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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2016)
April 6, 2016 The Skanner Page 9 News Scrutiny on Officials Worldwide Increases in Offshore Leaks LONDON (AP) — Iceland’s prime minister became the first major figure brought down by the leak of mil- lions of records on offshore accounts as the scrutiny intensified around officials from other countries, in- cluding Ukraine’s president. Icelandic leader Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson stepped aside Tuesday amid outrage over revelations he had used a shell company to shelter large sums while Iceland’s economy was in crisis. Officials in several other countries also are facing questions about possibly dubious offshore tax-avoid- ance schemes, following the publication of the names of rich and powerful people linked to the leaks, dubbed the Panama Papers. They include Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko who, the leaks show, set up an offshore holding com- pany to move his candy business offshore, possibly depriving Ukraine of millions of dollars in tax reve- nue. Poroshenko insists he has done nothing wrong and hasn’t managed his assets since being elected. Still, some adversaries are calling for his removal from of- fice. In Pakistan, Tackling Extremism is a Political Minefield ISLAMABAD (AP) — Tackling extremism is a politi- cal minefield in Pakistan, where politicians openly consort with leaders of banned militant groups and sympathy exists within the security forces and civil administration for perpetrators of crimes committed in the name of religion. As a result, many remain skeptical of the state’s ability to put an end to the mil- itant violence that kills hundreds of Pakistani civil- ians each year. A suicide bombing in a park in Lahore that killed 72 people, many of them Christians celebrating Easter Sunday, brought renewed international attention to Pakistan’s extremism problem. In the aftermath, se- curity forces arrested hundreds of suspected mili- tants. At the same time, however, demonstrators calling for the implementation of Islamic law and expressing their support for the man who murdered an anti-blas- phemy campaigner were allowed to congregate free- ly in the capital. On social media, pictures circulated showing senior members of Pakistan’s elite police forces praying at the grave of Mumtaz Qadri, the po- liceman charged with killing the secular, left-leaning politician Salman Tanseer because he defended a Christian woman accused of blasphemy. When Qadri was hanged for the murder in February, tens of thou- sands of Pakistanis rallied in his support. The sincerity of authorities’ efforts to tackle ex- tremism was further called into question when Rana Sanaullah, the law minister for Punjab province — of which Lahore is the capital — issued statements deny- ing that militant groups operated in the area. Yet outlawed and violent Sunni Muslim militant groups are widely known to be headquartered in Punjab province, though many hide behind different names, according to Zahid Hussein, an expert on mil- itancy in Pakistan. Cruz Win in Wisconsin Leaves Trump Damaged Front-Runner NEW YORK (AP) — Republican Donald Trump emerged from Wisconsin as a damaged front-runner following a crushing loss to rival Ted Cruz, deepen- ing questions about the billionaire businessman’s presidential qualifications and pushing the GOP to- ward a rare contested convention fight. Democrat Bernie Sanders also scored a sweeping victory in Wisconsin’s primary that gives him a fresh incentive to keep challenging Hillary Clinton. But Sanders still lags Clinton significantly in the delegate count. Both parties are turning their sights toward New York, which offers a massive delegate prize in its April 19 contests. It marks a homecoming of sorts for several candidates, with Trump, Clinton and Sanders all touting roots in the state. Trump, who has dominated the Republican race for months, suddenly finds himself on the defensive as the campaign moves east. He’s struggled through a se- ries of missteps, including his campaign manager’s ANTHONY WAHL/THE JANESVILLE GAZETTE VIA AP World News Briefs This March 24, 2016, file photo shows Republican Presidential candidate U.S. Senator Ted Cruz making a stop at the Armory restaurant in downtown Janesville, Wis. Donald Trump is planning Tuesday to make his first campaign visit to Wisconsin, where the upcoming Republican presidential primary could mark a turning point in the unpredictable GOP race. But rival Cruz has gotten a jumpstart on the contest, racking up influential endorsements, campaigning in key regions and supported by bullish advertising campaign. legal issues after an altercation with a female report- er and his own awkward explanation of his position on abortion. Exit polls in Wisconsin highlighted the deep wor- ries about Trump surging through some corners of the Republican Party. A majority of GOP voters said they’re either concerned about or scared of a poten- tial Trump presidency, according to surveys conduct- ed by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks. White House to Transfer Ebola Funds to Combat Zika virus WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is to announce Wednesday it will transfer leftover money from the largely successful fight against Ebola to combat the growing threat of the Zika virus, con- gressional officials say. Roughly 75 percent of the $600 million or so would be devoted to the Centers for Disease Control, which is focused on research and development of anti-Zika vaccines, treating those infected with the virus and combating the mosquitoes that spread it. The rest would go to foreign aid accounts to fight the virus overseas. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity be- See WORLD on page 10
