TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran said Monday it has called for Interpol to help arrest President Donald Trump and 35 other US officials for the January killing of its top general in an American drone strike. Tehran prosecutor Ali Qasi Mehr, quoted by state news agency IRNA, said 36 US political and military officials “involved in the assassination” of General Qasem Soleimani “have been investigated and were ordered to be arrested through Interpol”. “These people […]
International
New swine flu found in China has pandemic potential
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Researchers in China have discovered a new type of swine flu that is capable of triggering a pandemic, according to a study published Monday in the US science journal PNAS. Named G4, it is genetically descended from the H1N1 strain that caused a pandemic in 2009. It possesses “all the essential hallmarks of being highly adapted to infect humans,” say the authors, scientists at Chinese universities, and China’s Centers for […]
Fire in Egypt hospital kills 7 coronavirus patients
CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — A fire at a hospital in Egypt’s coastal city of Alexandria on Monday killed seven coronavirus patients, security and medical sources said. Seven other people were injured in the blaze, believed to be caused by a malfunctioning air conditioner in an area designated for isolating COVID-19 patients, the sources said. Firefighters stopped it spreading to other hospital buildings, and ambulances were dispatched to transfer patients to other medical facilities, the state-run […]
At least 30 die in Bangladesh ferry accident
by Shafiqul ALAM DHAKA, Bangladesh (AFP) — At least 30 people died and a dozen are missing after a ferry capsized and sank Monday in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka following a collision with another vessel, rescue officials said. The Morning Bird vessel was hit from behind by another ferry around 9:30 am local time (0330 GMT) during the morning rush hour, when the country’s largest river port is packed with vessels. “We have collected 30 […]
Six people killed in attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange
KARACHI, Pakistan (AFP) — At least six people were killed when gunmen attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi on Monday, with a policeman among the dead after the assailants opened fire and hurled a grenade at the trading floor, police said. The assault was claimed by ethnic Baloch separatists who have hit a string of high-profile targets across the country in recent years, including in the southern port city. Four security guards, a police […]
Canadian detainee’s wife ‘disappointed’ Trudeau rules out swap with China
MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — The wife of one of two Canadians imprisoned in China said Sunday she is “disappointed” by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s refusal to consider a swap for a detained Huawei executive facing extradition to the United States. Trudeau firmly rejected appeals that he intervene in the extradition proceedings against Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, in order to win the release of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Trudeau said such a […]
12 killed as rainstorms batter southern China
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Torrential weekend rains killed at least 12 people in China’s southwestern Sichuan province, state media reported Monday, as rising waters sparked mass evacuations during the annual flood season. The toll from the heavy rainstorm in Mianning county included two people who died when several vehicles plunged into a river after flooding damaged a highway. Ten others were missing and more than 7,000 had been evacuated from their homes, the official Xinhua […]
China puts half a million people in lockdown as Beijing fights new cluster
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China imposed a strict lockdown on nearly half a million people in a province surrounding the capital to contain a fresh coronavirus cluster on Sunday, as authorities warned the outbreak was still “severe and complicated.” After China largely brought the virus under control, hundreds have been infected in Beijing and cases have emerged in neighbouring Hebei province in recent weeks. Health officials said Sunday that Anxin county — about 150 […]
Total COVID-19 worldwide surpass 10 million as global virus deaths top 500,000
(Eagle News) – The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 10 million while deaths were now more than half a million as virus cases continued to increase in almost all countries affected by the pandemic. Based on the data of the Johns Hopkins University as of Monday, June 29, 7:33 a.m., (Philippine time) global COVID-19 cases reached 10,104,045 while COVID deaths reached 500,882. The United States still leads countries with the most […]
PHL condemns latest missile, drone strikes vs Saudi Arabia
(Eagle News) — The Philippines on Friday, June 26, condemned the latest drone and missile strikes against Saudi Arabia. In a brief statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Philippines “places utmost importance on the stability and security of the Gulf…” It also urged “a halt to the repeated attacks and provocations” on Tuesday, June 23. The attacks have been claimed by the Houthis, who gained a stronghold in Yemen’s capital Sanaa in late […]
US Senate approves sanctions bill over Hong Kong
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a bill that would lay out sanctions on Chinese officials who undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy as Beijing pushes forward with a controversial security law. The House of Representatives still needs to pass the bill, which would allow sanctions in the United States against Chinese officials and the Hong Kong police as well as banks that conduct “significant transactions” with them. The vote […]
Lightning kills at least 107 in India monsoon
PATNA, India (AFP) — At least 107 people died from lightning strikes in northern and eastern India Thursday, officials said, during the early stages of the annual monsoon season. Some 83 people were killed in the impoverished eastern state of Bihar after being struck by lightning, and another 24 died in northern Uttar Pradesh state. Dozens more were injured, officials said. Lightning strikes during the June-September annual monsoon are fairly common in India. But Bihar’s […]