World News
- China-Slovakia relations elevated to strategic partnershipsocialistchina.org China-Slovakia relations elevated to strategic partnership - Friends of Socialist China
Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Robert Fico paid an official visit to China, October 31-November 5. He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 1. Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Slovakia, Xi said that aft...
- Israel destroyed active nuclear weapons research facility in Iran, US officials say
> The Israeli attack on Iran in late October destroyed an active top secret nuclear weapons research facility in Parchin, according to three U.S. officials, one current Israeli official and one former Israeli official.
> The strike — which targeted a site previously reported to be inactive — significantly damaged Iran's effort over the past year to resume nuclear weapons research, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
- Russian sales of Chinese cars surge after western sanctions hitwww.ft.com Russian sales of Chinese cars surge after western sanctions hit
Purchases of vehicles from Asian nation’s automakers reach fresh records as Russians ‘vote with their wallets’
> Sales of Chinese cars in Russia have hit fresh records after the country became the largest export destination for the Asian nation’s automakers when sanctions forced western brands to cut ties with Moscow.
> Surging in Russian sales have helped Chinese carmakers at a time when Beijing faces higher tariffs on electric vehicle exports from Washington and Brussels — while engineering a rapid change in Russian auto culture.
> Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine sparked a sharp decline in sales of vehicles from the European, Korean and Japanese carmakers that previously dominated the country’s car market.
> At the time of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, their brands made up 69 per cent of all sales, according to the Avtostat analytics agency. They now have a market share of just 8.5 per cent, while Chinese manufacturers’ share over the same period has risen from 9 per cent to 57 per cent.
- Putin and Scholz Hold First Direct Call in Almost Two Years — Discuss Ways To End The Ukraine Warwww.bloomberg.com Putin and Scholz Hold First Direct Call in Almost Two Years
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a phone call Friday to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
> Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a phone call Friday to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine, according a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
> Uncertainty over support from Western allies has also been growing ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House next year. Germany is Ukraine’s second-biggest supporter after the US and has pledged billions of euros in additional aid.
- Israel carries out more airstrikes in Damascus and Beirut
> Israeli warplanes intensified their deadly attacks on different parts of the Syrian capital Damascus, and the Southern Suburb (Dahiyeh) in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Thursday, November 14.
> The aerial attacks on Damascus targeted residential buildings in both Mazzeh and Qudsaya areas, leaving at least 15 people killed and 16 others injured, in addition to causing significant material damage to a number of buildings, according to a source in the Syrian military.
> Thursday’s airstrikes on Damascus were preceded by a series of airstrikes that targeted different parts of Syria within the last couple of weeks. On Wednesday, November 13, Israeli fighter jets struck bridges on the Orontes River and roads in Al-Qusayr area in Homs countryside, near the Syrian Lebanese borders. The airstrikes inflicted great damage on the bridges and roads, which consequently became out of service, as per a report published by the Syrian Arab News Agency SANA.
> On Sunday, November 10, Israeli warplanes targeted a residential building in the Sayyidah Zaynab area of Damascus, killing seven civilians including women and children. Previous airstrikes were launched by Israeli fighter jets on November 4, targeting a number of sites south of Damascus, resulting in material damages.
> Syria’s Foreign and Expatriates Ministry condemned the Israeli attacks in a statement issued on Thursday. “The Israeli entity’s continuation of its attacks on Syria today comes only two days after the joint Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh issued a broad condemnation of its brutal and escalating aggression on Syrian territory, and its warning of the danger of this escalation that is ravaging the region and its regional and international repercussions,” the Ministry stated.
> The escalation of Israeli aggression and its expansion on different fronts has been increasing despite the mounting regional and international calls for a ceasefire and de-escalation, which indicates Israel’s total disregard of international law and its obligations. Israel insists on committing blatant violations of territorial integrity of sovereign states, due to the impunity it enjoys, and being given the greenlight by the United States.
- Germany's Scholz discusses Ukraine with Russia's Putin in first such call in 2 yearsapnews.com Germany's Scholz discusses Ukraine with Russia's Putin in first such call in 2 years
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin in what appeared to be the first conversation with the sitting leader of a major Western power in nearly two years.
