International

UPDATED: Plane crashes into homes in east DR Congo city, killing 29

GOMA, DR Congo (AFP) — At least 29 people were killed Sunday when a small plane crashed after takeoff into a densely populated area of the city of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. A survivor among the 19 people — 17 passengers and two crew members — who were aboard the plane was taken to hospital along with 16 others injured on the ground, the North Kivu regional government said. “At this stage, […]

Protests drive record 70 percent poll turnout in Hong Kong

by Yan ZHAO / Xinqi SU HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong’s voters turned out in unprecedented numbers Sunday for local council elections that the city’s pro-democracy movement hopes will pile pressure on the Beijing-backed government to listen to their demands after months of violent protest. Long queues snaked out of polling stations across the territory in the election for 18 district councils, where the record turnout is expected to benefit democratic forces. The […]

America grapples with ‘ghost guns’ amid epidemic of violence

  by Javier TOVAR Agence France Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — After his mother dropped him off at school, Nathan Berhow pulled a .45-caliber pistol out of his backpack, opened fire and killed two classmates, all using a weapon he’d assembled at home. Such guns are sometimes called “ghost guns” — unregulated, easy to put together and almost impossible to trace because they have no serial number. The parts are readily available online, […]

Hong Kongers vote in record numbers as democracy camp seeks to send message

  by Yan ZHAO / Xinqi SU Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong’s voters turned out in record numbers Sunday for local council elections that the city’s pro-democracy movement hopes will add pressure on the Beijing-backed government to heed their demands after months of violent protest. Lengthy queues snaked out of polling stations across the territory in the election for 18 district councils, where high turnout is expected to benefit democratic […]

Kenya landslides kill 29 people

  NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — At least 29 people were killed in Kenya when their homes were swept away in landslides during ferocious overnight rainstorms, the government said Saturday. Their homes were hit in the early hours of Saturday amid torrential rains in the Pokot region, 350 kilometres (220 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi. “We are saddened to confirm that 12 people from Tapach and Parua in Pokot South, and 17 from Tamkal in […]

23 dead as violent unrest in Chile enters fifth week

by Paulina ABRAMOVICH Agence France Presse SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — The death toll from violent unrest in Chile rose to 23 on Friday as the country entered its fifth week of social unrest. Looting and demonstrations took place in cities across the South American nation, and an agreement on a political roadmap that will see Chile draft a new constitution has halted neither the anger, nor the bloodshed. Furious Chileans have since October 18 been […]

Israeli PM Netanyahu defiant after corruption indictment

  by Joe Dyke and Steve Weizman Agence France Presse JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday became the country’s first prime minister to be indicted in office, on corruption charges, but defiantly condemned the “coup” against him and vowed to hold onto power. The shock announcement compounded the political chaos gripping Israel, which has been without a government for months and faces the prospect of its third election in a year. After months […]

Fury as Singapore hangs Malaysian ‘drug mule’

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore hanged a Malaysian heroin trafficker on Friday, despite appeals from his homeland to stay a “heart-wrenching” execution that critics said was too extreme for a low-level drug mule. The city-state, known for strict enforcement of laws and low crime rates, steadfastly maintains that capital punishment is an effective deterrent against crime despite appeals from rights groups to soften its stance. Abd Helmi Ab Halim was sentenced to death in 2017 […]

South Korea ‘to extend’ military pact with Japan: media

NAGOYA, Japan (AFP) — South Korea will extend a critical military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan, Japanese media reported on Friday, just hours before the pact was due to expire as the two US allies row. National broadcaster NHK and local news agency Kyodo reported that Seoul would reverse its decision to allow the pact to lapse at midnight and had communicated this to Tokyo. It was not possible to immediately confirm the reports but South […]

ChickTok: Indonesian kids given pets to wean them off smartphones

BANDUNG, Indonesia (AFP) — Officials in one Indonesian city has hatched a plan to wean children off smartphones — by giving them their own fluffy chicks to raise. Around 2,000 four-day-old chicks will be handed out to pupils at elementary and junior high schools in Bandung in the coming weeks in an attempt to distract the kids from their gadgets. Students must feed their new pets before and after school and can keep them at […]

China wants US trade deal but ‘will fight back’ when necessary: Xi

BEIJING, China (AFP) — President Xi Jinping said Friday that China wants to reach an initial trade deal with the United States but is “not afraid” to fight back when necessary. Xi made the remarks two days after US President Donald Trump complained that Beijing had not made sufficient concessions so far, making him reluctant to conclude a bargain. The world’s two biggest economies have been locked in a bruising trade conflict for more than […]

Israeli PM Netanyahu defiant after corruption indictment

by Joe Dyke and Steve Weizman JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday became the country’s first prime minister to be indicted in office, on corruption charges, but defiantly condemned the “coup” against him and vowed to hold onto power. The shock announcement compounded the political chaos gripping Israel, which has been without a government for months and faces the prospect of its third election in a year. After months of suspense, Israel’s […]