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October
U.S. reviewing Haiti's request for international security assistance
Written by Nur Yasmin
The U.S. State Department on Saturday said it was reviewing a request for international support from Haiti, which says it is seeking a "specialized armed force" to address a crisis caused by a blockade of the country's main fuel port.
In a statement, the State Department said criminal actors were undermining the country's efforts to halt the spread of cholera.
"In that context, we will review the Government of Haiti’s request in coordination with international partners and determine how we can increase our support to help address Haiti’s fuel shortage and security constraints," it said.
The statement did not offer details on how the United States might help Haiti address its security constraints.
Haiti has ground to a halt since a coalition of gangs blocked the Varreux fuel terminal last month. The lack of gas and diesel has crippled transportation and forced businesses and hospitals to halt operations.
It has also led to a shortage of bottled water, just as the country confirmed a new outbreak of cholera, the spread of which is controlled through hygiene and clean water. (Reuters)
October
Women students tell Iran's president to "get lost" as unrest rages
Written by Nur Yasmin
Female students in Tehran chanted "get lost", according to activists, as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited their university campus on Saturday and condemned protesters enraged by the death of a young woman in custody.
As nationwide demonstrations that have rocked Iran entered a fourth week, Raisi addressed professors and students at Alzahra University in Tehran, reciting a poem that equated "rioters" with flies.
"They imagine they can achieve their evil goals in universities," state TV reported. "Unbeknownst to them, our students and professors are alert and will not allow the enemy to realise their evil goals."
A video posted on Twitter by the activist 1500tasvir website showed what it said were women students chanting "Raisi get lost" and "Mullahs get lost" as the president visited their campus.
An Iranian state coroner's report denied that Mahsa Amini had died due to blows to the head and limbs while in morality police custody and linked her death to pre-existing medical conditions, state media said on Friday.
The death of 22-year-old Amini, an Iranian Kurd, has ignited nationwide demonstrations, marking the biggest challenge to Iran's clerical leaders in years.
Women have removed their veils in defiance of the clerical establishment while furious crowds called for the downfall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
After a call for mass demonstrations on Saturday, security forces shot at protesters and used tear gas in the Kurdish cities of Sanandaj and Saqez, according to the Iranian human rights group Hengaw.
In Sanandaj, capital of Kurdistan Province in northwest Iran, one man lay dead in his car while a woman screamed "shameless", according to Hengaw.
One of the schools in Saqez city's square was filled with school girls chanting "woman, life, freedom," it reported.
Amini was arrested in Tehran on Sept. 13 for "inappropriate attire", and died three days later.
Rights groups say more than 150 people have been killed, hundreds injured and thousands arrested by security forces confronting protests.
Hengaw said on Saturday that Iranian security forces had launched crackdowns in two Kurdish cities.
"Security forces are shooting at the protesters in Sanandaj and Saqez," the group said. It said riot police were also using tear gas.
The widely followed Tavsir1500 Twitter account also reported shootings at protesters in the two northwestern Kurdish cities.
A university student who was on his way to join protests in Tehran said he was not afraid of being arrested or even killed.
"They can kill us, arrest us but we will not remain silent anymore. Our classmates are in jail. How can we remain silent,” the student, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters.
Widespread strikes are taking place in the cities of Saqez, Diwandareh, Mahabad and Sanandaj, said Hengaw.
The government has described the protests as a plot by Iran's enemies including the United States, accusing armed dissidents - among others - of violence in which at least 20 members of the security forces have been reported killed. (Reuters)
October
Five Hong Kong teenagers sentenced in first security case involving minors
Written by Nur Yasmin
Five teenagers with a Hong Kong group advocating independence from Chinese rule were ordered by a judge on Saturday to serve up to three years in detention at a correctional facility, for urging an "armed revolution" in a national security case.
The five, some of whom were minors aged between 15 and 18 at the time of the alleged offence, had pleaded guilty to "inciting others to subvert state power" through a group named "Returning Valiant".
Sentences for two more, aged 21 and 26, will be delivered at a later date.
Justice Kwok Wai-kin detailed how the defendants had advocated a "bloody revolution" to overthrow the Chinese state at street booths, and on Instagram and Facebook after adoption of a sweeping, China-imposed national security law.
Kwok called the alleged incitement a serious crime, but nevertheless took into account their "age and immaturity" as he sentenced them to a training center, or detention facility for young people, rather than jail.
