The South Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission is planning to investigate the cases of dozens of South Korean adoptees in Europe and the US who suspect their origins were falsified or obscured during a child export frenzy in the second half of the 20th century. The plan, announced yesterday, opens what could be South Korea’s most far-reaching inquiry into foreign adoptions yet, after frustration over broken family connections, and laundered child statuses and identities grew, demanding government attention. The adopted South Koreans are believed to be the world’s largest diaspora of adoptees. In the past six decades, about 200,000 South Koreans — mostly girls — were adopted overseas. Most were placed with white parents in the US and Europe during the 1970s and 1980s. After a meeting on Tuesday, the commission decided to probe the cases of 34 adoptees who were sent to Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the US before the early 1990s, it said. The adoptees say they were wrongfully removed from their families through falsified documents and corrupt practices. They were among the 51 adoptees who in August submitted their applications to the commission through the Danish Korean Rights Group, led by adoptee attorney Peter Moller. The applications filed by the group have since grown to more than 300, and dozens of adoptees from Sweden and Australia are also expected to file applications today, which is the commission’s deadline for investigation requests, Moller said. Any findings by the commission could be used by adoptees to sue the adoption agencies or the South Korean government for damages. The investigation will likely expand over the next few months as the commission reviews whether to accept the applications submitted after August. Cases that are seen as similar will likely be fused to speed up the investigations, commission official Park Young-il said. The commission said its
Malaysia’s anti-graft agency would summon former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and two former Cabinet ministers who served in his administration for the alleged misappropriation of 600 billion ringgit (US$136.3 billion) of public funds for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. The other two are former Malaysian minister of health Khairy Jamaluddin and former Malaysian minister of finance Zafrul Aziz, who now heads the Malayisan Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the New Straits Times reported, citing people it did not name. The funds for the pandemic included resources for vaccines, the newspaper added. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Azam Baki told the New Straits Times that the agency had opened an investigation. “There have been no calls from the MACC yet,” Zafrul told reporters at a separate event. “If contacted, I will cooperate fully. We have nothing to hide.” Aides to Muhyiddin and Khairy, as well as commission officials, did not immediately respond to requests for comments. News of the probe comes as Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is reviewing projects and plans approved by past administrations in a bid to burnish his credentials as a reformist and fulfill his alliance’s election manifesto promises to fight corruption. Anwar himself faces criticism for picking the head of the former ruling coalition who faces graft charges as one of his deputies. Anwar this week said that the Malaysian Ministry of Finance found there was a breach of procedure in the handling of 600 billion ringgit of public funds during Muhyiddin’s time as prime minister. He also ordered a review of a 5G mobile services contract awarded to Ericsson AB last year, citing concerns about cost and transparency. Muhyiddin was prime minister until August last year, and now leads the opposition. He and Anwar last month fought a tight election race that resulted in a hung parliament and set
Defense expo: The US wants to boost its military cooperation with Vietnam, mainly through ships and trainer aircraft, the US ambassador to Vietnam said
US and Russian defense firms yesterday displayed weapons and promoted models of aircraft at Vietnam’s first large-scale arms fair, as the two powers vie for influence and arms sales in the strategic Southeast Asian country that borders China. The event at an airbase in Hanoi attracted 174 exhibitors from 30 countries, including all large arms-making nations except China, as Vietnam signaled its interest in diversifying military procurement, and possibly starting exports of its own weapons. The arms fair “represents a new stage in Vietnam’s efforts to globalize, diversify and modernize, and the United States wants to be part of it,” US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper told reporters on the sidelines of the event. He said the US wanted to boost its military cooperation with Vietnam — limited mostly to coastguard ships and trainer aircraft — and was ready to discuss its defense needs, especially on maritime capabilities. Vietnam and China have been locked in a long-running territorial dispute over archipelagos and energy exploration in the South China Sea, with concerns it could lead to confrontation. China was invited to join the arms fair, but declined the offer. Vietnam has had the option to buy US weapons only in the past few years following Washington’s gradual removal from 2014 to 2016 of an arms embargo on Vietnam, which was one of the last vestiges of the Vietnam War. Hanoi aims to diversify arms sources “for the purpose of protecting the nation and the people amid rising conventional and unconventional challenges,” Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at the event’s opening. Diversification is widely seen as a byword for reducing dependence on Russia for weapons, although analysts underline that any possible shift would be gradual. Russia’s arms trade agency Rosoboronexport had a large booth at the fair displaying Russian drones, armored vehicles, helicopters, planes and small arms. The agency “is
