Mormons were attacked near the US-Mexico border. A family member says 9 US-Mexican citizens were killed - CNN

Preliminary information indicates three vehicles traveling between the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua in the region of Sierra Madre Occidental were attacked by criminal groups, Attorney General of the State of Chihuahua Cesar Peniche Espejel said in a statement Tuesday. The victims were mostly women and children, and minors were found with injuries, the statement said.

Victims' family members said the incident happened when the families were moving from Bavispe, Sonora, to Janos, Chihuahua, according to Peniche Espejel.

Alex LeBaron, who says he lost family members in the attack, told CNN that three vehicles were targeted, taking the lives of three women, four small children and two infants.

"Women and children (between 14 years old and 10 months) were massacred, burnt alive. Mothers were screaming for the fire to stop," he said. "We are a very tight knit community, we share everything that's happening. We've been dealing with this tragedy since early yesterday. We share all information within our family groups."

LeBaron said seven injured children were flown a few hours ago from Mexico to Douglas, Arizona, for transport to Tucson hospitals.

He said that there were two separate attacks on the victims, he believes, by two different groups that were part of the same cartel "most likely by accident, mistaken for their rivals. All shot while in vehicles while driving."

Authorities in the state of Sonora have not confirmed the number of casualties, and Peniche Espejel said that due to the remote location of the attack, it has "not been possible to specify an official figure of the total number of victims."

The attorney general's office confirmed that officials from Chihuahua have been sent to the area to assist. Sonora Governor Claudia Pavlovich Arellano said on her official Twitter that the state is collaborating with the investigation.

"As a mother I feel angry, scorn and a profound pain for the cowardly events in the mountains between Sonora and Chihuahua," she said. "I don't know what type of monsters would dare to hurt women and children. As governor, you have all my collaboration so that this doesn't remain unpunished and the responsible parties pay."

CNN is working to confirm the nationality of those involved in the attack and has reached out to the US State Department.

The attack comes amid worsening violence in the region and follows last month's ambush that killed 13 Mexican police officers in the western state of Michoacan. Last year set a record for homicides in the country at 33,000 -- which 2019 is on course to break.

Christopher Landau, US Ambassador to Mexico, tweeted early Tuesday, "The security of our nationals is our main priority. I am following closely the situation in the mountains between Sonora and Chihuahua."

Leah Staddon told CNN affiliate KTVK that her relatives were among the victims of the attack.

"I think a lot of us are just speechless. it's just horrific," Staddon told KTVK. "Their vehicle was on fire and there were bullet holes all throughout it."

CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

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2019-11-05 12:44:00Z
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Iranian president announces another break from nuclear deal - CNBC

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani arrives to address the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, September 25, 2019.

Carlo Allegri | Reuters

Iran's president announced on Tuesday that Tehran will begin injecting uranium gas into 1,044 centrifuges, the latest step away from its nuclear deal with world powers since President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord over a year ago.

The development is significant as the centrifuges previously spun empty, without gas injection, under the landmark 2015 nuclear accord. It also increases pressure on European nations that remain in the accord, which at this point has all but collapsed.

In his announcement, President Hassan Rouhani did not say whether the centrifuges, which are at its nuclear facility in Fordo, would be used to produce enriched uranium. The centrifuges would be injected with the uranium gas as of Wednesday, Rouhani said.

His remarks, carried live on Iranian state television, came a day after Tehran's nuclear program chief said the country had doubled the number of advanced IR-6 centrifuges in operation.

There was no immediate reaction from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog now monitoring Iran's compliance with the deal. The European Union on Monday called on Iran to return to the deal, while the White House sanctioned members of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's inner circle as part of its maximalist campaign against Tehran.

Rouhani stressed the steps taken so far, including going beyond the deal's enrichment and stockpile limitations, could be reversed if Europe offers a way for it to avoid U.S. sanctions choking off its crude oil sales abroad.

"We should be able to sell our oil," Rouhani said. "We should be able to bring our money" into the country.

The centrifuges at Fordo are IR-1s, Iran's first-generation centrifuge. The nuclear deal allowed those at Fordo to spin without uranium gas, while allowing up to 5,060 at its Natanz facility to enrich uranium.

