LUBUMBASHI, DR Congo (AFP) — At least 22 people were killed and 10 wounded when a mining truck overturned in southeast DR Congo on Friday, police said. The truck owned by the Mining Mineral Resources (MMR) firm tipped over at Mutetenya village in Tanganyika province, DR Congo’s national police said on Twitter. “All the cargo of cassiterite (a source of tin) spilled down the steep slope,” it added. © Agence France-Presse
International
US Interior Department grounds Chinese-made drones
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Department of the Interior has grounded its fleet of Chinese-made drones as it conducts a review of the program. Nick Goodwin, an Interior Department spokesman, did not provide a reason for the decision but it comes amid US security concerns over Chinese electronics. Goodwin said the review had been ordered by Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt. “Until this review is completed, the Secretary has directed that drones […]
Chile launches fresh talks to calm deadly unrest
by Paulina ABRAMOVICH Agence France Presse SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Chile’s government met with opposition leaders Thursday in a fresh bid to end deadly protests that forced the country to abandon hosting two major economic and climate summits, but leftist parties poured scorn on the efforts. The unrest started with protests against a rise in transport tickets and other austerity measures and descended into vandalism, looting, and clashes between demonstrators and police. Protesters are […]
China warns it won’t tolerate dissent in Hong Kong
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China warned Friday it would not tolerate any challenge to Hong Kong’s governing system, as it laid out plans to boost patriotism in the city and change how its leader is chosen or removed after months of pro-democracy protests. The unrest in the semi-autonomous city was an important topic at a major, four-day meeting of the Communist Party chaired by President Xi Jinping this week in Beijing, said Shen Chunyao, […]
Funerals begin as town mourns victims of Pakistan train fire
by Ashraf KHAN MIRPUR KHAS, Pakistan (AFP) — Distraught relatives gathered Friday for the first funerals of some of the 74 people killed when fire ripped through a crowded train in Pakistan, with many of the victim’s residents of a single town. The sobbing family crowded an official building in Mirpurkhas overnight as the first bodies covered in white cloth began arriving by ambulance from the scene of the disaster. After morning prayers, with women […]
Seven S. Koreans missing after helicopter crash near disputed islets
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Seven South Koreans were missing Friday after their helicopter took off from islets disputed with Japan and crashed into the sea moments later, Seoul officials said. The aircraft had just picked an injured fisherman up from Dokdo, which is known as Takeshima in Japan, when it went down on Thursday night. The South’s coast guard, members of the National Fire Agency and civilian boats were searching for survivors, while the […]
US House formalizes Trump impeachment process in landmark vote
by Paul Handley and Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A deeply divided Congress formally opened a new, public phase of its investigation into Donald Trump on Thursday as US lawmakers voted for the first time to advance the impeachment process targeting the US president. “Today the House takes the next step forward as we establish the procedures for open hearings… so that the public can see the facts for […]
Massive wildfires hit southern Brazil’s Pantanal
SAO PAULO, United States (AFP) — Wildfires are raging across the Pantanal tropical wetlands in southern Brazil, one of the most biodiverse areas in the world and a major tourist destination, regional authorities said Thursday. The governor’s office in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul said the fires were “bigger than anything seen before” in the region. So far, more than 50,000 hectares (nearly 125,000 acres) have been affected. The blazes follow other […]
More fires and evacuations in weary California
by Jocelyne ZABLIT LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Firefighters battled several active wildfires on Thursday in California appearing to make headway against a number of major blazes that have forced mass evacuations and power cuts. Two fast-moving infernos broke out early Thursday in the southern part of the state, burning several homes and forcing people to flee. One — the Hillside Fire — was in San Bernardino, some 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of […]
North Korea conducts new test of ‘super-large’ rocket launcher: KCNA
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea has carried out a “successful” new test of its “super-large multiple rocket launcher” system, state media said Friday — the latest in a series of provocations by Pyongyang. South Korea’s military said Thursday that the North had launched two short-range projectiles from South Pyongan province. They each flew approximately 370 kilometers (230 miles). It was the latest in a series of launches by the North but the first […]
N.Korea’s Kim sends Moon condolences for mother’s death
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a message of sympathy to the South’s President Moon Jae-in over the death of his mother, officials said Thursday, the pair’s first contact in months with inter-Korean ties at a standstill. Kang Han-ok, who was born and grew up in the North but was evacuated by US forces during the Korean War, died from a chronic illness on Tuesday. She was 92. […]
North Korea fires short-range projectiles: South’s military
by Kang Jin-kyu Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea fired two short-range projectiles on Thursday, the South’s military said, with nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington at a deadlock. The weapons were launched from South Pyongan province in an easterly direction over the sea, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. They flew 370 kilometers (230 miles) at a maximum altitude of 90 kilometers, they said, adding: “We […]
