Author: aejay_wp

Spain was set Monday for the verdict in the first trial linked to thousands of suspected cases of newborns stolen from their mothers during and after Francisco Franco’s dictatorship.

The scandal saw babies taken away from their mothers, who were told they had suddenly died after birth, and adopted by infertile couples, preferably close to the far-right regime, often with the help of the Catholic Church.

Eduardo Vela, an 85-year-old former gynaecologist who used to run a clinic, is the first to stand trial for alleged involvement in the baby trafficking.

Prosecutors want him jailed for 11 years.

Vela is accused of having taken Ines Madrigal, now 49, from her biological mother in 1969 and given her to another woman who was falsely certified as her birth mother.

Madrigal hopes that her case will help open “thousands of cases that are closed” even if she will never know who her real mother was.

“In this country, a person who played God… cannot remain unpunished,” she said in September at the end of the hearings.

Both sides have been summoned to the Madrid court trying the case at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) on Monday to hear the verdict.

The baby-stealing practice began after Franco came to power following the 1936-39 civil war.

‘Plot’

Initially, newborns were taken from left-wing opponents of the regime.

Later, the practice was expanded to illegitimate babies and those from poor families.

The guiding principle was that the child would be better off raised by an affluent, conservative and devout Roman Catholic family.

Even after Spain transitioned to democracy following Franco’s death in 1975, the lucrative practice went on as an illegal trafficking network, up to at least 1987.

Campaigners estimate tens of thousands of babies may have been stolen from their parents over the decades.

Vila is accused of falsifying official documents, illegal adoption, unlawful detention and certifying a non-existent birth.

During questioning in the opening session of the trial, Vela said he could not remember details of how the clinic, which he ran for 20 years up to 1982, operated.

A policeman who probed the case and testified in court said the clinic was a centre for baby trafficking.

He added Vela had burnt his clinic’s archives.

But the policeman insisted “there was a plot to which Mr Vela probably belonged” that involved taking babies from single mothers in shelters often run by religious orders.

Emilie Helmbacher, a French journalist, also testified by video conference.

In an investigation in Madrid in December 2013, she used a hidden camera to record Vela as he appeared to confess to having given Madrigal away as a “gift” in June 1969.

In the recording, he said “Ines Madrigal’s mother did not pay” for her.

Vela’s lawyer Rafael Casas criticised the hidden camera recording and said his client had “nothing to do” with what had been alleged.

Source: France24

Spain was set Monday for the verdict in the first trial linked to thousands of suspected cases of newborns stolen from their mothers during and after Francisco Franco’s dictatorship.

The scandal saw babies taken away from their mothers, who were told they had suddenly died after birth, and adopted by infertile couples, preferably close to the far-right regime, often with the help of the Catholic Church.

Eduardo Vela, an 85-year-old former gynaecologist who used to run a clinic, is the first to stand trial for alleged involvement in the baby trafficking.

Prosecutors want him jailed for 11 years.

Vela is accused of having taken Ines Madrigal, now 49, from her biological mother in 1969 and given her to another woman who was falsely certified as her birth mother.

Madrigal hopes that her case will help open “thousands of cases that are closed” even if she will never know who her real mother was.

“In this country, a person who played God… cannot remain unpunished,” she said in September at the end of the hearings.

Both sides have been summoned to the Madrid court trying the case at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) on Monday to hear the verdict.

The baby-stealing practice began after Franco came to power following the 1936-39 civil war.

‘Plot’

Initially, newborns were taken from left-wing opponents of the regime.

Later, the practice was expanded to illegitimate babies and those from poor families.

The guiding principle was that the child would be better off raised by an affluent, conservative and devout Roman Catholic family.

Even after Spain transitioned to democracy following Franco’s death in 1975, the lucrative practice went on as an illegal trafficking network, up to at least 1987.

Campaigners estimate tens of thousands of babies may have been stolen from their parents over the decades.

Vila is accused of falsifying official documents, illegal adoption, unlawful detention and certifying a non-existent birth.

During questioning in the opening session of the trial, Vela said he could not remember details of how the clinic, which he ran for 20 years up to 1982, operated.

A policeman who probed the case and testified in court said the clinic was a centre for baby trafficking.

He added Vela had burnt his clinic’s archives.

But the policeman insisted “there was a plot to which Mr Vela probably belonged” that involved taking babies from single mothers in shelters often run by religious orders.

