The lives of two ISIS hostages hang in the balance. One former Taliban member swapped for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl may have gone back to his old ways. And rescuers in Mexico save babies from rubble after an explosion at a maternity hospital.
ISIS
Waiting and watching: A prisoner swap didn’t go through yesterday, and the fate of two hostages held by ISIS is up in the air. A video purportedly from the Islamist extremists demanded Jordan drop off convicted terrorist Sajida al-Rishawi at the Turkish border before sundown. Jordan said they weren’t willing to do that without a sign their hostage was still alive. The video message included a threat to kill the Jordanian pilot and a Japanese hostage, if al-Rishawi was not released. But it didn’t mention any promise of releasing the two in exchange for her.
BERGDAHL SWAP
Up to no good, maybe: Remember those five Taliban Gitmo detainees released in return for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl? U.S. intelligence officials say one of them may be trying to get back into militant activities. He lives in Qatar, but he’s been in contact with suspected Taliban members in Afghanistan, they say. It’s fairly common for former detainees to go back to old ways. A congressional report says 17% are confirmed to have done so, and about 12% more are “suspected” of it.
HERNANDEZ TRIAL
‘I love you:’ When it comes to justice, love doesn’t matter in the state of Massachusetts. Couples can be called to testify against each other. That means former NFL star Aaron Hernandez, who is on trial for the slaying of his buddy Odin Lloyd may have to watch his own fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins take the stand to possibly incriminate him. That’s the prosecution’s intention. She’s on their witness list, but she’s already in trouble with them, because, they say, she lied during grand jury hearings. In the courtroom, Hernandez can often be seen mouthing the words to her: “I love you.”
EGYPT ATTACK
Wild Sinai: Since former President Mohamed Morsy was deposed in 2013, an Islamist insurgency has raged on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Yesterday, at least 26 people were killed and dozens more wounded, including civilians, when ISIS-aligned militants attacked army and police positions. They set off car bombs and fired mortar rounds in the town of Al-Arish, hitting a hotel and an army base. Jihad group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claimed responsibility for the assaults.
MEXICO HOSPITIAL BLAST
Babes in arms: It’s awful that two babies died but it may have been pure luck that more didn’t perish, when a gas explosion flattened a maternity hospital in Mexico City yesterday. A nurse was also killed. Judging from the masses of crumbled concrete and twisted steel that fell while more than 100 people were inside, things could have been much, much worse. Dozens of people were injured, and rescuers, fearful rubble may have buried babies, rushed in, scooped them up in their arms and rushed back out.
There you go. All you need to know to get an early start to your morning.
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