World Echo

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to calls for a formal apology for Britain's historical role in slavery, ​before attending next week's Commonwealth summit at which he is likely ‌to face demands for financial reparations. Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Burnham said Britain was "offering a structured dialogue with those affected by the transatlantic slave trade", in which at ​least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery. "Listening to ​calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British ⁠state will form an important part of this process, and I am ​open to them," he added. But Burnham rejected calls for financial reparations, writing: "I do ​not think that British people today can be held liable for historical wrongs, however heinous, that happened in a different age under different laws and in which they played ​no personal part." From the 15th to the 19th century, millions of Africans ​wer...

One person was killed and six others injured in a shooting at a Halloween store inside a shopping mall in California, US media reported Saturday. Police responded to the shooting at a Spirit Halloween store in Solano Town Center in Fairfield around 8.30 pm Friday, according to ABC News. Officers found seven people suffering from gunshot wounds, one of whom later died. The six surviving victims were transported to local hospitals, with at least three in critical condition. Authorities have not released the identities of the victims. Read: US arrests person in connection to Canada school shooting, officials say "We encourage anyone in the community with information to contact the Fairfield Police Department," ABC News quoted Police Chief Dan Marshall as saying. Detectives are interviewing witnesses and working to identify the suspect, while the shooting scene remains under investigation. On October 11, 9 people died in a shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, where a ...

The Trump administration is preparing to deport Afghan refugees to Pakistan as early as Monday, despite concerns that they could subsequently be returned to Afghanistan under Taliban rule, media reports said Friday. The proposed deportation flight has not been publicly announced, but rights advocates and families of detainees said it could take place in the coming days, according to NBC News. The reported plans come amid continued uncertainty surrounding Afghan refugees housed at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, where the US government has repeatedly extended deadlines for removing residents. The State Department initially announced that everyone would be removed from the facility by March 31, but the deadline was subsequently extended to Sept. 30. In September, the Trump administration postponed the camp’s closure by another nine months, according to the report. Earlier this year, the administration also considered transferring Afghan refugees from Camp As Sayliyah to the Dem...

Six people ‌were feared dead in a helicopter crash in the Indian Himalayan state of ​Uttarakhand on Friday, television channels ​reported, adding that bad weather was ⁠suspected to be the cause. The helicopter ​was flying from Badrinath, a prominent ​pilgrimage destination for Hindus located in the mountains, to Dehradun city, carrying five passengers ​and a pilot, news agency ANI ​reported. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said his ‌office ⁠had received information about a helicopter crashing near a village in the Joshimath area. A joint rescue operation ​was being ​carried out ⁠by the district administration, disaster management teams and troops ​in the region, Dhami said ​in ⁠a post on X. चाई गांव, जोशीमठ के निकट हेलीकॉप्टर क्रैश होने की दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण सूचना प्राप्त हुई है। जिला प्रशासन, आपदा प्रबंधन विभाग, एसडीआरएफ द्वारा संयुक्त रूप से रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन चलाया जा रहा है। स्वयं भी पूरे घटनाक्रम की निरंतर निगरानी कर रहा हूं। गंभीर रूप से घायलों को तत्क...

Few breakthroughs are expected this week from the Group of 20 economies -- which include China, India, Russia, Japan, Germany and France -- as officials face divisions over Moscow's war on Ukraine and fallout from conflict with Iran. Russia has been shunned by most of the West after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Lavrov himself remains under international sanctions. Rubio's encounter with Lavrov -- whose presence adds an additional layer of tension -- will be closely watched as Washington pursues diplomacy on Ukraine while seeking Moscow's cooperation on reining in fuel prices, a key campaign issue in the midterms. "The G20 is no longer really a forum where foreign ministers can reach agreement on a statement," a diplomatic source said. The source added that the US G20 presidency intends for Miami's summit to serve "more as a demonstration of American power -- and of US commitments to growth, deregulation, trade and business -- rather than as ...

Four Italian military personnel were killed and 11 others injured when an Italian army helicopter crashed in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday, Italian news agency ANSA reported, citing Italy's Defence Ministry. The Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter, carrying 15 people as part of the European Union's EUFOR Althea mission, went down near the village of Gorice in the Brcko district. The victims included Italian army Sergeants Simone Ruggia and Claudio Marchesi, as well as Lieutenant Franco Adriano Zecchillo and Sergeant Laura Procacci of the Italian Red Cross Volunteer Military Corps. Read: Spain seeks answers as rail crash toll hits 74 None of the injured personnel was in life-threatening condition, the ministry said, adding that a medical team had been dispatched from Italy to assist them. EUFOR said the aircraft was conducting a routine training activity at the time of the crash and that a full investigation would be carried out to determine the cause. from ...