NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 Nigeria attack: A female suicide bomber pretending to wait in line for food handouts detonated her explosives Saturday, killing at least 13 people at a crowded market in northeastern Nigeria, authorities said. A second female bomber killed herself and wounded many others, according to witnesses in the town of Biu, about 115 miles from the Borno state capital of Maiduguri. While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday’s attack, suspicion immediately fell on the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group. Boko Haram has increasingly used women and children, often kidnapped and indoctrinated, to carry out suicide bombings. Boko Haram has been blamed for more than 20,000 deaths in its eight-year insurgency.
2 Mideast conflict: The Palestinians on Saturday warned the United States against recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas adviser Mahmoud Habash said if President Trump were to do so it would amount to a “complete destruction of the peace process.” Habash said “the world will pay the price” for any change in Jerusalem’s status. Officials say Trump is considering recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as a way to offset his likely decision to delay his campaign promise of moving the U.S. Embassy there. Palestinians claim the eastern part of the city as their future capital.
_3 India storm: A strong cyclone over the Arabian Sea triggered heavy rains and strong winds in southern India, damaging hundreds of homes and power lines and killing at least 12 people, officials said Saturday. More than 2,000 people have taken shelter in relief centers in Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts in Tamil Nadu state and in Lakshadweep, a group of 36 islands, officials said. Krishan Kumar, a relief agency spokesman, said the casualties were mainly caused by falling trees and power lines. Rescue operations were under way for dozens of fishermen unaccounted for in the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam coastal area, said the New Delhi Television news channel.
4 Iraq future: French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that France will “do everything” to help preserve Iraq’s unity and the recognition of the rights of Iraq’s Kurds through new negotiations. Macron met in Paris with the prime minister of Iraq’s Kurdish region, Nechirvan Barzani, amid a political and military standoff between the self-ruled northern Kurdish region and Baghdad since an independence referendum for the region. In a joint news conference with Macron, Barzani said he is “ready to discuss” with Baghdad and agrees on shared control between Kurdish and Baghdadi authorities over Iraq’s borders with Turkey and Syria. Last month, Iraq’s top court paved the way for the Kurdish region to step back from its controversial independence referendum and annul the vote’s results that overwhelmingly backed secession from Iraq.
5 Obama visit: Former U.S. President Barack Obama was ending a five-day international trip in Paris on Saturday where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and gave a speech to business leaders. The French presidency said the private lunch with Macron was expected to include a presentation about the Obama Foundation. No journalists were allowed at the meal. Earlier Saturday, Obama discussed climate issues with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. He also was meeting with former French President Francois Hollande. Obama was in China and India before he arrived in France.