LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) – US rangers have found a human foot floating in a hot pool in Yellowstone national park, the park service said Friday, warning visitors to stay away from thermal waters. The partial foot was inside a shoe in the Abyss Pool, one of the deepest hot springs in the park, whose temperature is around 140 Fahrenheit (60 Celsius). “An investigation by Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers is ongoing,” the […]
International
US governor visits Taiwan after China drills
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — A United States governor met Taiwan’s president Monday, days after Washington announced trade talks with Taipei in a show of support following China’s military threats toward the self-ruled island. Eric Holcomb, the Republican governor of the US state of Indiana, landed in Taiwan on Sunday for an “economic development trip”. US-China tensions have risen since Beijing staged huge military drills in retaliation for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan […]
US, South Korea begin biggest joint military drills since 2018
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) – The United States and South Korea began their biggest combined military drills since 2018 on Monday, Seoul said — a move likely to enrage North Korea, which has been ramping up its nuclear threats. Washington is Seoul’s key security ally and stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect it from its nuclear-armed neighbour. The two countries have long carried out joint exercises, which they insist are purely defensive […]
Zelensky warns Russia against putting Ukraine soldiers on trial
KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) – Russia might take the provocative step of putting Ukrainian soldiers on trial as Kyiv marks 31 years of independence for the war-ravaged country next week, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Sunday. Zelensky cited media reports that Russia was preparing to put Ukrainian fighters captured during the siege of Mariupol on a public trial to coincide with the independence anniversary Wednesday. Ukraine’s Independence Day, August 24, will also mark six months since […]
Japan mulls long-range missile upgrades due to China threat: report
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan is considering the deployment of more than 1,000 long-range cruise missiles to increase its ability to counter growing regional threats from China, local newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Sunday. The country plans to upgrade its existing surface-to-ship missiles to extend their range from 100 kilometres (62 miles) to about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles), which would be enough to reach Chinese coastal areas as well as North Korea, the newspaper […]
Five arrested in Hong Kong over Southeast Asia job scams
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Five Hong Kongers have been arrested for allegedly setting up job scams in which victims were lured to Southeast Asia and then held against their will, police announced Sunday. In recent months, victims have reported travelling to countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos on false promises of romance or high-paying jobs, and then being detained and forced to work. On Thursday, authorities set up a task force […]
Indonesia records first case of monkeypox virus
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia has recorded its first case of monkeypox in a 27-year-old man who returned from travelling overseas, the country’s health ministry said on Saturday. The World Health Organization designated the outbreak of the virus an emergency last month — something it reserves for diseases of highest concern. Indonesian health ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril said the patient had a “high awareness and knowledge of the disease”. “So when he got the […]
15 dead in northern India after monsoon floods
SHIMLA, India (AFP) — At least 15 people were killed in India after heavy monsoon rains triggered flash floods and landslides near the Himalayan foothills, authorities said Saturday. Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India’s treacherous monsoon season. Experts say climate change is increasing the number of extreme weather events around the world, with damming, deforestation and development projects in India exacerbating the human toll. Rescue officials were rushed to […]
Flash flood warning issued for drought-hit western US
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Drought-stricken parts of the western United States were warned Friday to be on alert for flash flooding, with up to six inches (15 centimeters) of rain expected in some areas. The National Weather Service said “a significant heavy rainfall event” could strike Arizona and New Mexico, leading to sudden inundations — especially in areas previously ravaged by wildfires. Very heavy rainfall is “forecast for portions of southeastern Arizona […]
Myanmar junta chief says military open to negotiations with Suu Kyi after her trial
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar’s military chief said Friday the junta is open to negotiations with ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to end the crisis sparked by its coup after her trials in a junta-run court have concluded. Suu Kyi, 77, has been detained since the generals toppled her government in a coup on February 1 last year and plunged the Southeast Asian nation into chaos. She has been jailed for 17 years for […]
Strikes bring London transport system to near halt
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Public transport workers in London held fresh strikes Friday over pay and conditions, cutting services on almost all underground and overground rail lines that link up the UK capital. The latest walkout comes during a summer of industrial action across Britain, with workers in various sectors pushing for pay rises in line with decades-high inflation and the soaring cost of living. A spokesperson for Transport for London, responsible for […]
Chinese city dims lights in heatwave power crunch
Beijing, China | AFP | A provincial capital in southwest China has dimmed outdoor advertisements, subway lighting and building signs to save energy, official announcements said, as the area battles a power crunch triggered by record-high temperatures. The mercury has soared beyond 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in Sichuan province this week, fueling massive demand for air conditioning and drying up reservoirs in a region reliant on dams for most of its electricity. Factories including […]
