Myanmar and China have lowest internet freedom, says study

The report found that internet freedom fell for the 14th straight year globally, with more countries seeing declines than rises. 

PHOTO: PIXABAY

Oct 16, 2024


WASHINGTON - Myanmar and China have the world’s worst internet freedom, with declines reported in a number of other countries led by Kyrgyzstan, a study said on Oct 16.

The further deterioration in Myanmar, a Beijing ally where the military seized power in 2021, marks the first time in a decade that any country has matched China for the lowest score in the Freedom on the Net report.

The report by Freedom House, a pro-democracy research group funded by the US Congress but run independently, found that internet freedom fell for the 14th straight year globally, with more countries seeing declines than rises.


In Myanmar, the junta has harshly cracked down on dissent since ending a decade-long experiment in democracy, with systematic censorship and surveillance of online speech.

Freedom House pointed to new measures imposed by the junta in May to block access to virtual private networks, which residents use to bypass internet controls.

China has developed a sweeping “great firewall” meant to root out content that poses a threat to the ruling Communist Party.

Asked about the report on Oct 16, Beijing insisted its people “enjoy various rights and freedoms in accordance with the law”.

“As for the so-called report, I think it is entirely baseless and made with ulterior motives,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

The country that showed the biggest drop in the survey was Kyrgyzstan, where the authorities shuttered website Kloop, which is largely funded by US-based non-governmental organisations and had reported on allegations by an opposition leader of torture in custody.

Other countries downgraded included Azerbaijan – host of the COP29 climate summit in November – for detaining people over social media posts, and Iraq, where a prominent activist was slain after Facebook posts encouraging protests.

The biggest gains were seen in Zambia, with the report saying the country saw growing space for online activism.

Iceland was ranked the most free online, followed by Estonia and then Canada, Chile and Costa Rica.

The United States meanwhile held steady at 76 on a 100-point scale, with Freedom House renewing concern about the lack of safeguards against government surveillance.

It also pointed to actions by at least 19 US states against the misuse of artificial intelligence in election campaigns. 

AFP

Turkey lowest-scoring country in Europe in internet freedoms: Freedom House

ByTurkish Minute
October 16, 2024

Turkey, where authorities frequently censor online content and harass individuals for their social media posts, has been ranked the lowest-scoring country in Europe for online freedoms, according to a report from the Washington-based Freedom House released on Wednesday.

Freedom House released its “Freedom on the Net 2024” report with the subtitle, “The Struggle for Trust Online.” The report covers the period from June 2023 to May 2024.

The report covers 72 countries in six regions around the world, which were chosen to illustrate internet freedom improvements and declines in a variety of political systems.

Turkey has a score of 31 in a 100-point index, with scores based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free). The other two lowest-scoring countries in Europe are Hungary with a score of 69 and Serbia with 70

Iceland, Estonia and the Netherlands, on the other hand, are the highest scoring countries in Europe.

Ratings are determined through an examination of three broad categories: obstacles to access, limits on content and violation of user rights.

Turkey’s score in the 2024 index is slightly better than its score in the 2023 index, which was 30, however insufficient to save the country from the list of “not free” countries.

Gürkan Özturan, Freedom House’s Turkey rapporteur, associated the slight improvement in Turkey’s score with the absence of a natural disaster that devastated the country’s infrastructure, as in years before, while noting that internet freedom still remains under threat in Turkey.

Turkey was shaken by two powerful earthquakes in February 2023, which killed more than 53,000 people and caused massive devastation across more than a dozen provinces in the country’s south and southeast.

Turkish authorities restricted access to some social media platforms following the disaster under the pretext of preventing the spread of disinformation.

Özturan told the Balkan Insight news website that many online rights violations took place during the process leading up to the presidential and parliamentary elections in May 2023 and afterwards, including the blocking of access to news websites, digital platforms and other online content.

One day before the May 14 elections, X announced that it was restricting access in Turkey to certain account holders to ensure the platform “remains available to the people of Turkey,” a move seen by critics as giving in to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was seeking re-election.

X’s owner, Elon Musk, said Turkey had threatened to block the entire site.

The accounts that were restricted by X included those of Kurdish businessman Muhammed Yakut and investigative journalist Cevheri Güven. The timing of these restrictions, coming only a day before a critical election, raised concerns that the move was politically motivated, potentially stifling voices of dissent and impacting the election’s outcome.

Özturan said Turkey “set a bad example for the rest of the world” by standing out with negative examples in all five categories of arbitrary access blocking, blocking of social media and communication, blocking of access to news and arrests and physical attacks on users.

Turkish authorities have temporarily blocked access to social media sites, including Facebook, X, Wikipedia and most recently Instagram, which remained blocked for nine days in August and drew international condemnation.

President Erdoğan’s government is regularly accused of muzzling freedom of expression and cracking down on people who express criticism of his government on social media.

Thousands of people face investigation, prosecuted and given prison sentences in Turkey for expressing their views, disliked by the government, on social media platforms.

