Brutality of oppression: Ai Weiwei speaks on Gaza, China and New York City
“Power is afraid of art and poets,” writes Ai Weiwei in Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir. He would know. The renowned artist is a notorious rankler of the powers that be, particularly in his native China, where Communist Party leadership came to fear him to such a ferocious degree that he has endured prison, torture and now exile. “Why does power fear the arts,” I ask him. “Every form of power solidifies its foundation on absolute conditions, emphasising uniformity in thoughts, pathways, speech, and behavioural patterns,” he responds. “This uniformity serves as the fundamental prerequisite for the assertion of power. “Contrarily, art and poetry inherently defy the pre-established restrictions of human existence, venturing into uncharted territories. They are, in essence, endeavours to construct a novel reality, constituting a potent and destructive challenge to authoritarianism.” Zodiac is the latest of many such challenges posed by Ai over the decades. Rich with metaphor, philosophical musings, and rebellious wisdom, the book is “comic” in the classical sense – a work of komikos in which mirth and myth, commentary and critique are all combined, and tragedy is never too far off. In it, Ai relates a lifetime of creative struggle against power and repression, from his childhood during the politically fraught period following China’s Cultural Revolution to his early forays abroad as a student in New York City during the 1980s, on through his illustrious artistic career and the violent reaction it inspired. Unwilling to cede to self-censorship, Ai has endured the destruction of his Beijing studios by Chinese authorities, imprisonment – and his eventual need to flee the country once and for all. Now he is facing censorship once again, this time in the form of a London show cancelled last November after he tweeted criticism of United States-Israel relations in the early days of Israel’s war on Gaza. I interviewed Ai via email in the weeks leading up to the release of Zodiac (January 30, 2024) in a discussion that spanned his many years of living under political peril, the intentions behind censorship and oppression, and the importance of artistic expression. Dissident Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei at his exhibition, ‘Making Sense’, at the Design Museum, in London, April 4, 2023 [Kin Cheung/AP] Born into a ‘system of oppression’ Ai’s memoir opens with a scene from his childhood in China’s remote Xinjiang province, where his family was forced to live in an underground burrow due to the persecution and exile of his father – celebrated poet Ai Qing – in the wake of the country’s Great Leap Forward. Mao Zedong’s campaign intended to turbocharge the process of industrialisation in agrarian China, but its consequence was famine and a severe crackdown on intellectuals who were perceived as oppositional to Mao’s vision. In Zodiac, Ai describes how his family eked out their subterranean banishment as part of a “strange commune” where he took part in a competition to see who could catch the most mice. Ai won, accumulating a collection of their tails. “The experience of growing up in an intensely politicised environment within the household of an intellectual subject to prolonged suppression and oppression was not different from the lives of others during that period in terms of material life,” he told me of this period. “During those times, everyone shared a common experience of living under the pervasive fear of politics.” Sixty years later, Ai opens Zodiac with a scene between father and son in which the former warns the latter to avoid reading. When I asked about it, he explained, “From my early years, I encountered discrimination and witnessed an unjust society, leading me to recognise that political oppression doesn’t emanate solely from those in power; rather, it permeates everyone’s ideology. In such oppressive circumstances, individuals willingly conform to the violence inherent in society, becoming conscious participants in the system of oppression. This type of society leaves victims with nowhere to hide, exposing them to harm on all fronts.” After two decades of living in an Orwellian social structure, Ai decided enough was enough. “Personally, the most discernible impact of the Cultural Revolution on me was the decision to leave China and move to the US. At that time, I perceived China as an abnormal and unsafe society,” he said. “In hindsight, at the post-Cultural Revolution time, China underwent changes, transitioning from an intensely politicised society under proletarian authoritarianism to a politically authoritarian yet simultaneously materialistic and capitalistic society in terms of lifestyle.” What was it like, I ask, to leave such circumstances? “The United States in the 1980s felt like an entirely different planet to me,” Ai responded. “Everything there, both in the realms of materiality and spirituality, severed any semblance of connection. Every new experience unfolded as an entirely novel world. While, to some extent, I attained the pinnacle of freedom, from an alternate viewpoint, I found myself subjected to the most stringent constraints.” Ai Weiwei poses in front of his sculpture,’Template’, during a media preview of Documenta 12 on June 13, 2007 in Kassel, Germany [Johannes Simon/Getty Images] A young art student abroad Ai spent more than a decade in the US, studying in Philadelphia and San Francisco before ending up in New York. There he struck up a friendship with poet Allen Ginsberg and discovered that the country he had come to was no stranger to brutality. When police were caught on film indiscriminately attacking protesters, community members and journalists while attempting to dismantle homeless encampments during the 1988 Tompkins Square Park incident, Ai happened to be there, taking photos, as he somewhat relentlessly photographed his time in the US. Then, after 12 years, he decided to move on. “It seemed to me that I had already obtained all things possible to me during my time there, and the prospect of discovering more unique experiences appeared elusive. Continuing my stay in the US would feel like a squandering of time. At that time, my father in China was ill, so it was a compelling motive to
