Brussels (TIP): Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday that police carried out searches at the residence of an employee of the European Parliament and at his office in the Parliament’s building in Brussels over suspected Russian interference.
Prosecutors said in statement that the suspect’s office in Strasbourg, where the EU Parliament’s headquarters are located in France, was also searched in partnership with the EU’s judicial cooperation agency, Eurojust, and French judicial authorities.
The raids took place less than two weeks before Europe-wide polls on June 6-9 to elect a new EU parliament. An investigation was announced last month by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who said his country’s intelligence service has confirmed the existence of a network trying to undermine support for Ukraine.
“The searches are part of a case of interference, passive corruption and membership of a criminal organization and relates to indications of Russian interference, whereby Members of the European Parliament were approached and paid to promote Russian propaganda via the Voice of Europe news website,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said they believe the employee played “a significant role in this.” Several Dutch news outlets identified the suspect as a staffer for EU lawmaker Marcel de Graaff of the far-right Dutch party Forum for Democracy. A person with knowledge of the investigation confirmed that the reports were accurate. —AP
Tag: World News
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Cops search European Parl over suspected Russian interference
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Hong Kong convicts 14 pro-democracy activists
Hong Kong (TIP): Fourteen pro-democracy activists were convicted in Hong Kong’s biggest national security case on May 30 by a court that said their plan to effect change through an unofficial primary election would have undermined the government’s authority and created a constitutional crisis.
After a 2019 protest movement that filled the city’s streets with demonstrators, authorities have all but silenced dissent in Hong Kong through reduced public choice in elections, crackdowns on media and the Beijing-imposed security law under which the activists were convicted.
Those found guilty of conspiracy to commit subversion included former lawmakers Leung Kwok-hung, Lam Cheuk-ting, Helena Wong and Raymond Chan, and they could face up to life in prison when sentenced later. The two defendants acquitted were former district councillors Lee Yue-shun and Lawrence Lau. But the prosecution said it intends to appeal against the acquittals.
The activists were among 47 democracy advocates who were prosecuted in 2021 for their involvement in the primary. Prosecutors had accused them of attempting to paralyze Hong Kong’s government and topple the city’s leader by securing the legislative majority necessary to indiscriminately veto budgets.
In a summary of the verdict distributed to media, the court said the election participants had declared they would “either actively use or use the power conferred on the (Legislative Council) by the (Basic Law) to veto the budgets.” Under the Basic Law, the chief executive can dissolve the legislature if a budget cannot be passed but the leader would have to step down if the budget is again vetoed in the newly-formed legislature.
In the full, 319-page verdict, the court also said if the plan to veto bills would lead to the dissolution of the legislature, it meant “the implementation of any new government policies would be seriously hampered and essentially put to a halt.”
“The power and authority of both the Government and the Chief Executive would be greatly undermined,” the court said in the verdict. “In our view … that would create a constitutional crisis for Hong Kong.”
The judges concluded that “unlawful means” are not limited only to criminal acts, and that it was not necessary for the prosecution to prove the accused knew that the means to be used were “unlawful.”
Lau, who was acquitted, told reporters that he should not be the focus at the moment as other defendants in the case warrant the public’s concern and love. He said if there’s any “star” in the case, the judgment should be “the star” because it set out the logic and perspectives of the judges. “This is part of our rule of law,” he said. — AP -
Xi pledges more Gaza aid at summit with Arab leaders
Beijing (TIP): Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated calls for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and promised more humanitarian aid for people in Gaza as he opened a summit with leaders of Arab states on May 30 in Beijing.
In a speech opening the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, Xi said, “War should not continue indefinitely.” He restated China’s backing of a two-state solution and pledged $69 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza. He also promised $3 million to a UN agency that provides aid to refugees of the war.
Meanwhile, Hamas said it had told mediators it would not take part in more negotiations, but was ready for a “complete agreement”, including an exchange of hostages, if Israel stopped the war. — Agencies -
A Canadian serial killer who brought victims to his pig farm is hospitalized after a prison assault
MONTREAL (TIP): Convicted Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton, who brought female victims to his pig farm during a crime spree near Vancouver in the 1990s and early 2000s, was assaulted in prison and has been hospitalized in life-threatening condition, authorities said May 21.
A 51-year-old inmate was in custody for the assault Sunday at a prison in Quebec, police spokesman Hugues Beaulieu said.
The 74-year-old Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2007, with the maximum parole ineligibility period of 25 years, after being charged with the murders of 26 women.
Police began searching the Pickton farm in the Vancouver suburb of Port Coquitlam more than 22 years ago in what would be a years-long investigation into the disappearances of dozens of women.
The remains or DNA of 33 women, many picked up from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, were found on Pickton’s pig farm in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. He once bragged to an undercover police officer that he killed a total of 49 women.
