World Briefs: Australia to pay $73m to Manus Island detainees

Australia to pay $73m to Manus Island detainees

SYDNEY • Detainees at a controversial Australian asylum-seeker camp in Papua New Guinea won A$70 million (S$73 million) in compensation yesterday after alleging they suffered physical and psychological harm.

The settlement, to be shared by 1,905 people held on Manus Island since 2012, averted a public trial against the government and security providers Transfield and G4S.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE


EU Parliament backs bloc's Paris climate goals

STRASBOURG • The European Parliament backed curbs on European Union nations' emissions yesterday to spread the burden of the bloc's Paris climate goals, resolved to forge ahead despite President Donald Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the 195-nation pact.

The Parliament voted 534 versus 88 in favour of binding national targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions in sectors including transport, agriculture and waste management to achieve the bloc's overall goal of reaching at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030.

REUTERS


Indian immigrant's son is youngest Irish Premier

DUBLIN • Mr Leo Varadkar was elected Irish Prime Minister yesterday, making the 38-year-old son of an Indian immigrant the once-staunchly Catholic country's first gay leader and the youngest person to hold the office.

Mr Varadkar, who was nominated in Parliament by departing Prime Minister Enda Kenny, won the votes of the independent lawmakers backing his Fine Gael party's minority government and secured the abstention of main opposition party Fianna Fail.

REUTERS


Rescued: Two teens lost in Paris catacombs

PARIS • Two teenagers have been rescued from the catacombs beneath Paris after getting lost in the pitch-black tunnels of the ancient underground burial ground for three days.

The two, aged 16 and 17, were taken to hospital and were being treated for hypothermia after being found by search teams and rescue dogs in the early hours of yesterday.

The operator of the popular Catacombs museum stressed that no one had ever got lost in the 2km section of the tunnels that is open to the public.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 15, 2017, with the headline World Briefs: Australia to pay $73m to Manus Island detainees . Subscribe