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Taiwan braces for strong wind and rain as Typhoon Koinu approaches the island

Taiwan has issued a weather alert as Typhoon Koinu is approaching and may make landfall later this week, bringing gales and downpours to the southeastern parts of the island TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan issued a weather alert on Tuesday as Typhoon Koinu is approaching and may make landfall later this week, bringing gales and downpours to the southeastern parts of the island . The weather bureau put out a land warning on Tuesday after issuing a sea alert late Monday. Koinu was moving northwest with sustained winds of 162 kph (101 mph) near its center, according to the bureau. Forecasters expected it to bring strong winds and downpours to southern and eastern parts of Taiwan early Wednesday and potentially make landfall in the southeastern part of the island on Thursday. Beaches in Kenting National Park, in the southern tip of Taiwan, were closed to the public on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the local authorities in the southeastern Taitung County listed several coastal and mountainous areas as pot
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India police search journalists' homes, offices in country's latest raids on media

Indian police raided the offices of a news website that’s under investigation for allegedly receiving funds from China, as well as the homes of several of its journalists, the latest in a series of investigations into the finances of independent media ... NEW DELHI -- Indian police raided the offices of a news website that's under investigation for allegedly receiving funds from China, as well as the homes of several of its journalists, in what critics described as an attack on one of India's few remaining independent news outlets. The raids came months after Indian authorities searched the BBC’s New Delhi and Mumbai offices over accusations of tax evasion in February. NewsClick, founded in 2009, is known as a rare Indian news outlet willing to criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A number of other news organizations have been investigated for financial impropriety under Modi's Hindu nationalist government, as international monitors warn that press freedom is eroding in
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Paris battles bedbugs ahead of 2024 Summer Olympics

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Bedbugs are not new to Paris, but the issue has become widely publicized in recent weeks as the French capital prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. LONDON -- The City of Light is battling an infestation of bedbugs as it prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. Videos recently posted on social media purportedly show the tiny, bloodsucking insects crawling on public transport in Paris and even in Charles de Gaulle Airport. With the Olympic Games less than a year away, Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire has called on French authorities to organize a conference with stakeholders to come up with an "action plan." "Faced with the scourge of bedbug s, we must act!" Grégoire said in a social media post last Thursday. "This is a public Health problem where all stakeholders must be brought to the table. It is up to owners and insurers to cover the costs of getting rid of these pests." MORE: $4M settlement reached with family of man who died in bedbug-infe
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Tropical Storm Philippe pelts northeast Caribbean with heavy rains and forces schools to close

Tropical storm Philippe is dropping heavy rains in the northeast Caribbean and forcing governments to close schools in the region as forecasters warn of flash flooding SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Tropical storm Philippe dropped heavy rains in the north east Caribbean on Tuesday, forcing governments to close schools in the region as forecasters warned of flash flooding. The storm was located about 70 miles (115 kilometers) northwest of Anguilla on Tuesday morning and had winds of up to 45 mph (75 kph). It was moving northwest at 10 mph (17 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. A tropical storm warning was still in effect for Anguilla after Philippe made landfall in Barbuda late Monday. A tropical storm watch was in effect for the British Virgin Islands. Forecasters warned that the strongest winds and rains would be felt by islands located south of the storm's center as Philippe moves north of the Leeward Islands on Tuesday. Officials in the twin-island nation o
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Iranian police deny claim that officers assaulted teen girl over hijab

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The teen is reportedly in a coma from injuries suffered during the encounter. LONDON -- A 16-year-old girl's alleged assault at the hands of Iran's "morality police" is renewing criticism of the regime more than one year after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini sparked nationwide protests. Armita Geravand, a student, was hospitalized in Tehran after an alleged encounter with police officers in a metro station southeast of the city on Sunday, journalists and human rights observers said. Geravand is now in a coma, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported Tuesday. Islamic Republic officials deny there was an encounter between police and Geravand, claiming the girl fainted "due to low blood pressure." The news of Geravand's hospitalization began spreading Sunday when London-based Iranian journalist Farzad Seifikaran wrote on X that the teen and her friends were stopped by police for allegedly not wearing headscarves. Seifikaran claim s police pu
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Azerbaijan arrests several former top separatist leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh

Azerbaijani authorities have arrested several former separatist leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh after reclaiming control of the Armenian-populated breakaway region in a lightning military operation last month Authorities in Azerbaijan arrested several former separatist leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday after reclaiming control of the Armenian-populated breakaway region in a lightning Military operation last month, a top Azerbaijani news agency said. Arayik Harutyunyan, who led the region before stepping down at the beginning of September, was arrested and was being brought to the Azerbaijani capital, the APA news agency said. Arkadi Gukasian, who served as the separatist president from 1997 until 2007, and Bako Sahakyan, who held the job from 2007 until 2020, also were arrested Tuesday along with the speaker of the separatist legislature, Davit Ishkhanyan, APA said. The wave of arrests come as Azerbaijani authorities move swiftly to establish their control over the region after a
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21 dead, 18 injured after bus falls off overpass near Venice, Italy

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A bus crash in Mestre, a suburb near Venice, and on Italy's mainland, left 21 dead and 18 injured. A bus crash in Mestre, a suburb near Venice, and on Italy's mainland, left 21 dead and 18 injured on Tuesday, according to Italian officials. The bus, which was carrying passengers to a campsite in Marghera, fell off of an overpass , police said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The accident happened in the Mestre and Marghera neighboring districts of Italy, near the city of Venice. Many of the injured , who were rescued in an evacuation operation which lasted until 9:30 p.m. local time, were listed as code red, indicating they were in critical condition. The 18 injured passengers were taken to five hospitals in Veneto, officials said. Firefighters work near a coach after it crashed off an overpass in Mestre, Italy, Oct. 3, 2023. Manuel Silvestri/Reuters MORE: 11-year-old allegedly shoots 13-year-olds during dispute at football practice: Police "A huge tragedy s
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