International

50 dead in Japan floods as rescuers ‘race against time’

by Charly TRIBALLEAU YATSUSHIRO, Japan (AFP) — Emergency services in western Japan were “racing against time” on Tuesday to rescue people stranded by devastating floods and landslides that have killed at least 50 people, with more torrential rain forecast. Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its second-highest emergency warning for heavy rain and landslides over vast swathes of the country’s southwest and said “risks are rising” nationwide. At least 50 deaths have been confirmed in the […]

Continue Reading →

Rain hampers rescue efforts after deadly Japan floods

by Charly TRIBALLEAU KUMAMOTO, Japan (AFP) — Torrential rain hampered the efforts of tens of thousands of rescue workers in southwestern Japan Monday as they hunted for survivors from deadly floods and landslides, with more downpours forecast. Around 50 people were feared dead after heavy rain lashed areas of western Japan from early Saturday, causing rivers to burst their banks and flood low-lying regions. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned the weather front was heading across […]

Continue Reading →

Hundreds of drones light up Seoul sky with virus messages

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Hundreds of drones lit up the night sky in Seoul for a spectacular showcase of motivational and awareness messages as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic. Three hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were programmed to form images above the Han river — which runs through the South Korean capital — for the eyecatching flash mob. The show began with messages reminding people of key precautionary measures, including wearing masks, washing hands […]

Continue Reading →

India caseload surges as experts warn of virus going airborne

NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India on Monday became the country with the third-highest coronavirus caseload in the world, as a group of scientists said there was now overwhelming evidence that the disease can be airborne — and for far longer than originally thought. With the globe’s hardest hit nation, the United States, struggling to come to grips with the new normal of social distancing and mask-wearing, officials there warned that some of the country’s […]

Continue Reading →

Shallow 4.6-magnitude earthquake rocks Kabul: USGS

KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — A shallow 4.6-magnitude earthquake rocked Kabul on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, sending crowds into the streets of the Afghan capital. The quake shook Kabul at 8:36 pm (1606 GMT) with such violence that some residents at first thought it was a new explosion in the war-torn city. Despite the intensity of the jolt, there were no reports of any injuries or significant damage in the hours afterward. The USGS […]

Continue Reading →

Malawi’s new president inaugurated, calls for national sacrifice

LILONGWE, Malawi (AFP) — Malawi’s new president Lazarus Chakwera called for national sacrifice to transform his country as he was inaugurated on Monday, completing a remarkable turnaround after losing last year’s election. That vote was annulled by Malawi’s top court over “widespread and systematic” irregularities and a re-run election was held on June 23. Chakwera, 65, comfortably beat Peter Mutharika with 58.5 per cent of the vote, marking the first time in African history that […]

Continue Reading →

Qatar coronavirus cases pass 100,000 mark

  DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Qatar passed the milestone of 100,000 coronavirus cases on Monday, the health ministry said, as the country presses ahead with plans to re-open its economy. The gas-rich emirate has one of the world’s highest per capita infection rates with 100,345 people, 3.65 percent of its 2.75 million population, having tested positive for COVID-19. Almost 94,000 of those infected have recovered and 133 people have died, one of the lowest reported […]

Continue Reading →

Chile crosses 10,000 virus deaths as president announces aid package

  SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Chile recorded 10,159 coronavirus deaths on Sunday, as President Sebastian Pinera announced a $1.5 billion aid package to help the middle class, which has been battered by the economic crisis. The death toll is compiled weekly by the Department of Statistics and Health (DEIS) and is considered to be the most accurate for reporting COVID-19 deaths by test results or by symptoms. According to Sunday’s report, there were 7,057 deaths […]

Continue Reading →

Fiji reports first coronavirus case in 78 days

SUVA, Fiji (AFP) — Fiji’s 78-day run without coronavirus is over, with Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama confirming Monday a 66-year-old man tested positive after returning from India. It is the 19th case in the small South Pacific island nation, and more are now expected. “We’ve confirmed a border case of COVID-19 among a returning citizen while he was securely in the confines of government-funded quarantine,” Bainimarama said. All arrivals to Fiji have to undergo 14 […]

Continue Reading →

Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone dead at 91

ROME, Italy (AFP) — Ennio Morricone, one of the world’s best-known and most prolific film composers, died in Rome on Monday. Morricone, who was 91, died in hospital where he was being treated for a fractured femur following a fall, media reports said, quoting a statement from a lawyer. He composed the music for about 500 films, including his old schoolfriend Sergio Leone’s 1966 spaghetti western “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and Quentin […]

Continue Reading →

Virus pushes US hospitals to the brink, India hits record new cases

by Ben Sheppard Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Officials at the epicenter of the worsening coronavirus crisis in the United States warned Sunday their hospitals were in danger of being overwhelmed by the upsurge, as India registered a record number of new cases. In signs of progress, Formula One returned with the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix held behind closed doors, while the Louvre museum in Paris will reopen on Monday after a […]

Continue Reading →

China clashes with US over new Hong Kong security law

by Jerome TAYLOR HONG KONG, China (AFP) — China promised Thursday to take “strong countermeasures” if the US presses ahead with tough new sanctions that target banks over infringements on Hong Kong’s autonomy, after Beijing imposed a sweeping security law on the restless financial hub. Beijing has faced a groundswell of criticism from primarily Western nations over its decision to impose a law outlawing acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces in […]

Continue Reading →
1 … 999 1,000 1,001 1,002 1,003 … 2,486