<p>A 3-year-old boy in Texas has died&nbsp;at his birthday party after accidentally shooting himself in the chest.</p>

<p>According to the&nbsp;Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to a home in Porter, Texas on October 24 in reference to a Welfare Check.</p>

<p>Family and friends had gathered earlier to celebrate the birthday of the three-year-old, and while playing cards, heard a gunshot.</p>

<p>The child was located with a gunshot wound to the chest. During the investigation, it was learned the child found the pistol after it fell out of a family member's pocket.</p>

<p>The sheriff's office said in the release ''The child was rushed to the nearest fire station where he succumbed to his wounds. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this tragic accident.</p>

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A 3-year-old boy in Texas has died at his birthday party after accidentally shooting himself in the chest. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to a home in Porter, Texas on October 24 in reference to a Welfare Check.

A 3-year-old boy in Texas has died at his birthday party after accidentally shooting himself in the chest. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to a home in Porter, Texas on October 24 in reference to a Welfare Check. Family and friends had gathered earlier to celebrate the birthday of the three-year-old, and while playing cards, heard a gunshot. The child was located with a gunshot wound to the chest. During the investigation, it was learned the child found the pistol after it fell out of a family member's pocket. The sheriff's office said in the release ''The child was rushed to the nearest fire station where he succumbed to his wounds. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this tragic accident.

Texas: 3-year-old boy dies at his birthday party from gunshot wound

<p>Maci Currin, a 17-year-old girl from Texas, has broken the Guinness World Record for having the world's longest legs. She also holds the record for having the longest legs as a teenager.</p>

<p>The longs legs make up 60 per cent of her total height.</p>

<p>Currin is 6-foot-10. Her father was 6-foot-5, her brother is 6-foot-4 and her mother is 5-foot-7. Her left leg is over 53 inches long, while her right leg is slightly shorter, at 52.874 inches, according to Guiness.</p>

<p>With 1.7 million followers on TikTok, and another 50,000 on Instagram, she regularly posts about confidence and body image, and uses her social media to inspire others to embrace their height.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CC6lxhUJRja/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I’m here for a 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹 time not a long time</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_maci.currin_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> 𝙼𝚊𝚌𝚒 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚗</a> (@_maci.currin_) on <time datetime="2020-07-21T19:14:17+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jul 21, 2020 at 12:14pm PDT</time></p>
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Maci Currin, a 17-year-old girl from Texas, has broken the Guinness World Record for having the world's longest legs. She also holds the record for having the longest legs as a teenager.

Maci Currin, a 17-year-old girl from Texas, has broken the Guinness World Record for having the world's longest legs. She also holds the record for having the longest legs as a teenager. The longs legs make up 60 per cent of her total height. Currin is 6-foot-10. Her father was 6-foot-5, her brother is 6-foot-4 and her mother is 5-foot-7. Her left leg is over 53 inches long, while her right leg is slightly shorter, at 52.874 inches, according to Guiness. With 1.7 million followers on TikTok, and another 50,000 on Instagram, she regularly posts about confidence and body image, and uses her social media to inspire others to embrace their height. View this post on Instagram I’m here for a 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹 time not a long time A post shared by 𝙼𝚊𝚌𝚒 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚗 (@_maci.currin_) on Jul 21, 2020 at 12:14pm PDT × View this post on Instagram Wildin 👽 A post shared by 𝙼𝚊𝚌𝚒 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚗 (@_maci.currin_) on Dec 8, 2019 at 7:54pm PST ×

Texas teenager breaks two world records for longest legs

<p>A US Judge on Friday blocked the order of limiting the&nbsp;vote drop-off point per county to one for the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections</a>.</p>

<p>The authorities this year are encouraging people to opt for mail-in voting rather than the in-person approach that is usually followed, to make sure the elections do not add to the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the US.</p>

<p>However, the US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is not a fan of this new approach as he feels this can leave room for manipulation of votes.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/inside-the-trump-campaigns-strategy-to-make-voting-a-tooth-and-nail-fight-334209/amp"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Inside the Trump campaign’s strategy to make voting a tooth-and-nail fight</strong></a></p>

<p>Following Trump's thought process, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said the number of drop-off points should be limited to guarantee voter security.</p>

<p>Judge Robert Pitman, on Friday, ruled that limitation will force many people to travel long distances to find a drop-off point, which can make them vulnerable to catching the virus and can also discourage people from voting.</p>

<p>Therefore, Pitman has blocked the Governor's order and has asked the authorities to co-operate with the American voters and encourage them to safely cast their votes.</p>

<p>In Texas, resgietred voters over&nbsp;65, people who have a disability, are in jail or who will be out of town on election day ly ones who will be allowed to vote by post. Therefore, the Judge feels that the Governor's order will add to the problems of these voters, instead of helping them.</p>


A US Judge on Friday blocked the order of limiting the vote drop-off point per county to one for the upcoming US elections. The authorities this year are encouraging people to opt for mail-in voting rather than the in-person approach that is usually followed, to make sure the elections do not add to the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the US.

A US Judge on Friday blocked the order of limiting the vote drop-off point per county to one for the upcoming US elections. The authorities this year are encouraging people to opt for mail-in voting rather than the in-person approach that is usually followed, to make sure the elections do not add to the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the US. However, the US President Donald Trump is not a fan of this new approach as he feels this can leave room for manipulation of votes. Also read: Inside the Trump campaign’s strategy to make voting a tooth-and-nail fight Following Trump's thought process, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said the number of drop-off points should be limited to guarantee voter security. Judge Robert Pitman, on Friday, ruled that limitation will force many people to travel long distances to find a drop-off point, which can make them vulnerable to catching the virus and can also discourage people from voting. Therefore, Pitman has blocked the Governor's order and has asked the authorities to co-operate with the American voters and encourage them to safely cast their votes. In Texas, resgietred voters over 65, people who have a disability, are in jail or who will be out of town on election day ly ones who will be allowed to vote by post. Therefore, the Judge feels that the Governor's order will add to the problems of these voters, instead of helping them.

US election 2020: Texas Judge blocks Governor's order to limit drop-off points

<p>The Republican governor of Texas has announced that voters will only have one place per county to drop off mail-in ballots across the vast US state.</p>

<p>The action by Governor Greg Abbott, a Trump supporter, restricts access to the common practice of mail-in voting that is expected to become much more popular due to the coronavirus pandemic.</p>

<p>"These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting," Abbott said in a statement Thursday.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-and-wife-melania-test-positive-for-coronavirus-world-leaders-wish-speedy-recovery-331890"><strong>ALso read:&nbsp;Trump and wife Melania test positive for coronavirus; world leaders wish speedy recovery</strong></a></p>

<p>Texas has some of the most populous counties in the country. More than 2.3 million voters live in Harris County, which includes Houston, but 11 of its 12 drop-off points are scheduled to close under the governor's order.</p>

<p>"This isn't security, it's suppression," senior county official Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat, said on Twitter.</p>

<p>"Mail ballot voters shouldn't have to drive 30 miles to drop off their ballot or rely on a mail system that's facing cutbacks."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Harris County is bigger than the state of Rhode Island, and we're supposed to have 1 site? This isn't security, it's suppression. Mail ballot voters shouldn't have to drive 30 miles to drop off their ballot, or rely on a mail system that’s facing cutbacks. <a href="https://t.co/IeKwzdB0Hb">https://t.co/IeKwzdB0Hb</a></p>
— Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/LinaHidalgoTX/status/1311753527174270984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Abbott's move is in line with views expressed by President Donald Trump, who frequently claims without evidence that postal ballots are a source of massive vote fraud.</p>

<p>Mail-in votes can be dropped off at dedicated ballot boxes as an alternative to using the under-pressure postal service.</p>

<p>The practice is seen as safer for the elderly and others at higher risk from Covid-19 if they go to a polling station.</p>

<p>Apart from isolated incidents, no serious study has reported major fraud related to postal ballots in a US election.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Voting by mail was widespread during the 2016 presidential race, where nearly a quarter of the votes (33 million) were mailed in.</p>


The Republican governor of Texas has announced that voters will only have one place per county to drop off mail-in ballots across the vast US state. The action by Governor Greg Abbott, a Trump supporter, restricts access to the common practice of mail-in voting that is expected to become much more popular due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Republican governor of Texas has announced that voters will only have one place per county to drop off mail-in ballots across the vast US state. The action by Governor Greg Abbott, a Trump supporter, restricts access to the common practice of mail-in voting that is expected to become much more popular due to the coronavirus pandemic. "These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting," Abbott said in a statement Thursday. ALso read: Trump and wife Melania test positive for coronavirus; world leaders wish speedy recovery Texas has some of the most populous counties in the country. More than 2.3 million voters live in Harris County, which includes Houston, but 11 of its 12 drop-off points are scheduled to close under the governor's order. "This isn't security, it's suppression," senior county official Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat, said on Twitter. "Mail ballot voters shouldn't have to drive 30 miles to drop off their ballot or rely on a mail system that's facing cutbacks." Harris County is bigger than the state of Rhode Island, and we're supposed to have 1 site? This isn't security, it's suppression. Mail ballot voters shouldn't have to drive 30 miles to drop off their ballot, or rely on a mail system that’s facing cutbacks. https://t.co/IeKwzdB0Hb — Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) October 1, 2020 × Abbott's move is in line with views expressed by President Donald Trump, who frequently claims without evidence that postal ballots are a source of massive vote fraud. Mail-in votes can be dropped off at dedicated ballot boxes as an alternative to using the under-pressure postal service. The practice is seen as safer for the elderly and others at higher risk from Covid-19 if they go to a polling station. Apart from isolated incidents, no serious study has reported major fraud related to postal ballots in a US election. Voting by mail was widespread during the 2016 presidential race, where nearly a quarter of the votes (33 million) were mailed in.

