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Police violently break up Afghan refugee protest in Indonesia

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Global Voices

Afgan refugees in Indoneisa have been meeting to protest perceived inaction from the UNHCR. Refugees are calling for either Indonesian citizenship, or resettlement elsewhere. Image via YouTube. Content notice: This article contains mention of depression, suicide, and police violence. A peaceful protest of Afghan refugees was violently broken up by police on January 17 in Pekanbaru, Indonesia, a city on the island of Sumatra. The refugees were attempting to draw international attention to their years of displacement, mistreatment, and neglect by the Indonesian government and the international c… Continue reading “Police violently break up Afghan refugee protest in Indonesia”

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Aafia Siddiqui: Pakistani prisoner at centre of Texas siege

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AFP

Islamabad (AFP) – Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani prisoner in the United States whose release was reportedly demanded by a Texas hostage-taker this weekend, is serving an 86-year sentence for the attempted murder of American soldiers. Four people were freed unharmed on Sunday following a more than 10-hour standoff at a synagogue in the US state. Their suspected captor was killed. Media, quoting a US official briefed on the matter, reported that the man was calling for the release of 49-year-old Siddiqui. Her lawyer said in a statement to CNN that she had “absolutely no involvement” in the hostage … Continue reading “Aafia Siddiqui: Pakistani prisoner at centre of Texas siege”

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Hong Kong suspends transit flights from most of the world due to COVID-19

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Reuters

HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong will suspend for a month transit flights from around 150 countries and territories considered high risk because of the coronavirus, deepening the global financial hub’s isolation. The move comes as the city has seen around 50 cases of the fast-spreading Omicron variant since the end of last year. Prior to the outbreak, which authorities said could be traced back to two aircrew members of Cathay Pacific Airways, the city had had no local transmissions for over three months. Hong Kong International Airport said in a statement on Friday that any persons who have sta… Continue reading “Hong Kong suspends transit flights from most of the world due to COVID-19”

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Geneva and the accountability SLAP | Daily FT

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Daily Financial Times

UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet For a people in the throes of multiple existential crises, Geneva no longer seems as urgently gripping nor evocative of either patriotic protestation or demands for justice and reparation. War crimes, accountability and the like seems like yesterday’s news for a nation standing in queues for its staples. While food insecurity, breakdown in the provision of gas and electricity and US dollar-related anxieties preoccupy the masses, there’s nothing like the same interest with which the sessions of the UN Human Rights Council are usually greeted. … Continue reading “Geneva and the accountability SLAP | Daily FT”

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Govt. must not sway to vested interests but stick to a plan | Daily FT

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Daily Financial Times

By Kumar Ranaweera “The revenue effort is doubled. Technology is brought in. Strict tax discipline is brought in. It has to work like in other countries, like for example, Pakistan where leakage was prevented by technology taking over tax administration. I will not underestimate the challenges, but this has to happen. Currently, operational expenditure is 17% and revenue is 9% and we are in a current account deficit. The Government hopes to generate 3% savings within revenue and operational expenditure with the measures that have been taken. The budget is turning into savings because there is … Continue reading “Govt. must not sway to vested interests but stick to a plan | Daily FT”

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Opposition orientations: Anura, Suma and Sajith | Daily FT

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Daily Financial Times

Anura Kumara Dissanayake M.A. Sumanthiran Sajith Premadasa Bullock-drawn kerosene carts are back in Colombo, a scene I last saw 60 years ago. Ubiquitous queues we saw 45 years ago. Patchy, yellowed fields we never saw. Symbols of a Great Leap Backward. President GR recently visited Ruvanwelisaya in the company of Army chief General Shavendra Silva. Dutugemunu began his victorious long march only after ascertaining that his kingdom’s granaries were full of rice. With this President’s policies, the harvest won’t produce full granaries. Here’s his silver bullet: “The Army has been sent in to impl… Continue reading “Opposition orientations: Anura, Suma and Sajith | Daily FT”

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Should Sri Lanka default on 18 Jan. sovereign bond? | Daily FT

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Daily Financial Times

The Governor of the Central Bank said last week, Sri Lanka has earmarked $ 500 million to repay a maturing sovereign bond on 18 January. However, several business leaders said Sri Lanka should take a rain check. Dr. Shanta Devarajan a former acting chief economist of the World Bank said honouring the maturing debt was reckless for two reasons. Firstly, Dr. Devarajan noted, “Sri Lanka is facing an acute shortage of foreign exchange – people queue in long lines to buy cooking gas; there is no powdered milk; food prices are rising rapidly; power cuts are becoming frequent. This $ 500 million coul… Continue reading “Should Sri Lanka default on 18 Jan. sovereign bond? | Daily FT”

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India sends medicines to Afghanistan, wheat to follow

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Al-Araby

India delivered two tons of medicines to Afghanistan on Friday, although it has not officially recognized its Taliban government. The medicine was given to Kabul’s Indira Gandhi Hospital, which was set up with Indian assistance in 2004, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. Last month, India supplied Afghanistan with 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and 1.6 tons of medical supplies through the World Health Organization, Bagchi said in a statement. India also announced that it will provide 50,000 tons of wheat to Afghanistan to ease food shortages there and is wor… Continue reading “India sends medicines to Afghanistan, wheat to follow”