September 29, 2019 7:40 am
HONG KONG (AP) – Thousands of people have marched in Taiwan in support of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests. Spurred by anti-China cries from loudspeakers, demonstrators took to the streets of Taipei, the capital, on Sunday despite heavy rain. Most wore black and a few donned gas masks, both symbols of the Hong Kong protests. Protester Lin Shu-lian, a 50-year-old office worker, said she is saddened that people in Hong Kong have lost their freedom. She added: “I hope Taiwanese can send a signal that we won’t become the next Hong Kong.” Hong Kong is a former British colony that was returned to China in 1997. The semiautonomous city has more freedoms than mainland China, but protesters feel those freedoms are being eroded.
Taiwan is a self-governing island that split from the mainland in 1949. Government surveys indicate that most Taiwanese oppose unification with China.
September 29, 2019 7:37 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Saudi state television is reporting that a prominent bodyguard to King Salman has been shot and killed in what authorities describe as a personal dispute. The state TV report on Sunday said Maj. Gen. Abdulaziz al-Fagham was killed in a shooting in the Red Sea city of Jiddah. A one-sentence statement published by state TV on Twitter identified al-Fagham as “the bodyguard of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,” the honorific given to Saudi kings. There was no further information released by state TV. The country’s Interior Ministry also had no immediate comment. Saudis on Twitter offered condolences for al-Fagham, publishing pictures of him similarly guarding late King Abdullah.
September 29, 2019 7:36 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) – Local media outlets are reporting that legendary Mexican crooner José José, known as the “Prince of Song,” has died from pancreatic cancer. He was 71. Multiple outlets said Saturday the singer known for sad love songs had died at a hospital in South Florida. José José, whose real name is José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz, climbed to the top of the Latin charts in the 1970s slow ballads like “El Triste” or “The Sad Man,” and “Almohada” or “Pillow.” The power of his voice and ability to sing technically difficult tunes at a high register made him a treasured cultural icon in Latin America. His music also became popular in non-speaking countries such as Japan and Russia.
September 29, 2019 7:34 am
BEIJING (AP) – A parade Tuesday by China’s secretive military will offer a rare look at its rapidly developing arsenal, including possibly a nuclear-armed missile that could reach the United States in 30 minutes. The Dongfeng 41 is one of a series of new weapons Chinese media say might be unveiled during the parade marking the ruling Communist Party’s 70th anniversary in power. Others include a supersonic drone and a robot submarine. The event will highlight Beijing’s ambition to enforce claims to Taiwan, the South China Sea and other disputed territories – and to challenge Washington as the region’s dominant force. The People’s Liberation Army is the world’s biggest with 2 million men and women in uniform and has the second-highest annual spending after the U.S. military.
September 29, 2019 7:33 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has thrown Attorney General William Barr into a political firestorm by suggesting to Ukraine’s leader that Barr would work with Trump’s private lawyer to investigate Trump’s Democratic rival Joe Biden. Barr was “surprised and angry” when he learned he’d been lumped in with lawyer Rudy Giuliani. That’s according to a person familiar with Barr’s thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Giuliani is known for his rambling television interviews defending Trump. Trump told Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in their July 25 call that Zelenskiy should work with both Giuliani and Barr, who’s the top U.S. law enforcement officer. Officials have said Barr wasn’t aware of the call until weeks later when the Justice Department learned a CIA officer raised concerns about the conversation.