Emilie Helmbacher, a French journalist, also testified by video conference.

In an investigation in Madrid in December 2013, she used a hidden camera to record Vela as he appeared to confess to having given Madrigal away as a “gift” in June 1969.

In the recording, he said “Ines Madrigal’s mother did not pay” for her.

Vela’s lawyer Rafael Casas criticised the hidden camera recording and said his client had “nothing to do” with what had been alleged.

Source: France24

Bulgarian authorities are investigating the rape and murder of an investigative reporter in the northern city of Ruse, the third journalist to have been killed in the EU this year.

The body of 30-year-old Viktoria Marinova was found on Saturday near a pedestrian alley in an area with heavy vegetation, Bulgarian state media reported. Preliminary investigations showed the cause of death was blows to the head and suffocation.

Bulgarian Interior Minister Mladen Mladenov described the murder as “exceptionally brutal” and said Marinova was raped before she was killed, according to state media. He said the country’s top murder investigators had been sent to Ruse to work on the case.

It’s not clear if Marinova’s murder was related to her journalistic work. Authorities are working to identify witnesses and potential motives for her murder.

Bulgarian media reports said that over the last year Marinova had been part of an investigation into alleged corruption involving European Union funds for the broadcaster TVN. She also worked on a program focusing on social issues and was involved with charity work.

“With enormous pain and insurmountable grief the team of TVN television is experiencing the loss of our beloved colleague, Victoria Marinova,” TVN said in a statement. “Therefore we ask for sympathy for the sorrow of relatives and colleagues. A bow in her memory!”

The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Bulgarian authorities to conduct a “rigorous, thorough investigation” into the killing.

“CPJ is shocked by the barbaric murder of journalist Victoria Marinova,” said CPJ European Union Representative Tom Gibson in Brussels.

“Bulgarian authorities must employ all efforts and resources to carry out an exhaustive inquiry and bring to justice those responsible.”

The organization added in its statement that Marinova’s last broadcast was an interview with Romanian journalist Attila Biro and a Bulgarian colleague, Dimitar Stoyanov, who were looking into allegations of fraud involving EU funds. CPJ reported that the two reporters were detained by Bulgarian police in September.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said he is confident “it’s a matter of time” before investigators uncover the culprit, according to state media.

Ruse Regional Prosecutor Georgi Georgiev told state media that Marinova’s mobile phone, car keys, glasses and part of her clothing were missing when her body was found.

Harlem Desir, media freedom representative for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) condemned the killing on Twitter, saying that he would closely follow the investigation.

Source: cnn.com

Bulgarian authorities are investigating the rape and murder of an investigative reporter in the northern city of Ruse, the third journalist to have been killed in the EU this year.

The body of 30-year-old Viktoria Marinova was found on Saturday near a pedestrian alley in an area with heavy vegetation, Bulgarian state media reported. Preliminary investigations showed the cause of death was blows to the head and suffocation.

Bulgarian Interior Minister Mladen Mladenov described the murder as “exceptionally brutal” and said Marinova was raped before she was killed, according to state media. He said the country’s top murder investigators had been sent to Ruse to work on the case.

It’s not clear if Marinova’s murder was related to her journalistic work. Authorities are working to identify witnesses and potential motives for her murder.

Bulgarian media reports said that over the last year Marinova had been part of an investigation into alleged corruption involving European Union funds for the broadcaster TVN. She also worked on a program focusing on social issues and was involved with charity work.

“With enormous pain and insurmountable grief the team of TVN television is experiencing the loss of our beloved colleague, Victoria Marinova,” TVN said in a statement. “Therefore we ask for sympathy for the sorrow of relatives and colleagues. A bow in her memory!”

The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Bulgarian authorities to conduct a “rigorous, thorough investigation” into the killing.

“CPJ is shocked by the barbaric murder of journalist Victoria Marinova,” said CPJ European Union Representative Tom Gibson in Brussels.

“Bulgarian authorities must employ all efforts and resources to carry out an exhaustive inquiry and bring to justice those responsible.”

The organization added in its statement that Marinova’s last broadcast was an interview with Romanian journalist Attila Biro and a Bulgarian colleague, Dimitar Stoyanov, who were looking into allegations of fraud involving EU funds. CPJ reported that the two reporters were detained by Bulgarian police in September.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said he is confident “it’s a matter of time” before investigators uncover the culprit, according to state media.

