International

Bangladesh, India move hundreds of thousands away from Cyclone Bulbul

  MOUSOUNI ISLAND, India (AFP) — Bangladeshi and Indian authorities on Saturday ordered more than 450,000 people to flee coastal villages and islands as Cyclone Bulbul headed for the Bay of Bengal coast. The eye of the storm, packing winds of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour, was expected to hit land around the Bangladesh-India frontier late Saturday. A storm surge up to two metres (seven feet) high was predicted along the coast, […]

Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers arrested as tensions soar

  Jerome Taylor and Su Xinqi Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong police said Saturday they have arrested three pro-democracy lawmakers over a brawl in parliament, deepening the city’s crisis a day after the death of a student sent tensions soaring. The international finance hub has been upended by five months of huge and increasingly violent pro-democracy protests but Beijing has refused to give in to most of the movement’s demands. With […]

Two dead, at least 100 homes lost in Australia bushfires

  by Andrew BEATTY Agence France Presse SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — At least two people have died and 100 homes have been destroyed as an unprecedented number of bushfires tore through eastern Australia Saturday. New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian also said seven people were unaccounted for, as firefighters tried to contain dozens of out-of-control blazes that have raged in the state since Friday. “I’m sorry to say that number can increase during the day,” […]

Hong Kong student’s death triggers fresh outrage

  HONG KONG, China (AFP) — A Hong Kong student who sustained head injuries when he fell during clashes with police died on Friday, triggering a fresh wave of outrage from the pro-democracy movement and fears of more violent unrest. Alex Chow, a 22-year-old computer science undergraduate, was certified dead on Friday morning, according to the hospital where he was being treated. Chow was taken unconscious to hospital early on Monday morning following late-night clashes […]

Japan seizes record 400 kg of cocaine at port

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese authorities have seized a record-breaking 400 kilograms of cocaine worth an estimated $73 million in a bust at a port in the city of Kobe, a customs spokesman said Friday. The discovery in the western city was made last month but came to light on Friday, with officials saying they could not provide additional details because the investigation was ongoing. “This is record-breaking, in terms of volume” for a cocaine […]

UPDATED:Three killed, 20 injured in Iran earthquake: state television

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) –An earthquake in northwestern Iran on Friday killed three people and injured 20, according to the first official reports on state television. The shallow 5.9-magnitude quake struck about 120 kilometers (75 miles) southeast of the city of Tabriz, in East Azerbaijan Province, in the early hours of the morning, the Iranian Seismological Center said. The quake, described as “moderate”, was eight kilometers (five miles) deep and was followed by four aftershocks. The […]

Shallow 5.9 earthquake hits northwestern Iran: USGS

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — A shallow 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck northwestern Iran early Friday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. The quake struck around 60 kilometers (35 miles) from the town of Hastrud, in East Azerbaijan Province, shortly before 2.30am (2300 GMT). The USGS issued an alert warning that “significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread”. Iran sits where two major tectonic plates meet and see frequent seismic activity. The country has […]

Mainland Chinese student jailed in Hong Kong protests

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — A student from mainland China arrested at a Hong Kong democracy protest was sentenced on Thursday to six weeks in prison for possession of an offensive weapon — the city’s first such case involving a mainlander in almost five months of unrest. Since the first mass demonstrations in June, more than 3,300 people have been arrested in Hong Kong in connection to the protest movement, with some charged for rioting […]

China imposes curfew on minors in gaming crackdown

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — China has imposed a curfew to limit the time spent by children playing games online, in the latest part of a government crackdown on youth gaming addiction. The regulations will mean those under 18 cannot play games online between 10pm and 8am, and for only ninety minutes at a time during the daytime. In addition, the guidelines will reduce the amount of money minors can spend online playing games to […]

Mexico probes narco group ‘La Linea’ in Mormon murders

  BAVISPE, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico alleged Wednesday that a drug cartel called “La Linea” massacred nine Mormon women and children in a case of mistaken identity, but devastated relatives insisted their loved ones were deliberately targeted. The three women and six children, who had dual US-Mexican citizenship, were killed in a hail of bullets Monday as they drove on a rural road between Sonora and Chihuahua, which border the United States. Eight other children […]

Volanic eruption creates new island in Tongan archipelago

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (AFP) — An undersea volcanic eruption in the Tongan archipelago has sunk one island and created another three times larger, according to a report by geologists released Thursday. Taaniela Kula, of the Tonga Geological Service, said the new Lateiki island is estimated to be about 100 meters (110 yards) wide and 400 meters long and is situated about 120 meters west of its submerged predecessor. It lies between Kao and Late in the […]

Three charged in US with spying on Twitter users for S.Arabia

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) –Two former Twitter employees and a third man were charged in San Francisco Federal Court Wednesday with spying on Twitter users critical of the Saudi royal family, the US Justice Department announced. The two Saudi citizens and one US citizen allegedly worked together to unmask the ownership details behind dissident Twitter accounts on behalf of the government in Riyadh and the royal family, the department said. According to a court […]