NORTH KOREA FIRES ROCKETS
Photo: YTN/Yao Qilin/Xinhua/ZUMA
North Korea has fired six short-range projectiles into the sea, an angry reaction to new UN sanctions adopted yesterday against Pyongyang, news agency Yonhap reports. The sanctions, motivated by North Korea testing nuclear weapons in early January, are the harshest to date against Kim Jong-un’s regime. They ban the country from exporting coal, iron and other mineral resources, depriving it of crucial revenue sources, Reuters reports. The resolution was drafted by both the United States and China, the latter North Korea’s closest ally.
VERBATIM
“France must become a more secular state,” Pope Francis told left-wing Catholic militants in an exchange published in Christian magazine La Vie. “One criticism I have against France is that its secularity sometimes stems too much from the Enlightenment philosophy, which regarded religions as being a subculture,” Pope Francis said. The pontiff also described the flow of migrants to Europe as an “Arab invasion,” before characterizing it as an opportunity for Europe to grow and become culturally richer.
TRUMP, INTERNATIONAL MEDIA STAR
We’ve gathered a quick collection of how the global press has reacted to the rise of The Donald.
EU OFFICIAL: ECONOMIC MIGRANTS UNWELCOME
European Council President Donald Tusk urged potential economic migrants to avoid coming to Europe. “Do not come to Europe,” Tusk said after meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to find a solution to the refugee crisis. “Do not believe the smugglers. Do not risk your lives and your money. It is all for nothing.” Thousands of refugees have been stranded in Greece since neighboring Macedonia, a non-EU country, and other Balkan countries closed their borders.
- “Greece or any other European country will no longer be a transit country. The Schengen rules will enter into force again,” Tusk said, suggesting that migrants soon would have to apply for asylum in the first Schengen country they reach.
- The EU unveiled plans yesterday to give cash-strapped Greece and other countries 700 million euros ($760 million) in emergency funds to manage the influx.
- In a Financial Times interview, French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron warned Britain that France could end border checks in Calais in the event of a Brexit, effectively allowing migrants to cross the Channel unchecked.
ISTANBUL POLICE STATION ATTACKED
Two women opened fire this morning on a riot police station in Istanbul, Turkey, before fleeing the scene after exchanging fire with the police, Today’s Zaman reports. The two attackers reportedly took shelter in a neighboring building but were later killed by police, Hürriyet reports.
- In Russia, meanwhile, a nanny who is suspected of beheading a child and brandishing the severed head outside a Moscow Metro station said she did it for “revenge against those who spilled blood,” namely President Vladimir Putin and Russian warplanes in Syria.
8,832 MILES
An Emirates Airbus A380 touched down in Dubai early this morning to inaugurate a new 8,832-mile non-stop route from Auckland, New Zealand, making it the longest in the world by distance, The New Zealand Herald reports. It took passengers 16 hours and 24 minutes to reach Dubai, about 50 minutes less than expected, which meant the flight failed to beat the record for the longest duration.
STILL NO GOVERNMENT FOR SPAIN
Spain’s Parliament rejected Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez’s government plans yesterday, as the 44-year-old and his party came under a torrent of criticism, especially from former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias, El Mundo reports. The December general elections resulted in a Parliament divided into four parties, none with a majority to govern alone. Sánchez faces another confidence vote tomorrow, but the newspaper predicts the outcome is likely to be the same, paving the way for new elections in June.
ON THIS DAY
[rebelmouse-image 27089987 original_size=”228×149″ expand=1]
Hands on the buzzer: George Bizet’s famous opera premiered on this day 141 years ago. What’s it called? Check the answer in today’s 57-second shot of history.
POSSIBLE MH370 DEBRIS FOUND
An American tourist in Mozambique has found an object that investigators say could be debris belonging to a Boeing 777 jet, raising hopes that the mystery surrounding the fate of Malaysia Airlines flights MH370, which went missing almost two years ago, might finally be uncovered.
WORLDCRUNCH-TO-GO
Despite regular health warnings, margarine is experiencing a new lease on life and giving the product it tries to imitate, butter, a run for its money, Le Monde reports. “It’s nothing but oil and additives, without a single fresh ingredient whatsoever. But it’s affordable, and well packaged, and so it sells. It’s a perfect example of how the food industry multinationals, with their slick marketing, big advertising budgets and unfailing support from large retailers, can push just about anything on the public and earn huge returns in the process.”
Read the full article, Margarine, From Poor French Man’s Butter To Vegan Staple.
MASS KILLER BEMOANS “INHUMANE” PRISON
Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian murderer who killed 77 people in 2011, is suing his country, saying that his treatment in a high-security prison where he apparently has access to three cells is “inhumane” and “degrading.”
MY GRAND-PERE’S WORLD
[rebelmouse-image 27089988 original_size=”610×599″ expand=1]
POURING OFF OF EVERY PAGE
Bob Dylan, who’s been called the Shakespeare of our times, has sold a trove of written and recorded archives to a foundation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for $15 million. The New York Times got a sneak peek at the extensive collection of handwritten notes, crossed-out song lyrics and the like. “It’s going to start anew the way people study Dylan,” said Sean Wilentz, a Princeton historian and author of Bob Dylan in America.
