Jailed Hong Kong activist Wong
back in court
AFP, Hong Kong
With hair newly shaven in accordance with Hong Kong prison rules, jailed pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was in court again Tuesday on more protest-related charges.
Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow were sent to prison last Thursday for their leading role in the initial protest that sparked the months-long Umbrella Movement of 2014 — demonstrations and street blockades calling for democratic reforms.
2 children killed in Italian quake
AP, Milan
Firefighters in Italy freed a 7-month-old baby and his older brother from rubble early Tuesday following a 4.0-magnitude quake on the resort island of Ischia off Naples, and rescuers were working on helping a third brother who remained trapped.
At least one person – an elderly woman who was inside a church that collapsed – was killed in the quake that struck just before 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) Monday. Another 39 were injured and some 2,600 were left homeless.
Qatar slams Saudi pilgrim plan as Hajj row escalates
AFP, Doha
A row between Gulf states Qatar and Saudi Arabia over the transport of hajj pilgrims to Mecca escalated on Monday as Doha denounced current arrangements as “illogical”.
A strongly worded statement from Doha’s foreign ministry said it was surprised that Riyadh had decided to restrict the transport of pilgrims from Qatar to Saudi Arabian Airlines only.
Moroccan teenager admits killing two in Turku
Reuters, Helsinki
A teenage Moroccan asylum seeker admitted on Tuesday killing two people and wounding eight in a knife attack in the Finnish city of Turku, his lawyer said.
In a closed-door court hearing, 18-year-old Abderrahman Mechkah confessed to carrying out Friday’s attack but denied he had a terrorist motive, lawyer Kaarle Gummerus said. “(My client) admits manslaughter and injuries. But based on what the investigator has presented thus far, the crime was not necessarily with terrorist intent,” Gummerus told Reuters.
