Worldwide / 8

Gunman kills at least one in Germany attack, say police

January 24, 2020

The suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting, according to the Associated Press. "We are working on the assumption that this was a single attacker", Mr Biehlmaier said. A 17-year-old killed 15 people at a high school in the southwestern town of Winnenden in 2009, seeing a further tightening of gun laws. In July 2016, a teenager used a pistol bought illegally online to kill nine people in a shooting spree at a Munich shopping centre, before turning the weapon on himself.

USA confirms it will soon intensify Huawei trade ban

January 24, 2020

The officials proposed barring Huawei from the sensitive, data-heavy "core" part of the network and restricted government systems, closely mirroring a provisional decision made a year ago under former prime minister Theresa May. The American president has repeatedly warned the Prime Minister not to go with Huawei, with USA officials saying last week it "would be madness" to do so while security fears about the company persist.

Massive explosion damages several buildings in Houston

January 24, 2020

Video posted to Twitter from a camera that was mounted to a home window appears to show the blast in the distance, followed by a rising fireball. The Houston Fire Department said one person was taken to a hospital because of the blast. "It busted everybody's garage door in around here.and closer toward the explosion over here, it busted people's roofs in and walls in and we don't know what it is".

Top EU officials sign Brexit deal in closed door ceremony

January 24, 2020

The Brexit deal protects the rights of European Union citizens in Britain, makes special trading arrangements for the British province of Northern Ireland, and settles the United Kingdom's European Union debts. We are leaving on 31 January. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen , will sign the instrument of ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement on Friday morning.

Chuck Schumer torpedoes idea of Biden-Bolton impeachment witness trade

January 24, 2020

And he added: "I'm not going to play [Trump's] game". Biden again defended his son and said Trump always "blames somebody else, tries to divert the attention" when the focus is on him. The matter is at the heart of the impeachment trial. "Trials aren't trades for witnesses. That's not the goal of the trial and the senators should not allow it to be abused in that way", Schiff told reporters.

U.S. denies Britain's extradition request for diplomat's wife

January 24, 2020

Sacoolas, 43, was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road when she hit 19-year-old Harry's motorbike in Northamptonshire on August 27. Sacoolas was granted diplomatic immunity following the crash and was able to return to her home country, sparking an worldwide controversy.

France, US reach agreement on 'joint global framework' for digital - worldwide

January 24, 2020

But, Le Maire added, there would be no "withdrawal or suspension" of France's digital services tax unless there is an " international solution" to replace it. French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump have agreed to extend the negotiations on the tax which France wants to levy on tech giants like Google and Amazon.

One dead, five missing after snowmobiles break through ice

January 24, 2020

Their Canadian guide died in the incident on Tuesday evening. The surviving three tourists were briefly hospitalised and treated for exposure and shock. The search was briefly hampered when a helicopter pilot was injured in a crash near the eastern part of the lake on Wednesday afternoon. "They must not have known the area well, as it is an area known to have extremely thin ice due to the current", he said - adding that official trails are inspected daily for safety.

'Brexit finish line' crossed as Britain passes European Union exit bill

January 24, 2020

His 80-seat majority in the elected House of Commons meant he could sweep aside objections from pro-EU politicians in the upper chamber of Parliament, the Lords, and break the deadlock that cost his predecessor, Theresa May, her job previous year.

Huawei executive's case in limbo after judge adjourns court

January 24, 2020

Crown lawyer Robert Frater said the central elements of fraud are a misrepresentation resulting in risk of loss. As Canada has "repudiated" the sanctions, violating them would not be an arrestable crime in Canada, thus failing the double criminality requirement for extradition.

New Trump administration rule disallows use of visitor visas for "birth tourism"

January 24, 2020

The visas covered by the new rule are issued to those seeking to visit for pleasure, medical treatment or to see friends and family, a report by The New York Times, said. The regulation officially disallows the use of visitor visas for birth tourism , although it leaves the enforcement of the change up to the discretion of a consular officer.

Trump to attend anti-abortion rally in Washington

January 24, 2020

The president last June demonstrated his commitment to protecting life before birth, as the Trump administration announced that it would discontinue federally-funded research that uses human fetal tissue from elective abortion conducted by government scientists.

New viral internet challenge terrifies fire officials: ‘Endangering everyone’

January 24, 2020

Firefighters confirmed that there was no fire in the classroom, the room was deemed safe, and there were no injuries. State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey issued a warning Tuesday about a viral video challenge popular with teenagers that could damage electrical systems or spark a fire.

