Mexico colonel blamed for killing several missing students

"Six of the 43 disappeared students were allegedly held during several days and alive in what they call the old warehouse and from there were turned over to then colonel Jose Rodriguez Perez," says official leading Truth Commission.

Families of disappeared students protest with signs proclaiming "it was the State". (AP)

Six of the 43 college students "disappeared" in 2014 have been allegedly kept alive in a warehouse for days then turned over to the local army commander who ordered them killed, the Mexican government official leading a Truth Commission has said. Interior Undersecretary Alejandro Encinas made the shocking revelation directly tying the military to one of Mexico's worst human rights scandals, and it came with little fanfare as he made a lengthy defence of the commission's report released a week earlier. "There is also information corroborated with emergency 089 telephone calls where allegedly six of the 43 disappeared students were held during several days and alive in what they call the old warehouse and from there were turned over to the colonel," Encinas said on Friday. "Allegedly the six students were alive for as many as four days after the events and were killed and disappeared on orders of the colonel, allegedly the then colonel Jose Rodriguez Perez." The students' parents demanded for years that they be allowed to search the army base in Iguala. It was not until 2019 that they were given access along with Encinas and the Truth Commission. READ MORE: Mexico commission blames military over 43 disappeared students 'Report is not enough' Through a driving rain later on Friday, the families of the 43 missing students marched in Mexico City with a couple hundred other people as they have on the 26th of every month for years. Parents carried posters of their children's faces and rows of current students from the teachers' college marched, shouted calls for justice and counted off to 43. Their signs proclaimed that the fight for justice continued and asserted: "It was the State." In a joint statement, the families said the Truth Commission’s confirmation that it was a "state crime" was significant after elements suggesting that over the years. However, they said the report still did not satisfactorily answer their most important question. "Mothers and fathers need indubitable scientific evidence as to the fate of our children," the statement said.  "We can’t go home with preliminary signs that don’t fully clear up where they are and what happened to them." READ MORE: Mexico ex-top prosecutor to stand trial in disappeared students case Last week, federal agents arrested former attorney general Jesus Murillo Karam, who oversaw the original investigation.  Prosecutors allege Murillo Karam created a false narrative about what happened to the students to quickly appear to resolve the case. READ MORE: Mexico arrests ex-top prosecutor over disappearance of 43 students Source: AP

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30 students await rescue in Kumrat Valley

UPPER DIR: Around 30 students await rescue while being trapped  in Kumrat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Upper Dir District due to continuous rains and flooding, as per reports received by Geo News on Friday.
The students, which include both females and males, have requested the government for safe evacuation. Speaking to Geo News, one of the female students said that they belong to different areas of Punjab  and have trouble speaking because of the cold weather. "We are sleeping on a wet floor and there is nothing here to eat or drink," she said, informing to have contacted concerned authorities. However, the students have not been approached by anyone so far. Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah said that food and tents have been provided to the students who are stranded. He added that the students will be evacuated safely as soon as the weather gets better.

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— Thumbnail image: Screengrab/Geo.tv

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US students weigh in on Biden's loan forgiveness plan

American students largely hail plan that would likely eliminate debt entirely for millions of Americans and wipe away at least half for millions more.

Student loan borrowers in Washington, DC stage a rally in front of The White House to celebrate President Biden cancelling student debt. (AFP)

