NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 Curbing “mobocracy”: India’s highest court on Tuesday asked the federal government to consider enacting a law to deal with an increase in lynchings and mob violence fueled mostly by rumors that the victims either belonged to members of child kidnapping gangs or were beef eaters and cow slaughterers. The Supreme Court said that “horrendous acts of mobocracy” cannot be allowed to become a new norm, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.
2 Water restrictions: Millions of people in northern England are facing a ban on using garden hoses or sprinklers amid one of the longest spells of hot, dry weather in years. The United Utilities water company said the temporary ban, which affects 7 million domestic customers in northwestern England, will help “safeguard essential water supplies for longer.” It said Tuesday that despite recent rains, reservoir levels are still lower than average, and hot, dry weather is expected to continue for the rest of the month. The ban, which takes effect on Aug. 5, restricts the private use of hoses or sprinklers for watering gardens and washing cars.
3 France expulsion: An Algerian-born man twice convicted in France on terror charges and for years a highprofile figure in the underground world of terrorism has been expelled to stand trial in his homeland. Djamel Beghal was expelled by France this week, ending years of wrangling over his fate, Algeria’s official APS news agency reported. France reportedly negotiated for weeks with Algeria to take Beghal once his second prison term ended. Beghal will now stand trial for a 2003 conviction in absentia. Beghal has been linked to top officials of al Qaeda and with an array of European contacts. Stripped of his French nationality a decade ago, he had nowhere to go but Algeria.
4 Saudi executions: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday executed seven people convicted of criminal offenses, including five men for the robbery and murder of a Pakistani warehouse guard in the western city of Jiddah. The Interior Ministry said the five men, two Saudis and three Chad nationals, stabbed and beat the guard and stole his mobile phone as part of a robbery of the warehouse. It was not clear when they committed the crime and how they were executed, but Saudi Arabia usually carries out death sentences with beheadings by sword or firing squad. In the northern city of Tabuk, a Lebanese man was executed after being convicted of drug smuggling and a Saudi man was put to death after being convicted of the murder of another Saudi, the ministry said. The kingdom has executed 66 people so far in 2018. In 2017, 122 people were executed and 144 people were executed in 2016.
5 Plagiarism scandals: The Czech Republic’s labor and social affairs minister has become the second member of the new government who has resigned because of plagiarism allegations. Petr Krcal was sworn in June 27 along with the rest of the coalition government led by billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis that is meant to end a period of political instability. Krcal announced his resignation Tuesday after facing allegations that he plagiarized large sections of his bachelor’s thesis in 2007. Tomas Bata University in the eastern city of Zlin where he studied has launched an investigation into the allegations. Krcal followed Justice Minister Tatana Mala, who stepped down last week amid allegations she plagiarized parts of two theses at two universities.