While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, May 21
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The floods have caused over 305 landslides and damaged or closed over 500 roads in the region.
PHOTO: AFP
Over 36,000 people displaced by Italy floods
More than 36,000 people have now been forced from their homes by deadly floods in northeast Italy, regional officials said Saturday, as rising waters swallowed more houses and fresh landslides isolated hamlets
Violent downpours earlier this week killed 14 people, transforming streets in the cities and towns of the Emilia Romagna region into rivers.
And as more rain fell, regional authorities extended the red weather alert to Sunday.
Spain says containing wildfire as conditions improve
REUTERS
Spanish authorities said Saturday that firefighters and soldiers were managing to contain a blaze in the country’s west that has forced hundreds of people to evacuate from nearby villages.
“Today we’re hoping to strike a blow against this fire... It’s a very intense task,” said civil protection coordinator Nieves Villar, adding that conditions were improving as the high wind-speeds of recent days dropped back.
Despite that improvement, Villar said the authorities were “still far from saying this fire is under control”, with winds only expected finally to calm on Sunday, when there is the possibility of light rain.
Transgender Mississippi girl misses graduation after judge’s ruling
A transgender Mississippi girl declined to participate in high school graduation on Saturday after a US District Judge said the school district could bar her unless she dressed in clothes required for boys, a lawyer for the girl said.
US District Judge Taylor McNeel, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump, said in filing late on Friday after a hearing that he would not stop the Harrison County School District from barring the 17-year-old girl, local media reported. The girl was listed as L.B. in court papers.
“Our client is being shamed and humiliated for explicitly discriminatory reasons, and her family is being denied a once-in-a-lifetime milestone in their daughter’s life,” Linda Morris, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) Women’s Rights Project, said in an email.
Manchester City win Premier League title as Arsenal lose
REUTERS
Manchester City were confirmed as Premier League champions for the fifth time in six seasons on Saturday without even having to kick a ball after second-placed Arsenal’s challenge ended in defeat away at Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal, who enjoyed an eight-point lead over City as recently as mid-March, needed at least a point to stay mathematically in the hunt, but went down 1-0.
City, who host Chelsea on Sunday, have 85 points with three games to play, while Arsenal are on 81 with one game left.
Injured Berrettini suffers more French Open misery
AFP
World number 20 Matteo Berrettini withdrew from the French Open for a second successive year on Saturday after failing to recover from an abdominal injury.
The 27-year-old Italian, who suffered the injury at the Monte Carlo Masters in April, will focus on returning for the grass court season.
“I will not be ready in time for Paris so my return to the tour will be in Stuttgart,” he wrote on Instagram.
