FLORIDA: No mention of fire arms or gun control, President Donald Trump's statement Thursday skirted the big issues and demanded to know how a “disturbed” former student with an obsession with firearms slipped through the net to sow carnage at a Florida high school, killing at least 17 people in the latest gun massacre to rock the nation.
The 19-year-old suspect Nikolas Cruz has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder over Wednesday’s deadly rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, America’s worst school shooting since the Sandy Hook massacre left 20 children and six teachers dead in 2012.
After a night of questioning in police custody, the young man was reportedly transferred to a local Florida jail early yesterday.
Trump ordered flags to fly at half-staff and was to deliver a televised address later Thursday, to a nation stunned by the mounting toll of school shootings which US authorities have so far appeared powerless to stop.
Wednesday’s harrowing shooting spree saw terrified students hiding in closets and under desks as they texted for help, while the gunman stalked the school with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle.
Fifteen people were killed at the school itself, and two later died in hospital. One of those killed was a football coach in Parkland, a city of about 30,000 people, located 50 miles north of Miami.
The president weighed in on the tragedy on Twitter by pointing to indications the shooter — who had been expelled for disciplinary reasons — was “mentally disturbed.”
“So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior,” Trump wrote.
“Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!“
Cruz was reportedly known to have firearms at home and had talked about using them.
A teacher at the school said Cruz had been identified previously as a potential threat to his classmates.
“We were told last year that he wasn’t allowed on campus with a backpack on him,” math teacher Jim Gard said in a Miami Herald interview.
“There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus.”
According to a BuzzFeed report, the FBI had been informed Cruz could carry out a school shooting last year, after the teen commented on a video: “I’m going to be a professional school shooter.”
The creator of the video tipped off both the FBI and YouTube, BuzzFeed said.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio on Thursday called Cruz a “deeply disturbed person,” and questioned how the teenager “escaped detection, was able to acquire this weapon, and then go on and kill 17 people and injure many more.”
“This was someone that people knew was a danger,” Rubio said.
The United States has been hit by almost 20 school shootings since the start of the year, a terrifying phenomenon that is part of a broader epidemic of gun violence in a country that loses 33,000 people to gun-related deaths each year.
While the latest mass shooting has inevitably reignited questions about America’s permissive gun laws, Trump — who is the first president to have addressed the NRA gun lobby — is staunchly opposed to any additional gun control.
Opponents of gun control have consistently sought to steer public debate away from the issue, and onto the behavior and motives of people using the weapons.
When questioned at a press conference late Wednesday, Florida Governor Rick Scott — who described the massacre as “just pure evil” — declined to make a statement on gun control.
“There’s a time to continue to have these conversations about how through law enforcement, how through mental illness funding that we make sure people are safe, and we’ll continue to do that,” said Scott, a Republican.
Cruz had mixed in with students fleeing the school before being caught, officials said.
“We have already begun to dissect his websites and things on social media that he was on and some of the things... are very, very disturbing,” Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said.
“If a person is predisposed to commit such a horrific event by going to a school and shooting people ... there’s not anybody or not a lot law enforcement can do about it.”
“This is a terrible day for Parkland,” Israel said.
The FBI said it was assisting local law enforcement with the investigation.
Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschofsky said a police officer was always stationed at the school and there was a “single point of entry.”
Since January 2013, there have been at least 291 school shootings across the country — an average of about one a week, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a non-profit group that advocates for gun control.
“It is pretty clear that we’re failing our kids here,” said Melissa Falkowski, a teacher who squeezed 19 students into a closet to shield them from harm.
Trump demands answers after 17 gunned down at Florida school
Trump demands answers after 17 gunned down at Florida school
Israeli military says struck Hezbollah on Syria-Lebanon border
- ‘Military infrastructure’ at the Syria-Lebanon border being used by Hezbollah for weapons smuggling
The air force launched a “strike on military infrastructure sites adjacent to border crossings between Syria and Lebanon that were actively used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon” the military said in a statement. It said the smuggling happened “after the ceasefire agreement went into effect.”
Aspiring GCC drivers make the most of GT World Challenge
- The so-called SAL GT Jeddah 2024 marks a crucial juncture for many of the GCC young drivers as they look to step up from regional to global competition
Jeddah: The Fanatec GT World Europe Challenge has always been a highlight of the racing calendar as a chance for drivers to demonstrate their skills around the world’s most challenging circuits, and this year’s final round in Jeddah featured a diverse grid of international drivers.