US President Joe Biden's massive student debt cancellation plan has evoked mixed responses from indebted students, with some heaving a sigh of relief and others, who were expecting a complete loan forgiveness plan, partially dissatisfied. "It's a good plan for low-income Americans but I think all student loans should be cancelled regardless of how much they owe. Just two years ago the government gave billions of dollars to companies so the economy wouldn't collapse during the Covid pandemic," Luis Torres, a political science student at the University of District of Columbia, told TRT World. "The government gives millions of dollars to Ukraine every day. If they can spend money on war, how can they not take students out of debt?" asked Torres, who owes around $10,000 and could see his debt slate wiped clean if the Biden plan survives possible court challenges. On Wednesday, Biden announced students trying to pay off university loans will get $10,000 forgiven while acknowledging he was "not going to make everybody happy." Under the relief plan, $10,000 will be cut from all loans owed by people earning a salary of less than $125,000. For some six million students from low-income families, who went to university with government aid known as Pell grants, the relief will be $20,000. The White House estimates its plan could lead to about 20 million borrowers having their debt completely cancelled. Some 23 million Americans will still have student loan debt. The country’s federal student debt now tops $1.6 trillion. As of now, more than 43 million people have federal student debt, with an average balance of $37,667, according to federal data. Nearly a third of borrowers owe less than $10,000, and about half owe less than $20,000. Graduate student Liam Moore hailing the decision said the loan forgiveness was dangling at first but "it's nice to finally see it make it into the plan." "I think that it will positively affect Americans because it will allow them to focus more on their needs than an extra bill to pay." Biden's plan "marks the biggest and boldest action a president has ever taken to provide student debt relief to struggling families," said Rahna Epting, executive director of MoveOn, an advocacy group. Biden ‘overpromised’ The proposed debt relief, however, falls far short of some Democrats' promise of complete loan forgiveness.  Many students said they were expecting complete loan relief.  "It's very disheartening to see that he (Biden) overpromised and is only forgiving $10,000 dollars, which is not enough for many students," Kenia Mazariegos, a content strategist and a recent master’s graduate from Columbia University, told TRT World. "I don't think it's fair limiting the types of loans and also limiting people by salary because people who make $125,000 or less are not making much considering taxes," she said. The debt doesn't only affect undergrad students but also casts a shadow on students who want to pursue a master’s degree, leaving them with a heavy burden to decide what to do and also massively limiting their options, she added.  "I think if I were any deeper in debt, I wouldn’t have taken up the master's degree because it wouldn't be financially viable," Hana Karkari, who studies art and history at the American University, told TRT World. Welcoming Biden's plan, Karkari said that most people don't have a lot of options after they get a bachelor's degree because of the heavy debt, which ultimately "affects their decision." "It's a step forward," Karkari said. "Acknowledging that many young Americans are in debt and need help might help them move forward and push back against tuition hikes." Biden's main goal Biden’s plan, however, will have to face a likely court challenge. Republicans who have rejected it argue it would power more inflation while benefitting many rich borrowers. "If you’re saddled with debt, even as little as two or three thousand dollars, you make decisions differently. Cancelling debt lowers the cost of failure and anything that lowers the cost of failure increases innovation," William Hanff, a professor and student advisor at the University of the District of Columbia, told TRT World. "It's great to have early career professionals burdened with less debt because deep down, debt is a means of social control." Hanff said the proposal's main goal is to cancel the debts of many students who entered college but didn't finish their studies, which is the vast majority of students. "In the US, more than 50 percent of people enter higher education, but only three percent or so finish, and the problem is you can end up not finishing your degree and still have the debt," Hanff said. "This is what the Biden administration is targeting." Source: TRT World

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Mexico rebukes Israel for 'protecting' suspect in missing students case

Tomas Zeron, the former head of Mexico's criminal investigation agency, reportedly fled to Israel in 2020 to evade an investigation into his handling of the case.