Packed Tanzania protests offer hope but reforms remain a distant dream
Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania – As thousands of supporters carrying placards stating their demands marched through Dar-es-Salaam on Wednesday, opposition party Chadema deputy chairperson Tunde Lissu declared to reporters that the rallies were the beginning of a mission to get a new constitution and get the electoral commission truly independent. Deemed the biggest public demonstrations since President Samia Suluhu Hassan lifted the ban a year ago, they served as a platform for the opposition to dispute a raft of contentious electoral reforms set to be debated in parliament next month. “We have been asking for these constitutional reforms for 30 years, now we’ll demand them on the road,” said Lissu. “If it’s not possible to get a new constitution over dialogue, it will be obtained in the streets.” But even as the rallies were deemed successful by onlookers, the big question in Tanzanian politics is how far the government will go to heed Chadema’s demands. Since taking office in March 2021 with the stated goal of implementing democratic reforms, Hassan has kept observers guessing on what would be her next move. Her predecessor John Magufuli was different: nicknamed The Bulldozer for his dictatorial tendencies, he governed ruthlessly. He muzzled the media and banned rallies and public gatherings, forcing opposition politicians like Lissu into exile and others into hiding. Between 2015 when he came into power and 2021 when he died in office, Magufuli also shunned the West and was infamously a COVID-19 denier and vaccine sceptic. Hassan overturned the ban on rallies and public gatherings in 2023, paving the way for Lissu to return from exile. She also reinstated members of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi who had been expelled from the party. But during her tenure, there have also been accusations of stifling dissent: Chadema leader Freeman Mbowe was imprisoned for seven months on “terrorism” charges after being arrested during a night-time police raid a day before the party was to hold a forum pressing for constitutional reforms. Dissent and determination Even on the eve of the rallies, there was uncertainty about whether they would take place at all. Two weeks ago, when Chadema announced plans for the rallies, the Dar-es-Salaam regional commissioner declared that government officials and the army would be holding a sanitation exercise in the city streets on the same day. The official’s statement was quickly interpreted as aiming to obstruct the rallies from taking place. The police also issued a statement threatening to intervene if the rallies were not peaceful. But some analysts say Chadema was determined to go ahead, regardless of whatever challenges security agencies would pose. “I don’t think we credit them enough for putting not just their money but their bodies where their mouth is,” said columnist and commentator Elsie Eyakuze. The authorities’ decision to let the rallies take place is part of the healing process from the Magufuli era in which there was no room for dissent, she added. Rights activist and political commentator Baruani Mshale agreed, saying Chadema deserves credit for being bold enough to go ahead with the rallies, and not Hassan and her government for not blocking them. “I sensed the determination from Chadema’s side that come what may, they will hold the rallies. The only surprising thing was the cooperation that the police granted them,” he told Al Jazeera. A season of demands Thirty years ago, when Tanzania decided to move from one-party rule to a multiparty democracy, calls for amendment of the existing constitution, forged in 1977, began. They bubbled to the surface again after Magufuli’s election in 2015 as opposition supporters cried foul, saying the vote had been rigged by the machinery of state working in tandem with the governing party. The government has proposed to change the composition of the committee that selects commissioners to the electoral body and that appointment of the chairperson and vice chairperson of the electoral commission be made by the president. But opponents of the bill say the choices of the president, who doubles as chairperson of the governing party, ought to be vetted by an independent committee. They also want the scope of the bill which currently focuses on presidential, parliamentary, and ward executive elections to be widened to accommodate elections for chairpersons of streets, villages, and hamlets which are currently administered by the Ministry for Regional Administration and Local Government and not the electoral commission. Chadema in particular has gone a step further in demanding for the bills to be drafted afresh. “If you look at the size of weakness in these bills, you realise … the only way to fix these bills is by withdrawing them from the parliament and be rewritten after being preceded by the amendment of the 1977 constitution,” John Mnyika, the party’s secretary-general, said after submitting an analysis to the parliamentary committee. The party also has other demands, including the revival of a bill for a new constitution, regardless of what happens in parliament next month. For many Tanzanians, there remains a