Joe Walsh and Bill Weld, two of the three Republicans challenging President Donald Trump for their party's 2020 presidential nomination, are set to meet in a debate on Tuesday, hoping to bring attention to their long-shot candidacies.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-says-hassan-rouhani-meeting-not-scheduled-as-speculation-swirls-251612">Trump </a>will not take part in the event in New York hosted by the website Business Insider, nor will the third candidate seeking the Republican nomination, former South Carolina governor and congressman Mark Sanford.

The debate featuring Walsh, a radio talk-show host and former US congressman from Illinois, and Weld, a former Massachusetts governor, is not sanctioned by the Republican Party, which has thrown its full support behind Trump. Sanford cited a scheduling conflict for missing the event.

Walsh, Weld and Sanford, in a joint article published in the Washington Post this month, called Trump "a serial self-promoter" who is steering the party away from "personal responsibility, fiscal sanity, and rule of law."

Trump is expected to coast to victory in his quest for the Republican nomination before facing the Democratic Party's nominee in the November 2020 election. A Sept. 16-20 Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 82 per cent of registered Republicans approved of Trump's job performance.

Walsh, Weld, and Sanford complained about being shut out of the nomination contest. Republican Party officials in Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Nevada and South Carolina already have said they would not host nominating contests in their states next year, cutting off any chance for the challengers to win delegates who will choose the Republican candidate at the party's convention.

"We're in the process of doing serious and lasting harm to the Republican Party brand," Sanford told Reuters on Friday. "We need to stand up and have a robust conversation about what it means to be Republicans."

Trump has dismissed his challengers as a "joke" and "laughingstock," calling them the "Three Stooges," a reference to a popular mid-20th-century comedy team that portrayed inept bunglers.

Asked to explain Trump's decision not to participate in the debate, Erin Perrine, a deputy communications director for the Trump campaign, said, "Pointless."

Walsh, 57, served in the House of Representatives for two years and then became a radio talk-show host. Weld, 74, touts a fiscally conservative record as well as his work on gay rights and environmental issues. He ran unsuccessfully for vice president in 2016 on the Libertarian Party's ticket

Joe Walsh and Bill Weld, two of the three Republicans challenging President Donald Trump for their party's 2020 presidential nomination, are set to meet in a debate on Tuesday, hoping to bring attention to their long-shot candidacies.

Joe Walsh and Bill Weld, two of the three Republicans challenging President Donald Trump for their party's 2020 presidential nomination, are set to meet in a debate on Tuesday, hoping to bring attention to their long-shot candidacies. Trump will not take part in the event in New York hosted by the website Business Insider, nor will the third candidate seeking the Republican nomination, former South Carolina governor and congressman Mark Sanford. The debate featuring Walsh, a radio talk-show host and former US congressman from Illinois, and Weld, a former Massachusetts governor, is not sanctioned by the Republican Party, which has thrown its full support behind Trump. Sanford cited a scheduling conflict for missing the event. Walsh, Weld and Sanford, in a joint article published in the Washington Post this month, called Trump "a serial self-promoter" who is steering the party away from "personal responsibility, fiscal sanity, and rule of law." Trump is expected to coast to victory in his quest for the Republican nomination before facing the Democratic Party's nominee in the November 2020 election. A Sept. 16-20 Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 82 per cent of registered Republicans approved of Trump's job performance. Walsh, Weld, and Sanford complained about being shut out of the nomination contest. Republican Party officials in Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Nevada and South Carolina already have said they would not host nominating contests in their states next year, cutting off any chance for the challengers to win delegates who will choose the Republican candidate at the party's convention. "We're in the process of doing serious and lasting harm to the Republican Party brand," Sanford told Reuters on Friday. "We need to stand up and have a robust conversation about what it means to be Republicans." Trump has dismissed his challengers as a "joke" and "laughingstock," calling them the "Three Stooges," a reference to a popular mid-20th-century comedy team that portrayed inept bunglers. Asked to explain Trump's decision not to participate in the debate, Erin Perrine, a deputy communications director for the Trump campaign, said, "Pointless." Walsh, 57, served in the House of Representatives for two years and then became a radio talk-show host. Weld, 74, touts a fiscally conservative record as well as his work on gay rights and environmental issues. He ran unsuccessfully for vice president in 2016 on the Libertarian Party's ticket

Two of Trump's Republican challengers to debate without him

Police in South Carolina was hunting for suspects on Saturday (September 21) after at least one person opened fire before dawn at a crowded bar in the city of Lancaster, killing two people and wounding eight others, officials said.

