five cars on Norway’s roads are electric

  Oslo, Norway (AFP) One in five cars on Norway’s roads are electric, a share that has doubled in less than three years, the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association said Monday. “The snowball is rolling faster and faster and a growing number of good electric car models are on Norway’s roads”, the head of the association, Christina Bu, said on its website. While it took almost 10 years for the country’s electric car fleet to go […]

Three killed in attack on China hotel in Afghan capital

Kabul, Afghanistan (AFP) by Abdullah HASRAT At least three people were killed when gunmen attacked a hotel popular with Chinese business people in the Afghan capital Monday, with witnesses reporting multiple blasts and several bursts of gunfire. Smoke could be seen pouring from the multi-storey Kabul Longan Hotel as Taliban security forces rushed to the site and sealed off the neighbourhood. The Taliban claim to have improved security since storming back to power in August […]