Maine’s ‘Lobster Lady’ — 101 and still going strong
Rockland (United States) (AFP) – Virginia ‘Ginny’ Oliver has been catching lobsters off the coast of Maine since age 7 and is now 101 — and still going strong.
AFP UK
Nigeria receives second batch of Covid-19 vaccines
Abuja (AFP) – Four million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine sent by the United States arrive at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport on two British Airways aircraft. Officials from the UN children’s agency UNICEF received the doses at the airport on behalf of Nigeria.
Workers at world’s biggest copper mine in Chile agree to strike
Mina Escondida (Chile) (AFP) – Workers at the world’s biggest copper mine, Chile’s Escondida, have approved a strike after rejecting the final contract offer proposed by multinational owners BHP. The workers are asking for a one-time bonus to recognize their work during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as education benefits for their children. Escondida workers staged a 44-day strike in 2017, the longest in the history of Chilean mining. The strike caused $740 million in losses for the company.
Kitchen robot in Riga cooks up new future for fast food
Riga (AFP) – In Latvia’s capital, a pasta order comes in and a robotic arm springs into action at the Roboeatz eatery. Within 5 minutes, a piping hot plate is ready. Roboeatz aims to revolutionise the fast food industry with its innovative use of technology.
Local hunters in Nigeria protect farmers against Boko Haram
Borno (Nigeria) (AFP) – Nigerian authorities enlist the help of traditional hunters to guard farmers in their fields against attacks from the radical Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram.
Bangladesh workers rush to capital after government reopens factories
Sreenagar (Bangladesh) (AFP) – Hundreds of thousands of garment workers race to catch ferries back to the Bangladesh capital Dhaka from their rural homes after the government said export factories could reopen despite a deadly coronavirus wave. With the economy badly hit by the pandemic, the Bangaldeshi government excluded the factories that supply top brands in Europe and North America from a nationwide lockdown order.
Tokyo’s Olympic rings draw crowds despite rising Covid cases
Tokyo (AFP) – Hundreds of people wait to have their picture taken with the famous Olympic rings outside the Olympic stadium as Japan extends a state of emergency, a week after the start of the Games.
Fire crews continue to battle wildfires in Turkey
Mugla (Turkey) (AFP) – Fire crews tackle blazes for a fourth day as the number of people killed in forest fires sweeping through southern Turkey rises to at least six.
‘Our homeland is burning’: Volunteers join Siberia wildfire fight
Byas-Kyuel (Russia) (AFP) – With Russian firefighters and emergency services struggling, hundreds of volunteers have joined the efforts to contain the blazes scorching the Siberian region of Yakutia’s legendary vast northern forests known as the taiga.
US says first flight of Afghan interpreters arrives in country
Kabul (AFP) – America’s top diplomat in Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, says that the first flight carrying Afghans who worked as interpreters for American troops has arrived in the US, the start of an operation to evacuate thousands from possible Taliban retaliation.
In Spain, dozens of villages struggle for drinking water
Lastras de Cuéllar (Spain) (AFP) – Across Spain, dozens of villages do not have access to drinkable water due to agricultural pollution, a lack of water quality controls and drought. Residents have no alternative but to purchase bottled water for their everyday needs.
Native Americans bring totem pole outside Capitol to raise awareness
Washington (AFP) – A 25-foot totem pole carved by Native American artists is displayed on the National Mall in Washington, DC, during a ceremony attended by tribal leaders and US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
