International

Pro-democracy push causes transport chaos in Hong Kong

by Jerome TAYLOR / Elaine YU HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Peak-hour morning train travel and international flights in Hong Kong were thrown into chaos on Monday as pro-democracy protesters launched an attempted city-wide strike to ramp up pressure on the financial hub’s embattled leaders. Activists descended on key subway stations during the morning rush hour, deliberately keeping open doors to stop trains departing, causing long queues and triggering occasional scuffles between angry commuters and […]

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More than 100 flights cancelled in Hong Kong: airport

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — More than 100 flights were canceled in Hong Kong on Monday morning with airport authorities warning passengers of potential disruption, as pro-democracy protesters kick off a city-wide strike. At least 105 flights were listed as canceled on the airport’s departure page on Monday morning. When contacted, an airport spokesman did not give any reason for the cancellations but said passengers should check to see if their flight was departing. “The […]

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Anxious wait at collapsing UK dam after more rain

WHALEY BRIDGE, United Kingdom (AFP) — Emergency services worked into the night on Sunday at a reservoir in central England that threatens to flood an entire town, following further heavy rain. More than 1,500 people have been evacuated from the Derbyshire town of Whaley Bridge after part of the dam wall holding back the Toddbrook Reservoir collapsed on Thursday following downpours. Crews have been working around the clock to pump water out of the reservoir, […]

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After shootings, under-fire Trump says ‘hate has no place’ in US

by Gilles CLARENNE / with Megan Jelinger in Dayton EL PASO, United States (AFP) — An under-fire President Donald Trump said Sunday that “hate has no place” in the United States after two mass shootings left 29 dead and sparked accusations that his rhetoric was part of the problem. The rampages turned innocent snippets of everyday life into nightmares of bloodshed: 20 people were shot dead while shopping at a crowded Walmart in El Paso, […]

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US mourns two mass shootings as debate rages over Trump rhetoric

by Gilles CLARENNE / with Megan Jelinger in Dayton EL PASO, United States (AFP) — The United States mourned Sunday for victims of two mass shootings that killed 29 people in less than 24 hours as debate raged over whether President Donald Trump’s rhetoric was partly to blame for surging gun violence. The rampages turned innocent snippets of everyday life into nightmares of bloodshed: 20 people were shot dead while shopping at a crowded Walmart […]

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UPDATED: Nine killed in Ohio shooting, shooter dead–police

WASHINGTON, United States–Nine people were killed in a mass shooting early Sunday in Dayton, Ohio, police said, adding that the assailant was shot dead by responding officers. The incident occurred shortly after 1:00 am in the popular bar and nightlife Oregon district of the city, Police Lieutenant Colonel Matt Carper said. “We had one shooter that we are aware of and multiple victims,” he told reporters. “The shooter is deceased, from gunshot wounds from the […]

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Five dead, several injured after powerful quake rocks Indonesia

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) – Five people died and several were injured after a powerful undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia’s heavily populated Java island, triggering a brief tsunami warning, the national disaster agency said Saturday. The 6.9 magnitude quake on Friday evening sent residents fleeing to higher ground, while many in the capital Jakarta ran into the streets. An official from Indonesia’s national disaster agency warned the quake could generate a tsunami as high as three […]

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Deadliest recent mass shootings in the United States

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Twenty people were killed when a gunman opened fire in a packed Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday. Here are of some of the other deadliest recent mass shootings in the United States: Vegas concert: 58 killed A 64-year-old retired accountant shoots down from his hotel room at a crowd attending an outdoor country music concert on October 1, 2017, killing 58 people and wounding around 550 before […]

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20 dead, 26 injured after shooting at Walmart store in Texas

  EL PASO, United States (AFP) — A gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on shoppers at a packed Walmart store in El Paso, Texas on Saturday killing 20 people, and wounding 26 in the latest mass shooting in the United States, authorities said “On a day that would have been a normal day for someone to leisurely go shopping turned into one of the most deadly days in the history of Texas,” […]

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US wants to quickly deploy new missiles in Asia, says US Defense Secretary

  by Sylvie LANTEAUME Agence France Presse SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Washington wants to quickly deploy new intermediate-range missiles in Asia, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Saturday in a move likely to anger China. The new Pentagon chief said the US was now free to deploy the weapons following its withdrawal Friday from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with Russia. “Yes I would like to,” Esper said when asked if the US was […]

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Hong Kong protesters defy China warnings with weekend rallies

  HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Anti-government protesters in Hong Kong kicked off a new mass rally on Saturday as they defy increasingly stern warnings from China over weeks-long unrest that has plunged the city into crisis. The semi-autonomous southern Chinese financial hub has seen two months of protests and clashes triggered by opposition to a planned extradition law that quickly evolved into a wider movement for democratic reforms. Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing […]

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One dead, several injured after powerful 6.9 magnitude undersea quake rocks Indonesia

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — At least one person died and several were injured after a powerful undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia’s heavily populated Java island, triggering a brief tsunami warning, officials said Saturday. The 6.9 magnitude quake on Friday evening sent residents fleeing to higher ground, while many in the capital Jakarta ran into the streets. Officials from Indonesia’s national disaster agency warned the quake could generate a tsunami as high as three metres (10 […]

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