Woman convicted of convincing boyfriend to kill himself being released

January 24, 2020

Investigators later found text messages in which Carter had encouraged Roy to go through with his suicide. She ordered him in a phone call to get back in his carbon monoxide-filled truck and take his own life, she said. just do it babe", Carter, who was 17 at the time, wrote in a text the day Roy, 18, killed himself. She also didn't testify in her defense at the trial .

Islanders protest against overcrowding in migrant camps, slow processing

January 24, 2020

As island mayors say, the problem is the increasing number of refugees press the local population. The largest camp of Moria on Lesbos island, with a capacity for 2,840 people, hosts more than 19,000 asylum seekers. While promising to take a tougher line on illegal migration, Greece's six-month-old conservative government has been unable to deliver on promises to end the overcrowding at island refugee camps by building a larger network of camps on the mainland.

Where has coronavirus spread?

January 24, 2020

In response, officials at global airports in Bangkok, Krabi, Chiang Mai and Phuket are reportedly screening arrivals not just from Wuhan but also Beijing and Shenzhen, which have also recorded cases of the coronavirus . "As always, we will monitor the situation closely". Those who are more vulnerable include the elderly, pregnant women and people with ongoing health problems which affect their immune system.

Anti-government protests continue in Lebanon

January 23, 2020

Lebanon is looking to secure $4 billion to $5 billion in soft loans from worldwide donors to finance purchases of wheat, fuel and medicines, The Daily Star newspaper had earlier quoted the minister as saying. Hezbollah believes Diab can distance himself from the current ruling class. Lebanon won pledges exceeding $11 billion for a programme of infrastructure investment at a 2018 worldwide conference, conditional on such reforms.

House of Lords approves Brexit bill

January 23, 2020

The divorce agreement renegotiated by Johnson's government with Brussels, and approved by EU national leaders, also needs to be ratified by the European Parliament. Charles Michel, president of the European Council comprised of the EU-27 heads of government, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to sign the document within the next few days.

Trump downplays brain injuries suffered by U.S. troops in Iran missile strike

January 23, 2020

I've seen people with no legs, with no arms. The president said he was told the soldiers had "headaches" and he doesn't consider the injuries to be as serious as others he's seen in the past, such as the loss of limbs. The exact nature and severity of the apparent brain injuries has not been publicly released. And at the Pentagon, the deputy commander of US military operations in Iraq and Syria told reporters that the extent of potential brain injuries was not clear in the first days ...

Doomsday clock moves even closer to midnight: Here's what it means

January 23, 2020

Bulletin also names the dire erosion of global security and political infrastructure as motives for their decision to give the human race just 100 seconds on the clock. Referencing "the new abnormal" introduced a year ago, the 2020 statement warned, "This risky situation remains-and continues to deteriorate". On the nuclear front, global leaders were urged to reinstate treaties, cut countries' arsenals, limit modernization programs, and "start talks on cyber warfare, missile defenses, the ...

Prince Charles calls on leaders to take 'revolutionary' climate action

January 23, 2020

She represents one of the main reasons why I've been trying to make all this effort all these years. He said he would hold a series of meetings this year with industry leaders in sectors ranging from aviation and water to fisheries, steel and agriculture, joking that "at the end of which I shall probably be dead".

Meghan McCain blasts Hillary Clinton for making 'stupid' remarks about Bernie Sanders

January 23, 2020

Clinton also called out Sanders' staff for a caustic culture. Meghan McCain slammed Hillary Clinton's comments as "stupid" and "juvenile" after the former secretary of state was quoted as saying "nobody likes" Bernie Sanders . Get our Politics Newsletter. For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

'Oasis of the Seas' cruise ship passenger dies after going overboard

January 23, 2020

It is not known at this time what motivated the passenger to jump off the ship . CCTV footage had confirmed that the guest intentionally went overboard the cruise ship which is one of the largest in the world. local time, Patton said. No further details about the passenger were released. The incident comes weeks after an IN man, charged with negligent homicide after his 18-month-old granddaughter's fall from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship's open window IN Puerto Rico, said he would ...

Prince Charles skips handshake with Mike Pence at World Holocaust Forum

January 23, 2020

Tweet reads: "Putin passed Pence and shook Macron's and Charles's hands". Charles is understood to have shaken hands once with Mr Pence after a speech by the vice president. The awkward interaction comes the day after Charles attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where US President Donald Trump gave a weird speech mocking environmentalists and denying climate change.

