As Malaysia faces CEDAW review, women refugees continue to struggle
Unlike the excitement felt by many women when they find out they are expecting a baby, Hanna* was filled with fear when she realised she was pregnant. The Myanmar refugee who arrived in Malaysia in 2023 and is still waiting for her United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card had many reasons to fear what was to come. “I didn’t have money to go to a doctor, so I had to eat less for five months to save enough money to get a medical check,” she told Al Jazeera. Later, she was referred to a private clinic that provides antenatal care to refugees and asylum seekers for nominal prices. But the pains she endured during her pregnancy left Hannah with no choice but to seek help at a public hospital, where, as a refugee, she risked being reported to immigration for not having any documents. Under Malaysia’s immigration laws, public health facilities are instructed to report undocumented patients to the authorities, putting them at risk of arrest, detention and deportation. This was reinforced by a directive from the Ministry of Health in 2001 that made it mandatory for public health workers to report undocumented patients. Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 protocol relating to it. This means refugees are not recognised and they are deprived of basic human rights such as work, access to education and healthcare, and live under constant risk of arrest and detention. Nora*, a refugee who works at the clinic, told Al Jazeera that Hanna was not the only refugee woman facing difficulties in her pregnancy due to the lack of access to healthcare and its cost. “We offer help to over 22 refugees and asylum seekers. They can’t afford healthcare, it’s very expensive for them,” she said. Refugees registered with the UNHCR get a 50 percent reduction on healthcare charges paid by foreigners, but the cost remains unaffordable for many, according to Nora. As for those who are undocumented like Hanna, the costs are not only expensive but full of risks. Refugee women often struggle with the costs of paying for healthcare for themselves and their children [File: Ahmad Yusni/EPA] Hanna ended up giving birth to her child in March at another public hospital. According to her, the doctors assured her safety and did not follow the order to report her to immigration, but the caesarean section that she needed cost her more than 6,000 Malaysian ringgit ($1,200). “I saved only 3,000 ringgits over my pregnancy, so I had to borrow money from my friends to afford the procedure,” she said. ‘Changes have not happened’ Hanna’s story is one of many that highlight the challenges women face as asylum seekers and refugees in Malaysia as a result of their precarious status. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) will convene on Wednesday to review Malaysia’s progress in implementing the recommendations of last year’s review, which highlighted the problems caused by the continued lack of a legal framework for refugees. The committee presented a list of issues and questions to Malaysian officials, including a recommendation that the country adopt a “long-term legislative approach” to ensure women asylum seekers, refugees and migrants have access to health services and are exempt from paying higher fees than Malaysians. The committee also asked Malaysia to repeal the order to report undocumented patients to immigration authorities and repeated previous recommendations to the National Security Council (NSC) to adopt a legal framework for refugees as a “priority”. In its reply, the Malaysian government said the country provided unrestricted access to all ranges of health facilities in both public and private health sectors, but did not comment on the recommendation to exempt refugees and asylum seekers from higher fees than Malaysians. As for the requirement to report undocumented migrants to the immigration authorities, Malaysia said it would continue. “It is the prerogative of a sovereign State to detained [sic] and return any undocumented person staying illegally in the country,” the response read. “The detention of such [a] person allows the Government to determine the security nature or threat that the person may hold against the country.” However, in its response, Malaysia also said it had amended National Security Directive Number 23 – Mechanisms for the Management of Illegal Immigrants that hold UNHCR Cards – to provide a policy for the management of asylum seekers and refugees, and that it included “major changes” that would grant asylum seekers and refugees access to employment, healthcare and education. “In this regard, refugees and asylum seekers as defined in the Directive are allowed to remain or stay temporarily in Malaysia based on humanitarian grounds in the fulfilment of Malaysia’s international moral obligations,” it said. Despite that, the situation on the ground has not changed, according to the refugee rights organisation Asylum Access Malaysia, which submitted a report to the CEDAW committee ahead of this year’s review. Asylum Access noted that the details of the directive remained unknown and unpublished, and that it was uncertain how refugees and asylum seekers were defined in the directive or if it aligned with international definitions. The “NSC directive significantly falls short of a legal framework as recommended by the CEDAW committee”, it said. The organisation warned that the claimed amendments to the directive also lacked any clarity on data protection for refugees added to the national registration system or whether the data could be used as a surveillance tool or be shared with other governments. Refugee women in Malaysia learn English with volunteer teachers [File: Vincent Thian/AP] The report criticised the adoption of such a directive in what it described as a “highly classified internal decision-making process” by the National Security Council without any form of public review or legal challenge. Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, the executive director of Amnesty International Malaysia, said that despite the claims from the government that the situation had changed, the experience of refugee women and girls suggested otherwise. “As refugees continue to be arrested,