Cynthia Cardinal, whose sister Georgina Papin was murdered by Pickton, said she was “overwhelmed” with happiness when she received a text message Monday with the news that he had been attacked. (AP) -
Five dead and nearly 3 dozen hurt in tornadoes that tore through Iowa, officials say
GREENFIELD, Iowa (TIP): A deadly tornado that wreaked havoc in the small city of Greenfield, Iowa, left four people dead and nearly three dozen injured, officials said, while a fifth person was killed elsewhere.
The twister that tore through the city on May 22 was rated at least an EF-3 by the National Weather Service and was so destructive that it took authorities more than a day to account for the area’s residents.
It’s believed that the number of people injured is likely higher, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said.
The fifth person was killed about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Greenfield when her car was blown off the road in a tornado, according to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Monica Zamarron, 46, died in the crash Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
Officials haven’t yet released the names of the other victims.
The severe weather turned south Wednesday. In Texas, officials issued an emergency declaration in Temple, a city of more than 90,000 people north of Austin, after powerful storms ripped through the area. (AP) -
More than 100 people believed killed by a landslide in Papua New Guinea, Australian media report
MELBOURNE (TIP): More than 100 people are believed to have been killed on May 24 in a landslide in a remote part of Papua New Guinea, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
The landslide reportedly hit Kaokalam Village in Enga Province, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) northwest of the South Pacific island nation’s capital of Port Moresby, at roughly 3 a.m. local time, ABC reported.
Residents say current estimates of the death toll are above 100, although authorities have not confirmed this figure. Villagers said the number of people killed could be much higher.
The Papua New Guinea government and police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.
Papua New Guinea is a diverse, developing nation of mostly subsistence farmers with 800 languages. There are few roads outside the larger cites .
With 10 million people, it also the most populous South Pacific nation after Australia, which is home to 27 million. (AP) -
Russian missiles kill 6 in Ukraine’s second-largest city where Moscow’s troops are pressing
KYIV, Ukraine (TIP): Russian missiles slammed into Ukraine’s second-largest city in the northeast of the country and killed at least six civilians early May 23, officials said, as Kyiv’s army labored to hold off an intense cross-border offensive by the Kremlin’s larger and better-equipped forces.
At least 16 people were injured as S-300 missiles struck the city of Kharkiv, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. The sound of 15 explosions reverberated around the city of some 1 million people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack “extremely cruel.” He expressed renewed frustration at not getting enough air defense systems from the country’s Western partners to prevent the barrages after more than two years of unrelenting war.
The city of Kharkiv, which is the capital of the region of the same name, lies about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian border. Moscow’s troops have in recent weeks captured villages in the area as part of a broad push, and analysts say they may be trying to get within artillery range of the city.
In what is shaping up to be Ukraine’s biggest test since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian forces are being pressed at several points along the about 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line that snakes from north to south along the eastern side of the country.
With Ukraine short of air defenses and waiting for more Western military support that recently started trickling in, its army has been pushed backwards in places while Russia has pounded its power grid and civilian areas. Kyiv endured further power outages Thursday.
Zelenskyy said the main hotspots in recent fighting have been Kharkiv and the neighboring Donetsk region, where in February Ukraine’s defenders withdrew from the stronghold of Avdiivka. For the Kremlin, taking control of all of partially occupied Donetsk is a war priority.
At the same time, and in an apparent effort to stretch Ukraine’s depleted forces, Russian troops have made incursions in the northern Sumy region.
Nearly 1,500 people, including 200 children, have been evacuated from the towns of Bilopillia and Vorozhba in that region, according to regional Gov. Volodymyr Artiukh.
“The main focus (of the fighting) is on the entire border area,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address Wednesday.
Ukraine has also trained its sights on Russian regions across the border. Russia’s defense ministry said Thursday that 35 Ukrainian rockets and three drones were shot down over the Belgorod region. Regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said one drone struck a house and exploded after being shot down, killing a woman. (AP) -
Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet next week for the first time since 2019
SEOUL (TIP): Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet next week in Seoul for their first trilateral talks in more than four years, South Korea’s presidential office announced May 23.
The trilateral summit among South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will take place in Seoul on Monday, Yoon’s presidential office said.
The three leaders were scheduled to hold bilateral talks among themselves on Sunday, according to the South Korean presidential office.
Since their inaugural stand-alone trilateral summit in 2008, the three Asian countries were supposed to hold such a meeting among their leaders each year. But the summit has been suspended since they were last held in December 2019 in China.
Efforts to boost cooperation among the Asian neighbors often hit snags because of a mix of issues, including historical disputes stemming from Japan’s wartime aggression and the strategic competition between China and the United States.
Ties between South Korea and Japan deteriorated severely due to issues originating from Japan’s 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. But their relations warmed significantly since 2023 as the two countries took a series of major steps to move beyond that history and boost cooperation in the face of North Korea’s advancing nuclear program and other shared challenges.
North Korea’s growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles poses a major security threat to South Korea and Japan. But China, North Korea’s last major ally and biggest source of aid, is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea and shipping covert assistance to help. (AP) -
Taiwan tracks dozens of Chinese warplanes and navy vessels off its coast on second day of drills
TAIPEI (TIP): Taiwan tracked dozens of Chinese warplanes and navy vessels off its coast on May 24 on the second day of a large exercise China’s People’s Liberation Army held in response to the inauguration of the island’s new leadership.