degree of uncertainty about what grounds the government will concede before the 2026 election, especially as opposition talks with the governing party failed to yield its desired results for more than a year. And that could see Tanzania enter into a season of sustained protests, experts say. “The fact that most of their recommendations have been ignored shows that all these talks and well-meaning promises from Samia are meaningless,” said Thabit Jacob, a political commentator and postdoctoral researcher at Lund University, Sweden. “The rallies give them a chance to talk about the urgency of the situation as backroom talks have proved ineffective.” Some believe the president needs more time to deliver, arguing that she represents the progressive element of the governing party and a different order from her predecessors. And there is increasing talk about the opposition needing to temper its demands, seeing as a compromise between both sides seems unlikely in the coming months. “Let’s be politically mature,” Eyakuze said. “It’s very easy to destroy a system overnight, but building a democracy takes
Palestinians slam suspension of UNRWA funding by some Western nations
Top Palestinian officials and Hamas have criticised the decision by some Western countries to suspend funding to the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians and called for an immediate reversal of the move that entails “great” risk. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) earlier said it had opened an investigation into some employees that Israel alleges were involved in the October 7 attacks that triggered the current conflict. On Saturday, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh said the countries’ decision “entails great political and humanitarian relief risks”. “At this particular time and in light of the continuing aggression against the Palestinian people, we need the maximum support for this international organization and not stopping support and assistance to it,” he wrote on X, urging the countries to “immediately reverse their decision”. We call on the countries that announced the cessation of their support for #UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision, which entails great political and humanitarian relief risks, as at this particular time and in light of the continuing aggression against the Palestinian… https://t.co/mxIam0zmZs — حسين الشيخ Hussein AlSheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) January 27, 2024 Italy, Australia, Canada and the United States said they would halt funding to the agency, while European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the 27-member bloc would “assess further steps and draw lessons based on the result of the full and comprehensive investigation”. The United Kingdom and Finland also joined the growing list of countries to pause financial aid to the UN agency, whose facilities where displaced Palestinians sought shelter have been repeatedly attacked in Israeli airstrikes. Hamas on Saturday slammed Israeli “threats” against the agency, after Israel accused several UNRWA staff of involvement in Hamas’s October 7 attacks in southern Israel that the authorities there say killed about 1,140 people. “We ask the UN and the international organisations to not cave in to the threats and blackmail” from Israel, Hamas’s press office said in a post on Telegram. On Friday, UNRWA said it had fired several employees and that it had opened an investigation into the allegations. “The Israeli authorities have provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on October 7,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. “To protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay.” UNRWA was founded in the wake of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 to provide hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who were forcibly displaced with education, healthcare, social services and jobs. It started operations in 1950. The cash-strapped agency today supports nearly six million Palestinians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, as well as in neighbouring Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Aid freeze Britain on Saturday said it had joined the US in “temporarily pausing” future financial aid for UNRWA, which is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member countries. “The UK is appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned,” the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement. Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Saturday that his country was joining its allies and cutting its support for the agency. “Allied countries have taken a similar decision. We are committed to providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population while protecting Israel’s security,” he posted on X. Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was “deeply concerned” by the allegations against UNRWA. “We are speaking with partners and will temporarily pause disbursement of recent funding,” she wrote on X. “We welcome UNRWA’s immediate response, including terminating contracts and launching an investigation, as well as its recent announcement of a full investigation into allegations against the organization,” she added. Israel praised the countries for halting their support to the UN agency, saying it wants to completely stop its operations after the war on Gaza has ended. Commending the US government for its decision to cease funding to @UNRWA after it was revealed that some of its employees were involved in the heinous massacre on #October7. We have been warning for years: @UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue, obstructs peace, and serves as a… — ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) January 27, 2024 Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Israel “aims to promoting a policy ensuring that UNRWA will not be a part of the day after, addressing other contributing factors”. “We will work to garner bipartisan support in the US, the European Union, and other nations globally for this policy aimed at halting UNRWA’s activities in Gaza,” he said. Independent investigation Canada’s International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen on Friday announced that Ottawa had “temporarily paused any additional funding to UNRWA while it undertakes a thorough investigation into these allegations”. “Canada is taking these reports extremely seriously and is engaging closely with UNRWA and other donors on this issue,” he wrote on X. “Should the allegations prove to be accurate, Canada expects UNRWA to immediately act against those determined to have been involved in Hamas’s terrorist attacks.” The US halted funding to UNRWA on Friday because of the allegations against 12 employees who “may have been involved” in the Hamas attack. Lazzarini did not disclose the number of employees nor the nature of their alleged involvement, but said “any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror” would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution. UN chief Antonio Guterres has pledged to conduct an “urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA”. At least 26,257 people have been killed and 64,797 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. Adblock test (Why?)
How Israel is responding to the ICJ ruling
The ICJ’s order to Israel to stop acts of genocide marks a watershed in the Gaza war. Part 1: What does the ICJ ruling mean for Israel? Judgement day at the International Court of Justice. The court has ruled the people of Gaza must be protected from genocidal acts carried out by Israel. Richard Gizbert is joined by producer Tariq Nafi to discuss the impact this ruling could have on how the media discuss the war in Gaza. Part 2: Mohammed el-Kurd on Palestinian resistance Writer and journalist Mohammed el-Kurd in a video essay on Palestinian resistance and the Western media’s warped coverage of Palestine. Contributor:Mohammed el-Kurd – Writer and journalist Part 3: India: Temple opening or election campaign kickoff? A long-anticipated – and deeply contentious – consecration of a Hindu temple in India this past week featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi front and centre. The country’s mainstream media enthusiastically played along, giving Modi valuable airtime in what is an election year. Contributors:Apoorvanand – Professor, Delhi UniversitySeema Chishti – Editor, The WirePamela Philipose – Author, Media’s Shifting TerrainSreemoy Talukdar – Deputy executive editor, Firstpost Adblock test (Why?)
WWE’s Vince McMahon resigns after sexual assault and trafficking lawsuit
Former employee files lawsuit accusing McMahon and another executive of sexual assault, trafficking and emotional abuse. Vince McMahon has resigned from wrestling giant TKO Group and the subsidiary World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) he founded after a lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault and trafficking. McMahon stepped down from his position as executive chairman of the board of directors at WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, according to a statement released late on Friday. Former employee Janel Grant sued the company, McMahon and former head of talent relations John Laurinaitis, alleging sexual assault, trafficking and emotional abuse. Grant filed the complaint on Thursday in a court in the US state of Connecticut, where WWE is based, accusing McMahon of coercing her into a “sexual relationship”, sharing sexually explicit photos and videos of her with male colleagues, and subjecting her to “increasingly depraved sexual demands” that included sexual encounters with Laurinaitis and others. McMahon’s statement said he was leaving the board “out of respect” for WWE and TKO Group. “I stand by my prior statement that Ms Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth,” he said in the statement. “I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.” On Thursday, Grant’s lawyer Ann Callis said in a statement that Grant hopes her lawsuit will prevent other women from being victimised. “The organisation is well aware of Mr McMahon’s history of depraved behavior, and it’s time that they take responsibility for the misconduct of its leadership,” she said. Grant is seeking unspecified monetary damages and to have the court void a $3m nondisclosure agreement, of which she alleges she received only $1m. Ongoing accusations In 2022, McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO amid an investigation into allegations that match those in Grant’s lawsuit. His daughter Stephanie McMahon was named interim CEO as the investigation continued amid widening allegations of misconduct and payments of millions of dollars to women formerly associated with WWE to keep quiet about affairs and alleged misconduct. After buying what was then the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from his father in 1982, McMahon turned the second-rate league into an entertainment giant. He used scripted matches, celebrity wrestlers and glitz to make the brand more acceptable to television audiences, and created the concept of pay-per-view matches for bigger events such as “WrestleMania” to build its revenue base. The organisation passed the billion-dollar mark in annual sales last year and on Tuesday Netflix sealed a 10-year, $5bn broadcast deal with WWE. TKO was formed after WWE merged last April with the company that runs the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to create the $21.4bn sports entertainment company. Adblock test (Why?)
