More than 1,800 migrants expelled from Algeria into Niger, rights group says

More than 1,800 migrants expelled from Algeria into Niger, rights group says
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria sits in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1, 2018. (AP Photo/File)
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Updated 25 April 2025
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More than 1,800 migrants expelled from Algeria into Niger, rights group says

More than 1,800 migrants expelled from Algeria into Niger, rights group says
  • The UK government is struggling to stop undocumented migrants embarking on dangerous boat journeys across the Channel from France
  • Ukrainian and Afghan migrants face uncertainty under new policies

ALGIERS: Algerian authorities rounded up more than 1,800 migrants and left them at the Nigerien border in a record expulsion earlier this month, a Niger-based migrant rights group said Thursday.

Alarmphone Sahara, which monitors migration across the region, said the migrants were bused to a remote desert area known as “Point Zero” after being apprehended in Algerian cities.

Abdou Aziz Chehou, the group’s national coordinator, told The Associated Press on Thursday that 1,845 migrants without legal status in Algeria had been counted, arriving in Niger’s border town of Assamaka after the April 19 mass expulsion.

That pushed the total number of expelled migrants arriving in Assamaka this month beyond 4,000, he said.

The figure does not include those who may attempt to return north into Algeria, Chehou added.

The mass deportations come amid rising tensions between Algeria and its southern neighbors, all now led by military juntas that ousted elected governments previously aligned with Algiers. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrew their ambassadors from Algeria earlier this month over border security disputes.

For migrants fleeing poverty, conflict or climate change, Algeria serves as a transit point en route to Europe. Many cross vast stretches of the Sahara en route before attempting dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean. But reinforced maritime patrols have stranded increasing numbers in transit countries with checkered human rights records and limited humanitarian aid.

In 2024, Alarmphone Sahara recorded more than 30,000 migrants expelled from Algeria. Similar pushbacks have also been reported in neighboring Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.

Neither Algerian nor Nigerien officials have commented on the latest expulsions, which are rarely reported in Algerian press. In the past, Nigerien authorities have said such actions appear to violate a 2014 agreement that allows only Nigerien nationals to be deported across the border.


Philippines top court voids impeachment complaint against VP Duterte

Philippines top court voids impeachment complaint against VP Duterte
Updated 8 sec ago
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Philippines top court voids impeachment complaint against VP Duterte

Philippines top court voids impeachment complaint against VP Duterte
  • Complaint violated a constitutional safeguard against the filing of multiple complaints against the same official
MANILA: The Philippine Supreme Court on Friday voided the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, its spokesperson said.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court said the complaint violated a constitutional safeguard against the filing of multiple complaints against the same official.

Court frees men accused in 2006 train bombings India blamed on Pakistan-based group

Court frees men accused in 2006 train bombings India blamed on Pakistan-based group
Updated 11 min 47 sec ago
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Court frees men accused in 2006 train bombings India blamed on Pakistan-based group

Court frees men accused in 2006 train bombings India blamed on Pakistan-based group
  • Pakistan has always denied state complicity in evening rush-hour attacks that killed 187 people and wounded hundreds 
  • Ansari, now 48, was one of 12 men convicted in 2015 for murder, conspiracy, waging war against India 

MUMBAI: Nearly two decades lost, a family fractured and a city still without closure — the scars of the 2006 Mumbai train bombings remain, even as the men once blamed for the deadly attacks walk free.

After 19 years behind bars, Mohammad Sajid Margub Ansari can finally hold his daughter in his arms.

Ansari, now 48, was one of 12 men convicted in 2015 for murder, conspiracy and waging war against India over the 2006 train blasts.

The evening rush-hour attacks, carried out with pressure-cooker bombs hidden in bags beneath newspapers and umbrellas, killed 187 people and wounded hundreds more.

Five of the accused were sentenced to death, while the other seven — including Ansari — were given life imprisonment.

At the time of the blasts, Ansari was just 29, running a modest mobile and computer repair shop.

He was arrested soon after the explosions, reportedly accused of assembling the bombs and sheltering two Pakistani nationals.

But this week, a two-judge bench of the Bombay High Court overturned the convictions, ruling that the prosecution had “utterly failed” to prove the men were responsible.

The prosecution appealed to the Supreme Court to halt their release, but it declined to intervene.

“It feels amazing to be free,” Ansari told AFP. “We are innocent.”

Freedom, however, feels bittersweet for Ansari.

“My whole youth is gone. My family had to face financial troubles,” he said.

His wife was pregnant when Ansari was arrested, leaving him to miss his daughter’s entire childhood. In her early years, she wouldn’t even come near him.

“As a dad that felt terrible, that I could not hold my own daughter,” he said.

“I used to feel very helpless and think why do we have to go through all this when I am innocent.”

