Rights group says the Armed Police Battalion is engaged in extortion, harassment and wrongful arrests of refugees it is tasked with protecting.An elite Bangladesh police unit is engaged in the “rampant” extortion, harassment and wrongful arrests of the Rohingya refugees it has been tasked with protecting, Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleges. The Armed Police Battalion (APBn) operates in camps housing nearly one million members of the stateless minority, most of whom fled neighbouring Myanmar after a military crackdown that is now the subject of a genocide investigation by the United Nations. Refugees and humanitarian workers told the New York-based human…
Author: National Tone
Ukraine’s ambassador criticises the display of the Russian flag during Ukrainian player Kateryna Baindl’s first-round match.Australian Open organisers have banned Russian and Belarusian flags from the Melbourne Park precinct during the tournament after a complaint from the Ukraine ambassador to the country. On Monday, the red, white and blue stripes of Russia were held up by fans during a first-round clash between Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl and Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova on day one. Ukrainian fans reportedly called security and police to the stands. A Russian flag was also unfurled at Rod Laver Arena during Daniil Medvedev’s clash with American Marcos Giron.…
TAMPA, Fla. — Just two weeks after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and needed to be resuscitated on the field, another sobering moment occurred in front of a prime-time audience on Monday night when Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage was taken off by stretcher late in the fourth quarter of a wild-card playoff game against Dallas. Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Gage had movement in his fingers. He was taken to a hospital with a concussion and was being evaluated for a neck injury. “Definitely hope he’s doing well. He was moving so that’s a good sign,”…
China’s population has decreased for the first time in more than 60 years, official data shows — a historic turn for the world’s most populous nation that is now expected to see a long period of population decline. The country of 1.4 billion has seen birth rates plunge to record lows as its workforce ages, a drop that analysts warn could stymie economic growth and pile pressure on the country’s strained public finances. The mainland Chinese population stood at around 1,411,750,000 at the end of 2022, Beijing’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported Tuesday, a decrease of 850,000 from the…
Some 135 people died in the disaster at a football match last October prompting questions over safety standards and the use of tear gas.Three police officers and two match officials have gone on trial in Indonesia, charged with negligence over their alleged roles last year in the deaths of 135 people at a football match in East Java. They each face a maximum prison sentence of five years if convicted over the disaster, one of the world’s worst stadium stampedes. The trial, which began on Monday, is being held via teleconference due to security concerns, said court spokesperson Agung Pranata.…
As the west coast of the United States withstands its ninth major storm in three weeks, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new executive order to “further bolster the emergency response” as his state contends with widespread flooding and mudslides. In a statement on Monday, Newsom’s office said that the onslaught of atmospheric rivers — relatively intense, narrow bands of moisture that can bring heavy precipitation and strong gusts — “resulted in at least 20 fatalities and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents”. The latest executive order comes two days after US President Joe Biden declared…
The United States is marking what would have been Martin Luther King Jr‘s 94th birthday, with advocates urging the country to commemorate the assassinated civil rights leader’s legacy by truly tackling racial injustice. Monday’s federal holiday – Martin Luther King Jr Day – comes nearly 55 years after the April 1968 killing of King, who led a non-violent movement pushing for equality for Black Americans throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The US civil rights movement, buoyed by King and other leaders, led to the end of blatantly discriminatory Jim Crow laws in the country’s south, while spurring several landmark pieces…
The United Kingdom has pledged to deliver more than a dozen battle tanks to Ukraine as it continues to fight Russia’s invading forces. Moscow has reacted with fury, saying that all of the units that the UK plans to send “will burn” and do nothing to alter the outcome of its nearly yearlong war. The UK announcement is likely to increase pressure on Germany to allow the export of German-made tanks to Ukraine, as several European countries await Berlin’s approval. Here’s what you need to know: Why is Ukraine calling for tanks? The Ukrainian government has repeatedly pleaded for additional…
OTTAWA — Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has signed a contract extension with the Ottawa Reblacks. The 34-year-old American is now under contract through the 2024 season. Masoli is entering his second season with the Redblacks after signing with the team on Feb. 7, 2022. “Having consistency at the quarterback position is a key piece to have success as a CFL team, so we’re very happy to be able to keep Jeremiah Masoli in red and black for the foreseeable future,” said Redblacks general manager Shawn Burke. “Jeremiah has proven himself as a leader both on and off the field, and makes…
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers activated centre Ryan Jensen from injured reserve to the active roster ahead of their NFC wild-card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. Jensen missed the entire regular season after hurting his left knee on the second day of training camp. He has been practicing with the team since Dec. 28, when the Bucs designated him to return from IR. The ninth-year pro’s injury, combined with losing guards Ali Marpet to retirement and Alex Cappa in free agency, has forced the Bucs to rely on a largely young, inexperienced offensive…