Brazilian teacher, 71, stabbed to death by student, 5 others wounded

A 13-year-old student in Brazil’s biggest city fatally stabbed a 71-year-old teacher and wounded three teachers and two fellow students Monday in a knife attack at a public school, state officials said.

The five wounded victims from the Thomazia Montoro school in São Paulo were in hospital in stable condition. The suspected attacker was detained and the state's military police are investigating.

"Our efforts are concentrated on helping the wounded and comforting the family members," Gov. Tarcísio de Freitas wrote on social media.

RIO POLICE RAID SLUM TO ARREST DRUG LORDS, PROMPT GUN BATTLE

A student who spoke to reporters alongside his mother outside the school said the attacker had insulted another student last week, and that the female teacher he fatally stabbed had tried to settle the conflict.

The attacker had called the other student a "rat," and "the other one did not like it, and they began fighting," said Gabriel Livramento, 13, who is in the same class as the suspect. He added that the attacker did not like the way the teacher had intervened and had said he would do something about it.

3 DEAD IN RIOTING BLAMED ON GANGS IN BRAZIL'S NORTHEAST

The attacker entered class Monday wearing a skull mask and stabbed the teacher from behind, hitting her head and back, Livramento said. The entire class then started running, he said.

The boy had searched for ways to obtain a firearm on the internet, authorities said in an afternoon press conference. He had recently been transferred from another school.

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Scotland elects first Muslim leader, Humza Yousaf, descendant of Pakistani immigrants

Humza Yousaf, a Muslim and descendant of Pakistani immigrants, was elected by Scotland’s governing party Monday to be the country’s next leader. 

The 37-year-old Glasgow-born Yousaf is set to be confirmed as first minister during a session of the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh on Tuesday. He now faces the challenge of uniting his party, the Scottish National Party, and reenergizing the push for independence from the United Kingdom. 

Yousaf, who currently is Scotland's health minister, beat two other Scottish lawmakers in a contest to replace First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. She unexpectedly stepped down last month after eight years as leader of the party and of Scotland's semi-autonomous government.

SNP members chose Yousaf over Scottish finance minister Forbes by a margin of 52% to 48%, after third-placed candidate Ash Regan was eliminated in a first vote. Turnout among the 72,000 members was 70%.

WOMEN, ACTIVISTS SKEWER U.K. POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR LISTING ‘RAPE’ AS A ‘NON-EMERGENCY’ CRIME

Yousaf has promised to push forward a controversial bill to make it easier for Scottish people to legally change their gender. The bill was passed by the Scottish parliament but blocked by the U.K. government.

Scottish voters backed remaining in the U.K. in a 2014 referendum that was billed as a once-in-a-generation decision. The SNP wants a new vote, but London has refused to authorize one, and the U.K. Supreme Court has ruled that Scotland can't hold one without London's consent.

Yousaf said he would ask the Conservative government in London for authorization to hold a new referendum. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said the answer remained no.

Yousaf has also said he wants to build a "settled, sustained" majority for independence. Polls currently suggest Scottish voters are split about evenly on the issue.

"To those in Scotland who don't yet share the passion I do for independence, I will aim to earn your trust by continuing to govern well," Yousaf said.

Critics say Yousaf, who served in several posts in Sturgeon's government, bears some responsibility for Scotland's long healthcare waiting times, homelessness problem and high drug death toll.

Independent pollster Mark Diffley said that while the SNP members who elected Yousaf are passionately concerned about independence, the new leader "will now have to pivot really quite sharply towards what public priorities are, which is not the same."

"It's more about supporting people through the cost of living crisis, getting economic growth, improving public services," Diffley said. "That's where reality will bite, I think, pretty soon."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.  

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Pakistani court rules in defense of former Prime Minister Imran Kahn

Another Pakistani court on Monday ruled in defense of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, granting him protection from arrest as lawsuits mounted against him. Police have charged the ousted premier with incitement to violence in several cases when his followers clashed with security forces this month.

The latest reprieve for Khan comes as a political crisis roils Pakistan, pitting the former cricket star turned Islamist politician against the government of his successor, Shahbaz Sharif, and spilling into violence in the streets.

Khan was ousted through a no-confidence vote in Parliament last April. Since then, the 70-year-old opposition leader has had more than 100 legal cases filed against him, including on charges of terrorism, incitement to violence and graft while in office.

TOP PAKISTANI INTELLIGENCE OFFICER ASSASSINATED BY SUSPECTED TALIBAN MILITANTS

He has unsuccessfully campaigned for early elections, and has claimed, without providing evidence, that there are numerous plots to assassinate him.