Ruse Regional Prosecutor Georgi Georgiev told state media that Marinova’s mobile phone, car keys, glasses and part of her clothing were missing when her body was found.

Harlem Desir, media freedom representative for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) condemned the killing on Twitter, saying that he would closely follow the investigation.

Source: cnn.com

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara Netanyahu goes on trial Sunday for allegedly using state funds to fraudulently pay for hundreds of meals, part of a list of legal troubles facing the family.

The start of the trial will be the latest chapter in a saga intensely scrutinised in Israel — but dismissed by the Netanyahus as another “absurd” attempt to discredit them.

The veteran premier himself faces possible charges in separate corruption investigations, leading to speculation that he will eventually be forced to step down.

Sara Netanyahu was charged with fraud and breach of trust in June.

Prosecutors accuse her of misusing state funds to pay for catered meals costing $100,000 (85,000 euros) by falsely declaring there were no cooks available at the premier’s official residence.

From 2010 to 2013, she, her family and guests received “fraudulently from the state hundreds of prepared meals”, the indictment read.

According to the charge sheet, the meals were ordered from a variety of well-known Jerusalem businesses, including an Italian restaurant, a Middle Eastern grill joint and a sushi establishment.

The trial, which could run for months, is to open in the Jerusalem magistrates court at 1:30 PM (1030 GMT), overseen by a panel of three judges due to the “public sensitivity” of the case.

It was originally scheduled to start in July but was postponed for reasons that were not made public.

Sara Netanyahu, aged 59 and a high-profile presence at her husband’s side throughout his long tenure, has denied any wrongdoing.

But the case has again turned the spotlight on the Netanyahu family and past allegations of misbehaviour.

Sara Netanyahu has previously been accused of pocketing cash from deposit refunds for empty bottles returned from the official residence.

She has also faced accusations of mistreating staff, and in 2016 a court awarded some $47,000 in damages to a former housekeeper who accused the couple of repeated workplace abuse.

– ‘Blood spilled’ –

All the allegations have been closely covered in the Israeli media. The Netanyahus have hit back, calling them grossly unfair smear attempts.

Sara Netanyahu has in the past said that her “blood has been spilled publicly.”

One particularly high-profile example occurred in 2017, when both the premier and his wife appeared in court in their libel case against a journalist’s claim that Sara Netanyahu kicked her husband out of the car during a row.

Benjamin Netanyahu testified that the story was a “ridiculous” fabrication.

The court later awarded the Netanyahus $32,500.

But there are potentially more serious allegations facing Benjamin Netanyahu.

The right-wing prime minister has held the job for a total of more than 12 years, first from 1996-99 and again beginning in 2009.

He could next year surpass the record set by Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion, who spent more than 13 years in office.

But Netanyahu faces a possible indictment in the months ahead. On Friday police quizzed him for a 12th time as a suspect in various cases.

Allegations against him include allegedly seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israel’s top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival.

Another case involves suspicions that the prime minister and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours.

There is also an ongoing inquiry into the prime minister’s ties with local telecoms giant Bezeq and its largest shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, according to Israeli media.

In that case, Benjamin Netanyahu is alleged to have sought favourable coverage from another Elovitch company, the Walla news site, in exchange for government policies that could have benefited the mogul’s interests to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Elovitch was arrested in February along with six other people, including Nir Hefetz, a former media adviser to the Netanyahu family who has turned state witness.

Police have recommended Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted in two cases, though the attorney general has yet to decide whether to do so.

Despite the ongoing investigations, Netanyahu has remained strong in polls and he is not obliged to step down if formally charged.

source: France24

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara Netanyahu goes on trial Sunday for allegedly using state funds to fraudulently pay for hundreds of meals, part of a list of legal troubles facing the family.

The start of the trial will be the latest chapter in a saga intensely scrutinised in Israel — but dismissed by the Netanyahus as another “absurd” attempt to discredit them.

The veteran premier himself faces possible charges in separate corruption investigations, leading to speculation that he will eventually be forced to step down.

Sara Netanyahu was charged with fraud and breach of trust in June.

Prosecutors accuse her of misusing state funds to pay for catered meals costing $100,000 (85,000 euros) by falsely declaring there were no cooks available at the premier’s official residence.

From 2010 to 2013, she, her family and guests received “fraudulently from the state hundreds of prepared meals”, the indictment read.

