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-
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