Sri Lanka Navy rescues over 100 Rohingya adrift in the Indian Ocean
The 102 refugees, including 25 children, were taken to Sri Lanka’s eastern port of Trincomalee. More than 100 Rohingya refugees from war-torn Myanmar have been rescued while adrift on a fishing trawler off the Indian Ocean island nation by Sri Lanka’s navy, bringing them safely to port. The 102 people, including 25 children, were taken to Sri Lanka’s eastern port of Trincomalee, a navy spokesman said on Friday. “Medical checks have to be done before they are allowed to disembark,” the spokesman said. The Muslim-majority ethnic Rohingya are heavily persecuted in Myanmar and thousands risk their lives each year on long sea journeys, the majority heading southeast to Malaysia or Indonesia. But fisherman spotted the drifting trawler off Sri Lanka’s northern coast at Mullivaikkal at dawn on Thursday. The navy spokesman said on Friday that language difficulties had made it hard to understand where the refugees had been headed, suggesting that “recent cyclonic weather” may have pushed them off course. While unusual, it is not the first boat to head to Sri Lanka, which is about 1,750km (1,100 miles) across open seas southwest of Myanmar. Advertisement In October, six people died as nearly 100 Rohingya landed by boat in Indonesia’s Aceh province in one of the latest waves of arrivals from Myanmar. The Sri Lankan navy rescued more than 100 Rohingya refugees in distress on a boat off their shores in December 2022. In 2017, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled Myanmar for neighbouring Bangladesh during a crackdown by the military that is now the subject of a United Nations genocide court case. Myanmar’s military seized power in a 2021 coup and a grinding civil war since then has forced millions to flee. The Rohingya have borne the brunt of the latest fighting because they have been forcibly drafted into the army despite not being recognised as citizens. Adblock test (Why?)
Pakistan slams US sanctions on ballistic missile programme
Pakistan’s foreign ministry warns sanctions have ‘dangerous implications’ for the ‘strategic stability of the region’. Pakistan has denounced new US sanctions on the country’s ballistic missile programme as “discriminatory” and said they put the region’s peace and security at risk. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday warned in a statement that the sanctions “have dangerous implications for strategic stability of our region and beyond”. It also cast doubt on US allegations that targeted businesses were involved in weapons proliferation because previous sanctions “were based on mere doubts and suspicion without any evidence whatsoever”. It also accused the US of “double standards” for waiving licensing requirements for advanced military technology to other countries. The sanctions freeze any US property belonging to the targeted businesses and bar Americans from doing business with them. The US Department of State said one such sanctioned entity, the Islamabad-based National Development Complex, worked to acquire items for developing Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile programme that includes the SHAHEEN series of ballistic missiles. Advertisement The other sanctioned entities are Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, Affiliates International and Rockside Enterprise. The latest US sanctions came months after similar measures were slapped on other foreign entities, including a Chinese research institute, after the US State Department accused them of working for the National Development Complex, which it says was involved in the development and production of Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missiles. Pakistan became a declared nuclear power in 1998, when it conducted underground nuclear tests in response to those carried out by its rival and neighbour India. The two sides regularly test-fired their short-, medium- and long-range missiles. ‘Emerging threat to US’ Later on Thursday, a senior White House official said Pakistan is developing long-range ballistic missile capabilities that eventually could allow it to strike targets outside of South Asia, including in the United States. Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said Islamabad’s conduct raised “real questions” about the aims of its ballistic missile programme. “Candidly, it’s hard for us to see Pakistan’s actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States,” Finer told the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace audience. “Pakistan has developed increasingly sophisticated missile technology, from long-range ballistic missile systems to equipment that would enable the testing of significantly larger rocket motors,” he said. If those trends continue, Finer said, “Pakistan will have the capability to strike targets well beyond South Asia, including in the United States.” Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Why is Apple being sued by the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
Tech giant accused of using illegally mined metals in iPhones and other products sold globally. The world’s most valuable company – Apple – is being sued by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The tech giant has been accused of using illegally mined minerals in products like iPhones. Apple denies the claim. What is behind this legal action? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Robert Amsterdam – International lawyer representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo in this case Alain Uaykani – Journalist who has covered the conflict for more than 15 years Gregory Mthembu-Salter – Consultant who specialises in natural resource governance and served on the UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo Adblock test (Why?)
