Top Stories Today – April 20, 2019
Top Stories Today – April 20, 2019
Islamic State militants kill 35 soldiers in Syria
Islamic State attacks on the Syrian army and allied militias in central Syria have killed 35 soldiers over two days, a war monitor said early Saturday. Although Islamic State lost its last territorial enclave in Syria at Baghuz near the Iraqi border last month to US-backed forces, it still has fighters holding out in the remote central desert.
The monitor, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the attacks constituted Islamic State’s biggest military operation since losing Baghuz and involved assaults in several parts of central Syria. The Voice of America
Elizabeth Warren urges impeachment
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Friday became the first Democratic presidential candidate to call on the House to begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. Warren, of Massachusetts, said her announcement was based on the findings of special counsel Robert Mueller.
“The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty,” she tweeted. “That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States.” NBC News
House issue subpoena for full Mueller report
House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) issued a subpoena on Friday to obtain the full, unredacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian election interference and the Trump campaign’s conduct surrounding the meddling. The House Judiciary Committee approved the subpoena earlier this month, anticipating a desire for an unredacted report and Mueller’s underlying documentation.
The subpoena has now been fired off, demanding to see Mueller’s evidence and summaries of key witness interviews by May 1. If Attorney General William Barr ignores it, the Judiciary Committee could hold him in contempt, setting up a potentially lengthy court battle. Nadler said the report was troubling and “it now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct.” The New York Times via The Week
Egyptian vote on constitutional amendments
Egyptians are voting Saturday on constitutional amendments that allow Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi to stay in office until 2030. The voting comes less that a week after parliament approved the changes. Expatriate Egyptians began voting Friday.
If passed, the amendments also would deepen presidential powers and military presence within communities. The presidential term would be increased from four to six years and Sissi would be allowed to run for a third term in 2024. The Voice of America
Multi-national troops deploy after Boko Haram attack
The Multi-National Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission made up of forces from Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger, has deployed troops after suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Cameroon killing at least 13 people and leaving hundreds homeless. Cameroon has been asking its people to collaborate with the military, stating that more attacks will be reported during Ramadan, expected in a few weeks.
It is a very quiet and deserted Tchakarmari village on Cameroon’s northern border with Nigeria with carcasses of animals and torched houses reminding visitors of a sad event. Resident Abba Malloum says the village of more than 400 people was reduced to ashes by Boko Haram fighters who came from neighboring Nigeria on the late Thursday night. The Voice of America
Arrests made after shooting of Irish journalist
Police in Northern Ireland have arrested two men in connection with the fatal shooting of a journalist. The unidentified 18-year-old and 19-year-old men were arrested in Londonderry Saturday under anti-terrorism laws. They have not been charged, but were taken to Belfast for questioning, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.
Police say they believe that at least one of the gunmen may be connected with the New IRA, a republican paramilitary group that opposes the shift towards non-violent tactics to form a united Ireland. Journalist Lyra McKee, who was 29, was shot in the head late Thursday during rioting in the Creggan district of Londonderry. The Voice of America