Amnesty International has argued that three Iranian men who were executed on Friday were given “grossly unfair” trials to deter dissent. Majid Kazemi, Saeed Yaqoubi and Saleh Mirhashemi had all been accused of killing two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Basij volunteer force and a police officer during anti-government protests last year. Each was also convicted without adequate evidence after confessing under torture, according to rights groups. In total, seven people have now been executed with five others still on death row in relation to the protests, during which an estimated 500 people may have died.
UN envoy reportedly meeting Russian official accused of war crimes for deporting Ukrainian children
The Toronto Star
23-05-19 19:29
The UN envoy on child protection is due to meet with Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, who stands accused of war crimes for deporting children from Ukraine. Human Rights Watch has criticised the proposed meeting, stating that Lvova-Belova is a suspected war criminal who should be behind bars. Last week, Gamba was in Ukraine, where she commended the government over measures it has taken to protect children during the conflict. Lvova-Belova has said that Russia had taken in over five million Ukrainians, including 700,000 children, all of whom had parents, relatives or legal guardians, except for 2,000 from orphanages in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas where fighting has been intense.
Russia has banned 500 Americans from entering the country following the implementation of a new round of US sanctions. The list included Barack Obama, comedian Stephen Colbert and 45 members of the House of Representatives. Other bans were also connected to arms supplies to Ukraine and officials "who are directly involved in the persecution of dissidents in the wake of the so-called 'storm of the Capitol'". Moscow also refused the US's request for consular access to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in late March and charged with espionage.
The Arab League recently saw Syrian President Bashar al-Assad return to the fore during its summit in Jeddah. President al-Assad was embraced by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Ten years ago, the Saudis funded anti-Assad militias. However, Saudi Arabia and the UAE need Syria as a key ally in their Middle East operations, and they believe that the Assad regime is now a Middle Eastern reality. Despite this, Syrians who blame the Assad regime for destroying their country view the Arab League's decision with dismay. Lebanese military deportations have recently increased by the army, targeting refugees, with around 1,500 Syrians being deported at gunpoint.
Ahead of World Bicycle Day on June 3, Japanese brands, OGK Kabuto and Nicco, have released new helmet designs that are less sporty and more casual. While children in Japan have been required to wear helmets for cycling since 2008, few bicycle helmet producers exist to meet the rising demand for adult head protection. OGK Kabuto has added a range of fabric-covered helmets that resemble hats, while Nicco has launched an updated range of adult commuter helmets in collaboration with Moca, an Osaka-based label of bicycle accessories company.
Lebanese authorities have started returning refugees to the Syria despite calls for a halt by human rights groups, who say that some are passing into Syrian custody where they can face punishment or forced military service. The Syrians are being returned as Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia, are starting to normalise their relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been accused of war crimes in the country's civil war. Amnesty International has denounced the Lebanese efforts and other human rights groups have similarly stressed that it is illegal to send anyone back to a country where they are at risk of persecution, citing the international “principle of non-refoulement.” The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, also said that it had seen an "increasing trend in raids taking place in Syrian communities."
G7 leaders in Japan preparing for arrival of Zelenskyy
CBC
23-05-20 04:45
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will attend the G7 summit to discuss the progress in the war against Russia with all of the leaders. Observing countries have also been invited, with the Ukrainian President aiming to make the most progress with non-aligned countries and stress that security is indivisible. Proposals to supply Ukraine with advanced warplanes were discussed, with US President Joe Biden offering to support joint training efforts involving allied F-16s. During the summit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the issue of foreign interference, including economic issues such as intellectual property theft by countries such as China.
Mexico is temporarily keeping migrants from the US border and transferring people from its boundary with Guatemala to relieve the pressure at its border cities, following the US’s decision to drop restrictions on seeking asylum at its Mexican border last week. Efforts to move people away from the country’s horizon with the US reportedly left shelters in northern border cities below capacity, while facilities were full or overstretched in southern Mexico. Although migrants face transportation problems with “lateral movements to other parts of the country” in some cases, transfers are being made “to relieve local shelter saturation”, according to an internal government presentation that was obtained by Reuters. Some migrants reported that new measures reduced their options to seek international protection, however, and the UN Refugee Agency expressed concern last week about the impact on facilities in Mexico City and southern Mexico.
