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Apr 28, 2025 - World

The United States has hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of Huthi rebel fighters, including members of the group's leadership, the US military said Sunday.Washington's forces have hammered the Huthis with near-daily air strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed "Rough Rider," seeking to end the threat they pose to vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and reestablish US regional "deterrence.""Since the start of Operation Rough Rider, USCENTCOM has struck over 800 targets. These strikes have killed hundreds of Huthi fighters and numerous Huthi leaders," the military command responsible for the Middle East said in a statement that provided its most detailed accounting of the operation so far."The strikes have destroyed multiple command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations," CENTCOM said.Despite the strikes, the Huthis -- who control large swaths of Yemen and have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognized government since 2015 -- have continued to claim attacks against both US vessels and Israel.CENTCOM said that "while the Huthis have continued to attack our vessels, our operations have degraded the pace and effectiveness of their attacks. Ballistic missile launches have dropped by 69 percent. Additionally, attacks from one-way attack drones have decreased by 55 percent.""Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Huthis. The Huthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime," the military command said."We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region," it added.- Strikes on Sanaa -As the United States announced details on the latest round of its campaign against the Huthis, the rebel-controlled Al-Masirah TV reported that US strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa had killed at least eight people and wounded others.Al-Masirah TV also broadcast footage of the rubble of destroyed homes and cars, as well as blood stains on the ground, while rescuers collected what appeared to be human remains in white cloth.Earlier Sunday, Huthi media said overnight strikes on Sanaa had killed two people and wounded several more.The latest strikes brings the death toll since March 15 to 228, according to an AFP tally based on Huthi announcements.The Huthi rebels began targeting shipping in late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by a military campaign launched by Israel after a shock Hamas attack in October of that year.Huthi attacks have prevented ships from passing through the Suez Canal -- a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of the world's shipping traffic -- forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.The United States first began conducting strikes against the Huthis under the Biden administration, and President Donald Trump has vowed that military action against the rebels will continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.The Trump administration has been forced onto the political defensive during the Yemen campaign by scandals stemming from senior officials' use of commercial messaging app Signal to discuss strikes that took place on March 15.Last month, The Atlantic magazine revealed that its editor-in-chief was mistakenly included in a Signal chat in which officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, discussed the strikes.US media outlets then reported earlier this month that Hegseth had shared information on the same strikes in a second Signal group chat with various people who would not normally be involved in such discussions, including his wife.

