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A plane has crashed in the capital of Mexico's Durango state, television images show, with the state governor confirming nobody was killed. Governor José Aispuro tweeted that there were no deaths among the 101 aboard, although around 85 were injured - two critically. Aeroméxico flight AM2431 was flying from Guadalupe Victoria International Airport to Mexico City. The plane crashed close to the airport just moments after take-off. Authorities said that of the 97 passengers and four crew on board, 37 were hospitalised after the crash and two were in a critical condition. The names and nationalities of those on board are currently unknown. The airport operator, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, said early data suggests bad weather was the cause, with the plane taking off during a heavy hailstorm before being forced to make an emergency landing. Governor Aispuro said witnesses told him there was a "bang", before the almost full Embraer 190 fell to the grou...

Taxi drivers across Spain have joined a strike against ride-hailing companies like Uber, demanding the government restrict their numbers. The striking taxi drivers, some of whom have been camping out for days, say the services threaten their livelihood and are putting thousands of jobs at risk. As a result, they have blocked main roads in the capital, Madrid, and in Barcelona with their parked cars. A meeting on Monday to attempt to end the strike failed to reach a deal. Taxi unions want the government to enforce a law which requires just one ride-hailing licence for every 30 taxi licences. According to Spanish newspaper El Pais,  the government offered to give licensing powers to each of the regions  during a four-hour meeting. This was rejected by taxi representatives, who say it would not fix the issue, but just pass it along. The meeting is due to resume later on Monday in the hope of finding a resolution. Union representatives said in a statement that "Ub...

Voter turnout has been high in Zimbabwe's first general election since long-serving ruler Robert Mugabe was ousted, officials say. Foreign observers have hailed the election as an opportunity for Zimbabwe to break with its repressive past. The presidential election is expected to be a tight contest between the incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa and his main rival Nelson Chamisa. Parliamentary and local elections are also taking place on Monday. Opinion polls give Mr Mnangagwa, who heads the ruling Zanu-PF party, a narrow lead over Mr Chamisa, the candidate of the opposition MDC Alliance. Both leaders are running for the presidency for the first time. On Sunday, Mr Mugabe, who first came to power after independence in 1980, said he would not vote for his successor. Mr Mugabe, regarded as one of the last "Big Men" of African politics, was forced out of office last November by Mr Mnangagwa with the help of the military. Polls officially shut at 17:00 GMT but some ...

Two children and their great-grandmother are among five people to have died in a raging wildfire in northern California, reports say. Two firefighters died on Thursday, 17 people are missing and tens of thousands have fled their homes. The fires in Shasta county are being sucked up by strong winds to form "fire tornados" that are uprooting trees and overturning cars, fire officials say. Firefighters are battling the blaze, which is only 5% contained so far. The blazes, known as the Carr fire, have destroyed at least 500 structures and are threatening thousands of homes. The wildfire began on Monday after a car malfunctioned. It has scorched over 48,000 acres (194 sq km) of land - an area larger than the city of San Francisco. Sherry Bledsoe has confirmed that her grandmother Melody Bledsoe, 70, and her two children Emily Roberts, five, and James Roberts, four, died in the fire, reports say. They were caught in the path of the fire as they were about to evacu...

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a prominent US cardinal accused of sexually assaulting a teenager nearly 50 years ago. Theodore McCarrick, 88, a former Archbishop of Washington, must also carry out "penance and prayer" pending a canonical trial, the Vatican said. Last month US Church officials said the allegations were credible. Mr McCarrick has said he has "no recollection" of the alleged abuse. Further allegations have since emerged. Mr McCarrick was one of the most prominent US cardinals and is one of the most high-profile Catholic leaders to face abuse claims. What has the Vatican said? In a statement, the Vatican said Pope Francis had accepted Mr McCarrick's resignation from the cardinalate and had ordered his suspension from the exercise of any public ministry. The statement also said he would be placed in seclusion "for a life of prayer and penance until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonica...

Skywatchers around the world have witnessed the longest "blood moon" eclipse of the 21st Century. As it rose, during this total eclipse, Earth's natural satellite turned a striking shade of red or ruddy brown. The "totality" period, where light from the Moon was totally obscured, lasted for one hour, 43 minutes. At least part of the eclipse was visible from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, most of Asia and South America. In the UK, where the weather allowed, the Moon could be seen to turn red - fully eclipsed by Earth - from when it rose at 21:00 until 22:15 BST. Over the coming days, Mars will be at its closest point to Earth since 2003 - visible as a "bright red star" where skies are clear. Why did the eclipse last so long? The Moon passed right through the centre of the Earth's shadow, at the shadow's widest point. "This is actually almost as long as a lunar eclipse could be," Prof Tim O'Brien, a...

