Page 10 - aruba-today-20180811

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 11 auguSt 2018

Yemen's Shiite rebels welcome UN call for Saudi strike probe

By AHMED AL-HAJ ported that the Houthis
MENNA ZAKI fired ballistic missiles target-
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Ye- ing military bases in Saudi
men's Shiite rebels on Friday Arabia's southern provinces
backed a U.N. call for a of Asir and Jizan. The Sau-
probe into a Saudi-led co- di-owned Al Arabiya satel-
alition airstrike in the coun- lite news channel reported
try's north that killed dozens that the coalition had inter-
of people the previous day, cepted two missiles fired to-
including many children, in ward Jizan. In a statement
an attack that drew wide after Thursday's airstrike,
international criticism. U.N. chief António Guterres
Senior Yemeni rebel leader urged Yemen's warring par-
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi ties to take "constant care
said on Twitter that the reb- to spare civilians" during
els — known as Houthis — military operations and also
welcome the call and are called for an "independent
willing to cooperate in an and prompt investigation."
investigation of the strike in The United Nations said an
Saada province that hit a exact death toll has yet to
bus carrying civilians, many be confirmed but initial re-
of them school children, in ports point to more than
a busy market in Dahyan 60 casualties, with dozens
district. severely wounded. Al-Ma-
The coalition said Friday sirah reported at least 51
it would investigate and people, including 40 chil-
spokesperson for the Saudi dren, were killed and 79
Embassy in Washington Children's backpacks lie at the site a day after an airstrike in Saada, Yemen on Friday, Aug. 10, others, including 56 chil-
Fatimah S. Baeshen said in 2018. dren, were wounded in the
a statement the case was Associated Press airstrike, citing the Yemeni
referred to the coalition's Health Ministry in the capi-
investigative body. mate military action" and a missile fired by the rebels regularly fire into Saudi Ara- tal, Sanaa, which is under
"The Coalition will, as it has blamed the Houthis for re- into the kingdom's south a bia and have previously rebel control.
always, exert all efforts to cruiting children and using day earlier. The coalition targeted its capital, Riyadh, It also said three children
preserve civilian lives," she them in the battlefields as said it had intercepted and with ballistic missiles. They have gone missing since
said. cover. destroyed the missile but its say their missile attacks on the airstrike.
The coalition's statement The coalition, which has fragments killed one person the kingdom are in retalia- On Friday, the U.N. Security
signaled a shift in its earlier been at war with the and wounded 11 others in tion for air raids on Yemen Council echoed Guterres'
stance when spokesman Houthis for more than three Saudi's southwestern bor- by the Western-backed statement, calling for a
Col. Turki al-Malki defend- years, said the attack on der region of Jizan. coalition. On Friday, the "credible and transparent"
ed the attack as a "legiti- Saada was in response to The Iran-aligned Houthis rebel-run Al Masirah TV re- investigation. q

Malaysia ex-PM fails in media gag bid ahead of graft trial

dollar looting of the 1MDB appeal the judge's deci- from SRC International, a
state investment fund that sion because public senti- former unit of the 1MDB
led to his stunning electoral ment wanting Najib to be fund that international in-
defeat three months ago. convicted had led to many vestigators say was looted
After hearing lengthy argu- articles inferring his guilt, of billions by Najib's associ-
ments from both prosecu- which could deny him a ates.
tors and defense lawyers, fair trial. Abuse of power and
High Court Judge Moha- Najib, 65, has accused breach of trust carry a max-
mad Nazlan Mohamad Malaysia's new govern- imum penalty of 20 years in
Ghazali ruled that a gag on ment of seeking political prison for each count. Each
the media would be a "ma- vengeance and vowed to money-laundering count
jor incursion" on freedom of clear his name in his trial. He carries a penalty of up to
speech and expression. didn't speak to the media 15 years in prison and a fine
He said there are exist- Friday but wrote on Face- of not less than five times
Malaysian former Prime Minister Najib Razak waves to the me-
dia as he walks in High Court of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malay- ing laws on contempt and book a day earlier that he the sum laundered.
sia, Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. defamation, and the risk of was confident of winning Najib set up 1MDB when
Associated Press prejudice is "quite remote" the trial. he took power in 2009
since Malaysia doesn't "Through a fair trial, I am for the stated purpose of
Associated Press him ahead of the start of his have a jury system. confident I can defend my- promoting economic de-
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia trial on Feb. 12. "A gag order does not pro- self. I am confident I will be velopment, but the fund
(AP) — Former Malaysian Najib has pleaded not guilty mote the law as an instru- found not guilty of all the amassed billions in debts
Prime Minister Najib Razak to seven charges of crimi- ment of justice," the judge charges," he said. and is being investigated in
failed Friday to win a court nal breach of trust, abuse said, and set trial dates All of the charges against the U.S. and several other
order barring the media of power and money laun- spanning two months from him involve the transfer of countries for alleged cross-
from discussing the merits of dering in a case related Feb. 12. 42 million ringgit ($10.3 mil- border embezzlement and
corruption charges against to the alleged multibillion- Najib's lawyers said they will lion) into his bank accounts money laundering.q