The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • UN chief calls for investigation of Libya mass graves

    UN chief calls for investigation of Libya mass graves

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed “deep shock”at the discovery of multiple mass graves in Libya in recent days.

    No fewer than eight mass graves were reportedly discovered in an area retaken by the Government of National Accord (GNA) from forces of renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar.

    Most of the graves were found in Tarhuna, Haftar’s last stronghold in western Libya, media reports quoted the GNA as saying.

    The city was used by his forces as a launchpad during a 14-month offensive to seize the capital from the GNA, the reports added.

    In a statement by his spokesman, Mr Stephane Dujarric, the UN Chief called for “a thorough and transparent investigation, and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice”.

    He urged the authorities to secure the mass graves, identify the victims, establish causes of death and return the bodies to next of kin.

    “The United Nations has offered support in this regard.”

    The secretary-general once again reminds all parties to the conflict in Libya of their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

    READ ALSO: Mass graves found in Libyan city outside capital – Minister

    He reiterated his call for an immediate end to the fighting in Libya in order to save lives and end civilian suffering.

    “He welcomes the resumption of the work of the Libyan Joint Military Commission and hopes that a ceasefire will be agreed soon,” the statement said.

    In March, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said it received reports of hundreds of enforced disappearances, torture, killings and displacement of entire families in Tarhuna by forces loyal to Haftar.

    It said the victims included “private individuals, state officials, captured fighters and civil society activists”.

    UNSMIL said it also verified numerous summary executions at Tarhuna prison on Sept. 13, 2019.

    Libya has been in turmoil since the ouster of the country’s longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi who was toppled in a NATO-backed uprising.

    It is now split between two rival administrations: the GNA in Tripoli and the eastern-based House of Representatives allied with Haftar, according to Aljazeera.

    (NAN)

  • Australian sentenced to death in China

    Australian sentenced to death in China

    An Australian national has been sentenced to death in China for drug trafficking, in a ruling that could further inflame tensions between Beijing and Canberra.

    The man, named in Chinese pinyin as “Kamu Jielaisibi” and identified by Australian media as Cam Gillespie, was handed the death penalty by Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court on Wednesday, according to a notice posted on the court website.

    The notice revealed no details about the defendant besides his Australian nationality.

    According to Chinese local media, the man was arrested at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, northwest of Hong Kong, in December 2013 with more than 7.5 kilograms (16 pounds) of methamphetamine in his checked luggage.

    China is Australia’s largest trading partner, as well as a major source of lucrative international students and tourists.

    But relations have been troubled in recent years and worsened after China reacted furiously to Australia’s call for an independent probe into the origins of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

    READ ALSO: Nigerian wrongly held in Saudi for drug trafficking freed

    In an apparent response to the demand, Beijing imposed tariffs on Australian barley and issued travel warnings to tourists and students over virus-linked racism against ethnic Asians.

    Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dismissed allegations of racist treatment of Chinese as “rubbish”, adding that his government would “never be intimidated by threats” or “trade our values in response to coercion from wherever it comes”.

    Last year, China sentenced two Canadian nationals to death on drug trafficking charges during an escalating diplomatic row with Canada over the arrest of top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.

    Canadian attempts to plead for clemency for Robert Schellenberg and Fan Wei have so far not been successful.

    China has also detained two Canadian nationals, including a former diplomat, on spying charges, in a move widely considered to be in retaliation for Meng’s arrest.

    (www.newsnow.co.uk)

  • Trump orders sanctions over ICC Afghan war crimes probe

    Trump orders sanctions over ICC Afghan war crimes probe

    President Donald Trump on Thursday issued an executive order authorising United States (U.S.) sanctions against International Criminal Court (ICC) employees involved in an investigation into whether American forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.

    In announcing the action, Trump administration officials said the Hague-based tribunal threatens to infringe upon U.S. national sovereignty and accused Russia of manipulating it to serve Moscow’s ends.

    “We cannot, we will not stand by as our people are threatened by a kangaroo court,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in announcing the move.

    Rights activists assailed Trump’s move. Andrea Prasow, the Washington director for Human Rights Watch, said the action “demonstrates contempt for the global rule of law” and represents a “blatant attempt at obstruction”.

    Trump’s order authorises Pompeo, in consultation with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, to block assets in the United States of ICC employees involved in the probe, according to a letter sent by Trump to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi accompanying the order.

    Read Also: Trump approves sanctions on international court officials

    It also authorises Pompeo to block entry into the United States of these individuals as well as their family members.

    ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda wants to investigate possible crimes committed between 2003 and 2014, including alleged mass killings of civilians by the Taliban, as well as the alleged torture of prisoners by Afghan authorities and, to a lesser extent, by U.S. forces and the CIA. The ICC investigation was given the go-ahead in March.

    The ICC was established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. It has jurisdiction only if a member state is unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities itself. The United States has never been a member of the court.

  • WHO: test kits needed as pandemic accelerating in Africa

    WHO: test kits needed as pandemic accelerating in Africa

    THE coronavirus pandemic is accelerating in Africa, spreading to rural areas after international travellers brought it to capital cities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday.