We’ve crossed the Brexit finish line

January 23, 2020

In the next few days, the bill will gain Royal Assent from The Queen, officially making it a law. "We are faced with a situation which is completely unprecedented when the government in Edinburgh, Belfast and in Cardiff has not given consent to this Act of Parliament, and that completely contravenes the devolution settlement that made it clear that the consent of the devolved administrations had to be given in Bills of Parliament that become Acts of Parliament that involve the devolved ...

Greece has made history by electing its first female president

January 23, 2020

Nominated by Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis , Sakellaropoulou, 63, needed 200 votes in the 300-member Parliament to get the nod and received 266 in the January 22 ballot, with the backing of some other rival parties.

World leaders commemorate Auschwitz anniversary, Netanyahu slams Iran

January 23, 2020

Israel has hailed the World Holocaust Forum at the Yad Vashem memorial centre as the biggest worldwide gathering in its history. Scott Furssedonn-Wood, Charles's deputy private secretary, said of the World Holocaust Forum: "The prince is honoured to be among the small number of worldwide leaders who have been invited to address the event and have the opportunity on behalf of the United Kingdom to honour the memory of all those who were lost in the Holocaust".

Moody's lowers Hong Kong's rating to "Aa3" as protests continue

January 23, 2020

The Hang Seng Index lost 2.7 percent as trading closed on Tuesday. Lam's administration has so far proposed additional spending of about HK$25 billion ($3.2 billion) - or less than 1% of the city's gross domestic product - despite holding fiscal reserves in excess of around HK$1 trillion.

Teenager Charged After Video Showed Him Repeatedly Bashing Kangaroo In The Face

January 23, 2020

As the man punches the kangaroo it raises a paw in a desperate bid to defend itself, but tragically collapses on the ground. The video appears to have been taken in regional New South Wales although the precise location is just not identified.

Farmers in Australia count cost after devastating bushfires

January 23, 2020

The visit comes after Sunday's launch of a $1 million marketing campaign to lure tourists to SA's bushfire-hit regions. "Today is about drawing a line in the sand, and saying we are back, and we want to tell everyone South Australia is open for business".

Udall, Heinrich: Senate trial would be cover-up without witnesses

January 23, 2020

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) during a press conference Tuesday said the Senate would be proven "guilty" if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) does not allow their "witnesses or documents" in the impeachment trial .

Malta still significant decliner in Corruption Perceptions Index

January 23, 2020

Pakistan was ranked at the 117th place for the years 2017 and 2018. The sub-Saharan Africa region was classified as the lowest-performing region while Western Europe was the highest-scoring region. Since 2012, only 22 countries have significantly improved their scores, including Estonia, Greece and Guyana . "It is a composite index, a combination of surveys and assessments of corruption which is collected by a variety of reputable institutions", TI noted.

Evidence of Rohingya genocide not found

January 23, 2020

Gambia, a predominantly Muslim west African country, had brought the case the world court alleging that Myanmar breached the 1948 genocide convention enacted after the Holocaust. Other parties to the convention should press Myanmar to comply with the court's order, Human Rights Watch said. The military dodged questions in the capital Naypyidaw on Thursday morning, with a spokesman telling reporters it would simply "follow the instructions of the government".

Arizona mother smothers children, props them as if napping

January 23, 2020

Prosecutors say Henry acknowledged having a history of drug addiction and that her children had previously been removed from their home in Oklahoma due to issues related to her drug problem. According to reports, officers first received an "unknown trouble call" from one of the parents and when police arrived at the home, they were greeted by three adults.

Fears large firefighting plane has crashed in NSW

January 23, 2020

The New South Wales rural fire service said it was investigating an incident involving the tanker flying in the state's Snowy Monaro region, southwest of Sydney, on Thursday. As a precaution, Coulsons grounded their large air tankers this afternoon. "It's too risky to fly these things". The country has been battling an unprecedented wave of wildfires since September that have devastated communities and wildlife.

Hillary Clinton says 'nobody likes' Bernie Sanders

January 23, 2020

Nobody likes him . Nobody wants to work with him. "I thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views!" She also would not confirm if she would support and campaign for Senator Sanders if he won the 2020 Democratic nomination, and pointed to the "culture around him".

Former Vale CEO Charged With Homicide Over Deadly Dam Collapse

January 23, 2020

Prosecutors in Minas Gerais state allege the company ignored warnings that indicated, at least since November 2017, that the B1 dam didn't have adequate security standards to operate. A report released in December from a panel of experts commissioned by Vale blamed faulty design for the dam's collapse . Vale has been accused of failing to report defects in the structure that could have avoided the tragedy.