Meanwhile, a media law, known as the “disinformation law,” passed by the Turkish parliament in October 2022 is also seen as contributing to the declining internet freedoms in the country as reporters and social media users could be jailed for up to three years for spreading “fake news.”

Research by Freedom House also revealed that global internet freedom has declined for a 14th year and that 41 governments blocked content online, 56 governments arrested users for online expression and users faced retaliatory violence in a record high of 43 countries.

 5 FRONT WAR

Israel plans to create buffer zone in Syria : Reports

TEHRAN, Oct. 16 (MNA) – Israel plans to create a buffer zone in Lebanon and Syria, a Turkish newspaper Hürriyet wrote on Wednesday, citing sources.

"Israel is doing everything to shift the fire from Lebanon to Syria. It is attacking Tartus, Hama, Homs, Aleppo, Dara and even the capital Damascus. It has moved its tanks into Syrian territory. Israel will not be satisfied with this," the newspaper said, Sputnik reports.

Israel wants to take control of the territory up to the Litani River and create a buffer zone both in Lebanon and inside Syria, as per the outlet.

More than 20 attacks have been carried out on health facilities in Lebanon since September 17, killing 72 people and injuring 43 others, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

"Since the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon on 17 September 2024, WHO has verified 23 attacks on health care in Lebanon that have led to 72 deaths and 43 injuries among health workers and patients," the WHO said in a statement.

The statement added that 100 of the 207 primary health care centers and dispensaries in conflict-affected areas are currently closed. Supplies in Lebanese health facilities have depleted and health workers are exhausted, the organization noted.

MNA/

Spiraling Sudan bloodshed sparks refugee surge into Chad

October 16, 2024 
By Agence France-Presse

Sudanese refugees gather outside a field hospital in Acre, Chad, Aug. 15, 2023.

GENEVA —

Nearly three million people have fled Sudan after 18 months of war in a still-growing exodus, the U.N. warned, with 25,000 fleeing to neighboring Chad in the first week of October alone.

Mamadou Dian Balde, the U.N.'s Sudan regional refugee coordinator, told AFP that the three-million mark will likely be crossed in the next two to three weeks.

That the figure is approaching three million is a "disaster" directly linked to the increasing brutality of the conflict, he said in an interview on Tuesday during a visit to Geneva.

War has raged since April 2023 between the Sudanese army under the country's de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians and blocking humanitarian aid.

The conflict has left tens of thousands dead and some 26 million people facing severe food insecurity, with famine declared in the Zamzam displacement camp in Sudan's western Darfur region.

Some 11.3 million people have been forced to flee, including nearly 2.95 million who have fled across the country's borders, according to the latest figures from UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.

Strain on Chad

In a sign of the worsening conflict in Darfur, some 25,000 people — 80% of whom were women and children — crossed into eastern Chad in the first week of October, a record number for a single week in 2024.

And more than 20,270 crossed into Chad in the whole of September.

Chad is host to 681,944 Sudanese refugees — more than any other country.

However, it is also one of the poorest countries in the world and is lacking the basic services to accommodate such numbers, said Balde, while highlighting the generosity shown by Chadians towards their fleeing neighbors.

"When we see 25,000 arriving, it's enormous," he said.

He called for greater support from international donors.

A UN appeal for $1.51 billion to support Sudanese refugees and their hosts in the region through the end of the year remains just 27% funded.

"It's not enough, because the number of refugees continues to grow," said Balde, who also serves as the UNHCR's East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes regional director.

Balde said he expected "very unfortunately, in the coming weeks, to have many more refugees in Chad," due to both the conflict intensifying in Darfur and the drop in water levels as the rainy season ends.

Aid still limited

With the drier conditions, the UN hopes to be able to deliver more aid to Sudan — if the parties to the conflict allow it.

Several rounds of negotiation efforts have so far failed to end the fighting.

In late August, following talks outside Geneva convened by the United States, the two factions committed to ensuring safe and unhindered access for humanitarians along two key corridors.

"This has helped us save lives," but "not all the commitments made, have been respected" — and the flow of aid remains "limited," said Balde, deploring the persistent "barriers at the administrative level."

In Geneva this week for the UNHCR's annual executive committee meeting, he chaired a discussion on Sudan, during which he asked for support to help Sudanese refugees get into the jobs market and thereby reducing their reliance on humanitarian assistance.

"We are asking development actors to mobilize to complement" such aid, he explained, while stressing the need for peace in Sudan.

Balde warned it would be "a big mistake" to think the flow of displaced people will be limited to Sudan and the wider region.

"There are more and more who are coming towards Italy, Europe and southern Africa," and "there are some who will go towards the Gulf countries too," he said.

Essay

How the Shared Heritage of Harris, Haley, and Khanna Shapes Their Politics

These Indian American Leaders Live the Legacy of a Historic Struggle for Independence

Zócalo executive director Moira Shourie recalls her father’s story of flying a kite to celebrate India’s independence. It’s a legacy that Indian American politicians like Kamala Harris, Nikki Haley, and Ro Khanna share, she writes. 