- Landslide win for Sri Lanka’s leftist coalition in snap general electionswww.aljazeera.com Landslide win for Sri Lanka’s leftist coalition in snap general elections
President Dissanayake now has the mandate he needs to tackle corruption and recover stolen assets after financial crash.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s leftist coalition has achieved a landslide victory in snap parliamentary elections, delivering the self-described Marxist leader a powerful mandate to fight poverty and corruption in the crisis-stricken nation.
The Election Commission of Sri Lanka said on Friday that Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) coalition secured a two-thirds majority in parliament, winning 159 of 225 seats, a huge lead on opposition alliance Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), which won 40 seats.
- Hezbollah advanced rockets strike Israeli bases across occupied North
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah's first operation on Friday was carried out minutes after midnight, targeting the Shraga military base, the administrative headquarters of the Golani Brigade command in north Akka with a salvo of rockets.
Israeli Reserve Major General Israel Ziv, former head of the Operations Directorate, warned that "Israel will be operating on limited munitions if a settlement [with Lebanon] is not reached," adding, "Winter is approaching, and it’s not in Israel's interest to get bogged down in Lebanon."
The Israeli general noted that "Hezbollah is regaining strength, which means Israel’s leverage in any political agreement is dwindling. What Israel could achieve yesterday, it can no longer achieve today or tomorrow." Moreover, he stressed, "Netanyahu is very weak and paralyzed when it comes to the Americans."
Ziv also admitted, "Unless Hezbollah is granted certain concessions or achievements, it will have no interest in a settlement, and we won’t have anyone left to negotiate with," adding that "Naim Qassem will not declare surrender—that won’t happen, just as it didn’t happen with Hamas."
"Israel is paying a heavy price, and the battlefield won’t wait for Trump," Ziv explained, before concluding that "in three months (by the time Trump is officially inaugurated), any military gains may be lost."
- World first as Chinese sample reveals ‘young’ volcanic activity on moon’s far sidewww.scmp.com World first as Chinese sample reveals ‘young’ volcanic activity on moon’s far side
Chinese and US scientists have come up with some surprising results after testing rock samples collected by the Chang’e-6 lunar mission.
> For the first time, Chinese scientists and their US collaborators have been able to precisely measure the age of volcanic eruptions on the far side of the moon.
> Previously this was only estimated through remote sensing observations.
> Two research teams led by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, based in Beijing and Guangzhou, used radiometric dating to analyse isotope decay in basalts, a type of volcanic rock brought back to Earth by China’s Chang’e-6 mission in June.
> Their studies, published on Friday in journals Nature and Science, both found that the moon’s oldest and deepest crater on its far side was volcanically active around 2.8 billion years ago.
> In comparison, samples returned by the Apollo, Luna and Chang’e-5 missions – all from the near side – established that lunar volcanism occurred between 4 billion and 2 billion years ago.
> The Nature paper highlighted that the 2.8 billion-year age was “surprisingly young” as volcanic activities on the far side were traditionally thought to have ended much earlier. Most volcanic eruptions were associated with the near side and believed to have ceased by around 3 billion years ago.
- Bolivia invited to become BRICS partner state, positive about it — top diplomattass.com Bolivia invited to become BRICS partner state, positive about it — top diplomat
Celinda Sosa emphasized that "BRICS is a new alternative that will be able to help first of all countries like Bolivia, but also many others"
- Sri Lanka sees landslide win for Dissanayake’s leftist coalitionwww.scmp.com Landslide win in Sri Lanka for Dissanayake’s leftist coalition
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, whose coalition took at least 159 seats in the 225-member assembly, said thanks ‘to all who voted for a renaissance’.
> Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake thanked voters on Friday for delivering his leftist coalition a landslide victory in snap parliamentary elections that repudiated establishment parties blamed for triggering an economic crisis.
> Dissanayake, a self-avowed Marxist, swept September presidential elections on a promise to combat corruption and recover stolen assets, two years after a slow-motion financial crash imposed widespread hardships on the island nation.
> His decision to immediately call polls and secure parliamentary backing for his agenda was vindicated on Friday, with his National People’s Power (NPP) coalition taking at least 159 seats in the 225-member assembly, exceeding a two-thirds majority.
