International

Vatican teen sex abuse trial ends with acquittals

  ROME, Italy (AFP) — Two priests were acquitted on Wednesday of charges linked with sex abuse at a school for altar boys in the Vatican City, in the first criminal trial of its kind. Gabriele Martinelli, a former pupil at the St Pius X pre-seminary and now a priest, was accused of assaulting a fellow altar boy — years before he joined the clergy. Martinelli, now 29, was tried alongside priest Enrico Radice, the […]

Los Angeles requires vaccine proof in bars, restaurants and gyms

  LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Bars, restaurants, gyms and cinemas in Los Angeles will all require proof of vaccination against Covid-19 from next month, after an ordinance passed Wednesday by the council in the second biggest city in the United States. The move, which also applies to shopping malls and beauty salons, brings the city into line with New York and San Francisco. It comes as the United States struggles to slow a […]

6.1-magnitude quake shakes Tokyo, more than 20 injuries reported

  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A 6.1-magnitude earthquake jolted the Japanese capital Tokyo and surrounding areas Thursday evening, reportedly injuring more than 20 people, but the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was no tsunami risk. The quake sent buildings swaying, stranded commuters, knocked products off store shelves and triggered emergency warnings blaring from the phones of local residents, intended to give them time to take shelter. Initial information from the JMA put the epicentre of […]

Sydney readies for ‘freedom day’ after long virus lockdown

by Andrew BEATTY SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s largest city will emerge from a 106-day lockdown on Monday, as Sydney authorities confirmed coronavirus vaccination targets had been met. Stay-at-home orders will be lifted for the Harbour City’s five-million-plus people now that 70 percent of state residents over 16 have been double jabbed. “The light at the end of the tunnel is now very, very close,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday, hailing the reopening announcement. […]

Volcanic ash cloud closes airport in La Palma: officials

Spain (AFP) — Clouds of thick ash from the erupting volcano on La Palma on Thursday forced the island’s airport to close for the second time since the September 19 eruption, Spain’s airport authority said. “The airport is not in operation at the moment,” an AENA spokeswoman told AFP, saying “some cleaning work needs to be done” on the runways before it would reopen. But the closure “may not last very long” she added. On […]

Germany puts 100-year-old on trial for Nazi crimes

  by David COURBET Agence France Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — A 100-year-old former concentration camp guard will on Thursday become the oldest person yet to be tried for Nazi-era crimes in Germany when he goes before court charged with complicity in mass murder. The suspect, identified only as Josef S., stands accused of “knowingly and willingly” assisting in the murder of 3,518 prisoners at the Sachsenhausen camp in Oranienburg, north of Berlin, between 1942 […]

20 killed, hundreds injured as quake rattles southern Pakistan

  by Banaras KHAN with Maaz KHAN in Quetta Agence France Presse HARNAI, Pakistan (AFP) — At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a shallow earthquake hit southwestern Pakistan in the early hours of Thursday, with rescuers trying to reach coal miners reportedly trapped underground. Many of the victims died when the roofs and walls of their mud brick houses collapsed after the 5.9 magnitude quake struck Balochistan province in darkness at […]

Canada mandates Covid vaccines for travellers, federal workers

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canada’s federal bureaucrats, police and soldiers, as well as domestic air and rail travelers will soon need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, officials announced Wednesday. The mandatory vaccine policy proposed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a recent election campaign covers an estimated 300,000 government employees. Some medical exemptions will be allowed, but others will be put on administrative leave without pay if not vaccinated by month’s end. All air […]

At least 15 killed in Pakistan quake: official

QUETTA, Pakistan (AFP) — At least 15 people were killed when an earthquake hit southern Pakistan early Thursday, disaster management officials said. “15 to 20 people have been killed so far. The death toll may increase,” the head of Balochistan’s Provincial Disaster Management authority told AFP. © Agence France-Presse

Sweden halts use of Moderna vaccine for young adults

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AFP) — Sweden’s Public Health Agency on Wednesday recommended a temporary halt to the use of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine among young adults, citing concerns over rare side effects to the heart. Neighbouring Norway and Denmark also on Wednesday reiterated that Moderna’s vaccine was not recommended for under-18s. Sweden’s health agency said the suspension concerned anyone born after 1991 and should initially be in force until December 1, explaining that it had received […]

Four injured in shooting at Texas high school, suspect arrested: police

HOUSTON, United States (AFP) — Two people were shot and two others injured when an 18-year-old student drew a gun and opened fire during a classroom fight at a Texas high school on Wednesday, police said. Arlington assistant police chief Kevin Kolbye said a suspect, identified as Timothy George Simpkins, had been arrested after the shooting at Timberview High School in Arlington, a suburb of Dallas. Kolbye said Simpkins, who turned himself in after fleeing […]

Biden, Xi planning ‘virtual bilateral’ meeting by end of year: W.House

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are planning to meet by video link before the end of the year, a senior US official said Wednesday. There is an “agreement in principle” for the “virtual bilateral,” the official told reporters on condition of anonymity. “The president said how nice it would be to see Xi which he has not done for some years,” the official said. “We would […]