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SEOUL/CHEONGJU, South Korea, July 16 (Reuters) - The bodies of eight people trapped in a tunnel flooded by heavy rain in central South Korea were retrieved on Sunday, authorities said, with the death toll from days of torrential downpours that have pounded the country rising to 37. Kong Seong-pyo, a 60-year-old Cheongju resident who frequently uses the underpass, said the government should have restricted access to the tunnel when flooding was expected. The Ministry of Interior and Safety said nine people were missing across the country as of 6 p.m. (0900 GMT) as heavy downpours caused landslides and floods, with evacuation orders covering 8,852 people. [1/9]Rescue workers are seen near a recovered electric bus during a search and rescue operation near an underpass that has been submerged by a flooded river caused by torrential rain in Cheongju, South Korea, July 16, 2023. While South Korea often experiences heavy rains in summer, it has witnessed a sharp increase in torrential rains in recent years.

Persons: Seo Jeong, Seo, Kong, Kim Hong, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Han Duck, Gyun Kim, Daewoung Kim, Hongji Kim, Cheongju, hyang Choi, Diane Craft, Michael Perry, Jamie Freed, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: MBC, Reuters, The, of Interior, Safety, REUTERS, Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea Railroad Corp, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, CHEONGJU, South Korea, Cheongju, Seoul, Gangnam, Chungcheong

☆ Rescuers retrieve six bodies from flooded South Korea underpass
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/9] Rescue workers are seen near a recovered electric bus during a search and rescue operation near an underpass that has been submerged by a flooded river caused by torrential rain in Cheongju, South Korea, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-jiCHEONGJU, South Korea, July 16 (Reuters) - The bodies of six people trapped in a tunnel submerged by heavy rains in central South Korea were retrieved on Sunday, firefighting authorities said, taking the death toll from days of torrential rains that have pounded the country to 33. Seo Jeong-il, head of the west Cheongju fire station, said some 15 vehicles, including a bus, are estimated to have been submerged in the flooded underpass in the city. The ministry data does not include those in the flooded tunnel as it was not immediately clear how many people were trapped underwater. Reporting by Do Gyun Kim, Daewoung Kim and Hongji Kim in Cheongju, Soo-hyang Choi in Seoul; Editing by Diane Craft and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kim Hong, Seo Jeong, Seo, Yoon Suk Yeol, Han Duck, Gyun Kim, Daewoung Kim, Hongji Kim, Cheongju, hyang Choi, Diane Craft, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, of Interior, Safety, Korea Railroad Corp, Thomson Locations: Cheongju, South Korea, Seoul

☆ South Korea landslides, floods kill more than 20
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 15 (Reuters) - Twenty-two people have died, 14 were missing and thousands evacuated in South Korea as of Saturday, according to ministry data, as a third day of torrential rains caused landslides and the overflow of a dam. [1/6]A general view shows landslide caused by torrential rain in Yecheon, South Korea, July 15, 2023. Yonhap via REUTERSThe tally is expected to rise as more heavy rain is expected on the Korean peninsula on Sunday, the Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted. Korea Railroad Corp said it was halting all slow trains and some bullet trains, while other bullet trains might be delayed due to slower operation, as landslides, track flooding and falling rocks threatened safety. A slow train derailed late on Friday when a landslide threw earth and sand over tracks in North Chungcheong province, the transport ministry said.

Persons: Han Duck, Joyce Lee, Michael Perry, William Mallard Organizations: Ministry of Interior, Safety, Yonhap, Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea Railroad Corp, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Chungcheong, Yecheon

☆ South Korea landslides, floods kill 7, over 1,000 evacuated
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A view of a road submerged by a flooded river caused by heavy rain in Cheongju, South Korea, July 15, 2023. Yonhap/via REUTERSSEOUL, July 15 (Reuters) - Seven people have died, three were missing, seven injured and thousands evacuated in South Korea on Saturday, officials said, as a third day of torrential rains caused landslides and the overflow of a dam. Korea Railroad Corp said it was halting all slow trains and some bullet trains, while other bullet trains might be delayed due to slower operation, as landslides, track flooding and falling rocks threatened safety. A slow train derailed late on Friday when a landslide threw earth and sand over tracks in North Chungcheong province, the transport ministry said. Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Michael Perry and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Han Duck, Joyce Lee, Michael Perry, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Ministry of Interior, Safety, Korea Railroad Corp, Thomson Locations: Cheongju, South Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, North Chungcheong province, Goesan, North Chungcheong

