Canadian judge faces inquiry over handling of sex assault trial

Montreal:

A Canadian judge is facing a disciplinary hearing over controversial comments he made while presiding over a sexual assault case in 2014. Justice Robin Camp, a provincial judge in Calgary, asked an alleged sexual assault victim why she could not “just keep her knees together”. Mr Camp acquitted the accused man, but the verdict was overturned on appeal. The Canadian Judicial Council will decide whether Mr Camp should be removed over his remarks.

Disciplinary hearings for judges are not common in Canada, where there have only been 11 such inquiries since the national council of senior judges was created in 1971. Mr Camp sparked outrage during the 2014 case, when he asked a 19-year-old

Myanmar’s newly installed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi will visit the United States next week, US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday.

Plans for a visit had previously been announced in July but no date had been given by either side. During a speech in Laos, Obama revealed Suu Kyi’s trip to Washington was imminent. “I look forward to welcoming State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi to the White House next week as we stand with the people of Myanmar in their journey towards pluralism and peace,” he said.

The invitation reinforces Suu Kyi’s primacy on the international stage as the real head of a government she is technically barred from leading.

Despite winning a landslide in last November’s elections, which ended

Leading Hong Kong prodemocracy activist Nathan Law has said he will not use his newly-won seat on the Legislative Council (LegCo) to push for independence from China. “I’m not advocating independence, I’m advocating Hong Kong people should enjoy [their] rights of self-determination,” he told the BBC. China has warned that anyone advocating independence could be punished. The stern message came after several young activists won seats on LegCo. The Chinese government underlined its “resolute opposition” to any independence activities on the council or outside it, state media reported.