International

El Chapo expected to get life sentence from US judge

by Laura BONILLA CAL NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — After a dramatic decades-long run as one of the world’s most notorious druglords, there is little suspense about what will happen in a New York courtroom on Wednesday: Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is expected to be sentenced to life in prison. The hearing is more or less a formality: Guzman, the 62-year-old former leader of the Sinaloa cartel, was convicted in February of crimes spanning […]

Iran’s top diplomat warns US is ‘playing with fire’

by Philippe RATER UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned Monday that the United States is “playing with fire,” echoing remarks by President Donald Trump as the two sides are locked in a standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program. The United States quit an international deal aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program last year, hitting Tehran with crippling sanctions. Tensions have since soared, with the US calling off air strikes […]

Fourteen killed in building collapse as monsoon batters South Asia

NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — Fourteen people were killed when a building collapsed in northern India following heavy monsoon rains which have left more than 130 dead across South Asia, officials said Monday. Floods and landslides caused by the annual deluge have wreaked deadly havoc from the Himalayan foothills to low-lying camps housing Rohingya refugees, with officials warning tolls could rise as they scramble to reach affected communities. In Bangladesh, at least 29 people died […]

Worsening world hunger affects 821 million: UN

by Philippe RATER UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — More than 821 million people suffered from hunger worldwide last year, the United Nations reported Monday — the third year in a row that the number has risen. After decades of decline, malnutrition began to increase in 2015, mainly because of climate change and war. Reversing the trend is one of the 2030 targets of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals which aim to improve the planet […]

Twitter revamps website in bid to mimic mobile app

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — Twitter on Monday began rolling out an overhauled version of its website, making it more similar to the mobile version of the one-to-many messaging platform. The revamp to the Twitter page accessible on computer web browsers comes as the San Francisco-based company seeks to ramp up engagement while managing abusive content. “We are starting to roll out a new  Twitter.com — a refreshed and updated website that is faster, easier to navigate […]

Mexico rejects new US asylum restrictions

  MEXICO CITY (AFP) — Mexico on Monday rejected new asylum restrictions sought by US President Donald Trump to stem the flow of undocumented migrants trying to cross the neighbors’ shared border. Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Mexico would not become a dumping ground for asylum seekers rejected by the US, adding that his country would at the same time respect its obligation not to return refugees to danger zones. The move announced by the […]

White House moves to block asylum for migrants crossing Mexico

By Paul Handley Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, D.C. (AFP) — The Trump administration moved Monday to declare most migrants who cross the US southern border after passing through Mexico ineligible for asylum. A new rule redefining asylum eligibility — to take effect on Tuesday — is the latest attempt to stem the flow of undocumented migrants into the country, and comes amid White House frustration at Congress’s failure to toughen immigration laws. “The United States is […]

At least 50 dead in Nepal’s monsoon

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AFP) — Floods and landslides caused by torrential monsoon rains have killed at least 50 people across Nepal while dozens more are missing, officials said Sunday. Northeast India has also been hit by floods with 11 deaths recorded as rivers burst their banks. Heavy rains since Thursday have hit several districts in Nepal, especially in the country’s eastern region and the southern plains, affecting thousands. Nepal police spokesman Bishwaraj Pokharel said 33 people […]

Watch: (Eagle News video) Hong Kong clashes that turned violent inside a mall as protests vs extradition bill continue

    In this video taken by the Eagle News team headed by EBC correspondent Kit Wong in Hong Kong, clashes between riot police and protesters turned violent inside the New Town Plaza Mall in Sha Tin late Sunday evening, July 14, 2019. The protest rallies against the controversial extradition bill did not abate even as the Hong Kong parliament suspended the bill. Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam said on July 9 that “the […]

Deadly monsoon destroys 5,000 shelters in Bangladesh Rohingya camps

by Sam JAHAN BALUKHALI, Bangladesh (AFP) — At least 10 people have died and thousands of shanty homes have been destroyed by monsoon rains in overcrowded Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh’s southeast, officials said Sunday. Bangladesh’s meteorological department said the Cox’s Bazar district — home to nearly one million Rohingya Muslims who have fled a military crackdown in Myanmar — has seen at least 58.5 centimeters (nearly two feet) of rain since July 2. An […]

Small-aircraft crash kills nine in Sweden

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AFP) — Nine people died Sunday when a small aircraft being used for tourism crashed in northwest Sweden, the regional authority said. “The nine people on board are dead,” Gabriella Bandling, spokeswoman for the Vaesterbotten region, told AFP. She did not say who they were. According to Swedish media reports, the plane was carrying people for a parachute jump but crashed a little after 2:00 pm (1200 GMT). The plane, a GippsAero GA8 […]

Mall clashes at latest Hong Kong anti-extradition march

  by Elaine YU Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Riot police and protesters fought running battles in a Hong Kong shopping mall Sunday night as unrest caused by a widely loathed plan to allow extraditions to mainland China showed no sign of abating. Police used pepper spray and batons against small groups of protesters, who responded by hurling bottles and other projectiles, in a night of fresh violence in the international hub. […]