News in Brief
Intruder ran through White House floor
Reuters, Washington
The man who breached security at the White House this month raced through several rooms on the main floor, penetrating farther into the building than previously disclosed, a Republican congressman said on Monday.
The suspect, Omar Gonzalez, 42, a decorated Iraqi war veteran, was charged with unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon. Officials said he was carrying a knife when he jumped the White House fence and entered the executive mansion on Sept. 19.
Russian troops still in Ukraine: Nato
Afp, Brussels
Russia still has hundreds of troops in Ukraine despite a "significant" force withdrawal made since Kiev and pro-Russian rebels agreed a ceasefire earlier this month, Nato said yesterday.
After the pullback, "hundreds of Russian troops, including special forces, still remain inside Ukraine," Nato spokesman Jay Janzen said, adding that no further reduction had been seen in the past week and that some 20,000 soldiers were still deployed near the Ukrainian border.
Catalonia fights on for independence vote
Afp, Barcelona
Catalan leaders launched a legal battle yesterday to get their drive for a referendum on independence from Spain back on track after a court suspended it.
Angry separatists in the region planned protests after Spain's Constitutional Court halted the plan to hold the vote on November 9.
The speaker of the wealthy northeastern region's parliament, Nuria de Gispert, said the assembly would demand that the court "immediately lift" its suspension of the referendum.
Thailand to give tourists 'safety' wristbands
Afp, Bangkok
Thailand yesterday announced plans to give tourists wristbands carrying their personal details, as the kingdom falls under intense scrutiny over visitor safety following the murder of two British holidaymakers.
"If anything happens to them we will then know their names, nationality and hotel," said Arnuparp Gaesornsuwan, director general of the Department of Tourism told AFP.
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