Latest news with #Uighur
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Syria arms depot blasts kill 12, wounds more than 100: monitor
An ambulance drives toward the scene of an explosion in Maarrat Misrin in the northern part of Syria's Idlib governorate on July 24, 2025. Photo: AFP Listen to article A series of explosions killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 100 at a weapons depot in northwestern Syria on Thursday, a monitor said. "Multiple blasts at a weapons and ammunition warehouse belonging to the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 100 in Maaret Misrin, in northern Idlib province," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Those killed included a woman and a child, said the Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources on the ground. Also Read: International media organisations raise alarm as journalists in Gaza face starvation The TIP is a jihadist group active in the Idlib region made up of Uighur fighters who joined the Syrian civil war to fight against former president Bashar al-Assad. Syria's health ministry had reported four deaths and 116 wounded in the blasts, in a preliminary toll published by the official news agency SANA. Authorities did not immediately say what may have caused the explosions. AFP images showed a huge plume of white smoke over the town, where several children were among the injured.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Syria arms depot blasts kill 12, wounds more than 100
DAMASCUS: A series of explosions killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 100 at a weapons depot in northwestern Syria on Thursday, a monitor said. "Multiple blasts at a weapons and ammunition warehouse belonging to the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 100 in Maaret Misrin, in northern Idlib province," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Those killed included a woman and a child, said the Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources on the ground. The TIP is a jihadist group active in the Idlib region made up of Uighur fighters who joined the Syrian civil war to fight against former president Bashar al-Assad. Syria's health ministry had reported four deaths and 116 wounded in the blasts, in a preliminary toll published by the official news agency SANA. Authorities did not immediately say what may have caused the explosions. AFP images showed a huge plume of white smoke over the town, where several children were among the injured.
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Britain risks being ‘dumping ground' for forced labour goods
In the 99-page document, MPs and peers on the influential Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) called on ministers to impose import bans on goods linked to forced labour. Mandatory human rights due diligence for UK firms and penalties for flouting the requirements should also be introduced, the cross-party group said. This would establish a legal duty for businesses to manage any risk of human rights abuse in their operations, such as by requiring suppliers to fulfil certain conditions, rather than the existing 'voluntary' approach. Key to UK laws governing forced labour is the Modern Slavery Act 2015, but the committee warned a lack of 'enforceable legislation' is leaving loopholes in the system. 'The evidence we heard demonstrates that goods produced by forced labour are being sold in the UK,' the JCHR said. 'Cargo flights are permitted to bring goods directly from the capital of Xinjiang to the UK unhindered and media investigation has provided strong evidence that tomatoes produced under forced labour conditions are used in products sold in UK supermarkets.' Britain's approach to imports has fallen behind other key markets like the EU and the US, which have introduced bans on goods linked to forced labour, according to the report. 'The UK's lack of equivalent legislation puts the UK at risk of becoming a dumping ground for goods that cannot be sold elsewhere,' it said. It recommended the Government bring in a similar measure to establish who is responsible for preventing the import of such goods and what happens if goods are confiscated. This ban should make clear that no company that uses or allows state-imposed forced labour in its supply chains can import goods to the UK, the committee said. Concerns have also been raised over the UK's free trade deal with India, where human rights groups estimate more than 11 million people are living in modern slavery. Meanwhile, more than a million people are estimated to live in modern slavery in the US, according to the same data, compiled by the International Labour Organisation and Walk Free in partnership with the UN. The JCHR said the UK could learn from the EU's policy of using 'political clauses' in its deals to promote the bloc's values, as it continues negotiations with some Gulf states amid concerns about their human rights records. It urged the Government to make it an explicit policy to include provisions concerning forced labour in future trade agreements, and to avoid entering negotiations with countries participating in state-imposed forced labour. Sir Keir Starmer's Government has sought to balance a revival of relations with Beijing in its pursuit of growth with matters of national security amid concerns about Chinese interference in Britain and human rights concerns. China has denied accusations it is subjecting the Uighur minority to forced labour. Lord David Alton, chairman of the JCHR, said its inquiry had seen 'shocking evidence' of human rights abuses in a wide range of industries at the heart of UK trade. 'Most of all, we want to see strong leadership from the Government. It's intolerable in the 21st century that we profiteer on the broken backs of slave labour, from Uighur servitude in Xinjiang to child labour in the cobalt mines of the Congo, and elsewhere,' he said. 'The Government knows (the) nature of the problem and the challenge but meaningful action has been lacking.'
