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☆ Africa Climate Summit: Electric motorcycle startup Spiro expands into Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Spiro, a startup looking to eliminate fuel-guzzling motorbikes and scooters from the roads by trading them in for electric two-wheelers, is expanding to Kenya. Ahead of the first Africa Climate Summit, which kicked off in Kenya’s capital Nairobi today, the host government announced on Friday that the e-bike and battery-swapping startup would be entering the East African country with its biggest deployment yet: 1.2 million electric vehicles. In Kenya, they will be offered 50,000 Kenyan shillings (about $344) – around a third of the price of a new electric bike – to swap their existing bike for an electric one. Last week, US company Uber also launched an electric motorbike service in Kenya, promising to roll out 3,000 bikes within six months. “We’re surpassing the symbolic but significant milestone of one million electric bikes signed with a government,” says Samain.

Persons: CNN — Spiro, Jules Samain –, polluters, Samain, Spiro, CLEMENT, CLEMENT DI ROMA, ”, ” Spiro, William Ruto, Ampersand, Uber Organizations: CNN, Africa Climate, CLEMENT DI, AFP, Getty, FIA Foundation, Spiro, McKinsey Locations: Kenya, Africa, Kenya’s, Nairobi, West, Benin, Togo, Rwanda, Uganda, China, Mombasa, Saharan Africa, Swedish, Kenyan, East

But five months later, the overall number of people filing refugee claims in Canada has risen instead of falling. But it has sought to discourage those applying for asylum, chiefly through an agreement with the U.S. under which each country turns back asylum seekers. Asylum seekers are drawn by Canada's reputation for swifter processing and greater acceptance of asylum applications compared to the U.S. But overall, the number of asylum seekers entering Canada has surged. People applying at airports comprised about a third of all refugee claims made in July, up from about 16% in March.

Persons: Shauna Labman, Joe Biden's, Craig Damian Smith, Remi Lariviere, Lariviere, Abdulla Daoud, Loly Rico, Hana Bakhit, Maureen Silcoff, Silcoff, Grace Nanziri, Anna Mehler, Denny Thomas, Deepa Babington Organizations: Reuters, Human, University of Winnipeg, U.S, European Union, Centre for Refugee Studies, York University, FCJ Refugee, REUTERS, Refugee Centre, FCJ, Thomson Locations: Canada, U.S, Toronto, Quebec, New York, United States, Mexico, Haiti, Turkey, Colombia, India, Rwanda, Montreal, Canada's, Sudan, Uganda

☆ Home in a box: Rethinking disaster relief, IKEA style
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Marianna Cerini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Rather than sending tents, however, Indian nonprofit SEEDS partnered with Sweden’s Better Shelter to distribute over 100 of its IKEA-inspired temporary houses. Like IKEA furniture, Better Shelter’s homes come in flat packages that can be easily shipped and assembled in a matter of hours, without the need for tools or electricity. Each unit comprises a modular frame and is completed using local materials, such as bamboo or timber, before being equipped with a lockable door and solar-powered lamp. Sahiba Chawdhary/Better ShelterKarlsson began developing the concept for Better Shelter’s housing as a freelance designer in 2010, when a small aid project asked him to improve the design of its disaster relief tents. Sahiba Chawdhary/Better ShelterScalable, adaptable and localIn 2021, Better Shelter introduced its latest modular design: Structure.

Persons: CNN —, Gita Kumari Bhumik, ” Bhumik, Kumari Bhumik, Chawdhary Bhumik, It’s, ”, Johan Karlsson, “, Karlsson, you’re, we’ve, ” Karlsson, Sahiba, Geeta Bhumik, it’s Organizations: CNN, IKEA, IKEA Foundation, UN, decarbonization, UNHCR, for Economics & Peace, Better Locations: India’s, Assam, Indian, Assam's Kalain, Swedish, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Ecuador, Netherlands, Sydney

☆ PrEPVacc: HIV vaccine trial that could be ‘the last roll of the dice’ this decade is underway
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Tom Page | Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +24 min

CNN —A novel trial that has been described as “the last roll of the dice” for a generation of HIV vaccines has entered its latter stages. Nearly 40 years since HIV was identified as the cause of AIDS, and 36 years since the first HIV vaccine trial, the medical community still does not have a working vaccine. But that is not necessarily why they were chosen to participate, said Eugene Ruzagira, PrEPVacc trial director. Evaluating the combination of a trial HIV vaccine and PrEP is a first, say organizers. “I did my very first HIV vaccine trial in 1991,” recalled Weber.

