S. Korea blazes kill pair of firefighters

S. Korea blazes kill pair of firefighters

SEOUL, South Korea -- At least two firefighters died and hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes in South Korea on Saturday as emergency workers struggled to contain more than 30 wildfires fueled by dry winds.

The largest fires were in southeastern regions, including the rural county of Sancheong, where 260 people fled to a temporary shelter as flames spread across the surrounding hills, according to the South Gyeongsang provincial government.

Two firefighters were found dead, while another firefighter and a government worker remained missing after being trapped by fast-moving flames driven by strong winds in the area. Rescuers pulled out five emergency workers, who were receiving treatment for their injuries, the provincial government said.

The Korea Forest Service said the Sancheong wildfire had burned more than 1,200 acres as of Saturday evening. Nearly 1,600 emergency workers, 35 helicopters and dozens of vehicles were deployed, but only 35% of the blaze was contained due to the area's mountainous terrain and strong winds.

More than 400 people evacuated their homes in the county of Uiseong in North Gyeongsang province as firefighters continued to battle a blaze that so far has burned 740 acres, according to the forest service, while dozens of residents also fled their homes in the city of Gimhae. The fires also forced the closures of several highways in the country's southeast.

Wildfires were also reported in central Chungcheong and southwestern Jeolla provinces.

44 dead after IS-linked group's attack

DAKAR, Senegal -- An attack by a jihadi group on a village in western Niger has killed 44 civilians, the country's Interior Ministry said.

The attack took place Friday afternoon in the village of Fambita in the rural commune of Kokorou, near the border with Mali and Burkina Faso, the ministry said in a statement. It blamed the attack on the Islamic State in the Great Sahara, or EIGS.

The Associated Press was not able to reach out to EIGS for comment.

"Around 2 p.m., while Muslim worshippers were performing Friday prayers, these heavily armed terrorists surrounded the mosque to carry out their massacre of rare cruelty," the statement read. The gunmen also set fire to a market and houses before retreating, it added.

The provisional death toll is at least 44 civilians, with 13 severely injured, the ministry said.

Venezuela to resume taking US flights

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela will once again accept repatriation flights from the United States carrying its deported nationals after reaching an agreement with the U.S., a Venezuelan official said on social media Saturday.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro suspended flights March 8 after the U.S. Treasury Department announced the withdrawal of Chevron's license to export Venezuelan oil.

"We have agreed with the U.S. government to resume the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants with an initial flight Sunday," said Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela's Assembly and Maduro's chief negotiator with the U.S.

Venezuela accepted the deal to guarantee "the return of our compatriots to their nation with the safeguard of their human rights," Rodríguez said.

In his statement, Rodríguez referred to the deportation by Donald Trump's government of 250 Venezuelans to a high-security prison in El Salvador.

"Migrating is not a crime and we will not rest until we achieve the return of all those who require it and until we rescue our brothers kidnapped in El Salvador," Rodríguez said.

Trump claimed the deportees were members of the Tren de Aragua gang, but his administration has not provided evidence.

Pope set to be released from hospital

ROME -- Pope Francis will be released from the hospital Sunday, after 38 days battling a life-threatening case of pneumonia in both lungs, his doctors said.

Gemelli medical director Dr. Sergio Alfieri said Saturday that Francis will require at least two months of rest and rehabilitation as he continues recovering back at the Vatican.

Francis was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened. He later developed a life-threatening case of pneumonia.

Pope Francis' doctors provided their first in-person update on the pontiff's condition in a month, in a sign that he has made good and steady progress in his battle against double pneumonia.

The Saturday evening briefing is the first since Feb. 21, a week after the 88-year-old Francis was brought to Gemelli hospital. He subsequently experienced several respiratory crises that landed him in critical condition, though he has since stabilized.

In another development, the Vatican announced that Francis would appear Sunday morning to bless the faithful from his 10th-floor suite at the hospital. Sunday's blessing will be the first live appearance since Francis was hospitalized.