Paris, France | AFP | by Anne-Sophie LABADIE A growing number of seizures of guns made at home from 3D-printed parts are raising alarm bells for European police over an emerging threat. For now, interest among far-right activists may be limited, say analysts — and fears of a society awash with print-it-yourself weapons remain far-fetched. But homemade guns have become more widespread since 2013, when a US weapons enthusiast first showed off a mostly 3D-printed […]
International
Report slams ‘institutional racism’ in UK courts
London, United Kingdom | AFP | A report has said it found evidence of “institutional racism” in the UK justice system in England and Wales, particularly in the treatment of black and Asian defendants. There are currently no black judges in the High Court, Court of Appeal or Supreme Court. In England and Wales, nine percent of judges are non-white and just one percent are black, according to government statistics. Released late Tuesday, the report […]
HRW calls for sanctions on Ethiopia to protect civilians
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Human Rights Watch called Wednesday for targeted sanctions and an arms embargo against Ethiopia to help protect civilians as the country’s brutal war in Tigray intensifies. Addis Ababa on Tuesday said it had captured three towns in the northern region, where fighting between pro-government forces and rebels has raged since August after a truce collapsed. International concern is growing for those caught in the crossfire, with the UN describing […]
‘About 50’ Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant staff in Russian detention
Kiew, Ukraine | AFP | The head of Ukraine’s state nuclear agency Energoatom said Wednesday that about 50 employees of the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine were held in Russian captivity. “More than 150 people from the staff of the plant were captured” since the start of the Russian invasion in late February, Petro Kotin told AFP, adding that “some of them were later released, but there are those whose fate is […]
Fury at FIFA chief’s kickabout in Indonesia after stadium tragedy
Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | Photos of FIFA’s president laughing and high-fiving in a football match with local officials weeks after a stadium disaster killed 133 people in Indonesia sparked online fury in the country on Wednesday. More than 40 children were among those killed in the stampede on October 1, one of the deadliest disasters in football history. Police had fired tear gas to quell a pitch invasion after a match in East […]
Hong Kong court allows UK trial lawyer for Jimmy Lai
Hong Kong, China | AFP | A Hong Kong court on Wednesday allowed a veteran British lawyer to represent jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai at his upcoming national security trial despite opposition from city authorities. Lai and a group of executives from the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper are being prosecuted for “colluding with foreign forces”, an offence under a new security law China imposed on Hong Kong to stamp out dissent. The trial is set […]
US citizen jailed in Saudi for tweets on Khashoggi, Yemen: son
Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | A US citizen jailed in Saudi Arabia is being punished for “mild” Twitter posts on topics including the war in Yemen and the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, his son told AFP on Wednesday. Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a 72-year-old of Saudi origin, was this month sentenced to 16 years in prison, the latest in a spate of what human rights groups describe as draconian sentences for social […]
Biden to release 15 mln barrels from US oil reserves: official
Washington, United States | AFP | President Joe Biden will announce Wednesday he’s putting the final 15 million barrels on the market from a record release of US strategic oil reserves, with more releases possible if energy prices spike, a senior US official said. The new tranche of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve will be “completing the 180 million barrel release authorized in the spring,” in response to price hikes linked to Russia’s […]
Pro-Kremlin administration evacuating from Ukraine’s Kherson city: official
Moscow, Russia | AFP | The head of the Russian-controlled region of Kherson in southern Ukraine said Wednesday that pro-Kremlin officials were evacuating from the region’s main city but vowed Moscow’s forces would keep fighting. “The entire administration is already moving today,” to the left bank of the Dnieper river, the region’s Moscow-installed head Vladimir Saldo, said on Russian state television. He said the measure, along with the organised movement of civilians from the […]
New Zealand to beef up police powers to prevent attacks
Wellington, New Zealand | AFP | New Zealand’s government proposed on Wednesday a string of amendments to the country’s counter-terrorism laws, in a bid to stop people planning new attacks after the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings. Under the amendments, which parliament has yet to approve, New Zealand’s police would have expanded powers to place so-called “control orders” on people and groups suspected of posing a threat, Justice Minister Kiri Allan said. Control orders impose restrictions […]
China lodges formal complaint with Britain over consulate clash
Beijing, China | AFP | China said Wednesday it has lodged a formal complaint with Britain over an altercation between its diplomats and a Hong Kong protester on the grounds of its Manchester consulate. British police have said a group of men came out of the consulate during a weekend demonstration, dragging one of the protesters inside the grounds and assaulting him. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation in Britain and triggered an international row […]
Hong Kong to ‘trawl world for talent’ in reboot attempt
Hong Kong, China | AFP | by Holmes Chan and Su Xinqi Hong Kong’s leader unveiled plans to resuscitate the business hub’s fortunes on Wednesday, hoping to lure back international expertise after an exodus of talent — but he vowed no let-up in a political crackdown that has transformed the city. John Lee, a Beijing-anointed former security chief, gave a debut policy speech that prioritised the revival of an economy mired in recession and […]
