MYANMAR FACES GENOCIDE HEARINGS AT THE HAGUE
06 DECEMBER 2019 (SOURCE: REUTERS) – In a wood-panelled hall of the ornate Peace Palace at The Hague, lawyers pressing a case against Myanmar for alleged genocide against its Muslim Rohingya minority will next week ask judges to order immediate action to protect them from further violence. Gambia, a tiny, mainly Muslim West African country,…
WAR-RAVAGED YEMENI CHILDREN WILL SUFFER FROM HUNGER FOR 20 YEARS
05 DECEMBER 2019 (SOURCE: INDEPENDENT) – Even if the five-year war in Yemen were to end today, it would take two decades for the impoverished country’s children to reach the lesser level of malnutrition they suffered before the conflict, according to a new report to be released on Tuesday by a charity organisation. Without an immediate ceasefire,…
NATO CELEBRATES 70 YEARS
04 DECEMBER 2019 (SOURCE: INDEPENDENT) – Nato marked its 70th birthday by declaring that it was the “most successful alliance in history” and the achievements of the transatlantic partnership deserved to be “fully celebrated”. But the summit of the group of western nations, supposedly showing its unity and military might, was beset with accusations, recriminations and searching questions…
CHINA BARS U.S. MILITARY SHIPS, AIRCRAFT FROM HONG KONG, SANCTIONS U.S.-BASED NGOS
03 DECEMBER 2019 (SOURCE: REUTERS) – China on Monday banned U.S. military ships and aircraft from visiting Hong Kong and slapped sanctions on several U.S. non-government organizations for allegedly encouraging anti-government protesters in the city to commit violent acts. The measures were a response to U.S. legislation passed last week supporting the protests which have…
14 KILLED IN ATTACK ON BURKINA FASO CHURCH
02 DECEMBER 2019 (SOURCE: REUTERS) -At least 14 people were shot dead in an attack on a church in eastern Burkina Faso on Sunday morning, the government said. The identity of the gunmen was not immediately clear and further details on the attack had yet to emerge. Burkinabe armed forces were caring for the wounded…
IRAQI FORCES KILL ANOTHER 45 PROTESTERS
29 NOVEMBER 2019 (SOURCE: REUTERS) – Iraqi security forces shot dead at least 45 protesters on Thursday after demonstrators stormed and torched an Iranian consulate overnight, in what could mark a turning point in the uprising against the Tehran-backed authorities. At least 29 people died in the southern city of Nassiriya when troops opened fire…
TRUMP SIGNS HONG KONG BILLS; BEIJING VOWS RETALIATION
28 NOVEMBER 2019 (SOURCE: REUTERS) – U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law here congressional bills that back protesters in Hong Kong and threaten China with possible sanctions on human rights, prompting China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday to warn of “firm counter measures”. Mass protests for more democracy and autonomy have rocked the former British colony and…
PALESTINIANS PROTEST US SETTLEMENT DECISION IN ‘DAY OF RAGE’
27 NOVEMBER 2019 (SOURCE: AP) – Thousands of Palestinian protesters took part in a “day of rage” across the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, with some groups clashing with Israeli forces to protest the U.S. announcement that it no longer believes Israeli settlements violate international law. Around 2,000 people gathered in the West Bank city…
SECRET DOCUMENTS REVEAL HOW CHINA MASS DETENTION CAMPS WORK
26 NOVEMBER 2019 (SOURCE: AP) – The watch towers, double-locked doors and video surveillance in the Chinese camps are there “to prevent escapes.” Uighurs and other minorities held inside are scored on how well they speak the dominant Mandarin language and follow strict rules on everything down to bathing and using the toilet, scores that…
HONG KONG DEMOCRATS WIN LANDSLIDE VICTORY
25 NOVEMBER 2019 (SOURCE: REUTERS) – Hong Kong’s democrats romped to a landslide and symbolic majority in district council elections after residents turned out in record numbers on Sunday to vote following six months of anti-government protests in the embattled city. In a rare weekend lull in the unrest that has rocked the financial hub,…