NEWS OF THE DAY
Taliban attacks: Militants in Afghanistan laid siege Saturday to police outposts in southern Helmand province, killing at least 12 officers, officials said. Attaullah Afghan, a member of the Helmand provincial council, said Taliban fighters attacked the outposts in the Nawa district overnight and fighting continued Saturday. He said the death toll so far was 12 officers killed with another 12 wounded. In a statement, the Taliban said their fighters captured two security posts and killed 25 officers. It was not immediately possible to independently confirm the conflicting reports, but the Taliban often exaggerate their claims.
Terror plot: Australian police disrupted a plot to bring down an airplane and arrested four men in raids on homes in several Sydney suburbs, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Sunday. Turnbull said security has been increased at Sydney Airport since Thursday because of the plot. Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said details were scant on the specifics of the attack, the location and timing. There was no evidence that airport security had been compromised, Colvin said. “We believe it’s Islamic-inspired terrorism,” Colvin said when asked who was behind the plot. Abbas health: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 82, underwent a checkup at a West Bank hospital Saturday, and his doctors said the results are encouraging. Abbas underwent routine checks, including blood tests and Xrays, at a hospital near Ramallah. “The results are good,” Dr. Fathi Abu Mughli said but did not elaborate. Abbas has suffered heart problems in the past. Any health scare for Abbas heightens concerns over the uncertain leadership situation in the Palestinian territories — which are divided between two rival governments and where there is no succession plan for the aging leader.
Poland complaint: The European Union’s executive branch has issued a complaint alleging Poland has limited judicial independence in the country in violation of EU laws. The European Commission said Saturday it sent a “letter of formal notice” to Poland to raise concerns that the independence of Polish courts will be undermined by new “discretionary” powers given to the country’s justice minister. Warsaw has one month to reply to the notice. The Euroskeptic Polish government has said that reforming the justice system is an internal Polish matter.
Jailed activist: The InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights says Argentina’s government should release jailed social activist Milagro Sala. The commission said in a statement Friday that there are many risk factors surrounding her detention, including alleged harassment, aggressions and a death threat. Sala heads Argentina’s Tupac Amaru social movement and won a seat in 2015 in the regional parliament of the Mercosur group of South American nations. She was arrested on Jan. 16, 2016, and accused of “inciting criminal acts” linked to a protest she led against authorities
Wildfire: A wildfire burning in southeastern Spain has forced the evacuation of at least 300 people and burned around 2,500 acres of pine forest. More than 150 firefighters supported by air units were fighting the fire Saturday. The blaze started Friday and spread into the National Park of Los Calares del Rio Mundo. Spain and neighboring Portugal are prone to forest fires during the typically dry and hot summer months.