Courtesy of Peter Davis (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

By Moira Shourie | October 16, 2024

On August 15, 1947, my father George Mayer celebrated India’s freedom from 300 years of British colonial rule by flying kites with his friends off Howrah Bridge, over the Hooghly River in Kolkata.

Kites in India are made by delicately attaching colorful tissue paper to dry reeds using lehi, a glue made from boiled white flour. Thin kite strings are made with strong cotton fiber called manja, wrapped tightly around a decorated spindle reel or laddi. As kids taking part in a neighborhood kite fight, we would coat the first few yards of manja with powdered glass, making it easier to “cut” an enemy kite by slicing through their line. We’d send the vanquished kite floating across rooftops, chased by throngs of children.

Once a kite is airborne, flying it requires farsightedness and a complete disregard for the skin on your hands. I learned the art of kite flying alongside my sisters at the hands of our Chowrungee-born father. The skill lies in maintaining a delicate balance between tension and slack. When an enemy kite approaches, go taut to signal engagement and draw it in. Once your foe is in striking range, slack off to force an attack. Then pounce! Reel in the encrusted manja to slice the enemy’s string—a clean cut across its jugular.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, former South Carolina governor and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna are Indian Americans at the top of American politics today. They fly different political kites—a mix of colorful stances cutting across the political aisle, engaged in different parts of our government. But they all are the children and grandchildren of people born under British colonial rule who fought for India’s freedom.

Their not-so-distant ancestors in all probability joined my father in flying kites on that August day in 1947. I would guess that they also joined him in passing along treasured lessons about maneuvering kites, steadfastness and drive, democracy and progressivism. This shared political heritage, imbibed from freedom fighter grandparents, inarguably shapes these Indian American political superstars’ visions for America today, even as they vary.

Kamala Harris has spoken of long morning walks on the beach in Chennai with her maternal grandfather, Painganadu Venkataraman “P. V.” Gopalan, “where he would discuss the importance of fighting for equality and fighting corruption.” They talked about principles of democracy, freedom, and equality. Those walks “really planted something in my mind and created a commitment in me,” she recalled in a recent post online. It “led me where I am today.”

Gopalan’s overt support shaped more than Harris’ politics. In the late 1950s, it would have been unheard of for a young Tamil woman to make her own way in the West, as Harris’ mother did when she emigrated to the United States to study medicine. Shyamala Gopalan Harris lived other taboos, too: marrying outside her caste, raising her daughters as a divorced mother. In that era, a father’s acceptance made all the difference—none of this would have been possible without it.
Freedom and democracy are not distant concepts to this generation of Indian American politicians, but a living legacy passed down by loved ones who sowed the seeds with their own hands.

Gopalan was about 15 years older than my father. Both men would have been in the prime of their lives during the final throes of the British Empire. Gopalan was from Thulasendrapuram, a tiny village in the southern Indian rice-growing region of Thanjavur, a place that has witnessed political upheaval for millennia. Some of India’s most beautifully preserved ancient and medieval temples stand in this deeply spiritual place; many remain active sites of worship.

Most people in Thanjavur are Hindu Tamils, but they exist in relative harmony with neighbors sharing many religious traditions. The Church of Our Lady of Vailankanni, a Christian pilgrimage site renowned for miraculous feats of healing spanning hundreds of years, lies just 40 miles east of Gopalan’s village, toward the Bay of Bengal. The ancient Brihadeeshwara Temple also contains ancient Buddhist relics. When I listen to Kamala Harris speak of her mother, “a brown woman with an accent,” I think about how Shyamala embarked on her “unlikely journey” from this place steeped in respect for different belief systems.

Nikki Haley’s life story is similarly familiar. Haley’s paternal grandfather served in the British colonial army, she writes in her autobiography, and her mother, Raj Randhawa, “lived in a large six-story house in the shadow of the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion,” in Amritsar, Punjab. Nearby was Jallianwala Bagh, a garden and popular gathering place with a deep, open well that quenched the thirst of locals, travelers, and pilgrims.

The garden is surrounded by high walls and densely packed housing tenements, with only one narrow passage for access. It was also the site of a notorious massacre on April 13, 1919. On that day, a crowd of around 10,000 gathered, some to protest a draconian British law criminalizing anti-government sentiment, many for the start of the spring festival of baisakhi. An overzealous British officer, nervous about the gathering, commanded his troops to seal the gate and open fire on the unarmed crowd. Hundreds were shot dead. Others perished when they jumped into the well to avoid the hail of bullets.


Gunshot marks on the walls of Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, India from the massacre on April 13, 1919. Photo by Moira Shourie.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was a grotesque event that marked a turning point in India’s struggle against the British. Laying bare the empire’s barbaric means of subjugation, it galvanized the freedom movement and inspired Mahatma Gandhi to launch the Non-Cooperation Movement that exhorted Indians to lay down their tools and not contribute to the economy in a universal labor strike.

