Two dead after shooting in Hamburg; investigation ongoing

Two dead after shooting in Hamburg; investigation ongoing
Police were called shortly before midnight and 28 vehicles rushed to the scene. (File/AFP)
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Updated 26 March 2023

Two dead after shooting in Hamburg; investigation ongoing

Two dead after shooting in Hamburg; investigation ongoing
  • Spokesperson declined to comment on the perpetrator

FRANKFURT: Two people have died after a shooting in Hamburg, police said on Sunday, in a second deadly shooting in the city this month.
Police said they had concluded an operation and were now investigating. A spokesperson declined to comment on the perpetrator.
Bild reported that the police were called shortly before midnight and that 28 vehicles rushed to the scene.


Allegations of Afghanistan war crimes led to US warning -Australian defense chief

Allegations of Afghanistan war crimes led to US warning -Australian defense chief
Updated 55 min 29 sec ago

Allegations of Afghanistan war crimes led to US warning -Australian defense chief

Allegations of Afghanistan war crimes led to US warning -Australian defense chief
  • 4-year investigation found in 2020 that Australian special forces allegedly killed 39 unarmed prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan

SYDNEY: Australia’s defense chief said on Wednesday the United States warned him in 2021 that allegations Australian special forces soldiers killed prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan may trigger a law prohibiting assistance from the United States.
The United States is Australia’s biggest security alliance partner.
Chief of Defense Force, Angus Campbell, told a parliamentary committee that he had received a March 2021 letter from the United States defense attache in Canberra outlining the US concern.
A four-year investigation, known as the Brereton report, found in 2020 that Australian special forces allegedly killed 39 unarmed prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan. Australia referred 19 current and former soldiers for potential criminal prosecution as a result.
Campbell, responding to questions by the committee, confirmed he had received the letter from the US defense attache, and it said “that report, because it had credible information of allegations of what the United States would call gross violations of human rights, may — may — trigger Leahy Law considerations with regards to the relationship between the United States Armed Forces and a partner unit or organization.”
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the US Embassy in Canberra.
Campbell said the unit in question was either special operations command or the special air services regiment. An Australian soldier had his posting adjusted as a result of the “the question of whether Leahy Law issues may be, may emerge,” he added.
Leahy Law prohibits the US government from using funds or assisting units of foreign security forces where there is credible information of gross violation of human rights.
According to a US government fact sheet, assistance can be resumed if a government takes effective steps to bring those responsible to justice.
Campbell said the defense minister at the time and current Defense Minister Richard Marles were not aware of the letter.
Australia’s military involvement in Afghanistan began in September 2001 and continued until mid-June 2021, the longest engagement by Australia in an armed conflict.


Beijing blames US ‘provocation’ for South China Sea fighter jet incident

Beijing blames US ‘provocation’ for South China Sea fighter jet incident
Updated 31 May 2023

Beijing blames US ‘provocation’ for South China Sea fighter jet incident

Beijing blames US ‘provocation’ for South China Sea fighter jet incident
  • US defense leaders have complained that China’s military has become significantly more aggressive over the past five years

WASHINGTON/BEIJING: Beijing blamed US “provocation” Wednesday for an incident last week when a Chinese plane crossed in front of an American surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea.

“The United States’ long-term and frequent sending of ships and planes to conduct close surveillance on China seriously harms China’s national sovereignty and security,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said when asked about the incident, demanding Washington “immediately stop this form of dangerous provocation.”

The US military said Tuesday that a Chinese fighter jet flew aggressively close to a US reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea, forcing the American pilot to fly through the turbulent wake.

The Chinese J-16 fighter pilot “flew directly in front of the nose of the RC-135,” which was conducting routine operations in international airspace last Friday, US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. It called the Chinese move an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver.”

US defense leaders have complained that China’s military has become significantly more aggressive over the past five years, intercepting US aircraft and ships in the region. And tensions with China have only grown in recent months over Washington’s military support and sales of defensive weapons to self-governing Taiwan, China’s assertions of sovereignty to the contested South China Sea and its flying of a suspected spy balloon over the US

In a further sign of the tensions, China said its defense chief will not meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin when the two men attend a security conference in Singapore this coming weekend. Austin is scheduled to address the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, while Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu will speak at the gathering on Sunday.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said China informed the US that it was declining Austin’s invitation to meet while they were at the conference. He said Beijing’s “concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions” will not diminish the Defense Department’s commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the Chinese army.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Tuesday blamed the US, saying Washington should “earnestly respect China’s sovereignty and security interests and concerns, immediately correct the wrongdoing, show sincerity, and create the necessary atmosphere and conditions for dialogue and communication between the two militaries.”

