The Presidential Daily Brief

Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s First Black President, Dies at 95

The “father of South Africa” and anti-apartheid icon, Nelson Mandela, has died. The former leader was being treated at home for a lung infection after spending three months in hospital. After spending 27 years in prison, Mandela led South Africa’s transition against racial oppression. “Our nation has lost its greatest son,” South Africa President Jacob Zuma said during his TV announcement of the leader’s passing.

Sources: NYT, BBC, USA Today

Globe Mourns Mandela’s Passing

Reactions to the loss of an international icon of peace and justice came quickly after the world learned of the passing of former South African president Nelson Mandela. ”Perhaps his greatest legacy was his willingness and ability to reach across the many fault lines in South Africa society,” wrote one prominent human rights attorney, of the man many called Madiba. From Detroit to Twitter, thoughts and remembrances poured in moments after the breaking news banner headlines hit the Web.

Sources: South Africa’s Mail & Guardian, MSNBC, USA Today, In pictures: TIME, Social media: Mercury News

Top College QB Won’t Face Rape Charges

College football star and Heisman Trophy favorite Jameis Winston will not be charged with sexual assault in a case that captivated sports pages across the country. A woman accused Winston of rape last year in Tallahassee, Fla., and later accused local police of favoring the star athlete in the city that is home to the No. 1 ranked Florida State University Seminoles. Many Heisman voters were waiting on a resolution before casting their ballots, ESPN reported. The voting deadline is Monday. 

Sources: ESPN, USA Today, CNN

Biden’s China Visit Focuses on Flight Zone Dispute

Vice President Joe Biden received a mixed welcome in Beijing, where he met with China’s President Xi Jinping. The visit was supposed to cover a wide range of issues, but China’s ongoing airspace dispute with Japan dominated the discussions. The VP confirmed that the U.S. would uphold its treaty obligations to Japan, but stressed that America doesn’t want to be involved in military clashes between the two countries. Xi echoed Biden’s comments on the importance of increasing cooperation between Washington and Beijing, but stood firm on the legitimacy of the “air defense identification zone” and called on the U.S. to respect China’s core interests.

Sources: NYT, Reuters, ChinaDaily

European Banks Fined $2.3 Billion for Interest Rate Collusion

The European Commission has fined eight major banks, including JPMorgan and Citigroup, a total of $2.3 billion for rigging interest rates. Two banks — Barclays and UBS — were granted immunity because they helped reveal the manipulation of the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, and its euro equivalent. Joaquin Almunia, the EU Competition Commissioner, said he was shocked at the scale of the scam and assured that EU antitrust regulators would continue to investigate and combat rate-rigging. The CEO of Deutsche Bank claims that such collusion is a “legacy issue,” but how much have the banks really changed?

Sources: USA Today, NPR

Libyan Assembly Votes for Sharia Law

Islamic law will underpin all of Libya’s legislation and state institutions, following a vote by the General National Congress on Wednesday. The scope of the change is uncertain, but it could have a substantial impact on the banking, criminal and financial systems. A new constitution is now being drafted, two years after the uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi and prompted fierce internal debate on the role of Islam in Libyan society and government. With the approval of an official Sharia-based legal system — one of just 12 in the world — it seems that debate is over.

Source: Al Jazeera

Canada Rocked by a Series of Soldier Suicides

The Canadian military is under scrutiny following three soldier suicides in recent days, and the announcement of a possible fourth. All of the deceased had served in Afghanistan. On Tuesday, Roméo Dallaire, a senator and former general who suffers from PTSD, fell asleep at the wheel of his car and crashed. He has been unable to sleep lately , which he attributes in part to the recent suicides. Canada’s defense minister urged struggling soldiers to link with available support services but those services may not be enough — it is believed that for every soldier suicide, there are up to 12 attempts by others.

Sources: CBC, Toronto Star

Obama Eyes Inequality, Violence Strikes Yemen

South African icon Nelson Mandela has died. (NYT).

Obama promises to target inequality. (NYT).

Bombing and a gun battle hit Yemen. (The Guardian).

The big test for Iran’s nuclear deal. (NPR).

Stolen radioactive material found in Mexico. (CNN).

French parliament passes prostitution bill. (Al Jazeera).