French City of Nice Asks Tourists to Stay Away amid COVID Surge

The mayor of Nice in southern France called on Sunday for a weekend lockdown in the area to reduce the flow of tourists as it battles a sharp spike in coronavirus infections. (Reuters)
The mayor of Nice in southern France called on Sunday for a weekend lockdown in the area to reduce the flow of tourists as it battles a sharp spike in coronavirus infections. (Reuters)
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French City of Nice Asks Tourists to Stay Away amid COVID Surge

The mayor of Nice in southern France called on Sunday for a weekend lockdown in the area to reduce the flow of tourists as it battles a sharp spike in coronavirus infections. (Reuters)
The mayor of Nice in southern France called on Sunday for a weekend lockdown in the area to reduce the flow of tourists as it battles a sharp spike in coronavirus infections. (Reuters)

The mayor of Nice in southern France called on Sunday for a weekend lockdown in the area to reduce the flow of tourists as it battles a sharp spike in coronavirus infections to triple the national rate.

The Nice area has France's highest COVID-19 infection rate, with 740 new cases per week per 100,000 residents, according to Covidtracker.fr.

"We need strong measures that go beyond the nationwide 6 pm curfew, either tighter curfew, or a partial and time-specific lockdown. A weekend lockdown would make sense," Mayor Christian Estrosi said on franceinfo radio.

Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Saturday the government would decide this weekend on tightening virus control measures in the Mediterranean city.

Before ordering a second national lockdown in November, the government imposed curfews some cities and closed restaurants in Marseille, but it has generally refrained from regional measures due to protest from local politicians and businesses.

"We do not rule out local lockdowns," government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on LCI television.

He added that the trend in new cases was not good in recent days and that there was no case for loosening curfew.

"The weather is nice, everybody rushes to come here. A weekend lockdown would put a stop to that, without halting economic activity in the city," Estrosi said.

Estrosi said infection rates had leapt due to the massive inflow of tourists over the Christmas holiday. International flights to the city had jumped from 20 a day before Christmas to 120 over the holiday - all this without people having virus tests in their country of origin or on arrival.

"We will be happy to receive lots of tourists this summer, once we win this battle, but it is better to have a period while we say 'do not come here, this is not the moment'. Protecting the people of Nice is my priority," he said.



After Veto, Russia Says Big Powers Need to Stop ‘Strangling’ North Korea

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via Reuters)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via Reuters)
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After Veto, Russia Says Big Powers Need to Stop ‘Strangling’ North Korea

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via Reuters)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via Reuters)

Russia said on Friday that major powers needed a new approach to North Korea, accusing the United States and its allies of ratchetting up military tensions in Asia and seeking to "strangle" the reclusive state.

Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts monitoring enforcement of longstanding United Nations sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Moscow's move, which strikes a blow at the enforcement of a myriad of UN sanctions imposed after Pyongyang carried out its first nuclear test in 2006, underscores the dividend that Kim Jong Un has earned by moving closer to President Vladimir Putin amid the war in Ukraine.

"It is obvious to us that the UN Security Council can no longer use old templates in relation to the problems of the Korean Peninsula," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Zakharova said the United States was stoking military tensions, that international restrictions had not improved the security situation and that there were severe humanitarian consequences for the population of North Korea, formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"The United States and its allies have clearly demonstrated that their interest does not extend beyond the task of 'strangling' the DPRK by all available means, and a peaceful settlement is not on the agenda at all," she said.

The Russian veto is seen as a major turning point in the international sanctions regime against North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the then-Soviet Union while the Republic of Korea was backed by the United States.

North Korea is the only country to have conducted nuclear tests in the 21st century - in 2006, 2009, 2013, twice in 2016, and 2017, according to the United Nations.

SANCTIONS?

Russia said the experts' work was neither objective nor impartial, and that they had turned into a tool of the West.

"The Group of Experts of the UN Security Council Committee 1718 has lost all standards of objectivity and impartiality, which should be integral characteristics of its mandate," Zakharova said.

She said the experts had "turned into an obedient tool of the DPRK's geopolitical opponents. There is no point in saving it in this form".

The veto illustrates just how far the Ukraine war, which triggered the deepest crisis in Russia's relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, has undermined big-power cooperation on other major global issues.