The shooter was still at large when Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile spoke to reporters.

"I believe it was beef between two individuals who showed up at the same place, things turned violent and there were several others who got shot that were at the wrong place at the wrong time," Faile told a news briefing.

The sheriff's office said it was a violent incident of "huge magnitude" and that it appeared at least one shooter targeted a specific victim following a dispute.

Ten people, including two men who died, were shot in the gunfire that erupted at 2:45 a.m. local time in the town about 60 miles (100 km) north of the state capital of Columbia, the Sheriff's Office statement said.

Four others were airlifted for medical treatment and their conditions were not immediately known, while another four were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, it said.

Police in South Carolina was hunting for suspects on Saturday (September 21) after at least one person opened fire before dawn at a crowded bar in the city of Lancaster, killing two people and wounding eight others, officials said.

Police in South Carolina was hunting for suspects on Saturday (September 21) after at least one person opened fire before dawn at a crowded bar in the city of Lancaster, killing two people and wounding eight others, officials said. The shooter was still at large when Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile spoke to reporters. "I believe it was beef between two individuals who showed up at the same place, things turned violent and there were several others who got shot that were at the wrong place at the wrong time," Faile told a news briefing. The sheriff's office said it was a violent incident of "huge magnitude" and that it appeared at least one shooter targeted a specific victim following a dispute. Ten people, including two men who died, were shot in the gunfire that erupted at 2:45 a.m. local time in the town about 60 miles (100 km) north of the state capital of Columbia, the Sheriff's Office statement said. Four others were airlifted for medical treatment and their conditions were not immediately known, while another four were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, it said.

US: Shooting at South Carolina bar leaves two dead, eight wounded

A weakening Hurricane Dorian, downgraded to a Category 1 but still packing 90 mph (150 kph) winds, crawled north on Friday, skirting the Carolinas and flooding coastal towns a couple of days after it reduced parts of the Bahamas to rubble.

The storm was about 30 miles (50 km) south-southwest of Cape Lookout, NC on the state's Out Banks early on Friday.

It is expected to push farther out to sea before making landfall in the state later on Friday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in a 2 am EST advisory.

The howling west flank of Dorian has soaked the Carolinas since early Thursday, flooding coastal towns, whipping up more than a dozen tornadoes and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of people.

Floodwaters rose to a foot (30 cm) or more in parts of the historic South Carolina city of Charleston, where more than 7 inches (18 cm) of rain fell in some areas, officials said. Another half-inch or more was expected overnight Friday.

Among the few people in the streets Thursday as one of the largest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded drew close were John Rivers, 74, and his three children. They cleared drains of branches, leaves and debris, using a shovel, a rake and their bare hands.&nbsp;

"We're giving the water somewhere to go," Rivers said, sheltering under a covered walkway from the driving rain and gusts of wind while his daughter Caroline, 12, pulled off her rubber boots, pouring a stream of water from each.

"I see this as a good life lesson for my kids," Rivers said.

More than 280,000 homes and businesses were without power in North Carolina and South Carolina on Friday morning. Power had mostly been restored to thousands of people in Georgia, tracking site poweroutage.us showed.

But as Dorian picks up speed from its 15 mph (24 kph) crawl, life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds remain a threat for much of the area and Virginia, the NHC said.

Governors in the region declared states of emergency, shut schools, opened shelters, readied national guard troops and urged residents to heed warnings, as media circulated fresh images of the storm's devastation in the Bahamas.

At least 70,000 Bahamians needed immediate humanitarian relief after Dorian became the most damaging storm ever to hit the island nation.