According to the charge sheet, the meals were ordered from a variety of well-known Jerusalem businesses, including an Italian restaurant, a Middle Eastern grill joint and a sushi establishment.

The trial, which could run for months, is to open in the Jerusalem magistrates court at 1:30 PM (1030 GMT), overseen by a panel of three judges due to the “public sensitivity” of the case.

It was originally scheduled to start in July but was postponed for reasons that were not made public.

Sara Netanyahu, aged 59 and a high-profile presence at her husband’s side throughout his long tenure, has denied any wrongdoing.

But the case has again turned the spotlight on the Netanyahu family and past allegations of misbehaviour.

Sara Netanyahu has previously been accused of pocketing cash from deposit refunds for empty bottles returned from the official residence.

She has also faced accusations of mistreating staff, and in 2016 a court awarded some $47,000 in damages to a former housekeeper who accused the couple of repeated workplace abuse.

– ‘Blood spilled’ –

All the allegations have been closely covered in the Israeli media. The Netanyahus have hit back, calling them grossly unfair smear attempts.

Sara Netanyahu has in the past said that her “blood has been spilled publicly.”

One particularly high-profile example occurred in 2017, when both the premier and his wife appeared in court in their libel case against a journalist’s claim that Sara Netanyahu kicked her husband out of the car during a row.

Benjamin Netanyahu testified that the story was a “ridiculous” fabrication.

The court later awarded the Netanyahus $32,500.

But there are potentially more serious allegations facing Benjamin Netanyahu.

The right-wing prime minister has held the job for a total of more than 12 years, first from 1996-99 and again beginning in 2009.

He could next year surpass the record set by Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion, who spent more than 13 years in office.

But Netanyahu faces a possible indictment in the months ahead. On Friday police quizzed him for a 12th time as a suspect in various cases.

Allegations against him include allegedly seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israel’s top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival.

Another case involves suspicions that the prime minister and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours.

There is also an ongoing inquiry into the prime minister’s ties with local telecoms giant Bezeq and its largest shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, according to Israeli media.

In that case, Benjamin Netanyahu is alleged to have sought favourable coverage from another Elovitch company, the Walla news site, in exchange for government policies that could have benefited the mogul’s interests to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Elovitch was arrested in February along with six other people, including Nir Hefetz, a former media adviser to the Netanyahu family who has turned state witness.

Police have recommended Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted in two cases, though the attorney general has yet to decide whether to do so.

Despite the ongoing investigations, Netanyahu has remained strong in polls and he is not obliged to step down if formally charged.

source: France24

Dozens of people were killed and as many as 100 others suffered serious burns on Saturday after an oil tanker collided with a vehicle on an arterial highway in the west of DR Congo.

The accident occurred on the road linking the capital Kinshasa to the country’s sole seaport at Matadi on the Atlantic Ocean.

“We have counted 53 charred bodies,” said Florian, a witness, speaking at the disaster site in the village of Mbuba, about 120 kilometres (100 miles) west of Kinshasa.

Seven others with grievous burn injuries died at the Saint-Luc hospital in Kisantu, a nearby city, he said.

Atou Matabuana, interim governor of Kongo Central region, said earlier Saturday that around 50 people had died and “100 people have suffered second degree burns”.

The health minister gave a lower death toll late Saturday, saying “around 20” people had died at the scene of the crash while four were declared dead on arrival in hospital.

A doctor at the Saint-Luc hospital told AFP that they had taken in many patients “for the most part with second-degree burn injuries.

“We are trying to help them, we are trying to rehydrate them but sadly there are those who are dying,” Doctor Tresor said.

“Two mobile clinics are evacuating the injured,” he added.

The UN’s Okapi radio said the flames spread rapidly and engulfed nearby houses.

Another witness at the village, Blaise Matumona, said the accident happened early Saturday and “many people died in the marketplace”.

Acting governor Matabuana said: “We have taken measures to take charge of all the victims.”

But photographs on social media showed the injured being transported on motorbikes and private cars. A witness said he had not seen any ambulance at the site.

“No ambulance and no hospital worthy of its name in Kisantu. Preventing this kind of disaster, let’s just not speak about it…” said the pro-democracy movement Lucha (Struggle for Change) in a tweet.

The UN mission in DRC, known by its French acronym MONUSCO, said it had sent nine ambulances to the spot to evacuate the injured.

