NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 India protest: Thousands of angry Indian farmers protesting against new agricultural laws were allowed to enter the capital of New Delhi late Friday after they clashed with police who had blocked them at the outskirts of the city. The farmers fear the new laws will reduce their earnings and give more power to corporations. They say the laws could cause the government to stop buying grain at guaranteed prices. The farmers began their march to the capital on Thursday to pressure Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to abolish the laws. They used tractors to clear walls of concrete, shipping containers and parked trucks set up by police on roads leading to the capital.
2 Independence vote: Scotland should hold a new independence referendum early in the next parliamentary session, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said, as polls show consistent support for breaking away from the rest of the U.K. Scotland is scheduled to hold elections to its Edinburgh parliament in May, with recent polls predicting that Sturgeon’s SNP could win decisively. Even though Scotland voted against leaving the U.K. in the previous independence vote in 2014, Brexit, which Scots voted against, has led to increased support for separation. “The referendum, for a whole variety of reasons, should be in the earlier part of the next parliament,” said Sturgeon. Her government is also perceived to have handled the coronavirus pandemic more competently than the U.K. government, which has further bolstered support for separation.
3 Abortion law: Pope Francis is encouraging Argentine women who are protesting a proposed new law to legalize abortion, saying the protection of life is a matter of human ethics. In a letter to the women, the Argentine pope wrote: “Is it fair to eliminate a human life to solve a problem? Is it fair to hire a hit man to solve a problem?” President Alberto Fernandez announced earlier this month that he would present a bill to legalize abortion, saying it would save lives by preventing women from resorting to unsafe, clandestine procedures.
4 Terror trial: An Iranian diplomat suspected of masterminding a thwarted bomb attack against an exiled Iranian opposition group in France did not show up at a courthouse in Antwerp, Belgium, on the opening day of his trial on terror charges Friday, invoking diplomatic immunity. More than two years after the crossborder police operation that thwarted the plot, Assadollah Assadi and three other suspects face up to 20 years in prison on charges of “attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.” The plot involved an alleged plan to attack a meeting of the MujahedeeneKhalq opposition group, or MEK. Assadi is accused of providing an explosive to a couple, who were intercepted by police in Belgium on a tip. Assadi denies all charges, and Iran has denied having a hand in the plot.
5 Lonely elephant: Singer and actress Cher is in Pakistan to celebrate the departure of Kaavan, dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” who will soon leave a zoo in Islamabad for better conditions after years of lobbying by animal rights groups. Cher met Friday with Prime Minister Imran Khan and was expected to visit Kaavan later in the trip. The elephant has languished in the zoo for 35 years, and lost his partner in 2012. He was diagnosed by veterinarians as both overweight and malnourished. He is set to leave for a sanctuary in Cambodia on Sunday, said Martin Bauer of Four Paws International, an animal welfare group. Cher took up Kaavan’s cause and has been a loud voice advocating for his resettlement. Four Paws will accompany him to the sanctuary.