12 inmates dead in shootout at Panama prison

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Twelve inmates were killed and about a dozen more were wounded in a gunfight Tuesday inside a prison in the capital, Panamanian authorities said.

The shooting occurred in a cell block that holds inmates who belong to a single local gang.

Five pistols and three rifles were found after the shooting. The weapons appeared to have been smuggled in to the La Joyita prison in Panama City.

Alexis Muñoz, assistant director of the National Police, said it such smuggling has been a longstanding problem and “there are many ways that weapons can get in.”

The Interior Department said no guards or prison personnel were injured in the confrontation and no escapes were reported.

US opposes lifting key sanctions against North Korea

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States said Tuesday that it opposes a draft resolution proposed by China and Russia that would terminate U.N. sanctions on key North Korean exports, calling the measure “premature” at a time when Pyongyang is threatening to conduct “an escalated provocation” and is refusing to meet with U.S. officials to discuss denuclearization.

The U.S. State Department said President Donald Trump “remains committed to making progress toward commitments” he made with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at their first summit in Singapore in June 2018 on transforming relations between the two countries, building lasting peace and ensuring complete denuclearization.

A State Department statement said the U.S. remains committed to diplomacy to make progress toward these goals, but it “cannot do this alone.”

The draft resolution circulated to U.N. Security Council members Monday night would terminate sanctions on North Korean exports including textiles, seafood and statues with the intent of enhancing the livelihood of the civilian population. It would also lift a ban on North Koreans working overseas and terminate a decision to repatriate all those earning income abroad by Dec. 22.