World Briefs

CHINA Authorities in Shenzhen arrested 11 people for their role in a landslide unleashed at construction waste dump last month that killed 12 people and left 62 others missing and presumed dead.

HONG KONG will likely need to raise taxes and introduce new levies as an aging population is increasing public expenditure. “Facing a fiscal gap brought by an aging population, raising taxes is inevitable,” K.C. Chan, secretary for financial services and the treasury, said in his blog yesterday. His remarks came after the government started a six-month public consultation last month to identify ways to enhance retirement protection in the city.

IRAN’s top leader yesterday warned Saudi Arabia of “divine revenge” over the execution of an opposition Shiite cleric while Riyadh accused Tehran of supporting terrorism, escalating a war of words hours after protesters stormed the Saudi Embassy in Tehran.

NORTH KOREAN leader Kim Jong Un said in an annual New Year’s speech that he is ready for war if provoked by “invasive” outsiders, but he stayed away from past threats involving the country’s nuclear weapons and long-range missile ambitions.

DUBAI On a New Year’s Eve haunted by fears of terrorism, a spectacular fire in one of Dubai’s tall towers captured the world’s attention. With few exceptions, the celebrations rolled on, and while the fire still raged, the Dubai Media office declared on Twitter: “New Year celebrations in Dubai will continue as scheduled.”

UK Prince William has said that being a father has made him “more emotional” and more prone to welling up. The royal is the father of two children, two-year-old Prince George and Princess Charlotte, born in May. In a television interview, the 33-year-old said that becoming a parent has made him more aware of “how precious life is.”

MEXICO The mayor of a city south of Mexico’s capital was shot to death on Saturday, less than a day after taking office, officials said.
Gunmen opened fire on Mayor Gisela Mota at her house in the city of Temixco, said the government of Morelos state, where Temixco is located. Two presumed assailants were killed and three others detained following a pursuit.

SOMALIA Al-Qaida’s East African affiliate has released a recruitment video targeting American blacks and Muslims that includes a clip of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump calling for Muslims to be banned from entering the United States.

TURKEY The coast guard has rescued 57 people who were stranded on a tiny island in the Aegean Sea after attempting to reach Greece. The state-run Anadolu news agency says helicopters evacuated 12 people including three sick children from the islet near the Turkish coastal town of Dikili in Izmir province. Small fishing boats helped rescue the others, as coast guard vessels were unable to navigate the rocky area.