☆ Tbilisi Pride festival canceled after violent anti-LGBTQ protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Pride festival was canceled in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on Saturday by organizers who say authorities failed to prevent violent disruptions from Russian-affiliated far-right groups. Festival organizers Tbilisi Pride said in a tweet that they were “compelled” to cancel the festival and “evacuate” the festival territory. “The Ministry of Interior of Georgia once again neglected to protect us from violent far-right groups and allowed the mobs to prevent us from exercising our freedom of expression and assembly even in private settings,” Tbilisi Pride said. Videos posted by Georgian activist channels showed clashes between police officers and anti-LGBTQ protesters in the festival area in Lisi Wonderland. Tbilisi Pride has accused the Georgian government of orchestrating and coordinating with Russian-affiliated, far-right group Alt Info, who they claim disrupted the event.

Persons: Lisi Wonderland, ”, “, Wonderland, Alexander Darakhvelidze, ” Darakhvelidze, Nobody, Irakli Gedenidze, Shalva Papuashvili, Papuashvili, Salome Zourabichvili, ” Zourabichvili, Mark Clayton, Clayton, Peter Fischer Organizations: CNN, First Channel, Tbilisi Pride, Interior, ”, ” Tbilisi Pride, Pride, Russian, Reuters, Georgian Interior Ministry, Georgian, Channel, UN Locations: Georgian, Tbilisi, Georgia, ” Tbilisi

CNN —Hundreds of people marched on Monday in support of a French mayor whose house was attacked by a burning car, as the country entered a second week gripped by violent protests and riots. A large crowd in L’Haÿ-les-Roses, a suburb of Paris, showed solidarity with Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun, whose house was rammed by the vehicle early on Sunday morning. The incident injured his wife and one of his children, Jeanbrun said earlier, calling it an assassination attempt. Jeanbrun told the crowd that "democracy was attacked." The wave of protests started after a police officer shot dead Nahel Merzouk, 17, during a traffic stop.

Persons: Vincent Jeanbrun, Jeanbrun, “, ”, Stephanie Lecocq, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Nahel Merzouk, I’m, BMFTV Organizations: CNN, BFMTV, Reuters, ” France’s Ministry of Interior, Sunday Locations: L’Haÿ, Paris, France, Nadia, Nanterre

The interior ministry called for calm after at least 31 were arrested in overnight riots, mainly in the Paris suburb of Nanterre where the victim lived, with youths burning cars and shooting fireworks at police, who sprayed people with tear gas. "We have an adolescent that was killed, it is unexplainable and inexcusable," Macron told reporters in Marseille. Paris Saint-Germain footballer Kylian Mpabbe in a Tweet about the shooting said: "I'm hurting for my France." [1/5]A car, burnt during clashes between youths and police, is seen in a street the day after the death of a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop, in Nanterre, Paris suburb, France, June 28, 2023. In the wake of the overnight unrest, the interior ministry said 2,000 police have been mobilised in the Paris region.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Mercedes, Germain, Kylian, Antony Paone Tuesday's, FRANK Macron's, Fatima, Layli Foroudi, Dominique Vidalon, Juliette Jabkhiro, Richard Lough, Conor Humphries Organizations: Prosecutors, Reuters, Mercedes AMG, Paris Saint, REUTERS, of Interior, Thomson Locations: Paris, PARIS, Nanterre, Marseille, France, Paris suburb

☆ China 'deplores' UK security minister's meeting with Taiwanese minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] British Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat addresses a press conference, with Kenya's Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and National Administration Kithure Kindiki, during his visit, in Nairobi, Kenya May 10, 2023. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi/File PhotoLONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - The Chinese embassy in London on Sunday condemned a meeting last week between Britain's security minister, Tom Tugendhat, and Taiwan's digital minister, saying it violated international relations. "This move seriously violates the one-China principle and the basic norms of international relations," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said in a statement. Although junior British ministers hold talks with their Taiwanese counterparts, the convention was that senior British ministers do not meet with Taiwanese officials. "We want to make it clear to the UK side that any actions that undermine China's interests will be met with resolute responses," the Chinese embassy spokesperson said.

