NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
_1 Ukraine cyberattacks: A new strain of malicious software has paralyzed computers at a Ukrainian airport, the Ukrainian capital’s subway and at some independent Russian media. The Odessa international airport in southern Ukraine, the Kiev subway and prominent Russian media outlets such as Interfax and Fontanka reported being targeted Tuesday. The cyberattack appears to be similar to a major attack in June that locked the computers of hospitals, government offices and major multinationals with encryption that demanded a ransom for their release. The software appeared to have originated in Ukraine.
_2 Israeli settlements: Israel on Wednesday approved construction of nearly 200 new homes in a Jewish housing development of East Jerusalem, pushing ahead with a recent spike of settlement construction. The decision by Jerusalem city officials followed last week’s approval to move forward with roughly 3,000 new homes in the West Bank. A senior Cabinet minister, meanwhile, said government officials are set to advance a plan that would make a group of West Bank settlements part of greater Jerusalem. The spate of settlement activity drew condemnation from the Palestinians, who said the Israeli actions threatened President Trump’s efforts to restart peace talks.
_3 Crimean leaders freed: Two prominent Crimean Tatar leaders who were imprisoned in Russian-occupied Crimea have been released and flown to Turkey, Ukraine’s president said Wednesday. President Petro Poroshenko in a tweet thanked the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his help in mediating the releases of Ilmi Umerov and Akhtem Chiygoz. Chiygoz had been sentenced to eight years in prison on a charge of organizing a riot during Russia’s 2014 annexation of the peninsula. Russia sent troops to Crimea and declared the annexation about three weeks later. Umerov had been sentenced to two years in prison for his criticism of Russia’s annexation.
_4 Kenya election: The leader of Kenya’s main opposition party urged his supporters to boycott a repeat of the country’s disputed presidential election scheduled for Thursday amid rising political tensions and fears of violence. Opposition leader Raila Odinga urged his political coalition to become a “resistance movement.” The Supreme Court court shocked Kenya last month when it nullified President Uhuru Kenyatta’s August re-election, citing irregularities and illegalities and the electoral commission’s unwillingness to let courtappointed technicians scrutinize its computer system. Odinga had challenged Kenyatta’s victory, claiming hackers had infiltrated the computer servers and manipulated the vote.
_5 Holocaust survivors excluded: International Jewish organizations are voicing disappointment over a proposed Polish law aimed at compensating people whose property was seized under communism, saying it excludes most Polish Holocaust survivors and their heirs. Poland’s Justice Ministry last week published the bill, which requires that claimants be Polish citizens and limits compensation to spouses, children or grandchildren. The World Jewish Restitution Organization says those provisions would exclude the vast majority of Holocaust survivors and their families because most left Poland during or after World War II and settled elsewhere. The group also says because of the Holocaust’s toll, the heirs of seized properties are often nieces or nephews rather than direct descendants.