Persons: PrEPVacc, ”, Jonathan Weber, Frank, Helena Herholdt, Eugene Ruzagira, Ruzagira, “, Weber, ” Ruzagira, “ We’ve, Mark Runnacles, Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur, Galileo, Win McNamee, Humphry Davy, JEAN, SEBASTIEN EVRARD, Haydn West, Joe Raedle, ANNE, CHRISTINE POUJOULAT, Alexander Fleming, Fleming, wasn't, Louise Joy Brown, Sandy Huffaker, Daniel Acker, James Watson, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Watson, Crick, Raphael GAILLARDE, Sean Gallup, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, Thomas Edison's, INDRANIL MUKHERJEE, Descovy, Luwano Geofrey, Dr, Luke Dray, Geofrey, Nishanta Singh, Sharon Lewin, Lewin, “ it’s, it’s, ” Lewin, ” Geofrey Organizations: CNN, Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, PrEPVacc, Medical Research, Uganda Virus Research Institute, European Union, Smithsonian National Museum of, Cleveland Clinic, Volvo, Bayer, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Getty, Keystone, — Farmers, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Bloomberg, PANTHAKY, PrEP, US Centers for Disease Control, Independent, The University of Melbourne, International AIDS Society, Muhimbili University of Health, Allied Sciences, Dar Locations: Entebbe, Uganda, Thailand, London, Mbeya, Tanzania, South Africa, Ugandan, Durban, Masaka, Salam, African, Africa, China, FPG, AFP, United States, America, U.S, Peoria , Illinois, Europe, “, Dar es Salaam, Rwanda

☆ Uganda bans imports of used clothing from 'dead people'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Like most African countries, Uganda has traditionally imported large quantities of used clothing, which some consumers prefer because it is low-cost. At least 70% of garments donated to charity in Europe and the United States end up in Africa, according to Oxfam, a British charity. The East African Community, a regional economic grouping of which Uganda is a member, agreed in 2016 to a complete ban on used clothing imports by 2019, but Rwanda was the only country to enact it. As a result, the United States in 2018 suspended Rwanda's right to export clothing duty-free to the United States, one of the benefits of the United States' tariff and quota-free African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Museveni said the ban would also extend to electricity meters and electric cables, saying they should be bought from factories in Uganda.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Abubaker, Museveni, Elias Biryabarema, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Oxfam, Reuters, East African Community, Thomson Locations: Kisozi, Gomba, Central Region, Uganda, Rights KAMPALA, Africa, Europe, United States, British, Sino, Mbale city, Rwanda, U.S, Kampala, Hereward Holland

☆ UK backlog of asylum applications hits record high
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Britain's backlog of asylum applications awaiting a decision hit a record high in the year to June and the number of those applying was the highest in two decades, according to official figures published on Thursday, in a blow to the government. The Home Office, or interior ministry, said 78,768 asylum applications were made by people who arrived in the country illegally in the 12 months to June, up 19% on the previous year. The backlog of asylum applications was just over 134,000, or 175,457 once dependents are included, adding to pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who in December pledged to clear the initial backlog of cases by the end of this year. "This is a disastrous record for the Prime Minister and Home Secretary," said Stephen Kinnock, Labour’s immigration spokesperson. The government said in the year to June there were 23,702 initial decisions made on asylum applications, up 61% on the previous year.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Stephen Kinnock, Kylie MacLellan, Alistair Smout, Elizabeth Piper, Mark Potter Organizations: Office, Labour Party, Home, Thomson Locations: Britain, Rwanda

☆ BRICS summit: China's Xi visits South Africa in second trip abroad this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