‘Living in fear’: The new legislation, which would ban sex outside marriage, could put LGBTQ couples living together under the radar at risk of arrest or punishment
Indonesia’s legislation banning sex outside marriage represents a major new threat to the LGBTQ community’s rights in the conservative country, where same-sex unions are not recognized. “It’s another nail in the coffin at the moment. A big nail,” said Dede Oetomo, an LGBTQ activist at rights group GAYa NUSANTARA. Once enacted, the legislation approved on Tuesday in the Indonesian parliament would punish sex outside marriage with one year in prison, while unmarried people living together could face six months in jail. The reforms make it riskier for gay couples to openly live together in a country where they already face widespread discrimination and anti-LGBTQ regulations, activists said. “Before the new criminal code, it was already bad. People can be searched even in their private residences. Although it was not systematic, but it can happen,” Oetomo said. Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country, and its constitution recognizes six religions. Homosexuality is not illegal in the Southeast Asian nation — except in the police, military and in Islamic law-abiding Aceh Province — but rights groups said the legislative changes pose an inherent risk to LGBTQ people. “Many LGBTQ couples have been living together under the radar, as same-sex marriage isn’t allowed here,” said Robby Nasution, a 30-year-old freelancer who lives with his partner in Bali. “With the new law, this means that another right has been taken away from the community,” he added. Musician and activist Kai Mata said LGBTQ communities were “bracing ourselves for impact and backlash” from the legislation, which stood “against our rights to exist.” The amendments would need to be approved by Indonesian President Joko Widodo before coming into force. Albert Aries of the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights defended the amendments before the vote and said they would protect the country’s marriage institutions. Sex outside marriage could only be reported by a spouse, parents
NTPC Ltd, India’s top power producer, is planning to build a massive nuclear fleet that could aid the nation’s aim to shift away from coal and hit net zero carbon emissions by 2070. The state-run company aims to install 20 to 30 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2040, said a person familiar with the plans, who requested anonymity and said the target remains tentative. India has 22 operational reactors with about 6.8 gigawatts of capacity. New Delhi-based NTPC is considering deploying small-scale modular reactors (SMRs) as part of the strategy, multiple people with knowledge of the company’s plans said. The producer has an overall power fleet of 70 gigawatts, of which more than 80 percent is coal-fired. The company would also keep pursuing larger projects in a joint venture with state-run Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd — which currently operates all of India’s atomic generation capacity — the people said. NTPC has assembled a 15-member team in Mumbai to drive its nuclear ambitions, one person said. Nuclear power is undergoing a renaissance as Asian and European countries look to decarbonize, deal with a squeeze on natural gas and other fuels following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and aim to bolster their energy independence. China, Japan and South Korea are looking to build more reactors. NTPC is considering building SMRs of 100 megawatts to 300 megawatts, the people said. The state-run electricity generator favors the smaller reactors as they would be quicker to build and easier to adjust to the grid requirements, one of the people said. They can also be installed off-grid in remote areas that lack connectivity. However, SMRs are still very much in their infancy, with hardly any projects worldwide. There are two 35-megawatt reactors that are operational at a floating nuclear project in Russia, and others under construction or at the licensing stage
LABOR STRIKE: The back-to-work order is unconstitutional, critics said, and a UN agency has been asked to probe whether the demand contravenes international standards