China has issued elaborate releases to media showing Taiwan being surrounded by forces from the ruling Communist Party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army. A new video on Friday showed animated Chinese forces approaching from all sides and Taiwan being enclosed within a circular target area.
Despite that, there was little sign of concern among Taiwan’s 23 million people, who have under threat of Chinese invasion since the sides divided during a bitter and bloody civil war in 1949. Taiwan’s parliament was mired in a dispute between its political parties over procedural measures Friday and business continued as usual in the bustling capital of Taipei.
In this photo released by the Taiwan Coast Guard, a Chinese navy vessel identified as the Chinese Missile Frigate FFG 548 is seen near the Pengjia Islet north of Taiwan on Thursday, May 23, 2024.
Taiwan scrambles jets and puts missile, naval and land units on alert over China’s military drills
The defense ministry said it tracked 49 warplanes and 19 navy vessels, as well as Chinese coast guard vessels, and that 35 of the planes flew across the median of the Taiwan Strait, the de facto boundary between the sides, over a 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday.
Marine and coast guard vessels, air and ground-based missile units have all been put on alert, particularly around the Taiwan-controlled island chains of Kinmen and Matsu located just off the China coast and far from Taiwan’s main island, roughly 160 kilometers (100 miles) across the Taiwan Strait.
“Facing external challenges and threats, we will continue to maintain the values of freedom and democracy,” Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te told sailors and top security officials Thursday as he visited a marine base in Taoyuan, just south of the capital, Taipei.
In his inauguration speech Monday, Lai had called on Beijing to stop its military intimidation and said Taiwan was “a sovereign independent nation in which sovereignty lies in the hands of the people.” (AP) -
Iran prepares to bury late president, foreign minister and others killed in helicopter crash
DUBAI (TIP): Iran on May 23 prepared to inter its late president at the holiest site for Shiite Muslims in the Islamic Republic, a final sign of respect for a protégé of Iran’s supreme leader killed in a helicopter crash earlier this week. President Ebrahim Raisi’s burial at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad caps days of processionals through much of Iran, seeking to bolster the country’s theocracy after the crash killing him, the country’s foreign minister and six others.
However, the services have not drawn the same crowd as those who gathered for services for Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020, slain by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.
It’s a potential sign of the public’s feelings about Raisi’s presidency that saw the government harshly crack down on all dissent during protests over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, detained for allegedly not wearing her mandatory headscarf to authorities’ liking.
That crackdown, as well as Iran’s struggling economy, have gone unmentioned in the hours of coverage provided by state television and in newspapers. Also never discussed was Raisi’s involved in the mass execution of an estimated 5,000 dissidents at the end of the Iran-Iraq war.
Prosecutors have warned people against showing any public signs of celebrating Raisi’s death and a heavy security force presence has been seen in Tehran since the crash.
Thursday morning, thousands in black gathered along a main boulevard in the city of Birjand, Raisi’s hometown in Iran’s South Khorasan province along the Afghan border. A semitruck bore his casket down the street, with mourners reached out to touch it and tossing scarves and other items to be placed against it for a blessing. A sign on the truck read: “This is the shrine.”
Later, Raisi will be buried at the Imam Reza Shrine, where Shiite Islam’s 8th imam is buried. The region long has been associated with Shiite pilgrimmage. A hadith attributed to Islam’s Prophet Mohammad says anyone with sorrow or sin will be relieved through visiting there.
In 2016, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Raisi to run the Imam Reza charity foundation, which manages a vast conglomerate of businesses and endowments in Iran, as well as oversees the shrine. It is one of many bonyads, or charitable foundations, fueled by donations or assets seized after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. (AP) -
Five more Indian sailors on ship seized by Iran released
IRAN (TIP): Nearly a month after the MSC Aries cargo vessel was seized by Iranian authorities, five more Indian sailors were released on May 9 and are on their way back home. Eleven Indian sailors remain in Iran. “These five sailors on MSC Aries have been released and are on their way to India. We appreciate the Iranian authorities for their close coordination with the Embassy and Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday. NIE)
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Slovenia launches Palestine recognition procedure
LJUBLJANA (TIP): Slovenia’s government on May 9 passed a decree on recognising a Palestine state that will be sent to parliament for approval by mid-June.
“The decree for the recognition of Palestine is part of the government’s efforts to end as soon as possible the atrocities in Gaza,” Prime Minister Robert Golob told a news conference adding the final decision could be adopted earlier than a June 13 target date.
In March, Slovenia joined Spain, Ireland and Malta in a joint statement announcing the EU countries were “ready to recognise Palestine” once the conditions for setting up a state were met.
“We will continue to follow the progress concerning peace talks, the release of hostages and the reform of the Palestinian authority and, if it proves to be faster, we might end the recognition process earlier,” Golob said.
Slovenia has urged Israel to stop its offensive in Gaza and warned that a threatened attack on the city of Rafah will worsen the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.
Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said she was “glad over the decisive and irreversible step towards recognition”, in a message posted on X, the former Twitter.
A simple majority is needed to approve a decree in the 90-seat parliament where Golob’s centre-left coalition holds 51 seats.
Almost 60 percent of Slovenians back recognition of a Palestine state while 20 percent oppose it, according to an April poll of 600 people published by the Dnevnik daily.
Some 100 Ljubljana University students on Wednesday started a pro-Palestinian protest, demanding that Slovenia recognise the Palestinian state.
Some 137 of the 193 member states of the United Nations have recognised a Palestinian states, according to a Palestinian count. (AFP) -
Boeing plane carrying 85 people catches fire and skids off the runway in Senegal, injuring 10
DAKAR (TIP): A Boeing 737 carrying 85 people caught fire and skidded off a runway at Senegal’s main airport, injuring 10 people including the pilot, the country’s transport minister said on May 9.
Passengers were evacuated from the burning aircraft and some described “complete panic” as they scrambled for their lives. The Air Sénégal flight operated by TransAir was headed to Bamako, in neighboring Mali, late Wednesday with 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew, when the crash happened at Blaise Diagne International airport, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Dakar.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the Boeing 737-300 to catch fire and skid off the runway. The injured were being treated at a hospital, while the others were taken to a hotel to rest, the minister added.
Passengers jumped down the emergency slides at night while flames engulfed one side of the aircraft and screams were heard all around, recounted Malian musician Cheick Siriman Sissoko, who filmed the passengers’ ordeal on his phone.
“I saw my life flash before my eyes,” he said. “I thought about my mother, my wife, my kids,” Sissoko, 39, told The Associated Press from the hotel where passengers were recovering from the shock. “Only the slide on one side opened, so there was complete panic during the evacuation,” he added. Ibrahim Diallo, 20, a Malian citizen aboard of the flight, said the plane had attempted to take off earlier that night but failed.
“The pilot told us everything was under control and that we’re going to try to take off again,” he told the AP. “The second time, smoke started coming from one of the wings.”
Boeing referred all request for comment to the airlines. “Carriers operate and maintain their airplanes for upwards of 30 to 40 years,” its statement said. “We will provide any requested support to our customer.”
Air Sénégal posted a statement on the social media platform X, saying that flights between Dakar and Bamako were rescheduled, but did not respond to requests for comment.
It was the third incident involving a Boeing airplane this week. Also on Thursday, 190 people were safely evacuated from a plane in Turkey after one of its tires burst during landing at a southern airport, Turkey’s transportation ministry said. The company has been under intense pressure since a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leaving a gaping hole in the plane. (AP) -
South Korea president admits ‘shortcomings’ in rare address
SEOUL (TIP): South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a rare press conference on May 9, admitting “shortcomings” after his party’s recent electoral defeat, and laying out policies on issues from the country’s low birthrate to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The press conference was the president’s first in nearly two years, and comes after his party suffered a drubbing in legislative elections last month. On Ukraine, Yoon vowed to keep strong ties with Kyiv while maintaining a smooth relationship with Russia, ruling out direct weapons shipments and telling reporters that it was his “firm stance” not to send lethal arms to countries at war.
On South Korea’s birthrate, one of the world’s lowest, he unveiled plans to create a ministry to tackle the issue, which he described as “a national emergency”. His party’s defeat in the April 10 parliamentary elections prompted calls for Yoon to change his policy direction and leadership style, as his approval ratings languish less than halfway through his five-year term.
Yoon said he has “pondered a lot over what have been the shortcomings” of his administration.
“Communication to explain policy drives and the extent of change people have felt has fallen short,” he said.
Yoon won the 2022 presidential election by the narrowest margin in South Korean history, and his term has been hampered by a series of scandals and his party’s lack of a parliamentary majority. The president also issued an apology for what he called the “unwise conduct” of his wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee, after hidden camera footage last year appeared to show her accepting a luxury handbag in violation of government ethics rules.
But Yoon said the opposition’s call for a special probe into the first lady was “politically motivated”. His plan to fix the country’s woeful birthrate comes after it hit a record low in 2023, despite the government pouring billions of dollars into efforts to encourage women to have more children and maintain population stability.
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a press conference marking two years in office at the presidential office in Seoul on May 09, 2024. Yoon said he would ask lawmakers to cooperate “to set up the Ministry of Low Birth Rate Counter Planning”, “We will be creating a low-birth planning department in order to establish a more aggressive and powerful control tower,” he said. (AP) -
Tens of thousands of Palestinians flee Rafah amid Israeli bombardment
Gaza (TIP): Tens of thousands of Palestinians attempt to flee Rafah as Israel shells eastern area of city sheltering some 1.5 million people, Al Jazeera reports. Israel’s continued closure of the Rafah border crossing is “choking off the entry of life-saving aid into Gaza”, Al Jazeera said quoting the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The Guardian, citing UN officials said that more than 100,000 people have fled Rafah after Israel intensified its bombardment.
