In brief: Americans’ trial in Egypt under way
CAIRO – The criminal trial of 16 American pro-democracy workers opened in Cairo on Sunday as U.S. and Egyptian diplomats attempted to resolve a deepening crisis between longtime allies that have grown increasingly estranged since the uprisings that have swept the Arab world in the past year.
Most of the accused Americans have left Egypt, and the seven remaining, including Sam LaHood, son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, have sought refuge at the U.S. Embassy to avoid possible arrest. None of the Americans and activists from other nations was in the defendants’ cage with 14 accused Egyptians in a north Cairo courtroom.
Judge Mahmoud Mohammed Shoukry said the 43 defendants are charged with operating nongovernmental organizations without a license and receiving millions of dollars in illegal funding. Much of the criminal case centers on the activities of two American-based groups, the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute.
The organizations have gathered “information on Egypt’s economy and army to destabilize the nation’s security,” prosecutor Mohamed Gheitani told the court before the judge scheduled the next hearing for April 26.
North Korea’s Kim issues pre-drill threat
SEOUL, South Korea – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to launch a powerful retaliatory strike against South Korea if provoked, state media said Sunday, a day before the start of annual South Korean-U.S. military drills that Pyongyang calls an invasion rehearsal.
South Korean and U.S. officials have said the 12-day, largely computer-simulated war games are defensive in nature.
The reported threat came a day after a senior U.S. envoy said ties between the rival Koreas must improve before the United States and North Korea can achieve real progress in their relationship.
Kim, supreme commander of the North’s 1.2 million-member military, made the comment during a visit to front-line military units, including one that shelled a South Korean island in 2010, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
“He ordered them to make a powerful retaliatory strike at the enemy, should the enemy intrude even 0.001 millimeter into the waters of the country where its sovereignty is exercised,” KCNA said. It did not say when Kim visited the units.
North Korea has regularly issued such rhetoric against joint South Korean-U.S. military exercises.
Australian premier beats back challenge
CANBERRA, Australia – Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard easily won an internal party vote today against the colleague she deposed two years ago, Kevin Rudd, and declared that she had put down the internal strife that has undermined her unpopular government for months.
Gillard defeated Rudd 71 votes to 31 in a ballot of Labor Party lawmakers, but she faces the challenge of reuniting her bitterly divided party and Cabinet. Rudd resigned as foreign minister shortly before she called the vote last week, and at least five other members of Gillard’s Cabinet backed her challenger.
Gillard described her win as “overwhelming” after months of “ugly” infighting within the ranks of the center-left party.
After his defeat, Rudd called on Labor to unite behind Gillard. He had warned during his brief leadership campaign that she would lead Labor to certain defeat at elections next year.