Article, FEATURED STORIES, Middle East, TRENDING, U.S., WORLD
Weekend Review: At Least 68 Dead After Blast Near School in Afghanistan
Families prepare to bury the dead after a bomb blast killed at least 58 people in Afghanistan on Saturday.
At least 58 people died, and more than 165 were wounded after a car bomb detonated in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Many of the victims were young girls who attended a nearby school. The explosion occurred in the afternoon when girls’ classes were in session, and authorities suspect they were the target.
It is unclear what individual or group is responsible. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the Taliban for the bombing. The group opposes education for girls and women, but their spokesperson denounced and denied the attack.
The attack comes as U.S. and NATO forces begin to leave the country, with a deadline to withdraw by September.
More Than 90 Palestinians Wounded in Clashes With Israeli Police in Jerusalem on Friday and Saturday
Ongoing skirmishes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police continued in Jerusalem on Saturday, leading to a confrontation which left more than 90 Palestinians and one Israeli officer injured. On Friday, more than 200 Palestinians were injured in conflicts which occurred near a mosque.
The US, the UN, Russia, and the EU expressed “deep concern” over the violence. Other US officials, like Sen. Bernie Sanders, strongly condemned the violence against Palestinians.
Israeli’s military claimed a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip, which is occupied by Hamas, a Palestinian fundamentalist movement. The military reported the rocket landed in a field without causing any damage or injury.
Four Ex-Officers Indicted By Federal Grand Jury for Violating George Floyd’s Constitutional Rights
On Friday, a federal grand jury indicted the four former Minneapolis police officers who were present during the arrest which caused the death of George Floyd last May. Former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death at state trial last month. He is scheduled for sentencing on June 25.
Former officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao will now stand trial along with Chauvin before a federal grand jury. They are accused of violating Floyd’s civil rights in his apprehension.
Chauvin’s restraint was determined by experts to have caused Floyd’s death.
A federal grand jury has also indicted Chauvin on separate charges. These accusations are related to violations of civil rights in the violent arrest of a Black juvenile from 2017. Chauvin reportedly hit the 14-year-old with a flashlight, then knelt on his neck and back for 17 minutes. The detainee was unresistant but told the officer that he could not breathe, according to the indictment. He was later treated for injuries caused by Chauvin, one of which required stitches.
The charges were filed in relation to video of the arrest which resurfaced during Chauvin’s trial.
The civil rights charge raised against each of the defendants is commonly used to prosecute law enforcement individuals. If the jury finds they knowingly deprived Floyd of constitutional rights, punishment will be at the judge’s discretion.
Meanwhile, Chauvin and his defense team have requested a new state trial citing multiple factors. They allege, among other things, prosecutorial and jury misconduct tainted the first trial.
Three People, Including a Four-Year-Old Child, Shot in Times Square on Saturday
Three bystanders, including a child, were shot in New York’s Times Square on Saturday afternoon. The victims were not known to each other. They were wounded when an argument between a group of men escalated to violence, and one man brandished a gun.
Officials report that none of the injuries are life-threatening. The four-year-old was reported to need surgery after sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg.
California Man Arrested for Selling Fake COVID-19 Vaccination Cards
Undercover agents in San Joaquin County, California undercovered a scheme being carried out in a small town bar. For $20, customers could pay employees to forge and laminate a phony COVID-19 vaccination card.
The owner of the bar was arrested on multiple charges last week. His crimes include falsifying medical records, identity theft, and forging government documents.
This was the first known operation of its kind.
Some venues require a valid vaccination card to attend large events, which is likely why individuals were seeking fakes. The FBI warned the public in March: use of a fake vaccination card bearing a government logo is a crime.