I have stood in that garden and pushed my way through its narrow gate—as has Haley, who visited the grounds in 2014 to honor those who died. Despite pressures from hardline populists, Haley has been steadfast in removing symbols of Confederate power, perhaps because they echo the violence that plagued her own mother’s life in Amritsar. I wonder how else this ghastly episode of colonial violence might have shaped Haley’s views on democracy and how people rise up to fight for it.

India’s struggle for independence also molded Ro Khanna’s grandfather Amarnath Vidyalankar. Active in Gandhi’s Quit India Movement, which accelerated Britain’s formal retreat from India, Vidyalankar endured two stints in jail for his actions. He sought to uplift Harijans or untouchables—people at the bottom of the caste system—and founded schools in rural regions for farmers and their families.

He also went on to serve as personal secretary to Lala Lajpat Rai, a key architect of India’s independence who traveled to the U.S. to meet civil rights leaders in 1916. I grew up next door to Lajpat Bhawan, the headquarters of Rai’s Servants of the People Society, formed to instill a sense of public service through wellness and employment programs. My sisters and I went there to buy freshly ground spices, enjoy the street food stalls in the fairs or melas they hosted, and to watch daily outdoor yoga classes where retirees practiced laughter therapy.

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Working in such close proximity to Lala Lajpat Rai, I can’t help but believe Khanna’s grandfather imbibed the notion that extreme wealth should benefit the larger community. Today, Khanna represents one of the nation’s wealthiest congressional districts—Silicon Valley, home to tech companies that have a combined market capitalization of over $14 trillion—but he also champions progressive causes like affordable childcare and free public college. Khanna’s politics are likely influenced by his grandfather’s ideals.

Freedom and democracy are not distant concepts to this generation of Indian American politicians, but a living legacy passed down by loved ones who sowed the seeds with their own hands. Harris, Haley, and Khanna understand that a striking kite stands out in a crowded sky. They also understand that a good kite flier must be sharp and ready to cut their losses, must be resilient and able to try and try again, must be able to maneuver around other kites, and must adapt to changing conditions. Much like a good politician.

Harris, Haley, and Khanna are an inter-generational string—manja—giving flight to their versions of these principles of democracy. They should fly their kite not only in celebration but as a banner of freedom, soaring through unknowable skies.


Moira Shouriewas born in Lajpat Nagar and attended St. Stephen’s College in Delhi. She is executive director of Zócalo Public Square.

FIRST MASS GENOCIDE OF THE XX CENTURY

Turkey shuts down radio station over ‘Armenian genocide’ reference

ByTurkish Minute
October 16, 2024

But it has vowed to fight on and find a way to keep working.

Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), had already suspended Açık Radyo from broadcasting for five days in May for the program in question, which it said incited hatred.

The media regulator withdrew the station’s license in July but the radio had been broadcasting until now.

“Açık Radyo’s terrestrial broadcast will be cut off today at 1300 local time (1000 GMT). Stay tuned for developments,” the station said on X.


The sanctions came after a guest on a show in April called the 1915 killings of Armenians in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire “genocide.” It is a term many historians agree on but which Turkey fiercely disputes.

Açık Radyo urged its listeners to raise “an even clearer and louder voice” against the shutdown.

“Our radio has become an amplifier for civilian voices in many fields from the struggle for climate and the environment to public health, and from gender equality to multiculturalism,” the station said Friday.

“Açık Radyo has not restricted itself to radio frequencies, and there can be no doubt that it will continue its duty as an independent medium,” it added.

“Our radio cannot and will not be silenced.”

Açık Radyo said it would pursue legal means against the measure.

The station, which has been broadcasting for three decades, describes itself as a station “open to all sounds, colors and vibrations of the universe.”

Turkey is ranked in 158th place out of 180 countries in its index of press freedom this year.

Armenia says Ottoman forces massacred and deported more than 1.5 million Armenians during World War I between 1915 and 1917.

Around 30 countries have recognized the killings as genocide, a charge vehemently rejected by Turkey.

Ankara admits nonetheless that up to 500,000 Armenians were killed in fighting, massacres or by starvation during mass deportations from eastern Anatolia.

Tribute to Daphne Caruana Galizia and all courageous journalists threatened for their work


16 October 2024

On 16 October at 12 pm in front of the Residence Palais, seven years after the tragic death of the Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Media Freedom Rapid Response, journalists and representatives of media freedom community will come together to commemorate her brilliant work and dedication


Brussels, 16 October 2024

Daphne Caruana Galizia has become the symbol of investigative journalists who are threatened and assaulted as a result of their work. We owe it to her, her family and the entire journalists' community in Europe that such a heinous crime should not happen again.

We urge national authorities and the EU to do more to protect journalists and combat impunity of crimes committed against them.

We would like to express our solidarity with the activities of the Caruana Galizia Foundation and the work done by her family.