The so-called SAL GT Jeddah 2024 marks a crucial juncture for many of the GCC young drivers as they look to step up from regional to global competition.
Six of the contenders vying to leave an impact this weekend are already a part of this year’s challenge and looking forward to achieving positive results. They are: Reema Al-Juffali, Bandar Alesayi, Fahad Al-Gosaibi, Ahmed bin Khanen, from Saudi Arabia; and Ahmad Alharthy and Al-Faisal Al-Zubair, from Oman.
On Friday, the six drivers met the press and expressed their happiness at being part of this international challenge — to enjoy the experience behind the wheel on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the world’s fastest circuit.
Bandar Alesayi explained that the championship and the cars were new to the drivers, but they knew a lot about the circuit. “It is a very strong championship and a tough competition but I will enjoy it,” he said.
Ahmed bin Khanen said: “We will strive to provide our best to achieve distinguished results. It is so great to compete against the best in the world.”
Fahad Al-Gosaibi, who proved his skills in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, said that his 20 years in Porsche racing in the Gulf region would be an incentive to achieve his ambition of first place as he chases the best performance during the Fanatec GT competition being held in his homeland.
“We really appreciate the great support we all receive as Saudi drivers from the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation,” he said.
Reema Al-Juffali said that the generous support of the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation provided the drivers with a great incentive in all motor sports championships. Al-Juffali said that she would seek to achieve a distinguished place in the competition, noting that GT events were the first step toward reaching her dream of representing the Kingdom in this race.
Omani driver Ahmed Al-Harthy said: “The GT race is the most difficult championship in the world because there are 49 cars on the track at the same time.” Al-Harthy said that the Kingdom’s hosting of major motorsports championships such as Formula 1, Formula E, and now GT, was a source of pride and gave hope to Gulf youth who aspired to participate in these races.
His countryman, Al-Faisal Al-Zubair, said that his team was ranked second in the chance to win the challenge on Saturday. “It will be a great joy if we win the championship from the land of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is like our country,” he said.
He praised the Kingdom’s ability to host many of the most important international competitions such as the Dakar Rally, Formula 1, and others.
Pakistan court grants bail to journalist, critical of government, in terrorism and narcotics case
- Matiullah Jan was arrested from outside a hospital in Islamabad where he was investigating alleged fatalities during this week’s protests
- Jan has a history of criticizing Pakistan’s government and military, while he was also briefly detained in 2020 during ex-PM Khan’s tenure
ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Pakistan on Saturday granted bail to journalist Matiullah Jan, critical of the Pakistani government and military, in a terrorism and narcotics case.
Jan, a presenter for TV channel Neo News with a popular YouTube channel, was “picked up” from outside a hospital in Islamabad on Wednesday where he was investigating alleged fatalities during this week’s protests in Islamabad in support of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, his son said.
The FIR registered against Jan included Code of Criminal Procedure’s sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft), 427 (mischief causing damage), 506 (criminal intimidation) along with 7ATA (terrorism-related section) and a narcotics-related section.
On Saturday, ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, who presided over the hearing of Jan’s bail petition, approved the plea against surety bonds worth Rs10,000 ($36), according to Jan’s lawyer.
“He [judge] listened to the prosecutor and to us during arguments on bail and then he granted bail while ordering to deposit surety bonds of Rs10,000,” Jan’s counsel Hadi Ali told reporters outside the court.
Jan has a history of criticizing Pakistan’s government and the powerful military establishment. He was also briefly detained by uniformed men in the middle of Khan’s four-year tenure in 2020.
Successive Pakistan governments have often been criticized by rights monitors for using overbroad anti-terrorism legislation to quash dissent.
More than 1,000 marchers were arrested over the three days of unrest in Islamabad this week, according to police.
Amnesty International said security forces used “unlawful and excessive force” on crowds, but Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told reporters on Wednesday the PTI was “lying saying people have died.”
The protesters’ main demand was the release of Khan, who has been jailed since August 2023 and snarled in a succession of legal cases he insists were orchestrated to prevent his comeback in the February 8 election.
