World Round-up: Landslide wipes out 100 houses

Heavy rains triggered a landslide that destroyed about 100 houses in a mountainside village west of Manila, but the 300 villagers escaped in time, officials said today.

Casualties were prevented by posting guards to watch conditions and warn residents when to leave Asinan village 50 miles west of Manila.

Many residents left well in advance of the landslide, and those remaining fled when they heard the roar of falling rock.

Envoys from India, Brazil and South Africa are heading to Syria to appeal for an end to the violent crackdown against civilians and to promote democratic reforms.

Envoys head to Syria to demand end to violence

India's UN Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri said his country's representative is scheduled to arrive in Damascus today for a meeting with Syria's foreign minister to deliver the appeal.

Puri said the three countries would be "calling for restraint, abjuring violence, (and) promoting reform, taking into account the democratic aspirations of the people."

Separately, Turkey, which borders Syria and until recently was a close ally and major trade partner, said it was sending its foreign minister to Damascus today to deliver a strong message against the crackdown.

Syrian president Bashar Assad replaced his defence minister with the army chief of staff in the midst of a brutal military crackdown on a five-month-old uprising, the state-run news agency said.

General Ali Habib, the country's defence minister since 2009, was removed from his post because of health problems, the Sana report said, but some analysts said the general was unhappy with the crackdown.

Dirty Dancing due for retread

Dirty Dancing is coming back to the big screen.

Lionsgate said it is remaking the 1987 film that starred Jennifer Grey as a naive dance student and Patrick Swayze as her teacher and lover. Kenny Ortega, who choreographed the original film, will direct the remake.

Bride sued for late call-off

A MALAYSIAN man is suing his former fiancee for 200,000 for leaving him six hours before their wedding.

Lawyer Latifah Ariffin says 32-year-old Masran Abdul Rahman and his family were distressed and embarrassed when Norzuliyana Mat Hassan called off the June wedding.

Canada tells Libyans to go

Canada has ordered all remaining Libyan diplomats to leave the country, officials say.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Canada had declared the diplomats persona non grata, effective immediately.

Baird called the decision the latest step in Canada's efforts to remove the legitimacy of Colonel Gaddafi's regime. The diplomats have five business days to leave the country.

Canada is part of the Nato mission enforcing a UN-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya.

US warns against Haiti trips

The US State Department is strongly urging US citizens to carefully consider before visiting Haiti.

The travel warning issued yesterday cites a "critical crime level," a cholera outbreak and an inadequate infrastructure. The advisory comes as Haiti's president Michel Martelly struggles to install a government.