Around the world
North America A teenage surfer is in hospital after being bitten on the left hand by a shark off Florida’s coast. The Volusia County Beach Patrol says the 14-year-old boy from Vero Beach was with four other surfers in Atlantic waters 90m off New Smyrna Beach when he was bitten. Captain Aaron Jenkins, a patrol spokesman, told the Orlando Sentinel the boy suffered “significant lacerations” from what was described as a 1.2m or 1.5m blacktip shark. He said the boy punched the shark before returning to shore, where he was given aid by a beach safety officer before being taken to a hospital. There was no further information on the boy’s identity or condition. Latin America/Caribbean At least 300 people are still missing in a mudslide on the outskirts of Guatemala City, after rescuers pulled more bodies from the muck. The death toll reached 107 with the recovery of the remains of more than 20 victims yesterday, before rescue work was stopped by rain, which raised the risk of further mudslides. Authorities fear the toll will soar over time. Finding survivors becomes highly unlikely within 72 hours after a mudslide, though Guatemalan President Alejandro Maldonado ordered continued rescue efforts as soon as conditions allow.
Bermuda was lashed yesterday by gusting winds and pelting rain from a weakening Hurricane Joaquin as its spinning centre tracked just west of the wealthy financial haven and tourist destination after ploughing through the Bahamas as a major storm. Residents of the midatlantic British dependency mostly hunkered down at home after securing patio furniture and stocking up on gas and batteries as the Category 2 hurricane whipped the British territory. All flights to L.F. Wade International Airport were cancelled and the ferry service was suspended because of rough seas. There were scattered power failures. Asia/Oceania Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has dismissed Isis’ claim of responsibility for the deaths of two foreigners, saying police still have no evidence to confirm the link. Her remarks came a day after 66-year-old Japanese citizen Hoshi Kunio was shot dead in northern Bangladesh, the second foreigner murdered in the South Asian nation in less than a week. A 50-year-old Italian, Cesare Tavella, was shot dead last week near Dhaka’s diplomatic zone in another attack claimed by Isis (Islamic State). “We have still not found any involvement [of Isis]. We have to investigate,” Hasina told reporters at a press briefing in her office. “We’ve got no clues. If someone claims responsibility, why should we have to accept it?”
Australia could soon be shipping next-generation, blast-proof armoured vehicles overseas. The federal Government is equipping the army with 1100 locally built Hawkei protected vehicles and more than 1000 trailers, under a A$1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) deal with defence contractor Thales. The project is expected to create over 170 regional jobs in the Victorian city of Bendigo and a further 60 for the state. The Hawkei vehicles, an upgrade of the widely recognised Bushmasters, will better protect soldiers and allow them to operate in high-risk areas with a range of blast and ballistic protective features. Europe The badly decomposed body of a baby was found on the shore of Kos Island, on the frontline of the migrant influx coming from Turkey. The Greek coastguard said the body of the baby boy, estimated to be 6-12 months old, was found dressed in green trousers and white T-shirt on the beach of a hotel. According to Greek news reports, authorities believe the child was a member of a migrant family that tried to reach Kos in a dinghy. The island of Kos was where the body of 3-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi was flown for a post mortem examination last month.
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