US President Joe Biden plans to discuss the situation in Ukraine with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Group of Seven (G7) summit this weekend. Biden plans to focus on the "sacrosanct" issue of sovereignty and territorial integrity in the discussions. Brazil and India have previously played a bridge-building role in relations with Russia and China, however, Lula angered the West last month by asking the US and European allies to stop supplying arms to Ukraine. The Brazilian leader has since toned down his comments. Biden also aims to discuss supply chain resilience, infrastructure investments and dealing with large debt burdens with the G7 summit attendees.
‘Listen to us’: LGBTQ activists seek help, prudence in raising human rights abroad
The Toronto Star
23-05-20 10:00
LGBTQ activists have urged for Canada to increase its efforts in the fight against organised movements to clamp down on sexual and gender minorities in African countries, whilst also remaining cautious about when to raise issues in public as foreign leaders commenting can lead to the narrative that the West is trying to impose LGBTQ issues on Africa. The country in question, Ghana, has outlawed homosexual acts since British rule; and following a political debate in August 2021, a bill that would ban gender-affirming care and jail people for up to a decade for purportedly promoting LGBTQ activities is being discussed. Activists are calling for greater coordination and funding to respond to the anti-LGBTQ movements being funded from overseas. Commenting on the situation, Ghanaian Alex Kofi Donkor, the founder of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, pleaded for Canada to take direction from the local LGBTQ representatives in African nations such as Ghana, who are on the frontline regarding these issues as they can offer the best solutions to instigate change.
The theme of the 18th Venice International Architecture Exhibition is "Laboratory of the Future," and reflects the urgent need to address climate change, resource consumption and representation, according to chief curator Lesley Naa Norle Lokko. Her central exhibition focuses on Africa, where urbanisation is happening fast and often at the expense of local ecosystems, generating high levels of climate change. The continent hosts the world's youngest population, which makes housing an urgent issue. But the construction sector generates 40% of climate-damaging emissions and cement production alone accounts for about 8% of global greenhouse gases, making it difficult to reconcile the need to build with an impossible carbon footprint. One billion housing units must adapt to climate change, and the question is who will build them. China's strategy for years has been to build African infrastructure, including housing for tens of millions of people within a few years. Sustainability is the theme of the German pavilion. Winners of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement include the Nigerian designer and architect Demas Nwoko.
Around half of the 4.9 million people living with HIV in West and Central Africa are unaware of their status, with infections disproportionately affecting young women and adolescent girls, mostly in African countries, where young women are three times more likely to contract HIV than young men. Without proper treatment, HIV can progress to AIDS, a stage where the immune system is severely compromised. Although counterfactual stories and myths remain a problem, particularly about how the disease is transmitted and treated, public health officials are working to increase the rollout of HIV-suppressing medication. Scientists are also testing new forms of more affordable antiviral drugs that can be distributed to regions with high HIV prevalence. The United Nations warned last year that a new AIDS pandemic could hit if more global funding isn't made available to combat the disease.
Armed conflict between rival Sudanese factions has caused over one million people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Over 250,000 refugees have crossed into neighbouring countries since 15 April 2021, with a further 843,000 people now displaced internally. The worst fighting has been in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and in Darfur, in western Sudan, where clashes have mainly occurred between Arab and Masalit communities. Over 60,000 refugees have fled to Chad where health items, food, and protection measures are needed. Resources for refugee relief in Chad have been overstretched even before the conflict broke out, exacerbating the situation.
The US Agency for International Development has announced an additional $100m in funding for Sudan and affected countries. The money will be used to increase support for partners on the ground and funnel resources into Sudan to meet humanitarian needs caused by the fighting. Agencies also plan to move refugees from informal settlements along the border to deeper parts of Chad, before the rainy season starts in about four weeks to avoid any potential for further conflict.