Russia starts ‘tactical nuclear drills’ near Ukraine border
‘First stage’ of exercises involves Iskander and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and is seen as a warning to Ukraine’s Western allies. Russia has begun the first stage of tactical nuclear weapons drills, involving Iskander and Kinzhal missiles, in areas bordering Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday that the drills were taking place in its Southern Military District, which borders and includes parts of Ukraine that Moscow has occupied and illegally annexed since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The ministry did not give the exact location of the exercises. Belarus, where Russia said last year it was deploying tactical nuclear weapons, is also expected to take part. Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has repeatedly talked up its arsenal of nuclear weapons and its readiness to deploy them in the face of a security threat. Nuclear analysts say the exercises are designed as a warning signal by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to deter Ukraine’s Western allies, which have provided weapons and intelligence to Kyiv, from wading more deeply into the war. The exercises are to ensure that units and equipment are ready for “the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons to respond and unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation”, the ministry said. Putin ordered the drills after Western politicians suggested they might be willing to go further in their support of Ukraine. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had not ruled out deploying troops to Ukraine under certain conditions, while the United Kingdom’s foreign minister, David Cameron, said Kyiv had the right to fire Western missiles at Russian territory. Russia’s Southern Military District is the command centre for its offensive on Ukraine, with its headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, 60km (40 miles) from the border with Ukraine. The Defence Ministry published footage showing trucks carrying missiles to a field where launch systems were prepared and troops at an airfield readying a bomber to carry a nuclear warhead. It said the drills involved practising the loading of launch vehicles, driving to designated launch sites and loading planes with Kinzhal missiles, which are hypersonic weapons. It did not indicate whether any test firings had taken place. “The exercises are, obviously, a signal in response to discussion of NATO countries’ troops in Ukraine,” Nikolai Sokov, a former Soviet and Russian arms control official, told the Reuters news agency. “The most important features are advance announcement and visibility.” Western militaries will be watching the exercises closely and seeking to draw conclusions about how much warning time they would have if Russia deployed such weapons for real, he said. Tactical nuclear weapons, also known as non-strategic nuclear weapons, are designed for use on the battlefield and have vast destructive potential. Russia has about 1,558 non-strategic nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists, although there is uncertainty about the exact figures. Adblock test (Why?)
Why Jacob Zuma being barred from S Africa election won’t derail his support
Johannesburg, South Africa – After weeks of legal disputes and rulings from the country’s electoral commission and court, South Africa’s highest court on Monday barred controversial former President Jacob Zuma from becoming a member of parliament. The Constitutional Court’s decision brings finality to the matter, however, experts have said it will not hamper Zuma’s political life, as the former leader is still the face of his party, which is enough to attract support from potential voters. Zuma, who now leads the new uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party after a political fallout with the governing African National Congress (ANC), has been a thorn in the side of his former party before the general elections next week. The 82-year-old former statesman had his eyes set on returning to Parliament and becoming president again on a ticket of the MK after he fell out with his successor, current President Cyril Ramaphosa. But Zuma’s 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court in 2021 has been a roadblock for him and an Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) decision disqualified him from holding a seat in parliament. Zuma appealed the IEC’s decision and the Electoral Court, a judicial body meant to resolve electoral disputes, then gave him the green light to stand as a candidate. The case was eventually heard by the Constitutional Court which ruled that Zuma could not run for parliament for five years from when his prison sentence was completed. Responding to the judgement, the Electoral Commission noted the Constitutional Court decision and said that Zuma, as leader of the MK, would remain the face of the party on the ballot. In South Africa, ballot sheets bear the name and symbol of a political party alongside its leader’s face. Zuma is ‘political capital’ Political analyst Ongama Mtimka told Al Jazeera the court judgement would not sway Zuma’s loyal supporters away from voting for the MK. “Zuma is the only political capital that the MK party has. People will vote for the MK party because he is the face of the party,” he said. Zuma relies on populist policies to attract support, particularly in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal where he is making gains. He wants the return of the death penalty and has sought to criminalise teenage pregnancy. Jacob Zuma arrives before the launch of the election manifesto of his political party, uMkhonto we Sizwe, before the May 29 general election, at a rally in Soweto, South Africa [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters] Mtimka described the MK party as a “vehicle for Zuma’s rage against the