> In a sign of the magnitude of support for Dissanayake, his party won the most votes in the northern district of Jaffna, dominated by the island’s minority Tamil community, for the first time since independence from Britain in 1948.
> Dissanayake, the 55-year-old son of a labourer, had been an MP for nearly 25 years and was briefly an agriculture minister but his NPP coalition held just three seats in the outgoing assembly.
> He stormed to the presidency after successfully distancing himself from successive leaders blamed for steering the country to its 2022 economic crisis.
> Portraits of communist luminaries including Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Friedrich Engels and Fidel Castro hang in Dissanayake’s office in the capital.
> Since his rise to popularity, however, he has softened some policies, saying he believes in an open economy and is not totally opposed to privatisation.
> Dissanayake had campaigned on a pledge to renegotiate a controversial US$2.9 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout secured by his predecessor.
> But since taking office, he has resolved to maintain the existing agreement with the international lender.
> The country’s main private sector lobby, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, has tacitly supported Dissanayake and his programme.
- India-China thaw sparks hopes of revival in trade ties, boost in Chinese investmentwww.scmp.com India-China thaw sparks hopes of revival in trade ties, investment boost
Analysts and industry players say easing of bilateral ties may herald more business cooperation in sectors such as electric vehicles.
> India and China’s progress in ironing out long-standing border tensions has sparked hopes of a revival in trade ties that could open up Chinese investments in sectors such as electric vehicles (EV) and consumer electronics.
> Earlier this month, India Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar noted that there was “some progress” in disengagement of troops from both sides of their border, saying it was a “welcome move” which “opens up the possibility that other steps could happen”.
> Ties between India and China hit one of their lowest points following a clash between troops along the disputed Himalayan border in 2020, and relations have only begun to warm with the withdrawal of soldiers on either side of the border.
> That followed an earlier agreement in October on patrolling arrangements on the border between the two countries.
> India had increased scrutiny for visa applications from Chinese citizens in the wake of the border clashes, which hurt some of India’s key manufacturing firms as stricter visa rules meant specialised engineers from China could not enter the country, leading to production losses.
> The two countries have not had any direct flights for four years, but there are signs that these could again resume following the easing of border tensions. India’s aviation minister said in September that both sides had discussed an early resumption of scheduled passenger flights.
> “We are hoping that there will be more Chinese investments, joint ventures as well as technology transfers,” said Vinod Sharma, chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s National ICTE (Electronics hardware) Committee. “Secondly, we are hoping that China will allow exports from India of manufactured goods.”
- Voting against Genocide – How Palestine Has Become a Domestic US Political Issuewww.palestinechronicle.com Voting against Genocide - How Palestine Has Become a Domestic US Political Issue
Millions of Americans acted upon their sense of collective rage to punish the Democrats for what they had done to the Palestinian people.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/22512916
> November 13, 2024 > By Ramzy Baroud > Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is “Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak out”. Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net
- Sri Lanka parliamentary elections: National People's Power on track to two-thirds majority, also wins district in Tamil majority northwww.thehindu.com Sri Lanka parliamentary poll: President Dissanayake’s NPP gets two-thirds majority
Sri Lanka election results: National People's Power led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake secures historic majority in parliament.
The National People's Power alliance of Sri Lanka's new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has won a majority of seats in the Sri Lankan Parliament, and is on course to a two-thirds majority with about 62% of the vote (up from 4% in 2020). Led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (People's Liberation Front), they campaigned on a platform of punishing corruption, renegotiating austerity policies imposed by the IMF, and uniting the country's various ethnic groups. They have also become the first Sinhala-majority party to win a district (Jaffna) in the Tamil-majority north, also making gains in the Muslim-majority east and Malaiyaha-dominated centre. The traditional poles of Sri Lankan politics - the centre-left, Sinhala nationalist SLFP / SJB and the centre-right, socially liberal UNP / NDF, as well as Tamil nationalist parties that often supported the UNP, lost seats.
- Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers continue protestswww.wsws.org Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers continue protests
The Interim Government’s brutal assault on striking garment workers shows that it is committed to the same big business agenda as the ousted Hasina regime.
