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(04/17/17 2:58pm)
By Anandita Mehta
Staff Writer
During a terrorist attack on two Coptic churches in southern Egypt, 49 were killed and 78 injured on April 9, The New York Times reported.
The attacks, which occurred in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria, were committed by bombers wearing suicide vests, according to Al Jazeera.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, according to CNN.
Since Christians are a minority group in Egypt, which is predominantly Muslim, the Coptic community is vulnerable, according to The New York Times.
The Coptic Orthodox Church split from other Christian denominations in 451 A.D., but Coptic Christians believe in the 10 commandments and practice sacraments. Many Coptic Christians believe that they are descendants of the ancient Egyptians, according to ABC.
Approximately half of all Christians in the Middle East are members of the Coptic faith, according to The Atlantic.
The Coptic community, representing about 10 percent of the Egyptian population, has been targeted by violent groups in the past, Al Jazeera reported.
Samer Shehata, an associate professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that the attacks show poor security efforts in the country despite past violence against churches.
There were metal detectors at the entrances to the churches, but the suicide bombers pushed past them, according to The New York Times.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatteh el-Sisi declared a state of emergency in the wake of the blasts, as well as three days of nationwide mourning for the victims, according to CNN.
The same source reported that ISIS threatened to attack again in the future, with these attacks strategically planned to coincide with the start of the Christian holy week.
The Coptic Christian community has been shaken by the attacks and did not celebrate Easter this week as a sign of respect for the victims and their families, The Independent reported.
According to the same source, Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Egypt later this month.
The grief surrounding the attacks has taken a hold even in Coptic churches in America, as members of the faith mourn the deaths of their fellow worshippers, The Atlantic reported.
Just before the attacks, el-Sisi visited the U.S. and spoke with President Donald Trump about their mutual agreement to fight terrorism in Egypt, CNN reported.
The same source reported that in the wake of the attacks, the U.S. stood by Egypt, pledging to defeat terrorism.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres “condemned the attacks and offered his sympathies to the victims and to the country,” according to CNN.
(04/03/17 4:13pm)
By Anandita Mehta
Staff Writer
A terror attack occurred near the Houses of Parliament over the Westminster Bridge in London on March 22, BBC reported.
The perpetrator was 52-year-old British man Khalid Masood, CNN reported.
The attack killed five people, including Masood, and injured 50 more. Among the injured are people from the U.S., U.K., Romania, Greece and South Korea, according to BBC.
Masood repeatedly drove his Enterprise rental car into pedestrians walking on the bridge. He then embarked on foot, stabbing and killing a policeman inside of the Palace of Westminster, according to the BBC.
The Telegraph described Masood’s vehicle as a Hyundai SUV rented shortly before the attack.
Masood had a criminal history and spent some time in prison where he was possibly radicalized, according to The Telegraph.
Masood is being investigated for violent extremism in the past, CNN reported.
Amaq, an ISIS-affiliated news channel, said Masood was a member of ISIS. Although there is no evidence of any connection between Masood and ISIS, his actions were inspired by international acts of terrorism, CNN reported.
Masood spent some time teaching English in Saudi Arabia and was born in the West Midlands. He converted to Islam later in life, according to BBC.
Masood also went through multiple name changes, at one point going by the name of Adrian Ajao, The Guardian reported.
There is speculation that Masood was not shot by the police, but by a bodyguard of the British defense secretary, according to The Telegraph.
About a dozen arrests have been made in conjunction with the attack, BBC reported.
Most of the suspects, however, have been released, according to The Guardian.
The same source reported that in the aftermath of the attack, approximately 3,500 witnesses from the Houses of Parliament and the Palace of Westminster have contacted the police in an effort to aid the investigation.
The U.K. government is urging social media companies to do their part to combat terrorism so their platforms cannot be used to spread terroristic messages. This is likely a measure taken as a result of Masood’s activity on his WhatsApp account moments before the attack, according to The Guardian.
