Death sentence for officials in China Tropical cyclone Seroja hits

Two former government officials in China’s northwest Xinjiang region have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, which is usually reduced to a life sentence. Xinjiang is home to several ethnic minority groups including the Uyghur Muslims. The Chinese government has allegedly forced more than a million Uyghur Muslims and other minorities into detention camps, something that China strongly denies. However, as international pressure mounts to address alleged human rights violations, two former government officials have been sentenced to death for, among others, charges of separatism, violence and terrorism. It is believed the officials sparked violent riots and attacks, which led to several deaths in the Xinjiang region. The judgment ran parallel with international calls to boycott the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics due to alleged human rights abuses in the country.

Torrential rains from tropical cyclone Seroja caused widespread havoc in East Timor and Indonesia as flash floods and landslides destroyed villages. More than 100 people are reported dead while dozens are still missing. An estimated 10 000 people have been displaced and are seeking refuge in neighbouring countries as their homes have been swept away or are buried under mud. Indonesia is susceptible to natural disasters as nearly half of the country’s population live in areas at risk of landslides. And in news that can only worsen the circumstances in East Timor, the island nation recorded its first Covid-19 death only two days after the tropical cyclone hit on Sunday.