US flag at half mast at govt buildings
WASHINGTON•The US flag will fly at half mast at the White House and other official buildings across the country and abroad, until sunset on Thursday to honour the dead in the Paris terror attacks.
President Barack Obama made the order on Sunday. The Stars and Stripes will also be flown at half-staff at all US embassies and missions overseas.
The US flag normally flies at half mast after events that have left American casualties or in memory of deceased lawmakers.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Canada's PM feels heat over refugees
MONTREAL•Canada's new prime minister, Mr Justin Trudeau, says the country will still take in 25,000 Syrian refugees before Jan 1, but he is facing increasing pressure to tighten screening procedures and slow down the process to make sure that Islamic State in Iraq and Syria infiltrators are not among them.
The opposition Conservatives urged him to make sure Canada's security was safeguarded, while an online petition - asking the government to suspend the plan to bring in the refugees - was launched last Saturday by a Quebec City resident. It had garnered more than 33,000 signatures by late Sunday.
REUTERS
Wine auction to give $735k to charity
BEAUNE (France)•Organisers of France's most celebrated charity wine auction said on Sunday that €480,000 (S$735,000) of the €11 million raised this year would go to charity, including to victims of the Paris attacks. An anonymous French buyer bought a 2015 vintage Corton Renardes Grand Cru red, dubbed the "Presidents' Piece", for a record €480,000.
"(The buyer) wanted to show support for the two charities and also had recent events in mind," Christie's international general director, Ms Aline Sylla-Walbaum, said.
AGENCE FRANCE -PRESSE
Climate talks to go on, side events cut
PARIS•Upcoming UN climate talks in Paris, which kick off on Nov 30, will focus on the negotiations, but "a whole series" of side events will be cancelled, the French prime minister said yesterday.
"No head of state, of government - on the contrary - has asked us to postpone this meeting. All want to be there," Mr Manuel Valls said on RTL radio. "To do otherwise would, I believe, be to yield to terrorism."
