MAPUTO: Thousands of people gathered Wednesday outside Mozambique’s capital to bury the murdered lawyer of an opposition candidate, as tensions grew ahead of the imminent release of election results.
Venancio Mondlane has called for 25 days of protests over the killing of his attorney as results from the October 9 ballot likely on Thursday were expected to show the ruling Frelimo party winning.
Mondlane warned the results would be “false” and said his lawyer Elvino Dias was killed by the security forces alongside another ally, Paulo Guambe, as they were preparing a case to contest the vote.
Before Dias’ burial at Michafutene cemetery outside Maputo, large crowds were seen assembling at a church, according to an AFP reporter present.
In a message on Facebook, Mondlane, who accused security forces of ambushing the duo in the early hours of Saturday and shooting at them 25 times, said he would unleash “25 days of terror” in reprisal.
Police said it had launched an investigation into the killings, while Frelimo party which has been in power for 49 years “vehemently” condemned the “macabre act.”
The government of Mozambique has called for calm as the country awaits official results.
Mondlane was among a group of protesters tear gassed by police on Monday after he had called for a general strike to protest against Dias’ murder as well as perceived electoral fraud.
Election observers from the EU have also raised concern about the legitimacy of the polls, noting “irregularities during counting and unjustified alteration of election results at polling station and district level.”
Initial indications of a low turnout in the coastal country of some 33 million people could further erode the vote’s credibility.
President Filipe Nyusi, 65, is stepping down after his two terms allowed by the constitution but his party’s candidate, 47-year-old Daniel Chapo, was widely expected to win.
Other presidential candidates included Ossufo Momade, 63, of the Renamo party, and Lutero Simango, 64, of the Mozambique Democratic Movement.
While Renamo has traditionally been the main opposition group, the emergence of Mondlane and the Podemos party was a new development in this election.
“Mondlane and Podemos have leveraged social media to connect with Mozambique’s large youth population who are seeking a change to the status quo,” said Emilia Columbo of the DC based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Thousands rally in Mozambique ahead of election results
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Thousands rally in Mozambique ahead of election results
- Opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane has called for 25 days of protests over the killing of his attorney
- The government of Mozambique has called for calm as the country awaits official election results
Thousands flee homes as fierce tropical storm batters Philippines
- Trami, locally called Kristine, is the 11th cyclone to hit the Philippines this year
- Southeastern parts of the country’s main island declare state of calamity
MANILA: The Philippines braced itself on Wednesday for the impact of Tropical Storm Trami, with thousands of people evacuated from their homes as authorities warned of an unprecedented volume of rainfall and flooding in the coming days.
The 11th cyclone to hit the country this year, Trami — locally known as Kristine — is affecting nearly all the Luzon and Visayas islands, as well as parts of Mindanao.
It has caused severe flooding and landslides in the country’s east even before making landfall, which is forecast to take place on Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning.
“The worst is yet to come, I’m afraid ... The volumes of water are unprecedented,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a briefing with disaster management authorities and the military.
“I’m feeling a little helpless here ... All we can do is sit tight, wait, hope, pray that there’s not too much damage, that there are no casualties. And then go in as soon and as quickly as possible with as much as we can to alleviate the effects, especially first to the population. And then, afterwards, we will take care of all the other infrastructure: the power, the roads.”
Government offices and schools across Luzon, the country’s largest island, have been temporarily shut down, and four provinces — Quezon and three in neighboring Bicol Region — have declared a state of calamity.
In Bicol alone, more than 47,500 people had to leave their homes and were evacuated to safety. At least two people have been reported dead and five missing.
“Because of the 24 hours of almost non-stop rains, we had 12,226 families or 47,583 people evacuated here in the Bicol region. So far, what has been reported to us are two dead,” Office of Civil Defense in Bicol spokesperson Gremil Naz said in a radio broadcast.
“We also have one reported injured and five reported missing fishermen.”
The Philippines is the country most at risk from natural disasters, according to the 2024 World Risk Report.
Every year millions of people are affected by storms and typhoons, which have lately been more unpredictable and extreme due to the changing climate.
Last month, more than a dozen people were killed when Typhoon Yagi hit the country’s east.
UK’s Birmingham Airport evacuated after report of suspicious vehicle
“West Midlands Police is currently dealing with an ongoing incident on-site,” the force said on X. “Airport operations are currently impacted, and passengers should not come to the airport at this time.”
Birmingham Airport said separately on X that it had suspended operations.
NATO says has ‘confirmed evidence’ N.Korea troops in Russia
BRUSSELS: NATO countries have confirmed evidence that North Korea has sent troops to Russia, an alliance spokeswoman said Wednesday, warning it would be a major escalation if they head to Ukraine.
“Allies have confirmed evidence of a DPRK troop deployment to Russia. If these troops are destined to fight in Ukraine, it would mark a significant escalation in North Korea’s support for Russia’s illegal war and yet another sign of Russia’s significant losses on the front lines,” Farah Dakhlallah said in a statement.
