NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

WORLD/ UN PASSES GAY RIGHTS RESOLUTION: The UN Human Rights Council has passed a historic resolution calling for universal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people. This is the 1st time the body has passed a resolution which focuses specifically on sexual orientation and gender identity. The resolution, which passed 23-19 with 3 abstentions, “affirms that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms, without distinction of any kind”. It was introduced by South Africa, which was accused by some other African countries of siding with the west over the issue.  South Africa, which recently pledged to tackle an epidemic of ‘corrective rapes’ on lesbians, was attacked by the Nigerian envoy for “breaking the tradition of African group”. The envoy also claimed that 90% of South Africans oppose the resolution. More opposition came from some Arab states and the Pakistan envoy, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, said the countries were “disturbed on the attempt to focus on certain persons on the grounds of their sexual interest and behaviour”. Introducing the resolution, South Africa said that it “does not seek to impose values on states, but seeks to initiate dialogue”. The resolution also commissions a study on anti-gay discrimination and violence and establishes a panel to look at the issues.

WORLD/ OVER 500,000 FLEE FLOODS IN CHINA: Days of torrential rain have forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in central and southern China. The government has described flooding in some areas as the worst since 1955 and has mobilized troops to evacuate some 555,000 people. More than 100 people are known to have died so far this month. China's disaster alert has been raised to the highest level, 4. More heavy rain is expected in the coming days, with little relife until Sunday. In Jiangxi province in the east, troops helped 122,400 residents move from vulnerable, low-lying areas. In central Hubei province, downpours earlier this week triggered a landslide that left 6 people missing and blocked the Pingdu River, forcing 2,000 residents to flee. The floods come after months of crop-destroying drought in the centre and north of the country. Some areas along the Yangtze River have suffered their worst drought in half a century.

US/ 5.2 QUAKE JOLTS ALASKA: An earthquake rocked Alaska's largest city and other parts of the state's most populated region on Thursday, but there were no reports of damage or injuries. The quake struck with a magnitude of 5.2 shortly after 11:00am, according to seismologists at the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. It was centered about 50 miles SW of Anchorage, said the tsunami program manager. The quake occurred 30 miles below ground and rumbled for several seconds. It would not generate a tsunami, the warning center said just after the quake. Kenai Peninsula officials had no reports of damage or injuries, said a spokesman for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. There also were no reports of damage or injuries in Anchorage. The Anchorage Fire Department didn't even get any calls in the immediate aftermath, said a dispatcher. "This is Alaska," she said. "This is how we roll. We're tough".  The Alaska Earthquake Information Center said the event was widely felt in the Kenai Peninsula and Cook Inlet regions, with the strongest shaking occurring in the Peninsula communities of Sterling and Soldotna.