European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has suggested that the EU could learn from Italy’s controversial new policy of processing migrants offshore in Albania. She has proposed new legislation to increase deportations, noting that only 20% of irregular migrants ordered to leave EU countries actually do so. Italy’s scheme, which began on 15 October when sixteen migrants were transferred to Albanian processing centres, has sparked criticism from opposition parties and NGOs for being costly and potentially harmful to human rights. The €650 million project excludes vulnerable groups like pregnant women and children. Prime minister Giorgia Meloni defended the scheme as a courageous approach which ‘perfectly reflected the European spirit’. Recently Germany, France, and Poland have tightened their borders and immigration laws, driven in part by security concerns following violent incidents involving failed asylum seekers.
A new report by Oxfam reveals that hunger caused by global conflicts has reached unprecedented levels, with an estimated 7,000 to 21,000 people dying every day. The report, Food Wars, shows that nearly all of the 281.6 million people facing acute hunger live in countries experiencing conflict. Oxfam accuses warring parties of weaponising food, targeting vital infrastructure, and blocking aid deliveries. Conflict also drives record-high displacement, with 117 million people forcibly displaced. In areas like Sudan and Gaza, food aid is critically limited, exacerbating starvation. Oxfam points to the economic liberalisation model (focused on foreign investment and exports) as a key factor worsening inequality and instability in these regions. In particular, extractive industries, like mining in Sudan, have displaced people and degraded environments, creating unlivable conditions. The report calls on global leaders to address the root causes of this problem, and to hold perpetrators of ‘starvation crimes’ accountable under international law.
Cuba: president leads march to support Gaza
17 Oct 2024
Cuba’s president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, has led thousands of protesters in Havana to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The march included around 250 Palestinian medical students and featured a large banner declaring, ‘Long live free Palestine’. The president and other leaders wore keffiyeh scarves as a symbol of solidarity. Participants expressed their support for Palestinian sovereignty and condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza. The march, originally scheduled for 7 October to mark the first anniversary of Israel's war on Gaza, was delayed due to Hurricane Milton. In June, Cuba joined a lawsuit filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice against Israel's military actions in Gaza.
A judge has overturned changes made by Georgia's Republican-controlled state election board in August, which a conservative group argued would disrupt voting rights ahead of the presidential election on 5 November. His ruling followed a lawsuit by the conservative group Eternal Vigilance Action, which claimed the board overstepped its authority. The changes included empowering county election officials to investigate discrepancies in vote counts before certifying results. The move drew bipartisan criticism; one official warned that it would undermine voter confidence and burden election workers. Democrats, who filed a separate lawsuit, argued the rules aimed to delay certification, a mandatory part of election outcomes. The judge’s ruling follows a similar decision to block a rule requiring ballots be counted by hand, which Democrats said was another attempt to impede certification. Georgia is expected to be a key battleground state in the presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Federal prosecutors are increasing efforts to target suspects who use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create or manipulate child sex abuse images, fearing that the technology could lead to a surge in illegal content. The Justice Department has initiated two criminal cases against individuals accused of such crimes. A department official has voiced concerns over the potential normalisation of such images, as AI makes it easier to create and distribute them. Prosecutors worry that AI-generated content will complicate the identification of real victims and make the task of law enforcement more difficult. These cases are likely to break new legal ground, especially when real children are not depicted. Convictions may face appeals as courts navigate the evolving legal landscape around AI and child exploitation.
Sri Lankan police have arrested more than 230 Chinese nationals suspected of executing online scams targeting international banks. They seized 250 computers and 500 mobile phones involved in the fraudulent activities, with investigations continuing into the scale of the financial theft. They were helped by a special team sent from China; the biggest raid, on 12 October, netted 126 Chinese men. China’s crackdown on cybercriminals at home may have driven some to seek illegal activities abroad. The Chinese embassy expressed its readiness to strengthen law enforcement cooperation with Sri Lanka, which has had advanced 5G telecommunications infrastructure since 2019. In June the police arrested over two hundred suspects, primarily from India, for similar financial fraud operations.
Kenya: elephants relocated to ease overcrowding
17 Oct 2024
Fifty elephants have been relocated from the overcrowded Mwea National Reserve to a larger national park, 75 miles away, to reduce environmental strain and human-wildlife conflict. The reserve, which ideally could support 47 elephants, had a population of 156. The tourism minister, Rebecca Maino, noted that the rising elephant population is a sign that poaching is under control, but the overcrowding had resulted in elephants straying into nearby farms in search of food. Local residents expressed relief that the animals had been moved, as their presence had become a growing problem. The elephants arrived safely in their new home, and the $93,000 project is set to enter a second phase, with plans to relocate another fifty elephants soon.
Christian convert Mehdi Akbari has been released from Evin prison after serving nearly five years of a ten-year sentence for his involvement with a house church. Arrested in January 2019 alongside three other Christian converts, Mehdi endured solitary confinement, torture, and harsh prison conditions. The group was charged with acting against national security for forming an evangelical Christian group, with accusations of ties to foreign missionary organisations. Despite appealing multiple times, Mehdi was not allowed to attend the funeral of his son, Amir Ali, who passed away in December 2021. His sentence was ultimately reduced by the Tehran appeal court, leading to his release on 29 September. His case highlights the ongoing persecution of Christians in Iran, where religious freedom remains severely restricted.