Ruth Pollard
Ruth Pollard
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Ruth Pollard
@rpollard
In New Delhi for , formerly ex-Beirut, Cairo, Jerusalem. Fellow Journalism & Trauma. Opinions my own
Delhi & on the roadJoined January 2009
Ruth Pollard’s Tweets
At least 70 human beings are missing at sea & presumed dead off #Libya’s shore in the past 2 weeks. So far this year up to 215 #migrants/#Refugees are reported dead or missing in the Central #Mediterranean trying to reach a #Europe that doesn’t want them.
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The faint hearted should not read this.
Yesterday, at our own risk, we left Mariupol under gunfire. We stayed overnight in a field in a gray zone. It was freezing outside, thank God we are alive. We are alive to scream that everyone who stayed in Mariupol needs help!
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This report from out of Mariupol is just agonizingly good journalism. The photographs are breathtaking. The Ukrainians are beyond brave.
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Important work tracking what was essentially the mass murder of those held in detention in Syria ...
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Ben Hubbard
@NYTBen
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NEW: We gathered evidence of two mass graves in Syria where the government literally dumped the bodies of people who died or were killed in detention.
And we talked to men who helped bury them.
Read here:
https://nytimes.com/2022/03/16/world/middleeast/mass-graves-syria-war-crimes.html…
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Powerful, truthful work from Cathy
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The Cathy Wilcox
@cathywilcox1
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Unfair game.
My @smh @theage cartoon.
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MHA told Lok Sabha today that U.K government raised FCRA curb on Oxfam India at Feb 10 UK-India Home Secretary meeting. and I reported on Feb 13 that ahead of Boris Johnson’s visit to India, Oxfam issue was raised by the British.
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This is fantastic news … Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, imprisoned for ‘insulting Islam’, freed after 10 years
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It's a victory of strongman politics over deep economic woes: Gilles Verniers, assistant professor of political science at Ashoka University
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Despite high inflation, joblessness & a devastating second wave of Covid-19 infections (and the contentious farm bills) Modi looks set to sweep to victory. Report from https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-10/modi-s-party-leads-vote-count-in-crucial-indian-state-election… via
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Kharkiv resident Vira Litovchenko publishes videos almost every day from a bomb shelter where she plays the violin
#ProtectUASky
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An enduring image from Mykolaiv: the warehouse of onions and other foodstuffs hit by Russian artillery. Livelihoods up in smoke and dust.
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Blistering THREAD on the importance of real inclusion. Thanks for this important reminder Nina. We all need to do better on International Womens’ Day and everyday beyond.
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Nina Funnell, journalist & #LetUsSpeak manager
@ninafunnell
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It honestly feels like we are back here again.
When are we going to learn that there is nothing inclusive about a group of (predominantly white) girl-boss power-bitches dressed in power-suits claiming feminism as their own exclusive club?
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The Uttar Pradesh election will indicate whether Modi is finally losing his touch after eight years in power. Great reporting from & pix by https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-06/rising-prices-threaten-modi-s-hold-on-india-s-most-crucial-state… via
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This will warm your heart in beautiful ways: India’s cricket team spending time with the baby daughter of Pakistan team’s captain Bismah Maroof after their World Cup match.
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If you need some downtime & you’re interested in gastronationalism beyond (but including) the hummus wars, this podcast is for you. With
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Looking at the destruction across Ukraine, particularly Chernihiv, and this piece I wrote earlier looks like it is playing out. Utterly devastating images. https://bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-02-27/putin-s-assault-on-ukraine-echoes-russia-s-brutal-battering-of-syria… via
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Some thoughts: Let's stop talking about a no-fly zone over Ukraine. They have a mixed record, even when World War III isn't at stake ... https://bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-03-03/a-no-fly-zone-over-ukraine-to-stop-russia-s-war-will-never-get-off-the-ground… via
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Alexander Stubb
@alexstubb
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A ten point THREAD on the situation from a country with a 1340km border with Russia:
1. The security threat is real. Putin wants to take over Ukraine, revamp the security structure of Europe & keep Finland & Sweden out of Nato. We must assume that his actions have no limits.
