In brief: Hezbollah militants now on EU terror list

BRUSSELS – The European Union placed the military wing of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group and political party, on its terror list Monday in a major policy change toward the Middle East.

The EU’s 28 foreign ministers reached the decision unanimously at their monthly meeting, swiftly swaying the last nations that had expressed opposition by committing to continued political dialogue with Beirut.

The action came after prolonged diplomatic pressure from the United States, the Netherlands and Israel, which consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

“The EU is sending a strong message to Hezbollah that it cannot operate with impunity, and that there are consequences for its actions,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement.

Hezbollah issued a statement late Monday describing the EU decision as “hostile and unjust and not based on justification or evidence.”

Activists detained trying to enter U.S.

NOGALES, Ariz. – U.S. authorities have detained eight activists who asked to be allowed to re-enter the United States from Mexico on humanitarian grounds in a protest against American immigration policies.

Customs and Border Protection officials detained the activists Monday after they filed applications for humanitarian parole at the Nogales border crossing to try to return to the United States.

CBP officials said they could not comment on specific cases but under immigration law all applicants for admission bear the burden of proof to establish they are eligible to enter the country.

Domenic Powell, a spokesman for the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, said the group hadn’t been taken to a detention center as of Monday afternoon.