In the Carolinas alone, more than 900,000 people had been ordered to evacuate their homes. It was unclear how many did so.

In Kill Devil Hills, in North Carolina's Outer Banks, Mark Jennings decided to ignore the order, lining his garage door with sandbags and boarding up his home with plywood.

The retired firefighter planned to stay put with his wife and two dogs, saying, "We are ready to go. If something happens, we can still get out of here."

Dorian whipped up at least three tornadoes in the region, officials said. One in North Carolina damaged scores of trailers at a campground in Emerald Isle, but no one was injured, the News &amp; Observer said.

Of at least four storm-related deaths reported in the United States, three were in Orange County, Florida, during storm preparations or evacuation, the mayor's office said.

In North Carolina, an 85-year-old man fell off a ladder while barricading his home for Dorian, the governor said.

A weakening Hurricane Dorian, downgraded to a Category 1 but still packing 90 mph (150 kph) winds, crawled north on Friday, skirting the Carolinas and flooding coastal towns a couple of days after it reduced parts of the Bahamas to rubble.

A weakening Hurricane Dorian, downgraded to a Category 1 but still packing 90 mph (150 kph) winds, crawled north on Friday, skirting the Carolinas and flooding coastal towns a couple of days after it reduced parts of the Bahamas to rubble. The storm was about 30 miles (50 km) south-southwest of Cape Lookout, NC on the state's Out Banks early on Friday. It is expected to push farther out to sea before making landfall in the state later on Friday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in a 2 am EST advisory. The howling west flank of Dorian has soaked the Carolinas since early Thursday, flooding coastal towns, whipping up more than a dozen tornadoes and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of people. Floodwaters rose to a foot (30 cm) or more in parts of the historic South Carolina city of Charleston, where more than 7 inches (18 cm) of rain fell in some areas, officials said. Another half-inch or more was expected overnight Friday. Among the few people in the streets Thursday as one of the largest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded drew close were John Rivers, 74, and his three children. They cleared drains of branches, leaves and debris, using a shovel, a rake and their bare hands. "We're giving the water somewhere to go," Rivers said, sheltering under a covered walkway from the driving rain and gusts of wind while his daughter Caroline, 12, pulled off her rubber boots, pouring a stream of water from each. "I see this as a good life lesson for my kids," Rivers said. More than 280,000 homes and businesses were without power in North Carolina and South Carolina on Friday morning. Power had mostly been restored to thousands of people in Georgia, tracking site poweroutage.us showed. But as Dorian picks up speed from its 15 mph (24 kph) crawl, life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds remain a threat for much of the area and Virginia, the NHC said. Governors in the region declared states of emergency, shut schools, opened shelters, readied national guard troops and urged residents to heed warnings, as media circulated fresh images of the storm's devastation in the Bahamas. At least 70,000 Bahamians needed immediate humanitarian relief after Dorian became the most damaging storm ever to hit the island nation. In the Carolinas alone, more than 900,000 people had been ordered to evacuate their homes. It was unclear how many did so. In Kill Devil Hills, in North Carolina's Outer Banks, Mark Jennings decided to ignore the order, lining his garage door with sandbags and boarding up his home with plywood. The retired firefighter planned to stay put with his wife and two dogs, saying, "We are ready to go. If something happens, we can still get out of here." Dorian whipped up at least three tornadoes in the region, officials said. One in North Carolina damaged scores of trailers at a campground in Emerald Isle, but no one was injured, the News & Observer said. Of at least four storm-related deaths reported in the United States, three were in Orange County, Florida, during storm preparations or evacuation, the mayor's office said. In North Carolina, an 85-year-old man fell off a ladder while barricading his home for Dorian, the governor said.

Dorian weakens to Category 1 hurricane; tropical storm conditions spreading

South Carolina Shooting: 7 officers shot in Florence county

Five law enforcement officers were shot, one of them fatally, near the city of Florence, South Carolina, on Wednesday, before a suspect was arrested, according to local media and emergency management authorities.