ANC”, adding that “people who were going to vote for Zuma because of their anger with the ANC and the system will still vote for the MK party.” The ANC has been losing support in recent years, with polls predicting that it will fail to win a majority for the first time since apartheid ended in 1994, which may force it to rule as part of a coalition. Zuma has been leveraging the dissatisfaction with the governing party, and his supporters have followed him. The MK said the Constitutional Court decision would not affect the party’s performance in the looming polls. “The judgement does not deter us from what we want to achieve. President Zuma is on the ballot as the face of uMkhonto we Sizwe Party because he is the party president,” MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela told Al Jazeera. Zuma ‘doesn’t respect judgments’ Outside of the court on Monday, Zuma supporters held banners with his name and chanted songs in his praise. “We are disappointed by the judgement, but Jacob Zuma remains the leader of the MK party and will be on the ballot,” MK party secretary Sihle Ngubane told supporters. Zuma, who was president from 2009, was removed from office in 2018 and later sentenced by the Constitutional Court for contempt of court after refusing to give evidence in an inquiry investigating allegations against him of corruption and state capture. The Constitution bars anyone sentenced to more than 12 months in prison from standing for elections, which is what the court cited in its ruling on Monday. “It is a big moment in terms of the vindication of the rule of law,” said Lawson Naidoo, executive secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC), a non-governmental organisation aimed at promoting constitutionalism. He said the country had needed clarification on Zuma’s eligibility before the election takes place on May 29. Zuma addresses his supporters at his home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal Natal Province, in July 2021 [File: Shiraaz Mohamed/AP] Zuma has faced numerous legal battles – before, during and after his time in office. In the past, he has unsuccessfully applied for a rescission of court judgements he disagreed with. “We don’t know if Zuma will respect the court order because we know from previous experience that he doesn’t respect judgements that go against him,” Naidoo said. “But I’m not sure there’s anywhere to go on this. It was a unanimous judgement,” he added. ‘Remain calm’ During the hearings on his electoral eligibility, Zuma’s legal team argued that six Constitutional Court justices should recuse themselves because they were part of the decision to sentence him to jail for contempt of court. They argued that Zuma would be prejudiced by their purported bias. The recusal application was dismissed. On the election campaign trail, Zuma has insulted the Constitutional Court and promised to change the Constitution if his party were elected. The MK has said that if it gets a two-thirds majority – a threshold needed to change the Constitution – it would seek to change the political system from a Constitutional democracy to a Parliamentary democracy. This would mean that the political party with a Parliamentary majority determines laws and would not be subjected to the current support of the state. The ANC led the process of enacting the current Constitution in 1996 after South Africa overcame decades of apartheid. It has been widely described as among the most progressive in the world with checks and balances in place
Spain says recall of Argentina ambassador ‘permanent’ as spat intensifies
Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei says decision to recall envoy ‘absurd’ and calls Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez ‘arrogant’. Spain says the withdrawal of its ambassador to Argentina will be “permanent”, as a diplomatic spat between the two countries continues to escalate following derogatory remarks by far-right Argentinian President Javier Milei. “The ambassador will permanently stay in Madrid,” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters on Tuesday, using stronger diplomatic parlance than in previous days. “We have no interest in nor desire for any escalation, but it’s the government’s obligation to defend the dignity and sovereignty of Spanish institutions, especially when the aggression occurs in the capital of Spain.” The Spanish government recalled its ambassador to Buenos Aires after Milei levied corruption allegations against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s wife Begona Gomez during an event in Madrid. “The global elites don’t realise how destructive it can be to implement the ideas of socialism … even if you have a corrupt wife, let’s say, it gets dirty, and you take five days to think about it,” Milei said. Sanchez spent five days last month mulling his political future after a court opened a preliminary probe into his wife for suspected influence peddling and corruption. The prime minister dismissed the allegations against Gomez as part of a campaign of political harassment by right-wing forces. The comments by Milei, a far-right libertarian, came as Argentina and Spain had traded barbs in recent weeks over a range of issues, including drug use and poverty. On Tuesday, Milei said Spain’s decision to pull its ambassador from Buenos Aires was “absurd”. “It is absurd, typical of an arrogant socialist,” Milei said in an interview with broadcaster LN+, adding that the Spanish prime minister has an “inferiority complex” and should seek out “a psychologist for him to mature”. “This stains the international image of Spain and [shows] how arrogant they are, like believing that they are the state and that no one can tell them anything,” the Argentinian president said. Asked whether Argentina would in turn withdraw its ambassador from Spain, Milei replied: “No, not at all.” Meanwhile, Albares – the Spanish foreign minister – said the country’s embassy in Argentina would be headed by the charge d’affaires. He added that while ideological differences were debatable, “certain things aren’t”. Adblock test (Why?)
