Kabul, Afghanistan (AFP) A security guard was wounded Friday by shots fired at Pakistan’s embassy in the Afghan capital in what Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called “an assassination attempt” on the head of the mission. “I demand immediate investigation & action against perpetrators of this heinous act,” Sharif tweeted. Although Pakistan does not officially recognise Afghanistan’s Taliban government, it kept its embassy open even as the hardline Islamists took over in August last year, […]
Other News
Xi signals China could loosen zero-Covid policy, EU officials say
Beijing, China (AFP) President Xi Jinping suggested the spread of the less lethal Omicron strain might allow China to loosen its zero-Covid policy, senior EU officials reported Friday, as cities across the country made further moves towards unwinding some restrictions. Discontent with China’s hardline pandemic response spilled onto the streets last weekend and expanded into calls for more political freedom, in widespread demonstrations not seen in decades. China’s vast security apparatus has moved swiftly to […]
UPDATE: Pres. Putin says strikes on Ukraine infrastructure ‘inevitable’
Moscow, Russia (AFP) President Vladimir Putin said on Friday Russia’s strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure were “inevitable” as the Kremlin rejected US President Joe Biden’s terms for talks and warned the assault would continue. After suffering humiliating military defeats during what has become the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, Russia began targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure in October, causing sweeping blackouts. Speaking with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the first time since […]
Musk kicks Kanye West off Twitter after swastika post
Los Angeles, United States (AFP) by Huw GRIFFITH Elon Musk kicked Kanye West off Twitter on Friday “for incitement to violence,” after the rapper posted a picture that appeared to show a swastika interlaced with a Star of David. The post came hours after an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, in which West sparked outrage by declaring his “love” of Nazis and admiration for Adolf Hitler. West had also shared a picture of a shirtless […]
Bombs target Italian embassy cars in Athens: police
Athens, Greece (AFP) Two explosive devices targeted cars belonging to the Italian embassy in Greece on Friday, one of which went off causing no injuries, Greek police said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility and officers said they were investigating. A homemade bomb exploded at around 4:00 am (0200 GMT), damaging a vehicle parked at the home of an embassy officer in an Athens suburb, police said. The other device, placed near a second […]
Scholz urges Putin to withdraw troops for ‘diplomatic’ end to war
Berlin, Germany (AFP) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday pressed Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to seek a diplomatic solution to end his war in Ukraine, including troop withdrawals, Berlin said following a call between the two. “The chancellor urged the Russian president to come as quickly as possible to a diplomatic solution including the withdrawal of Russian troops,” according to the German leader’s spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. During the one-hour call, Scholz “condemned in particular […]
Pres. Xi signalled to EU chief China may adopt more openness in Covid response
Bruxelles, Belgium (AFP) China’s President Xi Jinping suggested in talks with EU chief Charles Michel that the spread of the less lethal Omicron strain of Covid-19 may allow Beijing to ease lockdown rules, European officials said Friday. Michel met the Chinese leader in Beijing on Thursday. According to an account of the meeting from a senior European official, Xi told Michel that Chinese “people were frustrated” after three years of the coronavirus epidemic. Anger […]
Kremlin rejects Biden terms for Ukraine talks
Moscow, Russia (AFP) The Kremlin on Friday rejected US President Joe Biden’s terms for Ukraine talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying Moscow’s offensive will continue. “What did President Biden say in fact? He said that negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding Moscow was “certainly” not ready to accept those conditions. “The special military operation is continuing,” Peskov said, using the Kremlin term for the […]
EU cap on Russian oil price on hold as Poland urges lower price
Bruxelles, Belgium (AFP) by Daniel ARONSSOHN The West’s plan to starve Russia of resources to fight its war in Ukraine by imposing a price cap on its oil exports hit a diplomatic logjam in Brussels on Friday. Poland does not think the $60 a barrel ceiling is low enough and has refused to back the plan, preventing the European Union from adopting the measure. On Thursday evening several European diplomats said the other 26 […]
Philippines logs 2 more Omicron BQ.1 cases
1,283 new COVID-19 cases reported on Friday, Dec. 2 (Eagle News) — The Philippines logged two more cases of the highly transmissible Omicron BQ.1, a sublineage of the highly transmissible BA.5 subvariant. The Department of Health said at least 536 new cases of Omicron subvariants were also recorded. According to the DOH, from November 21 to 24, the two new local cases of BQ.1 came from Regions 2 and 7. With the additional cases, the […]
Street life: Manila’s homeless find shelter in pushcarts
MANILA, Philippines (AFP) – Like thousands of homeless people in the Philippine capital Manila, Maricel Abawag and her son used to sleep on flattened cardboard boxes laid out on footpaths. Then they got a pushcart. Pushcarts, known as karitons, are a common sight in the city of more than 13 million people. Often made from scraps of wood, the human-powered carts are used as shelter, storage and a source of income, such as collecting trash to […]
US to unveil high-tech B-21 stealth bomber
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Air Force on Friday will unveil its new B-21 Raider, a high-tech stealth bomber that can carry nuclear and conventional weapons and is designed to be able to fly without a crew on board. The B-21 — which is on track to cost nearly $700 million per plane and is the first new US bomber in decades — will gradually replace the B-1 and B-2 aircraft, which first […]