Since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has gone out of its way to parade a renaissance of its relationship - including military ties - with Pyongyang.

Washington says North Korea has supplied Russia with missiles that it is using against Ukraine, assertions which have been dismissed by the Kremlin and Pyongyang.

For Putin, who says Russia is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war.

For Kim, who has pledged to accelerate production of nuclear weapons to deter what he casts as US provocations, Russia is a big power ally with deep stores of advanced missile, military, space and nuclear technology.

Russia, Zakharova said, sought a compromise under which sanctions would be reviewed over specific time limits, though that proposal had been met with "hostility" by Washington.

"We call on the parties concerned to refrain from escalating steps and reconfigure themselves to find ways to detente, taking into account known security priorities," Zakharova said.


Tajikistan Detains 9 People over Russian Concert Hall Attack

People line up to lay flowers at a makeshift memorial to the victims of a shooting attack set up outside the Crocus City Hall concert venue in the Moscow Region, Russia, March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
People line up to lay flowers at a makeshift memorial to the victims of a shooting attack set up outside the Crocus City Hall concert venue in the Moscow Region, Russia, March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
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Tajikistan Detains 9 People over Russian Concert Hall Attack

People line up to lay flowers at a makeshift memorial to the victims of a shooting attack set up outside the Crocus City Hall concert venue in the Moscow Region, Russia, March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
People line up to lay flowers at a makeshift memorial to the victims of a shooting attack set up outside the Crocus City Hall concert venue in the Moscow Region, Russia, March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

Tajikistan has detained nine people this week suspected of having links to a mass shooting at a Russian concert hall last Friday and also to the militant group that claimed responsibility, a Tajik security source told Reuters.
Four suspected gunmen behind the deadliest attack in Russia in 20 years are Tajik citizens. They have been arrested along with seven other suspects, some of whom also come from the ex-Soviet Central Asian nation.
Tajikistan's state security committee detained nine people on Monday in the city of Vakhdat and the suspects are now in the capital, Dushanbe, the source said, without providing any further details.
At least 143 people were killed in the attack on the concert hall near Moscow.
Tajikistan, which is a member of a Russian-led security bloc and hosts a Russian military base, has also rounded up the families of the suspected gunmen so that Russian investigators can question them in Dushanbe, sources told Reuters this week.
The predominantly Muslim nation of 10 million bordering Afghanistan depends heavily on remittances from migrant laborers working in Russia. Its own economy was devastated by a civil war in the 1990s.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the concert hall attack and US officials say they have intelligence showing it was carried out by the network's Afghan branch, ISIS Khorasan (ISIS-K).
Russian investigators said on Thursday they had found proof that the concert hall gunmen were linked to "Ukrainian nationalists", an assertion immediately dismissed by the United States as baseless propaganda.
Kyiv has strongly denied any involvement in the concert hall attack.


Pro-Palestinian Protesters Interrupt Biden, Obama, Clinton at $25 Million New York Fundraiser

Protestors, calling for ceasefire in Gaza, attend a demonstration near Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, on the day of a fundraising event for US President Joe Biden with him and former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, March 28, 2024. (Reuters)
Protestors, calling for ceasefire in Gaza, attend a demonstration near Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, on the day of a fundraising event for US President Joe Biden with him and former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, March 28, 2024. (Reuters)
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Pro-Palestinian Protesters Interrupt Biden, Obama, Clinton at $25 Million New York Fundraiser

Protestors, calling for ceasefire in Gaza, attend a demonstration near Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, on the day of a fundraising event for US President Joe Biden with him and former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, March 28, 2024. (Reuters)
Protestors, calling for ceasefire in Gaza, attend a demonstration near Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, on the day of a fundraising event for US President Joe Biden with him and former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, March 28, 2024. (Reuters)

President Joe Biden and his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, headlined a star-studded fundraiser with former President Bill Clinton on Thursday, offering a robust defense of the White House's handling of the Gaza crisis as protesters interrupted the event.

Biden, who traveled with Obama on Air Force One to New York, took part in a discussion with Clinton moderated by "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert at the iconic Radio City Music Hall in front of thousands of guests. Organizers say the event raised more than $25 million for Biden's US reelection campaign.

