Reuters, Los Angeles
Fierce winds, bone-dry weather and high temperatures are expected on Thursday in northern California, where they could threaten efforts to fight the largest wildfire in state history.
Wind gusting up to 35 miles (56 km) an hour, temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 C) and 10 percent humidity are in the forecast from Thursday afternoon to Saturday in northern California.
South Sudan President pardons rival, rebels
AFP, Juba
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has issued a decree offering a blanket amnesty to rebels, including his bitter rival Riek Machar, state radio reported Thursday.
The announcement comes days after the two men signed a power-sharing deal in the Sudanese capital Khartoum aimed at ending a nearly five-year civil war that has killed tens of thousands and uprooted millions.
9 dead as migrant boat sinks off Turkish coast
Xinhua, Istanbul
Nine people died on Thursday when a boat carrying migrants sank off Turkey’s Aegean coast, local media reported. The mishap occurred off Kusadasi district of Turkey’s southwestern province of Aydin, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.
Hurriyet daily said the boat was carrying 13 illegal migrants on route to a Greek island and four were rescued. The Aegean Sea was once the main route for migrants being smuggled into Europe via Turkey.
Serbia expels 6 Croatian fans, bars entry
AP, Belgrade
Serbia has expelled six Croatian soccer fans who were sentenced to suspended prison terms for robbing a gas station while traveling to Bulgaria. A Serbian court said Thursday the fans have been barred from entering Serbia for the next three years.
The group admitted stealing beer, cigarettes and toys from the gas station near Belgrade while on their way to last week’s match between Hajduk Split and Slavia Sofia.
