World | Common News Update

Jun262017 by adminNo Comments

Trump travel ban injunction partly lifted by top US court

US President Donald Trump has welcomed a Supreme Court ruling allowing his travel ban to be partly reinstated as a "victory for our national security".America's highest court also granted a White House request allowing part of its refugee ban to go into effect.The justices said they would consider in October whether the president's policy should be upheld or struck down.Mr Trump seeks to place a 90-day ban on people from six mainly Muslim nations and a 120-day ban on refugees.The president welcomed the ruling's qualified authorisation to bar visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, which he described as "terror-prone countries". "As president, I cannot allow people into our country who want to do us harm," he added. Mr Trump has already said the ban would take effect wi...

Jun262017 by adminNo Comments

Nine dead after Colombia tourist boat sinks

World

A boat carrying around 170 tourists has sunk in a reservoir in northwestern Colombia.The accident on the Penol reservoir near the town of Guatape, which is approximately 45km east of Colombia's second largest city of Medellin, has left nine people dead and 28 others missing.The head of disaster relief for Antioquia province, Margarita Moncada, said: "At the moment we have nine people found dead. Another 99 people were rescued immediately and 40 more got out on their own."President Juan Manuel Santos and the mayor of Medellin said emergency services, scuba divers and the air force were involved in a major rescue operation.It is not yet clear where the tourists were from or what caused the accident.Images on social media showed smaller boats rushing towards the sinking ferry.Local media has ...

Jun252017 by adminNo Comments

Venezuelan opposition lays siege to air base

World

Young protesters broke down a metal fence guarding an air base in Caracas on Saturday before being repelled by security forces firing tear gas in another day of anti-government protests in Venezuela's capital. Demonstrators threw stones, and some protesters were injured. The clashes took place after a peaceful mass demonstration next to La Carlota base where a 22-year-old protester was killed this week when a national guardsman shot him in the chest at close range with rubber bullets. Protesters also fought with security forces outside the base Friday, and activists burned some vehicles during the confrontation. President Nicolas Maduro said in an address to troops Saturday that he had managed to break up a U.S.-backed plot to oust him. Like his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, Maduro f...

Jun252017 by adminNo Comments

At least 148 dead as oil tanker explodes

World

At least 148 people - including children - have been killed after an oil tanker carrying 40,000 litres of fuel flipped over and burst into flames on a highway in Pakistan.Residents had flocked to the tanker with jerry cans, buckets and other containers to collect leaking fuel from it after it overturned.It was travelling from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore when the driver lost control and it crashed near the city of Bahawalpur at around 6.30am.Some reports suggested the tanker had suffered a burst tyre. The driver survived and is in custody.Image:Large plumes of black smoke could be seen from a distancePolice had tried to seal off the area but became overwhelmed by the scores of people trying to reach the vehicle.Officials said many of the victims were beyond recognition and t...

Jun242017 by adminNo Comments

Terror leader wanted by FBI 'goes on the run'

World

The man said to be Islamic State's leader in southeast Asia - and one of America's most wanted terrorists - appears to have gone on the run after a five-week battle in the Philippines. The fight against Islamist militants in the southern city of Marawi began with an attempt to capture Isnilon Hapilon on 23 May.That triggered a rampage by the militants - backed by some foreign fighters - and parts of the mainly Muslim city were seized.Image:Isnilon Hapilon 'should be considered armed and dangerous', the FBI saysThe president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, declared martial law in Marawi and the entire southern region of Mindanao.The resulting offensive was intended to crush what Mr Duterte said was an attempt to establish a province in the area.General Carlito Galvez said Hapilon had n...