HONG KONG, May 19 – Heavy weekend rains in China’s southern Guangdong and Guangxi provinces killed at least six people and disrupted trains and power supply, state media said, with alerts issued for severe flooding and geological disasters in parts of the country.

China’s National Meteorological Centre issued multiple heavy rain warnings in the Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi and Guangdong regions and the northwestern province of Xinjiang from Sunday to Monday, the official Xinhua news agency said.

It said a yellow alert was issued in parts of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi, indicating a relatively high risk of mountain flooding.

At least 10 railway lines connecting the southern city of Shenzhen with other cities halted operations on Monday due to heavy rainfall, according to Shenzhen railway authorities.

More than 620,000 households in Guangxi lost power in recent days due to rain, state media reported. Local power supplier had since restored electricity for some 600,000 households as of Monday morning.

China has a four-tier weather warning system with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Chinese meteorological data show 2024 was the warmest year for the country since comparable records began over six decades ago, the second straight year in which milestones were broken.

Last year’s warmer weather was accompanied by stronger storms and higher rainfall and led to spikes in power consumption in China, the world’s second-largest economy.

State broadcaster CCTV said heavy rain was also expected from Monday to Tuesday in areas including the far western region of Xinjiang along the Tianshan Mountains.

REUTERS

NANNING, May 19 – Han Yong, a former senior political adviser of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on Monday for bribe-taking.

Han, a former chairperson of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and a former vice director of the Committee of Population, Resources and Environment of the CPPCC National Committee, was found to have illegally accepted bribes worth more than 261 million yuan (about 36.3 million U.S. dollars) over a 30-year period.

The case was heard by a court in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Han was also stripped of his political rights for life, all of his personal property will be confiscated, and all his illegal gains must be recovered and turned over to the state treasury, the court sentence read.

The court found that Han had taken advantage of his various positions in Jilin, Xinjiang and Shaanxi to seek benefits for others in matters such as business operation, project contracting and official appointments, illegally accepting money and gifts in return.

XINHUA

CHICAGO, May 18 – Two people were killed and one child is missing after a train hit several pedestrians in the northwest of the U.S. state of Ohio Sunday night, authorities said.

The incident happened at 7:30 p.m. (2330 GMT) at the Miles Newton Bridge over the Sandusky River in Fremont. Two women died in the incident, and of the two children involved, one is missing and the other was rescued and transferred to a hospital, said Sandusky County Sheriff Chris Hilton.

The emergency crew were searching the Sandusky River for the missing 5-year-old child, said Fremont Mayor Danny Sanchez.

The mayor said it was not common for people to cross at the spot where the pedestrians were struck, although no further details about the location were immediately available.

At least five pedestrians have been involved in the incident, Hilton said.

Fremont police said the bridge was closed, urging the public to stay away. Law enforcement staff were on the scene.

XINHUA

HONG KONG, May 19 – Heavy rains in China’s southern Guangdong and Guangxi provinces killed five people and left several missing over the weekend as authorities issued alerts for severe rain, mountain flooding and geological disasters in the south of the country.

China’s National Meteorological Centre issued multiple warnings over the weekend of heavy rains in areas of Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong and the northwestern province of Xinjiang from Sunday to Monday, said the official Xinhua news agency.

A yellow alert was issued in parts of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi, indicating a relatively high risk of mountain flooding, Xinhua said.

China has a four-tier weather warning system with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Chinese meteorological data shows 2024 was the warmest year for the country since comparable records began more than six decades ago, the second straight year in which milestones were broken.

Last year’s warmer weather was accompanied by stronger storms and higher rainfall and led to spikes in power consumption in the world’s second-largest economy.

State broadcaster CCTV said heavy rain was also expected from Monday to Tuesday in areas including the far western region of Xinjiang along the Tianshan Mountains.

REUTERS

CAIRO/JERUSALEM, May 18 – Israel will ease its blockade and let limited amounts of food into Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday, after the military announced it had begun “extensive ground operations” in the northern and southern parts of the enclave.

Facing mounting pressure over an aid blockade it imposed in March and the risk of famine, Israel has stepped up its campaign in Gaza, where Palestinian health officials said hundreds have been killed in attacks in the past week, including 130 overnight.

“At the recommendation of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), and out of the operational need to enable the expansion of intense fighting to defeat Hamas, Israel will allow a basic amount of food for the population to ensure that a hunger crisis does not develop in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu’s office said.

Eri Kaneko, a spokesperson for U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher confirmed the agency had been approached by Israeli authorities to “resume limited aid delivery,” adding that discussions are ongoing about the logistics “given the conditions on the ground.”

