Month: November 2019

Iraqi officials expressed “deep regret” on Monday at the death of protesters during weeks of unrest but defended Baghdad’s handling of the situation. Nearly 300 people have been killed in Iraq since the protests against political corruption, unemployment and poor public services began on Oct. 1. At a U.N. review of member states’ human rights records in Geneva, diplomats from several countries accused the Iraqi government of using excessive force. Justice Minister Farooq Amin Othman acknowledged there had been “individual violations” by members of the law enforcement agencies but said they were being investigated. “…We would like to express our deep regret for the number of people killed,” he told international diplomats gathered at what the U.N calls the Universal Periodic Review. “Our constitution guarantees peaceful assembly and the objective of our authorities is to protect the protesters,” he said. Other Iraqi officials said plans were under way to free detained protesters and for electoral reform, both of which were among a package of reforms urged by the United Nations. ‘Unlawful, Indiscriminate and Excessive’ Force But diplomats from several countries including the United States issued stinging criticisms. “We recommend that Iraq immediately cease using excessive force against peaceful demonstrators, particularly the unlawful use of tear gas canisters and live ammunition, and hold accountable, in a transparent manner, those responsible for this violence,” Daniel Kronenfeld, Human Rights Counselor at the U.S. Mission in Geneva. The Netherlands called the use of force “unlawful, indiscriminate and excessive”. Germany expressed deep concern and urged …

The Ukrainian military and Russia-backed separatist rebels have completed a pullback of troops and weapons from an area in eastern Ukraine embroiled in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people, officials said Monday. The disengagement near Petrivske that began Saturday followed a recent similar withdrawal in another section of the frontline, where separatists and Ukrainian forces have been fighting since 2014. Ukraine’s military said Ukrainian forces completed the pullback in Petrivske at midday Monday. The disengagement of forces in eastern Ukraine was seen as a key step to pave the way for a summit of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany on ending the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed plans for holding the summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a phone call Monday, according to the Kremlin. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said the summit could be held before the year’s end but wouldn’t comment on a possible date. “The summit should produce new positive results,” Ushakov said at a briefing. “It’s necessary to take the first steps toward the implementation of the agreement reached in Minsk.” Germany and France sponsored a 2015 agreement signed in the Belarusian capital Minsk that envisaged broad autonomy for the separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and an amnesty for the rebels — provisions that were never implemented because they were resented by many in Ukraine.   …

A plan by President Sebastian Pinera to draft a new constitution for Chile was criticized Monday by the opposition and even his own political ranks. The proposal unveiled Sunday by Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel is one of a series of measures aimed at quelling weeks of protests by Chileans over economic inequality and other grievances. It calls for a new charter to be drafted by a “constituent congress” and then put to a plebiscite, Blumel said.   But the opposition said the proposed process was inadequate, partly because it would rely on current legislators who are viewed with suspicion by protesters. They also said the plebiscite should occur at the beginning of the process, so people’s views could be considered. “The citizenry is demanding something different,” opposition Sen. Felipe Harboe said. He said people want a “constituent assembly” or some other form of direct participation in writing any constitution. “Parliamentarians don’t have credibility today,” said Sen. Manuel Jose Ossandon, who is part of Pinera’s governing coalition. “The parliament doesn’t have credibility to do something without the more active participation of the community.” Karla Rubilar, the government spokeswoman, on Monday rejected the call for a constituent assembly, which would involve the election of a group of citizens to draft the new constitution. Students in Chile began protesting nearly a month ago over a subway fare hike. But demonstrations quickly blew up into a huge protest movement demanding improvements in basic services and benefits, including pensions, health and education. Chile is one …

