World briefs

SPAIN’s state prosecutor said yesterday that he would seek charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement against members of Catalonia’s ousted secessionist government, pushing the crisis over the region’s independence declaration into an uncertain new phase. 

SINGAPORE wants to bolster its status as a wealth management and foreign exchange center as part of plans to create more financial-sector jobs and mitigate the effect of rapid changes in technology.

INDONESIA Authorities have lowered the alert status of Bali’s Mount Agung volcano from the highest level, following a significant decrease in activity in recent days. More than 140,000 people fled the area around the mountain after its alert status was raised to the highest level on Sept. 22, indicating an eruption may be imminent.

MYANMAR People marched in Myanmar’s largest city on Sunday to support the military, which has come under heavy criticism over violence that has driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.

INDIA-ITALY The leaders of India and Italy held talks yesterday and signed a slew of agreements that mark a thaw in their relations following the fatal 2012 shootings of two Indian fishermen by Italian marines who mistook them for pirates. Officials from the two sides signed six agreements to boost energy security, bilateral trade and cooperation in railway technology.

SAUDI ARABIA will allow women into sports stadiums as of next year, the kingdom’s latest step toward easing rules on gender segregation — but they will be seated in the so-called family section, an area separate from the male-only crowd.

CENTRAL EUROPE High winds have knocked down trees and caused widespread travel chaos across much of Central Europe, leaving five people dead and several injured. Storm Herwart, whose gusts reached 180 kph, also caused electricity blackouts in hundreds of thousands of homes in the Czech Republic, Austria and other countries.

KENYA Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta says he expects his opponents to mount legal challenges to his victory in the second presidential election since August.

COLOMBIA’s largest remaining rebel group has acknowledged its role in the murder of an indigenous leader in violation of a month-old cease-fire, and that’s raising tensions in its peace talks with the government.