> Bangladesh’s Interim Government (IG) is suppressing garment workers engaged in protests over a series of demands, including wage increases and improved social conditions.
> The class struggle is occurring under conditions of intense political upheaval. Mass student protests, which developed into a broader uprising in July-August, forced the ouster of Prime Minister Shiek Hasina, who fled the country.
> The IG was installed by the military on August 8 and is headed by Chief Adviser Muhammed Yunus, a banker with close ties to American imperialism. Yunus’ claims to be overseeing a transition to “true democracy,” aimed at realising “social justice” after the increasingly authoritarian rule of Hasina, are belied by the brutal attacks on garment workers.
> In response to protests that have continued since September, the new government has overseen a police crackdown involving regular officers, industrial cops, the notorious Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and army personnel.
> So far, these state forces have gunned down one protester, injured scores, carried out mass arrests and filed cases against over a thousand workers.
> A key demand of the workers is for a major pay increase, from the current monthly minimum wage of 8,000 taka ($US67) to 22,000-25,000 taka ($184-209). They are also calling for an increase to the monthly attendance bonus, the granting of annual leave, night shift pay and an extension of maternity leave for female workers.
> Other demands include the reopening of closed factories, the reinstatement of previously terminated employees, an end to harassment by management and government officials and improved workplace safety and conditions.
> From last Saturday until Tuesday, garment workers at over a dozen factories in Gazipur shut down production.
> Yunus is going beyond its purported duty of preparing national elections within three months of his installation, signaling that the IG will remain in office until 2026. An October article in the Hindu reported Yunus stating that “an election cannot be held before reforms are completed,” a reference to austerity measures demanded by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
- After issuing threats on provision of aid, US decides there will be no consequences for Israelwww.middleeasteye.net US says Israel hasn't violated any of its laws despite evidence to the contrary
International aid organisations say Israel has failed every metric by which to assess relief for Palestinians
By Yasmine El-Sabawi in Washington Published date: 13 November 2024 21:22 GMT
- UN committee: Israel’s warfare methods in Gaza ‘consistent with genocide’www.aljazeera.com Israel’s warfare methods in Gaza ‘consistent with genocide’: UN committee
Israel ‘using starvation as a method of war and inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian population’.
Israel’s warfare in the Gaza Strip is consistent with the characteristics of genocide, a United Nations committee has said, accusing the country of “using starvation as a method of war”.
In a report published on Thursday, the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices accused the country of “using starvation as a method of war”, resulting in “mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions” for Palestinians.
“Since the beginning of the war, Israeli officials have publicly supported policies that strip Palestinians of the very necessities required to sustain life – food, water, and fuel,” it said.
“These statements along with the systematic and unlawful interference of humanitarian aid make clear Israel’s intent to instrumentalise life-saving supplies for political and military gains.”
- Australia backs draft UN proposal recognising Palestinians' 'sovereignty' over land, water and electricitywww.abc.net.au Australia backs draft UN proposal recognising Palestinians' 'sovereignty' over land, water and electricity
The vote by Australia in a UN committee puts the country at odds with the United States and Israel, and has angered Australia's Jewish lobby groups.
- The Amsterdam 'Pogrom' That Wasn't: Corporate Media Fails To Tell the Whole Storywww.commondreams.org The Amsterdam 'Pogrom' That Wasn't: Corporate Media Fails To Tell the Whole Story | Common Dreams
'The Israeli fans instigated the violence after arriving in the city and attacking Palestinian supporters before the match'
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/22480025
> cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/22480024 > > > cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/22480022 > > > > > [contains links to several eyewitness videos] > > > > > > Common Dreams Staff > > > Nov 09, 2024
- Israeli drones shooting children in Gaza deliberately 'day after day', UK surgeon tells MPswww.middleeasteye.net Israeli drones shooting children in Gaza deliberately 'day after day', UK surgeon tells MPs
Nizam Mamode, a retired NHS doctor who recently returned after working at Nasser Hospital, said he had 'never seen anything on this scale ever'
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/15164960
> > He said at least once or twice daily, there were "mass casualty incidents," meaning that 10 to 20 people were killed and up to 40 seriously injured. He estimated that at least 60 percent of the people treated at these times were women and children. > > > The 62-year-old surgeon broke down three times during his testimony >
- TSMC sued for race and citizenship discrimination at its Arizona facilitieswww.tomshardware.com TSMC sued for race and citizenship discrimination at its Arizona facilities (updated)
TSMC has been accused of preferring Taiwanese employees.