Overloaded trucks carrying goods as well as oil tankers regularly ply this highway.

source: France24

Dozens of people were killed and as many as 100 others suffered serious burns on Saturday after an oil tanker collided with a vehicle on an arterial highway in the west of DR Congo.

The accident occurred on the road linking the capital Kinshasa to the country’s sole seaport at Matadi on the Atlantic Ocean.

“We have counted 53 charred bodies,” said Florian, a witness, speaking at the disaster site in the village of Mbuba, about 120 kilometres (100 miles) west of Kinshasa.

Seven others with grievous burn injuries died at the Saint-Luc hospital in Kisantu, a nearby city, he said.

Atou Matabuana, interim governor of Kongo Central region, said earlier Saturday that around 50 people had died and “100 people have suffered second degree burns”.

The health minister gave a lower death toll late Saturday, saying “around 20” people had died at the scene of the crash while four were declared dead on arrival in hospital.

A doctor at the Saint-Luc hospital told AFP that they had taken in many patients “for the most part with second-degree burn injuries.

“We are trying to help them, we are trying to rehydrate them but sadly there are those who are dying,” Doctor Tresor said.

“Two mobile clinics are evacuating the injured,” he added.

The UN’s Okapi radio said the flames spread rapidly and engulfed nearby houses.

Another witness at the village, Blaise Matumona, said the accident happened early Saturday and “many people died in the marketplace”.

Acting governor Matabuana said: “We have taken measures to take charge of all the victims.”

But photographs on social media showed the injured being transported on motorbikes and private cars. A witness said he had not seen any ambulance at the site.

“No ambulance and no hospital worthy of its name in Kisantu. Preventing this kind of disaster, let’s just not speak about it…” said the pro-democracy movement Lucha (Struggle for Change) in a tweet.

The UN mission in DRC, known by its French acronym MONUSCO, said it had sent nine ambulances to the spot to evacuate the injured.

Overloaded trucks carrying goods as well as oil tankers regularly ply this highway.

source: France24

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck just off the northwest coast of Haiti late Saturday, killing at least 11 people and causing damage to buildings in the Caribbean nation, authorities said.

The epicenter of the quake was located about 19 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of the city of Port-de-Paix, the US Geological Survey reported.

Government spokesman Eddy Jackson Alexis told AFP that 11 people were so far reported dead, seven of them in Port-de-Paix, the capital of Haiti’s Nord-Ouest department.

Four others were killed in the town of Gros-Morne, about 50 kilometers to the southeast.

The quake, which was felt across the country, struck at 8:10 pm (0010 GMT Sunday) at a shallow depth of 11.7 kilometers.

Haiti’s civil protection agency said two minor aftershocks were registered, adding that no tsunami warning was issued in connection with the quake activity.

The tremor rattled the capital Port-de-Prince, sparking emotion among residents still reeling from the massive 2010 earthquake that left at least 200,000 people dead and 300,000 more wounded.

“I urge the population to remain calm,” President Jovenel Moise said on Twitter, adding that local and regional authorities were assisting those in need and that some damage had been reported.

Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant is heading up an inter-ministerial disaster response task force, he said on Twitter.

“The injured are being treated at area hospitals,” the civil protection agency said late Saturday, noting that some of the injuries were sustained when people panicked after the quake.

The agency confirmed that some homes were destroyed or damaged, without offering specific figures.

Images of damaged homes and partially destroyed buildings were circulating on social media, but AFP was not immediately able to confirm their authenticity.

The Nord-Ouest department is the poorest part of impoverished Haiti, with many isolated areas due to the dire state of the roads.

The devastating 7.0-magnitude quake in January 2010 left more than 1.5 people homeless. Tens of thousands remain in makeshift camps.

The damage caused was worth an estimated 120 percent of GDP in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

Longer-term reconstruction has been hampered by lingering political chaos in the nation of nearly 11 million people, and by a deadly cholera epidemic introduced by infected Nepalese UN peacekeepers sent in after the quake.

source: France24

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck just off the northwest coast of Haiti late Saturday, killing at least 11 people and causing damage to buildings in the Caribbean nation, authorities said.

The epicenter of the quake was located about 19 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of the city of Port-de-Paix, the US Geological Survey reported.

Government spokesman Eddy Jackson Alexis told AFP that 11 people were so far reported dead, seven of them in Port-de-Paix, the capital of Haiti’s Nord-Ouest department.

