N.Korea fires missile over Japan

Union warns of strikes

TUNISIA - Tunisia’s powerful U*TT labour union has no deal with the government on reforming subsidies and publicly owned companies and will lead street protests over any ‘painful’ changes, it said on Monday, potentially complicating foreign bailout talks. The government is in talks with the International Monetary Fund IMF for a rescue package that could unlock further bilateral aid for Tunisia to help it avert a looming crisis in public finances. The IMF wants the U*TT on board with economic reforms needed to secure the deal, but so far the union has only struck a formal agreement with the government on public sector wage increases, but not on subsidies or State companies.

UNSG condemns coup

BURKINA FASO - United Nations Secretary-*eneral Antynio *uterres has strongly condemned any attempt to sei]e power by force of arms in Burkina Faso and called on all actors to refrain from violence and seek dialogue. This comes as the country’s self-declared military leader &aptain Ibrahim Traore accepted a conditional resignation offered by President Paul-Henri 'amiba to avoid further violence. 'amiba had himself led an earlier military coup in -anuary against a civilian government that had lost support over the rising tide of extremists in the country. The secretary seneral’s Spokesperson Stephane 'uMarric said.’’

Explosive device injuries

&ON*O - A homemade explosive device went off in a cinema in the eastern &ongolese city of Butembo on Monday, wounding at least people, including children and teenagers, an army official and a hospital worker said. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, which security forces are investigating, said local army Spokesperson Anthony Mwalushayi, who gave a provisional report of three inMured. An employee at a local university clinic, Mbayahi Nathan, said the facility received inMured people after the explosion.

NORTH KOREA - North Korea fired a ballistic missile over -apan yesterday, prompting a warning for residents to take cover and a temporary suspension of train operations in northern -apan.

South Korea’s -oint &hiefs of Staff and the -apanese coastguard reported on the missile test, which was launched off North Korea’s east coast. The -apanese government warned citi]ens to take cover as the missile appeared to have flown over and past its territory before falling into the Pacific Ocean.

But it said it did not use any defence measures to destroy the missile. T9 Asahi, citing an unnamed government source, said North Korea might have fired an intercontinental ballistic missile and it fell into the sea some km from -apan. The latest launch was Pyongyang’s fifth in days, amid military muscle-flexing by the United States and South Korea,which conducted trilateral anti-submarine exercises last week with -apanese naval forces.