World news in brief
Bieber urges Trump to ‘let kids out of cages’
Justin Bieber has urged Donald Trump to free detained migrant children in response to his declaration he’d work to free A$AP Rocky from prison in Sweden. The US president said that he would try to free the rapper from custody in Stockholm, tweeting: “Just spoke to Kanye West about his friend A$AP Rocky’s incarceration. I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky.”
Referencing the ongoing situation on the southern border of the US, Bieber tweeted: “I appreciate you trying to help him. But while your [sic] at it @realDonaldTrump can you also let those kids out of cages?” Trump’s child detention policies have resulted in the splitting up of families, the rewriting of asylum laws to make it more difficult for migrants to enter the US, and the holding of minors in miserable conditions that the UN has decried as “appalling”.
Germany marks 75th anniversary of plot to kill Hitler
Germany is marking the 75th anniversary of the briefcase bomb assassination attempt to kill Adolf Hitler during the Second World War. Chancellor Angela Merkel has paid tribute to the group of army officers who hatched the plot, including Claus von Stauffenberg, who placed the bomb inside the Fuhrer’s bunker in July 1944.
“Those who acted on July 20 are an example to us,” Ms Merkel said. “They followed their conscience and thereby shaped a part of Germany’s history that otherwise would have been solely defined by the darkness of National Socialism.” A series of unfortunate coincidences led to the failure of the plot, which left Hitler with a perforated eardrum but no other injuries.
Mexico president: El Chapo life sentence inhumane
The Mexican president has described Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s life sentence as “inhumane” after the notorious drug lord was sent to live out his remaining years in a supermax prison in Colorado. Guzman was sentenced to life behind bars in the US plus 30 years after being found guilty of running a murderous criminal enterprise, having already escaped prison twice.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador referred to sentences, like the one handed to Guzman, to be served in a “hostile jail” as “hard” and “inhumane”, adding that it made life no longer worth living. Just hours after his sentencing, Guzman was flown by helicopter to a top security prison in Colorado dubbed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies”. Guzman has lodged frequent complaints about the conditions of his detention in the US, describing it as “torture”.
Tomb Raider actor stabbed at event in China
Hong Kong actor Simon Yam has been stabbed while speaking at an event in southern China. According to his manager, Yam was stabbed in the stomach but police say his injuries are not life-threatening. The 64year-old actor is currently undergoing “a minor operation” at a hospital in Zhongshan city.
“He was stabbed in his stomach and slashed on his arm, but was conscious the entire time,” his manager told the South China Morning Post. He added: “A preliminary investigation showed his injuries were not critical but the doctors are still deciding whether to operate on him.” Yam was attending the opening of new shop when a man rushed the stage and attacked him. A suspect has been detained, but a motive remains unclear.