Nobody could keep a straight face in Ghana's parliament when MP John Frimpong Osei began listing the names of some villages in his constituency that included references to genitals. Names in the Twi language like "Vagina is Wise" and "Penis is a Fool" left lawmakers in fits of giggles. The MP was asking when these areas would get access to electricity. "Providing them with electricity may interfere with nocturnal activities," joked Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko. The minister added, in earnest, that a survey would be conducted into how the villages in Abirem constituency in Eastern Region could be connected to the national grid. This video clip from Thursday shows Mr Frimpong Osei mentioning Etwe nim Nyansa, Kote ye Aboa and Shua ye Morbor: These are the English translations for the Twi names: Etwe nim Nyansa - "Vagina is Wise" Kote ye Aboa - "Penis is a Fool" Shua ye Morbor - "Testicles are Sad". ...

Former cricketer Imran Khan has claimed victory in Pakistan's election, amid accusations of vote rigging by rivals. In a television address, he said: "We were successful and we were given a mandate." His PTI party is still expected to fall short of an overall majority and to seek coalition partners. Campaigning has been marred by violence. On voting day a bomb killed 31 people at a polling station. Mr Khan, the charismatic aristocrat who captained Pakistan to a World Cup victory in 1992, has long shed his celebrity playboy image and has recently faced accusations that his election challenge was benefiting from military interference in the nuclear-armed republic. An official confirmation of the vote is expected to come later in the evening. The party of disgraced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has rejected the results, as have a host of smaller parties, all alleging vote-rigging and manipulation. The election has been seen as a contest between Mr Khan...

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, escalated his dispute with the president on Tuesday by releasing a secret recording of a conversation in which Mr. Trump appears to have knowledge about hush money payments to a Playboy model who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump. The recording,  which was broadcast by CNN , is sometimes muddled but provides details on payments to the model, Karen McDougal, but does not definitively answer the question about whether Mr. Trump directed Mr. Cohen to make them in cash or by check just two months before the 2016 presidential election. Mr. Cohen is heard telling Mr. Trump that he will need to set up a company to arrange the payments. Mr. Trump then asked, “What financing?” “We’ll have to pay,” Mr. Cohen said. Mr. Trump then appears to say, “Pay with cash.” Mr. Cohen then says, “No, no.” The word “check” is uttered, but it is not clear by whom, and the audio is then cut off. Ms. ...

The Trump administration has unveiled a $12bn (£9.1bn) plan aimed at helping US farmers hurt by the intensifying trade war. The aid is intended to protect the industry as countries raise taxes on US products such as soybeans in response to the president's new tariffs. The US plans to provide subsidies to farmers and buy unsold crops, among other measures. Tariffs have irked farmers, a crucial voting bloc for President Donald Trump. Mr Trump has said his tariffs - which he described on Tuesday in a tweet as "the greatest" - are intended to pressure countries to change their policies toward US exports. In a speech on Tuesday, he said farmers would be the "biggest beneficiary" of the disputes after countries strike new trade deals. But the agriculture industry, which draws about 20% of its income from exports, said the president's approach is hurting demand for its goods and causing long term damage to relationships with buyers. Prices for soyb...

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 100 are missing in flooding following the collapse of an under-construction dam in south-east Laos. Workers found the hydroelectric dam in Attapeu province was partially damaged on Sunday, and villagers living nearby were evacuated. The dam collapsed late on Monday, sending flash floods through six villages. More than 6,600 people have been made homeless, Lao News Agency reported. Pictures showed villagers and young children stranded on the roofs of submerged houses. Attapeu is Laos' southernmost province, and borders Cambodia and Vietnam. It is known for agriculture, rich trees and wood-based industries - and  hydropower is one of its major exports . What do we know about the dam - and how did it collapse? The dam that collapsed is part of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric power project, which involves Laotian, Thai and South Korean firms. The subsidiary dam, known as "Saddle Dam D", was part of a...

Survivors of the wildfires that have killed at least 74 people in Greece have described how they were forced into the sea by a blaze that "struck like a flamethrower". "The flames were chasing us all the way to the water," said one victim. Meanwhile, the bodies of 26 adults and children who apparently died hugging each other were found close to the sea. As the search for missing persons continues, a website has been set up to help relatives trace their loved ones. Hundreds of firefighters have been battling the flames, which have been fanned by winds of up to 60mph (100km/h) and have devastated the seaside village of Mati, engulfing homes and vehicles. Mati is located in the Rafina region which is popular with local tourists, especially pensioners and children attending holiday camps. A number of roads and evacuation routes were blocked by fire and footage of motorists escaping the area shows them driving through thick smoke. One survivor, Nikos ...