ENEVA, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – A tourist plane crashed in a wooded, mountainous area of western Switzerland on Saturday, killing the three people onboard, police said. The small tourist plane crashed in a steep and forested area near Ponts-De-Martel in the Swiss canton of Neuchatel at around 10:20 am (0820 GMT), regional police said. “The pilot and the two passengers died on site,” the Neuchatel police said in a statement, without providing further details […]
Other News
Paraguay confirms bird flu cases
ASUNCION, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – Cases of bird flu have been detected in backyard chickens in Paraguay, authorities said Saturday. The disease was found in the domesticated birds from the towns of Mariscal Estigarribia and Neuland in Mennonite farming areas, the National Animal Health and Quality Service (Senacsa) reported. The potential cause being investigated is chickens having contact with infected migratory birds, the office said. “The birds will be slaughtered to eliminate the source […]
Moscow claims it has captured Bakhmut, epicentre of Ukraine fighting
MOSCOW, May 21, 2023 (AFP) – Russia said Saturday it has captured the east Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, epicentre of the fighting, as President Vladimir Putin congratulated his troops and private mercenary group Wagner. The announcement from the Russian army came hours after Kyiv said the battle was continuing, while admitting the situation was “critical”, and with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky meeting G7 leaders in Japan. Bakhmut, a salt-mining town that once had a population […]
Over 36,000 people displaced by Italy floods
GHIBULLO, Italy, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – More than 36,000 people have now been forced from their homes by deadly floods in northeast Italy, regional officials said Saturday, as rising waters swallowed more houses and fresh landslides isolated hamlets Violent downpours earlier this week killed 14 people, transforming streets in the cities and towns of the Emilia Romagna region into rivers. And as more rain fell, regional authorities extended the red weather alert to Sunday. […]
Spain says containing wildfire as conditions improve
MADRID, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – Spanish authorities said Saturday that firefighters and soldiers were managing to contain a blaze in the country’s west that has forced hundreds of people to evacuate from nearby villages. “Today, we’re hoping to strike a blow against this fire… It’s a very intense task,” said civil protection coordinator Nieves Villar, adding that conditions had improved as the high wind-speeds of recent days dropped back. That prompted regional forest fire […]
Hollywood royalty flood Cannes for DiCaprio-Scorsese premiere
CANNES, France, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – The Hollywood cavalcade descended on Cannes Saturday for the premiere of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese’s Native American crime epic, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” The three-and-a-half-hour movie, which includes Scorsese’s other long-time muse Robert De Niro, charts a wave of murders among the wealthy Osage Indians in the 1920s and the birth of the FBI. After hours of waiting in the rain that has drenched the French […]
At least 12 civilians killed in Burkina Faso attack: local sources
OUAGADOUGOU, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – At least twelve civilians were killed in an attack by suspected jihadists in an area of western Burkina Faso bordering Mali, a local official and residents told AFP on Saturday. The attack was the latest in a series of similar recent jihadist offensives which a week ago led the government to extend a state of emergency across most of the West African nation for another six months. The village […]
Wagner claims Bakhmut captured, Kyiv says fighting ongoing
MOSCOW, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – Russia’s private army Wagner claimed Saturday the total control of the east Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the epicentre of fighting, as Kyiv said the battle was continuing, while admitting the situation was “critical”. The announcement by Wagner came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took part in the G7 summit in Japan. Bakhmut, a salt mining town that once had a population of 70,000 people, has been the scene of […]
G7 vows economic coercion will ‘face consequences’
HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – G7 leaders vowed Saturday that attempts to “weaponise” trade and supply chains would “fail and face consequences,” in a thinly veiled warning to China over its economic practices. Pushing back against Beijing’s willingness to wield trade measures in diplomatic disputes has been a key theme of the bloc’s meeting in Hiroshima though, in the end, its statement on economic security did not directly reference China. Still, the target […]
G7 calls for ‘responsible’ use of generative AI
HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – The world must urgently assess the impact of generative artificial intelligence, G7 leaders said Saturday, announcing they will launch discussions this year on “responsible” use of the technology. A working group will be set up to tackle issues from copyright to disinformation, the seven leading economies said in a final communique released during a summit in Hiroshima, Japan. Text generation tools such as ChatGPT, image creators and music […]
New magnitude 7.1 quake strikes east of New Caledonia
SYDNEY, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Saturday in the Pacific Ocean to the east of New Caledonia, the US Geological Survey said, a day after a major quake hit the same area. The epicentre was 35 kilometres (22 miles) deep and located about 300 kilometres (190 miles) east of the New Caledonian archipelago, it said. “It lasted maybe two seconds, not too big,” said Nancy Jack, manager of the beachfront […]
BSP to public: Refrain from participating in “sangla-ATM” schemes
(Eagle News)–The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Saturday, May 20, urged the public to refrain from participating in “sangla-ATM” schemes. According to the BSP, the scheme, which sees Automated Teller Machine cardholders sharing their ATM cards and personal identification number as collateral for loans, may lead to financial troubles. It said this was because it may be difficult for these cardholders to monitor withdrawals made by people to whom the ATM card and PIN were […]