South Korea expanded its back-to-work orders yesterday against thousands of cargo truck drivers who are staging a nationwide walkout over freight fare issues, saying a prolonged strike could inflict “deep scars” on the country’s economy. The “work start” orders on steel and fuel truckers were inevitable, given that the strike could begin to hurt major export industries like automobiles and shipbuilding if it extends further, South Korean Minister of Finance Choo Kyung-ho told a news conference. The strike’s effect has so far been mostly limited to domestic industries such as construction. The orders, which were initially issued Nov. 29 on about 2,500 cement truckers, were expanded to about 6,000 drivers transporting steel, and 4,500 transporting fuel and chemicals. Police are also clamping down on union members who threaten or disrupt colleagues who choose to work. The widening of the orders came as the strike’s effect was diminishing as it entered its third week, with container traffic at the country’s major ports recovering to pre-strike levels, and cement supplies resuming at construction sites. The conservative government of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has taken aggressive steps to ease delays in industrial shipments, such as mobilizing nearly 200 military vehicles, including containers and fuel trucks. Strikers represented by the Cargo Truckers Solidarity union walked out on Nov. 24, demanding that the government make permanent a minimum freight rate system that is set to expire at the end of this month, which they said is crucial for safety and financial stability in the face of rising fuel costs. While the minimum fares currently apply only to shipping containers and cement, the strikers are also calling for the benefits to be expanded to other cargo, including oil and chemical tankers, steel and automobile carriers, and package delivery trucks. Yoon’s government had offered to expand the current scheme for another three years,
A handful of centenarian survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor joined about 2,500 members of the public at the scene of the Japanese bombing on Wednesday to commemorate those who were killed 81 years ago. The audience sat quietly during a moment of silence at 7:55am, the same time the attack began on Dec. 7, 1941. Sailors aboard the USS Daniel Inouye stood along the rails of the guided missile destroyer while it passed by the grassy shoreline, where the ceremony was held, and the USS Arizona Memorial to honor the survivors and those killed in the attack. Ken Stevens, a 100-year-old survivor from the USS Whitney, returned the salute. “The ever-lasting legacy of Pearl Harbor will be shared at this site for all time, as we must never forget those who came before us so that we can chart a more just and peaceful path for those who follow,” Pearl Harbor National Memorial superintendent Tom Leatherman said. About 2,400 servicemen were killed in the bombing, which launched the US into World War II. The USS Arizona alone lost 1,177 sailors and marines, nearly half the death toll. Most of the Arizona’s fallen remained entombed in the ship, which sits on the harbor floor. Ira Schab, 102, was on the USS Dobbin as a tuba player in the ship’s band. He recalls seeing Japanese planes flying overhead and wondering what to do. “We had no place to go and hoped they’d miss us,” he said before the ceremony began. He fed ammunition to machine gunners on the vessel, which was not hit. He has now attended the remembrance ceremony four times. “I wouldn’t miss it because I got an awful lot of friends that are still here that are buried here. I come back out of respect for them,” he said. Schab stayed in the US Navy during the
BOLSTERING ALLIES: Saudi Arabia aims to give US$5 million to Turkey in efforts to end years of hostility, and invest US$10 billion in Egyptian healthcare and education
Saudi Arabia plans to provide Pakistan with financial support, Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed al-Jadaan said, as the kingdom looks to help shore up alliances with countries struggling with the effects of rising inflation. The Saudi Arabian government is to “continue to support Pakistan as much as we can,” al-Jadaan said at a news conference in Riyadh. The kingdom has taken several steps to provide financial support to countries in the region as it looks to bolster allies and cement new relationships. Earlier this month, it extended the term of a US$3 billion deposit to boost foreign currency reserves and help Pakistan overcome economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Saudi Arabia is also looking to make more investments in Egypt and is planning to initiate deals in Turkey, al-Jadaan said. “Our relationship with Turkey is improving greatly, and we hope to have investment opportunities,” he said. “We have started investing aggressively in Egypt and we will continue to look at investment opportunities and that is more important than deposits. Deposits can be pulled, but investments stay.” Saudi Arabia is in the final stages of agreeing to deposit US$5 billion at Turkey’s central bank, the finance ministry said last month, a major boost for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s bid to keep the country’s currency stable ahead of presidential elections next year. The agreement would crown a recent rapprochement that ended years of hostility between the Turkish and Saudi Arabian governments. It also extended the maturity of a US$5 billion deposit with Egypt’s central bank last month, and the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund is also looking into US$10 billion of potential investments in Egypt’s healthcare, education, agriculture and financial sectors, the Egyptian Cabinet said in a statement. The momentum of talks between the countries’ central banks comes after a joint effort by Saudia Arabia and Turkey to mend
