unilateral sanctions against North Korea
Reuters, Seoul
South Korea is considering levying its own sanctions on North Korea as the isolated state ramps up tension with its missile and nuclear provocations, the South’s vice foreign minister said on Wednesday, but no decision had been made yet.
Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam made the remarks at a news conference in Seoul with Deputy U.S. Secretary of State John J. Sullivan and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama.
Lawmakers protest jailing of Catalan secession leaders
AP, Madrid
About 50 Spanish and Catalan party lawmakers have held up posters in Spain’s parliament demanding the release of two pro-Catalonia independence movement leaders, describing them as political prisoners.
Wednesday’s protest in Madrid lasted around 15 seconds before the lawmakers heeded warnings that they were out of order and sat down.
Wildfire toll hits 45 in Portugal-Spain
AFP, Penacova
Overnight rain and calmer winds on Tuesday helped firefighters tame a spate of deadly wildfires that broke out over the weekend, devouring homes and killing 41 people in Portugal and another four in northern Spain.
Portugal’s civil protection agency said the 15 biggest fires, which had raged through the centre and the north of the country, had been brought under control, but the death toll rose.
“We’ve gone from 37 dead to 41,” civil protection agency spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar told AFP.
New fires break out in California
AP, Santa Rosa
As crews gained on the wildfires in California wine country, new blazes broke out Tuesday in other parts of the state, including a fire in the mountains above Los Angeles that threatened a historic observatory and more flames in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Firefighters on the ground and in the air raced to protect the Mount Wilson Observatory and nearby communications towers from a growing brush fire northeast of Los Angeles.
Pope deplores Somalia killings
AP, Vatican City
Pope Francis has deplored the Somalia bombing that killed more than 300 people.At the end of his Wednesday public audience in St. Peter’s Square, Francis said “this terrorist act merits the strongest laments” especially since it struck an already suffering population. He prayed for the dead and wounded in the recent Mogadishu attack. Francis also appealed for the “conversion of the violent ones” and encouraged work for peace.