The Guardian said that humanitarian officials are tracking the number of people fleeing Rafah where more than 1 million people displaced from elsewhere in the territory have been sheltering.
The numbers are expected to rise, with deep concern among aid officials on Thursday that the newly displaced people will end up in makeshift encampments without any services, living in the rubble of their former homes without “basic essentials necessary for life”, The Guardian said.
There are roughly 200 Palestinians that are being forcibly displaced from Rafah every hour, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on May 8.
According to The Associated Press, the past three days, streams of people on foot or in vehicles have jammed the roads out of Rafah in a confused evacuation, their belongings piled high in cars, trucks and donkey carts. All the while, Israeli bombardment has boomed and raised palls of smoke.
“The war has caught up with us even in schools. There is no safe place at all,” said Nuzhat Jarjer. Her family packed on Wednesday to leave a UN school-turned-shelter in Rafah that was rapidly emptying of the hundreds who had lived there for months, AP report said.
Professor John Maynard, a surgeon from the UK who has spent the last two weeks operating on Palestinians in Gaza, highlighted complications from a direct result of malnutrition, reports Middle East Eye.
“I had two patients, 16 and 18, both of whom had survivable injuries, [and] both of whom died last week as a direct result of malnutrition.”
His colleague Dr Kahler, according to Middle East eye, also spoke of a “tipping point” after six-eight months, “the immunological system breaks down”.
“It is at that time when infections and complications from malnutrition will start,” he added.
A famine, one aid worker explained, requires three thresholds: a sustained, severe lack of access to food, high levels of child malnutrition, and highly elevated mortality as a result of famine and disease.
All thresholds have been passed in the north.
“If there is a Rafah invasion, this will certainly push things past the tipping point, and we will see a skyrocketing mortality related to the famine,” he was quoted as saying by the report.
Israel on Monday issued evacuation orders for eastern parts of the city, home to some 100,000. It then sent tanks to seize the nearby Rafah crossing with Egypt, shutting it down.
At least 34,904 Palestinians have been killed and 78,514 injured in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza since October 7, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said on Thursday. (AP) -
3 Indians accused of Hardeep Nijjar’s killing appear before Canadian court
India says Canada has not shared any specific evidence or information yet
SURREY, BC (TIP): Members of the Sikh Community from British Columbia crowded a Surrey courtroom on Tuesday, May 7, as three Indian nationals accused of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing made their first court appearance by video, according to Globe and Mail, a Canada-based news website.
As the trio, dressed in orange jumpsuits, appeared before court, pro-Khalistani protesters chanted slogans and held placards, outside the Surrey provincial court, blaming India’s government for the killing Judge Delaram Jahani questioned the three suspects, Karan Brar, Karanpreet Singh, and Kamalpreet Singh, in brief.
Through their attorneys, Brar and Karanpreet Singh decided to appear again on May 21. The court, however, is yet to decide on a new date for Kamalpreet Singh who has sought legal counsel, the Globe and Mail reported.
The three men were taken into custody in Edmonton last week on Friday and are accused of first-degree murder and murderous conspiracy in connection with the June 2023 shooting of Nijjar, which severely damaged Canada’s relations with India.
India and Canada are dealing with an unprecedented diplomatic crisis, after the Canadian Prime Minister accused agents of the Indian government of killing Nijjar. However, India has dismissed the accusations as “absurd” and “motivated.”
Nijjar was shot and killed after he stepped out of a gurdwara in Surrey, in Surrey a suburb in Vancouver, in June last year. A video clip of his killing reportedly surfaced in March this year, purportedly showing Nijjar being fatally shot by assailants, in what was claimed to be ‘contract killing’.
Canadian police, last week, released photographs of all three persons arrested in the killing of India-designated terrorist, Nijjar last year amid an ongoing probe into alleged connections of the Indian government.
Along with photographs of the three accused, the Canadian police also released the photographs of the car believed to have been used by the suspects in the time leading up to the homicide, in and around the Surrey area.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of Surrey, RCMP had said that on the morning of May 3, IHIT investigators, with the assistance of members from the British Columbia and Alberta RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service, arrested the three men for the June 2023 killing of Nijjar.
On May 4, Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh levelled a fresh allegation of India’s hand in the killing of Nijjar.
However, the Canadian police administration did not share any evidence linked to India’s involvement in the killing of the Khalistani leader.
Jagmeet’s party backs the Liberal minority government led by Trudeau in exchange for support on some key bills. After the Canadian Police announced the arrest of three alleged accused in the killing of Nijjar, Jagmeet renewed his claim of an Indian hand in the incident.
“The Indian government hired assassins to murder a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil – at a place of worship. Today 3 arrests were made. Let me be clear – any Indian agent or state actor that ordered, planned or carried out this murder must be exposed and met with the full force of Canadian law. For Canada, democracy and free speech – there must be Justice for Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Jagmeet posted from his X handle.
