VOA NEWS

December 1, 2019

This is VOA news. I'm David Byrd.



Officials in southern Afghanistan say a bomb explosion Saturday killed a senior military commander and wounded at least three other people, including a local journalist.

A provincial police spokesman told VOA that General Zahir Gul Muqbil, the commander of an army border unit, was heading to the volatile Marjah district along with a group of journalists. They were going to visit an ongoing counterinsurgency operation when the convoy struck a roadside bomb.

The Taliban took responsibility for the bombing in Helmand province, where most of the districts are either controlled or influenced by the insurgent group.

Separately, in (an) apparent drone attack in the southeastern part of the country is said to have killed at least six civilians.



A high-ranking Taliban official was killed in clashes with security forces in Jowzjan province in Afghanistan's north.

A provincial government spokesman told Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty that Qari Nuriddin and his four bodyguards were killed in the district of Mengajik, where the militant group has a strong presence.



Three protesters were killed and 26 others wounded in Iraq in continued unrest Saturday even after Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi announced he intends to resign.

Officials said at least 11 protesters were wounded near Baghdad's Ahrar Bridge when security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse demonstrators.

Security and hospital officials said further three protesters were killed and 15 wounded by security forces who fired live rounds at them in the holy city of Najaf.

Anti-government protests have gripped Iraq since October 1 when thousands took to the streets in Baghdad and the predominantly Shiite south.



For more, visit voanews.com. This is VOA news.



London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, said that Friday's stabbing which resulted in two deaths [before its] before an attacker was killed by police could have been "far, far worse."

As Reuters Emer McCarthy reports, Khan praised first responders during his Saturday visit to the control center of the London Ambulance Service.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan praised emergency workers in the aftermath of Friday's stabbing attack at London Bridge, saying the incident could have been "far, far worse, had it not been for their swift operation" while visiting the city's Ambulance Service on Saturday.

"And when the operation was called Plato, it became a major incident. You had teams there very quickly. A control room set up because it could have been far, far worse. And it gives me confidence that we're doing all we can to keep our city safe."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said sentencing rules needed to be toughened up in light of the incident after it was revealed that attacker Usman Khan had previously been convicted of terrorism offenses but freed early from jail.

That's Emer McCarthy of Reuters.



Meanwhile, Dutch police said they had arrested a 35-year-old man suspected of stabbing three teenagers on a street in The Hague Friday.

Police said the suspect was described as having no fixed address and was brought to a police station for questioning.

The three young people injured were released from the hospital late Friday.



Hundreds of pensioners joined young protesters for a unity rally at a Hong Kong park on Saturday, vowing their months-long movement will not fade away until there is greater democracy in the Chinese territory.

The rally was among several peaceful gatherings by protesters this week to keep pressure on the government amid a lull in violence following a local election victory by the pro-democracy bloc and U.S. support for their cause.



The ballot for Florida's Democratic primary in March is looking a little crowded at this point with 18 candidates submitted. AP's Jackie Quinn has details.

Because of this weekend's deadline candidates had to file the papers to Florida state elections officials and while the most recent debate it had about ten people on the stage, there are nearly twice as many Democrats still running for president.

Newcomers, Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick, are on the list and there are three Republican candidates who also plan to challenge President Trump for office.

The Florida primary is key with 219 delegates at stake in an election that takes place two weeks after the pivotal "Super Tuesday" race.

I'm Jackie Quinn.



For more on these stories and the rest of the day's news, visit voanews.com. I'm David Byrd, VOA news.