NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
_1 Australia wildfire: A devastating fire has consumed at least 69 homes in southern New South Wales, officials said. The blaze began Sunday in Tarraganda and quickly crossed the Bega River before advancing toward the seaside town of Tathra. Hundreds of its 1,600 residents fled to safety after receiving emergency alerts. Aerial footage on Monday showed the still-smoking extent of the damage. No serious injuries or fatalities were reported, but one woman was treated for respiratory problems and burns. The blaze covered almost 4 square miles.
_2 Territorial dispute: Bolivia asked the International Court of Justice on Monday to order Chile to enter talks over granting the landlocked South American nation access to the Pacific Ocean, saying the dispute will remain a source of conflict if it’s not resolved. Bolivia has been demanding access to the Pacific for generations, and it accuses Chile of reneging on pledges to negotiate. Chile argues that its border with Bolivia was settled in a 1904 treaty and that it’s not under any legal obligation to negotiate.
_3 Philippines fire: Firefighters found two more bodies Monday in a Manila hotel-casino gutted by fire, raising the death toll to five. The remains of two security camera operators were found in the Pavilion Hotel and Casino after firefighters managed to control the blaze, which raged from Sunday morning to early Monday, officials said. More than 300 hotel guests were evacuated at the height of the fire, some by helicopter.
_4 Refugee crisis: The head of a Spanish aid group said Monday he fears human trafficking charges may be brought against his staff after they refused to hand over a group of rescued migrants to the Libyan coast guard during a tense high-seas standoff and then took them to Italy. Proactiva Open Arms director Oscar Camps said Italy has impounded his organization’s rescue vessel and he is worried the ship might not be returned. The case comes amid reluctance in Italy to take in any more immigrants who human traffickers launch in unseaworthy boats from Libya and other North African shores. International efforts have been increasingly aimed at stemming the migrant flow across the Mediterranean. The rescue vessel was sequestered Sunday in the Sicilian port of Pozzallo. Italian authorities were investigating the rescue group for aiding illegal immigration.
_5 Missing student: Police in Bermuda confirmed Monday that they found the body of a missing U.S. student. Mark Dombroski, 19, was on a rugby tour with Saint Joseph’s University, of Philadelphia, when he disappeared early Sunday. He was last seen around 1 a.m. at The Dog House, a bar and restaurant in Hamilton, the island’s capital. Acting Assistant Commissioner James Howard says authorities have not determined a cause of death and that forensic experts are still at the scene. Foul play has not been ruled out in the death.
_6 Online racism: France’s government has presented a plan to better fight racism and anti-Semitism, focusing on social media and prevention in schools. Prime minister Edouard Philippe said Monday that France will push for a Europe-wide effort to force internet giants to remove “heinous, racist and anti-Semitic” content. “I’m upset that nowadays, it seems easier to remove a pirate video of a soccer match than anti-Semitic comments” on social media, Philippe said. He said French law will be changed to force internet platforms to detect, signal and remove illegal content. Philippe suggested substantial fines could be applied.
Chronicle News Services