分类： world

In a landmark ruling for international justice, the International Criminal Court has sentenced former Janjaweed commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman to 20 years imprisonment for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Darfur’s brutal conflict. The 76-year-old militia leader, widely known as Ali Kushayb, received his sentence Tuesday following an October conviction on 27 separate counts of atrocities including systematic murder, torture, and the orchestration of mass rape campaigns.

Presiding Judge Joanna Korner delivered harrowing details of Abd-al-Rahman’s personal involvement in the violence, describing how he “personally perpetrated” beatings with axes and ordered executions. The court heard victim testimonies recounting days that “began at sunrise with torture” where “blood ran freely in the streets” without medical assistance or mercy. Judge Korner further revealed the defendant had walked on the heads of wounded men, women, and children during the 2003-2004 atrocities.

This conviction represents the first successful prosecution of a militia leader for Darfur crimes, marking a significant milestone for the ICC since the UN Security Council referred the Sudan case in 2005. The trial saw unprecedented scope with 74 witnesses testifying, 1,861 items admitted as evidence, and 1,591 victims participating in proceedings from April 2022 through December 2024.

Prosecutor Julian Nicholls characterized Abd-al-Rahman as “an enthusiastic, energetic, effective perpetrator” who committed crimes “knowingly, wilfully and with enthusiasm and vigour.” The defendant, who voluntarily surrendered to ICC custody in June 2020, listened impassively during sentencing.

Human rights organizations hailed the verdict as long overdue justice. Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s regional director for east and southern Africa, noted the ruling “should serve as a warning to those committing abuses in the context of the ongoing Sudan conflict.”

The sentencing occurs against the backdrop of continued violence in Darfur, where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—an offshoot of the Janjaweed—now battle the Sudanese army. The ICC is currently investigating alleged RSF crimes in el-Fasher including extrajudicial killings, torture, and mass rape reported last month. Recent estimates suggest tens of thousands have been massacred since the RSF seized the city in October, exacerbating mass displacement and starvation in a region already devastated by nearly three years of civil war.

Outstanding arrest warrants remain for other Sudanese officials, including former president Omar al-Bashir wanted for genocide, underscoring the ongoing pursuit of accountability for Darfur’s atrocities.

In a damning annual assessment released Thursday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has identified the Israeli military as the primary global threat to journalists, responsible for nearly half of all media professional fatalities worldwide during the past year. The Paris-based press freedom organization documented 67 journalist killings across the reporting period, with 43 percent occurring at the hands of Israeli forces in Palestinian territories—making this region the most lethal environment for news gatherers globally.

RSF’s comprehensive analysis reveals that Israel’s military operations have surpassed even cartels and organized crime groups (24 percent) and the Russian army (4 percent) in journalist fatalities. The organization accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of conducting “an unprecedented massacre of the Palestinian press in recent history,” while simultaneously mounting a global propaganda campaign that falsely portrays Palestinian journalists as terrorists to justify these actions.

The devastating toll includes over 250 media personnel killed since October 2023 according to Gaza’s Palestinian Media Office, with numerous documented cases of targeted strikes. On August 10, an Israeli attack killed Al Jazeera journalists Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Mohammed Noufal, and Ibrahim Zaher, alongside freelance reporters Moamen Aliwa and Mohammed al-Khaldi. Israel alleged Sharif’s Hamas affiliation without presenting substantiating evidence—claims vehemently denied by Al Jazeera.

Further atrocities include August’s ‘double-tap’ airstrikes on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza that killed more than 20 people, including five journalists: Middle East Eye’s Mohamed Salama and Ahmed Abu Aziz, AP-affiliated freelancer Mariam Dagga, Reuters photojournalist Hussam al-Masri, and freelance reporter Moaz Abu Taha.

Beyond the killings, RSF ranks Israel as the world’s ninth-worst jailer of journalists, immediately following Egypt. The report documents over 250 media workers detained since the Gaza conflict began, with at least 20—and potentially up to 50 according to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs—currently imprisoned. Most face no formal charges, instead being detained for social media activity labeled as ‘incitement’ or under administrative detention based on undisclosed ‘secret files’—a controversial practice enabling indefinite imprisonment without trial.

International journalists have likewise faced repression, exemplified by the January detention of French journalist and Middle East Eye contributor Sylvain Mercadier for over four hours by Israeli forces while reporting from Syria. RSF concludes that Israel’s press suppression continues with impunity after more than two years of Gaza blockade and military operations.

China has attained prestigious international validation for its urban search and rescue capabilities after successfully completing the rigorous accreditation process administered by the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), a United Nations-coordinated global network. The Ministry of Emergency Management announced this milestone achievement on Tuesday, confirming China’s position as only the tenth nation worldwide to pass the International Recognition of National Accreditation Process.

This certification signifies that China’s urban search-and-rescue system has reached internationally advanced standards, with its operational capabilities earning broad recognition from the global emergency response community. As a result of this accreditation, China now receives official authorization from INSARAG to conduct domestic assessments of rescue teams and award INSARAG certification badges to those meeting international benchmarks.

The comprehensive evaluation exercise took place earlier this month at China’s National Earthquake Emergency Rescue Training Base in Beijing. Under the leadership of the China Earthquake Emergency Search and Rescue Center, the drill assembled over 160 personnel from multiple organizations including the Beijing Fire and Rescue Corps, the National Emergency Medical Rescue Team, the China International Search and Rescue Team, and Beijing Language and Culture University.

The accreditation process featured an intensive 30-hour continuous field operation simulating realistic earthquake scenarios. The exercise demonstrated highly efficient and well-coordinated rescue capabilities under demanding conditions. A distinguished evaluation panel consisting of 10 international technical experts from INSARAG alongside 10 Chinese assessment experts employed a dual-standard review system combining both international and domestic criteria to ensure the professionalism and authority of the accreditation process.