A candlelight vigil was held in Trafalgar square on March 23, CNN reported.
Muslim, Christian and Jewish people came together for a moment of silence to honor the victims. Members of the royal family have visited victims in the hospital, The Guardian reported.
(03/20/17 8:30pm)
By Anandita Mehta
Staff Writer
The Trump administration issued requests on March 10 for the immediate resignation of 46 U.S. attorneys held over from the Obama administration, The Washington Post reported.
Among these 46 attorneys was Preet Bharara, attorney of the Southern District of New York, who refused to resign due to an agreement made between him and President Donald Trump in November, according to CNN.
Pending his refusal to resign, Bharara spoke to the acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente on the phone and later tweeted that he was fired, CNBC reported.
Bharara’s tweet on March 11 read: “I did not resign. Moments ago I was fired. Being the U.S. Attorney in SDNY will forever be the greatest honor of my professional life.”
The manner in which the Trump administration requested the immediate resignation of these 46 U.S. attorneys reflects the rocky transition between the Obama and Trump administrations, The New York Times reported.
It is common practice for an administration to ask for resignations from attorneys appointed by the preceding administration, but the last two presidents have allowed the attorneys to gradually leave their offices, according to The Washington Post.
Replacements for these attorneys have not been confirmed yet, leaving pending cases in limbo, according to CNN.
Some of Bharara’s pending cases include an investigation of fundraising by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for his campaign, investigations of sexual harassment accusations against Fox News’s previous chief, Roger Ailes, and investigations of former aides of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, The New York Times reported.
According to the same source, Trump Tower is also under the jurisdiction of Bharara’s former office.
Trump’s Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the move to request resignations from the U.S. attorneys was meant to give the administration a clean slate, The Washington Post reported.
Two White House officials have stated that it is possible Bharara was promised he could remain in his position as a favor from then President-elect Trump to Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is now Senate Democratic Minority Leader, according to The New York Times.
According to the same source, the relationship between Trump and Schumer has declined since November.
Some analysts believe Bharara’s refusal to resign could boost his career and will be lauded for his decision, according to CNBC.
Bharara’s portfolio includes crackdowns on banking fraud and insider trading as well as hedge fund corruption, according to CNN.
(03/05/17 9:45pm)
By Anandita Mehta
Staff Writer
North Korea’s Kim Jong Nam was killed while waiting for a plane at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on Feb. 13, Time magazine reported.
Since then, there have been several recent developments surrounding the murder.
Kim is the son of the deceased North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Il, and elder half-brother of the current leader of the Republic, Kim Jong Un, according to Time magazine.
Airport security cameras captured two women, Siti Aisyah of Indonesia and Doan Thi Huang of Vietnam, attacking Kim with a cloth soaked in a liquid confirmed by Malaysian authorities to be VX, a military grade chemical weapon, The New York Times reported.
The drug causes increased heart rates and blurry vision. In larger doses, convulsions, loss of consciousness and death through respiratory failure occur. Kim died while he was being rushed to the hospital after reporting the incident to airport authorities, according to CNN.
While both women have denied any knowledge of the results of their actions, they have since been arrested and charged with Kim’s murder, according to CNN.
The same source reported that if they are found guilty, they will face the death penalty.
Aisyah and Huang said they were under the impression they were playing a prank and did not understand the severity of the chemical, according to The New York Times.
The rarity and strength of the drug suggests the North Korean government was behind the attack, according to NPR.
North Korea said Kim died of a heart attack, but failed to acknowledge the deceased man as Kim and, instead, referred to the body as a North Korean national named Kim Chol.
No family members have identified the body yet, stopping Malaysian authorities from turning it over to North Korea, according to NPR.
Since no North Korean officials were present, North Korea has also denounced the Malaysian autopsy report pinpointed the cause of death as VX, NPR reported.
Kim’s death has increased the United Nations’s desire to distance themselves from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, The New York Times reported.
According to the same source, escalating tensions have taken the form of economic isolation, as China has halted all imports of coal from North Korea.