Maldives votes in parliamentary elections amid India-China rivalry
President Mohamed Muizzu’s moves to increasingly shift away from New Delhi has caused tension. Maldives is holding parliamentary elections in a ballot crucial for President Mohamed Muizzu, who has turned the archipelago nation away from longtime ally India since coming to power last September. Sunday’s elections are keenly watched by India and China as they vie for influence in the island country, which is known for its pristine beaches and luxury resorts and is strategically located in the Indian Ocean, where global east-west shipping lanes pass through. The rivalry between India and China sharpened following Muizzu’s election last September, with the new leader taking a pro-China stand and acting to remove Indian troops stationed on one of the country’s islets. About 284,000 people were eligible to vote on Sunday, and tentative results are expected later the same day. Six political parties and independent groups are fielding 368 candidates for 93 seats in Parliament. Splits in all the main political parties, including Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC), are expected to make it hard for any single party to win an outright majority. Muizzu won last year’s presidential polls on promises to cut off Indian influence with his “India out” campaign. He was widely seen as a proxy candidate for former President Abdulla Yameen, who held power between 2013 and 2018 and whose 11-year jail term on bribery charges was overturned by a court last week. President Muizzu has accused his immediate predecessor, Mohammed Ibrahim Solih, of compromising national sovereignty by giving India too much influence. The current parliament, dominated by Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has sought to stymie Muizzu’s efforts to realign the archipelago’s diplomacy. At least 75 Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives and their known activities were operating two aircraft donated by India and assisting in the rescue of people stranded or faced with calamities at sea. Muizzu has now taken steps to deport the soldiers and have civilians take over those activities. Relations strained further when Indian social media activists started a boycott campaign of Maldives tourism in January. The move was in retaliation for three Maldivian deputy ministers making derogatory statements about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising the idea of promoting tourism in Lakshadweep, India’s string of islands similar to the Maldives. According to recent Maldives government statistics, the number of Indian tourists has fallen, dropping that country from being the top source of foreign visitors to the sixth. Muizzu visited China earlier this year and negotiated an increase in the number of tourists and inbound flights from China. His government has also awarded high-profile infrastructure contracts to Chinese state-owned companies. In 2013, Maldives joined China’s “Belt and Road” initiative meant to build ports and highways to expand trade – and China’s influence – across Asia, Africa and Europe. The Maldives consists of about 1,200 coral islands and atolls and has a population of about 520,000. Adblock test (Why?)
US senators call on Biden to sanction Sudan’s RSF over human rights abuses
Lawmakers say Hemedti’s and the RSF’s activities and abuses make them deserving of sanctions from the United States. United States senators have written an open letter to US President Joe Biden, calling on him to recognise Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its leader, General Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, as violators of human rights. The letter, dated Friday, follows the one-year anniversary of the war in Sudan between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), two rival military factions fighting for control of the country after a coup in 2021. The lawmakers cite the US’s Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act as a basis for sanctions, adding that the RSF and Hemedti’s activities include “gross violations of internationally recognized human rights committed against human rights defenders and persons seeking to expose illegal activity by government officials”. The lawmakers have given Biden 120 days to act on the request. The letter lists human rights abuses in Sudan, such as accounts of rape, extrajudicial killings, and targeting of journalists, including when Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Fadl and Rashid Gibril were detained and beaten up in Khartoum. Additionally, it makes reference to a December 2023 statement from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the RSF had committed “war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing” since the outbreak of the war last April. The lawmakers also called on Biden to investigate the activities of the RSF to determine further sanctions that may be warranted. “We ask that you also examine the RSF’s financial networks and sources of revenue, such as gold smuggling, and relationships with the Russian Federation and Wagner Group, to assess whether they are also deserving of sanction under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act for acts of significant corruption by government officials.” The US Department of the Treasury imposed similar penalties in September 2023, said the senators. This includes sanctions against Hemedti’s brother and visa restrictions on RSF General Abdul Rahman Juma over the group’s violent activities, including “targeted abuses against human rights activists and defenders”, according to the US Department of State. The letter was brought forward by US Senators Ben Cardin and Jim Risch, who serve, respectively, as chair and as a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and by US Representatives Michael McCaul and Gregory Meeks, chair and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The RSF and SAF have both been accused of attacking civilians and blocking humanitarian aid access over the past year. Ceasefire agreements have collapsed several times and international mediators are still working to achieve conclusive peace talks. Sudan has been left with a major humanitarian crisis while nearly eight million people are displaced and facing shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. Adblock test (Why?)
