News in Brief(2023-07-20)

Putin will not attend BRICS summit
JOHANNESBURG, July 19: Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend a BRICS nations summit in South Africa next month, the country's presidency said on Wednesday, ending months of speculation. Putin's potential visit has been a thorny diplomatic issue for South Africa. The Russian leader is the target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant-a provision that Pretoria as an ICC member would be expected to implement were he to set foot in the country. "By mutual agreement, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the summit, but the Russian Federation will be represented by Foreign Minister Mr (Sergei) Lavrov," Vincent Magwenya, a spokesman for President Cyril Ramaphosa, said in a statement. — AFP
N Korea fires 2 missiles
SEOUL, July 19: North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern sea early Wednesday in what appeared to be a statement of defiance as the United States deployed a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea for the first time in decades. The launches came as the U.S.-led United Nations Command tries to secure the release of a U.S. soldier who fled to North Korea from the South Korean side of a border village Tuesday afternoon. Private 2nd Class Travis King, in his early 20s, had just been released from a South Korean prison where he was held on assault charges. Instead of getting on a plane to be taken back to Fort Bliss, Texas, he left and joined a tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom, where he ran across the border, U.S. officials say. — AP
Wall collapse kill 11 in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, July 19: Eleven workers were killed early Wednesday after a portion of the outer wall of a sprawling compound collapsed after being weakened by rains near an under-construction bridge on the outskirts of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, police and rescue officials said. The wall fell while the workers sat inside their roadside tents at the construction site. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a statement expressed his sorrow and grief over the deaths. — AP
Extreme heat sparks wildfires
ROME, July 19: Extreme heat was forecast across the globe on Wednesday, as wildfires raged and health warnings were in place in parts of Asia, Europe and North America. Firefighters battled blazes in parts of Greece and the Canary Islands while Spain issued heat alerts and some children in Italy's Sardinia were told to stay away from sports. From California to China, authorities warned of the health dangers brought by searing temperatures, urging people to drink water and shelter from the sun. "You can't be in the street, it's horrible," said Lidia Rodriguez, 27, in Madrid. — AFP
Landslide kills 14 in Colombia
QUETAME, July 19: Rescue teams with drones searched for survivors Tuesday after a landslide triggered by heavy rains left at least 14 people dead and about a dozen missing in central Colombia, authorities said. Several homes were destroyed and a major trade artery blocked after torrential rains hit the Quetame municipality in Colombia's Cundinamarca department late Monday. Cundinamarca governor Nicolas Garcia said "14 lifeless bodies have been found" by lunchtime Tuesday, updating the earlier toll of eight. — AFP
6.8 quake shakes C America: No damage
SAN SALVADOR, July 19: A magnitude 6.8 earthquake off the coast of Central America shook El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua on Tuesday, though without any immediate damage reported, according to Salvadoran authorities. The quake was registered at 6:22 pm (0222 GMT) in the Pacific Ocean, about 66 kilometers (41 miles) south of the Salvadoran coast, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS originally recorded the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.5. — AFP