Yemen

US tells citizens to leave nation

The United States told its citizens in Yemen on Tuesday to leave immediately and ordered the evacuation of non-essential US government staff because of the threat of terrorist attacks. The State Department announcement was the latest warning since Washington issued a worldwide travel alert on Friday that prompted the closure of several Western embassies in Yemen and US missions across the Middle East and Africa.

Hungary

4 found guilty in killing spree

A Hungarian court found four men guilty on Tuesday of killing Roma families in a spree of racist violence in 2008 and 2009 that shocked the country and led to accusations that police had failed to protect an historically persecuted minority. Six Roma were killed and several wounded in the attacks, which created a climate of fear for members of Hungary's largest ethnic minority.

Syria

Rebels overrun key Aleppo base

Rebels seized control of a key air base in Aleppo province on Tuesday, marking another major advance after overrunning a string of villages in Latakia province, the heartland of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect. The rebel successes come after a string of battlefield setbacks in recent months at the hands of government forces in the central city of Homs and in the town of Qusayr in Homs province.

Canada

Escaped python kills 2 children

A python strangled two children in their sleep in eastern Canada after escaping from a reptile shop and slithering through a ventilation shaft, police said Monday. The two young boys, aged 5 and 7, were at a sleepover at a friend's apartment late on Sunday in the small town of Campbellton.

Switzerland

1 dead, 4 injured in balloon crash

One man died and four other people were seriously injured on Tuesday when a balloon crashed to the ground after hitting a power line in Switzerland, police said. The man's wife and their two daughters as well as the balloon's pilot were hurt when the balloon fell about 50 meters in the western region of Fribourg, police said.

South Africa

City apologizes for warning

The city of Johannesburg has apologized for a mix up over a warning notice it delivered to the house of Nelson Mandela, the former South African president who is critically ill in a hospital. The city said on Monday that the notice was incorrectly sent to Mandela's house, where many passers-by have left messages of support for the beloved national figure, who turned 95 last month.

Reuters-AFP

(China Daily 08/07/2013 page11)