World Briefs

CHINA Rescuers have dug out dozens of bodies from a massive landslide that occurred at a construction waste dump in Shenzhen more than two weeks ago, bringing the death toll to 58, authorities said yesterday. The city government said authorities had identified 52 of the 58 bodies and that an additional 25 people remain missing.

CHINA“Anti-corruption campaigns hurt high-end luxury consumption, but mid-end luxury is more affordable for the middle class, and it will gain traction in China,” said Larry Hu, head of China economics at Macquarie Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong. Investors are looking at a big trend of moving towards a more service- and consumption-driven economy in the mainland.

BANGLADESH The top court yesterday upheld a death sentence given to the leader of Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party for atrocities and multiple killings he committed during the nation’s independence war against Pakistan in 1971. The verdict came as a wave of deadly assaults late last year on foreigners, secular writers and members of the Shiite community intensified.

IRAQI officials say the Islamic State group has stepped up attacks on the western town of Haditha, where 45 Iraqi security forces and Sunni tribal fighters have been killed in clashes over the past three days.
Syrian activists and an official with an ultraconservative rebel group say gunmen have shot and killed the group’s commander in the main central province. Labib al-Nahhas of Syria’s Ahrar al-Sham Islamic rebel group mourned on his Twitter account yesterday the death of Abu Rateb al-Homsy, the group’s leader in Homs province. It was not clear when al-Homsy was killed.

UK The Labour Party has begun the new year at war with itself as veteran left-winger leader Jeremy Corbyn struggles to assert his authority over restive lawmakers. Yesterday, Corbyn moved defense spokeswoman Maria Eagle, who opposed him on nuclear weapons, to another post, and fired two other members of his team who had criticized him. Legislator Jonathan Reynolds later resigned as Labour’s railway spokesman, saying he wanted more freedom to speak out.

GERMANY Former New York Philharmonic principal conductor Pierre Boulez, who moved between conducting, composition and teaching over a long career that made him one of the leading figures in modern classical music, has died at age 90 in Baden-Baden. Born in Montbrison, France, Boulez initially studied mathematics as a youth before switching to music and studying at the Paris Conservatory.

HOLLYWOOD ‘Spotlight’ (pictured), ‘Straight Outta Compton’ and ‘The Martian’ were among the 10 feature film nominees announced for the 27th Producers Guild Awards, usually a prelude to the Oscars’ nominations. Conspicuously missing were critics favorite ‘Carol’ and ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, a wild card thus far in award races.