No official details on the shooting were immediately available. But the Florence County Emergency Management Department said on Twitter that an "active shooting situation" reported in the area was "over and the suspect is in custody."

The tweet advised members of the public to keep away from the crime scene in the residential subdivision known as Vintage Place, on the western edge of Florence.

A person answering the telephone at the county emergency department said he was not at liberty to provide further details.&nbsp;

Florence-based WPDE-TV, citing the Florence County Sheriff`s Office, reported that three sheriff`s deputies and two Florence city police officers were shot in the incident, and that one of the city officers had died.

WMBF-TV, an NBC News affiliate, also reported that one of the five officers had been killed. The condition of the four other officers was unknown, local media outlets said.

Florence, a city of about 38,000 people, is in the Pee Dee region of northeastern South Carolina that was drenched by heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Florence last month.

At least 100 law enforcement officers swarmed the area around the shooting, ABC News affiliate WPDE reported.

"This is simply devastating news from Florence. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real," Governor Henry McMaster said on Twitter.

Five law enforcement officers were shot, one of them fatally, near the city of Florence, South Carolina, on Wednesday, before a suspect was arrested, according to local media and emergency management authorities.

Five law enforcement officers were shot, one of them fatally, near the city of Florence, South Carolina, on Wednesday, before a suspect was arrested, according to local media and emergency management authorities. No official details on the shooting were immediately available. But the Florence County Emergency Management Department said on Twitter that an "active shooting situation" reported in the area was "over and the suspect is in custody." The tweet advised members of the public to keep away from the crime scene in the residential subdivision known as Vintage Place, on the western edge of Florence. A person answering the telephone at the county emergency department said he was not at liberty to provide further details. Florence-based WPDE-TV, citing the Florence County Sheriff`s Office, reported that three sheriff`s deputies and two Florence city police officers were shot in the incident, and that one of the city officers had died. WMBF-TV, an NBC News affiliate, also reported that one of the five officers had been killed. The condition of the four other officers was unknown, local media outlets said. Florence, a city of about 38,000 people, is in the Pee Dee region of northeastern South Carolina that was drenched by heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Florence last month. At least 100 law enforcement officers swarmed the area around the shooting, ABC News affiliate WPDE reported. "This is simply devastating news from Florence. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real," Governor Henry McMaster said on Twitter.

South Carolina shooting leaves one officer dead, four injured: US media

As many as 8,000 people in and around the city of Georgetown, South Carolina, have been urged to evacuate ahead severe flooding expected this week from two rain-gorged rivers in what may be the final destructive chapter of Hurricane Florence.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vows-100-per-cent-support-for-storm-battered-carolinas-166828">Also Read: Trump vows '100 per cent' support for storm-battered Carolinas</a>

Floodwaters of 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) are expected to inundate Georgetown and surrounding communities by late this week as the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers overrun their banks along the low-lying tidal flats where they converge at Winyah Bay, which flows into the Atlantic.

Emergency management officials began sending pre-recorded telephone messages to residents in harm's way over the weekend, and will probably start going door-to-door in the next few days, Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

The potential flood zone encompasses some 3,500 homes in Georgetown, which lies at the confluence of the two rivers at the top of the bay, and the coastal resort community of Pawleys Island, she told Reuters.

She said the estimated 6,000 to 8,000 people who live in that area are being "strongly urged", to leave on their own, although no mandatory evacuation has been ordered.

The county plans to open emergency shelters at 7 a.m. on Monday, and hotels outside the flood zone in nearby Myrtle Beach are offering discounts for evacuees. Public schools will be closed until further notice, Broach-Akers said.

State transportation crews were working to erect temporary dams on either side of US&nbsp;Highway 17, the main coastal route through the area, and National Guard engineers were installing a floating bridge at Georgetown in case the highway is washed out at the river.

"The water is still rising there," said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. "It's a matter of time before it subsides," he said early on Monday.

About 100 miles (160 km) up the coast, a commercial section of downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, by the Cape Fear River was under a foot of water, with flooding expected to rise by a further 2 feet with high tide on Sunday evening, city spokesman Dylan Lee said.