But the fundraiser was punctuated by several protests inside the massive auditorium, with attendees rising at several different moments to shout over the discussion, referencing Biden's backing of Israel in the Hamas war that has killed more than 30,000 people in Gaza.

"Shame on you, Joe Biden!" one yelled.

Obama and Clinton offered a presidential perspective of the Gaza crisis that stressed the political realities of being in the White House.

A president needs to be able to support Israel at the same time as fighting for Palestinians to have more access to food, medical supplies and a future state, they said.

"It's a lonely seat," Obama said. "One of the realities of the presidency is that the world has a lot of joy and beauty, but it also has a lot of tragedy and cruelty."

People "understandably, oftentimes, want to feel a certain purity in terms of how those decisions are made," he said. "But a president doesn't have that luxury."

When a protestor inside the theater interrupted Obama, the former president snapped back: "You can't just talk and not listen...That's what the other side does."

The pair of former presidents also defended Biden's handling of the economy, which gets low ratings in national polls.

Clinton said Biden's economic numbers have significantly outpaced Trump's administration.

"I believe in keeping score," Clinton said. "He's been good for America" and deserves another term.

Before the event, the three leaders' motorcade passed hundreds of protesters demonstrating against Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, another sign that some young voters and other progressives who voted for Biden in 2020 are furious about his staunch backing of Israel in its response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

LIZZO, $500,000 TICKETS

The event included musicians Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo and Lea Michele performing. Some high-paying attendees had their pictures with the three presidents taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Former President Donald Trump, Biden's Republican challenger in November's election, was in the New York area on Thursday as well, attending a wake for a slain New York City policeman.

Biden, 81, has faced concerns about his age and fitness for a second four-year term. Recent Reuters/Ipsos polls show his approval rating at 40% and in a tight race with Trump, 77, ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

The show of support from Biden's predecessors was meant to demonstrate party unity and project fundraising strength.

Tickets for Thursday's Biden event cost between $250 and $500,000, according to a Democrat familiar with the planning. More than 5,000 people were expected to attend.

Biden's high-profile allies are seeking to shore up his support despite opinion polls showing tepid enthusiasm for the president and in contrast to a Republican Party where many major figures oppose Trump.

Biden showed flashes of humor at the event. He referenced President Harry Truman's advice that if you wanted a friend in Washington, get a dog. Biden quipped that he got one and it bit a Secret Service agent. The president's dog Commander left the White House last year after a series of biting incidents.

The event closed with each of the men donning aviator sunglasses, Bidens trademark.

"Dark Brandon is real," Biden bellowed, referencing a meme about himself.

TRUMP IN LONG ISLAND

Earlier on Long Island, east of New York, Trump attended a wake for Jonathan Diller, the policeman who was gunned down during a routine traffic stop earlier this week in the city.

"These things can't happen. We need law and order," Trump, surrounded by mourning uniformed officers, told reporters gathered outside a funeral home in Massapequa.

Trump has sought to make supporting police a focal point of his campaign, while criticizing law enforcement that targets him.

He faces four criminal trials for his efforts to undermine the 2020 election, his mishandling of classified documents and his involvement in a "hush money" scheme involving a porn star. He was fined hundreds of millions of dollars for overstating his net worth to lenders. He says he is innocent.

Biden has been routinely outraising Trump and is taking in more money than his rival in big donations and small donations under $200. Biden's reelection effort raised more than $53 million in February and $10 million in the 24 hours following his March 7 address to Congress.

Trump aims to raise $33 million in an April 6 fundraiser, a source familiar with the Republican's plans told Reuters.

A Trump campaign adviser said on Thursday the candidate won't be able to match Biden's totals, blaming the disparity on the Democrat's "billionaire" supporters and painting a picture of a Trump campaign fueled by grassroots, working-class supporters.


