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Second Victim Of Reading Terror Attack Named

An American man is the second victim of the Reading stabbings to be named.

Joe Ritchie-Bennett had lived in the UK for 15 years, his father confirmed to US TV network CBS. Teacher James Furlong and one other person also died.

Meanwhile, police continue to question the suspect in Saturday’s attack, Khairi Saadallah, who has been arrested under the Terrorism Act. He was originally from Libya and came to the attention of MI5 in 2019.

Two minute’s silence was held at 10:00 BST for the three victims.

Robert Ritchie told CBS the family was “heartbroken” and described his son, who was originally from Philadelphia, as “brilliant and loving”.

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New Zealand Police Officer Shot Dead

A police officer has been shot dead during a routine traffic stop in Auckland, New Zealand.

Another officer was seriously injured. The shooter fled the scene in a vehicle but it’s not known if he’s been caught. Around four hours after the shooting, armed police stormed a house and arrested two “persons of interest”, and found a firearm.

Police in New Zealand do not normally carry guns, and it is rare for officers to be killed in the line of duty.

According to the police, the last was in May 2009, when a senior constable was shot at a house in Napier while carrying out a routine search warrant.

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China Begins Prosecution Of Canadians Accused Of Spying

China has charged two Canadians with spying, more than 18 months after they were detained.

Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a businessman, have been held in China since December 2018. Their arrest came just days after Meng Wanzhou – an executive of the Chinese giant Huawei – was detained in Vancouver, at the request of the US.

Canada called the arrests “arbitrary”, but China denies they were retaliation for Ms Meng’s detention.

Both men have been charged with “spying on national secrets” and providing intelligence for “outside entities”.

China’s court system is completely controlled by the Communist Party and has an almost 100% conviction rate once defendants are charged.

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German Ministers Hit Back At Trump’s Plan To Move US Troops

US President Donald Trump has reportedly, ordered officials to evaluate the cost and the consequences of removing American troops from German soil.

At the time some were alarmed but many dismissed it as tactical talk. Designed to put Germany – which Mr Trump had singled out for failing to meet Nato spending commitments on defence – in its place. But it was the first of many such threats.

Earlier this week, when, after a week of reports and rumours, the US president confirmed plans to pull 9,500 soldiers out of Germany, many in Berlin were dismayed but few were surprised. Ministers have grown accustomed to Mr Trump’s furious outbursts over German policy. The US president is irritated by Germany’s trade surplus and unhappy about its commitment to the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will double Russian gas supplies to Europe. But it’s Germany’s failure to meet the Nato commitment of spending 2% of GDP on defence (it has increased the amount but spends only 1.38%, compared to 3.4% by the US) which has focused Mr Trump’s ire.

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India Says 20 Soldiers Killed In Border Clash With China

India’s prime minister has made his first comments about the killing of at least 20 soldiers in a clash with Chinese troops in a disputed Himalayan border area.

In a televised address about Monday’s violence, Narendra Modi warned the deaths “will not be in vain”.

Soldiers reportedly brawled with sticks, bats and bamboo sticks studded with nails in the Ladakh region. Both sides insist no shots were fired, as part of a longstanding pact. India’s army said China also suffered casualties but Beijing has given no details.

The Indian statement notes that injured soldiers were “exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain”.

It is the first deadly clash between the two sides in the border area, in the disputed Kashmir region, in at least 45 years. India said China had tried to “unilaterally change the status quo”. Beijing accused Indian troops of “attacking Chinese personnel”. The two armies later held talks to try to defuse tensions.

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