Flooding in Wilmington was expected to peak on Monday along the city's Water Street riverfront, where many businesses had stacked sandbags in advance, Lee said. But the city said its offices would reopen on Monday after having been closed for a week.

Nine days after Florence came ashore, the National Weather Service said flooding would likely persist in coastal parts of the Carolinas for days as the high-water crest of numerous rivers keeps moving downstream toward the ocean.

"This isn't over," said Oravec. "All that water is going to take a good while to recede," he said. "Damage can still be done. It'll be a slow drop."

The storm dumped 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm) of rain on the Wilmington area alone after making landfall nearby on Sept. 14.

Floodwaters have begun to recede farther inland.

That left hundreds of dead fish stranded on a highway near Wallace, about 35 miles from the nearest beach, according to the Penderlea Fire Department, which posted video of firefighters hosing the fish off Interstate 40.

"Well, we can add 'washing fish off of the interstate' to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience!" the department said on Facebook.

Remnants of the once-mighty storm brought heavy rains across a swath of the country, prompting flood watches and warnings from Texas to Virginia and Maryland, at least through Monday, the weather service said.

About 5,000 people across North Carolina have been rescued by boat or helicopter since the storm made landfall, twice as many as in Hurricane Matthew two years ago, according to state officials. Thousands of people remained in shelters.

As many as 8,000 people in and around the city of Georgetown, South Carolina, have been urged to evacuate ahead severe flooding expected this week from two rain-gorged rivers in what may be the final destructive chapter of Hurricane Florence.

As many as 8,000 people in and around the city of Georgetown, South Carolina, have been urged to evacuate ahead severe flooding expected this week from two rain-gorged rivers in what may be the final destructive chapter of Hurricane Florence. Also Read: Trump vows '100 per cent' support for storm-battered Carolinas Floodwaters of 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) are expected to inundate Georgetown and surrounding communities by late this week as the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers overrun their banks along the low-lying tidal flats where they converge at Winyah Bay, which flows into the Atlantic. Emergency management officials began sending pre-recorded telephone messages to residents in harm's way over the weekend, and will probably start going door-to-door in the next few days, Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said. The potential flood zone encompasses some 3,500 homes in Georgetown, which lies at the confluence of the two rivers at the top of the bay, and the coastal resort community of Pawleys Island, she told Reuters. She said the estimated 6,000 to 8,000 people who live in that area are being "strongly urged", to leave on their own, although no mandatory evacuation has been ordered. The county plans to open emergency shelters at 7 a.m. on Monday, and hotels outside the flood zone in nearby Myrtle Beach are offering discounts for evacuees. Public schools will be closed until further notice, Broach-Akers said. State transportation crews were working to erect temporary dams on either side of US Highway 17, the main coastal route through the area, and National Guard engineers were installing a floating bridge at Georgetown in case the highway is washed out at the river. "The water is still rising there," said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. "It's a matter of time before it subsides," he said early on Monday. About 100 miles (160 km) up the coast, a commercial section of downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, by the Cape Fear River was under a foot of water, with flooding expected to rise by a further 2 feet with high tide on Sunday evening, city spokesman Dylan Lee said. Flooding in Wilmington was expected to peak on Monday along the city's Water Street riverfront, where many businesses had stacked sandbags in advance, Lee said. But the city said its offices would reopen on Monday after having been closed for a week. Nine days after Florence came ashore, the National Weather Service said flooding would likely persist in coastal parts of the Carolinas for days as the high-water crest of numerous rivers keeps moving downstream toward the ocean. "This isn't over," said Oravec. "All that water is going to take a good while to recede," he said. "Damage can still be done. It'll be a slow drop." The storm dumped 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm) of rain on the Wilmington area alone after making landfall nearby on Sept. 14. Floodwaters have begun to recede farther inland. That left hundreds of dead fish stranded on a highway near Wallace, about 35 miles from the nearest beach, according to the Penderlea Fire Department, which posted video of firefighters hosing the fish off Interstate 40. "Well, we can add 'washing fish off of the interstate' to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience!" the department said on Facebook. Remnants of the once-mighty storm brought heavy rains across a swath of the country, prompting flood watches and warnings from Texas to Virginia and Maryland, at least through Monday, the weather service said. About 5,000 people across North Carolina have been rescued by boat or helicopter since the storm made landfall, twice as many as in Hurricane Matthew two years ago, according to state officials. Thousands of people remained in shelters.

