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September
Japan's funeral for divisive slain PM Shinzo Abe fuels backlash
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan will honour former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a rare state funeral on Tuesday, a ceremony that has become a flashpoint for public anger over political scandal and deepened opposition to successor Fumio Kishida.
Abe's assassination in July touched off a series of revelations about ties between lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) he once led and the Unification Church, an organisation critics call a cult.
Kishida has sought to control the damage, apologising and promising to sever the LDP's links to the church, which was founded in South Korea in the 1950s and is known for its mass weddings and aggressive fundraising. But the fallout for the party, and his government, has been immense.
Abe's suspected killer accused the church of impoverishing his family, according to police. In social media posts before the killing, he blamed Abe for supporting the group.
A church spokesperson has apologised for any trouble it may have caused the people of Japan or LDP lawmakers and said it would crack down on any excessive soliciting of excessive donations. The church has also promised a quick response to complaints or requests for donation refunds.
Disclosures that at least 179 LDP members, include several high-profile lawmakers, have had ties to the church have sent Kishida's ratings to their lowest since he took office about a year ago, raising the possibility his grip over the party could weaken, making it more difficult for him to deliver on his policy pledges.
Some 62% of respondents in a recent poll by the Mainichi newspaper said they opposed holding a state funeral for Abe. Among the reasons respondents gave were that the former premier was not worthy of the honour, and the high price tag. The government estimates the cost at $12 million - more than six times an earlier estimate - but comments on social media show most believe it will cost more.
Holding a state funeral "was a big miscalculation" for Kishida, said Tomoaki Iwai, an expert on Japanese politics and professor emeritus at Nihon University. "When he originally decided on the funeral there were a lot of people in favour, but then there were the reports of Abe's involvement with the Unification Church, and so opposition grew."
That public anger was gruesomely highlighted on Wednesday when a man in his 70s set himself on fire near the prime minister's residence in an apparent protest at the state funeral, Japanese media reported. The man was taken to hospital, conscious.
DIVISIVE FIGURE
Kishida has justified the ceremony by citing Abe's long tenure and achievements at home and abroad.
The opposition to the funeral reflects how divisive Abe remains in Japanese society. While loved by nationalists and many on the right for his muscular defence and pro-market policies, he was reviled by many who want to keep the country's pacifist constitution unchanged.
Japan's last fully state-funded funeral for an ex-premier was Shigeru Yoshida's in 1967. Ceremonies since have been paid for by the state and the LDP.
Even Nobel Peace Prize winner Eisaku Sato, who oversaw Okinawa's return to Japan from U.S. control 50 years ago and was the longest-serving premier before Abe, did not have a state funeral when he died in 1975. The government felt there was no legal basis for it.
A private funeral for Abe was held on July 12, four days after his killing. For the public commemoration, 6,000 guests are to gather at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan Hall, including over 190 foreign delegations. About 50 heads of state or government are expected, and media reports say Kishida may meet with around 30 of these.
Prime ministers Justin Trudeau of Canada, Narendra Modi of India and Anthony Albanese of Australia are expected to attend, as is U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. (Reuters)
September
Finland sees more Russians seeking safety over border following military mobilisation
Written by Nur Yasmin
Traffic into Finland over its border with Russia was heavy on Friday, with the number of Russians crossing rising steadily since President Vladimir Putin ordered a military mobilisation, as authorities mulled imposing fresh entry restrictions.
The number of Russians who had entered the previous day was more than double the amount who arrived the week before, the border guard said.
Max, a 21-year-old Russian student who declined to give his last name, said he was going to Finland to catch a flight to Germany to visit relatives.
"Technically, I'm a student so I should not be afraid of being drafted but we have seen that things are changing very quickly so I assume there is a chance," he told Reuters after crossing the border at Vaalimaa.
"I just wanted to be safe," he said.
Finland is considering barring most Russians from entering, with an announcement expected by government officials later on Friday.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday the government was assessing risks posed by people travelling through Finland and was considering ways to sharply reduce transit from Russia.