In 2023, the Canadian PM alleged an Indian hand in the killing, a claim that was vehemently denied by India which called it ‘absurd and motivated’. The Canadian Police have also not given any evidence linking India to the killing.
Meanwhile, India says Canada has not shared any specific evidence or information yet.
India on Thursday, May 9, said Canada has informed it about the arrest of three Indian citizens in the case of killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar but it has not provided any “specific” evidence or information in the matter yet.
“Let me first make it clear that no specific or relevant evidence or information has been shared by the Canadian authorities till date,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“You will therefore understand our view that the matter is being pre-judged,” he said at his weekly media briefing.
Last week, Canadian authorities charged three Indian nationals with the murder of Nijjar. It is reported that they entered Canada on student visas.
“Obviously, there are political interests at work. We have long maintained that separatists, extremists and those advocating violence have been given political space in Canada,” Jaiswal said. “Our diplomats have been threatened with impunity and obstructed in their performance of duties,” he said.
“We have also pointed to the Canadian authorities that figures associated with organized crime with links with India have been allowed entry and residency in Canada,” he said.
Jaiswal said the two countries are currently engaged in discussions on issues such as the activities of pro-Khalistan elements and threats against Indian diplomats in Canada.
He said many of India’s extradition requests are pending with Canada.
“We are having discussions at the diplomatic level on all these matters,” he said.
India on Tuesday hit out at Canada for providing “safe haven” and political space to criminal and “secessionist” elements, in a sharp reaction to pro-Khalistan elements displaying an effigy of the Indian prime minister in an offensive manner at a parade in Ontario’s Malton area.
India also accused Canada of allowing “celebration and glorification” of violence and expressed concerns over the security of Indian diplomats in that country and that it expects Ottawa to ensure that they are able to carry out their responsibilities without fear.
India’s strong reaction came two days after the ‘Nagar Kirtan’ parade in Malton displayed a “float” that contained an effigy of the Indian prime minister reportedly within a cage.
The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”.
Last week, Canadian authorities arrested Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and Karanpreet Singh (28). Days after Trudeau’s allegations in September last, India asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in the country to ensure parity.
Subsequently, Canada withdrew 41 diplomats and their family members from India.
India has been asserting that its “core issue” with Canada remained that of the space given to separatists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country.
(With inputs from IANS and PTI)
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Man with sword goes on stabbing spree in London, kills teen, injures 4
London (TIP): A sword-wielding man on May 1 smashed a vehicle into a home and then went on a stabbing spree in a “serious incident” near an east London Tube station, killing a 13-year-old boy and wounding four people, before being arrested, the Metropolitan Police said.
The police said the incident did not appear to be linked with “any act of terrorism” and that of the five people injured, a boy has died from his injuries and the others, including two police officers, remain in hospital after the attack in Hainault area of the city.
“A 13-year-old boy was taken to hospital after being stabbed and sadly died a short while after. The child’s family are being supported by local officers and are now with some specialist officers,” said Met Police Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell in a statement. He confirmed the 36-year-old suspect was tasered within 22 minutes of the first call and remains in custody. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described it as a “shocking incident”, saying that such violence has no place on the country’s streets.
“This is a shocking incident. My thoughts are with those affected and their families. I’d like to thank the emergency services for their response, and pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery shown by police on the scene,” said Sunak. “Such violence has no place on our streets,” he said. (PTI) -
China’s advanced 3rd aircraft carrier begins sea trials amid South China Sea tensions
Beijing (TIP): China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, the most advanced homemade warship, began its maiden sea trials on May 1 as Beijing ramped up its naval power amid increasing tensions with the US in the disputed South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
The ship left Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard on Wednesday morning for the sea trials, primarily to test the reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier’s propulsion and electrical systems, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Since its launch in June 2022, the Fujian has completed its mooring trials, outfitting work and equipment adjustments. It has met the technical requirements for sea trials.
Ahead of the trials, China has imposed maritime traffic controls around the mouth of the Yangtze River where the Jiangnan shipyard ship is located for “military activities”.
The traffic controls would last till May 9, the report said.
According to the previous official media reports, China plans to have five to six aircraft carriers by 2035 for strategic deployment in the disputed South China Sea, where Beijing seeks to assert its claims over most of the vast area, the Taiwan Strait which separates the Chinese mainland and Taiwan and the Indian Ocean where Beijing is increasing its power projection.
Elaborating on China’s strategy in acquiring aircraft carriers, Senior Col. (rtd) Zhou Bo, who spent four decades with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), said China sees their importance for possible war far from home.
“I cannot speculate on how many carriers China will need. But I can tell you that aircraft carriers are primarily not for coastal fights. They are for a possible war far from home,” Bo, who is a senior fellow with the Centre for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post in a recent interview.
“People may say that one day, when China has to retreat from peaceful means to resolve the Taiwan issue, we could use aircraft carriers,” he said.
“Of course they are useful, but they are more useful in our power projection in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, or Atlantic Ocean – anywhere far from our waters – because they are platforms for the ships and aircraft that make us powerful,” he said.
