International

Russia calls on Turkey to show ‘restraint’ in Syria

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AFP) — Russia on Tuesday said it hoped Turkey would exercise “restraint” and refrain from “any excessive use of force” in Syria, where Ankara has carried out air strikes and is threatening to launch a ground offensive against Kurdish fighters. “We hope to convince our Turkish colleagues to refrain from resorting to excessive use of force on Syrian territory” to “avoid the escalation of tensions”, Alexander Lavrentyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy […]

US VP Harris visits Philippine island near China-claimed waters

  Puerto Princesa, Philippines | AFP | by Allison JACKSON US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday visited a Philippine island near waters claimed by China to show support for the longtime US ally and counter Beijing’s growing influence in the region. Harris is the highest-ranking US official ever to visit the western island of Palawan, the closest Philippine landmass to the Spratly archipelago in the hotly contested South China Sea. Beijing claims sovereignty over […]

DEVELOPING STORY: Power out, as strong 7.0 quake hits Solomon Islands

Honiara, Solomon Islands | AFP | A strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Solomon Islands on Tuesday, with eyewitnesses reporting violent shaking that hurled items to the ground and knocked out power in parts of the capital Honiara. “This was a big one,” Joy Nisha, a receptionist with the Heritage Park Hotel in the capital Honiara, told AFP. “Some of the things in the hotel fell. Everyone seems OK, but panicky.” An AFP reporter in […]

URGENT: Strong 7.0 quake hits Solomon Islands

Honiara, Solomon Islands | AFP | A strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Solomon Islands on Tuesday, with eyewitnesses reporting violent shaking that hurled televisions and other items to the ground. A tsunami warning was issued for an area of the Solomons coast within 300 kilometres (185 miles) of the epicentre. “This was a big one,” Joy Nisha, a receptionist with the Heritage Park Hotel in the capital Honiara, told AFP. “Some of the things […]

Shallow quake kills 162, injures hundreds on Indonesia’s Java island

Cianjur, Indonesia | AFP | by Dessy Sagita with Jack Moore in Jakarta A shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake killed at least 162 people, with hundreds injured and others missing, when it toppled buildings and triggered landslides on Indonesia’s main island of Java on Monday, officials said. Doctors treated patients outdoors after the quake, which was felt as far away as the capital Jakarta, left hospitals in the West Java town of Cianjur without power for several […]

Eight killed in Colombia plane crash

BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) – A small plane carrying eight people crashed into a residential area of Colombia’s second-largest city Medellin on Monday, killing all on board, airport authorities said. The aircraft took off from the Olaya Herrera airport in the morning and reported an engine failure before crashing into a house, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the air. The airport’s Twitter account reported that the eight people in the plane — six passengers and […]

Gazprom wins appeal against 6.2 bn euro Polish fine

WARSAW, Poland (AFP) – A Polish court on Monday overturned a decision by Poland’s anti-monopoly watchdog to impose a 6.2 billion euro ($6.3 billion) fine against Russian gas giant Gazprom, the watchdog said. The fine imposed in 2020 against Gazprom and five other companies, including British-Dutch giant Shell, was over construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Supplies through the gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany have since been halted because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. […]

Two arrests in Estonia over $575 mn cryptocurrency fraud

TALLINN, Estonia (AFP) – Two men have been arrested in Estonia on suspicion of defrauding $575 million (562 million euros) from hundreds of thousands of people in a cryptocurrency scheme, Estonian police said on Monday. Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turogin were arrested on Sunday in a joint operation by Estonian police and the FBI and Washington has requested extradition of the two men, the police said in a statement. “This is one of the largest fraud […]

Disney seeks old magic in return of ex-CEO

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – In a dramatic twist worthy of a “Star Wars” spin-off, Disney ditched CEO Bob Chapek and brought back Bob Iger, Hollywood’s most respected executive, who faces a huge challenge to revive the Magic Kingdom. Iger’s return comes as Disney is trying to negotiate an uncertain era, where investors have lost faith in some of the most storied names in US media as companies bleed cash in the hunt for customers […]

URGENT: ‘Nearly 20’ dead, 300 injured in Indonesia quake: local official

Cianjur, Indonesia | AFP | Nearly 20 people have been killed and at least 300 injured in an earthquake that rattled Indonesia’s main island of Java on Monday, a local official from the town worst-hit by the tremor told local media. “The information I got for now, in this hospital alone, nearly 20 died and at least 300 people are being treated. Most of them had fractures from being trapped by the ruins of buildings,” […]

Canada sanctions former Haitian leaders, announces aid

DJERBA, Tunisia (AFP) – Canada on Sunday said it would impose sanctions against former Haitian president Michel Martelly and two ex-prime ministers accused of profiting from armed gangs, and announced a new aid package for the country. The men in question “directly benefit from the work of the gangs and are associated with a system of corruption”, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told journalists during a conference in Tunisia. The sanctions, which will freeze any assets […]

G7 demands tougher sanctions on North Korea after latest salvo

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The G7 nations on Sunday slammed North Korea’s “reckless” launch of another intercontinental ballistic missile and called on the UN Security Council to take further “significant” action to halt the tests. Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations said repeated launching of missiles by North Korea “further destabilizes the region, despite calls from the international community for peace and stability.” The missile North Korea test fired on Friday appeared […]