- As Israel insists on using starvation as weapon, famine in northern Gaza must be officially declaredeuromedmonitor.org /en/article/6539/As-Israel-insists-on-using-starvation-as-weapon,-famine-in-northern-Gaza-must-be-officially-declared
Since Israel has been committing the crime of starvation and using it as a means to carry out its genocide against the Palestinian people with the goal of eradicating them, the world is accountable for the famine crisis that Israel has caused in the Gaza Strip. Given the likelihood of dozens of deaths among the hungry every day, the international community is cautioned that this crisis is nearing its peak.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification System’s Famine Review Committee, a specialised body that evaluates and authorises famine classifications in nations experiencing severe food crises, issued an alert on Friday that warned of the gravity of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and its rapid deterioration. It also raised concerns about the imminent and high risk of famine in the northern part of the Strip specifically and the urgent need for the international community to act within days—not weeks—to lessen the severity of this humanitarian disaster in the northern Gaza Strip.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor counters that it is time to formally declare famine in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the north, which is experiencing an unprecedented siege, bombardment, and deprivation of all basic necessities for survival. This declaration would require the international community to fulfill its moral obligations and take all of the necessary legal actions against Israel, such as punishing it with sanctions, preventing it from receiving weapons, and acting quickly to establish a humanitarian corridor and bring in aid and supplies to prevent thousands of Palestinians from starving to death.
- Award-winning mathematician Ma Xiaonan leaves Europe for Chinawww.scmp.com Award-winning mathematician Ma Xiaonan leaves Europe for China
The academic will serve as chair professor at Nankai University’s Chern Institute of Mathematics.
https://archive.ph/fnPyy
- Ukraine’s demographic crisis threatens its future viability as a free stateresponsiblestatecraft.org Ukraine’s demographic crisis threatens its future viability as a free state
The war has taken its toll, as men fight or flee, and few are left behind to work
- U.S. won’t withhold aid to Israel, walking back threat over conditions in Gaza
The United States will not withhold military aid from Israel, the State Department said Tuesday, after top Biden administration officials warned a month ago that they would consider doing so if the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza did not improve.
State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said there would be no change to U.S. policy at the end of the 30-day deadline the U.S. set for Israel to improve conditions in Gaza. Aid groups and U.N. officials say Israel has largely failed to comply with U.S. demands, a Washington Post analysis found.
- Israeli minister working to 'maximise annexation of West Bank land'
An Israeli minister has said her office is working at "full speed" to ensure the maximum amount of land is included in the future annexation of the occupied West Bank.
The Minister of Settlements and National Missions Orit Strock, a far-right politician, told Ynet one Wednesday that she dreams of annexation, or declaring "sovereignty" over the Palestinian territory, particularly now under the incoming Trump administration in the US.
The Palestinians living there would be given some rights, but not the right to vote, she said.
Regarding Gaza, she said the government should not bother with an exit strategy from the besieged Palestinian enclave, adding that she is pressing to seize territory there.
- Could Zelensky use nuclear bombs? Ukraine’s options explainedwww.thetimes.com Could Zelensky use nuclear bombs? Ukraine’s options explained
Kyiv could rapidly develop a rudimentary weapon similar to that dropped on Nagasaki in 1945 to stop Russia if the US cuts military aid, it has been suggested
- Everybody Wants to Join BRICSwww.counterpunch.org Everybody Wants to Join BRICS
If there’s one thing the recent BRICS summit in Kazan revealed, it’s that when you divide the world into the West and the Rest, the Rest is a lot bigger
- False report of 40 NK casualties prompts Seoul to warn against Ukrainian disinformationenglish.hani.co.kr False report of 40 NK casualties prompts Seoul to warn against Ukrainian disinformation
South Korean intelligence officials have adopted a skeptical stance when it comes to reports from Ukraine
> South Korean intelligence officials have adopted a skeptical stance when it comes to reports from Ukraine. It’s gotten to the point where Korean intelligence officials are telling reporters to hold off on relaying reports about North Korean troops from Ukrainian officials until they receive third-party confirmation, because Ukraine makes “fake news” at the state level. This means we have to carefully consider the source of the information and the intentions behind it.
