Dozens killed in Kabul school blast

Victims’ relatives mourn during a mass funeral ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday. A bomb exploded at a girls’ school in a majority Shiite district of west Kabul in Afghanistan on Saturday, killing at least 55 people, many of them young pupils between 11 and 15 years old, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said on Sunday.Xinhua

Moon hopes to restart DPRK diplomacy

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Monday that his government will seek to find a way for restored talks between South Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and between the DPRK and the United States.

Moon made the remarks during a televised address to mark the fourth inauguration anniversary of his five-year tenure. He took office in May 2017.

The president said that through the upcoming summit talks with U.S. President Joe Biden scheduled for May 21 in Washington, he will firmly solidify the South Korea-U.S. alliance and coordinate the DPRK policy more closely.

Putin vows to defend Russian interests

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday vowed his country will “firmly” defend national interests and denounced the return of “Russophobia,” as the country marked the 76th anniversary of victory in World War II.

His speech to thousands of soldiers and veterans on Red Square came as recent tensions between Moscow and the West have recalled the Cold War over the conflict in Ukraine.

“The Soviet people kept their sacred oath, defended the homeland and freed the countries of Europe from the black plague,” Putin told the crowd.

India’s COVID tally surpasses 22 million

India’s COVID-19 tally crossed the 22-million mark on Sunday, reaching 22,296,414, as 403,738 new cases were registered in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said.

Besides, as many as 4,092 deaths took place in the country since Saturday morning, taking the total death toll to 242,362, added the ministry. This was the fourth consecutive day when over 4,000 deaths were recorded in 24 hours.

The COVID-19 figures continue to peak in India, as the federal government has ruled out a complete lockdown to contain the worsening situation. Some states have imposed night curfews or partial lockdowns. Earlier last week Principal Scientific Adviser to the government K. Vijay Raghavan said a third COVID-19 wave was inevitable in the country.

Bill and Melinda Gates divorce

They are one of the world’s richest couples with a wealth of US$130 billion — greater than the wealth of 100 countries.

But Bill and Melinda Gates are now set to battle each other for a share of their tech-built fortune after their marriage crashed.

On May 3 it emerged Melinda pressed delete on their 27-year marriage — calling it “irretrievably broken.”

Court documents lodged in King County, Washington state, close to the couple’s giant 66,000-square-foot (6,132-square-meter) eco-mansion, showed it was Melinda, 56, who petitioned for the divorce.

Avalanches in French Alps kill 7

Two avalanches in the French Alpine region of Savoie left seven people dead on Saturday, prefecture sources said.

Local authorities had already warned on Friday of unstable snow formations given a recent falloff in temperatures.

The first avalanche occurred late morning at Valloire, a village close to the 2,642-meter Col du Galibier mountain, killing four local people aged between 42 and 76.

(SD-Agencies)