Will India’s election be free and fair?
Opponents and rights groups allege repression has increased in recent years. Six weeks of voting have begun in an election where India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term. Opponents say repression and sectarianism have increased under his leadership. So, what are the issues? And will the election be free and fair? Presenter: Sami Zeidan Guests: Mohan Krishna – Spokesperson for the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Arshpreet Khadial – Chief Spokesperson for the opposition Indian National Congress Sravasti Dasgupta – Reporter for The Wire who specialises in Indian politics Adblock test (Why?)
Thousands protest against over-tourism in Spain’s Canary Islands
Demonstrators say mass tourism is overwhelming the Atlantic archipelago. Tens of thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets of Spain’s Canary Islands to demand changes to the model of mass tourism they say is overwhelming the Atlantic archipelago. An estimated 57,000 people joined the protests, which began at midday (11:00 GMT) on Saturday, Spanish media reports said, citing the central government’s representative in the islands. Flag-waving crowds packed the streets of the main towns across all of the archipelago’s seven islands, chanting and whistling, and holding placards with slogans like: “The Canary Islands are not up for sale!”; “A moratorium on tourism”; and “Respect my home”. “It’s not a message against the tourist, but against a tourism model that doesn’t benefit this land and needs to be changed,” one of the protesters told the Reuters news agency during the march in Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Smaller marches were held elsewhere in the island group and other Spanish cities, all of them organised by about two dozen environmental organisations ahead of the peak summer holiday season. The protests were called by some 20 social and environmental groups who say tourist overcrowding perpetuates an economic model that harms local residents and damages the environment. They want the authorities to limit the number of visitors and have proposed introducing an eco-tax to protect the environment, a moratorium on tourism and a clampdown on the sale of properties to non-residents. “The authorities must immediately stop this corrupt and destructive model that depletes the resources and makes the economy more precarious. The Canary Islands have limits and people’s patience [does], too,” Antonio Bullon, one of the protest leaders, told Reuters. A woman shouts next to a banner with the word “tourism” during a demonstration in the Canary Islands [Borja Suarez/Reuters] ‘We can’t keep looking away’ The archipelago of 2.2 million people was visited by nearly 14 million foreign tourists in 2023, up 13 percent from the previous year, according to official data. Authorities in the islands are concerned about the impact on locals. A draft law expected to pass this year – one that toughens the rules on short lets – follows complaints from residents priced out of the housing market. Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo said on Friday that he felt “proud” that the region was a leading Spanish tourist destination, but acknowledged that more controls were needed as the sector continues to grow. “We can’t keep looking away. Otherwise, hotels will continue to open without any control,” he told a press conference. Anti-tourism protests have multiplied in recent months across Spain, the world’s second-most visited country, prompting authorities to try to reconcile the interests of locals and a lucrative sector that accounts for 12.8 percent of Spain’s economy. The Canary Islands, which lie off the northwestern coast of Africa, are known for their volcanic landscapes and year-round sunshine attracting millions of visitors every year, with four in 10 residents working in tourism – a sector that accounts for 36 percent of the islands’ gross domestic product (GDP). Before the coronavirus pandemic brought the global travel industry to its knees in 2020, over-tourism protest movements were already active in Spain, notably in Barcelona. After travel restrictions were lifted, tourism surged, with Spain welcoming a record 85.1 million visitors last year. Adblock test (Why?)
What does Israel have in its arsenal that it could use against Iran?
