‘Last resort’: Australian women, children in court bid to force repatriation from Syrian camp

The wives, widows, and children of slain or jailed Islamic State fighters are being held in the Roj camp in north-east Syria. (AFP)
The wives, widows, and children of slain or jailed Islamic State fighters are being held in the Roj camp in north-east Syria. (AFP)
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Updated 04 June 2023
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‘Last resort’: Australian women, children in court bid to force repatriation from Syrian camp

‘Last resort’: Australian women, children in court bid to force repatriation from Syrian camp
  • Group say their detention is arbitrary, and they have the right to return to Australia

LONDON: A group of women and their children plan to take the Australian government to court in a bid to be freed from Syrian detention camps, it was reported on Sunday.

Of the 40 Australian mothers and children being held in the Roj camp in northeastern Syria, 17 women and their nine children will file a “writ of habeas corpus” in Australia’s federal court in Melbourne on Monday, the Observer reported.

They argue that, as Australian citizens, they have the right to return to Australia.

They also contest that their detention is arbitrary, and that Canberra has “effective control” of their detention in the camp and, therefore, has the power to set them free, because the Syrian Democratic Forces that run the camp would release them on request.

Save the Children Australia, which is acting as the women and children’s litigation guardian, said the legal action was “a last resort,” with Mat Tinkler, its CEO, previously calling Roj camp “one of the worst places in the world to be a child.”

The women are the wives and widows who bore the children of dead or jailed Daesh fighters. Most have been in the camp for more than four years.

Earlier this week, an Australian child living in a Syrian detention camp wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, pleading to be brought home.

In 2019, eight orphaned children, including a pregnant teenager, were successfully returned to New South Wales and, in October last year, four women and 13 children were also rescued from Roj.

The Australian government made a commitment to repatriate more women and children, but has not carried out any further relocations.

“The repatriations last October raised the remaining children’s hopes that they, too, would soon be out of harm’s way. Instead, they feel they have been abandoned by their country and are losing hope for the future,” Tinkler said.


Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein saying he assaulted her; accuses CAA, Disney, Miramax of enabling

Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein saying he assaulted her; accuses CAA, Disney, Miramax of enabling
Updated 9 sec ago
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Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein saying he assaulted her; accuses CAA, Disney, Miramax of enabling

Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein saying he assaulted her; accuses CAA, Disney, Miramax of enabling
NEW YORK: Julia Ormond, who starred in films alongside the likes of Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford in the 1990s before her spotlight faded, filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in 1995 and then hindering her career.
Ormond, who also accuses the Walt Disney Company, Miramax and her former agents of knowing Weinstein was a problem but doing nothing about it, filed the case in state Supreme Court in Manhattan under the Adult Survivors Act, a law passed last year that allows a temporary window for those who allege sexual assault to file past the state's normal deadlines.
In her suit, Ormond says she was a star on the rise when she met Weinstein in 1994. She says she kept in touch with him to discuss scripts and projects, and in 1995 entered into a production agreement with Miramax, where he was co-chairman. She accuses him of committing sexual battery against her in December 1995 after a business meeting, and then retaliating against her and negatively affecting her career after she confronted him weeks later.
The British actress says she told her U.S. agents at the time, Creative Artists Agency, but received no support and was advised not to take any legal action or other steps. She accuses CAA, Disney and Miramax, saying that they knew Weinstein presented a danger to women but did nothing to stop him or to help her.
Weinstein, 71, was convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York in 2020 and is in prison in the state. Last year, he also was convicted of another rape in Los Angeles. He has appealed both convictions.
Weinstein attorney Imran Ansari said his client “categorically denies the allegations made against him by Julia Ormond and he is prepared to vehemently defend himself.”
Emails seeking comment were sent to CAA, Disney and Miramax.