The length of stay, capped at three years, is left to correctional authorities to decide.
"Even if only one person is incited by them, the social stability of Hong Kong and the safety of residents may be seriously endangered," Kwok added.
"There's no evidence to directly prove that anyone was incited by the defendants to subvert state power, but this real risk exists."
Four of the five have already been remanded in custody for more than a year, with only one granted bail.
Prosecutors Anthony Chau and Stella Lo earlier told the court that the group's pamphlets mentioned the French and Ukrainian Revolutions as examples of successful armed rebellions, and quoted Mao Zedong on a revolution being "a violent act of one class overthrowing another".
Prosecutors detailed how the police had seized flags, leaflets, air guns, ammunition and extendable batons in an industrial building.
At least 22 people linked to the group were arrested last year. Several face a separate charge of conspiring to commit terrorism under the security law.
Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong say the security law has restored stability to the global financial hub after mass anti-government and pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Human rights experts on the United Nations Human Rights Committee, however, called for the law to be repealed in a July report, amid concerns it is being used to crack down on fundamental freedoms. (Reuters)
October
OPEC+ oil output cut shows widening rift between Biden and Saudi royals
Written by Nur Yasmin
The OPEC+ organization's decision this week to cut oil production despite stiff U.S. opposition has further strained already tense relations between President Joe Biden's White House and Saudi Arabia's royal family, once one of Washington's staunchest Middle East allies, according to interviews with about a dozen government officials and experts in Washington and the Gulf.
The White House pushed hard to prevent the OPEC output cut, these sources said. Biden hopes to keep U.S. gasoline prices from spiking again ahead of midterm elections in which his Democratic party is struggling to maintain control of the U.S. Congress. Washington also wants to limit Russia's energy revenue during the Ukraine war.
The U.S. administration lobbied OPEC+ for weeks. In recent days, senior U.S. officials from energy, foreign policy and economic teams urged their foreign counterparts to vote against an output cut, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
Amos Hochstein, Biden's top energy envoy, along with national security official Brett McGurk and the administration’s special envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking, traveled to Saudi Arabia last month to discuss energy issues, including the OPEC+ decision.
They failed to prevent an output cut, just as Biden did after his own July visit.
US officials "tried to position it as 'us versus Russia,'" said one source briefed on the discussions, telling Saudi officials they needed to make a choice.
That argument failed, the source said, adding that the Saudis said that if the United States wanted more oil on the markets, it should start producing more of its own.
The United States is the world's No. 1 oil producer and also its top consumer, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The Saudi government media office CIC did not respond to Reuters emailed requests for comment about the discussions.
"We are concerned first and foremost with the interests of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and then the interests of the countries that trusted us and are members of OPEC and the OPEC + alliance," Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz told Saudi TV Wednesday.
OPEC weighs its interests with "those of the world because we have an interest in supporting the growth of the global economy and providing energy supplies in the best way," he said.
Washington's handling of the Iran nuclear deal and withdrawal of support for a Saudi-led coalition's offensive military operations in Yemen have upset Saudi officials, as have actions against Russia after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
A U.S. push for a price cap on Russian oil is causing uncertainty, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told Bloomberg TV after the OPEC cut, noting the "lack of details and the lack of clarity" about how it will be implemented.
A source briefed by Saudi officials said the kingdom views it as "a non-market price-control mechanism, that could be used by a cartel of consumers against producers."
A Biden-directed sale of 180 million barrels of oil in March from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve put downward pressure on oil prices. In March, OPEC+ said it would stop using data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), a Western oil watchdog, due to Saudi-led concerns the United States had too much influence.
On Thursday, Biden called the Saudi decision "a disappointment", adding Washington could take further action in the oil market.
"Look it's clear that OPEC Plus is aligning with Russia," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday. She would not elaborate on how the output cut would affect U.S.-Saudi relations. In the U.S. Congress, Biden's Democrats called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia and spoke about taking back weapons.
"I thought the whole point of selling arms to the Gulf States despite their human rights abuses, nonsensical Yemen War, working against US interests in Libya, Sudan etc, was that when an international crisis came, the Gulf could choose America over Russia/China," Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, said on Twitter.
Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs Adel Al-Jubeir, said in remarks to Fox News on Friday when asked about the U.S. criticism: "Saudi Arabia does not politicize oil or oil decisions."
