Rescuers continue search for 13 miners
MOSCOW -- Rescue workers labored for a fifth day on Friday to reach 13 people trapped deep underground in a collapsed gold mine in Russia's far east, news reports said.
They said no contact has been made with the miners in the Amur region, about 3,000 miles east of Moscow. At least 13 miners are trapped, regional officials said Tuesday.
The state news agency RIA-Novosti cited emergency officials as saying that powerful pumps have completed taking water out of the mine.
The miners were trapped at a depth of about 400 feet when part of the mine collapsed on Monday. The cause of the accident has not been announced.
Chinese try to block Filipino scientists
MANILA, Philippines -- Chinese coast guard ships backed by a military helicopter attempted unsuccessfully to block two Philippine government vessels carrying scientists from reaching two sandbars in the disputed South China Sea, Philippine officials said Friday.
Chinese coast guard personnel blew the horn on one of their ships for half an hour and repeatedly transmitted radio warnings during the confrontation Thursday, but the Filipino scientists managed to complete their four-hour marine and biodiversity research at the barren sandbars called Sanday Cay, the officials said.
The Chinese coast guard gave a different account of the faceoff. A spokesperson, Gan Yu, said in a statement that its law enforcement officers "boarded" the sandbars, which Beijing calls Tiexian Reef, and dealt with what it called "illegal activities" by 34 Philippine personnel who "ignored China's warnings and dissuasion."
"That's another lie coming from the Chinese coast guard," Philippine coast guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said at a news conference Friday. "For four hours, our marine scientists were able to continue their research."
Journalists who were invited to join the research mission witnessed the incident, Tarriela said.
During the Chinese coast guard's maneuvers, one of its ships crossed the bow of the Philippine fisheries vessel BRP Datu on Sanday Cay at a distance of 328 feet, Tarriela said. At least 13 suspected Chinese militia vessels tried to help form a blockade, he said.
2 students die in Nigerian food stampede
ABUJA, Nigeria -- Hundreds of students in northern Nigeria rushed to get food donated to their school by the government to help ease hardship, resulting in a stampede that left two dead and 23 others injured, school authorities said Friday.
Africa's most populous country is facing one of its worst economic crises in decades, triggered by surging inflation and a declining local currency.
The students of Nasarawa State University near the nation's capital, Abuja, had gathered to receive bags of rice donated by the state government. The situation got out of control after a crowd surge, university spokesperson Abraham Habu Ekpo said.
"Students rushed into the arena where the rice was assembled and that led to the stampede," Ekpo said. The 23 injured students were hospitalized in stable condition, he said.
Videos published by local media showed hundreds of students struggling to get to the bags of rice. Some were seen leaving the arena with up to two bags as others rushed to get theirs.
It is not the first time this year that distribution of food has triggered a deadly stampede. Citizens in the country of more than 210 million people are becoming more desperate because of growing hunger and job losses.
At least five people died in the economic hub of Lagos in February when the Nigeria Customs Service sold seized bags of rice at a cheaper price.
Italian premier to testify in porn trial
ROME -- Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has been asked to testify in court July 2 in the trial of two men who are accused of making deepfake pornographic images using her face and posting them online.
Meloni, who is listed as an injured party in the trial in Sassari in Sardinia, is seeking $108,212 in symbolic damages and will donate any award to an Interior Ministry fund for female victims of domestic violence, her attorney Maria Giulia Marongiu said in an email Friday to The Associated Press.
"The crime in question is particularly odious, as it allegedly involves the uploading of fabricated pornographic images that could affect any unsuspecting woman with damaging consequences for her reputation and private life," Marongiu said.
"Given the role played by Giorgia Meloni, it seemed all the more fitting that she should be a civil plaintiff, in the hope that this would be useful in raising awareness of the issue also on behalf of the many women who often remain defenseless."
According to the ANSA news agency, Italy's postal police in 2020 identified the father and son who allegedly uploaded the deepfake images to a U.S.-based porn site by tracing the data to one of their cellphones. At the time Meloni was not premier, but head of her Brothers of Italy party.
In this photo taken from video released by the Russia Emergency Situations Ministry press service on Friday, March 22, 2024, Russia Emergency Situations employees walk to the collapsed gold mine in Zeysk district, Amur region, eastern Russia. Rescue workers are laboring for a fifth day to reach 13 people trapped deep underground in a collapsed gold mine in Russia's far east. News reports say no contact has been made with the miners in the Amur region, about 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) east of Moscow. (Russia Emergency Situations Ministry press service via AP)
In this photo taken from video released by the Russia Emergency Situations Ministry press service on Friday, March 22, 2024, Russia Emergency Situations employees have a briefing prior to work at the collapsed gold mine in Zeysk district, Amur region, eastern Russia. Rescue workers are laboring for a fifth day to reach 13 people trapped deep underground in a collapsed gold mine in Russia's far east. News reports say no contact has been made with the miners in the Amur region, about 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) east of Moscow. (Russia Emergency Situations Ministry press service via AP)