REKINDLED SUFFERING: Air France and Airbus knew about an equipment defect and failed to train pilots to handle its failure, lawyers for the victims’ families said
French prosecutors said on Wednesday it is “impossible” to convict Air France and planemaker Airbus over the 2009 crash of a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, angering victims’ families after an eight-week trial. In an unusual conclusion to proceedings, prosecutors said they could not recommend a guilty verdict for the two companies that were charged with involuntary manslaughter over the air disaster. Their guilt “appears to us to be impossible to prove,” prosecutor Pierre Arnaudin told the court in Paris. “We know that this view will most likely be difficult to hear for the civil plaintiffs, but we are not in a position to demand the conviction of Air France and Airbus,” he said. The decision not to seek a conviction by prosecutors does not mean that the three-person team of judges overseeing the trial must follow their advice. The two France-based companies went on trial in October to determine their responsibility for the worst aviation disaster in Air France’s history, which left 228 dead on board flight AF447. Both denied the involuntary manslaughter charges that carry a maximum fine of 225,000 euros (US$236,435). Prosecutors initially dropped charges against the companies in 2019 in a decision that was also criticized by victims’ families. A Paris appeals court overturned that decision last year and ordered the trial to go ahead. “We have a prosecutor who is supposed to defend the people who in the end is defending the multinational Airbus,” Daniele Lamy, the head of the Entraide et Solidarite AF447 association, told reporters on Wednesday. She denounced a “trial skewed against the pilots.” “I’m ashamed to be French,” one furious civil plaintiff said upon leaving the court on Wednesday. “What’s the justice system for?” asked another. At the heart of hearings in Paris has been the role of defective so-called pitot tubes, which are used to measure the flight
Australia yesterday said it was seeking assurances from Indonesia that the man convicted of making the bombs used in the 2002 Bali terrorist attacks would continue to be monitored after his release from prison. Islamic militant Hisyam bin Alizein, also known as Umar Patek, was paroled on Wednesday after serving about half of his original 20-year sentence, despite strong objections from Australia. The attacks killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, as well as Taiwanese Eve Kuo (郭惠敏), 24, and four members of a Taipei-based rugby club — Australian James Hardman, 28; Englishman Daniel Braden, 28; and Godfrey Fitz, 39, and Craig Harty, 35, both of South Africa. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said it was a difficult day for those who lost loved ones in the bombings. He told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) that his government had advocated against Patek’s early release and would urge the Indonesian government to ensure he was under constant surveillance while on parole. Indonesian authorities said Patek, 55, was successfully reformed in prison and that he has agreed to help influence other militants away from terrorism. Australian Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil said it was a horrible day for the victims and their families. “This is a person who was in the Indonesian justice system. My personal view is his actions are inexcusable and completely abhorrent,” O’Neil said at the National Press Club in Canberra. ”We don’t control the Indonesian justice system, and that is the way of the world.” Bombing survivor Peter Hughes, who gave evidence at Patek’s trial, said he and other survivors were skeptical the bomber has changed his views. “There is a history of people like him, they won’t stop. For him to be let out is laughable,” Hughes told ABC television. Another survivor, Jan Laczynski, said he was shocked and appalled at Patek’s release. “I still can’t understand
POLITICAL CHAOS: Dina Boluarte, Peru’s first female president, called for a truce to form a unity government and valuable time to rescue the nation from corruption