For Xi, the first in-person summit of the BRICS grouping since the pandemic presents another opportunity to advance that vision. The bloc’s members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – account for more than 40 percent of the global population. “Xi is going to be the center of the BRICS summit, given that Vladimir Putin is not attending in person,” he said. His last journey to the continent – also for the BRICS summit in South Africa – in 2018 includes a whirlwind of visits to Senegal, Rwanda and Mauritius, spanning almost every corner of Sub-Saharan Africa. Instead, the Chinese leader will co-chair the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, China’s Foreign Ministry said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Vladimir Putin, strongmen, –, “ Xi Jinping, ”, Steve Tsang, Tsang, South Africa Chen Xiaodong, BRICS, ” Chen, Joe Biden, Camp Davis, China’s, Paul Nantulya, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Nantulya, CNN Yun Sun, ” Nantulya, Cyril Ramaphosa Organizations: CNN, South Africa, US, SOAS China Institute, University of London, Africa Center, Strategic Studies, ”, Stimson, Initiative, Institutes, South Africa –, ’ Locations: South, United States, Moscow, – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Japan, South Korea, Camp, Asia, South China, Beijing, Ukraine, Washington, Africa, Senegal, Rwanda, Mauritius, Saharan Africa

☆ Opinion | How Much Is an American Hostage Worth?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Biden administration agreed last week to a deal with Iran that, if all goes according to plan, paves the way for five American citizens to come home after long imprisonments on spurious charges. It’s likely that the agreement is also tied to efforts to resume nuclear talks with Iran, though the administration insists the nuclear and hostage files remain separate. And it is not a sign of weakness when democratic governments pay what seem like exorbitant amounts to free hostages. In Israel, Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu each released hundreds of Arab prisoners to obtain the release of a single living Israeli hostage. There is also Shahab Dalili, a U.S. permanent resident whose wife and sons are Americans and who has been imprisoned in Tehran since 2016.

Persons: Morad Tahbaz, Siamak Namazi, Ariel Sharon, Benjamin Netanyahu, Shahab Dalili, Paul Rusesabagina Organizations: Biden, Tehran, U.S . Embassy, Rwanda Locations: Iran, South Korea, U.S, Tehran, It’s, Israel, “

☆ The robots are coming — and the companies building them are looking for workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But as companies adopt robots on manufacturing floors, in kitchens and on delivery routes, workers have a growing opportunity to join the ranks in helping to build and implement the technology. On the other hand, 60% of companies operating in information and technology services expect jobs to be created due to robots in the next five years. Jose A. Iglesias | Tribune News Service | Getty ImagesRobotics company Zipline is among the companies looking for employees, as it aims to add at least 100 workers. The use of automation at companies large and small has two advantages, the Association for Advancing Automation argues. It reduces challenges for workers in taking away monotonous or dangerous tasks in their day-to-day roles and it keeps companies competitive and speedy in the production process.

Persons: Jose A, Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, Rinaudo Cliffton, Jeff Burnstein, Avocados Organizations: Jobs, Iglesias, Tribune, Service, Getty, Robotics, Walmart, GNC, Toyota, Association for, Automation, Vebu Labs Locations: Miami, San Francisco , California, Rwanda, China

☆ Jack Smith’s Experience in The Hague and the Trump Investigations - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Gary J. Bass | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Although part of Kosovo’s legal system, the institution is headquartered in The Hague and staffed by international judges and personnel — which is how Mr. Smith, a U.S. citizen, wound up serving as its specialist prosecutor. It is always difficult and risky to prosecute national leaders with some popularity among their people. Even so, the Truman administration quietly undercut that pledge of unconditional surrender for Emperor Hirohito, fearing that the Japanese might fight on if he was prosecuted as a war criminal. The Truman administration left the emperor securely in the Imperial Palace while his prime ministers and generals were tried and convicted by an Allied international military tribunal in Tokyo. At an earlier point in his career, from 2008 to 2010, Mr. Smith worked as the investigation coordinator in the prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court, the permanent international war crimes tribunal based in The Hague.

Persons: Smith hewed, Smith, Hashim Thaci, Trump, Thaci, Augusto Pinochet’s, Truman, Emperor Hirohito, John Bolton, ”, Mike Pompeo Organizations: United Nations, Kosovo, Chambers, White, Kosovo Liberation Army, Allied, Criminal Court Locations: Nuremberg, Tokyo, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, East Timor, Sierra Leone, Serbia, The Hague, U.S, Kosovo, Chile, Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, Imperial, Afghanistan, Zambia

