Hong Kong Thousands of people in Hong Kong attended a candlelight vigil to commemorate victims of the Tiananmen Square crackdown while Taiwan’s president called on Beijing to “face up” to its history. President Tsai said that in 1989 the actions of people who challenged the political system in China had “inspired a generation”. She appealed to Beijing to “face up to June 4 with an open mind” and said Taiwan was willing to share its experiences of becoming a democracy to ease the pains of such a transition. “For democracy: some are early, others are late, but we will all get there in the end,” she wrote on Twitter. (AP)
Bahrain shuts paper
Dubai Bahrain shut down a prominent independent newspaper until further notice over an article about unrest in Morocco. It is the third time the government has ordered the daily Al-Wasat to stop printing since the island’s Arab Spring protests in 2011. The Information Affairs Authority said it was because of a story “affecting the relations of the kingdom of Bahrain with other countries”. (AP)
‘No talks’ over hostages
Manila President Duterte of the Philippines said he would not negotiate with militants aligned to Islamic State who are holding hostages in the besieged city of Marawi, even if they killed every one. He said that he refused to talk to terrorists or back down. The army has battled to regain control of the city since gunmen waving Isis flags invaded on May 23. At least 178 people have been killed since the siege began. (AP)
Pig head poll warning
Texcoco Threatening phone calls and pig heads dumped at polling stations marred the last hours of an election in State of Mexico where President Peña Nieto’s party is battling the new party of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who leads polls for a presidential vote next year. Prosecutors said the pig heads were to deter voters. It is not clear who was responsible but such claims are common in Mexican polls. (Reuters)
Rescued lions killed
Johannesburg Two lions that were freed from circuses in South America and taken to a wildlife refuge in South Africa have been killed by poachers. The Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, 100 miles north of Pretoria, rescued a group of 33 lions from Peru and Colombia last year. The killing of the two males, named José and Liso, came despite 24-hour security at the refuge, including armed patrols. (AP)
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Drunk gunman kills 9
Moscow A drunken man shot and killed nine people after an argument broke out during a festive dinner in Redkino, about 75 miles northwest of Moscow, Russian investigators say. Survivors told police that the suspect, who has been arrested, quarrelled with others at the dinner before leaving the house and returning with a hunting rifle. The victims were four women and five men. (AP)
Helicopter fall deaths
Vienna A mountain rescue worker and a climber died in the Alps when a rope hauling them up to a helicopter came loose and they fell into a ravine. A man and a woman had sought help from emergency services during a trek near Trofaiach, Austria. The rescue worker, 28, was lowered down but the rope malfunctioned as the three were winched up. The woman’s companion was seriously injured. (AFP)