Jailed ex-S Korean president requests temporarily release
AP, Seoul
Imprisoned former South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday requested a temporarily release so she can be treated for health problems her lawyer says are causing “burning” and “cutting” pain.
An official from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said it will soon review Park’s request. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules against speaking to the media.
Iran’s parliament labels US troops in ME as terrorist
AP, Tehran
Iran’s lawmakers on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill labeling U.S. forces in the Middle East as terrorist, a day after the U.S. terrorism designation for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard formally took effect, state TV reported.
Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami introduced the bill authorizing the government to act firmly in response to “terrorist actions” by U.S. forces. It demands authorities use “legal, political and diplomatic” measures to neutralize the American move, without elaborating.
UN finds torture, ill-treatment in Afghan prisons
AP, Kabul
Around a third of all conflict-related detainees in Afghanistan say they have suffered from torture or ill-treatment, the U.N. said Wednesday.
U.N. officials interviewed a total of 618 detainees held in 77 government facilities across the country between January 2017 and December 2018. The alleged torture included beatings, suffocation and electric shocks. The U.N. said nearly a third of those interviewed provided “credible and reliable” accounts of abuse and mistreatment, without providing an exact number of detainees.
Netanyahu set to be formally named next Israeli PM
AFP, Jerusalem
Benjamin Netanyahu is set to be formally given the nod for a fifth term as Israeli prime minister Wednesday, but his potential indictment for corruption will hang over tough coalition negotiations in the days ahead.
Despite a strong challenge from a centrist alliance in last week’s elections, Netanyahu emerged victorious with the help of allied right-wing parties that give him enough support to form a governing coalition.
UN chief presses on with bid to
re-start Cyprus talks
AFP, United Nations
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday that he is pressing on with a bid to re-start negotiations on reuniting Cyprus, nearly two years after talks collapsed.
In a report sent to the council, Guterres said he had asked his envoy, American diplomat Jane Holl Lute, to continue holding talks with Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders on the basis for re-starting negotiations.