‘Left in dark’: Indian-trained Afghan cadets face limbo with no army to serve

‘Left in dark’: Indian-trained Afghan cadets face limbo with no army to serve
Updated 04 October 2023
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‘Left in dark’: Indian-trained Afghan cadets face limbo with no army to serve

‘Left in dark’: Indian-trained Afghan cadets face limbo with no army to serve
  • 82 Afghan cadets have been stranded in India since the Taliban takeover in 2021
  • Afghan Embassy offered them some support, but it ceased operations in India

NEW KDELHI: Ajmal Hoodman took a course at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun to undergo training and return to Afghanistan as an officer. But everything suddenly changed in August 2021, when the government that sent him to India collapsed as the Taliban took over the country.
Hoodman, 27, who graduated as lieutenant four months later, no longer had an army to serve.
He is not the only one. A few dozen more Afghan cadets, not only of the Dehradun academy but also the National Defence Academy in Pune and the Officers Training Academy in Chennai, found themselves stranded in India, some fearing for their lives under Afghanistan’s new rulers, whom many of them had earlier fought.
“Many of us got inspired by our grand family members and for most of us it was a dream, pride and honor to wear the army uniform,” Hoodman told Arab News.
“In total, we are 82 Afghan National Army officers.”
That army, which supported Afghanistan’s previous Western-backed administration, no longer exists.
Indian military schools started to train Afghans in 1948. The academies have a set number of seats allocated for cadets from friendly foreign nations and the fees are covered by their respective countries.
The NDA, which admits cadets directly after school, provides a graduate degree from Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University.
After completing this degree, cadets proceed to the Indian Military Academy for a year-long specialized military training, leading to their commission as army officers.
Parvez Amna Bakhshi, a 23-year-old boxing and Kung Fu medalist with a merit card from the NDA, graduated in November 2022.
But his training is not complete yet. For nearly a year, he has been waiting for clearance to continue the program and to have his student visa reviewed.
Bakhshi comes from Panjshir, a region that has a history of resistance. In the 1980s, its famed commander Ahmad Shah Massoud defended it from Soviet forces and in the 1990s led an offensive against the first Taliban regime.
In 2021, Panjshir was the last to fall to Taliban forces.
“We are ready to give blood to take our country back, but due to lack of support and leadership, resistance against the Taliban is not possible,” he told Arab News.
Bakhshi’s name is permanently engraved in the NDA gymnasium, owing to his accomplishments. They mean little, however, in a reality where he and his fellow cadets are left in limbo.
“We’re unable to cover our finances,” he said. “India has left us in the dark.”
The Afghan Embassy in New Delhi had earlier offered some support to them, but now even the embassy is no more. The mission ceased its operations on Oct. 1, citing a lack of support from Indian authorities.
India does not recognize the Taliban government and suspended its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan after their return to power. In June 2022, New Delhi deployed a “technical team” to the Afghan capital to “monitor and coordinate” Indian humanitarian assistance there.
Since then, the embassy, whose staff were appointed by the previous regime, lost its diplomatic significance. The mission said in a statement announcing the closure that it could not “function normally” in the “absence of diplomatic consideration and systemic support” from the Indian government.
Bakhshi had hoped for the much-coveted scholarship of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
Including Afghans in the ICCR’s annual program for foreign nationals seeking undergraduate and postgraduate education in India was part of New Delhi’s efforts to strengthen ties with the government in Kabul. Under the scholarship, Afghan students received a stipend of $300 and housing assistance.
Bakhshi has been trying to get it — to no avail.
“This scholarship can at least help us continue our degree or learn some other skill so as to take up a job, as our financial situation is too bad,” he said. “We are just spending what we have in our savings, which won’t last long.”
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs did not respond to requests for comment on the status of Afghan cadets.
Out of 82, two have their stay secured under the ICCR scheme and another nine are still undergoing training at their respective academies. The rest are idle and in legal limbo.
“Each of us is ready to give our lives for our country, but right now it’s about supporting ourselves and our families back home,” said Lt. Esmatullah Asil, a 27-year-old graduate of the Dehradun academy.
“So many times, we knocked on different doors, but they just gave excuses. Our expectation is only visa or scholarships, which is not a very big deal.”