Georgetown, South Carolina residents urged to evacuate ahead of severe flooding

At least seventeen people have been wounded when a charter bus carrying a high school chorus team crashed early on Sunday morning (local time) in South Carolina`s Colleton County in the United States (US).

There were 30 people on the bus at the time of the wreck, according to Colleton County Fire-Rescue Chief Barry McRoy, the US media reported.

According to the reports eleven were transported to Colleton Medical Center, two of whom suffered serious injuries, including the bus driver.

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Six more, all students, were referred for treatment after arriving at the hospital later.

McRoy said the bus heading northbound ran off the left side, crossed southbound lanes and went down an embankment.

The group, of students and chaperones from a chorus group at Beddingfield High School in Wilson, North Carolina reportedly, was on its way home from a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

The Beddingfield Chorus Facebook account said all students and chaperones treated at the hospital "should be fine".

A group of students and chaperones was on its way home from a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida

At least seventeen people have been wounded when a charter bus carrying a high school chorus team crashed early on Sunday morning (local time) in South Carolina`s Colleton County in the United States (US). There were 30 people on the bus at the time of the wreck, according to Colleton County Fire-Rescue Chief Barry McRoy, the US media reported. According to the reports eleven were transported to Colleton Medical Center, two of whom suffered serious injuries, including the bus driver. × Six more, all students, were referred for treatment after arriving at the hospital later. McRoy said the bus heading northbound ran off the left side, crossed southbound lanes and went down an embankment. The group, of students and chaperones from a chorus group at Beddingfield High School in Wilson, North Carolina reportedly, was on its way home from a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The Beddingfield Chorus Facebook account said all students and chaperones treated at the hospital "should be fine".

17 wounded in South Carolina road mishap

Seven prison inmates were killed on Monday in an incident of hours long fight broke out in South Carolina prison.

17 others have also reported being injured in the scuffle. No law enforcement officer has been injured so far.

Altercations broke out between multiple inmates around 7 pm on Sunday.&nbsp

Seven ambulances reportedly were called for wounded persons.

According to reports, this incident is one of the deadliest violence&nbspincidents to broke out in prison in years.

The prison has 1,583 inmates, according to its website.

In 1993, nine inmates and one corrections officer died at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, according to local media.

One inmate died and eight were wounded in a September 2017 riot at a state penitentiary in San Luis Obispo, California.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Altercations broke out between multiple inmates around 7 pm on Sunday

Seven prison inmates were killed on Monday in an incident of hours long fight broke out in South Carolina prison. 17 others have also reported being injured in the scuffle. No law enforcement officer has been injured so far. Altercations broke out between multiple inmates around 7 pm on Sunday. Seven ambulances reportedly were called for wounded persons. According to reports, this incident is one of the deadliest violence&nbspincidents to broke out in prison in years. The prison has 1,583 inmates, according to its website. In 1993, nine inmates and one corrections officer died at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, according to local media. One inmate died and eight were wounded in a September 2017 riot at a state penitentiary in San Luis Obispo, California. (With inputs from Reuters)

Seven inmates killed, 17 injured in South Carolina prison riot

An Amtrak train traveling in&nbsp;South&nbsp;Carolina&nbsp;collided with a CSX freight train on Sunday, killing two people and injuring at least 50, CNN and other media reported.

The train with 139 passengers and eight crew members was traveling between New York and Miami when it hit the other train and derailed near Columbia,&nbsp;South&nbsp;Carolina, Amtrak officials told local media.

The collision happened about 2.30 A.M. (0730 GMT), according to local media.

