A powerful explosion rocked a block of flats early on Tuesday in Gothenburg, Sweden, injuring up to 20 people, setting off multiple fires and forcing the evacuation of hundreds. Police said they suspect the blast may have been caused by an explosive device.The explosion took place just before 5am local time in the Annedal district in central Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city. Fires spread to several flats, and fire department crews were still working to extinguish the flames midmorning…

Survivors of the November 2015 Paris attacks began testifying at a historic trial on Tuesday, facing the ordeal of reliving that night of horror in the presence of more than a dozen accused in court.One by one over the coming weeks, 300 survivors as well as family members of the victims of the murderous assault are to take the stand.The suicide bombing and gun assaults by three teams of jihadists on bars, restaurants, the Bataclan concert hall and the national stadium – planned in Syria and…

A man already sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting four people at a massage business outside Atlanta pleaded not guilty to shooting four others on the same day at two spas inside the city.Robert Aaron Long, 22, appeared briefly on Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court, where he waived arraignment and entered a not guilty plea on charges including murder, aggravated assault and domestic terrorism. District Attorney Fani Willis is seeking the death penalty, as…

In past years, when the calendar turned to September, China’s power-generation groups set out to replenish their coal inventories ahead of the cold winter months.This year, coal is so scarce that they are struggling to merely keep the lights on. And some are failing even at that.As of September 21, the total stockpile of thermal coal – used to generate electricity – held by the nation’s six major power-generation groups stood at just 11.31 million tonnes – which is capable of meeting demand for…

As the administration of US President Joe Biden passes the eight-month mark, questions are swirling in China circles over whether and in what form a review of the US-China policy will take place.The appointment of veteran diplomat Kurt Campbell to the newly created position of Indo-Pacific coordinator within the National Security Council was seen as a step toward reviewing what worked and was worth keeping from the preceding administration of Donald Trump toward crafting a more organised and…

A top US military official defended two phone calls he made to a Chinese counterpart in the final days of former president Donald Trump’s administration to reassure Beijing that the US would not launch an attack on the country.Testifying before the Senate, General Mark Milley, said that the calls were made in coordination with other defence department officials, including then defence secretary Mark Esper and then acting defence secretary Christopher Miller. He added that he was “certain that…

Europe needs to stop being naive when it comes to defending its interests and build its own military capacity, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday after Greece sealed a deal for French frigates worth about €3 billion (US$3.51 billion).France was plunged into an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with the United States, Australia and Britain earlier this month over a trilateral nuclear security deal which sank a multibillion-dollar French-designed submarine contract with Canberra.The…