- Hezbollah drone strikes Israeli Security Ministry in Tel Aviv
In a first, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah announced that its fighters launched Wednesday an aerial attack using a swarm of high-end one-way drones targeting the Israeli occupation's Security Ministry in the city of Tel Aviv.
In a statement, Hezbollah pointed out that it targeted the Kirya base, which houses the headquarters of "Israel's" Ministry of Security, General Staff, War Management Room, and the Air Force’s war monitoring and control authority.
According to the statement, the drones accurately hit their intended targets. This marks the first time that Hezbollah employed these types of drones in striking Israeli military targets.
- Russia’s economy is tougher than it looks, no chance of a crisis in the next 3-5 yearswww.intellinews.com Russia’s economy is tougher than it looks, no chance of a crisis in the next 3-5 years – CASE
Russia’s economy has been battered by sanctions and high inflation, but there is no chance of a major economic crisis occurring anytime in the next ...
- Turkey severs all relations with Israel, says Erdoganwww.middleeasteye.net Turkey severs all relations with Israel, says Erdogan
Turkish president says he will not 'continue or develop relations' with Israel in future
Turkey has severed all ties with Israel, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday.
Erdogan made the comments to journalists aboard his plane following visits to Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.
“The government of the Republic of Turkey, under the leadership of Tayyip Erdogan, will not continue or develop relations with Israel,” Erdogan said.
“[Our ruling coalition] is resolute in its decision to cut ties with Israel, and we will maintain this stance in the future as well.”
Despite imposing a trade embargo on Israel in May, Ankara continues to maintain diplomatic relations with the country.
Although the Turkish government formally recalled its ambassador last year for consultations, Turkish diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv remain open and operational.
Similarly, Israel evacuated its embassy in Ankara last year, citing regional security threats.
- Russia has written off $20 bln worth of African debtstass.com Russia has written off $20 bln worth of African debts — MFA
Mikhail Bogdanov added that it allows using those debts "to implement socio-economic projects directly in the country"
- Abu Ghraib torture survivors win US civil case, $42m damageswww.aljazeera.com Abu Ghraib torture survivors win US civil case, $42m damages
Defence contractor CACI, whose employees worked at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib, ordered to pay damages after 15-year legal delays.
A United States defence contractor must pay $42m to three Iraqi men who were tortured at Abu Ghraib prison, a US federal jury has ruled. The ruling on Tuesday ends a 15-year legal battle over the role of Virginia-based contractor CACI, whose civilian employees worked at the facility, in acts of torture that took place there.
Al Shimari, a middle school principal, Al-Ejaili, a journalist, and Al-Zuba’e, a fruit vendor, testified that they were subjected to beatings, sexual abuse, forced nudity and other cruel treatment at Abu Ghraib.
“Today is a big day for me and for justice,” said Al-Ejaili, who travelled to the US to testify in person. “I’ve waited a long time for this day. This victory isn’t only for the three plaintiffs in this case against a corporation. This victory is a shining light for everyone who has been oppressed and a strong warning to any company or contractor practising different forms of torture and abuse.”
- Canadian indigenous groups seek deals with China despite security fearswww.ft.com Canadian indigenous groups seek deals with China despite security fears
New land rights allow communities to circumvent Ottawa’s suspicions of Beijing
https://archive.is/hhBlg
- Explosions outside Brazil's Supreme Court leave 1 dead, force justices to evacuateabcnews.go.com Explosions kill 1 man outside Brazil's Supreme Court and force justices to evacuate
Two explosions outside Brazil’s Supreme Court killed a man and forced the justices and staff to evacuate the building in the capital of Brasilia
- China, Russia must fight US 'containment': security chiefwww.rfi.fr China, Russia must fight US 'containment': security chief
Senior Russian official Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday told China's foreign minister Wang Yi their two countries' most urgent task should be countering "containment" by the United States, as they met for security…