Lebanon
The official investigation into the huge port explosion that devastated much of Lebanon’s capital Beirut has been suspended again. The enquiry had been suspended several times before as politicians lodged complaints against lead judge Tarek Bitar. This latest suspension came after the judge issued an arrest warrant for ex-finance minister Ali Hasan Khalil, who had failed to show up for questioning today. Families of those killed in the blast have accused political leaders of trying to escape scrutiny. The explosion killed at least 218 people and wounded 7,000 others.
More from the Daily Star Lebanon here.
Somalia-Kenya
The UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) today ruled in favor of Somalia in a dispute with Kenya over the neighbors’ maritime border. The countries have for years argued over a 100,000 sq km triangle in the Indian Ocean believed to be rich in oil and gas. The ICJ is the UN’s top court and rules on disputes between nations.
More from BBC here.
Israel-Palestine
Irish author Sally Rooney, perhaps the hottest novelist in the world right now, today explained her decision not to allow her latest book to be translated into Hebrew by an Israeli publishing company, citing her beliefs on Palestine. Rooney said she was a supporter of the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls for a complete boycott on Israel, including a cultural one. The writer clarified that she would be happy for the novel - Beautiful World, Where Are You - to be translated by a company that could do so according to BDS principles. Israel’s Diaspora Minister Nachman Shai tweeted that Rooney’s move was “anti-semitism in a new guise.”
More from Al Jazeera here.