Elon Musk’s Unmatched Power in the Stars The tech billionaire has become the dominant power in satellite internet technology. Today, more than 4,500 Starlink satellites are in the skies, accounting for more than 50 percent of all active satellites. 53% of active satellites are Starlink.” The Starlink satellites are highlighted and are all operating in low-Earth orbit. How Starlink customers connect to the internet Starlink satellites orbit at much lower altitudes than traditional satellite internet services. “Everywhere on earth will have high bandwidth, low latency internet,” Mr. Musk predicted on the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, Mark, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Elon Musk, Zaluzhnyi, General Zaluzhnyi, Musk, Musk’s, ”, Starlink’s, ” Mykhailo Fedorov, Mr, Biden, ” Dmitri Alperovitch, Sir Martin Sweeting, Sweeting, Mike Blake, Patrick Seitzer, Rafael Schmall, Joe Rogan, Jeff Bezos, Starlink, Russia —, Fedorov, —, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Nancy Pelosi, Colin H, Kahl, Lynsey Addario, messaged Mr, Lloyd Austin, Gregory C, Allen, we’ve, Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelensky, Jason Hsu, Hsu, “ Elon, Michael McCaul of, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Audrey Tang, Mariana Suarez, Thierry Breton, SpaceX, Chérif El, Amazon Organizations: Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ukraine’s Armed Forces, SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Mr, U.S . Defense Department, NASA, Senior Pentagon, The Defense Department, Starlink, European Union, Silverado, Accelerator, Surrey Satellite Technology, Reuters, Airbus, Earth, Getty, Satellite, University of Michigan, National Science Foundation, Rivals, Amazon, Origin, Viasat, Pentagon, CNN, The New York Times, U.S, Defense Department, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Elon, Harvard Kennedy School, Republican, House Foreign Affairs, OneWeb, Agence France, European, United Nations Locations: Ukraine, United States, Iran, Turkey, Japan, Starlink, Crimea, Russian, Starlinks, Europe, Taiwan, China, Beijing, British, Colorado, Cape Canaveral, Fla, —, California, Florida, Latin America, Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Rwanda, Ukrainian, Russia, Kreminna, Aspen, Colo, Kherson's, Kherson, Dnipro, Shanghai, Taipei, Michael McCaul of Texas, del, Uruguay, European Union

☆ Rwandan forces crossed Congolese border, Congo's army says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, July 27 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's army said Rwandan defense forces crossed the Congolese border on Thursday and attacked border security forces, potentially escalating tensions between the African neighbours. "The ensuing clashes enabled the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) to repel the Rwandan terrorists who had perpetrated this intolerable provocation," the statement said, adding that the authors of the attack retreated to Rwanda. A Rwandan government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Congo and Rwanda have been involved in a dispute since last year over the resurgence of the M23 rebel group, a militia active in eastern Congo which Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing. United Nations experts have also said they have evidence that Rwandan troops have fought alongside the M23 in eastern Congo and provided the rebels with weapons and supplies.

Persons: GOMA, Djaffar Al Katanty, Anait Miridzhanian, Nellie Peyton, Chris Reese, Sandra Maler Organizations: Democratic, Armed Forces, Rwandan, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Democratic Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of, Rwandan, Congolese, Congo, Rwanda, Kinshasa

☆ Why NASA's Artemis program is the only moon-return mission since Apollo to survive 2 successive US presidents and our best chance of actually returning humans to the lunar surface
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Mariel Borowitz | The Conversation | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Artemis program marks the first time since the Apollo program that an effort to send humans to the moon has been supported by two successive US presidents. Some, like Japan-based iSpace and US-based Astrobotic, are developing commercial lunar landers and have plans to eventually collect lunar resources, such as water or minerals. Just as the United States is leveraging commercial developments, the US is working with international partners, as well. The United States is also seeking international support for the Artemis Accords, a set of principles for responsible lunar exploration and development. It's worth noting that China's lunar program also emphasizes international engagement.

Persons: it's, Artemis, Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Wang Yaping, Gene Kim, Bill Nelson Organizations: Service, NASA, European Space Agency, SpaceX, Companies, Canadian Space Agency, United Nations, US Space Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, Oracle, Military, Artemis Accords, United, United Arab Emirates, Lunar Research Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Japan, United States, Soviet, Europe, Canada, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Nigeria, United Arab, India, Russia, Sweden, France, Italy, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates

☆ UK government's contested immigration plan to become law
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERSLONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's highly contested plan to make it easier to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is set to become law after the government defeated attempts by parliament's upper house to make changes to the legislation. It can now go for Royal Assent, where it is formally approved by the king and becomes law. The legislation will help with the government's plan to send tens of thousands of asylum seekers who arrive on its shores a distance of more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) to Rwanda. The government is appealing a Court of Appeal ruling last month that the plan was unlawful. It has been criticised by some opposition politicians and civil rights groups as inhumane, cruel and ineffective.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Leon Neal, Rishi Sunak's, Bill, Kylie MacLellan, Kate Holton Organizations: British, REUTERS LONDON, Royal, East, European, of Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Downing, London, United Kingdom, Rwanda, parliament's, Britain

☆ Barge to House Asylum Seekers Meets Several Shades of Anger in U.K.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Megan Specia | More About Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was a rough reception for the Bibby Stockholm, a hulking metal barge intended to house up to 500 asylum seekers, as it pulled into its new berth in Portland, on England’s picturesque southern coast, on Tuesday. Protesters holding signs reading “No to the barge” and “No floating prison” gathered at the dock as television crews filmed them. The barge will be docked in the port for at least 18 months, according to the government, and will eventually house adult male asylum seekers who have entered Britain by crossing the English Channel on small boats. From next week, about 50 asylum seekers will be moved onboard the vessel according to the Home Office, before the number is increased over the next few months. The barge showed up in Portland at a time when the political rhetoric around asylum seekers in Britain has grown increasingly heated.

Persons: Bibby Organizations: Home Office Locations: Bibby Stockholm, Portland, Britain, Rwanda

☆ How a Vast Demographic Shift Will Reshape the World
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Lauren Leatherby | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +18 min

1990 Younger populations Workingage Older populations For decades, the world’s dominant powers have benefited from large working-age populations that help drive economic growth. Russia U.K. France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S. U.S. Japan U.S. Japan China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C. Russia U.K. France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S. U.S. U.S. Japan Japan China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C. Russia U.K. France Pakistan China U.S. U.S. U.S. Japan Japan China China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C. Russia U.K. France Pakistan China U.S. U.S. U.S. Japan Japan China China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C.

Persons: That’s, ”, Mikko Myrskylä, Max Planck, Carolina Cardona, Philip O’Keefe, –, O’Keefe, Myrskylä, “ We’ve, “, aren’t, Mr Organizations: Korea Germany Italy Russia United, France, France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S ., U.S, China India Nigeria D.R.C, France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S . U.S, France Pakistan, France Pakistan China U.S . U.S, for Demographic Research, Youth, Niger, Dem, Central African Rep, Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czech Rep, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Kosovo, Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Moldova Romania, Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Moldova Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia, Hong Kong North Korea Japan Mongolia South Korea Taiwan Northern America, New Zealand, New, Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Central African Rep, Chad Comoros, Congo Ivory Coast Dem, Johns Hopkins University, Aging, ARC Center of Excellence, Aging Research, World Bank, Spain Taiwan, Young, Korea, Spain, “ Locations: Japan, Western Europe, South Korea, Britain, Eastern Europe, China, Europe, India, East Asia, Florida, United States, South, Southeast Asia, Africa, Korea Germany Italy, Korea Germany Italy Russia United States France China Thailand United Kingdom, South Korea Brazil Colombia China Thailand Iran Myanmar Vietnam Bangladesh Indonesia, South Africa Myanmar Indonesia Bangladesh Philippines Pakistan Kenya Indonesia Egypt Ethiopia, Russia, France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S, France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S . U.S, Japan U.S, Japan China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C, Indonesia Indonesia Brazil Brazil Brazil, China Japan India Brazil, Pakistan France China U.S, Japan India Nigeria Brazil Indonesia, Pakistan U.S, China India Nigeria, Ethiopia Brazil Indonesia, France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S . U.S . U.S, Japan Japan China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C, France Pakistan China, France Pakistan China U.S . U.S . U.S, Japan Japan China China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C, Congo Somalia, Angola Tanzania Nigeria, Afghanistan Ethiopia Tajikistan Kenya, Asia, Oceania, Kenya, Demographically, South Asia, Singapore, Albania, Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia, Herzegovina Bulgaria, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Kosovo Latvia Lithuania Netherlands, Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal, Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Moldova Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia, Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Moldova Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine, Eastern Asia, Hong Kong North Korea Japan Mongolia South Korea Taiwan Northern, Canada, States Australia, New, Australia, New Zealand, Saharan Africa, Angola, Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon, Congo, Congo Djibouti, Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea, Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Togo Uganda Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe, Aging Asia, Pacific, America, “, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Spain Taiwan Greece, Singapore Slovenia Thailand Germany, Mainland China Finland Japan Netherlands Canada, Hong Kong South Korea, Singapore Slovenia Japan Thailand Germany, Mainland China Finland Netherlands, U.N, Korea Japan Spain, Korea Japan, France, West, East, Vietnam