On Friday morning, Iranian air defences shot down three drones above its central province of Isfahan. Iran has yet to announce the results of its investigation into the incident, but the US said early on that Israel launched the attack. Israel has not commented despite speculation that it was behind it. Observers have, however, been anticipating an Israeli attack on Iran as the next link in a chain of escalation that began with an April 1 attack on the Iranian mission in Damascus that Iran blamed on Israel. The second was Iran launching 331 drones and missiles towards Israel on Saturday night in a well-choreographed attack, giving rise to expectations of an Israeli response. But if Israel were to strike Iran, how would it go about it? Israel has been planning strikes on sensitive Iranian sites for decades, but this response would have to be limited, part of the coded diplomatic and military dialogue between Iran and Israel. Israel would have to hit a high-value target but not one so valuable it would warrant a further military response from Iran and push the escalation into a full-on conflict. So what are Israel’s choices? Air strikes The two countries are more than 900km (560 miles) apart at their closest point with most of Iran’s military bases and nuclear sites more than 2,000km (1,243 miles) away from Israel. For strikes deep inside Iran, F-15i Ra’am and F-35i Adir stealth jets would be used. An Israeli F-15i Ra’am, top, and F‑35I Adir [Courtesy: Creative Commons] Both aircraft are optimised for long-range, but they would still need to refuel unless taking the shortest routes to Iranian targets near the border. The route would also be tricky. It is unlikely Saudi Arabia or Jordan would give Israel permission to fly through their airspace to attack Iran because it could draw them into a potential conflict and stands a good chance of inflaming domestic opinion, already vocal against Israel’s war on Gaza. Flying down the Red Sea and around Yemen and Oman to attack targets in southern Iran would mean a 4,700km (2,920-mile) trip before Israeli jets even reach the Iranian coastline. The fastest route to attack targets in the north of Iran would be through Syria and Iraq. The Israeli air force would have to suppress Syria’s air defences either by jamming or by cyberattack, as in 2007 when Israel destroyed what it said was a nuclear reactor being built in Syria. Israel “switched off” a large section of Syria’s air defence radar network beforehand. A technique like this could be used only in strategically important moments like a major air strike or at the start of a conflict. Even if Israel could still do this, it’s highly unlikely it would “show its hand” and reveal a major capability. Extended range External fuel tanks added to fighter jets can significantly extend their range but would make them show up on enemy radar. There have been reports of Israel-designed fuel tanks that can be fitted on their F-35 Adirs that would still allow them to stay moderately stealthy and invisible to radar. The tanks, to be jettisoned later, would allow the aircraft to reach and destroy targets much deeper inside Iran, return to their home airbases without being seen and fly unaided by the usual accompanying jets needed to destroy radar and protect fighter-bombers from other fighters. The plan would still be complex and, like all complex plans, subject to failure at its weakest link. Bad luck or enhanced radar the Iranians have not yet revealed could contribute to Israeli jets getting shot down – not the message of invincibility or revenge Israel wants to send. The naval option Israel has at its disposal five Dolphin-class submarines, German diesel-electric subs that run quietly and are ideal for coastal operations. Two of the latest subs built for Israel have AIP, or air-independent propulsion, meaning they can stay submerged for weeks as they stalk potential targets. One of the more obvious targets is the Behshad, an intelligence-gathering command ship that belongs to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC). It had been at sea for three years and was positioned up until recently at the mouth of the Red Sea near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. It was ordered back to port, and satellite imagery put it just outside the naval base at Bandar Abbas, just within the Strait of Hormuz. The ship is now in home waters and protected by shore defences but not invulnerable. The Dolphin-class subs are armed with a land attack variant of the Popeye cruise missile, the Turbo Popeye, having a range of 200km to 350km (124-217 miles) and launchable under water through the submarines’ torpedo tubes. The Dolphin subs are part of Israel’s nuclear deterrent, and there are reports a version of the Popeye has a range of 1,500km (932 miles) and the latest version of the improved Dolphin-class has a VLS (vertical launching system) in its sail, allowing for longer missiles to be launched that would hold more fuel and, therefore, have a longer range. It would be far easier to attack Iranian coastal targets from international waters, then submerge and disappear. Again, the target would have to be big enough to make its point but not large enough that it has to invite a response from Iran. These are the two real options. Any other military action, such as using special operations troops – Israeli boots on Iranian soil – stands the chance of escalating the conflict. The real question is, will Israel risk a full-scale war while it is already fighting on two fronts, one war on Gaza and a slow-burning confrontation with Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Adblock test (Why?)
