BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Renowned guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko of Mali's music duo Amadou & Mariam has died. He was 70.
Mali's Minister of Culture Mamou Daffé paid tribute to the blind musician in a televised broadcast on state TV. He said that Bagayoko died Friday in the city of Bamako, his birthplace, but didn't give further details.
Bagayoko went blind when he was 15 because of a congenital cataract. He studied music at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind, where he met his future wife, Mariam Doumbia. They formed a band called Mali’s Blind Couple in 1980, making their mark locally and internationally.
Their music, which blends traditional African influences with elements of rock, blues and pop, has won them a global following. They produced over 10 award-winning albums, including France's Grammy Awards equivalent, Victoire de la Musique, in 2005, for “Dimanche à Bamako” and again in 2013 for “Folila.” “Dimanche à Bamako” also won them one of the BBC Radio Awards for World Music in 2006.
Their 2008 album “Welcome to Mali” was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the Grammys.
Bagayoko's last world-class performance with Doumbia was at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
He is survived by his wife and a son, Sam, also a musician.
FILE - Blind duo from Mali, Amadou Bagayoko, right, and Mariam Doumbia, seen, during a concert in Paris, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, file)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — More than 20 people were killed in a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday, officials said.
Two ballistic missiles struck the heart of the city at around 10:15 a.m. as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, according to officials. Videos posted from the scene on official channels showed bodies on the ground amid debris and smoke around central Sumy.
“On this bright Palm Sunday, our community has suffered a terrible tragedy,” Acting Mayor Artem Kobzar said in a statement on social media. “Unfortunately, we already know of more than 20 deaths.”
At least 21 people were killed as a result of the attack, the Prosecutor General's Office said, citing initial investigation results. A further 83 people were injured, including seven children, Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko wrote on social media.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that rescue efforts were ongoing and said “dozens” had been killed in the double missile attack.
“According to preliminary information, dozens of civilians were killed and wounded. Only filthy scum can act like this — taking the lives of ordinary people,” he said.
Zelenskyy also called for a global response to the attack. “Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs. What’s needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves,” he said.
The strike comes less than a day after Russia and Ukraine’s top diplomats accused each other of violating a tentative U.S.-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the 3-year-old war.
The two countries’ foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a day after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects.
“The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that Moscow would provide the U.S., Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyiv’s attacks during the past three weeks.
His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, fiercely contested that claim, saying Saturday that Russia had launched “almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 (exploding) drones, and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, mostly at civilians,” since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Press Service, ruines of the regional human rights department building is seen following a Russia's missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Press Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire following Russia's missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sunday, April 13, 2025, Russian soldiers in an undisclosed location in Ukraine fire an anti-tank missile during exercising. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire following Russia's missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Press Service, bodies of the killed residents lie on the ground following a Russia's missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Press Service via AP)