In the dark: How rolling blackouts have transformed life in Ecuador
As Ecuador’s historic drought continues, power cuts may persist until April, said Jorge Luis Hidalgo, an energy consultant. For decades, experts have urged authorities to increase Ecuador’s energy supply by expanding its solar and wind energy capacities and bolstering its thermoelectric plants. But Hidalgo said that electricity and fossil fuel subsidies have kept Ecuador’s energy prices among the lowest in the region: Residents and businesses pay only around $0.10 per kilowatt hour, according to government estimates. That lack of income has, in turn, disincentivised the private sector from investing in alternative energy, according to Hidalgo. “While Ecuador continues to give energy away, this situation will continue,” he said. A protester in Quito on November 21 held a sign that reads, ‘Come together Ecuador. Noboa = chaos’ [Christina Noriega/Al Jazeera] Over the years, as the population grows, the demand for energy has exceeded supply, Hidalgo added. It is a problem President Noboa himself has acknowledged. In October, he posted a video on social media where he explained that Ecuador currently has an energy deficit that fluctuates between 1,000 to 1,400 megawatts. That means that Ecuador’s need for electricity exceeded its capacity for production by more than one-tenth. As of 2022, the country was only capable of producing around 8,864 megawatts in total. The shortage has spurred a political crisis for Noboa, who faced protests in the streets as a result of the government-imposed power cuts. Those demonstrations come at a delicate time for Noboa. He faces re-election in 2025, as his current mandate is to complete the remainder of his predecessor’s term. Protesters in November even marched on the presidential palace in Quito, chanting, “There’s no light. There’s no education. And you have the nerve to ask for re-election?” By December, Noboa promised to end the government blackouts. “We will go back to having normal lives,” he pledged. Already, in November, Noboa announced that his administration had spent $700m on maintenance of Ecuador’s outdated thermoelectric plants, designed to support Ecuador’s hydroelectric power system during dry periods. Currently, hydroelectric dams are responsible for generating about 70 percent of Ecuador’s energy. Noboa also reached an agreement with Colombia to continue buying energy from the neighbouring country. Earlier this year, Colombia had cut electricity exports to Ecuador due to its own problems with drought. The Ecuadorian government has also brought in a floating thermoelectric plant from Turkiye that produces 100 megawatts and 23 power generators that produce 80 megawatts in total. In addition, Noboa has axed an energy subsidy for mining companies. “The mining companies in Ecuador consume more energy than a hospital needs to operate. And yet, their energy rate has been subsidised by the state,” Noboa wrote on social media in October. “The subsidies must go to those who need them most.” But the changes may come too late for the families hardest hit by the blackouts, like Samueza’s. Brandon Samueza, 26, is currently working for a ride-hailing app while looking for long-term employment [Christina Noriega/Al Jazeera] Since he was laid off, his wife has stepped up as the family breadwinner, working as a treasurer at a logistics company. Samueza, meanwhile, is trying out driving for a ride-hailing app, which has so far earned him less than a minimum wage. With a tighter household budget, Samueza said the holiday season is likely to come and go without much fanfare. But he is optimistic that, come the new year, the power cuts will have ceased and the economy will have recovered enough that he might find a job. Still, he feels frustrated with the government for his present predicament. “There shouldn’t be power cuts,” said Samueza. “A government should be prepared for these types of cases, especially since we already went through the same thing in April and May. The fact that they have not done anything to adjust speaks badly of the government.” Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,029
Here are the key developments on the 1,029th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Here is the situation on Thursday, December 19: Fighting The governor of Russia’s southern Rostov region said that Ukraine had launched an attack with at least 13 missiles and dozens of drones, triggering a fire at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery. The Ministry of Defence said Russian air defences shot down 84 drones, including 36 over the Rostov region. South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun claimed that at least 100 of the thousands of North Koreans deployed to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine have been killed since entering combat in December. Nearly 1,000 may have been injured, according to the country’s National Intelligence Service. Britain said it would send an additional 225 million pounds ($286m) of military equipment to Ukraine to help it in the war against Russia. North Korea would be capable of producing ballistic missiles and supplying them to Russia for use in Ukraine within months, according to the United Kingdom-based Conflict Armament Research organisation. The group’s head, Jonah Leff, informed the United Nations Security Council that remnants of four North Korean missiles found in Ukraine included one that indicated it was produced in 2024. Authorities in Russia arrested a suspect over the killing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian army’s chemical weapons division, and his aide in Moscow earlier in the week. The Investigative Committee said the 29-year-old Uzbekistan national had been “recruited by Ukrainian special forces” to carry out the assassination, which involved the remote triggering of a bomb hidden in an electric scooter. Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed the capture of two new settlements – Stari Terny and Trudove – in the Donetsk region of east Ukraine. Both are located near the industrial town of Kurakhove, which Russia appears close to capturing. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said security agencies had evidence that Ukraine had repeatedly dropped white phosphorus munitions from drones in September. Kyiv denied the allegations. Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen rest in a shelter close to their position near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, 12 December 2024 [File/EPA-EFE/24th Mechanized Brigade Handout] Politics and diplomacy North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs lashed out at “reckless provocation” by the United States and its allies for criticising the country’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, accusing them of “distorting and slandering” Pyongyang’s “normal cooperative” ties with Moscow. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that journalists at The Times were considered “legitimate military targets after the newspaper ran an editorial calling Ukraine’s assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov “a legitimate act of defence”. NATO chief Mark Rutte met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders in Brussels to strategise over Russia’s war ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. He said he wanted Ukraine to be “in the best possible position” when peace talks start, specifically alluding to the provision of air defence systems and other weapons. French President Emmanuel Macron held separate talks with the Ukrainian president, his office stating that France would make reinforced support for Ukraine its ″absolute priority″ and would continue giving Ukraine ″the means to defend itself and to make Russia’s war of aggression fail″. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Israel committing ‘acts of genocide’ by cutting off water in Gaza, HRW says
Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing “acts of genocide” by denying clean water to Palestinians in Gaza, and called on the international community to impose targeted sanctions. In a new report released on Thursday, the New York-based watchdog said that since October 2023 – when Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza – Israeli authorities have “deliberately obstructed Palestinians’ access to the adequate amount of water required for survival in the Gaza Strip”. “What we have found is that the Israeli government is intentionally killing Palestinians in Gaza by denying them the water that they need to survive,” Lama Fakih, Human Rights Watch Middle East director told a news conference. The 184-page study described how the Israeli government cut off the water supply piped into Gaza from Israel, cut off the electricity supply needed to operate water pumps, and blocked and restricted the fuel needed to run generators in the absence of electricity. It also blocked United Nations agencies and humanitarian aid organisations from delivering water-related materials and other humanitarian aid. Advertisement Satellite imagery analysed by the organisation found extensive damage and destruction to water and sanitation infrastructure, including the “apparently deliberate, systematic razing of the solar panels powering four of Gaza’s six wastewater treatment plants by Israeli ground forces, as well as Israeli soldiers filming themselves demolishing a key water reservoir”. As a result, Palestinians in Gaza had access to only a few litres of water a day in many areas, far below the 15-litre threshold for survival. A large number of the more than 2.3 million people living in Gaza were deprived of access “to even that bare minimum amount of water, which has contributed to death and widespread disease”. This policy amounts to “acts of genocide” under the Genocide Convention of 1948, it concluded. “Israeli authorities intentionally inflicted on the Palestinian population in Gaza ‘conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.’” Israel rejects findings Israel has repeatedly rejected any accusation of genocide, saying it has a right to defend itself after the Hamas-led attack from Gaza on October 7, 2023. On Thursday, it rejected HRW’s report, calling its findings “appalling lies”. Proving the crime of genocide against Israeli officials before international courts also requires establishing an intent to commit this crime. The Genocide Convention, enacted following the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines the crime of genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”. Advertisement The report cited statements by some senior Israeli officials which it said suggested they “wish to destroy Palestinians” which means the deprivation of water “may amount to the crime of genocide”. It also argued that Israel violated provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January, as part of a case brought by South Africa alleging that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention. The court required Israel to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance to demonstrate it has no genocidal intent. In light of its findings, HRW called on the international community to issue “targeted sanctions, suspension of arms transfers and military assistance, and review of bilateral trade and political agreements” to pressure Israel to comply with the ICJ’s provisional measures. The report follows another study by Amnesty International issued earlier this month that also concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide. The International Criminal Court (ICC) last month issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel’s war has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, displaced most of the population and reduced much of the coastal enclave to ruins. Adblock test (Why?)
‘It’s chaos’: Aftermath of Cyclone Chido in Mayotte
Days after Cyclone Chido hit the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, residents are still struggling to access water and food, as rescuers race to find those missing. The cyclone devastated entire neighbourhoods and killed at least 31 people, according to France’s interior ministry. Among the damaged and destroyed homes in Mayotte’s capital, Mamoudzou, people lined up with jugs to get water or waited to charge their phones. On Thursday morning, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mayotte to assess the devastation wrought by the cyclone. His visit to the French overseas territory comes after Paris declared “exceptional natural disaster” measures for Mayotte late on Wednesday night to enable swifter and “more effective management of the crisis”. Officials have warned that the death toll from the most destructive cyclone in living memory could reach hundreds, possibly thousands, as rescuers race to clear debris and comb through flattened shantytowns to search for survivors. “The tragedy of Mayotte is probably the worst natural disaster in the past several centuries of French history,” Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said. Advertisement Located near Madagascar off the coast of southeastern Africa, Mayotte is France’s poorest region. An estimated one-third of Mayotte’s population lives in shantytowns whose flimsy, sheet metal-roofed homes offered scant protection from the storm. Cyclone Chido – which hit Mayotte on Saturday – was the latest in a string of storms worldwide fuelled by climate change, according to meteorologists. Experts say seasonal storms are being supercharged by warmer Indian Ocean waters, fuelling faster, more destructive winds. At Mamoudzou’s Mayotte Central Hospital, windows were blown out and doors ripped from hinges, but most of the medics had taken to sleeping at their battered workplace on Wednesday as Chido had swept their homes away. “It’s chaos,” said medical and administrative assistant Anrifia Ali Hamadi. “The roof is collapsing. We’re not very safe. Even I don’t feel safe here.” Adblock test (Why?)