Cristiano Ronaldo poised for record as Portugal name squad for Euro 2024
The veteran striker will lead Portugal’s bid to win a second Euro title after being included in the 26-man squad. Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to set a Euro record after he was named in Portugal’s 26-man 2024 squad, unveiled by coach Roberto Martinez. The squad announcement on Tuesday all but confirmed that the 39-year-old, five-time Ballon d’Or winner will be appearing in his 11th major international tournament when Euro 2024 kicks off June 14 in Germany. He played his first at Euro 2004 and will be making a record sixth appearance at the men’s continental championship. He collected a winner’s medal in France in 2016, even though he went off injured after 25 minutes in the final. Ronaldo, who plays his club football for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, already holds the men’s world record for caps (206) and international goals (128). He again proved indispensable as Portugal won all 10 of their qualifying games, scoring 36 goals and conceding two. Ronaldo hit 10 goals in nine qualifying appearances. Praising “a player who has scored 42 goals in 41 matches for his club”, Martinez said he felt that the striker continued to offer “a quality in front of goal that we really appreciate and need”. In spite of his advancing years, Ronaldo will not be the senior player in the squad. His former Real Madrid teammate Pepe, 41, and now playing for Porto, has also been called up because of his “important role in the dressing room”, said Martinez. Before facing the Czech Republic, Turkey and then Georgia in Group F of the Euro, from 14 June to 14 July in Germany, the Selecao will play warm-up matches against Finland, Croatia and Ireland. Alongside Ronaldo in attack, Martinez has selected strikers Rafael Leao, Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos, as well as Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao. The creative midfielders include Bernardo Silva, who has just won an English title with Manchester City, and Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United. Squad: Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Patricio Roma/ITA), Jose Sa (Wolves/ENG) Defenders: Joao Cancelo (Barcelona/ESP), Nelson Semedo (Wolves/ENG), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United/ENG), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Ruben Dias (Manchester City/ENG), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting), Pepe (Porto), Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA) Midfielders: Joao Palhinha (Fulham/ENG), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal/KSA), Joao Neves (Benfica), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Otavio Monteiro (Al Nassr/KSA), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/ENG), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/ENG) Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr/KSA), Rafael Leao (AC Milan/ITA), Joao Felix (FC Barcelona/ESP), Goncalo Ramos (Paris SG/FRA), Diogo Jota (Liverpool/ENG), Pedro Neto (Wolves/ENG), Francisco Conceicao (Porto) Adblock test (Why?)
‘We love Taiwan’: Domestic workers hope for more from new President Lai
Taipei, Taiwan – As Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te begins his four-year term, the democratic island’s legions of Southeast Asian migrant domestic workers are hoping he will push ahead with labour reforms that might improve their working lives. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Labour, there were more than 760,000 foreign workers on the island as of the end of March, most of them from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Many work in manufacturing and construction, but they also look after the elderly in healthcare facilities as well as in private homes – a key role considering Taiwan’s rapidly ageing society. While Taiwan’s monthly minimum salary was increased to 27,470 New Taiwan dollars ($853) this year, migrant domestic workers, who also have to pay expenses related to their recruitment, were excluded. William Lai officially took over as Taiwan’s new president on Monday [Taiwan Presidential Office via AFP] Bonny Ling, the executive director of Work Better Innovations (WBI) – a social enterprise that advocates for decent working conditions, including for Southeast Asians in Taiwan – says the new government should take steps to address the fees workers pay. This includes fees before they leave – for things such as medical checks, visas, training and flights – and once they are on the island. Ling says recruitment costs should be paid by employers in the same way as for high-wage workers. “We really need to be honest with ourselves and ask: why is this the case, are we saying that low-waged work is less valuable?” she told Al Jazeera. “Are we saying that those who are the least able to bear the cost of recruitment should pay, sometimes several months of their work to years go back into paying these fees and costs – is this just?” Taiwan, with a population of more than 23 million, is expected to become a “super-aged society” by 2025, according to its National Development Council. Ratih Kabinawa, an adjunct research fellow at the University of Western Australia’s School of Social Sciences, said an increasing number of women were also having to go out to work to help boost family incomes. “These Taiwanese families entrust their parents to the care of migrant workers,” she said. Al Jazeera asked three Southeast Asian caregivers in Taiwan about their lives. Anggi Sofiasyah Lacuba, 29 Anggi Sofiasyah Lacuba hopes to one day pursue a master’s