Saudis paid U.S. for trips against law
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates— After Congress passed a new law allowing Sept.11 victims’ families to sue Saudi Arabia in U.S. courts, opponents mounted an expensive political campaign, including paying American military veterans to visit Capitol Hill and warn law makers about what they said could be unintended consequences.
What few people knew, including some of the recruited veterans themselves, was that Saudi Arabia’s government was largely paying for the effort, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Despite a World War II-era U.S. law requiring lobbyists to immediately reveal payments from foreign governments or political parties, some of the campaign’s organizers failed to notify the Justice Department about the Saudi kingdom’s role until months afterward, with no legal consequences.
Even now, some opponents of the law, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, still won’t say to whom or how many exactly they paid thousands of dollars each to influence state and federal elected officials on behalf of Saudi Arabia, stymieing public knowledge about the scale of foreign influence on the push to overturn the legislation.
Video shows killing
Avideo released Wednesday by news agency Diario Cambio appears to show an extrajudicial killing on May 3in the town of Palmarito in thecentral Mexican state of Puebla.The events reportedly took place during a clash between soldiers and suspected fuel thieves, who drill taps into state-owned pipelines.The incident left 10 dead, including four soldiers and six suspected criminals.
The video spurred outrage in a nation that has faced a number of controversies over its army’s use of extrajudicial force as it has struggled to curb widespread, deadly gang violence. The footage, captured by a security camera but heavily edited by the news agency that released it, immediately prompted statements from Mexico’s defense ministry and attorney general’s office, which pledged to investigate last week’s events and determine the video’s authenticity.
Uber setback
Uber suffered a setback to its expansion plans on Thursday when a senior adviser to Europe’s highest court recommended that the ride-hailing company comply with the region’s tough transportation rules, potentially hobbling growth of its service across the Continent.
The European Court of Justice typically follows the recommendations of its senior advisers, but it may still rule in the company’s favor.
Also in the world …
Nicole Kushner Meyer, sister of White House adviser Jared Kushner, won’t be attending an investor conference in China this weekend as reported after she was criticized for trying to raise money there last weekend using the lure of a U.S. visa program.… Hamas’ newly elected supreme leader on Thursday announced the arrest of them an believed responsible for the mysterious shooting death of one of his organization’ s top military commanders in March, a breakthrough in a case that has embarrassed and shocked the Islamic militant group.… Parents of the 82 Nigerian school girls released over the weekend from Boko Haram captivity said Wednesday they still were awaiting word from thegovernment on exactly whenthey will be able to meet their daughters.