September 29, 2019 7:31 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WPXI) – It’s been more than 24 hours since 7-week-old Ambrose Klingensmith was taken by his parents from UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and family members are hoping he’s returned safely soon. His parents, 32-year-old Jeannette Funnen and 23-year-old Daemon Klingensmith, took off with him Thursday night after the hospital raised concerns he had been abused. They also have Funnen’s 3-year-old son Makias Palmer with them, investigators said. The FBI is now involved, and as the search continues for the wanted parents, the infant’s concerned grandparents are speaking out. According to court documents, doctors saw bruises on the baby consistent with child abuse and called police. However, Ambrose’s grandparents told our news partners at Channel 11 that Funnen and Klingensmith have been “massaging” the baby’s belly to help him go to the bathroom and that they would never hurt their children. The grandparents said the couple had every right to leave and stayed in town overnight, before taking off in a 2001 Buick Century with license plate LBD-6681. Ambrose’s grandparents said CYS was at their house Friday night to help them start the process of fostering both children. They are begging the couple to turn themselves in for the sake of their children. Family said Palmer is with the couple. He was in the care of CYS at one time but was returned to the mother. They said Funnen is extremely paranoid her children will be taken away from her again, and it’s possible she is in need of medication.
September 29, 2019 7:26 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WPXI) – Severe storms rolled through Western Pennsylvania Saturday evening, and they caused damage and injuries throughout the region. Emergency responders confirmed a pop-up tent blew away and hit people during the storms in the 6000 block of Beighley Road. One person was taken to the hospital. Wind gusts were up to 60 mph with quarter-sized hail in Westmoreland County, and multiple viewers told our news partners at Channel 11 they spotted damage caused by the storms in there and in the South Hills. Large hail was seen coming down in Bridgeville Saturday evening. Viewers reported trees and wires down in Murrysville, Bethel Park and South Park, three areas where the storms hit particularly hard. There are also more than 2,000 Duquesne Light customers without power in Monroeville, though it is unclear if those were caused by the severe storms.
September 29, 2019 7:22 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The last victim compensation funds at Pennsylvania’s Roman Catholic dioceses are closing as lawmakers plunge back into a years-old fight over whether to let long-ago victims of child sexual abuse sue perpetrators and institutions. It’s more than a year after a landmark grand jury report accused church officials of hushing up abuse. Victim compensation funds in Philadelphia, Allentown, Scranton and Pittsburgh will close Monday to applications. The Senate will hold a hearing Wednesday with testimony from victims, constitutional scholars and others. Based on partial information available from the dioceses so far, fund administrators have offered or paid more than $35 million to roughly 240 people. Ben Andreozzi, a Harrisburg-based lawyer, says that’s far less than what dioceses would have paid if faced with the threat of a lawsuit.
September 29, 2019 7:20 am
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. (WPXI) – Allegheny County police have made an arrest in connection with a homicide that happened earlier this month. David Sumney, 30, is accused of murdering and robbing his parents on September 2nd. According to a release from investigators, officers initially found the victim – who was not identified – dead inside a home in the 100 block of Olde Orchard Drive in South Fayette. The next day, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner ruled that the cause of death was “blunt force trauma,” and the manner was homicide. During the ensuing investigation, police said Sumney was developed as a suspect. On September 4th, Sumney was charged with receiving stolen property after detectives found jewelry belonging to his mother in his possession. However, he was not yet charged in connection with the victim’s murder. Sumney was charged Saturday with criminal homicide, robbery, theft and abuse of a corpse. Four years ago, Sumney was arrested after police said he beat his 71-year-old father during a confrontation at their home. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call police, and the investigation is ongoing.
September 28, 2019 10:46 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The last victim compensation funds at Pennsylvania’s Roman Catholic dioceses are closing as lawmakers plunge back into a years-old fight over whether to let long-ago victims of child sexual abuse sue perpetrators and institutions. It’s more than a year after a landmark grand jury report accused church officials of hushing up abuse. Victim compensation funds in Philadelphia, Allentown, Scranton and Pittsburgh will close Monday to applications. The Senate will hold a hearing Wednesday with testimony from victims, constitutional scholars and others.
Based on partial information available from the dioceses so far, fund administrators have offered or paid more than $35 million to roughly 240 people. Ben Andreozzi, a Harrisburg-based lawyer, says that’s far less than what dioceses would have paid if faced with the threat of a lawsuit.
