International

Two dead, 5 missing after flash flood at Kenyan park

NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — Six tourists, including a foreigner, and their guide were swept away Sunday after a flash flood at Kenya’s Hell’s Gate national park, the Kenya Wildlife Service said, confirming at least two dead. Two bodies were recovered but the five others remained missing, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said on Twitter, adding that the search and rescue operation would continue through the night. “It is with deep sorrow that we announce a […]

Hong Kong protesters target trains, urge general strike

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters threw morning rush hour train travel into chaos on Monday, kicking off another day of potential turmoil after a weekend featuring some of the worst violence in three months of anti-government protests. The global financial hub is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis as a largely leaderless movement has drawn millions on to the streets to protest against what they see as an erosion of […]

15 dead in Mali building collapse

BAMAKO, Mali (AFP) — Fifteen people were killed on Sunday when a three-storey building under construction collapsed “like a house of cards” in the Mali capital Bamako, the government and local media reports said. Twenty-six people were rescued alive from the partially occupied building after it collapsed just before dawn. “Thanks to the determination of the emergency services, a young girl of around four years has just been pulled out of the rubble alive. “Another […]

Brazil’s Amazon basin fires keep surging

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — The number of fires in Brazil’s Amazon basin is still on the rise, even though the government has banned burning, officials said Saturday. In the first 48 hours since the ban was issued, satellite data from the National Space Research Institute (INPE) showed 3,859 new outbreaks of fire, of which some 2,000 were concentrated in the Amazon region. From January to the end of August, 51.9 percent of Brazil’s recorded […]

Texas shooting toll rises to seven

by Brian KNOWLTON WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The death toll in a chaotic mass shooting in Texas has risen to seven, the local police chief confirmed Sunday, adding that it might have been far worse had the shooter not been stopped before entering a crowded movie theater. On Sunday, police identified the shooter as a local man named Seth Aaron Ator, age 36. Police had said Saturday that five people died in the frantic […]

Fire, tear gas and petrol bombs as Hong Kong engulfed by chaos

  by Elaine YU / Yan ZHAO Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Chaos engulfed the heart of Hong Kong late Saturday, as police fired tear gas and water cannon at pro-democracy protesters who defied a ban on rallying, set fires, and hurled petrol bombs in some of the most intense clashes in months. Police had banned the demonstration on security grounds, and on Friday arrested several key activists and legislators in a […]

At least 5 dead, 21 injured in Texas shooting: police

by Ian Timberlake Agence France Presse At least five people have been killed in a mass shooting that left 21 victims in the US state of Texas on Saturday, police said. “We have at least 21 victims, 21 shooting victims and at least five deceased at this point in time,” Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke told reporters. Three police officers were injured in the incident which began with a traffic stop, he said. The suspect […]

N. Korea hits out at Pompeo, warns hopes for US talks ‘disappearing’

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea Saturday lashed out at US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his comments on Pyongyang’s “rogue behaviour” and warned its expectations for nuclear talks with Washington are “gradually disappearing”. Pyongyang’s angry words come as working-level talks with Washington remain gridlocked, despite an agreement in June between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump to kickstart the process. Instead no progress has been made in […]

Cathay warns staff face sack if they join Hong Kong strike

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Cathay Pacific has warned staff they risk being sacked if they join a planned Hong Kong strike, as the airline intensifies its crackdown on employee support for the rolling pro-democracy protests. Hong Kong’s flagship carrier, which has 27,000 staff in the city, has been accused of bowing to political pressure from China, whose aviation regulator has banned airline staff who have supported the demonstrations from working on flights through its […]

DFA: Remains of Filipino who drowned in Canada lake after saving friends to be repatriated

(Eagle News)–The remains of the Filipino who drowned after saving his friends in a Canada lake will be repatriated soon, the Department of Foreign Affairs said as it condoled with the family of the deceased. The DFA said it was, through the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary,  assisting in the repatriation of the remains of the Filipino who died in Lake Snye in Fort McMurray, Alberta after his heroic deed on Aug. 23. The Consulate […]

Johnson steps up Brexit talks with EU as faces legal challenges

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wants to “step up the tempo” in talks with the European Union to strike a new Brexit deal before the October 31 deadline. The comments came ahead of a court ruling Friday that could block Johnson’s suspension of parliament just weeks before Britain’s exit date, amid a furious outcry from pro-Europeans and MPs opposed to a no-deal exit. Britain’s Brexit negotiators are to meet […]

Hurricane Dorian strengthens to Category 2 storm

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Hurricane Dorian strengthened to a Category 2 storm on Thursday as it barreled toward the US state of Florida, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm’s maximum sustained winds have reached 105 miles per hour (165 kilometers per hour), putting it in the second category of a five-level scale, according to an advisory from the NHC. © Agence France-Presse