Modi’s party told to take down campaign ad targeting Muslims

A campaign ad by prime minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist ruling party was taken down from social media after it drew backlash for promoting anti-Muslim sentiment.

The ad was released on Saturday as part of the BJP’s campaign in the eastern state of Jharkhand, which voted in the second phase of the regional election today, and showed Muslims taking over a Hindu family home in an apparent reference to “infiltration” from Bangladesh, invoked by the prime minister and his home minister Amit Shah.

In the ad, a Hindu man opens the door to see a crowd of seemingly poor men, women and children, dressed in skull caps and hijabs, entering his home. The Hindu woman of the house, wearing a mangalsutra and a bindi, covers her nose while looking concerned as the man screams, “They are ruining our home.”

One of the intruders, wearing a torn brown vest, tells the homeowners, “We have come because of the government you voted for,” in an apparent reference to the state’s ruling alliance of the Congress party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. “So your home should be destroyed as well. Why only our slum,” he adds, as the ad accuses the state government of “minority appeasement”.

The ad was taken down after the Congress complained against the “misleading and divisive” video to the Election Commission of India, the constitutional authority responsible for administering elections in the country.

The commission directed the BJP to remove the ad, posted on the party’s Jharkhand social media channels. It also asked the state election chief to send a notice to the BJP and submit an action taken report.

Jharkhand election officer, K Ravi Kumar, told the Hindustan Times that a police complaint had also been filed in the matter.

Denouncing the advertisement, Congress member Jairam Ramesh called it a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

“A complaint has just been lodged with the Election Commission on a most disgusting ad relating to Jharkhand,” he wrote on X. “It not only brazenly and blatantly violates the ECI’s Model Code of Conduct, it is also an act of serious criminality. We hope the ECI will act immediately and pursue this matter to its logical conclusion.”

The ad also drew criticism beyond the Congress party.

Mehbooba Mufti, leader of a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir, called the ad “deplorably communal” and a betrayal of India’s secular principles.

In a statement on X, she said, “BJP’s advertisement campaign in Jharkhand assembly elections should make Kashmiri leadership turn in their graves who, despite Jammu and Kashmir being a Muslim-majority state, opted to join a secular democratic India.”

She labelled the ad “pure poison” and said it “contradicts the foundational ideals and secular fabric of the nation.”

The controversy comes amid a heated campaign during which Mr Modi’s party has consistently targeted the state’s coalition. Mr Modi earlier this month described the opposition alliance as an “infiltrators” alliance and “mafia’s slave”, alleging that it supported Bangladeshi infiltrators at the expense of Jharkhand’s tribal population.

“Appeasement politics has reached its pinnacle in Jharkhand, where the JMM coalition is busy supporting Bangladeshi infiltrators. If this continues, the tribal population in Jharkhand will shrink. This is a threat to tribal society and the country,” Mr Modi said during a rally in Garhwa as he alleged the state government was allowing “infiltrators” to settle in Jharkhand for political gain.

His home minister, Amit Shah, echoed the accusations and vowed legal action against alleged land grab by infiltrators. Speaking in Seraikela, he said, “Infiltrators are grabbing land by marrying our daughters. We will bring a law to prevent transfer of land to infiltrators if they marry tribal women. We will also form a committee to identify infiltrators to drive them out and reclaim land grabbed by them.”

North Korea sent more howitzers in new shipment to Russia, Seoul says

North Korea sent more artillery systems to Russia in a recent shipment of conventional arms, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Wednesday.

Pyongyang exported 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm multiple rocket launch systems to aid the Russian war effort in Ukraine, the National Intelligence Service said in a briefing, according to lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun who was in attendance.

According to a Ukrainian intelligence assessment from Saturday, Russia received around 50 self-propelled howitzers and 20 multiple launch rocket systems from North Korea.

The Russian military did not operate these types of artillery systems, Mr Lee said, so North Korea likely also sent trainers along.

Seoul’s latest claims about Pyongyang’s involvement in the Ukraine war came only a week after Russian social media circulated pictures purportedly showing North Korean ”Koksan” 170mm self-propelled guns arriving in the country by rail.

Mr Lee also said that there were around 10,900 North Korean soldiers in Kursk, fighting alongside Russian airborne troops and marines to repel a Ukrainian invasion of the border region launched in August.

Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defence treaty during president Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang earlier this year that obligates each to rush to the other’s aid in the event of an attack.

Intelligence assessments from Washington, Seoul and Kyiv in the last few weeks said North Korea was deeply involved in the war, which just passed 1,000 days, with its soldiers reported to be fighting Ukrainian troops.