Despite major setbacks in recent years, the al-Qaida terror group seems to remain resilient and is slowly rebuilding its capabilities in many conflict-ridden countries around the world, while the world’s focus is on the Islamic State (IS), experts warn. Experts say the once-powerful jihadist group has been seeking to establish more ties with local extremist groups, particularly in some parts of Africa and the Middle East. “For some time, al-Qaida has been working quietly in many places, forging new alliances, and re-establishing links with former affiliates,” said Radwan Badini, a professor of political science at Salahaddin University in Irbil, Iraq. The ongoing political and security instability in countries such as Syria, Libya and Yemen has offered yet a new opportunity for al-Qaida to strengthen its presence. FILE – A Yemeni graffiti artist paints faces of victims of an al-Qaida militant attack on a wall during an “anti-terrorism” campaign in Sanaa, March 6, 2014. “The fact that IS has been the main target of the United States and other powers has allowed al-Qaida to reinvent itself and to become a more decentralized terror network that attracts Islamist groups that are even slightly inclined to wage jihad against the West,” Badini told VOA.  In its 2018 Country Reports on Terrorism, the U.S. State Department last week asserted that al-Qaida’s affiliate in Yemen has managed to recruit new members, wage attacks and threaten the West. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has “released several videos reiterating its intent to attack the West,” the report …

A large section of the United States is facing an arctic blast that is making the mid-autumn season feel more like the depths of winter. Hundreds of local low temperature records are expected to be broken in towns and cities from the Rocky Mountains, across the Plains and up and down the East Coast. In Chicago, 15 centimeters of snow fell by Monday afternoon and led to nearly 900 flights being canceled at O’Hare International Airport. The slippery runways caused an American Airlines flight to skid off the runway. Heavy snow is predicted in Indiana, Michigan and Vermont, with many other states expecting to see at least some snowfall. A woman walks in Chicago into a stiff wind and blowing snow off Lake Michigan, Nov. 11, 2019. Record-breaking lows are likely to be set across the region. Chicago is expected to see a high temperature of -6 degrees Celsius early Tuesday — a full seven degrees lower than the previous record set for Nov. 12. In Dallas, the temperature fell from 18 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius in a single hour Monday as the arctic front moved in. Low temperatures in the city are predicted to drop below -1 degrees Celsius early Tuesday. Nearly the entire country is expected to see colder than normal temperatures. States west of the Rockies will be the exception. The cold air is welcomed by some, including ski resorts in Vermont, which have announced they will be able to open early for the winter season. Milder …

Authorities declared a state of emergency across a broad swath of Australia’s east coast on Monday, urging residents in high risk areas to evacuate ahead of looming “catastrophic” fire conditions. Bushfires burning across New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland states have already killed three people and destroyed more than 150 homes. Officials expect adverse heat and wind conditions to peak at unprecedented levels on Tuesday. Bushfires are a common and deadly threat in Australia’s hot, dry summers but the current severe outbreak, well before the summer peak, has caught many by surprise. “Everybody has to be on alert no matter where you are and everybody has to be assume the worst and we cannot allow complacency to creep in,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. The country’s most populous city has been designated at “catastrophic fire danger” for Tuesday, when temperatures as high as 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) are forecast to combine with powerful winds for potentially deadly conditions. It is the first time Sydney has been rated at that level since new fire danger ratings were introduced in 2009. Home to more than 5 million people, Sydney is ringed by large areas of bushland, much of which remains tinder dry following little rain across the country’s east coast in recent months. “Tomorrow is about protecting life, protecting property and ensuring everybody is safe as possible,” Berejiklian said. Lawmakers said the statewide state of emergency – giving firefighters broad powers to control government resources, force evacuations, …

The United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq warned Sunday of the need for timely, tangible results in the government’s response to protests that began in early October, and offered a roadmap to address some of the demonstrators’ demands. The U.N. office issued a statement saying that within a week the government should release all protesters who have been detained since October 1 and accelerate efforts to identify and prosecute those responsible for using excessive force against protesters. It said there should be public calls for those in the region and elsewhere in the world with influence in Iraq to respect the country’s sovereignty and not interfere with its internal affairs. UNAMI also called for the finalization of a framework for electoral reform and for anti-corruption action by the country’s political leadership within the next two weeks.  It further said that within three months, a constitutional review committee should continue its work on potential amendments. The United States supported the U.N.’s proposals. A White House statement late Sunday cited serious concerns about attacks against protesters and internet blackouts. “Despite being targeted with lethal violence and denied access to the Internet, the Iraqi people have made their voices heard, calling for elections and election reforms,” said the White House press secretary. Iraq’s Human Rights Commission says at least 319 people have been killed since the protests began. Demonstrators have complained about corruption, lack of basic services and job opportunities, as well electricity outages.  Iraqi leaders have proposed some reforms but those have …