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NEW: So about those Polish MiG-29s being sent to Ukraine... We did some digging with Polish military sources. The deal is not off, but nor has a decision been made. Here's why it's complicated -- and why Borrell and Kyiv got ahead of themselves:
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We’re seeing these signs as we drive thru Ukraine. This one says ‘Russian train - go fuck yourself!’ It’s based on the Snake Island border guards who said ‘Russian ship - go fuck yourself’ when challenged by a warship in the Black Sea. Ship, train, plane: same sentiment!
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I know it is hard to take your eyes off Ukraine, but do not forget Afghanistan ...
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When war comes to a children's cancer hospital.
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Emma Graham-Harrison
@_EmmaGH
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“We are ready to give our own lives but not willing to give the lives of these children.”
Trying to keep a children's cancer ward going at the heart of Ukraine's war, with dwindling painkillers and no proper bomb shelter
https://theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/01/cancer-ward-chernihiv-hospital-ukrainian-children-under-siege…
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Important thread on cluster munitions
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Eliot Higgins
@EliotHiggins
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We're seeing a lot of images of cluster munitions being used in Ukraine, so there's a few things I want to highlight to assist with reporting of the incidents. There's two types of rockets, fired by BM-27 and BM-30 multiple rocket launchers.
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I’ve been thinking of Syrians so much these past few days, prompting me to write this … Putin's military playbook in Ukraine was developed by his forces when they saved the brutal regime of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria https://bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-02-27/putin-s-assault-on-ukraine-echoes-russia-s-brutal-battering-of-syria… via
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The coming catastrophe is India. Genocide watchers fear a genocide is coming. Incited by Modi - using same tactics as Putin - & facilitated by Facebook. I wrote this about journalist who is on frontline, taking endless shit. Solidarity Rana 
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The sun has risen in Ukraine. It's day four since Russia invaded. Kyiv is standing firmly. Russian war criminals hit an oil depot near Kyiv and a gas pipeline in Kharkiv with missiles, causing fire and environmental damage. Another missile hit close to a radioactive waste storage
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The memes coming in hot from Ukrainians tonight… Here’s one.
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Amazing detail here
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John Spencer
@SpencerGuard
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So I've been asked what my advice would be to civilian resistors in Ukriane, especially Kyiv. Someone with no military training but wanting to resist. Here are a few things #Kyiv #UkraineUnderAttack :
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Ukrainian President Zelenskiy out on the streets of Kyiv, after a night of intense fighting. Russia did not take the city.
Offered evacuation by Americans he reportedly said “I need ammunition, not a ride”
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Russian money is a conspicuous presence in London’s priciest neighborhoods. There's even a bus tour. https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-25/u-k-takes-aim-at-russia-s-opaque-embrace-of-london-property… via
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Great thread
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Sofiya Alexandra
@TheSofiya
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As someone born & raised in Odessa for roughly 1/3 of my life, who spent the other 2/3 in America, I know that most people don’t know much about Ukraine - which I get, I have many blind spots, so I thought I’d tweet some little basic things in case it helps make it real 
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Great piece from my Southeast Asia colleagues: Myanmar's civilian government was sent into exile after last year's military coup. Here's how they're fighting back. https://bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-02-23/crypto-soros-and-the-global-drive-to-fund-revolution-in-myanmar… via
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Super interesting thread
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Kamil Galeev
@kamilkazani
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Here you see a photo of extraordinary meeting of Russian Security Council on Ukraine. Who are these people? I'd argue their biographies give a good glimpse into the structure of Russian power. Let's start with the only woman here - Valentina Matvienko on he right (a short )
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"An unusual error in NSO’s spyware allowed Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul and privacy researchers to discover a trove of evidence suggesting the Israeli spyware maker had helped hack her iPhone"
The Pegasus Spyware story continues to unfold, and it is huge.
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Marc Owen Jones
@marcowenjones
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How a glitch on a Saudi woman's iPhone revealed widespread spyware hacking around the world https://euronews.com/next/2022/02/22/how-a-glitch-on-a-saudi-woman-s-iphone-revealed-widespread-spyware-hacking-around-the-worl…
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This is an incredible statement. Deserves to be read widely.
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Permanent Mission of Kenya to the UN 
@KenyaMissionUN
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Kenya makes strong statement opposing the undermining of the sovereignty & territorial integrity of #Ukraine during the emergency meeting of the #SecurityCouncil at 9pm on 21st February. See full statement delivered below 
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Mosul Eye عين الموصل
@MosulEye
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Done, mission achieved
The library daesh destroyed is officially reconstructed and open with full life.
