NEWS OF THE DAY
Billionaire apparently murdered: Police say they believe Canadian billionaire businessman Barry Sherman and his wife were murdered. Det. Sgt. Susan Gomes said Friday investigators came to the conclusion after six weeks of investigation. The founder of generic drug maker Apotex and his wife were found dead in their Toronto mansion on Dec. 15. Police said then the deaths were suspicious, but said there were no signs of forced entry and they were not looking for suspects. The day after the bodies were found, prominent media outlets quoted unidentified police officials as saying it appeared to be a murdersuicide. But that theory was never publicly confirmed by authorities.
Mass pardons: A restive region in Ethiopia says it has pardoned 2,345 prisoners as part of the government’s recent pledge to release jailed politicians and others after the most serious antigovernment protests in a quarter-century. Oromia region spokesman Addisu Arega says in a Facebook post that more than 1,500 of the prisoners had been convicted, while the rest had been under investigation. They were accused of taking part in violent protests. The government says those pardoned are expected to be released in “a few days” after taking rehabilitation courses. The government has said it wants to “widen the democratic space for all,” but some critics have expressed concern it could be a ruling party tactic to buy time.
Truck explosion: Burkina Faso’s government says Friday that the death toll has risen to 26 after a truck hit an improvised explosive device on Thursday. The government says six women and four children are among the dead in the blast that occurred shortly after the truck traveling to a weekly market in Mali crossed the border. The area is home to a radicalized preacher whose Ansarul Islam organization has carried out deadly attacks on security forces and civilians. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast. Burkina Faso’s government reported last month that more than 114 people were killed in 2017 in 89 extremist attacks by Ansarul Islam and others.
Pay equity: The BBC reported Friday that six of its highest-paid male broadcasters have agreed to take pay cuts after revelations of a gender divide in salaries. The BBC said in a statement that the public service broadcaster was “very grateful” to Huw Edwards, Nicky Campbell, John Humphrys, Jon Sopel, Nick Robinson, and Jeremy Vine for agreeing to reduce their salaries. The BBC was embarrassed last year when a list of top earners showed that two-thirds of the best-paid workers were men. Many men also were also found to be receiving much larger salaries than women in comparable jobs.
Ancient graves: A Palestinian says he has discovered an ancient burial ground in the backyard of his house in the Gaza Strip. Abdelkarim al-Kafarna said Friday he found a tomb consisting of nine burial holes with bones and some clay pots. Archaeologists in Gaza believe the site is about 2,000 years old, dating back to the Roman era, when the territory was part of the far-flung Roman Empire. But they say further tests are needed to determine the exact age. Al-Kafaran said he found it by accident after heavy rains this week unearthed parts of the underground chamber. Gaza is on the route between Egypt and ancient Levantine civilizations. It is packed with ancient archaeology endangered by urban sprawl, conflict and years of neglect.
Chronicle News Services