Four others were killed in the town of Gros-Morne, about 50 kilometers to the southeast.

The quake, which was felt across the country, struck at 8:10 pm (0010 GMT Sunday) at a shallow depth of 11.7 kilometers.

Haiti’s civil protection agency said two minor aftershocks were registered, adding that no tsunami warning was issued in connection with the quake activity.

The tremor rattled the capital Port-de-Prince, sparking emotion among residents still reeling from the massive 2010 earthquake that left at least 200,000 people dead and 300,000 more wounded.

“I urge the population to remain calm,” President Jovenel Moise said on Twitter, adding that local and regional authorities were assisting those in need and that some damage had been reported.

Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant is heading up an inter-ministerial disaster response task force, he said on Twitter.

“The injured are being treated at area hospitals,” the civil protection agency said late Saturday, noting that some of the injuries were sustained when people panicked after the quake.

The agency confirmed that some homes were destroyed or damaged, without offering specific figures.

Images of damaged homes and partially destroyed buildings were circulating on social media, but AFP was not immediately able to confirm their authenticity.

The Nord-Ouest department is the poorest part of impoverished Haiti, with many isolated areas due to the dire state of the roads.

The devastating 7.0-magnitude quake in January 2010 left more than 1.5 people homeless. Tens of thousands remain in makeshift camps.

The damage caused was worth an estimated 120 percent of GDP in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

Longer-term reconstruction has been hampered by lingering political chaos in the nation of nearly 11 million people, and by a deadly cholera epidemic introduced by infected Nepalese UN peacekeepers sent in after the quake.

source: France24

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has praised the kingdom’s relationship with the current US administration just days after President Donald Trump warned that the Middle East country would not survive “two weeks” without US support.

“I love working with him (Trump),” the crown-prince told the US-based Bloomberg publication, adding that the two leaders had “achieved a lot in the Middle East, especially against extremism, extremist ideologies, terrorism and Daesh (the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant)”.

Read: Africans love Melania Trump

The 33-year-old said it was normal for allies to have disagreements and one must ultimately accept that “any friend will say good things and bad things”.

“So, you cannot have 100 percent friends saying good things about you, even in your family. You will have misunderstandings. So, we put that in that category.”

At a Mississippi campaign rally on Wednesday, Trump took a jab at Riyadh and said the country would not last “two weeks” if Washington withdrew its military support.

“We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they’re rich? And I love the king, King Salman. But I said ‘King – we’re protecting you – you might not be there for two weeks without us’,” Trump said.

It was not the first time that Trump had criticised Saudi Arabia over the issue. As early as 2015, Trump said Saudi Arabia should have to pay more if it wants US protection.

If Saudi Arabia, which has been making one billion dollars a day from oil, wants our help and protection, they must pay dearly! NO FREEBIES.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 26, 2015

Trump’s criticisms have not been limited to Saudi Arabia alone. In his speech to the UN General Assembly, the US president in a similar vein cautioned other unnamed countries against taking advantage of the United States.

“Moving forward, we are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends. And we expect other countries to pay their fair share for the cost of their defence,” Trump said at the time.

Trump also hit out at Washington’s NATO partners at a May summit in Brussels, lamenting that “23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they’re supposed to be paying for their defence.”

Saudi spat with Canada

In August, Saudi authorities expelled the Canadian ambassador to Riyadh and severed relations with Ottawa, citing a series of tweets in which Canada’s foreign affairs ministry called for the release of jailed Saudi human rights activists, as the reason for the diplomatic flare-up.

Asked why his reaction to Canada differed, the crown prince said the Canadians sought to impose their will on Saudi Arabia and infringe on its sovereignty.

“It’s totally different. Canada, they gave an order to Saudi Arabia on an internal issue. It’s not an opinion of Canada about Saudi Arabia as much as they are giving an order to a different country,” bin Salman said.

“Trump is speaking to his own people inside the United States of America about an issue. And you’ve got the answer now from me.”

Jailed activists

Salman was also asked about the fate of Saudi activists detained prior to the lifting of the driving ban imposed on women. The crown prince said that they were not arrested for their activism but rather due to their “connections with agencies of other countries”.

“They have a network, connection with government people, leaking information for the sake [of] these other governments,” he said.