We hope that the on-going trial in Malta will help to resolve all outstanding questions in the case and bring a much needed conclusion to the case.

Daphne Caruana Galizia died on 16 October 2017 when a bomb detonated in her car was near her home in Bidnija, Malta.

Malta: Seven years on, the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia highlights continued need for reform

RSF's headquarters in Paris

On the seventh anniversary of the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, representatives of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) gathered in nine cities around the world in memory and solidarity. With criminal proceedings continuing against three suspects, and reform still needed to implement the recommendations of the landmark public inquiry, sustained international attention remains vital.

Across nine capital cities - Berlin, Brasilia, Brussels, London, Paris, Stockholm, Taipei, Washington DC, and Zurich - representatives of RSF gathered on 16 October in memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and to express solidarity with her family and Maltese journalists and civil society. In London, RSF was joined by representatives of Article 19, English PEN, Index on Censorship, and the Maltese community, among other supporters. In Brussels, RSF’s representative gathered with members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response network.

“Seven years have passed since her assassination, but Daphne Caruana Galizia remains a highly emblematic figure, representing the courage of investigative journalists and the risks they take in doing their jobs in the public interest. Her murder marked a bleak moment for press freedom and the safety of journalists, and cast a shadow throughout Europe and beyond. As we have been since the very beginning, we’re still here, still closely following the criminal proceedings, and still campaigning for much-needed reform in Malta.
Rebecca Vincent
RSF’s Director of Campaigns

RSF also joined 10 other international NGOs in a joint letter to Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela, urging him to recommit to creating an enabling environment for Maltese journalists by fully implementing the recommendations of the public inquiry into Caruana Galizia’s assassination that concluded in July 2021.

An investigative journalist who reported on corruption and organised crime, Caruana Galizia was murdered on 16 October 2017. To date, seven people have admitted to or were sentenced for complicity in the murder, and criminal proceedings continue against three suspects, including the alleged mastermind and alleged bomb suppliers. On 30 September 2024, a Maltese court imposed a ban on all comments and publications outside court hearings related to the ongoing proceedings.

Malta is ranked 73rd out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index.

Yemen risks being dragged into ‘out of control’ Middle East conflict – UN

Houthi rebel fighters march during a rally of support for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and against the US strikes on Yemen outside Sanaa (AP)

Wed, 16 Oct, 2024 
Edith M Lederer,

 Associated Press


Yemen risks being dragged further into the military escalation in the Middle East that keeps intensifying and could spiral out of control, the UN special envoy for the Arab world’s poorest nation said Tuesday.

Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council that regrettably Yemen is part of the escalation — and he warned that repeated attacks on international shipping by its Houthi rebels “have significantly increased the risk of an environment disaster” in the Red Sea.


Both Mr Grundberg and the UN’s acting humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya urged the Iranian-backed Houthis to halt their attacks on international shipping, which the rebel group began to support fellow Iranian-backed militant group Hamas after its October 7 attack in Israel that sparked Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.Now, like many in the Middle East, (Yemen's) hopes for a brighter future are falling under the shadow of potentially catastrophic regional conflagration

The UN officials also demanded the release of dozens of UN personnel, staff of non-governmental organisations and diplomatic missions, and members of civil society, most detained since June.

The Houthis have been engaged in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, since 2014, when they took control of the capital Sanaa and most of the north.

Hopes for peace talks vanished after the October 7 attack, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel, mainly civilians, and saw about 250 taken hostage, with about 100 still being held.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not say how many were fighters but say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities.

Mr Grundberg told council members “Yemenis continue to yearn and work for peace”, but he said hopes for progress to end the escalating violence in the Middle East “seem distant”.

“Now, like many in the Middle East, their hopes for a brighter future are falling under the shadow of potentially catastrophic regional conflagration,” he said.

The Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started a year ago.

They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors, and have seriously disrupted traffic in the Red Sea which once saw one trillion dollars in goods move through it in a year.

Mr Grundberg said the Houthi attack on the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion in August narrowly avoided an environmental disaster and warned that repeated attacks increase the risk of an environmental catastrophe.

In response to the Houthi attacks, a US-led coalition has carried out airstrikes in Yemen, and the Israelis have attacked the port of Hodeida, a key location for delivery of aid and commercial goods which are critical as the country is reliant on imports.

The number of Yemenis without enough to eat “soared to unprecedented levels” in August, and in Houthi-controlled areas severe levels of food deprivation have doubled since last year, Ms Msuya said.

She added that the the UN appeal for 2.7 billion dollars for Yemen this year to help 11.2 million people is 41% funded.

She said 870 million dollars is needed urgently, and warned that without the additional funds nine million Yemenis across the country will not get emergency food aid in the last quarter of this year.

Dialogue, consultation only correct choice to resolve Yemen issue: Chinese envoy

(Xinhua) 16:06, October 16, 2024

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said on Tuesday that dialogue and consultation are the only correct choice to resolve the Yemen issue, and called on all parties concerned to jointly promote a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned comprehensive political process.

