Hi, I’m Carl Azuz. Today we’re going to one-up Phineas Fogg. Instead of 80 days, we’re going around the world in 80 seconds for some global headlines at the start of today’s show. 

 

Our first stop is in Syria, where civil war is driving hundreds of thousands of people out of the country. According to estimate from the United Nations, more than half a million Syrian refugees have crossed over the border. They’re looking for safety. They’re also looking for warmth. And with predictions for a harsh winter, that could be hard to find. 

 

Next, we’re heading to China, where some newspaper journalists are protesting against the government. They’ve accused officials of censorship and restricting freedom of the press. Local government officials aren’t commenting about the situation. The people you see here are supporting the journalists laying flowers down at the newspaper’s headquarters. 

 

Now, we’re going to go to Australia, where intense heat and strong winds are fueling the flames of two wildfires. This is happening on the island of Tasmania. The fire has destroyed more than 100 homes, but as late Sunday night, officials said there hadn’t been any deaths reported, although they were looking into reports about potentially missing people. 

 

Last stop on our global tour, Alaska, where an oil rig was a little to shore than you might expect, right up on it. This Royal Dutch Shell rig ran aground last week. It happened while it was being towed back to its winter home. There could be up to 150,000 gallons of diesel on board, but observers are saying there are no signs that any of it is leaking out.