Six In The Morning Tuesday 9 January 2024

British surgeon says Gaza ‘beyond worst thing’ he’s seen, as Jordan’s king warns Israel creating a ‘generation of orphans’

A British surgeon who led an emergency medical team in central Gaza says the situation at Al-Aqsa hospital has been “beyond any doubt the worst thing” he’s seen in his career, as Jordan’s monarch warned Israel’s bombardment was creating an “entire generation of orphans.”

“There’s been multiple traumatic amputations of children … horrific burns, the likes of which I’ve never seen before,” Dr. Nick Maynard told CNN’s Isa Soares on Monday after his team found themselves with no choice but to withdraw from the hospital, following increased Israeli military activity.

He said that often “there is no pain relief to give to these patients at all,” underscoring the dire humanitarian situation and lack of medical supplies in the Palestinian enclave following more than three months of Israeli bombardment.

Canada blocks citizenship for Russian blogger who criticised Ukraine war

Maria Kartasheva says she worries about deportation after Canadian officials revoked application over in-absentia conviction

A Russian anti-war activist is facing the prospect of deportation from Canada after her citizenship application was blocked on the grounds that her blogposts had broken Moscow’s harsh laws criminalizing criticism of the invasion of Ukraine.

The decision, first reported by the CBC, which has baffled immigration lawyers, faults Maria Kartasheva over criminal charges leveled by Russian prosecutors, even though her dissent mirrors Canada’s foreign policy.

Kartasheva, founder of the Russian Canadian Democratic Alliance, fled her homeland in 2019 amid concern over Vladimir Putin’s growing crackdown on dissent . In 2022, and living in Ottawa, she learned that two of her blogposts about a massacre in the Ukrainian town of Bucha by Russian troops had caught the attention of officials in Moscow.

Ecuador: State of emergency follows drug boss disappearance

Ecuador’s new president has declared a 60-day state of emergency after a top drug gang leader vanished from prison. The move comes as the country is trying to tackle soaring levels of violence and crime.

Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency for 60 days on Monday, a day after Adolfo Macias, leader of the Los Choneros criminal gang, disappeared from the prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence.

Noboa did not mention Macias’ possible escape in imposing the state of emergency, but said in an Instagram message that he won’t stop until he “brings back peace to all Ecuadorians.”

Police say at least four police officers have been kidnapped in Ecuador following the declaration, and unrest was reported at several prisons.

Bhutan’s Tobgay, environmental advocate facing economic headwinds

The man set to become Bhutan’s new prime minister is a passionate environmental advocate and sportsman, a veteran politician in a mountain kingdom where parliamentary democracy is still young.

Tshering Tobgay, who is expected to become premier for a second time after his party won nearly two-thirds of seats in elections on Tuesday, served as prime minister from 2013 to 2018.

The 58-year-old former civil servant, who holds degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and Harvard, was leader of the opposition in Bhutan’s first parliament when it was established in 2008.

Head of the liberal People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Tobgay fielded a heavyweight team that included several former ministers and lawmakers to win 30 of 47 seats in Tuesday’s election, Bhutanese media reported.

Korea ends age-old tradition of dog meat consumption

Practice has drawn domestic, international criticism for animal cruelty

By Lee Hae-rin

Korea put an end to the contentious tradition of consuming dogs as the National Assembly passed a special bill, marking a rare moment of political unity to ban the trade and consumption of dog meat.

The bill garnered unanimous approval in a 208-0 vote during a plenary session, with two abstentions.

According to the bill, set to be enforced from 2027, the raising or butchering of dogs for human consumption, as well as the distribution or sale of dog meat, are prohibited.

23 runway incursions put aircraft at risk in Japan since 2014

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

January 9, 2024 at 17:00 JST

Japanese safety authorities reported at least 23 “serious incidents” on runways over 10 years through 2023 where investigators judged there was a risk of collision between aircraft or with other vehicles.

The Asahi Shimbun analyzed aircraft serious incident investigation reports released by the Japan Transport Safety Board for 19 cases following a fatal collision between a Japan Airlines Co. passenger jet and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Jan. 2.

The newspaper also examined the remaining four cases into which the board is still investigating.

Twelve of the 19 runway incursions were attributed to aircraft or work vehicles on the ground.