The 44-year-old son of famed US novelist Paul Auster died on Thursday, just over a week after he was charged with the death of his infant daughter, according to New York police. Daniel Auster died of an accidental drug overdose, the New York Post reported. The New York Police Department told AFP that Auster was … Read more
As yearly furnace-like temperatures struck South Asia, millions of people sweltered in an early summer heatwave throughout India and Pakistan on Thursday, causing electricity and water shortages. In New Delhi, a burning rubbish dump choked residents for a third day with temperatures crossing 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in parts of South Asia on Thursday — … Read more
According to a court source, a French police officer has been charged with involuntary murder after shooting dead a driver who attempted to elude police and a passenger in Paris on Sunday, hours after Emmanuel Macron celebrated his re-election nearby. The 24-year-old officer used his assault rifle to try to stop the car as it … Read more
Investors digested a spate of company results on Thursday, and shrugged off a worse-than-expected US economic downturn. In foreign exchange, the dollar traded around 20-year peaks versus the yen and at the highest level in more than five years against the euro as the Federal Reserve aggressively hikes US interest rates. Trading is volatile across major … Read more
Mino Raiola, a football “super agent,” responded to widespread media allegations that he had died at the age of 54 on Thursday, turning to Twitter to express his displeasure with the reports. Reports of the death of Raiola, whose clients include Paul Pogba and one of world football’s current hottest properties, Erling Braut Haaland, quickly … Read more
Following a string of incidents in Israel since late March, Israeli troops killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank flashpoint city of Jenin on Wednesday, in what the army dubbed its latest “counterterrorism” raid. The army said that during the operation at Jenin’s refugee camp, troops used “live ammunition” after being targeted with gunfire … Read more
The screams of a crowd resound beneath a Bangkok underpass as harsh spotlights and street lighting reveal a fierce fight between two furious shirtless men: Fight Club Thailand is on. In the capital city of a country renowned for its highly technical martial arts scene, amateur fighters gather regularly promising to exchange only blood and … Read more
A 28-year-old man was remanded in custody on Thursday accused with the murder of four members of the same family in southeast London. After complaints of a disturbance at the residence early on Monday, Joshua Jacques, who lives in the Bermondsey neighborhood where the remains were discovered, was arrested. He is accused of stabbing to … Read more
According to Guinness World Records, the woman who held the record for the oldest living person died at the age of 119. Japan’s Kane Tanaka died on Tuesday, according to Guinness World Records. Tanaka’s relatives tweeted on April 13 that she had been “hospitalized and discharged repeatedly.” “I was able to come this far with … Read more
After explosions rocked the city of Bryansk, a massive fire erupted at an oil store in Russia. Near the Sumy and Chernihiv areas, the Druzhba oil storage tanks are about 95 miles from the Ukrainian border. A second fire was reported near a military base, but it was not confirmed. Bryansk is a crucial transit … Read more
A Reading school has raised almost £130,000 to construct a new eco-friendly outdoor classroom. The Local Planning Authority recently authorized plans for the classroom, which will be designed in the style of the Iron Age. Reading’s Wren school on Bath Road wants to provide kids with a “alternative outdoor learning space.” The new classroom, which … Read more
At least 100 people may have killed in an explosion at an illegal oil refinery in southeast Nigeria, a local oil official said Sunday as the hunt increased for bodies at the site and for two people suspected of being involved in the blast. The explosion was described as a “catastrophe and a national disaster” … Read more
Nigerian authorities gathered the charred remains of over 100 persons killed in an explosion at an illicit refinery in the country’s south on Monday, preparing for a mass burial following the “catastrophe” event. The blast late Friday at a site between Rivers and Imo states was one of the worst in years in an area … Read more
Is there discrimination against French speakers in Canada, despite the fact that it is an official language alongside English? The debate over the French language’s place in Canada has been reignited by a series of recent leadership nominations and pronouncements, leading Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to respond. The latest blow: There are no longer any … Read more
After winning re-election against competitor Marine Le Pen in a race that saw the far right come closest to capturing power yet, French President Emmanuel Macron sought to reconcile a severely divided country on Monday. Centrist Macron won 58.54 percent of the vote in the second-round run-off compared with 41.46 for Le Pen, according to … Read more
Following strong Western sanctions over Moscow’s military action in Ukraine, Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot recorded a 20% drop in passenger traffic in March compared to the same month last year. Passenger traffic on international and domestic flights fell to 2.2 million in March, the first full month after the conflict began, from 2.77 million last … Read more
The country’s largest jihadist alliance claims to have arrested a Russian fighter working for Wagner, a Kremlin-linked security agency purportedly hired by the military junta. The claim was made in a statement sent to AFP late Sunday by the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), although it provided no evidence to support the assertion. … Read more
The European Union chief warned Monday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses a threat to India’s regional security during a visit to New Delhi aimed at strengthening strategic ties. Ursula von der Leyen is the latest visiting Western ambassador to question India’s impartial posture on the crisis, despite the fact that India obtains the majority … Read more
Moscow announced on Monday that it was expelling 40 German diplomats in reaction for Berlin’s “unfriendly decision” to expel Russian diplomats over the Ukraine conflict. Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement it summoned Germany’s ambassador in Moscow and handed him a note “declaring persona non grata forty employees of German diplomatic institutions in Russia”.
Mykola keeps a “little war diary” of the violence in his part of eastern Ukraine by scouring the frontlines with binoculars from his home in Lysychansk. The date is in the top right-hand corner of every page, and the day’s entry is below it, always beginning with the words “We’re holding on!” The 67-year-old said … Read more
The Covid-19 pandemic has irrevocably altered the world’s connection with vaccinations, spurring tremendous production and innovation while leaving poorer countries behind. AFP examines the current situation as World Immunization Week approaches. Vaccines for more than 20 life-threatening diseases prevent between two to three million deaths a year, according to the World Health Organization. Until Covid-19, … Read more
After an overcrowded people-smuggling boat capsized while being followed by naval forces, Lebanese rescue teams combed the Mediterranean for survivors on Monday, with many still missing at sea. At least seven people died as a result of the tragedy, which occurred late Saturday just off the coast of the northern port city of Tripoli. It … Read more
The trial of a Gambian man accused of being a participant of a death squad that executed opponents of former ruler Yahya Jammeh, including an AFP journalist, began in Germany on Monday. The suspect, known as Bai Lowe in the media, is suspected of crimes against humanity, murder, and attempted murder, including the 2004 murder … Read more
As the sun sets on the French capital, supporters of Emmanuel Macron celebrate their candidate’s triumph in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. DJs were spinning dance music, giving the impression that the Champ de Mars had been transformed into a nightclub. When the clock struck 8 p.m. local time, everyone erupted in joyous cheers … Read more
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people, especially children, die from malaria, a long-standing mosquito-borne disease that exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that 627,000 individuals died of malaria in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, up 12% from 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates … Read more
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people, especially children, die from malaria, a long-standing mosquito-borne disease that exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that 627,000 individuals died of malaria in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, up 12% from 2019. Ahead of World Malaria Day on … Read more
The Cook Islands, a tiny South Pacific nation, confirmed its first coronavirus-related death on Sunday, more than two years after the outbreak began. On the island of Aitutaki late Saturday, a 63-year-old woman with underlying health issues died on her way to the hospital. “It is with great sadness that I announce that we have … Read more
During his first public appearance in the disputed territory since India launched a broad security clampdown nearly three years ago, India’s prime minister promised peace and development for Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government has been working to put an end to a long-running insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir and consolidate India’s … Read more