US election 2020: Texas governor cuts number of ballot drop-off points

Gun owners in America are fearing their right to keep and bear arms would be affected, so Texans are scrambling to buy guns. Watch the report to know more.

Your Story: Texans buy guns, ammunition to stay 'prepared'

A 'brain-eating' amoeba has been found in the water supply of a Texas city where a 6-year-old boy recently died from an infection with the organism. Watch the report

Your Story: 'Brain-eating' amoeba in Texas tap water kills 6-year-old

Texas has stepped up efforts to counter the threat posed by a brain-eating amoeba detected in the water supply of a coastal county that led to the death of a 6-year-old boy earlier this month.

US: Texas on alert over brain-eating amoeba

<p>Eight cities in Texas have issued a disaster declaration for the locals after a&nbsp;brain-eating amoeba was found in the water being supplied through the taps.</p>

<p>An advisory was issued by the&nbsp;Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that stated that&nbsp;Naegleria fowleri — a brain-eating amoeba — was found in the water supplied to the households by the&nbsp;Brazosport Water Authority.</p>

<p>"The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at the direction of the Governor's Office is working with Brazosport Water Authority to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," the advisory read.</p>

<p>The affected cities are Lake Jackson, Freeport, Angleton, Brazoria, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Clute and Rosenberg, Texas, along with the Dow Chemical plant in Freeport and the Clemens and Wayne Scott Texas Department of Criminal Justice corrections facilities.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">*UPDATE* Do Not Use Water Advisory LIFTED for most Brazosport Water Authority users<br />
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Lake Jackson residents are still urged to heed DO NOT USE Water Advisory. <a href="https://t.co/QEJ0uTNGUi">https://t.co/QEJ0uTNGUi</a> <a href="https://t.co/N8f1wVxnfT">pic.twitter.com/N8f1wVxnfT</a></p>
— Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (@TCEQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TCEQ/status/1309888620791238656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>This amoeba is commonly found in&nbsp;unchlorinated,&nbsp;unhygienic and poorly-maintained pools and warm water storage industrial units. It can also come from soil,&nbsp;warm lakes and rivers, as per CDC.</p>

<p>Amobea-filled water was noticed when a six-year-old boy&nbsp;was hospitalised with the amoeba. When the boy was admitted, the local authorities and the CDC started inspecting water samples from&nbsp;a water fountain "splash pad" in front of Lake Jackson Civic Center or through water emitted from a hose at the boy's home, as per the statement.</p>

<p>These infections are rare, but can be fatal. As per the data provided by the CDC, nearly 145 people were infected from 1962 to 2018 and only four survived the infection.</p>

<p>While some areas have been given the green signal now, Lake Jackson residents are still being urged to not use the tap water.</p>


Eight cities in Texas have issued a disaster declaration for the locals after a brain-eating amoeba was found in the water being supplied through the taps. An advisory was issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that stated that Naegleria fowleri — a brain-eating amoeba — was found in the water supplied to the households by the Brazosport Water Authority.

Eight cities in Texas have issued a disaster declaration for the locals after a brain-eating amoeba was found in the water being supplied through the taps. An advisory was issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that stated that Naegleria fowleri — a brain-eating amoeba — was found in the water supplied to the households by the Brazosport Water Authority. "The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at the direction of the Governor's Office is working with Brazosport Water Authority to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," the advisory read. The affected cities are Lake Jackson, Freeport, Angleton, Brazoria, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Clute and Rosenberg, Texas, along with the Dow Chemical plant in Freeport and the Clemens and Wayne Scott Texas Department of Criminal Justice corrections facilities. *UPDATE* Do Not Use Water Advisory LIFTED for most Brazosport Water Authority users Lake Jackson residents are still urged to heed DO NOT USE Water Advisory. https://t.co/QEJ0uTNGUi pic.twitter.com/N8f1wVxnfT — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (@TCEQ) September 26, 2020 × This amoeba is commonly found in unchlorinated, unhygienic and poorly-maintained pools and warm water storage industrial units. It can also come from soil, warm lakes and rivers, as per CDC. Amobea-filled water was noticed when a six-year-old boy was hospitalised with the amoeba. When the boy was admitted, the local authorities and the CDC started inspecting water samples from a water fountain "splash pad" in front of Lake Jackson Civic Center or through water emitted from a hose at the boy's home, as per the statement. These infections are rare, but can be fatal. As per the data provided by the CDC, nearly 145 people were infected from 1962 to 2018 and only four survived the infection. While some areas have been given the green signal now, Lake Jackson residents are still being urged to not use the tap water.

Do not drink: Eight cities in US find brain-eating amoeba in tap water

Hurricane Hanna lashed the Texas gulf coast and northern Mexico with high winds and drenching rains. Destroying boats, flooding streets and knocking out power across residential areas. Watch report.

Hurricane Hanna lashes Texas gulf coast: Residential areas flooded in Mexico

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<p>Hurricane Hanna has officially made landfall in Texas on Saturday. The category one hurricane with 145 Km/h wind speed hit south of Corpus Christi, Texas, on Padre Island at 6 PM ET (3:30 AM IST) and holds the potential for damaging winds and severe flooding.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/virus-hit-texas-braces-as-2020s-first-hurricane-hanna-takes-aim-315980" hreflang="en">Virus-hit Texas braces as 2020's first hurricane, Hanna, takes aim</a></p>

<p>"Hanna is expected to produce heavy rains across portions of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. These rains will result in life-threatening flash flooding," and some river flooding, the meteorologists said.</p>

<p>"Life-threatening storm surge will continue along portions of the Texas coast," it said, with the surge potentially reaching 6 feet (1.8 meters) in some areas.</p>

<p>According to the National Hurricane Center, Hanna upgraded from tropical storm to hurricane, becoming the first one for 2020 Atlantic hurricane season.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Almost all commercial flights flying into Corpus Christi have been cancelled due to the storm, however, the flight schedule for depart or arrive on Sunday were still on as of Saturday evening. But the city could change it depending on the severity of the storm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This year's Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to be one of the most active in recorded history because of abnormally warm water and other climate conditions. Hanna is eighth named in this year's season so far, breaking 2005's pace-record by 10 days.</p>

<p>According to the hurricane hunters, Hanna's force winds and a pressure that was dropping quickly on Saturday morning which is a sign of an intensifying storm. Warnings and storm surge warnings are in effect for the South Texas coast for the Hurricane.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Inputs from AFP)</em></p>


Hurricane Hanna has officially made landfall in Texas on Saturday. The category one hurricane with 145 Km/h wind speed hit south of Corpus Christi, Texas, on Padre Island at 6 PM ET (3:30 AM IST) and holds the potential for damaging winds and severe flooding.

Hurricane Hanna has officially made landfall in Texas on Saturday. The category one hurricane with 145 Km/h wind speed hit south of Corpus Christi, Texas, on Padre Island at 6 PM ET (3:30 AM IST) and holds the potential for damaging winds and severe flooding. Also read: Virus-hit Texas braces as 2020's first hurricane, Hanna, takes aim "Hanna is expected to produce heavy rains across portions of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. These rains will result in life-threatening flash flooding," and some river flooding, the meteorologists said. "Life-threatening storm surge will continue along portions of the Texas coast," it said, with the surge potentially reaching 6 feet (1.8 meters) in some areas. According to the National Hurricane Center, Hanna upgraded from tropical storm to hurricane, becoming the first one for 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. Almost all commercial flights flying into Corpus Christi have been cancelled due to the storm, however, the flight schedule for depart or arrive on Sunday were still on as of Saturday evening. But the city could change it depending on the severity of the storm. This year's Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to be one of the most active in recorded history because of abnormally warm water and other climate conditions. Hanna is eighth named in this year's season so far, breaking 2005's pace-record by 10 days. According to the hurricane hunters, Hanna's force winds and a pressure that was dropping quickly on Saturday morning which is a sign of an intensifying storm. Warnings and storm surge warnings are in effect for the South Texas coast for the Hurricane. (Inputs from AFP)

Hurricane Hanna makes landfall on Padre Island, Texas; predicted to trigger flash floods

<p>Black Lives Matter protests took an ugly and violent form in the United States on late Saturday when one person was killed in downtown Austin, Texas.</p>

<p>Authorities said several shots were fired amid a protest as about 100 people marched and chanted, "Fists up! Fight back!"</p>

<p>Austin police and emergency medical services said on Twitter that one person was killed during the shooting. There were no other deaths or people shot, according to the EMS department.</p>

<p>Initial reports indicate the suspect was carrying a rifle and shot at the victim, who was in his car, police told a briefing. The suspect has been detained, they said.</p>

<p>Another protester was shot in the suburban Denver suburb of Aurora during demonstrations against racial injustice.</p>

<p>The Aurora Police Department said on Twitter that protesters were walking on Interstate 225 Saturday when a vehicle drove through.</p>

<p>Police said a protester fired a weapon, striking at least one person who was taken to a hospital in stable condition.</p>

<p>In Colorado, protesters have been drawing attention to the death of Elijah McClain, who was stopped by police while walking down an Aurora street in August 2019 after a 911 caller reported him as suspicious.</p>