Russia says Uzbek man confesses to assassination of general
Russian authorities have detained an Uzbek suspect in the killing of Lt. Gen Igor Kirillov in a bombing in Moscow. Russia says the suspect said Ukraine’s intelligence offered him $100,000 to carry out the assassination. Russia is calling this hit a terrorist act. Adblock test (Why?)
Prime minister of Mauritius reopens talks with UK over Chagos Islands deal
Mauritius’s prime minister says he issued ‘counterproposals’ to UK over Chagos Islands deal. A historic deal for the United Kingdom to hand over control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has been put into question after the African island country’s new prime minister issued “counterproposals”. The British government still plans to hand over control of the chain of 60-some islands to Mauritius under the condition that a strategic joint UK-US military base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia, would remain under British control for at least 99 years. Mauritius’s Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, who took office last month, said on Tuesday that he was reopening negotiations because the current deal “would not produce the benefits that the nation could expect from such an agreement”. Ramgoolam told lawmakers in Mauritius’s parliament that his government “is still willing to conclude an agreement with the United Kingdom” and had submitted counterproposals. Britain’s minister for UK overseas territories, Stephen Doughty, said on Wednesday that he was confident the deal would be finalised and that it is “completely understandable” for the new Mauritian government to seek time to review the details. Advertisement “I am confident that we have agreed a good and fair deal that is in both sides’ interests,” he told lawmakers in the House of Commons. “It protects the base at proportionate cost. It has been supported across the national security architecture in the United States and by India.” The UK’s opposition Conservatives have accused the government of surrendering sovereignty over a British territory. US President Joe Biden praised the agreement as “historic”, emphasising its importance for the future of the US Navy base on Diego Garcia. However, supporters of US President-elect Donald Trump have criticised the deal. The base, which is home to about 2,500 American military personnel, has been described as “an all but indispensable platform” for security operations in the Middle East, South Asia and East Africa. The Chagos Islands have been under British control since 1814. In the 1960s and 1970s, Britain forcibly evicted nearly 2,000 locals to make way for the US military base, which played a pivotal role in US military operations in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2008, the US also acknowledged that the base had been used for covert rendition flights of “terrorism” suspects. The displaced Chagossians have fought for years in British courts for the right to return to their homeland. Under the terms of the new agreement, they and their descendants would be allowed to return to the islands, though they would be excluded from Diego Garcia. Mauritius, an African nation located about 2,100 kilometres (1,300 miles) southwest of the Chagos Islands, lies off the eastern coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Mexico’s Sergio Perez leaves Red Bull F1 team but no replacement named
Perez departs the team after a poor season in 2024 where he failed to help Red Bull win the Constructors’ championship. Red Bull Racing announced that Mexican driver Sergio Perez has departed the Formula One team after four seasons. Perez, 34, joined Red Bull in 2021 and helped the team earn two constructors’ titles and completed a drivers’ standing one-two with four-time world champion teammate Max Verstappen in 2023. “I would like to thank Checo [Perez] for all he has done for Oracle Red Bull Racing over the past four seasons,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said in a statement on Wednesday. “From the moment he joined in 2021, he proved himself to be an extraordinary team player, helping us to two Constructors’ titles and to our first 1-2 finish in the Drivers’ championship. “While Checo will not race for the team next season, he will always be an extremely popular team member and a treasured part of our history. Thank you, Checo.” Perez won five Grands Prix in Red Bull colours, including a victory at the Monaco GP and a double in Azerbaijan. However, his form dipped in the 2024 season leading to rumours about his future in the team. Advertisement He came eighth in the drivers’ standings as Red Bull surrendered their team title to McLaren with a third-place finish. “I’m incredibly grateful for the past four years with Oracle Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity to race with such an amazing team,” Perez said. “Driving for Red Bull has been an unforgettable experience and I’ll always cherish the successes we achieved together. “A big thank you to every person in the team … I wish you all the best for the future. “It has also been an honour to race alongside Max as a teammate all these years and to share in our success.” Red Bull added in their statement that “announcements regarding the team’s full 2025 line-up will be made in due course.” New Zealander Liam Lawson is considered the favourite to replace Perez. Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on track during practice before the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 6, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates [Joe Portlock/Getty Images] Adblock test (Why?)