Saturday, October 23, 2021

Six In The Morning Saturday 23 October 2021

 

UN fears ‘mass atrocity crimes’ in northern Myanmar

UN special rapporteur on Myanmar says he received information that tens of thousands of troops and heavy weapons were being moved into restive regions in the north and northwest.

 

The United Nations has said it fears a greater human rights catastrophe in Myanmar amid reports of thousands of troops massing in the north of the Southeast Asian country which has been in chaos since a February coup.

UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Tom Andrews, who was presenting the findings of an annual human rights report on Myanmar to the UN General Assembly on Friday, said he had received information that tens of thousands of troops and heavy weapons were being moved into restive regions in the north and northwest.


Taliban ‘forcibly evicting’ Hazaras and opponents in Afghanistan


Human Rights Watch has logged illegal seizures of land and homes then given to Taliban supporters



Thousands of people have been forced from their homes and land by Taliban officials in the north and south of Afghanistan, in what amounted to collective punishment, illegal under international law, Human Rights Watch has warned.

Many of the evictions targeted members of the Shia Hazara community, while others were of people connected to the former Afghan government. Land and homes seized this way have often been redistributed to Taliban supporters, HRW said.

Forced evictions logged by Human Rights Watch took place across five provinces, including Kandahar, Helmand and Uruzgan in the south, Daikundi in the centre, and the northern province of Balkh.


Luxembourg becomes first European country to give green light to growing and using cannabis


Justice minister says move is aimed at curbing illegal black market for cannabis products


Conrad Duncan


Luxembourg has become the first country in Europe to legalise the production and consumption of cannabis after its government announced it would allow adults to grow up to four cannabis plants at home.

The proposals come as part of a package of measures to tackle drug crime in the country and will allow cannabis seeds to be sold in shops, imported or bought online.

There will still be a legal prohibition on the consumption and transport of the drug in public, while trade of cannabis products other than seeds will remain banned.


Turkey to declare 10 ambassadors 'persona non grata'

The move means 10 ambassadors — including those of Germany and the United States — are now just one step from expulsion after calling for the release of activist Osman Kavala.

Ambassadors from 10 countries who appealed for the release of Turkish activist Osman Kavala are to be declared "persona non grata," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

The designation is a diplomatic term that signifies the first step before expulsion.

What does this move mean?

Erdogan did not specifically clarify whether his order meant that the diplomats — who he accused of "indecency" — would be ordered to leave the country.

"I have ordered our foreign minister to declare these 10 ambassadors as persona non grata as soon as possible," Erdogan said.


How the West made the most dangerous version of Putin


Updated 0855 GMT (1655 HKT) October 23, 2021


Over the past decade, Vladimir Putin's resurgent Russia has been a perpetual concern for many in the West.

These concerns are not baseless. It's undeniable that Putin and the President's inner circle have grown in confidence during this period. Whether it be annexing parts of another nation, backing a dictator in a foreign war or poisoning dissidents on Russian soil, Putin's Kremlin seemingly no longer seeks validation from a West that has allowed Moscow's belligerence to grow with little effect on his behavior.
The world has been reminded of Russia's confidence in recent weeks. As gas prices soar across Europe due to a reduced supply of Russian gas and Putin severs his nation's loose diplomatic ties to NATO, it's worth examining how gravely Western policymakers have misread Putin and ignored his willingness to use the weapons at his disposal.


Greta Thunberg: 'We need public pressure, not just summits'


Climate activist Greta Thunberg has told the BBC that summits will not lead to action on climate goals unless the public demand change too.

In a wide-ranging interview ahead of the COP26 climate summit, she said the public needed to "uproot the system".

"The change is going to come when people are demanding change. So we can't expect everything to happen at these conferences," she said.

She also accused politicians of coming up with excuses.

The COP26 climate summit is taking place in Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, from 31 October to 12 November.


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