    But the WHO said there was no indication that large numbers of severe cases and deaths were being missed, nor has the virus caused significant infections in refugee camps across the continent.

    Ten countries are driving Africa’s epidemic, accounting for 75 per cent of the some 207,600 cases on the continent, said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Africa regional director. About 5,000 deaths have been reported.

    South Africa, which last month began a phased easing of the lockdown, is the hardest-hit, accounting for a quarter of all cases, she said.

    “Even though these cases in Africa account for less than three per cent of the global total, it’s clear that the pandemic is accelerating,” Moeti told a news briefing for Geneva-based UN correspondents.

    “We believe that large numbers of severe cases and deaths are not being missed in Africa.”

    But lockdowns and market closures to contain coronavirus contagion have hit poor families hard, Moeti said.

    In South Africa, high numbers of daily cases and deaths are being reported in two provinces, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, she said, adding: “Specifically in the Western Cape, where we are seeing a majority of cases and deaths, the trend seem to be similar to what was happening in Europe and in the U.S.”

    Shortages of test kits remain a challenge on the continent, Moeti said, and until there is an effective vaccine, Africa is likely to see a steady increase with hotspots requiring strong public health and social distancing measures.

    Read Also: New Ebola virus not linked to previous outbreak – WHO

    Reported cases of the novel coronavirus in the U.S. have topped two million, according to a tally by John Hopkins University, late on Wednesday.

    The U.S. leads the world by far in coronavirus cases, trailed by Brazil, Russia and Britain, each of which have recorded fewer than one million confirmed cases.

    The development comes amid concerns of a second wave of coronavirus infections, as the U.S. reopens its economy and widespread anti-racism protests continue, with participants in close contact.

    According to John Hopkins, at least 19 states saw an upward trend in their reported case totals over the past three days, with the most severe swings coming in Michigan, South Carolina, Arizona and Arkansas.

    President Donald Trump has pushed for a quick economic reopening, often bucking recommendations from his public health advisers.

    He is restarting his massive campaign rallies next week ahead of the presidential election later this year.

  • Burundi seeks court for guidance after president’s death

    Burundi seeks court for guidance after president’s death

    Burundi on Thursday turned to the Constitutional Court to help fill the power vacuum ahead of the expected August swearing-in of the president-elect chosen in May’s election.

    The abrupt death of President Pierre Nkurunziza this week of what the government called a heart attack has left the East African nation with new uncertainty after a 15-year rule marked by deadly repression.

    Evariste Ndayishimiye won the election as the ruling party candidate, but Pascal Nyabenda, the speaker of the national assembly, was said to be Nkurunziza’s preferred successor.

    Nyabenda could be installed as interim president until August. Ndayishimiye could be sworn in right away, but “this is a question that was not provided for by the constitution” and one the court could consider, said Burundian lawyer and activist Janvier Bigirimana.

    Read Also: Burundi President dies of ‘cardiac arrest’ at 55

    Yesterday’s emergency meeting of the council of ministers decided to formally notify the court of the vacant post and await its guidance.

    Nkurunziza died Monday after falling ill on Saturday and hours of efforts to revive him failed, the government said. He was last seen in public watching a volleyball match on Saturday.

    The government has not responded to questions on whether Nkurunziza died of COVID-19. His administration had been accused of not taking the pandemic seriously as it cited “divine protection” and allowed large campaign rallies ahead of the election.

  • ECOWAS youth council inducts ambassador

    ECOWAS youth council inducts ambassador

    THE West Africa (ECOWAS) Youth Council (WAYC) leadership has decorated Mr. Adedayo Falusi as its ambassador.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the council’s chairperson, Amb. William-Ologun Oluwaseun.

    Oluwaseun said: “As enshrined in our mission statement, the WAYC is dedicated to the productive engagement of youths for the advancement of the human race. We are committed to ensuring favourable youth policies across the countries in the West Africa region.

    READ ALSO: COVID-19: Buhari charges ECOWAS countries to intensify sensitisation

    “We have considered Falusi as an ambassador of the council after meeting up with the standard requirements of achieving same. He can now be addressed as Amb. Falusi

    “We charge him to do more and not rest on his laurels. He should now increase the tempo and extend his youth empowerment and opportunities, philanthropical gesture and advocacy beyond Nigeria.”

    Falusi, in his acknowledgement statement, lauded  the council for honouring him with the Thomas Sankara Leadership Award.

  • Trump approves sanctions on international court officials

    Trump approves sanctions on international court officials

    US President Donald Trump on Thursday issued an executive order authorising sanctions against officials from the International Criminal Court over an investigation by the body into potential war crimes by American forces in Afghanistan.

    A senior Trump administration official, without providing details, said the ICC investigation is “being pushed forward by an organisation of dubious integrity” and accused Russia of having a role.

    The order authorises Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in consultation with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, to block assets in the United States of ICC employees involved in the probe, the official said.

    It also authorises Mr Pompeo to block entry into the United States of these individuals.

