International

US warns NKorea still pressing ballistic missile development

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US government warned Tuesday that North Korea continues to acquire materials and equipment for its ballistic missile program, despite claims in Washington that Pyongyang has pulled back on its nuclear ambitions. In a joint global “advisory” the Treasury, Commerce and State Departments detailed North Korea’s ongoing efforts to obtain everything from forestry trucks for missile launchers to common metals and materials that can be used in rockets, warning sellers […]

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‘Only in LA’: pilots report man flying jet pack near airport

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday it had launched a probe after pilots landing at Los Angeles airport over the weekend reported seeing a person in a jet pack flying right next to them. “The FBI is aware of the reports by pilots on Sunday and is working to determine what may have occurred,” spokesperson Laura Eimiller told AFP in a statement. At least two airline crews approaching […]

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Tropical storms Nana, Omar form in Atlantic on same day

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Tropical storms Nana and Omar formed Tuesday as the Atlantic hurricane season nears its peak, meteorologists said, with Nana expected to turn into a hurricane and hit Central America. Currently swirling in the Caribbean, Nana will pass near the coast of Honduras on Wednesday before intensifying and reaching Belize one day later, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. “Strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Nana could become […]

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Angry residents begin clean up in Karachi as rains lash South Asia

KARACHI, Pakistan (AFP) — Karachi residents began cleaning ruined homes and businesses Monday after catastrophic flooding sent rivers of filthy water cascading through Pakistan’s largest city, while deadly monsoon weather continued to lash communities across South Asia. Successive days of storms have exposed the longstanding failures of Karachi’s neglected and overwhelmed drainage system, and residents used a welcome break in the rain to vent their fury at what they see as gross mismanagement of municipal […]

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Wuhan, Ground Zero for coronavirus epidemic, re-opens all schools

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Students in face masks returned to class Tuesday in Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged last year, as the city opened schools and kindergartens for the first time in seven months. Nearly 1.4 million students resumed classes at some 2,800 kindergartens, primary and middle schools across the city, following the re-opening of high schools in May. State media broadcast images of thousands of students hoisting the Chinese […]

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Sanofi halts trial of Covid-19 drug after tests

PARIS, France (AFP) — French pharma giant Sanofi said Tuesday that international Phase 3 clinical tests of its Kevzara drug for serious Covid-19 cases had proved inconclusive and it was halting the trial. The Phase 3 test — normally the last before official approval for use — “did not meet the primary or secondary evaluation criteria compared with a placebo, and in both cases, compared with established hospital care,” it said in a statement. Sanofi […]

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6.8-magnitude quake strikes off Chile: USGS

SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck 70 kilometers (43 miles) off the coast of Chile early Tuesday, the US Geological Survey reported, but there was no tsunami warning issued and no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The country’s National Emergency Office of the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security said the tremor was unlikely to cause injuries or damage to services or infrastructure. USGS said the quake hit 78 kilometers northwest […]

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Japan’s Suga cements frontrunner status in PM race

by Hiroshi HIYAMA / Natsuko FUKUE TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday cemented his status as the clear frontrunner in the race to become the country’s next prime minister, ahead of a vote expected on September 14. Suga has yet to officially announce he is running for the top job, after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said last week he would resign over health problems. But he has nonetheless already […]

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Greek wildfire spares key archaeological site

ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — One of Greece’s most important archaeological sites escaped serious damage after firefighters tamed a wildfire that lashed the surrounding countryside, officials said on Monday. The fire erupted at noon on Sunday near the ruins of Mycenae, one of the centres of ancient Greek civilisation, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south-west of Athens, prompting the evacuation of visitors and staff. “The damage caused to the archaeological site was the least possible, as […]

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Japan party vote to replace PM Abe set for Sept 14: reports

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s ruling party will vote September 14 on a replacement for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the country’s longest-serving premier, who is resigning for health reasons, local media reported on Tuesday. An official announcement from the Liberal Democratic Party is expected either later Tuesday or Wednesday, but a decision on a limited vote that will exclude rank-and-file members has already been approved. Candidates will be required to register their run on September […]

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Canada researchers investigating acai berry to fight Covid

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canadian researchers said Monday they are investigating a popular superfood — the acai berry — as a treatment to prevent Covid-19’s most severe symptoms. Past studies have shown the berry’s extract may act as an inflammation inhibitor, which doctors believe could help prohibit the severe inflammatory response caused by the coronavirus. University of Toronto scientists Michael Farkouh and Ana Andreazza, who have studied the berry’s effect on inflammation responses for nearly […]

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Sudan flood death toll rises to 89

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AFP) — Floods in Sudan caused by more than a month of torrential rains have killed 89 people and injured 44, according to a new toll announced by the civil defence Monday. A total of 37,249 homes and 150 public buildings have been destroyed by the flooding, Sudan’s civil defense organisation added in a statement. Heavy rains usually fall in Sudan from June to October, and the country faces severe flooding every year. […]

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