LIMA, Peru (AFP) — At least 12 people died Monday in Peru as anti-government protesters trying to overrun an airport clashed with security forces, officials said. The violence took place in the southeastern city of Juliaca, in the Puno region, an official in the local ombudsman’s office told AFP. The office gave an earlier death toll of nine. The protesters were demanding the departure of President Dina Boluarte, who took over after the ouster and […]
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Strong 7.6-magnitude quake hits off Indonesia: USGS
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — A strong 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit deep under the ocean off Indonesia and East Timor early Tuesday, the US Geological Survey reported. The epicenter of the quake was 427 kilometers (265 miles) south of the Indonesian island of Ambon at a depth of 95 kilometers, USGS said. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported some aftershocks at a magnitude of 5.5. The agency said the tremor was felt on the islands […]
Gunmen attack Nigeria train station, kidnap more than 30
Lagos, Nigeria (AFP) Gunmen attacked a train station in southern Nigeria, kidnapping around 30 people and wounding others, police and officials said, nearly a year after a bomb assault on a train travelling from the capital. Kidnapping for ransom is a major problem in Nigeria where gunmen have repeatedly attacked and abducted people in large groups, but mostly in the northwestern and central states. The train station attack in Edo state, 360 km (223 miles) […]
Harry’s racism ‘olive branch’ dismissed in UK as book comes out
London, United Kingdom (AFP) by Anna MALPAS / Jitendra JOSHI Prince Harry’s denial that he accused his family of racism was interpreted in the UK press Monday as a bizarre peace offering, but commentators argued the damage had already been done as his unflinching memoir comes out. The midnight release of “Spare” is being accompanied by four television interviews, with two more airing in the United States following the first pair on Sunday. In […]
Uganda set to declare end of Ebola outbreak
Kampala, Uganda (AFP) Uganda said on Monday it was expecting to declare an end to an Ebola virus outbreak that emerged late last year and has claimed the lives of at least 56 people. If no new case is reported by Tuesday, the health ministry said it would formally announce the end of the outbreak on Wednesday. According to the World Health Organization, an outbreak of the disease ends when there are no new […]
Wages set to rise sharply to catch spiralling inflation, ECB predicts
Berlin, Germany (AFP) The eurozone will experience “very strong” growth in wages in the next months as salaries catch up with galloping inflation, the European Central Bank predicted on Monday. “Wage growth over the next few quarters is expected to be very strong compared with historical patterns”, the ECB wrote in its monthly bulletin. The authors forecasted “some catch-up between wages and high rates of inflation” experienced since 2021, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. […]
Swiss central bank faces record loss
Zurich, Switzerland (AFP) The Swiss central bank said Monday it expects to have logged a record loss totalling 132 billion Swiss francs ($143 billion) last year, preventing it from providing funds to the government. The Swiss National Bank fell into the red after posting a profit of 26.9 billion Swiss francs in 2021. Most of last year’s losses — 131 billion Swiss francs — were linked to a drop in the value of its holdings […]
URGENT: Western arms ‘prolong suffering’ of Ukrainians: Kremlin
Moscow, Russia (AFP) The Kremlin on Monday said moves by France and other Western countries to supply Ukraine with weapons — including light tanks — would only make life more difficult for Ukrainians. “Fundamentally, these deliveries cannot and will not change anything… (they) can only prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in response to a question on France’s decision last week to send armoured vehicles to Ukraine. French […]
MMA world pays tribute after Victoria Lee dies aged 18
The ONE Championship team is devastated over the tragic passing of Victoria Lee. We send our most heartfelt condolences to her family and friends at this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/EUIp8jplxN — ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 8, 2023 Singapore, Singapore (AFP) The death of 18-year-old rising MMA star Victoria “The Prodigy” Lee, announced at the weekend, has prompted an outpouring of tributes from people associated with the sport. Asia-based ONE MMA Championship chief Chatri Sityodtong said he […]
Kvitova wins battle of Wimbledon champions at Adelaide
Adelaide, Australia |(AFP) Petra Kvitova won the battle of Wimbledon champions on Monday in Adelaide as she outserved Elena Rybakina — who has now crashed out early in two tournaments leading into next week’s Australian Open. Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova beat the current All England Club champion 6-3, 7-5 in round one, exacting a measure of revenge. The 23rd-ranked Russian-born Rybakina won their first head-to-head meeting last year in Ostrava. World number 16 Kvitova never […]
China invokes Germany’s ‘painful’ past, slams MPs’ visit to Taiwan
Beijing, China (AFP) China Monday invoked Germany’s “painful” history in slamming a Taiwan visit by a high-ranking parliamentary delegation from Berlin, in an apparent reference to the country’s wartime record. The group of German lawmakers arrived in the self-ruled island on Monday ahead of an anticipated ministerial visit later this year in a move that will likely enrage China. The visit is a “sign of solidarity” with the democracy which China claims as part of […]
Excitement at Hong Kong’s China border as quarantine lifted
Hong Kong, China (AFP) by Su Xinqi Hugging her boyfriend goodbye, student Yuri Tan was among hundreds excitedly heading north across Hong Kong’s border with mainland China on Sunday as pandemic travel restrictions were mostly lifted, finally allowing separated families to reunite. “I am going back because I don’t have to undergo quarantine anymore,” an elated Tan told AFP, clutching luggage containing a few boxes of fever medication for family. Tan, 23, was planning […]