The 2006 attacks were initially blamed on the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, although a little-known outfit, Lashkar-e-Qahhar, later claimed responsibility.

Pakistan denied the allegations.

For survivor Chirag Chauhan, who was paralyzed from the waist down in one of the blasts, the acquittal of the men felt like being dragged “back to square one.”

“We don’t know what to do and where to start from. The entire system is hopeless,” he told AFP.

In 2006, Chauhan, now 40, was returning home from chartered accountancy training when the train he boarded was hit by an explosion.

Prosecutors said the explosives were deliberately placed in first-class coaches to target the city’s wealthy Gujarati community.

They also said the bombings were intended as revenge for riots in the western state of Gujarat in 2002, which left around 2,000 people dead, most of them Muslims.

A spinal cord injury left Chauhan requiring the use of a wheelchair.

“After 19 years if the accused are let free, who carried out the blasts then?” he asked.

But he also said there should be a “fair investigation,” noting that the now freed men could have been framed.

“All are equally to be blamed, the judiciary, the investigative agencies, everyone,” he said.

For Ansari, his years behind bars demand more than an acquittal.

“The agencies should be ashamed of what they did and should definitely apologize to us,” he said.

While his old mobile and computer repair shop is no longer an employment option, given the advances in technology since he was imprisoned, Ansari is aiming to rebuild his life.

He plans to finish the undergraduate law degree which he enrolled in while in prison.

“I hope to put it to good use,” he said.


Ukraine’s Zelensky says ‘listened’ to protesters on anti-graft law

Ukraine’s Zelensky says ‘listened’ to protesters on anti-graft law
Updated 37 min 25 sec ago
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Ukraine’s Zelensky says ‘listened’ to protesters on anti-graft law

Ukraine’s Zelensky says ‘listened’ to protesters on anti-graft law
  • The adoption of the bill, which curbed the powers of two anti-graft bodies, triggered the biggest public protests in Ukraine
  • Ukrainian leader acknowledged there should ‘probably have been more of a dialogue’ before the law was adopted

KYIV: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said his government had heard protesters opposing a law revoking the independence of anti-corruption agencies and had responded by proposing new legislation.

The adoption of the bill, which curbed the powers of two anti-graft bodies, triggered the biggest public protests in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion and drew criticism from Kyiv’s European allies.

“It is absolutely normal to react when people don’t want something or when they dislike something,” Zelensky said in comments released to journalists on Friday, adding it was “very important that we listened and responded adequately.”

“For me, it was very important that we listened and responded adequately,” Zelensky added.

The government has since submitted a bill aimed at restoring the independence of the anti-graft bodies – the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

It remains to be seen whether parliament, mostly loyal to Zelensky, will approve the draft law.

Zelensky acknowledged there should “probably have been more of a dialogue” before the law was adopted.

“I am focused on the issue of the war because right now, the number one issue in Ukraine is the war. The biggest problem is the war. The main enemy is Russia.”


Europeans and Iran meet in Istanbul as the return of sanctions looms over nuclear deadlock

Europeans and Iran meet in Istanbul as the return of sanctions looms over nuclear deadlock
Updated 25 July 2025
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Europeans and Iran meet in Istanbul as the return of sanctions looms over nuclear deadlock

Europeans and Iran meet in Istanbul as the return of sanctions looms over nuclear deadlock
  • The talks are centered on the possibility of reimposing sanctions on Iran that were lifted in 2015 in exchange for Iran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear program
  • European leaders have said the reinstating of sanctions will start by the end of August if there is no progress on containing Iran’s nuclear program

ISTANBUL: Iranian and European diplomats are set to meet in Istanbul Friday to embark on the latest drive to unpick the deadlock over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Representatives from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 nations, will gather at the Iranian consulate building for the first talks since Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in June, which involved US bombers striking nuclear-related facilities.

The talks are centered on the possibility of reimposing sanctions on Iran that were lifted in 2015 in exchange for Iran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear program.

The return of sanctions, known as a “snapback” mechanism, “remains on the table,” according to a European diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.

“A possible delay in triggering snapback has been floated to the Iranians on the condition that there is credible diplomatic engagement by Iran, that they resume full cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), and that they address concerns about their highly-enriched uranium stockpile,” the diplomat said.

European leaders have said sanctions will resume by the end of August if there is no progress on containing Iran’s nuclear program.

Tehran, meanwhile, has said the US, which withdrew from the 2015 deal during President Donald Trump ‘s first term, needs to rebuild faith in its role in negotiations.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran’s engagement was dependent on “several key principles” that included “rebuilding Iran’s trust – as Iran has absolutely no trust in the United States.”

In a social media post Thursday, he also said the talks shouldn’t be used “as a platform for hidden agendas such as military action.” Gharibabadi insisted that Iran’s right to enrich uranium “in line with its legitimate needs” be respected and sanctions removed.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to leave the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which commits it to refrain from developing nuclear weapons, if sanctions return.