US diplomat Samantha Power said the US is working to bring the two rival parties to the negotiating table to stop the fighting. The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has now risen by over 50%. Reports of gender-based violence against women by militias and soldiers are on the rise. Individuals or factions seeking to take advantage of people in their time of need and refugees are also of concern. The US is calling on the forces who have unleashed war on civilians to be accountable for opening and clearing the border, so people can cross when necessary.
Ukraine’s Zelensky and India’s Modi hold first face-to-face since Russian invasion
CNN
23-05-20 11:00
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, met Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on the fringes of the G7 in Japan, his first in-person meeting with Modi since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine about 15 months ago. Zelensky’s attendance at the G7 gives him the chance to meet with member nations and press them for continued military aid, as well as seeking support from leaders of some Global South nations, including India, on his vision for peace. Victory on those issues would be key for Zelensky, as analysts say he needs to present measured practical results as the war in Ukraine drags on.
The G7 has pledged a total of $21bn to tackle global humanitarian crises – a sum NGOs have declared inadequate – despite new data indicating that almost 60 million people are at risk of extreme hunger without urgent aid. The United Nations had requested $55bn. Friederike Röder, Senior Director for Global Citizen said: “The group seems to be off track on poverty and climate.” The G7 also failed to commit to debt cancellation for countries hit by Ebola. Critics pointed both to the alleged inadequacy of the response and to spending on weapons, estimated at ten times the total humanitarian aid pledge.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has warned against the possibility of the West supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, saying that the decision carries “colossal risks”. Ukraine has long sought these more advanced aircraft to replace its obsolete Soviet-era fleet, while Western countries have been holding back in their support because it risks escalating its tensions with Russia. The US President has now said the US will support a joint effort with allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s.
UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has committed to protecting children from inappropriate sexual content and extremist gender views following a government review of England's sexual education curriculum. The UNESCO arm of the United Nations provided guidance for sexual education in Wales, and part of it was cited in laws passed in Scotland. Suggestions aimed at toddlers sparked a backlash among MPs and led to calls to rethink the UK’s links with the organisation, which have become more controversial in the wake of suggestions that their guidelines could be influencing British teaching materials. Some MP's have suggested that the government's review needs to determine whether the UNESCO framework has influenced current teaching materials.
The New South Wales government is providing AUD 3m ($2.3m) to improve bike and pedestrian paths near the Cooks River in Sydney's inner west. The money is part of the Get NSW Active programme and will be routed to over 80 projects. Approximately AUD 1m of the Cooks River funding will help build a new bridge at Tasker Park, in one of the greenfield sites where it is easier to construct infrastructure. With a lack of dedicated bike paths being considered one of the biggest challenges for cyclists, the City of Canterbury Bankstown has about 75 km of off-road shared paths but much of it is disconnected.
Violent unrest continues in Ethiopia’s Oromiya region, a year and a half after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office. Since the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a separatist rebel group, broke its ceasefire with the Ethiopian government in 2018, ethnic militias have proliferated in Oromiya and the wider country, sparking the displacement and deaths of thousands of people. The violence shows the challenges of trying to achieve democratic reform in a country with a complex ethnic and religious history. Oromo nationalists make up around a third of Ethiopia’s population and fought for autonomy throughout the 20th century. New York Times journalist Declan Walsh’s report draws on interviews with locals, rebels, and government officials in Oromiya, to describe how the ambitions of rival factions within Oromo have fuelled the violence. However, the lack of ethnic cooperation has also undermined efforts on the part of Ahmed’s administration to find peace. The PM has struggled to balance the demands of the independent federal state with the interests of opposition groups while trying to pull the country from chaotic and repressive governance.
The expansion of digital payments across Asia, which accelerated during the pandemic, is helping bridge income gaps for women as well as narrowing the global gender gap in digital account ownership for mobile money accounts. Conducted by the Better Than Cash Alliance, the move towards digital payments has the support of more than 80 members, including Unilever, which have committed to switching from cash to digital payments in a bid to enable everything from paying workers to accepting digital payments. The numbers of those making or receiving digital payments grew from 35% to 57% between 2014 and 2021, though 1.4 billion people are still excluded, with rural women and those living in remote areas the hardest to reach. The UN has set out principles for responsible digital payments that include emerging risks such as identity theft and placing a focus on inclusion.