An Amtrak train traveling in South Carolina collided with a CSX freight train on Sunday, killing two people and injuring at least 50, CNN and other media reported

An Amtrak train traveling in South Carolina collided with a CSX freight train on Sunday, killing two people and injuring at least 50, CNN and other media reported. The train with 139 passengers and eight crew members was traveling between New York and Miami when it hit the other train and derailed near Columbia, South Carolina, Amtrak officials told local media. The collision happened about 2.30 A.M. (0730 GMT), according to local media.

At least 2 dead, 50 injured in South Carolina train wreck

A disgruntled employee who fatally shot one person and held another hostage on Thursday at a restaurant in downtown Charleston, South Carolina,&nbsp;was shot by police, the city&#39;s mayor said.

Witnesses said the gunman brandished a pistol and said, &quot;There&#39;s&nbsp;a new boss in town&quot; as he entered Virginia&#39;s&nbsp;On King in the heart of the city&#39;s commercial district, while about 15 to 20 people were having lunch. Many of them fled.

The gunman was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and the hostage was rescued, said Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg.

&quot;A disgruntled employee came back to his place of employment... with a gun and killed an individual in the restaurant, held another hostage for some time,&quot; Tecklenburg told reporters at the scene.

&quot;This was not a terrorist act. This was not a hate crime. This was a tragic case of a disgruntled individual, I think with a history of some mental health challenges, who took his anger into his own hands,&quot; he said.

Local television station WCSC-TV quoted a representative of the group that owns the restaurant as saying that one shooting victim was a chef and the gunman was a former dishwasher.

Police helicopters had buzzed overhead and police SWAT team members had closed several blocks of King Street, which is home to many restaurants, bars and boutiques and is popular with residents and tourists.

Virginia&#39;s On King is an upscale restaurant serving traditional Southern comfort food.

The local Post and Courier newspaper quoted a couple, Tom and Patsy Plant, who said they were eating lunch with their daughter Laura when the gunman walked in from the kitchen, the newspaper reported.

The Plants, who said they fled with other customers through a back door, described him as a black man in his late 50s. Patsy Plant told the paper he looked like &quot;an ordinary grandpa, but he had a crazy look.&quot;

The restaurant is just a block and a half from the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where on June 17, 2015, a white supremacist fatally shot nine members of a Bible study group in what officials called a racially motivated hate crime.

The church shooter, Dylann Roof, has been sentenced to death in federal court for the massacre. He pleaded guilty in April to separate state murder charges.

The gunman was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and the hostage was rescued, Charleston Mayor said

A disgruntled employee who fatally shot one person and held another hostage on Thursday at a restaurant in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, was shot by police, the city's mayor said. Witnesses said the gunman brandished a pistol and said, "There's a new boss in town" as he entered Virginia's On King in the heart of the city's commercial district, while about 15 to 20 people were having lunch. Many of them fled. The gunman was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and the hostage was rescued, said Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg. "A disgruntled employee came back to his place of employment... with a gun and killed an individual in the restaurant, held another hostage for some time," Tecklenburg told reporters at the scene. "This was not a terrorist act. This was not a hate crime. This was a tragic case of a disgruntled individual, I think with a history of some mental health challenges, who took his anger into his own hands," he said. Local television station WCSC-TV quoted a representative of the group that owns the restaurant as saying that one shooting victim was a chef and the gunman was a former dishwasher. Police helicopters had buzzed overhead and police SWAT team members had closed several blocks of King Street, which is home to many restaurants, bars and boutiques and is popular with residents and tourists. Virginia's On King is an upscale restaurant serving traditional Southern comfort food. The local Post and Courier newspaper quoted a couple, Tom and Patsy Plant, who said they were eating lunch with their daughter Laura when the gunman walked in from the kitchen, the newspaper reported. The Plants, who said they fled with other customers through a back door, described him as a black man in his late 50s. Patsy Plant told the paper he looked like "an ordinary grandpa, but he had a crazy look." The restaurant is just a block and a half from the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where on June 17, 2015, a white supremacist fatally shot nine members of a Bible study group in what officials called a racially motivated hate crime. The church shooter, Dylann Roof, has been sentenced to death in federal court for the massacre. He pleaded guilty in April to separate state murder charges.

