AMSTERDAM

Royal Dutch Shell says leak continues at North Sea oil rig

Royal Dutch Shell PLC says it is trying to stop oil leaking from a flow line at one of its drilling platforms in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland.

Spokesman David Williams confirmed the leak was ongoing Friday. Shell said it cannot specify how much oil may have escaped, but it knows which line had the leak and the flow has been stemmed as the underwater well has been shut in and the line at the Gannet Alpha platform is being de-pressurized.

Shell said it has a remote-controlled vehicle searching for the leak. Meanwhile, a plane is monitoring the surface, and a vessel with cleanup equipment is at the spot.

JERUSALEM

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U.S. warns Hamas officials over ‘audits’ of nonprofits

The U.S. will cut $100 million in American aid money to Palestinians in Gaza if the territory’s Hamas rulers continue with “unwarranted audits” of local American nonprofit organizations, a state department official said Friday.

The American threat came in response to a growing attempt by Hamas to exert control over the international organizations that support the many impoverished Palestinians among Gaza’s population of 1.5 million people.

This week, Hamas shut down the U.S.-financed International Medical Corps after it refused to submit to a Hamas audit.

The State Department informed Hamas on Thursday that aid worth $100 million would be halted if the International Medical Corps were not allowed to operate freely.

“These are unwarranted audits and amount to an increase in harassment of humanitarian relief staff,” a state department official in Washington said anonymously.

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The U.S., which considers Hamas a terrorist organization, does not have direct contact with the group.

SANTIAGO, Chile

Students on strike get strong warning from government

The government of Chile is standing firm against social protests, saying education reform can only happen through official channels.

Government spokesman Andres Chadwick says Chile “is not going to be governed from the street.”

That’s a hard-line message to students who have been striking for more than two months now and marching by the tens of thousands calling for free and equal quality education.

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Students have rejected President Sebastian Pinera’s proposals and are holding out now for a nationwide referendum to improve education funding.

WARSAW, Poland

One dead, 40 hurt as crowded passenger train derails

A train packed with passengers derailed in central Poland on Friday as it was traveling from Warsaw to Katowice, killing one passenger and injuring about 40 others.

The train derailed near the central city of Piotrkow Trybunalski, with the engine and three of the train’s carriages going off the tracks, police said. A passenger said the train slowed suddenly, then he felt a jolt.

— From news service reports

 


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