International

6.1-magnitude quake strikes off East Timor, tsunami advisory issued

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of East Timor on Friday, the US Geological Survey said. A tsunami advisory group said the earthquake “may be capable of generating a tsunami affecting the Indian Ocean region”. The quake struck at a depth of 51.4 kilometres (32 miles) off the eastern tip of Timor Island, USGS said, which is split between East Timor and Indonesia. The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) issued the […]

Putin ready to help overcome food crisis if West lifts sanctions

Moscow is ready to make a “significant contribution” to averting a looming food crisis if the West lifts sanctions over Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin told Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday. Russia was slapped with unprecedented sanctions after Putin ordered troops into neighbouring Ukraine on February 24. The sanctions and military action have disrupted supplies of fertiliser, wheat and other commodities from both Russia and Ukraine. The two countries produce 30 percent of the […]

Left hopes for historic win in Colombia’s ‘change election’

by Mariëtte Le Roux and Lina Vanegas © Agence France-Presse Bogota, COLOMBIA (AFP) — Colombians go to the polls Sunday in a deeply polarized election that could see a leftist — and ex-guerrilla — become president for the first time in the history of the violence- and inequality-plagued country. A year after a brutal security crackdown on street protests fueled by deepening socio-economic woes, many voters are pinning their hopes on former Bogota mayor Gustavo […]

EU working on joint purchase of monkeypox vaccines

The EU is working on centralising purchases of vaccines and treatments for monkeypox, with details to be agreed in the “coming days,” the European Commission told AFP on Thursday. The push, through the commission’s Health Emergency and Preparedness Authority (HERA), comes as the EU’s disease agency said the number of monkeypox cases in humans worldwide in the current spread had reached 219. Former EU member Britain has the highest number of cases, at 71, followed […]

Maker of rifle used in Texas massacre to skip NRA convention

Uvalde, UNITED STATES (AFP) — Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the assault rifle used in the Uvalde school shooting in Texas, said Thursday it will not attend a convention this week in the state of the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby. “Daniel Defense is not attending the National Rifle Association (“NRA”) meeting due to the horrifying tragedy in Uvalde, Texas where one of our products was criminally misused,” the company told AFP. “We believe […]

Zelensky accuses Russia of ‘genocide’ in Donbas region

Kyiv, UKRAINE (AFP) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday accused Russia of carrying out “an obvious policy of genocide” in his country’s eastern Donbas region. Moscow’s offensive in Donbas could end up leaving the region “uninhabited,” he said, accusing the Russians of wanting to reduce its cities to ashes. “All this, including the deportation of our people and the mass killings of civilians, is an obvious policy of genocide pursued by Russia,” he said […]

China, Russia veto US bid at UN to punish North Korea

by Philippe Rater with Shaun Tandon in Washington © Agence France-Presse United Nations, UNITED STATES (AFP) — China and Russia on Thursday vetoed a US-led bid at the United Nations to toughen sanctions on North Korea over its missile launches, laying bare divisions that Western envoys fear would be exploited by Pyongyang. The Security Council resolution put forward by the United States would have reduced the amount of oil North Korea could legally import as […]

Japan to allow mass tourism, but only in tour groups

Japan announced Thursday it will reopen to tourists from 36 countries starting June 10, ending a two-year pandemic closure, but travellers will only be allowed in with tour groups. The decision comes after the government last week said it would test allowing small group tours with visitors from the United States, Australia, Thailand and Singapore from this month. On Thursday, the government revised border controls to resume accepting package tours from 36 countries and regions […]

Update: Powerful 7.2-magnitude quake rocks southern Peru

A strong 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Peru on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, with Peruvian authorities adding there were no dead or injured. The quake hit at 7:02 am local time (1202 GMT), at a depth of 218 kilometers (135 miles), according to the USGS, sending people fleeing into the streets. Peru‘s National Seismological Center said the quake had a magnitude of 6.9 and a depth of 240 kilometers. Its epicenter was 20 kilometers […]

‘The pandemic won’t stop us’: the Beijingers skirting Covid rules

by Poornima WEERASEKARA / Michael ZHANG Mothers hosting playdates near cordoned-off parks, mahjong maestros huddled in streets and youngsters slugging night-time beers on barricaded sidewalks — Beijingers are making the most of the small spaces available as China’s coronavirus controls close in. Meanwhile in Shanghai, a growing number of residents are being allowed to briefly venture outside as the city gradually eases out of an extended lockdown, celebrating their first hours outside in weeks with […]

UK readies for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee

by Phil HAZLEWOOD Britain brings out the bunting next week for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, with four days of public events to mark her 70 years on the throne. Across the country, red, white and blue Union Jack are being hung for street parties, picnics and barbecues over four days from Thursday to Sunday. With two public holidays and the weekend, retailers and the hospitality sector in particular are hoping for a sales boost, […]

More than 200 cases of monkeypox worldwide: EU disease agency

The number of confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide has reached 219 outside of countries where it is endemic, according to an update released by the European Union’s disease agency. More than a dozen countries where monkeypox is unusual, mostly in Europe, have reported at least one confirmed case, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in an epidemiological note released Wednesday night. “This is the first time that chains of transmission are […]