A Hong Kong police officer shot at masked protesters on Monday morning, hitting at least one in the torso, as anger sparked by the recent death of a student spilled into the rush hour commute. The shooting, which was broadcast live on Facebook, is the latest escalation in more than five months of seething pro-democracy protests that have engulfed the international financial hub and battered its reputation. Footage showed a police officer drawing his sidearm in the district of Sai Wan Ho as he tried to detain a masked person at a junction that had been blocked by protesters. Another unarmed masked individual then approached the officer and was shot in the chest area, quickly falling to the ground, clutching their left side. Seconds later, two more live rounds were fired as the officer scuffled with another masked protester who fell to the ground. Both were detained by officers. Hong Kong police said live rounds were fired and that one person was struck. Hong Kong Protesters Vandalize Subway Station, Storm Mall Police made arrests across Hong Kong amid anger over demonstrator’s death and arrest of pro-democracy lawmakers A pool of blood could be seen near the first individual whose body initially appeared limp, although the person was later filmed conscious and even trying to make a run for it. The second man was conscious, shouting his name to reporters as he was handcuffed. Hospital authorities said three people were admitted from the incident, one with a gunshot wound. Commuter chaos …

Chancellor Angela Merkel led a series of commemorations in the German capital over weekend to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which divided the city during the Cold War until 1989. The wall was built by Communist East Germany to prevent its citizens fleeing to the capitalist west. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the hope and optimism in the years following the wall’s destruction have been replaced with fears over the resurgent tensions between Russia and the West …

Australian officials are warning of “catastrophic fire danger” as dozens of bushfires blazed in the state of New South Wales. As of early Monday, 64 fires were burning the New South Wales Rural Fire Service said in a tweet. Of those, more than 40 were out of control.  At 6am there’s 64 bush and grass fires across NSW, 40 not yet contained. Many of these fires won’t be contained ahead of tomorrow’s dangerous fire weather. Catastrophic fire danger has been declared for Tuesday in Sydney and Hunter areas. Use today to get ready. #nswrfspic.twitter.com/Qto5IF8PUH — NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) November 10, 2019 It warned residents in the area to expect conditions to get worse as high temperatures and gusting winds are forecast for Tuesday. “Don’t wait for the last minute and ring for a firetruck because it may not get there,” said Jeremy Fewtrell, deputy commissioner of New South Wales Fire and Rescue. “We just don’t want to lose more people.” Three people have been confirmed dead and more than 150 homes have been destroyed. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a state of emergency Monday. It will stay in place for at least a week.     …

Voters are going to the polls Sunday in Romania for the country’s presidential election. Analysts say incumbent Klaus Iohannis will likely be returned to office in a runoff vote. Centrist liberal Iohannis, unlike some other Eastern European leaders, has not embraced nationalism. Polls indicate he will receive 40% of the votes Sunday. His toughest competition is expected to come from former Prime Minister Viorica Dancilla, leader of the Social Democrats. If no one receives 50% of Sunday’s ballots, there will be a second round of voting November 24.       …

Britain’s biggest political parties are accusing each other of financial recklessness as they vie to win voters’ trust on the economy ahead of Britain’s Dec. 12 election.   The main opposition Labour Party accused the governing Conservatives on Sunday of spreading fake news with an eye-catching claim that Labour spending pledges will cost 1.2 trillion pounds ($1.5 trillion) over five years.   The figure is based on assuming a Labour government would implement every policy it has adopted in principle. Labour says not all those pledges will be in its official election platform.   Labour economy spokesman John McDonnell said the Conservative figure was “an incompetent mish-mash of debunked estimates and bad maths.”   Treasury chief Sajid Javid stood by the estimate, saying Labour’s proposals were “absolutely reckless.”     …