Currently, the Chinese navy is involved in a standoff with the US-backed Philippines naval ships in the South China Sea.
The Philippines is trying to assert its claim over the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea which is strongly resisted by China.
China claims most of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims.
China names its aircraft carriers after its provinces. Fujian borders the Taiwan Strait. The other two carriers were named after Liaoning and the Shandong provinces.
China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was a refit of the Soviet-era ship commissioned in 2012 followed by the indigenously built 2nd aircraft carrier Shandong in 2019.
Chinese official media said Fujian is the “first fully domestically developed and constructed” aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) similar to that of the American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
Fujian has a full displacement of more than 80,000 tonnes, about 20,000 tonnes more than the other two aircraft carriers.
China’s other two aircraft carriers are equipped with ski-jump take-off ramps while the Fujian features a flat-top flight deck.
China operates its indigenously built J-15 aircraft for its carriers.
In a major rejig of its military doctrine, China in 2013 stepped up the development of the navy with a massive budget while cutting down the number of army troops as part of its power projection far from its shores.
The modernisation included building several aircraft carriers besides submarines, frigates and assault ships as part of its efforts to expand its global influence.
According to an estimate, China is building almost a naval ship a month. It is helping Pakistan to modernise its navy by providing its latest naval frigates and submarines. (PTI) -
Fighting worst floods in history, Kazakhstan successfully coexists with ethnic groups
Fighting worst floods in history, Kazakhstan successfully coexists with ethnic groups
Astana (Kazakhstan) (TIP): At a time when Kazakhstan is undergoing a difficult moment due to the worst-ever floods in 80 years just when it had embarked on political and social reforms, its President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has stressed that the consequences of the floods will be eliminated, and the path of reforms will continue.
One of the paths is to promote inter-ethnic unity because contrary to superficial impression, Kazakhstan is a mosaic of ethnicities which includes Germans, Koreans, Russians, Uzbeks and Kyrghiz nationalities besides 70 per cent Kazakhs.
Speaking to a group of visiting journalists, Chair of the capital’s Uzbek ethno cultural centre Sherzod Pulatov said it is this emphasis on ethnic unity that the Kazakh people in a difficult situation have demonstrated cohesion, solidarity and sympathy for those in need.
“All ethnic groups are an integral part of the people of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Our country is multinational, according to some sources, representatives of at least 130 ethnic groups live in it. There are 42 ethno-cultural associations in all cities and districts of the country,” he explained.There are more than 1,000 different ethno-cultural associations in Kazakhstan, all united by a coordinating body – the Assembly – which held its session party virtually due to the floods and the need to save money. (TNS)
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South Korea’s parliament approves independent investigation of the devastating 2022 Halloween crush
SEOUL (TIP): South Korea’s parliament on May 2 approved legislation mandating a new, independent investigation into the 2022 Halloween crush in Seoul that killed 159 people.
The single-chamber National Assembly passed the bill by a 256-0 vote. It will become law after it is signed by President Yoon Suk Yeol and promulgated by his government agency — steps that are considered formalities because the president and his ruling party already agreed on the legislation.
The bill is meant to delve into the root cause of the crush, details about how authorities handled the disaster and who should be blamed for it. It also envisages the creation of a fact-finding committee with nine members that would independently examine the disaster for up to 15 months. Once the committee determines who is responsible and who should face charges, it would report them to the government’s investigation agencies. The agencies would then conclude investigations of the suspects within three months, according to the bill.
The crush, one of the biggest peacetime disasters in South Korea, caused a nationwide outpouring of grief. The victims, who were mostly in their 20s and 30s, had gathered in Seoul’s popular nightlife district of Itaewon for Halloween celebrations. In the aftermath of the tragedy, there was also anger that the government had again ignored safety and regulatory issues despite the lessons learned since the 2014 sinking of the ferry Sewol, which killed 304 people — mostly teenagers on a school trip.
In early 2023, a police special investigation concluded that police and municipal officials failed to formulate effective crowd control steps, despite correctly anticipating a huge number of people in Itaewon. At the time, investigators said police had also ignored hotline calls by pedestrians who warned of swelling crowds before the surge turned deadly.
More than 20 police and other officials have been on trial over the disaster but few top-level officials have been charged or held accountable, prompting bereaved families and opposition lawmakers to call for an independent probe.
