UNITED KINGDOM
Sixth suspect arrested
A sixth man was arrested early yesterday as part of the probe into the bomb attack on a London Underground train last week, police said. The man, aged 17, was detained under anti-terrorism powers in Thornton Heath, south of London, where a search is under way, a statement said. About 30 people were injured in the attack on Friday last week at Parsons Green station in west London, which was claimed by the Islamic State group. Anti-terrorism officer Dean Haydon said the investigation was progressing rapidly. The bomb had been hidden in a large white bucket and it apparently failed to detonate fully during morning rush hour, but resulted in what witnesses described as a “fireball.” Several commuters suffered burns, while others were injured in the stampede to the exit that ensued. The bombing was the fifth terror attack in the nation in six months, which combined have claimed 35 lives
UNITED STATES
Man kills self, sons
A 33-year-old man hid his family’s cellphones, killed his two children and intentionally set a house on fire before hanging himself, authorities in Bloomington, Illinois, said on Wednesday. Police identified the man as Eric Ringenberg. Officials identified the two boys only by their initials, two-year-old CR and infant brother, RR. The Pantagraph in Bloomington reported that the mother, 32-year-old Pamela Ringenberg, was hospitalized for smoke inhalation after Tuesday morning’s fire. Autopsies showed the children were strangled. Home surveillance cameras show Eric Ringenberg putting the cellphones in a kitchen cabinet, then intentionally starting a fire in the basement after the children were killed, police said. The father then hanged himself. The cameras also show Pamela Ringenberg awaking to the sound of the smoke alarm and searching for her family and cellphone. She eventually fled the home and sought help from neighbors.
UNITED STATES
Hawaii hears telescope case
Hawaii’s land board is hearing arguments for and against building a giant telescope on a mountain some consider sacred. Wednesday’s hearing in a Hilo hotel came after the retired judge overseeing contested-case hearings for the Thirty Meter Telescope recommended granting the project a construction permit. Riki May Amano issued her recommendation in July after hearing testimony that spanned 44 days. Opponents and supporters are echoing much of the arguments made during those oftentimes emotional days of testimony. Telescope attorney Douglas Ing said there was no rational reason why Native Hawaiian religious rights would be affected by developing the project. Telescope opponent Kahookahi Kanuha said it was up to Native Hawaiians to determine which places are sacred and how they should be protected. It is not clear when the board will make a decision.
VENEZUELA
Kidnapped man released
An employee of the US embassy in Caracas was released early on Wednesday after being kidnapped two days earlier by criminals demanding a ransom. Police said the he employee, a Venezuelan national identified as Kerbin Barazarte, 28 — whom they described as a security guard — had been released unharmed and without payment of a ransom. They said he was abducted while patrolling in a van near the embassy on Monday night. His captors, who were not identified, had demanded payment of US$30,000 for his release. A colleague who was with him managed to evade the kidnappers, police said.
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese