NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
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Israeli settlements: Israel is moving forward with more than 2,300 housing units for settlers in the West Bank, a watchdog group said Wednesday, drawing condemnation from the Palestinians and the international community. The group, Peace Now, said that a planning committee granted approval to the settlement houses earlier this week. About 800 were given the final goahead, meaning construction could start within days while the others require further approvals. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip — territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war — for their hopedfor state. Most of the international community considers Israel’s West Bank settlements illegal and an obstacle to creating a twostate solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel says the fate of the settlements should be determined through negotiations, which have been moribund for years.
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Russia protest: Moscow’s children’s rights ombudsman and other public figures have reacted with outrage to Russian prosecutors’ moves to remove a 1yearold boy from his parents because they allegedly took him to an unauthorized protest. Prosecutors claimed that Dmitri and Olga Prokazov endangered the child by taking him to the July 27 rally in the Russian capital that was violently dispersed by police, and that they handed him to another man who is now being sought on charges of organizing mass riots. The case follows a tough police crackdown on rallies protesting the exclusion of opposition candidates from September’s city council election. Police detained more than 1,400 people during the protest and rounded up a further 1,001 during another demonstration on Saturday.
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Travel warning: Uruguay issued a warning to its citizens early this week about traveling to the U.S. after two mass shootings killed more than 30 people. The South American country also cited three cities citizens should avoid: Albuquerque, Detroit and Baltimore. Uruguay’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the cities are among the 20 most dangerous in the world. Albuquerque has garnered national attention in recent years over its high auto theft rates and violent shootings. Uruguay advised its citizens to avoid U.S. theme parks, shopping centers, art festivals, religious activities and sporting events.
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Canada fugitives: Canadian police said Wednesday they believe two fugitives suspected of killing a North Carolina woman and her Australian boyfriend as well as another man have been found dead in dense brush in northern Manitoba. Authorities located two male bodies and are confident they are 19yearold Kam McLeod and 18yearold Bryer Schmegelsky, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy. She said an autopsy will confirm their identities and causes of death. A manhunt for the pair had spread across three provinces.
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Cambodia rescue: A Cambodian man who became wedged between rocks while collecting bat droppings for sale has been rescued after being trapped for almost four days. Police said Sum Bora slipped Sunday while trying to retrieve his flashlight, which he had accidentally dropped in the small rocky hollow. Bat droppings — guano — are used as fertilizer and sold for supplementary income. Police say about 200 rescue personnel took 10 hours Wednesday to carefully extricate him by destroying bits of the rock that had pinned him.