Jordan’s king announced Sunday that two pieces of land leased by Israel would be returned to the “full sovereignty” of Jordan as the two countries marked a chilly 25th anniversary of their landmark peace agreement. Israel has controlled the agricultural lands for over 70 years and had been permitted to lease the areas under the 1994 peace agreement, with the assumption that the arrangement would be extended once again. Even amid mistrust and a looming deadline, Israel was hoping a solution could be found. But King Abdullah II’s announcement to parliament seemed to put an end to that and Jordan is set to reclaim full control of the areas this week. “I announce the end of the annex of the two areas, Ghumar and Al-Baqoura, in the peace treaty and impose our full sovereignty on every inch of them,” he said. It marked a new blow to relations that began with great optimism but have steadily deteriorated. Following up on a historic interim peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians a year earlier, Israel’s then-prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin and the late King Hussein of Jordan signed a peace agreement on Oct. 26, 1994 with President Bill Clinton in attendance and all three leaders delivered moving speeches promising warm relations and a better future. It was only the second peace deal between Israel and an Arab country, following Egypt. The accord remains a vital strategic asset for both countries, who maintain tight security cooperation and joint economic projects. But with little …

Iran’s state TV is reporting that construction has begun on a second nuclear power reactor at its Bushehr plant amid heightened tensions over Tehran’s collapsing nuclear deal with world powers. Authorities began pouring concrete for the base of the reactor on Sunday in the presence of journalists in Bushehr, some 700 kilometers (440 miles) south from Iran’s capital, Tehran.  Bushehr relies on 4.5% enriched uranium, which Iran is producing in violation of its 2015 nuclear deal. That violation and others come after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord over a year ago.   Bushehr’s first reactor came online in 2011 with the help of Russia. This new reactor similarly will be built with Russian help. Bushehr’s first reactor came online in 2011 with the help of Russia. This new reactor similarly will be built with Russian help.     …

Tens of thousands of people lined up on a 5-kilometer stretch in central Tokyo Sunday to catch a rare glimpse of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. The motorcade was one of the final events of Naruhito’s ascension to the throne. FILE – Japan’s Emperor Naruhito, center, leaves at the end of the enthronement ceremony where he officially proclaimed his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Oct. 22, 2019. Naruhito officially began his reign on the Chrysanthemum Throne in May, when his 85-year-old father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, officially abdicated after four decades, citing failing health. Akihito, who succeeded his father, World War II-era Emperor Hirohito, was the first Japanese emperor to abdicate the throne in 200 years. The 30-minute parade Sunday began at the Imperial Palace.   Some onlookers had camped out overnight in an effort to see the Japanese royalty in a specially-designed Toyota convertible. The parade was originally scheduled for last month but was postponed in the wake of Typhoon Hagibis, a massive storm that left 80 dead. Security was extremely tight for the royal event.  “We’re at Disneyland levels of crowding,” a policeman said on a loudspeaker minutes before the parade began, “The security check won’t finish in time for you to see the parade.” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government chose the name “Reiwa” for Emperor Naruhito’s reign, which the prime minister explained as culture created by and nurtured by people who “beautifully care about each other.”     …

A U.N. agency is urging the Iraqi government to address the grievances of its people or risk that the ongoing deadly protests across the country could spiral even further out of control. Since anti-government protests began Oct. 1, the U.N. Human Rights Office has documented 269 deaths and at least 8,000 injuries, including among members of the Iraqi security forces.  The agency blames the majority of these casualties on the use of live ammunition by security forces and private armed militia groups. U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville says his agency also is following up on reports of multiple arrests of demonstrators and activists.  He says protesters and volunteers providing assistance during the demonstrations reportedly have been abducted by unknown perpetrators.   “We are also disturbed by the statement by the High Judicial Council in Iraq that the Federal Anti-terrorism Law would be applicable against those resorting to violence, sabotaging public property and using firearms against security forces.  Our concern is centered on the fact that these are acts of terrorism, which may be punishable by death,” Colville said. The agency is calling on the government to investigate the whereabouts of the people who have gone missing, to promptly investigate the killings and to prosecute all those responsible for these crimes. Colville says tensions are running very high. He says the relatives and friends of people who have been killed, abducted and otherwise abused are angry.  Unless their grievances are resolved, he told VOA. He said the protests and violence …