☆ UK government offers concessions over contested immigration plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government offered concessions on Monday to members of parliament's upper house after they inflicted a series of defeats on highly contested legislation to make it easier to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. There has already been a protracted legal fight over the plan, which has been criticised by some opposition politicians as inhumane and cruel. The House of Lords, Britain's unelected upper chamber in parliament, approved 20 amendments last week to water down the government's legislation. One government amendment will limit the detention of unaccompanied children to eight days rather than the previously proposed 28 days. The government is appealing a Court of Appeal ruling last month that the plan was unlawful.

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, Andrew MacAskill Organizations: British, European, of Human, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Rwanda, Britain, East, France

U.N. investigators in 2012 concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe shabbiha militias committed crimes against humanity, including murder and torture, and war crimes such as arbitrary arrest and detention, sexual violence and pillaging. PAPER TRAILSome human rights scholars who have studied the role of the shabbiha in the Syrian war say the Assad regime initially used the groups to distance itself from violence on the ground. CIJA is a nonprofit founded by a veteran war crimes investigator and staffed by international criminal lawyers who have worked in Bosnia, Rwanda and Cambodia. While there is no international war crimes court with jurisdiction over Syria's conflict, there are a number of so-called universal jurisdiction cases in countries like the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Germany which have laws allowing them to prosecute war crimes even if they are committed elsewhere. Ghany said the documents were "necessary" pieces of evidence linking the shabbiha to the state in international justice cases.

Persons: shabbiha, Assad, CIJA, Bashar al, Ugur Ungor, Fadel Abdul Ghany, Nerma Jelacic, Ghany, Stephanie Van Den Berg, Maya Gebeily, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: UN, Reuters, Commission, International Justice, Committees, Assad's Baath, Popular Committees, Crisis Management, Dutch NIOD Institute for, Studies, Syrian Network for Human Rights, National Defence Force, Thomson Locations: HAGUE, BEIRUT, U.S, CIJA, Bosnia, Rwanda, Cambodia, Syria, Germany, France, Sweden, Netherlands, Karm, Homs, al, Adawiya

☆ ‘No One Can Silence Me’: Paul Rusesabagina on His Captivity in Rwanda
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With his hands and legs trussed up and his mouth gagged, Rwanda’s most prominent dissident was relieved when after two days in detention, his blindfold was finally taken off. Standing in front of him, blocking the blinding light, were two senior Rwandan government officials, he said, who promised to free him quickly if he began cooperating. “You can get anything else you want,” Paul Rusesabagina, the hotelier whose heroism in the face of the genocide in 1994 inspired the Oscar-nominated movie “Hotel Rwanda,” recalled that the officials told him. “It is you to make a choice.”But Mr. Rusesabagina knew he didn’t have a choice. Mr. Rusesabagina was tortured and denied medication, he said, then charged with terrorism and sentenced to 25 years in prison in a trial that drew global condemnation.

Persons: ” Paul Rusesabagina, Oscar, ”, Rusesabagina Organizations: Rwandan Locations: Rwanda, Rwandan, Kigali, Central Africa

☆ U.K. Plan to Send Asylum Seekers to Rwanda Is Unlawful, Court Rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The British government’s highly contested plan to fly some asylum seekers to Rwanda suffered a significant setback on Thursday when one of the country’s top courts ruled against the move to deport would-be refugees before their claims are assessed. In a judgment delivered in London, the Court of Appeal said that Rwanda was not a safe country for asylum seekers. In doing so, the judges reversed a ruling in December by the High Court, which dismissed most legal challenges to the plan. “The result is that the High Court’s decision that Rwanda was a safe third country is reversed and that unless and until the deficiencies in its asylum processes are corrected, removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda will be unlawful,” said Ian Burnett, the lord chief justice. The government is expected to appeal to Britain’s Supreme Court to try to overturn the decision.

