NEWS OF THE DAY
1 Plane crash: A Ukrainian military plane carrying aviation school students crashed and burst into flames Friday while landing, killing 22 people, the country’s emergencies service said. Two other people on board were seriously injured and four people were missing. The An26 crashed while landing at the airport in Chuhuiv, about 250 miles east of the capital Kyiv. Reports said that the plane had a military crew and that most of those aboard were students at an aviation university run by the defense ministry. There were no immediate indications of what caused the crash.
2 Migrant deaths: At least 16 migrants trying to reach Europe drowned in the Mediterranean when their small boat capsized off the coast of Libya, the U.N. migration agency reported Friday, the latest shipwreck to underscore the deadly risks facing those who flee the warafflicted country. Fishermen spotted the sinking boat late Thursday, said the International Organization for Migration, and managed to pull 22 people from the water. Three bodies were found and at least 13 other migrants were missing and presumed drowned, the IOM said. The boat had set off from the town of Zliten, east of the Libyan capital of Tripoli. The Libyan Coast Guard said that it had ordered the rescue.
3 Mali politics: The transitional president and vice president were sworn into office Friday, more than a month after a coup in the nation. The induction ceremony in the capital, Bamako, took place as Mali remains under sanctions by the 15nation west African regional bloc, ECOWAS. Former Defense Minister Bah N’Daw is the new transitional president while Col. Assimi Goita, head of the junta that staged the Aug. 18 coup, is Mali’s new vice president. The two, along with a prime minister who will be chosen in the coming days, are to lead the transitional government to elections in 18 months. ECOWAS has pressed for a quick return to a civilian government. The group has said it will lift those sanctions once it approves of the transitional plan.
4 Pelosi draws fire: Turkey’s foreign minister on Friday accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DSan Francisco, of “blatant ignorance” over her comments that questioned President Trump’s commitment to democracy and his admiration of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other leaders accused of authoritarian rule. Pelosi criticized Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election. “We do know who he admires. He admires (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, he admires (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un, he admires Erdogan in Turkey,” Pelosi said. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu admonished the speaker. “(Pelosi’s) rise to become Speaker of the House is what is truly worrisome for American democracy, given her blatant ignorance,” Cavusoglu tweeted.
5 Conduct unbecoming: An Argentine lawmaker has been suspended for inappropriate conduct with his wife during a virtual session of congress. During the broadcast of the session of the Lower House this week, images of participating legislators appeared in rows on the screen. As other legislators debated bills, deputy Juan Emilio Ameri of the ruling Peronist party could be seen pulling down the shirt of his wife and kissing one of her breasts. House president Sergio Massa interrupted the session to report “a serious offense by a deputy” and called for the immediate suspension of Ameri. Ameri, from Salta province, said he did not realize he was still connected to the internet broadcast. “I’m very ashamed, very bad,” he told Con Vos de Buenos Aires radio.