‘When will our good days come?’ The Mumbai cook voting in India’s election
What’s your money worth? A series from the front lines of the cost-of-living crisis, where people who have been hit hard share their monthly expenses. Name: Manisha Santosh Kadam Age: 42 Born: Manchar, in the Indian state of Maharashtra Occupation: Cook Lives with: Her husband, Santosh, 48, their daughter, Rithuja, 21, and son, Sujal, 17. Lives in: A 37sq-metre (400sq-foot) house in Diva, located in Maharashtra’s Thane district, which is about an hour’s drive from Mumbai, India’s financial capital. The house, which is located on a busy street, has two small rooms – a medium-sized hall where all of them sleep together, and a kitchen. They do not have a garden or any open space. Monthly income: Working as a cook for eight hours a day at a household in the Byculla area of South Mumbai, Manisha earns a wage of 17,000 rupees ($203.64) per month. India’s daily minimum wage is currently 176 rupees ($2.11). Manisha’s husband works as an electrician and earns an erratic income ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 rupees a month ($35.94 to $47.92). Total expenses for the month: 16,673 rupees ($199.72) on family living expenses. At the end of March, Manisha only had 327 rupees ($3.92) left in her bank account. She also paid 90,000 rupees ($1,078) to repay a loan she had taken from the government to cover running costs at their family farm near the town of Manchar, where Manisha is from. She paid back the loan by borrowing money from friends and relatives. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 786
As the war enters its 786th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Saturday, April 20, 2024. Fighting Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported Ukrainian drone strikes overnight and into Saturday. It said 26 drones were detected over the Belgorod region, 10 over Bryansk, and eight over Kursk, among several other regions. The strikes killed two people in Russia’s Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Saturday. The governors of Kursk, Kaluga and Bryansk, all in western Russia, reported strikes in their regions as well. Ukraine’s air force said it shot down a Russian strategic bomber with antiaircraft missiles for the first time since the war began in 2022. The warplane was downed in Russian airspace, 300km (186 miles) from Ukraine’s border, on Friday after it took part in a long-range air strike in the central region of Dnipropetrovsk. The Russian attack killed at least nine people in the eastern city of Dnipro and surrounding region and injured at least 28 others, regional officials said. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the site of the strike in Dnipro and called on his country’s allies to rush in more air defences. Zelenskyy said Russian missiles also struck the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi in the southern Odesa region, destroying grain storage facilities and the food inside. Politics and diplomacy German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he believed the war in Ukraine could drag on for several more years and on Friday defended Germany’s military support for Ukraine. Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries expressed “strong concern” about the transfer of materials and weapons components from Chinese businesses to Russia for its military offensive in Ukraine. At their meeting on the Italian island of Capri on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this was heightening “the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War”. Weapons The United States House of Representatives is scheduled to vote later on Saturday to approve $95bn in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other US allies. The package includes $61bn for Ukraine. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy on Friday told a gathering of NATO defence ministers via videolink that the alliance must decide if it is Ukraine’s ally, urging member states to step up arms deliveries to his struggling forces. “Our sky must become safe again,” he said, telling the minister that Ukraine could not defend itself without Western support. Adblock test (Why?)
