The World in Brief

Mexico airlifts tourists after hurricane

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico -- The Mexican government began airlifting the first of thousands of stranded tourists out of the hurricane-ravaged resort area of Los Cabos on Tuesday as residents picked up the pieces of shattered, flooded homes.

The Interior Ministry said military and commercial planes were carrying travelers out through the Los Cabos international airport, which remained closed to commercial flights because of damage incurred when Hurricane Odile tore through the area late Sunday and into Monday.

Ministry official Jose Maria Tapia said the runway was usable and work was nearly complete to make the control tower operable.

Travelers were being flown free of charge to airports in Tijuana, Mazatlan, Guadalajara and Mexico City to catch connecting flights and, in the case of foreigners, receive consular assistance.

Thousands in the state of Baja California Sur remained without electricity, water or phone service. A boat was on its way with humanitarian aid, said authorities, who were working to restore utilities.

Downgraded to a tropical storm, Odile continued to soak parts of the Baja California Peninsula on Tuesday.

Mortality for tykes globally half '90 rate

The global mortality rate for children younger than 5 has dropped by nearly half since 1990, the United Nations said Tuesday in an annual report, but the decline still falls short of meeting the organization's goal of a two-thirds reduction by next year.

Without accelerated improvements in reducing health risks to young children, the report said, that goal will not be reached until 2026, 11 years behind schedule.

Nearly all of the countries with the highest mortality rates are in Africa, the report said, and two countries that are among the world's most populous -- India and Nigeria -- account for nearly a third of all deaths among children younger than 5.

The report showed that the mortality rate for children younger than 5, the most vulnerable period, fell to 46 deaths per 1,000 live births last year, from 90 per 1,000 births in 1990. It also showed that the gap in mortality rates between the richest and poorest households had fallen in all regions except for sub-Saharan Africa.

The report attributed much of the progress to broad interventions against leading infectious diseases in impoverished regions, as well improvements in health care to expectant mothers and in battling the effects of diarrhea and other dehydrating maladies that pose acute risks to the young.

Dane kills lawyer, hurts grandchild's dad

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- A 67-year-old gunman opened fire in a Copenhagen courthouse Tuesday, killing a lawyer and seriously wounding the father of the gunman's 3-year-old grandchild, authorities said.

The victims were a 57-year-old lawyer and his client, a 31-year-old man who was in a custody battle with the gunman's daughter, police and court officials said.

The gunman was arrested nearby, and police seized a rifle used in the shooting, officials said.

"It is a family tragedy, not an attack on the court or the legal system," said Soeren Axelsen, head of the Copenhagen City Court.

Israeli settlers in West Bank up by 2%

JERUSALEM -- Israel's settler population in the West Bank increased by 2 percent in the first half of the year, an advocacy group announced Tuesday, signaling robust growth in the settlements even while Israel was conducting peace talks with the Palestinians.

The figures drew criticism from the Palestinians, who seek the West Bank as part of a future state. The Palestinians and most of the international community consider Israeli construction there illegal or illegitimate.

The Yesha Council, the official umbrella group representing the more than 100 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, said the settler population grew to 382,031 as of June 30, up 2 percent from 374,469 on Dec. 31. The projected 4 percent annual growth rate would be more than double Israel's nationwide growth rate, according to official figures.

Meanwhile, Gaza militants fired a mortar round at southern Israel for the first time since a 50-day war between Israel and Hamas ended with a cease-fire last month. The attack did not wound anyone or cause any damage, the military said.

A Hamas security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the group was not behind the attack.

A Section on 09/17/2014

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