Greenland extends detention of anti-whaling activist Watson
- This marks the fourth extension of his detention since Watson was arrested in July in Nuuk, capital of the Danish autonomous territory
- Police added that Watson had immediately appealed the decision
COPENHAGEN: A Greenland court on Wednesday extended the detention of anti-whaling activist Paul Watson for three more weeks, pending a decision on his possible extradition to Japan where he is wanted over an altercation with whalers.
This marks the fourth extension of his detention since Watson was arrested in July in Nuuk, capital of the Danish autonomous territory.
“The court in Greenland has today decided that Paul Watson shall continue to be detained until November 13, 2024 in order to ensure his presence in connection with the decision on extradition,” Greenland police said in a statement.
Police added that Watson had immediately appealed the decision.
Watson’s lawyer Julie Stage told AFP ahead of the hearing that her team would ask for his immediate release, adding: “But unfortunately, realistically, that may not happen.”
Stage also said she was preparing an appeal to be filed with Denmark’s Supreme Court over the Nuuk court’s earlier ruling on October 2 to keep the 73-year-old in custody.
Watson was arrested on July 21 when his ship, the John Paul DeJoria, docked to refuel in Nuuk on its way to “intercept” a new Japanese whaling factory vessel in the North Pacific, according to the CPWF.
He was detained on a 2012 Japanese arrest warrant, which accuses him of causing damage to a whaling ship in the Antarctic in 2010 and injuring a whaler.
Watson, who featured in the reality TV series “Whale Wars,” founded Sea Shepherd and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF) and is known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea.
In a rare public comment on the case, Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya recently insisted the extradition request was “an issue of law enforcement at sea rather than a whaling issue.”
Tokyo accuses Watson of injuring a Japanese crew member with a stink bomb intended to disrupt the whalers’ activities, during a clash with the Shonan Maru 2 vessel on February 11, 2010.
Watson’s lawyers insist he is innocent and say they have video footage proving the crew member was not on deck when the stink bomb was thrown. The Nuuk court has refused to view the video.
The custody hearings are solely about Watson’s detention, with the extradition request being reviewed by Denmark’s justice ministry.
In September, Watson’s lawyers contacted the UN special rapporteur on environmental defenders, claiming that he could be “subjected to inhumane treatment” in Japanese prisons.
Watson had been living in France at the time of his arrest and has written to French President Emmanuel Macron to ask for political asylum.
World-respected British conservationist Jane Goodall told AFP last week she hoped France would accept his plea, calling him a “brave man.”
As Watson’s hearing got underway on Wednesday, several dozen supporters demonstrated outside city hall in Paris, chanting “Free Paul Watson” and holding signs reading “A hero doesn’t belong in prison” and “Saving whales is not a crime.”
French officials have previously urged Copenhagen not to extradite him, but have said offering asylum is complicated as a person must be in France to file a claim.
Japan, Norway and Iceland are the only three countries that still allow commercial whaling.
Indian state signs $35 billion renewable energy deal with UAE
- India aims to have 500 GW of renewable energy installed by 2030
- UAE investment is expected to add 60 GW of renewable energy in Rajasthan
NEW DELHI: Rajasthan, India’s largest state by area, has signed a $35 billion investment agreement with the UAE government to explore the development of a 60 GW solar, wind and hybrid energy project.
Rajasthan’s Principal Secretary of Industries Ajitabh Sharma and UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Al-Suwaidi signed a memorandum of understanding for the investment on Tuesday in the state capital of Jaipur.
Under the deal, the UAE will help set up renewable energy projects in the western district of Rajasthan, the state government said in a statement. India’s largest desert, Thar, is located in the area.
“This venture will be a milestone in fulfilling the energy needs of Rajasthan by installing a long-term power generation project in which modern cutting-edge technology would be used,” the government of Rajasthan said.
The UAE will also appoint a developer to coordinate with Rajasthan officials to launch the project within the agreed timeline, which was not specified.
India, the world’s third-largest consumer of electricity, currently has installed about 200 GW of renewable energy. It is aiming to install 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 to meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2070.
“To achieve this target, Rajasthan will have to install 250 GW of solar plants. This partnership with the UAE will prove to be an important step in achieving this goal,” said Rajasthan’s Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, who was present during the signing ceremony.
He is also expecting the new agreement to help boost the local economy.
“I am confident that this MoU will pave the way for employment generation, economic development, industrial progress and overall prosperity in Rajasthan,” Sharma said.
During his meeting with Rajasthan officials, Al-Suwaidi said that energy transition was a key pillar of the UAE’s diversification agenda.
“This project highlights our unwavering commitment to advancing clean energy solutions,” Al-Suwaidi said, as quoted by Emirati state news agency WAM.
“Rajasthan, with its favorable climate and vast landmass, offers the ideal environment for this initiative, serving as a testing ground for innovative technologies that will shape the future of energy,” he said.
India and the UAE signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in 2022, which has since significantly advanced bilateral exchanges.
The UAE is the largest Middle Eastern investor in India, with investments amounting to about $3 billion in the financial year 2023-24, according to Indian government data.
