By Yadnom Awu/ Asaba
Utah Police Continue Talks With Kirk Murder Suspect
The police in Utah are continuing their interrogation of 22- year old Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative politician and activist, Charlie Kirk
The activist was recently gunned down as he addressed a crowd of students at Utah Valley University, Utah.
After a 33- hour manhunt, the suspect’s father convinced him to turn in himself to the police, following which he is now being quizzed.
American media say that after an initial period of cooperation, the suspect is becoming increasingly reluctant to answer questions.
The police have up till Tuesday, in the first instance, to launch a charge in court, though they could delay till Friday to ferret as much information as possible about the suspect and his motivation for the killing.
Authorities in the state of Utah have said they would ask for the death penalty.
Meanwhile, conservative political activists say they plan a funeral for Kirk next Sunday.
Kirk, 31, wax fatally shot by a sniper that the Utah Police say they now have in their custody
American President, Donald Trump, had said that he would confer a post- humous national award of Medal of Freedom on the late politician who was his major political supporter and who helped sway young voters away from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party during America’s last presidential election.
Israel
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Arrives In Israel Amid Middle East Tensions
America’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio , has arrived in Israel for a two- day visit.
He is due to meet the Prime Minister and his host, Benjamin Netanyahu, to seek explanation for the recent Israeli military attack on leaders of Hamas in Doha, Qatar.
Rubio said as he left America on the trip that he would seek to find out from his host how the Tuesday attack which targeted the political leaders of Hamas at a meeting in the plum area of Qatar, would help the cause of peace in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group, Hamas.
Five low- level members of Hamas and a Qatari security official died in the attack which has since been condemned by both the United Nations Security Council, UNSC, and the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, as well as many interests across the globe.
America, which has a big military base in Qatar and has a military pact with the country , said it was not informed ahead of the strike.
Israel has admitted to the strike and claimed sole responsibility for it.
Rubio’s visit comes just days after the United States, in a rare act of neutrality, supported the resolutions of both the UNSC and UNGA, condemning Israel for what diplomats say is a strategic strike at the heart of ongoing negotiations by Netanyahu who is accused of prolonging the Gaza war for his political survival.
The Rubio trip also comes as Israel continues its military pounding of Gaza City in an effort to capture and occupy it.
Romania
Romania Scrambled Jets After Russian Drones Stray Into Territory
Romania Scrambled fighter jets overnight after at least one Russian drone was sighted in its territory.
The Romanian military said it did not have to down the invading drone which later disappeared from the radar, probably after reentering Ukrainian territory.
Romania said that the drone did not fly near a populated area and posed no immediate threat as it flew across parts of the country.
The development comes just two days after Poland downed four stones that had strayed into its territory from Russia as they made for their targets in Ukraine.
Poland,a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, raised dust about the development but Russia later clarified that there were no objects in Poland that the drones were meant to destroy.
Moscow said its targets were in Ukraine, not Poland.
Russia
Ukraine Hits Russian Refinery
Ukraine , overnight, hit a major oil refinery in Russia ‘s far East .
The strike triggered an explosion and ignited a fire.
Russian officials say that the fire at the Kirishi Refinery had been put out, without giving details of damage caused, or casualties, if any.
The development comes as Russia said it had downed 340 Ukrainian drones in parts of the country in the past 24 hours.
The President of Ukraine’, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said the flyover by the Russian drones was a decoy by Russia to test the revolve of NATO to defend its member- states as it had repeatedly vowed.
The visit of the top American envoy, comes as tens of thousands of Israelis again protested the Israeli war at their ally in Hostage Square, Tel Aviv.
The protest was organized by the families of hostages.
Western intelligence holds that there are 50 hostages still in the custody of Hamas ,with about 20 of them still alive.
Qatar
Qatar To Host Summit of Arab, Islamic Countries Moro Over Israeli Strike
Qatar is hosting a summit of leaders of Arab and Islamic countries on Monday in the wake of last week’s Israeli military strikes on its territory.
The Tuesday strike targeted the political leaders of Hamas who were attending a meeting to examine the American peace proposal between the group and Israel.
The strike killed five non- echelon members of Hamas and a Qatari security official.
Following the attack, Qatar lodged a complaint at the United Nations, UN, which through its General Assembly, UNGA, and the Security Council, UNSC, condemned the attack.
Regional and other world leaders have since visited Doha in solidarity.
Now, Qatar is now escalating the issue with a summit of the leaders of Arab and Islamic countries on Monday.
The Monday summit is being preceded by a meeting of foreign secretaries of the participating countries, to prepare the ground work for the summit.
Tomorrow ‘s meeting is expected to harmonise s response to the Israeli attack on Qatar, which is one of the three mediators in the diplomatic efforts to end the war between Israel and Hamas.
Egypt and America are the other mediators.
Doha has regularly accused Israel of nursing an impish ambition in Gaza and other parts of Palestine , while using the negotiations with Hamas as a strategy to buy time for its concealed aim.
The United Nations UN is due later this month to hold a special session on the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.
Already, France, Portugal, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have hinted that they would formally recognize the State of Palestine at the upcoming session of the UN.
142 Nations voted for a two- state pathway to the conflict at a session of the UN held last week.
10 countries voted against the resolution, while 12 abstained.
America and Israel boycotted the session.
Tunisia
Aid Flotilla Resumes Sail To Gaza
The international aid flotilla has resumed its sail for Gaza, its destination, after days of refuel stop in Tunisia.
The flotilla resumed its sail late on Saturday .
Organisers of the Global Sumund Flotilla launched off from the Spanish port city of Barcelona on August 31, , but froze movement in Bizerte, Tunisia, to refuel and service the participating boats.
The flotilla suffered two mysterious attacks last week when two of its boats caught fire after a mystery airborne object, which organisers say is a drone, had been sighted.
The flotilla organisers say they suspect that Israel, which had repeatedly warned aid flotilla organisers against attempting to break its blockade on Gaza, had warned against the trip.
Israeli Security Minister, Ben Gvir, had warned that both the crew and activists on the flotilla would be treated as terrorists.
The Jewish nation had sabotaged previous flotillas trying to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza, and arrested their organisers and participants.
United Kingdom
Police Nab 25 As Protesters Clash In London
The British police arrested 25 persons on Saturday as two opposing groups of protesters clashed in London.
A total of 26 policemen were wounded in the clash.
The clash occurred when participants in the Unite The Kingdom rally organized by far right campaigner, Tony Robinson, tried to infiltrate the anti- racism rally held in another part of the city.
More than120,000 persons reportedly attended the Robinson rally, while an estimated 5,000 others were at the rival rally.
Britain has been caught in the throes of an immigration crisis for which critics blame the Sir Keir Starmer administration for lacking the potent strategy to deal with it.
