Top Stories Today – April 11, 2019
Top Stories Today – April 11, 2019
WikiLeak founder Assange arrested
Police have forcibly removed the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, from the Ecuadorian embassy in London and arrested him, as the Ecuadorian government withdrew asylum. Assange, 47, was taken into police custody for failing to surrender to bail and on a US extradition warrant, after Metropolitan police officers were invited into the Knightsbridge embassy. He had taken refuge there for almost seven years to avoid extradition to Sweden where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation.
He was being held on Thursday on a warrant issued by Westminster magistrates court on 29 June 2012 when he failed to surrender to the court. Footage showed Assange, now heavily bearded, shouting and gesticulating and being carried out in handcuffs by plainclothes officer and put in a police van shortly after 10am. Assange had refused to leave the embassy, claiming he would be extradited to the US for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks. The Gurdian
China’s influence in Europe worries west
Coal-powered plants, mobile networks, major bridges, roads and railways: Chinese investments have been booming throughout Central and Eastern Europe’s cash-strapped developing countries, even as European Union officials scramble to counter Beijing’s mounting economic and political influence on the continent.
EU member Croatia is hosting a summit Thursday between China and 16 regional countries – the 8th so far – that focuses on expanding business and other links between China and the region, which Beijing sees as a gateway into Europe. China has already invested billions of dollars in various infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe. Western leaders worry that further investment in the states that are EU members – or those hoping to join – could mean lower environmental and other standards than those in the rest of the bloc. The Voice of America
Sudan president ousted by military
After nearly 30 years in power, Sudan president Omar al-Bashir has been ousted and arrested, the defense minister says. Speaking on state TV, Awad Ibn Ouf said the army had decided to oversee a two-year transitional period followed by elections. He also said a three-month state of emergency was being put in place. Protests against Bashir, who has governed Sudan since 1989, have been under way for several months. Ibn Ouf said the “regime” was being removed and Bashir would be kept in a safe place.
He said Sudan’s constitution was being suspended, border crossings were being closed until further notice and airspace was being closed for 24 hours. Bashir is the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which accuses him of organizing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan’s western Darfur region. It is unclear what will happen to him following his arrest. BBC
Trump to host Moon for North Korea talks
US President Donald Trump is hosting South Korean President Moon Jae-in for talks Thursday at the White House focused on the goal of both nations to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
Moon has been a proponent of incremental measures toward denuclearization with the United States using the relaxation of some sanctions as a way to entice North Korea to negotiate and begin to take steps of its own. The Voice of America
US Treasury won’t meet deadline for Trump Tax return
The Treasury Department didn’t plan to meet Wednesday’s deadline for handing President Trump’s tax returns to House Democrats, as it continued to review the request, Secretary Steven Mnuchin wrote.
Last week, Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) sent a formal request to the IRS for the returns, setting a deadline of April 10; he is one of three congressional leaders with the authority to request the tax returns of individuals. Mnuchin wrote that he is discussing the request with the Justice Department and feels it “raises serious issues concerning the constitutional scope of congressional investigative authority, the legitimacy of the asserted legislative purpose, and the constitutional rights of American citizens.” The Wall Street Journal
World’s largest election starts in India
India began the huge task of choosing its next government as voters lined up at polling booths stretching from the violence-wracked region of Kashmir in the north to eastern and central states. In an election that has been billed as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to emerge as the single largest party but fall short of the commanding majority it won in 2014.
Modi’s main challenger is Rahul Gandhi, the head of the opposition Congress Party whose hope for a surge in support rests on his promise of tackling poverty. More than 140 million out of the country’s 900 million voters were eligible to cast ballots in Thursday’s contest for 91 out of 543 parliamentary constituencies. The Voice of America
EU leaders agree to delay Brexit
British Prime Minister Theresa May has accepted an offer from European Union leaders to extend Brexit until October 31, European Council President Donald Tusk announced late Wednesday. “This means additional six months for the UK to find the best possible solution,” Tusk tweeted.
The Brexit deadline was set for Friday, and May had requested an extension to June 30. British lawmakers have been unable to pass an exit deal, and May has offered to step down once her proposal is accepted. EU leaders expressed their frustration over having to deal with Brexit for so long, with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven saying they have “spent a lot of time, a lot of energy, on this issue, and we have so many important issues on the agenda that we need to get on with.” The Guardian via The Week