About 7,000 people entered from Russia on Thursday, some 6,000 of them Russian, meaning a 107% increase compared with the same day a week earlier, according to the border guards.
Three people had sought asylum on Thursday. None had the week before, it said.
A Russian couple, 29-year-old Slava and 35-year-old Evgeniy, also left because of the uncertainty of being called up in the military at some point.
They had decided to leave the moment Putin announced the partial mobilisation on Wednesday, they said. They had left their dog Moby behind with friends. Their families cried when they left, they said.
"At the current stage, we are not in demand, but we do not know what is going to happen tomorrow," Slava told Reuters. "We don't support what is happening now. We don't want to be a part of it."
"It was a difficult decision (to leave). We have plans, we have careers. The best scenario is to go back. On the other hand, (saving our) life is essential."
Finnish land border crossings have remained among the few entry points into Europe for Russians after a string of countries shut both physical frontiers and their air space to Russian planes in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
At Vaalimaa, the busiest crossing point, cars lined up for up to 400 metres (440 yards) on Friday, a longer queue than the day before, a border official said.
"Compared to Friday last week, we have more traffic," Vaalimaa station deputy chief Elias Laine told Reuters. "We expect the traffic to remain busy over the weekend."
Those arriving by car or bus left their vehicles to have their paperwork checked before continuing on with their journeys. Border guards searched some vehicles.
Lines were also "longer than normal" at the second-biggest Nuijamaa crossing.
Finland opted to keep its frontier with Russia open following Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine although it has cut back the number of consular appointments available to Russian travellers seeking visas. (Reuters)
September
Investigation chief says Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine
Written by Nur Yasmin
War crimes including rape, torture, executions and confinement of children were committed by Russia in areas it occupied in Ukraine, the head of a U.N.-mandated investigation body said on Friday.
The commission is one of the first international bodies to reach the conclusion on the basis of field evidence. Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Russian soldiers of a litany of abuses since the Feb. 24 invasion, but Moscow has regularly dismissed the allegations as a smear campaign.
"Based on the evidence gathered by the Commission, it has concluded that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine," Erik Mose, who heads the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
He did not give an estimate of how many crimes had taken place but said in a later interview that "a large number" had been committed by Russia and only two cases by Ukraine involving the ill-treatment of Russian soldiers.
Russia denies deliberately attacking civilians during what it calls its "special military operation".
Russia was called on to respond to the accusations at the council meeting but its seat was left empty. There was no immediate official reaction from Moscow.
The Ukrainian prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Investigators from the commission, created by the rights council in March, visited 27 places and interviewed more than 150 victims and witnesses in areas of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumyformerly held by Russia.
They found evidence of a large number of executions including bodies with tied hands, slit throats and gunshot wounds to the head, Mose said.
He said investigators had identified victims of sexual violence aged between four and 82. While some Russian soldiers had used sexual violence as a strategy, the commission "has not established any general pattern to that effect", Mose added.
In reaction to the speech, several countries suggested that the abuses amouted to crimes against humanity. "So far we have not concluded that there are crimes against humanity," Mose said, adding that these were preliminary findings and evidence-gathering and analysis continued.
'DARK WORLD'
The commission will next turn its attention to allegations of "filtration" camps in Russian-occupied areas for processing Ukrainian prisoners as well as claims of forced transfers of people and adoption of Ukrainian children in Russia.
Ukraine and some other nations urged the commission to also investigate a mass burial site near the city of Izium, in eastern Ukraine, where hundreds of bodies have been found. read more
"If left unanswered, (Russia's violations) will drag us into a dark world of impunity and permissiveness," Ukraine's envoy Anton Korynevych told the council by video link. Mose later said they intended to investigate the Izium graves.
Sometimes probes launched by the council can be used before national and international courts, such as in the case of a former Syrian intelligence officer jailed for state-backed torture in Germany in january.
