NEWS OF THE DAY
_1 Gay torture probe: Russian President Vladimir Putin told Russia’s human rights ombudsman that he will speak with law enforcement officials about the reported torture of gay men in Chechnya. Tatyana Moskalkova asked Putin on Friday to support her request to form a group to investigate the treatment of gays in the southern Russian region. Putin agreed to her proposal for investigating what he called “the well-known information, or rumors,” about what is happening to people “with a nontraditional sexual orientation.” The abuse was first reported in April by the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which said about 100 suspected gay men were rounded up and tortured, and at least three were killed.
_2 Border violence: Authorities say gunbattles between rival drug gangs in the Mexican border city of Reynosa have killed 12 people. The security spokesman for the northern state of Tamaulipas said five people died in two gunbattles Thursday. Another seven people were killed earlier in the violence that began Tuesday. The disputes between rival factions of the Gulf cartel follow the killing of leader Julian Loisa Salinas, known as “Comandante Toro,” by military personnel in late April.
_3 ‘Dead end’: Belgium’s prime minister said Friday that the time has come for the European Union to make a final decision about Turkey’s bid for membership, which he called a “dead end.” Prime Minister Charles Michel said after months of provocations from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that “masochism must have its limits.” Austria is also seeking to end Turkey’s membership bid, and a growing group of EU countries say they’ve realized acting as if Turkey is still a constructive partner would amount to a charade. Erdogan recently won a referendum that expands his powers, and he has had equally harsh words for the EU.
_4 Dust storms: Dust storms enveloped parts of northern China for a second day Friday, reducing visibility in cities such as Beijing and threatening the health of millions of people. Such storms have become an increasingly common phenomenon for the region, as China’s deserts expand by gobbling up roughly 1,300 square miles a year. A half century ago, such storms happened every seven or eight years; now they are an annual occurrence. Experts tie the problem to the rapid urbanization of northern China, deforestation and climate change. The government has spent billions of dollars to plant forests to stop the creeping desertification, but some experts have questioned its efficacy.
_5 Prayer booth: Travelers at one German airport can now receive spiritual solace by entering a booth and listening to a prayer of their choice before boarding the plane. The prayer booth at Stuttgart Airport’s Terminal 3 features 300 prayers from various religions in 65 different languages, airport spokesman Johannes Schumm said Friday. “Often, passengers still have a bit of time before their departure at the gate,” Schumm added. “The prayer booth is an offer by the airport’s chaplains to provide a moment of contemplation.” The booth offers a vast variety of prayers, including the Christian Lord’s Prayer, the Jewish Shema Israel and the Islamic muezzin’s call to prayer. The Hindu Hare Krishna chant, Tibetan monk chants, Buddhist sutras, prayers of Shamans from New Guinea or Mali, even American TV preachers are also available on a touch-screen display.