A round-up of today's other world news stories in brief
30,000 Burma refugees flee into China
BEIJING– Fighting has eased along China's southern frontier after days of clashes between Burmese troops and ethnic rebels sent up to 30,000 refugees streaming across the border into China, putting pressure on Sino-Burmese relations, writes Clifford Coonan.
The majority of rebels, many of them from the ethnic Han Chinese Kokang minority, surrendered their arms to Chinese authorities upon entering the country. They were fighting government troops sent to the remote province to consolidate control over the several armed ethnic groups along Burma’s borders ahead of next year’s national elections, the first in almost 20 years.
It was not clear whether militia leader Peng Jiashen was among those who fled into China.
Bomb kills 12 police cadets
MINGORA– A militant blew himself up at a police station in Pakistan's northwestern Swat Valley yesterday, killing 12 cadets in the second such attack in the area in recent weeks, a senior government official said.
The military went on the offensive in the region northwest of the capital in late April and has killed or driven out many Taliban militants in what has been widely seen as a successful operation, but the attacks show the militants can hit back. “Training was going on when a suicide bomber disguised as a recruit walked into the building and blew himself up,” information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said. – (Reuters)
Fire threatens 10,000 US homes
LOS ANGELES– A wildfire raging in a long stretch of the heavily populated Los Angeles foothills threatened 10,000 homes yesterday and headed relentlessly towards communities on the other side of the mountains.
The heat-driven fire almost doubled in size overnight and has now burned 14,000 hectares of bone-dry brush in the mountains above five towns.
Some 10,000 homes are under evacuation orders and 500 commercial buildings are in danger, as is Mount Wilson, the nexus for key telecommunications facilities, including TV and radio transmission towers, the forest service said. – (Reuters)
Category 4 storm headed to Mexico
LOS CABOS– Hurricane Jimena blew into a dangerous Category 4 storm off Mexico's Pacific Coast and was on track to buffet resorts on the Baja California peninsula tomorrow, the US National Hurricane Centre said yesterday.
Jimena, a small but powerful hurricane that has intensified quickly since it formed early on Saturday, had winds of almost 215km/h (135mph), with stronger gusts. Further strengthening is expected.
The hurricane is forecast to brush Los Cabos tomorrow, where the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is scheduled to hold a meeting to discuss tax havens. – (Reuters)