PORT-SALUT, Haiti (AFP) – by Marc BURLEIGH The first major handout of food aid took place along Haiti’s storm-wrecked southwest coast on Wednesday — but supplies were still far short of what was needed by the thousands of starving people. Two trucks loaded with rice from the UN’s World Food Programme stocks and two others from private charities went by convoy to two hard-hit towns on Haiti’s Tiburon Peninsula: Port Salut and Roche a Bateau. “It […]
International
Militants killed as three-day Indian Kashmir gunbattle ends
SRINAGAR, India (AFP) – A gunbattle which lasted almost three days in Indian Kashmir ended Wednesday with the killing of two militants holed up inside a government building, as the region reels from deadly unrest. The militants took up positions on Monday morning inside a 60-room institute in the region’s main city of Srinagar, the second time this year rebels have used the compound as cover to attack soldiers. The building was empty at the […]
Chinese, Philippine presidents to exchange views on improving bilateral relations: FM
BEIJING, China (CCTV) — The presidents of China and the Philippines will exchange views on improving bilateral relations and deepening cooperation, said Geng Shuang, spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Beijing on Wednesday. Geng made the announcement at a daily briefing when asked about the upcoming state visit of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to China. Duterte’s state visit to China will last from Oct 18 to 21. “At the invitation of Chinese President […]
Power cut to 350,000 Tokyo homes in major blackout
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo was hit by a major blackout Wednesday that temporarily knocked out power to about 350,000 homes and some big office and government buildings, while two train lines were also brought to a halt. Officials said the power outage could be traced to a fire at a facility run by utility Tokyo Electric Power. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Television footage showed plumes of black smoke billowing […]
Fantastic flower displays at the Bellagio Botanical Gardens in Las Vegas
Taking a stroll through the Bellagio Botanical Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada will definitely be a special treat to any visitor. The garden always has over 40 thousand flowers in it. It’s Autumn in the US so that means orange flowers, yellow flowers and so much more! (Photos courtesy Lisa Docena, Eagle News Service Las Vegas Bureau)
Small plane crashes on Connecticut street
A small plane crashed on Tuesday (October 11) on a street in East Hartford, Connecticut, with the pilot injured and a passenger unaccounted for, police said. “There were two occupants of that aircraft, one of which was transported to the hospital, the second is unaccounted for at this time,” said East Hartford Police sergeant Joshua Litwin. Litwin said the plane had taken off from Hartford-Brainard Airport but he didn’t know why the plane came down. […]
Fusion project construction kicks into gear as costs balloon
Construction of an experimental nuclear fusion reactor in southern France is in full swing as the cost estimate has ballooned to nearly four times the original estimate, but the ITER project’s new head says new forecasts are realistic. The seven partners in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) – Europe, United States, China, India, Japan, Russia and South Korea – launched the project 10 years ago with a 5 billion euro ($5.6 billion) cost estimate […]
Trump trails Clinton by 8 points after tape scandal, debate – Reuters/Ipsos poll
By Chris Kahn NEW YORK (Reuters) – Donald Trump has fallen further behind Hillary Clinton and now trails her by 8 points among likely voters, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll, with 1 in 5 Republicans saying his vulgar comments about groping women disqualify him from the presidency. The national tracking poll was launched after Sunday night’s second presidential debate, where Trump was pressed to explain his comments in a 2005 videotape about […]
EU, Colombia deliver aid to Haiti
The international community is stepping up to provide aid for hurricane-ravaged Haiti, with more than 20 tonnes (22 tons) of food and medical supplies arriving in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday (October 11) from Colombia. Haiti is reeling after Hurricane Matthew tore through the country, flattening homes and leaving many locals with little more than just their clothes on their back. As flood waters begin to recede the difficult task ahead is providing those left homeless with […]
Thai police sting nets alleged Golden Triangle drug kingpin
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) – A controversial and colourful former guerilla fighter long accused of playing a key role in the Golden Triangle drugs trade was arrested during a sting operation Tuesday, Thai police said. Laota Seanlee, who is believed to be 79, was allegedly caught trying to sell 20 kilogrammes of crystal meth to undercover officers from his home in a village on Thailand’s border with Myanmar. The rugged hills of northern Thailand form part […]
Olympics: Italians officially abandon Rome bid
ROME, Italy |(AFP) – Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malago put a definitive end Tuesday to Rome’s bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games after the city’s newly elected mayor refused to support the project. “I wrote to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today to withdraw Rome-2024 from the running,” Malago told a specially convened press conference. Rome’s ill-fated bid to host the Games was effectively killed off last month when the city council voted in […]
S. Korea’s Park urges preparations for mass North defections
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Tuesday told her government to prepare for large-scale defections from North Korea, just days after direct appealing to its citizens to flee their country. A recent spate of high-profile North Korean defections have provided a propaganda windfall for Seoul, which has spun them into a narrative of a Pyongyang leadership in crisis and riven with descent. Notable defections have included the North’s deputy ambassador […]