Weekly Global Newscast | October 29 - November 4, 2018

Asia

Pakistan Supreme Court Acquits Blasphemy Convict; Country Wide Protests

Pakistan Supreme Court in a landmark decision acquitted Asiya Bibi- A Christian women convicted over charges of blasphemy back in 2008. The decision stirred diverse responses among the Pakistani society. Members of Tehreek e Labaik Ya Rasoolullah, a conservative religious party took the major cities by protests, disapproving the Court’s decision. After several days of protests in various parts of some of the major cities in the country, the Government managed to reach an agreement with the TLP to diffuse tensions across the country for the short-term.

Analysis

‘With a public that has increasingly championed the death penalty and cheered its resumption following a seven-year moratorium that ended in 2015, and a Prime Minister beholden to the very people who want her dead, Asia Bibi can only rely on the Supreme Court itself. The lawyers and judges have all faced intimidation from the hardliners who are issuing threats, insisting that those who exonerate Asia Bibi will be blasphemers themselves. The three male justices deciding her case heard arguments from both sides on October 8, and while they seemed interested in the way the witness statements contradicted each other, and that the male cleric who had filed the case was not actually present when the altercation took place, there were few clues as to which way the court leaned. At the end of the proceedings, the court said it would “reserve” the verdict. Pakistani media were told to refrain from discussing the case, a directive most of have adhered to in recent days.’ Rafia Zakria writes for The New Republic.

‘The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration signed an agreement with the anti-blasphemy group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Friday night, giving in to many of its demands in the face of massive, countrywide protests calling for Bibi to be put to death. In a document signed by the PTI’s religious affairs minister and the TLP’s second-in-command, Pir Afzal Qadri, the government promised not to oppose a court petition to reverse Bibi’s release. It also pledged to work in the meantime to put her name on the exit control list (ECL) which would prevent her leaving the country.’ Memphis Barker writes for The Guardian.

‘Thousands of far-right religious demonstrators continue to block major roads across Pakistan in protest against the acquittal of a Christian woman in a high-profile blasphemy case. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) political party, led by firebrand Muslim leader Khadim Rizvi, organised rallies in cities across the South Asian country on Thursday, despite a warning from Prime Minister Imran Khan not to “force the government to have to take action”. Bibi’s case had become emblematic of fair-trial concerns in cases related to the country’s blasphemy laws, with two senior political leaders who stood up for her gunned down in 2009 for supporting her. Rights groups have hailed her acquittal as a watershed moment.’ Asad Hashim writes for Al Jazeera.

US Charges Chinese Spies and Hackers of Secret Trade Theft

The United States has charged companies in China and Taiwan and three individuals with stealing trade secrets from a US semi-conductor company. The accusation has come coupled with the prospects of intensifying the state of affairs among the two countries that have always had to work hard to preserve a working posture amongst themselves.

Analysis

‘The Trump administration this week imposed restrictions on technology exports to one of the indicted companies, Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit. The administration has characterized China, along with Russia, as a strategic competitor of the United States. The US has taken an increasingly tough and confrontational stance toward what it characterizes as China’s “predatory” economic policies. The secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, set the tone in a June speech in which he accused China of an “unprecedented level of larceny” of intellectual property. Tensions over trade in particular have worsened relations between the two world powers. Donald Trump has slapped tariffs on $250bn in Chinese products in an effort to narrow the US trade deficit with China. Those steps are also motivated by suspicions of China’s plan to transform itself into a global leader in robotics, artificial intelligence and other technology industries. China has retaliated with tariff hikes on $110bn of American products.’ Associated Press Reported for The Guardian.