North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui’s meeting with Mr Putin in Moscow earlier this month possibly laid the groundwork for a visit by Kim Jong-un, another lawmaker, Park Sun-won, quoted the spy agency as reporting.

The lawmaker further said the spy agency was ascertaining North Korean troop losses and surrenders in Ukraine amid conflicting information.

North Korea’s alleged involvement in the Russian war effort has sparked furious responses from Kyiv’s allies in Europe and the US. Using North Korean soldiers showed that Mr Putin was not closer to winning the war but ready to escalate it, said Austrian foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg.

The authorisation by US president Joe Biden for Ukraine to use American missiles like ATACMS to hit deeper inside Russia is also claimed to be a response to North Korea’s decision to send soldiers.

Analysts, however, said the move would have limited impact on the war. “To really impose costs on Russia, Ukraine would need large stockpiles of ATACMS, which it doesn’t have and won’t receive because the United States’ own supplies are limited,” said Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defence Priorities.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the rockets would speak for themselves. “Today, many in the media are talking about the fact that we have received permission to take appropriate actions,” he said. “But blows are not inflicted with words. Such things are not announced,” he said of the announcement.”

Airline apologises after passengers stranded in Phuket for 80 hours

Nearly 100 passengers of an Air India flight to Delhi were stranded in Phuket, Thailand, for more than 80 hours due to repeated “technical issues”.

Some of the frustrated travellers—who included children and elderly persons—voiced their grievances on social media, claiming insufficient communication and support from the airline.

The flight, originally scheduled for 16 November, was initially delayed by six hours due to a technical fault. Passengers reported being asked to board, only to be deboarded an hour later as the flight was cancelled. Despite assurances that the fault had been resolved, the aircraft was forced to return to Phuket two and a half hours after taking off due to another problem.

FlightRadar, a flight-tracking app, showed the aircraft making a brief journey before returning to Phuket.

Some of the passengers took to social media to express their exasperation and distress over the situation.

“Please look into this on urgent basis. We are stranded in Phuket,” a passenger wrote on X, tagging the Indian civil aviation ministry.

“Air India boarded us on a plane which was not entirely fit for flying. That’s a huge risk and potentially life threatening.”

“Stuck in Phuket for 2 days, more than 48 hours,” another complained. “Please refund my money @airindia so I can make other travel arrangements.”

Air India expressed regret and blamed a “technical issue” for the repeated delays.

“While our staff on the ground made effort to minimise their inconvenience, providing all on-ground assistance including hotel accommodations and meals, some of the guests were also reaccommodated on alternatively available flights,” the Indian airline said in a statement.

An unnamed airline source told NDTV that some 40 passengers remained in Phuket, while the rest had been put on alternative flights.

Another Air India flight, from Paris to Delhi, was diverted to Jaipur because of heavy smog in the capital. The pilots of the plane then allegedly refused to fly further because they had finished duty hours. The stranded passengers were taken to Delhi by bus.

The passengers lashed out at the airline for the “shameful and pathetic management”.

“Shameful and pathetic management from @airindia today as flight #AI2022 from CDG-DEL diverted to JAI. Pax stranded at JAI asked to spend 5 hrs inside the aircraft and then to take a bus from JAI to DEL. My wife and two months old is suffering and I am helpless,” Vishal P posted on X.

The Independent has reached out to the airline for comment.

Seoul Metro apologises for calling Chinese tourists ‘villains’

Seoul Metro has apologised after an employee caused controversy recently by posting a derogatory online response to a public complaint about Chinese-language announcements in subway stations.

In response to a complaint, posted on 26 October about “excessive Chinese announcements” in subways and palaces, Seoul Metro wrote on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s website that groups of Chinese people can become noisy and disruptive, calling them “villains”.

“When two or more Chinese gather together, they can get noisy and make a ruckus, turning into villains,” it said.

It even suggested adding announcements promoting order among them: “It is necessary we broadcast Chinese announcements encouraging order and good conduct on trains, putting out an enlightening reminder against disorder.”

“We will review the possibility of broadcasting announcements only in Korean and English in the future,” it added.

However, Seoul Metro later denied reviewing any plan to limit announcements to Korean and English.

The post drew backlash for being inappropriate, for exhibiting racial and cultural bias, and for its exclusionary tone.

Seoul Metro issued a statement after the controversy grew and publicly apologised for “the inappropriate language and content regarding Chinese tourists in the response to the complaint”.

The operator promised to provide “special training” for all employees, including those handling complaint responses, to prevent similar incidents in the future. The company also committed to enhancing its services and implementing stricter content review processes before public release.

