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☆ Spanish tourist killed by elephants in South Africa while taking photo
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Spanish tourist was crushed to death by a herd of elephants inside South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park after he left his vehicle to take a close-up photo of the breeding animals, local police said. Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia identified the tourist as Carlos Luna, whom it said was from Zaragoza. The Pilanesberg Game Reserve is South Africa’s fourth-largest park and a popular tourist destination. In 2019, a suspected poacher was attacked and killed by an elephant, and his body eaten by lions in the northeastern Kruger National Park, authorities said at the time. Three months ago, an elderly American woman was killed after an elephant charged at a vehicle transporting tourists inside Zambia’s largest national park.

Persons: Sabata Mokgwabone, Mokgwabone, Carlos Luna, “, poacher, ” Organizations: CNN, CNN Wednesday, Vanguardia, Police, Park Locations: South Africa’s, West Province, Zaragoza, Spanish, South Africa, Limpopo, Southern Africa, American, West

☆ China’s Xi to host former Taiwan president in Beijing, in rare meeting echoing bygone era of warmer ties
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Nectar Gan | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Joint concerns over China’s increasing assertiveness under Xi, including toward Taiwan, are a key driver of that summit. Chinese leader Xi Jinping shakes hands with then Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou before their meeting in Singapore on November 7, 2015. Taiwan's former President Ma Ying-jeou speaks to reporters ahead of his visit to China at the Taoyuan International Airport on April 1, 2024. Ma Ying-jeou” or former chairman of the KMT, with no mention of his former role as the president of Taiwan. Reaction in TaiwanMa’s itinerary – and his meeting with Xi – has been closely watched in Taiwan.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Ma Ying, Xi, Chiang Kai, Eric Chu, Ma, ” Chu, Lai Ching, Joe Biden, Biden, Fumio Kishida, Roslan Rahman, Amanda Hsiao, “, underscoring, ’ ”, Tsai Ing, –, Lai, Lai’s, fixating, ”, ” Sung, China –, Ma’s, Hsiao, Yan Zhao, Mr, Sun, Xi –, Sung, ” Ma, James Chen Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Beijing, Kuomintang, KMT, China’s, shek’s Nationalists, –, Democratic Progressive Party, CNN Beijing, Japanese, Getty, International Crisis, Atlantic, “, Taoyuan International Airport, Communists, Nationalists, Atlantic Council, Taiwan’s Tamkang University, DPP Locations: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Beijing, Taipei, Singapore, Washington, Japan, Philippines, AFP, Taoyuan, Guangzhou, Republic of China, Shaanxi, United States, China . Washington

☆ Iran Says 17-Hour Battle With Separatists Leaves 28 Dead in 2 Cities
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | Leily Nikounazar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

State television broadcast footage of gunmen running in the streets of Sistan Baluchestan Province as loud explosions from rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire rocked the two cities, and large plumes of smoke billowed into the air. Jaish al-Adl, a separatist ethnic Baluch group designated by the United States as a terrorist organization, claimed responsibility for the attacks. Iran’s deputy interior minister, Majid Mirahmadi, said on state television that the fighting had raged for hours, from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 3 p.m. the next day. The gunmen entered homes, taking civilians hostage to use as human shields, but security forces released them, he said. The militants wore vests with explosives, and several blew themselves up during the fighting, he added.

Persons: Jaish, Majid Mirahmadi Organizations: Ministry of Interior, ., Adl, Baluch Locations: Sistan Baluchestan Province, United States

While election winners were celebrating victory, PTI and other parties refused to accept their defeat in dozens of constituencies. Dozens of Khan’s supporters were briefly detained in the eastern city of Lahore over the weekend while protesting alleged vote-rigging. Khan could not run in the election because of the criminal convictions against him that he says are politically motivated. No party won a majority, however, so the parties will have to hold talks on forming a coalition government. The Pakistan Muslim League-N party led by three-time premier and ex-felon Nawaz Sharif secured 75.