<p>In Richmond, a city dump truck was set on fire as protesters faced off with police in Virginia's capital during a demonstration in support of protesters on the other side of the country in Portland, Oregon.</p>

<p>Virginia State Police and Richmond police worked to clear the crowd of a several hundred demonstrators late Saturday.</p>

<p>Protesters had been planning for days the demonstration that was called Richmond Stands with Portland, in an apparent reaction to ongoing tensions between protesters and US Agents at the federal courthouse in Oregon's largest city.</p>

<p>Protests against racism and police brutality were sparked worldwide following the May killing of African-American George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while detaining him.</p>

<p>Portland is now the scene of a highly controversial crackdown by federal agents ordered by US President Donald Trump -- one that is not supported by local officials, and which many said smacked of authoritarianism.</p>

<p>Civil unrest, however, was not only confined to Portland -- as thousands of people marched in Seattle on Saturday in the largest Black Lives Matter demonstration in weeks, with a renewed energy.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fresh-violence-in-us-as-protesters-clash-with-police-in-seattle-kentucky-316010"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Fresh violence in US as protesters clash with police in Seattle, Kentucky</strong></a></p>

<p>Also on Saturday, three members of a black militia were shot in Louisville, Kentucky after a gun discharged at a Black Lives Matter protest.</p>

<p>The group of heavily armed Black protesters were marching through Louisville demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, a Black woman killed in March by police officers who burst into her apartment.</p>

<p>police and federal agents fired tear gas and forcefully dispersed protesters in the US city of Portland on Saturday.</p>

<p>Trump, who is campaigning for re-election in November on "law and order," announced on Wednesday a "surge" of federal agents to crime hotspots including Chicago, following an increase in violence in the nation's third-largest city.</p>

<p><em><strong>(with inputs from agencies)</strong></em></p>


Black Lives Matter protests took an ugly and violent form in the United States on late Saturday when one person was killed in downtown Austin, Texas. Authorities said several shots were fired amid a protest as about 100 people marched and chanted, "Fists up!

Black Lives Matter protests took an ugly and violent form in the United States on late Saturday when one person was killed in downtown Austin, Texas. Authorities said several shots were fired amid a protest as about 100 people marched and chanted, "Fists up! Fight back!" Austin police and emergency medical services said on Twitter that one person was killed during the shooting. There were no other deaths or people shot, according to the EMS department. Initial reports indicate the suspect was carrying a rifle and shot at the victim, who was in his car, police told a briefing. The suspect has been detained, they said. Another protester was shot in the suburban Denver suburb of Aurora during demonstrations against racial injustice. The Aurora Police Department said on Twitter that protesters were walking on Interstate 225 Saturday when a vehicle drove through. Police said a protester fired a weapon, striking at least one person who was taken to a hospital in stable condition. In Colorado, protesters have been drawing attention to the death of Elijah McClain, who was stopped by police while walking down an Aurora street in August 2019 after a 911 caller reported him as suspicious. In Richmond, a city dump truck was set on fire as protesters faced off with police in Virginia's capital during a demonstration in support of protesters on the other side of the country in Portland, Oregon. Virginia State Police and Richmond police worked to clear the crowd of a several hundred demonstrators late Saturday. Protesters had been planning for days the demonstration that was called Richmond Stands with Portland, in an apparent reaction to ongoing tensions between protesters and US Agents at the federal courthouse in Oregon's largest city. Protests against racism and police brutality were sparked worldwide following the May killing of African-American George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while detaining him. Portland is now the scene of a highly controversial crackdown by federal agents ordered by US President Donald Trump -- one that is not supported by local officials, and which many said smacked of authoritarianism. Civil unrest, however, was not only confined to Portland -- as thousands of people marched in Seattle on Saturday in the largest Black Lives Matter demonstration in weeks, with a renewed energy. Also read | Fresh violence in US as protesters clash with police in Seattle, Kentucky Also on Saturday, three members of a black militia were shot in Louisville, Kentucky after a gun discharged at a Black Lives Matter protest. The group of heavily armed Black protesters were marching through Louisville demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, a Black woman killed in March by police officers who burst into her apartment. police and federal agents fired tear gas and forcefully dispersed protesters in the US city of Portland on Saturday. Trump, who is campaigning for re-election in November on "law and order," announced on Wednesday a "surge" of federal agents to crime hotspots including Chicago, following an increase in violence in the nation's third-largest city. (with inputs from agencies)

Black Lives Matter protests turn ugly in US as Texas reports one death

<p>Texas, already struggling with a surge in coronavirus cases, was bracing &nbsp;Saturday after storm Hanna strengthened into the first Atlantic hurricane of 2020, with meteorologists warning of heavy rain, storm surge and potentially life-threatening flash flooding.</p>

<p>The storm, with wind speeds of around 80 miles per hour (130 kilometers per hour), strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane overnight and is expected to make landfall by afternoon or early evening, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.</p>

<p>It could bring storm surges of up to five feet and drop up to 18 inches of rain on parts of south Texas, the NHC said, warning of dangerous flash flooding.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strongest-storm-on-earth-expected-to-weaken-as-it-approaches-hawaii-315853"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Strongest storm on Earth expected to weaken as it approaches Hawaii</strong></a></p>

<p>Hanna was about 85 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, at 10:00 am local time (1500 GMT), and was moving west at about seven miles per hour, an NHC advisory said.</p>

<p>Expected to make a slight turn later in the day, it "should make landfall along the Texas coast within the hurricane warning area this afternoon or early this evening," the advisory continued.</p>

<p>Storm warnings were already in effect along Texas's Gulf Coast early Saturday. In Corpus Christi, a city of 325,000, officials closed libraries and museums as residents braced for the storm, local media reported.</p>

<p>Hanna will roar ashore as Texas is already facing a huge surge in coronavirus infections, with officials instituting a state-wide mask mandate to try to curb the spread of the disease.</p>

<p>Two other storm systems were churning Saturday: Pacific Hurricane Douglas, bearing down on the Hawaiian islands, and Tropical Storm Gonzalo in the Atlantic, near the Windward Islands.</p>

<p>Douglas -- at one point a powerful Category 4 hurricane -- has weakened to a Category 2 storm with wind speeds of 105 miles per hour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The NHC said Saturday the storm would continue to weaken as it approaches Hawaii, "potentially passing dangerously close to, or over, the islands late tonight through Sunday night," bringing high winds and heavy surf.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hurricane warnings were in effect Saturday in Hawaii and Maui counties as well as Oahu.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Gonzalo was pouring heavy rain on the Windward Islands, but the tropical storm was expected to weaken and dissipate by Sunday night.</p>


Texas, already struggling with a surge in coronavirus cases, was bracing Saturday after storm Hanna strengthened into the first Atlantic hurricane of 2020, with meteorologists warning of heavy rain, storm surge and potentially life-threatening flash flooding.

Texas, already struggling with a surge in coronavirus cases, was bracing Saturday after storm Hanna strengthened into the first Atlantic hurricane of 2020, with meteorologists warning of heavy rain, storm surge and potentially life-threatening flash flooding. The storm, with wind speeds of around 80 miles per hour (130 kilometers per hour), strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane overnight and is expected to make landfall by afternoon or early evening, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. It could bring storm surges of up to five feet and drop up to 18 inches of rain on parts of south Texas, the NHC said, warning of dangerous flash flooding. Also read: Strongest storm on Earth expected to weaken as it approaches Hawaii Hanna was about 85 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, at 10:00 am local time (1500 GMT), and was moving west at about seven miles per hour, an NHC advisory said. Expected to make a slight turn later in the day, it "should make landfall along the Texas coast within the hurricane warning area this afternoon or early this evening," the advisory continued. Storm warnings were already in effect along Texas's Gulf Coast early Saturday. In Corpus Christi, a city of 325,000, officials closed libraries and museums as residents braced for the storm, local media reported. Hanna will roar ashore as Texas is already facing a huge surge in coronavirus infections, with officials instituting a state-wide mask mandate to try to curb the spread of the disease. Two other storm systems were churning Saturday: Pacific Hurricane Douglas, bearing down on the Hawaiian islands, and Tropical Storm Gonzalo in the Atlantic, near the Windward Islands. Douglas -- at one point a powerful Category 4 hurricane -- has weakened to a Category 2 storm with wind speeds of 105 miles per hour. The NHC said Saturday the storm would continue to weaken as it approaches Hawaii, "potentially passing dangerously close to, or over, the islands late tonight through Sunday night," bringing high winds and heavy surf. Hurricane warnings were in effect Saturday in Hawaii and Maui counties as well as Oahu. Meanwhile, Gonzalo was pouring heavy rain on the Windward Islands, but the tropical storm was expected to weaken and dissipate by Sunday night.

Virus-hit Texas braces as 2020's first hurricane, Hanna, takes aim

The United States continues to reel under the coronavirus pandemic. The country is witnessing the second wave of infections where the state of California overtook New York to become the most affected state in the country.

Coronavirus Pandemic: Crematoriums in Texas overburdened, Highest single-day surge in California

From touch-free bag tag printing to biometric boarding, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas has put new measures in place to allow passengers to travel from curb to aircraft while touching as few surfaces as possible.

Masks, fever checks and biometric boarding: new-look air travel in Texas, a coronavirus hot spot

The United States of America continues to be the worst-hit coronavirus country in the world. Close to 4 million people have been affected and 150,000 people have lost their lives. Watch report.