“We will also ensure that the head of the department replies to such complaints, or at least check the content of the responses,” the company said.

“We will make every effort to create a subway environment that foreign tourists can use more conveniently and foster a culture that recognises diversity in our organisation.”

Since president Yoon Suk-yeol took office, South Korea has strengthened ties with the US and Japan while distancing itself from China.

This shift, coupled with negative media coverage, has fueled anti-China sentiment among young South Koreans, Chung Jae-hung, an expert from the Sejong Institute, was quoted as saying by the Chinese state-run paper The Global Times.

A study conducted in March 2022 by the Sinophone Borderlands research team at Palacky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic, said that 80 per cent of South Koreans held a negative perception of China.

Myanmar overtakes Syria as country with highest landmine casualties

Myanmar has overtaken Syria as the country with the highest number of casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war, a report has found.

The Landmine Monitor 2024 report found that in 2023, Myanmar recorded 1,003 casualties, although it mentions the true number may be significantly higher due to underreporting.

The extensive use of landmines surged following the 2021 military coup, with both the military junta and armed resistance groups deploying them, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) said in the report.

Casualties occurred in every region except the fortified capital, Naypyidaw.

“This flagship report records a shocking number of civilians killed or injured by antipersonnel mines, including children,” Tamar Gabelnick, director of the ICBL said in a statement.

“Any use of antipersonnel mines by any actor under any circumstances is unacceptable and must be condemned. All countries that have not yet done so should join the Mine Ban Treaty to turn back this tide and end the suffering caused by these vile weapons.”

The Mine Ban Treaty, which came into effect on 1 March 1999, prohibits the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of antipersonnel mines. It also mandates victim assistance, mine clearance, and the destruction of stockpiles. To date, 164 countries have joined the treaty.

Civilians, including children in Myanmar, are frequently the victims, and reports indicate the military uses civilians as human shields in mine-affected areas and extorts payments from farmers whose livestock trigger mines.

Landmines have increasingly been placed in civilian areas, the report found, including urban zones controlled by the military, often disguised as everyday objects, further endangering non-combatants.

Last year, Syria recorded the second-highest number of casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war, with 933 victims. Afghanistan and Ukraine followed, each reporting over 500 casualties in 2023.

Globally, civilians made up 84 per cent of casualties, with children accounting for over a third of those affected.

“Civilians continued to bear the brunt of the harm caused by these weapons, with 84 per cent of recorded casualties being civilians, where the status was known. Children accounted for more than a third of all civilian casualties,” the statement from ICBL said.

The report states that “non-state armed groups used mostly improvised antipersonnel mines in 2023 and 2024 in Colombia, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Palestine (Gaza) and increasingly in the Sahel region of Africa”.

“Behind these disturbing casualty statistics are people trying to rebuild lives after the devastating impacts of mines,” Elea Boureux, project manager for the Landmine Monitor said.

“Far too many victims cannot access adequate medical care, rehabilitation services, or other support. During the upcoming Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty, the international community should commit to providing appropriate, affordable, inclusive, and accessible services to victims,” she added.

At least 58 countries and regions remain affected by landmine contamination, the report says, but significant progress was made last year, it adds. The 33 states with mine clearance obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty cleared 281.5sqkm of land – an area larger than the UK – the largest amount since 2019.

Cambodia and Croatia led these efforts, together accounting for 75 per cent (over 209sqkm) of the total land cleared.

Hong Kong jails 45 activists after largest national security trial

Hong Kong’s High Court has sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to jail terms of up to 10 years in a landmark national security trial seen as a stark demonstration of a China-led crackdown on dissent.

A total of 47 pro-democracy activists were arrested and charged in 2021 with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law, which carries sentences of up to life in prison. The charges stemmed from an unofficial primary election in July 2020, where the activists aimed to pick the best candidates for an upcoming legislative election.

The activists, commonly known as “Hong Kong 47”, were accused of plotting to paralyse the government by engaging in potentially disruptive acts. Benny Tai, a legal scholar who was regarded as a key figure in the plan, received the longest sentence of 10 years.

After a 118-day trial, 14 of the democrats were found guilty in May, including Australian citizen Gordon Ng and activists Owen Chow and Gwyneth Ho, while two were acquitted.

The other 31 pleaded guilty and all 45 were given sentences ranging from four to 10 years on Tuesday, including prominent activist Joshua Wong, who was handed a term of four years and two months.

Exiled activist Nathan Law, one of a number of pro-democracy activists who has had a HK$1m (£101,400) bounty placed on his head by Hong Kong police, told The Independent: “The sentencing is outrageous… The activists were merely doing things every party in democratic countries do, which was organising to run for a legislative election.