Mose said he was in touch with the International Criminal Court about the commission's findings. The body is due to submit a complete report to the council at the end of its mandate in March 2023, including a possible list of perpetrators and recommendations on how to hold them to account. (Reuters)
September
Iranian state-organised marchers call for execution of protesters
Written by Nur Yasmin
State-organised demonstrations took place in several Iranian cities on Friday to counter anti-government unrest triggered by the death of a woman in police custody, with marchers calling for the execution of protesters.
The demonstrations followed the strongest warning from the authorities yet when the army told Iranians it would confront "the enemies" behind the unrest - a move that could signal the kind of crackdown that has crushed protests in the past.
Demonstrators condemned the anti-government protesters as "Israel's soldiers", live state television coverage showed. They also shouted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel", common slogans the country's clerical rulers use to try and stir up support for authorities.
"Offenders of the Koran must be executed," the crowds chanted.
Iranians have staged mass protests over the case of Mahsa Amini, 22, who died last week after being arrested by the morality police for wearing "unsuitable attire".
The morality police, attached to Iran's law enforcement, are tasked with ensuring the respect of Islamic morals as described by the country's clerical authorities.
Amini's death has reignited anger over issues including restrictions on personal freedoms in Iran, strict dress codes for women and an economy reeling from sanctions.
The Iranian army's message on Friday, seen as a warning to protesters enraged by the death, read: "These desperate actions are part of the evil strategy of the enemy to weaken the Islamic regime."
The military said it would "confront the enemies' various plots in order to ensure security and peace for the people who are being unjustly assaulted."
Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi also on Friday warned "seditionists" that their "dream of defeating religious values and the great achievements of the revolution will never be realized," according to the AsrIran website.
The anti-government protests were especially strong in Amini's home province of Kurdistan and nearby areas. State television said two caches of weapons, explosives and communications gear were seized and two people were arrested in northwestern Iran which includes the border with Iraq where armed Kurdish dissident groups are based.
Human rights group Hengaw said a general strike was held on Friday in Oshnavieh, Javanroud, Sardasht and other towns in the northwest where many of Iran's up to 10 million Kurds live.
Internet blockage watchdog NetBlocks said mobile internet has been disrupted in Iran for a third time.
"Live metrics show a nation-scale loss of connectivity on leading cellular operator MCI," it said on Twitter.
Mobile internet had been partially reconnected overnight.
Twitter accounts linked to Anonymous "hacktivists" voiced support for the protests and said they had attacked 100 Iranian websites, including several belonging to the government.
Websites of the central bank, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several state-affiliated news agencies have been been disrupted in recent days.
SECURITY FORCES COME UNDER ATTACK
Iran's clerical rulers fear a revival of the protests that erupted in 2019 over gasoline price rises, the bloodiest in the Islamic Republic's history. Reuters reported 1,500 people were killed.
Rights groups such as Hengaw and HRANA, lawyers and social media users reported widespread arrests of students and activists at their homes by security forces in an apparent effort to curb protests.
Majid Tavakoli, a student leader turned human rights activist, was detained overnight, his brother Mohsen said.
"They raided the home and arrested Majid while he was asleep...We are unable to do anything. Please spread the word," Mohsen Tavakoli wrote in a Tweet.
In the latest unrest, protesters in Tehran and other cities torched police stations and vehicles as outrage over Amini's death showed no signs of abating, with reports of security forces coming under attack.
Iranian media reported the arrest of 288 "rioters" on Thursday.
In Madrid, four topless activists from the Femen women's movement protested on Friday in front of the Iranian embassy over Amini's death, carrying signs reading "Women, Life, Liberty" and "Mahsa Amini was assassinated".
The protest took place peacefully and there were no arrests.
In Athens, angry protesters demonstrating over Amini's death tried to approach the Iranian embassy on Thursday before being forced back by police wielding shields. Demonstrators chanted slogans and held placards reading "Homophobia and sexism kill."
Protests over Amini's death were also held in Canada and the Netherlands on Thursday. (Reuters)
September
Putin invaded to put 'decent people' in Kyiv, says Italy's Berlusconi
Written by Nur Yasmin
Russian President Vladimir Putin was "pushed" into invading Ukraine and wanted to put "decent people" in charge of Kyiv, former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has said, drawing fierce criticism just ahead of Italy's election.