Panic-buying hits Malaysia after Indian curbs on rice exports

Panic-buying hits Malaysia after Indian curbs on rice exports
Updated 04 October 2023
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Panic-buying hits Malaysia after Indian curbs on rice exports

Panic-buying hits Malaysia after Indian curbs on rice exports
  • Price of imports rose by over 30 percent last month
  • Sellers say they are facing shortage in supply of local grain

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian shoppers are emptying rice shelves as panic-buying spreads across a country that is grappling with rising prices following India’s decision to ban exports of the food staple.
International rice supply has been squeezed after the world’s biggest rice exporter banned shipments of the grain in July. This has led to rising costs and concerns over supply shortages in Asia, which accounts for about 90 percent of global rice consumption.
The ban’s impacts are being felt particularly keenly in Malaysia, a country of more than 32 million people that imports about a third of its rice needs.
With the retail price of imported white rice estimated to have risen by more than 30 percent last month, retailers in Kuala Lumpur have cited a shortage of local rice supply. This followed people seeking out cheaper options and panic-buying in different parts of the country.
“We don’t have the stock for local rice, and it has been like that for quite some time,” Sin, a clerk at Usaha Jaya wholesaler in Kuala Lumpur, told Arab News on Wednesday.
Most consumers now have to opt for the more expensive imported rice due to a shortage of local grain, said Sin, whose shop mainly supplies smaller stores in the capital.
“Nowadays, most people are buying imported rice because there is no supply of local rice. The cost of rice has increased a lot,” he said.
Malaysia this week introduced a subsidy and other measures to lower rice prices amid the crisis, including a task force to inspect local supply chains. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has even warned of legal action against anyone found hoarding rice.
The government maintains that enough rice is available, with Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu reportedly saying on Monday that there was no shortage of rice in the country and urging people not to panic-buy.
But Khor Cheng Hai, who sells rice at Kindness Enterprise, said he has been unable to secure stock of locally produced rice.
“Before this, there was panic-buying among our customers. But now, not anymore … We sell imported rice here, we tried to order local rice, but (wholesalers) said there is no stock,” Khor told Arab News.
“It’s not just my shop, my customers went to (other shops) and they complained that there is no local rice too. The government always said in the media that there were enough stocks of local rice.
“But when we ordered (these), there was no local rice available. What can we do?”
Malaysia’s rice crisis highlights faults within an industry that has been “trending downward,” said Prof. Fatimah Mohamed Arshad, a senior fellow at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs.
“As production declines, the dependency on imports increases together with imported inflation,” Arshad said in a statement.
“India’s export-ban shock plunged the country into ‘rice shortage and price crises’, which is avoidable if Malaysia had been able to ensure rice supply security through higher productivity and production and a more competitive industry.”
The government has said it wants to urge rice supplier nations in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, such as Thailand and Vietnam, to prioritize exports of the grain to fellow member states.

ASEAN is a gateway for Kuala Lumpur to easily source rice from abroad, said Dr. Larry Wong, a senior visiting fellow at the Institute of Strategic & International Studies in Malaysia.
“A lot of this settlement is bilateral, Peninsular Malaysia is very connected to the ASEAN continent and rice can come through by sea, by rail and road. There shouldn’t be a problem,” Wong told Arab News.
“Malaysia is very lucky as we are a small, open economy but a big trading nation,” he said. “Don’t source from the same country, but source from different countries. Disruption like this will never stop.
“Disruption like this also cannot stay for long.”


UK launches safeguarding review into death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif

UK launches safeguarding review into death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif
Updated 04 October 2023
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UK launches safeguarding review into death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif

UK launches safeguarding review into death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif
  • SSCP will investigate the work of all agencies involved with the girl’s family, including, police, health, social care and education

LONDON: The UK is launching a safeguarding review into the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, who was found at her home in Woking on Aug. 10, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

Her father, stepmother and uncle are all charged with murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. 

The Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership will investigate the work of all agencies involved with the girl’s family, including, police, health, social care and education.

The purpose of a local safeguarding child practice review, which is a statutory process, is for public agencies to learn ways to improve how they work to protect and promote the welfare of children.

Derek Benson, chair of the SSCP, said: “This process is likely to take some time.

“Findings may not be shared by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership until the partnership is assured that doing so will not prejudice any future legal proceedings,” he said.

A post-mortem examination found that Sara had suffered “multiple and extensive injuries,” but the cause of her death has yet to be determined, the BBC reported.

Urfan Sharif, 41, Beinash Batool, 29, and Faisal Malik, 28, are scheduled to appear for a plea hearing on Dec. 1 and will face trial in September 2024.

New photos of Sara were released by Surrey Police in September as part of the ongoing investigation. 

“The photos present Sara in the way we believe she may have dressed in the months prior to her death,” police said.

“We are hoping that these images will prompt more people to come forward with information about her and her family,” they added.


At least 23 Indian soldiers missing in flash flood

At least 23 Indian soldiers missing in flash flood
Updated 04 October 2023
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At least 23 Indian soldiers missing in flash flood

At least 23 Indian soldiers missing in flash flood
  • Intense rainfall triggers flash flood through valley in India’s mountainous northeast Sikkim state 
  • Flash floods are common during the monsoon season, which begins in June and ends in September

Guwahati, India: The Indian army said Wednesday that 23 soldiers were missing after a flash flood caused by intense rainfall tore through a valley in the mountainous northeast Sikkim state.

A video released by an Indian army spokesman showed a thick torrent of raging brown water sweeping down a thickly forested valley, with roads washed away and power lines ripped down.

“Due to sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River... 23 personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush,” the army said in a statement. “Search operations are underway.”

Lhonak Lake sits at the base of a glacier in the peaks that surround Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain.

The army said water released upstream from the Chungthang dam meant the river was already more than 4.5 meters (15 feet) higher than usual.

Local media reported that three civilians had died after water smashed into homes overnight, with their bodies recovered from the town of Singtam on Wednesday.

Sikkim is close to India’s border with Nepal and China and boasts a sizeable military presence.

India has been wary of its northern neighbor’s growing military assertiveness and their 3,500-kilometer (2,200-mile) shared frontier has been a perennial source of tension, with parts of Sikkim claimed by Beijing.

Clashes in January 2021 left injuries on both sides in Naku La pass, which connects Sikkim with Tibet on the Chinese side.

China and India, who fought a border war in 1962, have posted tens of thousands of troops into border zones.

Flash floods are common during the monsoon season, which begins in June and normally withdraws from the Indian subcontinent by the end of September. By October, the heaviest of the monsoon rains are usually over.

Experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.

Other photographs shared by the army showed water submerging the first floor of buildings, and flowing down a street in a town with only the tip of a small construction crane visible.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said emergency services were working to support those impacted by the ferocious floods and urged people to “remain vigilant.”

Six bridges were washed away and the national highway that connects Sikkim with the rest of the country was badly damaged, state disaster management chief Prabhakar Rai said.

The monsoon occurs when summer heat warms the landmass of the subcontinent, causing the air to rise and suck in cooler Indian Ocean winds, which then produce enormous volumes of rain.

It brings destruction every year in the form of landslides and floods.

Melting glaciers add to the volume of water while unregulated construction in flood-prone areas exacerbates the damage.

Himalayan glaciers are melting faster than ever due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters.

Glaciers disappeared 65 percent faster from 2011 to 2020 compared with the previous decade, a report in June by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development warned.

Based on current emissions trajectories, the glaciers could lose up to 80 percent of their current volume by the end of the century, it said.