Man reportedly on fire outside of New York Trump trial
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Emergency crews doused the flames and man taken away on stretcher, according to US media reports. A man was reportedly on fire outside of the Manhattan courthouse where former United States President Donald Trump is standing trial on criminal charges for falsifying business records. CNN reported the man was covered in flames outside of the courthouse. Inside, the fourth day of the Trump trial was unfolding, with jury selection concluding. A correspondent for the network was reporting live on air when the incident occurred at a park across the street. “There is chaos that is happening,” she said. “I can smell the burning of agent used.” “We now have officers removing their coats, trying to surround his body to engulf him from further going into flames,” she said. “People are climbing over the barricade to try to separate the public from this man.” A video of the incident showed the man still in flames and twitching on the concrete as a police officer rushed over with a fire extinguisher. Politico reporter Emily Ngo said that police appeared to initially have trouble reaching the man due to barricades around the park. There has been massive security at the trial as Trump faces felony charges related to hush money payments he allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Reporters from across the world have been staked out at the courthouse during the trial. “very scary, active scene,” Ngo wrote on X. “He was responsive when he was removed but he is very, very badly burned. Body charred,” she wrote. The man, whose identity was not immediately known, was carried away on a stretcher. This is a developing story. Adblock test (Why?)
US policy is leading to a wider war: Jeffrey Sachs on Middle East tensions
Marc Lamont Hill discusses US policy in the Middle East and the risks of escalation with renowned scholar Jeffrey Sachs. Six months into Israel’s war on Gaza, fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East are mounting. On April 13, Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel in an unprecedented attack. The strike came after Israel’s April 1 bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria that killed two top generals. Israel vowed retaliation and, less than a week later, reportedly launched a drone strike on Isfahan, in central Iran. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has “not been involved in any offensive operations”. But the US government has announced new sanctions on Iran, including on its drone production, and urged de-escalation. So what lies ahead? And is the US doing enough to avert a wider regional conflict? On UpFront this week, Marc Lamont Hill talks to Columbia University Professor and Special Advisor to the United Nations Jeffrey Sachs about US foreign policy and rising tensions in the Middle East. Adblock test (Why?)
Croatia’s top court bars President Milanovic from becoming prime minister
Constitutional Court says Zoran Milanovic cannot take up PM post because he did not first step down as president. Croatia’s top court has ruled that President Zoran Milanovic, who had campaigned to become prime minister before this week’s parliamentary elections, may not head the new government. “The president has been warned in time that he cannot participate in the campaign but that he must [first] resign. Now it is over. He can no longer be a prime minister-designate,” Constitutional Court President Miroslav Separovic said at a news conference on Friday. “Everyone is obliged to adhere to the constitution and the law,” he added. Croatia held parliamentary elections on Wednesday, in which the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won the most seats but not enough to form a government alone. The vote was held after a bitter campaign between longtime political foes – the conservative incumbent, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, and the left-wing populist Milanovic. For months, Plenkovic and his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party seemed poised for an easy victory that would secure his third term as premier. But in mid-March, Milanovic, who tops opinion polls, made the shock announcement that he would challenge Plenkovic and become the candidate for the Social Democrats. Milanovic dissolved parliament on March 18, triggering this week’s snap election in the European Union member state of 3.8 million people. He said he would run for prime minister and resign only after winning the polls. The Constitutional Court then immediately warned him that he could only stand in the elections if he first stepped down as president. But Milanovic ignored the warning and campaigned across the country, accusing Plenkovic of leading the “most corrupt government in Croatia’s history”. Corruption has long been the Achilles heel of the HDZ, which has been in power most of the time since Croatia’s 1991 independence from Yugoslavia. The HDZ won 61 seats in the 151-member assembly, and a centre-left coalition led by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) won 42. The nationalist, right-wing Homeland Movement party came third with 14 seats, making it a likely kingmaker. ‘Preparation for coup d’etat’ Al Jazeera’s Marina Barukcic, reporting from Zagreb, said President Milanovic’s next move was unclear after the court’s verdict. “He believes that the Constitutional Court’s decision is a preparation for a coup d’etat led by Prime Minister Andrej Milanovic,” she said. Barukcic said the president promised to bring back the will of the people to the state. Plenkovic said on Thursday that it would be known “very soon” with whom the party would form a new parliamentary majority. The SDP was also trying to cobble together a majority although its task appears more difficult. Croatia has a parliamentary democracy in which the prime minister and his cabinet set all major policies. The president nominates the prime minister based on election results, may dissolve parliament and acts as the head of the armed forces with some say in foreign policy. Final election results are not expected until next week because a rerun is needed in two polling stations after irregularities were recorded. Adblock test (Why?)