Last week, a truth commission determined that military personnel bore responsibility, either directly or through negligence, in the disappearance of 43 students. (Eduardo Verdugo / AP)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has rebuked Israel's government for what he called its protection of a top former official wanted in Mexico on accusations he manipulated an investigation into the 2014 disappearance of 43 students. "Let me take the opportunity to send a respectful reminder to the government of Israel. They can't be protecting people like that," Lopez Obrador told a news conference on Wednesday, referring to his country's demand for the extradition of Tomas Zeron from Israel.  Lopez Obrador added that Israel's prime minister had sent a letter pledging cooperation, but had yet to take any further action. "It has been a long time," Lopez Obrador said. Mexico last year urged Israel to facilitate the extradition of  Zeron, the former head of Mexico's criminal investigation agency, who Mexican officials say fled to Israel in 2020 to evade an investigation into his handling of the case. Some 43 teaching students had commandeered buses in the southern state of Guerrero to travel to a demonstration before they went missing. An official report on their disappearance presented in 2015 by the then government was rejected by relatives as well as independent experts and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. READ MORE: Mexico ex-top prosecutor to stand trial in disappeared students case The renewed pressure to bring Zeron to Mexico comes after officials last week arrested his prior boss, former attorney general Jesus Murillo, on charges of forced disappearance, torture and obstruction of justice linked to the probe into what became of the students. Zeron has previously denied allegations of wrongdoing. The Israeli government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mexican authorities have previously accused Zeron of planting evidence to support the previous administration's version of what happened after the abduction of the students, which officials last week called a "state crime" covered up by the highest levels of government at the time. READ MORE: Mexico commission blames military over 43 disappeared students Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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Mexico ex-top prosecutor to stand trial in disappeared students case

Jesus Murillo Karam, who is accused of leading a botched investigation into the case, will be tried on charges of forced disappearance of 43 students in 2014, torture and obstruction of justice, authorities say.

Mexico's top human rights official says government role in the disappearance –– including local, state and federal officials –– constituted a "state crime." (AFP)

A Mexican judge has agreed to hear the charges against the country's former attorney general Jesus Murillo in relation to his alleged role in the disappearance of 43 students in 2014, judicial authorities said. Jesus Murillo Karam, who led a highly contentious investigation into the case, will be tried on charges of forced disappearance, torture and obstruction of justice, the Federal Judiciary Council said on Wednesday after a court hearing. Murillo Karam, a former heavyweight of the once-dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), was arrested earlier this week and is the highest-ranking official detained so far in connection with the case, which shocked the nation and generated international condemnation. He is considered the architect of the so-called "historical truth" version of events presented in 2015 by the government of then-president Enrique Pena Nieto that was widely rejected, including by relatives. The teaching students had commandeered buses in the southern state of Guerrero to travel to a demonstration in Mexico City before they went missing. Investigators say they were detained by corrupt police and handed over to a drug cartel that mistook them for members of a rival gang, but exactly what happened to them has been hotly disputed. According to the official report presented in 2015, cartel members killed the students and incinerated their remains at a garbage dump. Those conclusions were rejected by independent experts and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the families. Commission blames military

Last week, a truth commission determined that military personnel bore responsibility, either directly or through negligence, in the disappearance of students. 

"Their actions, omissions or participation allowed the disappearance and execution of the students, as well as the murder of six other people," said the commission's head, deputy interior minister Alejandro Encinas, on Thursday.  Mexico's top human rights official, Alejandro Encinas, has said that government involvement in the disappearance –– including local, state and federal officials –– constituted a "state crime." In the aftermath, the last government "concealed the truth of the facts, altered crime scenes, covered up the links between authorities with a criminal group."

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in March that navy members were under investigation for allegedly tampering with evidence, notably at a garbage dump where human remains were found, including those of the only three students identified so far.

He denied an accusation by independent experts that Mexican authorities were withholding important information about the case, which shocked the country and drew international condemnation. Source: Reuters

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Journalist killed in Mexico after posting about disappeared students

Columnist Fredid "Fredy" Roman was killed just after posting a column on the alleged involvement of local politicians in the disappearance of 43 students in 2014.

