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Hong Kong Anti-Extradition Bill Protests 2019
Mrityunjaya Dubey
The massive demonstration against the infamous “Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019” started on 31st of March 2019 as a small-scale demonstration outside the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, the unicameral parliament of this special administrative bloc. Hong Kong has been recognized as the Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. It was with the establishment of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong under the charter of the British Colony in 1843 andfollowed by the Sino-British Joined Declaration of 1984, which led to the transfer of sovereignty to the People’s Republic of China with effect from 1997. However, the People’s Republic of China unilaterally set up the Provincial Council diminishing the importance of already established and functional Legislative Council. This is the major reason behind the ongoing demonstrations. The Anti-Extradition Bill Protests 2019 started with the passage of the Hong Extradition Bill 2019 that gave power to the People’s Republic of China to arrest and put any Hong Kong citizen who is wanted in the territories, even across mainland China, infringing upon the autonomy as well as the sovereignty of this Special Administrative Region. Raising voices helped them receive international solidarity from all around the globe. Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong announced the complete withdrawal of the bill on 4th September 2019. Still, the situation on the ground concerning the massive violation of the Civil Human Rights remains unanswered as several people are dead and missing due to police brutalities during the protests. However, normalcy in the region is still to come about.
Kabul blasts
Fatima naseer
Several explosions were witnessed within the last week in Kabul but the latest attack that took place was near Foreign Embassies. A massive explosion took place in Kabul when a van full of explosives was detonated close to a security checkpoint. The officials said that five people were killed and 28 others were injured including women and children. Taliban has claimed responsibility for a large explosion in Afghanistan's capital, which has killed at least four people, the armed group has particularly targeted the convoy of the foreign forces. The blasts blew up windows and doors in an area close to foreign embassies and government buildings in Kabul. Taliban has claimed the responsibility for this attack and the killings of many foreign forces.The latest attack raises more questions about the Taliban's commitment and willingness to make peace after their announcement about the deal with United States earlier this week. Zalmai Khalilzad, the Afghan-American diplomat arrived in Kabul to discuss the draft agreement between Taliban and US officials. He has also consulted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani about the draft. There are a lot of concerns raised by the President, the local politicians, and the Afghan public. Zalmai Khalilzad is still in Kabul and has been affecting to work on these problems. Afghanistan finds itself in constant dilemma, the deliberation process between Zalmai and the President is contrasted with the overriding Taliban influence in the countryThe Afghan-American Diplomat arrived in Kabul to discuss the draft agreement between Taliban and US officials. He has also consulted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani about the draft. There are a lot of concerns raised by the President, the local politicians, and the Afghan public. Zalmai Khalilzad is still in Kabul and has been affecting to work on these problems. Afghanistan finds itself in constant dilemma, the deliberation process between Zalmai and the President is contrasted with the overriding Taliban influence in the country The Afghan-American Diplomat arrived in Kabul to discuss the draft agreement between Taliban and US officials. He has also consulted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani about the draft.There are a lot of concerns raised by the President, the local politicians, and the Afghan public. Zalmai Khalilzad is still in Kabul and has been affecting to work on these problems. Afghanistan finds itself in constant dilemma, the deliberation process between Zalmai and the President is contrasted with the overriding Taliban influence in the country Zalmai Khalilzad is still in Kabul and has been affecting to work on these problems. Afghanistan finds itself in constant dilemma, the deliberation process between Zalmai and the President is contrasted with the overriding Taliban influence in the country Zalmai Khalilzad is still in Kabul and has been affecting to work on these problems.Afghanistan finds itself in constant dilemma, the deliberation process between Zalmai and the President is contrasted with the overriding Taliban influence in the country .
Lungs' On Fire
Merin susan suresh
August has been the burning season for the Brazilian Amazon this year after a series of fires broke out in the region. The root of the problem lies in deforestation causing a global outcry as the world's largest rainforest suffers its worst the spate of fires.
According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Brazil's space agency, the fires jumped from 1,975 in 2018 to 5,442 in 2019. Deforestation has been detected to rise to 83% since last year according to INPE reports. While patches of land in the forest are cut down for agricultural purposes, fires are set to clear the land of any remains and the continuation of these fires could be one of the many causes. Brazil's Minister of the Environment Ricardo Salles blames it on the dry weather, heat, and winds.
Apart from the forest fires topping the G7 summit agenda, seven South American countries namely Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname have signed a pact agreeing to set up a disaster response network and satellite monitoring.
The Amazon being the world's largest source of carbon was on the main agenda at the G7 meeting held in Biarritz, France as promised by President Emmanuel Macron. G7 leaders announced a funding pledge of $ 22 million which would primarily pay for firefighting planes. Despite various verbal spats between the French and Brazilian leaders, Minister Ricardo announced that funds were welcome.
More than 75,000 fires have broken out in the Amazon rainforest this year putting the rest of the world in a state of complete worry. Rain might be able to bring relief to the western part of the Brazilian Amazon, although to the eastern part of the rainforest will remain extremely dry.
War crimes in yemen
Sooraj kashyap
On September 4 th , a UN Panel released a report on the ongoing war in Yemen. The report does not come as a surprise on the fact that the horrific war in Yemen is subject to several counts of war crimes. Those include rapes and torture on the population. Several international experts on the panel have said that this is a failure on the part of the international community.
The war between the Houthi rebels and the Mansur Hadi Government has resulted in more than fifty thousand deaths as per the UN data. Many liberals have been critical of Saudi involvement in the war. The Houthis have continuously attacked civilian settlements and the Saudi-led coalition has killed more than a hundred people in an airstrike last week.
The report has echoed the Western media's criticism of the complacent attitude of United States, Great Britain, France, and Canada, as Saudi to be their biggest weapons importer and these countries are supposedly the flag bearers of human rights. The report was heavily criticized Iran as well, due to their support to the Houthis and their inhumane actions.
The war in Yemen does not seem to have an end but there might be hope for the civilians after this report found. There are talks of a ceasefire in the region with the USA willing to lead the peace talks between the Houthis and the government. But the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has encouraged the Royal Saudi Airforce increases the frequency of airstrikes which will only worsen the situation.
Texas mass shooting
Pranali Deshmukh
On 31 st August, 7 people were killed and 22 injured as a gunman drove on the highways and streets opening fire on residents, motorists and shoppers in the West Texas city of Odessa. This attack comes less than a month after gunmen killed 31 people in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio that stunned the United States and has again put to the forefront the gun control debate in Washington. The chief of Odessa Police Department, Michael Gerke, said at a news conference that the attack had begun after a traffic stop. Gerke confirmed that the sniper had used an AR-15 style weapon. He fled the police, hijacked a postal truck and started firing at civilians as he made his way into Odessa.He was identified as Seth Ator, 36. It was confirmed by the authorities that he was shot and killed.
In the wake of these mass shootings, it has been divulged that US attorney general, William Barr, has been drafting legislation to speed up the process leading to the death penalty in federal cases for people who commit such mass murders. This proposal would be among the new gun legislation the Trump administration intends to pitch to the US Congress. There has been no strong legislation on the issue in recent times, Trump has a record of bringing up gun control measures but an inconsistency in implementing them. President Trump thanked the law enforcement in Texas and called the shooter 'another sick person' citing mental health issues for repeated mass shootings.