BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 09: In this undated handout photo provided by the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) neo-Nazi Beate Zschaepe is shown at an undisclosed location.
Neo Nazi Charged — Beate Zschäpe, 37, has been charged with the murders of 10 people, 15 armed robberies and two bomb attacks, the BBC reports. Zschäpe, who helped found the Neo Nazi group, the National Socialist Underground, carried out the crimes with other members over the past 12 years. Now the sole surviving member, she will likely face life in prison if convicted. Der Spiegel writes that Zschäpe’s case has made many doubt the effectiveness of German security services, as it took the authorities more than a decade to arrest the alleged murderer. For a while, they mistakenly blamed the attacks on the rivalry between immigrant gangs, according to the BBC.
Assad State of Affairs — During an interview with Russian journalists, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he would never leave Syria and that if the West dared topple him, “nobody can tell what is next,” Reuters reports. Assad’s remarks might well be seen as a direct response to British Prime Minister David Cameron, who said Assad’s exile could help end the 19-month-long conflict that has killed more than 38,000 people. Cameron said one of the first things he wants to talk about to re-elected U.S. President Barack Obama is how to solve the conflict in Syria, TIME’s Vivienne Walt reports.
Foxconn Factories — Despite ongoing scandals, the Taiwanese manufacturer plans to open factories in Detroit and Los Angeles, according to the Guardian. Foxconn, one of the world’s largest employers, has been in the news recently for a series of controversies in its Chinese factories, including worker suicides and industrial accidents, as well as hiring underage workers, the Guardian notes. Chairman Terry Gou said the company’s U.S. factories will likely assemble flatscreen TV sets instead of Apple products, which are mostly put together in China. In addition to opening factories in the U.S., Foxconn also plans to start new factories in Indonesia. Outside China, the company currently has eight factories in Brazil.
Sex Abuse Allegations — The former chauffeur for the deceased British TV presenter Jimmy Savile has been arrested over rape allegations, writes the BBC. However, Detective Inspector Simon Davies has made it “absolutely clear” that the investigation into the chauffeur is not connected with the ongoing Savile inquiry. Savile, who died in 2011, is currently under investigation regarding sex abuse allegations. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron was confronted on Thursday by daytime television presenter Phillip Schofield with a list of names taken from the internet of Tory politicians allegedly involved in child sex abuse claims, reports the Guardian. A clearly taken aback PM warned, “there is a danger if we are not careful that this can turn into a sort of witch-hunt, particularly about people who are gay.”
Argentinian Anger – Thousands of people took to the streets of Buenos Aires on Thursday in what was Argentina’s biggest anti-government demonstration in years, notes the Guardian. The peaceful protestors, which included toddlers and grandparents, crowded into the central Plaza de Mayo, banging on pots, blowing on whistles and calling out “We’re not afraid.” Large numbers of Argentinians have become critical of the country’s high inflation, violent crime and high levels of corruption. Demonstrations were held in cities across the country and outside Argentinian embassies around the world. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was re-elected last year with 54% of the vote, but has seen approval ratings fall dramatically in recent months.
Combet Combats – The Australian Climate Minister Greg Combet has announced that Australia is ready for the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, reports the BBC. This “second commitment” could renew pledges, aimed at fighting global warming, to limit emissions until 2020. Combet highlighted that Australia’s participation in the second phase would be conditional on access to Kyoto market mechanisms from next year. “From 2020 we expect all countries – including the United States, the European Union, China, Japan, India, Indonesia and South Korea – will be part of a new agreement to reduce emissions,” said the Climate Minister on Friday.