International

Londoners help survivors of deadly apartment building fire

UNITED KINGDOM (Reuters) – Residents from across London have sprung into action to help survivors of a massive apartment building fire, offering clothes, blankets, food and many other daily supplies. In the Latymer neighborhood a few hundred meters away from the torched building, a relief center has been set up and many Londoners have come with bags and even whole shopping carts of food, water and clothes, offering much-needed help to the victims. Some people […]

California air base under lockdown, “shelter in place” orders

CALIFORNIA, United States (Reuters) – Officials at Travis Air Force Base in California have advised people there to “shelter in place” during a “real world security incident,” according to official social media posts issued on Wednesday (June 14) afternoon. “Travis Air Force Base is currently responding to a real world security incident. More details will be released as they become available. The public is being asked to stay away from the base to ensure emergency […]

FBI seeking information about baseball shooting suspect

ALEXANDRIA, United States (Reuters) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation is calling on the public to help provide more information on James Hodgkinson, the 66-year-old man suspected opening fire on Wednesday (June 14) during a practice for a charity Congressional baseball game morning. Congressman Steve Scalise was among those shot. FBI Special Agent in Charge for the Washington Field Office, Timothy Slater, didn’t get into specifics other than to clarify some confusion in the media about […]

UPS shooting leaves four dead, including gunman, in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (Reuters) – A man dressed in a United Parcel Service uniform and armed with an “assault pistol” opened fire at a UPS package sorting hub in San Francisco on Wednesday (June 14), killing three people before fatally shooting himself in the head, police said. The shooter and the victims were all drivers, said Steve Gaut, head of investor relations at UPS. The man opened fire while the workers were gathered for their daily […]

Fire breaks out at Mexico’s top refinery; nine people hurt

SALINAS CRUZ, Mexico (Reuters) – A major fire broke out at Mexican state oil producer Pemex’s Salina Cruz refinery on Wednesday (June 14) after a crude spill, injuring nine people and extending the hut down of the plant into a second day, the company said. The blaze began in the pump house of Salina Cruz, Mexico’s largest refinery, in the morning, and the company was working to put it out, a Pemex spokesperson said. A Pemex spokesperson said […]

Trump makes call for unity after lawmaker shot

by Andrew Beatty Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – A grave Donald Trump called on Americans to stand united after the shooting of a Republican lawmaker and three other people Wednesday at a baseball field, striking a notably less partisan tone in response to his first major domestic crisis. From the Diplomatic Room of the White House, the US president turned statesman as he praised first responders and led prayers for wounded Congressman Steve Scalise. Ditching […]

London tower block fire: What we know

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) –At least 12 people were killed in a massive blaze that engulfed a London tower block on Wednesday, raising serious questions about fire safety in Britain’s housing blocks. Here is what we know so far: How many victims?  The police have said at least 12 people were killed at Grenfell Tower in west London and they expect the number to rise as emergency workers make their way through the building. “Sadly […]

12 dead as fire engulfs London tower block

  by Alice Ritchie  and  Rosie Scamell Agence France Presse At least 12 people perished on Wednesday after a massive fire tore through a London apartment block, with witnesses reporting terrified residents had leapt from the tower and dropped their children in a desperate bid for survival. As smoke continued to billow from the gutted building, survivors voiced anger over longstanding safety fears at the 24-storey Grenfell Tower, which was home to between 600 and […]

Shooter of Republicans was Sanders fan; had run-ins with law

by Paul Handley Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States — James T. Hodgkinson, the rifle-toting 66-year-old who opened fire on a Republican lawmakers practicing for a baseball game Wednesday, was a fervent fan of leftist Senator Bernie Sanders, and disdained President Donald Trump. He showed no previous signs of violent extremism and his attack shocked people who knew him as “Hodges,” a popular, “laid-back” blue-collar worker in his hometown of Belleville, Illinois. But he was […]

Wounded US congressman ‘critical’ after surgery: hospital

WASHINGTON, Republican lawmaker Steve Scalise, one of five people shot by a gunman during practice for a charity baseball game, remained in critical condition following surgery, the hospital treating him said. “Rep. Scalise was critically injured and remains in critical condition,” said MedStar Washington Hospital in a statement via Twitter. Earlier in the day his condition had been described as stable, and he had spoken by telephone with his wife. The gunman, identified in the […]

Daunting aid challenges as civilians flee Syria’s Raqa

by Sara Hussein Agence France-Presse BEIRUT, Lebanon – The battle to oust the Islamic State group from its stronghold of Raqa is creating daunting challenges for aid groups responding to the latest humanitarian crisis in the Syrian conflict. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled Raqa and its surroundings since the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began its operation to capture the jihadist stronghold last year. But new waves of displacement are expected as the […]

One dead after strong quake hits Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (AFP) — A strong 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit western Guatemala early on Wednesday, killing at least one person and causing power cuts, as well as damage to some buildings, officials said. The quake, originally estimated to measure 6.6 on the Richter scale before being revised upward, occurred at 1:29 am (0729 GMT), epicentered 156 kilometers (97 miles) west of Guatemala City in the department of San Marcos, the Institute of Seismology said. […]