Apr 28, 2025 - World

Kim Kardashian is due to testify in the Paris trial that begins Monday of the "grandpa robbers" accused of stealing $10 million worth of jewellery from the billionaire high priestess of social media.The ageing French underworld figures accused of tying her up and threatening her with a gun in the heist during Paris Fashion Week in 2016 reportedly did not know who she really was.Yet few under 50 on the planet with a smartphone could have escaped the rise of one of the world's most famous influencers over the last two decades.Kardashian has been a constant presence in popular culture, an uber-celebrity whose every move commands attention, yet who never seems to be anything other than in complete control.AFPKim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe's gown from her 1962 birthday serenade of President John F KennedyWhile lesser stars have been consumed by fame, Kardashian remains at the height of her powers, defying criticism that she is really only famous for being famous.It is thought Kardashian's frequent posts about her wealth, personal life and whereabouts may have helped put the robbers on her trail.When they burst into her exclusive Paris suite they shouted that they wanted the $4-million (3.5-million euro) diamond engagement her now ex-husband, US rapper Kayne West, gave her, and that she had shown off on social media.- Fame -AFPKardashian has proven herself a savvy businesswoman, with high-end tie-ups that have burnished her personal brandLos Angeles-born Kardashian, 44, spent her childhood on the periphery of fame.Her mother Kris married the 1976 Olympic decathlon winner then known as Bruce Jenner, who has since transitioned to life as Caitlyn, after divorcing her late father Robert Kardashian.He was one of the high-flying lawyers who defended American football legend OJ Simpson in his 1995 murder trial. As a teenage friend of Los Angeles socialites Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton, Kardashian garnered the first inklings of her own fame, being photographed with them at popular nightspots and appearing in their reality show "The Simple Life."But it was in 2007 that she was catapulted into popular consciousness when an explicit four-year-old home movie she had made with her then-boyfriend singer Ray J was posted online.Cynics noted the tape appeared as Kardashian and her family were readying to promote "Keeping up with the Kardashians," a fly-on-the-wall reality TV look at the family's life of wealth, luxury, unbelievable cattiness -- and startling mundanity.Planted or not, the footage burned Kardashian onto the public's collective retina.AFPKim Kardashian (R) found huge fame with (L-R) her 'momager' Kris Jenner and sisters Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian on their family reality show"Keeping up with the Kardashians," which followed the personal and professional trials of sisters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe and their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, was one of television's longest-running reality shows.For some, it was must-see entertainment offering an insight into celebrity through the prism of a unique family.For others, as The Washington Times once wrote, it was vapid chaff that "illustrates our nation's moral, spiritual and cultural decay."Either way, the show was very, very good for business.A series of enterprises including KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance established Kardashian as a serious player in the fashion and lifestyle sector, propelled by the rise of social media, where she regularly posted titillating thirst traps to build her brand.AFPKim Kardashian has struck it rich with her Skims apparel brandBut it was the apparel label Skims that really brought in the big bucks.The firm unapologetically celebrates the female form, boasting "technically constructed shapewear that enhances your curves."A 2023 investment round valued the company at $4 billion, and Forbes estimates Kardashian's personal net worth is now $1.7 billion.- Marriage to Kanye... and divorce -AFPKim Kardashian and Kanye West, seen here in 2020, are now divorced but have four children togetherHer forays into the fashion and beauty worlds were supercharged by her relationship with West, her third husband.Their marriage in 2014 -- the year of that "Break the Internet" photoshoot involving her shapely bare buttocks and lots of champagne -- was a "historic blizzard of celebrity," according to The New York Times.They flew to France for a pre-wedding rehearsal at the Palace of Versailles, where they arrived in a gold-plated carriage before flying on to Italy to tie the knot.Four children later, the couple's relationship ran into difficulties, as West's behavior became increasingly erratic. His bizarre but truncated 2020 bid for the US presidency degenerated into rambling self-confession.Kardashian appealed for empathy for her husband, who at one time spoke of living with bipolar disorder, but by 2021 was filing for divorce.Kardashian said she has tried to protect the couple's children from the inevitable hurt of their parents' split."You want to be sensitive because they're just kids, and it's hard to go through no matter what age," she told GQ in 2023."Ultimately what matters is that kids feel loved and heard."They are certainly seen: Kardashian's 357 million Instagram followers are given regular updates on the children.Since her split with West, Kardashian had a high-profile romance with comedian Pete Davidson, and was linked to NFL player Odell Beckham Jr.AFPKim Kardashian met US President Donald Trump as she campaigned for criminal justice reformAmid the parenting, the television shows, the endless red carpets and the multi-billion-dollar business, Kardashian has also found time to launch a legal career.After embarking on an apprenticeship with a prison reform group, she successfully petitioned US President Donald Trump to pardon a grandmother serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense -- and then visited him at the White House.In 2021 and on her fourth attempt, she passed California's "baby bar" exam, a seven-hour slog for first-year law students with a pass rate of only around 20 percent.Her late father, she mused, "would be so proud.""He would actually be so shocked to know that this is my path now."

Apr 28, 2025 - World

Peak of 30C expected in Washington DC, while a heatwave is expected to intensify in Pakistan and parts of IndiaAs the northern hemisphere moves into late spring, several areas are expected to experience a taste of summer heat this week with temperatures well above average for the end of April.Across some eastern states of the US, conditions are expected to reach 6-8C above normal, peaking at about 30C (86F) in Washington DC. Continue reading...