Dina Boluarte on Wednesday became Peru’s first female president amid a political maelstrom when her predecessor and former boss, Pedro Castillo, was ousted in an impeachment trial and detained by police after he tried to illegally shut down the Peruvian Congress. Boluarte, 60, who started the day as vice president and next in line to replace Castillo, faces the unenviable challenge of healing a divided nation where the presidency has been locked in battle with Congress for more than a year. “I request a political truce to install a government of national unity,” she said in her first speech after being sworn in as the nation’s sixth president in just five years. She pledged to form a broad Cabinet of “all bloods.” “I ask for time, valuable time to rescue the country from corruption and misrule,” she said. A lawyer by training, Boluarte was relatively unknown to most Peruvians until recently. In 2018, she won less than 4 percent of the vote in a Lima district’s mayoral election and lost a bid for a parliamentary seat last year. However, she shot to prominence alongside Castillo as the vice president on his ticket when the pair pulled off a shock election victory last year for the far-left Peru Libre party. Born in Apurimac, one of the regions in Peru’s mountainous south where Castillo saw his strongest support, Boluarte spent years working at the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status, which records births, marriages and deaths. Once in office, Castillo tapped Boluarte as his development and social inclusion minister, a role she managed to keep until recently amid several Cabinet shakeups. “Although she is previously inexperienced in politics, I think that after a year and a half of being a minister — roles that tend to be short-lived — she has gained a lot of policy experience that will
Brittney Griner was freed from prison in Russia and on her way home Thursday, President Joe Biden said at the White House. The United States agreed to release imprisoned Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, Biden said, in a swap of prisoners that ends 10 months of detainment for Griner. "Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home," Biden said. "Held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along. This is a day we worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release. It took painstaking and intense negotiations." From Russia, Griner landed in the UAE, Biden said Thursday. "These past few months have been hell for Brittney and (wife) Cherelle," Biden said. "She's relieved to finally be heading home. The fact remains she's lost months of her love. She deserves space, privacy and time with her loved ones to recover and heal." A two-time Gold medalist and active WNBA player with the Phoenix Mercury, Griner was detained at a Moscow airport on February 10. She admitted in a courtroom to bringing marijuana vape cartridges in her luggage, which was prescribed by her doctor. "She wrote to me back in July, she didn't ask for special treatment," Biden said. "She requested a simple quote, 'Please don't forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home.' We've never forgotten about Brittney." Griner was convicted for criminal drug possession and sentenced to more than nine years in prison. Last month, Russian officials informed Griner's attorney she was relocated to a penal colony, where forced labor shifts for prisoners commonly last between 12 and 14 hours per day. The deal to free
In Kenya’s sweltering northern Samburu county, a destructive drought exacerbated by climate change is wreaking havoc on people and wildlife. After four consecutive years of failed rains causing some of the worst conditions in 40 years, wild animals have become commonplace in the county’s villages as they search for food. Many do not survive, providing herders an unfortunate lifeline as they cut chunks of meat from their carcasses. “I have suffered from hunger for a long time,” 37-year-old Samburu resident Frank Aule said. “If I run into such a carcass, I would not think twice about eating it as I have to eat to survive.” Kenyan authorities say that the drought has killed more than 200 elephants, nearly 400 common zebras and more than 500 wildebeests among several other species in the past nine months. Many of those that survive are starving, weak and frequently come into contact with people. How to better protect fragile ecosystems from a warming climate, including Kenya’s savannah grasslands, is part of discussions at this week’s UN biodiversity conference — known as COP15 — in Montreal. Governments are working to come up with a framework of how the world should protect nature and aim to set goals for the next decade. Conservation groups say current programs are not working. The Kenyan government has provided some relief supplies, such as water, forage, hay and salt licks, for wildlife in the region, but animals are still forced to travel further into residential areas in their search for food and water. “Elephants tend to be attracted to the trees that I planted in my homestead,” said David Lepeenoi, a 54-year-old resident of Samburu. “The trees and water points are the main source of conflict between elephants and the community.” Climate change and poor conservation practices have degraded protected rangelands, reserves and national parks in recent