Roman's death follows the murders of at least three other Mexican journalists this month. (Reuters)

A journalist has been shot dead in southern Mexico, authorities said, shortly after posting online about the disappearance eight years ago of 43 students from a nearby area. Fredid Roman, who published his work on various social media pages and contributed to a local newspaper, was found dead in his car in the city of Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero state, the local prosecutor's office said Monday evening. The case of the 43 students from Guerrero, who went missing in 2014 after commandeering a bus to head to a protest, is considered one of the worst human rights disasters in Mexican history. The case was forced back into the spotlight last week when a truth commission branded the atrocity a "state crime" that involved agents of various institutions. READ MORE: Mexico arrests ex-top prosecutor over disappearance of 43 students

Mexico arrests ex-attorney general Jesus Murillo, who oversaw highly criticised investigation into 2014 disappearance and execution of 43 students – local media pic.twitter.com/4pNMPQMB0f

— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) August 19, 2022

Facebook post A few hours before his death, Roman published a long Facebook post titled "State Crime Without Charging the Boss," in which he mentioned an alleged meeting between four officials at the time of the students' disappearance, including former attorney general Jesus Murillo Karam. Murillo Karam was arrested after the publication of the truth commission report last week, while dozens of warrants were issued for suspects including military personnel, police officers and cartel members. It was not immediately clear if Roman's recent post on the missing students or his other journalistic work played a role in his death. READ MORE: Mexico commission blames military over 43 disappeared students Twelve journalists have been killed in Mexico so far this year, according to the government, while the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) lists nine. Some media outlets have put the figure at 15 or 16. With about 150 journalists murdered since 2000, according to RSF, Mexico is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for the press. Most of those murders remain unpunished. Source: AFP

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Breaking News Live Updates - 23 August 2022: China Announces Plan to Issue Visas to Stranded Indian Students After 2 Years of Delay Due to Covid

FOR 23rd August 2022

By News18/ Updated: August 23, 2022, 05:55 IST

Minute-by-minute news updates of happenings from around the world, with special focus on India. From daily coronavirus news about the probable third wave, number of infections, vaccination, and reopening of places and activities to all developments in the fields of politics, education, business, entertainment and sports – everything you to need to know, as it happens, and all in one place. Get instant news about elections, governments and political parties; updates on school and college exam results and admissions; and information about developments in the stock market, start-up sector and buzz about cryptocurrencies. If movies, daily soaps, web series and music are your interests, read latest updates about film and TV celebrities, their work and their personal lives, along with a sprinkling of gossip. Get news about trends in showbiz and exclusive interviews with your favourite stars. Find...Read More

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If movies, daily soaps, web series and music are your interests, read latest updates about film and TV celebrities, their work and their personal lives, along with a sprinkling of gossip. Get news about trends in showbiz and exclusive interviews with your favourite stars. Find out what celebrities are posting on Instagram and Twitter and get quick updates about their lives. Sports lovers can follow ball-by-ball commentary of cricket matches involving India, latest news about football, tennis, Formula One, badminton and various other Olympic sports. All-in-all, if it is news, then News18.com’s breaking news live updates page is your one-stop-shop.

Read the Latest News and Breaking News here

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Mexico arrests ex-top prosecutor over disappearance of 43 students

Ex-attorney general Jesus Murillo faces charges of forced disappearance, torture and obstruction of justice in 2014 disappearance of dozens of students.

Jesus Murillo oversaw botched investigation into disappearance of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College in Guerrero state. (AFP Archive)

Mexico has arrested a former attorney general who led a controversial investigation into the disappearance of 43 students in 2014 –– one of the country's worst human rights tragedies.

Jesus Murillo Karam, a former heavyweight of the once-dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), was arrested for the crimes of forced disappearance, torture and perverting justice, the attorney general's office said on Friday.

Murillo Karam is the highest-ranking official detained so far in connection with the case, which shocked the nation and generated international condemnation.

He is considered the architect of the so-called "historical truth" version of events presented in 2015 by the government of then-president Enrique Pena Nieto that was widely rejected, including by relatives.

The teaching students had commandeered buses in the southern state of Guerrero to travel to a demonstration in Mexico City before they went missing.

Investigators say they were detained by corrupt police and handed over to a drug cartel that mistook them for members of a rival gang, but exactly what happened to them has been hotly disputed.

According to the official report presented in 2015, cartel members killed the students and incinerated their remains at a garbage dump.

Those conclusions were rejected by independent experts and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the families.