Canada PM wants USMCA deal ratified quickly, opposition says not so fast

January 23, 2020

The deal, now known as the USMCA , can not take effect until it has been ratified by all three member nations. Blanchet emerged from his party's caucus retreat in Montreal to say the Bloc will push for a full debate and Commons committee hearings on the new deal.

French President Emmanuel Macron grows angry with Israeli security during church visit

January 23, 2020

Wednesday's incident was a case of deja vu all over again. Wednesday's tense scenes recalled a 1996 Jerusalem visit by late former president Chirac during which he also grew testy with Israeli security personnel who were urging him to move on.

House Impeachment Managers Target Top Trump Lawyer, Claim He’s ‘Material Witness’

January 23, 2020

A marathon session of almost 13 hours featured a setback for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the President's legal team, exposing a crack in the GOP ranks and the growing political unease over the historic impeachment proceedings unfolding amid a watchful public in an election year.

Senate Impeachment Trial Begins With Fight Over Rules

January 23, 2020

According to NBCNews, after voting to resolve McConnell rules, impeachment managers of the House of Representatives and the presidential defense team will have 24 hours to be allocated within two days to make their opening statements. If witnesses are allowed, the trial could run well past next week. He told them that description of the Senate stemmed from a 1905 trial when a senator objected to the word "pettifogging", because members should "avoid speaking in a manner and using language ...

DOT proposes new rules for emotional support animals aboard planes

January 23, 2020

But could the days of passengers bringing rabbits, turtles and birds on planes for support be nearing their end? American Airlines, for example, prohibited flying with frogs, ferrets, hedgehogs and goats, even if they are therapy animals.

1 dead, 5 injured in shooting in downtown Seattle

January 23, 2020

The shooting happened around 5 p.m. near a McDonald's restaurant along 3rd and Pine. One person was found dead in a heavily trafficked area of downtown and five others were taken to a Seattle hospital, he said. "He was freaking out and kept saying, 'I don't want to die, I don't want to die, '" she said, per the Times . "There were a lot of gunshots that started going off - maybe 10 or 11".

Protecting the wreckage: US, UK ratify treaty to protect Titanic wreck

January 23, 2020

Although the wreckage has previously received a "basic level of protection" from Unesco, the United Nations cultural organization, it is the first time that it is covered by explicit legislation, according to the Ministry of Transport. The UK and the U.S. this week agreed to protect the Titanic wreck, which sits more than two miles deep in the North Atlantic, from treasure hunters and ghoulish tourists.

Hope fades for missing S. Korean, Nepali trekkers

January 23, 2020

Rescuers in Nepal have reportedly secured two spots in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas where four missing South Koreans are possibly located. Officials said the still-missing travelers were caught Friday morning when an avalanche sparked by heavy snowfall slammed trails on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, where tourism companies advertise multiweek journeys through stunning scenery.

Mum Who Was Acting As Surrogate Dies While Giving Birth

January 23, 2020

When news broke of the her devastating death, family friend Jamie Herwehe set about creating a GoFundMe page to raise funds on behalf of Chris and their children. if you can't donate at this time, please at least share so we can try to do everything we can for their family". "No one deserves to lose their mom so their kids are young or mothers".

South Korean army to discharge transgender soldier

January 22, 2020

The Army held a committee meeting on Wednesday to discuss the officer who had transition surgery overseas during holidays late previous year. The issue has stirred a controversy in South Korea , with some showing understanding to the military's response, while others criticizing it as a human rights violation.

Three injured in shooting at Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas

January 22, 2020

Early information from authorities suggest the suspects fled prior to police arriving. One of the juveniles reportedly started to shoot into a crowd. Asuka was there, but she was able to make it out and inform fans that she is okay. The entrances to the mall on Las Vegas Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road were closed off for approximately two hours. "I just escaped! There was a scream in front of me at #FashionShowMall ".

Iguanas are falling out of trees in Florida due to cold temperatures

January 22, 2020

So why will iguanas be falling out of the sky? An infographic attached to the tweet added that although the cold-stunned creatures may appear to have met their end, "they are not dead". As temperatures drop this week, the cold-blooded reptiles slow down or become immobile and can fall from trees onto unsuspicious pedestrians. "It may take couple nights like this for them to die", he said.

China reports 440 confirmed cases of new coronavirus pneumonia

January 22, 2020

It has led to death in six cases in China. A handful of cases have also been identified overseas, including in Japan and the United States . A health official watches travelers on a thermographic monitor at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, Jan.

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