Charleston hostage situation: One dead; gunman, a disgruntled employee, shot

Hurricane Matthew hit Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the&nbsp;United States after killing almost 900 people in Haiti but was reduced to a category 1 storm on Saturday.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) downgraded the storm to a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds subsiding to a still dangerous 75 miles (130 kilometers) per hour, AFP reported.

&quot;The combination of a dangerous storm surge, the tide, and large and destructive waves will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,&quot; the NHC said.

The Matthew appeared to be diminishing after hitting the southern coast of South Carolina after causing power outages in Florida and claiming at least four lives.

In Florida, 775,000 were without power, according to state utilities, while in South Carolina 433,000 had no power, Governor Nikki Haley said, Reuters reported. Florida governor Rick Scott told Reuters that more than 6,000 people stayed in shelters on Friday night.

&quot;We&#39;re all blessed that Matthew stayed off our coast,&quot; he said, though he also described extensive flooding, damaged roads, downed trees and homes without electricity. He predicted most people would have power back by Sunday evening.

&quot;The weather experts have described Matthew as a once in a 100-year type of storm,&quot; said Mayor Lenny Curry in Jacksonville, Florida.

Matthew triggered mass evacuations and cities were under curfew as the storm accelerated along the US coast from Florida through Georgia and into South Carolina and North Carolina.

Cities including Savannah and Charleston in South Carolina were under dusk-to-dawn curfews to keep people off the streets and guard against looting.

Streets in Charleston were flooding up to the top of the tires. However, the officials did not report any deaths, injuries or significant structural damage.

President Barack Obama has declared federal states of emergency in Florida, Georgia, and North and South Carolina.

A US Navy ship transport dock ship was en route to Haiti to support relief efforts. The US government was also airlifting in blankets, hygiene kits, kitchen sets and plastic sheeting for emergency shelters, a statement by the United States Agency for International Development said.

The storm caused major flooding and left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean coast. Tens of thousands were left homeless in Haiti earlier this week before it skirted Florida&#39;s Atlantic coast on Friday.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Matthew triggered mass evacuations and cities were under curfew as the storm accelerated along the US coast from Florida through Georgia

Hurricane Matthew hit Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the United States after killing almost 900 people in Haiti but was reduced to a category 1 storm on Saturday. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) downgraded the storm to a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds subsiding to a still dangerous 75 miles (130 kilometers) per hour, AFP reported. "The combination of a dangerous storm surge, the tide, and large and destructive waves will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the NHC said. The Matthew appeared to be diminishing after hitting the southern coast of South Carolina after causing power outages in Florida and claiming at least four lives. In Florida, 775,000 were without power, according to state utilities, while in South Carolina 433,000 had no power, Governor Nikki Haley said, Reuters reported. Florida governor Rick Scott told Reuters that more than 6,000 people stayed in shelters on Friday night. "We're all blessed that Matthew stayed off our coast," he said, though he also described extensive flooding, damaged roads, downed trees and homes without electricity. He predicted most people would have power back by Sunday evening. "The weather experts have described Matthew as a once in a 100-year type of storm," said Mayor Lenny Curry in Jacksonville, Florida. Matthew triggered mass evacuations and cities were under curfew as the storm accelerated along the US coast from Florida through Georgia and into South Carolina and North Carolina. Cities including Savannah and Charleston in South Carolina were under dusk-to-dawn curfews to keep people off the streets and guard against looting. Streets in Charleston were flooding up to the top of the tires. However, the officials did not report any deaths, injuries or significant structural damage. President Barack Obama has declared federal states of emergency in Florida, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. A US Navy ship transport dock ship was en route to Haiti to support relief efforts. The US government was also airlifting in blankets, hygiene kits, kitchen sets and plastic sheeting for emergency shelters, a statement by the United States Agency for International Development said. The storm caused major flooding and left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean coast. Tens of thousands were left homeless in Haiti earlier this week before it skirted Florida's Atlantic coast on Friday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Hurricane Matthew downgraded to Category 1 storm as it hits southeastern US coast

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