    Mr Trump has repeatedly assailed The Hague-based ICC set up to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. It has jurisdiction only if a member state is unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities itself.

    Afghanistan is a member of the ICC, though Kabul has argued that any war crimes should be prosecuted locally. The US government has never been a member of the court, established in 2002. The Trump administration imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions against ICC employees a year ago.

    The ICC decided to investigate after prosecutors’ preliminary examination in 2017 found reasonable grounds to believe war crimes were committed in Afghanistan and that the ICC has jurisdiction.

    READ ALSO: Bush, Romney won’t support Trump for second term

    The senior administration official, describing the order to a group of reporters on a conference call, said the directive authorizes sanctions against any individual directly engaged in any effort by the ICC to investigate US personnel without American consent.

    The official said the probe threatens to infringe on American sovereignty and that while the ICC was established to provide accountability, “in practice the court is an unaccountable, ineffective and out-of-control international bureaucracy that threatens American service members and intelligence officers and those of our allies.”

    ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda wants to investigate possible crimes committed between 2003 and 2014, including alleged mass killings of civilians by the Taliban, as well as the alleged torture of prisoners by Afghan authorities and, to a lesser extent, by US forces and the CIA.

    “We have reason to believe there is corruption and misconduct at the highest levels of the ICC’s office of the prosecutor, calling into question the integrity of this investigation into American personnel. We are concerned that Russia may be manipulating the ICC by encouraging these allegations into US personnel,” the US official said.

    (www.newsnow.co.uk)

  • Iran ready for further prisoner exchanges with U.S.

    Iran ready for further prisoner exchanges with U.S.

    Iran has declared itself ready for further prisoner exchanges with the United States, Iranian Foreign Office spokesperson said on Thursday

    “If the necessary framework conditions are in place, we will be willing to do so for humanitarian reasons,’’ Iranian Foreign Office spokesperson Abbas Mousavi said.

    According to the spokesperson, this plan can be carried out in cooperation with the Swiss embassy in Tehran.

    Switzerland represents the U.S. diplomatic interests in Iran because Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations for over 40 years.

    Former U.S. soldier Michael White was arrested in July 2018 however, was released recently after almost two years in Iran.

    According to media reports, he only wanted to meet an Iranian woman he had met online, as well as her family.

    READ ALSO: Russia, China set to protect Iran from US sanctions

    In return, Iranian scientist Majid Taheri was released from U.S. custody.

    At the moment, U.S.-Iranians are the main inmates at the infamous Evin prison in Tehran.

    Among them are businessman, Siamak Namazi and his father, Bagher.

    Namazi was arrested in 2015, his father a year later and sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly spying for the U.S.

    Dual citizenship is not recognised in Iran.

    Therefore, all people with Iranian fathers are considered Iranians and have no right to consular assistance.

    (dpa/NAN)

  • Russian COVID-19 cases exceed 500,000

    Russian COVID-19 cases exceed 500,000

    Russia recorded 8,779 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking its total to 502,436, the country’s coronavirus response centre said in a statement on Thursday.

    According to the statement, the death toll grows by 174 to 6,532, while 261,150 people have recovered, including 8,367 over the last 24 hours.

    Moscow, the country’s worst-hit region, reported 1,436 newly confirmed cases, taking its tally of infections to 201,221.

    READ ALSO: Russia, China set to protect Iran from US sanctions

    “As of Wednesday, 321,923 people were under medical observation, while over 13.8 million COVID-19 tests have been conducted nationwide,’’ Russia’s consumer rights and human well-being watchdog said in a statement.

    (Xinhua/NAN)

  • Pakistan’s opposition leader tests positive for COVID-19

    Pakistan’s opposition leader tests positive for COVID-19

    Leader of the opposition in Pakistan’s National Assembly or the lower house of the parliament Shahbaz Sharif and several other politicians have tested positive for COVID-19, local media reported on Thursday.

    Shahbaz, who is the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), went to self-quarantine after testing positive for the disease, the party’s spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb said on Thursday.

    Shahbaz is also a cancer survivor and is being kept under observation of his doctors. His condition is currently stable and he is showing only mild signs of COVID-19, the spokesperson said.

    Condition of the other politicians who have tested positive including former Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ‘s Khurrum Sher Zaman, is also stable, and all of them have opted for self-isolation at their homes, according to the reports.

    READ ALSO: Pakistani airline crash claims over 105 lives

    On Wednesday, Minister of Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that 46 politicians in the country had tested positive for the disease so far, with some of them losing their lives to the disease.

    Owing to the surge in the cases among the parliamentarians, the government approved new rules for the initial session to hold a debate on the forthcoming budget in the lower house.

    In a tweet on Wednesday, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan said that a quarter of the members of the lower house would attend the initial budget session, and only the members who have to make speeches during the budget debate will be present in the house.

    The number of COVID-19 patients has witnessed a significant surge in Pakistan recently with 4,000 to 5,000 new cases emerging every day.

    A total of 119,536 people have tested positive of the disease, and 2,356 have died, according to data updated by the health ministry on Thursday.

    (Xinhua/NAN)