Security Council prepared sanctions against Syria

The Security Council of the United Nations (UN) prepares sanctions against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, after a report said security forces had committed crimes against humanity. The sanctions seek to freeze assets of Assad and members of his government and an embargo on arms sales to that country and a travel ban on regime members.

"We will start work immediately on a draft resolution that includes sanctions, it is necessary to increase pressure on the government of Syria," said Michael Berger, Deputy Ambassador of Germany to the UN, in a press conference. The statements were supported by the delegations of the United Kingdom, France, USA and Portugal, after a session of the Security Council in involving the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, and the coordinator for humanitarian affairs, Valerie Amos .

Madrid, new clashes in the night between police and protestors of the Pope's visit

High tension remains in Madrid. During the night, the Puerta del Sol, the police has once again loaded the "secularists" who protest against the visit of Benedict XVI on the occasion of World Youth Day. Last night officers were in riot gear intervened to clear the square, after Wednesday there had been incidents in which 11 people were injured.

Six people killed in Israeli shelling of Gaza

At least six Palestinians were killed including a commander of an armed group a child, in air strikes that the Israeli Air Force launched in response to the attacks in the south. Sources of emergency services in Gaza said Israeli planes attacked the house of a militant identified as Abu Jamil Shaat and that the place had several militants of the Popular Resistance Committees.

Among those killed in the attack on Abu Awat Nairab is one of the commanders of the armed group as well as a minor. The attacks came hours after Israeli killed fourteen and thirty wounded in a series of attacks on a highway south of the country, which borders Egypt. The alleged terrorists used automatic weapons, mortars and at least one anti-tank rocket civilian and military vehicles, causing panic across several miles until they were intercepted by security forces.

Magnitude 6.8 earthquake shakes without damage Fukushima

An earthquake measuring 6.8 degrees on the Richter scale took place in the sea off the coast of Fukushima, and has triggered a tsunami warning for the province and Miyagi with a forecast-foot waves. The tremor was centered at sea about 20 kilometers deep, according to Nippon Meteorological Agency. According to NHK, the earthquake has not affected the battered Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, and there have been increases in the levels of radiation.