Although it was decided last month that no charges would be filed against Hillary Clinton regarding her use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state, the Democratic presidential nominee is still being investigated by the State Department. Just yesterday, a federal judge ordered the release of 15,000 emails uncovered during the investigation. Her Republican rival Donald Trump is also running with a lot of baggage: A New York Times investigation found the real estate mogul had $650 million of debt, twice the amount he’s officially stated.
Back in France, Sarkozy, 61, faces a long list of legal proceedings, including two for which he’s being investigated and could face trial. There’s the Bygmalion scandal, in which he’s accused of letting his party exceed the campaign funding limit during the 2012 election. Sarkozy has also been under investigation for corruption and influence peddling since 2014. He is suspected of having put pressure on a judge to obtain private details on another case in which he was implicated.
It’s not surprising, then, that even in new elections, we feel like we’re seeing more of the same — across both sides of the Atlantic.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR TODAY
- U.S. President Barack Obama travels to flood-hit Louisiana.
- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry begins Nigeria visit.
- UNESCO marks International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
TURKEY TARGETS ISIS IN SYRIA
The Turkish military launched artillery strikes against terror group ISIS this morning after two mortar shells hit the Turkish border town of Karkamis, CNN Türk reports. It’s the second day that Turkish forces shelled ISIS positions. They also struck Kurdish militants in northern Syria yesterday, Al Jazeera reports.
FBI TO RELEASE EMAILS CLINTON DIDN’T HAND OVER
The federal watchdog is set to release nearly 15,000 new emails it uncovered during its investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state. The move, which comes before the U.S. presidential election, could jeopardize Clinton’s bid for the White House, The New York Times reports.
— ON THIS DAY
Oh, so that‘s why it’s called “Stockholm syndrome”…! Get ready for your 57-second shot of History.
$850 MILLION
Tourism revenue in the Paris region dropped by 750 million euros ($850 million) in the first six months of 2016 compared to the previous year, Les Échos reports. Terror attacks, strikes and floods are thought to be the main causes behind the loss.
TRIAL OF BANGKOK SHRINE BOMBING POSTPONED
The first hearing of two Chinese Uighurs accused of bombing the Erawan shrine, which killed 20 people and injured 125 others last year, was postponed to next month, The Bangkok Post reports. The defense’s appointed translator is on the run after he was arrested on drug charges in June.
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY TRIPLES CANCER RISK
A comprehensive new study found that the treatment, which is used for reducing symptoms of menopause, could triple the risk of breast cancer, The Daily Telegraph reports.
— MY GRAND-PERE’S WORLD
The Art Of The Cart — Agrigento, 1964
VERBATIM
“I am really sorry,” said former jihadist Ahmad al-Mahdi at the opening of his trial for war crimes in The Hague yesterday, The Guardian reports. The 40-year-old is the first defendant to be tried for destroying religious monuments in Timbuktu in 2012, when the ancient Malian city was controlled by Islamist extremists from the Ansar Dine group and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. “Those who forgive me will be rewarded by the almighty. I would like to make them a solemn promise that this was the first and the last wrongful act I will ever commit.”
RAMEN BECOMES MOST VALUABLE COMMODITY IN U.S. PRISONS
The calorie-rich noodles are more prized than even cigarettes, according to a study led by a researcher from the University of Arizona. The shift indicates a decline in prison food quality and quantity.
— WORLDCRUNCH-TO-GO
Ghana is trying to gradually develop renewable energy sources. The cornerstone of this new policy is the Chinese-owned BXC solar farm — the largest solar plant in West Africa. From Ghana’s capital, Accra, Caterina Clerici writes for Italian daily La Stampa that though things are slow, the country is making steady progress: “Ghana has been grappling with a severe energy crisis since 2012, which has, at its worst, caused day-long blackouts across the country. Locals even have a name for the phenomenon: dumsor, which literally means ‘on and off, off and on.’ …
‘Some mornings we arrive and there’s no power, we know it will come back but we don’t know when,’ says Grace Ogrey, owner of a frozen chicken store at the Asafo market in Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city. … In a country where refrigeration is still a luxury for most restaurants, businesses and households, ‘cold stores’ like Grace’s are an essential part of daily life. But with dumsor, the lines of people who used to gather outside the shop are no more.”
Read the full article, Can Chinese Solar Panels Keep The Lights On In Ghana?
MORE STORIES, EXCLUSIVELY IN ENGLISH BY WORLDCRUNCH
- Why Are Indigenous Youth Killing Themselves In Colombia? — El Espectador
- Glimpse Of A Gifted Refugee’s Life In A German High School — Süddeutsche Zeitung
- How Israel Became A Role Model In Fighting Terrorism — Les Echos
NEXT OLYMPIC IS A TECH OLYMPIC
Can’t wait for the next Olympics? The 2020 Games in Tokyo will be all about technology from robots and translation gadgets to artificial meteorite showers.