In a visit to the Indo-Pacific last summer, US Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the number of intercepts by Chinese aircraft and ships in the Pacific region with US and other partner forces has increased significantly over that time, and the number of unsafe interactions has risen by similar proportions.

China frequently challenges military aircraft from the US and its allies, especially over the strategically vital South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. Such behavior led to a 2001 in-air collision in which a Chinese plane was lost and pilot killed. Beijing deeply resents the presence of US military assets in that region, and regularly demands that American ships and planes leave the area.

In the statement Tuesday, the US Indo-Pacific Command said America will continue to “fly, sail, and operate — safely and responsibly — wherever international law allows,” and expects all other countries to do the same.


‘We want to be free’: Filipinos demand right to divorce

‘We want to be free’: Filipinos demand right to divorce
Updated 31 May 2023

‘We want to be free’: Filipinos demand right to divorce

‘We want to be free’: Filipinos demand right to divorce
  • The Philippines is the only place outside the Vatican where divorce is outlawed
  • Legal process can cost as much as $10,000 or more with no guarantee of success

MANILA: Philippine mother-of-three Stella Sibonga is desperate to end a marriage she never wanted. But divorce in the Catholic-majority country is illegal, and a court annulment takes years.
The Philippines is the only place outside the Vatican where divorce is outlawed, with the Catholic Church — which holds great influence on Philippine society — opposing the practice as against its teachings.
Those in favor of legalizing divorce say the ban makes it difficult to escape violent or otherwise abusive spouses, or even for couples to amicably cut ties.
People wanting to end their marriage can ask a court for an annulment or a declaration that the nuptials were invalid from the start, but the government can appeal against those decisions.
The legal process is slow and expensive — cases can cost as much as $10,000 or more in a country plagued by poverty — with no guarantee of success, and some people seeking a faster result fall for online scams.
“I don’t understand why it has to be this difficult,” said Sibonga, who has spent 11 years trying to get out of a marriage that her parents forced her into after she became pregnant.
Sibonga’s legal battle began in 2012, when she applied to a court to cancel her marriage on the basis of her husband’s alleged “psychological incapacity,” one of the grounds for terminating a matrimony.
After five years and $3,500 in legal fees, a judge finally agreed. The former domestic worker’s relief was, however, short-lived.
The Office of the Solicitor General, which as the government’s legal representative is tasked with protecting the institution of marriage, successfully appealed the decision in 2019.
Sibonga said she requested the Court of Appeals to reverse its ruling, but is still waiting for an answer.
“Why are we, the ones who experienced suffering, abandonment and abuse, being punished by the law?” said Sibonga, 45, who lives near Manila.
“All we want is to be free.”
The most powerful opponent to divorce in the Philippines is the Catholic Church, which is also against abortion and contraceptives.
Around 78 percent of the country’s 110 million people are Catholic, according to official census data, and many politicians are wary of contradicting the Church on sensitive social issues.
But Congress has scored significant wins in recent years.
A controversial birth control law was passed in 2012, despite strong opposition from the Church.
And in 2018, majority and opposition parties in the House of Representatives approved a divorce bill that later stalled in the Senate. It was the first time such a proposal had got that far.
Surveys conducted by polling company Social Weather Stations show a shift in Philippine attitudes toward divorce.
In 2005, 43 percent of Filipinos supported legalizing divorce “for irreconcilably separated couples,” while 45 percent disagreed.
The same survey in 2017 showed 53 percent in favor, while only 32 percent disagreed.
A group of lawmakers is now leading a fresh push to legalize divorce, with several bills filed in the House and the Senate.
“We are not destroying any marriage,” said Edcel Lagman, a congressman and author of one of the bills.
Lagman said divorce was for “dysfunctional marriages beyond repair” and legalizing it would enable women and their children to escape “intolerant and abusive husbands.”
Before he was elected, President Ferdinand Marcos said the country should consider allowing divorce, but insisted it should not be easy.
The burdensome process for getting a court order to end a marriage has spawned online scams offering to secure a quick ruling without time-consuming court appearances.
AFP fact checkers found numerous Facebook posts spreading false information about the legal process for annulment in order to attract clients, underscoring a growing global trend of fraudsters profiting off disinformation.
One victim said she was charged the equivalent of $2,400 for an annulment service that turned out to be fake.
She is now considering converting to Islam in the hope of securing a divorce under Muslim law.
“I’m really trying every possible option just to be single again,” she said on the condition of anonymity.
“Annulment takes so long, it’s so expensive and it’s not guaranteed, so I’m seeking a more convenient way.”
Family law specialist Katrina Legarda said the number of people falling for bogus services showed there was a “dire need” for new legislation.
But Father Jerome Secillano, of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said the nation should be “proud” to be the only country outside the Vatican “holding on to the traditional concept of marriage.”
“There will always be imperfections in a relationship,” he said.
Secillano said divorcing an abusive partner would “perpetuate the violence” because the perpetrator would go on to abuse their next partner.
“You are not actually curing the disease itself,” he said.
Sibonga was raised a Catholic, but stopped attending church to avoid accusations of adultery.
She has a long-term boyfriend, but cannot tie the knot with him until her first marriage is legally terminated.
That her case has dragged on for so long is not unusual in the Philippines, where a creaky justice system can take years to resolve even minor issues.
“People think that because I am still technically married, I’m a sinner,” she said.
“They really believe that what God has united cannot be separated. Really? Even if your husband is trying to kill you, even after everything he’s done, divorce is still not allowed?“
Sibonga said her relationship with her husband had been traumatic and had pushed her to attempt suicide twice.
She does not want her children to marry until divorce is allowed.
“I told them they can cohabitate and have as many children as they want, but I won’t ever consent to them getting married,” she said.
“I just don’t want them to end up like me.”