A significant industrial incident unfolded in South Korea’s southwestern region on Tuesday when a powerful explosion ignited a major fire at a thermal power plant in Taean. The emergency was reported to local fire authorities at approximately 2:43 PM local time (0543 GMT), according to coverage by Yonhap News Agency.

The facility, located approximately 150 kilometers southwest of the capital city Seoul, experienced the blast accompanied by a loud audible detonation that signaled the beginning of the emergency. Initial reports indicate that the explosion preceded the rapid development of the fire within the plant’s infrastructure.

Emergency response units immediately mobilized to address the critical situation. Firefighting personnel and specialized equipment were dispatched to the scene following standard protocol for industrial accidents of this magnitude. An unnamed fire official confirmed the deployment of resources, though the exact scale of the response and specific number of units involved remains undisclosed at this early stage.

The Taean thermal power plant represents a significant component of South Korea’s energy infrastructure, though specific operational details regarding capacity and output remain unverified in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Thermal power plants typically generate electricity through combustion of fossil fuels, presenting inherent fire risks that require sophisticated safety systems and protocols.

Authorities have not yet released information regarding potential casualties, structural damage assessments, or the impact on regional power supply. The investigation into the root cause of the explosion and subsequent fire will likely involve multiple governmental agencies and industry experts once the immediate emergency is contained.

Japanese authorities have escalated warnings about a potential catastrophic earthquake following Monday’s magnitude 7.5 tremor that struck northeastern Japan. This alert marks the second such warning in under two years, reviving concerns about the anticipated ‘big one’—a seismic event projected to occur once every century.

According to Japan’s earthquake investigation panel, there is a 60-90% probability that a megaquake could originate from the Nankai Trough within the next three decades. This seismic zone extends along Japan’s Pacific coastline and has historically generated devastating earthquakes. Officials have projected worst-case scenarios including tsunamis exceeding 20 meters (66 feet) that could inundate Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, potentially resulting in approximately 300,000 fatalities and trillions of dollars in economic devastation.

Residents across seven prefectures—from Hokkaido in the north to Chiba in central Japan—have been instructed to maintain heightened preparedness. While no formal evacuation orders have been issued, authorities are urging citizens to verify evacuation routes, secure household furniture, and assemble emergency supplies including food, water, and portable sanitation facilities.

Government seismologists indicate that there is approximately a 1% chance that Monday’s earthquake could trigger a subsequent magnitude 8.0 or larger event. Takashi Yokota, Japan’s director for disaster management, emphasized during a press briefing that current global seismic data suggests a possibility rather than a prediction of an imminent major tremor.

The Nankai Trough’s seismic history provides sobering context. This subduction zone between Suruga Bay and the Hyuganada Sea has generated catastrophic earthquakes approximately every century, often occurring in pairs. The most recent events in 1944 and 1946 resulted in significant destruction, while the 1707 rupture along the trough’s entire 600-kilometer length triggered Japan’s second-largest recorded earthquake and subsequent Mount Fuji eruption.

Seismological experts remain divided on prediction capabilities. Geologists Kyle Bradley and Judith Hubbard describe the Nankai Trough’s historical pattern as ‘convincingly scary,’ while University of Tokyo Professor Emeritus Robert Geller maintains that earthquake warnings have ‘almost nothing to do with science,’ noting that only about 5% of earthquakes are preceded by detectable foreshocks.

Japan’s current warning system, developed after the catastrophic 2011 magnitude 9.0 earthquake that killed over 18,000 people, was first implemented in August 2024. The Japan Meteorological Agency continues to balance public awareness with caution, stating that while earthquake probability is elevated, ‘this is not an indication that a major earthquake will definitely occur.’

BELEM, BRAZIL – At the COP30 climate summit, prominent climate scientist Winston Chow emphasized that regional renewable energy sharing represents the most viable pathway for Southeast Asia to address escalating heat-related challenges without exacerbating carbon emissions.

As co-chair of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change working group on climate impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, Chow identified outdoor workers and slum residents as particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures. His analysis followed commitments from 185 cities, including Singapore, to implement localized cooling solutions that are both accessible and environmentally sustainable.

The urgency of this transition was underscored by a recent UN Environment Programme report warning that global cooling demand could triple by 2050 due to increasing temperatures, population growth, and proliferation of inefficient cooling systems. Unchecked, cooling-related emissions could nearly double, potentially overwhelming power grids and derailing climate objectives.

Chow, who serves as Professor of Urban Climate at Singapore Management University, noted Southeast Asia’s particular challenge: “We are still starved in terms of access to renewable energies,” highlighting the region’s limited solar, wind and hydropower resources compared to other areas. This scarcity underscores the critical importance of developing an ASEAN renewable energy grid, with member states targeting an interconnected power network by 2045 to ensure more affordable and reliable electricity supply.

Beyond technological solutions, Chow pointed to nature-based approaches including community gardens, street greenery and urban agriculture that provide natural cooling while delivering co-benefits like carbon sequestration. He particularly commended the UNEP report for addressing risks to vulnerable populations in heat-stressed tropical regions.

The scientist emphasized that effective cooling strategies must address both adaptation to rising temperatures and their root causes, noting: “You can’t just use air conditioning without realizing that most air conditioning is powered by fossil fuels.”

Supporting this comprehensive approach, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu announced plans to share technical expertise in sustainable cooling and urban heat resilience through the COP30 cooling initiative led by the Brazilian presidency and UNEP.

Amid sweltering conditions at the COP30 venue, Chow expressed hope that increasing temperature-related risks would spur more concerted global action, with cross-community and cross-governmental cooperation essential for implementing sustainable cooling solutions.