‘The alleged conspiracy ran for at least five years beginning in 2010, and focused on the theft of technology underlying a turbofan engine used in U.S. and European commercial jets, officials said. The engine was being developed through a partnership between a French company with an office in Suzhou, China, and a U.S. company. Neither company was identified in the indictment, nor is none of the alleged conspirators in U.S. custody. The superseding indictment was issued Oct. 25 in the Southern District of California. The defendants hacked the French firm, as well as companies in Arizona, Massachusetts and Oregon that made parts for the jet engine, officials alleged. At the time of the intrusions, a Chinese state-owned aerospace company was developing a comparable commercial jet engine, they said.’ Ellen Nakashima writes for The Washington Post.

Middle East & North Africa

Iran Up To Confront another Series of US Sanctions

President Trump announced a fresh series of sanctions in one of his posts on his Twitter handle. The new set of US sanctions confronting Iran has come in coupled with a reposition of embargo on oil. The said series of sanctions are being seen as more tough and stringent than the ones imposed on Iran upon USA’s exit from JCPOA.

Analysis

‘Iranians are bracing for the full force of US sanctions due to hit on Monday as the Trump administration reimposes an embargo on oil, the most stringent set of punitive measures since Washington withdrew from the 2015 landmark nuclear deal, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The new sanctions, which also aim to cut off Iran’s banking sector from the global market, are timed to coincide with the anniversary of the 1979 storming by Iranian revolutionaries of the US embassy in Tehran, when angry students took 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days. Iran has remained defiant, saying it is confident it can weather the impacts, and that the US will fail to bring down Iranian oil imports to zero. But ordinary people, wary of the fluctuations of the currency and the rising prices of goods, are anxious.’ Saeed Kamali Dehghan writes for The Guardian.

‘On November 5, the second round of US restrictions against Iran, re-introduced after Washington’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), will come into effect. The European Union came up with several initiatives to keep Iran in the multilateral pact, including a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that it wants to set up with Russia and China to allow any country bypass US sanctions and trade with Iran last November’. Reported the Sputnik International.

Sub Saharan Africa

Nigerian Soldiers Open Fire at Peaceful Shia Protestors

Dozens of Shia Muslims were shot by Nigeria’s security forces in two days while peacefully protesting against the imprisonment of their leader. Nigerian soldiers opened fire over the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), killing at least 45 members of the party.

Analysis

‘Rights groups have accused Nigeria’s military of killing more than 300 IMN supporters and burying them in mass graves during the 2015 confrontation, a charge the army strongly denies. The cleric, who lost an eye and was left partially paralysed in the violence, has been at loggerheads with authorities for years because of his call for an Iranian-style Islamic revolution.’  Reported the Al Jazeera.

‘At least 45 members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) were killed in thecapital, Abuja, and the neighbouring state of Nasarawa on Saturday and Monday, the human rights group said. Four hundred people were reportedly arrested on Tuesday. Soldiers used automatic weapons on the protesters in a “horrific use of excessive force by soldiers and police”, according to Amnesty. On Saturday, at least six people were killed. On Monday, the death toll was at least 39, with another 122 sustaining gunshot wounds. The protesters were demanding the release of Ibrahim Zakzaky. He has been in prison since 2015, when the Nigerian army killed hundreds of his supporters near his home in Zaria. In April, he was charged with murder.’ Ruth Maclean writes for The Guardian.

‘The deadly clashes between the protesters and Nigerian security forces began when the authorities prohibited them from passing through a checkpoint during their march. According to video footage, heavily armed soldiers opened fire after protestors hurled rocks at them. The Nigerian military claims six people were killed. The IMN said that the military killed at least 49 people with their live bullets. Amnesty International put the death toll at 45 said there is evidence of police and soldiers using automatic weapons to kill the protesters. The most populous country is almost equally divided with Sunni Muslims in the north and Christians in the south. Shia Muslims, however, are an often persecuted religious minority. Boko Haram, the Islamist extremist group, labels Shia as “heretics” and demands that they be killed.’ Sarah Harvard writes for The Independent.

Europe

UK’s Crime Agency Opens Probe into Brexit Campaigner

British officials are investigating a prominent Brexit campaigner and his influential movement group over alleged financial misconduct linked to the United Kingdom’s 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union.

