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This article was published 07/12/2013 (4321 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Britain cleaning up

LONDON — Hundreds of people in Britain mopped up flooded homes on Friday after a powerful storm that scoured northern Europe with hurricane-force gusts kicked up the biggest tidal surge in 60 years, swamping stretches of shoreline.

The rising seas prompted evacuations along the eastern English coast, with 1,400 properties flooded and at least a half-dozen communities at great risk of exceptionally high tides and large waves.

In London, the Thames Barrier — a series of huge metal plates that can be raised across the entire river– closed for a second time in as many days to protect the city from the surge.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said there would be “exceptionally high tides” Friday and today, though they were not expected to reach Thursday’s levels, when water swamped seaside promenades and flooded homes. In the town of Hemsby in eastern England, several houses fell into the sea as waves eroded cliffs.

Accidents linked to the storm that roared across Europe Thursday have killed at least eight people, from Britain to Sweden, Denmark and Poland.

Christians flee country

BANGUI, Central African Republic — Christian civilians fled by the thousands to the airport guarded by French forces in this chaotic capital Friday as the mostly Muslim armed fighters who have ruled the country since March hunted door-to-door for their enemies and the death toll from inter-communal violence increased to 280 people.

Bodies lay decomposing along the roads in a capital too dangerous for many to collect the corpses. Thursday’s clashes marked the worst unrest in Bangui in nine months and raised fears waves of retaliatory attacks could soon follow.

“They are slaughtering us like chickens,” said Appolinaire Donoboy, a Christian whose family remained in hiding.

France had pledged to increase its presence in its former colony well before Christian militias attacked the capital at dawn Thursday. The arrival of additional French troops and equipment came as the capital teetered on the brink of total anarchy and represented the greatest hope for many Central Africans.

About 1,000 French forces were expected to be on the ground by Friday evening, a French defence official said on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Putin visits Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych met with his Russian counterpart Friday to discuss closer co-operation, while protests clung to the capital over Ukraine’s decision to scrap a deal with the EU.

Yanukovych met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian city of Sochi on his way back from a state visit to China. Yanukovych’s office said the talks were about trade and economic co-operation and preparations for signing a partnership agreement.

No details were given, but the meeting is a challenge to leaders of the protests that broke out last month after Yanukovych stepped back from signing a long-anticipated agreement to deepen economic and political ties with the European Union.

Railroad to make changes

NEW YORK — Federal U.S. authorities have issued an emergency order instructing a commuter railroad to make immediate changes after a train derailed this week, killing four people.

The Metro-North Railroad was ordered to modify its signal system and put extra operators on lines where there are major speed changes, such as the curve where the passenger train derailed Sunday.

The order said immediate changes were needed to make sure train crews don’t exceed speed limits.

A commuter train went off the tracks Sunday after an engineer hit a curve at nearly three times the 48 kilometre per hour speed limit.

The train operator told investigators he fell into a trance, or nodded off, at the controls.

— from the news services