In remarks at the United Nations (UN) Security Council briefing on Yemen, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said China is deeply worried about the current situation in the Middle East and its future trajectory.

"We believe that the top priority is to push for the deescalation of the situation and to prevent the expansion of the conflict," Geng said, calling on all parties concerned to keep calm, remain restrained, and refrain from any action that will further escalate tensions.

Stressing that dialogue and consultation are the only correct choice to resolve the Yemen issue, the ambassador called on all parties concerned to stay committed to the general direction of political settlement, resolve differences through dialogue and consultation, and jointly promote a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned comprehensive political process.

"All parties should act in good faith, jointly advance the implementation of the agreements on banking and aviation issues, and gradually accumulate mutual trust," he said, calling on all parties to support the work of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg in order to make tangible progress in the political settlement of the Yemeni issue as soon as possible.

Noting that the continuing tension in the Red Sea does not serve the common interests of the international community, he urged the Houthis to respect the right of navigation of commercial ships of all countries in the Red Sea in accordance with international law and to cease their attacks and harassment in order to keep waterways in the Red Sea safe.

Geng also called on the international community to increase humanitarian and development input in Yemen, and encouraged all parties to strengthen communication to facilitate the unconditional release of all UN personnel as soon as possible.

"The situation in Yemen is closely linked to the situation in the Middle East," the envoy said, warning that the Gaza conflict has already caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and is increasingly dragging the entire region into the quagmire of war and conflict.

"At this critical moment, the situation must not be allowed to deteriorate further and go down a road of no return," he said, adding that the Security Council must remain united and take measures to stop reckless military adventurism, which in disregard of consequences may expand the conflict.

"We should push for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and the deescalation of the tension between Lebanon and Israel to avoid a bigger catastrophe in the Middle East," he said.
(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)

Fire at Iranian Refinery Kills One, Injures Six

October 16, 2024

The blaze, which engulfed multiple petrol storage tanks, was reported in the early morning hours


A fire erupted at the Petro refinery in Iran's Khuzestan province on Wednesday, resulting in one death and six injuries.

The blaze, which engulfed multiple petrol storage tanks, was reported in the early morning hours.

According to Mohsen Mousavi, head of the Ahvaz Fire Department, firefighters from Ahvaz were dispatched to the refinery located in Shushtar's Industrial Park No. 1 after receiving the initial report.

Preliminary investigations suggest the fire originated from a tanker colliding with one of the refinery's storage tanks, ISNA news agency reported, citing Mousavi.

Mehdi Ab Ab, head of Shushtar Municipality's Fire and Safety Services, reported that nine tanks caught fire during the incident, five of which were successfully extinguished.

The Shushtar Medical Sciences University confirmed the presence of emergency responders assisting at the scene.

Ali Abdollahi, director of the Khuzestan Provincial Crisis Management Department, initially suspected that the fire was caused by a failure to observe safety procedures during refueling. However, a thorough investigation is still pending.

Shushtar's governor later announced that the fire had been contained and safety and cleanup procedures were underway. He confirmed the injury toll, stating, "Two to three of the injured are currently under hospital care, while the others received outpatient treatment."

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Nazi-looted rare 16th-century Jewish text returned to Hungary after nearly 80 years

Rare Humash, looted during Holocaust and believed lost for decades, returned to Rabbinical Seminary in Budapest; known as Text di Gara, it was found with a New York book dealer, who claimed he was unaware it had been stolen

Daniel Edelson, New York|

ynetnews

A rare Jewish text, printed in Venice in 1588 and considered lost for nearly 80 years, has been returned to Hungary after being looted by the Nazis during World War II. 
The book, which contains the Five Books of Moses and the Haftarot, had been preserved at the Rabbinical Seminary of Budapest for generations before it was confiscated when the Nazis invaded Hungary.

 
The 16th-century Text di Gara
(Photo: U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York)

Known as the Text di Gara, after its Jewish-Venetian printer Giovanni di Gara, the book holds significant historical and religious value. After its printing, it became part of the collection of 19th-century Italian scholar Rabbi Lelio Della Torre, before being sold to the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary following his death in 1871. Although the Humash was stolen during the Holocaust in 1944, the seminary never removed it from its official records.

In 2023, the book unexpectedly resurfaced on the rare book website AbeBooks, listed for sale at $19,000. Photos of the book, along with the seal of Rabbi Della Torre, matched the missing Text di Gara.
Hungarian authorities contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which launched an investigation. Agents in Manhattan found that a New York book dealer, referred to as "Vendor-1," had unknowingly possessed the stolen book since the 1980s. After a legal seizure order was issued, the dealer agreed to return the text voluntarily.



