By Mathiew LEISER, Marion THIBAUT Agence France-Presse TORONTO, Canada, May 24, 2023 (AFP) – The Chinese diaspora has been caught in the crossfire of Ottawa’s row with Beijing over its alleged meddling in Canada’s affairs — facing both intimidation from Chinese operatives and rising stigmatization. And each new spat between their ancestral home and adoptive country — the latest being tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats in May — brings additional stress for the community. Many people […]
Other News
India PM says ‘separatists’ must not harm Australia ties
SYDNEY, Australia, May 24, 2023 (AFP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Wednesday that “separatist elements” should not be allowed to hurt India-Australia relations, after he was lavished with a rockstar welcome in Sydney. Lured by the world’s most populous market and the promise of a counterweight to a rising China, Australia has batted away questions about India’s treatment of opponents and minorities, suggesting they are domestic issues. Modi appeared to have no such qualms. […]
Typhoon Mawar set for direct hit on Guam
LOS ANGELES, United States, May 24, 2023 (AFP) — Typhoon Mawar was expected Wednesday to bring catastrophic winds directly to Guam, a US territory in the Pacific that is home to a crucial military outpost. The storm’s top winds had weakened slightly but it remained a dangerous Category Four typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour (225 kilometers per hour), and gusts up to 175 mph at landfall, the National Weather Service […]
Southwesterly windflow affecting western sections of S. Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao: PAGASA
Extreme Northern Luzon affected by frontal system (Eagle News) — The southwesterly windflow is affecting the western sections of Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the frontal system is also affecting extreme Northern Luzon. As a result, PAGASA said Batanes and Babuyan Islands will have cloudy skies with rains. Flash floods or landslides due to moderate with at times heavy rains are possible. Zamboanga Peninsula, the […]
The octogenarian architect working to flood-proof Pakistan
By Ashraf KHAN Agence France-Presse TANDO ALLAHYAR, Pakistan, May 24, 2023 (AFP) — At 82 years old, architect Yasmeen Lari is forging the way in fortifying Pakistan’s rural communities living on the frontline of climate change. Lari, Pakistan’s first woman architect, has ditched a lifetime of multi-million dollar projects in the megacity of Karachi to develop pioneering flood-proof bamboo houses. The few pilot settlements already constructed are credited with saving families from the worst of […]
Apple to spend billions of dollars on US-made 5G tech
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Apple on Tuesday announced a multi-billion-dollar collaboration with US tech firm Broadcom to make “cutting edge” components for wirelessly connecting to high-speed 5G telecom networks. The iPhone maker did not specify exactly how many billions of dollars it would put into the Broadcom alliance, but said it is part of a commitment to invest in the US economy. “We’re thrilled to make commitments that harness the ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit […]
Tennis player Tsurenko urges Ukrainians to beat Russians ‘on any field’
PARIS (AFP) – Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko says she and her compatriots’ only resort is to beat their Russian and Belarusian rivals “on any field” as she is resigned to sports organisations not taking tougher action. Russian and Belarusian players have been competing on both the ATP and WTA tours under a neutral flag since Vladimir Putin launched Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 with the assistance of Belarus. Tsurenko, 33, told AFP […]
New York’s landmark ‘Flatiron’ sold — hopefully for real this time
NEW YORK (AFP) – New York’s iconic Flatiron Building was auctioned off Tuesday for $161 million to a group of investors led by real estate developer Jeffrey Gural, after the previous bidding’s winner failed to complete the transaction, organizers said. The sale of the world-famous skyscraper took place outdoors in lower Manhattan with seven bidders registered and about a hundred people present, Mannion Auctions told AFP. The property — on a wedge-shaped lot at the […]
Mexico keeps close watch on ash-spewing volcano
SANTIAGO XALITZINTLA, Mexico, May 24, 2023 (AFP) — A volcano southeast of the Mexican capital spewed more gas and ash into the sky on Tuesday as authorities maintained their warning level at one step below red alert. Dozens of shelters have been opened near Popocatepetl — located around 70 kilometers (about 45 miles) from Mexico City — which has seen various periods of increased activity since awakening from decades-long slumber in 1994. The government is […]
Pupil started deadly Guyana dorm fire over confiscated phone
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AFP) — The weekend school dormitory blaze that killed 19 minors in central Guyana was started by a disgruntled pupil angry at having her mobile phone confiscated, a government source told AFP on Tuesday. An official police report confirmed that “a female student is suspected of having set the devastating fire because her cellular phone was taken away.” The official said the teenage pupil had admitted to the arson attack and was under […]
US top health official sounds alarm on child social media use
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The top US health official on Tuesday issued a stark warning to parents, tech companies and regulators, saying the evidence is growing that social media use may seriously harm children. In a lengthy advisory, US surgeon general Vivek Murthy said that while not without benefits, “there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” […]
‘Modern slavery’ most common in North Korea and Eritrea: study
LONDON, May 23, 2023 (AFP) — North Korea, Eritrea and Mauritania have the highest prevalence of modern slavery in the world, according to the 2023 Global Slavery Index published Wednesday, which noted a “worsening” situation globally since its last survey five years earlier. The report said an estimated 50 million people were “living in situations of modern slavery” in 2021, an increase of 10 million over 2016, when the problem was last measured. The figure […]