Persons: Tom Tugendhat, National Administration Kithure Kindiki, Monicah, Tugendhat, Audrey Tang, Michael Holden, Sharon Singleton Organizations: British, State, Ministry of Interior, National Administration, REUTERS, Reuters, Taiwanese Digital Affairs, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, London, Britain, China, Taiwan, Beijing, Taipei, Xinjiang

☆ Meta is playing a game of whack-a-mole with the Taliban as the isolated Afghan government increasingly attempts to use WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption for official business
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The New York Times reported Taliban government officials increasingly use WhatsApp to communicate. WhatsApp owner Meta is engaged in an uphill battle to block the accounts in order to comply. Taliban officials then try finding workarounds to access the app, like buying new SIM cards and creating new accounts, prompting a cyclical cat-and-mouse game. It remains unclear what proof Meta officials require that a WhatsApp account is associated with a Taliban user before blocking them. WhatsApp, in particular, has long faced criticism from law enforcement groups (and praise from data privacy experts) for its standardized end-to-end encryption.

Persons: Meta, —, Shir Ahmad Burhani, WhatsApp, James Comey, Comey Organizations: New York Times, Meta, Times, Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense, US Patriot, FBI Locations: Afghanistan, California, Baghlan Province

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea’s attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite failed Wednesday when the second stage of the rocket failed, state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, adding that Pyongyang planned to carry out a second launch as soon as possible. North Korea’s National Space Development Agency said it would investigate the failure “urgently” and carry out another launch after new testing, KCNA reported. Earlier, South Korea’s military said Pyongyang fired a “space projectile,” triggering emergency alerts in Seoul and Japan, weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered officials to prepare to launch the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite. Wednesday’s launch triggered alarms in Japan, where alerts issued for the Okinawa prefecture were later recalled after authorities there determined there was no threat to Japanese territory. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectile was launched from Tongchang-ri, Pyongan province towards the south, and was detected flying over the west of Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea.

Persons: ” KCNA, KCNA, Kim Jong Un, “ Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Central News Agency, Space Development Agency, South Korean, Staff, North, Korea’s, Chiefs, Japan’s Defense, Korean, South Korea’s, South Korea’s Ministry of Interior Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Pyongyang, Korea, Eocheong, Japan, Okinawa, South, Pyongan, Baengnyeong, West

☆ At Least Three Are Killed in Clashes on Iranian-Afghan Border
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Christina Goldbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At least three people were killed and several others injured after clashes broke out along the Iranian-Afghan border on Saturday night, according to Iranian state media and an Afghan official, escalating tensions between the two countries amid a heated dispute over water rights in recent weeks. At least two Iranian border guards were killed in the fighting, which began around noon on Saturday and ended after six hours along the southwestern border of Afghanistan, according to Iranian state media and Afghan news reports. One soldier with the Taliban administration in Afghanistan was also killed, the Afghan Ministry of Interior said. An official in southeastern Iran said that calm had returned to the border area on Saturday night, according to Iranian state media. The mouth of the river is along the border in southwestern Afghanistan and southeastern Iran, where the clashes took place.

☆ ‘A problem in the political culture": Serbians call for more than disarmament to end violence after mass shootings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Despite having one of the world’s highest rates of gun ownership in the world, mass shootings like this are extremely rare in Serbia. Most people simply inherited weapons from their parents and grandparents – remnants of the sort of violence that no longer plagues the region. While the two “gratuitous” acts of violence that shocked the country this month were without precedent, O’Donnell said, other types of violence are more banal. ‘Serbia against violence’Since the shootings, tens of thousands of Serbians have taken to the streets in opposition-led “Serbia against violence” marches, demanding the resignation of several government ministers. Against this public demand for a mellowing of the political culture, Vučić has seemed unsure how to respond.