North Korea spy satellite launch fails as rocket falls into the sea

North Korea spy satellite launch fails as rocket falls into the sea
Updated 31 May 2023

North Korea spy satellite launch fails as rocket falls into the sea

North Korea spy satellite launch fails as rocket falls into the sea
  • After an unusually quick admission of failure, North Korea vowed to conduct a second launch

SEOUL, South Korea: North Korea’s attempt to put the country’s first spy satellite into space failed Wednesday in a setback to leader Kim Jong Un’s push to boost his military capabilities as tensions with the United States and South Korea rise.
After an unusually quick admission of failure, North Korea vowed to conduct a second launch after learning what went wrong with its rocket liftoff. It suggests Kim remains determined to expand his weapons arsenal and apply more pressure on Washington and Seoul while diplomacy is stalled.
South Korea and Japan briefly urged residents to take shelter during the launch.
The South Korean military said it was salvaging an object presumed to be part of the crashed North Korean rocket in waters 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of the southwestern island of Eocheongdo. Later, the Defense Ministry released photos of a white, metal cylinder it described as a suspected rocket part.
A satellite launch by North Korea is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions that ban the country from conducting any launch based on ballistic technology. Observers say North Korea’s previous satellite launches helped improve its long-range missile technology. North Korean long-range missile tests in recent years demonstrated a potential range that could reach all of the continental US, but outside experts say the North Korea still has some work to do to obtain functioning nuclear missiles.
The newly developed Chollima-1 rocket was launched at 6:37 a.m. at the North’s Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the northwest, carrying the Malligyong-1 satellite. The rocket crashed off the Korean Peninsula’s western coast after it lost thrust following the separation of its first and second stages, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said.
South Korea’s military said the North Korean rocket had “an abnormal flight” before it fell in the water. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that no object was believed to have reached space.
North Korean media said the country’s space agency will investigate what it calls “the serious defects revealed” by the launch and conduct a second launch as soon as possible.
“It is impressive when the North Korean regime actually admits failure, but it would be difficult to hide the fact of a satellite launch failure internationally, and the regime will likely offer a different narrative domestically,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. “This outcome also suggests that Pyongyang may stage another provocation soon, in part to make up for today’s setback.”
Adam Hodge, a spokesperson at the US National Security Council, said in a statement that Washington strongly condemns the North Korean launch because it used banned ballistic missile technology, raised tensions, and risked destabilizing security in the region and beyond.
The UN imposed economic sanctions on North Korea over its previous satellite and ballistic missile launches, but has not responded to recent tests because China and Russia, permanent council members now locked in confrontations with the US, have blocked attempts to toughen sanctions.
Seoul’s military said it boosted military readiness in coordination with the United States, and Japan said it prepared to respond to any emergency. The US said it will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and the defense of South Korea and Japan.
South Korea’s capital, Seoul, issued alerts over public loudspeakers and cellphone text messages telling residents to prepare for evacuation after the launch was detected, and Japan activated a missile warning system for Okinawa prefecture in southwestern Japan, in the rocket’s suspected path.
“Please evacuate into buildings or underground,” the Japanese alert said.
Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Japan plans to keep missile defense systems deployed to its southern islands and in southwestern waters until June 11, which is the end of North Korea’s announced launch window.
KCNA didn’t provide details of the rocket and the satellite beyond their names. But experts earlier said North Korea would likely use a liquid-fueled rocket as most of its previously tested long-range rockets and missiles have done.
