World News Briefs For Thursday, 19 Dec 2019
Hello Australia!! - NSW declares week-long fire emergency - Protesters want to know why Morrison is still in Hawaii as Australia burns - Is Trump impeached yet? - And more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a state-wide bushfire emergency in a news conference with the Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. It empowers firies to take necessary steps such as closing roads, entering properties, and shutting down utilities in their battle against the blazes that surround Sydney - particularly the Gospers Mountain "mega-fire", the Currowan fire on the state's south coast, and the Ruined Castle fire near Picton in Sydney's south-west. "We don't take these declarations lightly," said Ms. Berejiklian. "We only take them when the conditions are so severe that we want everybody to be alert," she added.
With air quality across NSW rated from poor to hazardous, Mr. Fitzsimmons is warning warning people with respiratory conditions to be "very vigilant" because the smoke "can be a life-threatening condition". He continued, "Just this morning, I became aware of a three-year-old who had such a severe asthma attack that they were unable to speak." This state of emergency will last for the next seven days as weather conditions grow hotter and more unpredictable.
At least a hundred people have gathered outside the Prime Minister's residence Kirribilli House in Sydney to protest PM Scott Morrison's absence through this incredible emergency. Riot squad officers are on the scene, although everything is peaceful and there's really no need for them. Members of the Schools Strike 4 Climate movement stood with other protesters, some of whom wore Hawaiian shirts, carrying placards declaring "the time to talk is now" and "C'mon SloMo", a parody of the PM's nickname "ScoMo". Morrison is on holiday in Hawaii while Sydney is ringed by devastating, choking wildfires. "Everyone is gathered here today to ask one question, 'Where the bloody hell is the prime minister?'" asked Greens Senator Dr. Mehreen Faruqi.
The US House of Representatives at some point is going to vote on impeaching Donald Trump, although it's taking hours and hours for members to stand up and read their talking points into the record. Eventually, the House will vote to impeach Trump and send the matter to the Senate for trial, which is expected to be rigged in Trump's favor because Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell already said that was the case.
Brazilian cops raided the home of Fabricio Queiroz, a longstanding friend and associate of the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, as well as locations linked to Bolsonaro's son Flavio and Bolsonaro's ex-wife - including an upscale chocolate shop. Bolsonaro was elected in part on his promises to stamp out corruption, but a series of investigations and revelations have fueled accusations of the family's shadowy ties to a Rio De Janeiro mafia group.
The European Parliament adopted a resolution to condemn Poland for so-called "LGBTI-free" zones, where local authorities pledge to refrain from acts that encourage tolerance. Municipalities in these zones are also banned from asking international NGOs for help promoting equal rights. "The European Parliament urges Polish authorities to condemn these acts and to revoke all resolutions attacking LGBTI rights," read a statement which makes clear that European Union funds "must not be used for discriminatory purposes". Same-sex marriage and civil unions are banned in Poland, and far-right scum attacked the city of Bialystock's first attempt at a pride parade earlier this year.
India's Supreme Court will take up objections to the country's new citizenship bill, which critics say is part of a Hindu nationalist push to marginalize the nation's more than 200 million Muslims. The bill clears a path to Indian citizenship for refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, And Bangladesh - as long as they are not Muslims. The court did not put a halt to the law, but warned the government to prepare its responses to the objections.