News in Brief
NEW YORK (AFP) - A person was killed, and another was injured in a stabbing by a woman armed with knives near Times Square in New York City on Monday afternoon, authorities said. Police confirmed the suspect was shot and killed by police after she refused to put the knives down. “One of the victims has passed away,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a press briefing. “The second victim is currently in the hospital in stable condition.” The suspect, who appeared to be emotionally disturbed, threatened people with two long knives before stabbing the victims, a witness told police.
***
DAKAR, (Reuters) - The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed the 6,000 mark, government data showed on Monday. The epidemic has become the largest in the central African country’s history, surpassing the previous worst outbreak that lasted from 2018 to 2020. It is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments. The number of people with confirmed infections has risen to 6,041, and 2,911 of them have died, the communication ministry said on X.
***
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of Americans oppose President Donald Trump’s moves last week to raise taxes on imported Canadian goods and his order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The three-day poll, which concluded on Sunday, showed Americans are wary of the feud with Canada — for decades a top U.S. trading partner — which has escalated since trade talks between the two countries collapsed and Trump last week ordered the hike in tariffs on Canadian goods. Only 20% of poll respondents supported higher tariffs on Canadian goods compared to 57% who opposed them and 21% who couldn’t say where they stood. About one in five poll respondents hadn’t heard about the development.
***
KYIV (Reuters) - Russian air attacks killed 12 people and injured many more in Kyiv and the surrounding region early on Tuesday, authorities said, marking the sixth straight day of intense strikes on the Ukrainian capital. Russia has escalated its air attacks against Ukraine in recent months as its progress has slowed on the battlefield. In a new tactic since last week, Moscow has sent swarms of drones to plague Kyiv and nearby areas day and night, killing residents and damaging homes and warehouses. Many of the drones are new, fast-flying jet-powered models that are harder to intercept.
***
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Efforts to reduce wildfires ablaze across Indonesia will be challenging as the El Niño weather phenomenon will peak this month, the forestry minister said on Tuesday, describing the devastation as largely man-made. Indonesia has intensified efforts to contain haze from forest and land fires across six provinces in Borneo and Sumatra islands. The haze has caused respiratory illnesses and forced thousands of schools to move classes online, including in neighboring Malaysia.