Tornadoes leave 18 dead in US

A view of tornado damage in Belvidere, Illinois, on 1 April 2023. EFE/EPA/MATT MARTON

Washington, Apr 1 (EFE).- At least 18 people were killed as powerful tornadoes swept across the midwestern and southern United States late Friday and early Saturday. The National Weather Service said that 57 tornadoes were spotted across eight states extending from Wisconsin in the upper Midwest to Alabama in the South. Authorities cautioned that the … Read more

‘I’m still alive’: Pope Francis leaves hospital after bronchitis treatment

Pope Francis speaks to the press as he leaves the Agostino Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy, 01 April 2023. EFE/EPA/ANGELO CARCONI

Rome, Apr 1 (EFE).- Pope Francis left Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Saturday after spending three nights there receiving treatment for bronchitis. When asked by reporters about his health after being discharged at 10:20am, he quipped: “I’m still alive”. The 86-year-old Argentine pontiff will preside over the Palm Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square at the … Read more

Man City keep pressure on Arsenal with easy win over Liverpool

Julian Alvarez (R) of Manchester City celebrates scoring the 1-1 against Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool FC in Manchester, Britain, 01 April 2023. EFE/EPA/Adam Vaughan

Sports Desk, Apr 1 (EFE).- Manchester City kept the pressure on league leaders Arsenal with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Liverpool at home on Saturday. Against the run of play, the visitors opened the scoring in the 17th minute after Diogo Jota broke through City’s high defensive line, with Mohamed Salah eventually finishing past Ederson. … Read more

Land of Covered Smiles: Thais cling to masks long after Covid-19 mandate

A Thai Tuk Tuk taxi driver wears a face mask as he drives on a street in Bangkok, Thailand, 31 March 2023 (issued 01 April 2023). EFE/EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT

By Nattakarn Jeamrugeekul and Hataiphan Tungkananukulchai Bangkok, Apr 1 (EFE).- Six months after all remaining Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in Thailand – known by its tourist bureau as the “Land of Smiles” – many residents are still choosing to wear face masks. Thais give various social, health and employment reasons for continuing to use the … Read more

South African paralympian Pistorius denied parole over murder of girlfriend

(FILE) Defendant Oscar Pistorius (C) appears in the Pretoria Magistrates court in Pretoria, South Africa, 19 August 2013. EFE/EPA/STRINGER

Johannesburg, Mar 31 (EFE).- Former South African paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, who was found guilty of the 2013 murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has been denied parole, South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said Friday. The parole board, which includes representatives from the prison service, police and civilian society, made the decision at … Read more

Australia asks China to reveal sentence against journo jailed in Beijing

A Chinese paramilitary police officer stands guard in front of the Australian Embassy in Beijing, China, 02 September 2020. EFE-EPA/ROMAN PILIPEY/FILE

Sydney, Australia, Mar 31 (EFE).- Australia asked China on Friday to reveal the ruling in the process against Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei, a year after the closed-door trial in Beijing for the alleged violation of the country’s state secrets reporter. “Twelve months later, she is still waiting to hear the outcome of the trial. We … Read more

Trans-Pacific trade bloc accepts Britain as member

File photograph of Japan's Economic Revitalization Minister Shigeyuki Goto in Tokyo, Japan, 04 October 2021. EFE-EPA FILE/FRANCK ROBICHON

Tokyo, Mar 31 (EFE).- The member countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP, also known as TPP-11) agreed Friday to accept the United Kingdom as a member, the Japanese government said. Japan’s Economic Revitalization Minister Shigeyuki Goto confirmed Britain’s membership to the trade pact at a press conference after the ministerial … Read more

Trump says he ‘cannot have a fair trial’ in New York

A person holds signs across the street from the New York Criminal Court building shortly after the indictment of former President Donald J. Tump in New York, New York, USA, 30 March 2023. EFE-EPA/JUSTIN LANE

New York, Mar 30 (EFE).- Former United States President Donald Trump said Thursday he cannot have a fair trial in New York, hours after his imputation for irregular payment of $130,000 to a porn star in 2016 was made public. On his Truth Social network, Trump, who previously charged against the Democratic Party and President … Read more

Turkish Parliament ratifies Finland’s entry into NATO

File photo showing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. EFE/EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK

Vienna, Mar 30 (EFE).- The Turkish Parliament on Thursday ratified Finland’s entry into NATO, bringing to an end months of Ankara’s blocking of expanding the Atlantic Alliance. The corresponding document accepting Finnish entry into the defense pact was adopted with the votes of all 276 lawmakers present in the parliamentary chamber, meaning that nothing now … Read more

Trump indicted in hush money case

Former US President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on 4 March 2023. EFE/EPA/JIM LO SCALZO

New York, Mar 30 (EFE).- A grand jury in New York voted Thursday to indict Donald Trump in a case related to alleged hush money payments made during his 2016 presidential campaign to women who claimed to have had extramarital affairs with the real estate mogul. Trump, 76, becomes the first sitting or former president … Read more

Ex-president Bolsonaro ends self-imposed US exile, returns to Brazil

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro waves to supporters from a window in his party facilities in Brasilia, Brazil, on 30 March 2023. EFE/ Luis Nova

Brasilia, Mar 30 (EFE).- Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro returned home on Thursday, three months after flying to the United States just before the end of his term. Bolsonaro had been living in self-imposed exile in Florida since he was defeated in presidential elections late last year by left-wing candidate Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva, … Read more