While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Aug 29
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There were no threats of a tsunami as a result of the earthquake that struck deep under the seabed.
SCREENGRAB: USGS WEBSITE
Earthquake of magnitude 7.1 strikes Bali Sea, Indonesia: EMSC
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Bali Sea region of Indonesia on Tuesday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.
The quake’s epicentre was 203 km north of Mataram, Indonesia, and very deep at 516 km below the Earth’s surface, EMSC said.
The US Geological Survey pegged the magnitude at 7.1.
Donald Trump federal election trial to start March 4, 2024, judge rules
REUTERS
Donald Trump will stand trial on March 4, 2024, in federal court in Washington for trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat, a federal judge ruled on Monday, setting up a crowded schedule for the former president next year as he campaigns to recapture the White House.
The ruling by US Judge Tanya Chutkan means that Trump will likely have to stand trial in at least three separate criminal cases during the thick of the Republican presidential nominating contest. A trial date in a fourth criminal case has not yet been set.
Trump’s lawyers had pressed for an April 2026 trial date, well past the Nov 2024 presidential election, arguing that they needed time to go through the 12.8 million pages of evidence the government had amassed.
French ban of abaya robes in schools draws applause, criticism
REUTERS
The French government’s decision to ban children from wearing the abaya, the loose-fitting, full-length robes worn by some Muslim women, in state-run schools drew applause on Monday from the right, but also criticism.
France has enforced a ban on religious symbols in state schools since 2004, to uphold its strict brand of secularism, known as “laicite”. The topic is a sensitive one, regularly triggering political tension in the country.
“Our schools are continually put under test, and over the past months, breaches to laicite have increased considerably, in particular with (pupils) wearing religious attire like abayas and kameez,” Education Minister Gabriel Attal told a news conference to explain Sunday’s ban.
Spanish football federation asks president Rubiales to resign
via REUTERS
The Spanish football federation’s regional presidents asked suspended chief Luis Rubiales to resign on Monday after he forcibly kissed Women’s World Cup player Jenni Hermoso on the lips, sparking worldwide outrage.
“After recent events and the unacceptable behaviour that has seriously damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents request that Luis Rubiales resign immediately as president of the RFEF,” said the federation (RFEF) in a statement following a meeting between the regional presidents.
The presidents said they backed interim chief Pedro Rocha, who called the meeting, to lead the organisation into “dialogue and reconciliation with all football institutions”.
Defending champion Swiatek eases into US Open second round
AFP
World number one Iga Swiatek got her US Open title defence off to a dominant start on Monday, flattening unseeded Swede Rebecca Peterson 6-0 6-1 to kick off the action on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The four-time Grand Slam champion fired off 20 winners and four aces to set up a second-round meeting with Australian Daria Saville.
Swiatek said that her tank was “pretty empty” after losing in the Montreal and Cincinnati semi-finals earlier this month but showed no lack of vigour as she opened her US Open campaign with an ace and blazed through the first set.