Friday’s talks will be held at the deputy ministerial level, with Iran sending Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-e Ravanchi. A similar meeting was held in Istanbul in May. The identity of the E3 representatives were not immediately clear but the European Union’s deputy foreign policy commissioner is expected to attend.

The UK, France and Germany were signatories to the 2015 deal, alongside the US, Russia and China. When the US withdrew in 2018, Trump insisted the agreement wasn’t tough enough. Under the original deal, neither Russia nor China can veto reimposed sanctions.

Since the Israeli and US strikes on Iran, which saw American B-52 bombers hit three nuclear sites, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the E3 of hypocrisy, saying they failed to uphold their obligations while supporting Israel’s attacks.

Against the backdrop of the conflict, which saw Iran respond with missile attacks on Israel and a strike on a US base in Qatar, the road ahead remains uncertain

While European officials have said they want to avoid further conflict and are open to a negotiated solution, they have warned that time is running out.

Tehran maintains it is open to diplomacy, though it recently suspended cooperation with the IAEA.

A central concern for Western powers was highlighted when the IAEA reported in May that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent – just below weapons-grade level – had grown to over 400 kilograms (882 pounds).

In an interview with Al Jazeera that aired Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran is prepared for another war and reiterated that its nuclear program will continue within the framework of international law while adding the country had no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons.

A spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said Thursday the country’s nuclear industry would “grow back and thrive again” after the recent attacks by Israel and the US


US lifts sanctions on Myanmar junta allies after general praises Trump

US lifts sanctions on Myanmar junta allies after general praises Trump
Updated 25 July 2025
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US lifts sanctions on Myanmar junta allies after general praises Trump

US lifts sanctions on Myanmar junta allies after general praises Trump
  • Human Rights Watch describes the American move ‘extremely worrying’
  • Suggests major shift was underway in US policy toward Myanmar’s military

WASHINGTON: The United States lifted sanctions designations on several allies of Myanmar’s ruling generals on Thursday, two weeks after the head of the ruling junta praised President Donald Trump and called for an easing of sanctions in a letter responding to a tariff warning.

Human Rights Watch called the move “extremely worrying” and said it suggested a major shift was underway in US policy toward Myanmar’s military, which overthrew a democratically elected government in 2021 and has been implicated in crimes against humanity and genocide.

A notice from the US Treasury Department said KT Services & Logistics and its founder, Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung; the MCM Group and its owner Aung Hlaing Oo; and Suntac Technologies and its owner Sit Taing Aung; and another individual, Tin Latt Min, were being removed from the US sanctions list. KT Services & Logistics and Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung were added to the sanctions list in January 2022 under the Biden administration in a step timed to mark the first anniversary of the military seizure of power in Myanmar that plunged the country into chaos.

Sit Taing Aung and Aung Hlaing Oo were placed on the sanctions list the same year for operating in Myanmar’s defense sector. Tin Latt Min, identified as another close associate of the military rulers, was placed on the list in 2024 to mark the third anniversary of the coup.

The Treasury Department did not explain the reason for the move, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On July 11, Myanmar’s ruling military general, Min Aung Hlaing, asked Trump in a letter for a reduction in the 40 percent tariff rate on his country’s exports to the US and said he was ready to send a negotiating team to Washington if needed.

“The senior general acknowledged the president’s strong leadership in guiding his country toward national prosperity with the spirit of a true patriot,” state media said at the time.

In his response to a letter from Trump notifying Myanmar of the tariff to take effect on August 1, Min Aung Hlaing proposed a reduced rate of 10 percent to 20 percent, with Myanmar slashing its levy on US imports to a range of zero to 10 percent.

Min Aung Hlaing also asked Trump “to reconsider easing and lifting the economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar, as they hinder the shared interests and prosperity of both countries and their peoples.” Myanmar is one of the world’s main sources of sought-after rare earth minerals used in high-tech defense and consumer applications. Securing supplies of the minerals is a major focus for the Trump administration in its strategic competition with China, which is responsible for 90 percent of rare earth processing capacity. Most of Myanmar’s rare earth mines are in areas controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an ethnic group fighting the junta, and are processed in China.

John Sifton, Asia advocacy director of Human Rights Watch, called the US move “shocking” and its motivation unclear.

“The action suggests a major shift is underway in US policy, which had centered on punitive action against Myanmar’s military regime, which only four years ago carried out a coup d’etat against a democratically elected government and is implicated in crimes against humanity and genocide,” he said in an emailed statement.

“The decision will cause deep concern among victims of the Myanmar military and everyone who has been fighting and advocating for a return to democratic rule in Myanmar,” Sifton said.