by Joshua Melvin with Sylvie Lanteaume close to the Ukraine Border Agence France Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — The United States believes Ukraine can win the war against Russia if it has the “right equipment”, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said Monday, following a landmark trip to Kyiv alongside Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The visit comes as the war entered its third month, with thousands dead and millions displaced. The conflict has triggered an […]
International
Beijing Covid spike prompts mass testing, panic buying
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Fears of a hard Covid lockdown sparked panic buying in Beijing as long queues formed on Monday in a large central district for mass testing ordered by the Chinese authorities. China was already trying to contain a wave of infections in its largest city Shanghai, which has been almost entirely locked down for weeks and reported 51 new Covid deaths on Monday. Shanghai has struggled to provide fresh food to […]
Child confirmed dead as Japan boat accident toll rises to 11
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese rescuers on Monday confirmed the death of a child in a weekend sightseeing boat accident, raising the death toll to at least 11, as efforts to find survivors continued. The Kazu I was carrying 24 passengers, including two children, and two crew when it sent a distress signal on Saturday afternoon as it began to take on water in the frigid waters off Japan’s northern Hokkaido island. Ten people were […]
Crowds join Anzac Day services for Australia, NZ forces
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Crowds of Australians and New Zealanders joined Anzac Day services at dawn on Monday to honor their armed forces as the countries’ leaders pointed to new global threats and the war in Ukraine. With Covid-19 restrictions of the past two years eased, large numbers of people gathered just before the sun rose to observe solemn ceremonies, many held at beaches and war memorials in towns and cities across the two countries. […]
Six soldiers killed, 20 injured in Mali ‘terror’ attacks
BAMAKO, Mali (AFP) — Six soldiers were killed and 20 injured in simultaneous attacks targeting three army bases in central Mali Sunday, the Malian army said. Targets in Sevare, Niono and Bapho were all hit by “armed terrorist groups (who) used suicide vehicles packed with explosives”, the army said in a statement. A group linked to the firebrand preacher Amadou Koufa claimed the attacks, according to audio sent to AFP Sunday from a source […]
Relief, not joy, at low-key Macron election party
by Adam Plowright © Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — At Emmanuel Macron’s election party Sunday in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the atmosphere was restrained, the victory speech short and most people felt relief, rather than a desire to celebrate wildly. After a campaign shadowed by the war in Ukraine and with far-right leader Marine Le Pen achieving a historic high score, few seemed in the mood to revel in the French leader’s […]
Paris officers shoot and kill two in car: police
PARIS, France (AFP) — Police in central Paris opened fire on a car that was hurtling towards them, killing two people inside, a police source told AFP on the evening of the French election. The vehicle was driving against the flow of traffic on the Pont Neuf when it sped towards the officers, who opened fire, according to the same police source. Two of the vehicle’s occupants were killed and a third was injured, […]
Ukraine proposes talks with Russia near besieged Mariupol plant
KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine has invited Russia to talks near the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, where Ukrainian fighters and civilians are holding out in a city largely under Moscow’s control, Kyiv said Sunday. Talks near the sprawling steel works would provide a dramatic and symbolic backdrop because the site is the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in the strategic port. “We invited Russians to hold a special round of talks on the spot […]
World leaders welcome Macron’s French election win
PARIS, France (AFP) — Western leaders rushed to congratulate France’s centrist President Emmanuel Macron on his re-election and defeat of far-right leader Marine Le Pen in elections Sunday. Here are some of the main reactions: – European Union – “We can count on France for five more years,” European Council President Charles Michel wrote on Twitter. “I am delighted to be able to continue our excellent cooperation,” tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der […]
France’s Macron wins new term after far-right battle
by Stuart WILLIAMS and Adam PLOWRIGHT Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron won re-election on Sunday, convincingly defeating his rival Marine Le Pen and prompting a wave of relief in Europe that the far-right had been kept out of power. Centrist Macron was set to win around 58 percent of the vote in the second-round run-off compared with Le Pen on 42 percent, according to projections by polling firms […]
China Covid death toll rises as Beijing warns of ‘grim’ situation
SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — Shanghai reported 39 Covid deaths Sunday, its highest daily toll despite weeks of lockdowns, while China’s capital Beijing warned of a “grim” situation with rising infections. The world’s second-largest economy has been struggling to stamp out its worst outbreak in two years with a playbook of harsh lockdowns and mass testing as it sticks to a strict zero-Covid policy, taking a heavy toll on businesses and public morale. The cosmopolitan […]
Nigerian oil blast kills at least 80
by Joel Olatunde AGOI Agence France Presse LAGOS, Nigeria (AFP) — An explosion at an illegal oil refinery in southern Nigeria has killed at least 80 people, the emergency services said Sunday. The blast occurred late Friday at the illegal site between the southern oil states of Rivers and Imo, police said. “We recovered at least 80 badly burnt bodies at the scene,” Ifeanyi Nnaji of the National Emergency Management Agency in the area, told […]





