CARACAS, June 13, 2023 (AFP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi began a rare diplomatic tour of Latin America on Monday with a first stop in Caracas, where he said his country and Venezuela are “friends” with “common enemies.” Raisi’s schedule is also set to include visits to Cuba and Nicaragua, who, like Iran and Venezuela, are all the target of US sanctions. “We have common interests, common visions, and common enemies,” the president said, without […]
Other News
Canadian Prairies farmers try to adapt to a warming world
By Mathiew LEISER Agence France-Presse DAVIDSON, Canada, June 13, 2023 (AFP) — Following repeated droughts, Canadian farmers are trying to adapt to a new era in agriculture marked by a warming world — including by trapping snow in their fields, planting heat-resistant crops and seeding earlier in the season. But it’s unclear, they are the first to admit, if their slogging will bear fruit. Squatting in the middle of a canola field in Alberta, on […]
Three dead, thousands displaced following Cuba storms
HAVANA, June 13, 2023 (AFP) — Three people have died and thousands have been evacuated after heavy rains pummeled eastern and central Cuba in recent days, authorities said Monday. Heavy rains that started Thursday had subsided by Monday evening, but recovery operations were still underway in several eastern provinces, including Holguin, Camaguey, Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Las Tunas, as well as in Sancti Spiritus, in the center of the island. The Camaguey Civil Defense […]
Denver Nuggets win NBA Finals for first title
DENVER, June 13, 2023 (AFP) – The Denver Nuggets captured their first title in 47 NBA seasons on Monday, defeating the Miami Heat 94-89 behind 28 points and 16 rebounds from Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets won the best-of-seven NBA Finals 4-1 to bring the Mile High City an NBA crown as a sellout crowd roared in delight while delivering Miami’s third finals loss in 10 seasons. “I’ve got news for everybody out there. We’re not […]
PAGASA: Southwest monsoon affecting Luzon
(Eagle News) — The southwest monsoon is affecting Luzon. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said as a result, Ilocos Region, Batanes, and Babuyan Islands will experience monsoon rains. Flash floods or landslides due to heavy to at times intense rains are possible. Cordillera Administrative Region, Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Bulacan, meanwhile, will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have […]
Courage, ‘intelligence’ got children through 40-day jungle odyssey
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AFP) — Ample courage and honed jungle smarts have been hailed as the main reasons four Indigenous children managed to stay alive in Colombia’s Amazon jungle for 40 days after surviving a plane crash. Against all odds, siblings Lesly, Soleiny, Tien Noriel and Cristin — ages 13, nine, five and one respectively — were found weak, but alive, on Friday after a massive search by some 200 soldiers and Indigenous jungle experts. The […]
Golden Globes journalist group to be dissolved as awards taken private
By Andrew MARSZAL Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The scandal-hit association of foreign journalists that created the Golden Globes will be wound down as the Hollywood award show is formally purchased by private investors including US billionaire Todd Boehly, it was announced Monday. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association — a group of around 100 entertainment writers with links to overseas publications — has handed out the Globes to A-list film and television […]
Ukraine says seven villages retaken in ‘tough’ offensive
KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine on Monday said it had retaken seven villages and made small gains in a “tough” counter-offensive against Russian forces that France said could last months. “The fighting is tough, but we are moving forward, this is very important,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a daily evening address. “I thank our guys for every Ukrainian flag that is now returning to its rightful place in villages on the newly de-occupied […]
UN chief proposes code to tackle ‘grave’ misinformation
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Alarm over advancements in artificial intelligence must not obscure the “grave” harm already being done by digital platforms rife with misinformation, UN chief Antonio Guterres said Monday, as he proposed an international code of conduct. Rapidly developing AI tools, including chatbots, image generators and voice cloning technology, have sparked global concern over their striking ability to disseminate falsehoods. Guterres said he endorsed the idea for the creation of an […]
Positive results for potential first chikungunya vaccine
PARIS, June 12, 2023 (AFP) — French-Austrian drugmaker Valneva’s vaccine candidate against chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus which causes occasional outbreaks across the world, showed promising results in a large new trial, a study said on Tuesday. While the results were hailed as good news in the fight against chikungunya, the trial was carried out on people in the United States where the virus is extremely rare, with experts saying more research was needed. There are […]
Scientists puzzled by killer whale boat attacks off Spain
By Alfons Luna and Anahi Aradas Agence France-Presse BARBATE, Spain, June 12, 2023 (AFP) — Groups of killer whales have rammed hundreds of small boats off the coast of Spain in recent years in “terrifying” behavior that has baffled scientists. “They directly attacked the rudder, not swimming around the boat, not playing with anything,” Friedrich Sommer told AFP as he recalled how his sailboat Muffet was damaged earlier this year by “three or four” killer […]
Dogs die as South Africa snake antivenom shortage bites
By Umberto BACCHI Agence France-Presse JOHANNESBURG, June 12, 2023 (AFP) — Zarza, a much-loved Staffordshire terrier, ended up at a South African animal hospital with a bite from a Mozambique spitting cobra on her snout. The snake’s powerful venom can stop the breathing muscles from working, but normally the bites are treatable with an antidote. The problem, say South African veterinarians, is that they currently have virtually no vials of the antiserum left. “We’ve been […]