degree in Taiwan [Randy Mulyanto/Al Jazeera] Originally from Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, Anggi Sofiasyah Lacuba has worked for several Taiwanese families since moving to the island in 2020. Since mid-2023, the 29-year-old has been taking care of a grandmother, now in her 90s, in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County. Anggi said she did not entirely support ending the role of recruitment agents in Taiwan because it could disadvantage people unable to speak Mandarin, but she felt that, on balance, it would be a “very good” move. The mother of two paid about 30 million Indonesian rupiah ($1,881) to her agency in Indonesia to secure her job in Taiwan. The fees covered one month of training, language classes and meals in East Java before departure, as well as a flight ticket to the island. They were deducted from her wages during her first seven months of work. A fee for the recruitment agency’s Taiwanese office was also taken from her monthly pay. With the fees paid off, Anggi now takes home some 20,000 New Taiwan dollars ($621) a month. “If agencies are abolished, can employers allow it if we have things outside [work] – whether we arrange our health insurances, passport, visa or whatever?” she told Al Jazeera. These issues are currently handled by agents. Anggi hopes to return home in the next year or two so she can apply for a student visa and go back to Taiwan to pursue a master’s degree on a scholarship. She hopes Lai’s administration will help ease the visa application process. Sandra Suril, 48 Sandra Suril would like the government to remove the monthly broker’s fee that workers need to pay [Randy Mulyanto/Al Jazeera] Sandra Suril, a mother of three, has worked in New Taipei, near the Taiwanese capital, since 2017. She is from Baguio in the northern Philippine island of Luzon. She takes care of a blind man, now in his 20s, accompanying him to university and making sure he takes his medication, among other responsibilities. Suril says she hopes the government will “remove the brokers’ fee because we are always paying [1,500 New Taiwan dollars, or $47, monthly]” even though brokers are “sometimes useless” and fail to help when there is a problem with an employer. The 48-year-old says she could save more money if the payment was stopped since she has already paid off the other fees to her agency. Suril has had only one job since arriving in Taiwan and says she expects to stay for about 12 years – enough time for her children to earn their university degrees. That will be “my big achievement, if it will happen”, she said. Miean Coilan, 58 Miean Coilan says one month’s salary in Taiwan is equivalent to four-months pay back home in the Philippines [Randy Mulyanto/Al Jazeera] Miean Coilan started work in Taiwan the same year as Suril. Like her, she is from Baguio. Coilan has been looking after a grandmother, now in her 90s, and doing household chores throughout her time on the island. She says one month’s salary in Taiwan is equivalent to “four months” pay back home. The 58-year-old said she would like to see the end of the limits on the length of time migrant workers are allowed to stay on the island. Like other migrant workers, those working in care can stay for a maximum of 12 years, but if they meet certain requirements on training and performance, they can remain for an additional two years. “If I [have the chance to] talk to the president, I will say ‘no end contract’,” she told Al Jazeera. “Even [if] we are [over] 50 years old, 60 years old,
‘No equivalence’: Biden defends Israel after ICC requests arrest warrants
US president insists Israel and Hamas cannot be compared after ICC seeks warrants over alleged Israeli war crimes. United States President Joe Biden has defended Israel against war crimes charges in the world’s top courts. Biden’s remarks came after Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), said he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes committed during the war in Gaza. “Let me be clear, we reject the ICC’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders,” Biden said at a Jewish American Heritage Month event at the White House on Monday, the same day Khan announced he was applying for the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes. “There is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas,” Biden added. Hours earlier, he had issued a strongly-worded statement saying that the ICC warrants were “outrageous”. Israel is also facing a separate case on alleged genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which was brought by South Africa. Biden said that Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza. “Contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), what’s happening in Gaza is not genocide. We reject that,” Biden said in his speech. In January, the ICJ ruled there was a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, ordering Israel to take a series of provisional measures, including preventing any genocidal acts from taking place. While Biden’s defence of Israel was met with warm applause at the White House event, his election campaign has been marred by pro-Palestinian protests across the US, with some antiwar advocates labelling the president “Genocide Joe”. Panel of experts The ICC prosecutor outlined specific charges against Netanyahu and Gallant, including “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare” and “extermination”, although he said his full investigation was ongoing. Khan also applied for arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders – Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (also known as Deif) and Ismail Haniyeh – for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extermination and murder, the taking of captives, torture, rape and other acts of sexual violence. The charges were supported by evidence prepared by a panel of experts that included international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. In a statement issued on the report prepared by the experts, Clooney wrote, “I do not accept that any conflict should be beyond the reach of the law, nor that any perpetrator should be above the law.” Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney helped prepare an expert report on evidence of suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel and Gaza for the ICC chief prosecutor [File: Heinz-Peter Bader/Getty Images] Some US Republican lawmakers were even more forceful in their criticism of the ICC prosecuting Israel on Monday. “My colleagues and I look forward to make sure neither Khan, his associates nor their families will ever set foot again in the United States,” Republican Senator Tom Cotton wrote on X. The ICC is the world’s first permanent international war crimes court and its 124 member states are obliged to immediately arrest the wanted person if they are on a member state’s territory. The US is not a member of the ICC and its “biggest leverage” could be to pressure its allies – mostly European nations which are signatories to the ICC – to not act on the warrants, said Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro, reporting from Washington, DC. Israel is not a member of the ICC. Nor are China and Russia. International reactions to the ICC prosecutor’s plan to issue arrest warrants have been mixed. In comments delivered to the United Nations Security Council, Switzerland’s UN envoy Pascale Baeriswyl said his country “fully supports the court and stresses the importance of respecting its independence”. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2023 over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, but Monday’s step marked the first time the court has sought to intervene in the conflict in the Middle East. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Lone wolf’ or JI?: Jemaah Islamiyah confusion after Malaysia attack
Medan, Indonesia – Malaysia has been the target of a rare deadly attack after a man armed with a machete struck a police station in southern Johor state, killing two police officers and injuring a third. Initially, Malaysian police said they suspected Friday’s incident was linked to the hardline group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and was probably an attempt to steal weapons. Speaking to the media after the attack in the town of Ulu Tiram, Inspector General of Police Razarudin Husain said police raided the suspect’s house and discovered “JI-related paraphernalia”. Five members of his family were arrested, including the suspect’s 62-year-old father, who police said was a “known JI member”. Two other people, who were in the police station making a report at the time of the attack in the early hours of Friday morning, were also detained. But on Saturday, Malaysia’s Minister of Home Affairs Saifuddin Nasution Ismail appeared to backtrack on the JI connection, describing the attacker as a “lone wolf” who was “driven by certain motivations based on his own understanding because he rarely mixed with others”. Former members of JI in Indonesia told Al Jazeera that an attack by the group on Malaysian soil seemed unlikely. Speaking from prison in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, where he is serving a life sentence for his role in JI’s 2002 Bali bombing, which killed more than 200 people, Ali Imron told Al Jazeera that JI’s profile in Malaysia did not seem to fit the police station attack. “There have never been any JI members in Malaysia who agreed to commit acts of violence like this,” he said. “Before the Bali bombing, there were attacks in Malaysia, but these were committed not by JI but Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia [KMM].” KMM, a hardline group linked to JI, carried out small-scale attacks in Malaysia in the early 2000s. Rueben Dass, a senior analyst at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, noted that JI had never previously mounted attacks in Malaysia. “Malaysia was always considered an economic region for JI, not the focus of attacks,” he told Al Jazeera. “The Malaysian authorities were always vigilant and aware, particularly after KMM became active. They have been on their toes and carried out a wave of arrests in the early 2000s of JI members.” Since then, he said, JI had maintained a low profile. “To see them coming up again is a little surprising,” he added. Indonesia, which saw a spate of JI attacks in the late 1990s and early 2000s – including attacks on churches on Christmas Eve 2000, the Bali bombings and the 2003 attack on Jakarta’s JW Marriott Hotel – has also been largely successful in clamping down. In 2003, with funding and training from the United States and Australia, it established the Counterterrorism Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88), and later set up a National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT). Indonesian authorities have also pioneered a range of deradicalisation programmes, using former members of hardline groups including JI, with recidivism rates at about 11 percent, according to the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, a Jakarta-based think tank. History of JI JI was founded by Indonesian Muslim scholar Abu Bakar Bashir and Abdullah Sungkar in 1993, with a mission to