"With due respect, the reason you have high prices in the United States is because you have a refining shortage that has been in existence for more than 20 years," he added.
CROWN PRINCE AND BIDEN
Weeks after Biden took office as president, Washington released a report tying the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The prince, son of King Salman, 86, has denied ordering the killing but acknowledged it took place "under my watch".
The prince became prime minister last month and his lawyers have been arguing in a U.S. court that this makes him immune from prosecution in the Khashoggi death.
Biden's trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in July for a Gulf summit was aimed at patching up relations, but he also levied harsh criticism of bin Salman over Khashoggi's murder.
Ben Cahill, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the Saudis hope the production cuts will give OPEC+ control over oil prices and ensure enough oil revenue to protect their country from a recession.
"The macroeconomic risk is getting worse all the time, so they have to respond," Cahill said. "They are aware that a cut will irritate Washington, but they are managing the market." (Reuters)
October
Grief and shock over Thailand attack on 'tiny angels' at preschool
Written by Nur Yasmin
Social media in Thailand was awash with grief and anger on Friday over the killing of 34 people, including 23 children, at the hands of a former policeman who rampaged through a preschool daycare centre before killing his own wife and child.
An opposition politician said the police and authorities had to reflect on the case to ensure there was no repeat of Thursday's killings at the northeast Thailand daycare centre, where tiny coffins were taken away from the scene.
"It's so heart-breaking. They were small kids, they did not deserve this. Some of them were still in their afternoon naps," said 29-year-old Bangkok resident Chamita Itthiponwitoon.
The 34-year-old attacker went on a rampage with a pistol and a large knife at the centre in the province of Nong Bua Lamphu – the worst mass killing by a single attacker in the country's recent history.
"Humanity, not tiny angels, died," wrote one Twitter user, identified as @psmyheart, who posted under a Thai hashtag that translates as #MassShootingNongBuaLamphu.
More than 4.7 million people sent posts with the hashtag by Friday afternoon, many with messages such as "RIP Children of Heaven" and "I hope you are reborn as angels in heaven".
On the Facebook page of the Uthai Sawan Child Development Centre where the attack took place, hundreds of people posted condolences under the centre's last post before the massacre, an account of a visit the children made to a Buddhist temple in September.
'PEOPLE AT RISK'
Most of the child victims were aged between two and five, many killed with a machete-like blade farmers use to cut sugarcane, police said.
Authorities identified the attacker as a former policemen discharged from the force last year after being caught with methamphetamines. He was on trial on a drug charge.
He went home after the daycare centre slaughter and shot his wife and son before turning the gun on himself.
Amid the grief, questions are being raised about guns, drugs, mental health and the accountability of the security forces.
Thursday's attack comes two years after a mass shooting by an ex-soldier at a shopping mall and army base in Nakhon Ratchasima province, commonly known as Korat, in which 29 people were killed.
"The mass shootings in Korat and Nong Bua Lumpu reflect some problems in the army and police, including mental health and problems with command," opposition politician, Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, said in a post on Twitter shared 125,000 times.
"If the problems are not solved, it would mean that the lives of people are at risk from the people who have these weapons in their hands."
Twitter user @jaoohja touched a nerve with a post shared more than 14,500 times that included a photograph of some graffiti with the message: "Who do you call when the police murder?" (Reuters)
October
Sri Lanka top court allows proceedings against former President Rajapaksa, others
Written by Nur Yasmin
Sri Lanka's top court has granted permission for proceedings against former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the rights group which filed the case against him said in a statement on Friday.
The court also agreed to allow proceedings against the country's former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, its former finance minister and two of its former central bank governors.
The case, filed by rights group Transparency International, calls for accountability for the island nation's leadership for its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades. (Reuters)
October
South Korea, U.S. stage drills with aircraft carrier after North Korean missile launches
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea and the United States began joint maritime exercises with a U.S. aircraft carrier on Friday, South Korea's military said, a day after it scrambled fighter jets in reaction to an apparent North Korean bombing drill.
The maritime drills will take place in waters off South Korea's east coast on Oct. 7-8, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The drills come after North Korea launched a pair of ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday, and later flew warplanes near the border with the South.
