News in Brief
Damascus slams EU sanctions as ‘threat’ to quake-hit Syrians
AFP – Syria on Tuesday condemned fresh European sanctions against individuals and entities linked to President Bashar al-Assad’s government, arguing the measures impeded aid to areas affected by a devastating earthquake.
The EI on Monday imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and eight entities accused of involvement in human rights violations and drug trafficking in the war-torn country.
French bang pots, pans in fresh pension protest
AFP – French demonstrations against raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 have morphed from lobbing paving stones, dodging tear gas and brandishing banners to something nearer the soul of the gastronomic nation: Making noise by banging kitchen saucepans.
Pots and pans were wielded earlier on Monday to harass ministers on official outings, including Health Minister François Braun visiting a hospital in Poitiers and Education Minister Pap Ndiaye, who took a detour in Lyon to avoid dozens of demonstrators.
Electrical shorts caused deadly blasts in Pakistan
BBC – At least 17 people were killed in two explosions at a counter-terrorism office in north-west Pakistan, officials said.
Police said that there is no evidence of an attack and that it could have been as a result of an electrical fault igniting ammunition in the centre.