Life Wins...
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This is nuts and also just flat out negligent on the part of regulatory authorities ...
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PriyankaPulla
@PriyankaPulla
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Shocking how poorly studied the toxicity of some of the Ayurvedic herbs recommended by Indian government for Covid is. And shocking how little desire there is to study this toxicity https://science.thewire.in/health/india-silent-outbreak-giloy-induced-livery-injury-ayurveda-ayush/… important piece by @Banjotkaur
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This is a big red flag for all journalists who use the http://otter.ai transcription app https://politi.co/3sKxu99 via
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“Journalists are being selectively picked up, interrogated about their coverage, beaten, and then released after hours or days.” ... reports
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Interesting read from Arati Jerath on the state poll in India we're all watching ... https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/what-will-decide-up-polls-outcome-economic-distress-or-communal-rhetoric-7774061/… via
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Straight through the heart ... this is gorgeous from
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Love this story from ... you also see these lightening conductors across the rooftops of Beirut (which always felt very prone to lightening between the mountains & the sea ) ...
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Great piece by on the scars of 1942 and what they mean today ... https://bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-02-13/why-britain-s-1942-collapse-in-singapore-still-resonates… via
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Two journalists on assignment with UNHCR and Afghan nationals working with them have been detained in Kabul. We are doing our utmost to resolve the situation, in coordination with others.
We will make no further comment given the nature of the situation.
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Ummmm. The Morrison ukulele video? WTF?
But not before traumatizing trans kids and the broader LGBTQ community. Again ... Government shelves religious freedom bill indefinitely after bruising defeat. https://abc.net.au/news/2022-02-10/government-consults-religious-groups-discrimination-bill/100818568?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=twitter&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web… via
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The Udipi case highlights at least two key truths about Indian society, writes Priya Ramani. https://bloombergquint.com/opinion/islamophobia-in-udupi-the-moral-courage-of-a-hijabi-schoolgirl… via
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India has some of the lowest public health funding in the world - 2% of GDP, compared to 5.4% in China and a global average of nearly 10% - and this budget did nothing to correct that ... what a missed opportunity in this deadly pandemic.
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Have you thought the Australian media's coverage of the global pandemic has been heavily focused on US and UK? I just published a peer-reviewed study showing how much Covid foreign news was US & UK (over 53%), with only 5% Southeast Asia.
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According to the , sale of Pegasus was not just a backroom deal by former Israeli PM Netanyahu with leaders inc PM Modi, but also ensured a shift in position of countries like Hungary, Mexico and India at the UN.
Very serious allegations, the government must respond to.
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The New York Times
@nytimes
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Inside the battle to control Pegasus, the world’s most powerful cyberweapon: A yearlong investigation by @ronenbergman and @MarkMazzettiNYT reveals how Israel used sales of the spyware to advance its interests around the world. https://nyti.ms/3IO04fU
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"As the region gets more militarized, tension in the area is bound to increase ..." Excellent, well-sourced piece from with thoughts from https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-28/india-boosts-naval-patrols-to-catch-china-in-crowded-global-seas… via
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1.25 crore applications for 35,281 #IndianRailway jobs. That’s 354 applicants per job. For every person selected, 353 will not be. Not because of reservations but because there aren’t enough jobs. Even after short listing 7 lakhs, there’s 1 job/20 people #unemployment #createjobs
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You really should smile more ...
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The Feed SBS
@TheFeedSBS
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Smile more :)
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How many more times will fabulous women like have to explain how toxic these environments are and how much men profit from them before these dudes get it. FFS.
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Yasmin Poole
@yasmin_poole
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A thread about Parliament, power and photo ops.
When I was 20, I visited Parliament with a group of young women advocating for gender equality.
We were told we would meet Scott Morrison. We waited next to groups of school kids. He went around the circle posing with each group.
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Exactly.
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Amy Remeikis
@AmyRemeikis
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What’s the venn diagram of men being very uncomfortable discussing sexual assault and the micro and macro of it all with men being very concerned with the hurt feelings of other men because a woman refused to smile at a staged political photo op?
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Listen to the awesome
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UNSW Indigenous
@UNSWIndigenous
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Prof Megan Davis @mdavisqlder on the importance of constitutionally protected First Nations Voice to Parliament, the @ulurustatement, the impact of the Protection era, and what motives her as a scholar. All in under 10mins!
