NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
Refugee crisis: A ship belonging to a Spanish nongovernmental advocacy group has saved 250 migrants in danger of capsizing near the Libyan coast. Proactiva Open Arms spokeswoman Laura Lanuza said Saturday that the organization’s boat rescued the African migrants from two small rubber vessels that were at risk of being overwhelmed by the sea. They were transferred to an Italian coast guard ship, which had alerted the NGO to the whereabouts of the migrants. Lanuza said the ship, a converted fishing boat, has rescued around 2,000 migrants so far this year.
Defense spending: China will raise its defense budget by about 7 percent this year, a government spokeswoman said Saturday, continuing a trend of lowered growth amid a slowing economy. Total defense spending would account for about 1.3 percent of projected gross domestic project in 2017, said Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the legislature. While the slowing economy may preclude a spending spree similar to past years, when growth rose by double-digit percentages each year, there’s no doubt China will continue to add high-tech weaponry, said Alexander Neill, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies based in Singapore.
Military test: Iran successfully test-fired a sophisticated Russianmade air defense system, the official IRNA news agency reported Saturday. The report said the test of the S-300 system targeted various flying objects including missiles. With a range of up to 125 miles, the S-300 is capable of simultaneously tracking and striking multiple targets. Russia delivered the S-300 system to Iran in 2016, nearly 10 years after the initial contract had been signed.
Afghanistan attack: At least eight Afghan civilians, including four children, were killed in an attack late Friday in western Farah province, officials said. Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Saturday that the incident was a roadside bomb explosion which took place in the Bala Buluk district. But family members of the victims say they were hit by an air strike. Gen. Dawlat Waziri, a Defense Ministry spokesman, said an investigation is under way. Afghan security forces operate helicopter gunships, as does the U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan.
Terror arrests: Bahrain officials said Saturday that 25 suspected members of a terror group allegedly backed by Iran have been arrested. A government statement said the group went to Iraq and Iran to “receive training in the use of explosives and firearms at Revolutionary Guard camps.” It said police seized firearms, bombs, cars, boats and a drone. The statement linked the group to a series of attacks, including a January prison break. It said the group’s leader was in Germany, without elaborating. Sunni-ruled Bahrain, like other Gulf Arab nations, remains suspicious of Shiite power Iran.
France politics: “Oui on peut!” The slogan on posters in Paris streets translates as “Yes We Can!” The people behind the campaign are urging former U.S President Barack Obama to join the French presidential race, and their online petition has already attracted thousands of signatures. Organizers say they want to inject a dose of humor into the campaign. The whole thing started as a joke among friends, an organizer told the Associated Press. He identified himself only as “Antoine,” declining to give his real name because the posters have been put up illegally and he feared a fine.