International

Facebook chief Zuckerberg braces for civil unrest

by Glenn CHAPMAN SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday warned of the potential for civil unrest as votes are tallied in a US election that will be “a test” for the social network. Zuckerberg expressed his concern while describing safeguards against misinformation and voter suppression at the leading social network that are intended to avoid the kinds of deception and abuse that played out four years ago. “I’m worried […]

Zeta slams into southern US, downgraded to tropical storm

by Mike Smith NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) — Hurricane Zeta barreled through the southern United States as a Category 2 storm Wednesday, bringing dangerous winds and surging ocean waves as New Orleans residents were left without power. Zeta, which was downgraded to a tropical storm during Thursday’s early hours, would “continue to spread well inland across portions of northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, the Carolinas, and southeastern Virginia,” according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). […]

Brazilian woman among those killed in France church attack

BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) — One of the three victims of an extremist knife attack in a church in France Thursday was a 44-year-old Brazilian mother of three, the Brazil foreign ministry announced. The woman was seriously wounded in the attack on the Notre-Dame Basilica in Nice, in the southeast of France, by a 21-year-old Tunisian immigrant who had recently arrived in the country. She managed to flee to a nearby bar, but died shortly after, […]

US tops 90,000 coronavirus cases in 24 hours for first time

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States notched a record number of new coronavirus cases on Thursday, for the first time topping 90,000 diagnoses in 24 hours, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. The country, which has seen a resurgence of its Covid-19 outbreak since mid-October, recorded 91,295 new cases in the 24 hours up to 8:30 pm Thursday (0030 GMT Friday), according to a real-time count by the Baltimore-based school. The […]

Moderna already has $1.1 bn in deposits for Covid-19 vaccine

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Moderna said Thursday it took in $1.1 billion in deposits in the third quarter for a coronavirus vaccine that it is “actively preparing” to launch. The biotech company, releasing quarterly results, completed its enrollment earlier this month for the phase-3 trial of “mRNA-1273,” a vaccine candidate for Covid-19. “We are actively preparing for the launch of mRNA-1273 and we have signed a number of supply agreements with governments around […]

Saudi ‘strongly condemns’ knife attack in France

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia “strongly condemned” deadly stabbings Thursday in the French city of Nice, which authorities are investigating as the latest terrorist attack in France. A knife-wielding man killed three people at a church in Nice on Thursday, slitting the throat of at least one of them, in an attack that triggered global shock. “We strongly condemn and denounce the terrorist attack that occurred… in Nice, France, which resulted in the […]

Suu Kyi kicks off advance voting for elderly in Myanmar election

by Richard SARGENT / Su Myat MON NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi cast her ballot Thursday ahead of election day next week with hundreds of thousands of elderly voters across the country expected to follow suit to reduce the risk of coronavirus. Wearing a face mask, rubber gloves and her trademark flowers in her hair, Suu Kyi was one of the first in the country to vote in the […]

South Korean ex-president Lee ordered back to prison for 17 years

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak was ordered back to prison Thursday as the country’s Supreme Court upheld a 17-year jail term for bribery and embezzlement offences. The conservative Lee, who served as president from 2008 to 2013, had been out on bail awaiting the ruling and was not in court for the decision. The ruling is not subject to further appeal and at age 78 means Lee is likely […]

UPDATED: Two killed in knife attack at church in French city Nice: officials

PARIS, France (AFP) — A man wielding a knife outside a church in the southern French city of Nice killed two people, including one whose throat was slit, and injured several others before police apprehended him, officials said Thursday. The suspected assailant was detained shortly afterwards the attack by security forces around nine am, a police source said. “The situation is now under control,” police spokeswoman Florence Gavello said. Nice mayor Christian Estrosi said on […]

India passes eight million coronavirus cases

  NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India on Thursday passed eight million coronavirus cases, with the world’s second-worst-hit country bracing for a possible second wave ahead of winter and a series of religious festivals. There have now been 8,040,203 cases and 120,527 deaths across the country of 1.3 billion people, according to the latest government figures. The United States has seen 9.1 million cases and more than 230,000 deaths. India has one of the world’s […]

Trump, Biden battle for Florida on same day as race nears end

  MIAMI, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden will rally voters just hours apart in the Florida city of Tampa on Thursday, their campaign paths crossing for the first time as the rivals’ fight for the White House enters its frenetic final days. Florida is a must-win prize, and polls show the candidates in a dead heat in America’s third-largest state, which has sided with the winner in every presidential […]

UPDATED: 21 dead, dozens missing in Vietnam after typhoon brings destruction

by Quy Le Bui QUANG NAM, Vietnam (AFP) –Twenty-one people have been killed and dozens more were feared dead on Thursday after a typhoon tore through central Vietnam, triggering landslides and causing some of the worst destruction seen in years. Typhoon Molave hit villages as it made landfall a day earlier, tearing roofs from homes and bringing heavy rain to an area already badly affected by weeks of flooding. Hundreds of rescuers were desperately trying […]