KARACHI, Pakistan, May 13 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday gave authorities 72 hours to identify and arrest all those involved in violent acts after former Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest this week sparked deadly unrest. Khan departed court premises late Friday night and headed towards his hometown Lahore amid high security, after a court granted him bail. Following Sharif's announcement, Punjab's government released pictures of unidentified protesters involved in an attack on a military official's residence on Wednesday. Khan, 70, is a cricket star-turned-politician who was ousted as prime minister in April 2022 in a parliamentary no-confidence vote and Pakistan's most popular leader according to opinion polls. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter were inaccessible in Pakistan on Saturday, Reuters journalists said, after access was briefly restored late on Friday.

☆ Two killed, several injured in Serbian village shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BELGRADE, May 4 (Reuters) - At least two people were killed and several injured in a shooting in the town of Mladenovac, 42 kilometres (26 miles)south of Belgrade, Tanjug news agency reported, quoting the ministry of interior. "Two people are not showing any signs of life, and several were injured," Tanjug reported. Nova S reported on its web site that two were killed and seven injured when an unknown gunman shot from a moving vehicle. On Wednesday a 13-year old boy shot dead nine and injured seven at a school before turning himself in. Reporting by Ivana Sekularac Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Thousands of foreign nationals have been evacuated from Sudan as clashes between two rival military factions vying for control of the country continue despite a supposed truce. Another eyewitness told CNN that Rapid Support Forces had moved in to the Wad Al-Bashir area, west of Omdurman (a major city just northwest of the capital Khartoum). Residents on the ground have told CNN that markets and shops have been heavily targeted by looters in the past few days. China, meanwhile, said it had evacuated 940 Chinese citizens and 231 foreign personnel from Sudan to Saudi Arabia between Wednesday and Saturday. “In order to protect the lives and property of Chinese citizens in Sudan, the Chinese military has been ordered to evacuate Chinese personnel in Sudan,” said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei.

CNN —A once powerful member of the former Sudanese government wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity has been freed from prison in the capital Khartoum. Prisoners of Kober prison were released by authorities after inmates protested the lack of food and water by burning two cars inside the prison grounds, two Sudanese police sources told CNN. Unconfirmed reports claimed the former President al-Bashir was among the prisoners released from Kober prison. Sudan’s then-President, Omar al-Bashir, was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity by the ICC, including genocide, related to the Darfur conflict in 2009. He was ousted in a military coup in April 2019 following a lengthy popular uprising and jailed in Khartoum.

☆ At least 78 killed in stampede in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Mohammed Tawfeeq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Dozens of people were killed in a crowd surge in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, on Wednesday night, the Houthi-run Interior Ministry said in a statement. The director of the Houthi-run Health office in Sanaa, Mutahar al-Marouni, told the Houthi-run Al-Masirah news agency that at least 78 people were killed, and dozens were injured. A view of houses in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen on June 15, 2022. “The dead and injured people were transferred to hospitals, and two merchants in charge of the matter were arrested,” the statement added. During this time of the month, people give alms known as Zakat al-Fitr to the needy.

☆ At least 78 people killed in stampede in Yemeni capital - Houthi-run TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 20 (Reuters) - At least 78 people were killed in a stampede in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, the official media of the Houthi movement reported early on Thursday, with several more critically injured. Al Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement, said that in addition to the dead several people were injured, including 13 in a critical situation, citing the director of health in Sanaa. The Houthi-controlled Ministry of Interior's spokesman said in a statement that the stampede took place during the distribution of charitable donations by merchants during the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The interior ministry also said in a separate statement that the two merchants responsible for organising the donation event had been detained and an investigation was underway. Reporting by Hatem Maher Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Blast at Afghanistan journalist event kills at least one, injures eight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KABUL, March 11 (Reuters) - A blast hit a cultural centre during an event for journalists in northern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing at least one person and wounding eight, according to authorities and journalists, a few days after the province's governor died in an explosion claimed by Islamic State. Takor added that five journalists and three children were among the injured and a security guard was killed. Sajad Mosawi, a journalist in Balkh who was injured in the blast, said it had torn through the centre during an event to celebrate journalists. Taliban authorities were already investigating the explosion that killed provincial governor Mawlawi Mohammad Dawood Muzamil and two others at his office on Thursday. Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by William Mallard and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/5] An employee works at the Chisinau-1 gas distribution plant of Moldovatransgaz energy company in Chisinau, Moldova March 4, 2023. REUTERS/Vladislav CuliomzaCHISINAU, March 10 (Reuters) - A coup attempt, bomb hoaxes, internet hacks, fake conscription call-ups, mass protests: Moldova says it's had them all in the past year. Moldova hosts the breakaway statelet of Transnistria - a sliver of land running along its eastern border with Ukraine that's controlled by pro-Russian separatists and garrisoned by Russian troops. FAKE CONSCRIPTION NOTICESMounting tensions between Moscow and the West over Ukraine have raised the temperature in Moldova. RUSSIAN TROOPS IN TRANSNISTRIAAn estimated 1,500 Russian troops are stationed in Transnistria, most of them recruited locally from Transnistrians with Russian passports.

