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page 41 UNITED STATES N/Jersey governor blames Clinton for Boko Haram insurgence New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) suggested during a speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention on Tuesday that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was to blame for the kidnapping of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. […]
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UNITED STATES
N/Jersey governor blames Clinton for Boko Haram insurgence
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) suggested during a speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention on Tuesday that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was to blame for the kidnapping of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram.
Christie said “every region of the world has been infected with her flawed judgment,” citing Clinton’s resistance to adding Boko Haram to the terrorist watch list.
“What happened because of this reckless action by the candidate who is the self-proclaimed champion of women around the world? These terrorists abducted hundreds of innocent young girls two years ago,” Christie said. “These schoolgirls are still missing today.
“What was the solution from the Obama/Clinton team? A hashtag campaign!” Christie continued, referencing the #BringBackOurGirls campaign that went viral in 2014.
ZIMBABWE
Mugabe’s supporters march against protests
Thousands of supporters of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe marched to the ruling ZANU-PF party’s headquarters on Wednesday in a show of solidarity following anti-government protests this month.
On July 8, a ‘stay away’ protest movement led by church minister Evan Mawarire shut down most businesses, government offices, schools and hospitals in the biggest act of public defiance against 92-year old Mugabe in a decade.
Mugabe has said the protests were being sponsored by foreign states and urged citizens to support his government.
Many of those marching in support of Mugabe were members of the ruling ZANU-PF.
“This has given us the chance to express our solidarity with our president, Robert Mugabe,” ZANU-PF youth wing official Tinashe Wenyika said.
FRANCE
Soldiers killed in Benghazi helicopter crash
Three French soldiers have died in Libya after their helicopter was shot down, President Francois Hollande says.
The soldiers were killed while carrying out “dangerous intelligence operations”, Mr Hollande said.
Earlier on Wednesday, French defence ministry spokesman Stephane Le Foll confirmed for the first time that its special forces were in Libya.
On Tuesday, Associated Press quoted Libyan officials as saying an Islamist militia shot down a French helicopter.
The attack on Sunday happened near the city of Benghazi, and left no survivors, AP reported.
Libya has fragmented since the 2011 uprising when Col Muammar Gaddafi was ousted from office with the help of NATO air strikes.
It now has rival administrations, backed by various militias and brigades spawned by the revolution – and the chaos has allowed fighters from so-called Islamic State (IS) to gain a foothold.
INDONESIA
State ‘responsible for genocide’ in 1965
A final report on “war crimes” committed in Indonesia decades ago has called on the government to investigate and prosecute all those involved in the deaths of at least 400,000 of its own citizens.
The international people’s tribunal formed at The Hague said on Wednesday the Indonesian state was “responsible” for the “genocide” against members and supporters of the country’s Communist party and followers of President Soekarno during the 1965-66 killings.
Zak Yacoob, chief justice of the civil society tribunal, said the government of Indonesia needed to act “urgently and without qualification” to address the injustices committed in the deadly purge.
Yacoob also said that aside from prosecuting those involved in the killings, the government must also “apologise” to all victims or their survivors, as well “ensure appropriate compensation and reparation”.
Starting on October 2, 1965, Indonesia’s General Suharto launched a campaign to wipe out Communist party officials and sympathisers, following a failed coup which resulted in the death of six generals.
EU
Estonia to take EU presidency from Britain
Estonia is set to take over the rotating EU presidency from Britain in late 2017 after London relinquished the role to focus on negotiations to leave the bloc, a spokesman for EU president Donald Tusk said Wednesday.
In the first major step towards Brexit after last month’s shock referendum result, Prime Minister Theresa May announced Wednesday that Britain would no longer take the position next July.
Tusk’s spokesman told AFP there was “broad agreement” when EU ambassadors met in Brussels “that Estonia’s presidency be brought forward by six months to take the place of the UK”.
He added that “subsequent presidencies, in the order they are currently foreseen, would all in turn be brought forward by six months”, meaning that Bulgaria will now take over in January 2018.
“It is hoped that this result will be confirmed through a formal decision shortly,” the spokesman added.
Belgium had earlier been in the frame to take on the presidency after Britain dropped out.
Another EU diplomat confirmed there was broad agreement on the change to Estonia.
ISRAEL
Parliament passes controversial impeachment law
Israel’s parliament has passed a law that would allow it to impeach an MP who incites racism or supports armed struggle against the state.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the measure ended an “absurd situation” whereby someone who “supports terror” was allowed to serve in the Knesset.
But critics said it was anti-democratic and aimed mainly at Israeli Arab MPs.
The law would require three-quarters of the Knesset’s 120 members to vote in favour of any impeachment motion.
The move comes a week after the European Union warned that the Knesset had risked undermining democracy and freedom of speech by approving legislation that requires NGOs receiving most of their funding from abroad to declare so publicly.
KASHMIR
Newspapers ‘ban’ lifted
Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have lifted a ban on publication of newspapers.
The three-day ban was imposed after violent protests sparked by the killing of a prominent separatist militant.
But the publishers have delayed print runs, saying the government should guarantee freedom of operation.
More than 40 people have been killed and nearly 2,000 people and 1,600 security forces have been injured in clashes since 9 July.
Last week, the Kashmir government asked newspapers to stop publication for a few days, saying that the ban was a “temporary measure to address an extraordinary situation”.
However, the government’s political adviser, Amitabh Mattoo, said the decision was made without the knowledge of the state’s Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
UAE
Blaze rips through Dubai skyscraper
A fire has engulfed more than 30 storeys of a residential skyscraper in Dubai, but there are no reports of any casualties.
Firefighters tackled the blaze at the 75-storey Sulafa tower in the built-up Marina district, while burning debris floated to the ground.
Residents have been asked to leave the building. The cause of the fire is not yet clear.
The government tweeted that it took less than three hours to put it out.
There have been fires in multiple buildings in Dubai in recent years.
On New Year’s Eve, a 63-storey residence block caught fire and 16 people suffered minor injuries.
The United Arab Emirates revised a safety code in 2013 so that new buildings over 15m (50ft) tall must have fire-resistant exterior cladding, but the rule does not apply to older buildings.
GERMANY
Baby deaths: Mother jailed for 14 years
A German woman has been sentenced to 14 years in jail over the deaths of four of her newborn babies.
Andrea G, 45, was found guilty of manslaughter, German media report.
The bodies of eight newborns were found in an apartment in Bavaria last year, but she was only charged in relation to four of the deaths due to the state of decomposition of the other four.
Her estranged husband Johann G, 55, was acquitted on charges of failing to stop the deaths.
The case has horrified Germany, correspondents say.
Presiding judge Christoph Gillot defended the decision not to pass a life sentence.
“When a case like this is tried, you suddenly have a lot of people who know what the right thing to do is – that a supposed ‘horror mother’ should be locked away forever,” he said.