The Saudi government announced in late August that it was seeking the death penalty for five of the activists, including Israa al-Ghomgham, who is the first woman to face capital punishment for human rights-related work, according to rights groups.

Bin Salman accused Qatar, which is under a land, sea and air blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain, as one of the countries that provided support for the activists.

The blockading quartet accused Qatar of abetting extremists, allegations that Doha has consistently denied.

Source: aljazeera.com

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has praised the kingdom’s relationship with the current US administration just days after President Donald Trump warned that the Middle East country would not survive “two weeks” without US support.

“I love working with him (Trump),” the crown-prince told the US-based Bloomberg publication, adding that the two leaders had “achieved a lot in the Middle East, especially against extremism, extremist ideologies, terrorism and Daesh (the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant)”.

Read: Africans love Melania Trump

The 33-year-old said it was normal for allies to have disagreements and one must ultimately accept that “any friend will say good things and bad things”.

“So, you cannot have 100 percent friends saying good things about you, even in your family. You will have misunderstandings. So, we put that in that category.”

At a Mississippi campaign rally on Wednesday, Trump took a jab at Riyadh and said the country would not last “two weeks” if Washington withdrew its military support.

“We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they’re rich? And I love the king, King Salman. But I said ‘King – we’re protecting you – you might not be there for two weeks without us’,” Trump said.

It was not the first time that Trump had criticised Saudi Arabia over the issue. As early as 2015, Trump said Saudi Arabia should have to pay more if it wants US protection.

If Saudi Arabia, which has been making one billion dollars a day from oil, wants our help and protection, they must pay dearly! NO FREEBIES.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 26, 2015

Trump’s criticisms have not been limited to Saudi Arabia alone. In his speech to the UN General Assembly, the US president in a similar vein cautioned other unnamed countries against taking advantage of the United States.

“Moving forward, we are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends. And we expect other countries to pay their fair share for the cost of their defence,” Trump said at the time.

Trump also hit out at Washington’s NATO partners at a May summit in Brussels, lamenting that “23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they’re supposed to be paying for their defence.”

Saudi spat with Canada

In August, Saudi authorities expelled the Canadian ambassador to Riyadh and severed relations with Ottawa, citing a series of tweets in which Canada’s foreign affairs ministry called for the release of jailed Saudi human rights activists, as the reason for the diplomatic flare-up.

Asked why his reaction to Canada differed, the crown prince said the Canadians sought to impose their will on Saudi Arabia and infringe on its sovereignty.

“It’s totally different. Canada, they gave an order to Saudi Arabia on an internal issue. It’s not an opinion of Canada about Saudi Arabia as much as they are giving an order to a different country,” bin Salman said.

“Trump is speaking to his own people inside the United States of America about an issue. And you’ve got the answer now from me.”

Jailed activists

Salman was also asked about the fate of Saudi activists detained prior to the lifting of the driving ban imposed on women. The crown prince said that they were not arrested for their activism but rather due to their “connections with agencies of other countries”.

“They have a network, connection with government people, leaking information for the sake [of] these other governments,” he said.

The Saudi government announced in late August that it was seeking the death penalty for five of the activists, including Israa al-Ghomgham, who is the first woman to face capital punishment for human rights-related work, according to rights groups.

Bin Salman accused Qatar, which is under a land, sea and air blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain, as one of the countries that provided support for the activists.

The blockading quartet accused Qatar of abetting extremists, allegations that Doha has consistently denied.

Source: aljazeera.com

France has opened an investigation into the disappearance of Meng Hongwei, the Chinese head of the international police agency Interpol.

His family have not heard from him since he left Interpol HQ in the French city of Lyon for a trip back to China a week ago, police sources say.

“He did not disappear in France,” a source close to the French inquiry told AFP news agency.

Read: Ben Affleck thanks family after completing rehab stint

Mr Meng, 64, is a senior Communist Party official in China.

The investigation was opened after Mr Meng’s wife went to police to report her husband missing.

Before taking over at Interpol, Meng Hongwei was deputy minister in charge of public security in China.

At Interpol, he leads the Executive Committee, which provides guidance and direction to the 192-member organisation. Mr Meng’s term is scheduled to run until 2020.

Read: Video: The Paris park where African women are forced into prostitution

In 2016, rights groups expressed concern that his election could help China pursue political dissidents who have fled the country.

But Mr Meng said at the time that he was ready to do “everything he could towards the cause of policing in the world”.

