NEWS OF THE DAY
Disputed sale:
The Greek Orthodox patriarch in the Holy Land announced Saturday that his church will appeal an Israeli court decision that approved the sale of prime church property to companies representing Jews seeking to expand their presence in Jerusalem’s Old City. The church had challenged the property deal in court for the past decade, arguing it was conducted illegally by the since-deposed previous patriarch and was therefore invalid. The Jerusalem District Court upheld the deal two weeks ago, paving the way for three large properties near the Old City’s Jaffa Gate to be leased for 99 years to Ateret Cohanim, a group that has been buying properties for Jews in traditionally Arab areas of Jerusalem. Patriarch Theophilos III alleged Saturday that the lower-court ruling was “politically motivated” and said the church would appeal to Israel’s Supreme Court.
Suicide bombing:
A suicide bomber on a motorcycle targeted a military truck Saturday with a bomb killing eight soldiers and seven civilians in the southwestern Pakistan city of Quetta, an official and the military said. Kabeer Khan, an explosives expert who examined the site, said after collecting forensic evidence that it was a suicide attack and that the attacker was carrying some 25 kilograms of “incendiary explosives” on a motorcycle that he rammed into the military truck. A military statement said the bomb also wounded 25 people, including 15 civilians. It said the explosives sparked fires in nearby vehicles. It added that all the victims were taken to a military hospital. Pakistani army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa condemned the attack. He said in a statement that it was an attempt to mar the independence day festivities. “Our resolve won’t succumb to any challenge,” Gen Bajwa said.
Call for ‘revolution’:
Deposed Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif called Saturday for “a change and revolution” in the country to ensure the sanctity of the vote as he addressed a large gathering of his supporters in his hometown of Lahore. Concluding his four-day journey, which began in Islamabad and culminated in a rally in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, Sharif was clearly delighted to address the tens of thousands who gathered near the famous shrine of Data Darbar. After a Supreme Court decision disqualified him last month for concealing assets, Sharif traveled with a long cavalcade from Islamabad on Wednesday. He stayed overnight in three different cities. Authorities stopped vehicles, except for Sharif ’s and ministers, at the entrance to the city because of the massive crowds. Sharif said that across his journey he saw that citizens had not accepted his disqualification and asked his supporters to await his next move, without elaborating.
Portuguese wildfires:
Portugal is fighting to put out a spate of wildfires after the southern European country hit a year high of outbreaks for a single day on Friday, authorities say. Portugal’s Civil Protection Agency, which coordinates its firefighting efforts, said Saturday that it recorded a record for this year of 220 separate wildfires on Friday. Over 2,500 firefighters supported by over 800 vehicles and 15 air units were still mobilized on Saturday morning to combat the flames. Portugal has been hard hit by wildfires, including one that killed 64 people in June, during a summer marked by high temperatures and a lack of rain. Wildfires in Portugal this year have accounted for more than one-third of the burnt forest in the entire 28-country European Union.