The Islamabad High Court on Monday ruled that Khan cannot be arrested — at least for another week — in seven separate cases over March 18 clashes between his followers and police outside a court in the Pakistani capital where Khan was to appear on graft charges.

Khan's supporters hurled stones at the officers and scuffled with police, who fired tear gas and beat the crowd with batons. Islamabad police have since then arrested nearly 400 Khan supporters over that and other incidents.

PAKISTAN COURT GRANTS FORMER OUSTED PRIME MINISTER IMRAN KHAN BAIL IN TERRORISM CASES

As Khan arrived for the hearing and walked into the Islamabad court earlier on Monday under tight security, his bodyguards held up bulletproof shields around him for protection. Police also detained Khan's personal photographer at the scene and several Khan followers.

Footage distributed on social media shows police dragging, pushing and shoving detained Khan followers into a police truck parked near the court. In their crackdown on Khan's supporters, police last week also detained Azhar Mashwani, the head of Khan's social media team, and others.

Monday's ruling echoed those of a court in the eastern city of Lahore which recently granted multiple bails to the former prime minister. Under Pakistani law, such court decisions shield a suspect from arrest.

Khan has mostly avoided court appearances since last November, when he was wounded in a gun attack at a protest rally in the eastern Punjab province. One of his supporters was killed and 13 were wounded in that attack.

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North Korean forced into marriages, sex slavery in China’s ‘Red Zone,’ human rights group says

Hundreds of thousands of North Korean women have been forced into marriages, sold into sex slavery, or sent to work in detention camps after escaping their despotic country and finding themselves trapped in China’s so-called "Red Zone," a human rights group says. 

A new study released Friday by international human rights law firm Global Rights Compliance details the horrific scenarios many women and girls – some as young as 12 – have gone through after escaping North Korea. 

The organization’s North Korea Lead Legal Advisor, Sofia Evangelou, told The Telegraph the situation spiraled out of control during the COVID-19 pandemic as many vulnerable women found themselves stuck inside China’s locked down borders, making them an easy target for sex traffickers. 

"The current situation leaves North Korean women and girls exposed to the start reality of either being sold into a lifetime of sexual and mental abuse, slavery, forced, labor, or reaching freedom," she said.

KIM JONG UN'S DIPLOMATS GET AN UNWANTED SURPRISE

One North Korean woman who’d been trafficked told the Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights she was sold off to a Chinese man who regularly beat her because she couldn’t get pregnant. 

Another woman was sent back to a forced labor camp and tried to hide her pregnancy from authorities so they wouldn’t force her to have an abortion. Weeks later, she drowned in a river, overworked and malnourished. 

The U.S. State Department says many North Korea refugees and asylum seekers living irregularly in China are particularly vulnerable to traffickers who lure, drug, detain, or kidnap North Korean women upon arrival. 

As many as 30,000 children born in China to North Korean women and Chinese men have not been registered upon birth, rendering them stateless and vulnerable to possible exploitation, the State Department says.

"A full investigation into the human rights abuses suffered by women in and around North Korea is urgently needed," Evangelou said. "If nothing is done to address the urgent human rights situation for North Korean women, the situation will only get worse." 

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Netanyahu tells Piers Morgan democracy is safe in Israel despite his moves to wrest control of ‘too powerful’

Israel’s under-fire Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted he’s NOT trying to destroy democracy amid the worst protests in the country’s history over his controversial move to control judicial power.

As hundreds of thousands of Israelis marched again through the streets of major cities like Tel Aviv, and numerous world leaders including President Biden warned him not to imperil democracy, Netanyahu accused Israel’s Supreme Court of becoming "too powerful" and "nullifying" government decisions with "unacceptable" interventions.

And he strongly defended his reforms, which critics say would wreck the Court’s independence, handing power over selection of judges, and the right to overrule Court decisions, to politicians like him and his government.

In a world exclusive interview with me for my show "Piers Morgan Uncensored" (airing on Fox Nation tomorrow, Monday) Netanyahu said: "There is one other thing that characterizes the judiciary in Israel and that is that the judges veto the appointment of judges, they effectively select themselves and that doesn’t exist in any democracy. The reform that we’re dealing with right now corrects that."

ISRAEL'S NETANYAHU FIRES DEFENSE MINISTER OVER OPPOSITION TO JUDICIAL OVERHAUL; PROTEST ERUPT

He added: "There’s a lot of tension right now and I wish it wasn’t so, but I’m quite confident that we’ll get over this difficulty, because you have to reform things that get ossified. Right now, you have a situation where 15 unelected members of the supreme court effectively govern Israel. They can decide things that affect our military, our economy, our foreign relations, our battle with terrorism, is that right? Is that democratic? No, it’s not democratic. You want to correct it. Israel is democratic in the sense of you vote for a government but when you vote for a government you want that government to govern. Right now the powers of that government to govern are severely restricted by a supreme court that has more powers than in any other democracy on Earth. You don’t say that those other democracies are somehow tainted, somehow not democratic because they have a better balance of power."