Persons: ”, Ian Burnett Organizations: British, Appeal, High, Britain’s Locations: Rwanda, London

☆ UK PM Sunak dealt blow as court rules Rwanda deportation plan unlawful
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the London Defense Conference, at King's College, in central London, on May 23, 2023. The Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that the British government's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful, dealing a setback to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's campaign to stop migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. Three senior appeal judges ruled by a majority that Rwanda could not be treated as a safe third country. Under a deal struck last year, the government planned to send tens of thousands of asylum seekers who arrive on its shores more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) to the East African country. In December, the High Court ruled the policy was lawful, but that decision was challenged by asylum seekers from several countries such as Syria, Iraq and Iran, along with human rights organizations.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Rishi Sunak's, Ian Burnett, Burnett, Suella Organizations: Britain's, London Defense Conference, King's College, European, of Human Rights, Court, Conservative Party, Home Locations: London, Rwanda, East, Britain, Syria, Iraq, Iran

London CNN —The UK government’s plan to deport some asylum-seekers to Rwanda is unlawful, the Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday, in a major blow to ministers’ controversial immigration policies that have been roundly condemned by humanitarian bodies. In a three-judge decision, the court overturned a high court decision that previously ruled that Rwanda could be considered a safe third country in which to send refugees. “By a majority, this court allows the appeal on the issue of whether Rwanda is a safe third country. The British Home Office can now appeal to the Supreme Court. The judgment summary said sending asylum-seekers to Rwanda would breach the European Convention on Human Rights.

Persons: Suella Braverman, ” Organizations: London CNN, British, Office, Supreme, Conservative, Human Rights, Refugees Locations: Rwanda, England, France, Britain, Europe

☆ UK government plan to deport migrants to Rwanda is unlawful, court rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/3] Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking during a press conference as he gives an update on the progress made in the six months since he introduced the Illegal Migration Bill under his plans to "stop the boats", at Western Jet Foil in Dover, Britain. Picture date: Monday June 5, 2023. Yui Mok/Pool via... Read moreLONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - The British government's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful, London's Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday in a judgment that gives a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledge to stop migrants from arriving on small boats. The three senior appeal court judges ruled, by a majority, that Rwanda could not be treated as a safe third country. (This story has been corrected to state the ruling is a blow, not a boost, in paragraph 1)Reporting by Michael HoldenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Yui Mok, Rishi Sunak's, Michael Holden Organizations: Western Jet, Thomson Locations: Dover, Britain, British, Rwanda

☆ UK court to rule if plan to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoLONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - London's Court of Appeal will rule on Thursday if a British plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful, in a verdict that could make or break Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledge to stop migrants from arriving by boat. Under a deal struck last year, Britain's government plans to send tens of thousands of asylum seekers who arrive on its shores more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) to the East African country. In December, the High Court in London ruled the policy was lawful, but that decision is being challenged by asylum seekers from several countries along with human rights organisations. If the judges rule the plan is lawful, a government official said the flights could begin later this year if the courts reject any applications for further legal challenges. Sunak sees the deportation plan as central to deterring asylum seekers arriving from Europe.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Leon Neal, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, Andrew MacAskill, John Stonestreet Organizations: European, of Human Rights, Court, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Scottish National Party, Thomson Locations: ENGLAND, Downing, London, United Kingdom, London's, British, Rwanda, East, Britain, Europe, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, France

☆ UK estimates cost of deporting each asylum seeker to Rwanda will be 169,000 pounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The government sees the plan as central to deterring asylum seekers arriving in small boats from France. In an economic impact assessment published on Monday, the government said the cost of deporting each individual to Rwanda would include an average 105,000-pound payment to Rwanda for hosting each asylum seeker, 22,000 pounds for the flight and escorting, and 18,000 pounds for processing and legal costs. Home Secretary (interior minister) Suella Braverman said these costs must be considered alongside the impact of deterring others trying to reach Britain and the rising cost of housing asylum seekers. Unless action is taken, Braverman said that the cost of housing asylum seekers will rise to 11 billion pounds a year, up from about 3.6 billion pounds currently. "The economic impact assessment clearly shows that doing nothing is not an option," she said.

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, Suella Braverman, Braverman, Andrew MacAskill, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Conservative, Labour Party, Home, Labour, Scottish National Party, European, of Human, Court, Thomson Locations: Rwanda, France, Britain, London, Syria, Sudan, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam

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