Persons: Pakistan's, Imran Khan, Khan, Jan Achakzai, Nawaz Sharif, Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto, Zardari, establishment’s Organizations: National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Party, PML Locations: QUETTA, Pakistan, Lahore, Baluchistan

☆ Many Pakistanis Make a Perilous Journey to Vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

With tens of thousands displaced from the tribal regions, most candidates vying to represent constituencies there have campaigned in other cities such as Dera Ismail Khan. "Due to the war, people's houses were destroyed," Moulana Jamal Uddin, a candidate from South Waziristan, told Reuters by phone. "I appeal to the people of South Waziristan to vote," he said. Khan Ullah, a 42-year-old shop owner, said he has avoided political gatherings in Dera Ismail Khan because he feared an attack on them was a real possibility. (Reporting by Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan; writing by Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Persons: Saud Mehsud DERA ISMAIL, Ullah Mehsud, Mehsud, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan's, Amjad Khan, Khan, hometowns, Maulana Raheem Ullah, Moulana Jamal Uddin, Khan Ullah, Saud Mehsud, Ariba Shahid, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Pakhtunkhwa, Pak Institute, Peace Studies, Force Locations: Saud Mehsud DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, South Waziristan, Qaeda, U.S, Afghanistan, Waziristan, Khyber, Taliban Pakistan, Balochistan, KP, Karachi

☆ Impala Platinum halts work at some S.African mines after 11 workers died
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Impala Platinum (IMPJ.J) said on Tuesday it had temporarily halted operations at its Rustenburg mining complex in South Africa after 11 workers died in an incident at one of its underground shafts. The Johannesburg-based platinum miner said in a statement that 86 workers were involved in the incident at its No. 11 shaft and 75 injured workers had been admitted at four hospitals in the area. The company said all mining operations at the sprawling Rustenburg complex in South Africa's North West province had been suspended on Tuesday. Impala is among South African platinum producers that operate some of the deepest and oldest mining shafts in the world.

Persons: Nico Muller, it's, Felix Njini, Nelson Banya, Kim Coghill, Jamie Freed, Louise Heavens Organizations: Impala, National Union of Mineworkers, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa's, West

☆ Zimbabwe: At least 10 dead in gold mine collapse as rescue efforts continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Rescue teams in Zimbabwe are continuing the search for survivors, three days after a disused gold mine in the country’s Chegutu district collapsed, killing at least 10 illegal miners. The mine, which is located in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West province, sits 62 miles west of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare. Artisanal mining is common in Zimbabwe, which is rich in vast deposits of gold and diamonds. Accidents at illegal mining sites are also common in the southern African country. In 2019, the bodies of about two dozen illegal gold miners were pulled out from a flooded mine in a rural settlement in the Mashonaland West province.

Persons: Marian Chombo, Constantino Chiwenga, Chiwenga, ” Chombo, Chombo, Stringer Organizations: CNN — Rescue, AP Locations: Zimbabwe, Chegutu, Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West province, Harare, Mashonaland West province

At least 11 people have been killed and 27 others reported missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported, while more than 127,000 people have been evacuated from the city. In Mentougou district, the average rainfall was more than 18 inches, according to data from Beijing’s meteorological service, while nearby Fangshan saw 16 inches of rain. The storm is the deadliest to hit Beijing since 2012 when floods killed 77 people – a toll that authorities initially tried to cover up. Before hitting Fujian, the typhoon had killed at least 39 people in the Philippines and lashed parts of southern Taiwan. At least 1,870 passengers and 68 staff had been stranded on two trains and were finally led to safe ground by Monday afternoon, Xinhua reported, citing Beijing’s state railway operator.

Persons: Doksuri, Pedro Pardo, Xi Jinping, ” Xi Organizations: CNN, CCTV, Beijing, Xinhua, Authorities Locations: Beijing, China, Mentougou district, Fangshan, Zhengzhou, Henan, Beijing's Mentougou, AFP, Fujian, Philippines, Taiwan, Guizhou, Mentougou, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, Zhejiang

☆ ChatGPT: Chinese police detain man for allegedly using it to spread rumors online
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

According to a statement from police in the northwest province of Gansu, the suspect allegedly used ChatGPT to generate a bogus report about a train crash, which he then posted online for profit. ChatGPT, developed by Microsoft (MSFT)-backed OpenAI, is banned in China, though internet users can use virtual private networks (VPN) to access it. State broadcaster CGTN says it was the country’s first arrest of a person accused of using ChatGPT to fabricate and spread fake news. Formally known as deep synthesis, deep fake refers to highly realistic textual and visual content generated by artificial intelligence. The new legislation bars users from generating deep fake content on topics already prohibited by existing laws on China’s heavily censored internet.

