International

Ecuador protest talks set for Sunday as capital locks down

by Katell ABIVEN / Hector Velasco QUITO, Ecuador (AFP) — A first meeting between Ecuador’s president and indigenous leaders will take place on Sunday, the United Nations said, after Lenin Moreno ordered a curfew and military control in the capital to try to quell deadly, anti-austerity protests. The rolling demonstrations have left six people dead and nearly 2,100 wounded or detained, according to authorities, with protesters on Saturday targeting a television station and a newspaper […]

Turkey assault could displace 400,000 in Syria: UN

  GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Turkey’s deadly assault on Kurdish positions in northeastern Syria has forced 130,000 people to flee their homes, the UN said Sunday, adding it was preparing for that figure to more than triple. “We have moved into a planning scenario where up to 400,000 people could be displaced within and across the affected areas,” Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA told AFP in an email, adding that […]

Rakhine rebels abduct dozens after storming Myanmar bus: army

  YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Suspected ethnic Rakhine rebels disguised as a sports team stormed a bus in rural Myanmar and took 31 hostages — mostly off-duty firefighters and construction workers — authorities said Sunday. The state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar said the bus — travelling to the Rakhine state capital of Sittwe — was flagged down by a man dressed in civilian attire before 18 rebels in sportswear emerged from the forest and […]

Hong Kong police make arrests as small flashmob protests erupt

  HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong riot police spent much of Sunday afternoon skirmishing with small groups of masked pro-democracy protesters who held flashmob gatherings in multiple locations — although crowds were smaller and less violent than recent weekends. Rallies erupted in multiple neighborhoods with some protesters blocking roads, spraying graffiti on pro-China businesses, smashing windows and erecting barricades. Police made multiple arrests as they rushed to intercept activists but the clashes were […]

UPDATED: At least 26 dead after Typhoon Hagibis slams Japan

< by Harumi OZAWA / Miwa SUZUKI Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — At least 26 people were killed by powerful Typhoon Hagibis, local media reported Sunday, a day after the ferocious storm slammed into Japan, unleashing unprecedented rain and catastrophic flooding. More than 100,000 rescuers, including 31,000 troops, were working into the night to reach people trapped after torrential rain caused landslides and filled rivers until they burst their banks. The destruction forced […]

Rescue efforts underway as Typhoon Hagibis kills 11 in Japan

  by Hiroshi Hiyama / Natsuko Fukue  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s military scrambled Sunday to rescue people trapped by flooding after powerful Typhoon Hagibis ripped across the country, killing at least 11 people and leaving more than a dozen missing. The storm’s heavy rain triggered deadly landslides and caused rivers to burst their banks. The destruction forced Rugby World Cup organizers to cancel the third match of the tournament though the key Japan-Scotland clash […]

At least four dead in NYC shooting: police

  NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — At least four people died and three were wounded in a shooting at a social club in New York early Saturday, police said. No one has been arrested over the shooting, which took place in Brooklyn, and the motive and exact circumstances are not known, a New York police official told AFP. The local affiliate of ABC News described the place where the shooting took place as an […]

Ethiopia PM Abiy wins Nobel Peace Prize for mending ties with Eritrea

  by Johannes LEDEL Agence France Presse OSLO, Norway (AFP) — Hailed as a visionary and reformer, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his efforts to resolve the long-running conflict with neighboring foe Eritrea. Abiy was honored “for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea”, the Nobel Committee said. The award is […]

UPDATED: Two dead as ‘unprecedented’ Typhoon Hagibis slams into Japan

by Shingo ITO / Sara HUSSEIN Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Powerful Typhoon Hagibis slammed into Japan on Saturday, killing at least two people and prompting authorities to issue their highest level of disaster warning over “unprecedented” downpours that caused flooding and landslides. Around 7.3 million people were placed under non-compulsory evacuation orders and more than 30 people were injured, four seriously. Even before making landfall, Hagibis caused enormous disruption, forcing the cancellation […]