News in brief
Hundreds of Indian Sikhs to make historic pilgrimage to Pakistan
KARTARPUR, Nov. 9 (AFP) - Hundreds of Indian Sikhs prepared to make a historic pilgrimage to Pakistan on Saturday, crossing to one of their religion's holiest sites under a landmark deal between the two countries separated by the 1947 partition of the subcontinent.
The shrine to Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak lies in Kartarpur, a small town just four kilometres (two miles) over the Pakistan side of the border where he is believed to have died.
In a rare example of cooperation between the arch-rivals, a secure visa-free land corridor has been created to allow pilgrims to travel straight to the temple from the Indian side.
Deadly clashes reignite in Iraq despite cleric's call for calm
BAGHDAD, Nov. 9 (Reuters) - Fresh clashes between Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters broke out on Friday killing at least three people, despite a call for calm by the country's top Shi'ite cleric, as authorities grapple with the nation's biggest crisis in years.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al- Sistani, who only speaks on politics in times of crisis and wields enormous influence over public opinion in Shi'itemajority Iraq, held security forces accountable for any violent escalation and urged the government to respond as quickly as possible to demonstrators' demands.
Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers arrested as tensions soar
HONG KONG, Nov. 9 (AFP) - Hong Kong police said Saturday they have arrested three pro-democracy lawmakers over a brawl in parliament, deepening the city's crisis a day after the death of a student sent tensions soaring.
The international finance hub has been upended by five months of huge and increasingly violent pro-democracy protests but Beijing has refused to give in to most of the movement's demands.
Two dead, 150 homes destroyed in Australian bushfires
MELBOURNE, Nov. 9 (Retuters) - Two people have died, five are missing and at least 150 homes have been destroyed as bushfires rage across eastern Australia, authorities said on Saturday.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) confirmed two people had been killed by a fire near Glen Innes, more than 550 km (340 miles) north of Sydney.
One body was discovered in a vehicle and a woman died after being found suffering from burns on Friday.
Five other people remain unaccounted for on Saturday afternoon, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying he feared the number of deaths could rise.
“These fires have already claimed two lives ... and as we get access to further areas that have been cut off we are expecting worse news again,” Morrison said during a televised news conference in Sydney on Saturday.