establish an Islamic caliphate across Southeast Asia. The group has historically been linked to al-Qaeda, from which it reportedly received funding and training in the 1990s and early 2000s. It has had members in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and the Philippines. JI was officially banned in Indonesia in 2007, leading to the group splintering. Some members focused on dakwah or proselytisation, while others continued to plot violent attacks. Arrests have continued across the region with members accused of stockpiling weapons and bomb-making equipment. According to open source data, between 2021 and 2023, out of 610 people arrested In Indonesia, 42 percent were JI and 39 percent were from other hardline groups – including Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) and other pro-Islamic State groups. The majority of JI senior figures have been either executed, shot dead in police raids or jailed. The 2002 attack in Bali, which killed more than 200 people, shocked Southeast Asia [File: AP] Both Bashir and Sungkar lived in Malaysia in the 1980s and 1990s, in addition to senior members such as Indonesian Encep Nurjaman (alias Hambali) and Malaysians Noordin Mohammed Top and Azahari Husin. Ali Ghufron (alias Mukhlas), Amrozi bin Nurhasyim and Imam Samudra, the masterminds of the Bali bombing, also spent time in Malaysia. Hambali was arrested in Thailand in 2003 and is currently awaiting trial at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, while Samudra, Amrozi and Mukhlas were executed in 2008. The two Malaysians were shot in separate police raids in Indonesia in 2005 and 2009. Before his death, Noordin ran the Luqmanul Hakiem Islamic boarding school in Malaysia, which was founded by Bashir and Sungkar and was in Ulu Tiram, close to the home of the suspect of Friday’s attack. Malaysia closed the school in 2002 amid suspicions it was being used to recruit people to JI. Style of attack While the profile of the suspect’s father, and the proximity to Luqmanul Hakiem, might have suggested a JI connection, Imron cautioned against such an analysis. “If the son followed his father, there is no way he would have committed this act, so there is a strong possibility that he was inspired by ISIS [ISIL],” Imron said, suggesting the Malaysian authorities had “jumped to that conclusion.” Umar Patek, who was released from prison in 2022 after serving 11 years of a 20-year sentence for mixing some of the chemicals used in the Bali Bombing, told Al Jazeera that he “did not believe” that the attacker was a member of JI and agreed that the attack appeared to have the hallmarks of another group. “I am very doubtful,” he said. “I don’t understand it, especially carrying out a violent attack. It is impossible in my view that it was JI, but it is possible that it was ISIS.” The style
Cohen faces more cross-examination as Trump’s trial enters final stretch
Donald Trump’s former lawyer is the prosecution’s last witness in the ex-president’s hush-money trial in New York. Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen faces another day of cross-examination, as the ex-United States president’s hush-money trial enters the final stretch this week in New York. The landmark trial kicks back off in Manhattan on Monday morning with more defence questioning of Cohen, whose pivotal testimony last week directly tied Trump to the alleged hush-money scheme. Cohen is the prosecution’s last witness and it’s not yet clear whether Trump’s attorneys will call any witnesses – such as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee himself. Last week, Cohen told jurors how he kept Trump informed about $130,000 paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an affair she says she had with Trump. The ex-president has denied the affair took place. The payment, prosecutors have argued, was part of a scheme aimed at stifling negative press that could have harmed Trump’s chances in the 2016 election, which he won. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents related to the payments, and said he is the victim of a politically motivated “witch hunt”. “There’s no crime,” Trump told reporters after arriving at the courthouse on Monday. “We paid a legal expense. You know what it’s marked down as? A legal expense.” His lawyers are seeking to discredit Cohen’s testimony, painting him as a serial liar who is on a revenge campaign aimed at taking down the former president. Trump’s defence team has already questioned Cohen for hours about his criminal history and past lies. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges related to the hush-money payments, as well as for lying to Congress. He was sentenced to three years in prison. He has said repeatedly he takes “responsibility” for his actions and has faced the consequences. Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey, reporting from outside the courthouse in New York last week, said “It all really comes down to [Cohen’s] word.” “And his word has been highly suspect from the beginning of this case, given that he’s gone to jail for lying under oath in the past,” Saloomey said. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is expected to rest its case once Cohen is off the stand, but prosecutors would have an opportunity to call rebuttal witnesses if Trump’s lawyers present witnesses of their own. The judge has told lawyers to be prepared for closing arguments as early as Tuesday, though the timing will depend on whether the defence calls any witnesses, which it is not obligated to do. Defence lawyers said they have not decided whether Trump will testify. Adblock test (Why?)
