Sheikh Hasina convicted of crimes against humanity, Dhaka in chaos

Today's headlines: Manila, over 600,000 take to the streets to protest corruption in flood projects; Indian authorities have arrested a Kashmir resident linked to the attack on the Red Fort in Delhi; At least 18 victims in Central Java due to landslides caused by torrential rains; UNIFIL accuses Israel of opening fire on peacekeepers; Azerbaijani prosecutors seek life imprisonment for five Armenian leaders from Nagorno-Karabakh.

BANGLADESH

This morning, the International Crimes Tribunal issued a verdict convicting former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of crimes against humanity. She was removed from office for violence during street protests in the summer of 2024. The verdict - strongly contested by Hasina (who lives in exile) and her supporters - is accompanied by a climate of extreme tension: several homemade bombs exploded yesterday in Dhaka. No casualties were reported, but the explosions further destabilised a city already in turmoil after days of political unrest, and new clashes are feared today. Hasina, 78, is on trial in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity; a UN report estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed and thousands injured - most by security forces - between 15 July and 5 August 2024.

PHILIPPINES

Over 600,000 demonstrators took part in a new protest in Manila to demand clarity on alleged corruption cases related to flood control projects. The rally was organised by Iglesia Ni Cristo, an evangelical church with 2 million followers. The scandal widened when President Marcos Jr. announced the results of an internal audit in August, revealing irregularities: officials, executives and legislators had enriched themselves. On Saturday, the Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Advincula, warned of possible coup attempts within the army.

INDIA

Indian authorities have arrested a man linked to last week's bomb attack that killed eight people and injured 20 others in Delhi, near the Red Fort. He is the owner of the Hyundai i20 that exploded, a resident of Kashmir, accused of conspiring with the alleged suicide bomber. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has seized another vehicle believed to belong to the bomber. So far, 73 witnesses have been questioned, including people injured in the explosion.

INDONESIA

Rain-induced landslides in two regions of Central Java province, Indonesia, have killed at least 18 people, according to authorities, while search operations are still ongoing. A landslide in the city of Cilacap buried a dozen houses in the village of Cibeunying. Search and rescue operations have been difficult as people were buried at a depth of between 3 and 8 metres.

ISRAEL - LEBANON

Yesterday, Israeli forces opened fire on UN soldiers in Lebanese territory. UNIFIL confirmed that a Merkava tank “fired heavy machine gun rounds at the blue helmets”. IDF spokesman Avichai Adraee described it as an accident caused by adverse weather conditions. Earlier, UNIFIL had revealed a significant Israeli development within Lebanese territory, confirming the construction of walls within Lebanese territory, near the Blue Line demarcated by the UN.

ARMENIA - AZERBAIJAN

The Azerbaijani prosecutor's office has requested life sentences for five Armenian leaders of the recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh republic: former president Araik Arutyunyan, former parliamentary speaker David Ishanyan, former Foreign Minister David Babayan, former Chief of Staff Levon Mnatsakanyan and his deputy David Manukyan, and 20 years for 10 other leaders over the age of 65, for whom Azerbaijani law does not provide for life imprisonment.

RUSSIA

A new protest has been organised by environmentalists in the Moscow province, who are demonstrating against the felling of trees in Losinyj Ostrov National Park, an operation decided at the end of 2023 for the construction of a new motorway linking the towns of Korolev and Mytišči, presented as a “major redevelopment” of the entire area where a small asphalt road already exists, considered by activists to be “manipulation”.