5 international stories of the week

<p>This aerial photo shows White Island after its volcanic eruption in New Zealand Monday, Dec. 9, 2019. The volcano on a small New Zealand island frequented by tourists erupted Monday, and a number of people were missing and injured after the blast. <strong>(George Novak/New Zealand Herald via AP)</strong></p>

This aerial photo shows White Island after its volcanic eruption in New Zealand Monday, Dec. 9, 2019. The volcano on a small New Zealand island frequented by tourists erupted Monday, and a number of people were missing and injured after the blast. (George Novak/New Zealand Herald via AP)

Editor’s Note: This listicle is part of a weekly series by The Ball State Daily News summarizing five stories from around the world. All summaries are based on stories published by The Associated Press.

The shooting by a Saudi gunman at a Florida naval base, a volcano eruption in New Zealand, Hong Kong protests, North Korea’s rocket engine tests and Britain’s upcoming elections make up this week’s five international stories.

An Air Force carry team moves a transfer case containing the remains of Seaman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. A Saudi gunman killed three people including Walters, of Richmond Hill, Ga., in a shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Saudi gunman tweeted against US before naval base shooting

The Saudi gunman who killed three people at the Pensacola, Florida, naval base had apparently gone on Twitter shortly before the shooting to blast U.S. support of Israel and accuse America of being anti-Muslim, a U.S. official said Sunday as the FBI confirmed it is operating on the assumption the attack was an act of terrorism. Investigators are also trying to establish whether the killer, from the Royal Saudi Air Force, acted alone or was part of a larger plot.

Read more: Pensacola


In this image released by GeoNet, tourists can be seen near the volcano's crater Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, on White Island, New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says about 100 tourists were on or near White Island when the volcano erupted and some of them are missing. (GNS Science via AP)

5 dead, many more missing in eruption of New Zealand volcano

A volcanic island in New Zealand erupted Monday in a tower of ash and steam while dozens of tourists were exploring the moon-like surface, killing five people and leaving many more missing. Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims said there were fewer than 50 people on the island when it erupted, and 23 had been taken off, including the five dead. Brad Scott, a volcanologist, said the eruption sent a plume of steam and ash about 12,000 feet into the air.

Read more: New Zealand


Masked pro-democracy protesters march on a street in Hong Kong, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019. Marchers are again expected to fill Hong Kong streets Sunday in a rally that will test the enduring appeal of an anti-government movement marking a half year of demonstrations. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Hong Kong protests mark 6-month mark with massive rally

Crowds of 800,000 demonstrators, according to the organizers, crammed Sunday into Hong Kong’s streets in a mass show of support for the protest movement entering its seventh month. Chanting “Fight for freedom” and “Stand with Hong Kong,” the sea of protesters formed a huge human snake winding for blocks on Hong Kong Island, a distance of longer than 1.25 miles. It was one of the biggest rallies in months and remarkably peaceful.

Read more: Hong Kong


People watch a TV screen showing a file image of a ground test of North Korea's rocket engine during a news program Dec. 9, 2019, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea said it carried out a "very important test" at its long-range rocket launch site. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

N. Korea believed to test new rocket engine to provoke US

A day after North Korea said it had performed a “very important test” at its long-range rocket launch site, there is wide speculation that it involved a new engine for either a space launch vehicle or a long-range missile. Whatever it was, the North Korean announcement suggests the country is preparing to do something to provoke the United States if Washington doesn’t back down and make concessions in deadlocked nuclear negotiations.

Read more: North Korea


In this May 26, 1945 file photo, Britain's Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine tour Churchill's constituency of Woodford, in Essex, England, as part of the Conservative's General Election campaign. Britain is facing the most testing and significant period in its modern history since World War II. (AP Photo/Eddie Worth, File)

Britain faces most history-shaping election since WWII

The 20th century saw Britain fight alongside and against Europeans and then help make the prosperous peace into the 21st century. This election will help determine where Britain’s formal relationship with the European Union lands and what the impact will be on all walks of life. The polarized electorate now has a critical choice to make — but it seems unlikely the result, whatever it may be, will heal deep and toxic divisions that could last a generation or more. 

Read more: London 

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