NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
_1 Russia sanctions: President Vladimir Putin warned Saturday that new U.S. sanctions on Russia will damage ties between the countries. “It will of course complicate the Russian-American relationship,” Putin said, according to an interview published by the Tass news agency. The Russian leader said it was too early to speak about a possible response. The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to approve sanctions against Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 election. The bill, which passed 98-2, targets Russian individuals accused of corruption and sectors of the Russian economy.
_2 Egypt assassination: An Egyptian criminal court sentenced 31 Islamists to death Saturday for their part in the June 2015 assassination of the country’s top prosecutor, Hisham Barakat. The ruling referred the case of the 31 to the country’s top theologian to solicit his nonbinding opinion on the death sentences, a formality followed by courts in the case of capital punishment. The court will reconvene July 22 to reaffirm the death sentences and issue its verdict on 36 other defendants in the case. Of the 67 defendants, 15 are at large. Barakat is the most senior government official killed by militants since the 2013 ouster by the military of the Islamist Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president whose one-year rule proved to be divisive.
_3 Deadly fire: The Interior Ministry of Portugal reported late Saturday that 25 people were killed in forest fires. Officials said many of victims died in their cars when flames swept over a road. About 600 firefighters were fighting blazes raging in the Pedrogao Grande area about 120 miles northeast of Lisbon. At least 16 of the victims were traveling in their cars when they were trapped by flames. Twenty others, among them six firefighters, were injured in the blaze. The fires threatened several villages in the area. The cause of the blazes, which broke out Saturday, has not been determined.
_4 Colombia blast: An explosion rocked one of the busiest shopping centers in Bogota, killing at least three people and injuring 9 others Saturday, authorities said. Witnesses described evacuations from movie theaters and stores after the blast in a second-floor bathroom. Ambulances and fire trucks rushed to the scene. Mayor Enrique Penalosa condemned what he called a “cowardly terrorist bombing” at the upscale Centro Andino. Authorities’ attention immediately focused on the country’s largest still active rebel group, the National Liberation Army, but its leaders denied involvement.
_5 Excommunication: The Vatican is weighing a new doctrine that calls for excommunicating Catholics for mafia association and corruption. The Vatican hosted its first conference on fighting corruption and organized crime last week. The meeting gathered 50 prosecutors, bishops, victims and U.N. officials for a day of talks. In a statement Saturday, the Vatican said the need has come to develop a new legal doctrine for the Catholic Church about “excommunication for corruption and mafia association.” Pope Francis has long railed against corruption, writing a short book about it as archbishop.
_6 Honors list: Twenty years after he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Paul McCartney is being upgraded with a Companion of Honor award for services to music, alongside J.K. Rowling for her services to literature and philanthropy, in the queen’s Birthday Honors list. The former Beatle and the Harry Potter author join a raft of heroes, luminaries and other notables being recognized for their contributions to life in Britain. “I’m very happy about this huge honor and with the news coming on my birthday weekend and Father’s Day it makes it colossal!” McCartney said. Others winning recognition included Police Constable Keith Palmer, who was killed as he confronted an attacker with a knife outside Parliament, and Bernard Kenny, a passerby who tried to protect lawmaker Jo Cox from being stabbed and killed. Academy Award-winner Olivia de Havilland, who turns 101 next month, also became a dame. The “Gone With the Wind” actress was honored for services to drama. British honors are awarded at New Year’s and on the queen’s official birthday in June.