Other News

Cyclone Freddy leaves half a million displaced in Malawi: UN

The deadly cyclone that lashed Malawi last week has displaced more than half a million people in the country, the UN said Tuesday as it warned of soaring humanitarian needs. Cyclone Freddy dumped six months’ worth of rainfall on southern Malawi in six days, with floods and mudslides sweeping away homes, roads and bridges in a record-breaking deluge. The cyclone has left almost 500 people dead in the south of the country, while another 150 […]

Video shows US police piling on man who died at mental hospital

Disturbing video footage released Tuesday shows the death of a 28-year-old Black man as he was being admitted to a US mental hospital, where he was forcibly restrained by as many as 10 police officers and hospital security guards. Irvo Otieno’s March 6 death in Virginia has already drawn murder charges against the officers and guards involved, thrusting the spotlight back on US law enforcement brutality and the treatment of mental health patients in particular. […]

BBC urges staff to ditch TikTok over data fears

  The BBC said Monday that it had told staff to delete Chinese-owned video app TikTok unless it was needed for business reasons, with Western institutions increasingly taking a harder stance over data collection fears. The British broadcasting giant reported that it sent staff a message on Sunday saying: “We don’t recommend installing TikTok on a BBC corporate device unless there is a justified business reason. “If you do not need TikTok for business reasons, […]

‘Unlimited possibilities’: Key takeaways from Putin-Xi summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for two days of closely-watched talks on Monday and Tuesday. Here are five key takeaways from the Putin-Xi summit: –  ‘A new era’ – The two days of talks at the Kremlin were heavy on pomp and ceremony as Putin and Xi hailed a “new era” in the two countries’ relationship. The Russian leader said that bilateral cooperation “has truly unlimited possibilities and prospects” and toasted the […]

Xi, Putin hail ‘new era’ of ties in united front against West

  The leaders of China and Russia hailed a “new era” in their relationship on Tuesday, putting on a united front in Moscow as Vladimir Putin accused the West of rejecting Beijing’s proposals to end the Ukraine conflict. The nations, eager to curb Western power, expressed concerns about NATO expansion in Asia and agreed to deepen a partnership which has grown closer since Putin launched an offensive in Ukraine. Putin said he was open to […]

Japan PM expresses ‘strong indignation’ visiting Ukraine’s Bucha

  Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday expressed strong “indignation” during a visit to Bucha, a town near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv where Russian forces were accused of widespread atrocities. Russian troops were accused of massacring civilians in Bucha, which they occupied for several weeks in early 2022. Moscow denies the allegation. “As I step foot in Bucha today, and witness all the brutality that took place here, I have a strong sentiment of […]

Sunken Philippine oil tanker found: officials

A leaking oil tanker that sank in the Philippines three weeks ago has been found, officials said Tuesday, as the slick reached waters known for their rich marine life. The Princess Empress was carrying 800,000 litres (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil when it sank on February 28 off the central island of Mindoro, south of the capital Manila. Diesel fuel and thick oil from the vessel have since contaminated the waters and beaches of […]

Strong quake has people fleeing homes in Afghanistan, Pakistan

  A strong earthquake lasting for at least 30 seconds was felt across much of Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India Tuesday night, with the United States Geological Survey putting the magnitude at 6.5. “It was a terrifying tremor. I had never felt such a tremor before in my life,” Khatera, 50, a resident of Kabul, told AFP after rushing out of her fifth-storey apartment in the capital. The USGS said the quake was centred […]

PAGASA declares start of warm, dry season

(Eagle News) — The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has announced the end of the northeast monsoon  and the start of the warm and dry season in the country. In making the announcement, the weather bureau said recent analyses “indicate a retreat of the High-Pressure Area over Siberia, which resulted in the weakening of northeasterly winds and an increase in the air temperature over most parts of the country.” PAGASA said the “strengthening […]

UN ‘survival guide’ report an urgent warning on climate

Paris, France (AFP) by Marlowe HOOD / Kelly MACNAMARA The world will cross the key 1.5-degree Celsius global warming limit in about a decade, the UN said Monday, warning that devastating impacts of climate change are hitting faster than expected. In the final instalment of a major series of reports, delivered in a crucial decade in human history, the UN’s climate advisory panel urged dramatic reductions in planet-heating emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s […]

Iraq fashionistas champion climate-friendly vintage wear

Al-Hussainiya, Iraq (AFP) by Laure Al-Khoury In a palm grove north of Baghdad, bemused Iraqi shepherds looked on as models paraded second-hand garments down an improvised catwalk, seeking to raise awareness of the fashion industry’s environmental impact. Haute couture has given way to upcycled outfits, sourced entirely from used clothes, as the models strut, pause and pivot on the runway, a sign of the growing popularity of chic, environmentally friendly vintage wear among young Iraqis. […]

No freedom on the horizon for Bangkok ‘mall gorilla’

Bangkok, Thailand (AFP) by Rose TROUP BUCHANAN / Thanaporn PROMYAMYAI Seven storeys above a shopfloor hawking cheap perfume and nylon underwear, Thailand’s “shopping mall gorilla” sits alone in a cage — her home for 30 years despite a re-ignited row over her captivity. Activists around the world have long campaigned for the primate to be moved from Pata Zoo, located on top of a Bangkok mall, with singer Cher and actor Gillian Anderson adding their […]