“Joshua and I are good friends and we have worked together for many years. He is a brave person and will endure… For activist overseas, especially those who are wanted, it means there is still a long way to go before they can go home,” he added.

“Our true crime for Beijing is that we were not content with playing along in manipulated elections,” Ms Ho, who was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, wrote in a Facebook post. “We dared to confront the regime with the question: will democracy ever be possible within such a structure? The answer was a complete crackdown on all fronts of society.”

The trial has been condemned as politically motivated by Western nations.

Judges ruled that the plan to bring change through the primary election would have undermined government authority and created a constitutional crisis.

Mr Tai, who had written an article outlining “ten steps to mutual destruction”, was widely seen as the organiser behind the primary.

In their verdict, the judges wrote that Mr Tai essentially “advocated for a revolution” by publishing a series of articles over a period of months that traced his thinking, even though in his mitigation letter he said the steps were “never intended to be used as blueprint for any political action”.

Some defendants had claimed the scheme to secure a majority of seats in the legislature would never have materialised, but the judges rejected this reasoning, stating that “all the participants had put in every endeavor to make it a success”.

The US state department condemned the sentences and urged Hong Kong authorities to cease what it called “politically motivated prosecutions” and release all political prisoners.

“The defendants were aggressively prosecuted and jailed for peacefully participating in normal political activity protected under Hong Kong’s Basic Law,” a state department spokesperson said in a statement.

Britain’s Indo-Pacific minister Catherine West said: “China’s imposition of the national security law (NSL) in Hong Kong has eroded the rights and freedoms of Hong Kongers.

“Today’s sentencing is a clear demonstration of the Hong Kong authorities’ use of the NSL to criminalise political dissent… The UK will always stand up for the people of Hong Kong, and all states should uphold their international obligations to protect these fundamental rights.” Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the sentences under the “draconian” national security law were appalling.

The timing of the sentencing is embarrassing for prime minister Sir Keir, who became the first UK leader since 2018 to meet China’s president Xi Jinping when they held talks in the margins of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. But Downing Street defended the decision to meet the Chinese premier because it gave him the opportunity to raise his concerns face to face.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters: “No one can engage in illegal activities in the name of democracy and attempt to escape legal punishment.”

Beijing “firmly supports” Hong Kong’s efforts to safeguard national security, he added.

Observers said the trial illustrated how authorities suppressed dissent following huge anti-government protests in 2019, alongside media crackdowns and reduced public choice in elections.

Some 200 supporters of the activists gathered to show solidarity outside the court despite rain and winds on Tuesday morning. Among them was “Grandpa Wong”, a centenarian who worried that he might not live to see the activists freed.

Wei Siu-lik, a friend of convicted activist Clarisse Yeung, arrived at 4am despite an injury. “I wanted them to know we’re still here for them,” she said.

Simon Cheng, a former UK Hong Kong consulate employee detained in 2019 in China before later being granted asylum in the UK, told The Independent: “[This] is a devastating reminder of the shrinking space for political dissent in Hong Kong.

“[These convictions are] a symbolic act of repression aimed at silencing any opposition,” he added. “This ruling send a worrying signal not only for Hong Kong but for the world”.

Additional reporting by Reuters and AP

Xi lays out four red lines US must not challenge in meeting with Biden

Xi Jinping used his final meeting with outgoing president Joe Biden to lay out four “red lines” that Washington must not cross and warned Donald Trump against pushing on the guardrails of US–China relations.

In the final chapter of their diplomatic engagement, the Chinese president and his American counterpart held a two-hour meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Lima, Peru.

Extending an olive branch to the incoming president, Mr Xi said China stood committed to continued dialogue and cooperation to sustain the “hardwon” stability in bilateral relations but warned against a “new Cold War”.

A lengthy readout of the meeting in Lima didn’t mention Mr Trump by name, but spelled out Beijing’s approach to dealing with his administration.

“The Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China’s path and system, and China’s development right are four red lines for China,” it quoted Mr Xi as saying.

“They must not be challenged. These are the most important guardrails and safety nets for China-US relations.”

Mr Biden told Mr Xi that the two leaders did not always agree, but their discussions were always “frank and candid”.

The Lima meeting comes as the Chinese leadership prepares for a likely trade war under the Trump administration.

Mr Trump vowed during his campaign for president to impose a blanket 60 per cent tariff on Chinese goods as part of a package of “America First” trade measures.

The Republican has staffed his incoming cabinet with a number of China hawks such as Marco Rubio as secretary of state and Mike Waltz as national security adviser.