"We will continue to strengthen our operational capabilities and readiness to respond to any provocations by North Korea through joint drills with ... the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The U.S. strike group already participated in trilateral missile defence exercises with warships from Japan and South Korea this week, prompted by a test on Tuesday in which North Korea launched a ballistic missile that overflew part of Japan.
Senior defence officials from Japan, South Korea and the United States discussed the latest developments in a call on Friday, condemning the North Korean launches and agreeing that recent trilateral maritime drills have improved their ability to respond to North Korea, South Korea's ministry of defence said in a statement.
In a meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup, Admiral John Aquilino, the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said North Korea's provocations seriously threaten the security of the region. He emphasised that his forces would actively support efforts to deter and respond to the North Korean threat, the ministry said in a separate statement.
Lee also held a meeting of senior officials to discuss the latest launches and to evaluate South Korea's "three-axis" defence system designed to counter North Korea's military threats, including war plans that call for preemptive strikes if necessary.
"He emphasised the need to deliver a clear message that nuclear and missile development will only create a more difficult situation for North Korea," the defence ministry said in a statement.
The rare bombing drill by at least eight North Korean fighter jets and four bombers on Thursday prompted the South to deploy 30 fighters. The warplanes swarmed each side of the heavily fortified border amid rising tensions over a string of missile tests by Pyongyang.
On Thursday North Korea condemned the United States for repositioning the aircraft carrier near the peninsula, saying it posed a serious threat to the stability of the situation.
In the statement, the North Korean foreign ministry also criticised Washington for calling a United Nations Security Council meeting over the launches, saying they were a "just countermeasure" to the joint U.S.-South Korea drills.
On Wednesday, the United States accused China and Russia of enabling North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by blocking attempts to strengthen U.N. Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
Russia's envoy called new sanctions a "dead end" and China said it preferred to focus on constructive measures to reduce tensions.
The nuclear envoys of the United States, South Korea, and Japan held a call and vowed to redouble efforts to block North Korea's nuclear and missile financing through the seizure of cryptocurrencies, and to prevent attempts to evade sanctions such as illegal maritime transshipments, South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement. (Reuters)
October
Taiwan economy minister to address 'concerns' during US visit
Written by Nur Yasmin
Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua will visit the United States next week to respond to what her office called "concerns" about supply chains and geopolitical issues and will also visit U.S. tech firms that are major customers of Taiwanese semiconductor companies.
A global semiconductor shortage has thrust chip powerhouse Taiwan into the spotlight and made supply chain management a bigger priority for governments around the world. (Reuters)
October
India objects to U.S. diplomat's visit to Pakistan side of Kashmir
Written by Nur Yasmin
India said on Friday it had conveyed its objection to the United States about the U.S. ambassador in Pakistan's recent visit to the Pakistani side of Kashmir that India considers its own.
"Our objection to the visit and meetings in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir by the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan has been conveyed to the U.S. side," Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a news briefing. (Reuters)
October
U.S. targets Singapore, Marshall Islands-based firms in new North Korea sanctions
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United States on Friday imposed new sanctions following North Korea's latest missile launches this week, targeting a fuel procurement network that Washington said supports Pyongyang's weapons programs and its military.
Friday's action targeted two Singapore-registered companies and a Marshall Islands-registered company, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement, as Washington seeks to hold North Korea accountable for ship-to-ship transfers that circumvent United Nations sanctions on the country.
“The DPRK’s (North Korea's) long-range ballistic missile launches, including over Japan, demonstrate a continued disregard for United Nations Security Council resolutions,” the Treasury's Brian Nelson, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in the statement.
“The United States will continue to enforce multilateral sanctions and pursue the DPRK’s sanctions evasion efforts worldwide, including by designating those who support these activities.”
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday in the direction of Japan, after the return of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the region and a U.N. Security Council meeting in response to the North's recent launches.
The missile launch was the sixth in 12 days and the first since North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile (IRBM) over Japan on Tuesday, which prompted joint South Korean and U.S. missile drills during which one weapon crashed and burned.
The Treasury said it imposed sanctions on Singapore-based Kwek Kee Seng, Taiwan-based Chen Shih Huan and Marshall Islands-registered company New Eastern Shipping Co Ltd, accusing them of being involved in the ownership or management of a vessel that has participated in several deliveries of refined petroleum to North Korea.
Also designated were Singapore-registered Anfasar Trading (S) Pte. Ltd. and Singapore- registered Swanseas Port Services Pte. Ltd. (reuters)