ICELANDERS VOTE; NO WINNER LIKELY
» Icelanders REYKJAVIK, ICELAND voted for the third time in four years Saturday as the nation tried to shake off the latest political crisis on an island roiled by divisions since its economy was ravaged by the global financial crisis.
Voters weary of political and economic chaos weren’t expected to produce an outright winner. Polls suggest the election will only lead to complex negotiations over building a coalition government.
A record eight parties could cross the 5-percent threshold needed to qualify for seats in the Icelandic parliament, the Althingi. Upstart parties are benefiting from a series of scandals affecting the ruling Independence Party.
Egypt shakes up security brass. CAIRO» Egypt launched a major shakeup of its security services on Saturday in an apparent reaction to an ambush by militants outside Cairo last week that killed at least 16 police troopers.
President Abdel-fattah el-sissi replaced his armed forces chief of staff, while the Interior Ministry, in charge of police, dismissed the head of national security, a handful of generals, and a dozen senior leaders responsible for the area where the deadly shootout occurred.
The move was not unexpected after officials publicly evoked potential intelligence failures, lack of coordination, or incompetence as playing a factor in the losses, the latest installment of Egypt’s ongoing war against Islamic militants, including the Islamic State group.
Hundreds battle wildfires in Brazil. PAULO» Hundreds of
SAO men and women have joined forces with firefighters to help control a wildfire that has ravaged more than a quarter of a national park in Brazil’s central state of Goias.
Brazil’s Environment Ministry says nearly 160,000 acres of the 595,000-acre Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park has burned since it began Oct. 10.
The recently formed Network Against Fire is a group composed of people residing in areas near the park that provide transportation, meals, and manpower to help the firefighters.
On its Facebook page is says some 200 volunteers are helping the close to 180 firefighters battling the blaze.
Kenyan election still in limbo.
KENYA» Kenya’s second
NAIROBI, presidential election since August remained in limbo on Saturday as the election commission said it was working on a “way forward” in opposition areas where voting has been postponed because of unrest. While most of the country was calm, police used tear gas to disperse crowds in a Nairobi slum where anger toward the government runs deep.
It was unclear when tensions over the election, a rerun of the nullified August vote, would subside. Opposition leader Raila Odinga boycotted the vote on Thursday, citing a lack of election reforms. Tallies from many polling stations, published on the election commission’s website, showed President Uhuru Kenyatta with vast leads over Odinga and six other candidates.
However, any decision to declare Kenyatta the winner would likely intensify grievances among opposition supporters in the East African country with a reputation for stability and economic growth.
Syria denies chemical weapons report.
Syria’s government has categorically rejected a report by experts from the U.N. and the chemical weapons watchdog blaming its government for a sarin nerve gas attack that killed over 90 people last spring.
In a statement Saturday, it says the report was a result of U.S. instructions to exert more political pressure on Syria, describing it as a “forgery.”
“This report and the one that preceded it are falsifications of the truth,” said the statement.
The attack in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun in April sparked outrage around the world and a U.S. strike days later on the Shayrat air base.