IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Japan

20 DPRK fishermen rescued after collision

Following a collision between a Japanese patrol vessel and a boat belonging to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, more than 20 crew members from the DPRK vessel were rescued after their boat capsized in the incident, local media quoted the Japan Coast Guard as saying on Monday. As a result of the collision, which occurred at around 9:10 am, the DPRK fishing vessel was left half-submerged with around 20 crew members flung overboard, the Japan Fisheries Agency said. The vessel then sank 20 minutes after the collision, around 350 kilometers northwest of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, according to the Coast Guard. The Japan Fisheries Agency said the DPRK boat, which it believes may have been fishing for squid, was told to leave the area before the collision.

Italy

Nine migrants dead after boat capsizes

At least nine people died when an overloaded migrant boat capsized near the island of Lampedusa, the Italian Coast Guard said on Monday. Twenty-two people were rescued from the sea. The boat overturned as a patrol boat was preparing to take migrants on board in rough seas about 10 kilometers off Lampedusa just after midnight, the Coast Guard said in a statement. Nine bodies were recovered - two immediately, and seven during a subsequent search operation. The Coast Guard helicopters and vessels were searching for more of the missing. The United Nations Refugee Agency said the deadly shipwreck "highlights once again that urgent action is needed to address the situation on the Mediterranean".

United Kingdom

London police arrest 21 climate activists

London police said they've arrested 21 climate change activists over the past few days as the Extinction Rebellion group attempts to draw attention to global warming. The capital's Metropolitan Police said the arrests on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance took place on Saturday and Sunday. The arrests came as protesters in Berlin and Amsterdam blocked roads ahead of what is being described as widespread demonstrations. Further protests took place on Monday in London. The group's protesters have succeeded before in disrupting life in London in hopes of gaining attention to their cause. In April, members of the group blocked several London roads and bridges during 10 days of action designed to alert the public and politicians to the "climate emergency."

Xinhua - Agencies

(China Daily 10/08/2019 page12)