Donald Trump to resume daily COVID-19 briefing: Long queues for testing in Texas, Florida

<p>Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in the US, will be celebrated this year by Black Americans amid a national reckoning on race prompted by the police killing of George Floyd and the sweeping protests that followed.</p>

<p>On June 1865, Major General Gordon Granger landed on Galveston Island in Texas, along with 2000 union troops, and announced the end of both the Civil War and slavery. "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free.'</p>

<p>For Texans, the first Juneteenth celebration started in 1866, with community-centric events, gatherings and feasts.</p>

<p>Juneteenth is likely to have a special significance this year with the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta by white policemen.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/emancipation-day-juneteenth-and-its-significance-in-us-history-307011#portmanteau-306994">In Pics:&nbsp;Emancipation Day: Juneteenth and its significance in US history</a></p>

<p>There is much discussion and introspection about race in America and racial injustice has become a part of the dinner table conversation.</p>

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<p>But like everything else, Juneteenth too has been stained by politics. US President Donald Trump claimed that he should be given the credit for throwing the spotlight on Juneteenth.</p>

<p>"I did something good: I made juneteenth very famous', this is what Trump told the US media.<br />
<br />
There's a lot of talk about Trump's first political rally since the coronavirus pandemic, which was originally supposed to be held today in Tulsa, Oklahoma.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/think-about-it-as-a-celebration-trump-on-juneteenth-rally-305433">Also Read: 'Think about it as a celebration': Trump on Juneteenth rally</a><br />
<br />
This is the same city which saw race riots 99 years ago on May 31, 1921. The incident referred to as the Tulsa race massacre or the Tulsa race riot, resulted in the deaths of over 300 people and is noted as one of the worst episodes of racial violence in US history.</p>

<p>The rally will now be held on Saturday and there is an uneasy calm in Tulsa ahead of the event. Experts fear that Trump's rally will worsen the racial unrest.</p>


Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in the US, will be celebrated this year by Black Americans amid a national reckoning on race prompted by the police killing of George Floyd and the sweeping protests that followed.

Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in the US, will be celebrated this year by Black Americans amid a national reckoning on race prompted by the police killing of George Floyd and the sweeping protests that followed. On June 1865, Major General Gordon Granger landed on Galveston Island in Texas, along with 2000 union troops, and announced the end of both the Civil War and slavery. "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free.' For Texans, the first Juneteenth celebration started in 1866, with community-centric events, gatherings and feasts. Juneteenth is likely to have a special significance this year with the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta by white policemen. In Pics: Emancipation Day: Juneteenth and its significance in US history There is much discussion and introspection about race in America and racial injustice has become a part of the dinner table conversation. But like everything else, Juneteenth too has been stained by politics. US President Donald Trump claimed that he should be given the credit for throwing the spotlight on Juneteenth. "I did something good: I made juneteenth very famous', this is what Trump told the US media. There's a lot of talk about Trump's first political rally since the coronavirus pandemic, which was originally supposed to be held today in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Also Read: 'Think about it as a celebration': Trump on Juneteenth rally This is the same city which saw race riots 99 years ago on May 31, 1921. The incident referred to as the Tulsa race massacre or the Tulsa race riot, resulted in the deaths of over 300 people and is noted as one of the worst episodes of racial violence in US history. The rally will now be held on Saturday and there is an uneasy calm in Tulsa ahead of the event. Experts fear that Trump's rally will worsen the racial unrest.

Juneteenth coincides with global protests against racial injustice this year

After weeks of being holed up with stay-at-home orders because of the coronavirus pandemic, Americans in all 50 states have seen their restrictions loosened to varying degrees.

Texans hit beach despite surge in virus cases

A Dallas suburb is helping seniors isolated in their homes by the coronavirus pandemic with regular telephone chats. The program being offered by the city of Plano is among those that have popped up across the U.S. during the pandemic to help older adults with a simple offer to engage in small talk.

Phone chats combat senior isolation in Texas city

Before the shooting began, officers were in the park to address city ordinance violations, including people riding ATV's and drinking alcohol, while also attempting to disperse the crowd

5 Injured In Police Firing In Texas while dispersing crowd

Salons and barbershops in Texas were allowed to reopen their doors for the first time in weeks on Friday.

Hair salons and barbershops in Texas re-open from Friday

<p>Texas&nbsp;on Thursday executed a&nbsp;man&nbsp;who was&nbsp;convicted&nbsp;for shooting and&nbsp;killing&nbsp;his 29-year-old wife and his two daughters, as well as his father-in-law and sister-in-law shortly after a smoking crack in&nbsp;2002.</p>

<p>Abel Ochoa, 47, was executed with lethal injection and pronounced dead at the state's death chamber in Huntsville at 6.48 p.m&nbsp;17 years after a jury found him guilty of capital murder, according to a statement by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-dead-and-one-wounded-in-shooting-at-texas-university-on-tuesday-278439">Texas&nbsp;</a>Department of Criminal Justice.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-dead-and-one-wounded-in-shooting-at-texas-university-on-tuesday-278439">Two dead, one wounded in shooting at Texas University</a></strong></p>

<p>Ochoa was the third inmate in the United States and the second in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-dead-and-one-wounded-in-shooting-at-texas-university-on-tuesday-278439">Texas&nbsp;</a>to be executed in 2020.&nbsp;Texas, which executed nine people in 2019, has executed more prisoners than any other state since the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-dead-and-one-wounded-in-shooting-at-texas-university-on-tuesday-278439">US&nbsp;Supreme Court</a> reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The United States is the only large Western democracy to retain capital punishment.</p>

<p>On Aug. 4,&nbsp;2002, 20 minutes after smoking crack cocaine, Ochoa went into his living room and shot to death his wife Cecilia, nine-month-old daughter Anahi, his father-in-law Bartolo and his sister-in-law Jackie, prosecutors said.</p>

<p>He then reloaded his .9mm Ruger handgun and chased his 7-year-old daughter Crystal into the kitchen, where he shot her four times. He had also shot his sister-in-law Alma, the lone survivor of the attack.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shooter-among-one-dead-in-texas-church-attack-270896">Shooter among one dead in Texas church attack</a></strong></p>

<p>Police stopped Ochoa soon after the shooting as he drove his wife's car.</p>

<p>"Ochoa told the arresting officer that the gun he used was at his house on the table, that he could not handle the stress anymore, and that he had gotten tired of his life," court records showed.</p>

<p>Ochoa later wrote a confession in which he told authorities he was frustrated that his wife would not give him more money for drugs, court documents said.</p>

<p>Several state and federal courts have denied requests for the execution to be halted and appeals on Ochoa's behalf since his conviction.</p>

<p>On Thursday, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-dead-and-one-wounded-in-shooting-at-texas-university-on-tuesday-278439">US&nbsp;Supreme Court</a> denied a request by Ochoa to stop the execution.</p>

<p>Twenty two people were executed in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-dead-and-one-wounded-in-shooting-at-texas-university-on-tuesday-278439">United States</a> in 2019, down from 25 in 2018 when the country ranked seventh in the world for the number of people it put to death, behind Iraq and Egypt, according to Amnesty International.</p>


Texas on Thursday executed a man who was convicted for shooting and killing his 29-year-old wife and his two daughters, as well as his father-in-law and sister-in-law shortly after a smoking crack in 2002.

Texas on Thursday executed a man who was convicted for shooting and killing his 29-year-old wife and his two daughters, as well as his father-in-law and sister-in-law shortly after a smoking crack in 2002. Abel Ochoa, 47, was executed with lethal injection and pronounced dead at the state's death chamber in Huntsville at 6.48 p.m 17 years after a jury found him guilty of capital murder, according to a statement by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Also read: Two dead, one wounded in shooting at Texas University Ochoa was the third inmate in the United States and the second in Texas to be executed in 2020. Texas, which executed nine people in 2019, has executed more prisoners than any other state since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The United States is the only large Western democracy to retain capital punishment. On Aug. 4, 2002, 20 minutes after smoking crack cocaine, Ochoa went into his living room and shot to death his wife Cecilia, nine-month-old daughter Anahi, his father-in-law Bartolo and his sister-in-law Jackie, prosecutors said. He then reloaded his .9mm Ruger handgun and chased his 7-year-old daughter Crystal into the kitchen, where he shot her four times. He had also shot his sister-in-law Alma, the lone survivor of the attack. Also read: Shooter among one dead in Texas church attack Police stopped Ochoa soon after the shooting as he drove his wife's car. "Ochoa told the arresting officer that the gun he used was at his house on the table, that he could not handle the stress anymore, and that he had gotten tired of his life," court records showed. Ochoa later wrote a confession in which he told authorities he was frustrated that his wife would not give him more money for drugs, court documents said. Several state and federal courts have denied requests for the execution to be halted and appeals on Ochoa's behalf since his conviction. On Thursday, the US Supreme Court denied a request by Ochoa to stop the execution. Twenty two people were executed in the United States in 2019, down from 25 in 2018 when the country ranked seventh in the world for the number of people it put to death, behind Iraq and Egypt, according to Amnesty International.