The Italian leader, whose Forza Italia party belongs to a right-wing coalition expected to win Sunday's parliamentary election on Sunday, is a long-time friend of Putin and his comments are likely to alarm Western allies.
"Putin was pushed by the Russian people, by his party, by his ministers to come up with this special operation," Berlusconi told Italian public television RAI late on Thursday, using the official Russian wording for the war.
Russia's plan was originally to conquer Kyiv "in a week", and replace the democratically elected Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskiy with "a government of decent people" and get out "in another week," he said.
"I haven't even understood why Russian troops spread around Ukraine while in my mind they should have only stuck around Kyiv", said the 85-year-old Berlusconi, who once described Putin as being like a younger brother.
Putin's stated war aims have varied during the seven-month war. Ukraine initially chased his troops from the Kyiv area, and more recently from parts of the northeast near the Russia border. Putin now says the main aim is to secure territory in the Donbas region partly controlled by pro-Russia separatists.
Facing widespread condemnation from opponents, Berlusconi released a statement on Friday saying his views had been "oversimplified".
"The aggression against Ukraine is unjustifiable and unacceptable, (Forza Italia's) position is clear. We will always be with the EU and NATO," he said.
'TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUS'
The leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, described Berlusconi's comments on the war as "scandalous".
"If on Sunday night the result is favourable to the right, the happiest person would be Putin," Letta told RAI radio.
Centrist leader Carlo Calenda, another election contender, said on Radio24 said Berlusconi had spoken"like a Putin general".
Asked about Berlusconi's comments, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said he believed the former Italian premier liked "to take the side of the winners, and this is definitely not Russia and not Putin".
"I believe the Italian people, and specifically Mr. Berlusconi, are quite pragmatic and understand that, based on the current internal political situation in Russia and based on the situation at the front, it would be a mistake to support Russia in the medium term," Podolayak told Reuters.
Two pollsters Reuters spoke to downplayed suggestions that Berlusconi's statements were driven by electoral calculations.
"These kind of remarks shift very few votes, people are not very interested in foreign policy," said Renato Mannheimer, head of the Eumetra polling agency.
"I think he let slip something that he believes in but which he didn't want to say out loud," said Antonio Noto, head of Noto Sondaggi.
Under outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Italy has been a staunch supporter of Western sanctions on Russia following the invasion.
Giorgia Meloni of the far-right Brothers of Italy, tipped as the next premier, has pledged to stick to that position, but her allies Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini of the League have been more ambivalent.
Berlusconi said on Thursday that Moscow's decision to invade followed an appeal by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, who allegedly told Putin, "please defend us, because if you do not defend us, we don't know where we could end up."
Voting began on Friday in four Ukrainian regions mostly held by Russian forces including the separatists, the start of a plan by Putin to annex a big chunk of Ukraine. (Reuters)
September
'Blood on your hands' if world steps back on tackling COVID now - WHO official
Written by Nur Yasmin
If rich nations think the pandemic is over, they should help lower-income countries reach that point too, a senior World Health Organization official told Reuters.
In an interview, WHO senior adviser Bruce Aylward warned that richer nations must not step back from tackling COVID-19 as a global problem now, ahead of future potential waves of infection.
In the last few weeks, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the end of the pandemic was in sight, and U.S President Joe Biden said the pandemic was over.
"When I hear them say, 'Well, we're so comfortable here,' it's like, 'Great, now you can really help us get the rest of the world done'," said Aylward.
Aylward said that the group he co-ordinates, which focuses on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and tests worldwide, is not yet ready to move out of the emergency phase of tackling the pandemic and that countries need to be ready and have treatments in place for any further waves of infection.
"If you go to sleep right now and this wave hits us in three months... God - blood on your hands," he said.
He also stressed that Biden had a point domestically as the United States has good access to all COVID tools. It has also not cut its global commitment to fighting COVID, he added.