Femicide in Kenya: What’s causing an epidemic of violence against women?
The murders of two Kenyan women this month are spotlighting a worrying regularity in gender-based violence in the East African country, with activists calling for more government measures to protect women. Rita Waeni, a 20-year-old student was killed and dismembered in a shortlet apartment in the capital Nairobi on January 14. Days before, a popular Instagram figure, Starlet Wahu, 26, was found dead in an Airbnb room, bleeding out from a fatal stab wound inflicted by a man she met online. They are only two of at least four reported gender-based murders in Kenya since the start of the year, as the country faces an increasing number of killings and abuses meted on women, rights groups say. Amid social media outrage, women say they plan to assemble in protest on January 27 to demand more action from authorities. Here’s what happened in the recent cases, an overview of gender-based violence, and what activists are demanding: What do we know about the recent murders? CCTV footage captured Starlet Wahu, a social media influencer, walking with a male figure into a shortlet in a mid-class neighbourhood in Nairobi on the evening of January 3. The man left the premises the next morning with bloodied clothes and a possible leg injury, a guard told the police. Wahu was found lifeless, with stab wounds and bite marks. Police found HIV test kits and a bloodied knife in the room. A suspect, believed to be a serial offender, has been arrested. Several women have stepped up to accuse the same man of previous assaults. Nearly two weeks later, on January 14, the dismembered body of Rita Waeni, a fourth-year student of Nairobi’s agriculture university, was found in a bag dumped at a trash collection point in the central business district. Waeni had also entered a short-term rental with a man the day before, but eyewitnesses say only the man left the room, and that blood traces led them to the bag. Waeni’s family members said they received texts for a ransom, possibly after her murder. Local papers report that Waeni may have been lured by her murderer through the social app, Instagram. Three male suspects are in custody – one was arrested at the airport on his way out of Kenya. Kenyan media have also reported the murders of two other women in the last week. Police say Christine Aume was cooking in her detached kitchen in Homa Bay, western Kenya, when she was attacked and beheaded on January 17. On the same day, police found a woman murdered and dumped by a road in Kiambu County, central Kenya. How many women have been murdered? Activists in Kenya say the country is experiencing increasing rates of femicide, which is defined as the intentional murder of women or girls primarily because of their gender, and usually by their partners or other persons they know like family members. The Kenyan government doesn’t collect figures on women murders. However, Femicide Count Kenya, which monitors killings reported in local news, recorded 58 deaths it labelled as femicides between January and October 2022. In 2023, the organisation said it recorded at least 152 killings – the highest in the past five years. Some 500 Kenyan women were murdered between 2017 and 2024, according to another estimate by investigative platforms Africa Uncensored and Africa Data Hub. 2 weeks into 2024, headlines tell of women killed by men close to them. The cases only scratch the surface, countless deaths go unrecognized. This Friday, with @AfUncensored & @Africa_DataHub, we launch “#SilencingWomen“: a database of femicide cases since 2016. #EndFemicideKE pic.twitter.com/kalubrYM0t — VybeCast (@VybeCast) January 16, 2024 Abuse cases are rife. News reports document women being beaten, stabbed and raped. Nonprofit Usikimye, which runs a helpline for female survivors of violence, says it receives more than 150 calls daily, including from people who refer to a third party suffering abuse. A 2022 national survey also found that about a third of Kenyan females – some nine million women – have experienced some form of physical violence. Although many of the deaths occurred in private spaces, women in Nairobi say there’s a general atmosphere of fear in the city, and that they are finding safety in measures like travelling in groups because they have little faith in the authorities. “We as Kenyan women are not being listened to,” said Inyika Odero, an activist and model who helped organise a virtual protest and discussion