The PTI won more seats than any other party in the vote but were shut out of power by a coalition of parties many believed to be backed by the military. The party has since staged regular protests alleging the vote was rigged, an allegation denied by authorities.
Ex-PM Khan party dares Pakistan government to impose governor’s rule in province it administers
- Under the governor’s rule, a provincial chief minister loses all of their administrative powers for up to six months
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government says it will resort to street protests and move courts if governor’s rule is imposed
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Saturday dared the federal government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to impose governor’s rule in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, which the PTI has been ruling for the last more than 10 years.
In Pakistan, the federal government can impose the governor’s rule in a province and hand over all administrative powers to the governor, a representative of the federation, for up to six months in case the provincial government fails to tackle a “grave emergency.” Under the governor’s rule, the provincial chief minister and his cabinet lose all administrative powers and virtually stand suspended.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between the KP government, led by Khan’s party, and the federation following violent protests in Islamabad this week by PTI supporters, who sought to pressure the central government to release Khan from jail. The protests resulted in clashes that Pakistan’s government said killed three paramilitary soldiers and a police officer. The PTI says at least 20 of its supporters were killed after being shot by law enforcers, an allegation denied by authorities.
“We know the federal government is considering options to impose the governor’s rule in KP, but we warn them to refrain from this adventure,” Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, the KP government spokesperson, told Arab News.
The statement came a day after local media widely reported that a majority of members in PM Sharif’s cabinet had supported the idea of imposing the governor’s rule in KP after the Islamabad protests.
Saif said the provincial government would “react strongly” to any such move as they had “multiple options” available to deal with it, including street protests.
“We will obviously move the courts against this illegal and unconstitutional move if imposed on us,” he added.
Under Article 232 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the president can issue a proclamation of emergency if he is satisfied that “a grave emergency exists in which the security of Pakistan, or any part thereof, is threatened by war or external aggression, or by internal disturbance beyond the power of a Provincial Government to control.”
The constitution says a resolution from the provincial assembly was required for the imposition of emergency, which the KP Assembly would not pass as Khan’s PTI has a two-third majority in the house.
“If the President acts on his own, the Proclamation of Emergency shall be placed before both Houses of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) for approval by each House within ten days,” the article says.
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of Pakistan Institution of Legislative Development (PILDAT) in Islamabad, said the coalition government of PM Sharif was in a position to impose the governor’s rule in KP as they had majority in both houses, the National Assembly and the Senate, of parliament to pass a resolution for the purpose.
“At the moment, sufficient justification is available for the federal government to declare emergency in the KP province following the violent protests in Islamabad,” he told Arab News.
As per the constitution, Mehboob said, the federal government could impose the governor’s rule only for a maximum of six months, initially for two months and then it could twice extend it for a period of two months following approval of a resolution from parliament.
He, however, urged political parties to find a political solution to the issue.
“Political forces should find out political solutions for the issues instead of invoking specific laws and articles of the constitution against each other,” he said. “This will only vitiate the ongoing political crisis in the country.”
Legal experts said the imposition of the governor’s rule in any province would ultimately be challenged in the respective high court or the Supreme Court for a final judgment.
“The imposition of the governor’s rule by the center is not a piece of cake,” advocate Sharafat Ali told Arab News. “The government has to fulfil certain legal and constitutional requirements to justify the proclamation of emergency, otherwise it would be turned down by the courts.”
In 2009, the then federal government, led by the Pakistan Peoples Party, had imposed the governor’s rule in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province to suspend the administrative powers of then chief minister Shehbaz Sharif. However, the Supreme Court had later voided the proclamation and reinstated the Sharif government in the province.
Khan’s PTI has staged several protests this year to demand the release of the ex-premier, who has been in jail since August last year on a slew of charges, as well as to challenge results of the Feb. 8 national election, which it says were manipulated to keep the party from coming to power in the country. The Pakistani government and election authorities deny this.
Saudi Arabia’s 26th relief plane lands in Lebanon
- Continuing mission follows the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian efforts for the Lebanese population displaced by the conflict continues with the 26th relief plane arriving at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Saturday morning.
The aircraft, operated by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, was loaded with various relief aid, including food, medical and shelter supplies, state news agency SPA reported.
The continuing mission follows the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to support the Lebanese people.