5 Dead, Over 100 Hospitalized from Recalled Japanese Health Supplements

A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
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5 Dead, Over 100 Hospitalized from Recalled Japanese Health Supplements

A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)

In the week since a line of Japanese health supplements began being recalled, five people have died and more than 100 people were hospitalized as of Friday.
Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. came under fire for not going public quickly with problems known internally as early as January. The first public announcement came March 22, The Associated Press reported.
Company officials said 114 people were being treated in hospitals after taking products, including Benikoji Choleste Help meant to lower cholesterol, that contain an ingredient called benikoji, a red species of mold. Earlier in the week, the number of deaths stood at two people.
Some people developed kidney problems after taking the supplements, but the exact cause was still under investigation in cooperation with government laboratories, according to the manufacturer.
“We apologize deeply,” President Akihiro Kobayashi told reporters Friday, bowing for a long time to emphasize the apology alongside three other top company officials.
He expressed remorse to those who have died and have been sickened, and to their families. He also apologized for the troubles caused to the entire health food industry and the medical profession, adding that the company was working to prevent further damage and improve crisis management.
The company’s products have been recalled — as have dozens of other products that contain benikoji, including miso paste, crackers and a vinegar dressing. Japan's health ministry put up a list on its official site of all the recalled products, including some that use benikoji for food coloring.
The ministry warned the deaths could keep growing. The supplements could be bought at drug stores without a prescription from a doctor, and some may have been purchased or exported before the recall, including by tourists who may not be aware of the health risks, AP reported.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical had been selling benikoji products for years, with a million packages sold over the past three fiscal years, but a problem crept up with the supplements produced in 2023. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said it produced 18.5 tons of benikoji last year.
Some analysts blame the recent deregulation initiatives, which simplified and sped up approval for health products to spur economic growth.


Erdogan to Visit US in May, Turkish Ministers Meet US Delegation

Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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Erdogan to Visit US in May, Turkish Ministers Meet US Delegation

Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Türkiye’s President Tayyip Erdogan will visit the United States on May 9, a Turkish security official said on Friday, setting the stage for his first White House meeting during the Biden Administration.

The Washington visit would be Erdogan's first since 2019 when he met then-president Donald Trump, with whom he enjoyed good personal ties.

Since President Joe Biden's 2020 election, Ankara has sought another face-to-face meeting.

Ties between the NATO allies, long strained by differences on a range of issues, have thawed since Ankara ratified Sweden's NATO membership bid in January, following a 20-month delay that had caused frustration in Washington.

Yet strains persist, including over northern Syria, where US forces are allied with Kurdish militants that Ankara deems terrorists. Washington has also pressed Ankara to do more to halt goods transiting to Russia that it says are used in Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.

The official did not provide any further information on the visit, but said Türkiye's top intelligence official Ibrahim Kalin will meet with members of the US House of Representatives for talks on the planned visit and other bilateral issues.

On Thursday and Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yasar Guler also met the US delegation.

There was no immediate comment from Washington or the US Embassy in Ankara on the visit.


Ukraine Says Russian Drone, Missile Attacks Damage Power Facilities

A handout picture made available by the Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) visiting the 117th Seperate Territorial Defense Brigade during a working visit to the Sumy region, Ukraine, 27 March 2024 amid the Russian invasion. EPA/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT
A handout picture made available by the Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) visiting the 117th Seperate Territorial Defense Brigade during a working visit to the Sumy region, Ukraine, 27 March 2024 amid the Russian invasion. EPA/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT
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Ukraine Says Russian Drone, Missile Attacks Damage Power Facilities

A handout picture made available by the Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) visiting the 117th Seperate Territorial Defense Brigade during a working visit to the Sumy region, Ukraine, 27 March 2024 amid the Russian invasion. EPA/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT
A handout picture made available by the Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) visiting the 117th Seperate Territorial Defense Brigade during a working visit to the Sumy region, Ukraine, 27 March 2024 amid the Russian invasion. EPA/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT

