by Amelie BARON LES CAYES, Haiti (AFP) — Hunched on benches, curled up in chairs or even lying the floor, those injured in the powerful earthquake that wreaked havoc on Haiti on Saturday crowded an overburdened hospital near the epicenter. The emergency room in Les Cayes, in southwestern Haiti, which was devastated by the 7.2-magnitude quake on Saturday morning that killed at least 724 people, is expecting reinforcements to help treat some of the thousands […]
International
Anger in Lebanon after fuel tank explosion kills 28
by Ibrahim Chalhoub with Hashem Osseiran in Beirut TRIPOLI, Lebanon (AFP) — A fuel tank explosion in Lebanon killed 28 people and injured 80 on Sunday as a crowd clamoured for petrol, authorities and medics said, the latest catastrophe to spark outrage in the crisis-hit country. The tragedy in the impoverished north overwhelmed medical facilities and heaped new misery on a nation already beset by an economic crisis and severe fuel shortages that have crippled […]
Afghan leader Ghani says Taliban has won as militants enter Kabul
by Jay DESHMUKH / David FOX KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Sunday after fleeing the country that the Taliban had won, as the militants entered Kabul — nearly 20 years after they were ousted from power by a US-led invasion. Ghani left as the insurgents closed in on the capital, before ultimately entering the city and taking over the presidential palace, sealing a nationwide military victory in just 10 days. The […]
Trump calls for Biden to resign over Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Former US president Donald Trump called for his successor Joe Biden to resign on Sunday over the swift takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban militants, as US troops withdrew from the country after nearly 20 years on the ground. “It is time for Joe Biden to resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen to Afghanistan,” Trump said in a statement, also blasting him over a surge in Covid-19 […]
Death toll in massive Haiti quake jumps to over 1,200
by Amelie BARON LES CAYES, Haiti (AFP) — The death toll in Haiti’s powerful earthquake jumped to over 1,200 on Sunday, as crews desperately dug through collapsed buildings for survivors in the Caribbean nation still reeling from its president’s assassination. In Les Cayes, as in other hard-hit cities on the southwestern peninsula, most of the population spent the night sleeping outdoors in front of their houses — or what remained of them — amid fears […]
European powers scramble to evacuate from Afghanistan
European powers present in Afghanistan moved Sunday to evacuate their nationals and local staff as the Taliban were on the outskirts of the Afghan capital poised to take power. Germany moved dozens of diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Kabul to the airport ahead of an evacuation planned from Monday, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter. “We are not going to risk our people falling into the hands of the Taliban,” Foreign Minister Heiko […]
Spain sizzles in record heat as fires blaze
Spain saw its highest temperature on record on Saturday as a heatwave on the Iberian peninsula drove the mercury to 47.4 degrees Celsius (117.3 Fahrenheit), according to provisional data from the state meteorological agency. The temperature peaked around five pm local time in the southern town of Cordoba, the agency said, passing the previous record set at the same measuring station in July 2017 by one-tenth of a degree. “If confirmed, it would be the […]
URGENT: Toll in massive Haiti quake jumps to 724 people dead: govt
At least 724 people were killed in the powerful earthquake that rocked Haiti, authorities said Sunday, updating the toll on the disaster-hit nation. An additional 2,800 people were injured in the 7.2-magnitude tremor that struck early Saturday, the country’s civil protection agency said. amb/jm/bbk © Agence France-Presse
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani flees country as Taliban reach Kabul
President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan on Sunday, a top official said, effectively ceding power to the Taliban as they reached the capital Kabul to seal a nationwide military victory in just 10 days. “The former Afghan President has left the nation, leaving the people to this situation,” Abdullah Abdullah, who heads the peace process, said in a video on his Facebook page. “God hold him accountable, and the people will have their judgement.” He […]
Taliban on outskirts of Afghan capital, poised to take power
The Taliban were on the brink of total victory in Afghanistan on Sunday, with their fighters ordered to wait on the outskirts of the capital and the government conceding it was preparing for a “transfer of power”. The Taliban’s militants surrounded Kabul following an astonishingly quick rout of government forces, who proved incapable of holding onto territory without US military support. The fall of Kabul will see the hardline Islamic group take back power two […]
Who’s who behind the Taliban leadership
The Taliban movement’s inner workings and leadership have always been largely shrouded in secrecy, even during their rule of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. As the hardline Islamic group appears to be on the brink of regaining power, here is a rundown of what little is known about its leadership. – Haibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader – Haibatullah Akhundzada was appointed leader of the Taliban in a swift power transition after a US drone […]
Poland sells 1 million Covid vaccines to Australia
Poland has sold one million Pfizer Covid vaccine doses to Australia as part of a “responsible policy of solidarity”, the Polish health minister said Sunday. Health Minister Adam Niedzieslki said that Poland’s vaccine purchases “allow us to meet the needs of our citizens and support others in need”. Polish ambassador to Australia Michal Kolodziejski said: “In these tough times for our Australian friends, Poland has decided to share with Australia one million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech […]





