TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A train and a truck collided at a crossing near Tokyo on Thursday, injuring 30 people, rescuers said. “What we know now is 30 people were injured but we still cannot confirm further details including who they are or how serious their conditions are,” a spokesman at the local Yokohama fire department told AFP. Television footage showed the first car of the train derailed and on its side, with windows shattered […]
International
Amazon’s ‘tallest tree’ safe from fires, say scientists
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Intrepid Brazilian and British scientists say they have located the Amazon’s tallest tree in northern Brazil, untouched by a spate of wildfires that have raged in the rainforest for weeks. The scientists say they located an unusually large specimen of the giant Dinizia Excelsa species — measuring 88 meters (288-feet) with a circumference of 5.50 meters — in a sanctuary of other Dinizia trees. “The species generally reach a height […]
33 bodies recovered after California dive boat disaster
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Rescue workers have recovered a total of 33 bodies from a scuba-diving boat disaster off the coast of California, authorities said Wednesday, adding that one person remains missing. Search operations for survivors were suspended Tuesday morning, and rescuers have begun an operation to free remains still trapped in the wreckage, which sank 66 feet (20 meters), and to determine the cause of the catastrophe. The remains of 11 women […]
70,000 in Bahamas in need of immediate aid: UN
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Some 70,000 people are in need of immediate aid in the Bahamas, which were devastated by Hurricane Dorian, a top UN official said Wednesday, citing food, water, shelter and medicine. The UN has released $1 million from its emergency fund to provide assistance to victims, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock told journalists during a phone call from Nassau. © Agence France-Presse
British PM in limbo after MPs reject his Brexit plan, elections
by Alice RITCHIE with Dave CLARK in Brussels LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government was left in limbo on Wednesday after MPs voted to derail his Brexit plan and rejected his call for an early election to break the political deadlock. Just six weeks after taking office, Johnson lost his majority in the House of Commons as his own MPs joined opposition parties to stop him taking Britain out of […]
UK’s Johnson faces new Brexit vote after stinging defeat
by Dario Thuburn LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson braced for another showdown in parliament on Wednesday after a humiliating defeat over his Brexit strategy, with MPs set to vote on a law aimed at blocking a no-deal departure. Johnson has said he will seek an early general election if MPs vote against him again, intensifying a dramatic political crisis ahead of his October 31 Brexit deadline. Johnson has vowed […]
Dorian passes through Central Florida east coast, storm surge warning in effect
By Melissa Potes EBC Florida Bureau ORLANDO, FL. (Eagle News) – According to the most recent alert from the National Weather Service, Hurricane Dorian, now a category two storm, will make its closest approach to east central Florida tonight, Tuesday, September 3rd, into early Wednesday morning. A storm surge warning and hurricane warning are in effect for coastal regions while inland regions remain under a tropic storm warning. Winds are expected to be between 35-45 […]
Putin, Modi to talk economy in Vladivostok
by Maria Panina VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talks on boosting investment and trade, with a special emphasis on energy and arms deals. The two will meet on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, which Russia has hosted in Vladivostok since 2015 to boost partnerships with Asian countries amid Western sanctions its 2014 annexation of Crimea. Politically, there are no […]
20 bodies recovered after California dive boat disaster
by Andrew Marszal LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Search operations were suspended Tuesday for survivors of a scuba-diving boat disaster off the California coast after divers recovered 20 bodies and spotted another four to six trapped in underwater wreckage. The remains of 11 women and nine men were transferred to coroner offices after the 75-foot (23-meter) Conception caught fire and sank Monday, trapping below-deck passengers beneath the roaring blaze. “Today we will begin […]
Boeing not able to respond to regulators on MAX at August meeting
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Boeing was not able to respond to regulator questions on modifications made to the 737 MAX flight control system at an August meeting with international officials, sources said Tuesday. The planes have been grounded globally since mid-March, following two crashes that killed 346 people. Boeing is now seeking a green light to return the jets to service after developing fixes for the jets’ flight control computers. “Yes, we […]
Pentagon frees $3.6 bn for wall construction on Mexican border
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Defense Department said Tuesday it was freeing up $3.6 billion in funds budgeted for other projects to build a wall on the Mexican border as ordered by President Donald Trump. Six weeks after being confirmed by Congress, Defense Secretary Mike Esper has signed off on the diversion of funds from 127 “deferred military projects” both inside and outside the country, said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffmann. In February […]
Thousands of children in northwest Syria to miss school: NGO
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Thousands of children risk missing out on their education in northwestern Syria after a months-long regime assault on the jihadist-run bastion that has closed dozens of schools, a charity said. A fragile ceasefire has held in the Idlib region since Saturday, following four months of air strikes that have killed hundreds of civilians and caused mass displacement. “Thousands of children due to start the school year in northwest Syria may […]
