NEWS OF THE DAY
_1 Journalist murder case: A 52yearold man appeared in court Thursday in Northern Ireland in connection with the killing of Lyra McKee, a journalist shot dead during a riot involving Irish Republican Army dissidents last year. Paul McIntyre has been charged with murder, although police say they believe several people were involved and they are still seeking “evidence to bring the gunman to justice.” McKee, 29, was observing antipolice rioting in Londonderry when she was killed in April 2019. The New IRA, a small paramilitary group that opposes Northern Ireland’s peace process, said its members shot McKee by accident while firing at police.
2 Hate speech: Ethiopian lawmakers on Thursday approved a controversial law aimed at curbing hate speech and disinformation, especially online, just months ahead of a major election. The law’s approval, with 23 lawmakers opposing and two abstaining, came amid concerns over widespread online false information and hate speech that some observers blame for ethnic tensions in the East African nation. Others worry the new law will restrict freedom of expression in a nation that once jailed thousands of people over political views. Political reforms have led some in this country of more than 80 ethnic groups to air longheld grievances.
3 American arrested: An American woman wanted in the 2002 death of her husband, whose remains were so badly burned they weren’t identified for more than a decade, has been arrested in Rome. Police said Thursday they arrested Beverly McCallum after she checked into a small hotel. Italian hotels are required to register guests in an online system linked to a police database. The process revealed that McCallum had an international arrest warrant against her. U.S. authorities had been seeking to extradite McCallum from Pakistan, where she was believed to be living, to stand trial in the slaying of her husband, Robert Caraballo. In 2002, he was beaten and suffocated, and his body was dumped and burned in a blueberry patch in western Michigan.
4 NATO can stay: The Iraqi government has given NATO the green light to stay in the country, the alliance’s chief said Thursday, weeks after Iraq demanded foreign forces leave the country over the U.S. killing of Iran’s top general near the Baghdad airport. Prodded by President Trump to do more in the wider Middle East, NATO has been developing plans to expand its training effort in Iraq, where it was helping build up the Iraqi army and provide security advice to government ministries until it was suspended over the drone strike. Unlike the international coalition, NATO’s training effort does not involve combat operations. Some see the move as a rebranding exercise meant to satisfy Trump’s demand that NATO do more in the Middle East. 5 Dresden bombing: Germany President FrankWalter Steinmeier led commemorations Thursday marking the 75th anniversary of Dresden’s bombing by allied forces at the end of World War II, an event that has become a test for the way the country handles its Nazi past. Historians say up to 25,000 people perished during the threeday bombardment from Feb. 1315, 1945, by American and British planes. The myth that as many as half a million civilians were killed has been promoted by farright activists for decades — most recently by the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which has grown into a significant force in German politics. Steinmeier joined thousands to form a human chain to commemorate the victims of Nazi atrocities and mass bombings by all sides.