on Sunday after authorities refused her a protest permit. “What else can we do apart from travel in groups and try to get home before it’s dark which is almost impossible because people have jobs and take public transportation?” Odero said. “We are not allowed to have tasers or pepper spray, that’s illegal.” Why is femicide on the rise? Kenya, like many African countries, has adopted treaties that address gender-based violence, including the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. National laws like the Sexual Offences Act also criminalise violence against women. In addition, the Kenyan police have a specialised gender desk. But activists say government policies are scarcely effective. “We have seen no government-sponsored national campaigns addressing GBV [gender-based violence] or its consequences,” said Shyleen Bonareri, director of Nairobi-based Young Women’s Leadership Institute (YWLI). “The justice system remains sluggish and ineffective in prosecuting the perpetrators and corruption continues to cause gaps in the implementation of these ambitious laws,” she told Al Jazeera. Instead, many women say, there’s a deep-seated “misogynistic” culture that sees women as objects to be “owned” and that focuses on shaming them for being victims, rather than their male perpetrators. Even as shock and outrage grew over the killings of Wahu and Waeni on social media, activists point out how some Kenyans, notably men, have chosen to blame the women, questioning everything from why they were meeting up and entering shortlets with the men. Idk if the media was careless in reporting
Tuvalu’s pro-Taiwan leader loses seat in closely watched election
Tuvalu is one of only 12 remaining diplomatic allies of Taipei amid growing US-China rivalry in the Pacific. Tuvalu’s pro-Taiwan leader has lost his seat in closely watched elections in the tiny Pacific island nation. Prime Minister Kausea Natano failed to return to his seat on the main atoll of Funafuti, election results showed on Saturday, dealing a potential blow to Taipei’s efforts to hold onto its dwindling number of diplomatic allies. Tuvalu, home to just 11,200 people, is one of only 12 states that formally recognise Taiwan, and Natano had pledged to maintain ties with the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory. Taipei lost one of four remaining Pacific Islands allies last month after Nauru switched recognition to Beijing, following switches by Solomon Islands and Kiribati in 2019. China refuses to recognise countries that have formal relations with Taiwan, which it has pledged to “reunify” with the Chinese mainland by force if necessary. Natano’s rival, Seve Paeniu, who was returned to his seat, said he would seek the support of lawmakers to become prime minister after pledging during the election campaign to review the country’s ties with Taipei. Lawmakers are expected to meet next week to vote for a new prime minister. The election comes as small Pacific island nations such as Tuvalu are at the centre of a competition for regional influence between China and the United States and its Western allies. In November, Natano signed a far-reaching deal with Australia that gives Canberra a say in Tuvalu’s defence ties with other countries in exchange for security guarantees and a pathway to residency in Australia for Tuvalu citizens threatened by climate change. Enele Sopoaga, another potential contender for the leadership who retained his seat, has argued the deal should be scrapped because it infringes on Tuvalu’s sovereignty. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Saturday congratulated Tuvalu on the “successful election”. “We look forward to working with the new Government,” Wong said. “Australia and Tuvalu are longstanding friends, sharing an interest in building a stronger, more resilient and more peaceful Pacific.” Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 703