President Yoon had previously opposed a new investigation of the disaster. However, during a meeting with liberal opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday, Yoon said he would not oppose it, should some existing disputes be resolved, such as whether the fact-finding committee can request arrest warrants. (AP) -
See no point in peace conference in Switzerland
Zurich (TIP): Russia said on May 2 it saw no point in a conference being planned by Switzerland in mid-June to discuss how to end the Ukraine conflict and to which Moscow is not currently invited. The Swiss government said on Thursday that “at this stage” Russia is not among the dozens of countries invited, adding that while it was open to including Russia, Moscow had repeatedly underlined it had no interest. Switzerland in January said it would host the summit at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow did not see it as a credible initiative. “What kind of conference can we talk about, with serious expectations of some kind of results, without the participation of Russia?” he said. — Reuters
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Hamas to send delegation to Egypt for Gaza ceasefire talks
Beirut (TIP): Hamas said on May 2 that it was sending a delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks, in a new sign of progress in attempts by international mediators to hammer out an agreement between Israel and the militant group to end the war in Gaza. After months of stop-and-start negotiations, the cease-fire efforts appear to have reached a critical stage, with Egyptian and American mediators reporting signs of compromise in recent days. But chances for the deal remain entangled with the key question of whether Israel will accept an end to the war without reaching its stated goal of destroying Hamas.The stakes in the cease-fire negotiations were made clear in a new UN report that said if the Israel-Hamas war stops today, it will still take until 2040 to rebuild all the homes that have been destroyed by nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza. It warned that the impact of the damage to the economy will set back development for generations and will only get worse with every month fighting continues.
Hamas is seeking guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal and complete end to the war. — Reuters -
China says ‘great positive progress’ made to resolve border row with India
BEIJING (TIP): China and India have made “great positive progress to resolve the border standoff, with both sides maintaining close communication, a senior foreign ministry official said here on April 12.
The foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning’s remarks were further elaboration on China’s reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statement in which he said that for New Delhi, ties with Beijing are important and the “prolonged situation” at the borders should be addressed urgently.
In an interview with Newsweek magazine, Prime Minister Modi expressed hope that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, the two countries will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquillity at their borders.
“About the border issue, I can tell you that China and India are remaining in close communication through diplomatic and military channels and great positive progress has been made,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao told a media briefing here responding to a question on Modi’s interview to Newsweek.
“We also believe that a healthy China and India relations serve the interests of the two countries,” she said.
“China hopes that India will work in the same direction with China to properly manage the differences and promote the bilateral relations forward on a healthy stable track,” Mao said.
This is the second time in as many days that China has reacted to Modi’s interview.
“It is my belief that we need to urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us,” Modi said in his interview.
“Stable and peaceful relations between India and China are important for not just our two countries but the entire region and world,” he said.
Mao while responding to a question on Modi’s interview on Thursday said that China noted Prime Minister Modi’s remarks.
“Sound and stable China-India relations serve the interests of both countries and are conducive to peace and development in the region and beyond,” she said.
On the boundary question, Mao on Thursday reiterated China’s oft-repeated stand that it does not represent the entirety of China-India relations, and it should be placed appropriately in bilateral relations and managed properly. (PTI) -
Italian coast guard rescues 22 shipwrecked people, recovers 9 bodies. Some 15 reported missing
MILAN (TIP): The Italian Coast Guard rescued 22 people and recovered nine bodies after a smugglers’ boat capsized in a storm about 50 kilometers ( about 30 miles) south of the island of Lampedusa, authorities said April 11. Survivors indicated that the steel bottom boat had departed from Sfax, Tunisia overnight Sunday carrying 46 people from Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali and Ivory Coast. The boat capsized Wednesday morning as waves reached up to five meters (16 feet) and “the group became very agitated when the engine broke down and they were left adrift,’’ the U.N. refugee agency said.
The victims included a six-month-old child, along with eight men, UNHCR said. Six of the survivors were treated for severe hypothermia and dehydration; two remain hospitalized. After the rescue in rough seas with waves reaching more than 2 1/2 meters (eight feet), the Coast Guard said it continued the air surveillance of the area, which is under Malta’s search-and-rescue area.
The number of crossing attempts generally increase as summer approaches, raising concerns about more shipwrecks, especially as Italian port rules are restricting operations of charity rescue boats. Italy’s far-right-led government has recently been instructing charity boats to go to northern ports after each rescue, reducing their operations, and has been impounding boats that it says violates its rules.
“With the arrival of the summer season, we can expect more incidents at sea, as more and more people are leaving with completely unseaworthy metal boats, as we are seeing in these weeks,’’ said Federico Fossi, a spokesman for the UNHCR in Italy. The International Organization for Migration put the number of migrants missing along the deadly central Mediterranean route from northern Africa to Italy at 385 so far this year and 23,109 since they launched the missing migrants project in 2014. (AP) -
Prince William makes first appearance since wife’s cancer announcement
LONDON (TIP): Prince William has made his first public appearance since his wife Catherine announced she has cancer, attending a football match between Aston Villa and Lille with son Prince George.
The 41-year-old heir to the British throne was pictured smiling and clapping with son George, 10, as his team Aston Villa recorded a 2-1 win in the first leg of the Europa Conference League quarter-final on Thursday night.
The Princess of Wales, 42, announced last month that she was undergoing treatment for a cancer discovered following abdominal surgery.
The news followed on from King Charles III, William’s father, revealing that he was receiving treatment for an unspecified cancer.
The king is carrying out official duties behind closed doors but is not conducting public engagements. He did, however, attend an Easter Sunday service.
William is a keen football fan and has supported Birmingham-based Aston Villa since he was a schoolboy. He is also the president of the Football Association (FA). (AFP)