And he cited America’s system as one he is pushing to replicate, and proof that it works.

"In America for example," he said, "Who picks the judges? Politicians. The President, the politicians then have to affirm. That’s replicated in most of the democracies in one way or the other. How are the judges independent? They’re independent because once they’re there, they’re there either until retirement or until life and that’s what happened in the US just now, the former President (Trump) chose some very strong conservative judges and the first opportunity they voted against him, because they’re independent. So, the independence of the judiciary will always be maintained."

But his critics say Netanyahu has another reason for wanting to control Israel’s courts, and that’s because he is embroiled in an ongoing corruption and bribery trial and wants to ensure he can’t be convicted.

And the country’s first female Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, just accused him of breaking the law by directly involving himself in an overhaul of the judiciary while facing these serious charges, branding it illegal and tainted by a conflict of interest.

Netanyahu slammed her statement as "completely false" and said:

"I maintain the same conflict of interest restraints, and I’m abiding by every consideration that my case is not going to be affected by this legal reform one iota. But I am the Prime Minister of Israel, Israel is going through the most acute crisis in many years, to say that the Prime Minister of Israel cannot deal with something to try and bring a resolution to this crisis, cannot speak about it, cannot try to resolve this issue, cannot take care of the security of the country? This is absurd. As Prime Minister of Israel have a responsibility to see if I can somehow bring the conclusion to this impasse, somehow bring a resolution so we have responsible judicial democratic reform and at the same time keep the country together. Who’s going to do that if not the Prime Minister?"

The opposition to Netanyahu’s move on the judiciary has grown to include generals, scholars, entrepreneurs, and former heads of Mossad, all queuing up to condemn the reforms.

In an alarming escalation of the crisis, reservist fighter pilots refused to attend a training exercise and were joined by around 650 members of the Israeli Defense Force’s special forces command and military intelligence cyberwarfare units. 

A once unthinkable development given Netanyahu’s regular boast that he is Israel’s "Mr Security."

BILL CONCENTRATING POWER IN NETANYAHU COALITION ADVANCES, ISRAELI LEGAL REFORM PROCEEDS

Now even members of his own coalition government have broken ranks to slam it.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a former Navy SEAL, called for him to immediately halt the plans, describing them as a "clear, immediate and tangible danger to the security of the State."

Netanyahu fired Gallant on Sunday, prompting Israel’s Consul General in New York, Asaf Zamir, to resign in protest.

And in a sign that he is preparing to water down the bill, Netanyahu made a renewed call to his opponents to negotiate and told me: "There is one consideration that the critics and the opponents of the judicial reform raise, and I think it’s a valid concern and that is you want to go from one extreme to the center. You don’t want the pendulum to swing to the other side where the Knesset, our Parliament, can nullify any decision of the Supreme Court and I think that requires a balance. I agree with that."

Along with the reform protests there has been a dramatic increase in tension and violence with 88 Palestinians and 15 Israelis killed so far this year, the highest rate of deaths in two decades.

Many say this deadly toll is being fueled by incendiary rhetoric from far-right extremists in Netanyahu’s government, and in particular, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who once called for the segregation of maternity wards of Arab and Jewish newborns, to be separated at birth.

Smotrich is now in charge of the civil administration of the occupied West Bank and sparked outrage last week by calling for the Palestinian town of Huwara to be "wiped out" by the State of Israel, after two Israeli soldiers were killed by Palestinians. 

Netanyahu admitted these comments were "totally unacceptable" but said: "Be fair to him, I don’t know if it was 20 minutes later or 30 minutes later or a few hours later, he said, ‘I was misunderstood, that’s not what I meant.’ We don’t believe in collective punishment. I go after the terrorists, I go after those who support the terrorists. But I don’t believe in collective punishment."

Smotrich caused more fury in a speech denying the Palestinians’ very existence, saying: "Who was the first Palestinian king? What language do the Palestinians have? Was there ever a Palestinian currency? Is there a Palestinian history or culture? Nothing. There is no such thing as a Palestinian people."

Netanyahu said he didn’t agree with that view but risked further angering Palestinians by clarifying: "I think there wasn’t a Palestinian people in the 19th century, clearly. Their national consciousness galvanized in the 20th century. And the question is will hold into the future? That’s something that has to be seen. But I think they’re there. They’re definitely living among us and we have to live among them."

