News Roundup 9/3/18

Photo Courtesy: CNN Politics

1. Journalists in Myanmar Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

Wa Lone, 32-years-old, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28-years-old, are citizens of Myanmar. Lone and Soe Oo were journalists working for Reuters, an international news organization. On September 3rd, Judge Ye Lwin found Lone and Soe Oo guilty under a state secrets act sentencing them to seven years in prison. The two were investigating the murders of 10 Rohingya men by the Myanma Army in September of 2017, in the northern Rakhine region. Lone and Soe Oo believe this was a set-up, the two were arrested after being handed official documents by police officers whom they had never met prior. In the past year, 700,000 Rohingya people have fled violence within the country. Last week, The UN released a report calling for Myanmar's military leaders to face charges for their actions, but Myanmar rejected the report. Lone and Soe Oo continue to attest to their innocence.

Source: BBC News

2. Tropical Storm Gordon Drenches Florida

As of Monday, September 3rd, Florida has been experiencing heavy rainfall due to Tropical Storm Gordon. While the Gulf Coast states are expected to experience rain, states as far north as Kansas and Iowa can be affected by heavy rainfalls. The National Hurricane Center estimates there will be two to six inches of rainfall between Florida and Texas, starting September 3rd, 2018 until Thursday. A Hurricane Warning has been issued for the states Louisiana and Florida by the National Weather Service, where the expected category one storm can hit as early as Tuesday evening.

Source: Forbes

3. President Donald Trump Denounces Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Twitter

President Donald Trump posted on Twitter speaking against Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Justice Department on September 3rd. The tweets were over the indictments of Representative Duncan Hunter and Representative Chris Collins, who were both early supporters of President Trump’s campaign. Representative Duncan Hunter was charged with counts of wired fraud, falsifying records, campaign finance violations and conspiracy. He was indicted for using campaign funds for personal use. Representative Chris Collins was charged with 13 counts of security fraud, wired fraud, and false statements in regards to an alleged insider trading plot. No comment was made by the Justice Department thus far.

Source: CNN Politics

4. Fire Destroys Collections in Brazil’s National Museum                                                                       
On Sunday evening, September 2nd, Brazil’s National Museum in Rio de Janeiro erupted in flames. It is currently unknown how the fire started, but was reported that the museum was already closed. The 200-year-old structure was home to 20 million historical artifacts and documents, making it Latin America’s largest collection. While the museum’s director is unable to determine how much of the relics were lost to the fire, it is believed that the objects in the main building are completely destroyed, including the oldest human skull found in the Western hemisphere.

Source: CBS News

5. Four-Hundred Prisoners Escape Prison in Libya

On September 2nd, a riot broke out in the nearby prison in the southern suburbs of the Libyan capital Tripoli, leading to the escape of about 400 prisoners. It is reported that the prisoners were convicted of either common crimes or for their support of Muammar Gaddafi, the former dictator guilty of murdering dissidents during the 2011 uprising that ended his regime. Police released a statement detailing that prisoners were able to force the doors open to leave, while guards, in fear of their lives, were unable to put an end to the escape.

Source: The Telegraph