WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

In recent weeks Yemen’s Houthi armed group has shot down seven US Reaper drones worth over $200m. The drones destroyed between 31 March and 22 April mark Washington's most significant material loss.  Three of the drones were destroyed in the past week, suggesting an improvement in the Houthis’ ability to strike high-altitude US aircraft.  The drones were conducting surveillance or…

New leak exposes China’s systematic tracking of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang

<p>A document leaked to Deutsche Welle (DW) exposes how China is using high-tech surveillance to track every Uighur Muslim in Xinjiang.</p> <p>The newly leaked document reveals that Uighurs are being tracked by their identity, religion, locations and their habits. It also lists hundreds of detainees and the reasons for their detention.</p> <p>“Having a beard”, “wife wearing a face veil” and “having too many children” are some of the reasons why Uighur Muslims are being detained in Xinjiang.</p> <p>DW’s analysis of the document highlights that China subjects Uighur Muslims to draconian methods of tracking and arrests.</p>

British MP and Kashmiri rights campaigner denied entry to India

<p>Labour MP, Debbie Abrahams, was denied entry into India yesterday, without any reason being given.</p> <p>The MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, who is also the Chair of the All-Party-Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Kashmir, was told that her e-visa was invalid and was flown out to Dubai.</p> <p>Immigration officials at Delhi airport told the British MP that her e-visa, which was issued in October 2019 and was valid until October 2020, has been rejected.</p> <p>She said she was “treated like a criminal” before she was put back on a plane to Dubai.</p>

Over 20 NGOs call to lift internet restriction in Rakhine and Chin States

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and 27 other non-government organisations have called upon the Government of Myanmar to lift the restrictions on the internet in eight townships in Rakhine State and one in Chin State.

Former SriLankan Airlines chief arrested after Airbus bribery scandal

The former chief executive officer of the debt riddled SriLankan Airlines and his wife have been arrested, after a corruption scandal involving the French aerospace company Airbus revealed the couple may have accepted millions of dollars in bribes.

The arrests come after Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) found alleged corruption in dealings between Airbus and Sri Lankan Airlines date back to between July 2011 and June 2015. SFO found that Airbus had paid $2 million to Priyanka Wijenayakathe, the wife of the then Sri Lankan Airlines executive Kapila Chandrasena.

Sudan will fully cooperate with the ICC

 

Sudan’s Sovereign Council and government have announced that they will be fully operating with the International Criminal Court (ICC), who will charge former Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir with charges of genocide for his role in the Darfur. 

UN lists 112 companies complicit in Israel’s illegal occupations

For the first time, the UN has released a list of over 100 companies involved in the violation of Palestinian rights and illegal occupation of the West Bank.

The New York Times, notes that the UNHRC has never requested a list of corporations which will face public scrutiny.

The list is predominate of Israeli organisations but also include international companies such as Expedia, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Airbnb,  and Opodo. These travel and vacation companies offer rental opportunities in the occupied West Bank.

Northern Irish independence party surges in polls

 

Northern Irish independence party, Sinn Féin, has seen a recent surge of support, particularly among young rural voters, which has raised its polling numbers 14% support in October to over 25% in the last week.

India continues to detain Kashmiri independence leaders

India has continued its detention of four Kashmiri independence leaders and a prominent lawyer under India’s Public Safety Act (PSA) which permits detention without trial for up to two years.

Reuters reports that the four arrested include former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti as well as regional party leaders Ali Mohmmad Sagar and Sartaj Madni. Kashmir’s Bar Associate President, Mian Abdul Qayoom was also arrested. His appeal has been recently rejected by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

"We will be independent” – Catalonia leader

 

Following talks with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Catalonian separatist leader Quim Torra announced that he would be pushing for an agreed date for a Catalonian independence referendum.

During his press conference, he stated that the path to Catalonian independence was “irreversible” despite Prime Minister Sanchez’s rejections of any move towards independence.

UN refuses to take action to protect Rohingya Muslims

 

The UN Security Council discussed the recent judgement by the International Court of Justice’s order to Myanmar which maintained that they must protect the Rohingya Muslim but failed to reach an agreed-upon statement.

EU members have insisted that Myanmar has to comply with the ICJ’s judgement. In a joint statement, Germany, France, Belgium, Estonia and Poland stated;