NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
_1 Myanmar conflict: At least 123,000 Rohingya have fled from western Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh since late last month, the United Nations said Tuesday, as a military crackdown has destroyed villages and killed hundreds. At least 46 Rohingya died last week when boats capsized while crossing a river between the two countries, Bangladeshi authorities said. The Rohingya are a largely Muslim ethnic group who mainly live in Rakhine state in western Myanmar, where they face severe restrictions on basic rights. On Aug. 25, Rohingya militants attacked several police outposts and a military base, killing at least 12 members of security forces.
_2 Lesotho gunfight: Lesotho’s military commander was killed Tuesday in a gunfight with two rival officers who also died, the defense minister of the tiny southern African nation said. Defense Minister Sentje Lebona confirmed the death of Lt. Gen. Khoantle Motsomotso in a resurgence of the political instability that has plagued Lesotho. Witnesses said the gunfight happened after the two officers forced their way into Motsomotso’s office at a military barracks. Lesotho has been beset by power struggles and concerns about military interference in politics.
_3 Neo-Nazi arrests: Four members of the British army were arrested under the Terrorism Act on suspicion of being members of a banned farright group, defense officials and police said Tuesday. The West Midlands Counterterrorism Unit said officers had arrested four people in central England alleged to be members of the neo-Nazi group National Action. The group is banned in Britain., and an official list of banned groups describes it as “virulently racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic.” The men, age 22 to 32, were held at a police station. Several properties were raided in connection with the arrests.
_4 “Not my bride”: President Vladimir Putin seemed to be in top form during a news conference in China on Tuesday, answering a question about President Trump by saying the U.S. leader is “not my bride, and I am not his groom.” The Russian president offered it as an explanation of why he could not comment on domestic U.S. politics. It came in response to a question about whether the Russian leader takes into account the possibility of Trump being impeached. Putin refused to answer, but he did say that Moscow reserved the right to respond to the U.S. having ordered the closing of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco and of two other annexes, the latest move in a diplomatic tit-for-tat between the two countries.
_5 Topless photos case: A French court on Tuesday fined photographers and gossip magazine executives over topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge. The court also ordered the defendants to pay damages to the duchess and her husband Prince William, but the amount was significantly lower than that sought by the royal family. The Paris court ruled Tuesday that three photographers and three newspaper executives invaded the privacy of the duchess, formerly known as Kate Middleton, by taking and publishing the photos. Two executives of French gossip magazine Closer were each given the maximum $53,500 fine. In addition, the two executives, along with two photographers working with a celebrity photo agency, were collectively ordered to pay $59,500. The amount is far below the $1.8 million in damages sought by the royal couple.