World briefs

SPAIN Catalonia’s regional government mulled yesterday when to declare the region’s independence from Spain, with some lawmakers saying it would happen Monday. As Spain grappled with its most serious national crisis in decades, a top EU official said Spain and Catalonia must talk with each other, even if Catalonia broke the law with an illegal referendum on independence.

MALAYSIA On the third day of the trial of two women accused of killing the estranged half brother of North Korea’s leader, defense lawyers sought to discredit the prosecution’s case. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Kim Jong Nam using banned VX nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur. More on p12

CAMBODIA A prominent opposition lawmaker in Cambodia has fled the country, saying yesterday that Prime Minister Hun Sen made direct threats against her and her colleagues and that she no longer felt safe in her own country.

JAPAN The Japanese utility blamed for safety lapses in the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdowns has received its first approvals to operate reactors under stricter safety standards set since the 2011 disaster. More on p11

KURDISTAN With Turkey’s president by his side, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani pledged yesterday that they would ensure borders in the region remain unchanged after the recent Kurdish independence referendum in Iraq.

TURKEY A court in southwestern Turkey sentenced 40 people to life in prison yesterday, convicting them of charges that during last year’s failed coup.

RUSSIA-VENEZUELA Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, hailing him for reaching out to the opposition. Speaking at the start of their Kremlin talks, Putin noted that “Venezuela is going through uneasy times” and credited Maduro with “succeeding in establishing some contact” with opposition forces.

US-CUBA The United States expelled 15 of Cuba’s diplomats Tuesday to protest its failure to protect Americans from unexplained attacks in Havana, plunging diplomatic ties between the countries to levels unseen in years.