IN BRIEF (Page 12)

United States

Over 30 'in distress' as boat catches fire

The US Coast Guard was scrambling on Monday to rescue more than 30 people "in distress" after a boat caught fire off the coast of southern California. "A group of crew members has been rescued (one with minor injuries) and efforts continue to evacuate the remaining passengers," the Coast Guard tweeted. "The vessel was reported as being on fire," it said. It said it had deployed "multiple rescue assets along with assets from local agencies" to assist those still trapped on the 22-meter boat, near Santa Cruz Island.

Yemen

Saudi-led airstrikes on prison kill over 100

Yemen was reeling on Monday from the deadliest attack so far this year after multiple airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition hit a detention center run by the country's rebels the previous day, killing over 100 people and wounding dozens. By midday, rescue and search teams retrieved 86 bodies but continued to search for more in the rubble of a building complex in southwestern Dhamar Province that the Houthis were using as a detention center, Yemen's Red Crescent said. Around 170 detainees at the facility when the airstrikes hit on Sunday.

Australia

Elderly woman killed by pet rooster

An elderly woman in South Australia has been killed by her pet rooster. The woman, whose name and age were not released to avoid further trauma for her family, was collecting eggs from a chicken coop in her backyard when she was attacked by the aggressive rooster. Reports said that the rooster punctured a vein with its beak and the bleeding could not be stopped. Roger Byard, a forensics expert from Adelaide University, studied the case and used it to warn Australians about the dangers posed by their pets. "I'm trying to get elderly people have varicose veins treated with a simple operation because they are especially vulnerable."

Agencies - Xinhua

(China Daily 09/03/2019 page12)