Texas executes man convicted of killing five family members in 2002

<p>Two people have been killed and one child was injured in a shooting incident at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shooting-reported-at-texas-tech-university-campus-on-lockdown-21195">Texas university</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is the latest incident in the current wave of gun violence in the United States. The victim was found in the university dormitory and the shooter is yet to be identified.</p>

<p>Read More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-toll-from-west-texas-shooting-rises-to-seven-22-wounded-247061">Death toll from West Texas shooting rises to seven, 22 wounded</a></p>

<p>The boy who was about two years old was taken to the hospital and is currently in a stable condition. The police officials have not yet confirmed whether the women were students.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This morning, at approximately 10:17 am, University Police Department received a phone call from a student who lives at Pride Rock. Officers responded and found two deceased adult females in a room. A third person, a small child, approximately two years old, who's in stable condition, was also in the room," Police chief at Brian Vaughn, Texas A&amp;M University, said.</p>

<p>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/police-investigating-texas-shooting-as-possible-hate-crime-chief-240518">Investigating mass shooting as possible hate crime, says Texas police chief</a></p>

<p>Campus lockdown was imposed by the authorities after the shooting but the police have now said that there are no other apparent threats to the university.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Under Texas law, those who hold a valid concealed handgun license in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gunman-kills-20-at-texas-walmart-store-in-us-mass-shooting-240504">Texas</a> are allowed to carry it to certain parts of the campus. According to the policy, handgun license holders are also allowed to store the weapon safely in their campus housing.</p>


Two people have been killed and one child was injured in a shooting incident at Texas university. This is the latest incident in the current wave of gun violence in the United States.

Two people have been killed and one child was injured in a shooting incident at Texas university. This is the latest incident in the current wave of gun violence in the United States. The victim was found in the university dormitory and the shooter is yet to be identified. Read More: Death toll from West Texas shooting rises to seven, 22 wounded The boy who was about two years old was taken to the hospital and is currently in a stable condition. The police officials have not yet confirmed whether the women were students. "This morning, at approximately 10:17 am, University Police Department received a phone call from a student who lives at Pride Rock. Officers responded and found two deceased adult females in a room. A third person, a small child, approximately two years old, who's in stable condition, was also in the room," Police chief at Brian Vaughn, Texas A&M University, said. Read more: Investigating mass shooting as possible hate crime, says Texas police chief Campus lockdown was imposed by the authorities after the shooting but the police have now said that there are no other apparent threats to the university. Under Texas law, those who hold a valid concealed handgun license in Texas are allowed to carry it to certain parts of the campus. According to the policy, handgun license holders are also allowed to store the weapon safely in their campus housing.

Two dead, one wounded in shooting at Texas University

<p>US&nbsp;presidential candidate <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bloomberg-trump-to-air-dueling-super-bowl-ads-272836">Michael Bloomberg</a> told reporters he is ready to spend much of his vast fortune to oust Republican President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-warns-iran-against-massacre-as-protests-erupt-over-downing-of-ukrainian-airplane-273670">Donald Trump</a> from the White House in 2020, rejecting criticism from rivals for the Democratic nomination that the billionaire is trying to buy the US&nbsp;election.</p>

<p>Ranked by Forbes as the eighth-richest American, Bloomberg has flooded US&nbsp;airwaves and social media feeds with messages that he stands the best chance to beat Trump, spending more on campaign ads since he launched his campaign in November than his main Democratic rivals have over the last year.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today, people all over the nation are showing their support for our campaign, and I couldn't be more honored, grateful and hopeful for our future.<br />
<br />
Together, we will defeat Donald Trump.<br />
<br />
Together, we will rebuild America.<br />
<br />
Together, we will <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GetItDone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GetItDone</a>! <a href="https://t.co/jMmIcKExTv">pic.twitter.com/jMmIcKExTv</a></p>
— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeBloomberg/status/1216082774249164800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Number one priority is to get rid of Donald Trump. I'm spending all my money to get rid of Trump," Bloomberg told reporters aboard his campaign bus on Saturday, during a nearly 300-mile (483-km) drive across Texas, one of the 14 states that will vote on Super Tuesday on March 3.</p>

<p>"Do you want me to spend more or less? End of story."</p>

<p>US&nbsp;Senator <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/three-swing-district-democrats-back-joe-bidens-presidential-bid-272511">Elizabeth Warren</a>, one of the leading Democratic presidential contenders who has vowed to get money out of politics, blasted Bloomberg when he launched his campaign with a $37-million TV advertising blitz, accusing the former New York City mayor of trying to buy American democracy.</p>

<p>"These are just political things they say, hoping they catch on and they don't like me doing it, because it competes with them, not because it's bad policy," Bloomberg said.</p>

<p>After entering the race late and missing the first six Democratic debates, Bloomberg generally sits fifth in national public opinion polls behind <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-leader-ready-to-pass-impeachment-trial-rules-without-democrats-272835">Joe Biden</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-gives-lawmakers-formal-notice-of-iraq-strike-amid-complaints-from-democrats-272196">Bernie Sanders</a>, Warren and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democratic-candidate-warren-discloses-details-of-past-legal-work-showing-2-million-in-compensation-267187">Pete Buttigieg</a>.</p>

<p>But not just the two liberal standard-bearers of Warren and Sanders, all of the four are too liberal to beat Trump, Bloomberg said.</p>

<p>"One of the reasons I'm reasonably confident I could beat Trump is I would be acceptable to the moderate <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/texass-greg-abbott-becomes-first-to-refuse-refugees-order-given-by-president-donald-trump-273510">Republicans</a> you have to have," said Bloomberg, a former Republican who made his fortune selling financial information to Wall Street firms.</p>

<p>"Whether you like it or not, you can’t win the election unless you get moderate Republicans to cross the line. The others are much too liberal for them and they would certainly vote for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-of-representatives-curbs-trumps-war-power-amid-iran-tensions-273283">Donald Trump</a>."</p>

<p>After a late entry into the race, he is skipping the first four Democratic nomination contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina all due to take place in February.</p>

<p>Instead, Bloomberg is waging a nationwide campaign to capture delegates in later contests such as Texas, which will be the second-largest prize among the 14 Super Tuesday states.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you for spending part of your weekend with me, Austin! <a href="https://t.co/u8UidNtflR">https://t.co/u8UidNtflR</a></p>
— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeBloomberg/status/1216113830176198657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>At campaign events in San Antonio, Austin and Dallas in Texas on Saturday, Bloomberg said his bipartisan nature made it more likely he could deliver on his pledges to expand health insurance coverage, fight climate change and reduce gun violence.</p>

<p>While his speeches drew modest crowds of no more than a few hundred in Austin and fewer still in San Antonio, many who attended said they were independents or former Trump supporters who had learned about Bloomberg through his massive advertising campaign.</p>

<p>"He’s better than Trump," said Marcelo Montemayor, 75, who listened to Bloomberg speak at a taco restaurant in San Antonio.</p>

<p>Montemayor voted for Trump in 2016 but worries the president’s conservative appointees to federal courts could undermine <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-supreme-court-leaves-kentucky-abortion-restriction-in-place-267309">abortion rights</a>.</p>

<p>Bloomberg's television ads have dominated the airwaves both nationwide and in Texas.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Donald Trump Vs Michael Bloomberg: The battle of the millionaires</strong></p>

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<p>In the top four media markets in the Lone Star State, which include Houston and Dallas, Bloomberg has spent more than $15 million on television ads through mid-January, said Mark Jones, a political scientist at Houston's Rice University, who analyzed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/where-us-presidential-candidates-stand-on-breaking-up-big-tech-258654">Federal Communications Commission</a> records on ad buys.</p>

<p>That exceeds the combined spending nationwide by Democratic frontrunners in 2019, according to a Wesleyan Media Project analysis of Kantar/CMAG television ad data through mid-December.</p>

<p>And for this year's Super Bowl broadcast on February&nbsp;2 in Miami, Trump and Bloomberg both plan to air a 60-second television commercial, a prime example of their ability to devote vast resources to reach millions of viewers.</p>

<p>Trump campaign officials said the campaign paid $10 million for air time. Last year’s <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-commissioner-david-stern-dies-at-77-made-league-truly-global-brand-271536">National Football League</a> championship game drew nearly 100 million viewers.</p>

<p>"You can't get to 330 million people by shaking hands. Television is still the magic medium," Bloomberg said.</p>

<p>"If the Super Bowl wasn't a place to get to an awful lot of people they wouldn't be charging a lot, or nobody would be paying it. This is capitalism at work."</p>


US presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg told reporters he is ready to spend much of his vast fortune to oust Republican President Donald Trump from the White House in 2020, rejecting criticism from rivals for the Democratic nomination that the billionaire is trying to buy the US election.

US presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg told reporters he is ready to spend much of his vast fortune to oust Republican President Donald Trump from the White House in 2020, rejecting criticism from rivals for the Democratic nomination that the billionaire is trying to buy the US election. Ranked by Forbes as the eighth-richest American, Bloomberg has flooded US airwaves and social media feeds with messages that he stands the best chance to beat Trump, spending more on campaign ads since he launched his campaign in November than his main Democratic rivals have over the last year. Today, people all over the nation are showing their support for our campaign, and I couldn't be more honored, grateful and hopeful for our future. Together, we will defeat Donald Trump. Together, we will rebuild America. Together, we will #GetItDone! pic.twitter.com/jMmIcKExTv — Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) January 11, 2020 × "Number one priority is to get rid of Donald Trump. I'm spending all my money to get rid of Trump," Bloomberg told reporters aboard his campaign bus on Saturday, during a nearly 300-mile (483-km) drive across Texas, one of the 14 states that will vote on Super Tuesday on March 3. "Do you want me to spend more or less? End of story." US Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of the leading Democratic presidential contenders who has vowed to get money out of politics, blasted Bloomberg when he launched his campaign with a $37-million TV advertising blitz, accusing the former New York City mayor of trying to buy American democracy. "These are just political things they say, hoping they catch on and they don't like me doing it, because it competes with them, not because it's bad policy," Bloomberg said. After entering the race late and missing the first six Democratic debates, Bloomberg generally sits fifth in national public opinion polls behind Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Warren and Pete Buttigieg. But not just the two liberal standard-bearers of Warren and Sanders, all of the four are too liberal to beat Trump, Bloomberg said. "One of the reasons I'm reasonably confident I could beat Trump is I would be acceptable to the moderate Republicans you have to have," said Bloomberg, a former Republican who made his fortune selling financial information to Wall Street firms. "Whether you like it or not, you can’t win the election unless you get moderate Republicans to cross the line. The others are much too liberal for them and they would certainly vote for Donald Trump." After a late entry into the race, he is skipping the first four Democratic nomination contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina all due to take place in February. Instead, Bloomberg is waging a nationwide campaign to capture delegates in later contests such as Texas, which will be the second-largest prize among the 14 Super Tuesday states. Thank you for spending part of your weekend with me, Austin! https://t.co/u8UidNtflR — Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) January 11, 2020 × At campaign events in San Antonio, Austin and Dallas in Texas on Saturday, Bloomberg said his bipartisan nature made it more likely he could deliver on his pledges to expand health insurance coverage, fight climate change and reduce gun violence. While his speeches drew modest crowds of no more than a few hundred in Austin and fewer still in San Antonio, many who attended said they were independents or former Trump supporters who had learned about Bloomberg through his massive advertising campaign. "He’s better than Trump," said Marcelo Montemayor, 75, who listened to Bloomberg speak at a taco restaurant in San Antonio. Montemayor voted for Trump in 2016 but worries the president’s conservative appointees to federal courts could undermine abortion rights. Bloomberg's television ads have dominated the airwaves both nationwide and in Texas. Watch: Donald Trump Vs Michael Bloomberg: The battle of the millionaires × In the top four media markets in the Lone Star State, which include Houston and Dallas, Bloomberg has spent more than $15 million on television ads through mid-January, said Mark Jones, a political scientist at Houston's Rice University, who analyzed Federal Communications Commission records on ad buys. That exceeds the combined spending nationwide by Democratic frontrunners in 2019, according to a Wesleyan Media Project analysis of Kantar/CMAG television ad data through mid-December. And for this year's Super Bowl broadcast on February 2 in Miami, Trump and Bloomberg both plan to air a 60-second television commercial, a prime example of their ability to devote vast resources to reach millions of viewers. Trump campaign officials said the campaign paid $10 million for air time. Last year’s National Football League championship game drew nearly 100 million viewers. "You can't get to 330 million people by shaking hands. Television is still the magic medium," Bloomberg said. "If the Super Bowl wasn't a place to get to an awful lot of people they wouldn't be charging a lot, or nobody would be paying it. This is capitalism at work."

Democrat Michael Bloomberg: 'I'm spending all my money to get rid of Trump'

<p>Governor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shooter-among-one-dead-in-texas-church-attack-270896">Greg Abbott</a> of&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;on Friday became the&nbsp;first&nbsp;governor in the United&nbsp;States to&nbsp;refuse&nbsp;to accept&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;under&nbsp;an executive&nbsp;order&nbsp;requiring local jurisdictions to actively opt into the federal resettlement program.</p>

<p>The decision is a major blow to the program since&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;is the largest recipient of&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;in the country.</p>

<p>"At this time, the&nbsp;state&nbsp;and non-profit organizations have a responsibility to dedicate available resources to those who are already here, including&nbsp;refugees, migrants and the homeless," Abbott, a Republican, said in his letter to the US&nbsp;State&nbsp;Department.</p>

<p>"As a result,&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;cannot consent," to refugee resettlement this fiscal year, he said.</p>

<p>A&nbsp;State&nbsp;Department official said the executive&nbsp;order&nbsp;signed by President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-under-pressure-at-home-over-plane-crash-warns-iran-world-is-watching-273502">Donald&nbsp;Trump</a>&nbsp;only affects the federal government’s decision about where to place&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;immediately after they arrive. It does not apply to a refugee's spouse or unmarried children&nbsp;under&nbsp;21 who are being admitted to join them in the United&nbsp;States, the official said.</p>

<p>Refugees&nbsp;who are initially settled in another US&nbsp;state&nbsp;can subsequently move to&nbsp;Texas, but they would not have access to federal resettlement benefits, such as housing, there, resettlement agencies say.</p>

<p>"This is a deeply disappointing decision," said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and chief executive officer of the resettlement agency Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). "Historically,&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;has served as a beacon of hope for&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;from across the globe."</p>

<p>So far, 41 governors,18 of them Republican and at least seven dozen local officials have consented to resettlement, according to an LIRS tally.</p>

<p>Florida and Georgia, other major recipients of&nbsp;refugees, have so far remained silent on their stance. The governor's office in Florida said it was still reviewing the issue and Georgia declined to comment.</p>

<p>Cutting immigration has been a centrepiece of&nbsp;Trump's presidency and 2020 re-election campaign. One of his&nbsp;first&nbsp;acts after assuming office in January 2017 was to issue an&nbsp;order&nbsp;capping the maximum number of&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;that year at 50,000. Since then, the cap has been slashed every year.</p>

<p>Trump&nbsp;set a ceiling of 18,000 refugee admissions for this year, the lowest level since the modern refugee program began in 1980. By contrast, former Democratic President Barack Obama proposed resettling 110,000&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;in the 2017 fiscal year ending in September.</p>

<p>Approximately 2,500&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;were resettled in&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;in the 2019 fiscal year, down 70 per cent from fiscal 2016, according to&nbsp;State&nbsp;Department data.</p>

<p>The administration has said the consent requirement, signed in September, aimed to ensure receiving communities have the resources to integrate&nbsp;refugees.</p>

<p>But refugee resettlement groups have argued that giving local governors and mayors a veto over whom they accept is unconstitutional and would disrupt the way they work.</p>

<p>Three of the nine national resettlement agencies sued the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;administration in federal court in an effort to block the&nbsp;order&nbsp;from being implemented.</p>

<p>Arguments in the case were held this week, and US&nbsp;District Judge Peter Messitte in Greenbelt, Maryland, appointed by former Democratic President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-leader-ready-to-pass-impeachment-trial-rules-without-democrats-272835">Bill Clinton</a>, could rule on the case soon.</p>


Governor Greg Abbott of Texas on Friday became the first governor in the United States to refuse to accept refugees under an executive order requiring local jurisdictions to actively opt into the federal resettlement program.

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas on Friday became the first governor in the United States to refuse to accept refugees under an executive order requiring local jurisdictions to actively opt into the federal resettlement program. The decision is a major blow to the program since Texas is the largest recipient of refugees in the country. "At this time, the state and non-profit organizations have a responsibility to dedicate available resources to those who are already here, including refugees, migrants and the homeless," Abbott, a Republican, said in his letter to the US State Department. "As a result, Texas cannot consent," to refugee resettlement this fiscal year, he said. A State Department official said the executive order signed by President Donald Trump only affects the federal government’s decision about where to place refugees immediately after they arrive. It does not apply to a refugee's spouse or unmarried children under 21 who are being admitted to join them in the United States, the official said. Refugees who are initially settled in another US state can subsequently move to Texas, but they would not have access to federal resettlement benefits, such as housing, there, resettlement agencies say. "This is a deeply disappointing decision," said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and chief executive officer of the resettlement agency Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). "Historically, Texas has served as a beacon of hope for refugees from across the globe." So far, 41 governors,18 of them Republican and at least seven dozen local officials have consented to resettlement, according to an LIRS tally. Florida and Georgia, other major recipients of refugees, have so far remained silent on their stance. The governor's office in Florida said it was still reviewing the issue and Georgia declined to comment. Cutting immigration has been a centrepiece of Trump's presidency and 2020 re-election campaign. One of his first acts after assuming office in January 2017 was to issue an order capping the maximum number of refugees that year at 50,000. Since then, the cap has been slashed every year. Trump set a ceiling of 18,000 refugee admissions for this year, the lowest level since the modern refugee program began in 1980. By contrast, former Democratic President Barack Obama proposed resettling 110,000 refugees in the 2017 fiscal year ending in September. Approximately 2,500 refugees were resettled in Texas in the 2019 fiscal year, down 70 per cent from fiscal 2016, according to State Department data. The administration has said the consent requirement, signed in September, aimed to ensure receiving communities have the resources to integrate refugees. But refugee resettlement groups have argued that giving local governors and mayors a veto over whom they accept is unconstitutional and would disrupt the way they work. Three of the nine national resettlement agencies sued the Trump administration in federal court in an effort to block the order from being implemented. Arguments in the case were held this week, and US District Judge Peter Messitte in Greenbelt, Maryland, appointed by former Democratic President Bill Clinton, could rule on the case soon.

