Global stocks sank Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said he was not satisfied with talks that are aimed at averting a trade war with China. Equities were also dented by poor eurozone economic data, and as Trump cast doubt on a planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “Trump (is) continuing to drive uncertainty over global trade,” said analyst Joshua Mahony at trading firm IG. “European markets are following their Asian counterparts lower, as a pessimistic tone from Trump is compounded by downbeat economic data,” he added. Markets had surged Monday after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said they had agreed to pull back from imposing threatened tariffs on billions of dollars of goods, and continue talks on a variety of trade issues. However, Trump has declared that he was “not satisfied” with the status of the talks, fuelling worries that the world’s top two economies could still slug out an economically pain...
Trials of Boko Haram suspects in Nigeria will take place behind closed doors with no media present, a justice ministry official with knowledge of the matter told AFP on Friday.
The move was made on security grounds following discussions between the government and the Department of State Services intelligence agency.
“There will be no access to the media,” said the official, who asked not to be identified.
“The decision was based on the need for confidentiality because of security issues that may come up during the trial.”
The justice ministry announced last week that the trials of more than 1,600 suspects were scheduled to begin from October 9.
It blamed delays in prosecution on poor investigation techniques such as lack of forensic evidence, “over-reliance on confession-based evidence” and logistical problems.
As of September 11, only 13 cases linked to the eight-year insurgency had been concluded, with nine convictions, according to the government.
Human rights groups have criticised Nigeria’s military for the arbitrary arrest of civilians and detention of suspects for lengthy periods of time without access to legal counsel.
The announcement that due process was finally to begin was given a cautious welcome but a ban on media access will likely raise concerns about transparency.
The ministry source said the British High Commission and US Embassy in Abuja, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and the International Red Cross would be given “observer status”.
“They will be able to monitor how proceedings are carried out and obviously the suspects will be given legal representation,” he added.
The trials will take place in military detention facilities in Kainji, Kogi state, and New Bussa, in Niger state, both in central Nigeria.
Hearings will also be held in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was founded in 2002 and which has been at the epicentre of the long-running violence.
The move was made on security grounds following discussions between the government and the Department of State Services intelligence agency.
“There will be no access to the media,” said the official, who asked not to be identified.
The justice ministry announced last week that the trials of more than 1,600 suspects were scheduled to begin from October 9.
It blamed delays in prosecution on poor investigation techniques such as lack of forensic evidence, “over-reliance on confession-based evidence” and logistical problems.
As of September 11, only 13 cases linked to the eight-year insurgency had been concluded, with nine convictions, according to the government.
Human rights groups have criticised Nigeria’s military for the arbitrary arrest of civilians and detention of suspects for lengthy periods of time without access to legal counsel.
The announcement that due process was finally to begin was given a cautious welcome but a ban on media access will likely raise concerns about transparency.
The ministry source said the British High Commission and US Embassy in Abuja, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and the International Red Cross would be given “observer status”.
“They will be able to monitor how proceedings are carried out and obviously the suspects will be given legal representation,” he added.
The trials will take place in military detention facilities in Kainji, Kogi state, and New Bussa, in Niger state, both in central Nigeria.
Hearings will also be held in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was founded in 2002 and which has been at the epicentre of the long-running violence.
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