Russian missile and drone attacks hit thermal and hydro power plants in central and western Ukraine, power grid operator Ukrenergo said on Friday, in the latest barrage targeting the country's already damaged power infrastructure.
"During the night, the Russians struck again at energy facilities in a massive and combined attack," Ukrenergo said on the Telegram messaging app.
"Thermal and hydroelectric power plants in the central and western regions were damaged."
Regional officials said Russian forces had attacked infrastructure in the Kamianske district near the city of Dnipro. At least one person was wounded, they added.
Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko also said power facilities in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Cherkasy were attacked, Reuters reported.
"Electricity generation facilities were targeted by drones and missiles," Gelushchenko said on Facebook.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal later said in a statement that energy facilities in six Ukrainian regions had been attacked. He said Ukraine needs more air defence systems to secure critical infrastructure and protect the population.
The Ukrainian military said its air force had destroyed 58 Russia-launched attack drones overnight from a total of 60, along with 26 of 39 missiles.
"The enemy launched a powerful missile and air strike against the fuel and energy sector of Ukraine, using various types of missiles and attack drones," the commander said.
Reuters could not independently verify the report.
Ukrainian television said explosions were heard in the regions of Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi as well as the city of Dnipro as Russian cruise missiles were spotted in Ukrainian air space.
DTEK, NAFTOGAZ UNDER FIRE
The largest private power firm, DTEK, said its three thermal power plants had come under attack.
"The equipment was severely damaged," it said on Telegram. "After the attack ended, the power engineers promptly started to repair the damage."
Ukrainian power distributor Yasno said this week that DTEK lost about half its capacity following Russian missile and drone attacks.
Ukrainian state-run Naftogaz oil and gas firm also said its facilities had come under attack on Friday morning.
"(Russian attacks) targeted Naftogaz Group's facilities, but there was no serious damage," it said in a statement, giving no more details.


Moderately Strong Quake Strikes Southern Greece

This photo taken on March 27, 2024 shows the city of Athens shrouded in haze. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)
This photo taken on March 27, 2024 shows the city of Athens shrouded in haze. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)
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Moderately Strong Quake Strikes Southern Greece

This photo taken on March 27, 2024 shows the city of Athens shrouded in haze. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)
This photo taken on March 27, 2024 shows the city of Athens shrouded in haze. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 has struck southern Greece off the coast of the western Peloponnese. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the quake, which was also felt in the Greek capital and as far away as the southern island of Crete.
The quake struck Friday morning and was centered beneath the seabed near the Strofades islands, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south-southwest of the western city of Patras, according to the Athens Geodynamic Institute.
Greece lies in a highly seismically active region and earthquakes are common. The vast majority cause no injuries and little to no damage.


An 8-year-old is Only Survivor in South Africa Bus Crash that Killed 45

A handout photo made available by the Limpopo Transport Department shows emergency services attending to the bus crash that killed 45 people in Limpopo province, South Africa, 28 March 2024 (issued 29 March 2024).  EPA/Tidimalo Chuene
A handout photo made available by the Limpopo Transport Department shows emergency services attending to the bus crash that killed 45 people in Limpopo province, South Africa, 28 March 2024 (issued 29 March 2024). EPA/Tidimalo Chuene
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An 8-year-old is Only Survivor in South Africa Bus Crash that Killed 45

A handout photo made available by the Limpopo Transport Department shows emergency services attending to the bus crash that killed 45 people in Limpopo province, South Africa, 28 March 2024 (issued 29 March 2024).  EPA/Tidimalo Chuene
A handout photo made available by the Limpopo Transport Department shows emergency services attending to the bus crash that killed 45 people in Limpopo province, South Africa, 28 March 2024 (issued 29 March 2024). EPA/Tidimalo Chuene

A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said. The only survivor of the crash was an 8-year-old child.

Authorities in the northern province of Limpopo said the child was seriously injured and was receiving medical attention.

The Limpopo provincial government said the bus veered off the Mmamatlakala bridge and plunged 50 meters (164 feet) into a ravine before busting into flames.

Search operations were ongoing, the provincial government said, but many bodies were burned beyond recognition and still trapped inside the vehicle.

Authorities said they believe the bus was traveling from the neighboring country of Botswana to the town of Moria, which hosts a popular Easter pilgrimage. They said it appeared that the driver lost control and was one of the dead.

Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga was in Limpopo province for a road safety campaign and changed plans to visit the crash scene, the national Department of Transport said. She said there was an investigation underway into the cause of the crash and offered her condolences to the families of the victims.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sent his condolences to Botswana and pledged support to the country, his office said in a statement.


