National Spotlight
Pope Francis in the U.S.
Pope Francis arrived in the United States on Tuesday and spoke to over 11,000 people on the White House South Lawn to encourage taking measures to protect the planet, ensure freedom of religion and fight against discrimination. The Pope also stated his support for President Obama’s Clean Power Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. U.S. bishops interpreted Pope Francis’s urging of religious liberty as support for those who do not agree with same sex marriage or contraceptives because of their religion. The Pope conducted the first canonization in the U.S. at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Wednesday. bbc.com
New Arctic Dinosaur
Researchers from University of Alaska-Fairbanks and Florida State University discovered a new species of dinosaur on Tuesday in the Prince Creek Formation of Alaska. The 30-foot, herbivorous dinosaur named Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis was a duck-billed creature native to the cold region experiencing several months of darkness and frigid cold. The species lived as far north as land was known to exist 69 million years ago and has been connected to the Edmontosaurus native to Montana and the Northwestern United States. sciencedaily.com
Volkswagon CEO Scandal
Volkswagon Group CEO Martin Winterkorn stepped down Wednesday after the German car company’s admission in a U.S criminal investigation to cheating on national emission tests. The company was charged 6.5 billion euros to make up for losses due to a reported 11 million cars affected. The historically family-owned company has not currently announced a successor to the CEO position. Volkswagon is Germany’s leading enterprise with over 600,000 workers employed internationally. The German economy has not yet reported losses, but the emission tests stand to complicate relations with the United States for the future of the company. washingtonpost.com
International News
Serbia-Croatia border reopened
After a two-day blockade, Croatia and Serbia reopened the border at Bajakovo to migrants on Wednesday. Croatia initially set up the blockade in response to Serbia directing migrants across the border, to which Serbia threatened to retaliate if Croatia failed to lift the block by Wednesday at midnight. Over 30,000 migrants have crossed from Serbia to Croatia after Hungary closed the Serbia-Hungary border. The Croatian camp in Opatovac is reaching capacity, and Croatia is sending migrants toward Hungary and then on to Austria. nbcnews.com
Al-Jazeera Journalists released
Jailed Al-Jazeera journalists Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were released along with 100 other Egyptian prisoners on Wednesday after an official pardon from Egyptian president Abdul Fatah al-sisi. The journalists were imprisoned last month due to allegations of broadcasting false news and cooperating with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Al-Jazeera said in a report on its website that it “continues to demand all charges and sentences against its journalists are dropped,” noting that Greste and six other employees had been convicted in absentia. bbc.com
Nazi War Crimes
German prosecutors recently charged a 91-year-old woman with 260,000 counts of accessory to murder while working at Auschwitz as a radio operator for the camp commandant from April to July 1944. She was charged with accessory to murder as she helped the death camp function. Earlier this year a 94-year-old former SS sergeant was convicted on similar charges. There have been no indications that the woman is unfit for trial, regardless of her age. independent.co.uk
A version of this story appeared on page 8 of the Thursday, September 24, 2015 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
