Top stories from the global news aggregation service, DAWNS Digest.
Catastrophic Typhoon Pounds Palau; Heads Toward the Philippines
A nasty typhoon may wreak havoc in the Asian Pacific “Authorities and disaster managers are on high alert with current predictions that Typhoon Bopha will pass directly over the main islands of Palau as a Category 5 tropical cyclone with the potential for catastrophic damage. This is an extremely dangerous system with very destructive winds. Typhoon Bopha is expected to continue moving toward the west-northwest at a speed of 26 km per hour. The forecast track takes Typhoon Bopha south of Ngulu (Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia) and across the islands of Palau from Kayangel in the north to Angaur in the south…forecasts show that it will track towards the Philippines where emergency preparedness measures are being put in place.” (OCHA http://bit.ly/Veouzy)
Rebels Threaten to Re-Capture Goma if Negotiations Are not Restarted Today
M23 Rebels group withdrew from Goma on Saturday, but issued an ultimatum to the government: “If negotiations have not started by tomorrow at 2 p.m., 48 hours since our withdrawal, or if there are attacks on citizens in Goma, we will take back the city,” the M23 Spokesman said.] ‘We know that President Kabila is not trustworthy, but we want to give a chance for our friends to realize that too.’” (WaPo http://wapo.st/Vepkwg)
Britain and France May Recall Ambassadors from Israel Over New Settlement Construction
Relations between Europe and Israel may reach a new low. “Britain and France are poised to take action − possibly including the unprecedented step of recalling their ambassadors, according to senior European diplomats − in protest at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to move settlement construction ahead in the area known as E1, between Ma’aleh Adumim and Jerusalem. ‘This time it won’t just be a condemnation, there will be real action taken against Israel,’ a senior European diplomat said.” (Haaretz http://bit.ly/VepNyF)