The Power of Voice:
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The #Djokovic saga was scandalous & embarrassing. But the #PengShuai sage is far worse, with much greater consequence for the main protagonist. Where is she? What is the WTA doing about it? Why is Tennis Australia deeming T shirts with questions about her to be “political”?
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Climate change has impacted snowpack in many Winter Olympic locations. However Beijing will be the first host to rely solely on artificial snow https://bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-01-22/beijing-winter-olympics-first-to-rely-on-artificial-snow… via
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NEW:
Syria's largest dam was on a no-strike list. Military engineers warned that hitting it with an airstrike could cause tens of thousands of civilian deaths.
But a top secret U.S. Special Operations unit struck it anyway.
The story of the Tabqa Dam:
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"I watch the news a lot less. I don't have personal goals. I just want to live a safe life," said of the 12 former HK individuals who lost their jobs as media outlets and orgs shuttered. Many struggled to find jobs, changed professions, or moved abroad.
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Great story by on Taliban efforts to take control of Afghan embassies. "In Italy, a pro-Taliban diplomat...was blocked (from entering) by the ambassador...in a confrontation that ended in a fist fight and intervention by the Italian police" https://wsj.com/articles/taliban-intensify-efforts-to-take-control-of-afghanistans-overseas-embassies-11642501802?st=cxufrt3xr2b9g9f&reflink=desktopwebshare_twitter…
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This closure should concern everyone who cares about media freedom ... "With the government takeover on Monday, one of the last spaces for critical discussion in Kashmir has closed." https://scroll.in/article/1015336/now-shuttered-kashmir-press-club-was-the-last-institution-holding-government-to-account… via
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India’s Congress party pins revival on women in major state poll - important piece from https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-19/india-s-congress-party-pins-revival-on-women-in-major-state-poll… via
This. He has been kept in detention for NINE YEARS.
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Mehdi Ali
@MehdiAli98
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I came to Australia asking for safety when I was just 15 years old.
Now I am 24 and still in detention.
If I'm not a refugee, why would I endure such a difficult time as a child if I have the option to go back to where I came from? Even then, I'm not safe in detention either.
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FFS. PM accused of ‘outright lie’ after claiming detainees in Melbourne hotel are not refugees
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While Djokovic has a safe, comfortable life to return to, refugees who flee their homes only to be deported- are doubly persecuted. They cannot return safely. This is what it means to be a refugee.
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Imagine if Australia applied its new no-dickhead policy on Novak Djokovic to government troublemakers
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This is the deadly collateral damage of Covid … Record 6m people waiting for routine hospital treatment in England
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Beautiful piece … there is nothing in the world like the Bosporus 
…A devil’s current, a hairpin turn: Aboard a tanker in the risky Bosporus strait
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I wrote this a couple of months ago: on the principle of universal jurisdiction (used in the German trial) and how it might be used in the Afghan context ... with thoughts from &
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This is a fantastic overview, well worth reading: How an Alleged Syrian Intelligence Officer was Put on Trial in Germany
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BREAKING: Life imprisonment for a former Syrian intelligence officer at the conclusion of a historic trial in Germany.
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Families for Freedom outside Koblenz court minutes before judgment is read.
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So many will be watching this and wondering how this judgement may be applied elsewhere ...
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Tamara Qiblawi تمارا قبلاوي
@tamaraqiblawi
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Activists and journalists queue up outside Koblenz court since 6 am for over 2 hours hoping to get a spot in court to witness the historic judgment of Syrian regime official Anwar Raslan, who is charged with complicity in 4000 torture cases, dozens of murders and sexual assault.
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It's time for social media companies to crack down now we know what this app is capable of. Great piece from and https://bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-01-12/india-s-tek-fog-shrouds-an-escalating-political-war-against-modi-s-critics… via
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The UN refugee agency is also deeply concerned, saying: "People who seek international protection have endured traumatic experiences before arriving in Australia and their resilience is eroded by punitive measures they experience in Australia."
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This is what Human Rights Watch has had to say:
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And here's one of many examples of how badly the Australian Government treats extremely vulnerable people via its deeply unfair detention regime:
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Wrote this earlier in the week ... The treatment of Novak Djokovic has focused attention on Australia's cruelty to refugees https://bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-01-10/novak-djokovic-s-treatment-in-australia-exposes-the-country-s-xenophobia… via
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