NEWS OF THE DAY Deadly air strike: Syrian rescue workers on Tuesday continued their search for victims still under the rubble a day after air strikes hit a busy market in a rebel-held town in the country’s north, killing at least 61 people, including six
From Around the World
Myanmar alarm: The U.N. chief expressed alarm over the plight of Rohingya Muslims in remarks before Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi and others from a Southeast Asian bloc that has refused to criticize her government over the crisis. U.N. SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres said late Monday that the unfolding crisis can cause regional instability and radicalization. He met with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the sidelines of its summit in Manila. Suu Kyi sat near him but looked at a wall screen showing the U.N. leader.
Amazon deforestation: Brazil says the rate of deforestation in its Amazon conservation areas fell by 28 percent over the past year, the second lowest level in decades. The Latin American nation says satellite data show 61 square miles of protected rain forest were destroyed in the 12 months ending July 2017. That compares with a loss of 85 square miles of protected Amazon rain forest in the previous year. Brazil is under pressure to clamp down on deforestation, much of it illegal, because the Amazon plays a key role in soaking up carbon emissions and preserving biodiversity.
Fake bomb calls: Officials in Moscow say the Russian capital has faced over 500 fake bomb calls in two months and suffered a loss of millions of dollars as a result. A slew of fake bomb threats has affected dozens of Russian cities since early September. Among those targeted by the bomb calls have been all Moscow airports, railway stations, shopping malls, banks, hotels, schools and administrative buildings. No explosives have been found following the anonymous calls. Moscow city officials said Tuesday over 250,000 people were evacuated after 564 anonymous bomb warnings between Sept. 11 and Nov. 9. The top domestic security agency (FSB) has said several Russians living abroad were behind the calls, but it wouldn’t identify them or describe their motives.
Same-sex marriage: Australians have said they support gay marriage in a postal survey that ensures the Parliament considers a bill to legalize same-sex weddings this year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday 62 percent of registered adults who responded had voted for the reform in an unprecedented two-month survey. Though gay marriage could be a reality in Australia by Christmas, some government lawmakers have vowed to vote down gay marriage regardless of the survey’s outcome.
Ivanka visit: Authorities in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad are rounding up beggars ahead of a visit by Ivanka Trump. Over the past week, more than 200 beggars have been transported to separate male and female shelter homes located on the grounds of two city prisons. The crackdown seems to be having the desired effect, with most of the city’s thousands of beggars vanishing from sight.
Chronicle News Services