Brazil impeachment leader arrested in corruption probe
The powerful former speaker of Brazil’s lower house, who spearheaded the process to oust President Dilma Rousseff, was arrested yesterday as part of a sprawling graft probe involving state oil giant Petrobras. Eduardo Cunha, who until recently was a key ally of new President Michel Temer, is accused of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion related to an oilfield purchase that Petrobras made in 2011 in the west African nation of Benin.
Prosecutors said in a statement that they requested Mr Cunha’s detention on the grounds that he represented a threat to the integrity of the investigation and was a flight risk. They also asked for bank accounts he holds totaling some $60 million to be frozen.
Mr Cunha was arrested in the capital, Brasilia, and was then put on a flight to the southern city of Curitiba, where Judge Sergio Moro is presiding over many of the Petrobras cases. The ex-speaker faces multiple ongoing investigations and has been accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes for himself and other politicians. He denies the allegations.
US warns of ‘overwhelming’ response against any use of nuclear weapons by North Korea
US Defence Secretary Ash Carter warned yesterday that any attack on American allies or use of nuclear weapons by North Korea would be met with an “overwhelming” response by Washington. He was speaking at the start of talks between the top US and South Korea diplomats and defence officials to discuss their response to the growing threat from Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs.
The meeting comes weeks after North Korea’s most powerful nuclear test explosion to date, and days after its failed test launch of a ballistic missile. On the agenda are ways to strengthen the so-called “extended deterrence” provided by US nuclear forces in defending South Korea. Seoul is looking to allay calls from conservatives at home who want the country to develop its own nuclear arsenal.
“The US commitment to the defence of South Korea is unwavering. This includes our commitment to provide extended deterrence, guaranteed by the full spectrum of US defence capabilities,” Mr Carter said in opening remarks. “Make no mistake, any attack on America or our allies will not only be defeated, but any use of nuclear weapons will met with an overwhelming and effective response,” he added. South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said that the threat posed by North Korea is “more grave than ever” and that it is “nearing the final stage of nuclear weaponisation”.
Gunman kills two American advisers in Kabul
A gunman, reportedly in an Afghan Army uniform, shot dead two American advisers and wounded three others yesterday near a base outside the Afghan capital before being killed himself, officials said. The American deaths included one soldier and one civilian, while one soldier and two civilians were injured and in stable condition, the US military command in Kabul said.
“The two individuals were killed during an attack near a coalition base by an unknown assailant, who was later killed,” it said in a statement. “They were conducting duties as part of the larger Nato mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan security services.” About 13,000 international troops and thousands of civilian contractors remain in Afghanistan to aid government forces battling Taliban insurgents who seek to reimpose fundamentalist Islamic rule 15 years after they lost power in a US-led military intervention.
A US official revealed the lone gunman opened fire while the Americans were at the gate of an Afghan military ammunition supply depot near Camp Moreshead. The shooting took place at about 11 am local time, while the international troops were visiting the base, Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said. While the suspected attacker remains unidentified, reports indicate he was wearing an Afghan Army uniform, he added. US officials are investigating the incident.
Murdered teacher’s family sues town, school system and cleaners over her death
The family of a high school teacher who was raped and killed by a 14-year-old student filed a lawsuit yesterday against the town where she died, the school system she worked in and a cleaning company whose workers washed away potential evidence. Collen Ritzer was killed inside Danvers High School in 2013. Philip Chism was convicted in December of aggravated rape, robbery and murder, and was later sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole in 40 years.
The Salem News reports that the lawsuit filed by Ms Ritzer’s family does not seek personal financial compensation. Instead, it asks for answers to questions surrounding her death. The family is also seeking compensation to enhance school safety programs and “to contribute to the legacy of Colleen Ritzer through third-party nonprofit organisations”, the lawsuit states. Danvers school administrators said they cannot comment on pending litigation, but noted that they are “committed to continuing Colleen Ritzer’s legacy of kindness and dedication to teaching”. The architectural firm that designed the new school wing where Ms Ritzer was killed was also named as a defendant in the suit.
Chism had stayed after school on 22 October 2013, when teachers were made available to assist students. Surveillance video played for jurors during his trial showed Chism following Ms Ritzer into a school bathroom after pulling the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and putting on gloves. The lawsuit says that despite the fact that Chism’s movements were captured by numerous cameras inside and outside the school, no one was monitoring the activity. It asks why Ms Ritzer was alone in that academic wing that afternoon and why no one was monitoring the school security system.
Mozambique government resumes peace talks with opposition party
The Mozambique government and main opposition party have resumed talks despite the killing of a senior Renamo official by unidentified gunmen on 9 October, the state news agency AIM reported yesterday. The death of Jeremias Pondeca, a member of the Joint Commission set up to find ways to overcome a standoff between the government and Renamo over a range of issues, cast a cloud over the negotiations.
AIM said the talks, which were originally supposed to have resumed on Monday, did so on Tuesday after a minute’s silence for Mr Pondeca. The commission has so far reached no definitive agreement on any of the matters on its agenda, including Renamo’s demands for six provincial governors and the inclusion of its militia in the army and police. The commission was also set up to prepare the ground for a face-to-face meeting between President Filipe Nyusi and Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama. There has been no progress towards such a meeting yet, with Mr Dhlakama saying he had no interest in seeing President Nyusi before signing a final agreement, AIM reported.
Renamo and the government were on opposing sides in the country’s civil war from the late 1970s until the early 1990s before a peace accord ended the fighting, but Renamo retains its own militia. In the run-up to elections in October 2014, Renamo partisans clashed sporadically with troops and police. The party claims that the result was rigged.