Six In The Morning Tuesday 23 November 2021

 

Gun makers ask US court to dismiss Mexico's claim for damages

Gun manufacturers have urged a US court to dismiss a Mexican lawsuit that holds them responsible for the violence inflicted by drug cartels.

Mexico is seeking billions in damages, accusing manufacturers of facilitating the illegal trafficking of weapons.

The firms, including Smith & Wesson, argue their sales are constitutionally protected in the US, calling Mexico's lawsuit a "clash of national values".

In 2019 alone, some 17,000 murders in Mexico were linked to trafficked arms.

Mexico's strict rules on arms sales mean they can only be purchased legally at one shop in Mexico City.

Trial begins of 25 men over Sri Lanka Easter bombings in 2019

Government criticised for delay as suspects face charges relating to 269 deaths 30 months after attacks

Hannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia correspondent

Tue 23 Nov 2021 14.46 GMT

The trial has begun of the 25 men accused of masterminding the 2019 Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, which killed almost 300 people when churches and luxury hotels were targeted by Islamic terrorist suicide bombers.

The lengthy process to reach trial after more than two years has been heavily criticised by families of those killed and the Christian church in Sri Lanka, who have accused the government of failing to take proper action against those responsible.

The suspects are facing over 23,000 charges in total, including conspiracy to murder, aiding and abetting the attacks, and collecting arms and ammunition.

Xinjiang footage sheds new light on Uyghur detention camps

A YouTube video of Xinjiang detention facilities has rekindled concern over China's crackdown on ethnic minorities. Researchers say the videos offer new evidence, but many fear for the vlogger's safety.

A 20-minute video featuring more than a dozen detention facilities in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has offered fresh evidence and renewed the discussion around China's large-scale crackdown on ethnic minorities in the region.

The video was filmed by a Chinese man named Guanguan, who went to Xinjiang after reading a series of articles from US news outlet BuzzFeed News, indicating the locations of several detention centers in the region.

His video, which was originally posted to YouTube in October, has attracted the attention of researchers and academics who have been focusing on China's large-scale crackdown on ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Alison Killing, an architect who worked with BuzzFeed News to create a map of satellite images of the camps, said the new information from the video confirms what they believe to be happening in Xinjiang.

Israel signals readiness to escalate Iran confrontation

PM Bennett says Iran is at ‘the most advanced stage of its nuclear programme’ while condemning efforts to revive the nuclear deal.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has signalled a readiness to step up Israel’s confrontation with Iran, reiterating on Tuesday, his country would not be bound by any new Iranian nuclear deal with world powers.

Indirect negotiations will begin on November 29 on reviving the 2015 accord, which former United States President Donald Trump withdrew from, deeming it insufficient to shut down projects with bomb-making potential – a view shared by the Israelis.

‘Eased’ entry curbs frustrate employers of returnees

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

November 23, 2021 at 18:40 JST

Initial cheers for the eased COVID-19 restrictions on business travelers returning to Japan have turned into groans and complaints about complicated application procedures and impractical rules.

The government on Nov. 8 shortened the self-quarantine period for fully vaccinated business travelers from 10 days after entering Japan to three days from the day following their arrivals.

Some companies, such as trading firms, welcomed the government’s decision. But complaints have been rife in the two weeks of the supposed eased rules.

Newly-freed Sudan prime minister defends deal with military, says he made it to 'avoid bloodshed'

By Becky Anderson, Eoin McSweeney, Zeena Saifi and Noon Salih, CNN

Updated 1646 GMT (0046 HKT) November 23, 2021

Sudan's newly reinstated prime minister told CNN on Tuesday that he compromised in a deal with the country's military in order to "avoid bloodshed" and a civil war.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other ministers were detained during a military coup last month that saw the country's power-sharing government dissolved; more than 40 people have since been killed in protests.

But the country's military chief, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, reinstated Hamdok on Sunday as part of a deal between the military and civilian leadership in the country,