North Korea
Nuclear test suspected
South Korean and international monitoring agencies reported Friday an earthquake near North Korea’s northeastern nuclear test site, a strong indication that Pyongyang had detonated its fifth atomic test explosion. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that “artificial seismic waves” measuring 5.0 were detected near the Punggye-ri test site, and officials were analyzing whether it was a nuclear test. European and U.S. monitoring services also detected similar seismic activity, with the U.S. Geological Survey calling it an “explosion” on its website.
Ecuador
Hand stamp causes uproar
A prison warden found himself in hot water Thursday after it was discovered that security guards have been marking visitors to the penitentiary with hand stamps featuring the Nazi swastika. Ecuador’s government quickly condemned the practice after photos of the hand stamps appeared on social media and caused an immediate uproar. A Justice Ministry statement said the warden of the prison in the capital Quito had been disciplined for negligence and the head of security fired for using a symbol associated with the Holocaust.
England
Lawmakers must move out
Britain’s creaky, leaky Parliament building faces “an impending crisis,” and lawmakers must move out for the first time since World War II so repair work can be done, a report on the London structure said Thursday. The report by the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster said the 19th-century landmark beside the River Thames is at risk of a “catastrophic event” such as flood or fire. Tina Stowell, a member of the House of Lords, said the state of the UK’s seat of government was “an increasingly urgent problem.”
France
Tourists trapped in cable cars
A series of cable cars carrying tourists stopped working at high altitude over the Mont Blanc massif in the Alps on Thursday, prompting a major rescue operation and leaving 45 people trapped in midair overnight, France’s interior minister said. Four helicopters were deployed after 110 people became stuck when the cable cars stalled because of a “technical incident,” Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. He said the helicopters rescued 65 people before the efforts were suspended for the night because of rough flight conditions.
Compiled from wire reports