NEWS OF THE DAY
Climate talks: Despite uncertainties about whether the United States will remain committed to the Paris climate accord under President Trump, envoys convened talks Monday in Bonn, Germany, on implementing the details of the deal to combat global warming. During 10 days of talks, officials will try to agree on how to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement to cut carbon emissions, a treaty that former President Barack Obama’s government played a leading role in forging. The Paris accord calls for limiting the global average temperature increase since the industrial revolution to 3.6 degrees or less — a goal that has been called ambitious.
Kidnapped girls: Nigeria’s presidency on Monday released the names of the 82 Chibok schoolgirls newly freed from Boko Haram extremists. Parents anxiously scoured the list to see if their daughters were released three years after their capture. Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the 82 girls’ freedom; 113 Chibok schoolgirls remain missing. Boko Haram seized 276 girls in the 2014 abduction. Girls who escaped early on said some of their classmates had died from illness. Others did not want to come home because they’d been radicalized by their captors, they said.
Islamic group banned: The top Indonesian security minister said Monday that the country’s president has ordered the dissolution of a hard-line Islamic group that seeks a global caliphate for Muslim nations and was behind massive blasphemy protests in Jakarta. Wiranto, who goes by one name, announced the action against Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia and said it was ordered by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. The move comes after Jokowi’s government was shaken by protests in the past six months by conservative Muslim groups against the minority Christian governor of Jakarta. The demonstrations undermined Indonesia’s reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.
Illegal logging: An environmental watchdog has accused Vietnamese government and military officials of taking payoffs to ignore vast smuggling of lucrative lumber from neighboring Cambodia. Millions of dollars in bribes have been paid by Vietnamese timber traders to both Vietnamese and Cambodian officials, said the report issued Monday by the Environmental Investigation Agency. It said the Vietnamese officials are paid off in exchange for granting import quotas for the timber and Cambodians are paid to open up logging areas and smuggling routes. The logging itself in Cambodia is often illegal, taking place in protected areas such as national parks. Cambodia has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world.
Hamas leader: The new leader of Hamas made his first public appearance in the new role on Monday, visiting a solidarity tent in his native Gaza for hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Ismail Haniyeh replaced Khaled Mashaal in the Palestinian group’s top position, as head of the political bureau. His win in secret internal elections was announced Saturday. Haniyeh’s rise was the latest sign of a power shift in the Islamic militant Hamas from the diaspora to Gaza, which has been under Hamas rule since a 2007 takeover. For his first appearance as Hamas leader, Haniyeh chose a symbol of elusive Palestinian unity — a solidarity tent where several political factions are represented. The hunger strike of close to 900 Palestinian prisoners, who demand better conditions from Israel, reached its 22nd day on Monday.