NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 Migrants drown: Spanish authorities said Sunday that several refugees were found dead in waters near the coast of Morocco. Irene Flores, head of communication for the regional government of Melilla, said Spain’s Civil Guard found the body of one sub-Saharan man. Flores said there were more bodies found in the water Saturday but they were recovered by Moroccan patrol ships. Spanish media reported as many as 20 bodies were pulled from the sea. Each year thousands of migrants attempt to reach Spain by making the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean or by entering Melilla and Ceuta, Spain’s African enclaves, either by land or sea.
2 Taiwan quake: A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Taiwan’s east coast Sunday night, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was 9 miles northeast of the city of Hualien, at a depth of just 4.9 miles. Shallow quakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones. Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor. In 1999, however, a 7.6-magnitude quake in central Taiwan killed more than 2,300 people.
3 EU trade: A senior European Union official is warning that the 28-nation bloc will hit back if President Trump takes trade measures against it. EU budget commissioner Guenther Oettinger told Sunday’s edition of Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper: “If European exporters have to pay tariffs, that will become a two-way street. Then U.S. exporters will have to pay tariffs here.” Trump expressed his annoyance with EU trade policy a week ago, saying it “may morph into something very big.” The EU then said it stands ready to hit back “swiftly and appropriately” if Trump imposes unfair trade measures.
4 Gas attack: Activists say civilians have suffered chlorine gas poisoning during an attack on the rebel-held town of Saraqeb in Syria’s Idlib province. The Syrian Civil Defense search-and-rescue group said Sunday night that three of its rescuers and six others were injured by chlorine gas in Saraqeb, a rebel-held town less than 10 miles from the front line with government forces. The Syrian American Medical Society says its hospitals in the area treated 11 patients for chlorine gas poisoning. The Trump administration accused Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government Thursday of producing and using “new kinds of weapons” to deliver deadly chemical poisons. The charge came after at least two reported chlorine attacks near Syria’s capital.
5 Maldives tensions: The Maldives’ attorney general warned the country’s Supreme Court on Sunday that a move to unseat the president would be unconstitutional, amid a political crisis that has left the government in chaos. Attorney General Mohamed Anil said he had heard “rumors that the Supreme Court is going to order the impeachment” of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom. He said the president can be ousted only through a vote in parliament. Mohammed Nasheed, the Indian Ocean archipelago’s exiled former president and Yameen’s main rival, responded angrily on Twitter, saying comments from Anil and other officials were “tantamount to a coup.” The crisis, which has included repeated rounds of clashes between police and opposition protesters, began when the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that politicians opposed to Yameen who had been detained be released.