Radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada has been arrested in London for breaching his bail terms, days before a new government bid to have him deported. Uhuru Kenyatta, indicted for crimes against humanity, won Kenya’s presidential election by a tiny margin with 50.03 percent, after a race that has divided the nation along tribal lines. North Korea formally rejected a U.N. Security Council resolution that demands an end to its nuclear arms programme, as China called for calm. An Egyptian court confirmed death sentences handed down to 21 football fans for their role in a stadium riot which killed dozens of people last year, a case which has provoked violent protests and Venezuela’s former vice-president Nicolas Maduro has been sworn in as acting president after the state funeral of Hugo Chavez.
Abu Qatada arrested for breaching bail terms
Accused by the British authorities of posing a security risk and being a spiritual inspiration for one of the 9/11 hijackers, Qatada is wanted in his native Jordan to face terrorism charges. Successive British governments have tried for years to get rid of the cleric, who has been in and out of jail since first being arrested in 2001 and is on bail under tight restrictions including a 16-hour curfew. But the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) ruled that Jordan had not proved Abu Qatada’s retrial would be free of evidence obtained by torture.
The cleric, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin, was once described by a Spanish judge as “Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe”. He was arrested by UK Border Agency officials on Friday, a day after raids in London by counter-terrorism police. On Monday, the government will go to the Court of Appeal in a bid to overturn a judge’s decision to allow Abu Qatada to stay in the UK.
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Kenyatta wins Kenya’s presidential elections
Kenya’s Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has been confirmed as the winner of the presidential election. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said Mr Kenyatta had won 50.07% of the vote, on a turnout of 86%. Supporters of his main rival, PM Raila Odinga, have alleged voting irregularities and indicated he would file a legal challenge.
The newly confirmed president faces trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in July for crimes against humanity. He is accused of fuelling communal violence after the 2007 election that saw more than 1,000 people killed and 600,000 forced from their homes. Kenyatta had to fend off jibes during the campaign by Odinga that he would have to run government by Skype from The Hague.
The United States and other Western powers said before the vote that a Kenyatta win would complicate diplomatic ties with a nation viewed as a vital ally in the regional battle against militant Islam. Kenyans hope this vote, which has until now passed off with only pockets of unrest on voting day, would restore their nation’s reputation as one of Africa’s most stable democracies.
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China appeals for “calm and restraint” in Korea escalation
North Korea said it had scrapped all peace pacts with the South and threatened pre-emptive nuclear strikes following another round of sanctions imposed by the UN over its recent nuclear test. Pyongyang said it would pursue its goal of becoming a full-fledged nuclear weapons state, despite the sanctions which were unanimously imposed on Friday by the Security Council.
Daniel Pinkston, from the International Crisis Group in Seoul, said North Korea’s objective was not to start a war but to coerce the US and other countries to back down from the sanctions. The two Koreas have signed a range of agreements over the years, including a 1991 pact on resolving disputes and avoiding military clashes.
President Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s newly elected leader, described the situation as “very grave”, adding that she would “deal strongly with North Korea’s provocations”.
China’s patience with North Korea appears to be wearing thin and the foreign ministry in Beijing on Friday urged “calm and restraint” from all sides, adding: “The current situation on the peninsula is highly complex and sensitive.”
Death sentences in Egypt football riot case promote violence
Rival football fans in Egypt have been protesting angrily over sentences handed down over deadly riots at a match in Port Said in February 2012. The court upheld 21 death sentences and handed down prison terms to other defendants over the violence, which claimed 74 lives.
Listing the names of the 21 fans, the judge said the Cairo court had confirmed “the death penalty by hanging”.
Most victims of the Port Said riots were supporters of a Cairo team, and fans there criticised the sentencing for not going far enough. In Port Said, fans of the local team accused the court of unfairness. At least eight people have been killed this week, including three policemen.
The case has highlighted worsening law and order in much of Egypt since the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak two years ago.
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Venezuela’s former vice-president Nicolas Maduro sworn in as acting president
Venezuela’s former vice-president Nicolas Maduro was sworn in as acting president in Congress on Friday and handed the red, yellow and blue presidential sash following the death of Hugo Chavez.
Mr Chavez was a hero to millions of mostly poor supporters for using Venezuela’s oil wealth to finance heavy social spending during his 14-year rule but he was seen as a dictator by his opponents. He died on Tuesday at age 58 after a two-year battle with cancer and had named Mr Maduro as his chosen successor. However, the main opposition coalition boycotted Mr Maduro’s swearing-in, saying that it was unconstitutional. It argues that – under the constitution – the speaker of the National Assembly should be the one to take over as acting president. The opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, called the move fraudulent and said “We are not prepared to tolerate abuses of power,” he added. “To become president, the people have to elect you. … No one elected Nicolas president.”
The constitution stipulates that an election must be called within 30 days, but some politicians said the electoral authorities may not be ready. Before Maduro’s call for an immediate vote, there had been talk of a possible delay.
Sources: BBC.co.uk; reuters.com; telegraph.co.uk
Picture Credits: bbc.co.uk, uk.reuters.com