Writers gather to Read Salman Rushdie and support free speech

Perhaps the most appreciative response from the crowd gathered at the New York Public Library in support of Salman Rushdie on Friday came when writer Hari Kunzru read aloud from Rushdie’s acclaimed novel “The Satanic Verses.” The book’s publication, in 1988, put a target on Rushdie’s back after Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa calling for his death. PEN America, one of the sponsors of the event held a week after Rushdie was attacked at an arts festival in western New York, said that the author knew about the gathering and might be able to tune in, or watch the recording later, from his hospital bed.

As Alaska warms, fires burn over (and under) more wild land

A bewildering stew of factors, from spikes in intense lightning storms to a buildup of flammable grasses on thawing tundra, is driving a surge in wildfires across America’s largest state. Six of the 10 largest wildfires in the United States this year have burned in Alaska. Until rains began drenching the state in July, over 550 wildland fires had torched 3 million acres statewide. Several are still smoldering, raising fears over what are called “zombie fires” or “sleeping dragons” — fires that appear to go dark with the arrival of rains and snow, but actually slowly burn close to the ground through winter and erupt again in spring.

A migrant wave tests NYC’s identity as the world’s sanctuary

New York City has long been powered to a large extent by the sweat and toil of immigrants, but its ability to help them get on their feet has been increasingly strained. The influx of migrants to New York this spring and summer, most fleeing crime and cratering economies in Central and South America, has tested the city’s reputation as a world sanctuary. And it shows no sign of slowing, thanks in part to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, whose decision to send busload after busload to goad Democrats on border policy has helped turn the normal north-flowing river of humanity into a wave.

Dairy farmers in the Netherlands are up in arms over emission cuts

Dairy farmers in the Netherlands have set fire to hay and manure along highways, dumped trash on roads to create traffic jams and blockaded food distribution centers with their tractors, leading to empty shelves in supermarkets. Their anger is directed at the government, which has announced plans for a national 50% reduction of nitrogen emissions by 2030. To realize those cuts, thousands of farmers will be required to significantly reduce livestock numbers and the size of their farming operations. If they cannot meet the cuts that the government demands of them, they may be forced to close their operations altogether.

Ethiopian Airlines pilots miss landing after reportedly falling asleep

Two pilots with Africa’s largest airline reportedly fell asleep at the controls and missed their window to land while flying into Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, on Monday, according to an aviation news site. The Ethiopian Airlines pilots reportedly fell asleep at 37,000 feet and were unable to be reached by air traffic control, according to a report by The Aviation Herald. According to the site, the pilots were woken by an onboard alarm that began blaring when the plane passed the point of descent and the autopilot disconnected. Ethiopian Airlines said the crew members involved had been suspended pending an investigation.

Russians down Ukrainian drones in Crimea as war broadens

Russian authorities have reported shooting down Ukrainian drones in Crimea, while Ukrainian officials said Russian forces pressed ahead with efforts to seize one of the few cities in eastern Ukraine not already under their control. The Russian military also kept up its attacks in Ukraine’s north and south. In Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, authorities said local air defenses shot down a drone above the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. It was the second drone incident at the headquarters in three weeks. A Russian-installed official said “attacks by small drones” also triggered air defenses in western Crimea. The Ukrainian military said it had destroyed a prized Russian radar system in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.

Gunmen storm hotel in Somali capital, leave 20 dead

Islamic militants have stormed a hotel in Somalia’s capital, engaging in an hours-long exchange of fire with the security forces that left at least 20 people dead. That’s according to police and witnesses, who said, in addition, at least 40 people were wounded in the late Friday night attack. They said Saturday that security forces rescued many others, including children, from the scene at Mogadishu’s popular Hayat Hotel The attack started with explosions outside the hotel before gunmen entered the building. Somali forces were still trying to end the siege of the hotel almost 24 hours after the attack started. The Islamic extremist group Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.

Chemical tanker, cargo ship crash near southwestern Japan

A Japanese chemical tanker ship has crashed into a cargo ship off the coast of southwestern Japan. No one was injured among the six Japanese crew members aboard the tanker Ryoshinmaru and 14 Chinese crew members aboard the Belize-registered cargo ship Xin Hai 99. The crash early Saturday is under investigation. A Kushimoto Coast Guard official said both ships are anchored in the area, about two miles off the coast of Wakayama prefecture. Some oil leaked from the engine area of the cargo ship, and it initially started to sink, but it was brought under control, the official said.

By wire sources