NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 Abortion bill: Chile’s Congress approved a bill that would legalize abortion in limited circumstances — ending the country’s status as the last in South America to ban all abortions. The measure approved by lawmakers this week allows abortions when a mother’s life is in danger, when the fetus is not viable and in cases of rape. President Michelle Bachelet backs the measure and has said she would sign it into law. But it still needs to be approved by Chile’s Constitutional Tribunal. Chile legalized abortion for medical reasons in 1931. But abortion was banned under all circumstances during the 1973-90 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.
2 Towering inferno: A fire broke out early Friday in one of the world’s tallest residential towers in Dubai, engulfing part of the skyscraper and sending chunks of debris plummeting below. More than 40 floors of the 86-story Torch Tower were burning on one side of the building, a reporter said. Building residents could be seen on the street outside crying with several saying the fire broke out just after 1 a.m. local time. Dubai’s Civil Defense announced at about 3:30 a.m. that firefighters had brought the blaze under control and that no injuries had been reported.
3 Terrorism trial: Three British men convicted of planning a knife and bomb attack on troops or police inspired by Islamic extremism were sentenced Thursday to at least 20 years in prison. An accomplice received a minimum 15-year-term. Naweed Ali, Khobaib Hussain, Mohibur Rahman and Tahir Aziz were convicted in a London court of preparing terrorist acts after a trial that was partly held in secret for national security reasons. The defendants, from central England, denied the charges and accused police of planting evidence. Defense lawyers also criticized the decision to hear from two witnesses in secret.
4 Venezuela crisis: Venezuela’s president defiantly dismissed allegations Thursday that official turnout figures for the election of an all-powerful constituent assembly were manipulated, accusing the international software firm behind the claim of bowing to U.S. pressure to cast doubt over a body that he hopes will entrench an even more staunchly socialist state. President Nicolas Maduro not only stood by the official count of 8 million-plus votes cast in Sunday’s divisive election, but also proclaimed that an additional 2 million people would have voted if they hadn’t been blocked by antigovernment demonstrators. The body is empowered to rewrite Venezuela’s Constitution and Maduro vows he will use it to target his opponents and solidify the socialist system installed by President Hugo Chavez, now deceased.
5 “Safe zones”: Russia’s Defense Ministry announced a cease-fire for a third safe zone in war-torn Syria on Thursday, paving the way for the delivery of sorely needed humanitarian relief to rebel-held areas north of the city of Homs. Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Russia would deploy military police in the area Friday and set up two checkpoints and three observation points around its borders. It is the third of four planned cease-fires reached in recent months under an agreement brokered by Russia, Iran, and Turkey in May that seeks to de-escalate the violent and prolonged Syrian civil war. Russia and Iran are providing military support to President Bashar Assad, while Turkey sponsors some of the opposition forces arrayed against him.