The former prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was shot dead whilst giving a speech in the city of Nara earlier this morning. A 41-year-old man was arrested by Japan’s security services at the scene of the murder, where Abe was delivering a speech. Video footage at the time shows gunshots being fired and the suspect apprehended with what appears to be a home-made gun. According to local reports, several possible explosive devices have since been recovered from the suspect’s home, who is said to be a former member of Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force. See more live coverage from the BBC here...
The European Union (EU) has resumed funding of two prominent Palestinian organisations after a year-long suspension, following unfounded "terror" allegations made by Israel. The European Commission sent letters several days ago to Al-Haq and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), informing them that their 13-month-long suspensions were lifted unconditionally and with immediate effect. According to information provided to Al Jazeera, the emails were sent soon after Al-Haq had launched legal proceedings against the Commission. Al-Haq said in a statement last Thursday that more than 13...
There are growing calls for an investigation into the deaths of at least 37 people who died at the fortified border of Melilla, Spain’s enclave in North Africa . About 2,000 people stormed the heavily fortified border between the Moroccan region of Nador and the Spanish enclave last week. The Moroccan authorities say 23 people died and 140 police were injured during the attempt, while several NGOs say the number of dead is at least 37. There are growing concerns that Moroccan authorities have already dug graves for the dead and apparently plan to bury them without investigating the cause of...
Finland, Sweden and Turkey have signed a joint memorandum at the NATO summit in Madrid, which addresses Turkey's concern about the nordic nation's support for Kurdish organisations and thus paves the way for the country's formal invitation to the military alliance. Turkey had previously stated that they would veto any invitation to both countries to join NATO, if they did not address "security concerns" and proscribe and clamp down on Kurdish organisations within their respective country. Finland and Sweden agreed to the demands put forward by Turkey, which include that, Sweden and Finland...
First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has announced a proposed date for an independence referendum on 19 October 2023. Sturgeon says she wants to hold a second independence referendum on 19 October 2023. If the UK government does not grant a section 30 order, which would allow the Scottish parliament to pass laws normally reserved for Westminister, Sturgeon will set out plans for what the Scottish government will do in response if the order is not granted, Sturgeon noted that the referendum must be lawful and is publishing today its Scottish independence referendum bill which includes three key...
A report by Oxfam has detailed that funding needed for climate disasters has risen more than 800% in 20 years, with half of all requested funding being unmet today. Danny Sriskandarajah, Oxfam GB’s chief executive, described the finance gap as “unacceptable”. Speaking to the Guardian, he said : “Rich countries are not only failing to provide sufficient humanitarian aid when weather-related disasters hit. They are also failing to keep their promise to provide $100bn a year to help developing countries adapt to the changing climate, and blocking calls for finance to help them recover from...
The national strike called by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) reached 12 days of protests on Friday, condemning the economic policies of Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso. The Indigenous leader Leonidas Iza on Tuesday demanded – among other things – that the government repeal the state of emergency decree and remove the military and police presence around places where protesters have gathered in Quito, the capital. But the minister of government on Wednesday said the government could not lift the state of emergency because it would leave “the capital...
The horn of Africa has suffered four consecutive failed rainy seasons and is experiencing its worst drought in four decades, stressing food supplies already exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine. Michael Dunford, the World Food Programme regional director for east Africa has called on governments to donate urgently to the horn of Africa, if they are to avert catastrophe 89 million people are now considered “acutely food insecure” by the WFP, which has grown by almost 90% in the past year. “Unfortunately, I do not see [that rate of growth] slowing down. If anything, it seems to be...
A group of high-level British lawyers are compiling evidence that could hold as many as 10 countries responsible for the failure to prevent genocide against the Yazidis in northern Iraq. The lawyers, who announced the collaboration as the Yazidi Justice Committee (YJC) on Tuesday have been investigating over the past two and half years the genocide committed from early 2013 by the Islamic State. The YJC is expected to name three countries in a report next month when the work is complete. The report will be launched on the 6 July. Aarif Abraham, an international human rights barrister and co-...
More than 250 people mostly from the Amhara ethnic group, have been killed in an attack in the Oromia region of Ethiopia on Saturday. The attack reportedly began around 09:00 on Saturday and continued until about 13.00. Calls were made by residents to district authorities but help only came hours later. "[Regional] special forces and the army arrived late in the afternoon around five. No-one came to help us until then," one resident said speaking to the BBC. An advocacy group, the Amhara Association of America, puts the death toll at 378 and says it has identified 176 victims by name. Another...