In the east German countryside, close to Dresden, a former abattoir is now home to the biggest indoor cannabis farm in Europe. Behind the recently renovated concrete walls, German start-up Demecan has been growing marijuana in accordance with the law for the past year. The company is one of only a handful in Germany to have a license for the production of “green gold,” which has been legal in Germany for medicinal use since 2017. However, the budding industry is eyeing a bigger prize: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government plans to legalize the drug for recreational use as soon as 2024, which would leave it with one of the most liberal cannabis policies in Europe. Inside the building, the smell of the plants — lined up in their hundreds under yellow grow lamps — is overwhelming. “We will have the option to expand the facility to cultivate recreational cannabis,” Demecan managing director Philipp Goebel said. The government coalition, led by Scholz’s Social Democrats, has put forward a road map for the legalization of cannabis with a target date of 2024. Under the draft plans, adults would be allowed to hold a maximum of between “20 and 30 grams” of cannabis for private consumption via a network of licensed stores and pharmacies. Demecan’s massive complex, which covers about 120,000m2, produces 1 tonne of cannabis a year, but it has yet to reach capacity. The company could quickly increase production “10-fold” to meet growing demand, Goebel said. Harvests at the farm happen every two weeks, with workers plucking the flowers from the plant stems before they are dried. “I like this job a lot, it is not like any other,” said 34-year-old Sven Skoeries, who studies horticulture alongside his responsibilities at the farm. Demecan has no trouble recruiting for its growing business in a region otherwise marked by an aging population and lack of
Britain’s royal family yesterday braced for renewed criticism from Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, yesterday, when a Netflix documentary series about the couple was due to air. Trailers suggest the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who stepped down from royal duties and moved to California two years ago, will deliver more embarrassing barbs against Harry’s father, King Charles, and elder brother, Prince William. The first three of six episodes were released yesterday. In March last year, the couple’s interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, in which they made accusations of racism and ill-treatment in the royal household, plunged the monarchy into its biggest crisis for decades. “When the stakes are this high, doesn’t it make more sense to hear the story from us?” Meghan, 41, says in one clip released in advance by Netflix. “No one knows the full truth,” Harry, 38, says in a trailer. “We know the full truth.” In another clip he refers to people working for the royal household briefing journalists about family members, calling it “a dirty game.” Neither Buckingham Palace nor William’s office, Kensington Palace, were commenting before the release, which comes a week after a racism row involving William’s 83-year-old godmother which saw her step down from her honorary role as a royal aide. Speculation about the documentary has dominated British newspapers for a week, with the bulk of the coverage overwhelmingly negative about the couple, accusing them of making millions from their royal status while attacking their family. “The trailer is an act of war,” the Sun newspaper said in an editorial. “This pair aren’t only willing to bite the hand that fed them — they revel in it, seeking every opportunity to damage Harry’s once-beloved father, brother and sister-in-law,” it said. The Daily Mail was equally scathing. “The documentary is clearly going to be a grotesque parody. It
TERRORISM: The suspect was on police’s ‘red’ lists of militant convicts after being released from prison, as he had rejected the government’s deradicalization program
A Muslim militant and convicted bomb-maker who was released from prison last year yesterday blew himself up at a police station on Indonesia’s Java Island, killing an officer and wounding 11 people, officials said. The attacker entered the Astana Anyar police station with a motorcycle and detonated one of two bombs he was carrying as police were lining up for a morning assembly, Bandung City Police Chief Aswin Sipayung said. The other explosive was defused. A video that circulated on social media showed body parts near the damaged lobby of the police station, which was engulfed in white smoke as people ran out of the building. Food vendor Herdi Hardiansyah said he was preparing meals behind the station when a loud bang shocked him. He saw a police officer whom he recognized as one of his customers covered in blood, being carried on a motorcycle by two other officers to a hospital. He later learned the officer died. Ten others and a civilian were wounded. National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo told reporters when he visited the station that the attacker was believed to have been a member of the militant organization Jemaah Anshorut Daulah (JAD), which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and was responsible for other deadly suicide bombings in Indonesia. He said police identified the man as Agus Sujatno, also known by his alias Abu Muslim. He was released from the Nusakambangan prison island last year after completing a four-year sentence on charges of terrorist funding and making explosives that were used in a 2017 attack on a municipal building, also in Bandung, the capital of West Java province. JAD was designated a terrorist organization by the US in 2017. Sujatno was still on police’s “red” lists of militant convicts after being freed from prison, because of his rejection of the government’s
