A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Dozens killed by landslides and floods in Brazil
RIO DE JANEIRO – Floods and landslides devastated towns in a mountainous area near Rio de Janeiro, killing dozens of people and bringing the death toll yesterday from days of heavy rain in southern Brazil to at least 127.
At least 89 people were killed in Teresopolis, about 62 miles (100km) north of Rio, town officials said, after hillsides and river banks buckled under the equivalent of a month’s rainfall in 24 hours, sending water and mud surging through communities.
At least 25 people were killed in two other towns in the region, local officials said. – (Reuters)
Private Belarusian radio station shut
MINSK – Belarus has closed down a popular private radio station, accusing it of broadcasting calls for “extremist behaviour”, as a crackdown intensifies against opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko.
The move against the radio station, Avtoradio, follows the re-election of Mr Lukashenko on December 19th amid street protests by several opposition groups which riot police broke up. Four presidential candidates who ran against Mr Lukashenko are still being held after mass arrests. – (Reuters)
Gaza militants to cease rocket fire
GAZA – Leaders of several Palestinian militant groups have told Hamas rulers in the Gaza Strip that they will cease rocket fire aimed at Israel in an effort to prevent any new Israeli offensive from being launched, officials have said.
Two officials at a meeting convened by Hamas leaders said the factions had responded to warnings from Egypt that Israel, angry at increasing rocket attacks, might mount a campaign similar to one fought in 2008- 2009 that devastated much of the coastal territory and killed more than 1,000 Palestinians. – (Reuters)
Ukraine hero status for fighter dropped
KIEV – Ukraine has officially scrapped the hero status conferred a year ago on a wartime nationalist leader – a move likely to fuel tension between the pro-Russian east and the nationalist west.
Former president Viktor Yushchenko sparked the anger of eastern Ukrainians a year ago, shortly before leaving office, by posthumously declaring nationalist Stepan Bandera a Hero of Ukraine.
Bandera was the ideological leader of nationalist fighters who fought for independence in western Ukraine in the 1930s and 1940s. – (Reuters)