NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
_1 Troop withdrawals: The top American military commander in the Middle East said Wednesday that U.S. troop levels in Iraq and Syria would most likely shrink in the coming months but that he had not yet received orders to begin withdrawing forces. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., head of the Pentagon’s Central Command, said the 5,200 troops in Iraq to help fight remnants of the Islamic State and train Iraqi forces “will be adjusted” after consultations with the government in Baghdad. McKenzie said he expected American and other NATO forces to maintain “a longterm presence” in Iraq — both to help fight Islamic extremists and to check Iranian influence in the country. He declined to say how large that presence might be, but other American officials said discussions with Iraqi officials that resume this month could result in a reduction to around 3,500 U.S. troops.
_2 Oil spill: An oil spill in Venezuela has coated a stretch of the crisiswracked nation’s Caribbean coastline, treasured for its white sand beaches, clusters of small islands and wildlife. Fisherman and locals living around Morrocoy National Park began reporting oil washing ashore last week and it has coated roughly 9 miles of beaches. The area popular with tourists is located 180 miles from the capital of Caracas. Venezuelan authorities acknowledged the spill, saying they’re containing and cleaning it up, but so they far haven’t said what caused it.
_3 Migrants rescued: Police in North Macedonia say they have discovered 148 migrants crammed into trucks in two separate operations in central and northern parts of the country, and have arrested two men on suspicion of trafficking migrants. Police said their patrol stopped a truck and accompanying passenger car near the town of Demir Kapija, about 70 miles south of the capital Skopje, on Wednesday. They found 103 migrants, including 29 children, packed into the truck. Another 45 migrants were found in an abandoned truck near the northern village of Vaksince, near the border with Serbia, late Wednesday.
_4 Train derails: Three people were killed and six others injured Wednesday when a passenger train derailed near Stonehaven in northeast Scotland after heavy rain and flooding hit the area. The train driver was believed to be among the dead, British Transport Police said. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union said that the train conductor was also believed killed. Six people were hospitalized, but their injuries are not considered serious. Images from the scene show that several cars of the fourcarriage train had left the tracks and one had tumbled down an embankment. Smoke was seen billowing from the wreck. Air ambulances and coast guard helicopters came and went as the rescue operation unfolded. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a police investigation aims to find out what caused the derailment. _5 Deadly clash: At least three people were killed in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru when police clashed with hundreds of Muslims who attacked a police station and set fire to vehicles during a protest over a Facebook post considered offensive to Islam, police said Wednesday. Senior police officer Kamal Pant said the protesters burned public and police vehicles and attacked the house of a local politician whose relative was accused of posting remarks online reportedly involving the prophet Muhammad. The post has since been deleted, he said. Pant said the person responsible for the Facebook post was arrested and a law prohibiting gatherings was imposed in the city, with a heavy police presence in some areas.