Phase 5 of India election held in Gandhi bastions, Ladakh, Ram Temple town
Indians have voted in the fifth phase of a mammoth general election, the world’s largest with nearly 970 million eligible voters, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a rare third term. Monday’s phase had the fewest constituencies going to the polls with 89.5 million voters eligible to vote for 49 seats in the lower house of parliament across six states and two union territories. The staggered seven-phase vote began on April 19 and has already decided the fate of 428 of 543 members of the Lok Sabha. Results will be declared on June 4. Gandhi family bastions Two boroughs that are strongholds of the main opposition Indian National Congress party’s Nehru-Gandhi dynasty went to the polls on Monday. Family scion Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh in addition to Wayanad in Kerala, which has already voted. India allows candidates to contest multiple constituencies, but they can represent only one. If he wins both, he would choose one, and the other would hold a new election. Rae Bareli has returned a Congress candidate in 17 of the 20 elections held there since 1952, mostly members of the Gandhi family. Rahul’s mother and former Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, has represented the seat four times in parliament but decided not to contest this year. “I am handing over my son to you. Just as you made me yours, please treat him as one of your own. He will not disappoint you,” Sonia Gandhi said on Friday as she made an emotional appeal to voters during a rally in the family borough with Rahul and her daughter, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Smriti Irani, the federal minister for women and child development, is contesting from adjacent Amethi, where she defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019. The Congress has fielded longtime family loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma against Irani. Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state and elects 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the most of any state. In 2019, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies won 64 seats, including Amethi and Rae Bareli. Ladakh votes for statehood In Ladakh on the border with China and Pakistan, Buddhist monks and Muslims voted to demand statehood and protection of their culture in an overwhelmingly Hindu nation. Ladakh was part of Indian-administered Kashmir before Modi’s government scrapped its semiautonomous status in 2019 and made them both union territories, imposing direct rule. At the time, Buddhists in the high-altitude region celebrated, expecting they would soon enjoy greater rights. But the federal government has yet to fulfil its promise to include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of India’s Constitution, which allows Indigenous tribal people to make their own laws and policies. Almost half the people in the sparsely populated desert region of Ladakh are Muslim, and about 40 percent are Buddhist, putting it among the least Hindu places in the country. Residents have long demanded a legislature of their own, constitutional protection of the local culture and measures to defend its fragile environment. All three candidates running for its seat – held by Modi’s BJP – are promising to ensure change happens to protect the local culture and land. Voters, including Buddhist monks in ochre robes, lined up to cast their ballots at polling stations in Leh, the territory’s main town, as the surrounding mountains are still snow-capped even as much of India swelters in a heatwave. “We need protection,” Stanzin Norphel, 74, said after casting his vote. “This government has destroyed Ladakh.” Umila Bano, a 59-year-old Muslim, said she voted for a candidate “who I think will actually work for getting us included in the Sixth Schedule”. “Ladakh needs it,” she said. Former chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, contested from Baramulla, one of three seats in the Muslim-majority valley area of Kashmir. Test for Modi’s Hindu nationalist politics In January, Modi inaugurated a Hindu temple built on the site of a razed Mughal-era mosque in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh state’s Ayodhya. On Monday, the northern city swarmed with voters, many of them Hindu devotees, lining up at polling stations in scorching heat. Shachindra Sharma said while the Ram Temple was a matter of faith for many Hindus like him, he would vote for a party that upholds constitutional values. “Why should the Ram Temple be a guiding factor for voters? Lord Ram is a matter of faith while voting is a democratic process to elect a government. Is there any guarantee that a party advocating for the Ram Temple will provide security and lead the country towards progress?” Sharma asked. His wife, Renuka Sharma, disagreed, arguing that the temple remains a deciding factor in the elections. “I will vote for the party that built the Ram Temple because Lord Ram is the biggest issue in this election,” she said. Analysts said it is not clear whether Modi’s Hindu nationalist pitch can carry him to victory as Indians face rising unemployment and inflation. “Issues like unemployment, inflation, lack of security and the government’s attempts to muzzle dissent are glaring problems that the BJP has no answers to,” said Amarnath Agarwal, a political analyst. He said excitement over the Hindu temple may not have translated into a significant political issue for the ruling party and it is “evident from the lack of interest among voters, reflected in a notably low turnout”. Adblock test (Why?)