Monday, May 8, 2023

Six In The Morning Monday 8 May 2023

 

Texas mall shooting: Officials probe gunman's possible far-right links


Federal authorities are investigating whether the gunman who killed eight people including children at a Dallas shopping mall had far-right links.

The 33-year-old attacker was shot dead at the scene by a police officer who was responding to an unrelated call.

Investigators are now reviewing social media to look into his beliefs, reports CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

During the attack, the suspect wore an insignia which has been associated with hate groups.

Six people were pronounced dead at the scene in the north Dallas suburbs, while two died later in hospital. Three of the injured - ranging in age from 5 to 61 - are still in hospital


Iran hangs two men for blasphemy as executions rise amid unrest

Deaths take number of prisoners executed to at least 203 since start of this year, says human rights group

Iran has hanged two men convicted of blasphemy, according to authorities, carrying out rare death sentences for the crime as the number of executions soars across the Islamic Republic after months of unrest.

The country remains one of the world’s top executioners, having put to death at least 203 prisoners so far this year, according to the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights. But executions for blasphemy remain rare, as in previous cases the sentences have been reduced by authorities.


Chile: Far-right party on top in constitution rewrite vote

The far-right opposition Republican Party is set to take almost half of the seats on a committee to rewrite Chile's constitution. Its leader has previously expressed kinship with Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro.


A far-right party came first in an election on Sunday to choose 50 members of a committee that will rewrite Chile's constitution.

The Republican Party led with 35% of the vote, equating to around 22 seats on the committee.

The party opposes the longstanding effort to change Chile's constitution, which was imposed in 1980 during the right-ring dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.


In epicentre of Turkey quakes, survivors are indifferent to upcoming polls


In the southern Turkish town of Pazarcik, the epicentre of the devastating February 6 earthquakes, people are focused on just trying to survive. Tens of thousands of residents left the town after the disaster and for the ones left behind without adequate shelter or facilities, holding a presidential election on May 14 seems incongruous.

They live in the dust, surrounded by the wreckage of buildings slated for demolition. The town of Pazarcik, the epicentre of the February 6 earthquakes in Turkey’s southern Kahramanmaras province, is a shadow of its former self. Only a few damaged buildings have been demolished and the rubble cleared away to make way for vacant lots.

“There’s no one left in the streets," laments Mustafa Kayki, a local elected official of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), a rightwing nationalist party. “Around 20,000 people have left Pazarcik since this terrible tragedy. Our voters are scattered. Pazarcik has been scattered. Our dear Pazarcik has turned into hell overnight, dark, a ruined city. It's painful." 


Japan lowers COVID status to same as flu in major policy shift


Japan on Monday downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 to the same category as seasonal influenza and greatly relaxed its related health measures, marking a major shift in its approach after three years of dealing with the coronavirus.

The reclassification of COVID-19 to Class 5 means decisions on anti-coronavirus prevention measures are now up to individuals and businesses. But experts are still calling on the government to ensure medical institutions can properly respond to another potential future surge in the number of infections.

The government has removed most of its guidelines, such as quarantine periods of seven days for people who test positive for the disease and five days for those who have been in close contact with an infected person.



Vietnam and Laos record hottest temperatures ever as heat wave grips Southeast Asia

Published 3:24 AM EDT, Mon May 8, 2023

Temperature records tumbled across Southeast Asia over the weekend as the region swelters under a weeks long heat wave that has brought misery to millions.

All-time highs were recorded in Vietnam, Laos and Thailand’s capital, where the heat has been compounded by an intense smoggy season that has caused pollution levels to spike.

Scientists have long warned that heat waves are set to get worse as the impacts of the human-caused climate crisis accelerate.

In Vietnam, temperatures reached 44.2 degrees Celsius (around 111.6 Fahrenheit) on Saturday in the northern district of Tuong Duong – the highest temperature ever recorded in the country, according to weather historian Maximiliano Herrera.







No comments:

Translate