Though it plans a fuller investigation, the North’s National Aerospace Development Administration attributed the failure to “the low reliability and stability of the new-type engine system applied to (the) carrier rocket” and “the unstable character of the fuel,” according to KCNA.
On Tuesday, Ri Pyong Chol, a top North Korean official, said the North needed a space-based reconnaissance system to counter escalating security threats from South Korea and the United States.
However, the spy satellite disclosed in the country’s state-run media earlier didn’t appear to be sophisticated enough to produce high-resolution imagery. Some outside experts said it may still be able to detect troop movements and large targets such as warships and warplanes.
Recent commercial satellite imagery of the North’s Sohae launch center showed active construction indicating North Korea plans to launch more than one satellite. In his Tuesday statement, Ri also said North Korea would test “various reconnaissance means” to monitor moves by the United States and its allies in real time.
With three to five spy satellites, North Korea could build a space-based surveillance system that allows it to monitor the Korean Peninsula in near real-time, according to Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute.
The satellite is one of several high-tech weapons systems that Kim has publicly vowed to introduce. Other weapons on his wish list include a multi-warhead missile, a nuclear submarine, a solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile and a hypersonic missile. In his visit to the space agency in mid-May, Kim emphasized the strategic significance of a spy satellite in North Korea’s standoff with the United States and South Korea.
Easley, the professor, said Kim has likely increased pressure on his scientists and engineers to launch the spy satellite as rival South Korea successfully launched its first commercial-grade satellite aboard the domestically-built Nuri rocket earlier this month.
South Korea is expected to launch its first spy satellite later this year, and analysts say Kim likely wants his country to launch its spy satellite before the South to reinforce his military credentials at home.
After repeated failures, North Korea successfully put its first satellite into orbit in 2012, and the second one in 2016. The government said both are Earth-observation satellites launched under its peaceful space development program, but many foreign experts believed both were developed to spy on rivals.
Observers say there has been no evidence that the satellites have ever transmitted imagery back to North Korea.


Humanitarian group MSF calls for support for refugees in Kenya affected by cholera crisis

Humanitarian group MSF calls for support for refugees in Kenya affected by cholera crisis
Updated 31 May 2023

Humanitarian group MSF calls for support for refugees in Kenya affected by cholera crisis

Humanitarian group MSF calls for support for refugees in Kenya affected by cholera crisis
  • Hundreds of refugees in Kenya’s Dadaab camps have been affected by a cholera outbreak as the population in the facilities grows rapidly
  • A biting drought in neighboring Somalia has increased the camps’ numbers

NAIROBI: Hundreds of refugees in Kenya’s Dadaab camps have been affected by a cholera outbreak as the population in the facilities grows rapidly, a humanitarian charity said Tuesday.
Doctors Without Borders, known by French acronym MSF, said that 2,786 refugees have been affected so far “and there is an imminent risk of outbreaks of other gastro-intestinal diseases.”
The Dadaab camps host more than 300,000 people and with the biting drought in neighboring Somalia, the numbers are on the rise, consequently straining water and sanitation services.
There are plans to open another camp in the complex to accommodate new arrivals and ease overcrowding.
“All efforts to ease the overcrowding must include significant investment in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector to ensure a minimum standard of living for refugees in all the camps,” said Hassan Maiyaki, MSF country director in Kenya.
MSF has urged stakeholders to respond urgently to the crisis in Dadaab and address sanitary conditions and prevent the further spread of diseases.
In 2016, the Kenyan government had announced plans to close down the Dadaab camps, citing insecurity because of reports that extremists from Somalia’s Al-Shabab group were hiding there and the camps being a conduit for smuggling weapons.
The United Nations urged Kenya to reconsider that plan and continue to offer refuge to victims of violence and trauma.
The discussion on the closure has since then been on and off, with several ultimatums given to the UN refugee agency, the latest being in 2021.