The seal of Rabbi Della Torre
(Photo: U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York)
Judge Analisa Torres of the Southern District of New York approved the book’s return, and U.S. Attorney Damian Williams announced its official restitution to the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary in a ceremonial event.
"With this forfeiture, a small but meaningful piece of Jewish history will be returned to its rightful owner," Williams said, underscoring the book's cultural and historical significance. While it remains unclear how the book ended up in New York, Williams reiterated his office's commitment to recovering stolen cultural treasures.
The so-called "miniature Humash" for its compact size, contains 162 pages of the Torah and 60 pages of Haftarot. Scholars consider it one of the earliest Jewish texts printed in Venice, with immense historical value not only due to its renowned printer but also for its remarkable journey—from Venice to a prominent Italian rabbi, its survival of the Holocaust, and its return to Hungary.


Claude Monet's Bord de Mer, 1865
(Photo: FBI)
In a related announcement, the FBI revealed the recovery of a Nazi-looted painting: Bord de Mer, a pastel by Claude Monet. The painting, stolen from Adalbert "Bela" and Hilda Parlagi in 1940 after the family fled Nazi-occupied Vienna, had resurfaced in the U.S. at a gallery in Houston. The FBI facilitated the painting’s return to the family, with heirs Helen Lowe and Francoise Parlagi receiving it during an emotional ceremony.
"While this Monet is undoubtedly valuable, its true worth lies in what it represents to the Parlagi family," said James Dennehy, the FBI’s assistant director in New York. According to the FBI, the current owners of the painting were unaware of its Nazi-era provenance and voluntarily returned it.

Opinions

Korean Iron Wave: Seoul as a Leader in the Global Arms Market

16.10.2024
Andrey Gubin
© Reuters

In early October 2024, KADEX-2024, the international exhibition of the military industry of the Republic of Korea was held on the territory of the military facility in Gyeryongdae, 160 km from Seoul. About 500 companies took part in the event, and the total number of visitors from more than 50 countries exceeded 70,000. In addition to the new products of the South Korean military-industrial complex which were prepared for the national armed forces, many weapon systems were offered for export; a number of joint projects were demonstrated as well. This time, there was particular interest in unmanned systems for various purposes and environments, as well as anti-drone defence systems based on kinetic, electromagnetic and laser principles.

KADEX-2024 became a clear confirmation of Seoul's aim to conquer new frontiers in the global arms and military equipment market (W&ME). In particular, the country's Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun expressed confidence in the exports significantly exceeding $15 billion by the end of the year, thanks to new global export deliveries, as well as the transfer of military technologies and the opening of training and retraining programmes for specialists.

Earnings on the brink of danger

According to the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Korea, at the end of 2023 the volume of export deliveries of military products and services amounted to $14 billion, which put the country in 9th place among the world’s leading arms exporters. In 2022, when Seoul first entered the Top 10, this figure reached a record $17.3 billion, and there were plans to reach the $20 billion leel this year. However, some contracts are most likely to be postponed due to the financial difficulties of partners and a pause in negotiations in a number of areas. It is noteworthy that in 2000 the Republic of Korea only ranked 31st in the world among manufacturers and suppliers of weapons and military equipment.

A developed production base and access to advanced technologies contribute to the national military-industrial complex’s high level of achievement in meeting domestic demand and fulfilling export orders. The recognition of Korean manufacturers and the reputation of products from the “Land of Morning Freshness” have also contributed to the success of the defence industry. At the same time, companies actively use their own technological developments, which they transfer to subsidiaries and contractors, which also reduces the net cost (but not necessarily the price!) Large South Korean financial and industrial groups, the so-called chaebol, have ample opportunities for political lobbying, which often determines the direction Seoul's diplomacy takes. In particular, the largest military concern of the Republic of Korea - Hanwha Group works simultaneously in the production of sea, land and air weapons, as well as space technology, electronics, ammunition, power plants and drones, and is gradually approaching the scale of production and budget of the American company Lockheed Martin.

According to SIPRI , as of the beginning of 2024 the Republic of Korea ranked third in the world in terms of military aircraft exports and first in foreign deliveries of tanks and self-propelled artillery, based on concluded contracts.

The administration of Yoon Suk Yeol has set the task of reaching 4th place in terms of global weapons deliveries by 2027 and take at least 5% of global orders. At the same time, a unique situation has developed following the 2022 Madrid NATO summit, when, in fact, under the personal patronage of the current South Korean president, it was possible to establish stable ties with European states.

The popularity of Korean weapons is facilitated by the growth of threats, or at least the feeling of danger from "aggressive and revisionist states", which Seoul is not inclined to dispel, but rather, on the contrary, expresses its readiness to increase the defence capability of its clients.

One of the reasons for the popularity of Korean weapons is the conflict in Ukraine. NATO countries indirectly involved in the hostilities have begun to feel the need for large amounts of relatively inexpensive equipment for various purposes, as close as possible to the standards of the alliance. The demand is due to both the depletion of their own reserves due to supplies to Kiev, and the diligently whipped up anti-Russian hysteria. Some countries in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, which are not even directly involved in European security problems or the US-China confrontation, nevertheless aim to strengthen their own defence capability and choose the Republic of Korea as a formally independent partner. In addition, the Koreans have begun to actively use an offensive marketing strategy through participation in international exhibitions and offering military products, even at non-military events, in the field of modern technology. The author has encountered obvious advertising of Seoul's "wunderwaffe" at rather innocent academic seminars.