Apr 28, 2025 - World

Threat from jihadists had widely been perceived to be extinguished, but recent clashes suggest otherwiseOn the road running from Maiduguri’s airport to the city, the freshly repainted walls of a girls’ college stood in defiant opposition to a years-long campaign by the jihadists of Boko Haram to make good on their name, which translates as “western education is forbidden”.At a nearby roundabout on the outskirts of the capital of Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno state, three uniformed men sprinted after a cement truck, hoping to collect a road levy. As the driver sped away, they slowed down in the 42C heat, smiled regretfully, and waited for the next heavy duty vehicle to pass. Continue reading...

Apr 28, 2025 - World

by Ella IDERed-hatted cardinals were expected to pick a date Monday for the conclave to elect a new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, following the death of Pope Francis.Dozens of so-called "Princes of the Church" from across the world have been gathering at the Vatican since the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff died on April 21.But so far there are few clues as to who they might choose next."I believe that if Francis has been the pope of surprises, this conclave will be too, as it is not at all predictable," Spanish Cardinal Jose Cobo said in an interview published Sunday.In previous conclaves, "you can see where things might go", he told El Pais newspaper, whereas this time many cardinals hail from beyond Europe and have not even met each other before.Francis was laid to rest Saturday with a funeral and burial ceremony that drew 400,000 people to St Peter's Square and beyond, including royalty, world leaders and ordinary pilgrims.Vast crowds also gathered Sunday to view his marble tomb in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, after the "pope of the poor" opted to be buried outside the Vatican's walls.With conflicts and diplomatic crises raging around the world, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who under Francis was secretary of state -- the pope's number two -- is for many the favourite to succeed him.British bookmakers William Hill put him slightly ahead of Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle, the Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Manila, followed by Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson.Next in their odds comes Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, then Guinea's Cardinal Robert Sarah, and Matteo Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna.- 'Right pope' -Ricardo Cruz, 44, a data and artificial intelligence specialist who came to see Francis's tomb on Sunday, said that as a Filipino he hoped the next pope would be from Asia, but as a Catholic he just hoped the cardinals would pick the "right pope".While Francis's efforts to create a more compassionate Church earned him widespread affection and respect, some of his reforms angered the Church's conservative wing, particularly in the United States and Africa.Roberto Regoli, a professor of Church history and culture at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, told AFP the cardinals would be looking "to find someone who knows how to forge greater unity"."We are in a period in which Catholicism is experiencing various polarisations, so I don't imagine it will be a very, very quick conclave," he said.The cardinals have held general meetings since Francis's death to make decisions about the funeral and beyond.At 9:00 am (0700 GMT) on Monday, they will hold their fifth meeting, at which they are likely to fix a conclave date.Experts have suggested it may take place on May 5 or 6 -- shortly after the nine days of papal mourning, which ends on May 4.So far, there has been an atmosphere of "great openness", Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi told La Repubblica newspaper."There are different opinions, but there is a more spiritual than political or combative climate," he said Sunday.- 'Courageous leader' -There are 252 cardinals but only 135 of them are aged under 80 and therefore eligible to vote for a new pope.Some 80 percent of the cardinal electors were appointed by Francis -- though that is no guarantee they will pick a successor in his likeness.Most are relatively young, and for many it is their first conclave.The vote, held in the Sistine Chapel with its 16th-century ceiling frescoed by Michelangelo, is highly secretive and follows strict rules and ceremonial procedures.The process could take several days, or potentially longer.There are four votes per day -- two in the morning and two in the afternoon -- until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority.Fewer than half of those eligible to vote are European."The future pope must have a universal heart, love all the continents. We must not look at colour, at origin, but at what is proposed," Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga from the Central African Republic told the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero. "We need a courageous leader, a bold one, capable of speaking forcefully, of holding the helm of the Church steady even in storms... offering stability in an era of great uncertainty.ide/ub/jj/rjm© Agence France-Presse