A centrifuge enriches uranium by rapidly spinning uranium hexafluoride gas. An IR-6 centrifuge can produce enriched uranium 10 times faster than an IR-1, Iranian officials say.

Iranian scientists also are working on a prototype called the IR-9, which works 50-times faster than the IR-1, Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akhbar Salehi said Monday.

As of now, Iran is enriching uranium up to 4.5%, in violation of the accord's limit of 3.67%. Enriched uranium at the 3.67% level is enough for peaceful pursuits but is far below weapons-grade levels of 90%. At the 4.5% level, it is enough to help power Iran's Bushehr reactor, the country's only nuclear power plant. Prior to the atomic deal, Iran only reached up to 20%.

Tehran has gone from producing some 450 grams (1 pound) of low-enriched uranium a day to 5 kilograms (11 pounds), Salehi said. Iran now holds over 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) of low-enriched uranium, Salehi said. The deal had limited Iran to 300 kilograms (661 pounds).

The collapse of the nuclear deal coincided with a tense summer of mysterious attacks on oil tankers and Saudi oil facilities that the U.S. blamed on Iran. Tehran denied the allegation, though it did seize oil tankers and shoot down a U.S. military surveillance drone.

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2019-11-05 10:34:16Z
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Sister of slain ISIS leader captured by Turkey, official says - CNN

Not much is known about Awad, 65, but Ankara hopes her capture will lead to a wealth of intelligence about the militant group. She is currently being questioned by authorities.

"This kind of thing is an intelligence gold mine. What she knows about ISIS can significantly expand our understanding of the group and help us catch more bad guys," the Turkish official said.

Awad was detained in a raid on a metal container housing unit in Azaz, Aleppo province, part of a region that has been administered by Turkey since it carried out an operation to clear the border of ISIS militants in 2016.

The Turkish official did not provide details about the date of the operation.

Awad was taken into custody alongside her husband and daughter-in-law, who were also being questioned by Turkish authorities. Five children were found with them during the raid, the official said.

Photos shared by Turkish officials showed Awad dressed in a black abaya headscarf and loose, blue patterned clothing.

Turkey has described the discovery of Baghdadi's relatives as a boon for its intel about ISIS, saying that it will help the country better protect itself and Europe from terrorists.

The elusive and highly secretive leader of ISIS died during a raid conducted last month by the US military in close coordination with American intelligence and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northwest Syria.

Baghdadi "blew himself up" after he was cornered by US forces in a tunnel within his compound, US President Donald Trump said during a press conference detailing the mission. His identity was later confirmed by DNA tests.

The world's most wanted man oversaw the militant group's transformation from a ragtag insurgency to a global terror network that attracted tens of thousands of fighters to its so-called "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria.

At the group's height, Baghdadi reigned over a territory the size of Britain, from which ISIS orchestrated attacks carried out in countries around the world.

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2019-11-05 09:45:00Z
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A view from the bridge: Iraq's protesters under fire - Reuters

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Ali says he has seen more than 50 people killed in front of him since anti-government protests began in Iraq last month.

Iraqi demonstrators climb Al Jumhuriya bridge during the ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad, Iraq November 3, 2019. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah

“The first one was shocking - he was someone I knew, and they shot him in the chest,” said Ali, in his early 20s and from Baghdad’s low-income Sadr City district.

“But you quickly get used to death ... I’ve seen people, some of them friends, choke, drown, have their skulls split open by tear gas and stun grenades,” Ali, who declined to give his last name, said as he played a mobile phone video of the shooting victim in his final moments in the capital’s Tahrir Square last month.

“We can’t even cry over their bodies any more.”

Since the start of October, more than 250 Iraqis have been killed protesting against a government they see as corrupt and beholden to foreign interests, according to eyewitnesses and medical and security sources.

There was no immediate comment from the interior ministry, which oversees many of the security forces, but a government report said nearly 150 people were killed in the first week of the unrest, 70% from bullets to the head or chest.

Recounting stories of his fallen comrades, Ali leaned against a mound of dirty blankets on the Tigris river bank under the Jumhuriya – or Republic – Bridge.

For the past 10 days, hundreds of young men and boys – some as young as 12 – have been camped out on the bridge, and under it. Wearing construction hats, gas masks, and chanting for the downfall of the government, they call themselves “the front line of the revolution”.