"Panthers" at the border again

The official state visit to Poland by the President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol in July 2023 resulted in, among other things, the largest contract in Korean history for arms exports. In total, agreements have been reached with Warsaw on the production and supply of about 1,000 K2 Black Panther tanks, 672 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, 48 ​​FA-50 Golden Eagle light attack aircraft, 288 K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and 400 KIA Raycolt armoured reconnaissance vehicles for a total of over $15 billion. The first large consignment of 180 tanks, 212 self-propelled guns and 12 aircraft should be delivered by 2025; a pilot batch of armoured vehicles arrived in Poland back in December 2022. At the same time, all these systems, in addition to purchases from South Korea, will also be produced by Polish enterprises using local and foreign components. A repair base and professional training centres are also being established. In June 2023 the first meeting of the Joint Korean-Polish Committee on Cooperation in Defence and Military Industry was held. Promising projects include the construction of a plant for the production of 120 mm and 155 mm shells, the joint creation of armoured personnel carriers based on the K808 Baekho, the possible export of KSS-II and KSS-III submarines, the supply of Cheongung-2 air defence systems, grenade launchers, and portable anti-aircraft and anti-tank missile systems (MANPADS and ATGMs). Warsaw definitely expects to enter foreign markets with the help of the transfer of Korean technologies, which, for example, Turkey has already done.

Seoul provides financial support in the form of loans and guarantees through KOEXIM Bank, but the limit of this institution covers only part of the contracts. New aid packages to secure further deals, such as cooperation with Poland, will require more than $15.6 billion, which requires direct government intervention and changes to statutory funding and insurance limits. In March 2024, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea passed the first bill to stimulate military-technical cooperation, increasing the limit on transactions with foreign partners to $18.1 billion per year, making it possible to increase the number and value of contracts.

Weapons networking

Among the contacts confirming Seoul's course on diversifying partners and the range of defence products, several ones deserve special attention. In early 2024, the company LIG ​​Nex1 concluded a deal to supply Saudi Arabia with Cheongung-II (Iron Hawk) air defence systems with for a total of $3.2 billion, contracts with the UAE and Iraq are expected next. Riyadh also signed an agreement worth $800 million to purchase a batch of K239 Chunmoo MLRS, probably impressed by a large Polish order. Norway, the Philippines, and Romania also showed a practical interest in this system. The MLRS is made according to a modular design, and is essentially multi-calibre, capable of using various types of unguided and guided 130-mm, 227-mm, 239-mm and larger ammunition, while the Koreans do not rule out the modification of such installations to launch operational-tactical missiles.

Also, after the deal with Australia for the supply of 129 K21 Redback IFVs (although 450 vehicles were initially planned), the Korean company Hanwha is promoting this vehicle in Italy, Romania and Latvia. The undoubted success story of Korean arms manufacturers is also the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer, which is already supplied to 8 countries (Turkey, Poland, India, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Australia and Egypt) and occupies about half of this segment of the world market. Possible orders for rearmament in many countries throughout the world are closely monitored in South Korea, including service life data and statements by representatives of military departments. However, in some cases, foreign competitors are still able to oust Korean companies from tenders. Thus, the Chinese “intercepted” the supply of submarines to Thailand and MLRS to Malaysia, and the Philippine Navy will probably buy French diesel-electric submarines (although the Koreans still have a chance by attracting Indonesian shipbuilders). Germany, apparently, has taken the Norwegian contract for main battle tanks. However, South Korean manufacturers, with the direct support of the country's leadership, are extremely persistent in promoting their own products.

The companies of the South Korean military-industrial complex differ from a significant number of their competitors in their readiness to organise the production of equipment of their own design directly on the customer's territory, allow the further localisation of the production of additional systems and components, and also offer on-site service maintenance and training. In addition, from the moment contracts are signed to the actual arrival of the first samples, only a few months pass, due to the competent distribution of efforts between contractors, the reduction of internal bureaucratic barriers and Seoul's ability to stem some of the domestic orders to meet export needs.

Nevertheless, the Koreans still see the main source of advanced solutions in the military-technical field in the United States and are trying to avoid developing a dependence on China in “critical” areas. This decision fits the logic of Washington's strategy for the comprehensive containment of Beijing, including in the global arms and military equipment market, where the formally independent Koreans are needed both to “lessen the burden” of American industry and to squeeze out Russia and China. At the same time, given the rapprochement between the United States and its two main Asian allies following the Camp David Agreement of August 2023, Seoul’s development of military-technical cooperation with foreign countries has become a useful addition to the American foreign policy toolkit and allows the still hegemonic power to spread its influence without direct intervention.


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