Mr Meng has 40 years of experience in criminal justice and policing in China, notably in the fields of drugs, counter-terrorism and border control, according to Interpol.

Interpol can issue a red notice – an international alert – for a wanted person.

But it does not have the power to send officers into countries to arrest individuals, nor issue arrest warrants.

Source: bbc

France has opened an investigation into the disappearance of Meng Hongwei, the Chinese head of the international police agency Interpol.

His family have not heard from him since he left Interpol HQ in the French city of Lyon for a trip back to China a week ago, police sources say.

“He did not disappear in France,” a source close to the French inquiry told AFP news agency.

Read: Ben Affleck thanks family after completing rehab stint

Mr Meng, 64, is a senior Communist Party official in China.

The investigation was opened after Mr Meng’s wife went to police to report her husband missing.

Before taking over at Interpol, Meng Hongwei was deputy minister in charge of public security in China.

At Interpol, he leads the Executive Committee, which provides guidance and direction to the 192-member organisation. Mr Meng’s term is scheduled to run until 2020.

Read: Video: The Paris park where African women are forced into prostitution

In 2016, rights groups expressed concern that his election could help China pursue political dissidents who have fled the country.

But Mr Meng said at the time that he was ready to do “everything he could towards the cause of policing in the world”.

Mr Meng has 40 years of experience in criminal justice and policing in China, notably in the fields of drugs, counter-terrorism and border control, according to Interpol.

Interpol can issue a red notice – an international alert – for a wanted person.

But it does not have the power to send officers into countries to arrest individuals, nor issue arrest warrants.

Source: bbc

Visitors to a renowned sex club in Berlin have been urged to seek medical treatment after a patron was taken to hospital with bacterial meningitis.

The KitKatClub said the man was in a serious condition after attending a party there on Saturday. About 100 others were treated as a precaution.

Bacterial meningitis is spread through close physical contact and can become life-threatening within hours.

The nightclub hosts fetish parties that attract visitors from around the world.

The man contacted a doctor on Monday and was immediately diagnosed with the disease. He is being treated with antibiotics, Bild newspaper reported.

Authorities in Berlin’s Reinickendorf district advised anyone who attended the club on Saturday to “seek immediate preventive treatment”.

“A friend of the patient could tell us that they were both in the KitKat club, but he did not know who the sick person was in contact with there,” said Patrick Larscheid, director of the Reinickendorf Health Department.

‘CarneBall Bizarre’

The man had attended the “CarneBall Bizarre” party. The evening has a dress code of “fetish, patent and leather, uniforms, TV, goth, costumes, evening wear, glitz & glamour, extravagant clothes”, according to the club’s Facebook page.

The club said none of its employees had shown any symptoms and added that they had been offered antibiotics as a preventative measure.

Meningitis is an infection of the meninges – the protective membranes that surround the brain and the spinal cord.

Bacterial meningitis can be very serious if not treated quickly. It can cause life-threatening blood poisoning – sepsis – and can result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.

Source: bbc

Visitors to a renowned sex club in Berlin have been urged to seek medical treatment after a patron was taken to hospital with bacterial meningitis.

The KitKatClub said the man was in a serious condition after attending a party there on Saturday. About 100 others were treated as a precaution.

Bacterial meningitis is spread through close physical contact and can become life-threatening within hours.

The nightclub hosts fetish parties that attract visitors from around the world.

The man contacted a doctor on Monday and was immediately diagnosed with the disease. He is being treated with antibiotics, Bild newspaper reported.

Authorities in Berlin’s Reinickendorf district advised anyone who attended the club on Saturday to “seek immediate preventive treatment”.

“A friend of the patient could tell us that they were both in the KitKat club, but he did not know who the sick person was in contact with there,” said Patrick Larscheid, director of the Reinickendorf Health Department.

‘CarneBall Bizarre’

The man had attended the “CarneBall Bizarre” party. The evening has a dress code of “fetish, patent and leather, uniforms, TV, goth, costumes, evening wear, glitz & glamour, extravagant clothes”, according to the club’s Facebook page.

The club said none of its employees had shown any symptoms and added that they had been offered antibiotics as a preventative measure.

Meningitis is an infection of the meninges – the protective membranes that surround the brain and the spinal cord.

Bacterial meningitis can be very serious if not treated quickly. It can cause life-threatening blood poisoning – sepsis – and can result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.

Source: bbc