Former President of Chad Convicted of Human Rights Violations and Rape
Chad convicts former President Hissene Habre of crimes against humanity and rape on Monday. The former President came to power in 1982 when he and 2000 of his soldiers took the capital (by force) of Chad, N’Djamena, and declared the founding of the Third Republic of Chad. He is said to have ruled with an iron fist from the start and was known to have tortured and executed political prisoners and individuals in opposition to his leadership. He was tried in by a tribunal, The Special African Chamber, created by Senegal and the African Union and sentenced to life in prison.
Germany Declares Armenian Genocide Against Turkish Threat
Germany passes a parliamentary resolution recognizing the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks in 1915-1916 as genocide. Turkey rejects the claim that this was genocide and states that the Armenians that were killed were causalities of war. This resolution by Germany sent waves of anger through Turkey, and the Turkish Ambassador has left Germany with the Turkish government threatening additional action. Only 20 countries recognize the events of 1915 as Genocide while Israel, United Kingdom and the United States are just a few of the countries who do not. Armenia and Armenians around the world have been calling on countries to formally recognize the murders of 1915-1916 as genocide.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36433114
“Jihadi” Jacks’ Parents Charged with Aiding Terrorist Activity
The parents of “Jihadi” Jack have been charged with making money available for suspected terrorist activity. Jack Letts, a 20-year-old from Oxford, England, is said to have left the U.K. when he was 18 to fight for the Islamic State in Iraq. His parents John Letts and Sally Lane were charged with three counts of making money available or making arrangements for money to be available with reasonable cause to suspect that it would have been used for terrorism. Letts’ parents acknowledge that they sent him money for food and glasses. They are set to appear in Westminster’s Magistrate court on June 9. If convicted, this could set an interesting precedent for the parents of individuals who join the Islamic State.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-36427136
Al-Shabab Attack Kills 15, Wounds 50+
A terrorist attack by Al-Shabab in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, has left 15 people dead including 2 British-Somali Members of Parliament (MP). The attack took place at the Ambassador Hotel starting with a car bomb outside the hotel and a 12-hour standoff between Al-Shabab fighters and security forces. More than 50 people were sent to the hospital with wounds.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36434275
UCLA shooting: Gunman’s wife found dead in Minnesota
Mainak Sarkar, the gunman who opened fire in a murder-suicide at UCLA, left behind a trail of evidence that led investigators to another victim. A woman found dead on Thursday in Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis, was Sarkar’s wife, Ashley Hasti. Police who searched Sarkar’s Minnesota home found a “Kill list,” spelling out the names of three people, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck. One of them was William S. Klug, the UCLA professor Sarkar killed. Sarkar felt the professor he killed had released information “that harmed him,” he told KTLA. “UCLA says this is absolutely not true. This is the workings of his imagination.”
http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/us/ucla-shooting/index.html
