After the partial collapse of a crater terrace, the volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli off the Sicilian coast starts to erupt, with lava flowing into the sea and triggering a three-minute seismic signal. Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet and the Italian Civil protection has raised the alert from yellow to orange and advised people on the island to stay indoors. © Agence France-Presse
International
‘Dream come true’: Japan reopens to tourists
Tokyo, Japan (AFP) — Japan reopened its doors to tourists Tuesday after two-and-a-half years of tough Covid restrictions, with officials hoping an influx of travellers enticed by a weak yen will boost the economy. By mid-morning, tourists from Israel, France and Britain were already pouring in. “It’s a long, long dream come true,” said 69-year-old Adi Bromshtine, a retiree arriving at Tokyo’s Haneda airport from Israel. “We were planning before Covid and waiting and waiting,” […]
Neighbors, rescuers search for missing after Venezuela landslide
by Margioni BERMÚDEZ Agence France-Presse LAS TEJERÍAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Neighbors helped rescue teams comb through mud and debris Monday for signs of dozens of people missing after a landslide swept through a town in Venezuela, killing at least 36. More than 3,000 rescuers were deployed in Las Tejerias, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the capital Caracas, after Venezuela’s worst natural disaster in decades. “Unfortunately, we have 36 people dead at the moment and […]
US airport websites hit by suspected pro-Russian cyberattacks
Washington, United States | AFP | The websites for a number of major US airports were briefly knocked offline Monday after a cyberattack promoted by a pro-Russian hacking group. The disruptions affected airport websites in cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix and St Louis, and were carried out via distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which involve taking a website offline by flooding it with traffic. The airport websites were targeted […]
Biden promises Zelensky advanced air defense systems
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Joe Biden on Monday promised to provide advanced air defense systems to Ukraine after Russian missiles rained down on the capital Kyiv and other cities, the White House said in a statement. Biden spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky and “pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems,” the statement said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened more “severe” […]
Russian president seeks escalation with Ukraine missile blitz: experts
Paris, France | AFP | by Adam PLOWRIGHT and Daphne BENOIT With Russia firing a hail of missiles into Ukraine on Monday and Belarus making fresh threats against Kyiv, President Vladimir Putin is seeking to escalate the nearly eight-month war and compensate for humiliating recent losses, Western analysts say. According to Ukrainian authorities, 41 out of 75 missiles were intercepted, but the remainder struck cities around the country, including the capital Kyiv and western Lviv […]
Malaysia PM calls snap elections
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | by M JEGATHESAN Malaysia’s prime minister dissolved parliament Monday to clear the way for snap elections in a bid to restore political stability as the country emerges from the ravages of Covid-19 and a multi-billion dollar corruption scandal. Elections could be held within weeks, mostly likely in November, following Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement, analysts said. Polls were not due until September next year but Ismail faced […]
Russian President Putin says response to Ukrainian attacks will be ‘severe’
Moscow, Russia | AFP | President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia’s response to any further Ukrainian attacks would be “severe”, after Moscow’s forces carried out retaliatory missile strikes across Ukraine. “It was not possible to leave (Ukrainian attacks) unanswered. If attempts at terrorist attacks continue, the response from Russia will be severe and correspond to the level of threat,” Putin said at the start of a televised meeting of his security council. “Let there […]
North Korea’s tactical nukes: Five things to know
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea announced Monday that its recent spate of missile launches were “tactical nuclear” drills that simulated striking airports and military facilities across the South. Leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the exercises, state media said, adding that they showed the country’s nuclear combat forces were “fully ready to hit and wipe out” the enemy. Here is what we know: What are tactical nukes? Tactical nuclear weapons are designed […]
Venezuela landslide leaves 25 dead, more than 50 missing
by Margioni Bermudez Agence France-Presse LAS TEJERÍAS, Venezuela (AFP) — A landslide in Venezuela has left at least 25 people dead and more than 50 missing after a river overflowed, officials said Sunday, in the latest deadly disaster caused by heavy rains to hit the country. Houses and businesses were destroyed in the Saturday night deluge, which left the town of Las Tejerias covered with mud and debris, including felled trees, household items and mangled […]
Show of force in Mozambique’s north, but jihadist threat remains
by Camille LAFFONT Agence France-Presse QUIONGA, Mozambique (AFP) — A column of brand-new armored vehicles is parked outside what remains of a government building in Quionga, a village in Mozambique’s restive northern province of Cabo Delgado. Kalashnikovs on their shoulders, Mozambican soldiers stare at the convoy — an unusual sight in this northern settlement, which just a year ago was controlled by Islamist insurgents who have wreaked havoc across the region. Senior Rwandan officers are […]
Taiwan leader vows ‘no compromise’ on freedom, democracy
by Amber WANG Agence France-Presse TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan’s leader warned Beijing on Monday that the island would never give up its democratic way of life in a national day speech in which she drew parallels with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The self-ruled democracy’s 23 million people live under the constant threat of invasion by China’s Communist Party, and Moscow’s war in Ukraine has deepened fears that Beijing might attempt something similar with the […]