“A new Cold War should not be fought and cannot be won. Containing China is unwise, unacceptable and bound to fail,” Mr Xi told the American president.

Mentioning Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te by name, Mr Xi urged the US to understand his true nature and handle the “Taiwan question with extra prudence”.

China considers Taiwan an integral part of the country and sees Mr Lai, a proponent of the island’s independence, as a “separatist”.

On the question of the South China Sea, Mr Xi warned that the US “should not get involved in bilateral disputes over the relevant islands”.

He slammed the policy of a “small yard and high fence”, a term employed by US national security advisor Jake Sullivan to describe American efforts to block China from accessing advanced technology.

The White House readout of the meeting said Mr Xi and Mr Biden “stressed the importance of responsibly managing competitive aspects of the relationship” as well as ending the conflict in Ukraine.

Mr Biden reportedly raised the issue of alleged North Korean troop deployment in Russia, a close ally of Beijing.

He “condemned the deployment of thousands of DPRK troops to Russia, a dangerous expansion of Russia’s unlawful war against Ukraine with serious consequences for both European and Indo-Pacific peace and security,” it said.

“He expressed deep concern over the PRC’s continued support for Russia’s defence industrial base.”

On Taiwan, the readout said, Mr Biden reiterated that Washington opposed unilateral changes to the status quo from either side and expected any differences to be resolved by peaceful means.

Israel strikes near Lebanon’s parliament as food trucks looted in Gaza

At least five people were killed in the latest Israeli attack on a densely populated residential area in Beirut even as Lebanon and Hezbollah were reported to have agreed to a ceasefire proposal.

Israeli forces fired two missiles at the Zoqaq al-Blat neighbourhood which houses the local UN headquarters, Lebanon‘s parliament and prime minister’s office, state-run National News Agency reported.

The strikes came as the US said it was working on a ceasefire proposal that would remove Israeli forces from Lebanon and push Hezbollah far from the border.

Ali Hassan Khalil, aide to parliament speaker Nabih Berri, said Lebanon had delivered its written response to the US ambassador’s proposal.

“Lebanon presented its comments on the paper in a positive atmosphere,” Mr Khalil told Reuters, declining to offer further details.

Mr Berri, a Hezbollah ally mediating for the group, was expected to meet with US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut on Tuesday.

Israel has dramatically escalated its bombardment of Lebanon since September, vowing to severely weaken Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets and drones at Israel since it launched its air and ground assault on Gaza over a year ago.

The Israeli attacks have killed over 3,500 people across Lebanon, according to the nation’s health ministry. Hezbollah’s rockets have killed at least 77 people, including 31 soldiers, according to Israel. The Lebanese group has also killed more than 50 Israeli soldiers over the course of their ground offensive in the country.

In Gaza, meanwhile, several people were killed in an operation targeting suspected gangs accused of looting dozens of trucks bringing aid to the battered and besieged Palestinian territory.

The interior ministry run by Hamas said on Monday that 20 people were killed “in a security operation carried out by security forces in cooperation with tribal committees”.

The looting “severely affected society and led to signs of famine in southern Gaza”, the ministry said, adding that the operation was the start of a broader campaign to tackle the problem.

Nearly 97 trucks carrying food aid were looted in Gaza over the weekend, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees Unrwa said.

Unrwa commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini said there was a “total breakdown of civil order” and there was “no longer local capacity of people to escort the envoy”.

“This has completely gone.”

The drivers of the truck were forced at gunpoint to unload the aid packages, the agency said in a post on X.

“The Israeli authorities continue to disregard their legal obligations under international law to ensure the population’s basic needs are met and to facilitate the safe delivery of aid,” it added.

Almost all of Gaza’s roughly 2.3 million people rely on international aid for survival and doctors and aid groups say malnutrition is rampant. But only about 34,000 tonnes of food entered the Palestinian territory in October, according to Israeli data.

A UN special committee found that Israeli policies and practices in Gaza are “consistent with the characteristics of genocide”, such as using starvation as a weapon and causing mass casualties.

The incident “highlights the severity of access challenges of bringing aid into southern and central Gaza,” Louise Wateridge, senior emergency officer for Unrwa, told Reuters.

“The urgency of the crisis cannot be overstated; without immediate intervention, severe food shortages are set to worsen, further endangering the lives of over 2 million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive.”

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, according to the territory’s health ministry, since Hamas attacked Israel last October and killed around 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage.

Meanwhile, leaders of the G20 nations who are meeting in Brazil expressed “deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip” as well as the escalation in Lebanon and called for a ceasefire.

They highlighted “the human suffering and negative impacts of the war” and called for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.