Texas becomes first US state to refuse refugees under Trump order

Fatal Shooting In Texas Church Kills Two People, One Injured. #Gravitas

Gravitas: America's Gun Problem: 2 Killed In Shooting At Texas Church

<p>Three workers were injured and&nbsp;residents&nbsp;of four towns were told to evacuate after explosions on Wednesday at a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/massive-explosion-at-chemical-plant-in-port-neches-texas-media-reports-264872">Texas&nbsp;petrochemical&nbsp;plant</a>, the latest in a series of chemical plant accidents in the region.</p>

<p>An early morning blast at a TPC Group complex in Port Neches,&nbsp;Texas, was followed by a series of secondary explosions that shattered windows and blew locked doors off their hinges.</p>

<p>About 60,000 people within a four-mile (6.4 km) radius of the facility was ordered to leave after a distillation column blew up about at 2 p.m. (2000 GMT) It was uncertain when&nbsp;residents&nbsp;would be able to return, Jefferson County chief executive Jeff Branick said.</p>

<p>Branick ordered the departures on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday out of fear heat from the&nbsp;fire&nbsp;would ignite&nbsp;petrochemical&nbsp;tanks at the site.&nbsp;Firefighters were spraying water on the spherical tanks containing butane and other fuels to keep them cool, officials said.</p>

<p>The mandatory evacuation covers Port Neches and Groves, and portions of nearby Nederland and Port Arthur,&nbsp;Texas, officials said. State police would patrol the communities to prevent looting, Branick said.</p>

<p>The plant sits on a 218-acre (88.22-hectare) site located about 90 miles (145 km) east of Houston. It processes&nbsp;petrochemicals used to make synthetic rubber and resins, and a gasoline additive. TPC is nestled among several other chemical complexes that were not affected by the flames.</p>

<p>Peyton Keith, a TPC spokesman, said&nbsp;fire&nbsp;officials were determined to let the&nbsp;fire&nbsp;in a butadiene processing unit burn itself out, and were attempting to keep the flames from spreading. He could not say when the&nbsp;fire&nbsp;could be extinguished.</p>

<p>A smoky plume visible from miles (km) away released volatile organic compounds that can lead to eye, nose and throat irritation, shortness of breath, headaches and nausea, pollution regulator&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) said. No impact to water was reported.</p>

<p>Toby Baker, TCEQ executive director, criticized the "unacceptable trend of significant incidents" in the region and pledged to review the state's compliance efforts.</p>

<p>The fiery blast caused extensive damage to operations at the TPC site and followed other&nbsp;fires at&nbsp;petrochemical&nbsp;producers and storage facilities in&nbsp;Texas.</p>

<p>A March blaze at a chemical storage complex outside Houston burned for days and was followed a month later by another at a KMCO LLC plant northeast of Houston that killed one worker and injured a second. A&nbsp;fire&nbsp;at an Exxon Mobil Corp chemical plant in Baytown,&nbsp;Texas, in July, injured 37.</p>

<p>People more than 30 miles (48 km) away from the complex were shaken awake by the 1 a.m. CT (0700 GMT) explosion, sources familiar with the&nbsp;fire-fighting and rescue operations said.</p>

<p>The blast collapsed a roof over the plant's control room, sending workers&nbsp;fleeing, and damaged its&nbsp;fire-fighting system. The suppression system was restored later in the day, Keith said.</p>

<p>Some homes close to the plant also sustained heavy damage, and police went door-to-door early in the morning to check if&nbsp;residents&nbsp;were injured, said the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.</p>

<p>One of the three injured workers was flown by helicopter to a Houston hospital. All three were treated and released, Keith said.</p>

<p>The plant employs 175 people and routinely has 50 contract workers on site.</p>

<p>"We cannot speak to the cause of the incident or the extent of damage," the company said.</p>

<p>TPC processes&nbsp;petrochemicals for use in the manufacture of synthetic rubber, nylon, resins, plastics and MBTE, a gasoline additive. The company supplies more than a third of the feedstock butadiene in North America, according to its website.</p>

<p>"Right now, our focus is on protecting the safety of responders and the public, and minimizing any impact to the environment," TPC Group said on its website.</p>


Three workers were injured and residents of four towns were told to evacuate after explosions on Wednesday at a Texas petrochemical plant, the latest in a series of chemical plant accidents in the region.

Three workers were injured and residents of four towns were told to evacuate after explosions on Wednesday at a Texas petrochemical plant, the latest in a series of chemical plant accidents in the region. An early morning blast at a TPC Group complex in Port Neches, Texas, was followed by a series of secondary explosions that shattered windows and blew locked doors off their hinges. About 60,000 people within a four-mile (6.4 km) radius of the facility was ordered to leave after a distillation column blew up about at 2 p.m. (2000 GMT) It was uncertain when residents would be able to return, Jefferson County chief executive Jeff Branick said. Branick ordered the departures on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday out of fear heat from the fire would ignite petrochemical tanks at the site. Firefighters were spraying water on the spherical tanks containing butane and other fuels to keep them cool, officials said. The mandatory evacuation covers Port Neches and Groves, and portions of nearby Nederland and Port Arthur, Texas, officials said. State police would patrol the communities to prevent looting, Branick said. The plant sits on a 218-acre (88.22-hectare) site located about 90 miles (145 km) east of Houston. It processes petrochemicals used to make synthetic rubber and resins, and a gasoline additive. TPC is nestled among several other chemical complexes that were not affected by the flames. Peyton Keith, a TPC spokesman, said fire officials were determined to let the fire in a butadiene processing unit burn itself out, and were attempting to keep the flames from spreading. He could not say when the fire could be extinguished. A smoky plume visible from miles (km) away released volatile organic compounds that can lead to eye, nose and throat irritation, shortness of breath, headaches and nausea, pollution regulator Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) said. No impact to water was reported. Toby Baker, TCEQ executive director, criticized the "unacceptable trend of significant incidents" in the region and pledged to review the state's compliance efforts. The fiery blast caused extensive damage to operations at the TPC site and followed other fires at petrochemical producers and storage facilities in Texas. A March blaze at a chemical storage complex outside Houston burned for days and was followed a month later by another at a KMCO LLC plant northeast of Houston that killed one worker and injured a second. A fire at an Exxon Mobil Corp chemical plant in Baytown, Texas, in July, injured 37. People more than 30 miles (48 km) away from the complex were shaken awake by the 1 a.m. CT (0700 GMT) explosion, sources familiar with the fire-fighting and rescue operations said. The blast collapsed a roof over the plant's control room, sending workers fleeing, and damaged its fire-fighting system. The suppression system was restored later in the day, Keith said. Some homes close to the plant also sustained heavy damage, and police went door-to-door early in the morning to check if residents were injured, said the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. One of the three injured workers was flown by helicopter to a Houston hospital. All three were treated and released, Keith said. The plant employs 175 people and routinely has 50 contract workers on site. "We cannot speak to the cause of the incident or the extent of damage," the company said. TPC processes petrochemicals for use in the manufacture of synthetic rubber, nylon, resins, plastics and MBTE, a gasoline additive. The company supplies more than a third of the feedstock butadiene in North America, according to its website. "Right now, our focus is on protecting the safety of responders and the public, and minimizing any impact to the environment," TPC Group said on its website.

Residents flee fourth major Texas petrochemical fire this year

<p>An explosion at a chemical plant in Texas early Wednesday sent a large fireball into the sky, media reports said, triggering a mandatory evacuation.</p>

<p>"Please be aware that there is a mandatory evacuation for everyone within a 1/2 mile of the TPC plant in Port Neches," local fire officials said in a post on the Nederland Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook page.</p>

<p>Dramatic videos and photos shared on social media showed a massive explosion, with one resident describing waking up to a huge boom and "glass all over us".</p>

<p>Ryan Mathewson, who lives roughly two minutes from the plant with his family, told AFP: "We woke up to glass all over us and parts of the ceiling caved in, (and) doors blown in."</p>

<p>The 25-year-old said they were "shook up and scared" following the blast.</p>

<p>County Judge Jeff Branick told local news site KFDM News that there were no injuries reported.</p>

<p>The site of the explosion is believed to be a petrochemical plant roughly 85 miles (135 kilometers) from Houston.</p>


An explosion at a chemical plant in Texas early Wednesday sent a large fireball into the sky, media reports said, triggering a mandatory evacuation. "Please be aware that there is a mandatory evacuation for everyone within a 1/2 mile of the TPC plant in Port Neches," local fire officials said in a post on the Nederland Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook page.

An explosion at a chemical plant in Texas early Wednesday sent a large fireball into the sky, media reports said, triggering a mandatory evacuation. "Please be aware that there is a mandatory evacuation for everyone within a 1/2 mile of the TPC plant in Port Neches," local fire officials said in a post on the Nederland Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook page. Dramatic videos and photos shared on social media showed a massive explosion, with one resident describing waking up to a huge boom and "glass all over us". Ryan Mathewson, who lives roughly two minutes from the plant with his family, told AFP: "We woke up to glass all over us and parts of the ceiling caved in, (and) doors blown in." The 25-year-old said they were "shook up and scared" following the blast. County Judge Jeff Branick told local news site KFDM News that there were no injuries reported. The site of the explosion is believed to be a petrochemical plant roughly 85 miles (135 kilometers) from Houston.

