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⏳ Tuesday Fix: Time and Justice

⏳ Tuesday Fix: Time and Justice

Morning all,

Time and justice are the key talking points today, as a veteran soldier dies while on trial, and a 96-year-old faces the consequences of working for the Nazi regime.

Until tomorrow,

Hilary


GOOD LISTENER?


MONDAY'S MAIN LINES

Colin Powell, America's first Black Secretary of State, died Monday at the age of 84 from Covid-19 complications. CNN reported he was also battling cancer.

Who was he? Powell was considered a moderate Republican throughout his career. He had extensive military experience, and served in multiple administrations. He is arguably most well-known for his involvement in the Iraq war. Powell - who later said he never thought the war was a good idea - originally pushed the questionable theory that Saddam Hussein had access to 'weapons of mass destruction'. He made the case for it in an infamous UN speech he would later regret. Powell even said himself the speech "will earn a prominent paragraph in my obituary."

Also known for... one of the first to take a 'selfie'.

"I was doing selfies 60 years before you Facebook folks."
Source: Colin Powell's official Facebook page 

The President of the Czech Republic has been deemed too ill to work, according to officials.

Remember: President Milos Zeman was hospitalised last week due to complications from an underlying condition. The deterioration of his health came at a pivotal time politically. The day before, the prime minister suffered a surprise loss in the general election to a coalition of parties.

Worth noting: In the Czech Republic, the president has the right to confirm the prime minister. Prior to the election, he had said he would chose the party with the most votes, not a coalition with a majority. This would mean his ally, Andrej Babis, would continue in his role as prime minister. However, Zeman's deteriorating health means the country's leadership is up in the air at this point, with a lot at stake.


A former British soldier has died while on trial for an attempted murder in Northern Ireland 50 years ago.

Dennis Hutchings, 80, was on trial over the fatal shooting of a man called John Pat Cunningham in Tyrone in 1974. Hutchings died the same day the court heard he had tested positive for Coronavirus.

Bigger picture: As BBC News noted, "his death will very likely reopen arguments around legacy prosecutions". The British government has called for an end to historic prosecutions relating to before the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Johnson said it would "draw a line under the Troubles". However, the families of many victims disagreed with this, and called for justice to be carried out.


ON TODAY'S AGENDA

A hearing is due to take place today, relating to a 96-year-old woman expected to go on trial over her time working as a secretary at a concentration camp during the Holocaust. Irmgard Furchner is accused of "aiding and abetting" Nazis in the murder of more than 11,000 people.

Remember: The trial was due to begin weeks ago, but the defendant fled her nursing home before later being caught by police.

Divided views: Her defence team argues she is not known to have physically harmed anyone at the camp and shouldn't be held responsible. Dr Efraim Zuroff argues “these trials play an important role in the fight against Holocaust denial… Nazi war criminals are the last people on earth who deserve any sympathy”.

Bigger picture: This is one of ten ongoing cases in Germany, in which people allegedly involved in the administration or guarding of camps face trials for similar charges. Their prosecution is possible due to a legal precedent set in the 2011 trial of John Demjanjuk, a former concentration camp guard. The precedent means that regardless of how small a person’s role was, if it’s proven they were “cogs” in the “machinery of destruction”, they can be held responsible.

*Watch out: We will be asking for your thoughts on this on an Instagram poll later today.


PANDEMIC

In Ireland, the government is expected to decide today on whether or not to lift most of the remaining restrictions this Friday. According to RTÉ News, NPHET has advised against lifting some restrictions, but did say some could be lifted.

"All indications were that Ministers will decide to move forward cautiously with the reopening while extending some restrictions, such as the use of Covid passes in hospitality and the use of masks." - context from The Irish Times

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ON A LIGHTER NOTE...

I definitely had my suspicions about some teachers back in the day.