'State crime'

On Thursday, a truth commission investigating the atrocity branded the case a "state crime" involving agents of various institutions.

It said that military personnel bore at least partial responsibility, either directly or through negligence.

"Their actions, omissions or participation allowed the disappearance and execution of the students, as well as the murder of six other people," said the commission's head, deputy interior minister Alejandro Encinas.

Further investigations were necessary to establish the extent to which members of the armed forces participated, he said.

"An action of an institutional nature was not proven, but there was clear responsibility of members" of the armed forces, Encinas added.

The "historical truth" did not attribute any responsibility to military personnel.

Lopez Obrador promises justice

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday that any soldiers and officials involved in the disappearance must face justice.

"Publicising this atrocious, inhuman situation, and at the same time punishing those responsible, helps to prevent these deplorable events ever happening again" and "strengthens institutions," Lopez Obrador said.

"We said from the beginning that we were going to speak the truth, no matter how painful it was," he told reporters during a visit to the northwestern border city of Tijuana.

Lopez Obrador said in March that navy members were under investigation for allegedly tampering with evidence, notably at a garbage dump where human remains were found, including those of the only three students identified so far.

He denied an accusation by independent experts that Mexican authorities were withholding important information about the case.

Source: AFP

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Over 40,000 Pakistani students celebrate their CIE results

Students can be seen appearing in the exams. — Online/File 

• In Pakistan, more than 40,000 students from over 250 Cambridge schools made more than 100,000 entries.
• Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry were the most popular AS and A-Level subjects in Pakistan.
• Cambridge IGCSE and O-Level results will be released on August 18.

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ISLAMABAD: Thousands of students in Pakistan celebrated receiving their Cambridge International AS and A-Level results last week which marked an end to the end of another difficult year for the students and schools.

Cambridge International, part of the University of Cambridge and the largest provider of international education for five to 19-year-olds globally released the results of its June 2022 exam series on Thursday, August 11 to Cambridge International AS and A-Level schools in Pakistan and around the world.

“Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, exams went ahead in nearly all countries this year, with more than 220,000 students making entries for Cambridge International AS and A Level in the June 2022 series,” a statement released in this regard read.

Globally, 95% of Cambridge students took exams in June 2022, compared with 75% in June 2021. Where exams could not go ahead because of local COVID-19 restrictions, Cambridge International provided an alternative assessment, marked by Cambridge examiners.

The statement mentioned that in Pakistan, more than 40,000 students from over 250 Cambridge schools made more than 100,000 entries for Cambridge International AS and A-Level exams in June 2022. 

This is almost double the size of the June 2021 entry in Pakistan, when COVID-19 restrictions caused around 50% of students to defer their exams to the November 2021 series.

It should be noted that Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry were the most popular Cambridge International AS and A-Level subjects in the June 2022 exam series in Pakistan.

Across the entire Cambridge International exam series in June 2022 more than 460,000 students — making 1.4 million entries in 147 countries — have been able to gain the qualifications they need to take their next steps, which is a testament to their resilience and the ongoing support of their teachers, families, and communities.

Cambridge International Chief Accountable Officer Christine Özden said: “This year has been another tough one — the pandemic has continued to disrupt our lives and learning in different ways. Some of our students and teachers have been affected by school closures and ongoing restrictions.

“More than ever, I congratulate Cambridge students for their hard work towards these results. They’ve shown great resilience and dedication to get to this point, and I am proud of everyone’s achievements. They can now progress to new opportunities and experiences, and I’m confident they have the skills, knowledge and courage to succeed in every choice they make.

Meanwhile, Cambridge International Country Director, Pakistan, Uzma Yousuf said: “I would like to congratulate all our Cambridge International AS & A Level students in Pakistan on their results. This is a fantastic achievement and shows their resilience and dedication to their studies despite the challenges in these exceptional times. Their families and teachers can be incredibly proud of what they have achieved.”

Cambridge International AS and A-Level results were released on August 11. Cambridge IGCSE and O-Level results will be released on August 18.

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