Israel made its announcement after sources on both sides said there had been no progress in a new round of indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Qatar.

Netanyahu said the talks included discussions on a truce and hostage deal as well as a proposal to end the war in return for the exile of Hamas militants and the demilitarisation of the enclave – terms Hamas has previously rejected.

The Israeli military suggested in a later statement that it could still scale down operations to help reach a deal in Doha.
Military chief Eyal Zamir told troops in Gaza that the army would provide the country’s leaders with the flexibility they need to reach a hostage deal, according to the statement.

Israel’s military said it had conducted a preliminary wave of strikes on more than 670 Hamas targets in Gaza over the past week to support “Gideon’s Chariots”, its new ground operation aimed at achieving “operational control” in parts of the enclave. It said it killed dozens of Hamas fighters.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said in the week to Sunday alone, at least 464 Palestinians were killed.

“Complete families were wiped off the civil registration record by (overnight) Israeli bombardment,” Khalil Al-Deqran, Gaza health ministry spokesperson, told Reuters by phone.
The Israeli campaign has devastated Gaza, pushing nearly all of its two million residents from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people, many of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March to try to pressure Hamas into freeing its hostages and has approved plans that could involve seizing the entire Gaza Strip and controlling aid.

International experts have warned of looming famine.

Asked about the Qatar talks, a Hamas official told Reuters: “Israel’s position remains unchanged, they want to release the prisoners (hostages) without a commitment to end the war.”

Hamas was still proposing to release all of its Israeli hostages in return for an end to the war, the pull-out of Israeli troops, an end to a blockade on aid for Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners, the Hamas official said.
A senior Israeli official said there had been no progress in the talks so far.

Israel’s declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 251 hostages.

In Israel, Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, said Netanyahu was refusing to end the war in exchange for the hostages for political reasons.

“The Israeli government still insists on only partial deals. They are deliberately tormenting us. Bring our children back already! All 58 of them,” Zangauker said in a social media post.

TENTS ABLAZE

One of Israel’s overnight strikes hit a tent encampment housing displaced families in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing women and children, wounding dozens and setting tents ablaze, medics said.

Later on Sunday, Gaza’s health ministry said the Indonesian Hospital, one of the largest partially functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza, had ceased work because of Israeli fire.

Israel’s military said its troops were targeting “terrorist infrastructure sites” in northern Gaza, including in the area adjacent to the Indonesian hospital.

Hamas neither confirmed nor denied reports on Sunday in Arab and Israeli media that its leader, Mohammed Sinwar, was killed in last week’s airstrikes on a tunnel below another hospital further south in Gaza.

Gaza’s healthcare system is barely operational and the blockade on aid has compounded its difficulties. Israel blames Hamas for stealing aid, which Hamas denies.

“Hospitals are overwhelmed with a growing number of casualties, many are children,” said Al-Deqran, the health ministry spokesperson.

The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said 75% of its ambulances could not run because of fuel shortages. It warned that within 72 hours, all vehicles may stop.

REUTERS

CAIRO, May 18 – At least three people were killed when a blast targeted a police station in the eastern Syrian town of Al-Mayadeen on Sunday, the state news agency said, citing a security source.

The explosion also injured several people, the report said, without providing further details.

REUTERS

ISTANBUL, May 18 – Galatasaray secured a 25th Turkish title with two games to spare following a 3-0 victory at Kayserispor on Sunday.

The victory handed Galatasaray an unassailable eight-point lead over arch Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce, who have not won the league in more than a decade.

Galatasaray will now be able to add a fifth star to their team shirts – one star is allotted for every five titles.

The two Istanbul clubs were head and shoulders above the other Superlig teams this term, with Galatasaray on 89 points and Fenerbahce, who defeated Eyupspor 2-1 on Sunday, on 81 points. Samsunspor are a distant third on 60 points.

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen scored the first goal on the 26th minute followed by Turkish winger Baris Alper Yilmaz three minutes later in the first half.

Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera added a third in the second half with a penalty, guaranteeing Galatasaray’s victory in Istanbul, as fans started celebrating all over the country.

Galatasaray lost only one league game this season against Besiktas. They scored 87 goals and conceded 31.

REUTERS

AMSTERDAM, May 18 – Tens of thousands of protesters marched through The Hague on Sunday demanding a tougher stance from the Dutch government against Israel’s war in Gaza.

Organiser Oxfam Novib said around 100,000 protesters had joined the march, most dressed in red expressing their desire for a “red line” against Israel’s siege on Gaza, where it has cut off medical, food and fuel supplies.

