MOSCOW, March 4, 2024 (AFP) – The Kremlin on Monday said the content of leaked conversations between German officials discussing potential strikes on Crimea proved Western countries were participating in the conflict in Ukraine. The leaks came as an embarrassment for Berlin, which is under pressure to supply Taurus missiles to Kyiv struggling with ammunition shortages. The conversations “once again highlight the direct involvement of the collective West in the conflict in Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman […]
Other News
Apple hit with 1.8-bn-euro EU fine for music streaming restrictions
By Raziye Akkoc BRUSSELS, Belgium, March 4, 2024 (AFP) – The EU on Monday hit Apple with a 1.8 billion-euro-fine ($1.9 billion) for violating the bloc’s laws by preventing music streaming services from informing users about subscription options outside of its App Store. The iPhone maker immediately vowed to appeal the first ever antitrust fine slapped on Apple by Brussels, the culmination of a case triggered by a complaint by Swedish music streaming giant Spotify. […]
Lebron James becomes first NBA player with 40,000 points but Lakers lose
LOS ANGELES, March 3, 2024 (AFP) – LeBron James became the first NBA player to reach 40,000 career regular-season points on Saturday, the 39-year-old superstar scoring nine against defending champion Denver to achieve the milestone. But James called the historic effort “bittersweet” because it came in a losing cause as Nikola Jokic scored 35 points to rally the Nuggets late for a 124-114 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. “Being the first player to do […]
Living in extraordinary times! ASEAN in Focus – March 4, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/live/MZm0abHAumM?si=rdThp-qkT0oBp2Dq
Artificial glaciers stave off drought in Kyrgyzstan
By Bruno KALOUAZ In the Tian-Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, villagers have made an artificial glacier to provide water for their drought-hit farms. Standing on the ice hillock, farmer Erkinbek Kaldanov said he was optimistic about harnessing nature to counteract climate change. “We won’t have any more problems with water,” said the farmer, who was worried for his sheep last year after some unusual temperature spikes. “When the glacier melts, there will be enough water for […]
Gaza civilian deaths test Israel’s AI precision claims
By Joseph Boyle PARIS, March 3, 2024 (AFP) – The Israeli military has said AI helps it more accurately target militants in its five-month war against Hamas, but as Gaza deaths rise, experts are questioning how effective algorithms can really be. The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip says the war has killed upwards of 30,000 people, the majority of them civilians. “Either the AI is as good as claimed and the IDF (Israeli […]
One-fifth of Mekong River fish species face extinction: report
One-fifth of fish species in the Mekong river face the threat of extinction, according to a new report from a coalition of regional and international environmental groups. The Mekong — among the world’s most biodiverse rivers, surpassed only by the Amazon and the Congo — is home to some 1,148 recognised species of fish, with millions of people relying on its waters for their incomes. But it faces a multitude of threats, according to environmentalists, […]
US conspiracy theorists monetize ‘Disease X’ misinformation
By Rob Lever and Anuj Chopra, with Tommy Wang in Hong Kong WASHINGTON, March 4, 2024 (AFP) – Coined by the World Health Organization to denote a hypothetical future pandemic, “Disease X” is at the center of a blizzard of misinformation that American conspiracy theorists are amplifying — and profiting from. The falsehoods, including that the unknown pathogen indicates an elitist plot to depopulate the earth, appeared to originate in the United States but spilled […]
Haiti gang attack triggers massive jailbreak, at least a dozen dead
At least a dozen people died as gang members attacked the main prison in Haiti’s capital, triggering a breakout by several thousand inmates, an AFP reporter and an NGO said Sunday. The overnight attack came as part of a new spate of extreme violence in the capital Port-au-Prince, where well-armed gangs who control much of the city have wreaked havoc since Thursday. The gangs say they want to oust Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has […]
SpaceX set to launch new crew to ISS
Three American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut are due to blast off Sunday night from Florida for a six-month mission on the International Space Station. After an attempt was called off Saturday night due to strong winds, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is due to lift the travelers into orbit at 10:53 pm (0353 GMT Monday) from the Kennedy Space Center. If forced to abort before launch again, SpaceX will have another opportunity Monday night. […]
Super Tuesday, America’s multi-state voting bonanza
WASHINGTON, March 4, 2024 (AFP) – Americans from 15 states and one territory vote simultaneously on “Super Tuesday,” a campaign calendar milestone expected to leave Donald Trump a hair’s breadth from securing the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. Typically, the event — the biggest single day of voting in the country’s drawn out, state-by-state primary season — has been a make-or-break moment for candidates as the race narrows. On the Republican side, more than a third […]
Philippines hopes to launch EU free trade negotiations ‘very soon’
MELBOURNE, March 4, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines hopes to launch formal free trade agreement negotiations with the European Union “very soon”, Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo told AFP in an interview Monday. The Southeast Asian nation, which depends heavily on trade with China, wants to expand its economic relations with other countries to achieve greater “resiliency”, the minister said. “We’re hoping… to very soon begin free trade negotiations with the EU,” Manalo said. The Philippines […]