The bridge, which leads from the square to Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, where government buildings and foreign embassies are located, has seen fierce clashes between protesters and security forces.

Protesters, armed with slingshots, have erected barricades of iron sheets and concrete blocks. Security forces have used rubber bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas against them, killing scores on the adjacent Jumhuriya and Sinak bridges.

Both sides have settled into an uneasy stalemate.

“We throw rocks at them, and they respond by killing us,” said Ali, as several tear gas canisters were lobbed by security forces.

BOYS UNDER THE BRIDGE

A group of medical volunteers have set up camp to help the wounded. They say the expired tear gas – Reuters saw used canisters with an expiry date of 2014 – is making people choke.

One young man, barefoot and wearing a dirty tank top and trousers, passed out after choking on the gas. A Reuters correspondent saw medics lower him off the bridge and put him in a tuk-tuk headed for a nearby hospital.

Ali is surrounded by a tight-knit group of 10, who have been camped under the Jumhuriya bridge since Oct. 24.

Reminiscent of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys, the group radiated an intensity forged by bloodshed. Many come from Baghdad’s poorest neighborhoods, where they work as tuk-tuk drivers or day laborers.

Despite Iraq’s oil wealth, many live in poverty with limited access to clean water, electricity, healthcare or education. Protesters blame corruption.

“For 16 years we’ve been told that our lives would be better,” said Abbas, who declined to give his last name.

“But I’m 19 and I’ve worked most days since I was 10 and still I don’t have more than 5,000 dinars ($4) in my pocket.”

DANGEROUS NIGHTS

Abbas was arrested in the first wave of protests, along with Ali and others in the group. They said their phones were scanned to identify fellow protesters. Released on bail, they were told to stay away from the demonstrations.

“But the very next day I went back to the protests,” said Ali. “We have to stay here to keep the revolution going.”

Nearly all those Reuters spoke to had bandages on their arms, torsos and legs. They said many of their injuries came from security forces who fire tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets, sometimes from boats on the river.

It is most dangerous at night, they said.

Slideshow (7 Images)

A few nights ago at 3 a.m., security forces threw gasoline at their camp, followed by burning rags, Ali said. The rags landed near a group of sleeping boys, according to a video seen by Reuters.

The boys now stand guard in shifts.

“The second we leave this bridge, the government will storm Tahrir Square and finish off the protests,” Ali said. “They can throw whatever they want at us. But we’re not going anywhere.”

Reporting by Raya Jalabi; Editing by Giles Elgood

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2019-11-05 06:04:00Z
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Xi Jinping demands end to violent protests in surprise meeting with Hong Kong leader - CNN

Xi and Lam were in Shanghai for the 2019 China International Import Expo, where Xi is expected to make a speech on Tuesday. Neither leader had announced the meeting was planned before it took place.

State-run news agency Xinhua said Xi had demanded "unswerving efforts" to end the violence in the Asian financial hub and punish those responsible "to safeguard the well-being of the general public in Hong Kong."

The Asian financial hub is in its fifth month of demonstrations that began in June over a controversial China extradition bill. The unrest has plunged the former British colony into a recession and damaged the tourism industry.

A total of 325 people were arrested on protest-related charges during the latest spate of violence at the weekend, Hong Kong police said.

Protesters shut down major roads and disrupted public transport. Some protesters also firebombed Xinhua's Hong Kong headquarters -- an act condemned as "barbaric" in a statement by the state-run news agency.

The Chinese government last month dismissed reports that it was planning to remove Lam from her role early in 2020 due to widespread dissatisfaction over her handling of the protests.

In a news conference after a major government meeting in late October, senior Chinese official Shen Chunyao said Beijing had plans to "improve" the system by which Hong Kong's leader is appointed or removed.

But the Chinese government denied it was looking to replace Lam and has repeatedly backed her handling of the protests.

During his meeting with Lam Monday, Xi said the Hong Kong chief executive had led her government "to fully discharge its duties, strive to stabilize the situation and improve the social atmosphere, and has done a lot of hard work," according to Xinhua.

"Xi voiced the central government's high degree of trust in Lam and full acknowledgment of the work of her and her governance team," the news agency said.