The march also passed the seat of the International Court of Justice, which is hearing a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide and last year ordered Israel to halt a military assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Israel dismisses accusations of genocide as baseless and has argued in court that its operations in Gaza are self defence and targeted at Hamas militants who attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

Oxfam Novib said the Dutch government had ignored what it said were war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza, and urged protesters to demand a tougher line.

Dutch Foreign Affairs minister Caspar Veldkamp earlier this month said he wanted the EU to reconsider cooperation agreements it has with Israel.

But the Dutch government has so far refrained from harsher criticism, and the leader of the largest party in the government coalition, anti-Muslim populist Geert Wilders, has repeatedly voiced unwavering support for Israel.

Wilders called Sunday’s protesters “confused” and accused them in a post on X of supporting Hamas.

REUTERS

SYDNEY, May 19 – Eight people have been rescued from floodwaters in the Australian state of New South Wales amid heavy rainfall.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) on Monday morning issued a severe weather warning for parts of five NSW regions over 100 km north of Sydney.

It warned of heavy rainfall of up to 180 millimeters (mm) over the next 24 hours that could lead to flash flooding north of Sydney. The small town of Wyee, 80 km north of Sydney, received 120 mm of rain in the 24 hours to Monday morning.

The State Emergency Service (SES) said that it responded to 346 calls for assistance across NSW on Sunday, 272 of which were in the state’s north, and rescued eight people from vehicles that became stuck in floodwaters.

All eight incidents occurred in northern NSW, with one of the eight people taken to the hospital.

The BoM said that Sydney is expected to receive about 20 mm of rain on Monday, followed by up to 100 mm combined between Tuesday and Friday.

“The extended nature of this wet weather event really is significant because even though the daily rainfall totals aren’t super alarming, having that much rain three or four days in a row can lead to significant flood impacts, road closures and potential for some inundation of homes or properties or businesses around north-eastern NSW,” BoM senior meteorologist Angus Hines said in a statement.

A hazardous surf warning has been put in place for a 500-km stretch of the eastern state’s coastline, including Sydney, and people have been advised to “stay well away” from the surf and exposed areas.

XINHUA

GAZA, May 18 – The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip since dawn on Sunday has risen to 140, according to the Civil Defense in Gaza.

Local sources and eyewitnesses reported that Israeli drones targeted a gathering of Palestinians as they were digging a water well in the Al-Saftawi neighborhood, north of Gaza City. Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, told Xinhua that the airstrike killed eight people and wounded several others.

This latest major incident brings the death toll since Sunday dawn to 140, as Israeli aircraft have attacked tents housing displaced people and residential houses in various areas of the strip, according to Basal.

He added that the escalating Israeli attacks are making the civil defense, with scarce resources, unable to respond to citizens’ calls for help.

Basal explained that 75 percent of all civil defense vehicles in Gaza have stopped operating due to a lack of fuel, noting that the fuel crisis is worsening daily.

He warned that all civil defense vehicle services would be halted within the next 72 hours and that crews would be unable to carry out their humanitarian missions due to the lack of even the minimum amount of fuel needed to operate them.

Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli army announced that its ground forces, including reservists, had begun “extensive operations” in both northern and southern Gaza under an offensive it termed “Gideon’s Chariots.” This campaign marks a new phase in Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas and other militant factions.

XINHUA

May 18 – Russian air defence forces destroyed 25 Ukrainian drones over two of its border regions overnight and on Sunday morning, the Russian Defence Ministry said, and the governor of another region said one woman had been killed in a drone attack.

Twenty two drones had been downed over the Belgorod region and another three destroyed over the Bryansk region, the ministry said in statements. Both regions border Ukraine.

Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Bryansk, said the attempted attack did not inflict any damage or cause any casualties.

Alexander Khinshtein, governor of Kursk, another region bordering Ukraine, said a 69-year-old woman had been killed by an explosive dropped from a drone overnight.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Both sides deny targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed in the conflict, the majority of them Ukrainians.

Ukrainian authorities said early on Sunday that the largest known Russian drone attack since President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022 had killed a woman in the Kyiv region and injured at least three people.

REUTERS

MEXICO CITY, May 18 – At least 12 alleged criminals were killed and nine detained in an operation by Mexican federal forces against a criminal cell in the town of Huitzontla in the western state of Michoacan, the country’s security ministry said on Saturday.

The detainees are allegedly linked to various high-impact crimes, including homicide, extortion and illegal deprivation of liberty, said Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico’s secretary for security and citizen protection.

“After repelling the strong assault, 12 aggressors lost their lives and three Navy colleagues were injured,” he said on the social media platform X.

Michoacan is one of the regions most affected by violence linked to organized crime in Mexico, where security forces carry out constant actions to dismantle criminal groups.

