--- title: "While you were sleeping: 20 June 2017" description: "Fury over American prisoner death, UN steps into border dispute, and another van attack in Paris." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "South Africa" author: "John Stupart" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-06-20-while-you-were-sleeping-20-june-2017/" published: "2017-06-20T06:16:08" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 740 --- # While you were sleeping: 20 June 2017 > Fury over American prisoner death, UN steps into border dispute, and another van attack in Paris. By John Stupart · Published 20 June 2017, 08:16 SAST ## Content **Tuesday, 20 June 2017** *“Numbers constitute the only universal language.”* **Nathanael West** ![Image](https://i2.createsend1.com/ei/d/48/C3B/4F6/csimport/849x493q70Prasa-Fraser1.053851.jpg) STORY OF THE DAY [Scorpio: SA’s spy boss implicated in massive tender fraud at Prasa](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-kihypt-l-x/) By PAULI VAN WYK The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) seems to be paralysed by systemic corruption. A recent investigation by National Treasury found that only 13 out of 216 contracts awarded between 2012 and 2015, all with a value exceeding R10-million, were above board. Sfiso Buthelezi, the former Prasa board chair and recently appointed Deputy Minister of Finance, must be criminally charged for turning a blind eye to the state entity being fleeced, his own department had found. And now it turns out one of those who benefitted from a corrupt tender is the spy boss Arthur Fraser. [US Student released from North Korea dies](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-kihypt-l-m/) Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American student sentenced to 15 years hard labour in North Korea for stealing a sign, has died. Released on 13 June, Warmbier had been transferred to the United States after suffering what seemed to be a coma. North Korean officials insist Warmbier contracted Botulism, but American doctors examining the student disagree. President Donald Trump slammed the "brutal regime" of North Korea. [UN steps into Djibouti-Eritrea dispute](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-kihypt-l-c/) The United Nations Security Council has urged a peaceful resolution to a flare up in the countries' border dispute. Tensions rose after Djibouti accused Eritrea of moving troops following a Qatari peacekeeper withdrawal. With neither side playing nice about the situation at present, it might be up to the UN to put some more babysitting blue helmets in between them. [Paris van attacker killed in Champs-Elysees attack](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-kihypt-l-q/) The man responsible for driving a van packed with guns and a gas bottle into police at the Champs-Elysees has been killed in the attempt. The assailant, a known jihadist suspect on France's security watchlist, had driven his van into the lead car of a police convoy on Monday. Although local metro stations were closed following the attack, French officials re-opened public transport near the Champs-Elysees after just two hours. Snafu for France's fight against terrorism, then. [Nasa finds more exoplanets](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-kihypt-l-a/) On Monday Nasa revealed the discovery of 10 new exoplanets. Possibly containing water and supporting life, the 10 planets were part of a large haul of several hundred new planets discovered by the Kepler mission team. Thus far a total of 50 such habitable planets are now on Nasa's books. None of which are currently reachable, but that's nothing Elon Musk can't fix. — IN NUMBERS 4.53 The height in metres of a mountain (Tenp?) in Japan. FACTS OF THE DAY Today in 1975 **Jaws** is released. 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