Hundreds of pilgrims Saturday from India’s minority Sikh community crossed the international border with Pakistan without a visa for the first time in 72 years to pay homage to one of their holiest shrines. The rare instance of cooperation to facilitate the religious journey comes amid a sharp deterioration in already tense ties between the nuclear-armed rival countries sparked by recent Indian actions in the disputed Kashmir region. Both India and Pakistan control portions of the Himalayan territory but claim it in its entirety. Indian pilgrims, including senior politicians and officials, traveled through a newly established 4.1-kilometer cross-border corridor, featuring fenced-off sides and leading straight to the shrine in the Pakistani town of Kartarpur in Punjab province. Known as the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the temple is believed to have been built on the site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, spent last 18 years of his life before he died there in the 16th century. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the border corridor, just in time for the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak’s birth on November 12. “I congratulate you and I am happy to be with you today to see that for the first time people can now come from India [through the corridor] to pay the homage,” Khan told thousands of Sikh devotees inside the newly built sprawling complex around the temple. The “historic” opening of the Kartarpur corridor, he said, is a testimony to Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace. “We believe the road to prosperity …

Are the West’s secrets safe in the hands of Britain’s politicians? It is a question Britain’s intelligence officers are asking themselves — so, too, their counterparts in the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing relationship that includes the U.S., Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It’s a tie-up that’s been called the most successful espionage alliance in history. Not since the 1970s, when some British MI5 officers thought Labour Party leader Harold Wilson, who won four general elections, and his most trusted advisers were KGB assets have Britain’s spooks been so uneasy about their political masters. The worries about Wilson and his aides at that time provoked treasonous plots by conservative-leaning rogue elements of the security agencies, which even drew in members of Britain’s royal family. As Britain heads into its most consequential election possibly in the last 100 years, a vote that will determine whether Britain will leave the European Union or not, fears are mounting within the country’s security circles that Britons can’t trust their own leaders. This includes both those at the top of the country’s main opposition Labour Party as well as among the ruling Conservatives, a party once synonymous with Queen and Country. For the past year, a former head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency, Richard Dearlove, has led a chorus of intelligence warnings about Jeremy Corbyn, widely seen as Labour’s most leftwing leader since the 1920s, and his clique of advisers. Last month, Dearlove said in a TV interview he was “troubled” by Corbyn’s “past associations,” sparking a …

The U.N. children’s fund warns essential humanitarian programs for hundreds of thousands of children in Syria will have to be cut because it has run out of cash. With just eight weeks left until the end of the year, the U.N. children’s fund reports only 53 percent has been met of its $295 million appeal for 2019.  Unless this major funding shortfall is urgently closed, it reports many children will be denied the lifesaving assistance they need.   UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado says these forced cuts come at a particularly difficult time of the year. “With temperatures dropping quickly, UNICEF’s aim is to provide 578,000 children zero to 14 years old in camps, collective shelters, host communities and areas of acute need with crucial winter clothing.  At this point, we have funds for 356,000 children.  Without additional funding, 220,000 children will go without,” Mercado said.   UNICEF reports 5.5 million children across the country require assistance.  The agency is unable to help them all.  But Mercado noted it provides hundreds of thousands of Syria’s most vulnerable children with essential services that can make the difference between life and death for many.   “In northeast Syria, home to some of the most vulnerable children in the country, UNICEF’s work in 2019 has included vaccinating over half a million children, providing nearly 150,000 children with psychosocial support, and enabling over 100,000 children to enroll in formal education,” Mercado said.   Providing aid to children in this area has become more difficult since …

He was once called a Lost Boy but today, his official title is Councilor-Elect. Chol Majok won the 3rd District Common Council seat in Syracuse, New York, this week, becoming the first former refugee in city history to do so, according to Onondaga County’s Board of Elections. “One of the things that I am certain about is when you are not at the table where policy and decisions are being made, you are not counted, you are not part of that narrative,” said Majok. Majok arrived in Syracuse 18 years ago with other Lost Boys of Sudan — a group of 20,000 boys who were displaced or orphaned during the second Sudanese civil war in which about 2 million were killed. He was 16 years old and anxious to begin building his life. He lived in foster homes until he turned 18, and although he was there for just two years, he says the conditions he experienced in the system changed his life. “They are conditions that people in a first world country should not be in. So coupled with where I came from and what I saw, I just wanted something different,” he said. Chol Majok is pictured with his wife and children in a photo from his Facebook campaign page. Syracuse’s poverty rate is among the highest in the United States. About 32.6% of the population lives below the poverty line, according the latest figures by the U.S. Census Bureau. Crime, gun violence and high poverty rates once …