Page 11 - AT

A11
WORLD NEWS Friday 20 december 2019

Australia's most populous state declares wildfire emergency

By TRISTAN LAVALETTE winter. New South Wales
Associated Press Premier Gladys Berejiklian
PERTH, Australia (AP) — said authorities were con-
Australia's most populous cerned with the unpredict-
state of New South Wales able conditions.
declared a seven-day "With extreme wind con-
state of emergency Thurs- ditions, extreme hot tem-
day as oppressive condi- peratures, we have a good
tions fanned around 100 idea, a good sense, of
wildfires. where the most concerning
Around 2,000 firefighters areas are, but again when
were battling the blazes, you've got those turbulent
half of which remain un- conditions, embers and
controlled, with the sup- spot fires can occur very
port of U.S. and Canadian unpredictably," she told re-
backup teams and person- porters.
nel from the Australian De- Rural Fire Service Commis-
fence Force. sioner Shane Fitzsimmons
The last state of emer- said five 100-member "strike
gency ran for seven days teams" were on standby to
in mid-November amid deploy to the most danger-
"catastrophic" fire risk and ous fires.
was the first implement- Sydney's air pollution levels
ed in New South Wales A fire truck is seen during a bushfire near Bilpin, 90 kilometers (56 miles) northwest of Sydney, on Thursday ranged from
Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019.
since 2013. Central Sydney Associated Press poor to hazardous.
reached a maximum of 39 During the past month,
degrees Celsius (102 Fahr- announced on Tuesday will has burnt nationwide dur- The annual Australian fire hazardous smoke has often
enheit) on Thursday, while remain in place until mid- ing a torrid past few months, season, which peaks during blanketed Australia's most
outer suburbs scorched at night on Saturday. with six people killed and the Southern Hemisphere populous city and made
42 Celsius (108 F). Around 3 million hectares more than 800 homes de- summer, started early after its iconic skyline barely
A statewide total fire ban (7.4 million acres) of land stroyed. an unusually warm and dry visible.q

6 activists stand trial in Indonesia on charges of treason

By TATAN SYUFLANA internet showing police, students in Jakarta on Aug.
NINIEK KARMINI backed by soldiers, calling 28 to protest racism and
Associated Press Papuan students "mon- call for independence for
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) keys" and "dogs." the restive region.
— Five Papuan pro-inde- Protests in several cities in Dano Anes Tabuni and
pendence students and Papua and West Papua Arina Elopere, the only
a rights activist went on provinces turned violent, woman, were arrested
trial Thursday on charges leaving more than 30 peo- two days after the protest.
of treason after waving ple dead and hundreds Prosecutors charged them
morning star flags that are of buildings and vehicles with treason, which car-
a separatist symbol during burned. ries a possible penalty of
a peaceful protest in front Paulus Suryanta Ginting, life imprisonment. The six
of Indonesia's presidential an Indonesian rights activ- defendants denied any
palace. ist and the spokesman for wrongdoing. Two wore
The rally in the capital, Papuan independence activists, from left to right, Anes Tabuni, the Indonesian People's traditional Papuan cloth-
Jakarta, in August was Ambrosius Mulait, Suryanta Ginting, Arina Elopere, Isay Wenda, Front for West Papua, was ing and headgear during
part of weeks of protests and Charles Kossay attend their trial at Central Jakarta District arrested three days after Thursday's trial. They paint-
triggered by videos that Court in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019. participating in a rally by ed the word "monkey" on
circulated widely on the Associated Press about 100 West Papuan their bodies.q