On top of a crackdown on violence, Xi also called for more effective efforts to hold "dialogue with all sectors of the society and improve people's livelihood."

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2019-11-05 04:05:00Z
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Singer Jungkook, member of K-pop group BTS, investigated over traffic accident - NBC News

SEOUL, South Korea — Police said Monday they're investigating a member of K-pop superstar group BTS over a traffic accident that left him and a taxi driver with minor injuries.

BTS' agency, Big Hit Entertainment, said 22-year-old Jungkook admitted that he caused the accident by violating traffic laws and reached a settlement with the driver. The agency said the singer and driver both avoided serious injury.

"We apologize again to the victim and also to fans for causing concern," the agency said in an emailed statement.

Seoul police said Jungkook was booked and an investigation of his case was underway in line with traffic law.

A police officer in charge of traffic accidents in Seoul described the case as minor because the incident did not cause much human or property damage. The officer, who requested anonymity because the investigation was underway, also said the case didn't involve drunken driving or any other serious offenses.

South Korean media reported earlier Monday that Jungkook and the taxi driver suffered bruises in the Saturday crash. The Segye Ilbo newspaper, citing police, said Jungkook violated unspecified traffic rules while driving his Mercedes Benz and hit the taxi on a Seoul street. Yonhap news agency cited police as saying that they plan to summon Jungkook soon.

BTS has a large international following and was the first K-pop act to debut atop the Billboard Album chart last year with "Love Yourself: Tear."

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2019-11-04 15:25:00Z
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Iran announces new nuke deal violations during commemoration of 1979 US embassy seizure - Fox News

Iran on Monday marked its defiance of the United States both new and old, as the Islamic Republic brazenly announced new violations of the 2015 nuke deal while Islamist demonstrators shouted "Death to America" and likened the U.S. to a "poisonous scorpion" during an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of revolutionaries seizing the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

The rogue nation says it now operates 60 advanced centrifuges, twice as many as allowed by the 2015 accord, and is experimenting with a prototype designed to be 50 times faster than what's allowed by the nuke deal, an increasingly irrelevant agreement between Iran and numerous world powers that the U.S. has exited and Iran has repeatedly ignored. The announcement by Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, came ahead of an expected statement detailing further breaches of the accord.

Experts have previously estimated Iran could produce enough material to build a nuclear weapon in about a one-year period; however, the advanced centrifuges could speed up that assessment.

In the four years since agreeing to the nuke deal, which was brokered by the Obama administration, Iran has already flaunted its disregard of stockpile and enrichment limitations, all the while hinting to European countries that increased economic aid and additional sanctions relief could persuade leaders to agree to a new deal or come back into compliance with the current one.

Iran's latest breach of the agreement comes as anti-U.S. protesters shouted "Death to America" and gathered near the location of the former U.S. Embassy in downtown Tehran to mark four decades since the 1979 takeover of the building that resulted in a 444-day hostage crisis. State television aired footage of celebrations in other cities across the country and Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the commander of the Iranian Army, railed against the U.S. in a speech at the Tehran rally.

"Our fight with America is over our independence, over not submitting to bullying, over values, beliefs and our religion,” Mousavi said, according to Reuters. “[Americans] will continue their hostilities, like the proverbial poisonous scorpion whose nature it is to sting and cannot be stopped unless it is crushed."

He added: "Thanks to God, today the revolution's seedlings have evolved into a fruitful and huge tree that its shadow has covered the entire" Middle East.

However, elsewhere in the region, demonstrations were not as decidedly pro-Tehran.

Iran's regional allies in Iraq and Lebanon faced widespread protests, with the Iranian Consulate in Karbala, Iraq, a holy city for Shiites, as the site of a mob attack overnight in which three protesters were killed and 19 others wounded, along with seven policemen, Iraqi officials said.

President Trump retweeted posts by Saudi-linked media showing the chaos outside the consulate. The violence comes after the hard-line Keyhan newspaper in Iran reiterated a call for demonstrators to seize U.S. and Saudi diplomatic posts in Iraq in response to the unrest.

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The latest events in Iran follow a tense summer of mysterious attacks on oil tankers and Saudi oil facilities that U.S. authorities said bore Iranian fingerprints. Tehran denied the allegation, though it did seize oil tankers and shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-11-04 12:21:17Z
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