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world news Diamars 5 Januari 2021

Charity rescue ship with 265 migrants anchors off Italy

(AP) — Italy allowed a The remaining adults were In an earlier, separate opera-
Spanish-flagged charity expected to be transferred to tion, Open Arms had taken
ship with 265 rescued mi- a ferry chartered by Italy ear- aboard 169 migrants, who
grants aboard to anchor lier in the COVID-19 pan- had departed Libyan shores,
off Sicily on Monday. demic so the migrants can where many human traffick-
do two weeks of quarantine ers are based.
The Open Arms vessel had as others rescued at sea have
brought the migrants safely done. Traffickers launch unseawor-
aboard in separate rescues last thy dinghies or fishing boats,
week in the central Mediter- Open Arms said 96 of those crowded with migrants who
ranean. Port officials in Porto rescued had been adrift two have paid them in hopes of
Empedocle, Sicily, said rough days in a wooden boat with- reaching Europe so they can
seas Monday evening were out life vests in international seek asylum. Many of the
for the time being delay- waters. It said the passengers, hundreds of thousands of
ing the transfer of minors, most of them from Eritrea, migrants who have been res-
reported to number 50, to included two women and cued at sea in recent years are
a shelter on land after they 17 minors and were suffer- fleeing poverty and eventu- Italy is trying to get fellow since many of the passengers
tested negative for the coro- ing from hypothermia when ally are denied asylum by Eu- EU nations to take in many are aiming to get to northern
navirus. rescued. ropean Union countries. of the migrants who are Europe where relatives or
brought ashore after rescue jobs await them.

Alaska court to hear challenge to Arctic refuge oil leases

The lawsuit was brought by the Arctic refuge.
The land agency said in a the National Audubon Soci-
statement that it's required ety and three other conserva- The case is one of four law-
by law to create an oil and tion groups, which are rep- suits from conservationists,
gas program for the refuge's resented by attorneys with Alaska tribal entities and 15
coastal plain and hold at least Earthjustice. state governments. The law-
two sales there. suits seek to halt drilling in
Federal attorneys will defend the refuge after the Republi-
The agency has offered 10- Interior Secretary David Ber- can-led Congress in 2017 ap-
year leases on 22 tracts cover- nhardt, the Bureau of Land proved the lease sale.
ing about 1,563 square miles Management, the U.S. Fish
(4,048 square kilometers) in and Wildlife Service and oth- Karlin Itchoak, state director
the coastal plain, which ac- ers that intervened in the for The Wilderness Society
counts for about 5% of the case, including the Alaska Oil in Alaska, a plaintiff in one
refuge's area. and Gas Association. of the cases, said his group
hopes to put the oil leasing
(AP) — Conservationists The videoconference in U.S. Conservation groups de- Kara Moriarty, head of the issue in the hands of Pres-
will try to persuade a U.S. District Court in Anchor- scribed the sale as a last- oil and gas group, said she ident-elect Joe Biden, who
judge on Monday to stop age is expected to determine minute push by the Trump could not discuss the hearing has said he opposes drilling
the Trump administration whether the Bureau of Land administration to help secure because it is an ongoing legal in the refuge.
from issuing leases to oil Management can open bids drilling rights for oil compa- issue.
and gas companies in the in an online lease sale sched- nies before President Don- Monday’s arguments will
Arctic National Wildlife uled for Wednesday, the An- ald Trump leaves office this The group said in a legal brief only cover the potential issu-
Refuge. chorage Daily News report- month. that issuing a lease will not ing of leases and not resolve
ed. cause irreparable injury to the cases.

Ali tests positive for virus as England arrives in Sri Lanka

(AP) — England allrounder virus, according to the England and allrounder as a major doubt to start.
Moeen Ali was isolating in Sri Wales Cricket Board. “It’s a really dangerous virus and
Lanka on Monday after testing That is a blow to England, with spin wherever we will be, we will be in
positive for the coronavirus upon Ali is due out of isolation on Jan. 13, sure to play a major role on one of contact with it in some shape or
his arrival in the South Asian the day before the first test starts in the world’s most renowned turning form,” Root said.
country for the team's two-test Galle. Woakes is being advised to iso- tracks. Dom Bess and Jack Leach are
cricket tour. late for a minimum of seven days. the spinners likely to play if Ali is not “If so, we have to manage it as best
selected. as possible. We’re as best prepared as
Pace bowler Chris Woakes has been England's players were hosed down we can be for it and we’re fully aware
deemed as a possible close contact of with disinfectant spray after disem- Woakes has a better chance of build- of what we’re getting ourselves into.
Ali and was also observing a period of barking their charter flight, before ing up to match fitness and will re- I don’t think (a confirmed case) will
self-isolation in developments which being kept in 48-hour solitary quar- main on site in Hambantota, where end in an automatic end of the tour.”
have cast an early shadow on the tour antine in a hotel. They will undergo he will be monitored by medical staff.
that takes place weeks after a white- testing for a second time on Tuesday,
ball trip to South Africa was derailed with plans to begin training having The second test starts Jan. 22 and is
by a spate of positive COVID-19 re- been delayed until Wednesday at the also in Galle.
sults. earliest.
England captain Joe Root said before
The whole squad was given a clean The 33-year-old Ali will be trans- flying to Sri Lanka that confirmed
bill of health prior to departure and ported from the current team hotel to cases of the coronavirus would not
again after quick turnaround testing a private establishment in Galle from be a threat to a series that has been
on arrival in Hambantota on Sunday, Tuesday. Being unable to take part in rescheduled from March, when Eng-
only for the more-sophisticated PCR any training sessions until the day be- land left Sri Lanka following the ini-
process to show Ali was carrying the fore the first test leaves the spinning tial outbreak of the virus.