Russia's FM Says Ukraine Peace Plan is Pointless

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2024. Olga Maltseva/Pool via REUTERS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2024. Olga Maltseva/Pool via REUTERS
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Russia's FM Says Ukraine Peace Plan is Pointless

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2024. Olga Maltseva/Pool via REUTERS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2024. Olga Maltseva/Pool via REUTERS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview published on Friday, said Ukraine's proposed peace plan was pointless as it was based on unacceptable notions like Moscow's withdrawal from areas it has captured.
Lavrov told the Moscow daily Izvestia that a proposed peace summit would not succeed until its fundamental bases were changed, including allowing Russia to participate.
"We are in any case ready to hold discussions but not on the bases of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy's 'peace formula'," Lavrov told the daily.
"How could any serious politician in Washington, Brussels, London, Paris or Berlin say that there is no alternative to the Zelenskiy formula," he said.
According to Reuters, Lavrov dismissed as unacceptable the plan's provisions, which call for Russia to withdraw from territory it has captured, including Crimea, annexed in 2014, and the restoration of Ukraine's 1991 post-Soviet borders. It also calls for a means to bring Russia to account for its February 2022 invasion.
Zelenskiy rejects any notion of negotiations with Moscow on any basis other than the peace plan.
Lavrov said he had met officials and diplomats from Switzerland who had assured him that a peace summit which Bern has agreed to host would include Russian participation and be conducted on realistic terms.
He said Swiss officials had told him "we understand that nothing can be solved without you, that's unfair." And once the plan was turned into a "collective product", Russia would be invited.
Lavrov also said US proposals to discuss arms deals, uncoupling the issue from the Ukraine conflict, made little sense.
"It is a joke and does not reflect well on those in the Administration in Washington dealing with foreign policy," he told Izvestia. "All this boils down to the fact that foreign policy in the United States is being directed by people who don't know how to engage in diplomacy."


Cranes to Start Removing Wreckage from Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Biden OKs $60M in Aid

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 28: The sunsets on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 28: The sunsets on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
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Cranes to Start Removing Wreckage from Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Biden OKs $60M in Aid

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 28: The sunsets on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 28: The sunsets on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

The largest crane on the Eastern Seaboard was being transported to Baltimore so crews on Friday can begin removing the wreckage of a collapsed highway bridge that has halted a search for four workers still missing days after the disaster and blocked the city's vital port from operating.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the crane, which was arriving by barge and can lift up to 1,000 tons, will be one of at least two used to clear the channel of the twisted metal and concrete remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and the cargo ship that hit it this week.

"The best minds in the world” are working on the plans for removal, Moore said. The US Army Corps of Engineers for the Baltimore District told the governor that it and the Navy were mobilizing major resources from around the country at record speed to clear the channel.

“This is not just about Maryland,” Moore said. “This is about the nation’s economy. The port handles more cars and more farm equipment than any other port in America.”

He warned of a long road to recovery but said he was grateful to the Biden administration for approving $60 million in immediate aid. President Joe Biden has said the federal government will pay the full cost of rebuilding the bridge.
“This work is not going to take hours. This work is not going to take days. This work is not going to take weeks,” Moore said. “We have a very long road ahead of us.”

Thirty-two members of the Army Corps of Engineers were surveying the scene of the collapse and 38 Navy contractors were working on the salvage operation, officials said Thursday.

The devastation left behind after the cargo ship lost power and struck a support pillar early Tuesday is extensive. Divers recovered the bodies of two men from a pickup truck in the Patapsco River near the bridge’s middle span Wednesday, but officials said they have to start clearing the wreckage before anyone can reach the bodies of four other missing workers.

State police have said that based on sonar scans, the vehicles appear to be encased in a “superstructure” of concrete and other debris.
Federal and state officials have said the collision and collapse appeared to be an accident.

Rebuilding the bridge could take anywhere from 18 months to several years, experts say, while the cost could be at least $400 million — or more than twice that.

It all depends on factors that are still mostly unknown. They range from the design of the new bridge to how swiftly government officials can navigate the bureaucracy of approving permits and awarding contracts.

Realistically, the project could take five to seven years, according to Ben Schafer, an engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University.

“The lead time on air conditioning equipment right now for a home renovation is like 16 months, right?" Schafer said. He continued: “So it’s like you’re telling me they’re going to build a whole bridge in two years? I want it to be true, but I think empirically it doesn’t feel right to me.”

Others are more optimistic about the potential timeline: Sameh Badie, an engineering professor at George Washington University, said the project could take as little as 18 months to two years.