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Israel's Netanyahu fires defense minister over opposition to judicial overhaul

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defense minister after he warned that a planned judicial overhaul could fracture the country's military. 

Netanyahu's office released a short statement on Sunday saying that the prime minister "has decided, this evening, to dismiss Defense Minister Yoav Gallant."

Gallant, a member of Netanyahu's ruling Likud party, said in a televised speech on Saturday that the judicial overhaul is "a clear, immediate and tangible danger to the security of the state."

"As Minister of Defense of the State of Israel, I emphasize that the growing rift in our society penetrates the IDF and security agencies," Gallant said. "I will not allow this. But now, I declare loudly and publicly, for the sake of Israel's security, for the sake of our sons and daughters – the legislative process should be stopped."

Netanyahu, who has argued that unelected Supreme Court justices wield too much power, has pushed forward with his plans for a judicial overhaul, which would give the governing coalition more say over judicial appointments and limit judicial review of laws. 

"We must all stand up strongly against refusals," Netanyahu tweeted on Sunday. 

Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in protest for weeks. Demonstrators clashed with police outside Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem on Sunday evening, Haaretz reports. Some protesters breached barricades around the prime minister's home, according to Channel 12 News Israel. 

ISRAELI FORCES KILL THREE PALESTINIAN MILITANTS IN WEST BANK GUNFIGHT

The Movement for Quality of Government in Israel, which opposes the judicial overhaul and has helped organize the demonstrations, condemned Gallant's dismissal on Sunday. 

"Netanyahu has proved once again that he is unfit for office. He is not institutionally, ethically, or morally qualified," the organization said in a statement. "The Movement will consider legal action to stop this scandalous and disgraceful dismissal."

Opposition leader Yair Lapid called Netanyahu a "danger to the security of the State of Israel" after Gallant's dismissal. 

"The dismissal of the Minister of Defense, Yoav [Gallant], just because he warned of a threat to Israel's security is a new low for an anti-Zionist government that harms national security and ignores the warning of all security officials," Lapid tweeted. "Netanyahu can fire Gallant, but he cannot fire reality and cannot fire the people of Israel who are standing up to the insanity of the coalition."

ISRAELI PROTESTERS TAKE TO STREETS TO BLAST NETANYAHU 'JUDICIAL REFORMS' AS PM CALLS FOR UNITY

Asaf Zamir, the Consul General of Israel in New York, resigned from his post on Sunday after Gallant's dismissal. 

Nearly 300 Israeli Air Force reserve soldiers and officers did not report for training earlier this month in protest of the judicial overhaul, according to i24NEWS. Hundreds of protesters who described themselves as volunteer reservists from military special forces and intelligence agencies also wrote a letter last week saying that they would not turn up for duty, the Israeli news outlet reported. 

Netanyahu's coalition in parliament passed the first of a series of laws on Thursday that says an Israeli leader can only be deemed unfit to rule for health or mental reasons. The opposition claims that the law was passed specifically for Netanyahu, who is currently on trial for fraud, breach of trust, and other charges. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Hong Kong police allow protest for first time in years—under strict rules

Authorities in Hong Kong allowed a protest event for the first time in years on Sunday, but it took place under strict rules that would be unacceptable in most Western countries.

Hong Kong Police required each of the protesters to wear a numbered badge around their necks throughout the event, and organizers were required to ensure no more than 100 people attended. The group, which ended up numbering roughly 80 people, was protesting the construction of new trash processing facilities.

Police surrounded the group as they walked as a roped-off unit.

It was the first demonstration in Hong Kong since the massive protests of 2019 as China was imposing its authority over the city. Tens of thousands of people took place in those demonstrations, with protesters covering their faces in an attempt to thwart authorities' facial recognition systems.

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"I’m not happy but we have to accept it. We have to accept what is deemed legal now," Theresa Wang, 70, told Time.

MASSIVE HONG KONG FIRE CONSUMES SKYSCRAPER UNDER CONSTRUCTION, RAINING BURNING EMBERS ONTO STREET

Another protester, Jack Wong, said he objected to having to wear an ID badge during the event.

"But if it is a requirement, what can I say? I prefer not to comment further. You know what I mean," he told the magazine.

Earlier in March, Hong Kong police arrested a veteran labor activist who is also the wife of an organizer of annual vigils commemorating China’s 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

Officers arrested Elizabeth Tang, the wife of Lee Cheuk-yan, outside Stanley Prison but it was still unclear for what reason, according to sources who declined to be identified for fear of government retribution.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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