As the war enters its 703rd day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Saturday, January 27, 2024. Fighting Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Ilyushin-76 plane that crashed near the border with Ukraine was shot down by Ukrainian air defences, whether on purpose or by mistake. The death toll from Russian missile strikes on Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv earlier this week rose to 11, officials said. Putin said Russia’s future ruling class should be made up of army veterans, and not “weirdos” who “show their backsides”. The remarks appeared to slam a raunchy “almost naked” celebrity party held in Moscow last month that drew fierce public backlash. A court in Moscow on Friday extended the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by two months, following his arrest last year on espionage charges. A general view shows a building damaged by a Russian missile hit in central Kharkiv, Ukraine, January 17, 2024 [File: Yan Dobronosov/Reuters] Economy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the creation of a new economic body to assist businesses in wartime after several entrepreneurs voiced outrage at the arrest of a prominent banker. In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said the All-Ukraine Economic Platform would help businesses overcome the challenges posed by Russia’s invasion. Diplomacy US President Joe Biden criticised congressional Republicans for stalling military aid to Ukraine amid a lack of consensus on a separate deal to reinforce the US-Mexico border. The chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Turkey needed to cooperate better on holding Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine following the US government’s approval of a $23bn deal to sell F-16 warplanes to Ankara. The chief negotiator for Moldova’s Russian-backed separatist Transdniestria region announced that his team would no longer attend talks on the country’s future in areas under government control because he feared arrest. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel’s war on Gaza: List of key events, day 113
Top UN court orders Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza; US and UK conduct new attacks on Houthi targets. Here’s how things stand on Saturday, January 27, 2024: Red Sea tensions The United States and the United Kingdom launched two air attacks that targeted the port of Ras Issa in Yemen’s Hodeidah province, reported Al Masirah, a Houthi-run satellite news channel. Yemen’s Houthi fighters have stepped up attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea. One of their hits sparked a fire on a fuel tanker but no injuries were reported. The US military said it destroyed a Houthi antiship missile in Yemen that was ready to launch towards the Red Sea. Cruise operator Carnival joined the growing list of companies flagging a potential hit to their operations due to Houthi attacks. ICJ ruling The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and do more to help civilians, although it stopped short of calling for a ceasefire as requested by the plaintiff, South Africa. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the ICJ ruling and said Israel will continue to defend itself and its citizens while adhering to international law. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the ruling was an important development that contributed to isolating Israel and exposing its crimes in Gaza. More global reactions here. Diplomacy US President Joe Biden spoke with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani about Gaza. They agreed that efforts to secure the release of captives taken by Hamas were key to securing a longer pause in fighting, the White House said. Argentina’s President Javier Milei said he would travel to Israel in the “coming weeks”, one of his first overseas trips since the libertarian economist took office last month after pledging strong support for Israel during his campaign. The White House expressed hope about progress in talks to release captives held by Hamas in Gaza as Biden’s Middle East envoy Brett McGurk returned to Washington, DC from a trip to the region. German state broadcaster ARD said Israel was blocking two of its long-term Palestinian workers from leaving Gaza, where they fear for their lives, citing security concerns the broadcaster said did not make sense. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said it opened an investigation into several employees suspected of involvement in the October 7 attacks. Other developments Israeli protesters blocked humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza with crucial supplies of flour, food, tents and hygiene items, the UN said. Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) said “vital medical services have collapsed at Nasser Hospital” due to heavy fighting and bombardments around the key medical facility in Khan Younis. A 27-year-old Palestinian man, shot by Israeli forces northeast of Jenin, died of his injuries, according to the Palestinian media. Adblock test (Why?)
