UN report says Jamal Khashoggi’s death ‘constituted an extrajudicial killing’
The UN released a report Wednesday stating that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) should be investigated over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October last year, reported Al Jazeera.
Special investigator Agnes Callamard’s 100-page report presented a painstakingly-created picture of the journalist who was murdered in the Saudi embassy in Istanbul.
In her report, Callamard cited “credible evidence” to say that Khashoggi’s death “constituted an extrajudicial killing for which the State of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is responsible”.
The 100-page report cites audio from “inside the consulate, recorded just minutes before Khashoggi entered”.
Four men charged with murder for downing MH17
Three Russians and one Ukranian have been charged with murder and involvement with shooting down Malaysian Airlines’ MH17 in July 2014. The four men have also been charged with bringing a missile into conflict-hit eastern Ukraine, where the aircraft was shot down, reported The Financial Times Wednesday.
The Malaysia Airlines flight was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit, killing all 298 passengers and crew members on board.
The trial is due to start in Netherlands next March, reported The Guardian.
Last year, prosecutors determined that the missile came from a Russian military launcher. One of the accused, Igor Girkin, was serving as Russia’s highest-ranked military commander in the region at the time, during clashes between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists.
“The suspects wanted to shoot down a military aircraft and not a civilian flight. Regardless of that we will still hold them responsible,” Dutch prosecutor Fred Westerbeke was quoted as saying.
Chinese and Bangladeshi workers clash at power plant
Over 1,000 police officers were needed to restore calm after a fight broke out between hundreds of workers at a partially completed Chinese-funded power plant in Bangladesh, reported BBC.
The fight started when a Bangladeshi worker fell to his death and local workers reportedly accused the Chinese of trying to cover it up. One Chinese worker died during the clash.
China has invested heavily in Bangladesh as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), building large-scale infrastructure projects.
In other news:
New Zealand launches gun ‘buy-back’ scheme for weapons banned after Christchurch mosque attacks, Reuters
Xi Jinping lands in North Korea for first visit by a Chinese leader in 14 years, South China Morning Post
Fed holds rates but signals more dovish outlook, The Financial Times