Aylward co-ordinates the ACT-Accelerator, a partnership between WHO and other global health bodies to help poorer countries access COVID-19 tools. The effort, which includes the vaccine-focused COVAX, has reached billions of people worldwide but has faced criticism for not acting quickly enough. There had been some speculation that the effort may wind up this autumn, but Aylward said it was simply changing its focus as the pandemic changes.
Over the next six months, the partnership will aim particularly at delivering vaccines to the roughly one quarter of the world's health care workers and elderly who have still not had a shot, as well as on improving access to test-and-treat particularly with Pfizer's Paxlovid, he said.
It will also look to the future as COVID is "here to stay", and unless systems are put in place, support will collapse once other industrialised nations also think the pandemic is over, said Aylward.
The initiative already has an $11 billion gap in its budget, with most of its available $5.7 billion in funding pledged towards vaccines rather than tests or treatments. (Reuters)
September
Hong Kong to scrap hotel quarantine for travellers from early Oct -media
Written by Nur Yasmin
Hong Kong will scrap its controversial COVID-19 hotel quarantine policy for all arrivals from early October, more than 2-1/2 years after it was first adopted, news portal HK01 said on Thursday, citing unidentified sources.
The move is set to be announced next week, it added.
The city's leader, John Lee, said this week he wanted to keep the city connected with the rest of the world and allow an "orderly opening-up" but did not specify exactly when the quarantine policy would be changed.
Taking its cues from China which is pursuing a zero-COVID policy, Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world to still require travellers from abroad to quarantine upon arrival although the length of quarantine has eased over time.
Hong Kong residents and businesses have slammed the policy, saying it and other strict COVID rules threaten the city's competitiveness and standing as a global financial centre.
Currently, arrivals must pay for three days in a hotel and follow that with four days of self-monitoring. The new rules will abolish the need for arrivals from overseas to do quarantine at designated hotels. Residents will be able to go straight home and self monitor for seven days, HK01 said.
Currently people who are required to self monitor are allowed to move around the city although there are some limits on the types of places they can access.
Hong Kong still bans public groups of more than four people and masks are mandatory, even for children as young as two. (Reuters)
September
Venezuela arrests 'Fat Leonard' contractor in U.S. Navy bribery case
Written by Nur Yasmin
Venezuelan police have arrested a fugitive Malaysian businessman nicknamed 'Fat Leonard' who is at the centre of a major U.S. Navy bribery scandal, as he prepared to leave the country for Russia, Venezuelan Interpol said.
Leonard Glenn Francis was detained at the country's main international airport on Wednesday under a red notification requested by the United States for crimes of corruption and bribery, the Interpol chief in Venezuela said in a statement posted on Instagram.
The Malaysian businessman removed his monitoring anklet and escaped his house arrest in the United States earlier this month ahead of his impending sentencing, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Prosecutors in the case said that in exchange for classified information and contracts, Francis had plied Navy officers with cash, gourmet food, expensive cigars, rare cognac and wild sex parties in fancy hotels.
Francis pleaded guilty to bribery in January 2015 and agreed to forfeit $35 million in ill-gotten gains. According to that plea agreement, Francis paid about $500,000 in bribes to Navy officials.
He arrived in Venezuela from Mexico, with a stopover in Cuba, and was planning to continue to Russia, the Interpol statement said. Authorities will now initiate his extradition procedure, it added.
U.S. authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reuters)
September
Japan intervened in forex market to stem weak yen - top currency diplomat Kanda
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Japanese government has intervened in the foreign exchange market to sell dollars for yen to stem the Japanese currency's recent sharp falls, top currency diplomat Masato Kanda said on Thursday.
"We have taken decisive action (in the exchange market)," he told reporters, responding in the affirmative when asked if that meant intervention. (Reuters)
September
Former Pakistan PM Khan apologises in contempt of court case - lawyer
Written by Nur Yasmin
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday tendered an apology in a contempt of court case, his defence lawyer said.
The court has deferred the due indictment, said Faisal Chaudhry, the lawyer, adding the court had directed Khan to submit an unconditional apology in writing by Oct. 3.
The charges are related to a speech by Khan in which he allegedly threatened police and judicial officers. (Reuters)