XINHUA

JAKARTA, May 18 – One person died, at least 19 others went missing, and four sustained serious injuries after flash floods and landslides struck Indonesia’s West Papua province, a top rescuer said on Sunday.

Heavy rainfall triggered the natural disaster in Catubow village, Gunung Arfak Regency, according to Yefri Sabaruddin, head of the search and rescue office in West Papua Province.

Sabaruddin stated that the disaster occurred on Thursday night, but due to poor communication access, his office received the information days later.

“One resident was killed, and we will evacuate the body. As many as 19 people are confirmed missing. We also received additional reports about other missing persons, but I still need to confirm the precise number,” he told Xinhua.

“We will also comb the surrounding areas to determine whether there are more victims of the flash floods,” Sabaruddin said, adding that four survivors suffered injuries.

According to him, difficult terrain and poor communication facilities have hampered search and rescue efforts.

“We received the disaster report on Saturday afternoon, and our team, comprising 12 personnel from the local search and rescue office, immediately deployed to the scene. Personnel from other regional offices also joined the mission,” he said.

However, challenging road conditions in the mountainous area and poor communication access have hindered the operations, Sabaruddin noted.

XINHUA

JAKARTA, May 18 – Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province erupted multiple times on Sunday, prompting the country’s Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Center to issue its highest aviation alert.

The strongest eruption occurred at 14:05 local time, sending a massive ash column up to 6,000 meters into the sky. Thick gray volcanic clouds spread northward, northeastward, westward, and northwestward from the crater.

Authorities raised the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) to red level, the highest warning, advising aircraft to avoid flying below 6,000 meters near the volcano due to hazardous ash. Airlines were also cautioned about potential flight disruptions caused by the ash plume.

To protect nearby communities, officials established a 6-kilometer danger zone around the crater, prohibiting tourists and visitors from entering. Residents on the slopes were warned of potential lahars (volcanic mudflows) triggered by heavy rains, as rivers originating from the summit could channel debris.

Those in ash-affected areas were advised to wear face masks to reduce respiratory risks from airborne particles.

Standing at 1,584 meters, Mount Lewotobi is one of Indonesia’s 127 active volcanoes.

XINHUA

KABUL, May 18 – A total of 439 Afghan inmates were released from Pakistani prisons and returned to Afghanistan in the past three days, a news release from the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said on Sunday.

The returnees, after receiving assistance at the border, were transported to their home provinces, it said.

Earlier, about 400 Afghan inmates imprisoned in Pakistan were released and returned to their homeland last week.

An estimated 7 million Afghan refugees, many undocumented, still reside abroad, primarily in neighboring Iran and Pakistan.

The Afghan interim government urges immigrants to return home and contribute to the rebuilding of their war-torn homeland.

XINHUA

GUANGZHOU, May 18 – Two people were killed and one remains missing after a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall hit a village in south China’s Guangdong Province early Sunday, according to local authorities.

The landslide occurred around 7 a.m. in Pingtougang Village, located in the city of Gaozhou, trapping seven people, according to Gaozhou’s emergency management bureau.

Six people were rescued, but two of them died later despite emergency treatment. The other four have been sent to the hospital for treatment.

Search and rescue efforts are ongoing for the missing person.

XINHUA

NEW YORK, May 18 – A massive Mexican navy sailing ship making a festive visit to New York hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday evening, killing two people and injuring 19 others, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.

The vessel involved was the Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtemoc, carrying 277 people, with four of those injured in critical condition, said Adams.

Adams attributed the collision to a mechanical mishap. “The pilot lost power of the ship,” which left from the nearby Pier 17 earlier, he said.

A police department official said that all of the injured were on board and no one fell into the water.

Videos posted on social media reveal that the ship’s 147-foot masts were clearly too tall to pass safely under the bridge.

The ship was scheduled to return to New York in July 2026 to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, according to media reports.

Following the collision, New York Police Department warned on social platform X that people should avoid the areas around the Brooklyn Bridge due to the ongoing investigation, heavy traffic and a significant emergency response presence.

As a result, all lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge are currently closed in both directions.

XINHUA

HANOI, May 18 – Flooding caused by heavy rains has left three people dead in northern Vietnam’s Bac Kan province, Vietnam News Agency reported Sunday.

According to the report, all the victims were local residents.

Two suspension bridges, an electric pole, and several houses were swept away, while agricultural land also suffered severe flooding, the state-owned media outlet added.

Bac Kan has seen multiple rounds of heavy rain in recent days, with widespread downpours hitting the province from late Saturday night to early Sunday morning.

XINHUA