Sudan's Bashir Reportedly Out: Daily Brief
Sudan's Omar al-Bashir reportedly ousted from power; why South Sudan's leaders should press for peace; another manifesto promise bites the dust in Malaysia; how many civilians does US military kill in airstrikes around the world?; anti-abortion law ruled unconstitutional in South Korea; the UK military is working "hand in glove" with Saudis; Greece in denial about lone kids in police detention; & attempts to control online speech in Russia continue...
Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir has reportedly stepped down from power this morning, following months of protests against his rule. The situation is Khartoum is still unclear, and - if confirmed - it's unknown whether there would be a democratic process to choose Bashir's successor. Al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes of genocide in Darfur.
Meanwhile this week South Sudan’s leaders – President Salva Kiir and his former vice president Riek Machar – will visit the Vatican for a two-day “spiritual retreat.” The visit should provide an opportunity for the leaders to publicly recommit to human rights and the long overdue AU Hybrid Court that would try conflict-related crimes.
The Malaysian government is breaking a key election pledge by proposing to amend rather than repeal an abusive national security law. The National Security Council Act empowers the prime minister to declare security areas where special powers would apply, and grants government officials new powers to make warrantless arrests, impose curfews, and take possession of land, buildings and other property.
The US has conducted 108 air strikes in Somalia since 2017, killing some 800 people. The Pentagon says they were all jihadists. But Amnesty International disagrees, and has detailed evidence that five recent strikes alone killed 14 civilians - a pattern of discrepancy that's being repeated across the world.
There's breaking news from South Korea, where the Constitutional Court has just ruled that the country's anti-abortion law is unconstitutional, a victory for women's rights in a country where abortions are illegal despite being widespread.
It's been revealed that dozens of Saudi officers have been trained at prestigious British military colleges since the Saudi's disastrous intervention in the war in Yemen, that has seen the Gulf state’s forces accused of widespread human rights abuses.
Greece is still in denial about what happens to lone kids when they are in police detention. Authorities should recognise that unaccompanied migrant children should not have to spend another day locked up in filthy police cells.
And finally, concerns about the increased control of online speech in Russia are continuing, with news that a draft law which aims to 'isolate' Russia's internet is making its way through Parliament.