Analysis

‘While electoral law offences would not routinely fall within the NCA’s remit, the nature of the necessary inquiries and the potential for offences to have been committed other than under electoral law lead us to consider an NCA investigation appropriate in this instance,” the statement said. The NCA, which is tasked with investigating serious and organised crimes, said it acted following a referral of material from the UK’s Electoral Commission. The investigation is sensitive, because it could potentially cast doubts on the legitimacy of the Brexit vote.’ Reported the Al Jazeera.

‘Businessman Arron Banks is facing claims that he may have misled parliament over the links between his pro-Brexit campaign and his insurance company during the EU referendum. Ahead of a controversial appearance by Mr Banks on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning, leaked documents from former employees at Eldon Insurance and Rock Services to The Observer and the website Open Democracy appear to show that some workers from the two companies had a part to play in the Leave.EU campaign from their offices. Any such work in the months before the election should be declared under electoral law and Mr Banks has repeatedly denied any such work taking place.’ Chris Stevenson writes for The Independent.

Americas

US Midterm Elections

US voters gear up for November 6, to take part in midterm elections that will help define the remaining two years of President Donald Trump’s first term in office.

Analysis

‘The 2018 midterms are set to be the most expensive on record, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), a Washington, DC-based group that tracks political spending.  CRP estimates total spending to cross $5.2bn, a 35 percent increase over the 2014 midterms, in which spending remained short of $4bn. The group said it would be the largest increase in at least two decades. “The significance of this election is clear. But whether it’s a blue wave or a red wave, one thing is certain: a wave of money is surging towards Election Day, much of it coming from the wealthiest donors targeting this year’s most competitive races,” Sheila Krumholz, CRP’s executive director, said on the group’s website. Both the US parties are raising funds at record levels, but CRP said the sizeable increase is being driven primarily by Democrats.  Democrat candidates are expected to spend over $2.5bn this year, while the figure for the Republicans stands at roughly $2.2bn, according to the group. Reported the Al Jazeera.

‘Donald Trump is not the sole reason why American politics have become so toxic, why Americans’ faith in their institutions has been so shaken, or the influence of the US for good in the world so diminished. In many ways Mr Trump was the product of already existing toxicity, shaken faith and declining prestige. But he has turbo-charged this decline deliberately, as a matter of conscious policy. He seeks consistently to be the president of some of the United States, not of the country as a whole. Against those who do not support or agree with him he deploys only hate and scorn. He lies and provokes as a matter of strategy. This is a president without precedent, and although in the US democracy is strong, it is not indestructible. Take the issue of voting rights. It is often assumed that the US constitution embodies a federal right to vote. It does not. Voting is administered by the states. Most states are in Republican hands, and the districts that will send members of Congress to Washington this week have frequently been gerrymandered. In many states, including North Carolina and Wisconsin, Republicans have imposed restrictions on early voting, postal voting and voter identification, all of them designed to prevent black Americans from voting. In Georgia, officials tried to close seven out the nine voting places in a predominantly black area on the pretext that disabled access was inadequate.’ Reported The Guardian.

‘Campaigns, parties and outside groups have spent a record-setting $4.7bn on congressional races – and that figure may jump to $5.2bn by the time the election is over. That record sum has been buoyed by Democratic spending as they seek to secure those 23 districts while defending the few races where Democratic incumbents are threatened. The Cook Political Report – a leading handicapper for American political races – has identified 73 of the 435 House seats as as competitive this year. That’s good news for Democrats, as 69 of those seats are currently in Republican hands. Republicans have a considerable advantage in the Senate, where the majority of seats up for grabs this year have Democrats on the defensive. The current Senate makeup gives Republicans a 51-49 advantage, and, of the seats up for grabs, Democrats are defending 10 seats in states where Mr Trump won in 2016.’ Clark Mindock writes for The Independent.

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