NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
Yemen conflict: The U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen says Saudi-led coalition air strikes have killed 109 civilians over the past 10 days. Jamie McGoldrick said Thursday that those killed include at least 54 in air strikes on a market in the western province of Taiz, and 14 people from the same family in an air strike on a farm in Hodeida province. The coalition, backing an internationally recognized government, has been at war with Iran-allied Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, since March 2015. The stalemated war has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced 3 million, damaged critical infrastructure and pushed the country to the brink of famine.
Zimbabwe swearing-in: A former general who led the ouster of Zimbabwe’s founding leader has been sworn in as vice president. The appointment of Constantino Chiwenga had been widely anticipated amid concerns about the military’s influence on new President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The military stepped in last month and forced the departure of Robert Mugabe as Zimbabweans feared his unpopular wife was preparing to succeed him. Mnangagwa has spelled out benefits for Mugabe, including government-funded accommodation, office space and personnel, a luxury MercedesBenz vehicle, security details, and first-class air travel abroad at least four times a year.
Visa dispute ends: The U.S. Embassy in Turkey announced Thursday that it is resuming normal visa services for Turkish citizens, saying Turkish authorities had adhered to assurances that no local staff would be detained or arrested for performing their duties. The United States had halted most visa services for Turkish citizens following the October arrest of a Turkish citizen employed at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul. Turkey retaliated by halting visa services in the U.S. for Americans traveling to Turkey. Ties between the two nations have deteriorated since a coup attempt last year that the Turkish government blames on a Muslim cleric who lives in the U.S.
Iran dress code: Police in Iran’s capital say they will no longer arrest women for failing to observe the Islamic dress code imposed since the 1979 revolution. The reformist daily Sharq on Thursday quoted Gen. Hossein Rahimi, the Tehran police chief, as saying “those who do not observe the Islamic dress code will no longer be taken to detention centers, nor will judicial cases be filed against them.” The semiofficial Tasnim news agency says violators will instead be made to attend classes given by police. It says repeat offenders could still be subject to legal action. Younger and more liberalminded Iranian woman have long pushed the boundaries of the official dress code, wearing loose headscarves that don’t fully cover their hair and painting their nails, drawing the ire of conservatives.
Restaurant fire kills 15: A fire broke out early Friday in an upscale rooftop restaurant in Mumbai, India’s financial and entertainment capital, leaving at least 15 dead and a dozen injured, officials said. The 1 a.m. fire quickly spread from the restaurant through a four-story building, said fire official Balkrishna Kadam. The TimesNow television news channel said an artificial bamboo ceiling in the restaurant burned quickly and collapsed as people tried to escape the fire. Most people died of suffocation from the smoke, it said. More than 50 people were brought to a hospital, 12 of whom were being treated for injuries that were not life threatening, said Avinash Supe, a doctor at KEM Hospital.
Chronicle News Services