[1/5] A bride and a groom wait during the Easter Sunday mass wedding ceremony, organised by the International Pentecostal Holiness Church Jerusalem City (IPHC), with more than 800 couples taking part, in Kgabalatsane in the North-West province, South Africa, April 9, 2023. REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoJOHANNESBURG, April 9 (Reuters) - More than 800 couples walked down the aisle on Easter Sunday in one of the biggest mass wedding ceremonies in South Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Pentecost Holiness Church blesses polygamous unions, which are common in some African communities, and the church says are authorised by the Bible. Its mass nuptials take place three times a year – at Easter, in December, and also during the celebrations in September of the church's founding in 1962. Current wives wore colourful attire to the ceremony at the International Pentecost Holiness Church's Jerusalem congregation, 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Johannesburg.

☆ South African authorities arrest 87 ahead of anti-government protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, March 20 (Reuters) - South African security forces said on Monday that 87 people had been arrested in the last 12 hours across the country over public violence ahead of planned protests by the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party. The EFF has called for a national shutdown to protest crippling power cuts and demand the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa. The party's main constituency are the poor and working class Black South Africans who feel left out of the country's prosperity since the governing African National Congress (ANC) ended white minority rule in 1994. Parliament said in a statement on Sunday that the South African military would deploy 3,474 troops for a month until April 17 to prevent and combat crime in cooperation with the police. "Law enforcement officers are on high alert and will continue to prevent and combat any acts of criminality," NatJOINTS said.

☆ South Africa's EFF marches to demand president's resignation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Members of the political party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), gather at Church Square after calling for a "National Shutdown" and demanding resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria, South Africa March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Alet PretoriusJOHANNESBURG, March 20 (Reuters) - Thousands marched through the streets of South Africa's cities on Monday to demand that President Cyril Ramaphosa resign, as security forces guarded malls and roads to prevent violence and looting. The Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, whose supporters are mainly poor and working class Black South Africans who feel marginalised since the governing African National Congress (ANC) ended white minority rule in 1994, had called for a national shutdown. South African security forces said on Monday that 87 people had been arrested in the last 12 hours over public violence ahead of planned protests. Parliament said in a statement on Sunday that the South African military would deploy 3,474 troops for a month until April 17 to prevent and combat crime in cooperation with the police.

[1/5] View of boats stuck in a sea with invasive green water hyacinth weed at the Hartbeespoort dam, informally known as "Harties", a small resort town in the North West Province of South Africa, February 16, 2023. REUTERS/Shafiek TassiemHARTBEESPOORT, South Africa, March 1 (Reuters) - The Hartbeespoort dam in South Africa used to be brimming with people enjoying scenic landscapes and recreational water sports. Now, the visitors are greeted to the sight of boats stuck in a sea of invasive green water hyacinth weed. Scientists and community members have, however, found a unique way to deal with the invasion by introducing a water hyacinth eating bug called Megamelus scutellaris. The insect army has previously reduced the expanse of water hyacinths to a mere 5% on the dam, Coetzee said.

☆ China's cities are struggling to pay their bills from three years of Covid and a real estate crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Rolling lockdowns seriously dented household incomes, leading many to reduce spending, which in turn resulted in less tax revenue for local governments. “China’s runaway local debt poses a serious threat to the country’s overall economic health and will weigh heavily on China’s still-nascent recovery,” said Singleton. Debt that is backed by local governments but which doesn’t show up on their balance sheets could be much bigger. That’s more than 20% higher than the estimate of 53 trillion yuan made by Goldman Sachs in 2021. Their debt squeeze could pose a serious threat to China’s financial system, particularly to small regional banks.

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