A legal battle over Hong Kong’s effort to prosecute media tycoon Jimmy Lai (黎智英) on national security charges has made the once-unthinkable an imminent threat: moving sensitive cases to mainland Chinese courts.? While Beijing has asserted the right to take over “complex” cases involving foreign nations since imposing a sweeping National Security Law on Hong Kong in 2020, it has so far not exercised the power. Instead, dozens of security cases are being prosecuted in local courts in the former British colony. However, Lai’s foreign collusion case is testing Beijing’s patience for Hong Kong’s legal traditions, including an emphasis on transparency, precedent, judicial independence and the rights of the accused. Those values were on display last week, when Hong Kong’s highest court ruled that the founder of the now defunct Apple Daily newspaper could hire a renowned UK-based lawyer to defend him. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (李家超), a Beijing appointee, responded by requesting China’s top legislative body to intervene and prevent lawyers based overseas from participating in such cases. Hong Kong’s sole representative on that body subsequently suggested that defendants who failed to find local lawyers could find their cases transferred to Chinese courts, where national security trials are speedier and more secretive. “If such difficulties really arise, they can be sent back to the mainland for trial,” Tam Yiu-chung (譚耀宗), a member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, told reporters on Sunday in Hong Kong. Although Tam said such action would only be necessary in a “special case,” the threat illustrates the growing pressure on the judicial independence often cited as a reason for Hong Kong’s success as a global financial center. Local courts risk being overruled by Beijing or losing control of cases altogether if they break with the government. The issue of transferring cases to mainland courts was at the center
A New Zealand court yesterday took temporary custody of a sick infant whose parents blocked life-saving heart surgery because potential blood donors might be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Auckland High Court ordered six-month-old “Baby W” to be placed under partial guardianship — allowing an urgent operation to correct a heart disorder known as pulmonary valve stenosis to go ahead. The baby’s parents had blocked the procedure on the grounds that any blood transfused could have come from a donor jabbed with an mRNA vaccine. “The overriding issue is whether the proposed treatment is in [the baby’s] best interests,” the court said in a statement. The child is now under the medical “guardianship of the Court” until “completion of his surgery” and recovery, by the end of next month at the latest. The parents will remain custodians “for all other purposes,” and will be “informed at all reasonable times of the nature and progress of Baby W’s condition and treatment,” the ruling stated. The case has gripped New Zealand and underscored the potency of vaccine misinformation. Health New Zealand spokesperson Mike Shepherd said it was “a difficult situation for all involved.” “The decision to make an application like this to the court is always made with the best interests of the child in mind,” he said. Health authorities had rejected the parents’ request for unvaccinated blood, saying it was impractical and unnecessary.
Ravers sporting face paint and flashing LED sunglasses jump in time to the thudding beats of Dish Dash, a DJ act whose rise mirrors that of the Saudi Arabian music scene. The confetti-strewn dance hall in Riyadh is packed with young men and women, most in streetwear hoodies and jeans, a few in traditional white robes and abayas. The setting bears scant resemblance to the venues where Dish Dash — the Jeddah-born brothers Abbas and Hassan Ghazzawi — began performing more than 15 years ago. Among their early gigs were gender-segregated weddings in which the duo would be walled off from female guests. “They used to lock us in the room. We would stay in this room for five hours and basically DJ for the wall,” Hassan Ghazzawi said, laughing. “The only way you could tell if people are enjoying it is if you hear people are screaming.” Like other facets of cultural life in conservative but fast-changing Saudi Arabia, the music scene is undergoing a revamp, emerging as a regular stop for top global pop stars from Justin Bieber to Usher and Mariah Carey. At this past weekend’s MDLBEAST Soundstorm festival, more than 600,000 people took in sets by the likes of Bruno Mars and DJ Khaled, organizers said. DJ Khaled dutifully documented his sampling of Saudi Arabian food and traditional sword dancing for his 31 million Instagram followers. Such events have helped advertise reforms championed by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who has overseen an easing of rules that once barred cinemas and gender-mixed concerts — albeit during a ramped-up repression of political dissent. Now, Saudi Arabian performers such as Dish Dash want to take advantage of the opening-up to foster a domestic music industry that can thrive even when the spotlight veers elsewhere. In between their sets at Soundstorm,
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