Massive Explosion at chemical plant in Port Neches, Texas: Media reports

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../egypt-mediated-truce-with-israel-in-force-in- gaza-islamic-jihad-261943">Egypt</a> said on Saturday it had signed several multimillion-dollar energy investment accords including a $430-million deal for Texas-based Noble Energy to pump natural gas through the East Mediterranean Gas Company's pipeline.</p>

<p>Under another agreement with Noble, which will also be financed by the US&nbsp;International Development Finance Corporation, the energy company will manufacture petroleum products in partnership with Egyptian company Dolphinus Holdings.</p>

<p>The cabinet detailed the plans at the end of an Africa investment forum held on the site of the country's planned new administrative capital in the desert east of Cairo.</p>

<p>Amsterdam-based Lekela also announced the start of construction work on its West Bakr wind power plant, which will have a capacity of 250 megawatts and require a total investment of $350 million.</p>

<p>Lekela CEO Chris Antonopoulos said Siemens Gamesa will build the West Bakr plant in the Gulf of Suez, creating an expected 550 jobs, according to the cabinet statement.</p>

<p>Egypt signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) worth $201 million to improve the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company's electric grid, and the lender will also finance a new asphalt production unit for the Suez Oil Processing Company worth $50 million.</p>

<p>The EBRD signed further deals with Sarwa Capital Holding and state-owned Banque Misr to issue 500 million Egyptian pounds ($31.13 million) in securitization bonds for the government's New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA).</p>

<p>NUCA, 51 per cent&nbsp;owned by the military's engineering authority and 49 per cent&nbsp;by the housing ministry, is developing Egypt's as-yet-unnamed new capital.</p>


Egypt said on Saturday it had signed several multimillion-dollar energy investment accords including a $430-million deal for Texas-based Noble Energy to pump natural gas through the East Mediterranean Gas Company's pipeline.

Egypt said on Saturday it had signed several multimillion-dollar energy investment accords including a $430-million deal for Texas-based Noble Energy to pump natural gas through the East Mediterranean Gas Company's pipeline. Under another agreement with Noble, which will also be financed by the US International Development Finance Corporation, the energy company will manufacture petroleum products in partnership with Egyptian company Dolphinus Holdings. The cabinet detailed the plans at the end of an Africa investment forum held on the site of the country's planned new administrative capital in the desert east of Cairo. Amsterdam-based Lekela also announced the start of construction work on its West Bakr wind power plant, which will have a capacity of 250 megawatts and require a total investment of $350 million. Lekela CEO Chris Antonopoulos said Siemens Gamesa will build the West Bakr plant in the Gulf of Suez, creating an expected 550 jobs, according to the cabinet statement. Egypt signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) worth $201 million to improve the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company's electric grid, and the lender will also finance a new asphalt production unit for the Suez Oil Processing Company worth $50 million. The EBRD signed further deals with Sarwa Capital Holding and state-owned Banque Misr to issue 500 million Egyptian pounds ($31.13 million) in securitization bonds for the government's New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA). NUCA, 51 per cent owned by the military's engineering authority and 49 per cent by the housing ministry, is developing Egypt's as-yet-unnamed new capital.

Egypt signs $430-million gas deal with Texas' Noble Energy

<p>Texas&nbsp;police said they were seeking a gunman on Sunday who fired randomly at a Halloween homecoming party packed with hundreds of college students, leaving at least two dead and wounding about a dozen more, before fleeing amid the chaos that followed.</p>

<p>Authorities said they believed the unidentified male suspect may have gone to the sprawling event facility where the off-campus party was held intending to shoot a particular person, and fired his handgun into the crowd afterwards.</p>

<p>"We believe this is a separate incident," Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks told a news conference on Sunday morning. "There might have been someone there who was targeted."</p>

<p>The shooting happened around midnight on Saturday in Greenville, about 50 miles&nbsp;northeast of Dallas, shortly after deputies went to a hangar-like facility called The Party Venue to deal with parking violations, Meeks said.</p>

<p>More than 750 partygoers, many of them students at a campus of&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;A &amp; M University in Commerce, about 15 miles&nbsp;away, were at the party when shots were fired near the back of the facility, he said.</p>

<p>"When the shots were fired it was complete chaos as people fled for safety and deputies attempted to locate the shooter," Meeks said, adding that some people cut themselves on broken glass as they tried to squeeze through windows.</p>

<p>A total of 16 people, including four or five students, sought treatment for injuries, 12 of them for gunshot wounds, Meeks said, adding that their conditions were not known. The two partygoers who were killed were not identified.</p>

<p>The investigation, which was being aided by the&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;Rangers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was hampered by a lack of cooperation from those in attendance, Meeks said.</p>

<p>"It appals me that as many folks that were there have not been able to give us a better description of this shooter," he said, adding that investigators had interviewed 20 people.</p>

<p>"With this many people there, normally we would have a really good description of the shooter," he added.</p>


Texas police said they were seeking a gunman on Sunday who fired randomly at a Halloween homecoming party packed with hundreds of college students, leaving at least two dead and wounding about a dozen more, before fleeing amid the chaos that followed.

Texas police said they were seeking a gunman on Sunday who fired randomly at a Halloween homecoming party packed with hundreds of college students, leaving at least two dead and wounding about a dozen more, before fleeing amid the chaos that followed. Authorities said they believed the unidentified male suspect may have gone to the sprawling event facility where the off-campus party was held intending to shoot a particular person, and fired his handgun into the crowd afterwards. "We believe this is a separate incident," Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks told a news conference on Sunday morning. "There might have been someone there who was targeted." The shooting happened around midnight on Saturday in Greenville, about 50 miles northeast of Dallas, shortly after deputies went to a hangar-like facility called The Party Venue to deal with parking violations, Meeks said. More than 750 partygoers, many of them students at a campus of Texas A & M University in Commerce, about 15 miles away, were at the party when shots were fired near the back of the facility, he said. "When the shots were fired it was complete chaos as people fled for safety and deputies attempted to locate the shooter," Meeks said, adding that some people cut themselves on broken glass as they tried to squeeze through windows. A total of 16 people, including four or five students, sought treatment for injuries, 12 of them for gunshot wounds, Meeks said, adding that their conditions were not known. The two partygoers who were killed were not identified. The investigation, which was being aided by the Texas Rangers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was hampered by a lack of cooperation from those in attendance, Meeks said. "It appals me that as many folks that were there have not been able to give us a better description of this shooter," he said, adding that investigators had interviewed 20 people. "With this many people there, normally we would have a really good description of the shooter," he added.

Shooting at packed Texas college party; 2 dead

America's first Sikh police officer on Friday (local time) was shot dead in northwest Harris County in Houston. Watch this video to know more.

America's first Sikh police officer fatally shot dead in Houston, Texas

<p>Tens of thousands of people across Texas on Sunday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/americas-first-sikh-deputy-sheriff-fatally-shot-in-houston-252561">honoured a widely respected Sikh sheriff's</a> deputy who was murdered on duty in a killing that triggered an outpouring of public grief.</p>

<p>Sandeep Dhaliwal, one of the first sheriff's deputies in the United States to wear a traditional Sikh turban&nbsp;on duty, was shot from behind Friday while conducting a traffic stop near Houston.</p>

<p>A moment of silence was held at the Houston Texans football game against the Carolina Panthers, while mourners gathered outside churches across Harris County, where he served.</p>

<p>Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez&nbsp;told reporters that Dhaliwal, 41, was returning to his patrol car when a man shot him multiple times with a pistol.</p>

<p>Gonzalez paid tribute to Dhaliwal, a father of three, saying that "he wore the turban, he represented his community with integrity, respect and pride."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/deeply-grieved-over-shooting-of-americas-first-sikh-police-officer-minister-of-external-affairs-jaishankar-252562">Dhaliwal had been in law enforcement for 10 years</a> after selling his lucrative trucking business to take up a job that he hoped would improve community relations for Sikhs, who often face prejudice, the Washington Post reported.</p>

<p>"He was just a gem of a person. He was a beautiful soul," said Simran Jeet Singh, a senior religion fellow at the New York-based Sikh Coalition, according to the USA Today newspaper.</p>

<p>"Everyone who knew him admired him greatly", he said.</p>

<p>A suspect has been arrested for the murder.</p>

<p>The sheriff's office will hold a candlelight vigil for Dhaliwal on Monday evening, two days before his funeral.</p>


Tens of thousands of people across Texas on Sunday honoured a widely respected Sikh sheriff's deputy who was murdered on duty in a killing that triggered an outpouring of public grief.

Tens of thousands of people across Texas on Sunday honoured a widely respected Sikh sheriff's deputy who was murdered on duty in a killing that triggered an outpouring of public grief. Sandeep Dhaliwal, one of the first sheriff's deputies in the United States to wear a traditional Sikh turban on duty, was shot from behind Friday while conducting a traffic stop near Houston. A moment of silence was held at the Houston Texans football game against the Carolina Panthers, while mourners gathered outside churches across Harris County, where he served. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told reporters that Dhaliwal, 41, was returning to his patrol car when a man shot him multiple times with a pistol. Gonzalez paid tribute to Dhaliwal, a father of three, saying that "he wore the turban, he represented his community with integrity, respect and pride." Dhaliwal had been in law enforcement for 10 years after selling his lucrative trucking business to take up a job that he hoped would improve community relations for Sikhs, who often face prejudice, the Washington Post reported. "He was just a gem of a person. He was a beautiful soul," said Simran Jeet Singh, a senior religion fellow at the New York-based Sikh Coalition, according to the USA Today newspaper. "Everyone who knew him admired him greatly", he said. A suspect has been arrested for the murder. The sheriff's office will hold a candlelight vigil for Dhaliwal on Monday evening, two days before his funeral.

Texas honours murdered Sikh sheriff's deputy

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