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Your Friday Briefing: U.N. Delays Report on Abuse in Xinjiang


Michelle Bachelet, the UN’s top human rights official, promised in June that she would release a long-awaited report on allegations of abuse in China’s far western Xinjiang region before she left office. Her term will end next week, but she signaled on Thursday that she might not meet that deadline.

At a press conference, Bachelet said she was “trying hard” to meet the deadline of the end of August. However, she said, a draft version of the report had been submitted to the Chinese government – a standard procedure for her office – and they have received “important comments” from China and must be reviewed.

Text definition: Four years ago, UN academics, activists and independent experts sounded the alarm. about reports that China has arbitrarily detained more than a million Uyghurs and members of other predominantly Muslim groups in Xinjiang. Human rights groups have reached out to the UN for an independent review.

Story: Ten months have passed since Bachelet’s office first signaled plans to release the results of its investigation. Bachelet has repeatedly delayed releasing the report with little explanation – confusing diplomats, rights advocates and even some of her own staff.

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered a drastic increase in the size of his armed forcesThe reversal of the Kremlin’s years-long efforts to shrink a bloated military is the latest sign that the Russian president is preparing for a long war in Ukraine.

The decree, signed by Putin and posted on the Kremlin’s website, raised the target number of active-duty servicemen to about 137,000, to 1.15 million, as of January next year. The decree also requires the Russian government to allocate the money to pay for the tax increase.

Challenges: According to a Russian military analyst, it will be difficult for Russia to strengthen its armed forces without major changes. But a national draft would destroy the norm of normalcy that the Kremlin was able to uphold despite economic sanctions and continued hostilities.

Consequence: As a bloody long slogan appears, energy traders in Europe are witnessing confusing price increase.


China is increasing its ability to blockade Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own, giving Beijing the option of cutting off Taiwan in its campaign to take control of the island. Using a variety of maps and images, The Times explains why this island is at risk.

Taiwan’s geography makes it vulnerable to blockades. Its population, industry, and ports are concentrated on the western slope, closest to China. China could send ships to block ships from entering Taiwan’s ports, let fighter jets dominate the skies, and try to disable undersea cables that carry about 90 percent of the data that connects Taiwan to the world. gender.

While China may still lack the ability to quickly invade and take over Taiwan, it may try to impose a blockade to force the island to make concessions. Even a limited blockade would threaten one of the world’s busiest trade routes.

Story: For decades, Beijing has kept an eye on Taiwan. It has built up its main military force, the People’s Liberation Army, with the ultimate goal of capturing the island, should attempts at peaceful reunification fail. It has Largest naval development in the worldcurrently challenging US supremacy in the region.

Increased stress: Of China military exercises this month not a blockade. They did to threaten Taiwan and the US and normalize military presence near Taiwan, increasing the risk of conflict.

Researchers looked at thousands of news stories about spiders to study how misinformation is spread. They found that errors, which tended to cluster in sensational stories, will circle the world in just a few days.

When members of gay rights organizations called Drama Queens If they want to meet, they must first determine a safe location and consider hiring security. But they are not alone. Members of dozens of advocacy groups in Ghana live in fear.

Ghana, in West Africa, is often considered one of Africa’s most progressive countries. But over the past year, they have been considering a harsh anti-LGBTQ bill.

When this measure was first introduced, it was rejected by many as an attempt by opposition politicians to enhance their profile. However, the act, officially known as Ghana’s Bill to Promote Correct Sexual Rights and Family Values, is still in place and activists say it has fueled the rise. significant homophobia. There have been reports about police raids and harassment. In June, vandals destroyed LGBTQ pride poster in Accra, the capital.

The bill says that any activity that promotes gay rights offends traditional values ​​and threatens the concept of family. The country still has a colonial-era law on books punishing same-sex relationships, but this proposed law would go much further. It would criminalize virtually every aspect of gay culture, from the way people dress to their social gatherings. Allies of LGBTQ people can also face criminal charges.

Drama Queens, founded 5 years ago, offers seminars on sexual and reproductive rights and consent and has expanded to become a safe, creative space for women and fellow Ghanaians count. The organizers organized art exhibitions, film festivals and meetups where young people could share their experiences. If Congress passes this measure, everything they do could become a crime.

Dennis KF Agyemang, co-director of Drama Queens, denounced the bill, calling it an “imminent threat to institutions and the safety of people”.

— Lynsey Chutel, Briefings writer based in Johannesburg.



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