Six In The Morning 8 February 2022

 

Ukraine crisis: Macron says Putin pledges no new Ukraine escalation

French President Emmanuel Macron has told reporters that President Vladimir Putin assured him that Russian forces would not ramp up the crisis near Ukraine's borders.

"I secured an assurance there would be no deterioration or escalation," he said before meeting Ukraine's leader.

However, Russia said any suggestion of a guarantee was "not right".

Russia has denied any plans to invade Ukraine, but it has assembled more than 100,000 troops near its borders.

US officials believe Russia has assembled 70% of military forces needed for a full-scale invasion.

Exiled Chagos Islanders return without British supervision for first time

Survey ship will gather evidence in dispute over demarcating seabed between Mauritius and Maldives

Owen Bowcott and Bruno Rinvolucri in the Indian Ocean

Tue 8 Feb 2022 15.26 GMT

A Mauritian-chartered survey ship carrying Chagos Islanders exiled from their homeland by the UK government 50 years ago have left Seychelles bound for the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

The 1,130-mile voyage marks the first time Chagossians have been allowed to enter the remote archipelago – cleared of its entire population in the early 1970s to make way for a US military base on Diego Garcia – without being under close British military escort.

The trip is going ahead amid a diplomatic face-off between the UK and Mauritius over ownership of the islands. By an overwhelming majority, the UN general assembly accepted in 2019 an opinion by the international court of justice that the Chagos Islands were unlawfully detached from Mauritius by the UK when it granted Mauritius independence in 1968.

Giddes Chalamanda: TikTok fame wins 92-year-old Malawi musician birthday party with president

The Malawian music legend performed one of his songs with the president, Lazarus Chakwera

Thomas Kingsley

Malawian musician turned viral TikTok star Giddes Chalamanda has gained an unexpected new fan after celebrating his 92nd birthday with the country’s president.

The musician, who does not even own a smartphone or have electricity to charge one, became a social media star with his song “Linny Hoo”. The ode to his daughters has racked up more than 80 million views on the video-sharing platform, and has inspired mash-ups and remixes from South Africa to the Philippines.

Putting his small, lakeside southern African country on the digital map last month brought him to the attention of its president, Lazarus Chakwera, who threw a party for Mr Chalamanda’s 92nd birthday at the State House in Lilongwe.

Fearful Ottawa residents flee downtown as protest drags on

Residents fed up with noise, harassment and threats of violence

Kimberley Molina · CBC News

As the disruptive protest in Ottawa drags into its second week, some residents of the downtown core say they've been living a nightmare, under siege and terrified to leave their homes — except to seek refuge away from the epicentre.

For 10 days, downtown residents have been subjected to relentless honking, random fireworks and choking diesel fumes from trucks parked near their homes. They've expressed outrage over the open display of hate symbols, and some say they've been subjected to racial, homophobic and transphobic slurs. Others claim they've been attacked for wearing a masks.

Many residents say they've felt let down by all levels of government and police since the protest convoy arrived Jan. 28.

Domestic use of Israel's spyware sparks scandal at home

Israel's ground-breaking surveillance technology was once feted as a prized export bolstering diplomatic ties abroad, but reports the secret spyware was also turned on citizens at home has trigged domestic outrage.

Recent bombshell allegations in Israeli media centre on the controversial Pegasus malware made by the Israeli firm NSO, which can turn a phone into a pocket spying device.

Last year, a sweeping investigation by an international consortium of journalists revealed the extent of Pegasus's use worldwide.

Now reports allege the spyware was also used domestically, targeting dozens of Israelis who were not suspected of criminal activity and without a judge authorising the surveillance.

Haitian Prime Minister involved in planning the President's assassination, says judge who oversaw case

By Matt Rivers, Etant Dupain and Natalie Gallón, CNN

Updated 1322 GMT (2122 HKT) February 8, 2022

In early September, a dozen heavily armed members of an elite team of Haitian law enforcement sat quietly in several undercover vehicles in the capital of Port-au-Prince, the stillness of the night pierced only by the occasional motorcycle passing by.

The veteran officers had all gone after high-profile targets before -- oligarchs, drug traffickers, gang leaders, even politicians.

But this operation felt different, according to extensive conversations CNN had with two sources involved in its planning.