Life has become solitary confinement.” Some women went into hiding, fearing retribution after the Taliban seized power. When the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, women were among the most profoundly affected. A Wrenching Change Afifa, 47, wishes more Afghan men would fight for women’s rights KABUL, Afghanistan — Walk around the capital, Kabul, and it often feels as if women have been airbrushed out of the city. When the Taliban seized power, girls’ schools remained open in a kind of limbo — neither officially sanctioned nor forbidden — for months. Zubaida, 20, teaches high school girls in secret “Regimes come and go all the time in Afghanistan.

☆ Nigerian soldiers patrol ahead of election, land borders shut
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Camillus Eboh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Internal movements have been restricted to the polling units. There will also be no movement of persons across national borders," the ministry of interior said in a statement. The candidate for Enugu East district and the driver of a campaign minibus belonging to another party were killed in coordinated attacks in Enugu State in the southeast. "Materials already delivered for the senatorial election will remain in the custody of the central bank in the state until the new date for the election," Yakubu told a news conference. Flanked by the head of the police, Yakubu said INEC was on guard against possible attacks on its electronic system.

☆ South Korea to scrap COVID test on arrival rule for travellers from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Feb 22 (Reuters) - South Korea will not require travellers from China to test for COVID-19 upon arrivals from next month although they will still need to take pre-departure tests, a South Korean official said on Wednesday, its latest easing of rules to stop the virus. South Korea imposed several restrictions on passengers from China after it lifted its stringent zero-COVID policy late last year, but it has been easing them, citing an improved COVID situation in its neighbour. Effective March 1, South Korea will also allow flights from China to land in airports other than its main Incheon International Airport, which has been the sole gateway for flights from China since early January. Mandatory PCR tests before departure for passengers from China will remain in place until March 10, Kim said, to monitor and evaluate the impact of the rule relaxation. South Korea earlier resumed issuing short-term visas for travellers from China, followed by Beijing's lifting of similar visa curbs that were imposed in a response for Seoul's border restrictions.

☆ South Korea to lift post-arrival COVID test requirement for travellers from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Feb 22 (Reuters) - South Korea will not require travellers from China to test for COVID-19 after arrival starting next month, although they will still need to take pre-departure tests, a senior South Korean official said on Wednesday, in the country's latest relaxing of rules that were put in place after China's reopening. South Korea had imposed a number of border measures on passengers from China after Beijing's decision to lift stringent zero-COVID policies, but has been easing some of them citing an improved COVID situation in its neighbour. Mandatory PCR tests before departure for passengers from China will remain in place until March 10, Kim said, to monitor and evaluate the impact of the relaxation of other COVID rules. South Korea earlier resumed issuing short-term visas for travellers from China, followed by Beijing's lifting of similar visa curbs that were imposed in a retaliatory move against Seoul's border restrictions. Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Korea's parliament votes to impeach minister over Halloween crush
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Feb 8 (Reuters) - South Korean lawmakers voted on Wednesday to impeach the interior minister over his responses to a deadly Halloween crush, setting the stage for him to become the first cabinet member ousted by the legislature. The Democrats and other opposition parties had pushed for expulsion of the interior minister, Lee Sang-min, urging him to take responsibility for botched responses to the crush. A presidential official said there was no evidence that the minister had severely violated the constitution or any law. In 2017, President Park Geun-hye became South Korea's first elected leader to be expelled from office when the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment. The court dismissed an impeachment motion in 2004 for President Roh Moo-hyun.

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