The Sundarbans dilemma: Islands swallowed by water, and nowhere else to go
Sundarbans, India – Panchanan Dolui, who lives on Mousuni Island in the Indian Sundarbans, has shifted homes three times due to floods and river erosion. Each time, he moves farther from the receding edge of the island to avoid displacement. He has watched the river eat away vast tracts of land. “Where do we go? There is nowhere to go,” he laments. Located in West Bengal state in eastern India and neighbouring Bangladesh, the Sundarbans forest system is a cluster of low-lying islands and represents the largest mangrove ecosystem in the world. It is home to several endangered species and acts as a natural barrier against cyclones, storm surges and other environmental hazards. The forests are also natural agents of carbon capture and sequestration. But things are changing fast. Four cyclones that hit the eastern coast of India from 2019 to 2021 – Fani, Amphan, Bulbul and Yaas – point to the increasingly unpredictable weather in the Sundarbans caused by climate change and rising sea levels. Now, the Sundarbans are increasingly “not safe for human habitation”, says Kalyan Rudra, chairperson of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board. The spate of recent cyclones has compounded climate-induced displacement that the people of the Sundarbans have confronted in previous decades. Lohachara was one of the first inhabited islands to disappear under the sea in 1996, forcing residents to relocate to neighbouring islands, often without documents or property deeds. In the face of limited options for making a living and without sufficient development in the region, migration has become a coping strategy for many residents. There have been several waves of migration within the Sundarbans, often on the same island, to avoid flooding from embankment breaches, tidal bores and storm surges. Since Cyclone Aila in 2009, distress migration driven by economic vulnerability has resulted in men taking up work as informal migrant workers across India. Women-headed households in the Sundarbans are more common than in any other area of India because of distress migration. But these households are often marked by debt burdens, a high number of dependents and limited livelihood options. Meanwhile, increasing land salinity due to severe cyclonic storms and tidal wave action, which carries seawater from the Bay of Bengal into the Sundarbans delta, impedes soil productivity. Increased salinity forces farming changes Salinity-resistant paddy farming is an important form of climate change adaptation in the area, and it has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Increased salinity, however, has also led to brackish water shrimp farming on a commercial scale, causing land degradation. The health of women who perform the poorly paid labour of prawn seed collection, which involves standing up to six hours in saltwater, is adversely affected. Increasing salinity is a leading cause of reproductive health problems among rural women in the Sundarbans, including pelvic inflammation and urinary tract infections. Increasing salinity has also led to a severely degraded mangrove ecosystem, affecting biodiversity and causing a loss of forest reserves that sustain local communities. The ire of tigers The pressure on forest resources also amplifies man-animal conflict in the area. The Sundarbans are home to tiger widows, women whose husbands went into the Sundarbans reserve for fishing or honey collection and were killed by tigers. There is no official recognition of such deaths because entry into the forest became illegal for its dwellers once the area was declared a tiger reserve in 1973 and came under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Pradip Chatterjee, former president of the Dakshinbanga Matsyajibi Forum or the South Bengal Fishers’ Union, calls these tiger deaths “be-aini mrityu”, or illegal deaths, marked by the erasure of the person’s existence. He notes that the local police station refuses to make entries of the tiger deaths because of their “illegal” nature, hampering the process of applying for compensation – a bureaucratic labyrinth that requires the deceased’s kin to produce a police report and death certificate. Recently, the Calcutta High Court acknowledged tiger deaths in a landmark decision, ordering the West Bengal Forest Department to pay full compensation to two tiger widows. How the marginalised are sidelined Continuing climate disasters not only slow down the recovery but also exacerbate pre-existing vulnerabilities of caste and gender. For example, government relief after disasters is often selective and contingent on existing land holdings, such as after Cyclone Amphan. “Our two-room house collapsed and trees had fallen on them. We couldn’t enter our house any more,” former Sundarbans resident Neela Ghosh said. “But relief workers went to those houses that were unaffected and where the owners don’t live. We are sitting outside our broken home and receiving very meagre funds.” As erosion across the Sundarbans continues, officials struggle to agree upon areas suitable for the relocation of the most vulnerable residents. West Bengal recorded the longest stretch of shoreline erosion in India at 63 percent with 99sq km (38sq miles) of land lost due to coastal erosion from 1990 to 2016. This has a direct effect on the landless, marginal residents of the Sundarbans, who reside closest to the riverbanks. In a telephone interview, a Forest Department official says prime land was already occupied in the Sundarbans and people located on the edge – usually the most marginalised and vulnerable – would only be relocated to another edge. The remaining public land is not fit for habitation or agriculture, meaning the only area that could be converted into habitable or agricultural land was forest, the official added. So, in responding to people forced from their homes because of erosion, government policy will have to walk a fine line in not claiming more forest land for relocation. Decisions around where to relocate residents are made more difficult by the fact that erosion has made some islands, including Sagar Island, to which planned relocation has been taking place, unsafe for human habitation, according to Rudra. However, there are some areas of the Sundarbans where sediment build-up is taking place, which presents possibilities. “We can identify such areas which are less vulnerable and