WORLD - The African Mirror

Feb

21

2023

Biden walks through Kyiv to show resolve ahead of war’s anniversary

WORLD

PAVEL POLITYUK and MAX HUNDER U.S. President Joe Biden walked around central Kyiv on an unannounced visit, promising to stand with Ukraine as long as it takes, on a trip timed to upstage the Kremlin ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion. Biden, in trademark aviator sunglasses, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in green battle fatigues, walked side-by-side to a gold-domed cathedral on a bright winter morning pierced by the sound of air raid sirens. "When (Russian President Vladimir) Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he…

Mar

17

2023

By The African Mirror

Indonesia court jails policeman over deadly soccer stampede, 2 acquitted

WORLD

AN Indonesian court jailed a policeman but cleared two other officers of negligence over crowd control measures deployed at a local soccer match that led to one of the world's deadliest stadium stampedes. The October 2022 derby in Malang, East Java, between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya ended in chaos with 135 spectators killed, many crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd. Last week, two Arema match officials were also jailed for negligence, in the first verdicts over the stampede. One of the policemen, Hasdarmawan, was on Thursday sentenced to one and a half years…

Feb

21

2023

By The African Mirror

Broken wires, faulty renovation caused deadly India bridge collapse, probe finds

WORLD

SUMIT KHANNA BROKEN corroded wires, improper welding and changes to the walking surface of a 145-year-old hanging bridge in India contributed to its collapse last year that killed 135 people, an investigation has found. The colonial-era suspension bridge in the town of Morbi in the western state of Gujarat was packed with sightseers when it collapsed on Oct. 30, plunging hundreds into the Machchhu river. It had reopened just days before, following months of repairs. A five-member special investigation team, formed by the state government, found that the main cables were not inspected or replaced, no load test or structural…

Feb

21

2023

By The African Mirror

UK police find body near where woman went missing in late January

WORLD

POLICE in the north of England said they had found a body near where a woman went missing last month. Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen walking her dog near a river in Lancashire, northwest England, on Jan. 27. Twenty-five minutes later her mobile phone, still connected to a work Teams call, was found on a bench. Her springer spaniel was found waiting nearby. Lancashire Police said they were called at 1136 GMT on Sunday to reports of a body in the River Wyre. "An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and…

Feb

20

2023

By The African Mirror

Russia tells Macron: Don’t forget Napoleon when you talk of regime change

WORLD

RUSSIA scolded Emmanuel Macron over remarks about wanting to see Russia defeated, saying Moscow still remembered the fate of Napoleon Bonaparte and accusing the French president of duplicitous diplomacy with the Kremlin. Macron told the paper Le Journal du Dimanche that France wanted Russia to be defeated in Ukraine but had never wanted to "crush" it. "About 'Never': France did not begin with Macron, and the remains of Napoleon, revered at the state level, rest in the centre of Paris. France - and Russia - should understand," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "In general, Macron is priceless," she said, adding…

Feb

20

2023

By The African Mirror

Italy asks Brazil forward Robinho to serve prison sentence in home country

WORLD

ITALY has requested that former AC Milan and Brazil striker Robinho serves a 9-year prison sentence for rape in his home country, local media reported, citing Brazil's Foreign Relations Ministry. In a statement, the Brazilian ministry confirmed it has received such a request without naming the player. Robinho's defence lawyer could not be reached for comment. The request will be analyzed by the Justice Ministry's Department of Asset Repatriation and International Legal Cooperation, the ministry added. Robinho, whose full name is Robson de Souza, lives in Brazil and has always denied the charges. Earlier this week, Italy's Justice Ministry issued an international…

Feb

20

2023

By The African Mirror

Israeli missile strikes building in central Damascus, five dead

WORLD

SULEIMAN AL-KHALIDI AN Israeli rocket strike early hit a building in central Damascus, killing five people and damaging several buildings in the densely populated district, witnesses and officials said. The strike hit near a security complex around which Syria's ally Iran has installed bases, two intelligence sources said. An Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment. Citing a Syrian military source, state media said Israel had carried out air strikes targeting several areas of Damascus l shortly after midnight, causing five deaths and 15 injuries among civilians. "It caused damage to several civilian homes and material damage to a number of…

Mar

16

2023

By The African Mirror

Moscow, Washington trade blame after Black Sea drone crash

WORLD

PHIL STEWART, IDREES ALI and OLENA HARMASH MOSCOW told Washington to keep well away from its air space after a U.S. drone intercepted by Russian jets crashed into the Black Sea - the first known direct confrontation between the superpowers since Russia invaded Ukraine. While battles between Ukrainian troops and Russian forces raged on in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin and Washington traded blame for Tuesday's incident, which took place in international air space near territory Russia claims to have annexed from Ukraine. "The Americans keep saying they're not taking part in military operations. This is the latest confirmation that they…

Mar

16

2023

By The African Mirror

Pakistan police postpone arrest of ex-PM Imran Khan until Thursday, easing unrest

WORLD

MUBASHER BUKHARI A Pakistan court ordered police to halt an operation to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan, bringing an end to clashes with supporters of the former cricketer outside his home in which police fired water cannons and tear gas. Security forces withdrew from around the house in the eastern city of Lahore, easing political instability in the nuclear-armed nation which is struggling with an economic crisis and awaiting an International Monetary Fund bailout. The Lahore high court ordered police to postpone the arrest of Khan until Thursday, provincial information minister Amir Mir told Reuters. Earlier, a senior police official said…

Mar

16

2023

By The African Mirror

Free-diver plunges to record depth beneath frozen Swiss lake

WORLD

DAVID Vencl emerged from the depths of Switzerland's Lake Sils after a record dive beneath the ice to a depth of more than 50 meters without a wetsuit. The 40-year-old Czech diver's record vertical plunge to 52.1 meters in a single breath follows his entry into the Guinness World Records book for swimming the length of a frozen Czech lake in 2021. Vencl dived through a hole in the ice and then retrieved a sticker from a depth of 50 meters to prove his feat before re-emerging through the same hole. He spat some blood, sat down for a minute…