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Genghis Khan couldn't read, yet led a court of intellects: Why his education policies must be studied in 21st century
The great Khan and one of the most influential Mongol rulers, Genghis Khan was born in 1162 in the Khentii Mountains of Mongolia. His life combined moments of terror, wonder, and sheer disbelief with an undeniable legacy that shaped history. Some research even suggests his conquests killed so many people that the earth's temperature may have dropped due to reduced carbon dioxide levels. Most people associate his reign with brutality, and rightly so. However, in a 12th-century setting where expanding empires, accumulating wealth, and securing historical immortality were the ultimate goals, his actions weren't particularly unusual for a ruler of his time. Khan was simply a warrior of extraordinary skill whose mastery of battlefield tactics and political administration produced results that remain remarkable centuries later. A conqueror who couldn't read What surprises many, however, is that this infamous leader most likely couldn't read or write. Historian Jack Weatherford notes that Khan "probably encountered no more than a few hundred people in his entire childhood, and he received no formal education." Other biographical accounts suggest he relied entirely on courtiers to read and write laws for him, as he lacked these abilities himself. Yet this illiteracy didn't prevent him from championing one of history's most revolutionary educational movements. Khan ensured that people throughout his empire became skilled and well-educated. He mandated the adoption of a writing system, eliminated taxes completely for doctors, teachers, priests, and educational institutions, and laid groundwork that would inspire his grandson, Khubilai Khan, to attempt creating primary schools for universal basic education to make literacy available to all children. Despite never learning to read, Khan understood something fundamental about power and progress that continues to influence educational thinking in the 21st century. Written governance trumped the prevalent oral traditions Khan recognised something crucial; an empire built solely on verbal commands and collective memory could never compete with the sophisticated, literate civilisations he intended to conquer. This realisation led to a dramatic decision that would transform Mongol society forever. After establishing his empire, Khan mandated the creation of a writing system for official state business. Based on Uighur script, this system ensured that "his decisions [could be] kept on white paper bound in blue books." This simple yet revolutionary step marked the birth of written Mongolian law and formal record-keeping. Though Khan himself never learnt to read, he understood the power of documentation. He established a new class of educated officials and empowered scribes to handle the empire's written affairs. Within just one generation, the entire structure of Mongol administration had shifted from relying on memory to depending on written communication. Laws became synonymous with written records, establishing literacy as a cornerstone of power and organised governance. A court of intellects, an empire of literates Khan's commitment to learning extended far beyond creating a writing system. He implemented policies that seem remarkably progressive even by today's standards. Teachers, scholars, and educational institutions were exempted from taxation, a bold move designed to elevate the status of learning professions. His court became a melting vessel of international knowledge. Doctors, priests, intellectuals, translators, and artists from across Asia, Europe, and the Arab world were welcomed and encouraged to share their expertise. This deliberate policy of intellectual openness transformed the Mongol Empire into an unprecedented centre of global learning and cultural exchange. The foundation Khan laid proved remarkably durable. His grandson, Khubilai Khan, later attempted to establish schools for all children throughout the empire, aiming for universal basic literacy among the empire's incredibly diverse population. This ambitious goal preceded similar educational movements in other parts of the world by several centuries. Effect was far reaching and a case study for generations The educational transformation Khan initiated had effects that lasted far beyond his lifetime. His policies reshaped entire cultures, strengthened governmental institutions, and positioned the Mongol world as a hub for cross-cultural intellectual exchange. Many concepts we consider fundamentally modern trace their roots back to these 13th-century reforms. State funding for education, international academic cooperation, the central role of written law in governance, and societal respect for teachers and scholars all emerged from Khan's vision. Echoes and shadows of a system that must be remembered Today, Khan's core principles remain strikingly relevant. His tax exemptions for educators mirror modern policies where countries like Finland and several US states offer tax breaks and loan forgiveness to teachers. The international scholar exchange he pioneered resembles contemporary programmes like Fulbright scholarships and the European Union's Erasmus initiative, which bring together academics from different nations to share knowledge. The Mongol Empire's documentation-based governance system established principles that underpin modern bureaucratic states, where written records and legal frameworks form the foundation of administration. Perhaps most significantly, Khan's recognition that leaders need not be scholars themselves but must lead a system based on learning, resonates in contemporary discussions about educational leadership. His story challenges assumptions about who can drive educational reform, suggesting that vision and institutional support matter more than personal academic credentials. It's iconic that someone described as an "illiterate slave" who built an empire continues to serve as a model for understanding how educational transformation occurs. Here was a man who never read a single word yet created institutional frameworks so robust that they promoted learning and documentation long after his death, frameworks whose core principles still guide educational policy in the 21st century. All facts and quotations in this article are drawn from Jack Weatherford's "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World." Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Harvard accused of collaborating with Chinese Communist Party
Republicans in Congress have opened up a new front in their attacks on Harvard University, accusing it of collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party, training its paramilitaries and working with its scientists on 'dual-use' research. The university is fighting back against a full-scale assault on its status and funding by the Trump administration, which has accused it of 'fostering antisemitism' due to pro-Palestinian activism by its students. Now, a letter to the university signed by three prominent Republicans highlights longstanding concerns, also expressed about UK and other western universities, over Harvard's engagement with Chinese partners. These partners include universities and researchers with links to the Chinese quango behind much of the ruling apparatus in Xinjiang, where millions in the Uighur minority have been held in
