NEWS OF THE DAY
1_ Philippine siege: The military on Sunday began observing an eight-hour halt in its air and ground offensive against Islamic militants in southern Marawi city to allow residents, most of them displaced by the monthlong fighting, to celebrate the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the “humanitarian pause” in military assaults took effect at 6 a.m. in the predominantly Muslim city of Marawi but will be lifted immediately if the militants open fire or threaten troops and civilians. It’s the first respite in the major offensive after a month of daily street battles and military air strikes that have left at least 280 militants, 69 soldiers and police, and 26 civilians dead.
2_ Syria fighting: The government on Saturday released hundreds of detainees including some who backed the insurgency against President Bashar Assad on the eve of a major Muslim holiday. Justice Minister Hisham al-Shaar said 672 people were released, included 91 women. Most were freed in the capital or Damascus. The release comes on the eve of Eid el-Fitr, the feast that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Syrian authorities usually release detainees on major holidays. Tens of thousands of people have been detained since Syria’s crisis began in March 2011. The conflict has killed some 400,000 people and displaced half the country’s population.
3_ Mine explosion: At least eight people died and five were missing after an underground explosion at a coal mine in central Colombia. Rescuers attempted to locate possibly trapped survivors Saturday. Authorities said they believe Friday’s blast was triggered by an accumulation of methane gas. An explosion at a mine in the same town of Cucunuba caused eight deaths in 2008. Mining accidents are frequent in Colombia, where many facilities operate illegally with poor safety protocols.
4_ Pakistan attacks:
The death toll from twin blasts in the northwestern town of Parachinar climbed to 67 on Saturday, bringing the overall death toll from three separate attacks in Pakistan to 85, with several others in critical condition, officials said. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni extremist group, claimed the Friday twin bombings at a crowded market in the Shiite-dominated town, linking them to sectarian fighting in Syria. Another 14 people were killed Friday in a suicide car bombing near the office of the provincial police chief in the southwestern city of Quetta, police spokesman Shahzada Farhat said. That attack was claimed by a breakaway Taliban faction and the Islamic State group.
5_ Pandas arrive: Two giant pandas — Meng Meng and Jiao Qing — received a celebrity welcome Saturday in Berlin from the German capital’s mayor and the Chinese ambassador after they safely weathered a long flight from China. Berlin is going nuts over the bears, who will be presented to the public at Berlin Zoo on July 6. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping are also expected to visit the new animal stars ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Germany in early July. “It was my personal wish to come and welcome our new residents,” Mayor Michael Mueller said. Berlin’s last panda, Bao Bao, was sent in 1980 as a gift from then-Chinese leader Hua Guofeng to West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Bao Bao died in 2012.